《The Story of a Girl & a Goddess Whose Souls Became Interconnected》


 Book One – Prologue One – Part One – A Melancholy Beginning

    RuggyRuggy


    This story, at its core, is quite brutal and dark.


    THERE IS A CONTENT WARNING!!!!


    That isn''t to say it is all gloomy, however.  There are numerous moments of light-hearted content.


    (As a side note, Prologue One and Prologue Two are kinda fast moving. Chapter One is when it properly begins to be a slow burn.)


    Without further ado, I thank you for taking the time to click on my story.


    I do hope you enjoy it.


    A massive, rundown building stood stranded and forgotten in the middle of a desert on an ordinary night. Of course, one would be forgiven for thinking it was a physical reminder from a bygone era of war and strife, but it was not. It was constructed with that in mind. Gross walls made up the body of the building, and they were littered with holes and cracks. It was in such rough shape that the desert winds were enough to crumble the more fragile sections. Part of the roof was purposely caved in, giving it the allure that there was nothing to be found here.


    Below the sand lay some of the most advanced mines ever built. This was the third layer of defense someone had to bypass if they thought about raiding the place. The second would be the harsh desert itself. It¡¯s a cruel mistress, holding no favors with anyone or anything. The first layer of defense would be the country. In this day and age, this meritless, forgotten country has all but disappeared from the maps of the world. It wasn¡¯t hidden for any one reason.


    About fifteen meters away from the building''s entrance laid the various body parts of both man and beast. A blanket of red covered the brown sand in a thin layer of crimson.  The unfortunate savage scavengers, who thought that a rundown building would be ripe for the taking, never expected to pass by a large minefield on the way to their destination.


    ¡°Father...¡± a survivor, a young boy, struggled to cling to life as he meekly reached his arm up to the smoky skies and spoke in a whispered tone. The boy breathed in the superheated air from the mines exploding, and his throat was burned from the inside. He slowly got to his knees and tried to stand up, but his left foot had been blown off. Putting his weight on something that did not exist, the boy fell to the ground and cried out. The hard landing caused sticky red blood to flow from his wound as he screamed out in pain.


    Perhaps due to the circumstance, the boy forced himself to his knees and started to crawl. If he couldn¡¯t walk, he would do the next best thing. With every movement, more blood flowed from the wound, leaving a trail behind him. It was almost a given that the boy would die soon. He crawled over to the nearest body and grabbed onto its shirt. Half of the body¡¯s face was missing, and he could see countless pieces of brain and skull scattered. The smaller pieces were instantly evaporated from the heat, though. Even though this corpse was near unrecognizable, the boy knew who it was.


    ¡°Father!¡± tears flowed from the child as he shook the body with everything he had. No matter how hard he jounced him, the man would not awake. Even though he was saddened by the loss of family, deep down, he was glad. His father had always beat the boy and his sister for the simplest of errors. In the past, the boy and sister were late in returning home by just a couple of minutes, and his father made his displeasure known by beating the two with a belt.


    The two couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Whatever the boy''s father said and did, that was the truth they had to accept. If he proclaimed the sky was green, but it was actually blue, everyone one forced to agree it was green. To disagree with him would bring harsh punishment upon his body, usually in the form of lashes.


    He shook the corpse for a few seconds longer before he crawled away. Were the shakes out of fear and hope, or anger and hatred? That didn¡¯t matter anymore.  He knew that if he stayed here, he would die. A few meters away, the boy saw the slightest hint of movement out of the corner of his eye. With renewed haste, the boy crawled faster than before as he tried to reach whatever blurred motion he saw.


    For the boy, his biggest fear was dying alone. If there was a silver lining to be found in this situation, it would be that now he didn¡¯t have to die alone. However, to get from where he was to where he saw the movement would be an arduous task. He would have to crawl over the remains of his family and friends if he wanted to get over there. After all, the shortest route between two destinations is a straight line. The boy breathed in and then out, and he started his short yet challenging journey.


    Three meters remained.


    His first obstacle was the remains of his dear mother. He tried not to look down as he crawled over her stumped and near unrecognizable body. Tears flowed from his eyes, and they left a pathetic dampness in the sand where they fell. He remembered the warm touch of a kind woman who was always there for him. When he was sick with the sand virus, she was there to nurse him back. When he broke his leg while playing with Uncle Teuam, she was there to take care of him. He chuckled slightly, then silently wept because he wasn''t the best son he could be.


    His mother sure did give him a hard time when he played in a forbidden location. He had been told many times not to play in the worn-down school, but his uncle talked him into it. A floor, grown weak by the passage of time and explosions, gave way and crumbled when he ran over it. He fell to the ground and landed on his left leg, which promptly bent at an unnatural angle. He fell over in pain and groaned out. Undisturbed dust moved from their resting place by the sheer volume of his yell.


    His uncle acted quickly and ran away to go get help, and soon, the boy was back at home resting on his bed with his mother at his side. Of course, this was after the boy''s father had beat him for disobeying his precise orders not to anywhere near the school. That wasn''t to say his uncle got off free, either. He was tied to the ceremonial post in the middle of his village. Stripped naked, he was to stand there for two days and two nights, and he couldn¡¯t fall asleep. If he did, he would get fifty lashes to his back and another two hours added onto his punishment. The boy cried long and hard for the next four days, but he never made a noise. If his father heard any crying, he could be sure that more punishment was to follow.


    The boy tried his best to remember what his mother looked like, but all that came to mind was her current appearance. Her burnt torso of meat with no arms or legs laid there like an overcooked chunk of chicken. Her  head was attached to her neck by a single piece of skin so thin that a stray gust of wind had the power to destroy it. The boy shook his head and knew he had to hurry. He said a silent prayer and crawled over his dear mother, inadvertently pressing his hand down onto her burnt face, which gave away like slim slime.


    His location was now only two meters away, but he couldn''t waste any time rubbing his mother''s remains off of his hand.


    As if it couldn¡¯t possibly get worse, the next unfortunate victim in his path wasn¡¯t human, but he was still the best friend the boy had ever known. It was the incinerated lumps of meat and fur that previously belonged to his best friend, Yaddie. Walking on four legs and being about half the size of a human, Yaddie was the boy¡¯s best friend. He was a dog that the boy had found when he was seven years old. Yaddie was a puppy then, not even one-twentieth of his current size. The boy then used some of the precious moments he had left to reminisce about his first meeting with the dog.


    Near the boy¡¯s village laid a graveyard, which was located a few hundred meters away. A close friend of the boy¡¯s family had passed away, and they were attending his funeral. To the boy, who, at the time, was seven years old, he did not understand why everyone was crying or why there was a large black box being lowered in the ground. After the funeral, the boy and his family returned home.


    The father called the boy and his sister to his room and proceeded to take out his anger and stress on the two unwilling participants. Lash after lash and punch and punch. The two took the pain silently. Afterwards, the father kicked the siblings out. The sister returned to her and her brother¡¯s room while the boy went outside.


    He had no particular direction or destination, and the sun would still be in the sky for a few more hours. He then decided to roam around the village for a bit.  If he had friends, he would want to spend time with them.  But because he was the village chief¡¯s son, he was not afforded that luxury. After wandering for an hour or so, the boy''s throat was parched, and he decided that he would go to the watering hole.


    The boy wasn¡¯t quite liked in the village, and whenever it was time for him to fetch water, the town¡¯s folk would make him wait until everyone else had gone. Even if he was the second person in line, they would force him to the back. The boy couldn¡¯t risk telling his father, and the villagers knew it. There was a time the boy refused to vacate his spot and move to the back, and he had suffered for it with bruised arms and chipped teeth.


    Now, whenever he wanted water, he would use blackened parts of the watering hole. Not many people used that awful section, and it was for a good reason. The water smelled like human waste, and it was the color of mud. Still, the boy didn¡¯t care. He would drink it not because of the taste but because of what it had the potential to do. Every time he drank the water, there was a chance he would get sick. The boy hoped and hoped in all his heart that he would get a nasty disease and leave this horrible world full of beatings. He felt that way for a long time, but his way of thinking changed on that fateful day.


    When he went to the watering hole, he expected to drink the black water, but something was different. There was nobody around. For the first time, he had the entire oasis to himself. Overcome with joy, the boy ran over and slid through the sand into the water. He smiled brightly for the first time that he could remember. He started to dip his hand in the water but stopped. Suddenly, he heard loud growling and a meek yelp coming from where the dirty water was at. The boy had to make a choice. Would he go and help? Or would he stay and enjoy the clean water? The boy owed nothing to nobody. Why would he help those who never tried to help him?


    He wanted to think that way, but the words of his mother came into his mind. She always said that it was his job and duty as the chief¡¯s son to help those around him, no matter the cause or reason. The boy cursed quietly and ran over to the noise, which had only grown louder. He ran around to the other side of the watering hole and passed through a small tunnel. It was probably about three meters away, so it wasn¡¯t far at all, but when he cleared it, the godawful smell of that black water invaded his nose.  He immediately started to gag and tear up, but vomit never escaped from his stomach.


    He wiped his eyes and saw a horrible sight. A small white and black dog laid helplessly on the brown sand while two large crows tried to pick the dog up. Their sharp claws dripped red with blood, and even though the boy was scared out of his little mind, he knew he had to act fast. First, he made a loud noise by yelling, but the crows were not bothered. Instead, they just calmly looked at the boy with their big black eyes. He stiffened up and started to walk back.


    As if it enjoyed causing pain, one of the crows slowly lowered its talon and cut into the belly of the dog. A pair of beady black eyes stared daggers at the boy, who froze up. The poor creature yelped out in pain, and for the first time in his life, the boy felt pure anger. Beforehand, when he was being beaten by his father, he only felt fright and sadness. Now, the primary emotion of anger and hatred welled up inside of him.


    It was then he realized he was about to take a life for the very first time.

 Book One – Prologue One – Part Two – A Melancholy Beginning

    The boy looked around for anything that could be used as a weapon, but he had to be quick. His eyes scanned the area far and wide, back and forth until he found a stick buried a small distance away. With adrenaline pumping throughout his body, he ran for the makeshift weapon and grabbed it, only to lose his footing on the sand. He fell on his face, but that didn¡¯t deter him. The boy got up as fast as possible, and with a stick in hand, he ran full sprint towards the two crows. The boy knew he had to be as quiet as possible. It was impossible to fully mask the sound of him running on the sand, but the crows never did look up at him. They had already considered the boy a waste of their time, but unfortunately for them, that line of thought proved to be their downfall.


    With as much strength as he could muster, the boy slammed his stick into the body of the closest crow. It landed with a meaty thunk as the blackbird was blown back by the impact. It tried to get up, but that hit caved in the crow¡¯s chest. Small pieces of the crow¡¯s rib were piercing through its chest. Bright red blood stained the pearly white skeleton that was surrounded by pitch-black feathers. A moment later, and the crow was dead. Not wanting to miss a moment, the boy transitioned into another hit and managed to land one on the second crow.


    Stunned by what happened to its friend, the second crow was too slow to react. When it tried to move out of the way, the crow was in the perfect spot to be smacked. The crow died instantly, but the boy didn¡¯t know it. All he saw was a monster in the shape of a black bird that wanted to bring death and pain to another animal. Hit after hit, smack after smack, the boy kept pummeling the crow, and after each slam, he felt a little bit less angry. A bit less upset. After what felt like hours, but in reality, a few minutes, the boy¡¯s arm was as heavy as lead. Unable to carry the stick, which had long turned into a smelly red object covered with blood, it fell to the ground and stained the sand.


    He looked over at the dog, and he suddenly remembered what he wanted to do. He went to the creature, held his head to its chest, and listened. The dog¡¯s heart was beating, but it was getting weaker and weaker. The boy ripped off a small part of his shirt and covered the dog¡¯s wounds as he scooped it up in his arms. With great haste, the boy ran back through the small tunnel, up the well-traveled path traveled path that led to his village, through the village center, and finally to his house. With panic in his heart, the boy rapidly entered his house and laid the wounded dog on the floor.


    At this time, his father should be at a meeting in the center of his village, so he did not have to worry about making him angry. At least not yet. The boy ran to the linen closet and grabbed a few towels before rushing back to the dog. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw that there were two people in the house. The boy desperately wanted to yell at them. He wanted to know why are they here and not at the meeting. Everyone above the age of ten had a requirement to be at the meeting, so the boy was exempt for another three years.


    The boy pleaded and begged for help. He desperately wanted to save this animal. Luckily for him, his mother was caring, and she couldn¡¯t stand to watch people or animals suffer. Using a thread and needle, the mother sewed up the dog''s wounds as he laid panting and barely breathing. Every so often, the pain would be too much to handle, and the dog would lash out, biting and hollering, but the boy held a tight grip on the dog¡¯s neck.


    Soon the deed was finished. The mother¡¯s beautiful tan hands were covered in the filthy blood of a stray. The precious white towels were stained red, and valuable string that should¡¯ve been used to save another life was wasted on a filthy mutt.


    They didn¡¯t have any antibiotics or medicine to spare, so it was up to the dog¡¯s own strength to survive. The mother told the boy and sister to clean the bandages.


    After cleaning and walking back to the house, the boy broke down in tears for the first time in front of someone. The sister did the same, and the two cried themselves together for a few minutes. After having a good cry, the two hugged each other and walked back to their domicile, but they didn¡¯t talk. If they did, they knew more tears would soon follow. At the house, they saw their father standing outside.  He had a whipping belt in his hand. The boy knew what was coming. He had brought an unknown animal into his house.


    The boy told his sister to go inside and handed her his half of the towels. She silently nodded and left the boy alone with their father. The setting sun emitted a beautiful red glow in the sky as the day transitioned into night. The cold desert sand whipped against their clothes as the boy knew what he had to do. He and his father walked over to a nearby tree, and the boy put his hand on it and stuck out his back. The father gripped the belt tight and raised it up high before coming down with immense force.


    The sound the belt made hitting flesh was earsplittingly loud and sudden, like the eruption of thunder on a calm night. The boy took his beatings in stride, and he felt that it was worth it. To be fair, he was following the words of his mother. The boy was to be the next leader of his community.  And as chief, he would be responsible for the lives of everyone in the village.  To him, that included Humans and animals.


    After many anger-infused thrashes, the deed was finally done as the father went inside the house. The boy stayed leaned up against the tree for a long time, letting the cool wind clash against the welted red skin.


    The next day, the boy woke up to the dog sitting next to his bed. The mutt''s wound was still nasty and red, but it seemed that there was no cause to worry about disease. If the crows had one, then the dog wouldn''t be up and about. He lifted the dog and sat him on his bed.  The dog sniffed around a bit before looking back at the boy. His fur was as black as the, camouflaging the blood and hiding any scars.


    The boy¡¯s mother came in and told the boy to take it easy for the day. He was to spend time with the dog and train him. The boy nodded his head, and that was how an unbreakable bond of trust developed between animal and man. Both man and beast were abused and damaged by the environment they lived in and the people around them, but they had each other, and that was all they needed.


    One year later, the boy gave a name to the dog on the anniversary of their meeting. After deliberating on it with himself, he decided on the name Yaddie. Two years later, Yaddie, now weighing roughly about 27 kilograms, went on a hunt with the boy for the first time. They managed to bring back a few deer and some rabbits. Three years later, Yaddie was well over one hundred and twenty pounds. The massive dog became a guardian as he protected the sheep and cattle when they went out to pasture on the little grass available in the desert. Not a single animal died to wolves that year. Yaddie came back covered in blood and guts, but it wasn¡¯t his.


    Four years later, the village the boy lived in was attacked by a neighboring tribe. Many men, women, and children died in the invasion, but Yaddie was there to protect his new family. Yaddie, along with the boy¡¯s father and other warriors, managed to mount a counter-attack to drive the warriors away. Yaddie was the sole reason the boy, the sister, and the mother survived that day. For the next two years after that, life was relatively calm and serene for the beast. He received plenty of petting when he woke up, and he went to work the boy from morning to dusk, who was now the age of thirteen. During these two years, Yaddie was always at his side and never left. Even still, Yaddie was the only friend the boy had, not counting his sister.


    For four years after that, for a total of eleven years after rescuing Yaddie and on his eighteenth birthday, the boy¡¯s father decided it couldn''t be put off any longer. He rounded up a decent-sized group of people, supplies, and animals and said it was time to scavenge. He announced that the village scouts discovered a prime building ripe for the taking. Their destination was the rundown building that would soon be their grave.


    The boy shook his head and came back to the painful reality he found himself in. Only a second had passed between the time he came across the corpse of Yaddie. But for the boy trapped in his memories, it felt like he experienced all eleven years for the second time. The beatings his father gave him were still fresh in his mind, and he could feel the pain even now, flaring up around his waist and hip.


    He wanted to stop and die. In his mind, he was content perishing alongside his best friend, but he quickly shook off that idea. The boy said a silent prayer and crawled over his canine companion. Tears fell to the ground as he did. He was now one meter away from the movement he saw.


    He crawled and crawled, but the boy was losing strength in his body. His hands were now a deathly pale white due to the amount of blood he lost, but he couldn¡¯t stop. Just one meter away, he kept telling himself. He got closer, but he lost the ability to crawl. He couldn¡¯t feel pain, and his entire body felt numb. His mouth was dry, his head hurt, and his vision faded from his eyes. It was safe to say that the boy was about to die. Yes, that was how it was supposed to go. Moments before he was to close his eyes for the last time, he heard a small voice. It was a scared whisper, calling out for someone, anyone who had survived.


    ¡°..Brother¡­¡± it was his sister, speaking out while in the shadow of her impending death. The boy conjured and gathered every bit of willpower he had left and dragged himself across the bloody sand.


    At first, he was only half a meter away. Then he shorted that to a quarter meter and halved that. He crawled and crawled, gaining a few centimeters each time, but that was enough. For the final time, he threw his hand out in front of him, gripped down with as much force as he could using fingers and a hand that was about to fail him, and pulled for the final time. There, he was finally next to his sister.


    He looked at her. Her face was beautiful, and she looked just like she did in the morning. His sister was always the favorite. Though their father beat both of them, she always suffered the least. But the boy didn¡¯t harbor any ill will towards her. The boy opened his mouth to speak, but only garbled noises and sounds came out. His vocal cords had finally given out, preventing him from talking, and his eyes fogged up from the pain.


    After he blinked, he discovered something horrible. His sister, who was one of the most beautiful girls in the village, looked different. Much different. Her flawless skin and silky-smooth face were no more. Instead, a bit of her head melted from the heat of the explosion. Bone and muscle made up a grossly half, and black burnt skin made up the other portion.


    Startled, the boy angled his head and saw a large pool of blood forming in the sand. It was her hand, or rather the lack of a hand. The boy knew that he had to wrap and apply pressure to the wound, but he did not have the strength. That panic only forced his heart to beat faster, and thus more blood poured from his missing foot.


    With a simple sigh, the boy accepted his fate. He had enough, and he was tired. Tired of this terrible and worthless life he had led. Tired of being beaten for no reason. Tired of being born and alive. He was done with all of it, and right now, as of this very moment, he was happy with dying. Dying meant an end to all of the pain and suffering the boy had endured in his short life.


    He closed his eyes for what could be the final time, and darkness embraced his vision. Soon, that darkness turned to white, and he saw two forms materialize. One was big and black, a furry beast that walked on four legs. The second was the gentle smile of his dear sister. Her fair skin and bright red eyes left an impression on the boy as he tried to stand up, but deep down inside, something wasn''t right.


    In a momentary lapse of judgement, the boy did his best to rise to his feet.  He looked down and noticed his missing foot was there, but something was amiss. He looked at his hand and discovered his skin was the same fair tone as his sister. That didn¡¯t make a bit of sense, considering that their mother and father had dark skin. Had he ignored it all this time? A dark thought approached his mind. What if he was never their son at all? Was this girl, who smiled gently, not his dear sister who had suffered alongside him? Was that the reason why his father beat them so hard? The boy tried his best to remember the color of his and his sister''s skin, but he just couldn¡¯t.


    He had too many questions and no way of answering them.


    He started panicking and tried to breathe, but no air reached his lungs. In an instant, the white room was replaced by the night sky, and the floor transformed into bloodstained sand. He was back in the desert. The boy felt tears welling up in his eyes and pitifully brought his hand up and smashed the sand. Why wasn¡¯t he dead?! Hasn¡¯t he suffered enough?!


    A short distance away, the boy heard an unknown metallic sound. He felt the ground rumble, so he turned his head towards the noise. A big silver box had risen out of the sand. With no windows or seems, it seemed to be a chunk of metal. The boy wasn¡¯t scared, though. He had already come to terms with death. A clink echoed out as the front of the metal box slid open to reveal two humanoid figures covered with a bright yellow mysterious suit. Black dongles were attached to where the head should be. They walked closer and closer to the boy as he closed his eyes. One bent down and tapped a black stick to the boy¡¯s head.


    The world went black, and his consciousness left him, alone and afraid, surrounded by unknown people.

 Book One – Prologue One – Part Three – A Melancholy Beginning (R-18)

    ¡°Are these the two we need? How on earth did they survive?¡± one man asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t care. The Lord said he needed them. One for stress relief and one for the Coffin,¡± the other responded.  His voice was coarse and rough like he had lungs full of smoke.


    ¡°Which for which?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t care. You get the female, and I''ll get the male.¡±


    ¡°Roger.¡±


    With two siblings in tow, the mysterious men went back to the metallic box. The door slid open, and they veered inside. A small panel of buttons sat nestled against the corner. Each had a different number written on it. The man holding the brother pressed the bottom-most button, and a slight hum could be heard as the metal box descended into the ground.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to hit the cleanup button,¡± one man said.


    ¡°I won¡¯t. In fact, I¡¯ll hit it now,¡± the other replied. The second man used his free hand to take a small remote from his pocket. It was all black and had a word written in a language that the two couldn''t read. He pressed the button, and a loud noise sounded out. Though they couldn¡¯t see it, a massive sandstorm appeared out of nowhere and laid waste to the area where the bodies were at. This was a sort of self-clean-up function that was solely made to hide any evidence. The bodies up above all flopped and flapped around in a tornado. The sand whipped against the run-down building causing more parts to fall. As if controlled by magic, the sandstorm and the tornado glided away from the building, no doubt set on a direct course to destroy the sibling''s village.


    The metal box stopped descending, and a hissing noise could be heard before the door slid open.


    Standing in front of the two men were more people in similar suits to the one they wore. Behind them laid a white wall with a device embedded into it. Two glass arches sat to the left and right. In front of them laid two stretchers.


    ¡°No time to waste. You two put the bodies on stretchers and go get changed,¡± the man in front said. He had the letter ¡®D¡¯ written on his suit, but there was a crown above it. He gave off a sense of authority and righteousness.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The two men put the bodies on the beds. The people behind the stretchers grabbed the handles and ran off through the arches. The man went left, and the woman went right. With their job done, the two men walked over to the device on the wall. The man on the left moved his head to the device, and a red laser scanned the black dongle on his head.


    ¡°Authorized. You may enter,¡± a robotic voice said as the wall raised up out of the ground and into the ceiling. The two men passed through, and the wall promptly closed. To their left and right were two pipes with holes in them. A moment later, a clear thick liquid poured out, covering the two men. The gel didn¡¯t stop coming out until the two were completely submerged.


    ¡°This part is the worst, right?¡± one man said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about whether it¡¯s bad or not,¡± the other sternly replied.


    ¡°Yeah yeah. You don¡¯t care about anything, do you?¡± the first man slyly asked, with a hint of humor in his voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t have a reason to care,¡± said the man who didn''t care.


    ¡°I know,¡± the carefree man sighed at his stubborn partner. The two could communicate thanks to a set of radios embedded in the suits.


    A few minutes later, the robotic voice whirled to life.


    ¡°Sterilizing complete,¡± it said.


    ¡°Finally! It took longer this time,¡± the carefree man didn¡¯t get a response.


    Water sprayed from the two pipes, and when it came into contact with the thick gel-like substance, it instantly thinned out. After that, the gel drained through a set of holes on the floor. Once it was all gone, the door in front opened up, and it led to yet another room. This time, it was a large locker room. No paintings or stickers covered its pristine white walls and dark black ceiling.


    The two men walked in silence over to their respective lockers and began to take apart the suit. By speaking a verbal order, they heard an audible click. That allowed the top and bottom half of their protective garments to come apart like unclicking a seatbelt.


    The carefree man uttered the command and removed the top half of his suit.  Cool air assaulted his sweaty face.  He was young, around the age of twenty-five or so. He had short black hair, and his skin was the color of almonds. He shook his head to shake away the sweat. Using his toned and well-defined arms, he sat the top half of the suit on a nearby bench and then did the same with the bottom half. The gear itself was made out of a very flexible material, meaning it was simple to put on and take off.


    Now free of the yellow suit and naked, the man opened his locker and retrieved his standard-issued uniform: a grey button-down shirt and grey pants with black boots. He thought it was boring and plain, but he had no say in the dress code.


    After getting dressed, he placed his protective suit in the locker and made way for the exit. There, he saw his partner. He was an older man, having been alive for nearly four decades. His hair was already turning grey, and slight wrinkles already showed on his white face. While he wasn¡¯t as muscular as the carefree man, the stern man could still hold his own in a brawl.


    ¡°Another day, another day, am I right?¡± the carefree man tried to joke, but all he got was a grunt from his associate.


    The door to the exit couldn¡¯t open until both people were ready to leave.  And even then, two people had to be in the command center to authorized the door opening.


    ¡°Hey, sorry about the wait. We¡¯ll let you two in now,¡± a female voice came over the intercom as the door opened.


    The carefree man smiled. ¡°Ain¡¯t nothing to worry about, baby girl. We know it¡¯s busy.¡±


    The two walked through the door, and they entered into a long hallway. The walls, floors, and ceiling were as white as snow.


    ¡°We gotta report in, right?¡± the carefree man asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Follow me,¡± the serious man said as he started walking. His partner followed him. The way to report in was a bit of a ride. The two had to turn left, then right. Then they rounded a corner three more times, followed by two rights. It was a strange layout, but ultimately, it was a design choice meant to make it difficult for would-be intruders to find their way about the base.


    They two eventually reached a room. There was a sign plate next to it that had a word on it, but neither could read it. Understanding the language was not reserved for the likes of them.


    The stern man knocked on the door and fiddled with his tired wrists while waiting for a response.


    ¡°You two can come in,¡± spoke the same voice the pair heard through the intercom.


    The two walked in and saw an older aged man sitting behind a magnificent desk made out of mahogany, which was quite a rare wood to find nowadays. He had combed white hair and a neatly trimmed beard. Numerous scars visible on his face told a tale that needed no words. To his left stood a reliable-looking man in his young thirties. He was bald, but he wore a cap to hide it. To his right stood a woman with long black hair tied in a ponytail. Her skin was tan, and she wore two tiny earrings. On her left hand, she wore a ring that a certain young man stared at.  Tried as he might, he just couldn''t break eye contact, thereby showing disrespect to the white-haired man.


    An archaic painting of a group of dogs sitting at a table playing a card game hung on the wall. On the desk sat a framed picture of the old man with a young girl, his deceased granddaughter.


    ¡°Thank you for reporting in,¡± the woman said, ¡°What did you two see up there?¡±


    ¡°After heading up the elevator, Aluan and I found the two our Lord was talking about. We retrieved them and handed them off to the Doctor and his team when we descended in the elevator,¡± the stern man reported.


    ¡°No, Jamey, that isn¡¯t what I¡¯m talking about. Well, it is, but I want to know something else. What did you two see?¡± the old man emphasized the word as he talked to Jamey, the man with the stern attitude.


    Jamey made a disgusted face and continued speaking. ¡°We saw the sand covered with blood and guts. It was almost impossible to find a spot of yellow that wasn''t corrupted with blood. Arms and legs were over here while heads and intestines covered over there.¡± Jamey made motions with his arms and hands to emphasize his point.


    The man behind the desk went silent and put his hands to his chin. He was in deep thought.


    ¡°How did that make you two feel?¡± he asked.


    This time, Aluan, Jamey''s partner, spoke up.


    ¡°Sir, I felt nothing but happiness. We¡¯ve been at war with the savages for so long, and my people have suffered greatly. It felt good getting revenge. Sir.¡± Aluan gave a bit of an exaggerated salute, and the old man sighed. Putting up with the fiery attitude of the younger recruits always gave him a headache.


    ¡°While that may be true, keep in mind that those that died today were civilians and nothing more. They weren¡¯t part of the war. They only wanted to live in peace.¡±


    ¡°Sir, with all due respect, my family were civilians when they were attacked. This is war, sir.¡±


    The old man rose from his seat and punched the table. The thick veins on his forehead became visible, proof an inferno of anger was igniting his heart.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare fucking try to talk and lecture to me about what is war and what isn¡¯t! I¡¯ve been alive far longer than you! I''ve seen the shit people can do! I know what trauma these fucking savages can inflict on people!¡± The old man returned to his chair and noticed beads of sweat created from fear ran down Aluan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Now then, you two did a great job bringing us another candidate for the Coffin. I¡¯m giving Jamey two days off and one day in Stress Relief, for a total of seventy-two hours. Your time starts when you leave this room.  Aluan, you get one day off and three hours in Stress Relief, for a total of twenty-seven hours. Your time also begins counting down when you leave this room.¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± The two saluted.


    ¡°Good. Any questions?¡± Aluan and Jamey looked at each other, then back to the old man.


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t have any,¡± Jamey responded.


    ¡°You¡¯re dismissed.¡±


    The two saluted again and turned to leave. When Jamey closed the door behind him and Aluan, they both started walking back to their room. The two were sworn partners, and they shared almost everything, including missions, food, and a small barrack.


    ¡°This shit sucks.¡± Aluan slapped his fist into his hand in anger. ¡°I was really looking forward to some R&R. Hey, what''re you gonna do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t kn¡ª¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know, and you don¡¯t care,¡± Aluan finished Jamey¡¯s sentence.


    ¡°Look, why don¡¯t you ever go to Stress Relief? You got a whole day, man! A full twenty-four hours!¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m not interested in that stuff. I¡¯ll just sell my time to someone.¡± Jamey sighed as he spoke.


    ¡°Man, why do you gotta say that? You know I can¡¯t afford it.¡±


    ¡°I saw that ring on Leica¡¯s finger. How much did that set you back?¡± Jamey switched topics to avoid hearing Aluan annoying whining.


    ¡°Way too much. Man, I don¡¯t even want to think about that. Hey, you going back to the room?¡± Aluan asked.


    ¡°That was the plan. I have some books I want to read.¡± The two stopped at an intersection. If they went down the left hallway, they would reach the residential block. If they took a right, that would come to Stress Relief.


    Jamey veered left, and Aluan the right. Before they got too far apart, Jamey turned around and spoke to Aluan in a voice that was more of a stark warning than advice.


    ¡°Remember, three hours. No more, and no less. You don¡¯t want to get in trouble again.¡±


    Aluan didn¡¯t turn around. All he did was throw a hand up in the air as he kept walking.


    During the walk to Stress Relief, Aluan spoke to himself under his breath. He was coming to terms with his life and current position. Most of all, he was coming to terms with the enemy. A few years ago, a group of terrorists attacked his town and killed his family. He was held hostage for three days and three nights and was subject to unspeakable terror during that time. Even now, he still had nightmares about the torture he suffered, and he regularly woke up in the middle of the night, drenched by both sweat and tears.


    He looked at his right hand and formed a fist. To Aluan, Stress Relief was the best thing, besides Leica, that had ever happened to him. Now, he would be on the side that would inflict terror and pain, but the best part was that it didn¡¯t even matter if he went overboard. Thanks to his Lord and his team, the Stress Relief''s participants were healed every night. But even though their bodies were returned to a flawless state, the lingering pain and mental damage remained.


    Soon, Aluan found himself in front of the giant red door that led to Stress Relief. The moment before he opened it, an announcement came over the intercom. It was a different voice from Leica as it was more robotic and artificial in nature.


    ¡°This is an announcement. We are happy to announce that our staff now has more options to choose from when they visit Stress Relief. That is all.¡±


    Aluan smiled and chuckled slightly as a sinister grin appeared on his face. With quickened haste, he took out his ID and slid it through the scanner. The door beeped and slowly hissed open. Aluan walked through the threshold, and he walked up to the desk situated in the back of the room. This room was small, too small to be nothing more than a bedroom or living room. The floors were the same pearly white as the hallway leading to this room. The walls were white as well. Written above the desk was a sort of menu. It listed all the different ways someone could relax. To the left and right of the desk sat four doors, two on each side. Each path led to a separate category of Stress Relief.


    ¡°Hello there, how are you today?¡± a cheerful voice asked. The receptionist was an older woman, around fifty or fifty-five, with a pair of plastic spectacles around her wrinkled face. There was nothing too special or odd about her as she was just a worker, nothing more and nothing else.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing good, how about you?¡± replied Aluan as he stuck his hands in his pocket. His eyes were darting back forth across the menu.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing very well. Is there anything I can help you with?¡±


    ¡°As a matter of fact, yes, there is. There was just an announcement about a new addition. Could you tell me more about it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can. The Doctor brought a young man to us a few minutes ago. He said that he was ready to provide relief.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like the guy I brought back. Did he have dark skin and a missing foot?¡±


    ¡°Yes for the skin, and no for the foot.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. I forgot how capable the Doctor is. A missing foot to him is like a paper cut. Hey, just between you and me.¡± Aluan leaned in closer to the receptionist. ¡°How does the Doctor do it? I mean, when I brought him down here, he was in bad shape, and it looked like he was about to croak.¡±


    The receptionist put her hand to her chin. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been wondering that myself. No matter how rough and violent everyone is or the state they¡¯re in when I leave for the night, they''re always healed when I come back. No cuts or bruises. Or in his case, the missing foot is back and healed.¡±


    ¡°That is a bit strange, but I¡¯m getting off-topic. Give me three hours with the new boy,¡± Aluan handed the receptionist his ID, and she swiped it through a nearby machine. She handed it back to him and pointed to a door that was on his right side.


    ¡°Go through that door, enter the elevator, and press the button that has a seven on it. Your relief is in room 701. When you enter the room, there is a slot on the wall next to the door. You need to put your ID in that slot. It¡¯ll ring and buzz when you have ten minutes left.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Thank you. Oh, do you know what happened to the girl that we brought in as well?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m told that she is being prepped for the Coffin.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, thank you again.¡±


    Aluan took his ID and headed in the door she pointed at. Into the elevator and down some floors, Aluan found himself in front of his assigned door. He felt a burning sensation in the lower half of his body.


    To him, the best part about this time was the chance to do to others what had happened to him. To him, it was an excellent way to boost morale and keep fights down. To him, it was a place to relieve himself from the stresses of the war. The man with the almond-colored skin thanked the Lord for giving him the chance to exact revenge in the prayers he said every night before bed.


    Aluan licked his lips, and he held his ID up to the scanner beside the door. The red light blinked once, then turned green, allowing him access to the room. The door slid open, and Aluan walked through. The darkroom made a quiet buzz before becoming bright.


    ¡°HHMMPPPP!¡± A frightened, muffled scream came from a person chained down to the bed in front of Aluan. The restrained boy had a gag in his mouth, and he was unable to produce any coherent words. Aluan took this chance to slide in ID into the device. It beeped, showing a timer counting down from three hours.


    Even though he had lived eighteen years of a hard life, hearing that futuristic noise sent a flurry of fright through his mind.


    Not wanting to waste any time, Aluan stripped his uniform off until he, too, was as naked as his ''prey.'' He walked around the bed and slowly slid his finger up and down the poor bastard''s chest. It had no hair, only soft skin smooth to the touch. Such a smooth texture forced blood to run to Aluan''s lower body, slightly enlarging his manhood.


    ¡°Damn, the Doctor does good work. I can hardly recognize you!¡± The plaything stared hard at Aluan''s face before his eyes moved down his body. He stopped when he got to his waist, too afraid to search any lower.


    Aluan raised his hand and smacked his toy, shouting at him.


    ¡°Hey! Eyes on me, you hear?! I see that you have your foot back? Well, that¡¯s too bad. I liked you more when you didn¡¯t have it.¡±


    The restrained man rapidly shook his head in fear as Aluan walked over to the wall and retrieved a saw. Its blade was brown with rust, and it looked like it hadn''t been cleaned in years. Aluan held it up for him to see, which elicited more fear, and he struggled to get free from the chains binding him to the table. The metal links only scuffed skin, grinding against his nipples and chaffing his inner thighs.


    ¡°Hey! You better stay still, or else your sister might have to take your place. Just between us, I do hope you stay quiet. I like you more than her. Nod if you understand.¡±


    The poor, traumatized boy did all he could to nod.


    ¡°Good. It appears that you can understand me. I¡¯ll tell you what, I won¡¯t remove your foot.¡± Of course, as he said that, Aluan slammed the rusty saw down on the newly regrown foot. Its teeth were dull, not at all prepared to cut through a dead stick, let alone a foot.


    He struggled and screamed out from the pain as he tried to jerk his foot away. Aluan kept sawing, but after five minutes of doing so, he had barely made any progress. On the topic of pain, however, the one restrained had never experienced anything like it before. The agony just kept coming and coming and intensified with each back and forth movement of the saw.


    ¡°Finally! It¡¯s time!¡± Aluan screamed out as he threw the saw to the floor. Blood splattered about as it smashed into the ground. ¡°I¡¯m about to bust!¡± His impressive manhood had grown until it had reached its limits. Thick, veiny lines ran up and down its shaft, giving it a monstrous appearance.


    Aluan went over to the bed and pressed a button that was a nearby console. Two robotic arms came out from the floor. They shattered the chains binding the restrained man, flipped him over, and proceeded to rebind his body with thicker restraints. Aluan walked up and took a stance. Two uncontrolled legs sat to his left and right, but Aluan didn¡¯t care. Using his monster grip, he took hold of both ankles, making sure to grab the spot that he injured earlier, and readied himself.


    ¡°Please struggle. Show me the fear that can only be conveyed by your body.¡± That was all Aluan said before he filled his relief''s inside with his massive girth, stabbing it in with a quick motion. There was a struggle, and he violently thrashed around in response to the unwanted flesh-rod, which thrust in and out multiple times a second.


    It was hopeless.


    Due to the strength of the reinforced chains and Aluan¡¯s own twisted-up personality and unique pleasures, the unlucky fellow was in a situation where no matter what he did, it was going to be futile.


    The torture continued for three solid hours. The painful assault, the throbbing pain in his foot, the rough texture of the chains... Like an alchemic creation, it all combined together, creating a personalized hell. For Aluan, he experienced true pleasure, far surpassing any drug he had ever ingested. For the other person, he experienced something far worse than simply dying. Crawling over his dead parents, scrounging up the strength to abandoned Yaddie... None of it compared at all to what was happening to him.


    Eventually, Aluan collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. Silky sweat glistened his hard abs and toned muscles while a white substance dripped down from the engorged head of his manhood, staining the tile flooring.


    ¡°Man, three hours without a break is a new record.  It''s a good thing to be enhanced...¡± he looked at his relief, who had long since stopped moving. His back was covered in a mixture of gross white fluid and blood. Aluan got up off the ground and stepped into a nearby little shower. He took a quick shower, rinsing off the accumulated sweat and by-products of relieving his stress. He dried off and dressed in his uniform. The moment he did, the device that held his card beeped, signaling the end of his time. Aluan grabbed his card and went over the table, whispering in his ear in a voice that could frighten the devil.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s time for the sister to experience the fun as well,¡± Aluan said.  He was waiting for a response, but he didn''t get one.  The person he looked at had already passed out an hour ago, blanking out the world in an attempt to save his sanity.


    ¡°Damn, it¡¯s more fun when you¡¯re awake."


    Aluan took a final moment and punched the unconscious fellow in his face before walking out of the door. He could not wait for the next time. As he was walking to the elevator, he wondered if there were any way he would be able to take Jamey¡¯s Stress Relief time. He could not afford the going rate, but maybe he could trade for it.  That would be something to consider.

 Book One – Prologue One – Part Four – A Melancholy Beginning

    While Aluan was busy relieving his stress and Jamey was reading, the Lord, the mysterious figure that led this group of people, talked to the girl Aluan and Jamey had recovered. The Lord had on a full-body black robe with a plague doctor mask. On his hands, he wore black gloves with red-tipped fingers, which gripped the handle of a wooden cane. Bending down, he taunted the poor girl.


    He had her chained down and tied in a wheelchair in the middle of a white-tiled room. He menacingly walked in circles while speaking with a voice a jester would use when performing in front of a king.


    ¡°Finally, we have another sacrifice for the Coffin. I do wonder if you would be the one to survive. Hmm?¡± he said cryptic words and observed the girl¡¯s reaction closely. Panic flooded her face, but she never made a sound. She tried her best to remember the events that led to this moment, but nothing. She couldn''t remember anything.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. When the mines went off, the heat produced by the explosion incinerated your vocal cords. I suppose that is for the best. If I had to hear another harlot shriek, well, let¡¯s say it would not be good. Although if I wanted to heal you, I could do it as easily as breathing. However, I believe this way is better. Wait, did I already say that? Ah, that¡¯s right. I had the Doctor heal both you and that other one, but I guess he didn¡¯t fix your voice. Or maybe he did. I haven¡¯t given you the chance to speak.  I guess that¡¯s a good thing. Do you wish to thank me now? Anyway, how is your hand? It was just oozing blood when you were brought in. Well, I guess it was completely gone. But look! It¡¯s as good as new.¡±


    ¡°Hmm!¡± the girl shook her head and tried to break away from the chains, but it was futile. The Lord slowly shook his head in disappointment.


    ¡°Just so you know, those chains are something that I enchanted and made for myself,¡± the Lord raised his gloved hand to the sky, chanted something, and a black rocking chair appeared floating in the sky. He grabbed it, put it down, sat in it, and crossed his legs. The cane disappeared.


    He leaned in a bit further until the nose of his mask touched the girl¡¯s face. After moving his head down, the mask''s nose left a slight scratch on the girl¡¯s face. Blood trickled down. He shuttered for a moment before leaning back in his chair.


    ¡°Ah, the sight of fresh blood always relaxes and puts me in a good mood. Now, should I take the time to tell you about me? Of course, there is a high chance you aren¡¯t going to be around much longer. Out of the thousand or so subjects, not a single one survived the Coffin. It really is that horrendous, you know?¡± the Lord raised his hand and snapped, causing a glass of water to appear. For a woman of the desert, the girl knew how hard and valuable clean water is.


    ¡°You want this, yes? If you listen to me ramble on and on and stay quiet, perhaps I¡¯ll give this to you. A last meal, you could consider it? Can you call a glass of water a meal?¡± he snapped his fingers again, and the cup of water floated high in the air.


    ¡°Now, where should I start? I suppose the question isn¡¯t ¡®where¡¯ but ¡®how.¡¯ How should I start?  To be frank, if I ever allow you to speak again, you must call me Lord. I am the Lord that will guide this miserable planet and its inhabitants to salvation. Perhaps by leading, I may find someone who I consider to be an equal. Imagine having these godly powers that have no equal but knowing that you¡¯re the first and only one of your kind. It¡¯s sad. Pretty pathetic, huh?¡± the Lord¡¯s voice started loud and confident but grew quieter and less composed.


    He stood up and raised both hands to the sky.


    ¡°That is why I created this place! The Coffin is the device that will evaluate and test all those who enter. If you are worthy of being an equal, then perhaps we may have a future together. If you¡¯re not worthy, well, I don¡¯t really want to spoil it. Though if I¡¯m being quite honest, even I don¡¯t know how the Coffin functions.¡±


    From what the girl saw, this so-called ¡®Lord¡¯ wasn¡¯t the sanest one around. His words and actions were a bit contradictory and exaggerated to the point where it was almost comical.


    The girl sat there and listened to the Lord talk and preach. She tried to think of a way to escape and looked around the room for inspiration, but she only spotted while tile and nothing else. The girl took too long, and the Lord noticed that she wasn¡¯t listening. The eyes on the mask turn from black to red as he exploded in anger.


    ¡°I TOLD YOU TO LISTEN! ALL YOU HAD TO WAS LISTEN TO ME!¡± he re-summoned the glass of water and poured it on the floor in front of the girl. Then taking the cup, he slammed it in the side of her head, sending shards of glass raining down to the floor. It felt like the poor girl was hit with a wooden log. Her sight went blurry as she felt something sticking out the side of her head. The Lord took out a piece of glass that pierced her skin and showed it to her. Blood dripped down the shard, pooling into a crimson puddle that starkly stood out from the pure white floor.


    ¡°That¡¯s what people get when they don¡¯t listen to me. You really want to go in the Coffin, don¡¯t you? Someone is using it, but between you and me,¡± he leaned in closer. ¡°Their compatibility score is lower than yours.  Well, it should be if my feelings are accurate.  You may very well be the one I''ve been looking for.  However, I do concede that there is always a chance she can pull through and surprise me. Wait, have I even told you what the Coffin is about? I honestly can¡¯t remember,¡± the Lord lifted his cane and scratched his head.


    ¡°The Coffin will test you. That is all. Wait, but didn¡¯t the Coffin do more? I really can¡¯t remember. Anyway, have I told you about the Cof¡ª¡± the Lord was on the verge of repeating himself for the third or fourth time when a knock at the door distracted him.


    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± the Lord spoke with a sinister voice as he walked behind the girl. He grabbed hold of the wheelchair and started pushing her towards the door. It slid open. Standing in front of the door was the same old man Jamey and Aluan gave their report to.


    He gave a salute to the Lord and spoke.


    ¡°My Lord, Is this the new subject?¡± he pointed to the wheelchair-bounded and gagged girl.


    ¡°Yes! I am quite hopeful about this one. Now, my good Captain Ahsu, please lead the way,¡± the Lord said. Ahsu saluted once more and led the Lord, along with the new subject, to the giant room where the Coffin was held.


    The actual walk through the various hallways and twists and turns was silent. The gagged girl was unable to speak. Neither the Lord nor Ahsu spoke at all. The three eventually came upon a towering black door that looked out of place among these white walls and floors.


    To the left and right stood identical devices that had two functions. The first was an eye scan, and the second was a DNA test. The Lord went over to a device on the left and pushed his head against the scanner. A red laser shot directly into the left eye of his mask. After a small amount of time, the red light turned green, and a small bell chimed out. Ahsu did the same on the right side. After a second bell chimed, a small portion of the wall underneath the device slid open and produced a funnel-like object, along with a needle. Both Ahsu and the Lord picked the needle up and pierced their hands, allowing crimson to drip down into the funnels. Another bell sounded, apparently signaling that the two had confirmed their identities.


    A low growling sound happened along with the ground rumbling as the massive iron doors slid open, revealing an enormous room with a  red Coffin standing right in the middle. It was gigantic, standing at least ten meters high. Countless tubes of countless colors were in the Coffin, like pins in a pincushion. Wires surrounded the colored pipes and occasionally gave off a spark of lighting, but in different colors. The red lightning looked like the sun''s glow during an autumn evening, and the white lightning looked like a fluffy cloud.  The walls and ceilings of this room were the same white as before. The only color to be found was the terrifying object known as the Coffin.


    Ahsu adjusted his suit before walking through the threshold. He walked in and stopped. His back flat as a board, he gave off an intimidating aura of authority and pressure. After all, he was the second in command of this group of people, and only the Lord ranked above him.


    Taking in a deep breath, he shouted.


    ¡°Men and women! Stand at attention! Our Lord has graced us with his presence, and he brought along another subject! Salute him!¡±


    As if having their motions controlled by a single entity, all the scientists and workers immediately stopped what they were doing and saluted. For the girl, who was still in a daze from being struck, she watched this unfold with frightened eyes. Again, she tried to struggle and moved to break free of her restraints, but she didn¡¯t have the strength. Though she may have been healed by the Doctor, the blood she lost was still gone.


    ¡°Very good! Now get back to work!¡± Ahsu ordered.


    Unfortunately, since everyone turned and saluted, any vital tasks that may have been going on were ignored.


    The moment Ahsu told them to get back to work, it was too late. Warning sounds and lights blared throughout the tremendously large room. The white walls glowed with an ominous red as many different people tried to get things under control, but it was too late.


    ¡°Someone give me a report, right now!¡±


    A frightened young man ran up to Ahsu and the Lord.


    ¡°Sir, the oxygen levels in the Coffin dropped to dangerous levels, and we were in the process of fixing it when we were forced to salute you. Sir, I am deeply sorry for this mistake. Please forgive me,¡± the young scientist named Cale dropped to his knees and put his head to the ground.


    Ahsu told the boy to get up.


    ¡°Now then, Cale, am I right?¡± the Lord reached out his cane and lightly tapped Cale on the shoulder.


    ¡°Yes, my Lord?¡± Cale spoke with a frightened tone as he looked up. One of the unspoken rules in this place was that one must never anger or upset the Lord. But Cale believed that he just did so, and he was terrified of the punishment he would receive.


    ¡°I am fine with a subject dying. Believe me, the chances of finding the right person in this shit hole of a country are close to none. However, there is one thing I cannot tolerate above all else. How dare you blame me for this! It was your fault in the first place that allowed this to happen! Now, you must pay with your life! Oh, might I add that this is my favorite part?¡± the Lord spoke so fast that Ahsu and Cale were unable to properly understand him.


    ¡°Sir, wha¡ª¡± Cale tried to say something, but it was too late. The Lord took a step back and held his cane by his side. Then, in an unnoticeable instant, he thrusted his wooden walking stick towards Cale¡¯s chest, causing his upper body to instantly burst into thousands of tiny meat chunks. However, to the people around, who didn¡¯t make a noise, or a scene, this was a daily occurrence. If someone upset the Lord, then this was the price they had to pay.


    ¡°Hahaha! What a jolly good blood shower, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± The Lord laughed as he twirled in a circle under the falling crimson.


    ¡°My Lord, what should we do with the current subject?¡± Ahsu, whose white hair and beard were now red, came up to his side and asked.


    ¡°It depends. What state is her body in?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s intact, sir. She died because she couldn¡¯t breathe,¡± he explained.


    ¡°Ah, very good. Take the failed subject to the Doctor and have her cleaned up. Once that is done, drop her off at Stress Relief. Some people do love a stiff body.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir,¡± Ahsu turned to face the room and shouted out an order. At once, two men wearing a white lab coat stained with red rushed up the giant Coffin. They first began to unhook various tubes and wires. After each one, a large panel filled with red lights slowly began to turn green.


    After unhooking numerous tubes and wires, a robotic voice echoed a warning throughout the room as smoke filled the front of the Coffin. A small section in front slowly slid open to reveal a girl with tubes deep inside her body. Parts of her arms, chest, stomach, and legs were corrupted by black circles where the skin had died, leaving behind patches of rotting meat.


    Her once sought-after ebony skin was nothing of its former self. It was now a sickly pale white, and flakes of skin dissolved to the touch as the two men lifted her onto a nearby stretcher. Her magnificent black hair disappeared, and a bald head was all that remained. At her healthiest, this woman weighed around 55 kilograms, now? She was barely above 20. Her time in the Coffin had been far from peaceful and blissful. Now she was nothing but an ugly corpse who would be unable to find peace, even in death.


    The two men strolled her body out of the room as the Lord and Ahsu walked closer to where two new men were waiting. Their only task was to prepare the new subject for the Coffin. Black robes and black shoes were their outfits of choice. After leaving the wheelchair behind, the Lord went to take a stroll around the room. It would be some time before the Coffin was properly reset to its default state and even longer for the new subject to be prepped for entry.

 Book One – Prologue One – Part Five – A Melancholy Beginning

    He eventually came around to a large control panel fixed with many knobs, buttons, and levers. A wall of monitors displaying various amounts of information sat above it.


    ¡°Tell me, Daqir, describe these screens and their function to me,¡± the Lord asked one of the men sitting down.


    Daqir stayed silent for a moment. During that time, he contemplated the task asked of him. He had done the same thing a few days ago when the previous girl was inserted into the Coffin. Was this a test? Or was the Lord trying to give him a trick question? Daqir didn¡¯t know, but if he waited any longer, he might''ve ended up like Cale.


    ¡°Of course, my Lord. The various monitor gathers data from the many instruments attached to the Coffin and displays them for us to analyze.¡±


    ¡°Give me an example,¡± the Lord demanded.


    Daqir did as he was told.


    ¡°For example, this monitor,¡± he pointed to one, ¡°Tells us the subject¡¯s current blood pressure and heartbeat. This one over here tells us the amount of acid in her stomach, and that one over there tells us her breathing rate and the amount of oxygen she breathes in.  Oh, there¡¯s one more thing, but we don¡¯t know why it¡¯s showing. On that far monitor, there''s only one piece of information, separated by a strange symbol.  The first is the word ¡®blessed by,¡¯ and the second keeps changing every time we have a new subject. First, there was the word ¡®Luther,¡¯ then there was ¡®Kuee,¡¯  and I remember seeing ¡®Powir.¡¯ We have no idea what that information is supposed to convey to us.¡±


    ¡°This is important to us because..?¡±


    ¡°My Lord, any information is good information. This is new technology, and we don¡¯t quite know how it works. From what we know, the user inside acts as some sort of bridge or key for something. Even if we don¡¯t know what ¡®blessed¡¯ means, we can try our hardest to figure out a pattern or a connection.¡±


    ¡°I see. I see. Good job. I will give you three hours in Stress Relief. Good job,¡± the Lord spoke erratically before walking off somewhere else. Deep inside, Daqir let out a sigh of relief. This was the second time he had the same exact conversation with the Lord, but Daqir didn¡¯t know how to respond. The Lord was a particular being that would not hesitate to kill someone.


    As the Lord walked away, he thought back to a simpler time. A time in which he had just received his current task from his teacher, who was a God.  His final mission was to use the Coffin and find someone compatible. He was told nothing more and nothing less. He did not know what being compatible meant.  The Lord wasn¡¯t an all-knowing being.


    He gave off the allure that he knew what the Coffin was capable of and its purpose, but the truth was that he was as lost as they were.


    The Lord had to be confident. It was the only of living his teacher had taught. There used to be many like him and his instructor, but that was the past. He was alone now, and he had no equal. The sheer stress of being the last of his kind was too much for a human to calculate, let alone a God. It¡¯s no small wonder his mind slowly eroded away.


    Trying to kill some time before the new experiment started, the Lord continued to walk from group to group, unknowingly giving each group a slight heart attack.


    Just as the Lord was about to head back to the Coffin, he spotted a couple of scientists crowded around a radio. The Lord made his way over there. The group huddled around heard the footsteps, and a look of intense dread replaced their already frightened face.


    ¡°What are you boys doing over here?¡± the Lord nonchalantly asked.


    ¡°My Lord, we were listening to the radio. We wanted to hear about the outside.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, information. Information is the key to everything. Tell me, dear child, how is the outside? Please elaborate, and spare no detail,¡± the Lord chanted something as he conjured a black rocking chair from nothing and sat in it.


    ¡°Of course. The radio host''s talking about an attack by Keister that blew up a medical college and the surrounding town. It was a 50 kiloton bomb, and hundreds of thousands died with even more injured. Perua is thinking about retaliating,¡± the man answered.


    ¡°I see. What do you think about it?¡±


    ¡°Keister and Perua are two mighty countries. If they were to seriously fight, I¡¯m afraid that the world would suffer,¡± the man looked down at the ground.


    ¡°You¡¯re afraid?¡±


    The man thought hard for a few moments before replying. He knew he had to choose his following words carefully. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I have family and friends in both countries. I¡¯m afraid for their lives. I used to live in Perua, so I know first hand how brutal they can be when they want revenge.¡±


    ¡°I see. Be thankful that the ones you care about are still alive. Most of the people who work for me have no family left.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now go back to whatever you were doing,¡± the Lord sat up and clapped his hands, causing his chair to disappear.


    The man and the rest of the scientists saluted in unison as the Lord returned to the Coffin. When he reached the opening at the base of the giant structure, he saw the two men in black place the final tube in the girl¡¯s body.


    ¡°My Lord, she is ready,¡± the taller one said as the two backed up from the opening, giving space for the Lord.


    ¡°Good job, both of you. You each have three hours in Stress Relief. You¡¯ve earned them.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Lord!¡± the two men smiled as they walked briskly but calmly towards the exit of the room.


    ¡°Now, let me get a good look at you,¡± the Lord said to no one but himself. The girl was laid out on a tinier red Coffin inside the taller Coffin.


    The Lord took a close look at the girl from head to toe, whose body laid bare as the day she was born. Her once beautiful hair was shaved bald, and many tubes were forcibly stuck inside her head. Long, thick black wires wrapped her head like a crown of thorns, and when he looked closer, he saw sparks of lightning emanating from them. The girl¡¯s face was untouched, and the gag was removed.


    ¡°Hmmmhmmmmm!!!¡± the girl tried to say something, anything, but her vocal cords were still damaged.


    ¡°Now we know the truth! The Doctor did not fix your throat. See, I always knew he didn¡¯t,¡± the calm, almost comedic tone the Lord spoke in terrified the girl the most.


    The Lord resumed his overview and performed a final check of the girl¡¯s body. Her arms were strapped and chained down to the bottom of her personal Coffin. Even if she had all the strength in the world at this very moment, it would not be enough to break those restraints.


    There was a giant tube wrapped in red wires sticking out of her stomach.


    Wrapped inside her lower area and leading to a small tank nearby were two tubes whose sole function was to aid with bladder relief and stool removal. This way, the girl would not soil herself or the Coffin. This little addition was something that the Lord had thought up by himself, so he was proud of it.


    The girl¡¯s leg had five tubes going down them, and each was wrapped in a different colored wire.


    ¡°Perfect! Just perfect. I got to find myself to give the two guys more time. Maybe double? No tri¡ªno quadruple the time in Stress Relief! Wait, find myself?! I¡¯m right here!!!!¡± the Lord danced a small pirouette while a terrified girl stared at him, her eyes full of tears.


    Her body and soul, now defiled and filthy. Her strength and resolve, long gone. She had nothing left. Her terrible father, loving mother, adorable brother, and precious dog were no more. She realized she was truly alone in this world.


    The Lord stopped dancing and brought his cane down to the ground. Then, with a humorless voice, he began chanting.


    ¡°Oh, Master Coffin, take this subject that I offer you. Her blood is your life. Her flesh is your nourishment. Oh, Master Coffin, take this girl,¡± with a tap of his cane to the ground, the door closed.


    With the door shut, the Lord began to make his way back to his room. Before he exited, he barked out an order to a nearby scientist who looked like she was about to cry. The truth was that not all who worked here believed in what the Lord was doing.


    ¡°As always, if anything happens, come tell me immediately.¡±


    ¡°Of course, my Lord,¡± the scared young girl replied.


    With that, the Lord was gone from the room, walking away back to his chambers while humming to himself.


    Inside the Coffin, the girl was alone. Due to the numerous tubes and chains, she was unable to move. Every so often, she would hear weird noises, and she could feel something vibrate.  She could only yelp in fright.


    Eventually, her prison-like space lit up slowly, revealing dark black walls and a single screen. On it, laid a countdown starting from ten seconds. It was now on two. The girl was too stressed to realize what the numbers meant, and so, she was unprepared for what happened next. The small wires on her body and tubes began to hum slightly before being electrified. Her body convulsed in pain, and she screamed out, causing even further strain on her throat.


    Spit, blood, and mucus flowed from her ears and nose as the electricity stopped. Her bladder gave away, and yellow liquid poured through the tubes attached to her crotch. Breathing weakly, she struggled to lift her head high enough to look at the screen. There was already another countdown.


    Then, for the first time in a long time, the girl prayed.


    Please, those who sit above the clouds and live on the stars, help me.


    Nothing. The frightened girl''s prayers went unanswered as the time on the monitor counted down. It reached zero, and she tried to brace herself the best she could within her current limitations.


    Tremendous shock flowed through her body, and she struggled against her restraints. She gritted her teeth as she screamed. When it was over, the girl was barely breathing. Now, she really had nothing. The Gods, who she was told to pray to, ignored her.  They betrayed her.


    As she laid there suffering the recoil from the shock, the feeling of fear and terror slowly dissolved from her heart and soul. A new emotion was filling the hole it left behind.


    Anger. Hatred. Resentment. Hostility.


    With the new feelings came a new sense. Strangely, the girl''s previous exhaustion felt like a leaf in the wind. It was gone. A noise rang out as she looked at the screen. Another countdown. Another ten seconds.


    The girl smiled a wicked and scary smile.


    I will endure this. I need to. For my family. For my brother.


    Three seconds.


    I was always taught to wash these feelings from my heart. Hatred and anger will lead to suffering.  But what if I have nothing but murderous thoughts for my enemies?


    Zero seconds.


    Lightning ran through the wires, and the girl expected to scream and cry out in pain, but that never came. The pain was acceptable. It even felt great. Maneuvering her head, she saw the electricity flowing and dancing around her dark skin.


    She started silently laughing as she relished the pain and the feelings it brought with it.


    Elsewhere, the Lord sat alone in his room. Not even a single bit aware of this monster he had just created. But that wasn¡¯t the only thing he was unaware of.


    In a different country thousands of kilometers away, a small handheld device buzzed on a glass table. A woman with long flowing red hair sat nearby. She was enjoying a nice glass of wine and was admiring the taste when she noticed the phone. Glancing over, she saw the name ¡®Ahab.¡¯ Clicking on the name brought up a message. ¡®The Son is here. I repeat, the Son is here.¡¯


    The message brought a smile to her beautiful face as she placed the empty glass on the table. She dropped her phone in her ruby red purse and walked out of the restaurant she was in. Her long black dress had a slit in the side that showed off her toned yet smooth leg, catching the gazes of men and the scorn of women.


    Finally, after eighteen years, we found him.


    While walking down the street, she took her phone out of her purse, and with shaking hands, she sent off a message to four different people in four separate countries.


    Now I just have to wait for a reply.


    The woman put her phone back and made way for the hotel she was staying at. All the while, she kept repeating a silent prayer.


    Please be safe, Luca.

 Book One – Prologue Two – Part One – Hint of Betrayal

    The Empire of Keywater was home to one of the most beautiful cities in the world. That city, of course, was the beautiful capital Keyya. It was home to many people and the imperial castle, which was aptly nicknamed the Silver Monument because it was surrounded by giant silver walls from all sides. In its many years of standing, not once had an enemy soldier ever managed to penetrate its walls and sully the castle.


    On a bright sunny day in the early reaches of spring, two children were playing with wooden swords in the courtyard of the castle. One a young boy and the other a young girl. They shared the same birthday and were of the same age. The boy, named Claus, had bright blond hair that came to just above his eyes.  His eyes were as blue as the sky, and his body still had traces of baby fat.  The girl, named Qina, also had blond hair, but hers was much longer, reaching the middle of her back. A black bow was tied in her hair. It swayed with every movement. Her eyes, still the same color and intensity as the breathtaking sky, matched perfectly with her brother¡¯s.


    These two children had just experienced their tenth birthday a few days prior, and now they were unwinding by pretending to be soldiers. With a sword in their tiny hands, the two siblings matched blows and dodged strikes the best their ten-year-old bodies could. After a few minutes of swinging, their arms were so sore they couldn¡¯t lift them, not to mention the aggressive act of moving and dodging.


    The two collapsed to the ground next to each other and breathed hard, trying to catch their breath.


    ¡°I win, sister. I managed to get that last hit,¡± Claus said in between breaths.


    ¡°I admit defeat. What¡¯s the record?¡± Qina managed to say after gasping for air.  Her little lungs did all they could to pump air through her body.


    Claus slowly got to his legs and held out his arm. His sister¡¯s delicate hand grabbed it, and he helped her up.


    She dusted her emerald green dress off while Claus spoke.


    ¡°Right now, that¡¯s ten wins for me and ten wins for you.  We¡¯re tied.¡±


    ¡°The next match will determine the winner?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t wait!¡± Claus exclaimed.


    The life of the son of the emperor was boring. He was the second son, and his brother, Parrel, had been born five years ahead of him. For him, life was life. It was something that he had to live through. He would not inherit the throne, and he had no real commitments.


    His sister, Qina, on the other hand, had her life ahead of her. Being the only princess, she was vastly more important than Claus, but she never showed it. Right now, she would usually be in class learning about proper etiquette, but she decided to skip it to be with her brother. Being with him made the stresses of a royal education disappear like a feather in the wind.


    ¡°Say, should we return the swords? I don¡¯t want the Quartermaster to get upset,¡± Qina asked. She picked up the wooden sword from the luscious green grass and ran her hand over it. Stains from the dirt browned the shiny polish, and that dirt rubbed off on Qina¡¯s hand. She didn¡¯t care, though.


    ¡°I guess we should. If we hurry, we won¡¯t get caught,¡± the two siblings giggled and made their way from the courtyard into the spacious and elegant halls of the castle.


    Paintings hung on the walls as their footsteps echoed in sync. In this castle, one would not find painted landscapes. For in this country, the emperor monopolized the wall d¨¦cor. Or rather, the emperor of that time period. The Empire of Keywater was one of the oldest countries in the world. That much was certain by just looking at the sheer number of paintings occupying the halls.


    Once an heir was at the proper age and he takes the throne, it was an imperial tradition that a painter was to come and etch the moment in whatever form the emperor wanted. It could be a stone tablet that has been weathered by time, like some of the earlier emperors had chosen, or it could be a scroll created by weaving the hair of different unicorns together.


    ¡°Claus, do you think we¡¯ll ever be painted like that?¡± Qina asked as she skipped alongside her brother, forcing their footsteps to echo out of sync. She had always admired the paintings and tablets that included the emperor''s wife. To her, they always looked so regal and beautiful looking. She could only hope that she would be that pretty and dignified when she grew up.


    ¡°I do hope so,¡± Claus replied. ¡°But you have a better chance than me.¡± He looked down as he spoke, and Qina knew what he was thinking of. Because he was the second prince, he would not inherit anything. At least, that was the case if his brother was alive. But to kill family? Claus and Qina would never fathom that, not even in a million years.


    ¡°Claus, if you want, we can go and beg father directly.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the offer, but no. Father has been very stressed lately, and I don¡¯t want to make him angry.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡± Qina didn¡¯t know what to say. Out of all of their family and retainers, she was closest to her twin. Her father was a stern and strict man who did not give off a fatherly aurora. His hair, blacker than night and eyes as brown as mud, did little to suggest that he was their biological father. This fact had often been a topic of teasing for Qina. It would be a lie to say she hadn''t thought about telling her father, but Qina didn¡¯t want to be responsible for anyone¡¯s death.


    Their mother was the complete opposite in nearly every way. The affection she gave was near infinite like she was born with the blessing of a Goddess of Love and Caring.  However, the chance to meet her had been few and far between lately. It had been a few months since Qina last saw her, but even now, when she closed her eyes, she pictured her perfectly. She had blond hair that slowly turned into a whimsical white, gorgeous yellow eyes, and skin so smooth to the touch that it felt like silk. It would be accurate to say that Qina and Claus loved their mother way more than their father. She tried her hardest to remember a time when her father played with her, but it didn''t exist in her memory.


    It was different when it came to their mother.  When Claus and Qina finally had the chance to spend time with their mother, she did everything they wanted. Whether it was playing house, having a tea party, or playing soldier, their dear mother was always willing to spend time with them.


    Their brother Parrel was the same way. He was heavier and huskier than what a normal boy his age should be, but he had a handsome face.  But with his time so consumed by his wife, it was no wonder he was absent from the recent birthday party.


    Parrel is only five years older than us, but he¡¯s already going to be a father. His wife is so pretty, though, but she¡¯s younger than him. Is that going to be me in a few years? I¡¯m a bit scared.


    ¡°..na.¡±


    Does it hurt to give birth? Mother always told me that a woman must produce a successor, but I¡¯m scared.


    ¡°Qina!¡±


    A sudden loud voice brought Qina back to her senses. Without her knowing, they had stopped in front of a scary-looking metal door that had ¡®Armory¡¯ written on it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being loud, but you didn¡¯t answer. We¡¯re here.¡±


    Qina looked at the door, then her stained wooden sword, and finally at her brother. The emotions of a young girl were quite complicated and abstract. Even the most harmless word, phrase, or action could open up a dam of tears. Her face scrunched up, and tears flowed from her blue eyes. They ran down her face and dripped onto a pair of shaky hands.


    ¡°Wa! Qina, I¡¯m sorry for yelling.¡± Claus panicked and dropped his wooden sword. He took the few steps over to his sister and hugged her tight. This sudden feeling of someone holding her scared her a little, but she could not say that she didn¡¯t enjoy the warmth of being embraced. It made her remember the days when her mother used to hold her.


    It was but a short cry, only lasting a few seconds.


    ¡°Claus¡­?¡±


    ¡°My instructor told me that it is a man¡¯s duty to help those in need,¡± he pulled back from the hug and straightened his silk shirt. It was slightly damp around the chest area.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you hugged me?¡± Qina giggled as she spoke.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s all I can do now. I¡¯m not strong enough to do anything else,¡± Claus looked down at his tiny hands that couldn¡¯t even hold the weight of a small sword and gripped tightly. He let loose his grip and looked back at his sister.  ¡°Why were you crying?¡±


    ¡°Do you promise not to laugh?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said with pride in his heart. According to his instructor, a man should not laugh or tease others over their misfortunes, no matter how small they should be. What was minor to someone could be extreme to others.


    ¡°I¡¯m crying because I¡¯m scared. We¡¯re ten years old now, and Parrel¡¯s wife is four years older than us. I overheard the maids say I should be preparing myself to give birth in a few years.  I also heard that they are already picking suitable candidates!  And I¡¯m scared of all that. I don¡¯t want to be pushed off to an unknown man.¡±


    Qina spoke words that no child should ever have to utter. But for royalty and nobility, that was how life worked for them. Very rarely does a noblewoman fall in love with her assigned husband. Her only role in life was to establish or strengthen relations between two families and provide an heir. That was it. No more, no less.


    ¡°¡­.¡± Claus thought long and hard on how to reply. He didn¡¯t have any relevant experience in this subject, and anything he could think up was related to his instructor, who was not royalty. Eventually, he managed to formulate a plan after picking up his dropped weapon.


    ¡°Say, if I were with you, would you still be scared? I¡¯m going to ask my instructor and see if there is any way for me to help. It¡¯s always been a dream of mine to be a member of the Imperial Guard, and if I¡¯m lucky and do well enough, I might be assigned to you. That way, I can protect you from anything that might make you cry or hurt you,¡± Claus smiled as he puffed his chest out and performed the imperial salute. Hand across the chest, closed fist with his wooden sword raised high in the sky.


    Qina brightly smiled at her hero as she spoke. ¡°I would not be scared,¡± she held her hand out, and her brother gripped it tightly before opening the door to the armory with his free hand. He had his wooden sword sheathed inside his belt loop on his trousers. It wasn¡¯t a look becoming of someone who wished to enter the Imperial Guard, but he could still work on that.


    The metallic door creaked open as the two walked inside, allowing them to take in the lustrous armory in its entirety. Countless swords, axes, bows, spears, and shields were meticulously placed in the perfect spots. There were racks and racks of wooden, iron, steel, and even mythril armor just waiting to be equipped.


    ¡°Qina, I got the swords from over here,¡± he let go of her hand as he pulled his wooden from his belt loop. He walked over to a section of the wall which had one-handed armaments of all kinds hanging by their handle. Beautiful silver swords that were a symbol of the Imperial Guard, to a villainous broadsword with a blade as black as night with a handle  red with rust, the armory was home to a variety of battle-ready weaponry.


    I need to prove myself if I want to have one of these swords. Claus thought as he put his wooden sword back. He ran his finger along the flat end of a nearby silver sword. He was so lost in thought that he didn¡¯t hear Qina talking to him. She lifted her sword and lightly bonked him on the head.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± he rubbed his head as he turned back to face his attacker. Qina laughed.


    ¡°If that hurt, then you have a long way to go,¡± she teasingly said as she handed her sword to him. He grabbed it and put it back on the wall.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Claus said. Qina nodded, and the two retraced their steps.


    Once out, Claus closed the door, and the two started walking back towards the courtyard.


    The courtyard is always my favorite. I loved it when mother read to us out here, Qina thought, her head filled with memories. For some reason, she started to feel dread, like something unsettling and annoying was about to happen.


    I¡¯m just feeling sick or something, right?


    She shook her head, her bow flapping elegantly, and removed those thoughts from her head. All she wanted to do right now was spend time with her brother.


    The two reached the courtyard and made their way towards a stone bench. Just when they were about to sit, two voices sounded out.


    ¡°My Lady?! My Lady?! Please, answer me!¡± a tearful and panicked voice echoed throughout the halls, and Qina frowned in annoyance.


    ¡°My Lord?! My Lord?! Answer me, please!¡± at the same time, a stern voice bounced throughout the halls, and Claus smiled in excitement.


    It was the voices of their instructors, Veris and Trerk, respectively.


    Veris was a Demi-Human, meaning she was non-human. She was a Dryad, to be specific.  Dryads were a type of spirit that lived inside of trees, that itself has lived for a long time. Veris¡¯s tree was one of the biggest in Keyya, having been here since the empire¡¯s founding. Her skin was a beautiful light green, and she wore clothes carved from wood.  A small brown ornament in the shape of a tree was clipped on to her green hair.  She never left her tree without it, and it was her most prized treasure.  It was a gift from the first emperor. In other words, Veris is, has, was, and will always be a lifelong treasured friend of the Keywater Empire. Because of that, she offered her services in educating and teaching the daughters of the imperial bloodline.


    Trerk was also a non-human, but he was a Kobold, meaning he stood far taller and heavier than the average man. With bodies covered in a mix of fur, scales, skin, and head and tails similar to an alligator, Kobolds were absolute physical powerhouses.


    Most Kobolds were war-loving and bloodthirsty, always trying to find the next fight like they had something to prove, but Trerk was different. He valued one thing above all else: training.  He loved to train, day and night, always trying to improve his body and mind.  Such mindset forced the other Kobolds to consider him a failure of their race, allowing them to kick him out of his village with a clear conscience and no regrets.


    ¡°Instructor Trerk''s calling for me.  Sorry, but it¡¯s time for my class.  I¡¯ll see you later, Qina!¡± Claus hopped off of the stone bench and made a beeline for the voice calling for him.  It was most unbecoming of a son of the emperor.  From the courtyard, Qina saw Trerk scold Claus, and she laughed. When the two started walking away, Claus turned around and offered a smile to Qina.  She smiled back and internally debated on what to do.


    It¡¯s not as if I don¡¯t like Veris, and I know she means well, but I don¡¯t know.  GAH!! I can¡¯t explain it.


    Qina clawed at her hair in frustration.  She was unable to put her feelings into words, and that made her angry.


    ¡°OW!¡± Qina stopped clawing and rubbed her head. She looked at her finger and saw a small amount of blood.


    I clawed too hard and hurt myself.  I¡¯m glad no one was around to see it.


    Still feeling the pain, Qina saw Veris approaching from a distance.  She knew it was no use to hide, so she got up off the bench and made her way over to her.


    Best to get this out of the way, she thought. Veris heard the sound of approaching steps and turned towards the source. Anger swirled throughout her body. She wanted to be angry, but she couldn¡¯t bring to harbor that emotion at this moment.


    ¡°Young lady! Why did you skip our class?¡± the Dryad spoke in such a worrying tone. Sweat poured down her green skin, evidence that she was trying her hardest to find the Imperial Princess.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Veris,¡± Qina said in her best apologetic tone.


    ¡°Being sorry isn¡¯t going to cut it, young lady. I¡¯m responsible for educating you. Tell me, how can I do that when you never show up?¡± the Dryad scolded Qina and looked around the courtyard.


    She saw the bits of ground with flattened grass. Then she looked over at Qina¡¯s outfit and grabbed hold of her hands. They still had dirt on them from the wooden sword.


    Veris sighed and put her hand to her green head.


    ¡°Qina, we¡¯ve talked about this already. Getting dirty and playing with swords are things a lady isn''t supposed to do.¡±


    ¡°I know, but it¡¯s fun. And I like spending time with Claus,¡± Qina protested.


    ¡°That may be so, but it is still unladylike. Follow me.¡±


    Veris reached down and took Qina by the hand as the two walked over to the stone bench in the courtyard.


    I never realized it, but her hand sure is warm, Qina thought as she squeezed her instructor¡¯s hand.  Maybe if it¡¯s her, I can talk about it.


    The two reached the bench and sat down.  Veris raised her hand, meaning she was about to use a skill.


    Skills were invoked by chanting words of power. It wasn''t just humans who could be blessed. Dryads, like Veris and other Demi-Humans, were eligible as well. In her case, specifically, Veris was one of the strongest beings in the Empire of Keywater.


    A warm and gentle green light illuminated her green hand as she brought it down to Qina¡¯s head. The moment it made contact, that same green light enveloped Qina¡¯s body, and she felt the slight pain in her head fade away. When she looked at her hands, she realized the dirty stain had also faded away.


    ¡°H-How did you know I hurt my head?¡± Qina asked, alarmed and full of surprise. It wasn¡¯t the first time she had seen a skill in action, but it still amazed her, satisfying her child-like wonder.


    Veris smiled gently like a mother would at her newborn daughter. ¡°My Lady, there is not a single thing that I don¡¯t know about you. Not to mention that I have been educating the imperial family for thousands of years.¡±


    Qina blinked in bewilderment.


    ¡°And I might not know what is bothering you,¡± she continued. ¡°But I know that something is troubling you. If it pleases you, you can tell me.¡±


    Qina bit her lip slightly.


    Should I tell her? I haven¡¯t even told Claus.


    ¡°Do you promise not to be mad?¡±


    ¡°Of course, child. Whatever is bothering you, I will not laugh, nor will I be angry,¡± Veris spoke with a loving tone that could have only been mastered by a thousand years of patience.


    ¡°I overheard the maids talking about how I need to start preparing myself for marriage and giving birth. I¡¯m scared, Veris. I don¡¯t want to marry some unknown man who I might not even love.¡± Qina teared up slightly as she was speaking. Veris became quiet for a moment before hugging her.


    ¡°Is this what has been bothering you lately?¡± Veris said.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°A question. Have you started bleeding?¡±


    Qina¡¯s face went red with embarrassment as she nodded her head.


    ¡°That blood means that you are becoming a woman. The maids must have seen that when they did your laundry. Qina, it is your duty to give birth to an heir.¡±


    Qina opened her mouth to protest, but Veris held her hand up.


    ¡°But I can see that this isn¡¯t what you want. Why don¡¯t you tell me what exactly you desire?¡±


    I know what I want to do, but I don¡¯t want to upset Claus.


    With strength surging in her heart, Qina told her mentor about her dream.

 Book One – Prologue Two – Part Two – Hint of Betrayal

    ¡°What I want to do isn¡¯t meant for a princess,¡± the young girl whispered after gathering her courage.


    ¡°That doesn''t matter. Tell me when you want to do," Veris spoke with such a motherly tone.


    ¡°I¡­.. I want to join the Imperial Guard with Claus,¡± Qina said her piece and closed her eyes. She didn¡¯t know why she did such a thing.  She knew Veris would never hit her.


    She opened them and saw Veris staring at her. Qina couldn¡¯t read the expression on her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s stupid, right?¡± Qina said quietly, and she stared at the ground.


    It was a stupid dream in the first place. A woman joining the famed Imperial Guard?


    It was nothing but a fleeting dream left in the mind of a girl whose only future was to give birth to children, sired by a man she didn''t even love.


    ¡°Qina,¡± Veris, after what felt like an eternity to the young Qina, finally opened her mouth to speak. ¡°That is not a stupid dream. You don''t know this because we haven''t covered it, but women can join the Imperial Guard. Granted, they weren¡¯t princesses, but they were royalty, nonetheless. Regardless, I do not recall any rules prohibiting princesses from joining.¡±


    Qina immediately jumped off the bench and stood straight up in excitement, a happy smile showing across her face. A woman in the Imperial Guard?! She thought it was impossible.


    ¡°Is that true?! Veris, you aren¡¯t lying to me, are you?¡±


    ¡°It is true, and no, I have not once spoken a single lie to you. In fact, of the thirteen women who had the strength, courage, and conviction to join, ten of them were trained by me."


    Qina could not believe what she was hearing. Ten amazing women all trained by her instructor?


    ¡°Veris, please teach me! Please?!¡±


    ¡°Now now, you must calm yourself. Please sit back down, and I¡¯ll continue,¡± Veris pointed to the empty seat beside her.


    Qina once again went red with embarrassment as she sat down.


    ¡°Good. First, I have no qualms about teaching you, but you need to get permission from your father first. If you want, I¡¯ll go with you to ask him. Second, my training is focused on Earth and Light Skills entirely, not swordsmanship. If you¡¯re not blessed by your God in that regard, I cannot reach you anything. Now, have you learned the command to see your ID?¡± Veris asked.


    When a child was born, they were given an ID from the Gods.  It was a magical tablet that displayed information about them. Furthermore, an ID can only be summoned by the owner. Even those who weren''t blessed can materialize their ID. It is impossible to get rid of, remaining with their user until their death. If it is lost or destroyed, one only needs to summon it again.


    Amongst the information shown the name of the God or Goddess that blessed them. By blessing them, that child was allowed to use skills associated with that God or Goddess.


    But not every child was blessed. Around 1 in 100,000 were born without a blessing. That wasn''t to say that one could not live a fulfilling life without a God or Goddess''s blessing.


    A skill, by definition, was the general term used to describe the variety of techniques, abilities, and magic that the inhabitants of the world could use.


    In the case of Gods, there were said to be two categories. Major and Minor. People blessed by Major Gods could be counted on to change the world in a certain way. That included conquering a country, defeating terrible dragons that filled the land with death and fire, or even subjugating a horrible servant of darkness who wished to enslave the entire world. And those who were usually blessed by Major Gods were royalty, but there were cases where peasants had been blessed.


    On the other hand, Minor Gods were those who blessed the average person. Peasants and farmers were just two examples. Those blessed by Minor Gods did not have even a fraction of the power as someone blessed by a Major God, but the world wasn''t fair, and its rules aren¡¯t absolute. Exceptions could be found everywhere.


    In either case, those who were blessed usually joined a guild called Warden to gain even more power. By becoming a member, a person could learn skills other than the ones that their God provided them. Even those who weren''t blessed could join, rising through the ranks, and learn skills to become stronger.


    In Qina''s case, she was blessed by a Major Goddess.  For Claus, he also had the luck of receiving the power of a Major God. In a fitting twist of faith, the heavenly divine beings who blessed the twins were also twins themselves.


    ¡°Yes, I have. But I was too afraid to look at it," Qina replied, staring at the ground and avoiding eye contact. The beautiful green grass fluttered ever-so-slightly by a nice breeze that passed by.


    Suddenly, Qina felt a hand on her head.


    ¡°Why were you afraid to look?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. ¡±


    ¡°Well, why don¡¯t we look together.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± came a soft reply as Veris removed her hand.


    ¡°Very well. Say the command.¡±


    Qina held her hands out in front of her, and she spoke a single word.


    ¡°J¨­tai.¡±


    I have no idea what this word even means, the princess thought.


    Yellow light swirled around her arms as it flowed down through her fingers before becoming a ball of energy. Touching it with a calm finger, Qina smiled.


    Why does it feel so familiar? The ball of light gradually turned from a round shape into a flat, rectangular tablet. It looked to be made out of yellow stone, and it shone with a deep golden glow. It was blank at first, but letters written in black soon appeared.


    Qina then started reading the tablet.


    ¡°What does it say?¡± Veris asked with a slight hint of excitement in her voice.


    ¡°It has my name, age, and blessed God,¡± she replied as her eyes traced over the tablet. ¡°And that¡¯s all. The rest is blank.


    ¡°Alright, now read out the name of the God or Goddess who blessed you.¡±


    ¡°Yoneia. That¡¯s the name.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now take your finger and tap the name.¡±


    Again, she did as she was told and tapped it. The moment she did, the stone tablet went blank, and then a list appeared, separated into two columns.


    ¡°That list is proof you were blessed by a Major God. It¡¯s a list of every skill you are capable of learning just from your God. If you wish to learn more, you would need to join Warden. And lucky for you, Yoneia is a God of Earth and Light. From glancing at the list, you are capable of learning some powerful skills! You should be proud of that!¡±


    Veris raised her green hand and rubbed Qina¡¯s head as she smiled.


    The relief that flowed over Qina was like a tsunami. Out of both panic and excitement, she accidentally dropped her ID, and it fell to the ground. The moment it hit, it disappeared into yellow dust and flowed into Qina¡¯s body.


    ¡°Veris, does that mean you¡¯ll teach me?!¡± Qina hopped off the bench and stared at Veris, who prepared herself for what would come next. She had been in this situation a few times before, and she knew exactly how it would play out.


    ¡°If we get permission from your father, then yes. I will teach you everything I know.¡±


    ¡°Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much, Veris!¡± Qina practically leaped at the Dryad, who was still seated. Though a young girl was no match in strength for a Dryad who had lived for thousands of years, the sudden weight pushing her caused her to fall backwards off of the stone bench. Qina fell along with her as blond and green hair intermingled.


    ¡°Gah!¡± they both screamed. Veris got to her feet and held out a hand to Qina, who happily grabbed it. Veris pulled Qina to her feet, and they both started laughing.


    ¡°Now, would you like to go ask your father? The sooner, the better."


    ¡°Yes!¡± she eagerly responded. The Dryad started walking but turned back when she noticed Qina wasn¡¯t following her.


    The Dryad retraced her steps and crouched down, meeting Qina''s quivering blue eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked.


    ¡°C¡­.Can I hold your hand while we¡¯re walking?¡± with a face as red as an apple, Qina managed to speak out those words in a low voice.


    Veris, as patient and motherly as ever, smiled and held out a hand. Qina smiled brightly and reached out her hand to grab it. With the two holding hands, they looked like mother and daughter, which was what Qina wanted.


    I wanted to spend more time with my mother, but this is nice too.


    ¡°Umm, Veris?¡± Qina asked as the two started walking towards the throne room.


    ¡°Yes? Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing''s wrong, but I want to ask you something.¡±


    ¡°Anything.¡±


    ¡°When I looked at the list of skills, I didn¡¯t really understand them.¡±


    ¡°That is to be expected. You will learn what they do in due time. If you wish, I could go over some of the more basic skills.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please!¡±


    ¡°Very well, then. One of the first skills you will learn is called ¡®Remedium.¡¯ It¡¯s a healing skill that belongs to the light element, whose power is dependent on both the strength of the user and the distance between the target. A long time ago, I used that same skill to save those who were very important to me.¡±


    That means if I can master this, I¡¯ll be able to support and heal the wounds of my brother?  she smiled.


    ¡°Another one I¡¯ll teach you is the Earth Skill called Earth Wall. As the name implies, it creates a wall of earth at a location of your choice. Its toughness is also dependent on the user and the material chosen as a base. For example, mud is softer and weaker than a rock. It might sound boring, but this is an incredibly versatile skill. With it, you could make walls for defending, stairs for ascending, or even a bed. It might not be the most comfortable bed, but it¡¯s a bed nonetheless.¡±


    ¡°Those all sound incredible! I can¡¯t wait to learn them!¡± Qina¡¯s face smiled brightly once again.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see that you''re so excited, but remember we need permission first.¡±


    ¡°Umm, Veris? Are there any bad skills?¡± Qina asked after pondering for a moment.


    Veris took a moment to gather her thoughts. She knew just how bad and destructive any of the Forbidden Skills could be. After all, she lived through a time in which the world was drawn into a conflict over them.


    ¡°Yes. They''re called the Forbidden Skills, and there are four categories in total. The first is called Chronomancy. It is the power to control the fabric of time itself. With it, you could have freely traverse to the past and future, or you can choose a specific spot and have whatever is in that spot age by a year. The second is Necromancy, the power to bring back and control the dead. The third is Element Control, which is the power to manipulate the seven elements that make up the world. With that, you could change the very nature of water to be poisonous, or you could make fire as cold as snow. Finally, there is Reality Control, the power to control all of creation. The entire world, and all of its concepts, would be yours to command. These categories are forbidden for a reason, and thankfully, they are considered to be lost.


    ¡°Lost?¡±


    ¡°That means that there is no one alive capable of learning them. We don¡¯t have to worry about these skills anymore. They were sealed away.¡± Veris smiled, but it wasn¡¯t a cheerful one. In the past, she was a participant in an intense war involving each of the Forbidden Skills. From that time, she was the only one left alive who knew of the sacrifices they had to make to seal the skills back up.


    She shook her head pushed away those memories. They were memories for a reason. They were in the past, and it was so long ago that it wouldn¡¯t do any good to remember them.


    After they spoke about the Forbidden Skills, they walked in silence. Before long, they found themselves in front of a magnificent blue door marked with a tree. The color blue represented the beautiful blue lakes that flowed through the country, and the tree represented Veris, the very Dryad that had been a part of the empire of Keywater since its founding.


    Veris blushed a bit, and her green cheeks had the tiniest hint of red. Seeing her tree on the large, imposing doors brought a faint heat to her green cheeks. She was a woman who found it hard to concentrate around such displays of affections towards her. But if asked about her feelings on the matter, she would answer that she loved it.


    Standing to the sides of each door were two people wearing gleaming silver armor with a pair of pulsing blue lines etched into them. Created from nadrium ore, which was gathered from fallen meteorites, nadrium armor was signified by the trademarked double blue lines, which glowed. Usually, the primary color was black and not silver, but that could be influenced by what secondary material was added in the forging process.


    Only the best of the best could ever hope to join the Imperial Guard, but those that pass the rigorous standards are allowed to equip the sturdiest armor in the world. Iron, steel, even mythril couldn''t hope to compare with all nadrium had to offer. The only thing that could even inflict the tiniest scratch was a nadrium dagger, which was just as rare.


    Other than the protective properties, nadrium''s other defining trait was its asking price. It was out of reach for anyone except the super-wealthy. Even then, it would take months and years of saving up to afford a nadrium dagger.


    The two guards immediately saluted when the two approached.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Princess Qina! Lady Veris!¡± they said at the same time in perfect unison. Qina waved her hand, and the two lowered their salutes. Veris gave the two guards a sweet smile.  Her motherly nature was something many people appreciated, but she wasn''t without enemies. She was by the oldest and wisest out of all of the emperor''s retainers, but she never let it get to her head.  She would treat a street-urchin the same as the imperial princess, who she would love as if she was her own daughter. Veris didn''t act at all similar to the spoiled lords and pampered ladies, who contained no dignity.


    ¡°What can we do for you, Princess?¡± the one on the right asked. Qina recognized the voice but was unable to picture the face it belonged to.


    ¡°I wish to see my father. Is he in?¡± Qina said.


    ¡°Of course, Princess. Prince Claus is also inside. Let us open the door.¡±


    Why is my brother here? Is he asking about the Imperial Guard?


    The two guards returned their swords to their sheath and moved to open the door. Being made out of metal, one would expect the armor to make noise or sound when walking, but that was not the case. Perhaps due to the efficient training, the two guards maneuvered as if the armor was their skin.


    A second later, the guards pushed in the door, revealing a giant throne room. The floor was made out of wood, cut from Veris¡¯s own tree. It had been processed and refined, but it was a beautiful brown that covered the floor. From the door''s threshold to the center of the room laid a gorgeous red rug adjourned with gold silk. Stone pillars, lined with trees, stood guard at set locations on the rug''s perimeter.


    Sat at the end of the rug was a magnificent throne made out of wood, also from Veris¡¯s tree. Gold silk had been used to outline the throne itself, and it was enchanted with a multitude of effects that benefited the one who sat on it. The only thing that the empire regarded more than the throne was Veris and her tree. To the left and right of the throne sat two more members of the Imperial Guard. Only the most loyal could ever hope to become the emperor''s personal guards.


    Sitting on the throne with a stern look was Virin Keywater, the Emperor. Old age was fast approaching, but it still had a few years left. Small and scant scars littered his face, evidence that he was once a mighty warrior and proud Warden member, having reached Rank 1. The only reason he never ascended to the fabled Rank 0 was simple. There was no world-ending threat that needed to be fought. A glass of wine was at home in his left hand.


    Standing in front of the throne sat a familiar back that caused a smile to form around Qina¡¯s face. It was her brother, who had replaced his silk shirt and pants with a set of practice armor. A familiar and stained wooden sword sat on its sheath, which hung on his side. Beside him was Trerk, his instructor, standing so tall that he towered over everyone. His dirty-brown tail, with an emerald green tip, gently swayed from side to side.


    I know he¡¯s a good guy, and he¡¯s friendly, but I always get nervous when I see him. He looks so scary. I don¡¯t know how my brother handles it.


    And next to them was her older brother Parrel, his pregnant wife Fia, their butler Albert, and two other people she didn¡¯t know.


    Parrel was wearing a beautiful brown suit with a black tie. His wife had on a slimming black dress. Albert, his steward, wore a traditional butler suit. The two unknown people standing beside him were wearing leather armor with metal greaves. At their hip stood two beautiful silver swords that glimmered. One of the strangers, a man, had messy black hair. The other, a woman, had short red hair ending around her neck. The two stood at full attention while bearing the gaze of one of the most powerful men in the world.


    Those swords look so pretty.


    Everyone presented turned to the door when they heard a set of footsteps. Claus waved his hand, and Qina waved back. The Emperor smiled at the two, and they walked forward, joining the others at the foot of the throne.

 Book One – Prologue Two – Part Three – Hint of Betrayal

    While Qina was having a heartfelt conversation with Veris, Claus was talking with his instructor.


    After being scolded by his instructor for missing his class, the two walked off towards the training area. With every step Trerk took, the ground and earth vibrated. His dirty-brown, emerald-tipped tail, swaying with his body, produced quite a bit of wind. An easy way for the maids to take a break was to walk behind Trerk. Working in a castle meant long hours, and long hours meant exhaustion, and there was nothing more refreshing than standing behind Trerk while enjoying the nice breeze his tail manufactured.


    Even now, as the two walked through the glorious halls of the castle, two maids were following them, enjoying the nice breeze cooling their warm faces.


    They had two stops. The first was to reach the armory to gather their training swords and armor. The second was to go to the actual training area.


    So they did just that. Claus made sure to grab the sword his sister used. A nearby set of children''s training armor sat on a nearby dummy, so he grabbed that and swiftly changed.


    Eventually, the pair reached a door that said ¡®training room,¡¯ and they said goodbye to the maids following them.


    The sun illuminated the entire area as Claus took in what he saw. It was an open roof, allowing the elements to flow freely. Rain, snow, sun, or shine, this area could have it all, and that made for effecting training.


    ¡°Now then,¡± Trerk said as he walked over to a nearby wall and put his hand on a particular brick, ¡°Are you ready for some practice?¡± a portion of the wall slid away to reveal weapons and armor that were much too large to be worn by a human.


    They were, however, the perfect size for a Kobold.


    ¡°Even though it is training, one must always be prepared. For even a dangerous situation will arise when you least expect it,¡± Trerk said as he maneuvered his wooden armor on. He grabbed a wooden sword as well.


    Trerk, now fully armored up, walked over to the middle of the training room. Ceramic tile covered the floor and offered little resistance in the case of falling.


    Claus walked over to his instructor and drew the wooden sword hanging from his hip.


    ¡°Alright. To start, we¡¯ll do a mock battle. After that, we¡¯ll try to introduce some skills into your combat style. And as always, if you have any questions, make sure to ask them. If you think it¡¯s a stupid question, then ask anyway. If knowledge imparted from a question you wish to know the answer to that keeps you alive, then it is no stupid question. Understood?¡± Trerk then performed the imperial salute. Hand across the chest and weapon held high.


    Claus performed the same salute and lowered his weapon in front of him. Hand over hand, he held it firmly and perhaps a bit too tightly as he waited for his opponent¡¯s first move.


    Watch closely, observe their movements, and use their momentum against them. Strike when they¡¯re off balance.


    Trerk, on the other hand, knew how Claus would begin, and thus, he decided to test the young prince. He purposely adjusted his grip on the weapon and leaned to one side, causing his balance to be improperly distributed.


    That¡¯s it, an opening! Claus fell for the trap and went to strike. It¡¯ll take too long to perform a vertical slice. By process of elimination, I should direct my attention towards his legs. A horizontal swipe is too slow, so I need to aim for his knees! Claus thrusted at his opponent, who quickly regained his grip. With a swipe of his wrist, Trerk was able to deflect the incoming sword. He followed it up with a slice of his own, but the deflect forced Claus to lose balance. He made the worst mistake one could commit when in a fight: panic.


    The imperial prince lost his grip on his sword, and it slipped out. Though not knowing this, he still swung. Trerk¡¯s real sword collided with Claus¡¯s non-existent weapon, injuring his hand when the exchange finished.  With one attack, one deflect, and one counter-attack, the battle was over in seconds.


    ¡°Do you see where you went wrong?¡± Trerk said as Claus held his injured wrist.


    ¡°Yes, sir. I panicked and dropped my sword. And I realize that what I thought was an opening was fake. You were in control of this battle the entire time. And I should not have attacked without a weapon in my hand,¡± he swiftly replied with no hint of anger or remorse for losing. Claus was genuine. He welcomed this opportunity to fail and wanted to learn from it.


    ¡°Very good. When it comes to battles, you must always stay in control of your emotions. It is easier than you think to lose yourself in anger, fear, or panic. Now, let¡¯s change topics while your hand stops hurting. Take out your ID," Trerk said while the pair walked to a nearby table.


    Claus did as he was ordered and said the command.  Just like with Qina, a warm and beautiful yellow light flowed down Claus¡¯s hands and into a ball before becoming the shape of a small stone tablet. At the top were his name and birthday. Below that was his blessed God''s name.


    ¡°Is this the first time you¡¯ve looked at it?¡± Trerk said as he lifted an ornamental bell from the table. It was magically connected with a bell in another room next to the training area.


    A few seconds later, a maid walked into the room carrying a tray with two glasses of water.


    ¡°Thank you, my dear,¡± said Trerk.


    ¡°Thank you very much,¡± said the prince.


    Claus drained his entire glass and handed it back to the maid.


    The maid bowed and walked out, returning to her room to be on stand-by.


    ¡°It is. Qina and I wanted to look at them together, but she was afraid.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Qina never told me. Instructor, can you go over it with me?¡± Claus asked timidly. Though he respected Trerk almost more than anyone, that also meant that he never wanted to ask something that would waste his time.


    ¡°That was the plan. Show it to me.¡± Trerk took a sip of his drink, wetting his large tongue in a blast of refreshing water.


    Claus handed over his ID to Trerk, who quickly glanced it over.


    He pointed to a name, Neiayo. A Major God of Fire and Light. ¡°That is the name of the one who Blessed you. If I¡¯m remembering right, he is the twin brother of Yoneia, Princess Qina¡¯s Goddess. Now, if you put your finger to the name, you will see a list of skills that you can learn.¡± He tapped on the name, and the surface went blank before filling up with a list that was no shorter nor longer than Qina¡¯s list.


    Wait, how does Trerk know my sister''s Goddess? Did father tell him? If I remember right, an ID is created when a parent names their child... I can''t remember when I first met Trerk, but maybe Father trusted him enough to be present at our birth? Or perhaps he sought Trerk out after we were born?  It was an innocent enough question, but Claus believed the answer didn''t matter.


    Trerk glanced his eyes over the list and smiled.


    ¡°Be proud, Claus. If you manage to learn and master these, I do not doubt that you''ll be one of the strongest in the world,¡± Trerk was a noble and kind Kobold, but he never praised anyone who he felt didn''t deserve it. This was a good sign for Claus.


    ¡°Sir, really? In that case, just maybe...¡±


    ¡°Maybe what?¡± Trerk asked as he downed the rest of his glass, and he handed the ID back to its owner. Claus glanced over the list of skills, but he couldn¡¯t understand anything. He dropped it, and it turned to yellow dust before it hit the ground, absorbing back into Claus¡¯s body.


    ¡°Don¡¯t laugh, sir, but I want to join the Imperial Guard,¡± Claus spoke as he had his head turned towards the ground.


    Trerk closed his eyes and thought for a second.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear you.¡±


    ¡°I said I wanted to join the Imperial Guard,¡± Claus was still staring down at the ground.


    ¡°Still can¡¯t hear you.¡±


    Claus repeated himself a little louder.


    ¡°Nope. Still can¡¯t,¡±


    Finally, Claus understood what his instructor was trying to do. He stopped looking down like a coward and stared at his instructor.


    ¡°Sir! I wish to join the Imperial Guard!¡±


    ¡°Very good! In times like this, when you state your wishes and hopes for the future, you must say them with pride and honor in your heart!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Claus said.


    ¡°Now, I do not want to sully your dreams, but have you asked your father yet?¡±


    Claus nervously rubbed his wrist, and that was all that Trerk needed to see. He sighed.


    ¡°Do you want me to go with you to ask?¡± Trerk said.


    ¡°Please, sir, if you wouldn¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all. In fact, my life would be worthwhile if someone I trained joined the prestigious Imperial Guard. Be warned, though, if your father agrees, then be prepared for brutal training the likes of which you never thought possible.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir. I welcome the harsh training. I need to get stronger so that I may protect my sister.¡± Claus brightly  smiled and spoke fast. Maybe a bit faster than he would have liked.


    ¡°Oh ho, doing all of this for your sister?¡± The Kobold smiled the way only a Kobold could, with many teeth showing, and started to tease the young boy.


    ¡°You love your family a lot, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do. I am a member of the imperial family. Since I can¡¯t take the throne, I will defend them instead.¡±


    The Kobold looked at this child, barely above ten years old, and smiled. In their culture, a child became an adult when they turned five, which signified they had completed their initial growth. They had a life span of hundreds of years. Though most never live that far. A vast majority of Kobolds die in a war somewhere, maybe in the mud or dirt, destined to become more than a thought but less than a memory.


    In Keywater, a child became an adult at the age of 15, and a human lifespan was around 70 to 80 years.  With a proper diet, lifestyle choices, and access to the right doctors, one could almost live to 115.  But that was so far out of reach for regular nobles, let alone the peasants of the world, that it was nothing but a fleeting dream for one who still wanted to leave behind a legacy.


    Trerk couldn¡¯t help but compare the two rites of childhood.


    ¡°Alright. How about we go ask your father?¡± Trerk said as he finished off his glass and moved towards the door. Claus followed behind him.


    ¡°Yes, sir! Along the way, can I ask you something about my God?¡± Trerk opened the door and allowed Claus to proceed first before following behind him.


    ¡°You can, but I must admit that I do not know much. I am blessed by a Minor God of fire. I only know about Fire Skills. And even then, I only know a few. As a Kobold, my might is my strength, and skills are an afterthought.¡± Again, the ground shook slightly as the prince and the beast walked side by side. It was something out of a fairy tale.


    ¡°After you handed my ID back, I tried looking at the list, but I don¡¯t really get it.¡±


    ¡°That is normal since you haven¡¯t started learning. I can tell you this, however. Your God specializes in Fire and Light Skills. Your sister¡¯s God specializes in Earth and Light Skills, much like the honorable Lady Veris.¡±


    How does he know what skills my sister''s God specializes in? Wait, why am I overanalyzing it? I''m sure father told him and Veris a while ago to prepare them for teaching us.


    ¡°Will you continue to be my instructor?¡±


    ¡°If the Emperor grants permission, then yes.¡±


    ¡°Then can you tell me about a few skills? I¡¯ve never used them before,¡± Claus said.


    ¡°Very well. We still have a bit more walking ahead of us. and this will be a good way to pass the time.¡±


    Trerk held his left hand in front of him. After chanting, a small line of fire appeared above the back of his hand. It slowly expanded and grew until it became something like a napkin. With a bit of finesse, Trerk maneuvered the flame around, almost as if he was dancing with it. Soon enough, the fiery object came to a halt in front of him. It slowly became bigger, only stopping when it became half as big as its wielder.


    ¡°This is called Fire Wall. Very useful if you ever find yourself outnumbered. By making the flame bigger and covering an area, you can effectively split a large group into two smaller groups. It¡¯s also not bad for cooking. Haha!¡±


    Trerk made a small joke, which was unusual for a Kobold.


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing! And I can do that?¡± stars filled Claus¡¯s eyes as he gazed upon the scorching flat wall of fire that bounced over Trerk¡¯s hand. He closed his fist, and the fire disappeared.


    "That''s right. It''ll take some time since learning the mechanics behind using skills from your God is different than learning it via Warden. But once you do, it is as easy as breathing."


    The two enjoyed some more small talk before they found themselves in front of the door leading to the throne room.


    ¡°Ah, Prince Claus and Instructor Trerk,¡± the guard on the left said.


    ¡°What can we do for you?¡± the guard on the right asked.


    ¡°Is my father in? I want to ask him something.¡±


    ¡°Of course, allow us to open the door,¡± the two guards opened the door, and Claus and Trerk walked in.


    His father, of course, sat on a glorious throne that was a highly valued treasure.  Even more than that, it was a symbol of the Empire itself.


    The emperor, Virin Keywater, was an imposing man who gave off an aura of authority.


    I always get nervous when I have to talk with him. But I have to be brave. It¡¯s for my dream.


    Claus walked up to the throne, and Trerk followed behind. If a servant walked beside a member of the imperial family, it would suggest that the servant or instructor was equal to the prince. The only exception to that unspoken rule was Veris, who carried the same authority as someone with imperial blood. Of course, Claus didn''t care much for it and allowed Trerk to even walk in front of him when they were alone.


    As the distance shrank between Virin and Claus, his father offered him a soft smile that was almost out of character. It was at this time that Claus noticed five other people stood nearby.


    Parrel, his brother. Fia, his wife. Albert, their butler. And two people he didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°How are you doing today, my son? I hope it finds you well,¡± his father spoke in a deep and masculine voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing well, father. I hope you are too. Parrel, Fia, Albert, I¡¯m glad to see that you are all looking well.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for those words, Master Claus,¡± Albert bowed. Fia offered a gentle smile but no words. The two unknowns ignored him like he was a common crook.


    A bit disrespectful, I think. Claus thought about saying something or making a scene, but he ultimately decided that he didn¡¯t care. He was never one for the standard and fake kindness that nobles were known to show.


    ¡°I wish I could say I¡¯m doing well, brother,¡± Parrel sighed. It was plain for all around that he had seen better days.


    ¡°What¡¯s wron¡ª¡± Claus tried to ask, but he was interrupted by the door opening.


    Claus looked back and noticed his sister walking down the carpet. Standing next to her was a Dryad. While this wasn¡¯t the first time that Claus had seen Veris. He had known her all his life, but he still couldn¡¯t take his eyes away from her. She was absolutely stunning, monopolizing his attention whenever she entered a room, much to the chagrin of his sister, who sometimes teased him about his crush on Veris. Somehow, he mustered the willpower to turn his head after smiling and waving to his sister.

 Book One – Prologue Two – Part Four – Hint of Betrayal

    ¡°How wonderful,¡± Virin said. ¡°That all of my children have come to see me. It makes your father proud and happy. Trerk, I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re doing well,¡± he spoke with such a kind and fatherly tone that was foreign to Qina and Claus.


    Trerk got to his knee and spoke with his head down.  It was the servant thing to do.


    ¡°Yes, my Emperor. I¡¯m doing quite well,¡± after he spoke, Trerk got back to his feet.


    "Lady Veris, how are you?"


    ¡°Please, Virin, I¡¯ve known you since you were just a child. There is no need to have such formalities when you are talking to me,¡± Veris smiled and laid a hand across her chest.


    ¡°While that may be the case, Keywater would not be the powerhouse it is today without you. It is imperative that I show you the respect you deserve,¡± Emperor Virin Keywater replied.


    ¡°Very well, then,¡± Veris sighed.


    How strange.... Father rarely talks like that... I wonder what happened?


    Qina didn''t have time to finish her thought before her father turned to look at her.


    ¡°Are you doing well, father?¡± Qina said hastily.


    ¡°I am. Now, it¡¯s not often that you and Claus come and greet me. I assume that you all want something?¡±


    Quick to the point, and he even knows.


    Qina opened her mouth to speak, but Claus was just a hair faster. She would have to wait her turn.


    ¡°Father, I''ve come to ask for permission to join the Imperial Guard,¡± Claus said confidently. After he finished speaking, he tried to stand tall in the face and gaze of his father. He knew how angry and violent his father could be.


    ¡°Why do you want to join the Imperial Guard?¡± his father spoke both calmly and sternly.


    Claus took a second to gather his thoughts.


    ¡°Because I want to protect this family. I am the second-born son; therefore, I am not eligible for the throne. Parrel is, and I don¡¯t want to waste away my life by lounging around the castle,¡± Claus smiled.


    That was pretty good, if I say so myself.


    But that smile was erased by the vexed voice that came from his father. It started low but grew louder and louder before erupting like a volcano.


    ¡°Boy, do you not realize that you are first in line to the throne after your brother? And you want to waste that away and become a member of the Guard? If something were to happen to Parrel, and something might because the world is not easy, nor is it fair, you would be the new emperor! How dare you! How dare an ungrateful child stand in front of me!¡±


    ¡°Father, ple¡ª¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡±


    Claus tried to argue back, but he was cut off. Trerk desperately wanted to do something, but as a servant, he could not interfere. To do so would bring about his untimely death. The only one who could act was Veris, and even she was feeling the pressure. Sweat slowly dripped down her face, and she tried her hardest to keep a smile.


    The tension was thick, and not a single person wanted to move. But for some unknown reason only known to her, Qina believed this was the perfect chance to ask her request.


    ¡°Father, I too have a request,¡± she spoke, finding a source of strength buried deep within her essence as an Imperial Princess.


    ¡°Speak, girl. May the Gods above help you if you say something foolish as well,¡± her father''s voice tore her strength asunder and blanketed it to the cosmos of her soul.


    Fear struck Qina. She couldn¡¯t move, couldn''t speak. It was like chains were tied all around her, and they kept getting tighter and tighter. But Qina knew that if she wanted to join the Imperial Guard, she would have to ask. Even if he said no, she would not give up on her dream.


    If I can just gather the courage again¡­.


    ¡°Well, child, I told you to speak,¡± her father said again.


    ¡°F-F-Father! I, too, wish to join the Imperial Guard.¡±


    The Emperor threw his wine glass against the ground and stood up, yelling at the top of his lungs.


    ¡°How dare you!! Do all of my children treat being a ¡®child of an emperor¡¯ as nothing more than a passing? As if it is something you could just toss away and come back when you¡¯re scared? Veris, I told you to educate my child, not put these false and ridiculous dreams in her head. Trerk, you were to teach Claus the basics of the sword. That is it. Nothing more.¡±


    The Emperor sat back down in anger.


    ¡°Your job as my children is to make sure that our empire flourishes and survives. Claus, you are to marry, strengthen our ties, and sire children! You dare to call that ''lounging around the castle?'' Qina, you are to marry, forge new relationships, and give birth to heirs. That is your role.¡±


    ¡°Father, please allow me permission to join. I don¡¯t want that kind of life! I don''t want to be relegated to that kind of life!!¡± Like a spoiled brat, Qina threw her hands to her side and stomped her feet while throwing a tantrum.


    ¡°Girl, do you even know hard it is to join it? To become a member of the Imperial Guard, one must possess a multitude of things. One, a fierce determination that will not falter in the face of an enemy attack. Two, a loyalty that has no equal. Three, the power to defend the castle, and Keywater, from any and all attacks. Claus, Qina, you have none of those three. In that regard, you two are total failures.  You easily want to throw away the life of royalty, and that shows me you two do not have what it takes."


    Qina and Claus looked at each other and nodded.


    ¡°Father, I ask th¡ª¡± Claus began to speak.


    ¡°Boy, no means no. I will hear no more of this childish talk. Bring it up again, and you two will be thoroughly punished.¡±


    Qina looked at Veris, the only one in the world who had an equal standing with the Emperor, for help, but she shook her head slowly. For she knew that no matter what she said, it would not help turn the tide of her Emperor''s anger. He was stubborn in his ways, that much was certain once he attained the throne, but it was more prevalent in his childhood.


    That foolish emperor! Doesn¡¯t he realize these are his children? His flesh and blood?


    ¡°Now, you two stay there and stay silent. I have business with your brother,¡± Virin turned so that his gaze shadowed Parrel and his group. Albert and the two unknowns kneeled.


    ¡°Yes, father? You said you had something to tell me?¡± Parrel said with a bit of an uppity tone, suggesting that he was happy with the events that had happened. He had the biggest smile on his face, and Qina hated that. Claus stared at the ground in an attempt to fight back his tears.


    ¡°Starting tomorrow, you are to move to the Kingdom of Lando. More specifically, the city of Canary,¡± The smile on Parrel¡¯s face quickly turned sour, and he verbally lashed out at his father.


    ¡°Father, what is the meaning of this? Why should I, a glorious member of your family and heir to the throne, move to some backwater kingdom in a town I''ve never heard of?¡± Parrel aggressively motioned and waved his hands as he spoke, as if emphasizing his unhappiness.


    ¡°Due to some unforeseen failures, the relationship between Keywater and Lando is terribly strained. War could start at any moment.¡± Everyone in the room, sans the king and his two personal guards, were taken back at this statement.


    War? Why have I not heard anything? Veris thought. It was rare for her to not be in the know when it came to the empire. But now that she thought about it, it had been a while since she participated in a council, especially since she was the Royal Advisor.  The Dryad didn''t want to dare think the emperor did not want her input when it came to war.


    But could it be possible? Veris had felt things-- feelings and an uncomfortable sensation-- for many months.  She had thought it was just one of those things she had to deal with as she got older, but was it some sort of warning?


    Virin continued. ¡°Lando''s king has requested that an important member of the family been sent to their kingdom as a show of goodwill. And I have chosen you.¡±


    ¡°But why me? Why not Claus or Qina?! I have a wife, and my child is to be born soon!¡±


    ¡°That is why I chose you: an heir to the throne, his wife, and their unborn child. It is the perfect combination I needed,¡± it was as if Virin was speaking to a stone and not his son.


    ¡°But fath¡ª¡±


    The king stood up and interrupted his son.


    ¡°Boy, there is no more discussion to be had. You may take your wife, Albert, and the two personal guards behind you. In addition, you are permitted to take a small amount of money so that you may live comfortably for a while. After that, you need to provide for yourself.¡±


    Virin said his piece and carefully studied his son¡¯s face.


    Parrel cursed under his breath and turned to leave, only to be stopped by the opening of the door.


    A man, holding a scroll, calmly walked in. His body, covered with a black robe with the hood up, shadowed his physical appearance. The only distinguishing feature was an emblem of a key carved out of Veris''s tree, attached to the man¡¯s breast. The only ones who had this emblem were members of the inner council. The core group that kept the empire running.


    The Emperor looked annoyed at best and downright angry at worst, but he tried to not let it show on his face.


    ¡°Spymaster, you better have a good reason to interrupt me.¡±


    ¡°My apology, my dear Emperor. I have come before you to let you know that we have captured an assassin,¡± the Spymaster spoke with such a deep voice that didn¡¯t befit him.


    ¡°And why are you reporting to me?¡±  Virin sighed.


    ¡°Because, my dear Emperor, the assassin was your wife, the Empress.¡±


    The Spymaster master then yelled at the door, which remained open. Five people marched in.  Four were guards, and the last was a woman. The Empress. Wife of Virin. Mother of Qina, Claus, and Parrel.


    She had metallic chains with little leeway tethering her hands and her feet to each other. Her once shiny blue dress was nothing more than a collection of dirty scraps held together by faithful threads. Dirt and mud blanketed her face that held no smile or any other emotion.  Who would have thought that someone like the Empress, the almighty wife who seemed to be untouchable, would once find herself in chains? No one.  That''s why the situation was so confusing and impossible to process.


    Yet, there was one person who was able to act when he should''ve been the most stricken by this terrible news.


    ¡°Spymaster, you are telling me that my wife is the assassin? You better have some irrefutable proof, or you and your family will pay dearly. I will strike you down myself.¡± Virin walked towards the Spymaster, who stood undeterred. Virin had a subtle grin on his face that went unnoticed by everyone and stopped just past Claus. It was almost as if he expected this development. Like it was planned from the beginning.


    Meanwhile, all three children were staring at each other dumbfounded.  It took a few long seconds for them to act.


    ¡°Father, why is mother in chains? Tell that man to release her!¡± Claus eventually struggled to say after gathering some courage. He ran up and grabbed hold of Virin¡¯s regal looking-robe.


    ¡°Please, father!¡± Qina added in.


    He turned around to the kids and raised his hand.


    ¡°I will not repeat it! You two are to be silent!¡±


    With a heavy echoing sound, Virin slapped Claus across the face. Due to the differences in age and power, not to mention that Virin¡¯s God was a God of Combat, Claus slid across the floor while holding his cheek.


    ¡°Gah!¡± he cried out. When he stopped sliding, Trerk ran over to the boy, the room rumbling, and helped him up. Now on his feet, he held his cheek tightly while staring at his father with tear-soaked eyes.


    ¡°Father! You hit Claus!¡± Qina screamed as tears ran down her face.


    ¡°Shut up, or you will be next!¡± Virin threatened as he turned his back to his children.


    ¡°My dear Emperor, here is a scroll we found. Written on it is a series of instructions she was to follow. Please, have a look at it yourself.¡± Spymaster held out the scroll, and Virin violently took it and read it. His eyes, grown wise from years of battle and ruling, scanned line by line, word by word. Not a single person made any noise during this tense time, especially after what just happened.


    ¡°My wife,¡± the Emperor summoned a small ball of fire with a snap of his fingers and held the scroll over it. The moment the paper touched, the entire scroll instantly turned black as ashes fell to the floor. ¡°I have loved you for years and years. Ever since I laid my eyes on you, you have been my everything. My one and only.¡±


    Virin spoke in a low voice that barely above a whisper, but it was loud. Everyone believed he was speaking from the heart.


    ¡°Father, what was written in the scroll?¡± Qina asked, but she received no reply. It was like her father couldn¡¯t hear her.


    ¡°Why? Why were you planning to kill me? Why me and not the children as well? Were they in on it? You terrible children! You dare try to commit patricide?! After I''ve done everything for you... You repay me by working with your mother to kill me!" his voice, now a scream, bounced around the throne room like a volatile explosive. The sheer amount of stress was too much for Claus and Qina, who passed out from the shock. Trerk held the prince, and Veris cradled the princess. The two mentors stayed silent.


    Perhaps it was for the best that the twins fell unconscious, considering what happened next.

 Book One – Prologue Two – Part Five – Hint of Betrayal

    ¡°Hahahaha! You shitty husband! Of course I tried to kill you! How could I not after everything you put me through!¡± The Empress, who had been quiet and showed no visible emotion, now laughed and screamed as loud as she could.


    ¡°How could you forget about the fact that you brutally raped and impregnated me, forcing me to give birth to two unwanted and unloved kids. We both know you hated them. And so did I.¡± Anger and sadness welled inside her heart, and she poured out her emotions to everyone.


    ¡°I tried to play the part of a loving mother, but every time I saw them, I was reminded of the pain and humiliation. And you know what? I was going to kill the kids after I killed you. Then I would kill myself. This is your fault! All of it! I HATE YOU!¡± the Empress thrashed and turned, trying her hardest to break the chains, but it was to no avail. She was born without a blessing, and while that didn¡¯t immediately mean she was weak and helpless, the chains were just too sturdy.


    The Spymaster took out a small syringe and injected her in the neck. She still struggled for a moment or two but collapsed a moment later.


    ¡°It''s a type of muscle relaxant,¡± the Spymaster said as he held out the syringe.


    The Emperor stared long and hard at the face of this woman, and he sighed and walked back to the throne. As he did, he gave two dirty looks to his twin children.


    ¡°Father, what¡¯s going to happen to mother?¡± Parrel turned away and only looked at his father. He had no idea what to do. Considering he just found out that his father raped his mother, causing two unwanted twins to be born, who were going to be killed by their own mother, he was trying not to break down. His wife didn''t have the strength to hold on to her feelings and silently wept. Albert did the best he could to console her, while the two mercenaries did their best to not stand out in any way.


    ¡°Spymaster, what do you suggest. Do we have anywhere where we need subjects for experiments?¡± with an edge in his voice, he asked the Spymaster for advice.


    ¡°My dear Emperor, might I suggest the Facility? I received a report that we are close to reaching a breakthrough, and I¡¯m sure they would love the extra bodies.¡±


    ¡°Very well, I order you to transport her to the Facility, and at this time, she is no longer my wife, nor does she hold the title of empress,¡± Virin ordered.


    ¡°My dear Emperor, I will see to it that it be done. Please excuse me.¡± The Spymaster bowed and walked out of the throne room.  The guards carrying the former Empress followed close behind.


    ¡°Parrel, leave my sight at once and begin your preparations. You leave tomorrow,¡± Virin ordered again.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± A quick response later, and Parrel and his group made a hasty exit. They did not have a lot of time to get ready. As he left, both Parrel and his butler cursed the Emperor under their breath. Such behavior was unbecoming from the former head butler. But after what he had to witness, Albert had lost all respect for his former master. The Emperor who gave him the opportunity to live and make something of his life no longer existed.


    With the doors shut behind them, the only people remaining in the room were the Emperor, his two personal guards, Trerk and Veris, along with Claus and Qina.


    The room was silent for an uncomfortable amount of time. The first to speak was the Virin.


    ¡°Are the children still unconscious?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my Emperor,¡± Trerk was the one who replied.


    ¡°When they wake up, tell them this. Their mother is to be locked up indefinitely for the crime of plotting an assassination against me. In addition, I am disowning both of them for the crime of being their mother¡¯s children. If she planned to kill me, then I know they will as well. I should kill them, strike them down, and tear out their hearts myself, but I won¡¯t.¡±


    Virin stopped speaking and pondered for but a moment. Then he began again.


    ¡°As a final message, tell them this as well. I will release and forgive their mother, and I will even reinstate them as my children if they do one thing. Make them strong and powerful, and send them back to me.¡±


    A cruel smile appeared on Virin¡¯s twisted face.


    ¡°I will grant their wishes of joining the Imperial Guard, but only if they are the best of the best. I need strong and loyal warriors."


    ¡°If they cannot remain here at the castle, then where will they stay?!¡± Veris demanded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t care. I will give them until the moon rises to leave the castle.¡±


    ¡°These children have nowhere to go. They¡¯re liable to get killed! Or, in Qina¡¯s case, suffer a fate worse than death! Have you no heart? I can''t believe forcing them to fend for themselves doesn''t bring you any sadness!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare speak that way to me! I am your emperor, and I deserve respect!¡±


    Veris shook her head slowly.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. You¡¯re nothing but a miserable old man who would send his children out to die. Pathetic.¡± Veris spoke words that she never thought possible. Thousand of years of friendships and loving relationships with the Keywater imperial family were being strained to their limits.


    ¡°Let it be known,¡± Virin once again stood up and spoke aloud, knowing that one of his spies was listening in. ¡°That as of this moment, the Empire of Keywater has cut off all ties and relations with Veris. No more shall the Dryad be welcome in our glorious empire!"


    Even the two personal guards were visibly shaking in their armor. Not once had something like this ever occurred.  Veris was as much Keywater as the emperor was, and now she was being cast out?


    ¡°Thousands of years of good relations, all for this?! Have you gone mad, Virin?¡± Veris yelled for the first time in a long while.


    ¡°Leave my sight at once! All of you! Guards, escort them out, now!¡± Virin ordered for his guards, and out of nowhere, they materialized beside the throne with their weapons drawn. At least fifteen, all with the sharpest weapons and armor made from nadrium, stood in front of them.  The blue lines all pulsed in sync, flashing and dimming at the same time.


    A mass teleportation skill? It¡¯s almost like he was prepared for this. Veris thought. No, it wasn''t his plan to exile us from the beginning, was it? Virin, what the hell happened to you?


    Veris grunted as she was escorted out. Trerk was beside her. They each carried their respective pupil. After leaving the throne room, they made for the castle''s exit, not speaking to anyone. Everyone they passed begged to know what was going on.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Veris, have you really been cut off? I heard our emperor yelling, and--"


    "Dryad, there''s already been a report by one of the spies--


    ¡°Please, are the children okay?¡±


    More and more questions that Veris would not answer. More accurately, she couldn¡¯t answer. It took all she had to keep calm in such a stressful situation.


    Once outside, Veris felt the cool breeze whip her green hair against her aching head.  She looked to the sky for a moment before turning around.  The castle walls were a symbol of protection, and for Veris, who had been in Keywater since its founding, her heart ached as having to leave it on such bad terms. Her memories contained all Keywater to offer, including watching the glorious castle''s creation being built brick by brick before her eyes.


    ¡°Trerk, I apologize for what happened,¡± Veris turned to her Kobold companion and slightly frowned.


    ¡°There is no need to apologize, Lady Veris. If you hadn''t said something, I would have. I cannot believe that man. He doesn¡¯t deserve to be the emperor. Did you know the backstory behind the birth of these two?¡± Trerk asked.


    Veris sighed.  ¡°I did not. If I knew that foolish Emperor did something so stupid, I would have done something years ago.¡±


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Trerk asked as he adjusted his grip.


    ¡°We wait until the children wake up.  After that, we have a long and difficult conversation ahead of us.  What they decide to do after they know the truth is up to them.  Hold my hand."


    Trerk nodded and did as he was told. Her hand was so soft and warm to the touch.  Truth be told, Trerk sometimes looked at Veris with naughty thoughts, imaging her seductive body being pressed against his hard scales. But those were only thoughts sued to pass the time.  They were only for being enjoyed in his mind and not something he could act out.


    Veris chanted something, and the view around them changed. The stone road and castle left their sight, and in their place, a tremendously large tree surrounded by other trees.


    ¡°We can stay here for the time being,¡± Veris spoke as she stared lovingly at the giant, monstrous object in front of her.  "This is not a place someone can just walk and find.  Even that foolish Emperor couldn''t travel here in a thousand years.  You can almost think of this as a separate dimension, but it''s not.  It''s still located within Keywater."


    Trerk realized that he was staring at the base of a giant tree. He looked to the left and right, but he didn¡¯t see where the tree ended. Looking up, he was unable to see the leaves.


    In a sense, this tree was the fabled home of Veris, the Dryad.


    Standing at over three hundred meters wide and over ten thousand meters high, the tree was one of, if not the tallest natural object in the world.


    Trerk tried to speak, but he was stuttering.


    ¡°L-L-Lady Veris, this is your tree? I''ve heard the rumors, but...¡±


    Her cheeks turned a faint red as embarrassment filled her face. ¡°Yes, this my home. My wonderful tree,¡± Veris slid her hand over the bark, and part of the tree faded away to reveal a path made of wood.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± she spoke as she walked through. Trerk followed her.


    The smell of nature welcomed his nostrils as he carefully took in the sight of the pathway. It was part of the tree itself, just carved out. Small red gemstones were embedded in the wall that provided a source of light. Eventually, they came to an opening. That opening led to a room that would be considered a living room. Couches, dressers, tables, and chairs were all scattered about. All made of wood, of course. There was no sky, but similar red gemstones provided a considerable amount of light.


    ¡°This is the living room.  The kitchen is right there, past those doors. To the left and right are doors that lead to individual bedrooms. This is where we will be living for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Lady Veris, I am grateful that you would allow one such as myself into your sacred home,¡± if he wasn¡¯t carrying a child, Trerk would have bowed at her feet.


    ¡°Please, think nothing of it. Now, let''s allow the children to rest,¡± with a snap of her fingers, Veris summoned a bed that materialized from nothing. The frame and bed itself was wood, but the pillow and blankets on it were made from leaves.


    They laid the kids on the bed, one on each side. Then after summoning two chairs, Trerk and Veris sat down and sighed.  The thoughts of the future clouded their mind.


    The kids would not awaken for another day or so.


    Later that night, the Emperor shared a glass of wine with the Spymaster. The moon, high in the sky, was witness to it.


    ¡°How far along are we?¡± the Emperor asked.


    ¡°My dear Emperor, the research on Chronomancy has finished. The former Empress would make a most suitable test subject, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±


    Shortly after that, the Spymaster departed from the Emperor¡¯s bed-chamber. The Emperor, wanting companionship, walked over to his desk and shook a nearby bell. A butler knocked at the door and entered. He wasn¡¯t wearing the traditional suit but rather a brown cloak that hid his features.


    ¡°Go and fetch me a nice woman. You know what I like. Be quick about it.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Now that he was alone, Virin took a moment to organize his thoughts before losing himself to lust.


    That damn brat better not fail me. Having Parrel take control of Canary is the first step to access the trial. Still, that king needs to die. Wait, Virin, you can¡¯t get too hasty. Remember what the sacred tablet told you. The soul needs to experience the very essence of betrayal, and creating a series of events that will lead to that takes time and elegance. Still, this is the first step.


    A second later, there was a knock at the door. Virin answered it and saw a beautiful slave girl standing. Her ears were cat-like, and she had black hair. Stripped bare, Virin lustfully gazed up and down the tender body he would ravish and the tail he would pluck from her rear. But the thing that caught his attention the most was her face. Everything about it aroused and angered him. The Emperor smiled sadistically. She would not leave alive. When the butler came back to retrieve the woman, he had a large bag and a mop.


    A day later, Qina and Claus woke up. They cried day and night after hearing what had happened.


    A week later, the two were hard at work training.


    Five years later, two people signed up as a team at Warden.


    Two years after, the two adventures who signed up were having a small and private party, and only four people were in attendance. The reason? They reached Rank 3.


    Two more years after that, another celebration was held with the same four people. This time? They reached Rank 1.


    At the same time as this party, an explosion rocked the horrible and vile place known as The Facility. There was a single person who managed to escape.


    Finally, six months after that, the two Rank 1 Warden members were at the testing ground for the Imperial Guard.


    Combat, fitness, skill usage, espionage, interrogation, and survival were but a few of the subjects they would be tested on. Any potential warriors who wished to join the Imperial Guard had to be a master of all. Anything even slightly less than that would be grounds for dismissal.


    The two tied for the highest score. No one else even came close.


    At the graduation, the Emperor, now ten years older with gray hair, smiled quite devilishly at the two new guards. He walked over and spoke to them so silently that only they could hear his voice.


    They were in the same throne room where they saw the Emperor order their brother to move to the Kingdom of Lando. The same room where the male twin was struck in the face by his father. It was a place that looked beautiful and stood out even amongst other rooms in the castle, but it held no pleasant memories. Both of them would agree on that.


    ¡°Welcome back.¡±


    The two kneeled as the Emperor ran a ceremonial sword over them. The one on the left was a woman, no longer a frightened child. She had shed that persona ten years ago when her life was twisted upside down. Garbed in bright silver armor and an equally royal-looking sword on her hip, her long blond hair reached somewhat down her back. Her slender arms, which had killed many monsters that got too close and men that got too friendly, held surprising power and skill within. In her chest was a heart that had been hardened by acts of betrayal, and it was exclusively open to three people in the entire world.


    The one on the right was her brother. One of the three people in the world she could trust with her life. Their relationship and mental link had grown to such levels that it was no longer required for them to verbally communicate when in combat. His blond hair was short and styled, and he had on the same armor and held the same sword on his hip as his beloved sister. Unlike his sibling, his arms were toned and muscular. Every morning for the past ten years, he was up at the crack of dawn swinging his sword. When his sister asked why he said it was a vow. Unless he was on death¡¯s door, he said he had to keep at it. He never wanted to feel as weak as he did when his father assaulted him on that fateful day. The only thing his sister could do was watch and be a witness to his actions.


    ¡°Now rise and speak your name! My Imperial Guards!¡±


    ¡°Qina Keywater at your command, your majesty!¡± said the woman.


    ¡°Claus Keywater at your command, your majesty!¡± said the man.


    Both twins were now ten years older, and the two no longer had the same cheerful look of innocence. The long journey, just to reach this point, had changed the two at their very core.


    Two months after the ceremony, in the country of Lando, a woman, around the age of 20, was waking up. She would be without any memories. Gripping the pen of her life, she would surround herself with close friends and allies while gaining enemies. Her tale would involve traveling across the world to distant lands, meeting the unspeakable, and witnessing the impossible.  The actions this woman would take would cause her to be the center of many world-altering events.


    But she wouldn''t do it alone, and this tale wasn''t just about her.


    This is The Story of a Girl and a Goddess Whose Souls Became Interconnected.

 Book One – Chapter One – Part One – An Unforgiving World And An Unexpected Ally

    The Forest of Gife was home to a large number of trees. It spanned a great distance from the eastern edge of the Kingdom of Lando to the southern cliffs, where it met the ocean. If one was to get lost inside, trapped by the thick bark and smothered by great green leaves preventing light from raining down, it was said that they would never return back without the help of the spirits living in the trees.


    On the forest''s outskirts, there was a young girl lying on the ground. Hair, as black as night and eyes as fierce and red as the setting sun. Skin, soft yet firm. Her generous chest rose and fell ever so slightly with each breath she took.


    Slowly, her body started to move, and she reached out her arms to the sky as she yawned. She opened her eyes, rubbing them in an attempt to wipe away the sleep. Sitting up slowly, she pushed off the ground with her hand.


    Looking to the left, she saw a pathway that had trees to its left and a grass plain to the right.


    Glancing right, it was the same, but the plain was to her left and the trees to the right.


    She looked up and saw nothing but green leaves and brown branches. However, she could see tiny spots of blue in the gaps of the green leaves that were currently casting a shadow. She moved her hand to her chest and felt the smooth touch of leather.


    The mysterious girl was wearing a brown leather tunic that covered her upper body. She looked down. Black leather pants and boots were in her vision. Then she glanced at her hands, protected by a black pair of gloves. She took them off and ran a finger over her hands. Her white skin was smooth to the touch. She pressed a finger against her palm and looked back up at the sky.


    After putting the gloves back on and taking a deep breath, she got to her feet and looked around again.


    Where am I?


    Who am I?


    Two vital questions ran through her mind on repeat. She didn¡¯t know her name, and she didn¡¯t know her location. Thinking about it, she couldn''t remember any identifying information about herself.


    Her lips slowly parted, allowing a word to escape from. ¡°Wha¡ª¡±


    She slowly rubbed her head.


    ¡°GAAAHHHHHH!!!¡± Tremendous pain surged through her body as she felt a paradoxical amount of discomfort. It felt like drowning, being electrocuted, set on fire, and poisoned at the same time. Every single centimeter of her body was suffering. Thrashing around, she fell to the light green grass. Twisting and turning, she tried to do whatever she could to escape the agony.


    Then, as soon as it assaulted her, the pain disappeared. She tried to open her mouth but found she was unable to.


    Why did that hurt? What was that? I¡¯m so scared! She thought the words that she wanted to speak.


    I need to get up and run away. I can¡¯t stay here.


    Mustering some courage, the girl formed a fist and softly punched the grass, disrupting the only thing supporting her. Sweat and tears dripped from her face and eyes as she set about standing up. Her arms and muscles ached and cried out from the previous pain, but she managed to get upright without too much of a hassle.


    With her heart pounding against her chest, she placed a hand against her tunic, breathing in life-saving oxygen. Her nose picked up the forest''s scent, filling it with what she thought nature would smell like. Her heart soon calmed down, allowing her built-up stress to slowly fade away.


    I can feel my heart beating... I can see... I can smell and breathe... I''m alive, right? I... I have to get out of here...find some help...


    Looking left and right, the girl could tell that she was on a road of some kind.  The ground below her was grassy, with a few plots of mud sprinkled around. Behind her laid a thick brown sea of trees that had never been intruded upon. In front of her was a large open green plain. No trees or animals could be seen. In the far distance, the girl could make out a tiny splotch of blue: a lake.


    I have three options in front of me. Left, right, and crossing the field.


    Taking a moment to think, the girl decided to walk down the path to her right. Yes, water was vital, and that should have been the way she went, but something inside her told her not to.


    Besides, I can always find a lake down this path. If I don''t come across one, I just have to come back here.


    As she moved, she felt yet another pain in her head. But unlike last time, a paradoxical wave of pain did not assault her. She saw a frame of a memory in her mind, almost like a picture, but she heard a voice.


    It was of a man, maybe in his early twenties. He wore a fancy-looking button-up shirt with black pants. His face was scarred and rugged like he was born from a dirty rock, but the girl felt such happiness and fondness radiating from him. A small cup of black liquid was on the table he sat behind. The man''s mouth was open, and the words that played over and over again, like a scratchy-recording, did not match the gentle atmosphere.


    Please, run away! You must get out of here! Servi¡ª


    The memory ended, and the girl went to her knees.  With the strength drained from her entire body, she shook her head and uttered a single word.


    ¡°Servi.¡±


    Is that my name?


    The girl¡ªServi¡ª said that name over and over again. Each time, she made sure to pronounce it correctly, letting it roll off her tongue and onto her lips.


    I don¡¯t know why, but saying that makes my chest feel tight.


    She moved her hand to her chest and said the name once more.


    ¡°Servi.¡±


    Blinking, the girl took in a deep breath.


    I have to move! I can do this!


    She reached her leg out but quickly pulled it back as an odd feeling crept up her thighs, threatening to down her heart in agony and pain.


    What if it hurts again? I know I can¡¯t stay here. I need to move! Come on, Servi! You can do this!


    She struggled against her fearful instinct to stay still and forced herself to walk. Servi closed her eyes.


    One!


    Two!


    One!


    Two!


    One foot forward in front of the other. By the time she opened her red eyes, she was a few meters away from where she woke up.


    ¡°I can do it!¡± she yelled quietly to herself, capitalizing on the little things.


    Walking down the path she had chosen, Servi saw, heard, and smelled things that were all foreign to her.


    A set of nearby leaves rustled, and Servi jerked her head and crouched down. A small cat-like creature strolled out of the forest. It had two tails, large green eyes, and brown fur, likely for camouflage. It stopped moving and sat down, allowing the tails to flutter and twist together as if performing a dance routine.


    How pretty!


    Servi was entranced by the unnatural monster and moved towards it with a hand held out. The cat turned its head, sat up, and shook its head.


    It turned its body and strolled back into the forest, stopping once to take a look at the unknown Human staring at it.


    I wonder what that was? It wasn''t a cat, was it? It sure was pretty, though, but now I''m left with more questions.  I have never seen such a thing before in my life...


    With the encounter behind her, Servi continued her walk down the road. She looked down when something caught her eye.


    I think I see two parallel lines on the ground. Maybe something on wheels passed by? Was it a car?


    As she pondered her question, the entire forest and ground shook with a great rumble. The sweet air that she had been tasting and inhaling scattered, leaving it stained with an unknown taste.


    From somewhere in the forest, a large animal roared with all of its might and strength. Servi looked back towards the noise, and sweat dripped from her face.


    I have to get away from here!!!


    Turning the other way, Servi shot out and ran like a lightning bolt. Her boots stomped through the mud and grass, sending brown chunks upwards and dirtying her footwear while leaving behind a set of frantic footprints. Her chest and lungs constricted and expanded with every step. Air flooded into her body as she ran. She kept running and running until the noise was a memory.


    After what felt like hours of excitement, Servi tripped over a tiny tree root in the road and slid on the ground. Her leather chest armor and pants covered any skin, so she was uninjured. Only her pride was damaged, and her face was dirtied.


    Thankfully no one saw that. Servi thought as her cheeks were assaulted by a soft flame. She shook her head to force that embarrassment out of her mind.


    I have more important things to do than be embarrassed.


    Standing up, she reached down and dusted herself off while struggling to fill her lungs. Servi''s hands, now stained with the dirt, clenched into a fist as Servi looked around at her new surroundings.


    I don¡¯t know how long I ran, but I can see a lake in front of me. I should head there next.


    Servi still followed the grassy path, but she clearly saw a set of footprints.


    They look fresh. Maybe I can find someone up ahead.


    Servi walked and stumbled her way down the road, eventually coming to a stop. To her left, a small blue pond, probably about ten meters long and five meters deep.


    Servi took a long sniff.


    Salt?


    She could smell salt, usually reserved for an ocean, in the air.


    I know I¡¯m thirsty, but something in my mind is telling me not to drink that.


    She walked over to the blue gem surrounded by a sea of green, dropped to her knees, and stared into the surface of the still lake.


    I can see myself in it.


    Seeing a face stained with tears and mud, she lifted up an arm and waved to herself. Her reflection waved back. She shook her head and watched as her hair flowed left and right. It was black and short, barely touching her shoulders.


    I wonder if I can wash my face in this... If I do, I better keep my mouth shut.


    Servi looked away from the lake and searched far and wide. She was looking for some sort of container or bucket. Sighing because she couldn¡¯t find one, she took off her gloves and cautiously dipped a hand into the lake.


    It feels nice and cold.


    She stuck her other hand in, and a small smile appeared on Servi¡¯s face.  By rubbing her hands together, the motion disrupted the calm surface of the lake. Small waves and ripples floated on through the center and reached the other side.


    That should be good.


    Taking her hands out and examining them, she was happy with the lack of dirt staining them. Next, she leaned down even further and splashed some water on her face.  Mud dripped down, corrupting the pond''s purity, but Servi did achieve her goal of washing away the dirt. Not having anything to dry her hands and face, she left that task to the wind as she made her way to the road. Afterwards, she put her gloves back on.


    Let me see¡­ The lake was to my left, correct? Then I need to go this way. Maybe if I find a town or something, I can properly wash my face and hands with soap... Still, I haven''t seen anyone since I woke up...


    With the lake far behind her, Servi continued to walk. And walk. And walk, yet again. The entire time, her scenery never changed much. Trees and grassy plains were her only companions while the sun mercilessly beat down on her. Eventually, she found herself a fork in the road.


    A sign was nearby. It had one arrow with a name pointed to the left. Another arrow with another name pointed to the right.


    Unfortunately, the sign contained writing in a language Servi couldn''t understand.


    Damn... Do I go left or right?


    After thinking about it, she decided to go right. At least, for a little bit. If she saw anything dangerous, she would turn back.


    And unfortunately, after around an hour or so of walking, she saw something dangerous.


    Were they enemies? She thought so because she spotted giant bees. They were taller than the average man, with fuzzy bodies colored black and yellow. Buzzing around a short distance away, Servi was just far enough away that they didn''t sense her. Two of the flying beasts were fighting in the middle of the road.


    The large bees had sword-like appendages attached to their head via a small piece of fur in place of antennae, and a large sword stuck out from their bottoms. It acted as their stinger, but it was a sword. Not to mention the razor-sharp blades attached to their arms and hand. It was clear that these deadly-looking animals were meant for battle and war. From where Servi was hiding, two of the bees were locked into a bloody battle. They were swinging wildly without any defense, and flesh splattered the grassy ground with each slice.


    I count fifteen of them...


    That was way too many for her. Honestly, even one was probably more than she could handle, considering she didn''t have a way to defend herself. But if she did have a sword or dagger, could she really go up against something that had bladed-weapons growing out of it? She didn''t think so.


    I have to backtrack... If that other road doesn''t turn out good for me, I have to go back to where I woke up.


    So Servi did just that. She turned around, found that sign, and took the road she hadn''t travel.


    As she walked, methodically putting one foot in front of the other, she hoped and prayed she''d come across something worthwhile.  If she had to spend all that time walking back to her starting point, then it was bound to be nightfall.  Falling asleep in the wilderness, with no food and water, essentially guaranteed her death.


    Soon enough, her prayer was answered.


    In the far distance, she saw a collection of towering walls surrounding something, and she knew that something had to be a city or town.


    "Finally... Finally!!!!" she shouted in joy and glee.  With a positive hop in her step, she ran for a few more minutes, closing the distance while continuing to stare. When her breath ran out, and she slowed to a crawl, Servi realized she wasn''t alone. She didn¡¯t know when, but people were walking next to her. It appeared that they all were heading towards her destination.


    Not wanting to say anything, Servi just listened to the passing conversation while catching her breath, but it was just as she feared. She couldn¡¯t understand any of what they were saying.


    I''m surrounded by so many people, yet I''m so alone... There has to be someone in there I can communicate with, right? Left to wallow in her thoughts, Servi shuffled along slowly, keeping to herself as she held on to a faint sparkle of hope.


    It didn''t take more than fifteen or twenty minutes for the impromptu caravan she traveled with to be separated into two lines.


    One was made up of people, and the other had only carriages and wagons. She stood in the first line and glanced around at her surroundings.


    She saw people, of course, some that were human, like her, but she also saw people with cat ears and tails, some with pointed ears, some with different colored scales where their skin should be, and some had a mixture of scales, fur, and skin. Seeing such mystical-looking creatures brought a subtle fear to her heart.


    In the wagon line, Servi saw a carriage with no roof. A giant metal cage hooked the back, keeping its inhabitants held against their will. An imposing lock hooked onto the door, preventing it from ever opening without the key. The cage''s inside sat a number of children dressed in dirty rags.


    From where Servi stood, she saw about fifteen or sixteen kids, all cramped inside. Two were Human, just like her. Five were children who had scales in place of skin. Two were covered in blue scales, one had green scales, and the other two had red scales. Other than the scales, they looked identical to humans. One child in the cage had a long tail and a face that looked like an alligator. Most of his body was fur and skin, with a few red scales covering his forehead.


    Of the eight remaining, two of them had black cat-ears atop their heads with a black tail coming from their lower back. However, the girl only had one ear, and where the other one should be, there was nothing but a bloody patch of paper that served no function as a bandage. They had their tail wrapped around their waist as if to protect them from any further harm.


    The boy and girl pair looked to be fraternal twins. Like the other slaves, they had on rags that functioned as clothing, but that wasn¡¯t all. The boy''s face was littered with scars and bloodstains. In contrast, the girl''s face was nearly pristine.  She only had a few scoops of dirt here and there that stained her trembling cheeks.


    He must''ve protected her from something... It hurts my heart to see them locked up...


    The two held hands as the boy pulled his sister closer to him.  She was close to crying, and the boy wanted to be strong for her.


    The other six remaining all had pointed ears. Four had a light creamy skin tone, while the remaining two had the skin color of dirt. They all huddled close together and held hands, forming a circle.


    Though she didn¡¯t know it at the time, there were many different races in the world. The ones with cat ears were called Singi. The ones with scales were called Koena, and the ones with pointed ears were called Elves. The ones with the alligator-like face and tail, with a mix of scales, fur, and skin, were called Kobolds.


    The category of Race was divided into two, Humans and Demi-Humans. Those with skin and no horns, animal ears, or other animal-like features were humans. Those with animal-like features, look vaguely humanoid, and spoke the common language, were categorized as Demi-Humans. Within the Demi-Human category, there were individual races like Elf, Singi, Koena, and Kobold. Races could have Sub-Races.  For example, an Earth Elf was a Sub-Race of an Elf.


    Every so often, a man walking beside the wagon would take a stick and beat the cage, producing a nasty and frightening noise that scared the children inside. The man would then laugh disgustingly, causing bouts of anger and hatred to well up inside Servi.


    Why is he doing that?! What gives him the right?!


    The Gods Above knew Servi wanted to act. She yearned for the chance to rescue them with all of her might, but she just couldn¡¯t.


    It¡¯s terrible, and I hate it, but I need to look after myself first. Fuck... I guess I¡¯m not better than that guy banging on the cage...


    Servi sighed in sadness as she quietly followed the line. Soon, she would reach the front, and she didn¡¯t know what to do.


    I better pay attention.


    Minutes later, only three people stood between Servi and the front of the line. But entering the city wasn''t as simple as just walking through. Everyone thus far had said something to the man standing guard, but there had to be more to it.


    I see. That must be a password or something. But what is that weird light? And why is it different for each person? Wait¡­


    It had just occurred to her that the light wasn''t just light. By subtly standing on her tiptoes, she spied on the Singi three spots ahead. As he said a word, a burst of orange light appeared from nowhere, transforming into a rectangular stone tablet.  Servi instantly groaned in annoyance as another thing she didn''t understand appeared to cause her trouble.


    Oh, come on!!!!  I can¡¯t understand this language! I don''t know what he''s saying! I don''t even know where he got that thing from!!!!


    A few short minutes later, only one person stood between her and the guard. Servi felt sweat pour down her face as the nervousness in her heart made her breathe faster. Her eyes stared at the woman in front of her.


    She was an Elf, clearly. Her pointy ears were the striking proof of their race.  The red ponytail dangling back and forth in the wind mesmerized Servi''s eyes, calming her. She followed it with her eyes as the woman uttered a single word.  Now that she was next in line, Servi extensively focused on what the Elf did to gain entry into the city, and she swore to follow it word for word and action for action.


    "J¨­tai."


    A red light swirled down her arms and stopped when it reached her delicate hands. The crimson glow faded, and in its place was a tablet. The woman handed it to the guard, who looked it over lazily as if he didn¡¯t want to do his job.


    Handing it back and jerking his head, the woman was free to pass. The guard yelled out something, and Servi walked up. It was her turn at last.


    Damn, I¡¯m up. Okay, I can do this... Just say the word and hope for the best...


    The guard had his armored hand out. He said something, but Servi didn¡¯t know what.


    Servi took too long because the guard clicked his tongue in annoyance. Spitting on the ground, the guard repeated himself with a nasty tone.


    How did it go? Jotai? Or was it j¨­t¨¤i? Or J¨­tai?


    Trying several different pronunciations, it took Servi a few times to get it right. When she did, red light flowed down her arms and grouped together, eventually forming a stone tablet. It was just like the one produced by the woman with red hair and pointed ears.


    After handing it to the guard, he moved his finger over the smooth surface, and he said some words aloud. Obviously, He was reading something, but there must''ve been an error or a mistake. He tapped his finger at a spot on the tablet and waited.


    Out of nowhere, the guard exploded into laughter and pointed at Servi, who had gone red in the face. The guard, still laughing and now even snorting, handed the stone back and jerked his head. Apparently, Servi had his approval to enter the city.


    Snatching it back with a little more force than necessary, Servi stared long and hard at the stone tablet. It was nearly blank except for some words near the top, but Servi couldn¡¯t read them. It smashed into the ground when Servi dropped it, surprising the guard who put his hand to his sword at his waist. Red light flowed from the destroyed tablet into Servi¡¯s body.


    She looked up with a frightened look and stared at the guard.  Through his helmet, she only saw his brown eyes. They were twitching-- itching-- for a fight.  He checked her out from head to toe and only moved his hand away after discovering Servi didn''t pose any threat.  He pointed upwards, and Servi followed his fingers.  She didn''t know why he wanted her to look up.  Was it the smooth stone gateway holding up a rusty portcullis? If it descended, it would land right on her, cleaving or smashing her into a bloody pulp. Did he want her to feel fear or fright? A million little questions ran throughout her head, and she didn''t know the answer to any of them.


    Shaking her head, Servi looked down and met the guard''s gaze.  He shouted something and returned his hand to his weapon. The frightened girl got the memo and ran into the city, tortured by the guard''s cheerful laughter at her emotional expense.


    In a way, she felt like everything was a horrible dream, and Servi pinched herself as she continued to bypass a horde of people, who only turned and stared at her like she was the strange one.


    Would she ever wake up from the nightmare?

 Book One – Chapter One – Part Two – An Unforgiving World And An Unexpected Ally

    Somehow, Servi felt calmer and more relaxed when she realized she was surrounded by protective and sturdy walls. Her emotional state somewhat calmed down, leaving her with a refreshed mind.  As such, she stopped running and slowed to a nice walk, taking in the stone buildings and other city-like objects with her crimson eyes.


    Soon, she found herself in the middle of a small intersection. Including the one she just came from, there were eight roads she could walk down. The ones in the four cardinal directions were the biggest.  Those leading to the intermediate directions were smaller, but they were paved, nothing like the dirt road she walked on earlier.


    The one she was traveling on previously was the west path, which led to the western entrance and exit. If she included the south, north, and east exits, the city had a total of four ways to legally enter and leave the city.  If one wanted to penetrate the city illegally, they could scale the walls, but they were constructed with that in mind.  The surfaces were totally smooth, leaving nothing for a would-be intruder to grip.


    Many people shuffled through the intersection, using it to get to where they needed to go. Servi saw warriors with swords and women dressed in exotic-looking clothing that left nothing to the imagination, amongst other things. Her eyes soon realized she wouldn''t see ''normalcy'' anytime soon.


    Buildings were all around her, and they had signs, but she couldn¡¯t read them. Servi walked a few meters down the northern road and peeked inside a store. There was a woman standing behind a counter in a blue and black uniform. Servi could make out a name tag on her chest, but that was useless because she was illiterate. She stepped out of the building and walked back to the intersection while sighing.


    Well, I made it inside the city, so that¡¯s good, but I don¡¯t know what to do next. Should I start walking?


    Servi had seven paths available to her.


    In case I get lost, I should look for a landmark or something recognizable. Now, what can I use?


    Servi scanned her eyes far and wide, looking at anything she could.  At first, she was upset because everything looked mysterious to her virgin eyes.  Her vision was full of otherworldly Demi-Humans, and Servi couldn''t concentrate because her ears were assaulted by an unknown language. But then she saw it, something so particular and out-of-place she felt her heart drop to her stomach.


    It was a massive structure-- something that should not have been possible to build. It was hundreds of meters in length and width, not to mention the height. It was so high that Servi believed she could spot it from anywhere in the city.  The entirety of the building was splattered with a glitzy golden color, and it wasn''t exactly subtle.


    How can a building get that big? That¡¯s incredible, but the color is making me sick. Okay, so if I get lost, just look for that... monstrosity. If I use it as a point of reference, I can find my way back here.


    With a landmark tagged in her mind, Servi traveled down the eastern road, confidently smiling now that her feet had the comfort of a paved road. For some reason, having something man-made underneath calmed her. The scariness of the forest was now far behind her, and no longer would she have to worry about any animals or monsters, like those bees, attacking her.


    This city is going to be my saving grace. I know it! Now, I just have to explore around and find someone I can talk to.


    As she walked, she took notice of the many people around her.


    Some had the pointed ears, like that girl with the red hair she saw before, and others were small and stout, with heavy and long beards.


    A gust of wind suddenly blew by, raising the skirts of those wearing them. A few girls cried out and smacked the guys they were with, who had gone red in the face.


    Of the people walking with weapons, nearly everyone wore a small silver necklace with a pair of dog tags attached to it.


    She wondered if the world was that dangerous. Was there such a need for so many people to be armed with dangerous weapons?


    I mean, there could be a reason... I''d feel much safer if I had a knife or something.  I might not know how to use it, but I just got to stick them with the pointy end, right?


    Elegant buildings made out of a combination of wood and stone were surrounded her after a couple minutes of walking. Some had signs hanging from chains, and others had no noticeable features. One building, in particular, had a sign with three ¡®Xs'' hanging on the side.


    Servi opened the door, walked in, and poked her head through a red curtain. She saw naked women dancing and smiling without a care in the world. A girl, probably a few years younger than Servi, waved her on over. Servi was hesitant to move forward, but her mind came to a decision a second later. The girl''s body, naked except for heart-shaped stickers on her nipples, slowly swayed from side to side. Her ears were pointed, and her skin was the color of caramel. Oddly enough, her white hair didn¡¯t look out of place. Beautiful was the only word that came to Servi''s mind. When Servi saw what the girl''s dripping honeypot was rubbing against, she rapidly shook her head and left, her face redder than blood and hotter than the sun.


    There¡¯s no way that thing could have fit inside her. It was so...girthy and thick... Servi shuddered, shaking her head and rubbing her eyes as she scurried away.


    What Servi walked into was an open house brothel, which meant that there were no walls. Just one giant room in which sweat, passion, and fluids all intermingled with each other. It wasn¡¯t the most hygienic, but it was the cheapest thing around if one didn''t mind getting close and personal.


    After she had some distance between her and the lustful building, Servi took a deep breath.  The warmness caressing her cheeks dissipated, returning them to her natural color.  Even after witnessing something lewd, Servi couldn''t let that put a hamper on her ultimate goal, which was to find someone to communicate with.


    Eyeing another store, Servi went inside with hope in her heart. This one had a horseshoe and hammer on its sign, signifying it was a general store. Many bottles, boxes, and oils ran down the wooden shelves, and people filtered in and out. Picking up a box, Servi tried to read it, or at least tried to understand what was inside without opening it, but predictably, it was useless.


    With a sigh, she placed the box back on the shelf. She turned around, nodding to the short hairy man sitting on a stool behind a counter. He raised a thick, rugged hand. Tugging on his beard, he spoke in an unknown language while nodding in return.  Facing defeat once again, Servi sighed for a second time and left, feeling afraid and alone.


    Later, she found out that the man running the store was a Dwarf, a short and stubby race that enjoyed mining the ground for ore and forging weapons. The sun, now higher in the sky than before, was just a fragile dot. For some reason, it looked unnatural. Regardless, Servi moved a hand to her hair and pushed the black strands hiding her crimson eyes.


    A gust of wind flew by, causing a much-needed coolness as sweat lightly dripped from her face. Tiny pebbles rolled down the street, only stopping when the wind did.  If only she had a napkin or rag to wipe away the sweat, glistening down her pale cheeks and into her mouth, filling it with the taste of salt.


    I¡¯m starting to get a little hungry. I didn''t want it to come to this, but I might have to steal food...


    After enjoying the breeze and pondering her odd situation for a few more seconds, Servi moved to continue walking down the street. But life wasn''t so simple, and it had another obstacle to throw her way.


    ¡°Oops!¡± Servi said aloud as she turned the corner, bumping into something.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡± yelped a quiet voice.


    I wasn¡¯t paying attention to where I was going! Come on, Servi, don''t do anything to stand out if you can!


    A small child with dark skin and pointed ears, covered with wounds and scars, looked up at Servi. Blood dripped like water from a leaf after a rainstorm. Her eyes were as blue as the sky, but they were clouded by fear.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! It was my fault!¡± Servi said as she put her hand out.


    The young girl looked up at the woman with black hair, meeting her red eyes. Her face lightly trembled as Servi smiled, and then the girl looked back at the outstretched hand. Her mouth opened, speaking something in a horrified tone, but it sounded more like a warning.


    The young girl timidly reached out her arm out, but a loud noise reversed her progress, making her yank her arm back. She hugged it close against her chest. Servi looked behind the girl and saw a rather large man walking towards them.


    A vile smile formed across his face, and he brandished his weapon held in his hand: a whip, stained red with blood. The young girl on the ground looked back to the man and then back to Servi. Her blue eyes were full of tears, and terror blanketed her face.


    Servi looked around, and even though people were walking by, not a single person turned their head. They all looked down, ignoring the terrible reality happening in front of them. Were they were afraid of the man? Servi had no idea.


    The large man said something, and he lifted his arm up and brought it down. The whip made an earsplitting crack, forcing the girl to wail in fear.


    Servi didn¡¯t need to speak the same language to understand the primal emotion oozing from the child.


    The Earth Elf struggled to her feet and ran, running as fast as she could while crying. The large man followed suit, all the while laughing and cracking his whip.


    What do I do? I can either ignore it or do something. I don¡¯t want to get hurt, though. Fuck, why am I even thinking about this? Think, Servi. THINK!!!!


    ¡°Stop!¡± Servi threw herself in front of the charging man, who brushed her aside with a heavy swipe. She slid across the gritty road faster than she thought. She pressed her hands into the ground to slow herself, but her gloves were far weaker than what she was led to believe. It couldn''t endure the stress and ripped, failing to accomplish its one job.


    ¡°Ow!¡± Servi yelled in pain as she propped herself up. ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t chase her! She didn¡¯t do anything!¡± unfortunately, her screams of protest were useless and fell on ears that didn¡¯t care.


    Her hands felt like fire, and she saw bloody bits of skin on the road. Crimson dripped from her palms as she got up off the ground.


    The large man roared with laughter before continuing after the slave girl.  The sight of her brown skin becoming smaller and smaller in the distance tugged at Servi''s heartstrings.


    Shit!


    Servi looked around again and saw that a crowd had formed. But they didn¡¯t help. They just stared and shook their head slowly, as if saying: That¡¯s what you get for interfering in something that didn''t concern you. With fear filling her heart, Servi ran.


    Fuck! He just tossed me away like a piece of garbage. I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m a coward. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m pathetic. I¡¯m sorry! Please be safe!


    The adrenaline coursing through her body filled her with strength as she ran. Countless people stopped and watched as this crying girl ran down the pathway. Though she didn¡¯t understand the language, she was assaulted by various insults and slurs.


    It didn''t take long for history to repeat itself as Servi soon tripped over a small pebble in the road. Dust and asphalt flew up as she slid across the ground for what felt like the twentieth time.


    ¡°Ow¡­.¡± she meekly said as she got to her feet. Not even bothering to dust herself off or check her wounded hands, she looked up at the building she fell in front of. Tears were still dripping from her eyes, and her sight was blurry, so she wiped them using the back of her hand.


    Now that she could see clearly, she noticed it was unlike the other buildings she had seen thus far. This one was constructed made of wood. Not a hint of stone or metal could be found. Even the steps leading up the building and the handrails were wooden. From what Servi saw by looking up, the building had to have at least four or five floors. Maybe more.


    Might as well pop inside... I don''t know what else I can really do...


    Walking up the stairs, Servi reached out to grab hold of the doorknob, but before she did, the other door swung open, and out came two greasy-looking people with weapons on their back. A man and a woman. Both had black hair and a few scars that went across their nose.


    Matching hair and scars? That¡¯s a bit scary.


    The man held the door open, and Servi slipped inside after muttering a silent thank you.  She wasn''t sure if the man heard her.


    Now inside the building, she could get a better look.


    The floor was spotless, not something she expected from a place as big as it was. Over on the left side of the room, Servi saw a wooden set of stairs leading up to the second floor. One wall had a massive wooden board nailed to it. It was divided into eleven sections, and each segment had multiple pieces of paper neatly stapled to it. A group of warriors with weapons was hastily and violently grabbing at documents filled with words she couldn''t read. Servi stood there dumbfounded, only guessing what was important enough people almost came to brawls to get.


    Tables and benches covered the majority of the floor. Most were empty, but a few people were lazing about talking to their friends and family.


    Suddenly, Servi felt something cold touch her neck, and she moved out of the way.  A flash of red walked past her.


    Wait, I know that red hair.


    It was the woman with pointed ears and red hair from the entrance to the city. She said something to Servi and laughed.


    ¡°Why did you do that?!¡± Servi asked.  The red-haired woman puzzledly tilted her head.  She looked Servi up and down then walked away.


    Was I in her way?


    Servi stared at her as she walked over to a nearby door near a corner of a wall. Next to the door, a large glass window spanned the entirety of the wall. It was separated into eight sections, with each one containing a door, a desk, a chair, a safe, and a few filing cabinets. From what Servi gathered, people would come up to the window carrying paper pulled from the wall with the wooden board. The bottom of the window contained a small hole, allowing sound and objects to pass through.


    To be honest, it was a queer design. There were eight doors for eight different windows, but the area behind the windows was all connected. Truth be told, it really only needed a single way in and out.


    The woman opened the door, and a moment later, the door inside the leftmost window opened. It was the same woman.  Sliding off her grey jacket and putting it on her chair, Servi saw that she was wearing a uniform. A black blouse with a white button shirt peaked through. Black gloves and black pants covered her hands and legs. After the Elf sat down, she ran her slender fingers through her red hair, like she was parting a sea of flames.


    It didn''t take long at all after that for people to line up. Men and women were waiting to talk to her. They each had a paper from that wall. Next to her, there were seven more additional windows, but not including the red-haired woman herself. Only three were manned.


    The Elf looked over to her right and smiled at her co-workers. Her mouth was moving, but Servi didn¡¯t know what she was saying.


    Well, it seems like she''s popular enough. Maybe she can understand me? God, I hope so... Nah, what am I thinking?! If she understood me, then she would''ve said something.  But maybe there was a reason she stayed quiet? Maybe? I hope...


    Servi went and stood in line. Being the only one with no weapon made her feel out of place, and she felt her cheeks heat up at being the odd one out. But she stayed in line and patiently waited her turn, all the while hoping the Elf would be the one.  However, it didn''t seem like her prayer would be answered this time.  Out of the people ahead of her, Servi only heard a garbled mess of foreign sounds.


    Soon, she found herself in front of the woman and took a heavy breath. The Elf softly sighed as she picked up a pen and spoke to Servi. Her pointed ears were barely hidden by her red hair.


    ¡°Um, can you understand me?  I don¡¯t know where I am. Can you help me?¡± Servi pleadingly asked. ¡°I¡¯m completely lost. I really need help.  Food and water would be nice... Can you understand me? Please say you can!"


    The woman stared at Servi before asking for something. At least, that was how Servi interpreted it.  She only had one thing she could hand over.


    ¡°Wait, I know. What about this?¡±


    Servi spoke the word ¡®J¨­tai¡¯ and handed the woman her tablet through the window''s hole. Unlike the guard, the woman didn¡¯t laugh. She confusingly accepted it and glanced it over before handing it back. Saying something else, Servi sadly sighed as she shook her head.


    With all options exhausted, Servi didn¡¯t see a reason to stay


    With so many people in one place, I would have expected to find someone to talk to.


    She made for the door, but before she did, it flew open, and in came a group of three staring at the ground. Servi could see tears falling from their face. Their equipment was dirty, and blood dripped from their armor to stain the floor. However, anything that dared to soil the immaculate wooden flooring promptly vanished. Again, unknown to Servi, the entire building was enchanted with a cleaning spell that instantly removed any dirt, debris, or blood that came in contact with the walls or floors.


    The trio was crying, doing their best to choke down growing whimpers.


    The biggest one, with red scales instead of skin, was a Koena. He walked over to a window and handed the man behind it a dog tag. The man looked at the name and sighed before taking it away. Just then, the door flew open again and in came a young girl barely on the cusp of adulthood.


    With wide eyes, she scanned the room. Once she found the red Koena, she hopped over. Servi couldn¡¯t understand their conversation, but it looked like the big red one struggled to speak. Once he eventually got the words out, the girl''s happiness drained like water in a tub with no cork. With speed, she raised her delicate hands and smacked the Koena in the face. Due to his scales, the girl suffered more damage while he didn¡¯t feel a thing, but the girl didn¡¯t care. That one slap had her emotions and hatred channeled within it, and for red-scaled man, it was the hardest he had ever been hit. The smack echoed loudly in the packed room, and all conversation just stopped.


    She yelled at the one she hit, but he stood there, looking downcast at the wood floor. With a final word, the young girl rushed out of the building, blinded by tears. She nearly knocked Servi over in the process.


    Of the group of people watching this, a few walked over and hugged the three.


    Servi, while a bit interested in the drama, concluded it didn''t concern her. She left the building and walked down the stairs without a plan in her weary mind.


    Which way was I going? I can¡¯t remember. Well, I¡¯ll just go this way.


    Servi chose a direction and walked.


    Eventually, the atmosphere started to change. The clean and tasteless air from before was now tainted with a horrible smell that forced Servi to gag.


    The air is so nasty here.


    Up ahead, Servi saw a wooden stall of some kind. It didn''t have very many people surrounding it, but it didn''t interest her.  She accelerated to a slow job, closing the distance but stopped once she sawn the sign hanging above it.


    Seafood? I know I¡¯m hungry, but that smell is making me nauseous. I don''t have any money, anyways.


    Keeping as much distance away from it as she could, Servi walked by it and kept going straight. Soon, she found a fork in the road. To the left, there was a large ramp descending down at a slight angle. From what Servi gathered, that led to a place she definitely did not want to go to.


    Ruined houses and tents held together with frayed rope all littered her sight in that direction, but she did see something interesting. A woman with dark skin and pointed ears crouched down. A piece of bread was in the Earth Elf''s hand, and she gave it to a small white dog in front of her. His tailed excitedly wagged as he chomped down on it. After he ate it, the two walked further down the ramp, with her canine friend following closely behind. Servi wondered if the two of them lived there.


    That¡¯s cute.  Servi then moved on, choosing to go the only other way in front of her.


    And even more walking, Servi noticed that the sun wasn''t overhead.  The sky had started to darken, but there was a bit of light left in the world.


    How long have I been here? Hours? This doesn''t look good for me...


    She put a hand to her stomach, and the noise of it rumbling startled her.


    I really need to find something to eat before it''s too late.


    With much less energy than before, Servi slowly forced her way down the road, only looking forward. Servi didn¡¯t have any strength to waste by scouting around.


    I¡¯m gonna have to result to stealing, aren¡¯t I? I mean, what are the chances I¡¯ll find money lying on the ground. Even if I did, I doubt it¡¯ll be enough to buy food. What does the currency even look like?


    As she was thinking to herself, the mouthwatering scent of beef and chicken filled the air, and Servi perked up a little. Up ahead, she saw a few wooden stalls.  Even better, the meaty smell erased the fishy aroma staining her nostrils.


    She picked up her pace a little, and soon she found herself staring open-mouthed at the food.


    It looked delicious. A succulent, savory liquid dripped from a slab of meat as it sat against a wooden plate.


    The seller and cooker, a short dwarf with a black beard, had a grill next to him.  It sizzled and popped as he laid down a piece of raw meat.  Instantly, hunger-inducing scents flooded the area, which drew more and more people to his humble stall.


    He wasn¡¯t the only one who had a food stall.  There were ten or eleven other Dwarves and Koena who commanded their own booths. Each one had their own type of food they specialized in. But out of all of the mouthwatering delicacies surrounding Servi, she only had eyes for the Dwarf and his meat.


    With expertise, he flipped the meat over and began to cover it with sauce and spices. They sizzled as they landed, much to the enjoyment of the crowd watching closely.


    How am I gonna steal this? There are too many people, and he¡¯s right in front of it.


    As if someone was listening to her, a group of guards in full armor stampeded by. They were yelling and shouting, knocking those too slow to move out of the way.


    Everyone, even the stall owners and those pushed down, all left and ran behind them.


    Well, I have a distraction now, but I can''t help wonder what was so important? Everything was left undefended... Shit, I have to check it out now.


    Fighting off her hunger again, Servi picked up the pace and ran after the group of people.  If whatever happening was important, she wanted to see it.


    Hollering and yelling, Servi had to force herself through the wall of bodies to see what they were staring at.  And she couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. It was the Singi twins from earlier.


    She laid face down on the ground with a tiny stab wound that barely oozed blood. Her tail twitched, proof she was still alive. The boy had a bandage in his hand, but two guards stood before him, blocking his path to the girl. Both of the guards'' swords dripped with blood.


    One had black armor with gold writing. The other was bright silver with a gold flower etched in the breastplate. They both had on helmets, so she couldn¡¯t see their faces. But still, it was two sets of armor that Servi would never forget.


    They stood there, laughing like it was the funniest thing in the world. The boy coughed, blood flying from his mouth. He bent down, making himself smaller as he tried to rush past the two guards.  His sister desperately needed that bandage his hands held, but he didn''t have the strength to get it to her. Days without food or water were prone to cause weakness in an adult, let alone a child. He was effortlessly caught by the two guards, and they threw him back.


    The male Singi let out a primal scream of desperation, and he charged at the two guards, who just laughed and stuck out a leg. The poor boy tripped over it and fell. The guard with silver and gold armor sleuthed around while unsheathing a dagger. In a fluid motion, he stomped down on the boy''s back and stabbed his foot. The battered and bruised Singi stifled a scream because he wouldn''t allow the sadistic guards to hear it. His pride forbade it. The two guards laughed, but one of them sounded a bit odd.  The one in the black armor appeared to be forcing the chuckle, but Servi didn''t catch it.  She was far too angry to realize something so small and insignificant.


    Servi looked around at the crowd and was horrified. These people were cheering, especially the Dwarf responsible for cooking the meat that caught Servi''s attention. He had a giant smile across his face like he was actually getting some sort of joy from watching a boy struggle. It made Servi feel sick to her stomach.


    Why would you ever cheer this on?! Someone needs to stop it!


    No matter how hard or loud Servi would protest, it would fall on ears that couldn¡¯t understand her.


    But wait! I can use this as an opportunity to steal food. There¡¯s no one at the stall right now. Servi eyed the Dwarf, whose shrill cheering sickened her.  I¡¯ll make sure to steal his food. He deserves it.


    Servi looked one last time at the boy who fought against his cruel fate.  He knew it was impossible to give his sister that bandage, but he vowed to protect her. He couldn''t stop when he was so close to his goal.


    I swear I¡¯ll come back to help you. Please, just hold on!


    With tears in her eyes, Servi made her way back to the booths full of food.


    Oh, but if only Servi thought about the situation a little bit more. If she did, she would realize that there was a reason nobody needed to watch the food.

 Book One – Chapter One – Part Three – An Unforgiving World And An Unexpected Ally

    Servi''s return to the sizzling meat and tantalizing vegetables wasn''t pleasant.  She picked up a potato smothered with butter. It was hot, nearly burning her fingertips, but the pain didn''t compare to what the Singi child had to endure.  She quickly bit a small piece off and powered through pain. Her stomach couldn''t wait any longer.


    I bet this would taste great if I had it on any other day...


    Nothing. No flavor.  Servi''s taste buds couldn''t savor the butter or spices, which should''ve been covered around the potato, and she knew why.


    In her heart, she had just betrayed a young boy fighting for his sister for a potato. A measly potato was worth more to Servi than someone''s life. It turned to mush inside her mouth as her teeth chewed and crushed it.  Next, she picked up a slab of meat and bit into it with tears pouring from her eyes. The savory juice spilled out when her teeth punctured and tore off a piece, dribbling down her chin and onto her tunic.


    It¡¯s tasteless¡­but I need to eat. I never know when I¡¯ll have another chance to. Too bad there''s not any water here.


    Servi reached out with her left hand to grab another potato and brought it to her mouth, but there was no potato, only red crimson that splashed in her open mouth.


    The tables were enchanted with an anti-theft enchantment. If Servi could have spoken the language or read the signs plastered all over the city, she would have known that little-known fact.


    Wha¡ª


    ¡°AAHHHHHHH!!!¡±


    My hand! Where is it?! AHHHH!


    She cried out in pain and turned her eyes to the ground.


    Oh, there it is.  Like it was the most normal thing in the world, Servi bent down and picked it up.


    Her hand, still gripping a bloody and dirty potato, squirmed lightly. In a rush and not thinking straight, Servi made a horrible move. It was possibly one of the worst choices one could make.


    Panic.


    Her loud screams caught the attention of the group that went to watch the fight. Like a collection of single-celled organisms, they all rushed back over, yearning to see what was going on. A guard in armor trailed behind the crowd. When he arrived, the Dwarf who owned the meat stall looked at the crying woman with a bloody stump. Then noticed a bloody hand gripping food lying on the ground. He laughed and pointed as if saying the criminal deserved it for trying to steal.


    His intense crackles forced the trailing guard to pick up his pace. The armored soldier rushed over, drawing his sword, a beautiful silver blade with a golden hilt. He pointed it towards Servi, who responded by shouting in pain.


    ¡°N-N-No! Stay away!¡± she screamed out and turned around, running away. She had no particular destination in mind. All she knew is that she needed to escape. The guard sheathed his weapon and followed in pursuit while shouting something.


    With every step she took, more blood flowed from her open wound. In Servi''s panic, she didn¡¯t even think about wrapping it up in one of the numerous tablecloths nearby. It didn''t take long for that one following guard to turn into ten.


    Why is this happening to me?! I just wanted a bite of food, that¡¯s all. Ow¡­. It hurts...


    Without knowing how, Servi soon found herself in that little intersection after running for what felt like hours. Eight paths stood open to her, but she couldn¡¯t take long to think. The clanking and clinging of the guards¡¯ armors were right behind her.


    Her escape up to this point wasn¡¯t a smooth one. The blood and guards'' yelling and shouting attracted a lot of attention. The only reason Servi was ahead of them in her weakened state was that the guards tripped over the same pebble she did. If one fell, they all tumbled. It was a risk of them moving so closely together.


    As of that moment, it was a game of chance. Would Servi choose the right path to escape?


    I can try to go out the way I came in. The entrance looked to be pretty popular, so people should be there. If there¡¯s a crowd, maybe I can use them to escape the guards.


    That was the only plan that came to her dazed mind, so Servi chose it. The moment she started to run, she heard the clinking and clanging of armor grinding against each other.


    Shit, they¡¯re right behind me. If I die, then I die.  Maybe I should...


    With negative thoughts clouding her head, Servi tripped over her feet, but she managed to keep her balance.  Her black hair violently thrashed as she shook her head, trying to rid herself of negative thoughts.


    Before long, Servi came to a place she recognized as the sky slowly turned to night.  Before that happened, she still had an hour at most left, which was her time limit.  If she didn''t come across a safe place before nightfall, It was highly likely she wouldn''t live to see the sunrise.


    Finally, I see the city gate.


    Just like when she first arrived, two long lines were waiting to get into the city.  Strangely enough, there was no wait to leave.  Not that she would ever wait, considering the current situation.


    Something hit her from behind, and she almost lost her balance. It was a can, thrown by a soldier who no longer had the strength in his legs to continue the pursuit. His friend standing nearby gave him a thumbs up and a pat on the back. She recovered somewhat quickly and focused on putting one foot in front of the other. Even though her vision became blurry and her head felt like someone was hammering a nail into her skull, Servi wanted to live.


    Finally, the wounded girl was over the gate''s threshold, walking under the portcullis. She thought she was free.  All that needed to happen was the crowd''s disturbance.  Their panic would most-certainly help her escape, serving as a fine distraction.


    But that never happened.


    Somehow, the guard from before that checked Servi¡¯s tablet was waiting for her while shouting a series of commands. He had his hands out in front of him, and his sword was in its sheath. Within seconds, the crowd had dispersed with posthaste, leaving only the unattended wagons.


    Servi looked like a crazed animal, purposely starved and tortured to look menacing.  Her sweaty face clamped on to her black hair swinging against her cheeks.  The blood pouring out of her missing hand left quite a trail behind like an injured beast struggling to get to safety. Thinking quickly, she tossed her detached hand at the guard, who fell to the ground screaming.  Unknown to Servi, it was the guard¡¯s very first day of duty.  He was a young kid who had recently graduated from the town''s guard academy, someone who had never seen the gruesome sight of a battle or the horrible smell of a limb that used to be attached to a living person.


    Warm liquid dripped down his legs as he scrambled furiously to his feet.  He tried to draw his sword and attack this crazy person, but Servi was long gone.  A steady line of blood dripped to the ground.  When his buddies arrived, the guard told them all about what happened.  He mentioned how the violent criminal attacked him with her crudely amputated hand and how she threatened him with death. It was a last-minute plan to save face, but it somewhat backfired. The time he spent explaining allowed Servi to gain distance.


    All of the present guards quickly reassembled after taking the lying guard''s report. All at once, they hastily followed the blood trail. Meanwhile, Servi stood at a fork in the road.  She could make her way back towards the lake.  If there were people fishing, then there was a chance the red-eyed girl could get help.  In the worst case, she could have them plead with the guards on her behalf, but since she didn''t speak the same language, that was a far cry. On the other hand, she could try her hand at the swarm of bees.


    I mean, if I''m going to die anyway, then I at least want to kill those who are chasing me. If I can''t kill them, then maybe those bees can. Shit, but I don''t want to die!!! Do I die or not?! Maybe it''s for the better... I won''t be in pain anymore... Yeah...maybe that''s it... I''ll just have to perish...


    With a questionable resolve in her heart, Servi chose to meet the bees once again, even knowing she would surely die.


    The loud buzzing was the only sound Servi heard. The big black and yellow bodies with the razor-sharp arms were one thing. But when combined with the sword-like stinger and the two sword-like antennae, it made for a powerful beast. The wings gave the beasts speed and flight, while everything else reinforced its fighting abilities.


    Such foes were only created for war. There was no other option.


    Unluckily for both Servi and the pursuers, this part of the year was mating season for these violent and brutal animals.  A group of male bees would find each other and fight, with the survivor getting to mate with the female.


    As the bees were circling and preparing to clash for the umpteenth time, Servi''s brain kicked into overdrive as she thought incredibly hard.  No-- she wasn''t just wasting time. Her body had already prepared itself for its impending death.  While there might have been a chance she would survive if she just gave herself up to the guards, something inside of her warned her not to.


    Do not trust the Kingdom or Empire.


    A tiny voice inside of Servi''s consciousness told her that multiple times while she thought, but she didn¡¯t know what it meant. Kingdom? Empire? None of those words were familiar to her.  Maybe if she had a calm place to think and nurse her wound, she might have been able to remember, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Death was the only option available to her, but that didn¡¯t mean she would give up. To the very end, she would struggle with all of her might and draining strength.  It was paradoxical, that much was true, to endeavor and want to die.  It was something Servi couldn''t explain, but she wasn''t aware of it the clashing feelings.


    I can do this! I can do this! I CAN DO THIS!


    With one last look behind her, Servi made sure that the guards were following her.  They were a few meters away, having caught up to her. The group was talking to themselves about what to do while continuously shouting at Servi. If they were to go back now, they would get in trouble for abandoning the pursuit. For their jobs and Servi''s safety, they had to capture her.


    Their first option was the peaceful route and something they wanted to use when capturing a criminal, but their kind words didn''t reach their target.


    Servi charged in through the bees, who were currently engaged in a deathmatch.


    The bigger bee had one of his sharp claws inside his foe''s body. He removed it slowly and allowed the crimson soil the fresh green grass below them.  Hearing an odd noise, the beast turned around, locking his sight on a strange creature they called a Human. She held one of her appendages close to her body, and the bee smelled blood.  With a feral noise, the bigger bee sent a message to the rest of the bees flying around.  He told them to attack the humans who dared to interrupt the sacred mating ritual.  The other bees buzzed as if telling the bigger bee that they acknowledged his message and began to ruthlessly attack the group of humans.


    The guards'' armor was no match for the sharp claws and sword-like stingers.  A single thrust or stab was enough to rend the metal like it was made of paper or leaves.


    It was a massacre.  The guards were cut, cleaved, sliced, thrusted, and carved.  The moment they decided to follow after her, their lives were already fated to die.


    But Servi was not immune to the attacks.  Somehow, she managed to dodge the lethal blows, but she still took quite a lot of damage.  Her hand wasn''t the only source of leaking crimson. The beautiful brown armor that should have protected her was no more. It fell to the ground after the first attack. Her gloves were gone, no more than a few patches of leather held together by a bit of blood that formed a sort of suction. She ripped the leftover pieces and tossed them to the ground. Her once white undershirt was now filled with holes and dribbled with blood.


    Suddenly, a bee flew up in front of her with surprising speed and jabbed its stinger out. Servi barely managed to move her head in time, avoiding an attack that would mean certain death. But it wasn¡¯t a perfect dodge. Her cheek took some of the damage. A fist-sized portion of skin just peeled off like nothing, leaving another wound for blood to come out.


    There! An opening!


    Somehow, Servi saw an opening a close distance away, and she threw her entire body into moving.  She had to escape!


    Fortunately, the bees were distracted by the lovely smell of blood.  The guards were all dead.  Why would the bees expend energy on trying to chase prey so close to death?  After enjoying their meal, they would find the human woman and eat her for dessert.  Then, they could get back to their mating ritual.  The one who survived and killed the others would be able to mate with their beautiful queen.


    Servi did not dare to look back as she ran.  She could not spare the energy.


    The beautiful blue sky and wonderfully warm yellow sun had longed transformed into a dark black night and a cold white moon.  Servi had pushed her body to its limits, and it was no small wonder she was still alive. But all things must come to an end, and for Servi, that time was now. With a heavy thud, she collapsed onto the cool-to-the-touch dirt and smiled, but she didn''t know why. Death and the fear of not knowing what was beyond the grave did different things to different people. Some smiled, some cried. There were even some who took it in stride and had death parties.


    But Servi? She was one of the ones who waited for it with a simple smile.


    The trees surrounding her would be her audience as she prepared to leave this world.


    This is it... Death is coming for me, isn''t it... I... I feel so cold...but I''m not scared... I can rest now, right? I... I won''t have to worry about dying after this...because I''ll already be dead...


    Servi tried to breathe through her mouth and nose, but her body would not follow her instructions.


    Her eyes closed, and the dark world got darker. The sound of the leaves rustling in the wind was no more.  A moment later, her heart stopped beating.


    The girl who thought her name was Servi had died.


    Sometime later, Servi didn''t know many seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years have passed since her last coherent thought.


    In the depths of the darkness, she heard a single voice, bringing her consciousness back to the forefront of her mind.

 Book One – Chapter One – Part Four – An Unforgiving World And An Unexpected Ally

    ¡°My dear child, please find the strength to open your eyes, to move your hands, to take breath into your lungs once more.  My dear child, please find the courage to face your situation, to come back from the brink of death, and to take hold of this power.  My dear child, please save me.¡±


    Who is speaking right now? What is this about power and courage? Wait, am I alive?


    Servi¡¯s eyes jerked open, and color flooded back into her sight. The dark and cold black abyss that she had seen moments before dying had disappeared.  In its place sat a dank and tiny jail cell.  A foul-smelling liquid covered the floor, and scratches littered the walls.  There was no light she could see, but the room was illuminated.


    Looking around, Servi discovered that she was sitting in some sort of chair, and she was looking down.  From this height, she could see the entire tiny cell in all of its disgusting glory. Waste sloshed around the water that made up the floor of the room. As she looked around, Servi saw something that looked unnatural and out of place.


    Wait, is that a person chained to the wall?


    On one of the walls, a person, or rather a humanoid shape of red energy, was shackled to the walls by rusty chains. Nails were hammered down into the palms of their hands and the ankles of their feet.


    Its head was hanging low but suddenly jerked up.  It was looking up directly at Servi.


    A black set of teeth appeared on what would be its head, and it smiled and spoke.


    ¡°My dear child, how happy I am to finally see someone, how happy I am to finally speak to someone, how happy I am to finally smell someone! Now that you are here, perhaps you could take the time to talk with me?¡±  It spoke with a voice that changed its tone from masculine to feminine, high pitch to low pitch, and anywhere in between. Even though there was a considerable distance separating Servi from the being, it sounded as if the two were only millimeters apart. Its voice radiated near Servi''s ears, the voice filling her mind.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± Servi asked, looking down upon the speaker.


    ¡°This is my prison. My home. My punishment. I assume that it is not to your taste?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± Servi remained quiet.


    ¡°What is wrong, my child? Have you not the strength to speak with me? Or, perhaps, you are so infatuated you know not what to say?¡± it said. Her voice changed every other word, and it was hard for Servi to follow along.


    ¡°¡­..I thought I died. The last thing I remember is¡­..That¡¯s right!¡± from atop her chair, Servi quickly and recklessly maneuvered her hands over her body, checking for wounds.


    It was strange. If Servi''s memories were correct, then her clothing should be nothing more than straps of cloth and torn bits of leather, but that wasn''t the case. They looked just like the moment she woke up. Perfect and in pristine condition. Putting her hand to her cheek, Servi gently rubbed it.


    No blood¡­. And my gloves aren¡¯t torn anymore. The same with my armor.  Did I actually die? Is this... She didn¡¯t finish that thought because the speaker, the one in chains that she looked down on, spoke.


    ¡°Be still your heart and worries, my child. You need not fear pain or death while you¡¯re here.¡± The red humanoid-like figure spoke again, this time with no smile.


    ¡°Why am I here?¡±


    ¡°You were on the thin divide, bordering between life and death. If I had not acted, you would not be here.¡±


    ¡°¡­. So you saved me?¡±


    ¡°That I did. Let it be known that I have tried many times over the many years to save someone''s soul, yet yours was the first to answer. That I am thankful for. It has been many an eon since I last had the chance to talk.¡±


    Eons? Soul? I don¡¯t have any idea what that thing is talking about. Somehow, I¡¯m not scared. It¡¯s kinda funny. For the first time since waking up, I feel safe.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t understand,¡± Servi said after thinking for a second. An unwelcome smile appeared on her face like she didn¡¯t know what kind of emotion she should feel. Servi didn¡¯t feel scared but not safe. She wasn¡¯t angry, but not happy, either. It was a weird combination of emotions and feelings that shouldn¡¯t be possible, like being glad a loved one passed away.


    ¡°Do not be sorry, child.¡±


    ¡°Um, can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Of course, child. The reason I brought you here was so that I may finally have a conversation partner.¡±


    It was weird. Voice and sound were coming from the chained up being, but neither a mouth nor the face moved. Now that she thought about it, Servi wasn¡¯t sure if she was moving her mouth when she spoke. It was like the words she wanted to say appeared from her.


    ¡°What''s going to happen to me? And who are you? You said you were locked up here, right?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! So many questions! I will do my utmost best to answer them, so please, bear with me. My name is Itarr, and I am a Goddess, and yes, I am locked in here. Sealed away would be more appropriate. The reason? I do not know. All I know is that I have been counting the time since my imprisonment. A total of 750,561 years have passed since then. There is nothing more poisonous to the mind than the passing of time.¡±


    Itarr, huh? That¡¯s an unfamiliar word, but it sounds like a girl¡¯s name.


    ¡°You only remember your name and how long you¡¯ve been here? That¡¯s the same as me. Well, I think I know my name at least, but past that, I don¡¯t have any other memories. But I still know what trees are, so I guess I still have general knowledge like that. Oh, my name is Servi.¡±


    ¡°I see. It may not be the right thing to say, but I feel a sort of kinship between us. We both have no memories of our past,¡± the being said, still changing its tone of voice every other word, but Servi didn¡¯t mind that. It felt nice talking to someone.


    Itarr continued speaking. ¡°Now then, as for what will happen next, you have two options. One, you can stay here with me for all of eternity. You will know neither pain, hunger, nor death. Two, you may pass on to the afterlife, though I know not what will happen after that. Now, there is a third option if you wish to know.¡±


    While I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll mind being here forever, I don¡¯t think that''s the right option for me. And I certainly don¡¯t want to go to the afterlife. And wait, did that thing say it was a Goddess?! I feel like I really should''ve said something.


    ¡°As for the third option, it is painful, and it will hurt, but you will gain your life back, and I will finally be released from this place. But it will require us to work together.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. However, it will hurt.  Do you want me to continue?¡±


    ¡°Please do.¡±


    ¡°As I said before, I only have a few memories. Those being my name, how long I have been imprisoned, and the fact that I am a Goddess. There is one piece of knowledge that is implanted into every God. And that is the power to bless the children of the world.¡±


    Servi shook her head. ¡°I have no idea of what any of that means.¡±


    ¡°My apologies, I shall explain it better. By blessing a child, that child would be able to channel and use the power of that God. A child blessed by a God of Water would be able to use skills of the water element.


    ¡°What kind of Goddess are you?¡±


    ¡°That I do not know. All I know are the skills I can pass on.¡±


    With a cautious breath, Servi asked the question on her mind. ¡°What skills?¡±


    ¡°Immortality and Absorption. The first being the inability to die. The second will allow you to absorb the strength and skills from those you kill, along with storing items.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± no response from Servi, who closed her eyes. She meant to ask the question ¡®what do you mean, skills?¡¯ not ¡®what skills do you know.¡¯ Still, perhaps it was a testament to her knowledge, but just from hearing Itarr¡¯s response, a skill must be some kind of magic or technique that one could use.


    The being known as Itarr continued speaking.


    ¡°I am in no position to bless you. But there is another way. Speaking to you unlocked a tiny part of my memory. But to do it that way, you must leap from your position.  Be warned, once you leap and come down to my level, you lose any chance of passing on. Once you jump, there is no returning.  Please, take some time to thi¡ª What?!¡±


    A wave of water covering the bottom of the cell exploded from the impact. Servi had leapt from her chair and landed in the cell. And Itarr, who had been so composed up until now, was at a loss. She stared at this woman, who threw away the easy path that was before her and jumped down to her level. Water fell like a light rain shower as gravity took over and brought it back down.


    Why would she jump without thinking?! Doesn¡¯t she know¡­ Itarr was about to admonish Servi, but she was taken back.


    ¡°I choose the third way. What do I have to do to get us out of here?¡±


    ¡°Child, are you mad?! I never expected you would jump!¡±


    Servi, face to face with the Goddess, stared directly into where her eyes should be.


    ¡°I want to live, and I want to get out of here. I¡¯m sure you feel the same way, so tell me,¡± Servi spoke with such an assertive tone that Itarr felt like she needed to respond immediately.


    ¡°You must eat me.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± Servi blinked twice and shook her head.


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°What? I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t think I heard that right.¡±


    ¡°¡­.You must eat me. By consuming my flesh, you will gain access to my power. Much more than you would have if I blessed you normally.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± Servi stayed quiet and listened.


    ¡°You see, if you took on my power of Absorption, I¡¯m sure we could get out of here. ¡±


    ¡°But if I eat you, how will you be free? Wouldn¡¯t you be dead?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but actually no. I will live on in your mind. I would not be dead.¡±


    ¡°But wouldn''t that be the same as being imprisoned?¡±


    ¡°No, it would not. If I am in your conscience, I can talk to you, and you can talk to me. Since speaking to you, I have started feeling like I¡¯m on the cusp of remembering something important. Not to mention that I will do everything in my power to support you in whatever you want to do. As long as we can talk, it matters not to me.  And there is always a chance I can regain my true form, whatever that may be, later on.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay with this?¡± Servi asked one last time as she kneeled beside Itarr, whose red figure was visibly shaking.


    ¡°¡­.Yes, I am.¡±


    Servi reached out a hand, touching the red energy. She was shocked to discover that the piece she grabbed started cracking in her hand. With haste, she tossed it in her mouth and chewed. It was crunchy and flavorless.


    Grabbing another piece, she bit into it, and this time, red liquid shot out, filling her mouth with the taste of iron. But Servi did not spit it out, nor did she vomit. Forcing her body to listen to her, she swallowed blood and all.


    She repeated this process many more times. Each bite tasted strange and shot out a different liquid. All the while, Itarr whimpered silently.


    IT HURTS!!!!! IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS!!!!!!!!!!! Itarr screamed in her mind. She was literally being eaten alive. Piece by piece, bit by bit, swallow by swallow. Now more than ever, Itarr wanted to feel the release of death. Freedom from pain. But that would not come. Agony and anguish and discomfort and even more torment flooded her being, but the Goddess stood her ground.


    Soon, the deed was finished.


    Servi, covered in many different liquids and feeling sick, groggily stood up and breathed before collapsing to the ground face first. Filthy water covered her mouth, and soon Servi found that she couldn¡¯t inhale. Well, it was the fact that she no longer needed to breathe. No longer did her lungs require the sweet medicine known as oxygen. And the pain that surged through her body disappeared. Now, she stood up for the final time in the dark, claustrophobic cell.


    Though they don¡¯t know it, the act of eating the body of a God was unheard of, and it was certainly not something a regular God or Goddess should have knowledge of. How Itarr had come across that knowledge, she did not know. Rather than tapping into a small subsection of her power and borrowing it, it would be more accurate to say that she became a new Goddess.


    But the two would not find that out for a long time.


    ¡°It¡¯s finished. I¡¯m sorry if that hurt,¡± Servi said. She placed a hand to her stomach and waited for any response.


    Good job. I¡¯m sorry for making you go through that.


    Servi jumped, alarmed at the sudden voice making itself known inside the depths of her mind. ¡°Is that you, Itarr?¡±


    Yes. How do you feel.¡±


    ¡°¡­Strange would be one way to describe it, but I¡¯ll get used to it. How do I use your power?¡±


    Do you see that object on your finger? Servi looked down and saw a small red ring on her right hand.


    Anything you absorb will be stored in the ring.  If you wish to use Absorption, hold your hand up high and imagine the seal is shrinking.  Once you do that, imagine the room becoming even tinier. When the cell in your mind is small enough, cast it into the ring.  Do not be afraid of failure.  We have some time to practice.


    Servi did just that. With her arm held high, she imagined the room, already tiny, becoming tinier and tinier.


    Smaller.


    Servi imagined that a hand was crushing the room.


    Smaller.


    Instead of a hand, it was a mountain falling on top.


    Smaller.


    Now she imagined the planet itself was falling onto the single, tiny, filthy, and disgusting cell filled with waste, crushing it until it was a nanometer in size.


    And that was when it happened.


    A loud noise, like an explosion, occurred within the room, blinding Servi for a few seconds.  It felt like time and space were intertwining, wrapping themselves around each other like they wanted to devour each other.


    Servi''s --Itarr''s-- ring glowed bright red, burning her hand as the dark jail cell flashed, offering brief glimpses at the world outside it.


    "AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" yelled Servi, who shouted as if her life depended on it. After one more explosion, the horrible jail cell vanished from existence, becoming trapped in the ring on Servi''s finger.


    Like a doll with no strings, Servi fell on her back, landing on dirt instead of filthy water. The moon, big and beautiful, stared down at her, but it wasn''t alone. The stars and night sky joined in as if gently applauding Servi on a job well done. She felt the wind pass by. It felt nice on her face and exposed body, now mysteriously healed of any and all wounds she sustained when she ran through that swarm of bees.


    The same couldn''t be said about her armor and attire.  The brown leather armor was gone, and it had done its duty of protecting Servi. The white shirt underneath had ripped so that only the top half remained, still dripping with blood. Her stomach was bare and covered with dirt and dried crimson. The leather pants and boots were in better shape, though that was an overstatement. Still, what little remained did well to cover her chest and lower body. The vital bits were covered as well as they could have.


    She laid on the ground for a bit while staring up at the night sky.  The moon, in particular, caught her attention. Pain coursed throughout her body, but she didn¡¯t feel it. The smell of nature invaded her nose as it fought against the smell of waste that had taken uproot in her nostrils.


    ¡°I¡¯m alive¡­¡± she said softly.


    She looked over at a hand that shouldn¡¯t be there and raised it up. Clenching and unclenching, she made a fist and slowly moved her palm to her bare stomach. It was a bit cold to the touch, but she didn¡¯t feel any cuts or scars.


    Good job, Servi. I never thought you would accomplish it so quickly.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t have done it without you. You saved me.¡±


    And you saved me.


    The two wanted to continue speaking, but they were interrupted by the loud buzzing of wings.


    ¡°It¡¯s those things from before.¡±


    The wha¡ª


    Itarr was interrupted by a fast-moving object. The flying beasts were stained red and black with guts and entrails. There was nary a spot of yellow left on them. They flew fast and hard but stopped some distance away from Servi.


    It was a group of three, but Servi swore there were more. That was the truth, there were more, but due to the unexpected arrival of more guards, the rest were slaughtered. Luckily for the bees, they managed to defeat the enemies attacking, but only three survived the battle. Weak and afraid, they had chosen to run for their lives when they suddenly came across a weird Human with a missing appendage. However, the bees could see that the Human had that appendage back. And yes, she was still bloody, but they could not smell fresh blood. Nobody could survive from wounds like that.


    The bigger bee, the one leading the small pack, buzzed and flapped its wings as if sending a message saying, ¡®Brothers, that Human was the one who led those other Humans in metal that killed our brothers. How dare they interrupt our ritual! We must take revenge.¡¯


    The buzzing became louder, and the group positioned themselves so that their sword-like stinger faced Servi.


    Three stingers pointed towards a single girl. They all dripped with blood, and they were sharp enough to slice through wood, bone, and weaker metal with ease.


    The one on the left launched first, aiming for the right side of Servi¡¯s chest. It struck gold, and Servi would have died for the second time as an impossible amount of crimson flowed out.


    The one on the right launched, like a cannonball being shot from a cannon, found a home right in the middle of Servi¡¯s stomach. Blood, guts, and intestines flooded out, and Servi would have died for the third time.


    The biggest one, the leader who was winning the mating ritual, launched last. It was slower, but he had to aim for a particular location: the heart. With a meaty impact, the bee skewered Servi¡¯s chest, and her ticker exploded instantly. The excessive amount of blood was like something out of a fantasy novel.  With three spots it could leak from, crimson waterfalled down Servi''s body, dousing her stomach, legs, and feet while forever flowing outward.


    Servi would have died for the fourth time from a combination of many things, but there she was. Standing and very much alive.


    And that was thanks to Itarr, the Goddess who currently shared Servi''s soul.


    Pain coursed throughout her body, but she wasn¡¯t afraid of it. Before, she was fearful because death was a real possibility. In this case, even if she was in great pain, she wouldn''t die. So for her, was there even a reason to be afraid? It¡¯s just a little bit of discomfort, and before she knew it, that feeling would be gone. All she had to do was bear with it.


    "How odd," Servi spoke in such a quiet voice she wasn''t sure if she was even talking at all, "This pain is nothing.  I should feel it, and it should hurt, but it almost feels like a mosquito bite."


    A sinister smiled covered her face.


    A banquet of death was about to begin.

 Book One – Chapter Two – Part One – Two Battles And A New Start

    The big bee buzzed and clacked the sword-like antennae.  ¡®Brothers, we did it. The foul Human who caused the destruction is dead. Let us return ho¡ª¡¯ the buzzing continued, but the two antennae on top were gone.


    The bee made a fatal mistake, but it could not be blamed. Under normal circumstances, the prey would be dead. After all, nothing could live without their heart. It was impossible, and it was an ironclad rule of the world. Even the animals and bugs and monsters knew that. But those rules would not apply to the Human, who was currently impaled, and who should be dead.


    But how could this girl move?! Her entrails were on the ground in a pool of blood! The shock and pain alone should have been enough to kill her, let alone the blood loss. So, how did she survive? It was simple: immortality. It need not matter if her head was destroyed or cut off. It would grow back instantly. The same thing would happen if it was an arm or a hand that was torn off. The instant it was sliced off, it would be back again.


    It didn¡¯t even matter if she burned in the pits of hell or if her body was cut up in thousands of thousands of pieces. She would be alive, and her body would be repaired. The smooth skin with nary a scar or cut would always be there. Even now, the three freshly made stab wounds had finished healing.  The intestines that dropped to the ground regenerated the moment they left their assigned spot in her body. It was as if time itself was rewinding. It would not allow Servi to die.


    Defying all logic in the world, Servi, who felt her insides shift and jiggle to accommodate her new organs, grabbed hold of the antennae of the bee who was closest to her. It would, of course, be the biggest bee: the one who led the others. With great force, she ripped off the sword-like antennae, and blood oozed from the empty spots on its head.


    It buzzed with much anger and pain, but it couldn¡¯t get away. In its own fit of fury and rage when it spotted Servi, the bees had forgotten one simple thing. Their stinger could be used multiple times.


    By a cruel twist of luck, the hunters were now the hunted, and they had nowhere to go.


    ¡°AAAHHHHHHH!!!¡± Servi cried out as she turned the antennae around and violently stabbed them down into the bee. They retaliated by swinging their antennae in return.


    It was a violent, all-out, brutal war between the four. Blood and body parts sprayed all over and dyed the ground in even more crimson. In a haze of confusion and bloodlust, the violent slashes of their sword-like antennae did more damage to friend than foe.


    ¡°DIE DIE DIE DIE!¡± Servi shouted as she stabbed. After a few dozen downward slices, the big bee lost its life. Next, the second bee did. Finally, the same fate befell the third one.


    And just like that, Servi managed to kill a living thing for the first time.


    Good job, Servi. Itarr tried to say something, anything, and that was the best she came up with.


    Servi collapsed to the ground, still with three giant sword-like stingers suck in her body.


    ¡°¡­.I¡¯m so tired¡­..¡± she quietly said as she closed her eyes.


    That is impossible, but I chalk it up to being stressed out. After all, not even immortality can calm a mind. But enough about that, look at the bodies.


    Servi opened her eyes and looked at the three corpses. They were shining red. A moment later, three tiny red balls floated up from their dead bodies.


    That is a soul. Itarr said.


    Three red lights appeared. They slowly floated towards Servi''s glowing ring and disappeared inside of it.


    Then it happened.


    A shock of pain and electricity ran throughout her body. It wasn¡¯t enough to hurt, but it was still enough for her to wince.


    Congratulations, you¡¯ve just used Absorption to take their souls. You have grown stronger and faster. Not to mention that you absorbed their Skill Energy as well. What you just felt was the sensation of your body changing to adjust to its newfound strength.


    ¡°I¡¯m stronger now? And what is Skill Energy? I thought you lost your memories?¡± Servi asked with a bit more force and anger in her voice than she wanted. How did Itarr know all this? Servi thought that she had lost her memory.


    I know what you are thinking, and no, I did not lie to you. After you absorbed those souls, a small part of my memory unlocked, and I could remember more about my abilities. I believe that the more you use my power, the more I remember. If I recall correctly, you use Skill Energy to use skills.


    ¡°If you get you¡¯re getting your memories back by me absorbing souls, then do you want me to go around killing everything?¡±


    Only if that is what you want. I will not reprimand you for any actions you choose. All of my power is now yours, and I am here to help you.


    ¡°¡­.¡± Servi stopped talking and focused on another task. Mainly, the three sword-like stingers stuck in her body. She needed to get them off. She brought the sword-like antennae up to her eyes and looked at them. The organic weapons were starting to shatter and chip, probably due to the repeated slashing. The fat and blood covering the sharp bits didn''t help either, dulling the blade.


    ¡°Here goes nothing!¡± she yelled out as she stabbed the foreign entities in her stomach. Her already dulled sword-antenna broke on the third swing, so she resorted to punching it. That didn¡¯t work, so she picked up a nearby rock, but that also failed her.


    She was almost out of options, but a single idea popped into her head.


    Just as she was about to try something, Itarr spoke to her. It was only then that Servi realized that the weird fluctuations between a masculine and feminine tone that Itarr took while they were trapped disappeared. The words were being spoken with a voice that sounded younger than Servi, and the style of speaking Itarr used felt far more casual than when they were trapped in the prison seal.


    Might I suggest you try to use the ring? If you can absorb the prison seal, you should be able to absorb the corpses.


    ¡°I was actually just thinking of that. Let me try it.¡±


    Imagining that the bees'' corpses were getting smaller, Servi soon found the weird feeling of something sticking out of her body gone, and when she touched her chest and stomach, any traces of being impaled were no longer there. The three human-sized bees disappeared, but Servi could still feel them close by. They were stored in her ring, and she discovered that she could use Absorption to store and remove items at will. It wasn¡¯t just limited to the abstract prison cell-like seal.


    If you want, I suggest that you take an antenna. I believe I felt a group of people coming this way.


    ¡°I would, but their antennae are likely damaged from the fight.¡±


    Do it.  A broken sword can still take a life. Also, take out all three of those corpses. I have a plan to catch them by surprise if it turns out they have evil intentions.


    Servi listened to the plan and smiled while following Itarr''s instructions.


    ¡°Damn those monsters for slaughtering our brothers. How dare they! Men! Spread out and find those damn insects. And keep an eye out on the whore thief with one hand! She is to be sentenced to death for the crime of theft!¡± a man in silver armor that had a gold flower etched in it yelled out as he thrusted his sword to the sky. The four guards all around him all yelled together in a display of unison.


    They were at the sight of a most gruesome battle. Skin, meat, fur, swords, guts, brains, eyes, and different organs, not to mention a literal ton of blood, blanketed around in a wide area. The smell was terrible, and all of the men present fought back the urge to vomit.


    It must have been one hell of a battle, the guard with the silver armor thought. His name was Arnold, and he was a lieutenant in the city guard.  He wasn''t born there, but he felt the need to protect it from both monsters and thieves alike.  Underneath his silver helmet was a head full of blond hair. His green eyes were something exotic that attracted promiscuous women, which led to Arnold''s status as a bachelor. If the day ended with a ''y,'' it was assured Arnold would have a different woman by his side when he woke up the next day.


    I swear I will kill that bitch when I find her.


    ¡°Alright, listen up! Donny and Joqu, you¡¯re with me. Ben and Lafe, you¡¯re by yourselves. Spread out and search!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the four said at the same time. Donny and Joqu went with Arnold to follow the blood trail. The other two scattered and searched for the insects around the forest. All of the men were native to the area, and this place was even more familiar to them than their own house. There was no chance they would get lost.


    Now, Arnold truly believed with all of his heart that this would be simple. Just follow the blood trail, help any men still alive, kill the bugs and the thief. Easy and simple. Especially for a member of Warden, like himself. While average, he was able to achieve Rank 7 in the organization. While that didn¡¯t mean he was super strong, he also wasn¡¯t weak. That was three ranks above Rank 10, which was the beginner Rank.


    He only stopped because he wanted to focus on the city guard and not Warden.


    Being blessed by a Minor God of Dark, Arnold had a small assortment of Dark Skills at his disposal. When he joined Warden, he had acquired enough Potential to add two more skills to his collection. Fire Wall was by far his most used ability. It could attack and defend at the same time while only requiring the user to reach Rank 9.


    In a sense, Arnold was the strongest out of the group of five. He had skills for every occasion, armor enchanted with defensive enhancements, and a sword that was as sharp as ever. Donny and Joqu were no slouches, however. They never joined Warden, but they had both trained since they were young. Of the four that came with him, only Arnold was blessed. And only Donny and Arnold knew skills. Donny and Joqu wanted to join Warden, but due to family reasons, they couldn¡¯t.


    It didn''t hurt to mention that Arnold felt good. Just earlier today, he was able to inflict terror on those dirty Demi-Humans. Arnold especially liked torturing the two Singi twins. He smiled to himself as he remembered the anguish-fueled cries that the girl screamed out. The way his sword against the back of the girl produced a wave of excitement. He needed more of it.


    Thinking back more, Arnold remembered, with fond eyes, the ''fun'' game he played with her.


    The devil in the silver and gold armor especially loved the sound the girl made when he opened his hand and gripped that twitching ear. She begged and begged for him to let go, and he did like she asked. After she breathed a sigh of relief, Arnold violently grabbed the ear once again and began pulling, but he stopped when it was about to be sundered from its flesh. The two repeated this sadistic game over and over until the terrified and exhausted girl lost consciousness.


    Spitting on her, Arnold drew his sword and pulled the ear once more. This time, stretching it out so that his blade slid smoothly and cut it off. He pocketed the ear.


    All the while this was going on, the girl¡¯s brother was chained against the wall nearby. His throat, run ragged by the constant yelling, only produced guttural sounds, and he struggled to breathe. All he could do was watch. Arnold casually walked over to the boy and removed his chains. The brother slumped to the ground, and Arnold left, locking the cell door as he went.


    He kept the ear in the pocket of his trousers. Called it his good luck charm, he said.


    After getting lost in his memories, the voice of his comrade brought Arnold back to reality.


    ¡°Sir, I hear something up ahead,¡± Donny said as he held up an armored hand. Both Arnold and Joqu strained their ears to the limit, and they eventually heard it. It was a woman calling out for help!


    ¡°Men, on the double!¡± without waiting for a response, Arnold ran towards the voice. Danny and Joqu followed close behind. Footsteps filled the air with noise, as the sound of leaves and branches being trampled provided the background racket. From the sound alone, one could easily guess that a group of people was racing throughout the forest. They might have grown up in this area, but subtly was not their strong point.


    Soon, they reached the source of the sound. It was a girl covered in blood. Three corpses were stacked lazily on top of her, and red crimson continued to pour from wounds. Two arms and hands were struggling to push the bodies off.


    ¡°AHHHH!! HELP!!¡± the girl cried out. ¡°¡­It hurts to breathe!!!"


    From the injuries she sustained, how is this shitty criminal still alive? Wait, you fool, look.  She has two hands, so clearly, this isn¡¯t our girl. I''ve never seen her before, though. She''s probably new to the area.  Still, as a soldier of the City of Canary, I have to do my best to save her.


    ¡°Donny! Joqu!¡± All Arnold had to do was shout their names, and they knew what to do.


    The two men instantly rushed to the girl and threw the corpses off as Arnold prepared a healing skill. Like Fire Wall, it also required the user to be Rank 9.


    ¡°¡­..help¡­.m.e¡­¡± the woman meekly said. She struggled to gather the strength to speak.


    Donny and Joqu finished moving the three corpses when Arnold ran up and kneeled down.


    ¡°Joqu, search around. That thief might be close by.¡± Joqu nodded and jogged away.


    ¡°...!¡± the injured woman¡¯s eyes stared closely at the silver and gold armor Arnold was wearing.


    Arnold put a hand to the woman¡¯s hand and started chanting. Energy flowed from Arnold into the woman. This was the healing skill Remedium. It didn¡¯t require direct contact, and one could certainly use it from afar, but the closer the distance between user and patient, the better it worked.


    Soon, the woman¡¯s erratic breathing was replaced by something calm and serene. It was as if the pain was never there.


    ¡°Hey! Stay with me. Donny, use Create Water to wash away the blood. Hey, can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°¡­.Yes, I can hear you. Thank you for saving me,¡± the woman said. Her red eyes, as bright and fierce as fire, continued to stare at Arnold''s armor. Under his helmet, his face was as red as a tomato. Her black hair was soiled with a few dashes of crimson, yet it did little to corrupt her beauty.


    ¡°Good. Can you tell me how this happened?¡±


    ¡°A woman with one hand attacked me as I was walking. It was like she had total control of these beasts, and she ordered them to attack me. But before they did, she killed them and pushed me to the ground. Then she stacked the corpses on me.¡±


    ¡°That bitch. What way did she go?¡± The woman with red eyes lifted her arm and pointed in a random direction. Just as she did, Donny came back over with some water and poured it over the woman''s stomach. She flinched at the coldness as the water washed away the blood. But it still wasn¡¯t enough. Blood practically covered her entire body.


    ¡°Ahh, can you help me get up?¡± the woman leaned up, shocking both Donny and Arnold as she held an arm out. Arnold just stared at it. Her skin, covered in the blood of those animals, stood motionless.


    ¡°Of course, but I suggest you lay back down. You mi¡ª¡±


    ¡°I want to get up. I can¡¯t stand this blood,¡± she interrupted him.


    ¡°My apologies,¡± he said as he took hold of her hand and pulled her up. Blood dripped down her chest and onto her stomach, dirtying it again.


    Stilling holding her by the hand, Arnold spoke. ¡°Once we get back to the city, you can wash away that blood. Donny, Joqu, we¡¯re heading back!¡± Arnold let go of the woman¡¯s hand and turned his back to her, looking for his friend, Joqu. It was time they went back to the city. They had lost some good men today in the fight against those bees, and it was far too dark to search for the thief. Neither Arnold nor Donny knew any skills to light up the area.


    ¡°Be right there, sir!¡± Joqu hollered back. Arnold turned back around, and he felt a prick in his throat. He slowly brought a hand to his throat and felt something sharp. It was a sword-like antenna. Blood poured from the wound and dripped down. The attack was silent, and Donny didn''t even hear it.


    Arnold then moved his eyes to the woman he had saved, who still had her arm stretched out. At first, it was empty, but her ring on her finger flashed red, and another sword-like antenna appeared in her grasp. Arnold was so frozen in shock that he could not move.  However, the girl wasn''t immobilized. She was fueled by hatred and anger. With a flash, she stuck out her arm, stabbing her savior in the throat.


    This time, however, she didn¡¯t let go of the weapon. She instead pulled it out and stabbed it in again, over and over and over. Crimson swam down his neck, coating the front of his armor in a red mess. The strength in his legs gave out, and he collapsed onto his back.  The impact of falling alerted Donny, and he turned around.  The sight he saw was far too frightening, and he dropped his sword and collapsed to the ground.


    ¡°¡­¡­a demon¡­..¡± that was the only thing he could say out loud while trembling with fear. A person covered in blood, holding a bloody weapon, who had a smile, was standing over a dead body. And she was looking directly at him.

 Book One – Chapter Two – Part Two – Two Battles And A New Start

    She couldn¡¯t believe it. One of the two sets of armor that Servi would never forget was right in front of her. It was the man who had stabbed that Singi boy in the foot. The scum who loved to bully and laugh at the pain he inflicted on those lower than him.


    Servi didn¡¯t think this plan would work at first. She couldn¡¯t speak the same language as everyone else, or at least that was what she thought at first. When the group of three armored men came upon her, the very last thing she expected was to understand the words coming from them. And when he kneeled beside her and asked her a question, he was able to understand her. Servi didn¡¯t know how it happened. She was more confused than ever before, but right now, she had one objective.


    Take revenge for that boy who only wanted to help his sister.


    Once the shit bag with the silver and gold armor turned around, Servi knew that this was her chance. She retrieved a sword-like antenna from her ring and held it out. The moment he turned back, she would stab him in the throat with every bit of her strength.


    Her body and hands trembled as she waited for the moment that seemed like it would never come, but it wasn''t out of reluctance.  It was anger.


    The instant he turned around, Servi acted. With surprising speed, she thrusted her arm out, and the man didn¡¯t have time to react. The blade found a home in his throat, scratching and cutting through his windpipe. The armored man brought a shaky hand to his wound. And then he stared. Stared hard and deep into the fierce red eyes of the woman who attacked him. In his mind, he didn¡¯t know the reason why. Arnold was the type of man who believed he could do no wrong.


    Using her ring, Servi brought out another sword-like antenna and stabbed the man again. This time, she skewered and thrusted again and again until he fell on his back. The flow of blood was so great it flooded down through his trachea, filling his lungs with crimson. His last action in life was grabbing his neck, doing what he could to hang onto life.


    The red light that flowed up from his motionless body revealed he failed in that endeavor. A second later, it flew to Servi''s ring, coming to a halt as it disappeared. The Human scum known as Arnold died. She turned around and stared at the man who collapsed behind her.  He had called her a demon, and as much as Servi wanted to argue back, she couldn¡¯t refute his words.


    Sorry to interrupt, but you should know this. The soul you absorbed had a few skills engraved into it. Might I ask that you try it out?


    ¡°How do I do that?¡± Servi said to no one. To the man in front, it must have looked like she was talking to herself.


    Well, it¡¯s a skill called Fire Wall. Just think of the name, and it¡¯ll be activated. As to what it does, all I have is the name to go on.


    Servi thought of the name, and instantly, there was a wall of fire in front of her. Using her mind, Servi figured out that she could control the shape, size, and temperature of it to a certain degree. Servi didn¡¯t know how or why. Just a few moments ago was the first time she¡¯d ever seen or even heard of the word Fire Wall. It was as if the knowledge to use it was locked behind some metaphysical wall, and using it for the first time was the key to unlocking it.


    But it had some limitations.  It was impossible to make as tiny as the point of a needle, nor could Servi make it as large as a building. Well, not yet, anyway.


    ¡°Well, I guess I can¡¯t complain. At this point, I¡¯ll take any help or advantage I can get,¡± Servi spoke quietly to herself.


    The sudden appearance of a skill, which usually required a chant, further convinced Donny that the Human he saw wasn''t Human at all. Instead, he thought she was a demon cloaked in Human skin. After all, not even the strongest adventurer in the world could use skills without speaking.


    ¡°P-P-Please don¡¯t kill me! Why are you doing this?!¡± Donny quietly screamed, barely above a whisper. He knew that he should yell and make noise in an attempt to lead his friends and fellow guards to his position, but he couldn''t.  He truly believed, at that moment, that it didn''t matter what they did. His mind told him that they would all be slaughtered.


    He was right.


    Servi thought of the skill Fire Wall twice more until there were three walls of flaming fire floating in front of her. The three slowly morphed until they were in the shape of a circle, and then they combined. The light they gave off was immense. It was as if the sun had risen, and Servi took in the area around her. Everything was red from the vast amount of spilled blood and orange from the Fire Wall''s glow.


    Otherworldly and hellish. That was the only way to describe it. It was no small wonder Donny''s clothes didn''t immediately catch fire. The newly combined inferno slowly floated until it was just higher than the trembling man, who was frozen to the ground via shock. He couldn¡¯t move his body.


    The ring of fire maneuvered over ahead until he was in the center, then it lowered and shrunk.  First, it was his hair and clothes that burned away. The hot air that Donny was forced to breathe in damaged him from the inside out. His mouth and throat burned, along with his vocal cords. When the air reached his lungs, he doubled over in pain and coughed, which only allowed more hot air to flow through his body.


    That was when he lost consciousness. Next, his armor melted and combined with his skin.  Soon after that, his body gave up and melted.


    Bone, tendon, muscle, skin, all gone and burnt. The heat was so intense and violent that only a red soul remained. Servi promptly absorbed it, taking his strength for herself.


    And thus, the man known as Donny died. His grave? A black spot scorched by flames.


    When his soul entered her ring, Servi didn''t feel like she had increased in strength. Then again, she couldn''t spare the time to focus on the semantics of her godly powers. A noise came from behind. Turning around, Servi saw three guards shaking nervously in their full armor. These three were the last of the men under the command of Arnold.


    Joqu, Ben, and Lafe were their names. Two had swords in their hand while the other had a bow.  Its string tensed up. The gleaming silver tip of an arrow shined in the light, and it was aimed directly at Servi.


    ¡°YOU MONSTER! HOW DARE YOU KILL THE LIEUTENANT!!¡± Ben howled out in fury as he held his sword in front of him. In its reflection, the compressed Fire Wall looked like the eye of a demon.


    ¡°I¡¯m a monster?¡± Servi calmly asked, and she moved the blaze closer to herself. Holding an arm out, the scorching inferno, no bigger than half a meter, rested slightly above her hand. The flame had no intention of harming its creator since they were immune to the effects. The user could choose whether or not they wanted to be protected against their Fire Wall. Of course, the user would only be immune by the Fire Wall they summoned and not any other.


    A blistering wave of heat swarmed over the three, causing an unhealthy amount of sweat to pour down their faces. The two holding swords constantly readjusted their grip.


    ¡°Yes, you! You are a monster! A vile, horrendous monster, and to think, I risked my life to save you!¡± Joqu yelled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one who pushed a boy down to the ground and stabbed him in the foot. He did that. He was the monster,¡± Servi pointed to Arnold''s corpse.  His hands, stuck to his throat via rigor mortis, was his last action in this life.  "You are a guard of that city, correct? If so, then why haven¡¯t you done anything?! You''re supposed to protect the citizens of the city, right?¡±


    ¡°That boy''s a slave, and he has no rights. In fact, he isn¡¯t even considered to be a person. That thing that looks like a Singi is no more than property. Tell me, would you cry and grieve for a piece of paper? How about a rock?¡± replied Joqu.


    ¡°In that case, I consider you three nothing more than trash, just waiting to get burned. If you¡¯re lucky, you might end up like that,¡±  Servi smiled like a devil, and for a moment, the people she currently stared down truly believed she had no humanity left in her.


    Servi turned and jerked her head behind her, pointing to the black spot, and that was when it happened. Lafe, the guard holding the bow, let loose his arrow. He aimed for Servi''s head, and it connected, piercing right through and stopping once it was about three-quarters of the way in.


    ¡°Damn good shot, Lafe! Nice work!¡± Ben slapped Lafe on the back as a sign of friendship, and he went weak in the knees. He almost dropped his bow, and he fell to the ground. A single sentence from Joqu convinced the other two that they weren¡¯t dealing with the average person.


    ¡°That arrow should have destroyed your brain... HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?!¡±


    What they saw shouldn¡¯t have been possible. It went against the very law that defined the world. Those who die should stay dead.


    But simple concepts such as death had no place in Servi''s heart because it wasn''t like she could die. Therefore, it wasn''t possible for her to stay dead because she couldn''t perish in the first place.


    ¡°You know,¡± Servi said as she grabbed the projectile and pulled it from her head, gross bits of pink meat stuck to the metallic tip of the arrow, giving it a vile appearance.  The dripping blood sizzled out of existence before touching the ground.  She threw the bloodied object into the fire resting above her hand, and it instantly melted into nothingness. ¡°That should have hurt way more than it did, but perhaps this seething anger welling up inside me is dulling the pain,¡± Servi held her arm out and was about to make the fire larger, but a word from Itarr stopped her.


    This is just a thought, but try taking the armor and weapons those three have before burning them. Even if you don¡¯t use them, they might be helpful in the future.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± by focusing, Servi managed to absorb her foes'' equipment. Coincidentally, they were about three meters away.


    Ah, so it seems that your range with Absorption is around three meters. I¡¯m sure that will increase with time.


    Their heavy armor, along with their helmets, suddenly disappeared from each of them. The sudden difference in weight was enough to knock them to the ground. Their weapons and sheaths, all forged from a valuable piece of metal, were gone. The bow, carved from a 200-year-old tree, vanished along with the quiver full of metal-tipped arrows.


    It all happened too fast for them to realize what was going on.


    ¡°Consider this revenge,¡± with those words, Servi manipulated the fire resting above her hand until it was long and thick like a blanket for a bed of death. She maneuvered it over the screaming guards and forced it down. The flame, a tiny bit colder, took a fraction of a second longer to kill.


    And just like that, three more souls were available for Servi to absorb.


    "Killing them with that attack was probably a mistake,¡± when Servi killed Donny, the wall was compressing, so the chance of it running wild and out of control was close to zero. However, when she formed the fire into a blanket, it was able to spread out. The flames were currently engulfing everything insight with a voracious desire for destruction.  Everything burned to ash before her incredible power.


    What are you going to do? One of their souls contained a skill called Create Water. However, I don''t know how effective it will be. That fire is too hot and spread out. If you wish to ignore it, that''s fine.


    ¡°Is it possible to absorb fire with my ring?¡± Servi asked. In theory, if she could absorb the prison cell, which was a seal, then why couldn¡¯t she do the same for fire?


    I don¡¯t see why not. Give it a try.


    Servi held out her hand and focused. To store something in the ring, she had to imagine it shrinking. The seal they escaped from was simple. She only imagined it being crushed until it almost faded out of existence.  It was the same thing with objects like swords and corpses.  But fire? Yes, it was a physical object, meaning that it existed physically, and while she did compress the Fire Wall into a ball, this was different.  She had lost control of it, and this fire was no more than a brainless beast, spreading out according to its instinct.


    The fire raged out of control. It had long consumed the corpses of the guards and the bees. The short death cries of many animals sounded pathetically over the infernal heat.


    With the Fire Wall, it was like she had the knowledge and knew the limitations of the skill the moment she used it. Like a tutor lived in her mind, and it told her everything she needed to know. And this? There was no teacher available. She did have Itarr, but the Goddess only taught Servi the basics.  In a comedic sense, her attempt at absorbing the fire was a trial-by-fire situation.


    Closing her eyes, Servi imagined the fire as a solid object, like wood, but it kept growing.


    Smaller.


    She imagined that two rocks were pushing in on each side of the wood-like fire.


    Smaller.


    Next, she imagined two giants pushing with all their might as they forced the wood together.


    Smaller. Smaller. Smaller.


    Servi then imagined that the ever-growing wood turned and grew backwards into each other. Growing and shrinking in two directions at once? It was an impossible paradox, but if she imagined that there was more strength in shrinking than expanding, it would work.


    ¡°AHHHHHH!!!¡± Servi screamed out. Her vocal cords pushed and strained to their limits. The fire, a raging inferno, started to glow a deep red that was unlike the vibrant orange glow. Smaller and smaller, it was shrinking, retreading the path it once took. The fire flowed over areas that had already burned, but unlike the fire that seemed to be going back in time, the animals that perished would never come back to life.


    Then, after what seemed like a lifetime to Servi, the ring glowed the brightest red and became incredibly hot as the fire disappeared without a trace. In its wake, 70 red souls littered the damaged area in front of her and fluttered over to her ring.


    Those were the souls of the animals that perished in the raging fire.


    Servi blinked and took a look around her. Now that the massive light source that was the fire disappeared, only the white glow from the moon illuminated the area.


    Servi saw the damage that she had caused. Since she was near the center of the flames, she didn¡¯t realize just how large the fire had been. For hundreds of meters around her, there was nothing but black ash. The trees and grass and the rocks and nearly everything else around her was reduced to black ash by her hellfire bent on revenge. A burnt smell clouded over the area and would likely remain for a while until it rained.  Even then, Servi didn''t know if this area would ever thrive again.


    Servi muttered to herself quietly and closed her eyes.  ¡°¡­.I actually took the life of a person. Am I one of them now? A murderer who would kill? Probably. But it was in self-defense, wasn¡¯t it? No, I shouldn¡¯t fool myself. I had the chance to be carried back to the city and be healed. Since I somehow speak the same language, I should''ve been able to find work or something. What compelled me to attack? Was it just out of revenge? Yes, that was probably it. If those men had lived, then they might have eventually killed those twins. I did the right thing. I know I did. I know I was angry enough to kill earlier, but I never thought I would actually do it... I will bear the sins of my action.  I have to face the damages of what I caused.¡±


    She opened her eyes after convincing herself she needed to be responsible for her actions.


    Servi, still covered in blood and surrounded by ash, didn''t resemble a Human. Her actions for the night made it look like her only motives were to kill and destroy. But that couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. Yes, she did annihilate a large area around her, but it wasn¡¯t by choice. Revenge took hold of her, and she had to kill those responsible.


    Servi contemplated using Absorption to store the ashes in her ring but ultimately decided against that. Besides, Absorption didn¡¯t have the necessary range to pick up every bit of ash.


    Itarr stayed quiet.


    ¡°I probably did, well no, I know I did. But I don¡¯t have regrets. The ashes that remain here will be my reminder. The innocent animal lives I took will always be with me. Their strength will be my strength. My passion will be their passion. They are a part of me,¡± Servi silently looked up at the night sky as she wondered where she would go from here.  She was a murderer, plain and simple.  Was there even a life for her to live?

 Book One – Chapter Two – Part Three – Two Battles And A New Start

    ¡°Hey, Itarr, didn¡¯t you say I absorbed a skill to make water?¡± Servi asked, breaking the growing awkward silence.


    It¡¯s called Create Water, and yes, I did. All I know is that it does what the name says.


    Thinking of the name ¡®Create Water¡¯ forced knowledge to flow into her mind. Just like with Fire Wall, Servi instinctively knew how the skill worked. First, she had to set a point called an anchor, then water would flow from that point. If she used more or less Skill Energy, she could control the temperature, the purity, and the force of the water released.


    ¡°Alright, so I¡¯ll set the anchor above me, and I want the water hot¡­ And let¡¯s go for a medium amount of force. Oh, and let¡¯s make it pure as it could be.¡±


    What Servi did was incredible. Though it wasn¡¯t known to her, Create Water was a skill that used up a massive amount of Skill Energy. Even non-pure cold water that flowed lightly would use enough Skill Energy to knock out a lesser person.  Servi, able to absorb souls via Itarr, had five peoples'' worth of Skill Energy inside her. And of the five, one was a prestigious warrior with an above-average amount of Skill Energy who rose through the ranks of Warden.


    Following the advice from Itarr, Servi used her ring to absorb her clothes. Now naked and bare as the day of her birth, she slowly walked over to the flowing water and stood underneath it.


    Warm relief flowed all over her body as the water fell, almost akin to being touch by a fairy. The blood and dirt accumulated on Servi''s body and hair washed away with such ease. She used her hands to rub the hot water all over her chest and stomach, slipping in between her rich bosom and massaging her neck and throat. The little rock she stood on prevented the mud from splashing up and dirtying her legs and thighs.


    Such a good time had to eventually come to an end, and soon the Create Water skill ended. Servi didn¡¯t run out of Skill Energy, but rather, the ability itself was designed to end after a certain amount of time.


    As Servi used Fire Wall to dry herself off, she and Itarr had a conversation. It was still nighttime, and the moon gave off a faint white glow that clashed against the vibrant orange radiance of the fire. In a way, it was like the two light sources were competing for the naked girl''s affection.


    Now, it is a matter of getting you dressed. You could put your old clothes back on.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna stay nude, but I don¡¯t want to wear those clothes. They¡¯re practically falling apart.¡±


    How about this: why don¡¯t you wear that breastplate over your torn shirt? If I¡¯m remembering right, your pants and boots were still in decent shape.


    ¡°Alright,¡± instead of putting on her clothes manually, Servi tried to do the opposite of what Itarr suggested earlier. If she could remove clothes using her ring, then couldn¡¯t she do the opposite?


    It took a bit of time, but she pulled it off. Her black pants and boots suddenly appeared on her body, as if she put them on manually. They were covered in mud and blood, but at least her skin was clean.


    ¡°I can see this being very useful if I can master this switching technique,¡± now that her lower body was covered, she focused on her upper body next.


    First, she put on that torn and bloody white shirt. The dried blood flaked against her still damp skin and rubbed off, leaving bloody red marks that dirtied her body a second time.


    ¡°Shit. I just cleaned up.¡±


    Worry not. Once we find some new clothes, you can get clean again. There is no worry about a lack of water, thanks to this skill.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, but¡­¡± Still complaining, Servi then moved on to putting on the breastplate by using her ring, but that was a small mistake.


    ¡°Kyaa!¡± A cute scream escaped Servi''s lips as she fell to the ground, dirtying her even more. The sudden appearance and weight of the armor was a little bit too much for her to bear.


    After a bit of struggling, she managed to get back to her feet.


    ¡°Why¡­is this¡­¡­so¡­heavy!¡± Servi moved her legs, trying to walk, but that was challenging in its own right. The breastplate Servi attempted to wear weighed a little less than four kilograms, but it was made from a dense metal.


    How strange, this should be easy since you absorbed the souls of the men who wore this¡­¡­. Ahhh, I see the problem now.


    ¡°Care to let me know?¡±


    For some reason, while the entirety of the soul is absorbed, you can only access a slight fraction of the physical power stored within. On the other hand, their Skill Energy Reservoir was automatically added to your own Skill Energy Reservoir.


    ¡°Physically, I¡¯m a tiny bit stronger, but I¡¯ve grown dramatically as a skill user?¡± Servi asked, wanting Itarr to clarify.


    That is correct. If I were to put it into numbers, let¡¯s say that each of the five Human souls you absorbed has a physical and skill stat of 200.  And let¡¯s say you have a value of 100 as well in both stats. After absorbing the five souls, your physical stat is 110, and your skill stat is 1100.   That is only for Humans. The insects and the animals, while they made you stronger, only added a fraction of power. It would seem that you gain more strength from humanoid souls than you do from other sources.  I don¡¯t think there is anything such as a physical or skill stat, mind you, so I wouldn¡¯t trust the numbers. I only used them as an example.


    ¡°I see. So I guess I should focus on using skills?¡± Servi asked as she walked down the road back towards the city.


    She had a plan in mind.


    That is what I recommend, but ultimately, it is up to you. Might I ask where we are going?


    ¡°Back to the city. Since I was able to talk to those guards earlier, I bet I can talk to others. I don¡¯t know what happened, but I understand them. And they can understand me.¡±


    That was not the case before?


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    I see. Do you have a plan in mind after we arrive?


    ¡°That I do. You get some of your memory back whenever I absorb souls, right? Then all I have to do is get stronger. That should be my goal for right now. And besides, if you get your memory back, there¡¯s a chance I can get mine back as well.¡±


    That makes sense. I swear to you that I will do whatever I can to help you.


    ¡°Thank you, Itarr, but do you really mean that? What if I turn evil and start killing?¡±


    That does not matter to me, but I sense something is amiss. Is something wrong?


    Servi stopped walking and stared at the sky before talking to Itarr. ¡°Earlier, when I first arrived, I found myself in a city, and that place was horrible! The first guy I killed? I saw him stab a young boy in the foot...and all he wanted to do was give a bandage to this girl, who I assume was his sister. She was bleeding from a wound, and I¡¯m sure that the guard I killed caused it. He probably also had something to do with her missing ear as well.¡±


    Did you kill him for revenge?


    Servi took a deep breath before continuing. ¡°I did. And now, with this power, I want to take revenge for those who don¡¯t have the power to do it themselves. Would you allow that?¡±


    Your actions are your actions, and my power is your power. Whatever you want to do, I will support you with all I have.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    You are most welcome.


    The sun started to rise as the sky slowly turned from black to red to blue. The moon was no longer in the sky as the sun rose to take its place, its light shining down on the world and illuminating it.


    The Human and Goddess soon reached the gruesome sight of the battle between the guards and the bees. Countless pieces of meat and flesh were all over the place. The bodies were so damaged and battered, they were unrecognizable.  Servi took the time to absorb each and every corpse that wasn¡¯t just a piece of flesh, along with the armor and weapons that littered the ground. She tried to store the blood staining the soil as well, but it was too difficult. For some odd reason, Servi just couldn¡¯t grasp the mechanics behind it.  Itarr later reassured her it was because she was brand new to Absorption.  Servi only needed to train until she was able to do it.


    I understand absorbing the weapons and armor, but why the corpses?


    ¡°You never know when something like that would come in handy. Remember your plan? There may come a time in which we have to do that again."


    Very well.


    They walked a bit in silence before a realization from Servi broke the silence.


    ¡°You know, I just realized this, but I haven¡¯t felt hungry or thirsty. Or even tired.¡±


    That is a byproduct of Immortality. Never again shall you feel hunger, thirst, fatigue.  Now, that does not mean you can¡¯t eat or drink or sleep, just that you do not require it. Also, you will never age, nor will you be affected by disease.


    ¡°I can still eat and sleep? That''s good to know."


    Incidentally, a small fragment of my memory has returned to me. Tell me, have you heard of the word ¡®J¨­tai¡¯? It¡¯s something that keeps popping up in my mind.


    ¡°Actually, I have. J¨­tai,¡± Servi spoke the word, and a red stone tablet appeared floating in front of her.


    I see.


    ¡°Did you remember anything else?¡±


    Yes. Though it¡¯s all jumbled in my mind, the word ¡®J¨­tai¡¯ and the term ¡®Potential¡¯ kept appearing. Since you can speak the language, see if you can read it as well.


    Servi glanced over the tablet and gasped. Near the top was a label called ¡®Name,¡¯ and next to it was the word ¡®Servi.¡¯


    She could read the language now. But since it had her name on it, did that mean that her name was Servi?


    ¡°So my name is on here,¡± She kept reading, and below her name, she found the words ¡®Warden: Have Not Joined¡¯.


    ¡°Warden? Does that ring any bells?¡±


    No, it does not.


    ¡°Well, below that Warden stuff is a word that says ¡®Blessed By,¡¯ and your name is beside it,¡± Servi scratched her head as she kept walking and reading. She could hardly feel the weight of the breastplate now that she was used to it.


    Touch your finger to my name.


    Servi was confused but did so anyway. The red tablet went blank, and a moment later, two columns appeared. The left one was titled ¡®Learned,¡¯ and the one on the right was titled ¡®Unlearned.¡¯ The number 78 sat beside the latter.


    In the Learned category, Servi could see Absorption, Create Water, Fire Wall, True Immortality, Remedium, Shadow Bind, Shadow Shot, and Shadow Trap. In the Unlearned category, the skills were broken into different ranks. From Rank 10 all the way to Rank 0. Servi pressed her finger to Rank 10, and a list of skills appeared underneath it. She touched it again, and the list disappeared. Rank 10 to Rank 0 appeared in its place.


    Pressing on Rank 9, Servi read the list of skills that appeared. Her eyes fell to one called Earth Wall, and she tapped on it. A small box appeared on the tablet, and she read it aloud.


    ¡°Earth Wall, a skill used to create a wall of dirt that is used to defend against attacks. Do you wish to spend 5 Potential to learn it?¡±


    There were two boxes below the message labeled ¡®Yes¡¯ and ¡®No.¡¯ Servi touched the box marked  ¡®No,¡¯ and the tablet went back to displaying the two columns.


    ¡°This is such a strange object.¡±


    I agree.


    Suddenly, the two columns disappeared, and Servi was back at what she assumed to be the main menu. It only had her name and her Warden status. The line that said ¡®Blessed By¡¯ had disappeared.


    Sorry if I startled you, but it appears I can hide and display information at will on that stone tablet. Maybe it would be wise to keep it hidden?


    ¡°I agree, but can you display it again? I want to keep looking around.¡±


    Of course.


    With the ¡®Blessed By¡¯ line back on the tablet, Servi tapped Itarr¡¯s name again. This time, she pressed on Absorption. Like with Earth Wall, a box popped up, and she read it out loud.


    ¡°Absorption, the forbidden skill to absorb the soul and gain the power of those who die in your vicinity. This skill also allows the user to store an unlimited amount of items within the ring. Do you wish to spend 10 Potential to increase the physical absorption efficiency from 1% to 2% and increase the range from 3 meters to 4 meters?¡± two boxes appeared underneath the message.


    How utterly strange. It appears we have to spend this so-called ¡®Potential¡¯ to increase the amount of physical strength gained and the range. And forbidden?


    ¡°It would be nice, but what''s Potential? Is that number right there?¡± Servi pointed with her finger to the number 78 that was beside the word ¡®Unlearned.¡¯


    That would be my guess. Press the box that says ¡®Yes,¡¯ and let''s see what happens.


    Servi did as she was asked and pressed the button. The number immediately decreased by 10 to 68, and the tablet glowed red. When it stopped shining, Servi noticed that Absorption now had a +1 beside it. She pressed on it again, and it asked if she wanted to spend 20 Potential to go from 2% to 3% and increase the range from 4 meters to 5 meters.


    Can you feel a difference? Itarr asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s very slight, but I do feel tougher. What about you?¡±


    I can confirm that you are more powerful than you were a moment ago. From what I understand, we can only tap into a small fragment of physical power stored within each soul. Only two percent is unlocked and available for use. And it appears that every soul absorbed, no matter if it¡¯s Humanoid or animal, is equal to one Potential.


    ¡°I see. Should I spend or save these points?¡±


    It is up to you, but I would recommend you hold off on spending anything. At least until we find out more about it.


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    Servi continued exploring the stone tablet, and she clicked on the skill ¡®True Immortality¡¯ and read the description.


    ¡°True Immortality, the forbidden skill that locks the user¡¯s soul in time, making it impossible to die from attacks that target the soul. Furthermore, the user cannot die by physical attacks, disease, or old age. This skill is at max level and cannot be enhanced further.¡±


    Servi then noticed something strange. ¡°Wait, True Immortality?¡±


    I¡¯m just as confused as you are. Not even I know why ¡®True¡¯ is in front of it. But on the other hand,  I do wonder why my skills are forbidden?


    ¡°Maybe that has something to do with you being sealed up?¡± Servi shrugged her shoulders.


    Quite possibly, but I do not remember.


    After Itarr spoke, the two stayed silent as Servi dropped her stone tablet to the ground. The red dust it transformed into flowed into her body.


    After some more walking, Servi broke the silence. ¡°It looks like we made it to the city,¡± up ahead, the towering walls came into view. Servi was so captivated by her tablet and Itarr that she walked right past the fork in the road. Somewhere along the way, she had met up with people walking with her, and it was almost a repeat of the previous day.


    To her left and right, people stared at her unsightly appearance and grimaced. They shook their heads, and Servi overheard what they were saying.


    ¡°How filthy.¡±


    ¡°She smells terrible. Is that blood?¡±


    ¡°Is she a member of Warden?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. That girl doesn¡¯t have a weapon. What kind of idiot fights with only her bare hands and armor? And she doesn¡¯t look tough, either. ¡±


    Ignore them, and don¡¯t let their words taint your heart. If you like, just remember their voice and face, then kill them later. The choice is yours to make.


    ¡°Right,¡± Servi said as she looked down. Eventually, the crowd walking with her grew bigger and bigger, and she reached the entrance. Just like before, there were two lines. One for vehicles and one for people.


    Glancing around, Servi could spot a few people known as Singi. From her conversation with the guards before she killed them, that was the name for the people who looked like humans but had cat ears and a tail. They were of different colors, but black and brown seemed to be the most common. Other than that, she saw one or two people with alligator-like mouths and some with scales. It was quite a diverse amount of people all waiting to enter the city.


    Since it was early morning, the lines weren¡¯t too bad. Servi had to wait for ten minutes before she was at the front.


    The guard in front wasn¡¯t the same one as yesterday.


    ¡°Welcome to the City of Canary. I need to see your ID.¡±


    By ID, he meant the tablet Servi looked at earlier. She found that out by watching the people in front of her.


    She said the word and handed it over.


    ¡°Servi, huh? A bit of a weird name. Not a member of Warden, and you aren¡¯t blessed. Well, your info checks out. You¡¯re free to pass. Up ahead, there¡¯s a welcome building you can stop in to learn more about the city.¡±


    Servi asked Itarr to hide the fact that she was blessed. It probably would have been okay, but that was a risk she wasn''t willing to take. After all, neither of them fully understood the system.  Itarr didn''t want to believe her own sparse knowledge of the subject since it could be faulty.


    Servi was surprised, though. Though she got dirty stares for the way she was dressed, the guard didn¡¯t even bat an eye. Maybe it was a bit normal? Perhaps he didn¡¯t care? Either way, Servi was thankful he didn¡¯t make a scene.


    The guard motioned Servi to enter, and she did. It felt strange that she was walking back through the city that tried to kill her hours before. The woman they were after had only one hand, and since Servi now had two, she figured they wouldn¡¯t bother her.


    She walked through the street, all the while receiving stares, and eventually reached the building she went into the day before. Now that she could read, the sign said ¡®Welcome Center.¡¯


    ¡°This must be the place,¡± Servi grabbed hold of the wooden handle and pulled open the door.


    When she entered, she realized that she didn¡¯t get a good look at the place yesterday. Probably too stressed out from her situation to focus. Cabinets lined the back of the building, filled to the brim with various objects like rocks and shells. Servi didn¡¯t know what they were for. To her front left sat a woman in a blue and black uniform behind a desk. Servi recognized her from yesterday. Scattered around the building and standing on shelves were books and maps. It was, indeed, a welcome center.  A few people inside all turned and looked when Servi opened the door but quickly turned back around and continued what they were doing.


    A small black cat meowed when Servi walked further in.  She smiled and bent down, scratching the cat¡¯s chin, who responded by purring affectionately. With a flick of its tail, the feline walked away.


    That beast is quite adorable.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Servi said with a smile.


    Servi went around to the shelves and read the titles of the books.


    ¡°Best places to eat while in the city, top-secret date spots, blah blah blah,¡± Servi spoke quietly to herself as she riffled through the pages. Just being able to read the previously unknown words brought a joyous sensation to her heart. It was like a veil of obfuscation had been lifted from her eyes. She looked over at the woman behind the desk and started walking over to her.


    The woman looked up from her desk. A small pencil sat gripped in her hand. She had black hair that stopped above her eyes, and the back was tied in a bun. The smile that was plastered across her face disappeared, and a mixture of disgust and wariness remained. As if she had just remembered her job, a perfect smile reappeared on her face.


    ¡°Welcome to the City of Canary. This is the welcome center for those new to the city, and my name is Aier. How can I help you?¡± She had a pleasant voice, and none of the disgust that was on her face moments ago showed through it.


    ¡°Hello. My name is Servi. This is my first time here in the city. I¡¯m basically lost.¡±


    ¡°Well, Miss Servi, that is why were are here. If you can tell me where you would like to go, I can help you. Please, have a seat,¡± she motioned to a chair in front of her, and Servi sat down. The chair slightly creaked underneath the weight of both Servi and the armor breastplate.


    ¡°That has to be uncomfortable. You can take it off if you like,¡± Aier said.


    ¡°I would like to, but due to my current situation, my shirt''s ripped. This armor is the only thing stopping me from being topless.¡±


    Aier put a hand to her mouth. ¡°Oh my, were you attacked?¡±


    Servi nodded. ¡°Yes, I was. A crazy woman with one hand ambushed me. A few men in armor rescued me, and one gave me this to cover myself,¡± Servi tapped on her breastplate as she lied.


    ¡°Ah, wasn¡¯t that sweet? You know, it was probably Ben who gave that to you. He¡¯s one of the nicest guys I know.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t tell me his name. Just handed it to me and ran after the woman with three or four other people.¡±


    I wonder if he was one of the ones we killed? said Itarr.


    Aier smiled. ¡°That sounds like Ben. I bet he was as red as a rose when he handed that to you. Anyway, what would you like to do.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m currently broke, and what I¡¯m wearing is all that I have. Do you know how I can make some money?¡±


    ¡°Do you mind if I take a glance at your ID?¡±


    Servi said no and handed it to her.


    ¡°Well, you aren¡¯t blessed, so that limits what you can do,¡± Aier said after looking at it.


    ¡°What about that Warden thing? I heard people talking about.¡±


    Aier¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°You never heard of Warden before?¡±


    Servi shook her head.


    ¡°Warden is like a peacekeeping organization. Members who join can take on quests like defeating monsters, escorting a merchant or family to a new city, and everything in between."


    ¡°I see. Does it pay well?¡±


    ¡°It does if you get promoted. It¡¯s not easy, though, and it can be dangerous. I only managed to get to Rank 7 and stopped because I became injured.  My arm isn''t what it used to be,¡± Aier subtly rubbed her arm, and she continued speaking. ¡°While anyone can join Warden, most people who do are those who are blessed by a God. Do you still want to signup?¡±


    ¡°That I do. I need some money to find a place to stay and replace my luggage. What you see on me is what I have left,¡± Servi glanced down at current attire as if to emphasize the point.


    ¡°Very well. If you want to join, then you need to head on over to the Warden office. Just talk to a receptionist next to a sign that says ¡®Sign Up Here¡¯  and follow their instructions. You¡¯ll be a member in no time. To get there, take a right when you leave this building and walk. You will reach a large intersection. Look for a wooden sign that says ¡®Warden¡¯ and follow the arrow. Let¡¯s see¡­ It¡¯s currently 10:34 am, so there shouldn¡¯t be that much of a wait.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome. Is there anything else I can help you with today?¡± Aier said with a pretty smile.


    Servi thought to herself for a few moments but shook her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Thank you for your help,¡± Servi said as she stood up. She smiled and waved to Aier before leaving the building.


    Perhaps you should have asked about a potential place to sleep?


    ¡°Probably, but you said I don¡¯t require sleep, correct? I can focus on that later. Right now, my goal should be to acquire a source of income and buy some clothes. The dried blood feels weird and sickening.¡±


    That makes sense.


    A young girl, probably around the age of ten or eleven, absentmindedly stared as Servi talked to herself. The only one that could hear Itarr was Servi, and the only way for Itarr to hear Servi was by talking out loud. While walking to the city, Servi attempted to speak to her by thinking, but that didn¡¯t work out. Yes, she looked weird talking to herself, but Servi didn¡¯t care.


    Shall we head to the Warden office?


    ¡°Alright.¡± With that, Servi took a right and started walking. She soon found herself in an intersection that was unlike the small one she was in before. This one was much bigger, with far more people rushing around. They all were trying to hastily reach their destination by any means necessary. It was hectic, but that didn¡¯t include the sheer amount of wagons vying for an opportunity to move while monopolizing most of the road. Horses and oxen tumbled and clashed body to body, getting their harnesses mixed up. The time spent undoing the ropes and untangling the animals resulted in impatient carriages trying to squeeze through what gaps they could find. And, of course, the chaos wasn''t complete without a barrage of curses and insults being thrown around.


    Servi avoided that whole mess by walking around the outside. It took a few minutes longer, but it saved her a headache.


    She found the sign after a few minutes of searching and followed it. After about ten or so minutes of walking, she found the building. It was the same one she fell in front of yesterday, the one with the wooden steps and handrails.


    I do believe this is the place. Itarr said to Servi as she gripped the rails, walked up the stairs, and pulled open the door.

 Book One – Chapter Three – Part One – Joining Warden, A New Friend, And A Loss Of Innocence.

    ¡°You know, I¡¯m not getting that many funny looks anymore,¡± Servi said to no one in particular as she stood in line. When she entered the building, she spotted a sign that said ¡®Join Here,¡¯ and she walked to the queued in the back of the line forming underneath it. About seven people were ahead of her, so she took the time to scout about since she couldn''t before.


    The beautiful mahogany wooden floor was as spotless as it was the day before. Servi could feel the wonderful smell of detergent used to wash the floor invade her noise. It was like the smell of soap and burnt forest were fighting, trying to reign supreme. In the end, soap won.


    From what I gathered by looking around the place, it¡¯s not exactly out of place to be dressed like you. Many people have armor and a weapon equipped.


    Servi had to agree with Itarr.  Scaled being with claw-like weapons attached to their forearms were the slightest frightening thing she saw. It was like weapons were being given away based on how many people had them.


    I wonder...am I the only killer here? Servi thought.


    After around fifteen minutes, there was only one more person ahead of her. She was a girl, somewhere around the age of 18 or 19. She was a Singi-- a cat person-- and had hair that came down to just below her shoulder blades. It flowed like the falling petals of a cherry blossom: a beautiful and serene pink that brought a certain calmness to Servi¡¯s heart. Every time the girl spoke, her ears and tail, also pink, twitched slightly. She had on a red vest with a white undershirt tucked into her black pants. Chain mail could be seen under the vest but over the white shirt. It was an odd look, for sure. She wore black socks with black boots that had a pink cat embroidered on them.  A thin longsword dangled from her hip in a black sheath, and a black messenger bag hugged her shoulder. Servi had to fight back the urge to touch the tail and ears.


    ¡°Excuse me, next in line?¡± a voice brought Servi out of her wondrous dream of furry tails and fluffy ears. She looked up at the speaker, and to her surprise, it was the woman with the red hair with pointy ears.


    ¡°Yes, you. Can I help you?¡± the Elf asked as Servi walked forwards. Her red eyes glanced to the woman''s chest, eying a little patch with the name ''Claire'' written on it.


    ¡°Hello, I want to join Warden,¡± Servi said.


    ¡°Okay. I need to see your ID.¡±


    ¡°Here you go,¡± Servi handed it to her.


    ¡°Servi¡­. That name sounds familiar¡­" the Elf touched a slender hand to her chin.  "Hey, you were in here yesterday, right?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Nope. Today is my first day here.  I''m new to the area.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯m pretty sure I saw you yesterday. You came in and spoke to me in a weird language. Then you tossed me your ID.¡±


    ¡°Nope. That wasn¡¯t me. It might have been someone who looked like me.¡± Servi spoke with a bit of an edge in her voice. The reception caught on to it and dropped the subject.


    She smiled. ¡°You¡¯re right. It must have been my mistake. Now, what all do you know about Warden?¡±


    ¡°Not much. As I said, I¡¯m new to the area, and today is the first time I¡¯ve ever heard of it.¡±


    Claire explained the guild as if she was speaking to a toddler. ¡°Warden is a peacekeeping organization created by the few Gods that came down to the world. If one wishes, they can sign up by registering their ID to become a member.  By becoming a member and completing quests, a person can earn points called Potential. When enough Potential is earned, a person can spend it to learn skills. The skills that available to learn are dependent on your current Rank. Do you understand so far?¡± she asked with a practiced smile.


    Well, that lined up with what we saw in the ID this morning, but that was the second time Warden was described to us as a peacekeeping organization. Itarr offered her own commentary.


    ¡°Okay, I understand that much,¡± Servi nodded, and Claire continued.


    ¡°There are eleven ranks that Warden offers. The lower the Rank, the stronger you are considered to be.  They are numbered from Rank 10 to Rank 0. The highest Rank a member can reach by normal means is Rank 1. Rank 0 is reserved only for those who save the entire planet from a world-ending threat, like defeating a Demon Lord or an Elder Dragon, and therefore, they can only be reached by the strongest of the strongest.  As of right now, there are very few living Rank 0 members. That''s partly due to the absolute herculean effort required and the fact that currently, there isn¡¯t a world-ending threat. Are you still with me? Any questions?¡± Once again, she asked with a smile.


    I wonder what Rank we can achieve? If I had to guess, I believe we would hit Rank 1. You and I would have to get stronger to reach that level, though. Itarr was right. Rank 1 was home to the mightiest members of Warden. And of those, very few were capable of reaching that fabled Rank 0.


    ¡°So if I¡¯m getting this right, if I want to learn a skill that requires me to be Rank 9, then I need to be Rank 9 before I can buy it using Potential?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. In fact, skills that can be bought only show up if they are available to learn. In summary, if you can see it on your ID, you only need to save up Potential to buy it.  Oh, and I forgot to mention this, but if you want, you can use Potential to enhance the skills you have instead of buying a new one. For example, if you have Fire Wall, which is a Rank 9 skill I highly recommend, you can make it into Fire Wall +1, and it¡¯ll be stronger."


    So that means that we can learn every skill that we saw, even the Rank 0 skills? You and I should go through it later and check them out. I wonder why we have access to them? Servi thought that Itarr made a good point. Why, indeed, did they show up? She wasn¡¯t even a Warden member, but apparently, that rule didn¡¯t apply to her.  It might have been because Itarr was a Goddess.  Because of that, there was a chance she had a say in the creation of the Skill System.  In that case, would it not be prudent to think that she held an administrative role in it? That would certainly explain a great deal of things.


    ¡°I see,¡± Servi nodded.


    The Elf cleared her throat before she continued. ¡°I see here that you are not blessed. It is company policy to give a warning to all who want to join but aren¡¯t blessed. You might have a tougher time when searching for a party. Most parties would choose someone blessed over someone who isn¡¯t, but don¡¯t take it to heart. Once you complete a few quests, you should have enough Potential saved up to learn a skill or two. With enough practice and perseverance, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find some trustworthy people to party up with. Did you understand that?¡±


    It was a bit longwinded, but I believe I have the gist of it. If you need to hear it again, let me know.


    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±


    ¡°Very good. Now, if I can get you to sign your name on this paper. It says that I have explained what Warden is and that you acknowledged that explanation along with the warning I gave earlier. Do that, and I¡¯ll hand you some money, and you¡¯ll be free to go,¡± she bent down in the chair and pulled out a document and a small bag from underneath the desk. She kept the pouch in her lap while placing the contract on the table.


    ¡°Is it a gift?¡± Servi asked, puzzled as she stared at the little bag that was sitting in Claire¡¯s lap.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a gift but a loan of 50 dupla. It¡¯s enough to buy some cheap armor and a weapon at our store. It¡¯s just up those stairs over there are against the wall. We do have an inn if you¡¯re interested. That¡¯s on the third floor. If you wish to know more, ask the Innkeeper. Once you start turning in quests, the guild will keep a portion of your reward and put it towards paying back the loan. Once the loan is paid off, you will get the full monetary reward,¡± Claire explained.


    Servi turned her head and saw the stairs Claire was talking about. She then turned back around.


    That doesn¡¯t exactly sound right. Getting a loan from Warden and spending it at a Warden-owned shop? Wouldn¡¯t they get the money back when you spend it? Once again, Itarr offered her thoughts on the topic.


    ¡°I see,¡± Servi nodded as she signed her name. It was only her first name since she didn¡¯t know her last. Perhaps that was normal since Claire didn''t ask for one.


    Claire scanned the paper with her eyes and smiled before pulling out a small match. She lit it, causing a trembling red flame to come alive. She touched the signed document to the flame, burning it, and allowed the ashes to drop onto Servi¡¯s ID. The moment it landed, the ID absorbed the ashes and glowed slightly.


    She handed it back to Servi with a smile and laid the pouch of dupla on the table.


    ¡°Congratulations, you are now a Rank 10 member of Warden,¡± she pointed over to the wall that had a giant piece of wood divided into eleven sections. ¡°That is our quest board. We put up new quests every day at 10 am. As a Rank 10, you are only allowed to undertake quests that are in the section labeled ''Rank 10.'' Once you find one you like, you can take it over to one of the eight windows. They can help you with the process of accepting and reporting a quest. Is there anything else I can help you with?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. Thank you,¡± Servi said as she picked up her ID and the bag of dupla. She held it near her body with the back of her hand facing away.  A moment later, it disappeared after being absorbed inside her ring.


    ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. When you summon your ID, press your finger to the word ¡®Warden,¡¯ and a skill list will pop up with the skills you can learn. Your current Potential will be displayed there as well.  Since you''re a new member, it should say 0,¡± Claire added on.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Servi said to Claire as she focused on listening to Itarr.


    This bag contains fifty ''dupla.'' I don¡¯t know if that is a lot or not, but that seems to be what the currency is called.


    Servi never thought about removing items from a bag while it was stored in her ring, but now was the perfect time to do a little bit of experimentation. She attempted to take a single dupla out of her red ring from within the pouch and discovered that she could. A metal coin rested within her clenched hands. It had a ¡®1¡¯ engraved on it, and it was cold to the touch.


    Servi also discovered her ring only glowed red when absorbing either a soul or a large object. She could use a small pouch as a proxy to retrieve items from her ring without anyone knowing as long as they were small enough.


    ¡°Have a wonderful day, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°You too,¡± Servi said, walking away.


    Servi looked at her ID and confirmed it said Rank 10 on it. A new section was also added. Right below the Rank, there was a line that said ¡®Loan Amount: 50 dupla.'' However, there wasn¡¯t anything like a time limit next to it, so Servi didn¡¯t know how much time she had left to pay it. She wasn¡¯t worried, though.  With her Absorption, it was possible to outright steal the money from passing strangers and use that to pay it back.  If that didn''t work, she could kidnap someone who looked rich and get the money that way.  Servi didn''t want to be a thief. But from what happened so far in her life, she had to look after herself. She only had one ally in the world, and that was Itarr.


    The world had many chances to prove itself to Servi, and it had yet to do so in a way that made her feel safe.  To her, it was like the world thrived on survival of the fittest.


    She pressed her finger to the word ¡®Warden,¡¯ and her ID switched to the two-column layout. It was mostly the same. The only difference being that Rank 10 was showing, and she had no Potential. Not to mention the fact that the Learned category was empty. Servi was about to panic when Itarr spoke to her.


    Since I can choose how much is displayed. I will keep it legitimate for the time being. Do not fret. You still have access to the skills you know, and you still have the same amount of Potential. They are only hidden from view. Whenever you want to look at and learn a skill from the other ranks, let me know.


    ¡°Okay.  Thank you,¡± Servi said quietly so no one but the Goddess could hear.


    She dropped the ID to the floor. Before it landed on the ground, it transformed into red dust that was absorbed by her body. She then walked over towards the quest board.


    After arriving, she moved over to the section that was furthest to the left. Rank 10 was written in big black letters above it. Surprisingly, it was empty save for one person. It was the Singi that was in front of Servi. Her pink tail swished through the air as she read over the finer details of each quest.


    ¡°Hmm, should I take this one or this one? Or maybe even this one?¡± she said in a singsong-like voice. Servi walked up, standing beside her, and tried to find a suitable introductory mission. Though she tried to be subtle about it, Servi noticed a set of blue eyes were stealing little glimpses at her.


    It seems that there is a task to kill giant rats in the sewers and bring back their claws. I would suggest that one. Itarr said.


    ¡°Sounds good to me, I¡¯ll take it,¡± Servi reached out to grab the quest paper and made her way to the only available window, leaving the pink Singi behind. Three people were in front of her. While she waited, Servi took out her ID and looked at the Rank 10 skills. But before she had a chance to do it, the catgirl walked up behind her.


    ¡°Hiya! You were behind me in line earlier, right? So you''re a newbie as well?!¡± she asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet as her ears twitched.


    ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± Servi said, a bit surprised. She couldn¡¯t help but stare at the dazzling smile on the girl¡¯s face. It was mesmerizing.


    ¡°That¡¯s cool. What¡¯s your name? My name¡¯s Momo. Is this your first quest? Hey, what quest did you pick?¡±


    This ''Momo'' talks very fast, doesn''t she?


    ¡°My name is Servi, and yeah, this is my first quest. I have to kill rats and bring back their claws,¡± the super bright and cheerful attitude sort of irritated Servi, but she still kept a smile on her face as she replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s the same one I chose! Hey, do you wanna party up?¡± Momo clapped her hands together as she waited for a response.


    ¡°Err, sorry, but I¡¯m not blessed,¡± Servi said.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, neither am I. That¡¯s why I joined Warden. My grandpa could use all of these amazing skills, and I want to learn them, too. He¡¯s strong, you know. Managed to reach Rank 3 before he retired. He¡¯s my hero. So how about it?!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but how about next time?¡±


    Momo¡¯s ears drooped, her tail stopped moving, and a sad frown appeared on her face. The happy atmosphere that seemed to radiate from a humanoid-sized bundle of joy had all but disappeared. Servi instantly felt like someone took a dagger to her heart because she turned the Singi down.


    ¡°Oh...okay... I¡¯m sorry for bothering you.¡± Momo stopped talking and stared at the ground.  She stole tiny glances at Servi, but that was all.  The thought of asking again never crossed her mind.


    Why did you say no?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­.probably because I absorb the soul of those I kill? I mean, how can I explain that to her if she asks? Or the fact that I can¡¯t die,¡± Servi murmured, barely above a whisper.


    You have a point, but not once did I say you have to keep it a secret.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Servi thought hard about what to do. She could party up with Momo, and the only thing she needed to hide was her immortality.  In her mind, that was the only thing that needed to stay a secret, no matter what. Servi believed she could come up with a good enough lie to explain the soul absorption. And if that didn''t work, she could just deny it and pretend it didn''t exist. After all, she had been lying since the moment she arrived in the city.


    If she did party up with Momo, she could ask her for information about the city and such, and Servi wanted someone she could call a friend. It was true she had Itarr, but she wanted someone to hug and touch. She wanted a friend who was physical and not a voice in her head.


    Servi turned around and took a look at the girl standing behind her.  Her eyes only saw the wooden floor below, but she didn''t dare to look up.  Momo wanted to, but she refrained from doing so. Even her hyperactive tail stopped swaying from side to side.


    With a deep breath, Servi spoke. ¡°Hey, you said your name was Momo, right?¡± the person in question looked up, nodding her head as her ears twitched. ¡°Sorry about before, I declined because I have no experience. I didn¡¯t want to be dead weight and cause more trouble than good. But if you would have me, I would like to join your party. I don¡¯t know anyone here, and I shouldn¡¯t pass up a chance to make a friend,¡± Servi said as she held out her hand. She waited for Momo¡¯s response.


    The frown instantly turned into a smile as happiness came back to her face. With surprising haste, she hugged Servi. ¡°Thank you!  Thank you! I promise I won¡¯t let you down!¡± Momo¡¯s tail swooshed happily back and forth. The smile attached to her face seemed to be permanent.


    ¡°Uhhh¡­ Same here. I¡¯ll do my best to pull my weight,¡± Servi said as she hugged Momo back. She was warm to the touch, and Servi smelled the scent of sweet-smelling fruit coming from that soft, pink hair.


    ¡°Next, please! If you two would stop bugging and hugging and holding up the line, you could already be out there hunting.¡±


    An elderly voice came from the window and scolded the two new friends.  Momo had dried blood stuck to her vest from the embrace, but it seemed like she didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Servi apologized quietly and quickly backed off from the hug.


    ¡°Hehe,¡± Momo giggled, slightly red from blushing.


    I''ve only just arrived, and now I have a friend! Momo''s mind instantly became occupied by pure happiness and joy.


    She walked to the window with Momo by her side and laid down the quest paper.  The old woman grabbed it from the small rectangular hole at the bottom.


    ¡°Claire said you would talk to me about accepting and reporting quests?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Hand me your ID,¡± the old woman asked. Her tired and withered face was full of wrinkles and liver spots.


    Servi did as the woman asked and gave it to her. Afterwards, she snapped her finger, and a small red flame danced above it. She burned the paper, and the ashes fell to the ID.  Instead of dirtying its red surface,  the ashes disappeared on contact.


    How strange that she didn¡¯t need to use that match...


    ¡°This how you accept quests. You bring the paper to us at the window, and we burn it. The ashes fall and are absorbed by the ID. If you look at it, you will see the description, objective, and Potential earned in the empty space below your Warden Rank. For example, this quest requires that you enter the sewers, obtain 16 giant rat claws. The reward is 1 Potential and 15 dupla. Understood?¡±


    Servi nodded.


    ¡°Once you have the claws, come back to Warden and get in line at a window. To officially complete the quest, you need to hand over the items required by the quest and your ID. If the objects are too big, then set them outside, and an employee will be with you soon. Before I forget, here are your dog tags. Keep it around your neck at all times because they¡¯re used to identify your body. It has your name and Rank. When you go up in Rank, you get a new one. One more thing; if you see one hanging on a dead body, bring it to the nearest Warden office as soon as you can. Understood?¡±


    Servi nodded once again.


    How did she know to have these ''dog tags'' prepared for us? Itarr asked.  It was a minor-enough question, but it was one she could live without knowing the answer to.


    ¡°Just for the record, an entrance to the sewers is located behind the office. Just head outside and walk around the back. You can¡¯t miss it,¡± the woman handed Servi a necklace with two dog tags, which she promptly clasped around her neck. "Understood?¡±


    For the third time, Servi nodded.


    ¡°Keep in mind that there is a punishment for failing or abandoning a question without a good reason. The first time is a warning. The second time is a loss of Potential. The third time is a demotion. The fourth time is a double demotion. The fifth time is a permanent ban and expulsion from Warden. Understood?¡±


    Will this woman ever stop speaking? She has more to say than our new friend!


    ¡°Another thing: there is to be no violence between members inside the office. If you have grief with someone, keep it outside. You can kill each other for all I care. Just don¡¯t do it in the building because that¡¯s an immediate demotion for both parties responsible. Got it?¡±


    Servi nodded for what felt like the fiftieth time. She tried to get a word in, but she was cut off.


    ¡°Now you know how the process works. Next!¡± the old woman waved Servi away.


    A bit rude, I think, Itarr said.


    Servi moved away from the window and sat down on a bench. A few minutes later, Momo walked up with a hop in her step. Two shiny new dog tags sat around her slender and smooth neck. Other than the Warden Rank on their ID, a dog tag was definite proof that one had joined Warden.


    ¡°Look! I have one!!¡± she pinched the silver surface between her fingers.  "Is there anything you need to do before we head out?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°There is,¡± Servi pointed to her current attire. ¡°I need to use the money Warden loaned me to get a weapon and armor. I was attacked on the way here, and this is all I have left." Servi ran a hand up and down her body, displaying her lack of clothing, weaponry, and items.


    ¡°My goodness, are you okay? Did they hurt you? Who was it?¡± Momo assaulted Servi with questions.


    Servi held her hands out. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It was some crazy woman who controlled these flying monsters.  My clothes were damaged, and my shirt is little more than a napkin. That¡¯s why I¡¯m wearing this breastplate. I¡¯m hoping to get something lighter,"  Servi tapped the metal armor with a finger.


    ¡°Thank goodness you weren''t hurt. Let¡¯s head to the shop.¡±


    Servi stood up off the bench and followed Momo over to the stairs. Ascending them, they found themselves on the second level of the building. The stairs to their left led up to the third floor, the inn, while the second floor was one giant shop.

 Book One – Chapter Three – Part Two – Joining Warden, A New Friend, And A Loss Of Innocence.

    Walking around, Servi spotted all kinds of armor and weapons and supplies such as rope, oil, and bandages.


    A decent amount of Warden members looked around at the different merchandise, so Momo and Servi decided to join them. First, they made their way over to the clothing section for a moment. It was divided further into two more departments: one for males and one for females.


    As Momo and Servi were chatting and looking at clothes, an employee walked up to them.


    ¡°Hello, ladies, am I correctly assuming that you are searching for armor?¡± she asked in an overly cheerful and enthusiastic tone. The employee was sharply dressed. A form-fitting blouse and black pencil skirt hugged her mature body, catching the lustful gaze of both men and women.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I joined today, and I¡¯m looking for a decent set. I was attacked earlier, and what I have on is all I have to my name.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, how tragic! Well, come with me, and I¡¯ll get you armored up. Are you looking for something light like what your friend has on, or do you want something a bit heavier,¡± she pointed to Momo, who smiled and patted her tail.


    ¡°I was thinking about a set of leather armor. Something flexible and not too heavy.¡±


    Honestly, Servi wanted to grab something and leave. All she wanted was something that covered her body.


    ¡°Of course,¡± the employee took her by the hand and led her over to three mannequins that displayed three sets of armor.


    The one that caught her eye had a brown chest plate that came over the shoulder. It came with a thin green undershirt.  A fluffy cloak, the same color as the shirt, had a little hook to attach to the back of the chest plate.  Two leather greaves sat on each forearm, and the hands were protected by black gloves. The pants were brown and reinforced by four leather plates, two for each leg, and they were held against the wearer''s waist by a belt with two pouches. A black boot protected each foot from the elements. Underneath all of that, a thin piece of chainmail offered a final layer of protection.


    Servi didn¡¯t need to see any other option because she had made her choice.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take this one. How much?¡± Servi asked, interrupting the employee. She lost her composure, built from years of working, and stuttered.


    ¡°Umm..it¡¯s...30 dupla,¡± she struggled to get the words out.  Servi said that was fine.


    Usually, a customer wanted to see more than one product before deciding on something.


    ¡°Excellent choice, ma¡¯am. Now, if you can come with me, I¡¯ll measure you. We have a few sets of this armor package in storage, but we need your size to grab the right one,¡± Servi nodded and followed the employee to a changing room. She closed the curtain, and the employee asked her to get undressed.


    She thought that was a bit weird, but she began to manually undress.


    Standing naked, Servi watched as the employee retrieved a measuring tape from a nearby table and started the process. Reflexively, she used her arms and hands to cover her chest and crotch.


    The tape was cold and soft, which surprised Servi as the employee measured her bust, waist, hips, and other areas. After she was done, Servi''s cheeks were the same color as an apple.


    The employee picked up on that. ¡°We¡¯re both women.  You don''t have to be embarrassed. Anyway, you can get dressed. I¡¯ll head to the back and get your armor, then you can change into it," she said with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Servi said, putting her scraps of clothing back on. She left the breastplate she had acquired unequipped and off to the side.


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome.¡±


    After waiting for her to get dressed, the employee left the changing room and returned a few minutes later.


    As she sat the armor pieces on a nearby table, the employee passed a few matching pairs of pink, red, white, and black underwear to Servi, who confusingly stared at them.


    ¡°Consider that a gift from me,¡± she said with a wink as she left the dressing room.


    Servi thanked the woman and undressed again.


    She grabbed the pink panties and raised her leg, sliding it through. She did the same with her other leg. The smooth material felt good as it slid up her thighs, and Servi was happy that she finally had underwear on. When she undressed, the employee probably noticed that she didn¡¯t have any and gave the undergarments to her out of pity.


    Next was the matching pink bra. She wrapped it around her ribs and hooked it. Then rotated it so that the cups were in front. Next, she put the straps over her shoulders while setting her rich bosom, big and soft in her hands, in the cups. After making some minor adjustments and making sure that nothing was twisted, she looked in the body mirror, and for the first time, she thought she was cute. The pink underwear enriched her porcelain-like white skin, which sharply contrasted against her black hair and red eyes. It brought a gentle yet sad smile to her face. She felt like it wasn¡¯t her, but at the same time, the girl knew it was her. It was a paradoxical feeling, like being at home in a body one knew they didn''t belong in.


    After that, she absorbed her newly bought armor and used her ring to equip it. Crouching and stretching, the armor was neither too tight nor too loose. It was nearly a perfect fit. It was a little tight, but it wouldn''t cause her any discomfort. After making a few minor adjustments to the belt, Servi took out the bag of coins from her ring and stored it in one of her pouches. Then she picked up the discarded metal breastplate and carried it under her arm. Before pulling back the curtain and walking out, she stowed the rest of the underwear in her ring for safekeeping.


    ¡°Servi, you look like a whole new person!¡± Momo clapped as Servi walked out of the changing room.  After doing a little spin to show off the new armor to her new party member, the pencil skirt-wearing employee wandered back over.


    ¡°She¡¯s right. How does it feel? Is it too tight or loose? We do have more sizes in the back,¡± the employee asked.


    ¡°It feels perfect. I¡¯ll take it,¡± Servi said.


    ¡°Very well. What else can I help you with?¡±


    ¡°Well, I was planning on getting a spare set of regular clothes and a weapon, but I only have 20 dupla left,¡± Servi reached in her pouch and took out 30 dupla.  The employee graciously took it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but a set of clothes and a weapon would run more than 20 dupla. Now, if you want, you can take out another loan,¡± the woman said.


    ¡°Servi, I can lend you the money. How much do you need?¡± Momo said as she opened her bag. Servi shook her head.


    ¡°I appreciate it, but you don¡¯t have to do that. I¡¯ll just take another loan.¡±


    ¡°Alrighty, but if you need some money, let me know!¡± Momo spoke with a happy tone, but the subtle frown on her face didn''t match her voice.


    ¡°Very well, follow me over to the counter, and I¡¯ll have someone prepare the money and the loan document while you two look around.¡±


    The two nodded and followed the employee. At the counter, she told a younger employee to prepare a loan of 50 dupla and the document needed. While he did so, Servi and Momo gathered around a rack of clothes.


    ¡°Servi, can I help? My grandpa said I¡¯m good at picking clothes!¡± Momo energetically said as she swiped through the shirts, blouses, pants, and skirts. All the while, her tail never stopped swishing through the air. "Err-- I''m sorry! I mean, we''re strangers, so why--"


    ¡°I don''t mind.  I lost everything I had, but this is the perfect time to get a new wardrobe.  Truth be told, I don''t know that about fashion. Thank you, Momo,¡± Servi smiled at the Singi, who was full of energy.


    "Oh, umm...you''re welcome!"


    Servi sat down on a bench while Momo searched through the racks. After all was said and done, she picked out two outfits. One was a frilly red dress that came to just above Servi¡¯s knees. When wearing it, she felt like a princess. The other was far more casual, a red and white button-down shirt with black pants accompanied by blue overalls. Momo also picked out a pair of red-heeled shoes to go with the dress and a set of black-heeled boots with black socks to wear with the overalls.


    "I hope you like them!" she chirped.


    "I do. Thank you, Momo," Servi said, smiling.


    The two friends brought the outfits up to the counter where the employee was waiting.


    ¡°The two outfits cost 20 dupla each, for a total of 40. You have 20 dupla leftover from before. Adding in the loaned 50 and removing the 40, you have 30 dupla left to spend. If you want a health potion, that is 10 dupla. A stay at the inn upstairs is another 10. That leaves me with 10 left to buy a weapon. Now, we do have a weapon that cheap. It¡¯s a staff located over there,¡± the employee pointed over to a literal wall of weapons and went to retrieve a potion from behind the counter but stopped when Servi started speaking.


    ¡°How important is the potion? I was gonna ignore it and use the extra 10 towards a good weapon.¡±


    ¡°It is important if you don¡¯t have any healing skills. There have been many cases in which a person lacked the Skill Energy to use Remedium, and drinking a health potion was the only thing that kept them alive. In addition, we also have a few Skill Energy Potions in stock. As the name suggests, they accelerate your Skill Energy Regeneration. However, they are 25 dupla for one," the employee put a bit of caution in her voice. It was almost as if she had seen that exact scenario happen in front of her.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll take a health potion,¡± Servi begrudgingly said. After thinking a bit, getting a potion was perfect. Right now, she was supposed to not have any skills, and she had to keep immortality a secret. So if she got hurt, she could use the potion as a pretext for her immortality.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take two!¡± Momo said as she threw up two fingers.


    ¡°Very well. If you two would like to look around, I¡¯ll go and bag this up. Also, your loan is ready, so when you pick a weapon, come back here, and I¡¯ll get you all squared away,¡±


    Momo pulled out one dupla from a tiny pouch that she retrieved from her messenger bag.  It had a ¡®20¡¯ printed on it, and she handed it to the employee, who gave her back a receipt and two potions. Bright red and in small vials, it reminded Servi of blood trapped in test tubes. According to the employee, a single tonic was equal to three uses of Remedium. She also mentioned that rapid use of one within a short amount of time decreases its effectiveness. After thanking the employee for the lesson, Momo deposited the two vials in her black bag for safekeeping.


    Hmm, it appears that different coins have different values. Itarr was right. Dupla came in denominations numbering 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, and 1000. However, most people would only ever see coins up to 100. 500 and 1000 were reserved only for nobles, royalty, and high-ranking Warden members.


    The two made their way over to the weapon wall and started browsing. The mightiest weapons for sale had unique effects.  One red sword contained an enchantment to launch a ball of fire when swung.  There was a beautiful bow Servi saw. It was blue, like ice, and sharp icicles dangled from the two limbs.  The string was a solid piece of flexible ice, created by the ice spirit living inside. Any arrow fired from it took on the properties of ice. Unfortunately, it had an asking price of 30,000 dupla.


    The higher-end weapons had the best display, and they were in the center of the wall.  The cheaper weapons were located further away from the center. Ranged weapons, like bows, arrows, magical staffs, and wands, were to the left. Close-ranged weapons like swords, daggers, physical staffs, and axes were to the right. But the less desirable weapons were nowhere within her range.  A rusted sword with a chipped blade ran more than 20 dupla.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a weapon for 10 dupla,¡± Momo said as her ears drooped. She looked hard.  Tiny droplets of sweat flowed down her neck and into her chest. Wiping herself off, she looked over at Servi.


    ¡°There has to be. The employee said there was so it has to be her¡ªoh found it,¡± there it was, hidden amongst swords and axes: a wooden staff around a meter and a half long. A sticker with the number ¡®10¡¯ was taped to it. Servi went to pick it up, and it felt just like she thought it would. Cheap. But Servi had a plan. If she could kill a rat, she could use her ring to take out a sword and pretend she found it.


    ¡°¡­.Are you sure you want this?¡± Momo asked as she walked over. ¡°It¡¯s just a stick that looks like a staff. I can give you some money for a better weapon.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, and I appreciate it, but I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Servi said. She went quiet for a moment, then continued. ¡°If I do get in trouble and the weapon breaks, you can save me, right? And when I get a proper weapon, I can save you if you get in trouble. Besides, if I can distract the rats, you can finish them off with your sword, right?  I¡¯ll put my trust in you.¡±


    Momo brightly smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right! You and I are friends and party members,¡± she puffed out her chest and put a hand to the hilt of her blade. ¡°I¡¯ll watch your back, and you can watch mine!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Now, let¡¯s pay for this and get a room at the inn. After that, we can finally start the quest.¡±


    Momo nodded, and Servi carried the stick-like staff up to the counter where the employee was standing.


    ¡°Now is this all?¡± she asked with a perfect smile.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Servi replied.


    ¡°Okay, so you gave me 30 for the armor, and here is your loan,¡± she placed a small bag that held 50 dupla on the counter. ¡°The two set outfits plus the shoes are 40. The potion and weapon are another 20. Combined together, that brings your balance 60 dupla. With the 50 dupla from the loan, your total is 10 dupla.


    Servi retrieved 10 dupla from her coin pouch and laid them on the counter. The employee took the coins and the bag, replacing them with a document that Servi signed. With a quick snap, an ember of fire the size of a dupla erupted to life above the employee''s finger.  After asking for Servi''s ID, the employee burned the document and allowed the ID to absorb the ashes that fell.


    Servi picked it up and saw it had updated to say ¡®Loan Amount: 100 dupla.¡¯ After this, the woman gave Servi a receipt. Servi stored it in her pouch and absorbed it.


    Servi realized that she could use the pouch as a proxy to store and retrieve items from her ring. As long as they were small enough to fit in the pouch, that is.


    Servi received her bag of clothes and the potion, which she put in her second pouch. She thought about storing it in her ring but decided against it.  If possible, Servi wanted to keep as many of her unique abilities hidden.


    With one hand holding a bag of clothes and the other grasping a staff while carrying the metal breastplate, Servi left the shop and went to the third floor with Momo.


    ¡°Wow! This place is so big! Is this really the inn?!¡± Momo said with sparkles in her eyes. It¡¯s true. The inn rather sizable because it spanned three floors. The 3rd floor had the check-in counter, the 4th floor had the kitchen and dining tables, and the 5th floor had the bathing area. Though it was a floor away, the food, which was in the process of being baked, grilled, and fried, smelled heavenly and divine. Momo started to drool a little as she thought about the feast above her. When Servi pointed this out, she went red in the cheeks and wiped her mouth with a cute handkerchief she pulled from her bag.


    I''m starting to like Momo.  She''s cheerful and happy.


    ¡°Same,¡± Servi said under her breath.


    There was a line to check-in, so Servi and Momo headed to the back of it and chatted while they waited.


    ¡°So what made you want to join Warden?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°Well, I needed some money and a place to stay. And I guess getting stronger wouldn''t hurt. The last thing I want to do is get attacked and lose everything again. You said you joined because of your grandpa?


    You''re committed to the lie, aren''t you? I guess it''s a good cover story.


    Servi ignored Itarr.


    Momo nodded. ¡°Yep! When he wanted to join Warden, this is where he went. I wanted to follow in his footsteps. He¡¯s super strong and powerful, you know," she said with a smile. Her blue eyes seemed to glow even brighter whenever she spoke about him.  A few seconds later, the Singi continued to smile, but she fidgeted her fingers together and acted like she wanted to ask a favor.


    Hmm, I think she wants to ask you something.


    ¡°Momo, is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Umm, if it''s not too much trouble, and if you don¡¯t mind, I was maybe thinking that we could get strong together. I mean, from what I heard from my grandpa, it¡¯s good to have a friend to train with. You know, so we can motivate each other,¡± Momo went red in the face and spoke faster. ¡°But that¡¯s if you want to. I don¡¯t want to pressure you into doing anyt¡ª Ouch! I bit my tongue¡­¡± tears welled up in Momo¡¯s blue eyes.


    Servi giggled. ¡°Momo, I think that¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? Yay!!¡± Momo softly smiled, and she wiped the tears from her eyes.


    Crying over that, huh? Servi thought before she spoke. ¡°I am serious, but we can talk more about that later. Right now, let¡¯s focus on getting a room and finishing the quest," she figured it couldn''t hurt to make friends in a city. After all, even a newborn baby had more information than she did.


    ¡°Right!¡±


    And with that exchange, Servi and Momo were next in line. The Innkeeper, a stout dwarf, stood behind a counter that was almost as tall as he was. His red beard flowed down to his chest, and a ripped shirt exposed his thick brown arms grown strong by a lifetime of mining.


    ¡°Welcome to the inn! The name¡¯s Rakred, can I help ye with anythin¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like a room,¡± Servi said, handing him 10 dupla. ¡°Oh yeah, how much for a bath and food?¡±


    ¡°A bath and a meal ticket will run ye an extra 10.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just take the room.¡±


    ¡°Ye sure? Our meat is from a farm not that far away, and it¡¯s always fresh. The fish is caught daily from that lake right on down the road. And our baths have a healing property that washes away stress. Also, ye can get quite a lot of food from a food ticket. An entr¨¦e, two sides, and a drink. Ye sure ye don¡¯t want it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Besides, I don¡¯t have the money,¡±


    ¡°Aye, here¡¯s ye key. The room number is on it. If ye get the coin for a meal or a bath, come back.¡±


    Servi thanked him and sat down on a nearby chair while she waited for Momo.


    ¡°What about a bath and dinner?¡± Momo asked when she walked over. She had a metal key and two pieces of paper in her hands.


    ¡°When we finish the quest, I¡¯ll use the reward for that. And yes, I know you can loan me the money, but I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll trust in our ability to finish the quest.¡±


    ¡°Right! So what now?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s put our stuff up in our rooms, and we can meet downstairs in about ten minutes. That sound good?


    ¡°Yep! So I¡¯ll see you in ten minutes?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Momo waved and went to the fourth floor, while Servi stayed on the third and walked over to her door.  She opened it after setting a few of her items on the floor.


    Is this worth 10 dupla? To be honest, I don''t understand why things are priced the way they are. I can understand why dinner and a bath would cost the same as a room, but why would two sets of clothes be more than that? Shelter more important than clothes, correct?


    ¡°It''s far more important.  But still, Claire should have known that 50 dupla wasn¡¯t enough to get started,¡± Servi said, staring at a room that wouldn''t even be worth the stick she carried.


    The room was probably twice the size of the prison cell-like seal that contained Itarr. A mattress laid flat on the wooden floor. It was accompanied by a small dresser pressed against the wall. That same wall held a small window, which let in beautiful sunlight. A single thin blanket sat in the middle of the floor.


    Well, you have a window,  Itarr said. She was referring to four glass panels nearby, but they were so dirty and small, it was impossible to see out of them.


    ¡°Such a pathetic room,¡± Servi said out loud as she walked inside and closed the door. Dust flew up and tickled her nose, causing her to sneeze.


    Are you going to leave your stuff here?


    ¡°Not in a million years. I don¡¯t even think I¡¯ll sleep here,¡± Servi stored her bag of clothes and breastplate in her ring but left her weapon leaning against the wall.


    So we have a few minutes¡­ What do you think about Momo?


    Servi walked over to the blanket. It was small and thin and wouldn¡¯t even cover her body. Sighing, she picked it up. It wasn''t smooth to the touch, and it felt gritty, like sandpaper. Tossing it on the bed, she plopped down on it.


    ¡°She seems like a nice person. A bit overly happy and chatty, but I like her.¡±


    Were you serious about training with her? You do realize that you¡¯re stronger than her, right?


    ¡°I am if I¡¯m using skills, but I guarantee that she¡¯s better than me with a weapon. To be honest, I have no idea how to use that thing,¡± Servi pointed to her staff that was more of a weak stick. ¡°I don¡¯t know if her sword is for show, but I¡¯m hoping she can teach me something.¡±


    I see.


    Servi sighed. ¡°This might the start of a beautiful friendship, but I swear I need to keep an eye on her.¡±


    Oh? Why?


    ¡°Did you see how she kept trying to loan me dupla? If I had ill intentions, I would''ve taken advantage of her. I¡¯m afraid someone who is evil might take advantage of that kindness.¡±


    Fair enough. Momo does seem to be na?ve. I don¡¯t know how much I¡¯ll be able to help, but I¡¯ll keep an eye out for her as well. I must admit, she¡¯s growing on me.


    ¡°Thanks. Anyway, shall we get to it? We have a quest to complete.


    Very well. Is there anything I should do?


    Servi stood up and stretched. The lumpy old bed hurt her back. Suddenly, an idea came to her mind.


    ¡°Just wondering, but can you use skills?¡±


    A fist-sized Fire Wall appeared in front of her.


    Our souls are interconnected.  I can use any skill you can.


    ¡°I want you to keep an eye on Momo. If she¡¯s in danger, then I want you to protect her.


    I can do that, but what about you?


    ¡°We''re immortal, remember? I can take care of myself, but I probably won''t be able to keep an eye on Momo in battle.  If something sneaks up on her, make sure she doesn''t get hurt.¡±


    Very well.


    With her stick in one hand, Servi left her room, locked it, stored her key in her ring, and went downstairs.


    Looking around the lobby, Claire no longer manned the signup desk. Instead, she was seated behind one of the eight windows. The tables and desks littered around the floor were all filled to the brim with warriors of all Ranks. Servi correctly assumed they were used for parties to meet up and get organized before going out on quests.  She wondered if that would be her someday in the future.


    I guess it would be nice. I have no memories, so I don''t really have a commitment to anything. That doesn''t mean I don''t want to regain my memories... I do...but I don''t even know where to start. It really does feel like I''m in wonderland, surrounded by mystical beings and otherworldly races. I''m going to have to watch what I say because common knowledge is something I do not have.


    Seems like the place is starting to get full. Itarr said. Servi nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take this seat next to the stairs.  We won''t miss Momo that way.¡± Servi sat her butt down and hugged her weapon like a teddy bear. Seeing the mass of bodies, some of which were made up from scales and fur, nearly hypnotized Servi as they hastily wandered back and forth between tables and the quest wall. It didn''t take her long to realize Kobolds had booming voices.  It was like listening to a bear or some other large beast growl. Likewise, Singi, more often than not, had the highest-pitch voice and couldn''t seem to stand still longer than a few seconds.


    Koena and Humans were in the middle in terms of voice pitch, and they were generally around the same height. The only differences were visual, with one having skin and the other scales. Dwarves and Elves were a different story, with one being taller and slimmer and the other shorter and stubbier. The two races couldn''t be any more different if they tried.  One enjoyed the calmness that nature brought to the world, and the other lived to mine, uprooting the calmness Elves yearned in the search for rocks and quality jewels. In the past, it wasn''t uncommon to see rolling gangs of either race assaulting or committing crimes against the other in the name of some grudge that couldn''t be left alone. In the present, however, most displeasure shared between the two had died out somewhat. Only those living in the most remote part of the world still harbor hatred for each other, meaning it wasn''t something most people needed to concern themselves with.


    I¡¯ll also keep a lookout.  Itarr said, joining Servi in casting a watchful eye for their new friend''s face.

 Book One – Chapter Three – Part Three – Joining Warden, A New Friend, And A Loss Of Innocence.

    After thirteen minutes, three minutes passed the agreed-upon ten minutes, Servi was starting to get worried.


    Why don¡¯t you take a look around? She might have come down before us.


    Servi did just that. Roaming through the lobby, Servi dipped and swerved and squeezed through the group of parties that were about to head out on their afternoon quests. It was currently 11:34 am, and the late morning and early noon happened to be the busiest time of the day. People were waking up, getting ready, and all trying to find a party at the same time and place as each other.


    It was chaos. And yet, that chaos is what people loved about Warden. The feeling of camaraderie and the fact that everyone was working together to make the world a better place was something everyone could get behind.


    Whether it was a quest to put down a rampaging dragon, a task to find a mystical ore in the bottom of a thousand-floor tower, or a helping an elderly lady with finding herbs, any mission that came through Warden needed to be completed.


    ¡°Excuse me, pardon me, my bad. Excuse me,¡± Servi apologized as she went, squeezing around Kobolds while doing her best to avoid running into anyone. Before long, she heard the familiar voice of her party member.  Unfortunately, it was followed by three she didn''t know.  A bad feeling welled up within Servi''s heart.


    ¡°Umm, I¡¯m waiting for a friend, so I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t leave. Please, I should be by the stairs looking for her. AHHH--!"


    Turning her head, Servi saw her new friend leaning against the hard wall. A man wearing a set of grimy yellow armor complete with an equally nasty yellow helmet slammed his hand next to Momo¡¯s head. Servi recognized the woman and the other man with him as the two who were leaving when she first arrived at the building yesterday. The two had black hair and matching scars that went from the bridge of their nose to their lips.


    ¡°Come on, baby, leave the friend and hang with us,¡± the yellow armored guy said in a syrupy tone. ¡°Whatever friend you''re waiting on, she ain¡¯t got nothing compared to me."


    ¡°Yea, you don¡¯t want to cause a scene, do you? Damn, I bet you taste good. Let me get a good look at what you got,¡± the woman said. She had on a red buttoned shirt and brown pants. A small dagger, visible on her hip, was begging to be used. She licked her lips seductively as she put a hand toward Momo¡¯s stomach, who closed her eyes in fear.


    ¡°Nah, open her eyes. I want her to look at me when¡ª¡± the second man said. He had a watch adorned on each wrist. A small axe found a spot inside his belt loop.  Fortunately, he didn¡¯t have time to continue his sentence, nor did the woman fully reach her hand out. It was stopped by Servi, who stood between them.


    The woman turned to look at the intruder and clicked her tongue.


    ¡°Sorry, Momo, it took me a bit longer to get ready.  Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ Y-y-yes¡ª¡± Momo began to speak, but she was so nervous that she couldn¡¯t help but stutter.


    ¡°Listen, girlie, we wanna have fun with the Singi. You know, the base of the tail is the most sensitive,¡± the woman licked her lips again, and Momo wrapped her tail around her waist. From behind her, Servi could feel her shake in fear.


    Please permit me to kill them.


    ¡°No!¡± Servi said, speaking to both Itarr and the woman. ¡°Look, my friend and I have quests to do, so let us go.  If you refuse, well, I don¡¯t mind screaming for help,¡± all three stared down Servi, who had her stick by her side. She remembered the rules and knew that she couldn¡¯t make trouble in the office, but she couldn¡¯t stand by and watch this happen. Before long, the woman spoke.


    ¡°Bitch, you ain¡¯t any fun. Axel,  Yellow, come on, let¡¯s get out of here,¡± she pointed at the two men and jerked her head. The three started to walk off but stopped when the woman did. She turned back around.


    ¡°The name¡¯s Mossi. Remember it, because I¡¯m gonna get revenge for stopping my fun,¡± after saying her piece, she threatened Servi and Momo. After realizing they were within range, Servi spoke quietly.


    ¡°Itarr, take everything they have that¡¯s small enough to not light up the ring, but don¡¯t take the clothes or armor that the two men have on.¡±


    Gladly.


    Though she could have done it herself, Servi was too stressed out to concentrate.


    ¡°Hot damn, check out the tits on her!¡±


    ¡°Bahaha! I always knew the carpet matched the drapes.¡±


    ¡°How much for a lay? I¡¯ll give you 20 if you suck me off, Mossi.¡±


    ¡°AAHHHHH!¡± though Servi had turned her back and had her attention was on Momo, she chuckled when Mossi screamed.


    ¡°M-M-M-Mossi?! When did you get naked?!¡± the one called Axel screamed out. A moment later, a slap echoed throughout the now quiet lobby, and the door flew open.


    I took three coin purses. They held a combined total of 459 dupla. Also, I manage to snag one dagger, an axe, and Mossi''s clothing. I also managed to take three pieces of cloth they had. I think they were called handkerchiefs? I made sure they''re clean.


    In a sweet and calm voice, Servi hugged Momo, who slowly opened her eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Momo, those three left. It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m right here.¡±


    ¡°S-S-Servi!!¡± Momo cried out and hugged Servi back. ¡°I¡¯m shorry, I¡¯m so shorry.¡± Her emotions ran so high she couldn''t correctly pronounce her words.


    ¡°You have nothing to be sorry about. Come on, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    Even though people turned their heads and watched as the Human hugged the pink-haired Singi, the two didn¡¯t care. After a few minutes, Momo stopped crying and grabbed a handkerchief from her bag. She put it back in after wiping her face.


    ¡°Now, are you feeling better?¡± Servi asked. She wasn¡¯t hugging her, but she had her hands on Momo¡¯s shoulders.


    Momo nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    I have their faces and names memorized.


    ¡°You probably think I¡¯m weak, don¡¯t you? And I bet you don¡¯t want to party up with me anymore... Especially after you saw me cry...¡± Momo looked at Servi, then at the ground. She could feel the tears coming back, but she did her best to keep them at bay.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Heh, I¡¯m right. I bet you¡¯re thinking, ¡®how can a girl who¡¯s too afraid to stand up for herself be strong enough to fight monsters?¡¯ I don¡¯t know myself¡­ I¡¯m just a pathetic cat...¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. You¡¯re better off fin¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong!¡± Servi interrupted her.


    ¡°But I¡¯m no¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are. You¡¯re not weak, and you¡¯re not pathetic or anything of that. Look, we¡¯re party members, right? Earlier, you said, and I quote, ¡®I¡¯ll watch your back, and you can watch mine.¡¯ And that¡¯s just what I did.  I know we just met, but we''re friends, aren''t we?¡±


    Momo still stared at the ground, so Servi put her stick down and gently turned Momo¡¯s head so that they were making eye contact. Powerful and confident red eyes stared deep into scared and frightened blue eyes. Eyes that had lived through a hard life, and even though Servi didn¡¯t know it at the time, she felt that pain. And it resonated with her.


    "Friends?"


    ¡°Look, you¡¯re the one that wanted to get stronger with me, right? So let¡¯s do that. And next time, you can defend yourself from people like that, but if you can¡¯t, I¡¯ll have your back. We¡¯re a team, right?¡±


    ¡°Do you mean that?¡± Momo said quietly. Though she tried not to, tears slowly fell from her eyes.


    Servi reached into her pouch and secretly pulled a handkerchief from her ring.


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± she said as she wiped her new friend''s tears.


    ¡°Now, if you need more time, we c¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready. I¡¯ll be outside waiting on you.¡± Momo smiled as she spoke. Though her face was red and wet, it was like she had discovered a new source of courage and strength to draw from.


    And that strength was the very first friend she made after leaving her village.


    Momo bent down, grabbed Servi¡¯s staff, handed it to her, and made her way outside.


    If you don¡¯t mind, can you tell me why you said all that? Not that I¡¯m saying it¡¯s wrong, and I¡¯m happy you did that since I like seeing her happy, but I want to understand the logic behind you doing that.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. I''ve only met four people that I don''t want to instantly slaughter. I like Aier and Claire, and Rakred doesn''t seem that bad. Momo''s a bit too na?ve, but I do want to be friends with her. But it''s not just that. Tonight is when I¡¯m going to patrol the town and take revenge for those who can¡¯t fight back.  While I¡¯ll try to be sneaky about it, she¡¯ll discover it sooner or later, and when she does, I want her to understand that I¡¯m not a person who kills indiscriminately. That¡¯s why I need her trust."


    I can understand that.


    Servi continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know how, but when we made eye contact, I felt the anger in her eyes. She might not be aware of it, but it was like something thrashed out in anger, desperately wanting to slaughter and maim those three.¡±


    What is your end goal?


    ¡°I want her to realize that she isn¡¯t pathetic or weak. I want her to have the strength to stand up and take care of herself. That doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll leave her, but in cases where I can¡¯t be around, I want her to have the confidence to stand up and protect herself."


    Should I add that to your list of goals? Is that three so far?


    ¡°That¡¯s right. My first and main goal is to get stronger so we can find our memories, my second is to take revenge for those that want it but can¡¯t, and my third is to rebuild Momo¡¯s courage and confidence. Speaking of which, if we can complete quests and raise our Rank, I can do the first and third concurrently.  I guess I can do the second, too. Hell, maybe this Warden thing won''t be that bad. That sound good to you?"


    Yes.


    ¡°Good. Now, let¡¯s go meet up with our new friend.¡±


    Servi trekked through the crowded lobby and eventually reached the door. After silently cursing under her breath, she went outside to search for Momo, who was leaning against a nearby wall. She waved and smiled at Servi, then the two walked around the Warden building. They found a sign that pointed to a staircase leading down to a metal door. That door had ¡®Path To Sewer¡¯ written on it. When Servi and Momo opened it, they found themselves in a downward-leaning tunnel faintly lit by torches. It wasn¡¯t that long, but it was wide enough that four large men could walk side-by-side and have room to spare for a fifth. At the end of the short path, they found another door. It had ¡®Sewer Entrance¡¯ engraved on it.


    Once they opened that door, a large circular area came into view. It was around the size of the Warden lobby. Ten beds, separated into two groups of five and divided by a curtain, sat to the far right. A sign that hung from the ceiling above the beds had ¡®Infirmary¡¯ written on it. Two people sat in the two chairs nearby. The white and red band wrapped around their arm said ¡®Healer On Duty.¡¯ To the left, on the opposite side of the makeshift hospital, sat three makeshift stalls with various items and weaponry on display.


    The area itself was dark and dank, only illuminated by a few torches here and there. The room contained two doors. Servi and Momo came in through one and the other, located just ahead of them, sandwiched between two guards. Once they entered that door, they would officially be in the sewers. Giant rats, roaches, and bats crawled, slithered, and fluttered around, making it a perfect place to learn how to fight and kill.


    ¡°There''s a store and everything in here!¡± Momo said after her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. She and Servi walked further in and went to the three stalls.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not wrong. This is something Warden set up. Statistically, most first-time Warden adventurers choose a sewer as the location of their first quest. Because of that, Warden set up this base at the entrance,¡± Servi and Momo turn to look at the speaker. A young man with metal armor walked over. ¡°My name''s Arty, and I¡¯m a Rank 10. I work here in my spare time to make some extra money,¡± he held out a hand.


    ¡°My name¡¯s Servi. So, are you like an employee?¡± Servi asked as she shook his hand.


    ¡°Yep. Warden hires Rank 10 members to run this base. We have three merchants selling beginner items just over there. Over there is the infirmary. You gotta pay, but it¡¯s cheaper than buying a potion. And me? I¡¯m a guard that keeps a lookout for runaway monsters.  You can usually find me right over there," Arty pointed towards the door that led deeper into the sewers.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Momo said, shaking his hand. ¡°Can you offer any tips for fighting? Oh yeah, my name¡¯s Momo.¡±


    ¡°For the rats and roaches, I can, but I never fought the giant bats. You see, the rats are big with sharp claws, but they¡¯re brittle and easy to break. Most of the rats you¡¯ll fight in here will have two, maybe three sets of unbroken claws. The roaches, however, like to rear up and stab at you with their long legs. Their underbelly is smooth and weak, so aim there. You can pierce their shells with a spear, but it''s not worth the hassle. Do you two know any skills?¡± Arty asked after explaining.


    ¡°No. All I have is this stick,¡± Servi held it out and showed Arty.


    ¡°Nope, but I have my grandpa¡¯s sword,¡± Momo did the same with her sword.


    ¡°I see. Well, every monster in here except for Black Croc has a D-Level of 10.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the Black Croc? And what¡¯s this about a D-Level? Momo, do you know?¡± Servi asked. She had a slight edge in her voice, possibly from not being told about something important. Momo shook her head.


    ¡°You two don¡¯t know? Either the recruiter or receptionist should have told you. They didn¡¯t, and now I have to do their job,¡± he sighed. ¡°D-Level is something that Warden came up with a few years ago to tell others how dangerous a monster is. For example, the giant rat has a D-Level of 10, which means that a party consisting of Rank 10 members should have little to no trouble when facing said monster. It goes from 10 to 0, with 0 being the lowest and therefore most dangerous. Any questions?¡±


    Momo raised her hand. ¡°Mr. Arty, if that D-Level refers to a party, then what about those who go solo?¡±


    That was a good question. For someone like Servi, the D-Level ranks were useless since she wasn''t normal, but from now on, she had to take D-Level into account when choosing a quest.  Especially since she was adventuring with Momo.


    ¡°Well¡­.there isn¡¯t. When people think of Warden, they think of a party of heroes, plural, not a hero, singular. Though if I had to guess, I¡¯d say that a single Rank 9 should be able to take out a monster that has a D-Level of 10. Though the world isn¡¯t fair, and it could be that someone needs to be Rank 8 or even 7 to take on a D-Level 10. It could also be the opposite. Does that clear things up?¡± Arty said.


    ¡°Then what about that Black Croc? What''s his D-Level?¡± Servi was the one to ask this time.


    ¡°Yes, it has one of 6. It may sound dangerous, but it stays far away in the deepest level of the sewers. There is no need to worry about it. I¡¯m sorry, but I have to get back to work. Come by later, and I¡¯ll try to answer any more questions. After all, we Rank 10s need to look out for each other,¡± with a confidant smile, Arty left the two girls alone and sauntered over to his post.


    ¡°So you didn¡¯t know about the D-Level? If you ask me, that whole enemy classification system seems too complicated,¡± Servi said to Momo, who wandered over to the stalls. Servi followed her, looking at the various crude weaponry and items that were for sale.


    A few swords and sticks with nails sticking out were the cheapest. A tiny metal glove, much too small for even a child¡¯s hand, was the best thing there. Servi didn''t know what she could use it for.  Maybe she could use it as a projectile and throw it?


    All the other items weren''t in the best shape, like a sword with half a blade and an axe with a chipped and dull edge.


    ¡°It is pretty complicated, but today¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of it as well. Grandpa didn''t say anything about it,¡± Momo replied.


    ¡°I see. Well, are you ready? I¡¯m pretty sure we need to go through that door over there,¡± Servi pointed to the door next to Arty.


    ¡°I am! I''m gonna do my best!¡± Momo giggled as she and Servi walked over to the door.  Their footsteps echoed about the tiny base, providing a somewhat comforting background noise amongst the chattering.


    They stopped just shy of the door. ¡°Now, before we go in, we need to think of a game plan. I can distract the enemies, but you¡¯re the one with an actual weapon. Killing them falls to you.¡±


    ¡°Y-you can count on me!¡± Momo struggled to say.


    You can count on me, as well. I promise to keep an eye out for her. Itarr said.

 Book One – Chapter Three – Part Four – Joining Warden, A New Friend, And A Loss Of Innocence.

    With Servi leading the way and Momo following behind, the two nodded at Arty, who returned it. They officially entered the sewers.


    Servi sighed at yet another wide tunnel to go through, but she walked through it anyway. To their surprise, there was not a door at the end but rather a large hole that led to two cement paths. A river, black and full of waste, excrement, and various animals'' corpses, flowed between the two, and they all ran parallel to each other. At certain distances, rickety bridges connected the two paths, allowing access to the other side. Wooden torches and sunlight that flickered through the drainage gates above them provided the only light. Though by now, their eyes had already adjusted to the darkness. Tiny bugs littered the walls and ceilings as they ran away from the intruders. Looking up, Servi thought that the sewer roof was three, maybe four meters above them.


    ¡°Ohh.... It stinks so bad!¡± Momo groaned out as she held her nose. She tried to breathe through her mouth, but then she realized she could taste the smell on her tongue. She gagged a little bit and coughed before accepting the truth that breathing through her nose would be the easiest solution.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t this bother you?¡± she asked Servi, who nodded.


    ¡°It does, but I¡¯ve smelled worse,¡± she, of course, was referring to both the wide-area that burned to the ground when she lost control of Fire Wall and the literal bloodbath between the guards and the bees. The smell of urine, excrement, brains, guts, entrails, and whatever else had already made a home in her nostrils. Sure, it was malodorous, but Servi knew she could withstand it.  A moment later, to her surprise, the foul smell no longer lingered around her nostrils.  It was as if it completely disappeared.


    True Immortality extends to smell, too.  I''m sorry it wasn''t working earlier.  I imagine it''ll take some time for your body to get used to it, Itarr said, answering Servi''s unanswered question.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to know what''s worse than this,¡± Momo said in response, lightly gagging.


    Servi clapped her hand and changed subjects. ¡°Okay, so depending on the enemy, we¡¯ll change our formation. For rats and roaches, I¡¯ll dodge and block with my stick. Meanwhile, you use your sword to stab them in their vital spots. For the bats, I don¡¯t know. Do you have any idea?¡±


    ¡°F-F-For the bats, I-I can try to think of something. J-Just give me some time.¡±


    She¡¯s pretty nervous, isn¡¯t she? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure she¡¯s safe.


    ¡°If we do encounter them, we can run away. After all, we only need sixteen rat claws and nothing else.  At the end of the day, it matters to me, at least, that we leave the sewers alive.¡±


    Momo nodded, her teeth chattering so much that she couldn¡¯t speak. They began to walk with Servi in front. She held her staff horizontally rather than vertically because she thought she would react faster that way.  Their footsteps, not in sync, echoed lightly. The only sound came from the flowing river of waste to their left and Momo¡¯s exasperated breathing. The two walked for about 40 or so minutes and passed four bridges, but the only thing they saw was each other and tiny bugs slithering away from them.


    Regardless of her nervousness, Momo kept both ears strained. Singi had better hearing than Humans, but not by much. She had told Servi this right after they talked to Arty, so Momo was on lookout duty. If she were to hear something, her job was to notify Servi, who would take up a defensive stance. Or rather, what she thought was a defensive stance. Servi had no experience in close-range combat. Her strengths lied in her usage of skills, but until she could ¡®learn¡¯ one the same way everybody else did, she was stuck using a staff. Perhaps after this, she would ask Momo to teach her to use a sword. After all, Servi planned to ¡®find¡¯ a sword in the sewers and use it.  The idea of using a single stick close to breaking was asinine. She wanted to ditch it as soon as possible.


    Up ahead, Servi noticed a large hole dug into the wall. Momo tapped Servi, who turned around and saw her pointing to it.


    ¡°I hear something in there,¡± the Singi said quietly.


    ¡°Alright. Here¡¯s the plan. We''ll walk up slowly, and you stop just before the hole. I¡¯ll go in front and draw the monster out. It should follow me, so I¡¯ll run out to the right. You¡¯ll be behind us. Once you see an opening, strike with everything you have. Remember, we have three potions between us. That¡¯s nine uses we have.¡±


    Momo nodded after hearing the plan.


    The two walked up to the hole and stopped before it. Quietly, Momo removed her sword from its sheath and held it in front of her. Both hands were on the hilt, but she was still nervous. It wobbled in the air. Servi, on the other hand, readied her stick slowly walked past the hole.


    Inside, a gnarling beast, just a little bit smaller than an adult male but heavier, hunched over a partially eaten corpse. Its fur, brown and stained with crimson, rubbed against the open ribcage before it broke under its weight. Having lost its scratching spot, the sizable rat growled with anger and thrashed around, causing the remaining claws on his left hind paw to break off.  A tail, littered with scabs and cuts, angrily whooshed as it slammed against the ground.


    Before Servi and Momo encountered this beast, he had just fought and barely survived a brutal fight with another adventurer. That was a few days ago, and his wounds were healed to the point where it was only slightly painful to move. But by no means was he ready to fight to the death so soon after recovering.


    ¡°HEY!¡± Servi yelled as she stood in the entranceway. Smashing the ground with her stick, the brown rat turned around and bared its fangs. Fresh blood dripped to the sewer floor, the noise drowned out by the rat''s growling. From a distance, Servi spotted a silver dog tag in a nearby puddle of blood.


    You know, it would be a trifle to slaughter this beast. You still have Shadow Bind, Shadow Shot, and Shadow Trap to use.


    ¡°I know, but we have to wait. Hey! You! The big stupid thing! Follow me!¡±


    The rat growled in response. It turned slowly limped towards the foolish girl who was stupid to enter its home alone. It couldn''t wait to sink its teeth into yet another prey, tearing her innards away and quenching its thirst with her blood.


    Servi walked forward a short bit and yelled once more before turning around and retreating to the right. The beast howled out in anger, dulling its senses. It was unable to recognize the scent of a second person. With another growl, it left its home and followed Servi.


    Now out of the hole in the wall, it bared its crimson-stained teeth once again as it stood up. On its hind legs, it was taller than Servi and Momo combined. The rat had hoped its towering height and bloody teeth were enough of a deterrent, but it wasn¡¯t. Raising a claw, the rat swiped at Servi, who hopped back and avoided the attack.  It slammed into the ground, forcing tiny rocks to scatter about. Even though the rat was bulky, the attack was slow, and the aggressive movement reopened its wounds, further slowing it down.


    ¡°NOW!¡± Servi yelled out as she ducked under another attack. She responded with a smack of her stick, aiming at the monster¡¯s front left paw. The foe tried to dodge, but her attack was faster. It landed, and a few claws broke off and shattered like dust.


    "Their claws are fragile! Attack!" she shouted.


    After recovering from her attack, Servi waited for her partner to act. Nothing.


    ¡°Momo! Get him!¡± Servi shouted. Again, nothing. Momo stood there, shaking with her sword raised high in the air, and she was in the perfect spot to thrust down and put an end to the fight then and there.


    But nothing, she couldn¡¯t move. Servi dodged to the left, then the right. Next, a swipe came overhead, but she ducked to the ground. Again, she called out to her partner.


    ¡°Come on, MOMO! I trust you!¡±


    Those three little words were the key to unlock the frozen Singi.


    ¡°AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!¡± Servi heard an animalistic yell and froze.


    The next moment, the rat shook uncontrollably and collapsed. A thin longsword stuck out of the rat just above its tail. Blood flowed like a river from the wound, and due to its previous injuries reopening, the monster quickly lost the ability to stand. That was not due to the blood loss, but rather where Momo stabbed her sword. While she wasn¡¯t aiming for it, she managed to damage the rat¡¯s spine enough to where it had trouble controlling its body.


    Rapidly losing its strength, the rat tried its hardest to run away, but it never had the chance. With the end in sight, the beast tried to play dead. This was a common last-ditch technique of monsters who knew they wouldn¡¯t survive. An important rule, if not the most important, was to make sure that the foe was dead. Some adventurers thought it was sacrilegious to further attack what they believed to be a corpse, but those who thought that way were either buried in a grave or became monster excrement.


    The moment it faked its death and collapsed, Servi raised both hands and swung the stick down as hard as she could. With a mighty hit, the rat¡¯s skull cracked.  The broken bone in its head rattled around its brain, inflicting further damage. Servi hit again, but her stick shattered on impact, leaving her with a weapon not even 30 centimeters long. Due to the two powerful hits, the rat teetered on the faint line of life and death. Using the last of its strength, the rat looked up at the face of his killer and bared its teeth one last time as darkness clouded its vision.  Not missing a chance, Servi ordered Momo to finish it.


    ¡°Momo! Pull your sword out and keep stabbing! Finish it!¡±


    Momo closed her eyes and screamed. She pulled the weapon out of the rat and jabbed it back in. Over and over. The sound of meat and bone and organs crushing and scraping under its blade would forever remain in her memory. When she was done, blood covered her clothes, as well as her sword, which no longer had a silver blade. After the flurry of attacks, the rat''s back was totally decimated. There was nary a hint of brown anymore. It was nothing but red.  With a final animalistic roar, Momo used all of her strength to swing the sword down for the final time, slicing down his back as the beast let out one last whimper. Falling to her knees, she forced herself to calm down. Adrenaline rushed throughout her body.


    ¡°Good job. It¡¯s dead,¡± Servi said as she walked around the corpse. Though before she did, she took her broken stick and jabbed it into the rat¡¯s eye, twisting and turning until it couldn¡¯t go any further.


    After witnessing such barbarous desecration, Momo crawled over to the river and vomited. Guttural sounds came from her mouth as she gagged. After she was done, she asked Servi why she did that.


    ¡°It¡¯s to make sure that thing is dead. What would we do if we turned our backs and walked away, only to be attacked from behind?  Out here, it¡¯s us against them, and I¡¯d prefer it if we survived, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    Momo nodded silently, and Servi felt bitter. She didn¡¯t mean to turn it into a lecture, and even though they''ve only met, she knew how Momo could be. The Singi was very emotional. That much was clear to see just from their short time together. When Servi was about to apologize, Momo spoke.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I wouldn¡¯t have done that, and if you weren¡¯t here, it would¡¯ve killed me when I walked away. Thank you, Servi, for teaching me. I promise I¡¯ll never forget this,¡± she had a determined look on her face, one that Servi had never seen before. Momo was resolved to get stronger. Servi didn''t think Momo had what it took based on what she had seen, but Momo''s declaration changed that. Servi saw that her friend was committed. It wasn''t the Singi''s words that did it but her actions.  The way her body subtly moved, standing tall and proud while never looking away from Servi''s red eyes.


    But now came the part that decided if she could stay with Momo.  It all depended on how she reacted to the rat''s soul.


    A red light slowly floated above the rat corpse, and Servi stood still. She froze completely, choosing to stare at the floating orb. It fluttered aimlessly through the air for a moment or two before being sucked in by her ring. Momo stared right at her, blinking.


    ¡°¡­.Momo, did you see that red light?¡± Servi asked.


    She shook her head as she got up off the ground. Her cute tail had dirt and blood on it, sullying its appearance. Wiping off the blood using a rag from her bag, she said, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t see anything. Did you?¡±


    ¡°I thought I did, but it must have been my mistake,¡± Servi quickly said, but Momo smiled.


    Though Servi didn¡¯t say anything about Momo freezing up, the same couldn¡¯t be said for the girl in question. Underneath that precious smile and misleading exterior, she was yelling and shouting at herself.


    COME ON, STUPID, WHY DIDN¡¯T YOU ACT?! THIS WAS YOUR DREAM, RIGHT? THEN STOP BEING A PATHETIC CRYBABY!! YOU¡¯RE WORTHLESS. YOU''RE A TOTAL FAILURE!! IDIOT!!


    Deep down inside, she desperately wanted to cry. She knew she was weak, but adventuring was how Momo thought she could overcome that. Her grandpa was the strongest person she knew, and she wanted a little bit of that strength. She hoped Warden was the pathway to achieve that, but maybe this life wasn¡¯t for her. It was clear to her that she couldn''t handle it when things went wrong. Fight for real was far different than sparing with her grandpa, after all. She didn''t have to worry about dying because he could heal her right up if she suffered a wound or cut.


    Regardless, she tried her best to keep it inside and not let it show, but there were times where she couldn¡¯t, like the Warden incident from earlier. The thought of that woman touching and rubbing her greasy hands all over her body scared her, and she locked up from fear, allowing her frightened self to show. Thankfully, Servi was there to rescue her, and she was grateful for it.


    Her grandpa once told her that her smile was beautiful and she should show it off. So that¡¯s what she did. She smiled, even though she was suffering tremendously on the inside. But it was like her to always be cheerful and act like everything was fine.  If she did that, it was like her grandpa was right beside her.


    ¡°So, umm... We need to get the claws, right?¡± Momo said, wanting to erase the growing silence. She picked up her sword and shook the blood off.


    ¡°Yeah. The description didn¡¯t say the claws had to be in good shape, so that should be four sets right there. You do that, and I¡¯ll look inside this hole. I thought I saw some dog tags, so I¡¯m gonna go get that.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but you¡¯re not going too far in, are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to leave you. I¡¯m going to be right here.¡±


    With a nod, Servi walked back to the hole the rat lived in. The corpse was there, with no face, hair, and a half-eaten exposed ribcage. She didn¡¯t know if it was male or female.


    ¡°Mmm, oh, there it is,¡± Servi walked over to a small piece of metal floating in a small puddle of blood.  ¡°Mireya, Rank 10. The poor girl.¡±


    Should we take her body with us?


    ¡°Might as well. I¡¯ll give the poor girl a burial, eventually,¡± Servi stored the body and dog tag in her ring, and afterward, she took out a sword she had absorbed earlier.


    What is the sword for?


    ¡°My stick broke, so I¡¯m gonna say I found this.¡±


    With that, Servi walked out of the hole and found Momo hard at work declawing the dead rat. Sweat dripped from her face as she hacked and slashed.


    ¡°Here, let me help. I found this in that hole in the wall,¡± Servi jogged over to Momo.


    First, Servi used her sword to cut the entire paw off, then she laid on it the ground. Next, she started to slice off each claw individually. Afterwards, Servi placed the now removed talons in her item pouch and stored them in her ring. She then repeated the process for the second paw. Momo, having seen how to do it, started on the last two footpads. She had a little trouble at first and vomited a few times from the squirting blood and smell, but it was a good try. She did much better the second time around.


    ¡°Servi, did I do a good job?¡± Momo asked as she presented her eight claws. Not really knowing what she was looking for, Servi nodded.  Momo flashed a cute smile.


    ¡°Oh, I can hold onto the claws. This bag belonged to my grandpa, and he had it enchanted with the Dimensional Storage skill. It''s waaaay bigger than it looks," Momo spoke with such happiness that it was easy to tell she loved him dearly.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yep. I keep a bunch of stuff in here, and I don¡¯t have to worry about things getting dirty. The enchantment keeps things separated.¡±


    ¡°Well, thanks. Here you go,¡± using the pouch as a proxy, Servi handed Momo her eight claws.


    ¡°So we have sixteen, right? And we need¡­.16 more? Yep, so we need to kill one more rat,¡± Momo said after checking her ID. It was pink, just like her hair, and when she dropped it, it exploded into pink dust that her body absorbed.


    ¡°So, do you feel a bit more confident? I know it can be scary at times.¡±


    Momo looked at the ground for a moment, then she held her sword in front of her. ¡°I don¡¯t really know. Maybe I do a little bit? It felt weird knowing that I was purposely causing pain to a living creature, but I know that if I didn¡¯t, then I¡¯d never get stronger. And I told my grandpa that I would. I don¡¯t want to disappoint him. So, Servi, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here with me. If you didn¡¯t say anything, then I probably would have frozen up and died. Thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°You are quite welcome, Momo,¡± Servi smiled at the Singi, who wagged her tail adorably. Servi continued. ¡°Now that I found this sword, I can focus more on attacking.¡±


    ¡°That reminds me, was there a dog tag in that hole?¡±


    Servi nodded and reached in her pouch. She pulled the blood-soaked tag out and handed it to Momo.


    ¡°Mireya¡­ How horrible¡­ Did that sword belong to her?¡±


    ¡°Probably. It was next to the body. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯d like to keep it. I can adventure in Mireya''s place. By using this sword, it¡¯s like a piece of her is with us.¡±


    That''s a good lie.


    Servi nodded to Itarr, but thankfully Momo didn¡¯t notice.


    ¡°That¡¯s so sweet of you. I¡¯m sure Mireya would be happy knowing that her sword will be used. It might even save our lives,¡± Momo started to teared up but immediately stopped. If she wanted to be strong like her grandpa, and she did, the road was going to be long and hard and full of trials and dangers.


    Momo changed the subject, turning it from a deceased person to a dead monster. ¡°What are we gonna do about the corpse?¡± Servi wanted to absorb it, but due to the current circumstances, she couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°I¡¯m not really sure. We could dump it in the water or leave it. I¡¯m not sure if we can sell the fur.¡±


    ¡°Can we leave it here?¡± Momo asked. When Servi said they could dump it, she saw her party member shudder.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me. Now, let¡¯s go. We have one more rat to kill, and then we¡¯ll have enough claws for the both of us.¡±


    The two left the body and kept walking past the hole. Soon, the pair of friends heard the sound of battle. They weren¡¯t alone down here.


    ¡°What do we do?!¡± Momo asked, her face full of anxious anticipation.


    ¡°Calm down. First, we decide on whether we want to help or not. I assume that you do?¡± Momo nodded.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s rush over and see if we can help.¡±


    Servi and Momo broke into a sprint, but it turned out Momo, and Singi in general, were faster than humans.


    While they ran, Momo thought about the previous battle.


    Servi said she had no experience, but she didn¡¯t even flinch when fighting the rat. She didn¡¯t throw up like me, either. It¡¯s like she¡¯s done this before. I want to ask, but I don¡¯t want her to be mad at me¡­


    She shook her head.


    No! I can¡¯t be thinking about that now. She¡¯s my first friend. I¡¯m sure she has her reasons.


    And with that, the two ran towards the source of the noise.

 Book One – Chapter Three – Part Five – Joining Warden, A New Friend, And A Loss Of Innocence.

    Momo was the first to arrive. She saw a young boy, probably around the age of 15 or 16, wearing rusty armor that only covered his chest, leather pants that had a red stain, and frayed grey boots.  He was locked in a life-or-death struggle with a brown rat. Using his equally rusty sword like a shield, he blocked the incoming attack and deflected a second swipe that followed. Seeing his chance, the boy made his move and tried to counterattack. He raised his sword just a bit too slow, leaving him wide open. The rat took advantage of this and quickly spun around, nearly hitting him with his tail. The boy managed to stop his attack in time and jumped over the tail swipe. He landed with a heavy thunk with his sword at the ready.


    The sudden appearance of Momo broke his concentration.


    ¡°S-Stay back. This one is mine!¡± the boy yelled, turning his head towards the intruder. Though he was distracted for just a single moment, the rat took advantage of that to charge forward. It knocked the boy back with his huge, brown body. Sparks flew from armor as the boy slid across the floor. He couldn''t keep a grip on his sword as it went flying into the river of sewage.  After being swept away, the chances of it being found were slim to none.


    He hit the wall at such a speed, it lightly cracked. With a groan of pain, he put his hands to the filthy wall and tried to stand up. The strength in his legs left him, and he fell back to the ground. He attempted to try once more, but his consciousness abandoned him.


    Just then, Servi arrived, not a single bit out of breath, thanks to True Immortality. The first thing she noticed was an armored boy sitting against the wall with his eyes closed and a bit of blood pooling nearby.


    ¡°Servi! We need to help him!¡± Momo drew her sword and began to run in, but Servi grabbed her by the arm.


    ¡°Wait! Like before, I¡¯ll get the rat¡¯s attention.  You attack from behind. We need to kill the rat first.¡±


    Momo nodded and waited for her time to strike.


    Meanwhile, the rat slowly walked up to the knocked-out boy and opened its mouth wide. A festering smell filled the area.


    Shall I use Remedium?


    ¡°HEY! What¡¯s that?!¡± Servi screamed. Both to get the attention of the rat and to answer Itarr.


    I believe it is a healing skill belonging to the Light element. We learned from those guards you killed earlier.


    The rat turned around and gnarled at the new threat. Servi lifted her sword and pointed it towards the beast.


    ¡°How bad are his injuries?¡±


    I don¡¯t know, but I don''t think his life is in danger.


    ¡°GGRROOWWWLLLL!¡± Servi mimicked the beast. It was so out of place the rat stared at her for a moment before beginning his assault.


    She didn¡¯t know if it was from where she was getting better, but it was like she knew what the rat was going to do. As she fought, a series of afterimages appeared in front of her. By dodging the attack of the first image, the second and physical attack would whiff. While it was perfect for defense, it was terrible for offense. The weight of her sword felt strange, and if she tried to attack, the afterimages would flicker. If that happened, she had to rely on her instinct. And if she took a bad hit, Momo would panic, and Servi would be forced to use a skill.


    Momo stared dumbfoundedly. It was like Servi was dancing with the monster. She moved in such a way that the rat barely missed his attack, but a miss was a miss. It meant that she took no damage. The rat became angrier and angrier, meaning he made wasted movements, which also slowed down the attacks, making them even easier to dodge.


    ¡°Momo! Stop staring!¡± Momo shook her head and started her attack after being scolded. Pulling her sword out from her waist, she rushed in, but a word from Servi stopped her.


    ¡°And watch the tail!¡± the moment Servi yelled this, the rat took a small break from his constant offense and violently spun around. Thanks to the afterimage, Servi knew the attack was coming and called out to Momo.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Momo said as she stood up. The attack missed, but the wind generated from the spin knocked her down. Once recovered, she held her sword up high and stabbed it into the back of the monster just above the tail.


    ¡°DODGE!!¡± Servi yelled, but it was too late.


    The rat roared in anger and spun around again, this time hitting Momo. She brought an arm up, which wasn¡¯t covered by her chainmail, and took the full brunt of the attack. It knocked her back, and she slid across the ground. Thanks to her chainmail, her vest and shirt didn¡¯t rip from the friction. If it had, then her bareback, with no protection, would have slid across the gritty ground, resulting in road rash and a very gruesome injury. However, she didn¡¯t come out unscathed.  She so happened to glance down at her arm.


    White bone peeked through her skin, and it was like it was staring at her.


    ¡°AAAHHHHH!¡± Momo screamed, her voice full of pure fear and adrenaline.


    I¡¯ll heal h¡ª


    ¡°I¡¯ll distract him, so take a potion! HEY! You have to be strong, Momo. The quicker you take the potion, the faster you¡¯ll get better!  Focus on my voice! I know it hurts, but you have to focus!¡±


    Following her order, Momo scrambled away from the fight and opened her bag using her uninjured arm. Grabbing a small red vial, she didn¡¯t know whether to drink it or spill it on her broken arm, so she did both. As if time were rewinding, the exposed bone slowly moved back into the skin, which promptly healed up. A second later, it was like it was never broken. Then as sudden as it came, the pain disappeared.


    Why did you stop me?


    ¡°Because her life wasn¡¯t in danger. Trust me, I won¡¯t let her die,¡± Servi said while she was dodged to the left. The rat tried to slam into her using his body but missed. If the rat had just a bit more speed, the beast would¡¯ve fallen into the nearby sewer river.


    Very well.  If it happens again, can I heal Momo? I don''t want her to die.


    ¡°I don''t either, but I knew she was going to be alright. If it would''ve been a serious injury, then I would''ve told you to heal her.¡±


    I''ll be at the ready!


    ¡°Momo?!¡± Servi yelled out after she dodged another swipe. The rat''s claw soared overhead, cutting off a few strands of her black hair.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine! I¡¯m coming back!¡± she yelled.


    ¡°I can¡¯t get a hit in, so you have to finish this!¡±


    "I won''t let you down!"


    ¡°HEY! RAT!!!! OVER HERE!" Servi screamed.


    Though the rat only suffered a single attack, it was in a dangerous spot. For mammals who had them, the area around the tail''s base was sensitive and vital. It was where a large cluster of nerves was at. And right now, a sword was jabbed into it, and a not-so-insignificant amount of blood flowed down the monster¡¯s back. In addition to the rat slowly losing the ability to feel his limbs, it wouldn¡¯t be long until he died of blood loss.


    The rat, sensing that death was near, focused all of his willpower on ignoring the pain. His goal was to kill those that tried to kill him, even if it meant he would die in the process. For an animal teetering on death¡¯s door, he had nothing to lose, and that made him a very dangerous beast.  He reared up on its hind legs and snarled, preparing for his final attacks.


    ¡°RRROOOOAARRRRR!!!¡± Since it worked before, Servi believed making loud, beast-like noises would momentarily stun the rat, but lightning didn''t strike twice in the same spot.


    Still dancing ever so gracefully, Servi tried to ready her blade as she dodged, but the afterimages flickered. She lost her concentration and couldn¡¯t read the incoming attacks. The rat surprised her by thrusting out its claws, and Servi barely managed to raise her sword in time, blocking it. An ear-splitting noise echoed out as claws scratched and broke against metal.  From behind the rat, she saw Momo reaching for her blade, still stuck inside the rat¡¯s back.


    ¡°Momo, he¡¯s almost dead!!¡± Servi yelled, recovering from the attack.


    ¡°YYYAAAHHHHH!¡± Momo pulled the sword out and jabbed it back in. Using all of her strength, it went in further than before. She felt her sword struggle against something large and thick-- the spine-- before finally cutting through it. If the attack didn¡¯t kill it, the spinal column would definitely be damaged enough to the point where it couldn''t move.


    The rat prepared itself for another spin, but its legs gave out. Its strength betrayed it. Lying there helplessly, the rat, out of sheer hatred, forced itself to move its non-working limbs to no avail.


    Breathing hard, Momo walked up to the dying animal and pulled her sword out. It made a nasty squelch.


    ¡°Finish it,¡± Servi said. Momo obliged.  Raising her sword, she slashed it down on its head with all her power.  She learned from last time. When given a chance to safely attack without any danger of being attacked in return, aim for the head.


    The slash was powerful, filled with the anger of nearly dying. The sword cleaved through the rat¡¯s face like a hot knife through butter. Teeth, gums, and a bit of pink brain leaked out from the new opening.  Momo was unable to stand the gruesome sight and vomited.


    Taking a rag from her bag, the pink Singi wiped the puke off her mouth and the crimson staining her sword. Next, she took out a small bottle of water and poured it down the sheath. She then turned it over and allowed the red liquid to flow out. She repeated this process two or three more times until her equipment was devoid of crimson.


    Then, as if suddenly remembering, she sheathed her sword and ran over to Servi.


    ¡°Are you okay? Did that hurt? Here, take a potion!¡± Momo started to feverishly search through her bag but was stopped by the woman in question.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I took a sip of mine. The sword took most of the damage. It¡¯s a bit dented and scratched, but it works.¡± Servi lied and showed Momo her sword. The middle of the blade had a few dents and scratch marks running down it. "What about you? Are you hurt?"


    Momo shook her head and held out her once-broken arm. ¡°I''m fine.  That potion healed me right up.  It still hurts just a little bit, but it''s not anything I can''t handle. About your sword... Do you need a new one?¡±


    A red soul fluttered right by Momo¡¯s eyes and went into Servi¡¯s ring.


    Good. If Momo could see it, then there was no way she could have missed that. We don¡¯t have to worry about her or anyone else finding out.


    Servi nodded, then shook her head. ¡°No. This sword is still fine. Let¡¯s check on that guy.¡±


    ¡°OH NO! I FORGOT ABOUT THAT!!!¡± Momo''s eyes went wide, and she rushed like a bat out of hell over to him. A small pool of crimson threatened to soak his bottom, but it didn¡¯t look serious.


    ¡°Hey! Are you alive?! Please don''t be dead!¡± Momo crouched and lightly shook his shoulder, causing him to groan out. Slowly, the boy¡¯s eyes opened.


    ¡°¡­¡­What happened?¡± he asked.


    ¡°When we showed up, you were fighting that rat. You got distracted, got hit, and passed out. Then we killed the rat,¡± Servi said.


    ¡°¡­.I see. Well, why did you save me?! You should have left me to die! I¡¯d rather die a warrior''s death than be saved by some woman and her pet cat,¡± he raised a hand and pushed Momo¡¯s shoulder. She cried out in surprise, falling back on her butt, and Servi raised her sword against the man¡¯s exposed neck.


    I¡¯ll kill him. Let me kill him. Itarr begged.


    ¡°You better have a damn good reason for pushing my party member like that after we saved your sorry ass,¡± Servi said, nary a hint of kindness.


    ¡°N-N-No. Servi, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not hurt,¡± Momo said, her body slightly quivering out of fear. It was the first time she¡¯d ever seen Servi so angry and bloodthirsty.  Reluctantly, Servi lowered her sword and nodded to Momo.


    ¡°Tch!¡± he spat some blood out and stood up. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for your help. If my memory is right, you¡¯re the ones who distracted me. Basically, you¡¯re the reason I¡¯m injured. Now, give me a potion for my wounds. It¡¯s the least you two could do,¡± he fell to one knee, grunting in pain.


    ¡°..But but but I¡ªWe saved you,¡± Momo said, stuttering.  She held out a friendly hand, but the kneeling man slapped it away. He slowly rose back to his feet. After taking a few steps, he stopped. An evil grin appeared on his face.


    Momo reflexively held her bag close to her chest.  She felt something awful was about to happen.


    ¡°Give me that bag!¡± he made a lung for her.


    ¡°NOOOO!¡± screamed Momo. She instantly fell to the floor, landing on top of it to protect it. ¡°NOOO! This is my  grandpa''s bag! You can¡¯t have it!¡±


    ¡°You bitch! Give me a potion and the bag, or I swear to the Gods above, I will kick your fucking ribs in!!¡± The man pulled back his leg, and Momo tensed up, preparing for a kick. A loud noise later, the man collapsed to his knees again, this time clutching his armor, which had a brand new dent in it.


    Noticing that the kick didn¡¯t come, Momo looked up and saw Servi drinking a small red potion. Her fingers, all broken and bleeding, slowly moved back to place. The bone and muscles moved as if time was rewinding.


    Servi walked up and kicked him, knocking him to his back. He might have had armor on, but it was rusty and weak, meaning it had no defensive protection against anything more powerful than a giant rat or a roach. Well, it turned out that Servi was a bit stronger than that.


    ¡°GAH!!¡± he cried out, clutching his chest. That last kick broke two of his ribs and knocked the wind out of him. As he tried to fill his lungs with oxygen, Servi raised her leg and stomped down his stomach. If she had a bit more physical strength, her attack would have punctured through the paper mache-like armor. It didn''t matter, though, considering Servi broke another two or three ribs.


    The boy coughed up blood and whimpered. ¡°Stop! Please stop!!¡±


    Servi turned to Momo, who had gotten up off the ground. Clutching her bag tightly, she meekly glanced up to make eye contact with Servi,


    ¡°Momo, it¡¯s your choice,¡± Servi said.


    ¡°¡­.I just wanna go... I wanna leave...¡± she quietly responded.


    Servi sighed and turned back to the pathetic boy.


    ¡°You stay there and think about what you¡¯ve done. And you better thank Momo. She¡¯s the reason you aren¡¯t dying. But if you move a single muscle, your head will be flowing in that river of shit,¡± the boy didn¡¯t nod or say anything. The pain from his broken ribs was enough for his consciousness to abandon him a second time.


    Surely you¡¯re not okay with this? He was going to kill her. He deserves to die.


    ¡°I know, but she¡¯s probably traumatized, and killing him will make things worse.¡±


    I see.


    Turning to her partner, Servi spoke. ¡°Momo, we can leave. Give me a minute to get the claws,¡± she received no response as Momo stared at the ground.


    Servi sighed once again for what felt like the tenth time. A minute and sixteen crudely cut claws later, she was ready to go.


    Should we leave him here?


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    Servi walked over to Momo, who still stared at the ground. She grabbed Momo¡¯s hand, who suddenly flinched. Her body shook with fright and fear.


    ¡°Momo, it¡¯s me. Everything is fine. Are you ready to go?¡±


    Momo nodded slowly, and off they went.


    That bastard is still within range. Shall I kill him?


    ¡°No. However, if we run into him later and I¡¯m alone, then you can. But you can take his gear. Let me know what he has.¡±


    Very well.


    A moment later.


    I left him naked. He really didn¡¯t have much: just that old armor, some ripped and stained clothes, and a small dagger. He was probably going to use that to stab Momo.


    ¡°Probably. I don''t know if we''ll see that dick head again, but it doesn''t matter to me if he lives or dies. I won''t lose any sleep over it.¡±


    The walk back was mostly uneventful. The friends crossed paths with a few rats and roaches, but Servi killed them from a distance using Fire Wall and Shadow Shot.


    ¡°I got a quick question. I¡¯ve been using Fire Wall and Shadow Shot non-stop. Wouldn¡¯t I be out of Skill Energy?¡±


    You have seven souls capable of using skills inside of you, including you and me. Your Skill Energy Reservoir and Regeneration is seven times bigger and faster than a regular person. In short, it is improbable you¡¯ll ever run out. It fills back up faster than you can use it.


    Shadow Shot, like its name suggested, allowed the user to shoot an arrow made of darkness. It belonged to the dark element. By providing the skill with more Skill Energy, the user could control the arrow''s speed and size. A small and slow Shadow Shot expended less Skill Energy than a big and fast one. It was also silent, which was perfect for the situation. Since Momo was a bit traumatized, looking down, and not paying attention, Servi could use Shadow Shot to kill from a distance. All in all, she killed six rats and two roaches, each of which took only a single over-charged Shadow Shot before it perished. She also took the time to absorb the corpses, just in case.


    In most cases, four maxed-out Shadow Shots were enough to tire a Rank 10 Warden member to the point where they felt lethargic. Once again, Servi wasn''t exactly normal. She had seven souls capable of using skills inside her: the five guards from earlier, herself, and Itarr, who was a Goddess. That meant Servi had the Skill Energy Reservoir of six people and a divine being, not including the unnaturally high Skill Energy Reservoir Arnold had. That also meant she regenerated Skill Energy seven times faster than an average person. And the more souls she absorbed that were capable of using skills, the bigger and quicker her Reservoir and Skill Energy Regeneration would be. It would not be a stretch to say that sometime in the distant future, Servi would be capable of using a tremendous amount of skills, likely over a thousand, over and over again without feeling the smallest amount of fatigue.


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s good to know.¡±


    Hmm. Do you see that rat over there? I wish to try something. Do you remember back when you used Fire Wall three times?


    ¡°Yeah. Why?¡±


    I believe you could use a skill three times because you had three souls within you. Those being your soul, my soul, and the gold armor-wearing guy''s soul. Since we now have seven, try using Shadow Shot seven times.


    Servi did as Itarr asked. By thinking of Shadow Shot seven different times, seven large black arrows circled in front of her.


    ¡°How interesting. I guess depending on the skill, using it multiple times like this could be very useful.¡±


    I agree. Now, look at this. I can use it seven times myself.


    Suddenly, seven more Shadow Shots appeared beside the already floating seven, for a total of fourteen.


    ¡°We can effectively double it? Amazing¡­¡±


    And it seems I can give you control of the seven I made. You know, I almost feel sorry for the rat.


    Servi commanded the fourteen arrows of shadowy death to launch, and off they went to kill the rat. Well, kill was to put it lightly. The rat exploded from the fourteen impacts, and not even a scrap of fur larger than 5cm remained. Blood and meat splattered onto everything nearby. Thankfully, Servi and Momo were far enough away to where they didn''t have to worry about that.


    So that¡¯s seven rats and two roaches.


    During some of the downtime, Servi attempted to talk with Momo, but she only responded by nodding or shaking her head.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± no response.


    ¡°Were you scared?¡± she nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m here to protect you. So don¡¯t be scared, okay?¡± another nod.


    And so, they walked in silence until they reached the little base ran by Rank 10 members.

 Book One – Chapter Three – Part Six – Joining Warden, A New Friend, And A Loss Of Innocence.

    ¡°Heya, you two! How was it? Any trou¡ª¡± the guard, Arty, said when Servi walked through the door with Momo. His happy demeanor suddenly changed when he saw Momo, still covered in a bit of blood and reddened eyes. He quickly got to work.


    ¡°Here, come on over to the bed. You can take a rest there.¡± Arty reached out to take Momo¡¯s hand. When he did, she yelped in fear and clung tightly to Servi.


    ¡°Dear Gods above, what happened?¡± he asked Momo, but she wasn''t able to speak. Servi answered in her stead.


    ¡°It was going fine, and we took out a rat. Then we heard sounds of battle and ran to check it out. We saw a boy get knocked out by a rat, so we killed it. When we went to check on him, and he blamed everything on Momo and attacked her. He tried to steal her bag and potions,¡± she explained as she led Momo over to the bed. It took a bit of work, but Servi managed to lay her down.


    A few moments later, Momo closed her eyes and went to sleep. Her chest moved up and down slowly. Servi smiled. She liked Momo, even if she was a bit chatty and a bit afraid of practically everything. After all, it was Momo¡¯s first time adventuring as a member of Warden. It was a difficult day for her, and she did the best she could. Even though they were total strangers, Servi was proud of her new friend.


    ¡°Well, where is he?¡± Arty demanded, interrupting Servi¡¯s thoughts. Her smile turned sour.


    ¡°I knocked him out and left. Who cares about that?! He attacked my partner!¡±


    ¡°Wait, so you left him for dead?! What if the rats get him?!¡± Arty stood up and threw his hands out in anger.


    ¡°Like hell if I care! Did you miss the part where I said he attacked my partner?! He¡¯s lucky I didn¡¯t kill him myself,¡± Servi herself stood up.


    By now, the two on-duty nurses, the three shopkeepers, and the ten Rank 10s in the room all stopped turned to the pair. Some were sweating nervously and glancing around the room awkwardly. This was supposed to be a Rank 10 base ran by Rank 10s. They were supposed to look after each other, though it was plain to see that wasn¡¯t always the case.


    ¡°Well, you have to care. We Rank 10s need to look out for each other!¡±


    ¡°Attacking her for his own failure is out of line!¡±


    ¡°How do I even know that you¡¯re telling the truth?!¡± Arty said after a few seconds of thinking.


    Please let me kill him. Once again, Itarr desperately wanted to kill. I don''t like how he''s talking to you.


    It took all that Servi had within her to not give permission. ¡°You think I¡¯m lying to you?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying it¡¯s your word against his.¡±


    Servi growled and sat back down. Arty did the same.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this. We should not be in trouble. We¡¯re the victims.¡±


    ¡°Regardless of the truth, I¡¯m disappointed in you two.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even care anymore. This whole place is full of morons and idiots,¡± Arty took offensive to that and was about to say something, but Servi cut him off. ¡°If I¡¯m remembering right, I knocked him out in a bit of a dangerous spot. If you don¡¯t hurry, he might die. Not that I would care," Arty glared at the audacious woman who wouldn''t bat an eye if an enemy perished.


    He stood up and looked at Momo. Then he glanced at Servi. ¡°I hope she finds a better friend than you. Who knows, you¡¯ll probably abandon and leave her to die. Path¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡­.Shut up¡­. Servi saved¡­..me,¡± a weak voice said, cutting the tension. Servi and Arty turned to look at Momo, who spoke with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°That guy¡­ was gonna hurt me and¡­. Servi saved me again¡­.. If not¡­. for her, I¡¯d¡­.. be dead,¡± Momo soon passed out again. It seemed it took all of her strength to say those few words.


    Secretly, Servi was beaming with happiness on the inside. Though they¡¯ve only known each other for less than half a day, she realized she felt good when someone said good things about her. Arty struggled to reply, but he couldn¡¯t think of anything that he hadn''t already said. With a shake of his head, he jogged over to a metal box with holes that had a weird-looking handle. He put it to his ear and pressed a button.


    ¡°Yes, this is Arty from the Rank 10 SB. We have an unconscious and lost member somewhere in the sewers¡­ Yes, ma¡¯am. We¡¯ll start looking right away.¡±


    With his conversation over, he put the handle back to the box and jogged over to the merchant stalls, where five adventurers were staring at him.


    ¡°Listen up! Emergency quest. The reward is 20 dupla and 2 Potential for the safe return of an adventurer lost in the sewers. All those who want in follow me! Burt, you stay here and guard the door. Don¡¯t let those two back in,¡± he specifically pointed to Momo and Servi. The man named Burt, tall and bald, nodded and took his place while Arty and five others entered the sewers.


    When the door finally closed, and she couldn¡¯t hear the footsteps, Servi turned to Momo, who was staring at her. It seems that she woke up when he left.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Servi said with a smile.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡± she responded as her pink ears twitched. ¡°I feel so pathetic an¡ª¡±


    Servi held up a finger. ¡°Sorry, but I have to stop you right there. Three things. One: you aren¡¯t pathetic. Two: you did really good out there. Three: I¡¯m proud of you. Sure, you froze up, but that¡¯s normal. The important thing is that you overcame that and acted. Not to mention that you dealt the finishing blow twice.¡±


    Momo smiled again, but it wasn¡¯t like before. This smile was pure and genuine. ¡°So I did good?¡±


    Servi smiled and rubbed Momo¡¯s head like a mother would her daughter. She closed her eyes in joy, and her tail wagged under her. ¡°Yes, you did. And I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do good tomorrow as well. Now, once you feel better, we can head back to the office and turn in the quest.¡±


    ¡°What happened to the guy in the rusty armor?¡±


    ¡°I knocked him out. He¡¯s somewhere in there.¡±


    ¡°I see. I was scared and afraid,¡± Momo sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to be scared,¡± Servi said, trying to reassure her. ¡°Being scared in unknown or scary situations in normal."


    ¡°Can we go? I feel fine now.  I guess I wasn¡¯t tired physically, just mentally, but I feel better now,¡± Momo said. Though she said that, Momo really wanted to ask Servi why she wasn¡¯t afraid. Ironically, Momo was scared of Servi¡¯s answer.  Perhaps that was why she chose to ignore her own feelings and pushed the question away.


    Servi held out a hand, and Momo took it, using it to get up. She looked down and noticed the bed was all bloody.  One of the nurses on duty smiled while the other walked over to a small chest. She pulled out another blanket. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. We have a lot of spares,¡± one of them said.


    Momo thanked the two and left with Servi.


    A quick walk through the tunnel later, fresh air entered their nostrils. The smell of flowers, trees, and the faint scent of grilled meat was heavenly compared to the gross sewer. The sun, ever so high above, was setting. A beautiful and deep crimson filled out the horizon as the moon and stars prepared themselves for showtime.


    ¡°That red is the same color as your eyes. Pretty...¡± Momo said quietly. Though she intended for it to only be heard by herself alone, Servi managed to eavesdrop. She could only smile in return.


    Servi and Momo stared at the red sunset for a few moments before walking around the building. Just as they reached the door, they heard a loud noise behind them. Turning around, they saw a large man in a fancy red suit. Such clothing was only worn by the wealthy.  He was a noble.


    In his hand was a red whip, dripping with presumably, the blood of the young child in front of him. He had what looked to be brown scraps of paper, crudely sewed together, covering his waist, and a plain black bracelet was attached to his left hand. No shirt or shoes covered his chest or feet. Multiple red lines went down his back, and each dripped crimson. A messy pile of boxes surrounded the boy. To Servi, it appeared the boy had dropped them.


    ¡°Bwahaha! You little shit. I coated the end of this here whip with Red Scythe. Do you know what happens when you embarrass me? This! Now face your punishment! Know the pain!¡±


    The noble lashed out at the boy with all his power, and the whip snapped through the air. It struck with such a force that bits of flesh and muscle came back on the whip¡¯s return trip. The boy¡¯s cries of sorrow and anguish echoed loudly in the crowded street.


    Servi and Momo looked on, horrified. But that wasn¡¯t the scariest thing. A lot of people passing by didn¡¯t do anything. Servi foolishly expected someone to offer a word of protest, but it was the opposite. Some cruel and heartless fools cheered on the heinous act of violence and child abuse. While it wasn''t the majority of them, it was much more than a few. They were the vocal minority, and their loud screaming did little to stop the man with the whip.


    ¡°That bastard!¡± Momo turned to Servi and was taken back by her anger. ¡°Why is he doing that?¡± she asked Momo.


    ¡°That bracelet on his hand means that he¡¯s a slave. That¡¯s really the only reason. He has no rights. Heck, slaves aren¡¯t even considered to be alive. In the eyes of the law, they¡¯re property. It¡¯s terrible, isn¡¯t it? A stupid thing like slavery shouldn¡¯t exist. People aren¡¯t property. They¡¯re people. Why can¡¯t they realize that?¡± Momo said, with a hint of sadness in her eyes and voice. "I think people want to do something, but they can''t. Slavery is pretty much legal everywhere, so helping them will mean breaking the law."


    Should I kill him?


    Servi shook her head no and stepped forward, but the moment she did, the child took off running.


    ¡°AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!¡± he screamed as he ran down the street. But something was wrong¡­. The crowd in front of him scattered like they knew something was about to happen.


    The man laughed and spoke a particular phrase. A moment later, the ground and air shook with the force of an explosion, covering the entire area in a fog of dust and rock.  Servi immediately ducked to the ground, ready to face whatever threat, but Momo shook her head.


    ¡°Servi, that was the slave bracelet going off,¡± she said, tearing up.


    The dust cleared, and Servi saw the brutalized corpse of that young boy. The entire left side of his body was gone, and blood quickly leaked from the large opening.


    He was dead. A red soul floated up from the corpse and landed on Servi¡¯s ring, disappearing within it. Even though everyone should have seen the soul, nobody realized it was there.


    Well, we know for sure that the soul is invisible. We don''t need to worry about that.


    ¡°Bwahaha!!! A good show, ain¡¯t it?¡± the noble laughed, bringing forth the silent rage of Servi.


    ¡°That was a damn good show, Mr. Brick Bri.¡± A fellow adventurer clapped for the man who just killed a child. A pair of silver dog tags hung around his neck. His armor was a bit fancy. It was metal and not the rusted kind, either. A red sword with a shiny blue jewel in its handle dangled from his waist.


    He took a bow. ¡°My dear man, you are most welcome. If you find any more slaves for me, you¡¯d be sure to let me know. Right, Rowan?¡±


    A devilish smile appeared on Rowan¡¯s face. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± he promptly replied.


    The two then nodded and went their separate ways.


    I shall remember their names. Brick Bri and Rowan. I assume that we¡¯re going to kill them tonight?


    Servi nodded. She was so entranced with her own rage that she didn¡¯t see Momo shaking next to her. Her tears were replaced by an unyielding hatred. Then as quickly as it came, it was gone.


    Grandpa¡­. I swear I¡¯ll get stronger. I won''t let it happen again...


    And with that incident fresh in their minds, the two went inside the building. It was moderately packed. By this time, most of the adventurers who took on quests local to the area were coming back to report in. After that, they would usually head upstairs, grab a bite to eat, chat with their party, then head to bed after a warm shower. For those who stayed elsewhere, a trip to the local pub, then a drunken march to their inn was their ritual of choice. The former would be what Servi and Momo chose.


    They went to the shortest line and waited. Servi took out sixteen claws from her ring and stored them in her pouch.


    "You managed to get the claws from that last rat?¡± Momo asked when she noticed Servi¡¯s hand was in her pouch.


    ¡°Yeah. It wasn¡¯t too bad, thanks to this sword. It¡¯s actually pretty sharp.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorr¡ª¡± Momo went to apologize, but Servi cut her off.


    ¡°Come on, no more apologies,¡± Servi said in her kindest voice.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m sor¡ªI mean okay,¡± Momo giggled.  ¡°Umm...¡± Momo fidgeted, ¡°What kind of quest do you wanna do tomorrow?¡±


    Servi had a few choices here, and she took the time to think them through. Thanks to her eavesdropping on the other adventurers around, she discovered there were different types of quests. A kill quest, which involved killing a monster and bring back its parts as proof, was what Servi and Momo took on. A retrieval quest, where a party was asked to retrieve a required item, was similar to a kill quest.  The single difference was the lack of a target monster. Then there was an escort quest, where a party was tasked to protect someone while they went about their business.  Said business could be something as innocent as picking flowers in the forest or escorting a noble from town to town.


    The last type of quest, emergency quest, could be anything.  Emergency quests were only issued when, as its name suggested, an emergency was afoot.  The rewards for completing one of these quests were generally more lucrative than completing a standard quest, but it depended on the severity of whatever was happening.


    ¡°Hmmmm¡­. How about another kill quest? Hopefully, there¡¯s a good one that doesn¡¯t require going into the sewers. It¡¯s gonna be hard to get to the smell off of me,¡± Servi said after thinking about it.


    Momo giggled. ¡°I know what you mean. Hey, I have some good smelling soap and shampoo. You can use some if you want,¡± Momo said.  Like before, when she offered to lend Servi money, she fully expected to be turned down.


    ¡°Thanks, Momo. I¡¯d like to try it,¡± Servi said as she turned around. She was next in line.


    ¡°ID and items, please,¡± a young man said. He looked to be in his twenties. Blond hair and green eyes. He spoke with such a monotonous voice that Servi had to do a double-take. His looks and voice didn¡¯t match at all.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± Servi handed him her ID, the sixteen claws, and the dog tag she found in the sewers.


    The man inspected each one before chanting something. Suddenly, the sixteen claws disappeared. Next, he picked up a small red vial and opened the topper. He allowed some of the liquid to drip on her ID, which glowed a faint red. Then he took the dog tag and handed it off to someone.


    ¡°Congratulations on your first quest done,¡± he said, still speaking in a monotone voice. He slid the ID and a single 10 coin dupla through the small gap. ¡°As a special first-time completion bonus, you¡¯ve earned an extra 5 Potential. Please, use it as you see fit. There''s one more thing. If you have any spare monster parts, you can sell them to our sister building, which is right down the street. Your loan has decreased to 95 dupla. Have a good day,¡± Servi grabbed the coin and ID, then walked over to an empty table.  His odd tone of voice and way of speaking stuck with her for a few seconds before she realized she didn''t care.


    I never thought about selling the monster parts we collect. Seems like an easy way to get rich. I wonder how much we can get from the rats? Itarr asked.


    ¡°Probably not a lot, but we can go there tonight. Speaking of which, I need to try to find a disguise,¡± she said as she sat down. Dropping her ID and storing the coin, Servi waited for Momo.


    Disguise?


    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t want to be spotted when I¡¯m going out. If I can buy two or three different outfits that don¡¯t stand out, I can use my ring to quickly change between them. That way, even if someone spots me, I won¡¯t be wearing the same thing. I need to make sure to get a mask, though.¡±


    That makes sense. We can think about that later when we''re alone. I believe Momo has finished up.


    A moment later, Momo walked over and joined her.


    With her tail wagging excitedly, she spoke. ¡°Hey, Servi! Did you get a bonus? That man said I got an extra 5 Potential for a first quest completion bonus.¡±


    ¡°I got it. So the extra 5 plus the one from the quest. You have 6 Potential, right?¡±


    Incidentally, you have 84.


    Momo summoned her ID and looked. ¡°Yep! That¡¯s enough for at least one skill. Maybe two if I get one of the cheaper ones.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll take a look at it later.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­¡± once again, she was fidgeting and playing with her tail. Servi had to admit it was cute. ¡°Do you wanna look over the skills together? Maybe during dinner? If we¡¯re going to be party members, it might be a good idea to learn the skills that complement each other. You know, I can cover you, and you can cover me?¡±


    ¡°That sounds good, but why don¡¯t we get cleaned up first? It¡¯ll be hard to enjoy our dinner if we smell like this.¡±


    ¡°Alright! You still gotta buy your bath and food ticket, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s go do that.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    The two went upstairs. Servi bought her meal and bath ticket from Rakred, who reminded the two of the checkout time, then they went to their separate rooms to get their clothes.


    Five minutes later, Servi walked out of her room and locked it. She was clinging tightly to the overalls that Momo had picked out for her. With a bit of a bounce in her step, she made her way to the fifth floor.


    It was around 6:15 PM. Their excursion into the sewers had taken them a little longer than six hours, even though it didn''t feel like it. Considering how dark it was and how little light passed through the grates, it was easy to lose track of time when exploring the sewers. It was also easy to get lost if someone wasn''t paying attention. Itarr was the only reason they found their way back to the base, considering Servi didn''t remember the path they took.


    The fifth floor was where the showers and baths were located at. Momo was sitting down at a table staring at her ID when she heard footsteps. She looked up and saw Servi looking down at her. With a friendly smile, Momo dropped her ID and stood up.


    ¡°I hope I didn''t take too long.  Are you ready?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°Yep. Let¡¯s see¡­.. The women¡¯s bath is over there,¡± Servi looked where Momo was pointing at and saw a very well-detailed painting of a woman. It was hanging above a moderately large door. Servi then looked over to the opposite side and saw a painting of a man above the door.


    Considering that they were girls, they naturally made their way over to the women¡¯s bath.


    ¡°Now, if I¡¯m remembering right, there¡¯s a small machine where we have to insert this ticket in¡­.. Well, I don¡¯t see it out here.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s inside?¡± Momo answered.


    Servi shrugged and held open the door. Momo entered first, then Servi.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Momo said.


    Inside was a hallway with fifteen doors on each side. Attached to a small space beside each door was a small, black plate. It was thin and small, probably a bit bigger than a dagger. Its face was completely smooth, except for a single hole and word. About half of the black plates had the word ¡®Occupied,¡¯ and the others had ¡®Vacant.''


    ¡°You probably put the ticket in there, and the door unlocks,¡± Momo said, standing in front of a nearby door. The plate said ¡®Vacant.¡¯ She put her ticket in, and a few seconds later, the door clicked, allowing her to open it. It then changed to say ''Occupied.''


    ¡°I was right. Oh, before I forget, take these. I have a few extras. You can give them back to me when we meet up for dinner,¡± Momo reached into her bag and pulled two bottles.


    One had a picture of a pink unicorn on it that said ¡®Unicorn¡¯s Delight,¡¯ and the other had a rainbow on it that said ¡®Rainbow Trail.¡¯


    Momo, looking a bit red in the cheeks, explained. ¡°I-I-I know it looks childish, but it seriously smells good. It leaves your skin smooth and your hair soft.¡±


    Servi accepted them with a smile and thanked her. ¡°How about we meet up for dinner in about an hour or so. That sound good?¡±


    ¡°Okey dokey,¡± Momo said with a smile while her tail danced around. "I''ll see you in a little bit."


    Servi said the same, and the two girls entered separate bathing rooms.

 Book One – Chapter Three – Part Seven – Joining Warden, A New Friend, And A Loss Of Innocence (R-18)

    The shower room was small. Two nearby small tables allowed Momo to safely store her clean and dirty clothes. A curtain hanging from the ceiling prevented water from splashing everywhere while she cleaned herself.  Those were things regularly found in a washing area.  However, there was something else.  In the center of the room stood a large metal pole. It held a blue orb on top that was the same color as the ferocious waters that lived in the ocean.


    The floor, dual-enchanted with both a cleaning and teleportation skill, automatically activated whenever a ticket was inserted into the black plate assigned to that room. It didn''t matter how much water or waste littered the floor. The room was guaranteed to be spotless when the door opened.


    ¡°This place is bigger than I thought it would be. I was expecting a tub and nothing else,¡± Momo said, talking to herself. She made sure the door was locked and started to undress. First, she took off her vest, which was more black than red.


    ¡°Finally¡­¡± the relief she felt couldn¡¯t be put into words. For most of the sewer adventure, the vest, slick with sweat, grime, and covered in dirt, almost glued itself to her skin. Now that it was off, it was like she had found a new type of freedom.


    ¡°Okay, so next comes the chainmail¡­ Dang, I¡¯m gonna have to get it repaired soon,¡± the chain links on the back of Momo''s armor were bent, probably from that attack that broke her arm. She slid on the cold hard floor, and that was what damaged it.


    She grabbed a small bag from inside her grandpa¡¯s bag and put the vest inside it. This second, smaller bag was where she placed all of her dirty clothes.


    Next up came her white button-down shirt that wasn¡¯t white anymore. The entire thing, dyed a mix of red, black, brown, and grey, was evidence the sewers were a filthy place to be. She gave it a sniff but regretted it almost immediately. ¡°Oh man, I didn¡¯t know it was this smelly¡­ I hope it didn¡¯t bother Servi that much.¡±


    Then it was time for her bra, which used to be white and spotless. It was now gray and damp with sweat all over. She unhooked it and removed it, allowing her chest to taste fresh air.  She didn¡¯t want to admit it, but her breast size was what people considered to be ¡®flat-chested.¡¯  After putting the shirt and bra in the bag, she brought both hands to her chest and pouted as she gave them a bit of a squeeze. Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t that much for her to grab.


    ¡°I guess Servi is a bit bigger, huh?¡±


    A bit? More like way bigger¡­.


    She didn¡¯t have to worry about her sword because that was safely stored in her bag. Now that she thought about it, it was probably a good idea to place her chainmail inside as well.


    After a quick toss, she looked down at her legs. Luckily for Momo, her leather pants were naturally dirt resistant. It wasn''t dirty, but it had a bit of a weird smell to it.


    ¡°So that¡¯ll have to be washed, too. I hope Servi doesn¡¯t mind if I take a day to do laundry. I should be good for a couple of days, though.¡±


    The following items on her list were her panties, socks, and shoes.


    ¡°Stay inside the bag, okay? I''ll be sure to clean you later," she said, talking to her clothes.


    Now completely naked and her tail wagging slightly, her body shivered. ¡°I¡¯m gonna have to get in soon, or I¡¯m gonna freeze.¡±


    Momo reached into her grandpa¡¯s bag and took out a black towel. Next, she took out a white shirt that was a bit too long, a black skirt that stopped just above her knees, pink knee socks, and another pair of black boots. She also pulled out a fresh set of white underwear.


    As she laid them on the table, she smiled. The outfit laid out in front of her had a special place inside her heart. It was the first thing she bought with the money she earned, and it was all thanks to grandpa that she was able to obtain that money in the first place.


    Now that she had her clean clothes out, the only thing left was a towel, which she promptly retrieved. Well, she thought she had everything. Once she walked over to the blue orb on a pole, she remembered she had forgotten about the soap, shampoo, and a washcloth. After looking through her bag and retrieving the items, she finally had everything.


    ¡°Now then, I¡¯m ready to get clean!¡± she walked over to the blue orb and put her hand on it.


    The blue orb was a Skill Tool called a Wash Stone. It had the skill Create Water imbued inside. By owning a Skill Tool, even a person with no Skill Energy whatsoever could use the skill within, even if they didn''t personally know the ability it contained. The information required to use the skill automatically presented itself to the user. Instead of drawing from the user, it gathered the Skill Energy necessary to power the skill by absorbing the Skill Energy that naturally flowed in the air around them.


    Though it was pretty small, it was surprisingly expensive. For a Skill Tool that had such an important skill, like Create Water, it would run around 30,000 dupla. Only royalty and the wealthiest of nobles or adventurers would own one. However, Warden members have the privilege of renting one, though it required that the renter be Rank 3, if not higher.  They weren''t items to be given out willingly to parties or people who hadn''t proven themselves.


    After putting her hand to the blue orb, Momo chose hot and pure water that flowed lightly. As it sprayed down from an invisible anchor point, she put a hand to it and adjusted the temperature until it was just right.


    ¡°Perfect!¡± she said, rubbing her wet hand against her cheek. She grabbed her two bottles and a washcloth before stepping in.


    ¡°Aahhhh, it feels soooo goooood,¡± she said as the water flowed down atop her pink hair. She pulled the large curtain hanging overhead around her and got to washing.


    ¡°But I can take a few moments to enjoy this, right? I have an hour or so before meeting up with Servi,¡± she used her hands to rub the water against her body for a few minutes before she used her shampoo and soap. The first bottle was marketed for Singi and their ears, tail, and hair.


    She wrapped her tail around her waist and got to work.  Squirting the shampoo on the washcloth, she started from the tip and slowly made her way to the base. As she did so, she sang a song her grandpa had taught her when she was a young girl.


    ¡°A good tail is clean. A clean tail is good. Be a good girl, and clean your tail.¡±


    As she got closer and closer, she stopped singing and started moaning instead. When she got to the base, the built-up pleasure was far too much for her to handle. The strength drained from her legs and knees. A second later, she collapsed and felt the gratification that came with an orgasm for the very first time.


    ¡°MMMMMMMMHHHH!!!¡± she moaned loudly and bit her lip in an attempt to silence herself. It didn¡¯t work.


    Her body tingled with electricity, her face becoming as red as fire. In between deep breaths, she continued to moan with pleasure, the likes of which she had never experienced before. She stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, even though it was less than fifteen seconds.


    Now with her strength back, she shakily stood back up. Suddenly, the realization of what just happened echoed in her mind, and she felt extremely hot in her cheeks, but she also felt a bit confused.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always washed my tail like that, but it never felt as good. I wonder why¡­. It¡¯s not as if I didn¡¯t like that feeling, but it was certainly a new experience. I sorta want to feel that way again¡­¡± she said to herself, smiling as she reached back around for her tail.


    She shook her head. ¡°No, Momo. You can¡¯t. You can¡¯t be late for dinner. You finally have a friend, and you can¡¯t keep her waiting. You got to clean yourself, so you smell good,¡± and with that, she fought against the urge as she rinsed the soap off of her tail. But the pleasure that she felt stayed within her.


    Next, it was time for her ears. She flattened them against her head using one hand and washed them with the other hand. She did the same to the other ear before rinsing them off.


    Finally, it was time for her hair.  She squeezed some shampoo onto her hands. Such gorgeous flowing strands of pink required a loving touch to keep it in good shape.


    ¡°Washy hairrrr.  Washy washy hair.¡± She sang to herself as she rubbed the shampoo in it. It lathered up, turning the pink to white as it reached down to just below her shoulder blades. Her smooth hands massaged her scalp, and it was like all of her stresses flowed away.  The encounter with Mossi was almost a thing of the past. Even now, the terrifying assault by the boy in the sewer was the furthest thing from her mind.  The stresses of the day flowed down with the water that splattered against her soft back.


    After a minute or two of lathering, she stood back underneath the flowing azure.  Waterfalls of white covered her sight for a good few seconds before her hands joined in.  With their combined effort, she was doubly sure that all of the white suds had vacated her hair.


    ¡°Now then, it¡¯s time for the rainbow!¡± she sat the shampoo on the ground and reached for the bottle labeled ¡®Rainbow Trail.¡¯ Unlike the special Singi shampoo, there wasn¡¯t anything special about this one. Momo enjoyed the fact that it smelled like fruit.


    Momo rinsed her washcloth clean before putting the soap on it. Afterwhich, she moved the cloth against her pearly skin.


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± she moaned when she ran the cloth against her chest. Though small, her nipples were hard and sensitive. The mix of firm cloth and soft soap with hot water felt better than it usually did. She licked and bit her lips seductively while lightly pinching her left nipple with one hand. Using her other hand, she went from her chest, down to her stomach, and eventually down to her crotch. As it did, her moans grew louder and more vocal, and the pleasure felt electric. It was like a lightning bolt was about to strike her body. The moment her hand even glanced against her hairless forbidden fruit, she enjoyed the pleasures of a second orgasm.  Her tail stretched to its limits as she fell to her knees.  Moaning and groaning, one hand monopolized her nipples while the other became well attached with her maidenhood.


    ¡°Hah¡­.Hah¡­ That. Felt. Amazing¡­.¡± she breathed hard, enjoying the post-sensation of an orgasm. When the pleasure faded away, she resumed washing her body, now having to clean away the liquid that dripped from her sweet honey pot. It was hard for her. The urge to open Pandora''s Box was mounting an offensive, and she had to fight that wanting with all of her strength.


    And with that, her bathing was almost done. The only thing left was to allow the water to flow all over her body, making extra sure all of the soap and shampoo were gone.


    While she did so, she fantasied about what would happen next. After drying off, she would get dressed in her favorite outfit that she only wore for special occasions. And then she would have a nice dinner with her friend.


    ¡°Friend,¡± as Momo said the word, she frowned a little bit. Growing up, she never had any friends other than her grandpa, but now she had one. And they were party members to boot. Questing, adventuring, and enjoying dinner at night. It was something that Momo had dreamed about forever.  Even back when she was a little Singi who used to bounce on her grandpa''s knees, she always wanted a friend to talk to.


    ¡°Grandpa, I finally made a friend..."


    With a tap of the blue orb, the water stopped. Momo opened the curtain surrounding her. Her skin, flushed from the heat, looked as soft as silk as she grabbed her black towel. Drying off, she smiled at the events to come. She just couldn¡¯t wait.


    While Momo was exploring her body and showering, Servi was also cleaning herself. Well, she was going to but couldn¡¯t. She had a bit of a problem using the Skill Tool.


    ¡°Dammit, I don¡¯t know how to use this. The Dwarf at the front didn¡¯t say anything about it.¡± Servi pouted, prodding the Wash Stone with her fingers.  She placed her thumb on it, sliding it down. She even resorted to scratching it with her nail, but nothing she did ever worked.


    Why don¡¯t you use Create Water? I¡¯m pretty sure that orb has it imbued within it.


    ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    It¡¯s a hunch. Like, when we absorb a soul with a skill engraved within it, I get a certain feeling. I feel the same thing coming from that orb.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it that way. I don''t know how to use that thing.¡±


    Though it was unnecessary, Servi snapped her hands, and the clothes, both adorning her body and in her hands, disappeared. Now, as naked as the day she was born, she walked next to the orb. After a bit of finagling with Create Water, Servi was happy with the temperature of the shower as it dripped from her pretty black hair down her supple breasts, to her thighs, and finally her toes. She went to wash but realized she forgot something.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask Momo for a washcloth¡­.¡±


    Using your hands would be the same thing, right?


    Servi sighed. ¡°Not really, but I don¡¯t have a choice,¡± she opened the bottle with the unicorn on it. She stood away from the flowing stream and squirted the shampoo on her hands. She then massaged her black hair, making sure to rub her fingers through every centimeter of her head. By the time she was finished, and before she rinsed it, her black hair had turned white from the suds.


    ¡°Ahhh. That feels so good,¡± Servi said as she stepped back underneath the water. The temperature was just perfect. The hot water cleansed the foul suds purifying her hair, revealing the silky black hidden underneath.  She put a hand to her hair and gasped.  Just like Momo said, her hair was smooth and soft, and it smelled incredible.


    Servi absorbed the shampoo bottle and squirted the unicorn bottle in her hands. She started from her face, closing her eyes to make sure that no soap wandered in.  Then it was her neck, then her chest. The dried blood and dirt from the day''s events broke down and washed away from the incoming water. Her soapy hands glided over her breasts and nipples. Using both hands, she lightly pinched them.


    Itarr, who watched, saw in a 360-degree view around Servi. She could see even if Servi closed her eyes, but Itarr just stayed quiet, even though she didn¡¯t exactly understand what was going on. In her eyes, Servi was currently enjoying herself and feeling good. Itarr didn''t think she had the right to interfere.


    After playing with her nipples, Servi continued her soapy journey down her stomach. She briefly stopped enough to catch her breath before continuing to her final location, which was a tender, lightly haired spot between her legs. Panting hard at the potential pleasure, Servi timidly stuck a single finger inside, instantly climaxing.


    The pleasure and feelings were so intense Servi sank to the ground, not even landing on her knees. With deep breaths, Servi stared at her finger, coated in her nectar, and held it close to her lips. Like a sweet-tasting candy, she ran her tongue up and down it, panting even harder.


    She didn''t expect her nectar to be that hot.


    This continued for a few more minutes until her reason came back. Now that she thought about it, this very moment was the first time she had to herself ever since waking up in this world. And she wanted to enjoy it. She was Human, and though she might be possessed by a God, she had wants and needs. Right now, she wanted to experience a bit of personal pleasure.


    Did you enjoy yourself? Itarr said when Servi got back to her feet. She cleaned and wiped the juices flowing down her thighs, then continued washing her body as she answered.


    ¡°You saw all that, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Yes, I did. It looked like it felt good.


    ¡°It did. Like a wave of electricity flowing through my body. All in all, it felt absolutely heavenly."


    When I get my body back, and if it wouldn¡¯t be too much trouble, do you think you could teach me?


    ¡°Itarr, after everything you¡¯ve done for me, I¡¯d be happy too,¡± Servi said while she smiled.


    Thank you. I appreciate it.


    Servi finished bathing, and just like Momo, she had to fight against the urge to play with herself. As she used Fire Wall to dry herself, Servi and Itarr talked. Their conversation wasn''t the most exciting, but they chatted about the town, Warden, and what they experienced today. By the end of it, they felt closer.


    Servi brought an arm to her nose and sniffed.  She was pleasantly surprised by the fruity scent.


    ¡°It really does smell good. I¡¯m gonna have to thank Momo again.¡±


    Using her ring, Servi put on her black underwear, then her clothes, which consisted of a red and white buttoned-down shirt, black pants, and blue overalls. Finally, she slid some black socks and black heeled boots over her pristine feet to complete the outfit.


    "It''s crazy that one second I''m naked and the next I''m fully clothed.  It''s incredible."


    I¡¯m pleased to see that you''re happy. Might I add that you look great? Momo is very good at picking clothes.


    ¡°Thanks, Itarr,¡± Servi said as she absorbed the bottle of soap. ¡°Well, I believe we¡¯re done here. I gotta say, I feel much better after that shower. It''s like I''m finally clean. Hey, let''s head back to our room.  We have some time before we have to meet up with Momo.¡±


    That sounds good to me.


    And with that, Servi did one final check of the room.  After confirming she didn''t leave anything behind, she left the bathing area and returned to her room.

 Book One – Chapter Three – Part Eight – Joining Warden, A New Friend, And A Loss Of Innocence

    The sun had fully descended from the sky and the moon, so white and bright, lit up the night. The stars looked like pearls in a sea of black, admiring the inhabitants of the universe. They were out of reach for the hopeful dreamers that desperately wanted to grab one.


    Warden¡¯s kitchen was booming with business. 7:30 PM was around the time in which the kitchen and baths were filled to the brim. Every single chair, table, and bench on the third and fourth floor was occupied. The same went for the bathing rooms as well. Any vacancies were immediately filled up, so hungry and dirty adventurers had to act fast to secure a spot.


    A small table nestled in the corner on the fourth floor of Warden sat two adventurers. One was a Singi, who wore a white shirt and a black skirt. Her legs and feet were covered with pink knee socks and black boots. The pink hair, tail, and ears complemented her outfit nicely, and a beloved black bag sat beside her feet.


    Sitting across from her was a woman with black hair and eyes as red as the setting sun. She had on overalls with black pants and a red and white button-down shirt. All in all, she looked like the spitting image of a farmer¡¯s daughter.


    They both had pleasant smiles on their faces as they listened to each other. Two nearly empty plates of food sat in front of them.


    Momo ordered the grilled duck, a baked potato covered with garlic and butter, a small plate of celery, and a nice tall glass of milk. Momo, when she ordered, went red in the face when she realized how childish her order of milk was. But to her surprise, Servi didn¡¯t make fun of her. She also ordered a glass of milk to go with her dinner, which consisted of a steak grilled medium-rare and a bowl of peas and corn.


    Taking a sip of her white delight, Momo placed the glass down on the table and smiled. She was met with a giggle from her new friend.


    ¡°What¡¯s funny?¡± she asked, not knowing of the dairy mustache on her face.


    ¡°You have a little bit on your¡­.¡± Servi said as she pointed to her upper lip.


    ¡°Ah!¡± after a quiet but cute gasp, Momo went red in the cheeks while she wiped her mouth.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± she said meekly, but Servi waved it off.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Anyway, what were we talking about again?¡± Servi said as she carried a spoon of peas and corn to her mouth. When she bit down, the tiny vegetables crushed helplessly against her teeth as their flavor filled her mouth. Her steak was long gone since it was the first thing she devoured. Just one or two spoonfuls of her vegetables remained.


    ¡°We were talking about skills,¡± Momo answered as she stuck her fork in the last little piece of grilled duck. She brought it to her mouth, and with a muted sound, she bit into the meat. Flavor and juice oozed out of it as she chewed. She followed it up with a tiny nibble on her last piece of celery and took her last sip of milk.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. So do you want to go over the Rank 10 skill list?¡± Servi asked.  A quick word later, she laid a red stone tablet on the table while finishing off the last spoonful of peas and corn. Momo still had a bit of milk left, so she quickly drank the rest. A passing waiter walked by and took their plates and cups. Servi nodded at him while Momo smiled and thanked him.


    After he left, Momo took out her ID, and the two looked over their available skills.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­.. We have 6 Potential. At most, we can learn two skills each,¡± Momo said, looking at her own ID. Her eyes scanned over the Rank 10 skill list.


    ¡°Which skill looks like a must-have?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°Probably Protection. It covers the body in a thin layer of protective light, thereby reducing physical damage taken. But it costs 6 Potential, and the other skills look good too. Magic Missile will allow us to attack from a distance, and Lucem could be used to blind enemies. Gah! Why does it all have to be so expensive¡­¡± Momo sighed as she laid her ID on the table.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I learn Protection? I mean, I¡¯m pretty good at dodging attacks, but in the off chance I''m hit, I can be protected. If I can keep them distracted, you can kill them from behind.  We can continue our usual strategy. Besides, if I¡¯m reading this right, I can give Protection to other people.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Momo asked. ¡°It¡¯ll be good to have a tank, but I don''t want you to get hurt.¡±


    ¡°I could say the same thing. I got scared when that rat attacked you, and maybe Protection could have prevented your arm from breaking,¡± upon hearing that, Momo rubbed her arm where just hours before, her white bone broke through the skin. Even though it was fully healed, she could still feel the phantom pain that remained.


    ¡°Can you just promise me that you¡¯ll be careful?¡±


    Servi smiled. ¡°I promise,¡± with that, Servi navigated her ID until a message asked if she was sure she wanted to spend 6 Potential to learn Protection. She pressed the box that said ¡®Yes,¡¯ and her tablet glowed for a moment.


    Protection was a skill that we already knew via the guards'' souls we absorbed earlier. However, I do believe there is a chant required to use it.  If you want, I''ll tell you the chant later. Oh, but the chant is entirely unnecessary because we only need to think of the skill to use it.


    ¡°Alright, I learned it. I¡¯ll also learn Decoy when I get more Potential. So what are you gonna learn?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°I was thinking Lurk. It¡¯s a skill that makes it harder for enemies to detect you. I was thinking if I ever get the attention of a monster, I could use it until you get it back. Would that be alright?


    ¡°It¡¯s fine with me. That was 3 Potential, right? So you still have enough for one more skill.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Momo hummed a tune as she glanced over her options. Flamb¨¦, a skill that warmed a person''s hands, would be helpful when exploring cold areas. With it, one could fight off the danger of hypothermia. But considering the warm climate, it probably wasn¡¯t the best idea to waste such valuable Potential on a skill that wouldn¡¯t be useful for many months. It was spring, after all, and summer was fast approaching.


    On the other hand, Lux Sphere was almost a necessity when exploring dark areas. The skill allowed the user to summon tiny balls of light that could light up dark areas.


    ¡°So, made up your mind?¡± Servi asked.  Her black hair danced across her eyes as her head bounced with the rhythm of Momo''s humming.


    ¡°I have. I think I¡¯ll learn Dazzler. It allows me to make a small ball of shadow that makes noise wherever it lands. If I use it right, I think I¡¯ll be able to support you.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good to me. We can try them out tomorrow morning. Does that sounds good to you?¡±


    Momo nodded. ¡°It does. I¡¯m so excited! My very first skill! Oh, I can¡¯t wait!¡±


    Momo''s tail wagged, knocking against her chair and producing a dull noise that was drowned out by the loud atmosphere. At the same time, her finger pressed down on Lurk and Dazzler.  There was no fanfare or glowing lights signifying her newfound power, but Momo did feel something warm inside her heart.  It was nothing more than a placebo effect from accomplishing something substantial.


    With dinner eaten and skills learned, the two talked for another 30 or so minutes. After that, the call of slumber had grown strong in its desperate search for Momo, who cutely yawned.


    ¡°What time do you want to meet up in the morning?¡± Servi asked as she got up from her chair. It was around 9:40, and the kitchen was about a quarter filled up. Around this time, most adventurers who stayed at the Warden office were heading to their rooms.


    Momo stretched and yawned for the second time. ¡°What about 9 AM?¡±


    Servi nodded. ¡°That''s fine with me. That¡¯ll give us some time to practice before they put up the new quests. If I remember right, they go up at 10 AM. But if for some reason I¡¯m not downstairs waiting in the lobby, I¡¯m in room 310. You might need to wake me up.¡±


    ¡°Alrighty,¡± the two party members walked over to the stairs. Momo had a room on the fourth floor, where the kitchen was, and Servi was stuck on the third floor. With a smile and a wave, Servi turned her back and walked down, leaving Momo alone.


    ¡°Goodnight¡­¡± Momo quietly said to herself as she made her way across the kitchen and towards her room. Yawning again, she realized that she was exhausted. ¡°I hope I sleep good tonight. Wait, I gotta do something first,¡± the Singi said when she reached her room. Pulling her key from her bag, she unlocked the door and entered and locked it behind her.


    Her room, like Servi¡¯s room, was plain and simple. A dresser, a small window, a mattress, and a blanket. That was all she got, but she didn¡¯t care. She slowly walked over to her bed and fell on it. Suddenly, she found herself giggling and smiling.


    ¡°Today was the first day towards achieving my dream. Grandpa, I¡¯m finally here. Oh, that¡¯s right!¡± Momo reached for her bag and dug deep inside. After searching for a bit, she pulled out a small rectangular item: a present.


    I almost forgot about this. Grandpa told me to open it when I got here.


    She started to unwrap the present, tearing calmly at the beautiful pink wrapping paper.


    A notebook?


    Yes, it was. After putting the paper in her bag for later disposal, Momo stared at the notebook.


    The cover had a blue sky and showed a dry and cracked brown ground.  In the very middle sat a single flower that persevered through the struggles of growing in a desolate wasteland.  In a way, the single instance of life represented the possibility to pull ahead through any situation.


    It¡¯s a lily. Grandpa remembered my favorite flower.


    She opened the cover and discovered that the first page wasn¡¯t blank. Though she had no reason or intention to read it out loud, she did


    ¡°Dearest, granddaughter.


    ¡°If you¡¯re reading this, then I assume that you made it to Canary. It used to be such a beautiful city, though I know not how it looks now. I hope you¡¯re doing well. Have you joined Warden? It might be a bit scary at first, considering that you aren¡¯t blessed, but this old man believes in you! You¡¯re my granddaughter, after all! I was strong, and my blood flows through your body. I do no doubt in my mind that one day, you will achieve greatness. Let your grandpa give you one more final tip.


    ¡°Find someone that you can trust to have your back when you''re in danger. Someone that will be there to pick you up when you fall. When you do find that someone, you better do the same for them. There have been many times in which I¡¯m only alive thanks to my friends and allies. And I¡¯m thankful for that.


    ¡°Well, I lied.  I have one more tip. I bought this journal so you can record your thoughts and feelings. It might seem pointless, but there will be times that you might feel like a failure. I¡¯m not saying this to be mean. There''ll be times that make you wonder if joining Warden was the right thing to do. I¡¯ve been there before. And what got me out of that slump was a journal I used to write in. You don¡¯t know how much better you¡¯ll feel after you read about the good times. Just writing about how happy that young boy was when I rescued his cat from that well kept me going through the darkest times.  Keep one thing in mind: the good and bad comes with life, and it¡¯s up to you to sort through those feelings and determine what you want to record. It¡¯s going to be hard, but I believe in you.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to write this much, and I better stop soon. But I want you to know one final thing. Ha, I guess I lied again. I promise this will be the last one.


    ¡°I love you. You are my granddaughter, and I will always be on your side. If you do something bad and can¡¯t forgive yourself, then I¡¯ll forgive you. I will always protect you.


    ¡°From your loving grandpa, Sumo.¡±


    Having reached the end of his message, Momo broke down. All of the emotions she tried to keep locked inside came bursting out. Hugging her knees close together, she silently wailed.


    Grandpa¡­ I miss you.


    A cloud covered the moon, blocking out part of its light as her room became dark and eerie. It was as if the whole world took pity on a young girl, and it gave her the chance to cry in peace.

 Book One – Interlude – Momo’s Diary Entry

    RuggyRuggy


    Dear diary.  My name is Momo, and I¡¯ve just joined Warden. Today¡¯s date is May 1st.


    Umm, I¡¯d never written in a diary before so I guess I should start from the beginning?


    I apologize in advance if the diary gets wet or damp. I just finished reading my grandpa¡¯s message, and I couldn¡¯t help but cry. I tried my best to wipe away the wet spots, but even now, I still feel the tears coming.


    I know you always said that I cry too much, but I can be forgiven just this once, right? I miss you.


    I¡¯ve always lived with my grandpa. My first memories were of him. He used to bounce me on his knee and I remember I would laugh and laugh so much. As to why I don¡¯t live with him? A bunch of stuff happened, and he gave me his sword, bag, and enough money so I could reach Canary.


    Oh, Canary is the name of a city in the Kingdom of Lando. It¡¯s where my grandpa first joined Warden many many years ago. When I said I wanted to join, he jokingly said I should follow in his footsteps and join at the same office. Well, I¡¯m here grandpa. I did it.


    The trip here was scary and I cried a lot ¨C something I desperately need to work on if I want to be as strong as my grandpa ¨C but I survived it. But the slavery situation here is bad. Like really bad. It''s worse than the other villages I had to pass through to get here.


    Seeing Singi, like me, in chains and wearing those awful slave bracelets made me sad. They looked up at me with their big eyes like they wanted me to free them.  Little Singi girls and boys covered in scars made me realize that I had it better than most. Grandpa, I never did ask but, why are people mean to us Singi? Well, I guess it¡¯s not just us. I also saw little Humans, Koena, Elves, Dwarves, and Kobolds all chained together and forced to walk with no socks or shoes.


    Grandpa, I really did want to help. But I didn¡¯t know what I could do. Sometimes, even now, I can¡¯t sleep at night knowing what pain and humiliation they''re going through. It makes me so mad that I want to kill, but I know that¡¯s bad.


    After a long journey, I finally reached Canary. It¡¯s a beautiful city, but seeing all those slaves and even knowing how slavery is legal made it seem a bit too ugly to me.


    I kinda got lost when I entered the city so it took me a bit before I actually found the Warden building. It was like you said: beautiful and wooden, with nary a bit of stone exposed. I always laughed when you said things serious like that. I kept wondering how a building could be beautiful, but I gotta agree now. It''s amazing how someone could build something so majestic with only wood.


    Whoops, I got a little off-topic. Anyway, I went in and I immediately got scared. But it wasn¡¯t a frightened scared if that makes any sense. But I was scared out of excitement. I was finally here! Six long months of travel and being by myself, but I was finally here!


    I walked in and quickly found a sigh hanging from the ceiling that said ¡®Sign Up Here¡¯ and so I walked over. The line was a bit long, but it gave me a chance to really look around.


    Everything thing you said was true. People from all different races were all around me. It felt nice to look at other Singi and find them holding weapons and being their own person. But then the door opened and I turned to look at who entered. It was a girl, maybe a bit older than me, but she looked mean. She had black hair and red eyes like the setting sun and she went to stand behind me.


    Grandpa, I was afraid.  Later, I realized that was stupid of me. I never should''ve been afraid of her in the first place.


    Her black pants were bloody and torn, barely covering her thighs, and she had on armor but it only covered her chest.


    Ha, I remember thinking ¡®thank goodness I managed to sign up alright.¡¯


    Also, I know you said not to accept the coin pouch they give to all new recruits and I know you said it''s a scam, but I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t decline it. But, I do have enough to pay it back. See, I¡¯m not THAT bad with money.  Well, I''m kinda bad.  I don''t have that much left, but I do have enough to last me a few days.


    Anyway, after signing up I went over and picked out a quest. I know you trained me a little bit on using a sword, so I picked out one that involved killing rats in the sewers. I figured I could take them by myself, but I was very wrong.


    So after picking a quest, you have to go stand in front of a large window that was divided into 8 smaller windows and I always found that a bit odd. Like, the entire time I was thinking, I just wanted to know why there were eight doors behind the window when it¡¯s clearly one big room. It doesn¡¯t make sense.


    Oh sorry, I got off topic again.


    I went to go stand in line and I found myself standing behind that girl, the one with the torn and bloody clothes and armor. I thought about what you said earlier before I left. You always said friends were an important part of adventuring. That¡¯s also what you said to me in your letter.


    So I had a thought: I could be friends with this person in front of me. Sure, she looked mean but I don¡¯t want to be a person who judges by appearances alone.


    So maybe I thought this could be a chance so I talked to her. I guess I came across a bit too strong, so she said no after I asked her if she wanted to make a party with me. I got to admit, I was a bit sad. I almost thought about crying but I didn¡¯t have a chance to.


    The girl in front of me, Servi, turned around and actually apologized to me for not wanting to join. Usually, I¡¯m the one who has to say sorry.


    Her reasoning was this: she didn¡¯t have experience and didn¡¯t want to be dead weight but if I would have her, then she wanted to join me. She even said that she shouldn¡¯t pass up the opportunity to make a friend. Me? A friend! I was excited! Super excited that I even hugged her. I immediately regretted it. How could I just hug this random girl out of nowhere?! I thought she was gonna yell at me and call me weird for doing something like that, but it never happened.  I felt so happy when she hugged me back.


    I really need to think about my actions before I actually do them. I guess I was lucky that she was the hugging type.


    Since she was ahead of me, she got to accept the quest first so after it was my turn, I walked over to where she was sitting. I got to admit, I was expecting her to leave and ditch me, but she didn¡¯t.


    But something WAS a bit weird. As I walked over, I heard her talking, but nobody was around. I think she was talking to herself. I can¡¯t really say anything about that, because I used to, and still do, talk to myself.


    I asked her if we were ready but she said no. She wanted to get a new set of armor and clothes because she lost all of hers. She said she was attacked by a crazy woman who took everything she had.


    I¡¯m glad nothing like that happened to me.


    So we went to the guild store on the second floor. Servi bought this super cool leather armor. It has a cloak and pouches and everything. I compared it to mine and don¡¯t get me wrong, I love my outfit. After all, grandpa bought me this. But a red vest over chainmail over a white shirt? What am I even saying? I¡¯m sorry grandpa, I should take this for granted.


    After she bought the new armor, she then asked about clothes and a weapon, but the lady who was helping us said that she didn¡¯t have enough money. So I offered to lend her some but she declined. She took out another loan of 50 dupla. I guess I got too excited and I asked if I could help her pick out of clothes and I was ready for her to say no, but she let me pick out two sets! Two!


    What kind of girl allows a stranger to help pick out clothes? I guess Servi is that type of girl.  She did say that she didn''t understand fashion, or something like that, and welcomed my help.


    I picked out a beautiful red dress with heels and some overalls with a red and white shirt, and a pair of black heeled boots. She seemed happy with my choices.


    But again you stupid cat, you need to think of what you wanna say and do before you actually do them. She might end up being your best friend, but you¡¯re doing stuff that might turn her away.  What if she was just being nice?!?!?!


    After getting her weapon, a stick, and yes I know, it was literally a stick, we went to pay for our rooms. Again, I offered to pay for her bath and meal, but she declined again.


    Things were going good and great, but things were about to get real bad.


    We said we would meet up in ten minutes, but I decided to go down earlier.


    I was sitting on a bench close to the stairs so I could spot Servi when she came down. The place was full and almost every table was filled up with other adventurers preparing for their quests. Well, I was waiting when this girl grabbed me by the wrist and brought me over to a corner of the room where two guys were standing.


    They blocked me from leaving and one held an arm out. I tried to say that I was waiting for a friend but they told me I should ignore that and go with them. I tried to say no, but then a woman licked her lips all nasty like and reached out a hand. I was so scared and I thought that something bad was gonna happen to me so I closed my eyes in fear. But then I was saved by Servi! She told them off, and the three walked away.


    I¡¯m sorry grandpa but I cried again. I thought that Servi would leave me because I weak so I told her too. But she shook her head. She wanted to stay and be friends with me and I was so happy. She talked to me for a bit. I started feeling a bit weird.  For some reason, it felt like butterflies were flying in my stomach. I felt happy and giddy because someone stood up for me.  I know I''m 18.  I''m an adult.  I know I should be able to stand up for myself, but it''s hard and scary.


    I hope the two of us can be best friends!


    And I''m sorry, but I wanted to kill those three. I mean, who knows what would have happened to me if Servi didn¡¯t save me. But it was more than a feeling. It was like an urge inside of me desperately wanted to lash out.  I managed to keep it inside, and I don''t think Servi noticed anything.


    Grandpa, am I a bad girl?  I know killing is bad, but they were probably going to hurt me.  What if they were slavers....


    I should stop writing about that. It¡¯s making me mad even thinking about it.


    I lied, I have one more thing to say. I just hope that in the future, I will have the strength to save myself.


    We went into the sewers and after a bit of talking with Arty, a Rank 10 who I don¡¯t like (reasons for that later), we entered the sewers proper. You see, we had to walk through a tunnel to reach a small base, then go past that to enter the sewers. A bit confusing, I agree.


    We walked for a while when we came up with a plan. Since I had the only proper weapon, Servi would take point and distract the monster while I attack from behind.


    Oh yeah, we had to bring back sixteen rat claws. We both took the same one quest so it was actually 32 claws.


    The first rat was the worse. Servi managed to get his attention, and the rat was already injured. Servi managed to dodge the attacks and I just froze up. I could not move and it felt like I was paralyzed by fear and the thought of actually killing and hurting something.


    But Servi yelled, shouting that she trusts me which brought me back to my senses and I stabbed the rat in the back with my sword. Well, it¡¯s your sword but I¡¯m only borrowing it. I promise to give it back to you when we meet again.


    I thought that she was gonna yell at me for freezing up during such an important moment but she didn¡¯t. Instead, she used her stick to stab the dead rat in the face, pushing the stick further and further until it couldn¡¯t go anymore. I wasn¡¯t expecting that so I threw up. I then asked her why she did that in a tone that was far angrier than I wanted.


    Calmly, she just told me that some monsters liked to play dead and we had to be sure that we killed them. In her words, she said ¡®it was us vs them, and I¡¯d prefer it if we survived,¡¯ or something like that. I can¡¯t really remember. But I will forever remember the lesson.


    We then began collecting the claws while Servi walked away. She came back with a sword that looked too clean to be in the sewers and a dog tag. It belonged to a girl named Mireya. Poor thing. I didn¡¯t see the body, but it must have been in bad shape.


    Servi used her sword to tear off eight claws, finishing before me. I showed her my claws and she said I did a good job. After that, I offered to hold the claws in my bag. Well, it¡¯s your bag grandpa, but I¡¯ll return it to you. I may have accidentally told her it was enchanted with Dimensional Storage.  She acted like it was something normal and not rare, so I think we''re okay. It¡¯s a secret, but it¡¯s not a secret secret.  I mean, it''s not a secret in the first place.  It belongs to you so I wanted to hide it.  I''m sorry.


    Oh yeah, she also asked me something weird. After we killed the rat, she asked me if I saw something floating nearby. I didn¡¯t, but Servi said okay. I wonder what that was about.


    So that was the first of the two rat encounters.


    I lied. The second rat encounter was way worse. Ha, grandpa, I guessed I picked up that lying thing from you.


    After killing the first rat, we walked for a bit and we heard the noise of fighting. Servi said we could either investigate and help, or leave them. At the moment, I thought that was heartless though I now understand why she said that.


    We ran from our location and rushed towards the source of the fighting and to my surprise, I was much faster than Servi


    I arrived first, out of breath, and saw a boy, maybe a year younger than me, in rusty armor fighting against a rat. He dodged and tried to attack but he was too slow. Then he yelled something to me and the rat tackled him. He slid and hit against the wall. He tried to stand, but I guess he didn¡¯t have the strength.


    Then Servi arrived, not even breathing slightly hard.


    Seriously, this girl kept surprising me, but I¡¯ll get into that later.


    Then, I made another stupid mistake. I draw my sword and rush over to help the guy, but Servi stopped me. She explained that it¡¯d be stupid if we rushed over and helped while the rat was alive.  It was almost like she had been in this type of situation before.


    Like before, Servi took point and I attacked from behind. Or I would''ve, but Servi surprised me once again.


    To sum it up, it was like she was dancing with the rat. She dodged each and every attack and I was stunned, leading to her to yell at me again. I broke out of my trance and charged in, preparing to stab it, but Servi yelled out and told me to dodge. I did so and just a moment later, the rat spun around so fast. From where I was standing, its tail would have hit me.


    But how did she know the attack was coming? Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m thankful she let me know, but this came from the same girl who told me that she didn¡¯t have any experience. Who told me she didn''t want to be dead weight.


    Anyway, thanks to her warning, I avoided the first attack and stabbed the rat in the back. It roared with anger and spun around. Maybe it attacked me before it spun, I don''t know.  All I know was that I was sliding on the ground and my arm started to hurt.


    I looked at my arm and my bone stared at me. I just remember crying out in pain and if I was alone, I would have died. In the end, it was Servi who, once again, brought me back to my senses. She managed to yell louder than my screaming and told me to focus on her voice and use one of the potions I bought. So I did just that. I drank half of it and poured the other half on my arm. I didn¡¯t know which way would be better, so I did both. After it healed up, Servi yelled out to me again. She said that she couldn¡¯t finish it, so it was up to me. Then she told the rat to shut up? Yeah, it was a bit weird. But I managed to get to the sword in time but I was too slow. Servi had to block an attack, and it damaged her new sword. But I managed to get to the sword and that¡¯s the import part.


    I stabbed it in again and the rat finally collapsed. I remembered what Servi said about monsters playing dead so I took my sword out and went over to the head of the rat. Servi told me to finish it, and I lifted the sword high and brought it down. It cleaved the rat¡¯s face in two. I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯s no coming back from that.


    Then after that everything¡¯s clear until it''s not. I remember asking Servi if she was okay, then we checked on the guy. He got mad at us cause we saved him, and he had the nerve to call me Servi¡¯s pet cat! Excuse me, I¡¯m not anybody¡¯s pet cat! He then pushed me, I fell on my butt, and Servi became angry. She quickly held her sword up to his neck. I¡¯m pretty sure the blade was actually pressed against his neck. He spat and stood up.


    She had a look in her eyes. Grandpa, I can¡¯t describe the terror I felt and how effortlessly her motion was. With no hesitation, she had the blade ready.  She looked at me. I¡¯m pretty sure that his fate was in my hands. If I had just said do it or nodded, then he would be dead.


    She really scared me, grandpa.


    I panicked and told Servi I was okay, and she put her sword down.


    Then after that, he wanted us to give him a potion. I said no and he stared at my bag. I got a bad feeling so I held it close to me and fell on top it to protect it.


    I don¡¯t remember much after that. I heard him threatening me and then he was on the ground. Wait, I did hear Servi talk to someone, but she might¡¯ve been talking to herself.


    I think I fell asleep in a bed, but I was woken up a few minutes later by yelling. It was Servi and Arty, I think.....


    AH! That¡¯s right. I remember now. Arty said he wanted me to find someone better than Servi, and I remember getting angry. I even told him to shut up. Can you believe that?! Me telling someone something mean like that? Well, I did it. Afterward, I think I went to sleep, but I woke up seconds later. Me and Servi talked for a bit, and she said I did well considering it was my first time. She even rubbed my head like you used to do. And that was when those butterflies came back to my stomach. I tried to hide it but I think she noticed I was wagging my tail.


    Hey, I can¡¯t help it! I¡¯m a Singi! We wag our tail when we''re happy.


    I then asked about the guy and Servi said she left him. That was probably for the better.


    I desperately wanted to ask Servi a bunch of stuff. Like how did she dodge those attacks and how did she know the tail swipe attacking thingy was coming. And she was ready to kill that guy.


    I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t afraid of her. But deep down, I feel warm when I think of her. It¡¯s like something inside me is saying I should trust her. And that¡¯s what I''m gonna do.


    After we left, we ran into a stupid man who was torturing his slave. He ran away and the slave bracelet activated, killing him instantly.


    Grandpa, I was so angry but yet again I was powerless. It might be mean to say, but if he and that adventurer who gave him the slave died, I would be happy.


    Well, I used up too many pages so I¡¯m gonna try to condense this.


    We went to the guild and checked in, then I went with Servi who used her earnings to buy a meal and bath ticket. We went to our rooms and met up on the fifth floor. I gave her some shampoo and soap, and we went inside.


    While I was bathing, something¡­.embarrassing happened. I washed my tail like you taught me all those years ago, and I even sang the washy tail song you taught me, but something was different. My body became hotter and hotter and before I knew it, I was breathing hard. I didn¡¯t know what to do so I kept washing. When I got to the base of my tail, I felt good. Really good.  I almost didn''t want to stop, but I had too.  I didn''t want to be late for dinner.


    I finished washing my tail, so I moved on to my ears and hair. And when I switched to washing my body with the unicorn soap, my chest felt hot.  When I washed my lower body, my hand glanced against my private area.   When I looked at my hand, it had some type of liquid on it that I guess came from me.


    Grandpa, I¡¯m not weird, am I? I don¡¯t know why this all started today.


    I know you didn''t have a chance to finish teaching me things before I left.  Maybe that was one of them? I want to ask Servi, but I feel like I shouldn''t.


    But it¡¯s not as if I don¡¯t like that feeling. It just startled me.


    After that, I went back to my room and waited. Servi and I agreed to meet for dinner an hour later.


    Dinner was nice. I accidentally ordered milk.  As soon as I realized how childish it was, Servi ordered a glass of milk as well. Either she liked milk, or she didn''t want me to feel embarrassed.  We talked for a while, and eventually, we decided on how we¡¯re going to learn our skills. Servi will stick to skills that would make her a better tank while I¡¯ll get the ones that help me attack. In other words, she learned Protection, and I learned Lurk and Dazzler.


    I know, Dazzler is more like a tank skill, but I figured I could throw the shadow ball next to Servi. That way the noise would be around her. I feel bad though. That meant that she would be attacked more and I don¡¯t want her to be in pain.


    I¡¯m sorry in advance Servi.  I''ll do my very best to stay out of harm''s way.


    After that, we went back to our rooms and we¡¯re supposed to meet up in the morning.


    So uhhh¡­ I guess that¡¯s it. I¡¯ll try my best to write in my diary every night.


    Grandpa, thank you so much for buying me this. I love it, and I wish you could meet Servi. She¡¯s a bit scary, but she¡¯s really nice to me.


    When I get stronger, I¡¯ll ask her if she wants to meet you.  I''m sure she''ll say yes.


    I wonder what she¡¯s doing right now? Maybe she¡¯s asleep? Maybe she¡¯s practicing with her new Protection skill?


    I know I already tried out dazzler.  It''s only useful for monsters, I think, but it looks pretty!


    There is one thing I¡¯m afraid of though, and I know it¡¯s stupid. When I wake up in the morning and go to her room or lobby, I hope she¡¯s there. I hope she doesn¡¯t decide I¡¯m worthless and leave me. She said she shouldn¡¯t pass up the opportunity to make a friend, so she wouldn''t leave me, right?


    I¡¯ll just have to find out in the morning. Oh, before that, I should lay out the armor I got a while back. I was so excited about meeting a potential friend that I forgot about it. It¡¯s a black sleeveless leather tunic with a pouch. I also got a pair of reinforced pants. Still, I only use your chainmail. I just can¡¯t throw it away. When I wear it, it''s like you''re here with me.


    Goodbye and sincerely, Momo.


    PS ¨C I¡¯ll try my best to write regularly.  If I can, I''ll try to find someone who can help me write better.  I wanna write like you can, grandpa.

 Book One – Interlude – Part One – Servi’s Nightly Stroll

    While Momo was writing in her diary, Servi was talking with Itarr. When she looked through her ID and read over the skills, Servi was surprised to learn that there were five additional sections below Rank 0. Chronomancy, Necromancy, Element Control, Reality Control, and something called Primordial.


    Servi had a puzzled look on her face and was about to ask something, but Itarr beat her to the punch.


    Before you ask, no. I have no idea why these five things are here now. They weren¡¯t here before.


    ¡°Is Chronomancy control over time? Necromancy is control over the dead, right? I don¡¯t know what the other three are.¡±


    Let¡¯s have a look.


    Servi, lying on the mattress, tapped on Chronomancy and began looking at the skills. The first thing that she noticed was how expensive they were.


    ¡°Are you serious?! The cheapest skill is 50,000 Potential?! Ouch...¡± in her surprise, Servi accidentally let go of the ID, causing it to smack her in the face.  It disappeared, covering her in red dust that was promptly absorbed by her body.


    ¡°Don¡¯t laugh,¡± she said, pouting as she summoned the ID again.


    Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t. I do agree that it¡¯s a lot but look closer. The skill allows us to advance the time within an area by one year. Localized Advancement...and look, Stop Time needs 75,000 Potential. The same with Resume Time.


    ¡°This is crazy. I mean, just for those three alone is 200,000 Potential. Add in whatever ¡®Fabric: The Torn Scroll of Time¡¯ and it¡¯s 300,000 for everything.¡±


    Hey, look. Do you see that right there? It says ¡®requires the associated Trial of the Primordial God to be completed.'' I think we need to do that if we want to learn these skills.


    ¡°Does that ring any bells?¡± Servi asked.


    Not at all. I¡¯m sorry.


    ¡°Nah, don¡¯t be sorry. For all I know, I could have knowledge about this ¡®Primordial God¡¯ but have forgotten.¡±


    Thank you. Shall we look at the other categories?


    ¡°Sure,¡± Servi said as she navigated her ID and pressed her finger to the word ¡®Necromancy.¡¯


    Hmm, it seems like most of the skills deal with summoning skeletons or raising the dead.


    ¡°It might be good to learn some of these. Like ¡®Crypt Storage¡¯ and ¡®Crypt Release.¡¯ Those only cost 1 each, but the cheapest Summon Skeleton is 60. There¡¯s also something called ¡®Mind Control,¡¯ but it¡¯s a whole 10,000!¡±


    I say we save our points, maybe for ¡®Resurrection¡¯ and ¡®True Resurrection.¡¯ I hate saying this, but if something were to happen with Momo, we could bring her back. And take a look at the final skill. ¡®Blessings of the Immortal Phoenix.¡¯ The description says we can give immortality to other people, but it¡¯ll be a lower rank. It also requires 10,000 Potential to learn. It also appears that every Necromancy skill requires the associated Trial of the Primordial God to be completed. I wonder if it¡¯s the same trial referenced above in the Chronomancy section.


    ¡°Probably.  If not the same one, then maybe there are multiple trials?¡± Servi sighed and rubbed her head. ¡°Why does everything need a trial?! Why is everything so expensive?! Everything here would be good to have.¡±


    Now now, no use in getting upset. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have a chance to acquire Potential in the future. Let¡¯s just keep reading, shall we?


    ¡°Fine. Next up is ¡®Element Control.¡¯ Honestly, while it looks like learning these skills will allow us to control the elements, they¡¯re a bit lackluster compared to raising and reviving the dead.¡±


    I agree, but the last skill caught my attention. ¡®True Control of the Seven Elements: Gaia.¡¯ It says we could have total control, not half like the other ones. But it requires all seven Half Element Control skills to be learned for 1,000 each. Not to mention that the True Control is 7,000. And everything requires another trial to be completed before we can acquire them.


    ¡°It seems like each of the categories of skills below Rank 0 requires a trial to be completed. That¡¯s how it looks to me anyway. Well, we got two more left, so let¡¯s go ahead and look.¡±


    Two things caught Servi''s eyes when she glanced at the next category. First, there was a skill, Akashic Record, that required a staggering 1,000,000 Potential to learn, and it required the user to be touching its ¡®physical manifestation.'' Servi and Itarr conversed about what that could mean. Did it mean they have to be on the lookout for a particular item? The two of them didn''t know. While that may have been important, another skill quickly drew her attention, and it only cost 1 Potential.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­. ¡¯Voluptatem et Sexus.¡¯ It says here it¡¯s a skill exclusive to the female gender. This allows the user to gain the ability to impregnate another female by giving the user a penis. If desired, the user can adjust the chances of pregnancy."


    Why the hell would that be a skill? Just why? And it''s so cheap when compared to everything else...


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Servi sat up and quietly glanced down at her crotch. For a split second, she imagined a fleshy appendage, complete with two dangly bits, standing firm and erect, staring at her with its one eye. Suddenly, flames assaulted her cheeks, and she glanced away.


    What¡¯s a penis? Itarr asked.  She sensed something radiating from Servi but didn''t know it was embarrassment.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    No. I do not. Do you?


    Servi nervously chucked before she finally found the words.


    ¡°You know how I touched myself when I was in the shower?¡± she asked slowly.


    That I do. You stuck a finger inside a hole on your lower body. What does that have to do with it?


    Sweat poured down her face as she stuttered over her words. She didn¡¯t know why, but it was embarrassing to talk about.


    ¡°We-well a woman has a small hole there.  When she puts a finger in or around it, it''s called masturbation.  It feels good. A man has an¡­..appendage there instead. Instead of putting anything in a hole, he moves the¡­.appendage in and out.¡±


    Why?


    ¡°I guess to feel good? Gah!"


    Are you upset? I''m sorry.


    ¡°N-n-no, don''t be. I¡¯m sorry for acting like that. I don¡¯t even know I¡¯m embarrassed. But a man sticks his penis into a woman, and both feel good as a result. It¡¯s called sex, and that¡¯s how babies are made,¡± Servi said as her face turned the same color as her eyes.


    I see. This may be a bit much, but if I somehow acquire a physical body, would you mind learning this skill? It¡¯s only 1 Potential, and I¡¯m very interested in this ¡®masturbation¡¯ and ¡®sex¡¯ thing. It doesn¡¯t require a trial to be completed, which is strange if you ask me.


    Servi really, really, really wanted to say no, but she couldn¡¯t find the strength too. After everything that had happened, her dying and then being rescued by Itarr, how could she say no? Besides, it would be a lie to say she wasn¡¯t interested.


    Who knows,  I might actually like it.  I can''t really knock it until I try it, but still... Servi thought.


    ¡°Okay.  I¡¯ll teach you everything I happened to remember, but I¡¯ll only learn the skill when we have a way to get you a body.¡±


    Thank you so much!


    ¡°Yeah¡­You¡¯re welcome,¡± while it should have been a much bigger deal, Servi and Itarr both glanced over the other spells in the Reality Control section which, were True Enchantment, True Creation, and Creation.


    They talked a bit about True Enchantment first. From what the description read, it allowed the user to enchant an item with a skill. Servi imagined having a sword with the ability to shoot out bolts of lightning. It was a bit expensive, requiring 20,000 Potential, but they thought that it was worth it. After all, it said that items that were enchanted kept the effect permanently.  This skill was available to be learned after Creation was acquired.


    Creation was a skill that would allow her to create whatever she thought of, though it had certain limitations. She wouldn¡¯t be able to create items that were enchanted, nor could she make items that were divine in nature, nor could she make items that had an abstract concept of logic applied to it. It was one of the cheaper skills, requiring a mere 1,000 Potential.


    True Creation was the upgraded form of Creation, combining True Enchantment and Creation. It had two restrictions. One: it was unable to produce items that were divine in nature. Two: it had the same inability to make an item with an abstract concept like ¡®this item will never miss.'' Learning this skill required both Creation and True Enchantment to be mastered, as well as a hefty 15,000 Potential.


    And with that, the two finished reading over Reality Control.


    We have one more section left.


    Servi pressed her finger to the word ¡®Primordial¡¯ and scanned it over. She couldn¡¯t believe it, the first thing she saw was a skill called ¡®Physical Manifestation¡¯ and it wasn''t what the Human and Goddess thought it was. It allowed the Primordial Being to take a physical form, and it didn''t have anything to do with Akashic Record.


    ¡°Do you remember any of this?¡±


    I have no idea what this ¡®Primordial Being¡¯ is, and I don¡¯t know if I am considered one of them. Oh, but if I am, how wonderful! It seems my dream may be realized sooner than we think.


    ¡°Itarr, I don¡¯t want to rain in your parade, but it costs 1,000 Potential. And believe me, I do want you to have a physical body, and I want to teach you the pleasure of masturbation, but I want to have the strength and skills to protect myself and Momo. I hope you don¡¯t think this is selfish.¡±


    I do not. I quite like the fact that you want to protect Momo. I do as well. Though she does not know I exist, I have grown fond of her. I even consider her a friend. And don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t think you''re selfish. I said I¡¯ll go along with whatever you decide to do. I mean that. And if it means waiting for a bit longer, then I¡¯m okay with that. I trust you.


    ¡°Thanks, Itarr. If it makes it easier, I consider you a close friend. I mean, you¡¯re the one who saved me,¡± Servi started to laugh, prompting Itarr to ask her why.


    ¡°It feels like we¡¯ve had this conversation before.¡±


    I suppose you¡¯re right. Anyway, three additional skills caught my eyes. The first being ¡®Bloodline of the Primordial Being.¡¯ Apparently, if they join our ¡®Bloodline,¡¯ whatever that is, we share our power with them. They''ll receive a portion of strength from the souls we absorb. In addition, at higher levels, members of the Bloodline can use any skill known amongst themselves except for skills in the following categories: Chronomancy, Necromancy, Elemental Control, and Reality Control. I¡¯d say that¡¯s the best way to make Momo strong, but I don¡¯t know how we tell her. If I¡¯m getting this right, she¡¯ll be able to use Remedium, Absorption, and other skills we know as long as we upgrade it. It¡¯s only 100 Potential to learn.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, but we just can¡¯t go up to her and say ¡®drink my blood, and you¡¯ll be stronger.¡¯ She¡¯ll probably be scared out of her mind.¡±


    I agree. We¡¯re going to have to wait for the right time. The other two skills are ¡®True Absorption¡¯ and ¡®Soul Essence of Primal Combat.¡¯ I believe the former is an upgraded form of Absorption, and the latter would explain the ¡®afterimages,¡¯ as you called them, of the rat that you fought before.


    After looking into it and reading the skills'' descriptions, Itarr told Servi that if they upgraded Absorption to the max level, True Absorption would unlock. With it came more power from souls, a range that started at one kilometer, and something called Field of Absorption. Itarr didn¡¯t know what that was but hypothesized it would create a hole that Servi could control and alter. Whatever entered it would be transported to her ring.


    As for Soul Essence of Primal Combat, the skill allowed her soul to unconsciously analyze the fighting style and combat memories of all the souls she had absorbed thus far. By doing so, she could become proficient in weapons she had never touched before, as well as see afterimages, which were the predicted movement of her enemy.


    ¡°They both sound incredible, but Absorption needs a lot of Potential to get it to level 99. Do you think we should put some points into Soul Essence? And I refuse to say the whole name every time, so I¡¯ll call it Soul Essence.¡±


    As always, it is up to you, but I would say yes, it¡¯s probably worth it, but I wouldn¡¯t upgrade it too much. It might make Momo a bit suspicious. How would you explain to her that, somehow overnight, you became proficient with a sword?


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll hold off on it for now. Actually, why don¡¯t we save our Potential right now? At least until we have a few hundred. Unless there''s an emergency, I''ll only spend them when I¡¯m with Momo."


    That¡¯s fine with me. So I guess everything in the categories of Chronomancy, Necromancer, Elemental Control, and Reality Control requires a trial to be completed except for that one skill. Since it doesn¡¯t say anything in the Primordial category, I''m guessing the only requirement is having enough Potential. Do I have this right?


    ¡°That¡¯s what I got from all of this,¡± Servi said as she got up off the old and wrinkly bed. Though she couldn¡¯t die, the girl wasn''t immune to the discomfort of a terrible mattress. After stretching down, touching her toes and arching her back, Servi used her ring to equip her leather armor. She said a quiet goodbye to her overalls, knowing that it wouldn''t be long until they were reunited.


    What is the plan?


    ¡°First, we find, buy, or steal a few disguises and masks. Then we roam the town and kill anyone who is starting trouble or attacking slaves. In the meantime, I have a favor to ask you,¡± Servi said as she reached out for her door handle.


    Ask away.


    ¡°While I¡¯m doing this, I want you to look over all of the skills from Rank 10 to Rank 0 and find the ones you think are most important.


    Very well.


    And with that, Servi opened the door to her room, stepped out, locked it, and walked downstairs. Her nightly stroll was just beginning.

 Book One – Interlude – Part Two – Servi’s Nightly Stroll

    Though it was late at night, the streets were pretty crowded, but it wasn''t at such a level where Servi was forced to walk shoulder to shoulder. After leaving the Warden office, Servi asked a passing adventurer for the location of the sister building.


    ¡°Uhh, sister building? Sorry, I don¡¯t kno¨C ah, you mean the cash building?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure. The guy at the check-in window said it was their sister building, but it¡¯s a place where I can sell monster parts.¡±


    ¡°Yeah...that¡¯s like, the official name, but everyone I know calls it the cash building. It¡¯s just down that street right there,¡± Servi looked to where the man pointed and thanked him. Three minutes later, Servi was at the building in question.


    How strange. This one is all stone, even the door. It¡¯s like the complete opposite of the main office.


    As Itarr said, there was nary a spot of wood to be found.


    Hey, I have a question. You aren¡¯t trying to draw attention to yourself, are you?


    ¡°No. Why?¡± Servi asked, puzzled by Itarr''s words.


    Do you think it would be a bit strange for you to drop a whole corpse out of thin air?


    Sighing, Servi replied. ¡°Yeah, it might be a bit weird. Can you cut the claws and fur off from inside the ring?¡±


    ¡­¡­.


    ¡°Itarr?¡±


    About fifteen seconds passed before Servi panicked, but the sound of Itarr¡¯s voice echoing through her mind calmed her down.


    Sorry about that. I have de-clawed and skinned the rats. I also carved out any piece of meat that looks to be cookable and stored it away as well. All that¡¯s left are the bones. And for the roaches, I don¡¯t know what to do. If you can find out when you go in, I can get them prepared for you.


    ¡°Thank you, Itarr. This is gonna be a major help.¡±


    With that, Servi walked up the stone steps and entered the building. Contrary to her belief, the stone doors weren¡¯t as heavy as they looked. Once inside, she scanned the room. It was an exact copy of the first floor of the Warden office but without the stairs. It was a one-floor building. There were the eight windows with the eight doors that Servi thought were unnecessary.


    ¡°I mean seriously, the room behind the windows is just that: a single room. Do they really need eight doors?!¡±


    I do agree it¡¯s kind of weird.


    She picked the shortest line and waited. After a few minutes, she heard the receptionist call for her.


    ¡°Hello there, ma¡¯am. Out late, aren¡¯t we? What can I do for you?¡± she asked. The receptionist had a smartly look about her as well, as an air of refinement. Even her clothes looked intelligent.


    ¡°Uhh, yes, hello. I¡¯d like to sell some rat claws and hides. And also, what part or parts of a roach do you buy?¡±


    ¡°Well, we offer 10 dupla for a full set of claws, that is sixteen claws. For the fur, it depends on the quality. For example, fur that has been burned would sell for less than one that only has a stab wound. For the roaches, we take their legs. The current going price for one leg is 5 dupla. Do you have any to sell?¡± she asked with a smile.


    I shall get to removing their legs right away.


    ¡°Thank you. I have some right here." Servi reached into her pouch and took out sixteen claws. Then another sixteen talons. And then another. This repeated until 112 objects were on the table, which left almost no room for anything else.


    The receptionist looked with wide eyes as she stared at this weird adventurer who kept monster parts in her pouch, then she looked at the claws and let out an unprofessional sigh. She was supposed to clock out in 5 minutes, but it looked like she might be here a while.


    ¡°Well, ma¡¯am, this is quite a haul.¡±


    ¡°There are seven rats worth of claws there. That should be 112 if I did my math right. And here, I have seven furs as well.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ª¡± she tried to say something, but it was no use. Servi reached her hand to her back and took out the seven pelts that Itarr had so graciously prepared. Six were in pristine shape, except for the hole from the Shadow Shot used to kill them. There wasn¡¯t even blood on them.


    I forgot to say, I managed to absorb the blood from the fur.


    ¡°So yeah, how much can I get for all this?¡± Servi asked, unaware of the stares she was getting for holding up the line.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s going to be a few minutes. I have to examine the claws and then pelts. Hey, can you two help me?¡± she said to two co-workers. They weren¡¯t doing anything, so they nodded and came over to help.


    About fifteen minutes later, Servi walked out of the building with a pouch of coins jingling in her hands. She looked to the left and right and decided to walk in the direction with the least amount of people.


    70 dupla for the claws and 121 for the pelts for a total of 191. I guess that''s not bad, but you didn¡¯t sell the roach legs


    ¡°I agree,¡± she said as she absorbed the pouch. ¡°It¡¯s too bad that we only got 1 dupla for that one pelt. I sorta forgot I attacked it with 14 Shadow Shots. I¡¯m surprised they even gave us 1 for it. Well, if I combined all the money we have, we have 650 dupla. I figured I could sell the legs later.¡±


    It¡¯s sad to say that I still don¡¯t know if that is a lot or not.


    ¡°Same here. So I guess we ju¡ª¡±


    ¡°You dirty little shit, get out of here and die somewhere else!¡±


    An earsplitting yell later, Servi turned her head and ran towards the source of the noise. She ran down the street and took a left down a back alley before hopping over a sleeping dog. After taking a right, she found the source of the noise.


    In a small patch of space in front of a medium-sized building, a young boy, probably around the age of 12, was lying on the ground and holding his head with both hands. A small line of blood leaked out, but his dirty hair absorbed it.


    Upon further review, Servi noticed it was a Koena. A scale folk.  That''s when she realized the red line descending down his black scaley body was not decoration.  It was blood.


    Standing above him was an old woman with a wooden stick. Though it looked like red paint dripped from it, Servi knew it wasn¡¯t.


    Eyeing Servi, the old lady started barking out orders. ¡°Finally! You! Take this garbage somewhere else,¡± The lady spat on the Koena before retreating inside the building.


    Servi stared at the scaled boy on the ground before kneeling. He flinched and whimpered when Servi put a hand to his head. A moment later, the pain he felt was gone. Servi stepped back a few steps and allowed the boy the space to stand up.


    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna hurt you.  Do you feel any pain? Does it hurt?¡± Servi said.


    "No ma''am, it doesn''t hurt..." he said, wary of this mysterious woman.


    "I said I''m not going to hurt you. What you do now is up to you."


    ¡°Thank you, Miss! Thank you so much!¡± the boy smiled and turned on his scaled heels.  With surprising speed, he ran away into a dark alley, and Servi lost sight of him.


    I guess good people still exist in this world. The boy thought.


    Servi''s show of kindness would be something that he would never forget. Though she didn¡¯t know it, the boy had planned to kill himself by taking a sharp rock and stabbing his throat. That was how his sister died after being treated as nothing more than a sexual plaything by their former master. She couldn¡¯t handle the humiliating anguish and killed herself. The Koena thought it was time to join his sister, but it was not his time to make that journey.


    I assume the old lady is as good as dead?  Itarr asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re damn right. If we¡¯re lucky, we find something good inside this. If not, we¡¯ll take everything. It¡¯s no sweat off my back if this shitty woman dies,¡± with those harsh words, Servi walked over and entered the building.


    ¡°Perfect! Just perfect!¡± Servi said to herself. She had lucked out. She looked around and saw the old woman putting a sticker on clothes folded neatly on a nearby table. One, two, four, eight! Eight long lines of clothes, shoes, hats, and masks sat on eight long dressers! Not to mention that the dressers the clothes were on top of were all filled with goodies.


    In other words, Servi could complete her goal of finding a disguise a hundred times over.


    I assume we¡¯re going to take all of this?


    ¡°You¡¯re damn right," Servi spoke a bit too loudly.  The old woman turned around and walked over to Servi. Her face had no traces of pleasantness.


    ¡°Hey! Did you dispose of the trash?!¡±


    ¡°Why did you hit him?¡± Servi asked, ignoring her question.


    ¡°Because I can. That thing isn¡¯t alive. It¡¯s property. Property for me to do anything I want. So, did you dispose of it?¡±


    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t,¡± Servi walked over to a dresser and touched a shirt. It was blue and made out of a soft material that was similar to cotton. ¡°You know, this is pretty soft. I can tell a lot of work went into making this shirt. It¡¯s cute as well.¡±


    ¡°And? What¡¯s yer point, lady? Don¡¯t tell me you ain¡¯t one them trash lovers? Oh Gods above, you are, aren¡¯t you? Then get out! Get out of my sto¡ª Gah!¡± the woman felt a strange feeling in her stomach and looked down. The handle of a silver sword hugged her belly button. A quick gear in her mind told her that something wasn¡¯t right.


    ¡°I guess I am a trash lover. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure to put you in the garbage as well,¡± Servi said, grinning as she pulled her sword back. Crimson flowed from the open wound, staining the pristine hardwood floors below. ¡°Why am I even taking my time?¡±


    Servi sighed and stored her sword. In the next moment, eight Shadow Shot arrows floated around her like hideous black specs of evil waiting to be unleashed. The old woman didn¡¯t even manage to blink before Servi issued the mental command. One Shadow Shot pierced her head, obliterating it. Five went into her chest and stomach, leaving giant holes that oozed blood. White ribs and her spine could be seen through the openings. The last two went into her legs, cutting them off.


    ¡°Good riddance.¡±


    I got to say, a maxed-out Shadow Shot is pretty destructive. Itarr commented.


    The woman''s remains slammed against the wall from the force and slid down slowly, like a piece of wet meat after being thrown at a surface.


    Meat. Soul holders. That was all these people were. They weren''t nothing more and nothing else.


    A lone red soul slowed into Servi¡¯s ring.


    She wasn''t blessed.


    Servi didn¡¯t respond. She thought a quick moment about absorbing the body. If she left it, there was the slightest chance of it being led back to Servi. ¡°I hate having trash like you in my ring," she said with a sigh, "But I don''t want to be caught."


    I agree. We have the building to ourselves, so what¡¯s next? Do you want to try on the clothes?


    ¡°I guess. I¡¯m pretty sure that old bat was alone. There isn¡¯t a second floor, and those Shadow Shots made too much noise. If anyone were around, they¡¯d already shown themselves.¡±


    Very well.


    Servi took the time to absorb the corpse but didn¡¯t bother with the bits of flesh because it was too much work. She then spent the time comparing different shirts and pants to find out her size. Once she did, she absorbed everything she could wear, including shirts, shorts, pants, skirts, dresses, underwear, shoes, socks, gloves, hats, and masks.


    ¡°Hey, just a quick question, but is there a way to organize stuff inside the ring? ¡±


    I¡¯m not quite sure I follow. Can you explain what you mean?


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that in the future, there¡¯ll be a literal ton of stuff stored inside the ring. I¡¯m asking if there is a way to separate the things inside. Like, all of the clothes I¡¯ve absorbed thus far are in my size, and I want to absorb everything else as well.¡±


    Ah, I see what you mean. Yes, there is, but it¡¯s not something you can do. If you tell me how you want it separated, I can do it for you.


    ¡°Thank you. Well, can you separate it into different categories such as corpses, weapons, armor, clothes, and potions? And for weapons, can you do subcategories like sword or bow? And for the clothes, can you have two main categories, clothes I can wear and clothes I can¡¯t? Can you do the same for armor I can and can¡¯t wear? Oh, if it isn¡¯t too much trouble, can you add in different subcategories? If possible, I want the following: shirts, shorts, pants, skirts, dresses, underwear, shoes, socks, gloves, hats, and masks.¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­


    ¡°Uh, Itarr? I¡¯m sorry if that was too much trouble. You don¡¯t have to worry abo¡ª¡±


    It''s done. I''m sorry it took me a while. As of right now, everything is sorted and organized according to what you wanted. I believe it¡¯s possible to show this data. Everything is stored inside the ring on your ID, but I need to look more into it. Also, I can only make categories based on items that we have stored. Since I assume more than two types of weapons exist, I should have more subcategories, but I can¡¯t. I have the same problem with this so-called ''jewelry.''


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s way more than I thought possible. Thank you, Itarr,¡± Servi said as she absorbed the rest of the clothes, which promptly got absorbed into the category of ¡®clothes I can¡¯t wear.¡¯


    Are you going to look inside the dressers? Itarr asked. While Servi had absorbed enough clothes for a noble lady to wear for a year, that only included clothing on top of the furniture.  She still had the dressers themselves to look through.


    ¡°It seems kind of big, but can I just absorb the dresser itself?¡±


    That you can, but I would imagine that it would take some time, probably around a minute or two for each. Once we get our Absorption skill upgraded, then something like this would take not even a fraction of a second.


    ¡°I see. I think we can spare the time," Servi replied.  She pulled a chair up to the first dresser and sat down.  Crossing her legs in the process, she grinned.


    Her stroll was just beginning.

 Book One – Interlude – Part Three – Servi’s Nightly Stroll

    Sixteen minutes later, the clothing store known as Old Onyx was empty. The paintings on the wall, the vases, the safe that Servi found, and even the dressers that held an incredible amount of clothes, rings, and jewelry were gone.


    A lone woman with black hair and red eyes walked out, talking to herself. She didn¡¯t have a destination in mind, so she made her way back to the main road and wandered.


    I¡¯ll let you know when everything is organized. Oh, one more thing. Based on your description, I believe there was some jewelry inside the dressers, so I¡¯ll go ahead and categorize that for you.


    ¡°Thanks, Itarr. You¡¯re the best.¡±


    You are most welcome. While I do that, do you have any other plans? I assume that you want to find Brick Bri and Rowan?


    Brick Bri was the noble who set off the slave bracelet that killed a young boy. Rowan was the adventurer that sold the poor child.


    ¡°No matter what, those two must die tonight. The problem is how to find those jackasses.¡±


    Might I offer a suggestion?


    ¡°You know, you don¡¯t have to ask for permission. I trust you, and you¡¯re my partner. We¡¯re in this together. If you have something to say, then say it.¡±


    Very well, then. Rowan is an adventurer, correct? And he looks a bit shifty to me. While we¡¯ve been walking, I overheard talk of a place called a ¡®bar.¡¯ I would try my hand there.


    ¡°Good idea. I want to make myself less noticeable, and now that I got the clothes, I need the armor. Oh, and a weapon, too. Something that won¡¯t make me stick out. I need to do whatever I can to make sure that whatever I do won¡¯t get traced back. Oh, a bar is a place where people go to get drinks.¡±


    That makes sense. I guess if I was thirsty, I¡¯d like to be surrounded by friends and talk while I drink. Anyway, am I assuming that we are heading for an armor shop?


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Servi walked through the main roads until she gave up and asked for directions for the nearest armor shop. The person she asked was a mature-looking woman who was more naked than clothed. The only thing she had on was small heart-shaped stickers that barely covered her nipples and her sweet spot between her legs. Servi glanced at her head and noticed pointy ears. An Elf. Her skin was light and fair, and it looked like she had recently slathered her body in a thin lotion.


    Though her state of dress would indicate otherwise, the woman was quite pleasant and lovely. Still, for Servi, who stared at the large breasts in front of her, it wasn¡¯t a good time. Still, Servi wasn¡¯t rude to the nice woman. She had no anger or hatred towards such a woman, so she kept a friendly tone.


    ¡°Thank you very much!¡± Servi said as she turned away, red in the face, and walked towards the armor shop that the woman had pointed out.


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome, my sweet little doll,¡± the woman seductively placed a finger to her lips, ¡°You know, I¡¯d like to get a taste of you. I wonder how sweet you are¡­¡± Unfortunately for her, and fortunately for Servi, she was too far away to hear that last comment.


    I sort of sense something amiss. Are you okay?


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t know why, but I couldn¡¯t help but stare at that woman¡¯s boobs. I mean, they were so big. And they looked so soft that I wanted to touch them.¡±


    I take this to mean that you prefer them big?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. At least, I don¡¯t think so. Wait, why am I even talking about this?! Hey, there it is,¡± saved by a place she briefly thought of as a holy sanctuary, Servi walked up the steps and went into the shop.


    Though it specialized in armor, the blacksmiths here made and sold weapons in their spare time, though the quality was nothing compared to what one would find at a dedicated weapon shop.


    It was smaller than the building led Servi to believe, and five stubby dwarfs walked around carrying a mop and a bucket of water. The smell of soap tickled Servi¡¯s nose.


    ¡°Aye, hello there. Ye came just in time. We were about to close up. If ye ain¡¯t got something in mind, can I ask ye to come back tomorrow? Me an¡¯ the boys got a date with the Rude Crystal. Bahaha,¡± the tallest one said. He had black hair and a black beard.


    What is this Rude Crystal?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Uh yes, hello. I¡¯m looking for a lightweight set of armor. It doesn¡¯t need to fit right.¡±


    ¡°Ye sure? Armor is the protective skin of ye adventurers, but as long as I get paid, I don¡¯t care,¡± Blackbeard, as Servi began to internally call him, dropped his mop and bucket and walked Servi over to a set. It looked to be a bit too big, and there was a burnt mark on the helmet that made it darker than the rest of the armor.


    ¡°Aye, sorry about the forge burn. My brother was a bit too hasty with the flame.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯ll take it. How much?¡±


    ¡°Quick to the point, and ye don¡¯t even haggle. I like ye. Aye, this suit has been here for a bit over a year. No one wants it, so hell, ye can have it for 20 dupla."


    ¡°Deal,¡± Servi reached into her pouch, took out two coins with a ¡®10¡¯ on them, and handed it to the dwarf. He nodded and walked over to grab a step stool.


    ¡°I can get it.¡±


    ¡°Lass, it¡¯s company policy for us wor¡ªnever mind, I guess. I didn¡¯t know ye had the Dimensional Storage skill. Well, thank ye for shopping, and be sure to tell ye friends about us,¡± Servi used her ring to store the armor and walked out. She put up a hand and waved goodbye. Now, all she needed was a weapon, like a dagger or stiletto, but that could wait.


    Servi slipped through the crowds and made her way towards a dark alley.


    Just to let you know, everything from the dresser has been sorted. I compared the sizes of the clothes you picked out to those inside the dresser and organized them accordingly. Also, the suit of armor is categorized as well.


    ¡°You have my deepest thanks,¡± Servi said as she looked around, making sure the coast was clear.


    Earlier that day, after getting out of the shower and waiting for dinner, Servi discovered something interesting. If she focused hard and concentrated on her ring, she could send her essence inside. After doing so, she saw everything that had ever been absorbed, including the corpses of those she had killed. It was also messy, like a child''s room, and it gave Servi a headache as she tried to swim her mind through the horde of items. That was when she came up with the idea of categorizing everything. Unfortunately, she had to leave it to Itarr, and Servi didn¡¯t want to put her to work. Fortunately for Servi, Itarr didn¡¯t mind doing it. And now, if she was correct, the next time she went inside the ring, it would be far less painful and headache-inducing.


    If she knew what she wanted to take out or what to wear, then Servi did not need to dive into the ring.  She only needed to do so if she felt like searching for something particular.


    With a focus on her ring, Servi soon found herself inside it. Only this time, it was neater and more organized. It was like she was in space, floating aimlessly in a sea of black with bright specs of light. Off in the distance sat a glimmering spark of red light. It faintly illuminated the deep darkness like a candle in a cave. She stayed still until she focused on a direction to move. In her sight, she saw floating red words. Categories she could go into. She focused on ¡®clothes,¡¯ and her spirit floated over to it.


    The moment her spirit made contact, the word disappeared and more appeared in its place. She focused on ¡®clothes I can wear,¡¯ after that, she focused on ¡®masks.''


    29 masks floating about, and Servi felt the tinge of a headache coming on. Even just 29 items were too much for her brain to process.  She decided to pick a mask that she felt would disguise her the most and left the ring before her headache grew in pain.


    She heard Itarr¡¯s voice when her spirit re-entered her body.


    I see you are back. It¡¯s a bit strange. I know for sure that you spent at least a minute inside the ring, but not even half a second had passed. Oh, and I see you have a mask in your hand.


    ¡°I guess time flows slower in the ring? Or is it faster? Regardless, it¡¯s so much easier to navigate. Thank you again.¡±


    As I said before, you are most welcome.


    Servi took a look at the mask that was in her hand. It was a half mask that only covered her eyes and a little of her cheeks. It was a deep black, and small white dots filled in the empty space. A bit of red silk was added to the edges to make it seem like it was on fire. Servi thought it was perhaps a symbol of the maker because quite a few masks in her collection had the same red silk in the same spots.


    A small piece of blue glass covering the eye holes allowed the wearer to change their eye color. In her case, her eyes would be blue. That was the main reason she chose it. In her short travels, very few people, if at all, had red eyes. If she was going to do her nightly strolls, she didn''t want to stand out.


    She quickly equipped her slightly too big armor, which she didn¡¯t need to dive for because it was fresh in her mind, and put on the mask to disguise her eyes.


    For some reason, the armor was a lot lighter than she thought it would, but even she could tell that her set of leather armor was more durable.


    Is the disguise complete?


    ¡°Yes, it is. I¡¯d like to make two or three more sets, but I can do that later.  Now, let us roam the town and find this bar. Quick question, am I able to get drunk?¡± she said as she retraced her steps through the alley. Soon, she was back on the road and walked down it, well aware of the weird looks she was getting.


    Sorry?


    ¡°Like, can I be affected by alcohol?¡±


    I¡¯m not quite sure what that is.


    ¡°It¡¯s a type of drink that makes you drunk.¡±


    Does it affect the body?


    ¡°It does.¡±


    Then no. From what I can gather, my True Immortality will always keep you in perfect health. If you drink or ingest something that does even the slightest amount of harm or discomfort, your body is restored to fighting shape.


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s good. I bet I can make a pretty good amount of money off of drinking contests.¡±


    Is that a competition to drink the most alcohol?


    ¡°That it is. Usually, the more you drink alcohol, the drunker you get. And if you drink too much, it¡¯s possible to die. So, if I can drink all I want without getting drunk in the slightest, then I¡¯m certain to win any drinking contest that comes my way. Wow, it¡¯s a wonder that I have general knowledge like that. Itarr, I hope we can find a way to get our memories back.¡±


    I do as well.


    And with that, the two walked underneath the gaze of the almighty moon. Servi''s eyes darted left to right, taking in the various shops and stores that had closed down for the night.


    A few minutes later, Servi spotted a sign above a rundown building that said ¡®Rude Crystal ¨C Bar and Food.¡¯


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s the place those Dwarves were talking about, right?¡±


    I do believe so. Shall we go in?


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    Servi walked closer to the building and opened the door. The smell of grilled meat rushed out and assaulted her, causing her to drool just a little bit. Even though she didn¡¯t need to eat, the mouthwatering smell of good food was sometimes irresistible.


    She walked in and glanced around for a moment. The rustic atmosphere and the live band playing did not match up with the building¡¯s dilapidated appearance. The song that played was a smooth tune, with a bit of an upbeat tempo that was enough for people to channel the rhythm through their bodies.


    Servi eyed the bar, which was black as night. She sauntered over to an empty stool and took a seat, waving away a thick fog of cigarette smoke.  A few questions from Itarr later, Servi explained and asked the Goddess to absorb any smoke that came her way. Itarr agreed, promising to filter the area around her.


    As Servi waited for the bartender, she glanced around and examined the kind of patrons a place liked this would have.


    It was mainly adventurers who didn¡¯t have anything planned for tomorrow and women of the night trying to find a warm bed and a spot of food. In a dark corner of the bar, Servi saw a few of the aforementioned women wearing very low-cut shirts that showed off their breasts and extremely short skirts that put their thighs and other assets on display.


    What are those women over there doing? Itarr asked.


    In a low voice, Servi answered her. ¡°They¡¯re probably prostitutes.¡±


    What is that?


    ¡°A person who sells their body for sex.¡±


    For this ¡®sex¡¯ thing? And what do they get in return?


    ¡°Yep. Money, food, or even a place to live. And I think some people who do it cause it feels good.¡±


    I see. How fascinating.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Besides that, have you spotted Rowan?


    ¡°Nope. I mean, the chances of him being here at this bar at this time are not high at all. I¡¯ll ask the bartender when he comes over.¡±


    In the meantime, Servi took another look at the layout of the place.


    The floor was hardwood and nasty, a far cry from the spotless floor of the Warden office. If someone walked barefoot, they¡¯d be sure to pick up some disease. There was a space reserved for dancing and a stage set up for a band.  Other than that, it looked pretty ordinary.


    The Rude Crystal''s logo hung behind the bar on a red sign. It was a red crystal that looked like it would steal candy from a baby.  A polished sword in its hand was bloody and red.  Servi presumed the blood came from the dead man lying next to the crying baby.  It was a weird sign, to say the least.


    A bit gruesome, if I say so. Itarr offered her commentary on the rather brutish logo.


    ¡°Sorry for the wait, ma¡¯am. What can I get ya?¡±


    A voice coming from behind the bar interrupted Servi, and she turned around. The bartender was an elderly man, maybe a bit older than 50. His grey hair was well-groomed, and it was like his body was made for that suit he wore. The one thing that stood out to Servi was his way of speaking. Though he was getting on in age, he talked like a young lad.


    ¡°¡­!¡± the bartender jumped a bit when he saw the mask that Servi wore but quickly shook it off.


    ¡°What do you recommend?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°For someone like yourself, I¡¯d recommend an Aviation. It''s one of our calmer brands of drinks, but it''s nice and subtle.¡±


    ¡°That works for me. How much?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be 5 dupla, ma¡¯am.¡±


    A drink is 5, but an entire room is 10?!  I really don¡¯t understand these prices.


    Ignoring Itarr for a moment, Servi reached down beside her leg and used her ring to take out the 5 coins. She forgot to put her pouch on, so she had to do it this way to avoid attention.


    ¡°Here you go.¡±


    The man reached out to take the coins but pulled back when Servi closed her hand.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯d like to pay double or even triple, but I¡¯d like some information,¡± she teased.


    The bartender eyed Servi and sighed. In his line of work, it was easy to overhear information that shouldn¡¯t be public. After all, tight lips become loose after a few drinks. And for those with loose lips, nothing was private. It wouldn''t be the first he sold information, and it certainly wouldn¡¯t be the last.


    ¡°Fine, but info doesn¡¯t come cheap. What do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a fancy-looking man named Brick Bri. He hangs out with Rowan, a Warden member.¡±


    ¡°I might know a thing or two. Do you need anything else?¡±


    ¡°Do you know a girl named Mossi? She usually hangs around a guy named Axel and another person.¡±


    ¡°That I do. And I know where you can find the people you''re looking for, but this info doesn¡¯t come cheap. 500 dupla. That¡¯s what it¡¯ll cost you.¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± Servi put her hand on the bar and started taking out coins. They just fell to the counter from her open palm. It took a while, considering that most of her coins were only 1 dupla, but to her surprise, the bartender didn¡¯t look annoyed.


    And Servi didn¡¯t bother hiding that ability. It¡¯d be too much effort to secretly move 500 coins. Still, she found it weird that the bartender didn''t react when the coins fell from her palm. It was like a never-ending jingling waterfall that most certainly ruined a few dates.


    ¡°Here,¡± Servi moved her hand back, and the bartender retrieved the coins. ¡°Give me the info.¡±


    The bartender was scrutinized by everyone at the bar while he counted the money. After finding it sufficient, he retrieved a bag from under the bar. In a fluid motion, he filled it and stored it under the bar. ¡°Very well. As it turns out, everyone you listed likes to come here."


    ¡°Here?¡± Servi pointed down. ¡°To this bar?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. That¡¯s what I said. They show up almost every night for a round of drinking. The five of them are friends, or at least really close. I don¡¯t know your business with them, but I told you what you wanted to know,¡± Servi thanked the man, and he nodded and walked away. He came back a few moments later with a lavender-colored drink in his hand.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, here is your drink. Consider it on the house,¡± he sat it down and smiled at Servi, who thanked him once again. He nodded and walked away to take someone else''s order.


    Do you want me to take the coins back?


    ¡°Yeah, but leave half.¡±


    It''s done. By my count, we have 380 dupla on us.


    Servi took the glass and held it to her nose. She breathed in slowly and enjoyed the sweet-smelling aroma that tickled her nostrils.


    ¡°Bottoms up,¡± Servi said as she lifted the glass to her soft pink lips. For some reason, Servi thought the drink would taste sour, probably due to the lavender color, but it was a bit sweet. ¡°Ahh¡­¡±


    Did it taste good?


    ¡°It did. For just a split second, it burned going down, but now I can¡¯t feel that. It¡¯s got a pleasant aftertaste, though.¡±


    That¡¯s True Immortality at work. Any bit of discomfort or any foreign feeling that''s harmful to you is eliminated as soon as you feel it. In any case, I¡¯m glad you like the drink. If it¡¯s alright with you, could I try some when I get my body?


    ¡°Of course, you can. We can even share a glass if you want.¡±


    That¡¯d be wonderful. Thank you.


    ¡°Eh¡­ Talking to yourself like that. Ain¡¯t you too young to be going senile?¡±


    Servi glanced over and saw a nasty-looking man whose grey hair seemed to be falling out. He was probably over 70 and had a disgusting lustful look in his eyes.


    ¡°Just mind your business, old man.¡±


    He slammed his drink down, though due to the music, it was barely audible. ¡°You little bitch! I¡¯m your elder! Show me some damn respect!¡±


    ¡°An elder? I just see a washed-up son of a bitch who¡¯s not worthy of any kind of respect.¡±


    ¡°Says the whore who hides her face. What, you ugly as sin under there?¡±


    Servi sat her glass on the counter and sighed. ¡°Look, you keep talking like that, and you ain¡¯t going home alive.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you! Whore!!¡± the old man picked up his drink and pulled back his arm. Instantly, Soul Essence of Primal Combat activated, and Servi saw those afterimages. Though compared to the fight with the rat, these images were much clearer.


    Later, when Servi asked Itarr about it, she said it was because most of the human souls they¡¯d absorbed were accustomed to combat. Therefore, the afterimages of humans would be easier to follow than those of monsters.


    ¡°You bitch!¡± the man said as he threw the glass cup. Servi followed the images and ducked under the pathetic throw. It crashed against the wall next to a large man who wore a shirt with the word ''Security'' on it. His thick forearms were the size of Servi''s head, and the atrocious scars lining his arms probably meant he had a history of violence.


    There wasn''t a chance in hell he could''ve ignored the thrown projectile, and the security guard stomped over with a fierce look in his hazel eyes.


    ¡°Now, are you two gonna tell me what happened, or am I throwing both of ya asses out of here?¡± he demanded.


    Servi pointed to the old guy. ¡°He did it. He started calling me a whore and a bitch. I told him to shut up, and he lost his temper.¡±


    ¡°Wha!!¡± The old man stared dumbfounded with his mouth open. ¡°This ugly as sin whore said she was gonna kill me.¡±


    Just then, the bartender came over and spoke to the security guard.


    ¡°Niel, the girl is telling the truth. This¡­..gentleman, and I use that lightly, has been causing trouble all week.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? You¡¯re coming with me,¡± Niel, the guard, grabbed the old man by his shirt and practically dragged him out, kicking and screaming.


    ¡°You bitch! I¡¯ll fucking kill you! Let go of me! GGAhh!!¡± Niel tightened his grip, and the old man whimpered in pain. As if to make it worse, the band stopped playing and tormented the rude man. The crowd joined in too, and the old man went red in the face as he screamed even louder.


    Though all things must come to an end. A few seconds later, Neil came back in, and to his surprise, some of the patrons and even the band cheered him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear a shout out for our man Niel. He¡¯s keeping it real by protecting us from the baaaaaad dudes!¡±


    ¡°Neil! Neil! Neil! Neil!"


    Servi, could you explain to me what¡¯s happening? I¡¯m am so utterly confused.


    ¡°Me too, Itarr. Me too," Servi sighed and spun around in her chair. The bartender met her gaze and shrugged his shoulders.


    As Neil enjoyed his heroic return, throwing fist after fist into the air, he walked over to Servi and apologized. She waved it off, saying it was no big deal, and he offered to buy her a drink. She accepted his kindness. It was an Aviation, a drink that was quickly becoming one of her favorite things in the world. It had just the right amount of flavor and sweetness.


    With a happy and gleeful smile on her face, she drunk it and once again enjoyed the sweet aftertaste.


    Servi thanked the man, and that was when it happened.

 Book One – Interlude – Part Four – Servi’s Nightly Stroll

    The door opened, and five people walked through. Two of them were going to die. The other three? If she had a chance, then they would meet death.  Servi''s primary goal was to make sure that Brick Bri and Rowan could no longer taste the air of life.


    Along with those two, Mossi, the girl from earlier that almost sexually assaulted Momo, Axel, the guy who said he wanted to watch, and Yellow, the one who blocked Momo, came in with them.


    Since the bar was also a restaurant, the building was separated into two halves. One side had the bar itself, with the bartender, the counter, and the kitchen. The other side was more like a traditional restaurant, which included the band and dancing area.  Various tables that sat anywhere from two to ten people were spread about in both halves.


    Brick Bri and his godawful companions made their way over to the restaurant and sat down at a circular table. He raised his hand, and a cute barmaid made her way over to him with a glass of bubbly.  As she sat it down, he cupped his hand and slapped her ass.  The girl giggled and walked away, but not before silently cursing him.  Brick Bri had an unsavory reputation around town, to say the least. He cracked open the bottle and filled up his and his companions'' glasses.


    Axel and Mossi wore matching leather armor, but something was different. It took some time, but Servi realized that Mossi''s hair was red instead of black. She thought for a moment that it was some sort of disguise. If so, then it was a poor attempt. Yellow still had his yellow armor and helmet, and Rowan was in regular clothes, like what an average man would wear when relaxing at a bar.  That fancy sword still dangled from his hip, proving that he wasn''t just an average joe.


    And so, the targets have arrived.  How are you gonna do this?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess I¡¯ll wait till the bastards leave.¡±


    That¡¯s a good plan. It might be too much if we kill in front of witnesses. How about you have some fun while we wait?


    ¡°You¡¯re right. In that case¡­. Hey, barkeep!¡± Servi hollered for the bartender, and he came over while wiping down a glass cup.


    ¡°Anything ya need, ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Let me get another Aviation. Hey, just a quick question. Does this place have any sort of drinking contests?¡±


    ¡°Oh ho! Are you confident in your ability to hold your liquor?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Servi confidently said.


    ¡°Good! We do have those around here, but it¡¯s a bit different than other places.¡±


    ¡°How different?¡± she asked. If her general knowledge was correct, the only thing she had to do was drink the most.


    ¡°It¡¯s mostly the same except for one little thing. The loser has to pay for all of the alcohol drank by everyone else. More often than not, the first loser will end up with a tremendous amount of debt.¡±


    ¡°What happens if the loser can¡¯t pay?¡±


    ¡°Oh, they''ll pay. If not with money, then with their body. If they refuse, we move on to their wife or husband''s body.  If that¡¯s not even enough, then we move to their parents or their children.¡±


    ¡°With such a high risk, why does anyone participate?¡± Servi asked. With such a punishment, she believed regular people wouldn''t risk it. "I know I wouldn''t like it if a family member lost a contest and I was forced to pay for their mistake."


    ¡°That¡¯s how we do it around here. Go big or go home. Besides, you just have to not be the first to quit. It¡¯s fine if you¡¯re second to last.¡±


    Are you sure about this? It doesn''t make sense to me.


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± the bartender asked.


    ¡°Alright, how do we start this?¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you sure you want to do this? The life of someone who cannot pay the tab is not¡­..enjoyable.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready. Just one question, though, what does the winner get?¡±


    ¡°The satisfaction of doing whatever they want with the loser, except for killing or permanently harming them, their family, their homes, or their animals,¡± the bartender said. Servi didn¡¯t know how her respect for the city could go lower, but it did. She thought that this entire place and its residents, except for the few people she liked, deserved to be razed to the ground.


    Servi, I feel disgusted.


    ¡°I see. So if I wanted to, I could demand stuff from the losers? Let''s say they have a slave or two.  Can I demand their freedom?¡±


    ¡°You could, but don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re one of those trash lovers?¡±


    ¡°Is that a problem?¡±


    ¡°I suppose not.¡±


    The bartender finished speaking with Servi and walked over to an unusual box like the one Arty used. He pressed a button, spoke into it, and his voice came from overhead. When it did, the band stopped playing and listened.


    ¡°Attention. This is an announcement that we are holding a drinking contest in five minutes. If you would like to enter, then please, come over to the bar and take a seat.¡±


    Five minutes passed, and the bar was filled to the brim. Not a single spot remained empty.


    ¡°Welcome, everyone, to the drinking contest. We have a total of 32 contestants, so let¡¯s get started! First, I¡¯ll explain the rules. We begin with a shot of our weakest drink. Then the drinks get stronger and stronger until we get to the Dragon¡¯s Blast. If we have any contestants still in the game after that, we move on to the Elemental Nightfall, our strongest drink. For those who aren''t aware of it, let me explain it. Elemental Nightfall is a drink blessed by the God of Alcohol himself. Very expensive and very strong, it can knock out a dragon in three shots. But that¡¯s enough of that! Let¡¯s get started!¡± the bartender said, though now he took on the role of an emcee.


    Servi looked at her fellow drinkers. Many were Dwarves, there were some Humans, and a few Elves and Koena. Though from what she saw, there were a total of six women in the contest, including her. The rest were men. Servi went to turn around, but she heard a voice that forced her to freeze.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Brick. They¡¯re about to start.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯m coming. Hey, we got five more here. You got room?¡±


    ¡°For you. Mr. Brick Bri, we always have space. Hey Neil! Go grab five more stools from the back,¡± the bartender-turned-emcee yelled. A minute later, and Servi couldn¡¯t believe her luck, Brick Bri, Rowan, Axel, Mossi, and Yellow took a seat right beside her.


    If they take part, then the chances of them being drunk at the end of this are high, correct? Then it¡¯ll be easier to kill them?


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Right what?¡± Rowan asked. As luck would have it, he sat right next to Servi.


    ¡°Oh nothing, just talking to myself,¡± she said back.


    ¡°That¡¯s such an ugly trait in a woman, especially one with such wonderful blue eyes. I just want to lick them, you know?¡±


    Ugh, he disgusts me. But at least the mask is working. He thinks your eyes are blue.


    ¡°Look, I don¡¯t like that kind of stuff.¡±


    Rowan reached out an arm but stopped when the emcee spoke. ¡°Alright now, let¡¯s get started. With a total of 37 participants, this is the highest turnout so far. My good bartenders, let¡¯s begin! We¡¯ll start with a shot of gin, so if you could go ahead and pour that for our contestants, we can get this underway!¡±


    It may be a bit harsh of me to say this, but seeing an older gentleman act and talk with such a passion is a bit jarring.


    The five bartenders grabbed glasses and poured drinks with such a high degree of efficiency that Servi couldn¡¯t help but be impressed.


    You know, I bet I could absorb the liquid inside these small glasses after you drink it, but before it hits your tongue. Just let me know, Okay?


    ¡°I will,¡± Servi said in the quietest voice possible, but it wasn¡¯t enough because someone overheard her.


    ¡°You¡¯ll what?¡± Rowan said as he grabbed his glass.


    ¡°Can you stop that? Me talking to myself is for myself and myself alone. Not for you to eavesdrop.¡±


    ¡°You know, I don¡¯t like a fussy girl. You¡¯d be cuter if you were a bit nicer,¡± he downed his drink.


    Please, can I kill him? It¡¯s like he¡¯s treating you like an object, and I don¡¯t like that.


    Servi shook her head and downed her glass. It had almost no taste and was much weaker than the Aviation she had drunk earlier.


    ¡°So, that was a bit too easy, huh? Bartenders! Let¡¯s move on to some sotol!¡±


    Sotol was a clear liquid that was a bit stronger than gin, but Servi drank it as if it was water.


    ¡°Still too easy, huh?! How about some whiskey?! Bartenders! Prepare those shots!¡±


    Another shot poured, and another shot down the drain.


    ¡°I¡¯d be damned, no dropouts?! Alright, let¡¯s keep it coming. Next up is a doozy. To pass this round, you must swallow a drink composed of the three previous drinks. Bartenders! Get your mix on!¡±


    This round was the longest by far, if only because of the wait. It took around a minute or so to mix and pour the drinks, and there were three bartenders for a total of 37 people. After around ten minutes, everyone had a full glass in front of them.


    Servi glanced around while waiting for the emcee and saw that a few people were having trouble keeping their eyes open.  The beast known as alcohol was probably about to claim a victim, who would be stuck with a tremendous amount of debt.


    Truth be told, Servi did not understand why anyone would purposely involve themselves in such a shitty event.  She was the sole exception because she would never get drunk.  Even if she swallowed ten bottles of vodka every day for ten years, she wouldn''t even be tipsy.


    ¡°Come on, man, you can¡¯t be the first to drop out! Man up, and stick with it. Look, you¡¯re going to let these wimps beat you?!¡± Rowan said. He slapped Axel¡¯s back and laughed, further irritating Servi.


    The emcee gave the order, and everyone downed the mixed drink. It burned a tiny bit going down, but that soon disappeared. As she expected, Servi didn¡¯t feel the least bit drunk, though maybe she should¡¯ve faked it since she caught the emcee''s attention.


    ¡°What¡¯s this! Do my old-yet-young and experienced eyes deceive me?! Ladies and gentlemen! We have a contestant that can hold her alcohol very well. Give it up for the beauty with blue eyes and mask!¡±


    After a bit of cheering for Servi, she turned a bit red in the face. She didn¡¯t like this since it brought attention to her.  A tiny part of her started to regret even doing this thing. Maybe it would''ve been better to slaughter everyone and leave no evidence? That option was still on the table.


    ¡°Now then, why don¡¯t we kick it up a notch?! For this next round, you¡¯ll pair up with the person to your right. It¡¯s a good old-fashioned one-on-one drink-off!! For the good man at the end, you¡¯re in luck! You get to pick a group and join in!! Now you might be wondering what kind of drink is involved this time. Well, the choice is yours! Or rather, if you and your partner can agree on one. If not, then you¡¯ll drink whiskey. When a bartender comes to your group, please tell them your drink of choice.¡±


    Servi turned to her right and saw Rowan, who used to be to her left. The dwarf who used to be there sat in Rowan''s seat.


    ¡°What a coincidence! I just so happen to change seats at the right moment.  I guess I¡¯m your partner. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be gentle. How about we choose Dragon¡¯s Blast?¡± Rowan said, speaking in a tone that churned Servi''s stomach. She couldn''t stand his lucky-free attitude, and she didn''t know how, but she knew Rowan was the kind of man who coasted through life on his daddy''s money. He just had that ''spoiled-brat'' aura radiating from him. Servi took a second to glance at Rowan''s hand and noticed the lack of calluses.


    ¡°Elemental Nightfall,¡± was Servi¡¯s reply.


    ¡°Look, baby girl, you don¡¯t need or have to act tough. I¡¯m su¡ª"


    ¡°Elemental Nightfall. Are you scared?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared, bu¡ª¡± Rowan started sweating.


    ¡°What was all that talk about being gentle? You only say that because you¡¯re afraid you can¡¯t handle it,¡± Servi¡¯s harsh words cut Rowan¡¯s pride, and her next word finished it. ¡°You''re such a spineless coward, aren''t you.¡±


    ¡°Fine! Elemental Nightfall it is. Just so you know, I¡¯m gonna make you regret this!¡± Rowan said with a voice filled with anger and embarrassment.


    A few minutes later, a bartender came to Servi¡¯s group with two glasses. Her hair was tied in a bun.


    ¡°What did you two decide on?¡± she asked.


    ¡°My good lady, we decided on a rigorous glass of Elemental Nightfall,¡± Rowan answered with an exaggerated motion.


    ¡°¡­. You do realize how expensive it is, right? In a one-on-one situation, the loser has to pay for their partner¡¯s drink as well as their own. Even if you die from it, we get our money.¡±


    ¡°Did you hear that, beautiful? Not even the wealthiest man could afford it. Especially not with the amount I drink. Let''s move on to something cheaper, shall we?¡± he turned back to Servi with a smile but experienced dread when he didn''t like the disgusted look on her face. It was like she was looking at trash.


    ¡°Spineless coward,¡± Servi repeated. Rowan didn¡¯t like to be called that.


    ¡°Fine, Elemental Nightfall it is!¡± he slammed his hands on the bar.


    ¡°Very well," replied the bartender.


    She walked off and came back shortly with a rainbow-colored bottle.


    ¡°Oh shit?! An Elemental Nightfall already?!¡± the guy behind Rowan peeked over his shoulder and saw the signature bottle. His voice was just loud enough that it got the attention of the two guys behind him. Those two looked over and exclaimed in surprise, just loud enough to cause a small commotion. And like a stack of falling dominos, it didn''t take long for the emcee to wander over.


    "Do my eyes deceive me?! An Elemental Nightfall right off the bat?! With a single shot costing over 1,000 dupla, one of these two will be in deep debt by the end of this! Will it be the beauty with blue eyes? Will it be Rowan? Let¡¯s find out!!¡±


    The bartender sat two glasses down on the counter and poured the rainbow bottle, whose color wasn¡¯t limited to the bottle itself. The liquid itself was like a rainbow that fell from the heavens.


    ¡°Look, this is your last chance, so if you wanna back out, now¡¯s the chanc¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nope!¡± Servi picked the glass and downed it.


    The bar immediately went silent and stared with anticipation.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit fruity, and I can¡¯t really say I like the aftertaste. A bit too much like water. I much prefer an Aviation,¡± Servi said. She slammed the shot glass down, shattering it. A second later, when all eyes were on her, Servi laid down 20 dupla to cover the cost of the broken shot glass. At the same time, she spoke two simple words to Rowan.  "Your turn."


    ¡°What the hell? She said it was like WATER?¡± Rowan groaned.


    ¡°Well? Drink it, coward.¡±


    ¡°Fine! Just watch. If you can do it, then so can I.¡±


    He grabbed the glass and hesitated for a bit before somehow finding the courage to put the small container to his lips. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, allowing the rainbow-colored poison to flow down his throat. Instantly, he gagged and coughed violently.  Losing the strength in his body, he fell off his stool and shook uncontrollably.  Though it lasted for only a short second, to everyone else, it felt like an eternity.


    Somehow, he gathered the self-control to forcibly stop his shaking. Brick Bri walked over and crouched down as much as his gut would allow him and tapped Rowan.


    No response. All of the talking and background noise stopped. Even those over in the restaurant section became quiet, and the band stopped playing.


    When a red soul floated up from his corpse, Servi knew her drinking partner had passed away.


    Even after all that talking, he couldn¡¯t handle it and died. Pathetic. My one regret is that it wasn''t me who killed him. Oh, I certainly didn''t expect this.  It seems that this Rowan fellow was quite an experienced adventurer. While he didn¡¯t have a lot of skills, they were all enhanced quite a bit. It¡¯ll take me a little bit to analyze. I¡¯m sorry.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± Servi said quietly, but Brick overheard her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Though it was your fault, you weren¡¯t the cause. Rowan, my good friend, has passed away¡­¡± He said with a solemn tone.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°If he couldn¡¯t handle it, then he should¡¯ve picked a different one. It¡¯s not my fault, and I¡¯m definitely not the cause of his death," Servi said.


    ¡°Keep quiet, wench. How come you weren¡¯t affected by the drink?¡± Brick''s sharp words cut through the tense air.


    ¡°The hell should I know? If I had to be honest, it was weak,¡± Servi said, with an edge in her voice. Brick matched her gaze.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the end of this. Temiro!¡± Brick yelled out a name, which somehow spurred people to move and talk. Those who hadn''t seen a dead body cried out in fear, and Brick yelled at those who did to shut up.


    The emcee, originally Servi¡¯s bartender, walked over.


    I guess his name was Temiro. Itarr said.


    Brick motioned with his hand for him to come closer, and when he did, they whispered to each other. Servi was too far away to pick up what they said, but she did notice Temiro turn and point at her.


    Servi, I think he told Brick that we asked about him.


    ¡°I do too. I have the strangest feeling that this is a trap.  Be prepared."


    Got it.


    Before long, Temiro nodded and walked over to the device that made his voice come from overhead.


    ¡°My dear contestants, I¡¯m sorry, but the contest is canceled. The Rude Crystal will have to close early for the night.  Don''t worry about the bill, and please make it home safe.¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah! Free food!¡± said one guy who grabbed a few plates and ran.


    Others soon followed, and it was like a stampede. The little doorway wasn¡¯t big or wide enough for so many people to leave at once. In a sense, it was chaos. But after some physical persuasion from the security guards, the crowd dispersed, and one by one, they left in a somewhat organized manner. Servi went to leave but was stopped by Neil, who told her to sit back down.


    Brick Bri picked up Rowan¡¯s body and walked out after the last of the customers left. He was followed by Axel, Mossi, and Yellow.


    ¡°Fellas, are you gonna let me leave?¡± Servi said to Neil and the pair of rapidly approaching security guards. She saw the glimmer of steel and sighed.  It seemed like death followed Servi everywhere she went.


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna kill me, aren¡¯t you?¡± Servi stood up from the stool as Temiro approached her, cracking his knuckles.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my blue-eyed beauty. Brick Bri is an important man. More than that, he is a wealthy man. Before you die, can you tell me why you weren¡¯t affected by the Elemental Nightfall? Many a Human have tried to conquer it, and many have failed. You know, why didn¡¯t you just go with the whiskey? If you did, then you wouldn¡¯t have to die,¡± Temiro said as he walked over and took his place at the front of the group. His upbeat tone from when he was emceeing was gone, and a stern and emotionless voice replaced it. A faint red dagger sat at home in his hand, but Servi didn¡¯t see where it came. In the end, it didn¡¯t matter.  They would all die by her hand.


    ¡°Itarr, how many can skills can we use at once?¡±


    Ten.  Twenty if we do it together. Shall I make ten Shadow Shots?


    ¡°Yep. I¡¯ll go ahead and do my ten. There are only four people in front of us, so that leaves us with an even five per target.¡±


    ¡°Look, girl, talking to yourself isn¡¯t gonna change our mi-- what the fuck is that?!¡± Neil exclaimed.  Panic at seeing the unknown filled his voice.


    Like a wall of deadly shadows, twenty large and lethal Shadow Shots orbited around Servi like a shield of darkness.


    Temiro, Neil, and the two other guards backed away at the sudden appearance. To them, it was like they were staring death in the face.


    That was the truth.


    ¡°Temiro, why did you tell Brick we asked about him?¡±


    Temiro backed away slowly as he answered. His eyes widened in fear. ¡°I had to. I had no choice. Surely you would do the sa¡ª¡±


    ¡°Gah!!¡± Neil yelled in pain as two Shadow Shots pierced his scarred arms to the wall but without his body. Temiro looked over and rushed to his screaming armless companion. The blood flowed and poured like a waterfall, the noise echoing out as it slammed against the hardwood floor.


    ¡°I¡¯m quite sure you¡¯re regretting this decision right about now," Servi said, taunting her prey.


    Servi used Shadow Shot twice more to regenerate the two missing ones.


    ¡°Please, wait! Don¡¯t kill me. I¡¯m sure I can be of use to you. Oh! I know! How about I give you your money back?¡±


    I¡¯m still within range to absorb the rest of the bag.


    ¡°Do it.¡± Itarr obliged while Servi opened her hand. A moment later, an empty bag appeared in it. She gripped the bag and ripped it open.


    ¡°Sorry, but I got it back. We don¡¯t have much left to talk about, so this is how it¡¯s gonna go down. I will kill you. Then I will leave. After that, I will kill Brick, that shithead Axel, the scum Mossi, and that weird guy in yellow armor. This is the end. I would say goodbye, but I won¡¯t. I wouldn''t mean it.¡±


    The three left standing dropped to their knees and begged, but that wasn¡¯t enough. Neil''s armless body convulsed with a mixture of pain and shock. It wouldn''t be long before the blood loss killed him.


    ¡°Just one thing before I kill you. You¡¯re skill users, right? You¡¯re blessed?¡±


    It was like they were being controlled by some kind of unknown force, and they could do nothing but nod.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll have some new toys at my disposal.¡±


    Servi gave the mental command, and all twenty black arrows of death launched in groups of five.


    To be frank, it was an absolute massacre. Servi''s skills were too powerful, slicing through her enemies'' armor like they were protected by wet paper. The crimson painting the room, the muscle and arm hanging over the table, and the bits of brain matter lying next to a mangled corpse were proof of that.


    And just like that, four more souls floated up and disappeared inside the ring.


    These four souls are the strongest I¡¯ve seen thus far. I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s going to take me some extra time to analyze and learn their abilities. I should be done by tonight. In the meantime, our total limit of concurrent skills has increased to 28.


    ¡°Thank you, Itarr,¡± Servi said as she looked over the destroyed bodies in front of her. She bent down and picked up the red dagger Temiro had.


    She ran a finger down the blade, and tiny flames sparked, bursting to life. She took a look at her scorched finger. Not even a quarter of a second later, it was as good as new.


    ¡°I guess this little thing is enchanted?¡±


    Your guess is as good as mine. What are you going to do?


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll absorb the bodies and the weapons. And I might as well absorb all the bottles of alcohol behind the counter.  Maybe the food as well.  I guess the tables and chairs couldn''t hurt, either.  Fuck it, might as well take everything I can."


    That sounds good to me. Shall I organize everything for you?


    ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind.¡±


    I don¡¯t mind in the slightest. I¡¯m happy to help!


    And so began the plundering, only Servi and Itarr didn¡¯t think of it that way. In their eyes, this is what was owed to them. After all, they were attacked first.

 Book One – Interlude – Part Five – Servi’s Nightly Stroll

    By the end of her plundering, Servi had acquired 371 bottles of various alcohols, the tables and chairs from the restaurant side that weren¡¯t nailed or bolted down, valuable weapons, and a tremendous amount of food, which included steaks of different cuts and qualities. She had also obtained bags of potatoes, corn, peas, tomatoes, cabbage, lettuce, chicken, duck, and more that were stored in a storage room in the back of the bar. The only other thing of note was a durable safe. The metal object probably held a large amount of money, so she took that while absorbing the corpses.


    It¡¯s going to take some to organize all of this according to your specific categories, especially the food.


    Servi smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    You are most welcome. What¡¯s the plan now?


    ¡°We killed one of our targets, and I¡¯m sure if we stay here, we¡¯ll meet the others. For now, let''s leave. We might encounter the others on the way back to Warden.¡±


    Okay.


    Servi took one last look at the now empty place. She wondered how all of this blood would be explained. Then again, it''s not like anyone could prove it. Opening the door, she chuckled.


    "Ha! I thought I wouldn''t have the chance to finish the job," Servi said.


    Four people stood in front with their weapons drawn, and that was when Servi realized something. Brick Bri was the same person who tossed her away like garbage when she first came to this city. He was chasing after a little Earth Elf girl, and Servi tried to intervene, but it didn¡¯t end well for her. She would never forget that red suit and horribly-looking whip.


    In addition to Brick, three more people were in front. Mossi had a small hand axe. Axel held a brutal wooden club with nails through it. The man known as Yellow had a bow at the ready with a quiver of arrows attached to his back.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m surprised you lived through that attack. Temiro and Neil were pretty strong. If I remembered right, they were both Rank 5,¡± Brick said as he walked closer. His whip, sharp and thorny, was like a starved animal. He raised it high and snapped it, producing a large and sudden sound that cracked the very air.


    ¡°That noise you heard was this whip going faster than the speed of sound. I believe it hurts a lot, though you¡¯d better ask Norma. Oh wait, I killed her. Bahaha. Yes...her brown skin turned the perfect shade of red. Mossi, I want you to take her alive, alright? Do it, and there¡¯s a lot of cash waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°You got it, boss. Axel, Yellow! Stop jerking off and get ready,¡± Mossi said, readjusting the grip on her axe. It was small and light, which made it suitable for throwing.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll be at the mansion with Parrel and his god-awful son,¡± Brick turned around and found that he couldn¡¯t move.  Before he opened his mouth, he jerked his leg, trying to yank it free from whatever held it in place.


    ¡°What the¡ª I can¡¯t move! Help! H¡ª¡± Brick, who tried to call for help, was suddenly silenced. More accurately, his head was shot off. When fully charged, a Shadow Shot could move just as fast as the speed of sound. With Shadow Hold keeping him still, Brick never stood a chance. His death was guaranteed.


    Shadow Hold was invisible when placed in a dark area, like a shadow. If activated, it summoned tangible strings of shadows that clamped down on the feet and legs of anyone who walked over it. However, it was weak to light. If Brick was thinking right, all he had to do was use a light spell of any kind, and it¡¯d be broken. In the end, he didn¡¯t, and that was the cause of his death.


    Usually, Shadow Hold would take a few seconds to use. After all, a regular person needed to chant an incantation to use it, but Servi didn¡¯t have that drawback. She only had to think of a skill to use it.


    It''s faster to think of something than it is to speak it.


    A second later, Brick fell to the ground without his head.


    ¡°Mr. Brick¡­.?¡± Mossi muttered. She was like a child who had lost a father. Slowly, she turned around. Her emotions ran high, and she blurted out anything she could think of with a face full of hatred.


    ¡°You bitch! You monster! How could you?! He was a way better person than you! Die!!¡± she charged forward with her axe held high. Immediately, Yellow took an arrow from his quiver and drew his bow back. Axel, meanwhile, prepared a skill.


    ¡°Oh, the Light above who slumber in a place further our universe. I pray to you. Grant us your power of Protection!¡±


    A white light flowed from Axel¡¯s hand to Mossi and Yellow, enveloping them in a mystic glow. It then faded away as a small white flower appeared on the back of their hands. It had ten petals. For every three minutes that passed, one of the ten faded away.


    If I remember right, Protection is a skill that reduces physical damage taken.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. Itarr, let¡¯s try out Protection. Is it possible to stack it? Can we used it multiple times?¡±


    I don¡¯t see why not. I¡¯ll use it 14 times, then you do the same.


    ¡°Yellow, hurry up and fire!¡± Mossi barked. Yellow nodded and shot his arrow. Unfortunately, it was too late. In the time it took for the projectile to reach Servi, the following happened.


    White light appeared from beside Servi and covered her. Then it appeared again and did the same thing. Then again and again and again and again until it had covered her 28 times.


    It took very little time at all, and when the arrow finally reached Servi, it just bounced off. Mossi finally closed the distance and swung her hand axe down. She was aiming for Servi¡¯s head, but the axe struck an invisible wall and bounced back. Mossi retreated and waited.


    Servi took out the red dagger and ran it down her finger while her audience of three stood with open mouths. Fire erupted from the tip of the weapon, and the blade of the weapon scratched against an invisible wall.


    Ahh, I see. The skill creates an invisible wall around the user and the targets they pick. It prevents a certain amount of damage while allowing the rest to go through. If we stack it like this, then it has more walls to go through.


    ¡°Hmm... With it stacked 28 times, not even this dagger can hurt me. It doesn''t matter since I can¡¯t die, but this is good to know. Just curious, how many layers did the arrow and that attack breakthrough?¡±


    The arrow went through five, and the axe broke ten. The dagger went through twelve. I''m not surprised since it''s obviously more powerful than a standard arrow.


    ¡°Do I have one layer left?¡±


    No, you still have the full 28. Even if a layer breaks, it will grow back after a few seconds.


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit strange then. When I use a skill, all of the required knowledge appears in my mind, but this time, there was nothing. This probably isn''t it, but do you think it¡¯s unique to stacking?¡±


    I would say so. As far as I can tell, I don¡¯t think skills were meant to be stacked. And as for the description and knowledge of how to use them, I''m sure we can figure it out together.


    ¡°I''ll still stack them because it''s helpful.¡±


    I agree. I¡¯d do the same thing.


    While their target was talking to herself, Mossi, Axel, and Yellow shook to their very core with a fear that hadn''t been felt in ten years. Though Yellow wasn¡¯t there, and therefore couldn¡¯t know the fear, Axel and Mossi remember, quite vividly, in fact, the time in which they were screamed at by the Emperor of Keywater, Virin Keywater. The dread they felt from being yelled at by such a mighty person echoed in their soul.


    They felt the same dread, and it came from the blue-eyed black-haired girl talking to herself.


    Stacking? 28 times? What the hell is she talking about? Protection is a weak level spell, so how could it perfectly defend against Yellow¡¯s arrow and my attack?


    Mossi ranked her brain. She was a person who liked to go over a set of events multiple times, with each time being slower than the one before it. She had three questions she just couldn''t find the answer to.


    The first being: why was the arrow unable to hit her foe? She thought that the answer was hidden in the white light covered her enemy. In that case, Where did the white light originate?


    The second being: was the white light the same light that came from using Protection? If it was, then how could she use it without saying an incantation? Even the strongest adventurers and warriors in the world were required to speak the name of the skill.


    The third question was the most important. If the two previous questions were correct, then why did the attack inflict no damage? The Protection skill was supposed to block a portion of a physical attack, allowing some damage. Even if the arrow failed her, her follow-up attack should have broken straight through it. However, it didn''t. Why was that the case?


    I don¡¯t understand it. Completely blocking an attack is out of the question. Not even Virin Keywater could do that, and he was blessed by THE Major God of Combat. He¡¯s an expert on physical combat. NOBODY CAN STAND UP TO HIM!!! But why?! Why does it feel like this ''monster'' is someone worse than even the emperor?


    ¡°Axel! Yellow! We need to go now! I¡¯ll hold this monster off so ru¡ª AAAHHHH!!!¡±


    ¡°Nope! I don¡¯t think so,¡± the monster said as it let loose a black arrow of death. It flew through the air faster than sound could travel and obliterated Mossi¡¯s left leg. With no support, she fell to the dirty ground as she tried to do something, anything, but the wounded girl stopped when she heard a voice that sounded far more frightening than death.


    ¡°You shoulda been watching me instead of barking out commands. Now I can finally get revenge. I¡¯d love to do to you what you did to my friend, but I won¡¯t. It''s hard to believe, but I have standards,¡± the monster threatened as it walked closer.


    Mossi felt a wet spot between her thighs. The smell of ammonia wafted up and circulated via a breeze that blew by.


    Impossible! Axel¡¯s Protection should¡¯ve stopped most of that damage, but it didn¡¯t! Why?!


    ¡°MOSSI!! Just wait for me¡ªAHH MY ARM!!!¡± Axel tried to mount a pitiful counterattack that ended with the loss of his arm.


    But it was weird. The monster wasn''t even looking at Axel. Its eyes were focused only on Mossi, so how did it attack someone who wasn''t in its line of sight?


    ¡°Please, leave it to me,¡± Yellow said as he walked up. If he valued his life, he should¡¯ve run when the Human-shaped monster was distracted.


    ¡°Yellow, don¡¯t!¡± Mossi begged with the last of her strength. That attack cut off her leg from the hip, and there was nothing she could do to stop the bleeding. There was no string to make a tourniquet, nor was there a way to cauterize the wound. Unless she received help at this very moment, she would lose her life. And for the man in front of Mossi, with the grimy yellow armor, he would lose his life if he didn¡¯t move. She had no idea what this monster was so angry about, but she didn¡¯t want to lose her life and especially not the lives of her precious friends.


    With a final desperate yell, she begged and begged Yellow to move, but to no avail. Instead, Yellow spoke from his heart and told Mossi what he felt during the times they were together.


    With his arms out wide and broad back to Mossi, he began. ¡°Mossi, you saved me when I had nowhere else to go. I was just a poor boy when you and Axel came to town. I thought you two were nothing more than bullies, a proverbial rain cloud that would pour on my pathetic excuse of a life and make it muddier, but you weren¡¯t. You and him were the only ones to look at me without wanting to hurt me. And you two saw through my horrible disfigurement. I remember when I said I hated these scars, and you got mad at me. You said that my scars and burns were proof I¡¯m alive. I thought you would hate me for that, but you didn¡¯t. The very next day, you gave me this armor and told me I should take this off when I¡¯m ready. That is something that I will never forget.¡±


    Tears flowed from Mossi¡¯s eyes as she cried for him to move. But he wouldn¡¯t budge. Instead, he kept his arms open and turned around, facing her.


    ¡°Mossi, I never had the chance to say this, but I fell in love with you. Sure, you were brash and mean, but you never directed that brashness or anger at me. I hate myself for saying this because I know you hate ¡®mushy crap¡¯ like this, but you can forgive me this one time, right? And guess what? I¡¯m ready.¡±


    Yellow lowered his hands and took off his helmet, followed by his chest plate. Next came his gauntlets and finally his greaves.


    What was once a boy, encased in an ugly suit of yellow armor meant to hide his features, was now a man who professed his love to the woman who saved him. She was a yellow sun that blessed her rays upon him, and he would forever be thankful for it.


    Half his face was the color of sand, and the other portion was as black as night. White lines ran through his black side and black through the sand. Punishment marks, they were called. The stark difference between the lines and the color was a sort of punishment. Another line was added if he ever did anything wrong, but most of the time, they were just added.


    Red burn marks covered his arms and legs, which were also covered in blisters. It was evident that he had lived a tortured and brutal life.


    But to Mossi, he was anything but hideous.


    She tried to yell, but it was impossible. Her body had lost a great deal of blood, and it became cold and frigid. Darkness was conquering the small amount of light left in her eyes.


    ¡°Mossi, I¡¯m not ashamed of my marks of punishment anymore. My name is Yellow, and I declare it now! I love Mossi, you, with all of my heart. And if we survive this, I want to marry you.¡±


    ¡°You¡­... fool¡­why¡­..didn¡¯t you¡­..say¡­..something¡­soon..er¡­¡± A faint smile appeared on her face when her consciousness left her.


    Not long after, the dark embrace took her, and the woman known as Mossi passed away.


    The potential future flashed in Yellow¡¯s eyes as he silently wept for a life that would never happen. A wedding with only their friends, a joyous night of lovemaking, the birth of his son or daughter, growing old together with his love. All of that was nothing more than a whisper in the wind, destined to never come true.


    ¡°Yellow, what the fuck are you doing?! Get out of here and run! That monster is gonna kill you!¡± Axel¡¯s loud voice brought Yellow back to his senses.


    ¡°Yellow! Get out of here. Go n¡ª¡± His words were cut short by a hole where his heart should be. It was almost faster than Yellow could see. The monster behind Yellow shot out a black arrow that pierced the sound barrier, and Axel never had a chance.


    ¡°Oh, look at that. It seems you¡¯re the only one standing,¡± Yellow heard a voice that could almost be described as cute. With heavy steps, like his boots were made of nadrium, he turned around.


    When he did, Axel came face to face with the monster disguised as a Human: hair blacker than the darkest night and eyes bluer than the deepest ice, an almost porcelain skin color, and a smile that could frighten the devil himself.


    ¡°Before you kill me, can I ask one question?¡±


    After thinking for a moment, the monster nodded. ¡°Very well. After you ask yours, I have something I want to ask you.¡±


    The monster held up her hand, and Yellow saw a beautiful red ring that reminded him of the hellish fires he was forced to endure. A second later, two chairs appeared from nowhere.


    ¡°Here. You can sit there, and I¡¯ll sit here,¡± the monster said as she plopped down and crossed her legs.


    Yellow grabbed the chair and sat down, sitting no less than two meters away.


    ¡°Well then, what can I call you?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Is that really what you want to waste your only question on?¡± the monster with blue eyes replied. The tips of her black hair glanced against her armored shoulders.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry. Then tell me this: why do you want to kill us?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s an easy one to answer. It all started when I saw you making aggressive advances against a friend of mine. You blocked her against the wall, Mossi tried to sexually assault her, and Axel was there. He didn¡¯t do anything to stop it.¡±


    ¡°Really?! That¡¯s the rea¡ª¡± Yellow stood up and kicked his chair away. The monster had no choice but to summon more black arrows.


    ¡°Sit back down. I¡¯m done answering your question. Good. That¡¯s the reason I wanted to kill you three. For Brick Bri and Rowan? Well, I saw Brick torturing and whipping a slave for fun, and afterwards, he set off the slave bracelet. Rowan congratulated him. That¡¯s why I wanted them dead. Oh, but I didn¡¯t kill Rowan. He died from drinking that glass of Elemental Nightfall.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you kill the bartender? And how were you able to drink it without collapsing in pain?¡±


    ¡°The bartender attacked me first after you left. It was him, Neil, and two others. As for your last question, I can¡¯t tell you. Now it¡¯s time for me to ask mine. Answer truthfully, and it¡¯ll be a quick death.¡±


    ¡°Fine. If I''m lying, how would you know?¡±


    The monster smiled. Suddenly, a small wall of fire appeared and floated beside her. It multiplied until Yellow counted 28 Fire Walls.


    ¡°One of the worst ways to die is by burning to death. Would you like to feel it?¡± the monster sent a mental command to the fire, and it grazed Yellow¡¯s arm, causing him to wince in pain. Next, soothing white light flowed from the monster, and his wound healed up.


    ¡°Do you know what¡¯s worse than burning to death? It¡¯s burning until your body is on the cusp of turning into nothing but ashes, and suddenly, you¡¯re as good as new! But that joyful feeling fades away fast when you start to burn again. The smell of your own fleshing entering your nostrils is not something most people are familiar with. It¡¯s not very pleasant. If you lie, that will be how you die,¡± said the monster. She was like a maestro, and the dancing flames listened to their master''s every order.


    Yellow would die, leaving the mortal world behind, but it wouldn''t be now.

 Book One – Interlude – Part Six – Servi’s Nightly Stroll

    ¡°Fine. I understand. What do you want to know?¡± Yellow sighed.  He knew he was going to die, so why fight it? If he answered her questions, then maybe there was a chance for him to go peacefully.


    ¡°I assume that you three work for someone?¡±


    ¡°That we do. But I can¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°Based on what Brick said, I¡¯d imagine his name is Parrel. And he said mansion, so maybe it¡¯s the giant gold one that can be seen from almost anywhere in the city?¡±


    Yellow tensed up, and his breathing quickened.


    ¡°I¡¯m right on the money. Now, how do you feel about slaves? Those things are worst than trash. You just wanna burn them all away, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Yellow waged his options on if he wanted to lie or not. Does it even matter? The night will still end with my death because I don''t see any way out of this...  I¡¯ll just tell the truth. Maybe I can do some good with my shitty life. He thought.


    ¡°I do hate them. You wanna know how I got these scars?¡± Yellow pointed to the white lines going down the black side of his face. ¡°Slaves. Usually, slaves are at the bottom of the totem pole, but not me. A baby with a face like mine was nothing more than a plaything for other people to release their anger. And who do you think used me the most? Slaves. I hate them so goddamn much.¡±


    Yellow balled his fists up out of anger but sighed, releasing them.


    It won¡¯t do much to get angry now.


    ¡°Are there a lot of slaves at the mansion?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t know how many.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± The monster uncrossed her legs and waited. It watched with a watchful eye, and Yellow felt the primal fear of death.


    ¡°Last question. Who is this Parrel guy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be a secret, but I don¡¯t care anymore. Parrel¡¯s the firstborn son of Virin Keywater, the man who leads the Empire of Keywater.¡±


    ¡°How did Brick know him? And for that matter, do you know him?¡±


    ¡°Brick was a poor man who had nothing until a chance encounter with Parrel. At least, that¡¯s what Mossi told me,¡± at saying her name, Yellow teared up a bit but kept it together. ¡°Mossi and Axel were bodyguards, chosen by Parrel himself. They were supposed to listen to no one but him, his wife, or their son. I only know this because Mossi and Axel got drunk one night.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. If Parrel''s the first prince of a nation, why is he in a different country? This isn''t Keywater, is it?"


    ¡°This city is called Canary, and it¡¯s on the southeastern edge of the Kingdom of Lando. And I don¡¯t really know why. Mossi never told me. But now that I think about it, one time, when she was really drunk, she said that it was a direct order from Virin himself. She and Axel were in the throne room when that happened, but I don¡¯t know much else.¡±


    ¡°I see then. Well, I don¡¯t want to say this, but I thank you for the information.¡±


    The monster got up, and Yellow did the same. In an instant, the chairs they were sitting in disappeared, and Yellow braced himself as a swirling circle of black arrows appeared around the monster.


    ¡°Honestly, you three brought this on yourself. All you had to do was stay away from my friend. In fact, you didn¡¯t even have to do that. You didn¡¯t even have to be nice, but why did you make her cry? Why did you choose her as your target?! Do you EVEN KNOW HOW SHE FELT?!¡± The monster yelled into the night.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I was only following Mossi,¡± Yellow quietly said. He stared at the ground because he couldn¡¯t bring himself to look at the eyes of his murderer.


    ¡°I see. Well, any final words? True to my word, I¡¯ll make this as painless as I can.¡±


    ¡°How do you think your friend will feel if she finds out about tonight?¡±


    ¡°Honestly,¡± the monster said as she barred her teeth, ¡°It wouldn''t be that much of a problem. When I hugged her, I felt her soul lashing out. No, that¡¯s not right. It was like there was something else inside her soul that wanted out. It was made out of pure anger, even more than what I felt at the time. Regardless, while there is a chance she¡¯ll find out, it¡¯s closer to zero percent than it is to one percent. She¡¯ll only know when I decide to tell her.¡±


    ¡°I see. It might not be much use now, but I apologize for my actions and the actions of my friends. I really do hope your friend can find the courage and strength to move past it,¡± Yellow put his finger to his chin and pointed to the woman he loved. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but can I die next to Mossi?¡±


    The monster nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll allow it. One last thing before you go. What happened to Rowan¡¯s body and his sword?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Brick handed Rowan¡¯s body and his sword to some guy and told him to hurry back to the mansion. I swear that¡¯s all I know.¡±


    ¡°I believe you.¡±


    And with that, Yellow nodded back and slowly shuffled over to the cold corpse. Mossi still had a faint smile on her face.


    ¡°Even in death, you look beautiful. I wish I told you how I felt earlier,¡± he bent down and embraced her tightly. With a deep breath, he wailed, and he howled, and he ululated. It was like their two souls were dancing, letting each other feel their hidden feelings. Then he suddenly stopped and kissed her lips.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be meeting you soon, my love.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye,¡± the monster said as 28 deadly revolving black arrows pierced through Yellow¡¯s body. Like the monster-- like Servi promised-- it was painless.


    Servi stared at the dead bodies as four more souls flowed into her ring. She wasn¡¯t happy, but she wasn''t sad either. The experience forced her to realize something.


    ¡°Even though I think they deserved to die, I gotta admit something.¡±


    What?


    ¡°They were bad people, but I could tell Yellow loved Mossi. I wonder if we had met on a different day or in a different situation¡­.maybe we could¡¯ve been friends¡­¡±


    I don¡¯t know the answer to that.


    ¡°Yeah¡­.¡±


    Is something wrong?


    ¡°I guess. It¡¯s just¡­.seeing Yellow hug Mossi like that made me a bit sad. I could feel the true love he had for her, and it made me think about things.¡±


    About what?


    ¡°Stuff like who I was before this happened. Did I have family or friends? Did I have someone I loved?¡±


    What is love?


    ¡°Love is a complex emotion, and I can¡¯t really explain it, but I¡¯ll try my best. When you love someone, it means that you want to be with them. You want to help them. You couldn¡¯t dream of living without them. It means that their voice, smell, or even touch is enough to make you smile. It means that when you see someone, no matter how bad a day you were having, it disappears when you see their smile. And when the person you love is sad, then you feel sad. It can be a good thing, and it can be a bad thing. It¡¯s a feeling that is impossible to describe.¡±


    It really is complex. Thank you for explaining it to me.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    Servi silently absorbed the bodies and weapons before leaving. Even though the battle she just had should¡¯ve been loud to be worth investigating, not a single person ran to check it out. After waking a few meters away, the Human with a Goddess inside her turned back to look at the scene. The larger pieces of flesh were gone, stored inside her ring, but she left the smalls pieces around. And she tried to absorb the blood, but it was still too abstract for her to wrap her mind around. With a sigh, she turned around and started her journey to her room at the Warden office.


    It was a long walk, filled with silence through the mostly empty streets. Itarr''s voice broke the stillness as the Warden office came into view.


    I¡¯ve finished analyzing all of the souls we collected today. Do you want to go over them?  Also, I am through with the organization. There is a new category called ¡®Food and Drinks.'' For weapons, you now have ''Axes'' and ''Clubs.''


    ¡°Thank you and yeah, let¡¯s go over them,¡± Servi said with sadness in her voice.


    Itarr felt bad. She wanted to help Servi and make her happy. Was that love? Seeing Servi reply with such a solemn voice was enough to make Itarr sad. Based on what Servi said, this was love, but she also said it was complex and complicated. Did that mean that different forms of love existed in the world? If so, then what form of love was Itarr feeling? Was it even love? She needed time to think about it more. For now, she just wanted to be helpful to the person who saved her from those years of loneliness.


    It¡¯s a lot to take in, but I¡¯ll do my best to summarize it. They all had Fire Wall, so I combined the enhancements. Right now, Fire Wall is level 39. Yellow had the skill Astral Arrow. I believe it¡¯s a skill that allows you to make an arrow from Skill Energy and shoot it. It¡¯s at level 7. Axel and Mossi both had the skill Telekinesis at level 7. I added the two together, so your Telekinesis is now level 14. There¡¯s a limit on the skill of 15 items and a total weight of 30 KG. I wonder if stacking it increases the limits? If it does, then doing that ten times brings the limit to 150 items and 300 KG.


    ¡°I see. It sounds like it might be a skill to be well acquainted with. Manipulating objects from a distance could be useful.¡±


    I agree. You now have Lighting Smash at level 6, and Remedium has increased to level 11. A skill called Greater Fireball is level 19. It¡¯s a Rank 5 skill, and it sounds pretty powerful. You shoot a big ball of fire from your hands. Oh, there''s something called Combination License and Combination Skill: Venti Aqua. It¡¯s level 13. I believe it combines the elements of wind and water to make a water tornado.


    ¡°That sounds destructive. I can just imagine thirty tornados slinging water at such a speed that could cut boulders in half.¡±


    You also have the skill Conjure Ice Rope at level 29, Speed Casting, which is useless, and Water¡¯s Breath, which is a skill that allows you to breathe underwater. True Immortality can let you breathe while submerged, so it won''t be that useful. Oh, here''s something that you might like. It¡¯s a skill called Expand Skill Energy, and it¡¯s level 79. From what I can gather, it¡¯s a Rank 5 skill that expands your Skill Energy Reservoir by one percent per upgrade. Our already giant Skill Energy Reservoir just became 79% deeper. And that is all of them. There weren¡¯t many skills, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll agree that they¡¯ll be valuable.


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s good,¡± Servi said, still with a tinge of sadness. This stuff was important, she knew that, but the sudden realization hit her. Servi had no memories. If she had friends, were they sad she was gone? Or were they happy? Was she an honest person like Momo, or was she an evil woman like Mossi? She asked herself that, but she didn¡¯t have an answer. If she was an entirely different person prior to losing her memories, what would happen if she regained them? Would she hate herself for what she used to do? Or would she hate herself because of what she did? She wanted to ask someone, but Momo was out of the question.  That left Itarr, but Servi decided to ask the Goddess her thoughts about it later on.


    She wanted to think about it a bit more, and soon, she found herself sitting in the Warden lobby. It was mostly empty, except for a few employees behind the windows. After a bit, Servi stood up and went to her room. She opened it with her key, stepped inside, locked the door, and sighed.


    ¡°What do I wanna do...¡± she said out loud before using her ring to remove the slightly-too-big armor and mask. All that was left was the black undergarments that she wore. The thought of getting a sleeping gown or something from her ring crossed her mind, but she decided against it. The night was rather hot, so she decided to sleep naked.


    Wait, should I have removed the armor when I was outside? Nah, it doesn''t matter, she thought.


    Servi made her way over to the mattress and picked up the blanket lying on top of it. It was coarse and rough to the touch, but it was better than nothing.


    Or so she thought. After holding it against her chest, the rugged cloth rubbed against her bare nipples.  Usually, she imagined the feeling would be pleasurable, but she felt none of that.  She balled it up and tossed it against the wall.


    Servi laid down on the mattress and sighed.


    Maybe I should get a bed? It wouldn''t be that hard to hide it if I could store it in my ring. I wouldn''t have to pay, either. Just absorb it while walking past a furniture store...


    She twisted and turned over a few times before curling into a ball. Then, she finally asked the question that¡¯s been on her mind. ¡°Itarr, do you think I was a good person? Before I lost my memories, I mean.¡±


    I do.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think I used to be mean like Mossi?¡±


    I don¡¯t. I think you¡¯re a wonderful person who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to help those who need it. That¡¯s what you did for me. You jumped down without bothering what I was going to say.  Someone who would do that for a stranger can''t be a terrible person.


    ¡°Thank you. I needed to hear that,¡± Servi closed her eyes.


    Servi?


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    I¡¯ve been thinking about what you said. You know, about love?


    ¡°¡­¡±


    And from how you describe it¡­. I think I love you.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing you unhappy makes me sad. I feel good when I see you smile. I believe you¡¯re a caring person. Look at how you protected Momo and healed that kid¡­ Not to mention that you saved my life. Whenever I hear your voice, I feel happy. I like talking to you, and I when warm when I help you. So Servi¡­I love you.


    Warm tears slowly slow slid down her face, and she curled up into a ball.


    Why are you crying? Did I say something wrong? I¡¯m sorry if I di¡ª


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize¡­¡± Servi said through the tears. ¡°Itarr, I love you too.¡±


    I wish I knew why you were crying.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I guess because I feel like a fool? Here I thought I was alone in this damn world, but I guess I¡¯m not. I¡¯m so happy I met you,¡± Servi silently wept.


    I¡¯m happy as well, but from my point of view, you have Momo.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Do you love her?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s only been one day since I met her. That¡¯s way too soon to decide if I love someone. I just know that when I look at her, I feel funny in my stomach.  It''s like I want to protect her.¡±


    If that''s the case, then isn¡¯t it too soon for you to decide that you love me?


    ¡°Ah! No, no! I don¡¯t mean it like that. I mean, it feels like I¡¯ve known you all my life even though it¡¯s been a day. It¡¯s because we both lost our memories, but I feel a connection between us. We both share a unique situation. Please don¡¯t take it the wrong way. I do love you.¡±


    And I love you too.


    ¡°But Momo? I don¡¯t know. Maybe I''ll be able to answer that in the future. Right now, I just wanna be friends with her. That isn''t to say we can''t go beyond just being friends... But then again, maybe she doesn¡¯t feel the same way about me."


    Servi waited for a moment before she continued.


    ¡°It feels like I¡¯ve repeated myself over and over, but I really do want to be her friend.¡±


    I feel the same.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared, though.¡±


    Why?


    ¡°We¡¯ve been lying to her the entire time, and it feels like our friendship was built on that. I¡¯m afraid that she¡¯ll hate me when I have to tell her the truth.¡±


    I wish I could say I understand, but I don¡¯t.


    ¡°Momo''s my first friend I made after you, so she¡¯s special to me in that way, and I don¡¯t want to lose her. I don¡¯t know why, but I have the strangest feeling that my old self didn¡¯t have people she could rely on. That¡¯s why I feel bad about lying to her.¡±


    Maybe I don¡¯t have the experience to say this, but it¡¯ll be ok. When the time comes, and we have to tell her, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll understand.


    ¡°Itarr?¡±


    Yes?


    ¡°Can you promise me something?¡±


    I can.


    ¡°You won¡¯t leave me, will you? You won¡¯t be gone when I wake up?¡±


    Of course not. What about you? Will you leave me?


    ¡°Of course not.¡±


    The two shared a little giggle, and Servi felt better. Her eyes were still red from crying, but she felt happier, which made Itarr happy. That only further convinced herself that it was love she was feeling.


    Do you feel like sleeping? I¡¯m sure you¡¯d feel better in the morning.


    ¡°But what about you?¡±


    I¡¯ll be fine. I''ll protect you while you sleep, so don¡¯t worry about it and get a good rest. You deserve it.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said as she rolled over. A smile appeared on her face as she lost the battle against sleep.


    Sweet dreams, my dear Servi. I love you, Itarr said as her friend drifted away. She hoped with all of her being that when she woke up, Servi would be happy. That¡¯s all Itarr really wanted.

 Book One – Chapter Four – Part One – Trouble and Confusion

    The night in which Itarr said she loved Servi had faded away, and a new morning was upon Canary. It wouldn¡¯t be long until someone stumbled into the Old Onyx clothing store and noticed it was ransacked. Nor would the mysterious disappearance of everything inside the Rude Crystal stay a secret. Perhaps those in charge of investigating would make a connection between the two crimes, but none of that mattered to Servi or Itarr.


    Servi was sound asleep. Throughout the night, she tossed and turned, but she never woke up, and Itarr was thankful for that. The Goddess remembered what Servi had told her. About how she just woke up in a strange place, about how she didn¡¯t understand the language, and the fear in her heart when she was about to die.


    However, that was the past, and this was the present. From this moment onward, Servi would never need to invite fear, dread, or anguish into her heart.


    You have nothing to worry about, Servi. You won¡¯t be alone anymore, and neither am I. I¡¯m confident that you¡¯ll be excellent friends with Momo, too. I¡¯ll do whatever I can to support you.


    Though she said that, Servi was in such a deep sleep that Itarr''s words passed right over her. A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door.


    ¡°Servi, it''s me, Momo. Are you awake? It¡¯s 9:00 am. Hello?¡±


    Servi, Momo¡¯s at the door. You might want to wake up.


    No response. Servi was a heavy sleeper.


    ¡°Oh no! What if she left during the night? Was it my fault? Was I too annoying?¡± Momo said, her voice a bit low thanks to the door blocking the noise, but it was still audible to Itarr.


    Using Telekinesis, Itarr gently nudged Servi until her red eyes slowly pried open. She sat up, and with a cute yawn, rubbed the sleep from her eyes.


    Good morning, sleepy.


    ¡°Good morning, Itarr. What time is it?¡±


    Momo¡¯s at the door.


    Servi''s eyes went wide with panic when she realized she overslept. She rushed to stand up but slipped on the coarse blanket she had tossed away not even six hours ago.  Her head bonked the wooden floor, drawing a little bit of blood that was promptly cleaned up by Itarr.


    ¡°Servi? Are you okay? I heard a loud noise.¡±


    Servi got to her feet and used her ring to put on her leather armor while ignoring the throbbing pain in her head. She also took out her scratched sword and laid it against the wall.


    You might want to open the door. I overheard Momo wondering if you left her.


    ¡°One second!¡± she yelled.


    Servi rushed to the door and opened it.  Momo''s cute face welcomed her.  Her hair was tied in a ponytail, and her ears twitched ever so cutely. Her fluffy cat-like tail wagged left to right through the air. She wore a black sleeveless tunic with small leather reinforcements, black pants that comfortably hugged her legs and thighs, and red boots embroidered with a stylized black cat on the side. Her clothes from yesterday were nowhere to be found. Instead, it was replaced by something that provided way more protection.  Her bent chainmail was faithfully there. Grandpa¡¯s sword dangled at her side, waiting to be drawn to protect its master.


    Though compared to Servi¡¯s leather armor set, it was lacking in defensive properties.


    ¡°Good morning!¡± Momo said as she flashed a smile. Her soft pink lips parted to reveal a stunning set of white teeth.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Momo! I overslept. I¡¯ll go get my sword.¡± Servi turned around and walked away.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± the Singi replied. And in a tinier and quieter voice, like a mouse, she spoke, ¡°I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t wake up to find an empty room. We made that promise yesterday, and...¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Servi said, returning back with a weapon in hand.


    ¡°Oh, nothing! I didn¡¯t say anything!¡± Momo put her hands up and shook her head. Her face was a bit red, no doubt flushed with heat.


    ¡°Momo, I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, it¡¯s ok. I didn¡¯t wake up myself until about thirty minutes ago.¡±


    That was a big lie. Momo was up bright and early at 7:32 am. Staring hard enough at her mirror to break it, she repeatedly dressed her hair up in different ways. First, it was long and straight, flowing like pink honey, but she decided against it. Then it was the twin tails. She did like that option but ultimately decided that it was too childish. Next up was the sideway ponytail. It was like a regular ponytail, but sideways.


    She sighed and chucked. ¡°Yeah¡­. This isn¡¯t gonna work,¡± dejected, she sat back on her bed.


    Why am I even all worked up? I mean, it¡¯s just hair¡­ Does it really matter how it¡¯s tied up or curled as long as it''s clean? I guess I¡¯ll just go for a ponytail.


    Servi spoke, interrupting Momo¡¯s internal flashback. ¡°I just noticed your hair is different. It looks good. And nice armor.¡±


    ¡°Oh, umm. Thank you! I bought this a few months ago and completely forgot about it until last night. I figured this is way better than what I had yesterday. It¡¯s more protective.¡± Momo smiled bashfully. Inside her mind, she was screaming with glee and happiness.


    ¡°We have about an hour until they put up the new quests. Would you like to get some breakfast?¡± Servi said as she pulled a ten coin dupla from one of her pouches.  ¡°I found this baby under my mattress. Maybe that¡¯s a sign of good things to come?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± and with that, the two went up to the fourth floor. Just when Servi thought Warden''s pricing made sense, it didn''t. For some reason, she couldn''t use a meal ticket for breakfast. Instead, she had to pay the waiter when they came to the table. On the plus side, it was pretty cheap. An entire breakfast was only a paltry five dupla.


    I will never, ever, ever understand this. The prices of items and their value do not make sense.


    Speaking of breakfast, Momo had toast with strawberry jam, a pancake, and a glass of milk which came to the low price of only one dupla. Servi had the same breakfast. After eating, the two chatted for a minute or two.


    ¡°Momo, I have a quick question.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± she replied after drinking a sip of her milk.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious. Why is breakfast so cheap and dinner is expensive?¡±


    ¡°That? I was a bit confused when I heard the reason from my grandpa. Since the Warden offices are like a base for us adventurers, some important things, like a bed to sleep in and breakfast to eat, are cheaper. But that also meant that other things are more expensive. Really, it¡¯s not ten dupla for both a bath and dinner. It¡¯s ten for just the food. The baths are free if you ask. My grandpa says that they make no mention of it because they want to make extra money, so they price the two together, even though one is free,¡± she explained.


    I''m not getting the best feeling from Warden. Itarr said.


    ¡°I see,¡± Servi glanced at a clock hanging nearby and saw that it was a few minutes before 9:30.


    ¡°We have some time to kill. What do you want to do?¡± Servi picked her glass of cold milk and drank the rest, finishing it off with a refreshing "Ahhh."


    ¡°Umm¡­. Is it alright if we practice our skills? I talked to a receptionist this morning, and he said there¡¯s a practice room on the second floor. There are wooden swords and bows and arrows. Basically, all kinds of weapons. He also said we can practice any skill that is Rank 9 or 10."


    ¡°That sounds good to me. Can I stop by my room first? I want to drop my sword off.¡± Servi glanced to the bent blade that laid across her leathered lap. ¡°I don¡¯t have a sheath for it.¡±


    ¡°Yep! Are you ready to leave?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    Servi and Momo got up and walked down the stairs to the third floor. Servi opened her room and dropped her sword against the wall.


    Shall I absorb it when the door is shut?


    ¡°No. Keep it there for now. We have extras in the ring,¡± she said silently. Well, even if she did speak louder, it wouldn¡¯t matter. Momo remained outside Servi¡¯s room and didn¡¯t come in. She didn¡¯t know why, but Servi didn¡¯t feel like she had to say something about it.


    ¡°Sorry about that. You ready?¡± Servi said when she stepped outside. She locked the door and put her key in her pouch, which Itarr promptly absorbed.


    ¡°Yep!¡± Momo said. She was humming and lightly shaking her head to the rhythm. Her pink ponytail whooshed around with every single movement.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± the two friends descended down the stairs to the second floor and looked around for a sign that said ¡®Training Hall.¡± After finding it, it was after the shop entrance, and near the end of the floor, they walked over and entered.


    The big room was divided into four equal squares. One square was solely dedicated to archery. Bows and wooden arrows were hanging on a wall. At the other end of the small section were a row of hay bales that housed paper targets. A Dwarf and two Elves were currently using it.


    ¡°Haha. Try again, Quark. Just practice what we do,¡± said an Elf with black hair and pale skin. With a form only describe as perfect, he nocked an arrow and drew the string back. He took a deep breath and exhaled, letting go of the bowstring when his lungs had no more air. It was fast as it flew through the air, though not as speedy as Servi¡¯s Shadow Shots.  The arrow landed with a silent thud as it struck dead center.


    ¡°See? Just like that,¡± the Elf said.


    ¡°See? Just like that,¡± the Dwarf, Quark, said in a mocking tone. ¡°Look, lad, I¡¯m a Dwarf. We ain¡¯t so good with stuff like this.¡± He held up the bow. ¡°Our muscles were built fer tanking. Give me a shield an¡¯ a hammer, and I¡¯m good to go.¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Quark," said the other Elf. Though his body looked slim and feminine, his voice was deep. His skin was the color of dirt, which made him an Earth Elf. ¡°I agree that being a tank is perfect for you.  However, it¡¯s not a bad idea to be acquainted with other types of weapons. When we¡¯re out there, adventuring and completing quests, you never know what could happen.¡± After preaching his gospel, the Earth Elf went back to practicing his archery.


    Quark looked down and sighed. ¡°Aye, you might be right,¡± he nocked another arrow and resumed his practice.


    Momo mentioned to Servi that she never used a bow before.


    ¡°Same here,¡± Servi said, ¡°but sure, we can try.¡±


    The next square over was dedicated to melee weapons. There were wooden swords, shields, spears, axes, and clubs hanging on weapon racks. For the most part, the weapon square consisted of Humans and Dwarves with a few Koena mixed in.


    The third square was dedicated to Rank 9 and 10 skills only.  Servi overheard someone chanting the incantation for Protection. Next to him was a Koena who was messing about with an ice rope that suddenly appeared in his hands. Servi wondered just how helpful something like that would be.


    The fourth and final square was dedicated to one on one practice matches. It was surrounded by glass walls to prevent any outside interference.


    ¡°So while we wait for the archery square to open up, what do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°Is it alright if I practice using Lurk and Dazzler?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°Sure. This gives me a chance to try out Protection.¡±


    The two walked over to the skill square. An employee wearing the guild uniform approached them and explained the rules. After agreeing to them, the employee nodded and walked back to his post.


    Momo chanted the incantation for Lurk. ¡°Oh, the Darkness above who slumber in a place further our universe. I pray to you. Grant me your power of Lurk!¡± Shadowy light appeared above Momo and slowly wrapped around her.  Within a few seconds, the shadow took the form of a cloak that hooked itself around the Singi''s neck.


    ¡°How does it feel? Do you feel sneaky?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know. Maybe I need to level it up some? Maybe it works differently on monsters than humans?" Momo turned back and forth.  The cloak followed her, but it didn''t feel like it added any weight to her body.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, young lady,¡± Servi and Momo turned to look at the direction the voice came from. It was the Earth Elf with the feminine body but a deep voice.


    ¡°Lurk is a skill that uses the shadow to distort the senses. Sight, smell, hearing, feeling, and tasting. It only works on monsters.¡± The Elf continued speaking while smiling. ¡°It''s a skill that''s already strong from the get-go. You could increase its level and power it up, but it''s not that worth it.  I recommend stopping around level 6 or 7.  Anything higher isn''t worth the Potential."


    ¡°Oh, thank you. I didn¡¯t know that." Momo clapped her hands and thanked the mysterious Elf.


    The Earth Elf smiled, flashing his bright teeth.  For a moment, Servi thought of him as a predator.


    He said, ¡°You are most welcome. Oh! I have yet to introduce myself. My name is Nimea, and as you can see, I¡¯m an Earth Elf. Over there is Quark and Aemi, my sworn brother. This town is our base of operations for the time being. If you have any questions, please don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. My name is Momo, and this is Servi. We joined yesterday,¡± Servi waved and smiled, but deep down, she had a bad feeling.


    ¡°What lovely names. Miss Momo, Miss Servi, it¡¯s a pleasure meeting you. If you wouldn¡¯t mind, could you tell me what weapons you use and skills you have?


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, do you?¡± she asked Servi, who shook her head.


    ¡°I use a sword,¡± Momo pulled it out and showed Nimea, ¡°and I know Lurk and Dazzler.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, Dazzler is an interesting skill, to say the least. The ball created from it breaks and produces a noise that instantly angers any monsters that are nearby. Its range isn¡¯t that good, but that¡¯s a good and bad thing.¡±


    Nimea nodded to Momo and looked at Servi.


    ¡°I also use a sword, and I know Protection.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, so you¡¯re the tank of the group?¡± Servi nodded. ¡°Then if I can ask, why don¡¯t you use a shield?¡±


    To which Servi replied, ¡°I can¡¯t afford one, but I¡¯m quite good at dodging attacks.¡±


    ¡°That may be so, but what if you were to take a fatal hit that you couldn¡¯t dodge?¡± he narrowed his eyes.


    I really don¡¯t like the look in his eyes, Itarr said.


    ¡°We don¡¯t plan on taking any dangerous quests until I have a shield. Isn¡¯t that right, Momo?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­? Oh! Yes, that¡¯s right," she said, slightly startled.


    ¡°I see. Well, I don¡¯t know what I would do if a beautiful flower like Momo gets hurt because you were poor. Why don¡¯t you take a loan?¡±


    ¡°I already have two.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re poor and a chooser of bad financial decisions?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Servi said, the anger showed through her red eyes, and Momo became scared. It was the same look Servi had when she put her sword to that boy¡¯s neck in the sewers yesterday.


    ¡°Servi, it¡¯s ok. I¡¯m not gonn¡ª¡± Momo was interrupted as Nimea put his hand around her. She was visibly shaken.


    ¡°Yes, really. Momo, if you join our party, you can be sure that you¡¯ll be protected. Quark is an excellent tank, and my brother is the best Archer in our village. So how abou¡ª¡± Nimea was interrupted by Servi.


    ¡°If the Dwarf is the best tank and your brother is the best Archer, as you claimed they are, then why are you a member of the party?¡±


    Seems like everywhere we go, we find a person I want to kill, Servi thought.


    The slightest frown appeared on his face.


    ¡°I could say the same to you. What can a girl, who¡¯s supposed to be a tank, do with nothing more than a sword and a single, potentially unleveled skill? You¡¯d probably run and turn tail at the slightest sight of danger.¡±


    ¡°You wanna go, Elf?! I¡¯ll show you danger." Servi cracked her knuckles and neck.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Useless. The arena''s empty,¡± Nimea said as he took his hand off of Momo, who then took the chance to move away from him.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough! Don¡¯t call her useless! She saved me yesterday!¡± Momo said a bit louder than she wanted. An employee came over and scolded the three for making a scene, giving them a warning. Aemi and Quark glanced at them and shrugged before resuming their archery session. The same couldn¡¯t be said for other people. They all stopped what they were doing and stared.


    ¡°See what you did?¡± Nimea said, pointing all around him. ¡°You¡¯re making a scene!¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t do anything wrong! She saved me yesterday! More than once! And she offered to be a tank with nothing more than a stick! Would you really do the same?¡± Momo said. Servi was impressed. This was the same Momo who cowered when faced with Mossi but sprung to life when Arty insulted Servi. And here she was doing the same thing.


    ¡°Ha! Of course, I would. After all, I am blessed by a Major God of Wind,¡± he chanted and used a skill called Pixie¡¯s Gust. A small gust of wind swirled up and down his finger before disappearing.  It wasn''t an impressive skill.


    Momo''s growing displeasure couldn''t be contained anymore.


    "We aren''t!  We aren¡¯t blessed, so we didn¡¯t start with skills. And she still offered to be the tank! All we had were a few potions between us. She did that for a complete stranger. Why would I ever go with you? My grandpa said to find someone I can rely on, but I don¡¯t feel that from you,¡± Momo had tears running down her face.


    Servi walked up to Momo and hugged her. She was proud of her.  She knew it couldn''t have been easy for Momo to say those things.


    ¡°Thank you for defending me,¡± she said. Momo tightened her grip for a moment before it loosened. She almost hit the floor, but Servi caught her in time.


    Servi adjusted her grip until she had Momo in a princess carry. She supported her back with her left hand and the area under her knees with her right hand. It was then she realized just how light Momo was.


    Don¡¯t be alarmed, Servi. She¡¯s just unconscious. I imagine that outburst was a bit too much for her, but I think I spotted a pattern. Every time you¡¯re insulted, she defends you. When she does that, I feel a bit of energy coming from her.  The strange thing is that it feels familiar, almost like it came from me.  Perhaps that energy is the reason why she passed out? I wouldn¡¯t worry about it.  She''ll wake up in time.


    With her friend sleeping for a bit, Servi stared daggers at Nimea.


    ¡°Please, I can defend her better than you can. Fight me in the arena over there. The winner gets Momo.¡±


    ¡°Momo is her own person.  She''s not some trophy to be passed around.  Besides, she wanted to be in my party, not yours.¡±


    ¡°Face me, you coward!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Servi said as she walked away. Her destination was anywhere but the training area.


    Nimea said awful things as she walked away.  After his tirade was over, he went back to his brother and Quark.


    By the time they reached the door to leave the training hall, Momo slowly awakened.  She locked eyes with Servi and smiled.


    ¡°Grandpa...?¡± she said groggily.


    ¡°Hiya, sleepy.  Sorry, it''s not your grandpa.  It''s me, Servi,¡± Servi said, with no hint of malicious or any sort of negative emotion.


    ¡°If I¡¯m this close¡­¡­¡± Momo turned her head and saw the ground. Then she saw Servi''s arm, and more importantly, what they were carrying.


    With red cheeks, she internally screamed.


    Momo, you did it again!!! Why do you always lose consciousness at the worst moments?!?! She¡¯s probably gonna think less of you!!


    ¡°Umm¡­Servi? You can put me down," her spoken voice did not match her internal voice.


    ¡°Are you sure?" Servi asked.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure,¡± Servi maneuvered her hands and let Momo down.


    ¡°Did I pass out again?¡± Momo looked around and noticed they weren''t in the training room anymore.


    ¡°Yes, you did.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Momo''s eyes stared at the ground.  She couldn''t face her new friend.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Do you remember what happened before?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°You defended me. That stupid guy was saying mean things about me, and you totally defended me.¡±


    Momo looked up. ¡°I did?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You were so cool. You were like, ¡®Servi''s not useless,¡¯ and ¡® you wouldn¡¯t have done that,''¡± Servi said, teasing her. It worked well.  Too well.


    ¡°¡­..¡± Momo''s tail wrapped around her waist as she buried her face in her hands. The warmness of her flushed cheeks could fry an egg.


    ¡°Thank you, Momo. Really. Both for yesterday and today. You defended me when people insulted me, and I want you to know that I appreciate that. I really do.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome¡­¡± Momo said, revealing her face and lowering her hands. Her tail unwrapped itself from her waist, then wagged back and forth, accelerating in speed. She tried to be bashful, but a flash of pink lightning covered in fur betrayed her.  It was stated that a Singi''s tail was more honest than their body. Perhaps it was true?


    Grandpa!! I helped Servi!!


    Servi glanced at the clock and noticed that not even ten minutes had passed by. It was only 9:40.


    ¡°So, how about we go back and train?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°What?¡± Momo said, confused.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t own the place. It¡¯s for everyone, right? I still haven¡¯t tried out Protection yet.¡±


    ¡°But what if he tries to start trouble?¡±


    ¡°Then we ask for an employee to come over. That¡¯s what we should¡¯ve done in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Okay! Let''s head back then!¡± Momo smiled.  Her pretty ears twitched gleefully.

 Book One – Chapter Four – Part Two – Trouble and Confusion

    Servi and Momo walked back to the training hall where most people had resumed their training, although a few had rubbernecks, choosing to stare instead of working on improving themselves. Ignoring them, Servi began the chant for Protection when she and Momo entered the section solely dedicated for practicing skills.


    ¡°Oh, the Light above who slumber in a place further our universe. I pray to you. Grant us your power of Protection!¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Nothing happened.


    There was nothing.


    Nothing whatsoever happened.


    You said the chant right, but it didn¡¯t work. Maybe we can¡¯t use the skill this way. We might have to imagine the name like we usually do.


    ¡°HAHAHA. Such a pathetic useless girl who can¡¯t even use a skill.¡± Nimea laughed hard and pointed at the struggling Servi. She could squash him like a big, but she didn''t let it get to her.


    ¡°Umm. Mr. Employee?¡± Momo walked over to the employee, who scolded them.


    ¡°Yes?¡± he said.


    ¡°I was wondering if there was something you could do about that guy. He¡¯s the reason I raised my voice, and I apologize for that, but he kept calling my friend useless. And now she¡¯s trying her hardest, but his obnoxious laughing is interrupting her. And I bet he¡¯s disrupting the other people as well.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t. I¡¯m only here to keep things from getting physical outside the one-on-one arena. Being an adventurer means dealing with things that could be considered crass or rude, like what he¡¯s doing right now.¡±


    Momo walked away disappointed and stood next to Servi.


    That idiot. What is he even here for if not to help? Itarr said.


    Servi tried the chant again.  This time, she thought the skill''s name when she finished it. Just like the night before, a light appeared beside her. It faded away after covering Servi.


    ¡°Congratulations, Servi! How does it feel? Do you feel protected?¡±


    Servi walked over to a wall and came back with a wooden dagger. She used the tip to press it into her palm, and she felt a small pop, proof that the layer shattered. She turned her hand over and saw a white flower on the back of her hand. Every so often, a petal would fall and fade away, indicating how much time remained.


    ¡°It does. Here, let me use it on you,¡± Servi used Protection a second time, and the white light came back. This time, it enveloped Momo.


    ¡°It¡¯s warm.¡±


    ¡°Take this and press it to your palm. When you hear a small pop, that means the layer is broken.¡±


    ¡°Layer?¡± Momo put a finger to her chin and tried to work out what Servi meant by layer.


    ¡°Er, I mean Protection. When you hear a small pop, that means the defensive light is broken. It blocks part of the damage, but not everything. It lasts for thirty or so minutes," Servi quickly replied.


    ¡°So cool¡­.¡± Momo used the wooden tip of the dagger and popped the Protection layer. A second later, she did it again. ¡°It doesn''t take that long for it to grow back. That''s so cool!¡±


    For the next few minutes, the two of them practiced like their lives depended on it. Their goal was to make it second nature. At least, that was Momo''s goal. A few minutes later, she sat on a bench. A family of sweat slid down her face as she grabbed a towel from her bag.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re starting to get the hang of it,¡± Momo said. She was breathing a bit hard.


    ¡°Me too,¡± lied Servi. Due to her Immortality, she was neither sweating nor out of breath.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m surprised. Protection is supposed to be a skill that uses more Skill Energy than Lurk or Dazzler, but you¡¯re not even winded.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s weird, but I¡¯m not complaining,¡± Servi said, trying to cover it up.


    Since the clock said it was 9:50, they had a few more minutes to train.


    ¡°Hey, can I ask a favor?¡±


    ¡°Sure?¡±


    ¡°How did you get so good at dodging? Yesterday was incredible. It was like you were dancing with that rat, just barely staying ahead. It couldn¡¯t hit you, except for that one time.¡±


    If Servi was the Servi of yesterday, she would¡¯ve panicked. Luckily for her, she wasn''t. She had an answer at the tip of her tongue.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know. I stared at the rat and tried to predict what it would do next. I tried to find a pattern. When that rat used that spin attack, the muscles in its legs tightened and tensed up. When I figured that out, I start to look for stuff like that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool! Would you mind sparring with me? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll win, but I want to get stronger. Fighting you would definitely help.¡±


    Servi smiled and stood up. ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all. Give me one second," Servi walked away and came back with a single wooden sword.


    ¡°Umm, what about you?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°I want to practice my dodging. Are you okay with that?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    A few seconds later, they were inside the weird little glass arena.  Servi tapped a knuckle to it before facing Momo.


    ¡°Are you ready? It¡¯s only wood, so don''t worry about hurting me.  I''ll be fine.  Come at me with everything you have,¡± said Servi.  After activating Soul Essence of Primal Combat, she was ready.


    ¡°I will!¡± Momo gripped her sword, one hand above the other, and slowly walked forward. Suddenly, Servi saw an afterimage. Momo would kick off the ground and rush forward, then she would then slash to either the left or right.  It all depended on which way Servi dodged.


    Servi waited for the right moment and carefully watched. The moment Momo''s sleeve moved, Servi sidestepped to the right. A fraction of a second later, and she would¡¯ve been hit. According to the skill, a horizontal slash would come instantly. Still staring at Momo, Servi ducked under the swipe and hopped backwards. The afterimage flickered.  It alerted her to an incoming diagonal slash and thrust.


    Servi bounced on the balls of her feet, staying loose and light-footed as the predicted diagonal slash came. She leaned back and once again sidestepped when the thrust came in.


    ¡°Wha!¡± Momo gasped, but she didn¡¯t let up. Her grandpa once said the best way to beat a nimble opponent was to corner them. If that wasn¡¯t enough, then do something they wouldn¡¯t expect.


    Then came another slash, another dodge, another thrust, another sidestep. It looked like an adult playing with a kid. No matter what she did, Momo was unable to connect.


    ¡°I finally got you,¡± Momo exclaimed.  Servi watched for afterimages that never came. Momo threw her sword at Servi, who didn''t react because she received no afterimages.


    The reason they didn¡¯t appear was simple. The afterimages themselves were a product of Soul Essence of Primal Combat based on the combat memories of the souls Servi had within the ring. It analyzed the movements of her enemies and compared them to the stored combat memories. If it found a match, the skill produced an afterimage. For unexpected attacks, Soul Essence of Primal Combat didn¡¯t have any memories to compare to. That meant no afterimages. With higher levels, the images produced would be defined, and her overall skill with a weapon would dramatically increase.


    ¡°Gah!¡±  Servi tried to catch the sword, but the angle made it difficult. Momo went low and tackled Servi, knocking them both to the floor.


    ¡°I got you!¡± she said, out of breath and breathing hard. Servi could only blink in amusement. Momo smiled, but that faded away when Servi didn¡¯t return it.


    ¡°Uh oh¡­ I¡¯m sorry if I took it too far¡­¡± Servi got up, and Momo stayed on the ground.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t be sorry. That was excellent! I would have never expected you to throw your weapon,¡± Servi extended her arm, and Momo grabbed her friend''s hand, using it to pull herself up.


    "You''re not mad?¡±


    "Nope! I¡¯m the one who said come at me with everything you got,¡± for some reason, Servi reached out with her other hand and patted Momo lightly on the head. She closed her eyes in response and smiled, enjoying the feeling.  ¡°Good job!¡± Servi returned a smile.


    After realizing what she was doing, Servi went bright red and pulled her hand back from Momo¡¯s hair. It took Momo a minute to register what was happening before she was also embarrassed.


    The girls shared a moment.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I was still holding your hand,¡± Momo said, releasing her grip.


    The two walked over to the bench and sat down. Both were embarrassed by the hand-holding and head-patting.


    After a moment, Servi spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m sorry I patted your head without asking.¡±


    ¡°No. I actually liked it. It might be a weird thing to say, but my grandpa used to pat my head just like that. When you do it, I¡¯m reminded of him. I haven¡¯t seen him in six months.¡±


    ¡°He sounds like a good man..¡±


    ¡°Oh, he is! He¡¯s the nicest guy I know, and he¡¯s always helping me out. He taught me the basics of how to use a sword and a bunch of other things,¡± Momo''s tail wagged fast and hard. It was clear to Servi and Itarr that Momo loved her grandpa a lot.


    ¡°Sometime in the future, I¡¯d like to introduce you to him. Would that be okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that. He seems like the kinda man I want to meet.¡±


    ¡°Thank you! So umm¡­if you don¡¯t mind, could we do this again tomorrow?¡± Momo said.  She had her hands ready to cover her embarrassed face if her new friend said no.


    "That sounds good to me. How about we try the bow tomorrow? I wished we could¡¯ve done it today, but that jackass made me mad.¡±


    ¡°I know. He made me mad too. Wait, I don¡¯t see him anymore.¡± Momo scanned the training area.


    At that moment, a man''s voice came from the ceiling.


    ¡°Attention members of Warden, it is now 10 am. New quests are being put up in the lobby. That is all. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s our cue. Shall we go down?¡± Servi asked, and Momo nodded, twitching her ears cutely. They put back the wooden sword and made their way to Servi¡¯s room. She grabbed her weapon, and the pair descended the nearby staircase. Servi and Momo also stopped by the inn and returned their keys to Rakred, who worked the counter. He asked if they wanted another night, but the two said they¡¯ll rent it later when they come back after completing a quest.


    The lobby was partly full as groups checked their equipment and gear while debating on what quest they wanted to accomplish. Over in the section marked ¡®Rank 7¡¯, Servi could spot Nimea looking over the quest board with his disgusting eyes. At a nearby table, the two members of his party were chatting.


    Servi silently thanked the fact she was Rank 10. Turning to her friend, Servi was about to ask Momo what kind of quest they should do, but the door slammed open to reveal a stubby out of breath Dwarf.


    ¡°Hey¡­hey. The¡­.Old Onyx¡­¡­and Rude¡­.Crystal¡­.got robbed. I think¡­.the¡­.owners¡­.were ¡­..killed...¡± he said in between breaths.


    It seems that they¡¯ve discovered it. Itarr said.


    The entire lobby went so silent, it was eerie. Only a single person moved.


    ¡°Brother, are you sure?¡± Quark ran over and put a hand to the Dwarf¡¯s back.


    After a few breaths, the Dwarf had air in his lungs once more.


    ¡°Aye¡­.I¡¯m sure. I was at the Rude Crystal last night, and suddenly we had to leave, but I forgot my wallet. I went back this morning and saw a horrible sight. Everything was gone, and blood was everywhere. I ran over to the nearest guard and told them, then I made my way to the Old Onyx. The old lass was supposed to trim my breeches, but I found the store empty except for blood.¡±


    ¡°What about the owners?¡±


    ¡°Did you see a body?¡±


    ¡°How bad was it?¡±


    ¡°Did you vomit?¡±


    ¡°Not cool, dude.¡±


    Questions were tossed at the confused Dwarf from the audience of equally muddled adventurers. For them, the Old Onyx was a beloved clothing store owner ran by a nice old lady, though only Servi knew the truth about her. And the Rude Crystal was a favorite nightly destination for those looking to take the edge off. If what this Dwarf said was true, and it was, it was like a small piece of Canary''s history disappeared overnight.


    ¡°Aye. I didn''t see any corpses, so there¡¯s a chance¡­but I don''t think I would bet on it¡­¡± Quark led the Dwarf over to a bench, and he sat down.


    Just as the lobby started to murmur about, the door swung open, and in came a soldier wearing armor as black as Servi''s hair. Gold letters were etched into it, and now that Servi could understand the language, she read it. It said ¡®Justice.¡¯ His face was young and youthful-looking, but with the hint of being older than he looked. Neatly combed brown hair decorated the top of his head. Dirt-colored were staring daggers into everyone he saw. The moment he locked eyes with Servi, her hatred flared up.  It was enough to alert Itarr.


    Servi?


    ¡°That¡¯s the guy¡­¡±


    ¡°Servi?¡± Momo murmured.


    ¡°That¡¯s the guy who was torturing this Singi slave. I saw him do it, and he had this¡­.joyful look on his face.¡±


    ¡°How awful¡­.¡± Momo replied.  Her bright blue eyes almost teared up, but she gripped her hands tightly to fight back the water that threatened to fall from her eyes.


    Are we going to kill him? Itarr asked. Servi nodded.


    After the guy in black came in, four more guards joined him in an arrow formation.  He was the center.


    ¡°Listen up! My name is Fisher Jin, and I am a lieutenant in the city guard. If anyone has even the smallest amount of information about these crimes that plagued our fair city last night and doesn¡¯t come forward, I have the authority from our governor to execute you. In addition, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant Fisher!! Lieutenant Fisher!!¡± for the third time, the door slammed open, and a young soldier rushed in.  He was probably a messenger, and he clutched a black envelope.


    ¡°You¡¯d better have a good explanation for interrupting me. I am not in a good mood.¡±


    Fisher put his hand to his sword and had it partly drawn before the young messenger spoke.


    ¡°Sir! I have a letter from the commander!¡± Fisher grabbed it from his hand and read it. A moment later, Fisher spoke again to the forming crowd.¡±


    ¡°Listen up! On behalf of our governor and Warden, I announce the following four emergency quests.¡±


    The eight receptionists immediately stopped what they were doing and grabbed their files. It was seldom that the governor was the one who issued emergency quests.


    ¡°The first quest is to find out what happened at the bar called ¡®Rude Crystal¡¯ last night, as well as the whereabouts of the bodies. The second is the same as the first, but the location is the Old Onyx clothing store. The third is for information about a massive fire found a few hours away. Countless trees were burned to the ground, and the area is black with ash. The fourth is the whereabouts of the group of soldiers led by lieutenant Arnold. He left in pursuit of a thief a few days ago and hasn¡¯t returned. We found the sight of what seems to be a large-scale battle but no corpses. Lastly, there''s a chance these four separate crimes are linked together. If so, then the criminal is considered to be highly dangerous.  If you decide to take these missions, then you all best come prepared.  That is all. As always, ask the receptionists for information about rewards.¡±


    Fisher thanked the adventurers and left with his little gaggle of guards followed close behind him.


    Then like moths to a flame, most of the adventurers in the lobby rushed to the windows. They all desperately wanted to take on the newly announced emergency quest. Servi felt a tinge of regret about the incoming abuse the poor receptionists would likely get, but that was all. She didn''t feel the need to repent anything else.


    It seems they found out about everything, but I believe we don''t need to worry.


    ¡°Wow. I didn¡¯t know all of that was going on. It¡¯s pretty scary, isn''t it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is," Servi replied.  Her eyes were solely focused on Fisher before he left.


    ¡°Hey, how cool would it be if we ended finding the person responsible? We¡¯d be like heroes, right?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Servi responded with a heavy heart. She could always not say anything and let it fade away. After all, those in charge of investigating were probably scratching their heads and asking themselves questions. How could the corpses disappear? And how could the heavy dressers disappear overnight without anyone seeing even the tiniest thing? It was like the perfect crime, and Servi was the perfect criminal.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Momo asked with such an innocent and unknowing look.


    Smiling, Servi reassured her that she was okay.


    ¡°Come on, you want to pick a quest?¡± Servi said.


    ¡°Yep!  I thought about accepting the emergency quests, but that might be a bit much for us,¡± Momo said.  She was a girl who knew her limits.  The last thing she wanted to do was die.


    Servi. If you act like this, Momo will get worried. It¡¯s not my place to say, and I¡¯m sorry, but you might want to be a bit more cheerful.


    The two walked over the nearly empty quest board. The only ones who remained were the other Rank 10s and 9s.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­. Which ones look good?¡± Momo ran her eyes over the left side while Servi did the right.


    In a quiet voice, Servi responded to her friend. ¡°I know, but it¡¯s hard. You saw the way she looked at me, right? How can I keep lying?¡±


    I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know how to help you.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry too.¡±


    Itarr was about to respond, but Momo spoke first.


    ¡°What about this? It says to bring back five shiroblooms.¡±


    ¡°What are those?¡± Servi asked.  She turned to look at a paper Momo was holding.


    ¡°It¡¯s a small white flower. Shiroblooms are said to be really pretty."


    ¡°Can they be found nearby?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was gonna ask the receptionists.¡±


    ¡°You could. Hey, here¡¯s a quest asking for two adventurers to be guards while the client picks shiroblooms. It shouldn¡¯t be too difficult since it was in the Rank 10 section.¡±


    ¡°Good find. I¡¯m sure if we ask nicely, we¡¯d be allowed to pick some as well.¡±


    Momo and Servi grabbed their quests. Before they walked away, Servi did another glance and was thankful she did because she found another mission that wanted five shiroblooms.


    With three quests between the two of them, they stood in line. Due to the incident before, the wait was pretty long, about twenty minutes. Once they reached the front, they accepted all three quests. The two quests for shiroblooms each rewarded ten dupla and 2 Potential. The escort quest rewarded twenty dupla and also gave away 5 Potential. Since it was a joint quest, Servi and Momo had to agree on splitting the rewards. After a quick talk, they¡¯d each received eight dupla and 5 Potential each. Two dupla would each go towards paying back the loan. After doing the math, Servi said they¡¯d each receive 15 dupla and 7 Potential.


    ¡°That''s not so bad, is it?¡± Momo asked.  Servi held the Warden door open for Momo as they walked out.


    ¡°Not at all. It might be the perfect quest for today. It¡¯s not too hot or cold, and a nice breeze is blowing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ It really is a beautiful day,¡± Momo replied.


    Their destination was Luqa Village, and the closest way to get there was to leave via the city''s north exit.


    Unfortunately, they had to pass by the scene of a brutal crime.


    The guards had set up a barrier of yellow paper that said ¡®Caution¡¯ around the Rude Crystal. Servi and Momo had to make a bit of a detour that was, unfortunately, a bit clogged up with people.


    ¡°That''s a lot of blood,¡± Momo said.  The door, wide open, revealed a crimson surprise that hard to swallow.


    ¡°¡­.Have you heard of this place before?¡± Servi asked.  She chose her words carefully.


    ¡°I have, but I¡¯ve never been here before. It¡¯s too scary for me. But I have heard some rumors, but none of them were good,¡± deep in Momo¡¯s mind, she was glad. The rumors she heard involved Demi-Humans like her, and none had a happy ending. If the people who died were those who did terrible things to people like her, she should be happy. But feeling happy for such misfortune made her feel bad.  She didn''t know how to process that, so she kept it all inside.


    After passing it by, they soon reached the edge of town. Unfortunately, there was one last obstacle in the pair''s way.


    A preacher. He was large and sweaty, wearing black clothes and a black hat. He had a rather large book down by his feet.


    ¡°Hear me now, sinners! The holy Gods Above are watching us, and they do not like what they see! Especially you! Yes! You there holding hands!¡± he pointed at these two Earth Elves and charged at them. They froze up and fell to the ground as he ripped apart their physical connection.


    ¡°You sinner! You¡¯re all sinners! The act of homosexuality is not allowed under the gazes of the GODS ABOVE! GUARDS! Arrest these sinners and put them to the post. Flog them!!!¡±


    A passing duo of guards heard the commotion and ran over. Once they saw the preacher and the two Earth Elves, they put two and two together. Drawing their blades, one of the men began to chant.  The pair of lovers scrambled as fast as they could, even breaking off in different directions.


    The guard on the left used Shadow Hold, but it was too late. Earth Elves were vastly faster than Singi, who themselves were agile than humans. The Human guards would never catch them. At least, not without a plan.


    ¡°Rah! Such useless guards. Can¡¯t even do a simple thing.¡±


    How utterly despicable.


    ¡°That¡­that...that stupid jerk!¡± Servi glanced down at an upset Momo.  She swore she could see steam radiating from her head. ¡°It¡¯s not right for him to do that!¡± Momo meant for her voice to come out loud, not squeaky like it did.


    Before Servi had a chance to ask a question she had, the preacher had found his new targets. It was a purple Koena and a short dwarf with no beard. They gazed into each other¡¯s eyes, but when they heard a loud voice, fright overtook them.


    ¡°You blasted sinners! You know that love should only be between those of the same race! How dare you disrespect the Gods above with your disgusting false love! Guards! GUARDS!¡± like a bat out of hell with a gut problem, he ran towards them, but he wouldn¡¯t reach his destination.


    Servi used Telekinesis to grab a tiny pebble in his path and raised it by just a hair. Thanks to her many stacks of Telekinesis, the little rock was practically frozen in place and unable to move. The heavy preacher fell to the ground with a loud noise when his foot collided with the dangerous pebble. The couple used this time to run away, hand in hand, silently thanking whoever helped.


    Servi and Momo both giggled and laughed which, caught his ire when he got up. It looked like he was about to head over, but he jerked his body.  Momo flinched and fell to her butt. He laughed and pointed at the slight terror he caused and walked off back to his book in the dirt.


    ¡°Momo, are you ok?¡± Servi asked while fighting back every urge to decimate the preacher.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just don¡¯t like those jerks from the church!¡±


    Church?


    ¡°What do you mean, church? Are they hated?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know about it?¡± Momo asked, but Servi shook her head.


    So Momo explained it to her. ¡°The official religion of the Kingdom of Lando is called the Church of the Heavens. The Empire of Keywater and the Westera Republic also practice it. As from the name, you can probably tell that they worship the Gods, but I don¡¯t like them that much."


    ¡°I probably know why. What that man did to those two couples made you mad, right?¡±


    ¡°Yep. But that¡¯s not all. Like with the Rude Crystal, there¡¯s a bunch of nasty rumors going around. Like, one says the church has a secret fighting force. And another says that they have a secret base that does nasty experiments on Demi-Humans like me. But even if those two were fake, it¡¯s the teachings of the church that upset me the most.¡±


    ¡°What teachings?¡±


    Momo thought it was a bit weird that her friend didn¡¯t know. After all, religion was so engrained into almost everyone¡¯s daily life.


    ¡°They mainly have two major ones, but they have a bunch of minor rules. Basically, they say that love and marriage should only be between a man and woman of the same race and that only Humans are guaranteed eternal salvation after death. Those stupid rules make me so mad! Is it wrong for two guys or girls to like each other? Is it wrong for a Human and a Singi to fall in love?¡±


    "Love is love.  I don''t think it''s wrong," Servi replied.


    ¡°Oh, but there¡¯s more. The church says not to take bribes, but I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s a lie. They also say that slaves are a legal right for those who believe in their teachings. And they say you can¡¯t use healing skills for free.¡±


    ¡°What was that last part?¡± Servi asked, wanting it clarified.


    ¡°Let¡¯s say we both know Remedium, and we find an injured person. If we heal them, then that¡¯s illegal.¡±


    ¡°So, how do we make it legal?¡±


    ¡°We would have to go to the church and apply for a license. After that, we have to charge our patients, and the church ends up getting a big cut of that. And if we don¡¯t, then we¡¯d go to jail for conspiring against the church. They also charge Demi-Humans way more than a regular Human, sometimes up to five times more.¡±


    ¡°It honestly sounds like a big scam to me,¡± Servi said as her opinion of the church reached rock bottom.


    ¡°It does to me too, but even just talking like this can get us in trouble. Most Demi-Humans hate the church, but we can¡¯t say anything,¡± Momo¡¯s ears drooped, and her tail went flaccid.


    ¡°Maybe one day we¡¯ll be famous. Then we can try to change things,¡± Servi said as Momo looked up at her. ¡°So we got to work hard.¡±


    ¡°Right. I¡¯m sure we can do it!¡± Momo smiled back, and the two walked on, leaving the hateful preacher behind.


    Once they exited the city gate, blue skies and a nice breeze were their traveling companions. Momo¡¯s cute ponytail danced in the wind, and Servi¡¯s smooth hair tried to join in as the two girls talked about various things. They would laugh and chuckle, all in all, having a grand ole time as they walked.


    They were about an hour away from Luqa Village.

 Book One – Chapter Four – Part Three – Trouble And Confusion

    It took almost an hour of walking, but fields of fruits and vegetables and pens of cows and chicken came into view. Dogs and cats prowled around nearby as if protecting their turf from any would-be invaders of the pest variety.


    Luqa was a farming village of around 120 people, mainly growing corn and peas, but they grew animals on the side. The adult women and children tended to the fields and livestock as the adult men hunted in the forest that sat behind the village. Life here was calm and serene, though if a bit boring. Most of the residents didn¡¯t mind that uneventful kind of life.  From an outside perspective, Luqa Village didn''t look all that different from the other hundreds of villages inhabiting Lando. A small river ran nearby, providing clean water, and Servi saw a few deer bending down for a drink.


    ¡°It was so peaceful,¡± wrote an author as he stopped for a night. Though he refused to name the village out of respect for privacy, he had Luqa Village on his mind.


    The smell of manure slowly mixed with the fresh air as the workers glanced over and saw two young women chatting happily. One had ears, much like those of a cat, and the other had black hair. Seeing how it was one of their race, a few Singi farmers hollered out and waved, prompting Momo to wave.  Servi joined in, even though she was Human, but the farmers didn''t seem to mind.


    They resumed their chat.


    ¡°I found out that there is a store near the Warden building that we can sell monster parts at. That could be a decent way of making some money. We could go into the sewers and kill a few monsters. We wouldn¡¯t get Potential, but having money is always useful.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. We¡¯re gonna have to do that if we wanna get you a shield," Momo replied.


    The two talked until they reached the end of the road that led into the village proper. A large red barn stood off to the side, and the pair saw a worker scrubbing and washing a cow. His long and pointy dark ears proved he was an Earth Elf.


    ¡°Oh! Cows are so cute!¡± Momo said.  Her tail displayed her true feelings by wagging fast back and forth.


    The white and black beast happily mooed as the girls approached.


    ¡°Ya like cows, missy?¡± asked the Earth Elf. He turned around to greet them. His hands gripped a wet cloth, and a brown straw hat sat atop his head. The scent of soap ticked Momo¡¯s noise as her mind raced through time to look back on fond memories.


    ¡°I do. My grandpa used to have some. Can I pet her?¡±


    ¡°Sure you can. I just got done scrubbing ole Messy here. She still might be a bit wet, though.¡±


    ¡°Messy?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°When she was a wee thing, she used to get into damn near everything. The feed, the chicken coop, the horse stables, and even my bed one time, though I don¡¯t know that happened. One day, my son called her Messy. Then I called her Messy.  Before I knew it, the whole darn village called her Messy.  She¡¯s a right ole friendly gal, if not a bit messy," the Elf laughed at his own joke.


    Servi and the man chatted a bit as Momo rubbed her hand across the cow''s face. She shook in response, splashing water everywhere, and Momo used her other hand. Running them both up and down, she giggled quietly.


    ¡°What brings you two here?¡± He asked, bending down to pick up his bucket of brown water that sat nearby.


    ¡°We¡¯re members of Warden, and we accepted a quest.¡±


    ¡°My son put in a quest not too long ago. You girls here for that?¡± the man walked over a bit and dumped the bucket.


    ¡°That depends. Is your son looking to collect shiroblooms?¡±


    ¡°That''s him alright. He¡¯s over there in the horse barn. I¡¯d take you myself, but I gotta get Messy back in and wash the other cows. I¡¯m awful sorry.¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t worry about it. Momo?¡±


    ¡°Hehe! You''re so cute, aren''t you?... Geh?!¡± Momo, lost in her little world, snapped back to reality when she heard Servi¡¯s voice.


    With face redder than Servi¡¯s eyes, she meekly apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. It¡¯s just been a while since I¡¯ve been around a cow.¡±


    ¡°Haha. Don¡¯t worry about it, girlie. I¡¯m sure Messy liked the rubdown you gave her. Hey, I¡¯ll tell you what. After you help my son, come back to me, and I¡¯ll give you a bottle or two of Messy¡¯s milk. It¡¯s freshly squeezed.¡±


    Messy mooed as if she agreed with him.


    ¡°Thank you. That¡¯s very kind,¡± Servi said.


    With a wave and a ¡®see ya later,¡¯ the girls walked over to the barn to search for their client.


    ¡°He was nice, wasn¡¯t he?¡± Momo asked.  She turned around and waved once more at Messy.


    ¡°He was. Far nicer than that jackass, Nimea.¡±


    ¡°Yeah... I know I joined to be stronger, but meeting nice people is fun too,¡± Momo said. Though she acted like her life dream was to join Warden, and it was, for the most part, it didn¡¯t mean that she was doubt-free.  When combined, the events of the previous day and Nimea created a dark shadow over her resolve. Still, Momo knew she had to stick with it. Whenever something awful happened, she knew that something good would happen because Grandpa had told her that.


    And right now, that something good was Servi, though she wouldn¡¯t admit it. Not out of pride or something else, but because she didn¡¯t know it. She didn¡¯t understand. Momo was the type of girl who would put her emotions last, and therefore she was emotionally undeveloped. But, in a deep corner of her heart, she was unconsciously thinking about her light, Servi.


    The deep corner thought over how the only reason she, Momo, was in this spot was because of Servi. ¡®If I didn¡¯t meet her, would I have died?¡¯ ¡®If I had arrived a day early or late, would I be with Nimea?.¡¯ ¡®How much would my life have changed?¡¯


    Soon; not now, not tomorrow and not the next week, and maybe not even the next month or two, but soon, the weak embers of love and affection would illuminate each corner of her heart. At first, the light would be dim, small, and puny that it wouldn''t even be noticeable. But like the famous saying went, ¡®Keyya wasn¡¯t built in a day.¡¯


    ¡°Let¡¯s try not to talk about him anymore, okay? Let¡¯s wash him from our minds,¡± Servi said, trying to encourage her.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I need to focus.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡±


    Momo smiled as she stared at the horse barn.


    ¡°You know, when I was little, my grandpa had a few horses around the farm. We didn¡¯t have them for long, but I remember they liked to be brushed out,¡± she recollected.


    ¡°Have you ever rode one?¡±


    ¡°No. The horses we had belonged to my grandpa¡¯s friend. Grandpa said we couldn¡¯t because they weren''t ours. But I still imagined myself riding one as I brushed them.¡±


    With Servi knowing yet another piece of her friend¡¯s childhood, the two reached the barn and discovered it was open.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Servi said as she knocked on the door and entered. Momo followed behind. The ground was dirty, as to be expected of a barn, and they saw four horses. Two were brown, and two were black. On the opposite side of the barn, they saw a young boy examining a foal as it neighed in annoyance and struggled to break loose.


    Servi spoke again, this time a little bit louder. ¡°We¡¯re here for your quest you put in at Warden. About the shiroblooms?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Hello there.¡± The boy turned around. Like his dad, he was an Earth Elf, but his voice a bit higher than what Servi thought it would be. He had on blue overalls and thick, black waterproof boots. ¡°Sorry, but I was just finishing up here. Would you mind waiting about five or so minutes? If you¡¯d like, you¡¯re welcome to pet the horses.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. Take your time. Come on, Momo.¡±


    The boy picked up the struggling foal and walked over to the other end of the barn. Meanwhile, Servi walked over to the horse closest to her and put out her hand. The horse sniffed the unfamiliar hand before neighing.


    ¡°When a horse does that, it means he¡¯s happy. Rub your hand down like this.¡±


    Servi copied Momo¡¯s motion, and soon, she found herself smiling. The horse was warm. The horse was alive. The horse was also the third living thing she met this morning that she didn¡¯t want to kill.


    A minute or so later, Momo skipped over to the two brown horses and petted them too.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, horsy, I didn¡¯t mean to make you wait,¡± she said in a carefree voice. Using both hands, she meticulously rubbed and scratched them, and they made sure she knew they were happy.


    ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry about the wait. I hope you two didn¡¯t mind.¡± the boy came back and was in the process of taking off his gloves.


    ¡°Not at all. And Momo over there is happy she got to pet a horse.¡±


    ¡°Geh!¡± Once again, Servi¡¯s voice brought Momo back to reality as she walked over, embarrassed for the second time.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. It¡¯s just I haven¡¯t seen a horse in a long time.¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m sure they enjoyed the attention. So you¡¯re my escorts? My name is Tarch. Nice to meet ya,¡± he held out his hand, and Servi shook it, followed by Momo.


    ¡°My name is Servi. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Momo. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Servi, Momo, It''s nice to meet you.  Did you have a chance to read over the quest?¡±


    ¡°Yep. You wanted to collect shiroblooms, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s a nice little spot over in the woods behind us where they bloom, and there¡¯s a trail we can follow.¡±


    ¡°If there''s a trail, then why ask Warden?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s been rumors of a large rat or something nearby. I''m not blessed. Neither is my father. If something did attack, we couldn''t protect ourselves. Oh, there''s one more thing.  I¡¯m a bit ashamed to say this, but I¡¯m terrible with a bow.¡±


    Servi didn¡¯t understand, but Momo later explained that being good with a bow was like breathing to an Elf. It just came naturally to them. Any Elf who lacked that skill was looked down upon by the other members of their race.


    ¡°I see. Well, it just so happens that Momo and I have experience fighting large rats,¡± Servi said, and Momo puffed out their chests.


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± she added.


    Tarch clapped his hands together. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful news! One more thing, I didn¡¯t expect an answer to my quest right away. if you two are ready, shall we get going?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Servi said. Tarch walked out of the barn, and Servi and Momo followed him. Before they went to the forest, they stopped by Tarch¡¯s modest house. It had two bedrooms and a kitchen, nothing else. There was, however, an outhouse located nearby. It didn''t take Servi long to do the math on that one.


    Tarch ran in real quick and came out holding a brown wicker basket.


    ¡°Sorry, but I needed my gathering basket.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble. Are you ready?¡± Momo asked.  Tarch promptly nodded.


    About twenty minutes later, the three were deep within the forest. The trail they were followed was made by Tarch''s father.  After years of traveling to and from, the mantle passed to Tarch. This forest was like the back of his hand. He knew every nook and cranny, and the chances of him getting lost were less than slim.


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯d say we have about twenty-five minutes left before we get there. If you two don¡¯t mind, I have a question I''d like to ask.,¡± said Tarch. He was in the middle, with Servi in front and Momo in the back. They both agreed that this would be the safest formation. Before they left, Servi used a single stack of Protection on the three of them. Tarch¡¯s eyes went wide with amazement. He told the two that not once had anyone ever used a skill on him. Like Momo, he said that the light produced by Protection was warm.


    ¡°Go for it,¡± Servi said.


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t too much trouble, could I trouble you two to tell me about your travels or quests? I don¡¯t get the chance to leave the village that often, and I have even fewer chances to talk to adventurers.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t mind, right?¡± Momo said.


    ¡°Not at all, but we only have the one adventure.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked, not quite understanding.


    ¡°Yesterday was the first day we met.¡±


    ¡°Yep. Today is our second day adventuring together.¡±


    ¡°Hahahahah!¡± Tarch laughed a bit.


    ¡°Is everything ok?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Forgive me for laughing.  From the way you two talk, I thought you¡¯ve been friends for years. You act so close after knowing each other a single day.¡±


    ¡°Do we?¡± Momo asked. She was glad she was at the back. No one saw her blushing and smiling.


    ¡°Yes, you do. Don¡¯t take my laughing the wrong way. I didn¡¯t mean it like that. If I¡¯ve offended you two in some way, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Grandpa, I don¡¯t want to be too hasty in saying this, but I might¡¯ve found someone to watch my back.


    ¡°Nah, you don¡¯t have to be sorry. It¡¯s all good,¡± Servi replied.


    And so, Servi and Momo took turns describing their not-so-epic first adventurer. Though they didn¡¯t agree upon it beforehand, they left out the more unsavory parts. All that was left was a somewhat fairytale-esque story, but Tarch didn¡¯t care. His entire life consisted of the farm and animals. When he had a chance to hear stories, he didn¡¯t take them for granted.


    ¡°Wow! You really dodged all those attacks? Incredible!¡±


    Servi blushed. ¡°It wasn¡¯t all that incredible. I still got hit in the end.¡±


    ¡°But reading the muscle movement in the rat¡¯s leg and predicting the tail swipe is impressive, not to mention that you out even called out and warned Momo. I¡¯m not even sure our village hunters could do that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, thank you!¡± she said, blushing a bit. Servi wasn¡¯t used to be praised. She might have never been commended like that or thanked before. It was a longshot, but the possibility wasn''t zero, especially considering her lack of memories.


    As they continued to walk on the trail, Tarch explained a few of the flowers and herbs  growing nearby.  As he did, small birds chirped and sang all around.  Momo couldn''t do much more than smile at the beautiful scene unfolding before her.  It was like something from her picture books that her grandpa had read to her.


    ¡°That red flower there is an akabloom. You see the black stripes going down? Well, they start out white, then they turn yellow as the flower ages. When it¡¯s black, it means it¡¯s ripe and ready for picking.¡±


    ¡°What is it used for?¡± Momo asked.  She hopped over a small wooden branch in her path.


    ¡°It¡¯s mainly used for reducing fevers. By grinding their petals with the petals of a shirobloom, it''s possible to create  medicine. It¡¯s very bitter and doesn¡¯t taste good, but it¡¯s very effective. Oh! That right there is a spudier. The little brown spikes that stick off of the stem are poisonous, so watch out. It won¡¯t kill, but you¡¯ll get a terrible bellyache.¡±


    ¡°Can that be used for medicine?¡± This time, it was Servi who asked.


    ¡°It can. If I extract the poison and drip it on a wound, it¡¯ll numb it. But I don¡¯t recommend it. The difference between numbing and being sick is a minuscule amount.¡±


    ¡°How strange. I never knew that,¡± Servi said.


    ¡°if you have the chance, I highly recommend renting or buying a book about plants. I¡¯d imagine that as adventurers, there¡¯ll be times in which knowing what plants and flowers are medicinal would come in handy.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right, Servi. It might be something to look into.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can ask the receptionists at the guild if they know a place,¡± Servi kicked away a stray branch into the nearby bushes.


    A little fawn could be seen along the tree line to the left. Its small and brown body struggled to walk before falling. Not undeterred, it timidly got to its legs and started again. A bit in the distance sat a doe and a stag, who watched on. When the baby deer fell again, the buck stood up and walked over and nudged her slightly.


    In a low voice, Tarch explained. ¡°Consider yourselves lucky. The deer around these parts are very timid and rarely show themselves. I don¡¯t know how much you two know about them, but baby deer, also known as a fawn, can walk minutes after they¡¯re born. It''s seldom for the father to stick around.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s so cute!!!¡± Momo silently squealed.


    ¡°I agree, but we better move. The buck is known to have a violent temper.¡±


    Servi agreed with Tarch, and the group backed up.  Momo waved goodbye as they continued down the trail. About fifteen minutes later, Tarch spoke up and said they were close.


    ¡°You see the cut on that tree? My dad put that there when he first found this place. It''s not really that useful now that we have this trail,¡± When they passed by it, Tarch put his hand to it and silently said a prayer. While they stopped and waited, Servi asked why, and Momo explained.


    ¡°Earth Elves have a bit of a tradition. When they mark a tree, they say a prayer which functions as an apology for damaging the tree.¡±


    ¡°How interesting,¡± Servi strained her ears, but she couldn''t hear anything.


    Shouldn¡¯t you know that? It¡¯s pretty common knowledge, is what Momo wanted to say. Considering it was the second day, she didn¡¯t want to do anything to start any drama or hardships. It wasn¡¯t her place to do so.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that, but we¡¯re just a few minutes away.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem, but can I ask something?¡± Servi said as the three continued walking. The wind was blowing towards them, offering a way to relax and blowing away the sweat accumulated on Tarch and Momo.


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said.


    ¡°We also took on a quest that wanted us to bring back five shiroblooms each. Would it be alright if we took ten?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem at all. Honestly, I''m thankful you asked first.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Tarch!¡± Momo said.  She silently clapped her hands.


    ¡°You¡¯re most welcome. And please, you can call me Tarch.¡±


    Another five minutes later, and both Servi and Momo gasped. The clearing where the shiroblooms grew was stunning and jaw-dropping. It was like a mystical location full of wonder. The dark and gloomy brown of the tall trees produced a perfect triangular area of space.  The spread-out leaves allowed tiny rays of sunlight to peek through, almost like there were lights under the ground that shined above through holes. In the middle of each beam of light sat a small white flower. If there was such a thing as a holy place, this would be it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen a more beautiful place,¡± Momo said, and Servi agreed with her.


    ¡°It really is, isn¡¯t it? You know, there¡¯s a small legend about this place.  Do you two wish to hear it?¡± Tarch asked as he picked. He used a small scissor to snip the stem as close to the ground as he could. Then, using a delicate hand, he gripped the bottom of the stem and slowly transported it to the basket.


    Momo drew her sword and answered Tarch.  "If you don''t mind, I''ll be happy to hear it."


    ¡°They say that long ago, over 500,000 years ago, this place was where a powerful warrior fell in love. The woman the warrior met became a close friend, and the two went on many adventurers together.  Eventually, they married right in this spot. Well, that¡¯s what my dad and grandpa told me when they first brought me here.¡±


    ¡°That sounds so romantic!¡± Momo said. She brought a hand up to her eyes and scattered a stubborn tear.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to think that it¡¯s true,¡± Tarch said as he collected the third flower.


    ¡°How come the trees make a triangle?¡± Servi asked. She also had her sword out. Since it had been some time, she reapplied Protection to the three of them.


    ¡°That I do not know. It could be the Gods made it this way when they created the world, or it could simply be by chance. A third possibility is that the powerful warrior made this area using their power. Sadly, it¡¯s nothing more than a passing legend.¡±


    ¡°A handsome warrior, marrying a beautiful princess... Isn¡¯t that just romantic?¡±


    Momo really likes this place, doesn''t she? Itarr said.


    ¡°It is,¡± replied Servi.  She didn''t want to ignore Itarr, but Servi found it hard to talk to her when she was around Momo and other people. "I kinda want to meet them now."


    For a moment, it looked like this would be an easy quest, but it was rare for a plan to go off without a hitch.

 Book One – Chapter Four – Part Four – Trouble and Confusion

    A snarling noise echoed out from the dark barrier of trees, and Servi instantly acted. She held her sword in front of her, activated Soul Essence of Primal Combat, and barked orders to Momo.


    ¡°Momo, use Lurk and throw Dazzler at me. Tarch, stay close to her!¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± he frantically said as she tried to get behind Momo¡¯s shadowy cloak. The shadows produced by Lurk distorted a monster¡¯s sense the closer they get. Noises were faded, their sight became blurry, and they lost a bit of feeling in their limbs. The only way to counteract that was to move away. That was the sole reason it was the perfect skill to sneak about.


    ¡°Got it! Servi, here it comes!¡± a black orb appeared in Momo¡¯s left hand as she tossed it to Servi. It landed on her and broke, producing an inaudible sound to the humanoid races but a screeching noise to those of the monster variety.


    ¡°Good!¡± Servi glanced down at the back of her hand and noticed that she still some petals left.¡±


    Good. You won¡¯t need to reapply it for some time.


    ¡°HISSS!!!¡± a giant rat bolted from the tree line and headed straight for Servi. She followed the afterimages produced by her skill and gracefully sidestepped out of the way. It crashed into a tree with a sickening noise and collapsed.


    A moment later, it stood up and lashed out, hitting nothing but the tree. It then turned around and bared its nasty breath, showing off a mouth full of rotten teeth. Servi heard Tarch yelp as he hid behind Momo.


    ¡°Come on!¡± Servi said, trying to provoke the enemy. It was the best she could do since she didn¡¯t have the Decoy skill.


    I''ll definitely buy that skill tonight. Servi thought.


    The rat snarled once more before charging, this time even faster, but that didn¡¯t matter one bit. Servi''s afterimages alerted her to the danger. Sidestepping out of the way, the rat crashed into another tree.


    Not missing a beat, Servi took this time to run up and stabbed her sword into the rat¡¯s back just above the tail. She felt it going against something hard and thick, but it didn¡¯t seem like her attack broke it. Blood splattered about, landing on Servi, but the girl didn¡¯t care. She just wanted to inflict enough damage so the rat wouldn¡¯t be able to get back up.


    Good hit! If I ask, why did it stop moving?


    Servi grabbed her blade and hopped back, waiting a split second for an afterimage that never came. ¡°That''s where the spine is at. If that breaks or gets damaged, the monster can¡¯t move.¡±


    I can¡¯t really say I follow.


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain it to you later. Momo!¡± Servi hollered out for her partner, who came rushing in with her sword high. Together, the two of them jabbed down until the rat twitched no more. Momo hustled back to Tarch as Servi walked over to the rat¡¯s head.


    ¡°I gotta make sure,¡± she said before she slammed her sword down, eliciting one last death cry. A red soul floated up and went inside her ring.


    As she got to work removing the claws, Momo and Tarch walked over.


    ¡°How scary¡­ Do you deal with that stuff every day?¡± Tarch asked, still behind Momo. Though he was a man, he wasn¡¯t the bravest, but that was alright. It made sense for him to hide behind Momo, considering he hired her.


    ¡°We did yesterday. Here¡¯s a small tip. You saw how it was still alive, even with all of those stabs?¡± Tarch nodded. ¡°Monsters like to play dead and strike when you have your guard down. It may be violent, but it¡¯s important to stab the monster through a vital spot like the head or heart to make sure it¡¯s actually dead,¡± Servi said as she finished up with the last set of claws and started on the pelt.


    ¡°She¡¯s right. If we would¡¯ve walked off and had our backs turned, the rat coulda attacked us,¡± Momo said.


    Though I would¡¯ve warned you.


    ¡°Umm, Servi? Why are you getting the fur?¡±


    ¡°When I went to my room last night, I overheard these two people talking about how you can sell parts over at the cash building. I asked Rakred, and he said they take all kinds of things.  This fur might be worth something,¡± Servi explained, slightly lying in the process. She jabbed her sword into the pelt and began to slowly separate it from the body. It was rough, doing it by hand, and she desperately wished to have Itarr do it.


    ¡°Cash building? Rakred?¡± their client asked, puzzled. Momo explained it to him while he picked flowers. It was a good thing he had his back turned to the corpse. The blood that flowed when the fur ripped and yanked from its original home would cause any regular person to feel a squeeze in their stomach. Thanks to True Immortality, Servi''s nose didn''t have to breathe in the stench of blood and death. Everything passing through her nostrils contained nothing but the cleanest air.


    ¡°I see. Well, I do hope you two will receive a lot from it.¡±


    "There we go.¡± Servi finished up her skinning and carried the pelt and the claws to Momo.


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t too much trouble, can you carry this? I¡¯ll put the claws in my pouch.¡±


    With a strained smile, she accepted the bloody pelt and regrettably stored it.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s nasty, but I promise to help clean the bag if you want me to. I know it means a lot to you.¡±


    A shocked look appeared on Momo¡¯s face as she quickly spoke. ¡°Oh¡ªer¡ªno. It¡¯s not any trouble at all,¡± she said, but the damage was done.


    ¡°If you say so, but when we get back to the city, I¡¯ll head to the guild store. If I can find a cheap backpack, I''ll get it.¡± Servi stashed the claws in a pouch and absorbed them.


    ¡°No¡­you don¡¯t have to do that¡­.¡± Momo whimpered, her voice not even above a whisper. Servi already turned her back and resumed her guarding duties.


    Stupid! Why¡¯d you have to say something like that! She thinks you¡¯re too stuck-up to carry stuff! Stupid! Failure of a cat!  Just like that, the wonderful and perfect day Momo was having disappeared faster than a breath in the wind.


    ¡°o¡­.. mo¡­¡­.Momo!¡± hearing her voice so suddenly alarmed her, and she drew her blade. Tarch ran right behind her. It was evident that something was about to happen, but Momo was too engrossed in berating herself.


    Like a vicious cycle, she would later scream and curse herself more and more for not paying attention.


    ¡°Momo! Use Lurk and Dazzler again! I hear something coming!¡± Servi glanced down at her wrist and was relieved. She still had some petals left on her Protection flower.


    ¡°R-right!¡±


    Once against the shadowy cloak appeared behind her and a small black orb was in her hand. Throwing it at Servi, she waited and held her sword tight.


    Activating Soul Essence of Primal Combat, Servi scanned the perimeter and waited. She slowly circled and spun around, and that was when¡ª


    Dodge to the left! Now!


    Following Itarr¡¯s advice, Servi dove out of the way just in time as a speeding rat bellowed through. Unfortunately, it was on a direct course through the pseudo holy space and trampled over the flowers.


    ¡°NO!!!¡± Tarch yelled out, causing the rat to turn to him. Momo stood in front and held her sword in a defensive posture that her grandpa taught her.


    The rat stood still and squinted its eyes like it couldn¡¯t see very well. That was due to the shadowy effects of Lurk, and Servi took advantage of that. She rushed forward and jammed her sword through its neck. Momo followed suit and charged, using her anger towards herself as fuel for her sword arm.


    ¡°YAAA!¡± she screamed. Her sword swung down, but her accuracy was worse than a blind whale. She missed the snout and face, only managing to cut off a dirty ear. That angered the rat. A lot. Enough for him to overcome the debuffs of Lurk and its shadowy cape.


    He was staring right at her like she was nothing more than an afternoon snack. Mouth open, teeth glistening, a disgusting rotten smell was forced out.


    I don¡¯t wanna die! I don''t wanna die!!! No, someone, save me!!!!! She mentally yelled as her eyes widen, becoming big and wet with tears.  Momo''s body was too frozen with the primal fear of death to move. All she could do was think about the mistakes in her attack that led to this moment. Her heart had all but ceased to beat, limiting blood flow to her limbs.  They became cold and heavy, and she struggled to remain standing.


    Servi saw the future and knew what was going to happen. With a silent prayer for forgiveness, she dropped her sword and used both hands to push Momo out of the way.


    ¡°AHHH!¡± she screamed as she hit the ground rolling. Her hands weren''t gripping her sword, and it flew away.  Not wasting a moment, she forced herself to her feet and saw a claw in the midst of swiping across her friend''s chest. Small bits of leather were scraped off as the rat followed it up with a second swipe to her arm. Thankfully, she wasn¡¯t sleeveless like Momo, so the attack was blocked. Protection helped a good bit, as well.


    In total, she didn¡¯t receive that much damage. To be honest, Momo would¡¯ve probably been fine if she was on the receiving end. But Servi was the tank. She couldn¡¯t count on potential possibilities when it was her job to take the damage.


    Even after the attack, Servi stood tall as the rat backed away. Even if she didn¡¯t have her Immortality, she would¡¯ve been alright. However, Momo was staring at her from the side. She didn¡¯t see the non-existent damage and therefore thought the worst had come to happen.


    ¡°SERVI!!¡± she screamed with her eyes full of tears.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Servi nonchalantly said. Picking up her sword, she continued, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Pick up your sword, and let¡¯s finish this bastard.¡±


    Through eyes cloudy with her rain, Momo nodded and picked up grandpa¡¯s sword before taking a spot beside her partner. Meanwhile, Tarch backed up and hid behind a tree, only peeking out when he thought it was safe.


    ¡°The same plan. I¡¯ll take point. You wait for an opening.¡± Without waiting for a reply, Servi charged forward and started ¡®dancing,¡¯ as Momo would call it, with the rat.


    Then she saw her chance. The rat had its back turned to Momo, but it took a quick glance when it executed a tailspin. Momo took advantage of that and charged in right after the spin was over. Its world should have been dizzy, especially considering the blood flowing from its neck. It wasn¡¯t a heavy hit, but it also wasn¡¯t something it could shake away.


    With her sword held out and fueled by something other than rage, she didn¡¯t attempt something like a swipe or a slash. No, she aimed for its body, thrusting deep, and was rewarded by a cry. A moment later, Servi used that pain to slash with her sword. Then Momo used that moment to make her attacked. In sync and using each other¡¯s attacks as camouflage, the rat soon died. Its body filled with countless slashes and slices and thrusts and pummels.


    This time, Momo walked over and slammed her sword into its head.


    Nothing. No response. Not even a final death cry.


    Without a word, Servi went to slicing off the claws and brutally skinning the fur. She put far less concern into the appearance and quality of this one than the last. This time, Momo stored the pelt without any word of protest. Servi, meanwhile, absorbed the claws after she placed them in her pouch.


    ¡°Good job, you two,¡± Tarch said as he rounded the tree. ¡°I should be almost done pick¡ª GAH!¡± he yelped in fear, and the two friends took up their swords but didn¡¯t see anything.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re just covered with blood, and I got a bit scared.¡±


    Momo glanced down and groaned. She hated laundry. More than that, she hated how she acted during this quest. With a Singi''s speed, she launched herself at Servi and quickly examined the spot where she was attacked.


    ¡°Servi, are you ok? Did it hurt you? Here, take a potion? I¡¯m sorry. It was my fault. I shoulda been paying attention, and I should¡¯ve aimed better and¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m the tank, right? Remember, I have Protection, so I¡¯m fine. See?¡± Servi used her hand to go over the claw marks. ¡°I did get scratched, but the leather didn¡¯t break. I¡¯m sorry if I pushed you too hard.¡±


    ¡°Forget about that! I was afraid you were hurt!¡± Momo raised her voice a bit, and Servi did so in return. Deep down inside, they both didn''t mean to.


    ¡°And I was worried about you! That attack could¡¯ve done some bad damage! Remember, we still have two health potions left. It¡¯s fine if I take a hit or two. My armor covers my arms, but yours don¡¯t. If you took the hit, your arms would look like a scratching post! And then we¡¯d be probably dealing with an infection.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The two stared at each other for but a moment before a voice reminded them that they weren¡¯t alone.


    ¡°So¡­.I¡¯m gonna go and get the rest of the flowers. I just need a few more,¡± Tarch awkwardly said. He read about it in his books on adventuring. Arguments between party members during the middle of a quest were often looked down upon because it was impossible to predict what would happen. One could argue one minute, and the next, they¡¯d be dead by an ogre or a troll. If there was to be an argument, it¡¯d be best to do so after the quest was complete.


    Momo knew this deep down, but Servi didn¡¯t. She had no memories of that, even though she retained general knowledge stuff like anatomy and sex.


    Great. I yelled at Servi, but I¡¯m not at fault. I don¡¯t wanna see her in pain, just like she doesn¡¯t want to see me hurt. Even worse, we argued in front of a client. Stupid cat! We were supposed to protect. That¡¯s like the worse thing you can do besides letting them die or robbing them. You stupid cat¡­


    Itarr, unaware of what was going on, asked Servi for an explanation.


    Is everything ok?


    Servi sighed and explained it to Itarr.


    So she¡¯s upset at you because you saved her, but she¡¯s mad at you because you did? Did I get that right?


    Momo glanced over and saw Servi¡¯s mouth moving, but she didn¡¯t know why. It wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d seen this, and hopefully, it wouldn¡¯t be the last.


    I¡¯m gonna have to say sorry, but when? She thought, then panicked when Servi walked over.


    ¡°Listen, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to yell. I had no right to. But try to see it from my perspective. What I¡¯m wearing is way more protective than what you have on, and I don¡¯t mean it in a bad way. If it¡¯ll make you feel at ease, why don¡¯t we stop by the guild store to look for a shield? Please don¡¯t be mad at me,¡± she said as she rubbed her head. Though that was probably a mistake. Servi still had blood on her hands from skinning and declawing the rat, and her beautiful black hair had streaks of red going down.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, too. I was the one who raised my voice first. I know you pushed me because you didn¡¯t want me to get hurt. I know you don¡¯t like it, but let me pay for half of the shield. We''re party members, after all. We gotta take care of each other.¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± Servi extended her hand, and Momo grabbed it, shaking.


    ¡°Hey, take this. You have some blood on you,¡± Momo reached into her bag and pulled out two cloths they promptly used to wipe away the blood from their face, clothes, weapons, and hair. Afterwards, Momo put them back, and Servi thanked her. Momo only nodded and continued speaking.


    ¡°I have one more thing to apologize for. I didn¡¯t mean to act like I did when you gave that pelt to carry. And don¡¯t think you have to buy a backpack because of me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry. I¡¯d probably feel the same way if someone told me to store such a thing. If I get my own backpack, then I can carry some stuff as well. These pouches are small, after all.¡±


    ¡°Alright, but if I need to store anything, then please let me know. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After having a brief moment to cool off, the two smiled at each other. A second later, a voice interrupted the pair.


    ''You two made up already?¡± Tarch said, his basket full of shiroblooms. He walked over and gave ten flowers to Servi. She put them in her pouch and absorbed them.


    ¡°Here ya go. Ten flowers as promised. When we get back to the house, I¡¯ll give you a paper I got from the guild.¡±


    ¡°You mean completion paper?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°Yep. So if you two are ready, shall we get going?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Momo said as she took the rear position. Servi took the front and refreshed Protection before they left.


    About halfway through the walk, Servi spoke to Tarch. ¡°I know it was unprofessional for us to argue like that during a quest, and I completely understand if you report that to the office.¡± Wait, how do I know that? Well, I guess it''s just common sense, right? Arguing in front of a paying client is a major no-no in every part of the world.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I mean, have you ever met friends who didn¡¯t argue? And besides, from what I¡¯ve seen,¡± Tarch quickened his place until he was whispering in her ear, ¡°She wasn¡¯t mad. She was sad. Sad that her friend was injured and attacked because of a mistake she made.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think about it that way, but thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re most welcome,¡± he sleuthed back to the middle of the formation.


    Twenty-five minutes later, the outline of Luqa came into view. Soon after, Tarch sat the basket of flowers on a table inside his house. Servi and Momo grabbed a chair and sat down.


    As an Earth Elf, Tarch and his family found themselves most comfortable around nature. That was the reason why there wasn''t any metal or stone inside his house. Everything was wood, except for the food, of course.


    Oh wow, I¡¯m so nervous. Momo fidgeted in her chair. She couldn¡¯t get calm, and even though she and Servi made up, the fight they had resounded in her mind.


    ¡°I must thank you two for a good job. I¡¯m sure we have some leftover chicken salad sandwiches,¡± Tarch said with his head inside a cabinet. ¡°We just made them this morning, so they¡¯re still cold... Ah, here they are,¡± he reached in and pulled out four small bags, each with a sandwich inside.


    He placed the bags on the table.


    ¡°Umm, Tarch, we can¡¯t possibly take these,¡± Momo said even as her mouth drooled a bit, her actions betraying her words.


    ¡°Please, I insist. Perhaps you two could share these on the way back. If I¡¯m remembering right, it¡¯s about an hour to reach Canary.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Tarch. We appreciate it,¡± Servi grabbed the bags and put them in her pouch, absorbing them. Immediately, she thought that Momo would look at her funny because she took all four, but she had nothing to worry about.


    About that time, Momo and Servi stood up. Tarch took this as his cue to hand over the completion paper. Servi glanced it over and was told to give it to a receptionist at Warden.


    ¡°Have a safe return!¡± he waved the two friends off from his front porch.


    ¡°See ya.¡±


    ¡°Bye-bye, Tarch!¡± Momo waved back as Servi threw up a hand.


    ¡°Oh, we need to stop by the barn to see his dad. He said he was gonna give us some milk.¡±


    It was good Momo said something because Servi had forgotten all about it.


    ¡°Long time no see! Have any trouble?¡± Tarch¡¯s father said. He had two bottles of cold milk in his hand. Momo graciously took them.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t much trouble at all. Two giant rats attacked us, but we got them,¡± Servi reported.


    ¡°Good. Very good. You two be safe on the walk back. You did receive the completion sheet from my son, right?


    ¡°We did, and we will. Thank you for the milk.¡± The two thanked the man and made their back to Canary.


    About halfway back, Servi spoke to break the awkward silence that brewed between the two. Even though they ¡®made up,¡¯ it was anything but. A rift between new friends over something important to the both of them was not something that would be mended by brief words alone. Only proper actions could sew the wound before it spiraled out of control.


    It might be a good time to properly make up. You two could share that food you got from Tarch.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Momo said back.


    ¡°I still feel a bit¡ª¡±


    ¡°Servi?¡± In an uncharacteristic move, Momo interrupted her friend.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I still feel a bit sad about our little fight,¡± Momo said what Servi planned on saying.


    ¡°I do too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m about to drive myself crazy. I keep thinking about it. That¡¯s not healthy, is it?¡±


    ¡°Probably not, but I¡¯m guilty of the same thing.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­.¡±


    ¡°Momo?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Servi pulled out the four sandwiches. Seeing what she was doing, Momo retrieved the two bottles of milk from her bag.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a picnic? We can eat and put this thing behind us. We already made up, so there isn¡¯t any use on either of us dwelling on the past, right?¡± Servi walked over to the side of the road and found a nice shaded spot provided by a beautiful and sturdy tree. Momo followed.


    ¡°That sounds wonderful,¡± Momo said. She reached deep in her bag and pulled out a red cloth. It was long and wide, like a bedspread. Servi and Momo took a seat after the Singi laid it out. Then reaching into her bag, she took out the two bottles of milk and gave one to her friend.


    Servi gave two sandwiches to Momo.


    With her stomach rumbling, Momo couldn''t wait any longer and bit into it.


    ¡°My goodness! This is delicious!¡± she said before taking a second bite.


    Since it was so good, Servi didn¡¯t waste any time.


    ¡°You¡¯re right! Momo?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± the girl in question said after downing a sip of her milk. It was still so cold, and it was the tastiest milk she¡¯d ever drunk.


    ¡°When we get stronger, do you wanna go back to Luqa?¡±


    ¡°I do. It''d be nice seeing Tarch and his dad again, and I could stop by the barns and pet the cows and horses again.¡±


    The two enjoyed a little talk filled with all sorts of stuff. Eventually, their milk sandwiches dried up and vanished, respectively.


    As the two stood up, Momo started to fold up her red cloth but froze. There was something she needed and wanted to know but was afraid to ask. Actually, there were multiple things, but one stood out above all else.


    ¡°Umm¡­..¡±


    I need to ask.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Servi asked as she took in a deep breath.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    You stupid cat, ask already! You need to know if she hates you!


    ¡°Momo?¡± since Servi didn¡¯t get a response, she turned around and saw her friend staring at the ground with the red cloth folded neatly in her arms.


    When the girl in question glanced up and saw two red eyes staring, she quickly changed subjects and asked a different question. Unfortunately, it was something they¡¯d already agreed upon. ¡°Never mind. Hey, what ya wanna do when we get back? Look at shields?¡±


    Servi nodded. Even though she knew something was wrong, she didn¡¯t want to press the issue.


    I dare say she has something on her mind. Perhaps it¡¯s still the fight? But something doesn¡¯t add up. Didn''t you two agree to get over it?


    ¡°I did too, but I¡¯ll wait until she wants to tell me.¡±


    After tidying up, the two resumed their minor journey back to the city. The calmness of the open plains, as well as the mystical air of the forest, would be soon behind them.

 Book One – Chapter Four – Part Five – Trouble and Confusion

    ¡°Hello! What can I help ya with?¡±


    The two friends-who-had-a-fight-but-got-over-it decided to stop by the weirdly nicknamed store called the cash building. Here, adventurers could sell their ill-gotten items attained from carving a monster''s body. In most cases, the beast would be dead. However, some unsavory rumors were floating around about a select group of people who enjoyed ripping horns and claws off conscious monsters.


    ¡°Hello. We have some claws and two pelts from a giant rat. We¡¯d like to sell them.¡±


    ¡°Well, you came to the right place. Let me see em¡¯.¡±


    Momo pulled the two pelts that still dripped a very tiny bit of blood as Servi pulled out the two sets of claws.


    ¡°Thank you, but next time, please let the blood drip out completely before you come here. Seeing as you¡¯re both Rank 10, there is no charge.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I didn¡¯t know it.¡±


    The older man behind the window smiled like he was looking at his granddaughter.


    ¡°It¡¯s no worries at all. You¡¯re only beginners. Don¡¯t let it get you down. Now. Two sets of sixteen claws are worth ten dupla each. Two pelts, one in decent condition, the other not, are respectively worth twelve and six dupla. That brings your total reward to 38 dupla,¡± the old man chanted something as the items were teleported away. He then counted out 38 dupla and put them in a small brown bag.


    ¡°There¡¯s 19 dupla in there for each of you. One ten, one five, and four one coins,¡± Servi reached to grab the bag and took out her share, then handed the bag to Momo.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot,¡± Momo said.


    ¡°I suppose. Rank 10 quests usually don''t pay that well. I guess this is a way to make a living, but I wouldn¡¯t focus on it. It just doesn''t sit right with me."


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, this is just my opinion, but I believe the point of Warden is to make the world a better place. Sure, you can live and make some decent money slaying monsters and selling their parts, and you might even help people that way by making the world safer. However, I believe that¡¯s missing the whole point of Warden.¡±


    ¡°What do you think the point is?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°Easy. Helping people. Accepting quests to save a family member from a den of goblins or killing an evil wizard terrorizing a country. That kind of stuff.¡±


    ¡°I guess I agree, but we aren¡¯t blessed. We don¡¯t have the power or skill to do that.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not here to say what you should or should not do. I¡¯m just an old man who likes to ramble to the newbies,¡± he smiled, showing off the three teeth left in his mouth.


    ¡°Well, thank you,¡± Servi said. Momo said her thanks as well as they left.


    Stepping down from the stone steps, Servi did a little people watching before they went back to the guild. Along the way, they talked about what skills they were going to learn.


    ¡°I want to learn Magic Missile. It¡¯s Non-Elemental. That meant it had no weakness. It''s not strong against anything, but I guess that''s a trade-off.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll learn Decoy. Well, it depends on what we can find at the shop,¡± Servi said.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    A few minutes later, Servi and Momo were standing in line at the guild. Servi had already given Momo her five flowers.


    It was about 2:30, and the guild was in its downtime. Those who woke late in the morning were gone, and those parties probably wouldn¡¯t be back until nightfall. If the quest was far away, then they¡¯d be gone for days or even weeks at a time. It was a bit quiet, and only one line was open as a result. Still, it wasn¡¯t too much of a wait.


    ¡°Next,¡± a familiar voice called out after the black scaled she was just serving left.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. Ummm¡­. Servi? And you¡¯re Momo?¡± an Elf with red hair and purple eyes asked.


    ¡°Hey, Claire. You remembered our names?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°I sure did. Since I don¡¯t adventure out, I at least want to welcome our dear members by name when they arrive home,¡± Claire gently smiled. How odd, the ring that used to be above her gloved hand was no longer there.


    ¡°Oh! You¡¯re the woman who registered me! I hope you¡¯re doing well,¡± Momo asked. It took her a moment to remember Claire. If that bothered her, she didn¡¯t let it show. Perhaps it was the years of experience under her belt.


    ¡°I am. Thanks for asking. I take that you two are party members?¡±


    Servi and Momo nodded, and Claire clapped her hands gleefully.


    ¡°Wonderful. Are you two are here to report a completed quest? Or are you here to take one on?¡±


    ¡°To report in. We had an escort quest at Luqa village,¡± Servi handed her ID, the completion paper, and the five shiroblooms.


    ¡°Oh, since this was a joint quest, I¡¯ll need your ID as well, Momo.¡±


    Momo handed it to her.  A question came to her mind. ¡°If this is a joint quest, then is the flower collecting quest a joint quest too?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but no. Collection quests like that are reserved for one person. Usually, we have multiple copies of said quest available. Quests like defeating monsters or escorting a person are known as joint quests. The rewards are somewhat bigger, but they¡¯re shared between the entire party,¡± she said as she dripped a liquid onto their IDs.  "Ah, I should mention that they can act like regular collection quests. For example, if we have two requests to defeat a couple of wolves in the forest, then there isn''t a rule forbidding multiple members of the same party from taking them. In that case, the reward and Potential earned would be doubled amongst every party member involved."


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Servi said. Information like this was considered common knowledge. To her, it was brand new and the key to surviving in a world without any memories.


    ¡°Here ya go, Servi. Fifteen coins and seven Potential. Five dupla went towards repaying your loan. If you don¡¯t mind, can I ask what skill you¡¯re considering learning?¡± Claire returned Servi¡¯s tablet with fifteen dupla on top of it.


    ¡°Decoy. I¡¯m the tank of our group.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Claire put a hand to her face as if trying to hide her shock.


    ¡°Is that a bit surprising?¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m being truthful, yes. Oh, but please don¡¯t take it the wrong way. Usually, women prefer roles away from the front line of combat.  It¡¯s really uncommon to see a woman in the tank position,¡± seeing how her action could be taken multiple ways, she further clarified what she meant.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a shield?¡±


    ¡°I do not.¡±


    ¡°We were gonna look at the guild store after we get our rewards here,¡± Momo said, finally saying something after being silent. It was a bit childish, but she felt like she was being ignored.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Momo, can I get your flowers?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Momo quickly handed her quest items to Claire. She gave them a look over and whisked them away by chanting something. Servi believed that it was a guild secret, and it had to be common knowledge. Not a single person made a big deal out of it. It was the same with the red liquid that they dripped over her ID. That signified that the quest was complete, but how did it reward Potential? She was a bit afraid to ask because it could be common knowledge, but she just let it rest in the back of her mind.


    Claire then took the same red liquid and dripped it to Momo¡¯s ID. Afterwhich, she handed it back to the Singi with fifteen dupla stacked on top.


    ¡°There you go, Momo. Five dupla went towards your loan as well. Is there anything else I can help you with?¡±


    Servi looked at her party member, who shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Thank you,¡± Momo thanked her as well.  After walking away from Claire, the pair of friends started on a trek towards the second floor. That was where the closest equipment shop was located at.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­.. You have 8 dupla left from this morning, 19 dupla from the cash building, and 15 from the quests we turned in.¡± Momo attempted to do the mental math as they entered the Warden-owned store. Fantastic displays of the most visually appealing weapons stared at the Singi through glass windows. She tried to complete her sentence, but her eyes and mind were elsewhere.


    ¡°I have 42 to spend,¡± Servi finished the calculations for her.


    ¡°And I¡¯ll pay for half.¡±


    Servi thought about saying something, but she didn¡¯t. If she did argue, she believed nothing good would come from it.


    ¡°Hello, ladies, back again? How are you liking your armor?¡± the same woman who helped Servi pick out armor approached them. ¡°Speaking of which, how did you like my three little presents?¡±


    ¡°This armor is amazing. It took an attack this morning and held up well. There''s no damage whatsoever to my skin.¡± Servi pointed to her chest where the claw marks were, followed by the scratch on her arm.  ¡°And thank you very much for your gift.¡±


    ¡°Gift?¡± Momo whispered, tilting her head.


    ¡°My goodness. Are you alright?¡± asked the employee as she ran a timid finger down the scratch marks on Servi''s leathered-covered arm. Her manicured nail lightly scratched at it, meeting resistance where the rat''s claw managed to leave a little parting gift a few millimeters deep.


    ¡°I am. I gotta say, this thing is tough. I¡¯m glad I bought it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I take you¡¯re in the market for a shield?¡±


    ¡°You guessed correctly.¡±


    ¡°Follow me, please. I''ll take you to the shields,¡± the saleswoman turned using such a practiced motion. Servi and Momo followed her for a few moments until they came to a decent-sized display of shields.  Most were metal, probably of the iron or silver variety, while a few were crafted out of mahogany or oak wood. Regardless of the material used in their craftsmanship, they were evidentially shields. Such protective pieces of defensive gear were vital to a tank''s success. But the ones in front of them were definitely out of their league in terms of price.  Even the cheapest one ran over 250 dupla.  While that price wasn''t even a quarter of a percent of Servi''s total wealth, Momo couldn''t come up with 125 dupla to pay her half.


    ¡°May I ask your price range?¡±


    Servi was about to answer, but Momo did it for her. ¡°Anywhere from twenty to forty dupla.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a broad range. Do you have any personal preferences? Big and tall? Small and round? Leather or metal?¡±


    ¡°Preferably something metal. And a medium size. It also needs to have a place I can store my sword.¡±


    ¡°I see. I see. A shield that has a sheath installed in it is rare, but I think we might have something,¡± the saleswoman scanned her memory as she mentally searched through a database of shields before she remembered something. She asked the two to wait while she fetched something that might fit what Servi was looking for.


    A minute or two later, while Momo was testing out the display shields, the employee returned. The metal heater shield in her hand was perhaps a bit too much, but she was determined to bring it to her customer. It was a good size, measuring 46 by 61 cm. It was a bit too big for Servi, who was around 179cm tall, but she could work with it.


    ¡°Haaa¡­.haaa.. here¡­you¡­go, ma¡¯am,¡± the employee said, out of breath. Droplets of sweat flowed from her flushed face to her chin before dripping on her black uniform.


    The front of the shield was all black with a red-eye in the middle. Though it was painted on, it somehow gave the illusion of being alive as if it was about to start blinking. It looked evil and ominous, but none of that mattered to Servi.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ya think it¡¯s a bit too heavy? And it looks scary,¡± Momo asked, but Servi had already reached out and grabbed it. The shield had two leather straps fastened to the back of it for her to latch onto, and a hollowed-out slot on the top allowed Servi to slide her sword right in. With a click, the handle of her sword stuck solid to the shield.


    ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s a bit heavy¡­.¡± Servi used Soul Essence of Primal Combat and allowed her body to learn from her souls.  Then she practiced some of the motions. First, Servi bashed in front with her shield, then grabbed her sword from its shield sheath. Holding the shield close to her, she cautiously crept forward little by little, keeping her guard up as she quickly thrusted with her sword before jumping back and blocking an invisible attack.


    She did this a few more times, altering the combat motions'' orders while practicing sheathing and drawing from the sword sheath. Soul Essence of Primal Combat would not assist her because her souls didn¡¯t have any memory of performing the motion. Other than that, Servi was quite pleased with it. The weight issue wasn''t an issue whatsoever.  Whenever her arm started to hurt from the weight of the shield, it would be healed, not even a second later. Besides, it wouldn¡¯t be heavy once she leveled up her Absorption skill because it would grant her more physical strength.


    Feeling pretty good about the shield, Servi returned her sword to its sheath. Afterwards, she turned around to see Momo and the employee staring at her with open mouths.


    ¡°How much?¡± she asked, ignorant of the impressive shield display she had just put on.


    I think you may have overdone it.


    ¡°Uh, Servi? That. Was. Incredible! I didn¡¯t know you were good with a shield!¡± Momo¡¯s tailed wagged hard.


    If she¡¯s this good, then I won¡¯t have to worry about her getting hurt. But¡­..she¡¯s so good... Soon, the dark thoughts invaded her mind, and she did all she could to force them away.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, there¡¯s a bit of a story behind the shield. Would you like to hear it?¡±


    Servi nodded as Momo fought off negative thoughts.  The adorable Singi kept a practiced smile.


    ¡°The last owner of this shield was brutally killed in an ambush. A passing member found it and brought it to us. He didn¡¯t want it and couldn¡¯t find anyone to buy it, so he sold it to us. And because it looks so scary, we¡¯re having a hard time selling it. It¡¯s quite sturdy and is in good shape, however.¡±


    ¡°The story doesn¡¯t bother me.¡±


    ¡°Very good. Well, the shield is 30 dupla,¡± the employee said.


    Servi took out the fifteen she got as a reward from the three quests and gave it to the saleswoman. Momo did the same. The lady walked away and came back a moment later with a receipt. With a thank you, the two left the store and chatted while descending to the lobby. The black and evil shield caught many gazes and glances, but Servi ignored them.


    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°What did she mean by gift?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that? Well, when she brought the armor set for me to try on, she gave me three pairs of underwear after seeing I didn''t have any.¡±


    ¡°Aww, that was sweet of her,¡± Momo smiled, the niceness of the employee tugged at her heartstrings.


    ¡°Thanks for paying for half, by the way. I appreciate it. I¡¯ll pay it back by being the best tank I can.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. So what¡¯s next?¡± Momo said, taking a seat on a nearby bench.


    ¡°I was thinking we go into the sewers and kill some more rats. We made good money from just two of them, and now with my shield and our new abilities, I think it¡¯ll be easy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I was gonna learn Magic Missile,¡± Momo said as she took out her ID and learned it.  Magic Missile was a skill that launched a compacted ball of Non-Elemental energy.  It was 6 Potential, leaving her with only one. Servi did the same but learned Decoy, which forced enemies to only attack her. It was a valuable skill, but it could also aggro the attention of unwanted monsters. Many parties had met their horrific end because of a tank''s fatal misuse of it.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy!! It¡¯s my first offensive skill!¡± Momo shook with excitement.  Her tail displayed the same kind of excitement.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go try it out?¡± To which Momo nodded. The two got up and made their way over to the door, leaving for the second time. As they rounded the corner of the building heading towards the sewers, they came face to face with Nimea and his party.


    He said something snarky and annoying, trying to get Servi''s attention, but the pair completely ignored him. They entered the hallway leading to the Rank 10 base as Nimea¡¯s ranting and raving got quieter and quieter.


    ¡°Good job ignoring that jackass.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Momo said, grabbing ahold of the door when they reached the end. With a pull, it opened up, and she allowed Servi to walk in first. She thanked Momo and nodded.  Now in the base, Servi and Momo made their way to the other end of the room. The door located there was the second entrance to the sewers. It led to another hallway, but to get there, they had to get past Arty.


    ¡°You''re back to abandon another helpless person to their death?¡± he smugly said as he gripped his weapon.


    "He died?¡± Momo asked, looking at the floor. She had a hint of sadness and regret in her heart.


    Should I be sad? He was gonna attack me, so I shouldn¡¯t be upset. Does that make me a terrible person? It was his fault, right? We shouldn''t be blamed for his death.


    ¡°That he did. You know, when we found him, all dead and ripped apart, we couldn¡¯t find any equipment. Not a sword nor his armor. Nothing. And here you come in with a fancy evil-looking shield.¡±


    ¡°Hey, we bought this not even ten minutes ago. We didn¡¯t steal anything,¡± Momo said, defending Servi and herself.


    ¡°I mean, you two let a man die, so I¡¯m not surprised you two turned to thievery.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna have to stop you right there. Have you ever thought it¡¯s your fault? That maybe if you woulda been faster, then he¡¯d be alive? Don¡¯t blame us.¡±


    ¡°Just leave and get out. Go somewhere else and don¡¯t come back here,¡± Arty said before turning away.


    ¡°Look, Momo, don¡¯t listen to him. It¡¯s not our fault whatsoever. He attacked us, and we totally had the right to kill him, but we didn¡¯t. What happened to him after we left is none of our business.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll stay focused,¡± Momo said, obviously putting on a false face of courage to disguise her weak heart.


    ¡°Good. Like Nimea, just ignore everything he says.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Momo said. Servi opened the door and allowed her friend to walk through first. The time from the hallway to the sewers itself was a bit tense. How could it not be? Especially after being told that they were directly involved with someone¡¯s death. It didn¡¯t bother Servi all that much, considering the number of lives she had taken, but it was different for Momo. Still, the Singi had to be strong. If she wasn''t, then she would probably never forgive herself. After all, to be an adventurer meant to take the good times with the bad. Not every quest would be flawless and perfect. She would meet friends and companions as she traveled, and some of them would likely die.  Some might even perish before her very eyes.  If she stopped and cried for every death, then she knew she would never grow as a person.


    ¡°Alright, try out Magic Missile,¡± Servi said when they reached the sewers proper. She held up her shield, and Momo did the math. The dark and foul running river of sewer water flowed beside them was their only audience for this experiment.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­..for me to attack you?¡±


    ¡°That I do. I want to get a handle on this shield, so I want you to attack me. Either with your sword or Magic Missile.¡±


    Momo wanted to argue against it but didn¡¯t. So she started to chant the incantation for Magic Missile.


    ¡°Oh, the Non-Elements above who slumber in a place further than our universe, I pray to you. Grant us your power of Magic Missile!¡± Momo held her right arm out, palm open and facing Servi. Using her left hand to support her right arm, a white transparent mass of energy appeared before molding into a thin cylindrical shape.


    ¡°Fire!¡± She said as the energy launched out and made a direct course for Servi. She put up her shield and didn¡¯t bother invoking Soul Essence of Primal Combat. She held it sturdy as the Magic Missile collided with her new gear. It hit harder than she thought and even pushed her back a few centimeters, but after a few seconds of propelling against her, the mass of energy disappeared and faded into nothingness.


    ¡°You ok?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. That was a bit harder than I thought. But I¡¯m happy. We know this shield is strong, and we know that your Magic Missile can do some damage if it was able to push me back.¡±


    ¡°Is the shield ok?¡±


    ¡°It is. I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s made out of, but it¡¯s sturdy and strong. Shall we get going?¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡±


    ¡°Oh, let me use Protection first.¡±


    The two walked through the sewers, making sure not to cross over any of the bridges that linked the two walkways together. If they just travel in a straight line, then it¡¯d be impossible for them to get lost.


    Now having activated Soul Essence of Primal Combat, Servi scanned the area in front of her and saw something move. It was a rat, hulky and brown.


    ¡°Momo,¡± Servi whispered. ¡°There¡¯s a rat about ten meters in front of us. Go ahead and use Lurk and prepare a Magic Missile. I¡¯ll use decoy and take their attacks. Depending on how effective your skill is, I¡¯ll attack. If not, then it¡¯s your choice. You can prepare another one, or you can attack his back. If you do decide to come in, use Dazzler and throw it at me. The noise should mask your footsteps. Alright?¡±


    ¡°I understand. Be careful, ok?¡±


    Servi smiled and put a hand on Momo¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I promise,¡± she said with a smile as she drew her sword and made her way towards the beast. Momo began the chant for Lurk and Magic Missile.


    Servi waited until she was close, about two meters away, before she used decoy. Because she was so far away, she didn''t bother with the chant and used the skill the only way she could.


    The rat instantly turned around and snarled. A bit of meat dripped from its mouth onto the dirty sewer floor.


    Seems like this one has been eating.


    ¡°Yep, but it¡¯s no trouble. I need to get around this thing, or else Momo won¡¯t be able to use her skill.¡±


    Following the afterimages, Servi danced and dodged and even blocked a few attacks. The claws scraping against the black shield produced an ear screeching noise, but she stayed strong. Finally seeing her moment, Servi ducked under a swipe and rolled forward, her back now facing the rat.


    Duck now!


    ¡°Thanks!¡± she said as she ducked again and spun around, her shield raised high to meet another attack. At just that moment, a white cylinder-shaped mass of energy shot out from eleven meters behind the rat. It flew fast through the air and lodged itself in the back of the monster.


    ¡°GHHHHAHAHARLRLL!!!¡± It noised in pain. The Magic Missile landed right above its tail, though Momo didn¡¯t aim for it, and the attack punctured in deep enough to break the spine. Servi took this chance to swing her sword down, nearly beheading the rat. It couldn¡¯t play dead with his head hanging on by just a bit of skin, so Servi didn¡¯t worry about double-checking.  Hell, she didn''t need to because a red soul made itself known when she started to skin the beast.


    ¡°Good job us!¡± Momo said as she caught up with Servi, who was almost finished with the pelt. She was happy and excited that her skill was helpful, and her tail let Servi know it.


    ¡°Good job! You were awesome!¡± She said, stand up and handing the pelt to Momo, who took it and stored it. Servi deposited the claws in her pouch and then the ring.


    Embarrassed by the praise, Momo asked a question. ¡°So are we gonna continue?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Unless you¡¯re tired?¡±


    Momo put her hands up. ¡°No, I¡¯m not tired. I was just wondering. Shall we get going?¡±


    ¡°Sure. But this time, let¡¯s try something different. You open with Magic Missile, and I¡¯ll use Decoy and charge in. Between the pain and wanting to run away and my Decoy, it should be distracted long enough for me to finish it off."


    The two friends still had some time left in the sewers, so they decided to hunt some more.

 Book One – Chapter Four – Part Six – Trouble and Confusion (R-18)

    With a nod, the two resumed walking and quickly came across another rat. Following the plan, Servi waited until Momo was halfway finished chanting before she rushed in. The Magic Missile flew by her head as she was three meters away. The moment the skill collided with the rat on its neck, leaving a brutal hole of flesh and blood, Servi used Decoy.


    The rat''s mind became filled with paradoxical thoughts. Half of its mind wanted to run away, but the other half was filled with the emotion of hatred and anger. A burning bloodlust that could not be sated even if it was to kill the human in front of it. But the two different desires fighting against each other gave Servi the moment she needed to slam the rat with her shield. It snarled out as it shook its head, but it couldn¡¯t avoid the incoming sword slash to the neck, which knocked the rat to the ground. Using a swift twirl brought to her by Soul Essence of Primal Combat, Servi spun around and dodged the rat¡¯s last-ditch effort of a swipe.  In return, she jabbed her sword down into the rat¡¯s skull. As she pulled it out, white bits of bone and pink brain matter came along with her weapon.


    Momo then caught up to her.


    ¡°Good job, once again!¡±


    But maybe too good of a job. If you can do this without me, then do you need me? Momo thought.


    ¡°Thanks, Momo. I couldn¡¯t have done it without you. Good job!¡± Servi replied.


    Just hearing her friend speak those words was enough to bring calmness to Momo''s doubting heart.


    Servi couldn¡¯t have done it without me? Me? Was I helpful? I was, wasn''t I?


    With each rat came a soul, a set of claws, and a pelt. It was like clockwork, an endless cycle of extermination resulting in the deaths of many monsters.


    The two spent another four hours in the sewers, making sure to refresh Protection every so often, and killed a total of eleven rats and one roach. Thanks to their skills, their efficiency and combat power dramatically increased. For the rats, they used the same strategy. Servi usually opened with Decoy, and Momo did the damage with Magic Missile.


    The roach was a bit different. Magic Missile wasn¡¯t that effective against their outer shell, and Servi didn¡¯t have any roach souls, so she couldn¡¯t follow the afterimages. Still, Servi used her memories to learn a shield bash that knocked the roach off balance. Momo took advantage of the opening to rush forward, stabbing her sword into the underside of the multi-legged beast. Not dead and as immobilized as she thought, it used its hatred and anger to thrust out one of its many limbs towards the Singi. An attack that she would not come out unscathed, but she wasn¡¯t scared. She had a friend, and her role was the tank. Servi was there to take the hit with her new shield.


    With anger, the roach screeched and started a flurry of rapid thrusts.


    ¡°Thanks for the save! I¡¯ll use Magic Missile, but I don¡¯t have that much Skill Energy left!¡± Momo shouted as she retrieved her sword and backed off. She prepared her skill as Servi matched every stab with her shield. A metallic noise rang out every second or so. Eventually, the roach got upset and performed a synchronized attack with its many legs.  Suddenly, it became a battle of strength.


    ¡°Take this!¡± Servi heard a yell from behind. Her partner''s skill flew by her. The colorless arrow smashed into the roach''s exoskeleton, but that was enough. Servi used the moment to put all of her strength into a final shield bash which knocked it to its back. Before the beast had a chance to right itself, Servi leapt to its wiggling stomach and stabbed down with her blade. In and out, it was like she was churning butter, but only blood spurted out, covering her in a foul warmth.


    It was dead.


    Momo walked up and fell to the ground, breathing hard and quick.


    ¡°Good job, Momo,¡± Servi said as she groaned at the fact that, once again, she was bathed in a splash of crimson.


    ¡°Yeah¡­.we¡­..were¡­. totally in¡­.sync!¡± she happily said.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. We were awesome! Good work using Magic Missile when you did. I was struggling a bit.¡±


    Momo¡¯s tail wagged after being praised.


    ¡°You do have a lot of stamina, huh? I mean, you¡¯re taking the brunt of the attacks and dodging all over the place, but you aren¡¯t even sweating,¡± said the sweating girl who pulled a rag from her bag. Her skin was slightly flushed pink. She lightly licked her lips. The sweat that dripped down reinforced Momo''s natural beauty. Pulling out a small bottle of water, she put it to her lips and drank a bit. Then she offered it to Servi.


    ¡°Are you thirsty? Oh, and here¡¯s a rag,¡± she said, handing both items to Servi, who gladly took it.


    After wiping the blood off, Servi took a sip of the water and handed it back to a red-faced Momo who stored the bottle and rag inside her bag.


    She drank after me. Wasn¡¯t that a¡­..?


    Shaking her head, Momo started to clean her sword while Itarr talked to Servi.


    Are you ok?


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I guess I just noticed how cute Momo is,¡± she said silently.


    Is it love?


    ¡°Maybe? I don¡¯t know. We did have that fight earlier, so...I don¡¯t know.¡±


    As you said, this ¡®love¡¯ thing is really complicated. But even through all that, do you still love me? I don''t mean to ask again so soon after, but this is all so new. All of these emotions are foreign to me. I don''t have anything to compare them to.


    ¡°I do love you! If you have any questions, I¡¯ll answer them to the best of my ability. That being said, do you still love me?¡± she said so quietly that even she, herself, didn¡¯t hear it. If there was one thing she could change, it would be the way she communicated with Itarr. If only there was another way, she thought.


    If the emotion I''m feeling is love, then I do love you.  I¡¯m glad you¡¯re having a good time with Momo. I can¡¯t wait until I get a chance to talk to her.


    Momo glanced over when she heard Servi¡¯s voice.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Oh, I was just talking to myself. Sorry if that¡¯s weird, but I find that it calms me down.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, I know what you mean.  I used to do the same thing.¡±


    The two chatted a bit, and after Momo got her breath, they went to work chopping up the roach.


    ¡°Ummm, what part do we need?¡± she asked with her sword in hand.


    ¡°The legs. I heard they sell for 5 dupla, and we have six here. That¡¯s a cool 15 each if we count in these rat claws,¡± Servi said, using her sword to chop the thin and sharp leg off at the base of the roach. A moment later, they had six legs split between the two of them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the legs are too long to fit in my bag.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I can carry it. So how about calling it here? It should be getting late, and I¡¯m a little hungry. We also need to cash in these parts before the shop closes.¡±


    Though she said that, it was a lie since Servi couldn¡¯t get hungry. She was just tired of being in the sewers.


    ¡°You mean it¡¯s not open 24 hours a day?¡± Momo said, following Servi as they made their way to the exit.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We also need to need to rent a room before it¡¯s filled.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right! Oh man, we might need to hurry!¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s pick it up.¡± Servi broke into a quick sprint, and Momo followed behind. After stopping twice for Momo to catch her breath, a thing she profusely apologized for, they finally made it to the sewer base.


    After Arty made eye contact with them, he walked over, much to the dismay of Servi and Itarr.


    ¡°Did you leave anyone behind this time? How many did you kill?¡± he smugly said, much to the amusement of those behind him.


    ¡°Shut up. You always have to start with us. All we want to do is make ends meet. Don¡¯t you have some guarding to do?¡± Servi clapped back. ¡°Every time I see you, you aren¡¯t working. Just standing about and probably saying nasty things about us. And why are you so focused on us? That dude dying isn¡¯t our responsibility."


    Arty stood there dumbfounded as the crowd gathered around laughed at him.


    ¡°Come on, Momo. We gotta sell these,¡± Servi walked off and headed towards the door leading to the outside.


    ¡°Ummm, right. I¡¯m behind you.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the end, you know! It was your fault he died!!!¡±


    ¡°Just ignore him,¡± Servi said.


    ¡°Okay...¡± Momo replied as they made their way through the wide tunnel. The door to the outside was right in front of them.


    Servi opened it, and Momo went through first.


    It was around 6:30 or so when they left the sewers, and now the sun was starting to set. A gentle spring breeze flew by, gently enveloping Servi and Momo¡¯s hair as they danced along.


    As they walked to the cash building, Servi¡¯s ominous red eyes stared down anyone who dared to lock eyes with her, Momo asked something.


    ¡°What you think of Arty?¡±


    ¡°Him? I can¡¯t really say I like him," Servi abruptly replied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t either, but...what if Arty was friends with the guy that died?¡±


    ¡°I know where you¡¯re going with this, but I gotta stop you. For us, it¡¯s killed or be killed. At the end of the day, we need to return home alive. What happened to him is of no concern to us. Remember, he was going to attack you, and I¡¯d be damned if I let him hurt my friend.¡±


    Momo¡¯s heart fluttered at the words ¡®my friend.¡¯


    But at that point, we¡¯d known each other for less than five hours. Did you really consider me a friend so quickly? Why would you do that? I want to know, but I¡¯m afraid of the answer. I should be happy, but I¡¯m actually a bit scared¡­


    ¡°I know you¡¯re right, but it¡¯s not something I can forget just like that.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s a good thing. That kind of thinking shows you have a kind soul. Be sure to hold on to that.¡±


    Momo looked up to her friend. She had made her choice. This girl with a near limitless supply of stamina, who took the dangerous role of tank, who saved her life twice, and who protected her yesterday when she was about to be attacked: her name was Servi, and she was Momo¡¯s friend.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. Thanks for talking with me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re most welcome.¡±


    A few minutes later, they reached the cash building, and ten minutes after that, they each held a hefty bag of coins. 176 claws, eleven pelts of various quality, and six legs from a roach came out to be 236 dupla. And divided in half, they¡¯d each received 118 for four hours worth of work.


    Fifteen minutes later, the two of them were talking to a familiar dwarf behind a counter.


    ¡°Good. I was afraid we were gonna be late. Here, let me pay for four days and four dinners,¡± Servi handed Rakred 80 dupla, and he gave Servi a key to room 310, four meal tickets, and four bath tickets.


    Momo did the same thing. They then agreed to meet up in an hour for dinner as they both walked to the showers together. Just like the previous night, Momo carefully explored her body and reached the pinnacle of pleasure twice.


    I don¡¯t know why, but this feeling won¡¯t go away¡­ Momo thought as she licked the honey on her fingers that came from her fruit between her legs. Her spare hand floated over to her modest breasts as she rubbed them gently.


    Why do I enjoy this so much? she asked herself.  Part of her wanted to stop, but her tongue kept going up and down as her hand kept squeezing.


    On the other hand, Servi''s pleasure overflowed only once, but it was much stronger than the previous night.


    Servi, are you okay? Itarr asked as Servi used her thumb and index finger on her right hand to caress her breasts, pinching her right nipple. Her left index and middle finger slowly went in and out of her warmest spot. Each thrust sent electrical pulses surging through her body, something she¡¯d never before felt. She tried to use three fingers, but that was when she collapsed. The hot water flowed down on her like her fluids that leaked out from her sweet spot.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­fine¡­.¡± she said after getting to her feet. Her flavor still stained her fingers, so she cleaned them using her tongue.


    Are you sure?


    ¡°Yes¡­ I am. Once you try this, you¡¯d know how I feel,¡±


    Though they didn¡¯t know it, both Servi and Momo had shared their orgasms at the same time, almost like they were connected by an invisible threat of lust.


    After washing up and rinsing the embarrassment out of her face, Momo happily went to her room. Since the Singi still had some time before dinner, she penned an entry in her journal.


    Dear diary. Today is May 2nd, and I just got out of the shower. I did the same thing again, but it felt even better. But enough about that! I have something to confess. Me and Servi had our first fight, and I¡¯m not proud of it. It was my fault, anyway. I missed my attack, and the rat would¡¯ve really hurt me if Servi didn¡¯t push me out of the way. But that¡¯s not the worst part. I actually yelled at her because she was kind enough to take the damage in my place. Pretty pathetic, right? And even worse, we argued in front of our client. He said he wouldn¡¯t report us, but I don¡¯t know.


    He gave us some food, and his dad gave us some milk. Halfway home, we stopped and ate. It was nice. Me and Servi talked, and I guess we both forgave ourselves for that stupid little argument.


    We reached Canary after that and went over to the cash building to sell some monster parts. I don¡¯t want to bore you with all this, so I¡¯ll skip it. But I learned Magic Missile! My first offensive skill. Servi learned Decoy, and that helped us out.


    We went to the sewers and practiced. I was happy with the result. Then, we fought a roach, and once again, my attack didn¡¯t finish the monster off. But I wasn¡¯t scared. Servi used her new shield we bought to protect me, giving me the time to back up and prepare a Magic Missile. I used it to help Servi defend from a rush of attacks. See? I can help too. She even thanked and praised me.


    We left the sewers, and Arty had something mean to say. I wanted to call him a jackass, but I didn¡¯t have the courage to. So again, Servi spoke something in my place, and we left for the cash building. We talked on the way too. After selling, we had over 100 dupla each! It¡¯s a lot, but it¡¯s also not a lot. The 80 coins I spent tonight were for four days worth of food and four days to sleep.


    Life isn¡¯t easy, grandpa, but having Servi around makes it worthwhile. She¡¯s so nice to me that I¡¯m a little scared. Not to mention that she''s obviously more experienced than she said, and she was nowhere near as bad as me. But that gives me worries when it should make me happy. If she¡¯s so good and strong, why is she with a weakling like me? I mean, I can¡¯t do half the stuff she can. She¡¯s like the perfect person and someone who I want to be.


    But I can¡¯t ever be her. I¡¯m Momo, and she¡¯s Servi. I¡¯m short, and she¡¯s tall. I¡¯m not pretty, and she¡¯s beautiful. I¡¯m weak, and she¡¯s strong. I¡¯m who I am, and she¡¯s who I want to be.


    Servi is my polar opposite in nearly every way.


    If I was the old me, I¡¯d probably cry right now, but I¡¯m not. I¡¯m sure Servi has some big secrets that she can¡¯t tell, but I hope that one day she¡¯ll let me be in the know. And I know the day is coming soon where she¡¯ll leave me and move on to something better than me. But that¡¯s hopefully a long time from now. So from this moment on, I¡¯ll do my best to be the best Momo I can.


    I have to work hard and prove myself.


    At least, that¡¯s what I want to believe. What I want to believe and what I actually believe are two different and completely opposite things. I want Servi to just be lucky. I want her to be as strong as I am so we can grow together. I don¡¯t want her to hide her strength. I¡¯m sorry, but I just don¡¯t.


    Oh geez, I¡¯m writing like a crazy person, but emotions are challenging and sometimes a pain to understand.


    Well, I have to go. It¡¯s almost time for dinner. I¡¯m wearing the same thing I wore yesterday. The black skirt and white shirt are my favorites.


    Goodbye, grandpa. I still miss you.


    Sincerely, Momo.


    Momo closed the diary and opened her bag up. She sat it inside gently and stood up, staring into the mirror. The night sky and moonlight filtered in against her will, illuminating her, but Momo didn¡¯t see it that way. She saw herself as the reflection, not the original. There¡¯s no way something as beautiful as the moonlight would ever shine on her.


    But that¡¯s ok. I know what I¡¯m capable of, and I know what I¡¯m worth. If someone like me can be a stepping stone for someone great like Servi, then I¡¯ll be happy.


    Actually, no, I don¡¯t want that. I¡¯m Momo, and I¡¯m not a stepping stone.


    She walked out of the room with her beloved bag secured tightly around her shoulder and made her way to the kitchen.


    ¡°Hey, Momo,¡± Servi said when the girl in question sat down. Servi wore the same outfit as the night before.


    ¡°Hey, sorry if I''m late,¡± she said. Momo tried to act cheerful, but Servi felt that something was off.


    ¡°A¡ª¡±


    ¡°We did good today, right? I mean, we were in sync, and I think we work well together,¡± Momo interrupted Servi again, but she didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°Of course we did. I mean, if you ask me, we make a pretty good team. I¡¯m looking forward to tomorrow, too!¡± Servi flashed a smile.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Me too!¡± Again, Servi had to clear away Momo''s doubts. The Singi enjoyed a tasty meal of a baked chicken, a potato, and a salad.


    The two talked about the day and how much fun they had.


    It wouldn¡¯t be too long until her heart was clouded by darkness again, but that was something Momo would have to work through herself. It didn¡¯t matter how many times Servi assured her. Only Momo could rid herself of  her doubts.


    After dinner, the two chatted a bit about their plans for tomorrow.


    ¡°We could do some quests, or we can make money,¡± Servi said.


    ¡°I say we try to make some money. Once we get to the point where we can afford supplies, like a tent, rope, nails, and food, we¡¯d be able to take on more quests that require us to travel. I think there¡¯s a set we can buy, but it¡¯s pretty expensive.¡±


    ¡°We might want to look into it. Do you still wanna train tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind. We can both learn how to use the bow,¡±


    Servi smiled. ¡°Good. Well, how about we meet up at 9? And I promise I¡¯ll try to be awake.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good to me, but I¡¯ll be there to wake you up if you aren¡¯t downstairs,¡± Momo smiled back.  She folded her hands and laid them on the table.  Her pink tail playfully swooshed back and forth.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    After a few more minutes of chatting, they decided to call it for the night. As Momo walked Servi over to the stairs, she spoke. ¡°Good night, Servi. I hope you sleep well.¡±


    ¡°Good night Momo. Sweet dreams,¡± Servi replied as she descended the stairs and went to her room.


    Momo did the same. Since she already wrote in her diary, she locked the door, put on her nightgown, and went to bed. Her heart was a mess. Between Servi¡¯s praises and Momo¡¯s depression, it was not an easy night for her.


    But even through all that, she slept soundly and only woke up when the sun started had to replace the moon.


    She groggily sat up and yawned. Finding the strength to get up, she took off her gown and stood naked for a moment before doing her morning stretches. Standing upright, she bent down and touched her toes without bending her knees. She did this a few times before stretching her arms out wide.


    She heard a small crack. ¡°Ahh, that felt so good. This stupid bed is too hard¡­¡± she whined as she did her tail exercises. As a Singi, it was vital to keep her tail flexible and healthy. After all, it was the proof a Singi was a Singi.


    After loosening up her muscles, she walked to her bag and took out her clothes and armor for the day. Getting dressed, she walked over to her tiny window and saw a most horrific sight that set her adrenaline flowing at full speed.


    ¡°Was the city attacked last night?!!¡± she nearly shouted.


    Yes, it was. Somehow Momo managed to sleep through it all, even the 23 massive lightning strikes.


    The giant golden building that could be seen from anywhere in the city was no longer there, and smoke filled the area around it. But that wasn¡¯t all. In the distance, Momo could see three other plumes of black smoke. From the Singi''s tiny sightline of the street below, twenty or so guards were rushing about like a chicken with its head cut off. It was a state of utter chaos.


    ¡°Oh, I gotta check on Servi,¡± grabbing her sword and sheath from her bag, she rushed out of her room and immediately ran into someone and fell down.


    ¡°Hey, watch it¡ªoh, Momo?¡± a familiar voice said.  The stranger held out her hand.  On her arm was a black shield with a red-eye. Once Momo saw it, she became ecstatic.


    ¡°Servi? What are you doing up here? Never mind! Thank goodness you¡¯re ok,¡± she grabbed the outstretched hand and immediately went for a hug, ignoring the chaos going on around her. Every single adventurer was panicking as news of the smoke and reports of domes of fire traveled around. And with the panic came fake news, which promoted even more panic.  It was hard to discern  the truth from the lies.


    ¡°I saw the smoke, so I came up here to check on you,¡± Servi was a bit alarmed, but she hugged her back.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Momo said as she pulled back and opened her door. She and Servi walked inside her room, and Momo closed the door. ¡°When I woke up, I saw the fire and smoke, and I got scared that something might¡¯ve happened to you. I mean, it¡¯s a long shot, but I was still afraid. Hehe, I guess we were both worried about each other, huh?¡±


    Servi smiled, but it wasn''t happiness that powered it.  The truth was this: The city was attacked last night, and she was directly involved in it. The hundreds of people who died by her hand, the sheer destruction of tens of meters worth of space, the murder of the very Governor who controlled the town of canary... Servi played a crucial role in all of that.


    There was only one thing she could say, even as she fought back the tears threatening to cloud her red eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re okay,¡± Servi whispered.  Momo squeezed tighter as she cried.


    Just then, an announcement came from overhead.  It asked that all available Warden members come down to the lobby for an emergency meeting.

 Book One – Interlude – Part One – Servi’s Nightly Stroll II – Attack on the Markets

    Going back in time to just after Servi went back to her room after dinner, she was lying on her bed talking to Itarr.


    So, what¡¯s the plan for tonight?


    ¡°I was thinking that I¡¯ll go out and patrol again. If I can help even one person tonight, I¡¯ll be happy. But I¡¯ll wait for a bit. Gotta make sure Momo is asleep, though,¡± replied Servi as she held her arms up like she was trying to touch the ceiling.


    Please forgive me for saying this, but I don¡¯t like lying to her about this.


    ¡°I don¡¯t either. But I have no idea how to tell Momo. I mean, I played it out over and over again, but I can¡¯t come up with a solution.¡±


    Servi?


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    I really want to talk with Momo.


    ¡°I know you do. I¡¯m certain the three of us will be good friends.¡±


    You think so?


    Servi smiled as she reassured her friend and got up from her bed. She walked to the window and glanced out.


    ¡°It sure is pretty tonight.¡±


    What¡¯s that big thing in the sky?


    ¡°That¡¯s the moon.¡±


    It¡¯s pretty. I¡¯d like to go there one day.


    Servi laughed, prompting Itarr to ask why. ¡°The moon is in outer space. There¡¯s no oxygen, so most people can¡¯t breathe, and they¡¯ll die. Though considering that breathing is optional for us, I¡¯m sure we¡¯d be fine.¡±


    Do you think it¡¯ll be possible for us to go?


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it will. Hell, there¡¯s probably a skill that allows flight somewhere around.¡±


    You¡¯re correct. I know you asked me to look through the skills between Rank 10 and Rank 0, and I did, but I never had a good moment to tell you. I¡¯m sorry.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry. Ya found something you¡¯d consider good?


    I did: Teleportation and Flight. They¡¯re Rank 2 and Rank 1 skills, respectively. I don''t know what a Spirit Familiar is, but there''s an ability to summon one. It might be worthwhile to learn. Proiectura Clypeus is a Rank 6 skill that creates a floating shield. There¡¯s an upgraded form of Remedium that also requires Rank 6. Honestly, almost everything seems to be good.


    ¡°Good job. Well, how about we learn skills as we go? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any real reason we should try to learn everything right away.¡±


    That sounds good to me.


    The two went silent, staring out at the big city in front of them. It was strange. As of right now, Servi was capable of taking it all for herself.


    And that scared her.


    It was a good thing Itarr couldn''t read Servi¡¯s thoughts because she referred to herself as a monster more than once.


    I¡¯m sorry, Itarr, but I really feel like some sort of monster that happens to be shaped like a Human.


    ¡°Well, she should be asleep by now. Shall we get going?¡±


    If that¡¯s what you want. Are you going to change into your disguise?


    ¡°I am, but I''ll wait until I''m outside,¡± Servi said as her hand gripped the knob. Determination flared and filled her heart.


    Yes, I¡¯m a monster, but I also want to save people. If I can rescue those who need it, then I''ll gladly take up that moniker.


    About fifteen minutes later, a girl wearing an odd mask walked down the streets. It had glass lenses, allowing the wearer''s eyes to change color. If that wasn''t strange enough, the oversized armor she wore swayed from side to side since it didn''t fit her. Servi ignored any and all confusing looks she received and focused on putting one foot in front of the other.


    I never realized that so many people had blue eyes. The mask was an excellent idea.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Servi replied.


    I have a suggestion. I feel like we won¡¯t see many people abusing slaves on roads like this. There are too many people. How about we change our method?


    ¡°Good idea,¡± Servi glanced and searched for a particularly dark alley. She decided to choose it. The further she went into it, the filthier it got. Trash littered the space in front of Servi, and wild cats and dogs prowled around, growling and hissing at each other.


    ¡°These poor things must be scared and frightened¡­.here,¡± using her unique ability that she called Skill Stacking, she used Remedium multiple times on each animal she saw. Soon the growls turned into frightened whimpers as the pain they¡¯d lived with disappeared. Confused, they scattered and went on their way using the various holes in the fences.


    That¡¯s a sweet thing you did.


    ¡°I can¡¯t bear to see an animal in pain.¡±


    Reaching the end of the alley, Servi had a choice. Left or right. Unlike the main street she was on, this place didn¡¯t have any light sources except for small candles used as d¨¦cor. But even then, the light they gave off wasn¡¯t much.


    Picking left, Servi continued her search for a chance to help as the narrow alley turned into a wide area.


    The fancy stone and wooden buildings that were so common on the other streets were nowhere to be seen, and Servi could only spot rundown houses held together with a frayed rope.


    ¡°This looks like the area I saw when I first came to this city,¡± Servi said out loud to no one.  She was half-expecting Itarr to give her thoughts, but she didn¡¯t.


    The area she was in was sort of like a rundown park. Rusty swings with half of a seesaw sat nearby. Behind her was the alley she had walked down. Following that would lead Servi back to where she had come from.


    ¡°This place is like a favela.¡±


    What¡¯s that?


    ¡°A place where there¡¯s a lot of people living in a small area. They¡¯re usually poor, and it¡¯s an area where crime and corruption are a daily occurrence. Wow, I¡¯m surprised I actually knew that.¡±


    Servi walked over to the swing and gently pushed it with her foot. It was so rusty at the top that it felt like moving a boulder. Sad to say, there was no swinging to be done on this swing set.


    She walked around the rest of the playground and examined each item. She didn¡¯t know why she did. Still, she didn¡¯t think much of it and started to leave, but it didn¡¯t take long for trouble to find her. It was a group of thugs.


    ¡°Take a look, boys! We got us a fresh girl moving about. Why don¡¯t ya play with us? Say yes, and we won¡¯t hafta hurt those blue eyes,¡± the thug at the back said. He had hair full of grease and scars running down the left side of his face. With only one look, Servi determined he was the leader of the band of delinquents.


    ¡°Kill them,¡± Servi said with no emotion. She couldn¡¯t spare any, especially for some trash thugs.


    Right.


    "HAHA! Boss, look! The bitch is scar¡ª¡±


    Not registering the sight happening in front of him, the boss stood stupid as his underlings all floated in the air and contorted in a way bodies weren''t designed to.


    Itarr used Telekinesis and stacked it to the max, giving her a limit of just over 540KG.  That was more than enough to lift up the five malnourished lowlifes. Then one by one, their arms snapped backwards, followed by an earsplitting wail of fear and pain. But that wasn¡¯t all. They had one more upper limb and two legs, after all. Even though they were in an opening, not a single body came running to investigate the noise.


    In a place like this, it was common for fights to break out for many reasons, and for that reason alone, people wouldn¡¯t run towards a disturbance. They¡¯d be best off ignoring them and getting back to their day.


    ¡°One arm. Two arms. One leg. Two legs. I bet you boys wish you were somewhere else, right?¡±


    Releasing her Telekinesis, Itarr allowed the five broken bodies to fall from a height of around three meters. They hit the ground with a sickly thud and passed out from the pain of having four broken limbs.


    The boss¡¯s brain finally kicked into action, and he fell ran over to the bodies of his friend.


    ¡°Hey!! HEY!! Darrick? Come on, man, you can¡¯t be dead! Temp?!¡± He went to each broken corpse and shook it, like a young deer nudging its dead mom after she was shot during hunting season.


    With wet eyes and a hoarse throat from yelling, he looked up to Servi and pointed. ¡°Y-you¡¯re nothing but a monster. A MONSTER!! You bitch!!! I¡¯ll fucking kill you!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try. So Mr. Boss, how would you like to pass on? Oh, I know. I can finally test this out. Itarr, hold him in place.¡±


    Ok.


    ¡°Bullshit, you ain¡¯t holding me! I¡¯m¡ªGah!! Why can¡¯t I move!¡±


    With her subject for her experiment frozen in place by her friend, Servi used one of the skills acquired the night before. Thinking of Conjure Ice Rope, a beautiful blue cable appeared in her hand. It was freezing to the touch, and it was about three meters long. Servi walked up to the frozen thug. His eyes went wide with fear as Servi slowly wrapped the ice rope around his neck.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t he screaming?¡±


    That? I used Telekinesis to clamp his mouth shut.


    ¡°Good work. I thought this skill was useless, but I guess if you use it like this and be stealthy, you can''t ask for a better assassination tool."


    Assassination?


    ¡°It means killing someone in a way that¡¯s sudden or surprising,¡± Servi said as she grabbed the ends of the icy rope and pulled tight. The thug¡¯s face went blue as the lack of oxygen started to affect his body. Water flowed from his eyes as snot raced down his nose, and before long, Servi pulled tight once more and heard a most sickening snap. She released the skill, and the rope disappeared, revealing a bright purple line and allowing his broken neck to fall limp. His soul left his body and found a new home within her ring. When Itarr released Telekinesis a moment later, the thug''s corpse smacked into the dirty ground.


    ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± Servi pulled out that red enchanted dagger she got from her attack on the Rude Crystal and walked over to five battered and broken bodies. She stabbed each one''s chest and watched as fire erupted from the wound. Like a devouring beast, the flame gluttonously sought out flesh to eat. It didn''t take long for a gut-wrenching smell to waft up. A few seconds after that, a few little souls joined the army residing in Servi''s ring.


    This little thing is powerful.


    ¡°It is. And remember, our Protection protected us against it. I didn¡¯t think it was that strong.¡±


    Storing the bodies, the five plain daggers, and the red dagger, she continued searching around the playground. About ten minutes later, Servi heard a tiny scream followed by a horrific laugh.  She raced off towards the left, stomping down an alley, and leapt over a broken fence until she came upon a frightening sight.


    Servi saw two armored guards throwing rocks at an Earth Elf and her dog. Her ankles were purple and swollen, her pointed ears were no longer pointy, and the tattered black robe she wore had nasty white streaks going down the front.  Tears flowed from her eyes as she jumped on her dog to protect it from the projectiles raining down on them.


    ¡°That woman looks familiar¡­..that¡¯s it! I saw her when I was lost on my first day here,¡± Servi said as she used Telekinesis to bind the two guards in place. The woman looked up from her defensive position and saw two guards frozen in place. Even though they tried, they couldn''t break Servi¡¯s overpowered Telekinesis.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Servi held out a hand, but the woman smacked it away.


    ¡°Get away from me! You¡¯re just like the others, trying to get on my good side by saving me,¡± she tried to get up but immediately collapsed down to the filthy ground. The white dog around her started growling.


    Crouching down, Servi spoke plainly to her. ¡°Look, that ankle looks broken, but I can help you. I can also probably help your ears, but you gotta let me. ¡±


    ¡°And for what? I have no money to repay you with. Just leave me be.¡±


    "You''re so fucking stubborn. Look, this might be scary, but deal with it,¡± using Telekinesis to freeze the woman in place, Servi saw her struggle against the invisible force holding her. Ignoring her, Servi put her hands to the woman¡¯s ankles and used Remedium, but she made sure to stack it ten times.


    The dog didn''t know what was going on.  It only saw an odd woman touching his master, and its first instinct was to attack. And that was what it did. However, it was small and petite, meaning it couldn''t get its teeth around Servi''s armor.


    The purple swelling went down, and Servi backed up, allowing the woman to slowly rotate her foot. She put a careful hand to her ears and gasped in excitement when she felt the newly grown pointy ends.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­..healed? Why?¡± the woman asked. Seeing that his master wasn¡¯t in pain, the dog stopped biting Servi¡¯s armor and ran back to the woman.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a reason, but if I had to think of one¡­..I''d say that I wanted to.¡±


    ¡°¡­What about them?¡± the Earth Elf asked, pointing to the two terrified guards frozen in place.


    ¡°I was gonna kill them, but you can if you want to."


    ¡°¡­do you have a weapon?¡± she asked as she got up. Her torn black robe flowed from the wind and allowed Servi to see numerous scars lining her caramel-colored stomach. Servi didn¡¯t know why they weren¡¯t healed. Maybe she didn¡¯t have a powerful enough healing skill?


    ¡°I do. Can you tell me why those two did this?¡± Servi handed up the enchanted dagger.


    ¡°Because I told them no. Those bastards wanted to buy me like a common whore, and when I refused, they took their sheaths and snapped my ankle. I cried and begged for help, but the bastards just pleasured themselves in front of me. I wanted to move, but they gripped my head, forcing me to watch... I thought it would be done once they had finished, but...¡± The Elf had stopped speaking and eyed the weapon Servi held. She took the dagger and walked to the frozen guard. Taking off his armor, she pulled down his trousers and then his underwear to reveal his appendage. Servi went red in the face and turned around.


    ¡°This is my revenge,¡± the enraged Earth Elf stared the guard in the eye before using the tip of the dagger to cut his lower head off, leaving the stem as fire raged around. He yelled out as best he could in pain and forced his teeth together in an effort to bear the horrendous torture. However, that was a mistake. The guard bit down so hard that his teeth shattered and chipped from the force, creating another source of anguish that assailed his body.


    Servi watch as the Earth Elf had her way with the dagger. She flayed off pieces of skin off his legs and arms before moving to his eyes. It was like human candy, and the woman was carefully tearing the skin to reveal the delicious red muscle hidden underneath.


    ¡°These shitty eyes that did nothing but stare lustfully at me when I was begging for help,¡± not even using the dagger, she used her thumb and index finger to grossly pull out the eye, revealing a long optic nerve. She gripped it with her fist and yanked it out, leaving a waterfall of blood that poured from the body¡¯s new opening. Not one to leave something unsymmetrical, the woman did the same with the other eye.


    ¡°This is what you get¡­THIS IS WHAT YOU FUCKING GET!!!¡± she yelled before stabbing the red dagger into his mouth. She turned and twisted and forced it to go deeper and deeper in his throat. All the while, flames erupted from its blood-red blade.


    The fiery torture traveled down his throat into his stomach and lungs, and a moment later, black marks began appearing around his chest. Very soon after that, it burst into flames as the lower half of his body below his chest fell to the ground, leaving nothing but a floating upper corpse and a tremendous amount of blood that was so hot it was steaming.


    His blood had been boiled from the inside of his body.


    Whimpering in fear, the second guard soon followed the same fate.  The only difference was that the woman bisected his rod down the middle, starting from his testicles. In a way, it was more gruesome since she poked his dangling bits, which hung by a thin piece of flesh.


    Ten minutes and two hanging corpses layer, the woman walked back over to Servi, who looked up from her ID. ¡°I bet that felt good,¡± she said as she absorbed back the red dagger and the corpses. It¡¯s a good thing the woman took off their armor.  Servi had two brand new sets at her disposal. And the swords they had weren¡¯t half bad either.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m surprised you aren¡¯t scared of me. I mean, here¡¯s a person who can completely immobilize trained guards without even speaking a sound and take out items from nowhere. I gotta say, you¡¯re brave.¡±


    ¡°Tell me the real reason you helped me,¡± the woman said, completely ignoring Servi.


    The ignored girl sighed. ¡°Fine. I first came to this city two or so days ago, and I saw you walking with your dog. And today, when I was out walking around, I saw you in trouble, and I helped. There isn''t anything more or less than that. Oh, take this.¡± Servi pulled out some clothes from her ring and gave them to the woman.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand¡­.¡±


    ¡°There are some things in life that are impossible to understand. I¡¯m probably one of those things.  You know what, keep this too. I have no need for it. Use it, sell it, I don¡¯t care,¡± Servi took the red dagger back out and gave it to her. The woman cradled it softly like a mother would a newborn babe.


    ¡°¡­..I¡¯m sorry I slapped your hand away. And I thank you for these clothes and food¡­and this weapon. It has to be expensive. And umm..my name¡¯s Elly. That¡¯s Cue.¡±


    ¡°Elly. Cue. You¡¯re welcome. Well, I got to go.  You two stay safe.¡± Servi reached down, and the white dog sniffed her finger before licking it.


    ¡°Thank you!!¡± the woman said a bit louder as she watched Servi¡¯s back get smaller and smaller. Her dog howled as if he was saying goodbye. In response, Servi threw her hand up as she walked towards wherever her feet led her.


    Her nightly stroll was just beginning.

 Book One – Interlude – Part Two – Servi’s Nightly Stroll II – Attack on the Markets

    Ten or so minutes later, Servi was sitting on a small rotten bench that threatened to crack under her weight.


    You know, comparing the weapons inside the guild store with that dagger, I¡¯d say it¡¯s probably around two or three thousand dupla. Itarr said, after being quiet for a while.


    ¡°If she sells it, she can find shelter and fill her stomach.¡±


    Servi looked up at the night sky and then around her. The beauty of the two didn¡¯t match up. The moon looked regal and inviting, while the trash slums around her felt like she could catch a disease just from looking at it. The rotted houses surrounding her all had many problems. Most didn''t have a roof, and the vast majority of them were missing large sections of walls. Canary might''ve been a somewhat rich city, but it seemed most of the money only went into the nobles'' pockets. Servi didn''t know why the people in charge couldn''t try to pry some people out of poverty.


    ¡°You know, maybe I could be like Robin Hood," Servi said, staring up at the moon.


    Who is that?


    Servi giggled and began to explain. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I remember or know this, but Robin Hood is from a story. It''s about a guy who steals from the rich and gives to the poor.¡±


    Why did he do that?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess good ole'' Robin grew up poor and saw all these wealthy people wasting their money throwing these lavish parties. I always thought he got tired of watching it and wanted to do good in life."


    I¡¯d like to meet him.


    ¡°Me too, but he¡¯s not real. It¡¯s just a fairy tale.¡±


    I see. Itarr said with a hint of sadness buried in her voice.


    It was about that time when Servi heard a cry for help. Standing up, she ran through the fat and empty dark streets. Since it was after midnight, not many people would risk traveling through such a dangerous area at night. That probably was why the only people Servi saw looked shady, but as long as they didn¡¯t bother her or hurt people, she let them live.


    Rounding a left at the intersection where two people were stumbling about drunk and full of beer, Servi ran until she heard a scream for help once again.


    It¡¯s close. Keep running, and I¡¯ll pick up anything in your way.


    ¡°Thanks!¡±


    Not having to worry about dodging trashcans or pieces of rubble, Servi ran at her top speed, which was a little bit faster than two days ago.


    ¡°Huh, I could probably match Momo now,¡± she said as she came across a sight in a dead-end alley. Deciding not to run out right away, she took cover behind a wall and glanced out.


    Two Earth Elves, their skin a bit darker than honey beige and in their early twenties, stood above two dead bodies. Their weapons, a long spear with a slightly curved blade, were inside the chest of the left-most corpse.


    Of the two, one was a man. His pointy ears stuck more outward than up, and his long black hair completely covered them. He had black armor that looked like wood protecting his chest and stomach. It was sleeveless, just like Momo¡¯s armor. His footwear was only two pieces of wood with a few vines tied together to keep them attached.


    The other was a woman whose pointy ears went up, though the tips themselves were covered by white hair. Her armor looked like it was made out of the same wood that the other Elf had on. It defended most of her chest but left her toned midsection uncovered. Even though she had on pants that could theoretically function as armor, Servi had to stifle a laugh. The Elf wore a necklace reminiscent of Warden''s dog tags, but instead of metal, she had a ring tied to a piece of leather wrapped around her neck. Unlike her companion, she wore brown boots.


    ¡°That armor is pretty impractical. Why would you leave your belly open to attacks?¡± Servi said as she came from her hiding spot.


    The man instantly grabbed his naginata from the corpse and spun around, the blade just a meter away from taking off Servi¡¯s head as it sprayed blood in an arc. She effortlessly ducked the spray of crimson.


    ¡°Cousin, protect the two kids,¡± he said which the girl, who nodded and walked backwards. She kept a close eye on the mysterious intruder and turned briefly turned around. That split moment allowed Servi to see the kids, and they were two that she would never forget.


    Two Singi. Twins. A girl with one ear. A boy who had no choice but to hobble on his healthy leg because that man with the silver and gold armor stabbed his foot.


    ¡°Begone and leave us. I don¡¯t want to take the life of a woman,¡± said the male Earth Elf as he flourished his weapon. Servi watched closely at the tip as it sliced and diced through nothingness.


    ¡°Why do you have those two? And why did you kill these two guards? I¡¯m not here to fight. I just want to talk.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to answer to you. Now be gone! This is your last chance.¡±


    In the far back, where the Elf¡¯s cousin stood, the young Singi with one ear spoke cried out to her brother.


    ¡°Seko, I¡¯m scared¡­..¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Seka, I¡¯ll protect you,¡± he said through chattering teeth.  After picking up a stick and walking in front of his sister, he held it like a sword.


    ¡°No, we¡¯ll protect you two. Cousin!¡± the Earth Elf woman shouted to the man.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I gave you a chance to leave, and you didn¡¯t take it. I will not ask for your forgiveness.¡± He charged forward with his naginata¡¯s blade raised up high. He was preparing a downward slash, and with his weapon, he had range on his side. Unfortunately, it would not reach its target.


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle it,¡± Servi said.  She was telling Itarr to stay back.


    ¡°Geh! Wh-what?!¡± the Elf found himself floating in midair. His weapon slowly descended and landed in Servi¡¯s hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s a nice weapon. A bit too large and strange, but I like it,¡± Servi said.  After waving it around and testing it, she absorbed it.


    ¡°How dare you! I demand you bring it back, now!¡± he growled.


    Servi laughed as his cousin looked fearful. She ran to the corpse and grabbed her naginata.


    ¡°Look, you¡¯re the ones who attacked me. All I wanted to do was talk, but I don¡¯t look kindly on people trying to kill me,¡± Servi said as she manipulated Telekinesis to make the Elf float higher and higher. She walked up to the cousin who bared her weapon as the two Singi slaves cowered behind.


    ¡°What do you want? You can do what you want with me, but please don¡¯t hurt these children!¡± She begged as tears clouded her eyes.


    ¡°I just want t¡ª¡± Servi started to speak, but she was interrupted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her!¡±


    Servi brought the bound Elf down to her level and stared at him.


    ¡°Shut up. This is YOUR last warning, alright? If I wanted you dead, you¡¯d be dead.¡±


    ¡°Just tr-mmmmmm!!!¡± he started to speak, but an invisible force kept his mouth shut.


    ¡°You know what, I¡¯m done trying to be nice,¡± using Telekinesis, Servi lifted the Elf girl in the air along with absorbing her weapon. She screamed, but Servi put a quick stop to that. She then approached the trembling twins.


    ¡°Ge-ge-get away from us!¡± the boy, Seko, yelled out as he charged at the strange woman with a weird mask.


    Servi let the stick hit her before absorbing it. She thought about the best way to restrain the two twins.  Ultimately, she decided on Telekinesis.  After all, it''s been the solution to nearly all of her problems.


    ¡°MMMMMMPMMMM!!!!!¡± both Elves struggled to say something, but they couldn¡¯t. Telekinesis was just too strong.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry it took me a while, but I¡¯m here now. This shouldn¡¯t hurt, but if it does, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Servi moved her hand to Seko and put a hand to his arm. A fresh wound leaked blood just above his elbow. It was black and puffy, and it must¡¯ve happened just before she arrived. If she had to guess, one of the two dead guards was the cause.


    Warm white light flowed from her as the nasty red cut disappeared, leaving flawless skin in its place. It also healed the wound Arnold gave Seko, healing the infected scar on his foot.


    Next, she put both hands to Seka¡¯s head where her missing ear was. Servi and Itarr used Remedium and stacked it to the absolute limit as something incredible happened. The white light from Servi flowed to the wound and slowly took the shape of an ear a Singi would have. A moment later, the light disappeared, leaving something that they¡¯d never thought would come back. It wasn¡¯t fully healed, as Remedium couldn¡¯t bring back the hair, but that would grow back.


    ¡°Seka! Your ear!!¡± Seko cried as Servi released Telekinesis. He ran over and lightly touched the new ear.


    ¡°It¡¯s back!! But how? Why? Did you do this?¡± he said as he turned to Servi, who sadly smiled. Seka put a careful hand and lightly grazed her sensitive new ear before smiling.


    ¡°Take this too,¡± Servi said as she pulled out some clothes from her ring. They floated in front of her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if they¡¯re too big." Servi extracted a table, then set the floating clothes down on it. Next, she put a hand to the ugly bracelets, and they winced in fearful anticipation. The images of so many of their slave friends being blown up by a drunk master flooded their minds.


    ¡°Wait! If you do that th¡ª¡± Servi ignored their cries of protest and used absorption to take the unethical bindings off.


    ¡°There, no more bracelets,¡± the two twins closed their eyes and waited for death that never came. "It''s okay. You don''t have to worry about them anymore."


    Tenderly, Seko opened his eyes and gasped. Seka did the same after Seko told his sister it was okay. Together, the siblings touched their wrists, feeling nothing but skin for the first time in years. They had never thought freedom was attainable until that moment.


    The Earth Elf cousins stopped struggling and stared at the miracle happening below them.


    ¡°But why? How? I-- I don''t understand...¡± Seko whispered. Servi crouched down to meet them eye to eye.  As if a dam broke, her emotions and tears flowed endlessly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­. I¡¯m so, so sorry. I saw you two over the past few days, and I couldn¡¯t help. If only I had this strength earlier, then you two wouldn¡¯t have had to suffer so much. Please, I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    The young Singi girl walked up to the bawling Servi and embraced her the best she could. With a loving voice and soft touch, she spoke to Servi and slowly rubbed her head in a way that was full of affection.


    ¡°Thank you so much for helping us. And I don¡¯t really know why I¡¯m saying this, but I guess it¡¯ll help you¡­ I forgive you? I can tell you really wanted to help us. And now you have,¡± Servi wailed even hard as she embraced Seka, who also started crying. Seko joined in on the hugging and crying, and soon even the floating Elves above had water coming from their eyes. Though if you asked the male Elf if he cried, he would deny it outright.


    Servi, I think I wanna cry¡­


    After the crying party ended, Seko spoke and pointed to their tails.


    ¡°Seka, look! Our tails are wagging!!¡± A pair of tiny black tails, smaller than Momo¡¯s pink one, fluttered about rapidly.  "It''s been a long time, hasn''t it?" Seko brightly smiled, gazing down at his furiously speedy tail.


    ¡°Yeah! Umm... Miss Lady?¡± Seka said while looking up.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Servi replied, following Seka''s gaze.


    ¡°Umm, those Elves aren¡¯t bad. They killed the bad guys who hurt us,¡± she said, pointing to the guard corpses.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Servi apologized and brought the two Elves down to the ground before undoing Telekinesis. They jumped back and took an unarmed stance, only stopping when Servi tossed the stolen weapons back to their owners. They accepted them and just stared, speechless.


    ¡°See? I told you two I didn¡¯t want to fight,¡± Servi said as the cousins looked at each other and sighed. The male Elf embarrassedly rubbed his head.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry. I really am, but you have to look at it from my point of view. Humans don¡¯t like us Demi-Humans, and we just can''t trust you.¡±


    The girl raised her voice and scolded him. ¡°Cousin! Don¡¯t be rude. This girl regenerated her ear from nothing, and she did it so easily without saying a single word!  She has to be strong. Maybe we can ask her to he¡ª¡±


    ¡°No! We can¡¯t trust an outsider,¡± he raised his voice, and the two started arguing.


    Servi ignored them and walked over to the twins, who rifled through the clothes on the table.


    ¡°Here you go. You gotta be hungry,¡± Servi said as she glanced through her ring in search of food. Eventually, she found some kind of meat on a stick and held it out. The twins stared hungrily at the food as their stomachs growled.


    ¡°Huh, this is still hot, even though it¡¯s from yesterday.¡±


    It appears that when items are stored in the ring, their time stops. If something is hot when it goes in, it¡¯s hot coming out. The same with cold and wet items, too.


    Servi took out two more sticks for a total of three. One for her and two for the twins.


    ¡°Is it really okay for us to eat such expensive food?¡± Seka asked.


    ¡°Of course it is. I got more stored away if you¡¯re still hungry. So be sure to let me know, okay?¡±


    They ate while watching the argument between the cousins.


    Seka bit into her meat stick and chewed happily before swallowing. Then, she smiled, surprising herself.


    I haven''t smiled since momma and poppa... We''re still alive... Seko and I are still alive... Momma... Poppa...


    She turned to the girl with a mask that altered her red eyes. ¡°Thank you, Miss Lady!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thank you!¡± Seko added on his thanks.


    The smiles from the two children were worth it, Servi thought.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t tell you my name, but you call me Blue,¡± Servi said, pointing to her once red eyes that were blue thanks to the mask. The two children nodded and continued nibbling on their snacks.


    ¡°Fine! But you¡¯re taking responsibility if she messes up!¡± the male Elf stomped away, leaving only his cousin, who sighed in annoyance. Servi took this as her moment to talk to her since she looked more levelheaded.


    ¡°Umm, what¡¯s your name?¡± she asked as Servi approached.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Servi asked back.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°Then I can¡¯t tell you. Just call me Blue," Servi said, pointing to her eyes. ¡°And I¡¯ll call you Navel.¡±


    ¡°Why that name?¡± Navel was confused. She placed a hand on her chin and blinked twice at the odd nickname.


    ¡°Because of your armor. Isn¡¯t the point of armor to protect your skin? Why is your belly uncovered? And you." Servi pointed to Navel''s cousin. "How come your arms aren¡¯t covered?¡±  Navel put a calm hand over her belly button and giggled. The other one stomped back in anger and explained himself.


    ¡°Because we were in a hurry and didn¡¯t have time to pack our armor. This is the best we could do with the materials on hand. And no, we didn¡¯t have a lot. That¡¯s why my sandals are a flat stick with vines tied around them and why I have no sleeves. That''s why my cousin¡¯s armor only covers the top of her chest. We just didn¡¯t have the time to properly prepare.¡±


    ¡°Whatever. Before you interrupted Navel, she was gonna say something?¡±


    ¡°Navel? You mean my cousin? Why''d you call her that?¡±


    ¡°Because she didn¡¯t give me her name. Call me Blue, for my eyes.  She¡¯ll be Navel for obvious reasons,¡± Servi pointed to Navel¡¯s naked belly button, and the girl in question lightly blushed for some reason. ¡°And you¡¯ll be Arm.¡±


    Arm, the male Elf, tried to argue but couldn¡¯t find the strength.


    ¡°Fine. Look, we¡¯re here to find three slave markets, raid them, free the slaves locked below, and destroy the markets. Can you help with that?¡±


    Servi nodded. ¡°I can, but I don¡¯t know where they are.¡±


    Navel spoke up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. We have the locations.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so what¡¯s the plan?¡±


    ¡°We want you to go to each market and find our associates. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll tell you where they are. But after you meet up with them, start the raid on the market. The goal is to rescue the slaves. From what we have gathered, one of the markets keeps its slaves underground. Be on the lookout for a staircase or something nearby. The other two are forcing the slaves to sleep in their cages, so they¡¯re gonna be above ground. They might be inside a building or something. Remember, only one is below ground,¡± Navel said.


    ¡°Alright, then what?¡±


    Arm finished explaining. ¡°Once the slaves are free, our comrades will take them to an area in the city where we have an underground tunnel built. It¡¯ll take them from the city to a forest that¡¯s nearby. Leave the rest to us.¡±


    ¡°And is that all?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Navel said as she rested on her naginata. She looked dazzling as a small guest of wind playfully bounced her white hair.


    ¡°What are you two gonna be doing?¡±


    ¡°We gotta take the twins to the tunnel and make sure everything is ready.¡±


    ¡°How are we gonna handle this? Which market do I get?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get this one,¡± Arm said as he pulled a map. It had three spots marked a blue dot. ¡°Look, you¡¯ll leave through here and take the fifth left. Honestly, you can¡¯t miss it. There are signs everywhere advertising it. Our guys are going to be nearby. Just hold this up,¡± Arm reached in his pouch and pulled out a wooden emblem. It was about the size of Servi¡¯s hand and gave it to her. A symbol of a staff and an eagle was engraved in it. ¡°Walk around the area with this in your hand. An Elf will approach you and ask for a password. That¡¯s when you say ¡®Freedom.¡¯ Got it?¡±


    I do.


    ¡°Yep. Just walk around with this thing in my hand, and the password is freedom,¡± Servi repeated back. ¡°After the market is freed, what do I do?¡±


    ¡°How can you talk like it''s going to be so easy? By our counts, there is going to be at least fifty guards.¡±


    ¡°And? Fifty is nothing to me. Itarr, do the max for Fire Wall, but make them small,¡± Servi said as she absorbed the emblem.


    Right.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Itarr? And ma¡ª What?!¡± 48 Fire Walls, all to their smallest size, gently swayed like fireflies in the night. It didn''t matter if they were tiny. Each floating flame gave off a substantial amount of light, illuminating the nearby area like a searchlight.


    ¡°I can make them small, and I can make them big. To me, fifty enemies are the same as fighting one enemy. Tell me, what do I do after?¡±


    Realizing the amount of attention she brought to herself and the fact that she heard the twins yelp in fear, Servi quickly got rid of the Fire Walls. Immediately, the area became cloaked in familiar darkness, with only the moon and a few spaced-out torches providing any sort of light.


    ¡°Uhh¡­. I guess head to another market? Look, the original plan was for my cousin and me to hit one each, then team up for the last,¡± Navel said.


    ¡°Can  I have a copy of the map?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but no.¡± Arm answered.


    Frustrated, Servi stomped the ground. "Then how am I to get from one place to the next!? I don¡¯t know this city very well!"


    ¡°Look, ask our associates, and they¡¯ll let you know. Hell, one of them might even bring you to the next one themselves,¡± Navel was the one who answered. She stopped resting on her naginata and held it by her side. Arm did the same. He called out to the twins and asked them to follow him. They hugged the clothing Servi gave them in their little arms, holding the presents close to their chests.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get going and get these two to safety,¡± Navel said as she held out her hand. Servi shook it.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll see you two later,¡± Servi said as she went to turn around but stopped when she felt something tugging on her.


    ¡°Miss Blue, I¡¯m sorry for hitting you. I really am. I thought you were gonna hurt us like all the others. Especially the man in silver.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be sorry,¡± Servi said as she crouched down. She placed one hand on Seko¡¯s black hair. ¡°You were very brave when you protected your sister. And you don¡¯t have to worry about the silver armor guy. I took care of him. He won¡¯t be bothering you anymore. Hey, can you promise me something?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°Sure, anything!¡± Seko said, full of happiness and glee.  His tail kicked into hyperdrive.


    ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll continue to protect your sister, okay? Be a good brother and keep her safe. And I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll meet each other again.¡±


    "I promise! You have my word, Miss Blue!" Servi rubbed his head for a moment, then backed off.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Seka hollered as Servi walked away. Like with Elly, Servi threw a hand up in the air and kept going. Her destination was the first slave market.


    Those two Elves were pleasant, even if Arm can be a bit serious. But I think he means well.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m just glad I was able to help Seka and Seko. I really am."


    You did good. Those Singi won¡¯t live a life of fear anymore.

 Book One – Interlude – Part Three – Servi’s Nightly Stroll II – Attack on the Markets

    Following Arm¡¯s direction, a particular girl soon found herself in the vicinity of the slave market. Servi had been walking around with the wooden emblem in her hand for fifteen minutes. Not a single person had come to ask her for the password.


    ¡°Itarr, is it possible for you to detect people?¡±


    I cannot do that. I''m sorry.


    ¡°I see¡­ I want to attack, but Arm didn''t tell me where they dug the tunnel. I don¡¯t know where to take the slaves.¡±


    I see. Why not call out the password while you¡¯re walking?


    ¡°Good idea.¡±


    Servi did just that. She walked up and down the three streets closest to the market and half-yelled and half-whispered the password. As she made her third rotation, a Dwarf appeared in front of her. Short and stout with a war hammer on his back, he walked to Servi with a finger over his mouth.


    ¡°Shh, lass, ye tryin¡¯ to give the plan away?!¡± he said.


    "You know this?¡± Servi showed the emblem to the Dwarf, and he nodded.


    ¡°Aye. I won¡¯t ask how or why ye have it, but that wooden badge means yer a friend of ours. Follow me,¡± the Dwarf turned around, and Servi followed him through a back alley which eventually led into a decrepit building with a ruined roof that conveniently overlooked the market.


    Walking up the stairs, the Dwarf introduced himself.


    ¡°The name¡¯s Lurrgy. Ye know what yer gettin¡¯ into?¡±


    ¡°Call me Blue.  And yes, I do. I met two Earth Elves who said they were gonna attack three slave markets. They asked me for help, and I agreed.¡±


    Lurrgy stopped moving and turned around, his brown eyes wide open.


    ¡°Those hard asses really asked ye for help?!¡±


    Servi was a bit taken back. ¡°Yeah..? The Earth Elf attacked me at first, but we came to an understanding.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be damned. Ye must be far stronger than ye look,¡± he turned around, and Servi kept following him. A minute or two later, Lurrgy stopped in front of the door and knocked. Someone replied with a knock, and Lurrgy hit it again, this time in a pattern. Servi heard a click, and the door swung open. She followed the Dwarf as he stepped through first.


    It was a large room with no furniture or anything of the like. Open and empty, a few people sat inside on the floor while a tall Koena paced himself back and forth.


    ¡°Lurrgy!¡± the Koena said as he ran to the dwarf. He took a glance at Servi. ¡°Is this the idiot who almost gave away our plan?!¡±


    ¡°Look, I was walking for like ten minutes with that stupid badge out, and nobody came to me,¡± Servi replied, anger in her voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. We don¡¯t need the help of a human when it¡¯s your fault our brothers are in this situation,¡± he said, stepping closer. Before they were too close, Lurrgy stepped in between them.


    ¡°Calm down, Kire, Blue here is gonna help us. She¡¯s strong.¡±


    ¡°You might want to listen to Lurrgy. I¡¯m pretty strong. If what that Earth Elf said is correct, there¡¯s bound to fifty or so guards here. You need all the help you can get.¡±


    ¡°Shit, just like a human to act so full of themselves. Well, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re so tough, so why don¡¯t you leave?¡± Kire turned around. The moon looked like pears after being reflected in his scaly body. He had no weapons, so Servi guessed he used his fists in battle.


    Lurrgy moved in front of him and begged him to reconsider, but Kire simply shook his head no.


    ¡°Sorry, but no. Seeing Seka and Seko whimpering and afraid was enough. I¡¯m not leaving until I destroy these shitty markets," Servi said. She stood her ground, crossing her arms and staring at the Koena.


    Feeling a sudden urge, Servi activated Soul Essence of Primal Combat a moment before Kire turned around and threw a punch.


    ¡°Too easy,¡± she said while reading the afterimages and dodging a flurry of attacks. To an outsider, it was like she saw the future and knew what Kire was going to do before he did.


    ¡°Kire! Stop it, you fool! She had an em¡ªGAHH!¡± Kire was frozen in his tracks by a sudden scream. Forgetting about Servi entirely, Kire turned his back and rushed towards the voice.


    A female Koena with purple scales sat propped against a wall. Her arm was in a cast, and when she tried to stop Kire, she hit it against something.


    ¡°Damnit, Rie, why¡¯d you move your arm?!¡± Kire crouched down and carefully examined the injury.


    Servi walked up to Rie and put her finger to the cast. Like with Seka, Servi and Itarr used a bunch of stacks of Remedium to heal the arm. White light flowed and danced around the crude bandage before disappearing inside. The sudden light and the sheer audacity of someone touching his loved one sent Kire into a fearsome rage.


    ¡°GET AWAY FROM H¡ª¡±


    ¡°Quiet. Let me work. Thanks, Itarr.¡± Servi said as Kire slowly floated away.


    You¡¯re most welcome. My goodness, Telekinesis is quite useful, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°MMMMMPMMMMPMMMMM!!!¡± not even a raged out Koena could break through Servi¡¯s Telekinesis.


    Ignoring him, Servi talked to Itarr and her patient. ¡°Yeah, it is. Anyway, how does it feel? The pain should be gone.¡±


    The purple scaled Koena stared blankly at this smooth-skinned human girl who helped her and slowly lifted her arm.


    ¡°There¡¯s no pain..?¡± she slowly said. Using her other hand, she undid the cast using a Koena¡¯s impressive strength.


    ¡°The scales are healed?!! It''s like they were never broke!¡± Rie used a careful finger to trace the scales that were a slightly different shade of purple.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about Koena. Let me know if there¡¯s any pain,¡± Servi brought the floating Koena down to her level and spoke to him.


    ¡°Thank you so very much!¡± Rie replied.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m gonna let you go. You promise not to attack me?¡± Servi said.


    Kire tried to say something but nodded when he couldn¡¯t form the words.


    ¡°Rie?!¡± The moment she undid the skill, Kire rushed over to Rie and hugged her, burying his head in her chest.


    ¡°Calm down... I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just so glad¡­¡± Kire whimpered, softly sobbing and doing the opposite of what Servi expected.


    ¡°Oh, you¡­¡± Rie returned the hug and pulled back far enough to lightly peck Kire on his scaley lips.


    They stopped hugging and stood up, hand in hand, while facing Servi.


    ¡°And you¡­.I¡¯m not going to thank a Human for something their kind did. And if you get in trouble during the attack, I¡¯m not going to help you.¡±


    ¡°Kire! Be nicer!¡± barked Rie.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rie, but I can¡¯t. And you know why,¡± Kire walked off to a window and looked down at the area below. From here, he had a perfect bird¡¯s-eye view of the market in its entirety.


    It was large, spanning the equivalent of five city blocks, both length and width wise. It was like a snake and funnel had fused together. The entrance was long and wide but became narrow. Guards with silver armor patrolled regularly and often had three to a patrol unit. Wretched, rusty cages filled the area he saw. No doubt these were the places where the slaves would be put on display, further degrading them.


    ¡°Look. You can help with the raid. We¡¯ll be starting as soon as the advance team gets back. If you have anything to ask, now¡¯s the time.¡±


    Servi walked over beside him and glanced out the same window.


    ¡°Where are the other two markets? After I finish here, I need to go help them.¡±


    ¡°Why? The cousins should have those under control.¡±


    ¡°They would, but when I ran into them, they had two Singi slaves they had to escort to the tunnel. Quick question, what are you going to do about the bracelets?¡±


    Kire sighed. ¡°The best we can. Those things are almost impossible to tamper with, but they have a range of 568 meters. If we can just get them out of town, then there¡¯s no risk of their Slavemaster blowing them up.¡±


    ¡°I can take them off.¡± Servi took out a sword from her ring and held it.


    ¡°You need to stop lying.¡± He said.


    ¡°Kire, be nice and turn around!¡± Rie ordered.


    He did as he was told and saw a single sword gently gripped by Servi''s palm. A second later, it vanished from existence, only reappearing two meters behind Servi. Two seconds after that, the sword disappeared and showed up in front of Kire''s eyes.


    ¡°I can remove objects from existence and bring them back. Surely you can put two and two together,¡± Servi said while absorbing the floating weapon.


    That¡¯s not¡­.ah, I get it. You¡¯re lying to them.


    ¡°What sort of skill is this?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°Who is this Itarr that you thanked earlier?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t tell you that either.¡±


    ¡°How did you heal her arm?¡±


    ¡°I used Remedium.¡±


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Kire scoffed, ¡°that low-rank healing skill can not bring back the scales of a Koena.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the truth. Take it or leave it.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me your name.¡±


    ¡°Blue,¡± Servi said, pointing to her eyes.


    ¡°Come on, Kire, don¡¯t interrogate the girl. The boss gave her the emblem.¡± Lurrgy came walking over with two drinks in his hand. He offered one to Servi, who took it. She did think for a moment that it could¡¯ve been poisoned but drunk it anyway. Toxins couldn¡¯t kill her, so there was no need to be wary.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said, knocking it back and absorbing the cup after it was empty. She thought it must¡¯ve been alcohol because it burned for a slight moment.


    ¡°Yer welcome,¡± he said as he chugged back his glass, letting out a small burb and a bit of a chuckle. Itarr told Servi to turn around. She did and saw Rie waving her over.


    ¡°Blue?¡± Rie asked when Servi got closer.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Servi replied.


    ¡°Thank you again for healing my arm. And I¡¯m sorry for Kire¡¯s rude behavior. I hope you can look past it,¡± she had a slight frown on her face as if remembering a repressed tragic memory.


    ¡°I can read the atmosphere. Things are tense, and you¡¯re about to launch an attack. I get it. I¡¯m not mad or anything cause I know tempers can run high.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very understanding for a Human,¡± the Koena replied.


    At that moment, a knock came from the door in a particular pattern. Recognizing it, Lurrgy opened it. A group numbering five came in, consisting of Elves, Dwarfs, Singi, and Koena.


    ¡°Kire, we scouted around and found the stairs, but it¡¯s heavily guarded,¡± an Earth Elf said. He glanced over and saw Rie and a strange Human. ¡°How¡¯d you heal her? And who¡¯s the girl?¡±


    ¡°The Human did it. She has an emblem from the boss, and she wants to help in the attack,¡± he replied. A paradoxical tone was attached to his words. One half was of hatred and anger, and the other of acceptance and reluctance.


    ¡°Uhh...sure thing, Kire. Does she know the plan?¡±


    ¡°Blue, all of you! Come over!¡± Kire yelled. Everyone in the building corralled over to him. Including Servi, there were ten people.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the plan. Hue, Haqi, and Ziq, you provide support and healing. Lurrgy, myself, Rie, and Blue here will sneak in. Llara, you go to the roof and cover us with arrows. Miu and Mii, you stay near the entrance and kill any who comes to investigate. Don¡¯t use too much Skill Energy. You¡¯re the ones who are gonna lead the slaves to the tunnel. You get that?¡±


    They all nodded. Miu and Mii, a pair of Singi sisters, walked downstairs and pulled out their daggers.  They took a position beside the door leading out.


    Llara, an Elf, went to a window and climbed up to the ruined roof. The debris around her offered the perfect protection from any passing eyes or arrows.


    Hue, a Dwarf, Haqi, a Koena, and Ziq, a Singi, pulled out their weapons and waited for an order while thinking about what skills to use in the upcoming attack.


    Lurrgy reached behind his back and pulled out his war hammer. Big and black, it looked like something a demon would have. The black spike that poked through the flat end practically emitted an ominous vibe.


    ¡°You two don¡¯t use weapons?¡± Servi asked Kire and Rie, who were adjusting their armor.


    ¡°We do not. Do you?¡± Rie answered.


    ¡°I mainly use skills, but I guess I¡¯ll use a sword.¡± Servi brought out a sword from her ring that didn¡¯t have a scratch, and it fell gently in her outstretched hand.


    ¡°Woah, was that Dimensional Storage?! That¡¯s a Rank 4 skill!¡± said Ziq, his tail cautiously moving around.


    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s something like that." Servi shrugged as her weapon disappeared.


    ¡°Amazing. I never met a Rank 4 before. Can I shake your hand?!¡± Ziq walked up to Servi with his hand outstretched, but Kire stepped in front.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this shit. Get ready, both of you,¡± Feeling dejected, the Singi with the drooping tail scuttled back the other two members of the support team.


    That was a bit mean of him.


    ¡°Yeah, it was.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Everyone to your positions. Rie, Lurrgy, Blue, on me!¡± Kire barked out as Servi sighed.


    A few minutes later, Servi and the rest of the assault team were walking to the market''s entrance. Two guards stood out front, and both were yawning.


    ¡°Alright, Blue, take them out,¡± Kire ordered.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Using Telekinesis, Servi yanked the two guards and forcibly flew them over to her.


    Surprised, Rie asked why they aren¡¯t making noise.


    ¡°I shut their mouths with Telekinesis. They can¡¯t scream or beg for mercy. It¡¯s quite fun, you know. Having a helpless foe right in front, squirming and praying for help that will never come. It¡¯s the least they deserve for forcing children to live as slaves.¡± As Servi said that, Kire and Rie slowly backed away for a moment while Lurrgy silently laughed.


    ¡°That there¡¯s a girl who ain''t afraid to get down and dirty when the time comes. Kire, you could learn a bit from her,¡± said the Dwarf.


    When the floating guards reached the assault team, Servi asked Kire what to do.


    ¡°Kill them. I wouldn''t risk asking for information.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Servi said before the two floating guards had their necks rotated so that their chins faced the sky. A moment later, the airborne corpses disappeared, leaving behind two souls that sparkled like fireflies.


    Using Telekinesis required at least one anchor point to be created on an object. From that point, the user could grab onto it and manipulate the object using the point as a reference. By creating two points, one at the base of the neck and the other at the top of the head, Servi forced the top point left while forcing the bottom point to stay still. Human necks weren''t the standard when measuring toughness and resilience, so it was easy to predict that they would break with just a little bit of force.


    ¡°What did you do?! Their bodies are gone?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask.¡±


    Servi, I don¡¯t want to keep interrupting you with the acquisition of new skills, so I¡¯ll tell you later, okay?


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine, Itarr. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°And who is this Itarr you keep talking to?!¡± Kire was getting angry. Really angry. A human was supposed to be the weakest of the races that could talk and communicate, but the slender girl in front of him had more strength than him. It was upsetting.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you. All I can say is that this: Itarr is trustworthy.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit! If this Itarr can do all this, then why is she hiding?!¡±


    Servi turned to Rie. ¡°You better get him in line. That¡¯s all I¡¯m gonna say.¡±


    ¡°Kire, honey, just let her help us. We¡¯re outnumbered five to one, and we need her. I trust her.  Lurrgy, do you?¡±


    ¡°Aye, that I do.  Blue hasn''t done anything to make us suspicious, so let it go. Hell, if she wanted to kill us, then she would have done it already.¡±


    ¡°For the record, I don¡¯t kill innocent people. Only those who attack me or the helpless will die by my hand. Since slaves fall under the latter, I¡¯m quite happy to be doing this. Now are we gonna chat and shoot the shit, or are we gonna rescue the slaves?¡± Servi said, walking ahead. Now that the guards were gone, there was no point in wasting time.


    ¡°Shit¡­ Fine, I¡¯ll lead. You follow behind,¡± Kire begrudgingly said as he went to the front.


    ¡°Hold on, let me use Protection. I better use it multiple times.¡± Servi said as she used Skill Stack to apply it multiple times to the group.


    ¡°Aye? I thought Protection was one use only?¡±


    ¡°It is for regular people, but not for me. There are over fifty stacks of Protection on you three."


    ¡°Stacks?¡± Kire had a confusing look on his face.


    ¡°It means that it¡¯s powerful. Much, much, much, more powerful than regular Protection.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand,¡± Rie said as she followed behind Kire, who was at the entrance. A gate blocked their way as the two Koena went to either side. Right before their hand touched the metal they were going to pry open, the gate just disappeared. A barely noticeable red light flowed from where it used to be to Servi¡¯s ring.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± she said as she walked through the empty space that was previously occupied.


    Kire jogged slightly and resumed his point as the lead. Though he was desperately wanted to say something, he couldn¡¯t. Not while they were in enemy territory.


    The outdoor market was a wide-open space with little to cover the sun or moon. That meant it was perfect for Llara to keep an eye on the entire market. A small green bird sat on her shoulder as she used her excellent eyesight to scan. When she saw an enemy, she would whisper it to the bird, and it would fly to Kire, who received the message.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Servi asked when she saw it.


    Lurrgy was the one to answer her in a silent voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s a spirit that Llara summoned some time ago. It can carry voices from one place to the other. Very useful for situations like this.¡±


    The spirit bird nodded, having delivered its message, and flew back to its master.


    ¡°Look, Llara says there are five groups of three guards that regularly patrol.¡± Kire crouched down and told the group what the bird told him. They were currently hiding behind a stack of boxes very near the entrance.  They hadn''t made much progress at all.


    He continued. ¡°They don¡¯t have any dogs or animals, so we¡¯re good on that front. If Llara''s info is correct, they should be coming up very soon, but we can¡¯t wait. They¡¯re sure to notice the missing gate and sound the alarm, so we have to make the first move. We need to kill them before they find it.¡± He specifically looked at Servi when he mentioned the gate.


    ¡°Like finding bent bars is any less suspicious,¡± the gate-stealer replied.


    Ignoring her, Kire continued. ¡°We¡¯ll make our ways through the outside area and kill the guards we come across. Remember, we have to be stealthy. If any get away, Llara says she¡¯ll shoot them before they can sound the alarm.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Aye.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Having decided on a plan, the four crouched along using the stack of tall boxes used as a shield. When Servi had a moment to herself, she used a dagger to cut a small hole and peeked inside. It was empty, but Servi could smell blood and waste.


    ¡°Those bastards used these boxes to move the slaves, but why?¡± she asked aloud. It was Rie who answered.


    ¡°There¡¯s a high tax on legal slaves and no tax on illegal slaves. And since the owner of the market needs to go through the governor, they bring in slaves disguised as food or supplies. What happens is that the slavers bring them here in boxes, and the owner doesn¡¯t report them. It¡¯s a shady business.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Usually, Servi would absorb the boxes, but she didn¡¯t want that filth in her ring.


    Continuing to creep along, the group reached the end of their cover and had to go out in the open.


    ¡°Look right there,¡± Kire ordered Servi to peek around the boxes, and she saw a patrol. Three people were walking lazily and yawning. They were clearly not taking their job very seriously. ¡°That¡¯s the first group that Llara saw. When I give the signal, I want you, Lurrgy, and Rie to take them out, but do it silently.¡±


    ¡°Aye, that should be easy to do. I don''t see any helmets, and their necks are unprotected.¡± Lurrgy used a skill, and a moment later, a blue rope was in his hands.


    So he¡¯s going to use that rope skill?


    Rie, meanwhile, made a fist and cracked her knuckles.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch,¡± And with that, Kire gave the order for the attack. Even though they were facing them, the patrol unit froze at the sign of a Human, a Koena, and a Dwarf rushing them.


    Servi stayed back while the two rushed forward. Lurrgy used his short height to approach low, jumping at the last minute to wrap his rope around his foe''s neck. Lurrgy purposely tripped, and the Dwarf''s weight was enough to snap his enemy¡¯s neck instantly.


    Rie used her race¡¯s naturally superior strength to quickly strangle her opponent. Servi used Telekinesis to kill her enemy, a young human girl of about 17. She tried something new this time and used her skill to put pressure on the girl¡¯s chest from two different sides. After seeing the pain on her face as four or five types of liquids escaped from every orifice, Servi couldn¡¯t help but feel regret and sadness.


    But that soon faded when she glanced to the right. Servi saw a metal cage covered in blood and rust. A small picture stood beside it, and it was of a small girl. Servi realized what it was for.


    She couldn¡¯t forgive anyone for working at such a monstrous place where lives were sold on the daily. Regardless of her thoughts, the young guard¡¯s fate was imminent. Her chest couldn¡¯t hold against the Telekinesis as a hole suddenly appeared next to her breast. The heart inside the young girl exploded.  She died instantly.


    Servi absorbed the corpses and went back to Kire with the others.  To their surprise, they found him with his arms snug around the neck of an unfortunate bastard who tried to get the jump on Kire.


    ¡°Kire, what happened?¡± Rie asked as the guard finally died.


    ¡°He snuck up on me and tried to kill me, but when he swiped at me with the dagger, it bounced off.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my Protection at work. If the attack is weak enough, it¡¯ll just be deflected.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Thanks, I guess. Regardless, that guy was able to get the drop on me, so we need to hurry.¡±


    ¡°Aye. That¡¯s fine by me.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I gotta help out the other two, so the faster we get this done, the better,¡± Servi said while absorbing the would-be assassin''s corpse.


    Servi still had a long night ahead of her.

 Book One – Interlude – Part Four – Servi’s Nightly Stroll II – Attack on the Markets

    Not wanting to ask any questions that he was afraid to learn the answer to, Kire led the group out from the boxes they were hiding behind and into the open. From there, they ran into the area of the market where it got narrower and crowded, making the group move nearly shoulder to shoulder.


    They crept along, and Lurrgy had his weapon at the ready.


    ¡°Itarr, take all of the cages that we¡¯re within range of as we walk.¡±


    Got it.


    One by one, the stack of filthy cages disappeared, startling and surprising Kire and the others. But that wouldn¡¯t last long because they came upon the second patrol unit.


    The market layout was like a funnel, wide at the beginning, and then it shrunk into one lane that snaked around the entirety of the market. Right now, Servi and her new friends had just entered the funnel, meaning that there was nothing to their left or right behind the cages to take cover. The coops themselves were the wall. Not to mention, the funnel-shaped tunnel didn¡¯t even have a roof or anything covering the top. It was wide open as Servi glanced up for a quick moment to look at the awe-inspiring moon one more time.


    Why was it like that? The only one who knew was the market¡¯s designer.


    ¡°Wait, there are four guards this time instead of three. I guess it doesn''t matter. You each take the one in front of you.¡±


    Not waiting on any command, Servi used Telekinesis and yawned as she casually took yet another life. Kire, Rie, and Lurrgy all ran up and killed their respective enemies.


    This is too slow.


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    ¡°You agree with what?¡± Kire said as he watched Servi absorb the bodies.


    ¡°Can we speed it up a bit?¡±


    ¡°Now now, don¡¯t be hasty, Blue,¡± Rie said, smiling at the impatient girl. ¡°We can¡¯t rush something like this.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Servi sighed again as Kire moved ahead, slowly creeping along and keeping an eye on the area in front of them.


    The funnel-shaped lot had a total of five turns that Servi''s group had to take before they reached the back middle.  The stairs that led to the underground where the slaves were being held were located there.


    As they approached the second turn, Kire put his hand up. The second group of guards was approaching.


    ¡°The idiots have a torch. Here¡¯s the plan: I¡¯ll use a wind skill to blow out the fire. Their eyes are too used to the light it generates, so they¡¯ll be blind in the darkness.¡±


    Nodding, Servi waited for the fire to go out before she struck. Considering that this was a perfect moment to try out different ways to fight, Servi tried to combine skills and physical moves. She used Telekinesis to hold down her enemy and ran up with a sword drawn. With Soul Essence of Primal Combat, she knew the exact spot to slice.


    Servi quickly absorbed her foe''s head and body while gripping her blade. To her left and right were two more corpses. Lurrgy used his ice rope and Rie her fists.


    Servi wanted to try out Lightning Smash and Combination Skill: Venti Aqua, but she felt like those would make too much noise.


    The group made their way through the third and fourth turn, encountering no guards. Finally, they went through the last turn and saw eleven guards standing in front of a black iron fence that protected a set of spiral stairs descending downward.


    ¡°That¡¯s our way in, but eleven? This is gonna be tough,¡± Kire said while racking his brain for ideas. It was four against eleven in an enclosed area, which theoretically meant they should have the advantage, but that necessarily wasn¡¯t the case. It was possible the final eleven guards were the strongest the market had to offer. They were the last stand against any would-be intruders.


    ¡°Not really. Want me to take care of it?¡± Servi casually asked.


    ¡°If you think you can, then do it,¡± Kire said. ¡°We¡¯ll be right here, ready to rush in.¡±


    ¡°Itarr, can you do it?¡±


    Yes, I can.


    In an instant, eleven swords floated around Servi like a sentient shield. Itarr used Telekinesis to manipulate the weapons.  She effectively controlled them like a remote control airplane. It was something that had been stewing in Servi''s mind for a while, and this was the perfect chance to test it out.


    ¡°Yer gonna fly the swords in?¡± Lurrgy asked, but Servi shook her head.


    ¡°No, Itarr is. Controlling and directing eleven items are too much for me.¡±


    After she spoke, the eleven swords launched forward, like fighter jets taking off of a runway. They flew and danced through the air as the first sword reached its target, cutting off her head. The other blades did the same thing, and a concert of death and blood spontaneously occurred. Arms and legs and heads danced and spun in every direction, covering everything in a thick layer of blood. Before long, eleven souls floated over to Servi.


    The bloody swords flew back to Servi before disappearing. Turning to look at her companions and their shocked expressions, she had to stifle a laugh.


    ¡°Come on, we gotta go¡± Servi jogged to the bodies and absorbed them. Since her back was turned, Servi wasn¡¯t able to see their panic look shifting to absolute horror.


    ¡°Lurrgy?¡±


    ¡°Aye?¡±


    ¡°That human absolutely terrifies me,¡± Kire said with a quiver in his voice. What he just witnessed was a performance of murder and death, and the maestro didn¡¯t even bat an eye. Hell, she almost giggled.


    ¡°Be thankful she¡¯s on our side,¡± Rie added on. Her purple scales slowly shook from fear. Even though she should be happy that the damn Humans who enslaved her kin were dying, the way they passed from this world to the next was brutal.


    ¡°Rie, let¡¯s go. We¡¯re so close to our goal,¡± Kire held out his scaly hand, and she took as they walked through the bloody area.  It was surreal to watch the bodies disappear from existence. Lurrgy followed behind with his war hammer at the ready.


    ¡°Finally. Here, I got rid of the fence. All we gotta do is go down,¡± Servi said, descending the spiral stairs. The three companions followed her.


    The stairs themselves were metallic and rusted, and Servi could spot a bit of dried blood that didn¡¯t come from her victims. After descending for a few seconds, Servi found herself in a small square room. The door in front of her didn''t have a handle, so it only opened from one side.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯ll get rid of the door, and you three charge in. The bastards on the other side shouldn¡¯t be expecting anything,¡± she waited for all three to nod before she got to work.


    You know, you¡¯ve really gotten better at this. If this was the first day, something like this door would¡¯ve taken a few minutes, and now you can get it in thirty seconds. I¡¯m proud of you.


    ¡°Thanks, Itarr,¡± Servi said.


    ¡°Do I even want to ask?¡± Kire pondered aloud as he took a stance.


    ¡°She said she¡¯s proud of me. That¡¯s all you need to know,¡± Servi replied. ¡°Be ready. Three seconds.¡±


    Lurrgy adjusted his grip on his weapon, and Rie took a deep breath.


    The moment the door disappeared, the three rushed in.  The unexpected attack had caught everyone inside off guard.


    It was a slaughter, but it wasn¡¯t silent. A few guards managed to get a scream out right before a hammer crushed their skulls. While the massacre was happening, Servi stayed back and used Telekinesis to support the three fighting companions.  When she had the time, she played the janitor role by absorbing corpses.


    Perhaps it was due to her inexperience, but Servi saw a half-dead Human with part of his head crushed reach up and press a button on the wall. She didn¡¯t think anything of it because she thought he would be dead soon, and she didn¡¯t know what that button did.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Kire yelled out as a nearby door opened up, and tens of armed slavers rushed into what they¡¯d assume was an easy win. It was twenty of them versus four, but they didn¡¯t realize that one of the four was a monster in human clothing.


    Thanks to the numerous skill-capable souls Servi had absorbed since the raid started, her unique ability of Skill Stacking had grown dramatically.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill the reinforcements,¡± Servi said as she walked to the newly arrived group. They all had helmets. She couldn¡¯t see their faces, but that didn¡¯t matter. In a matter of seconds, all twenty of their necks instantly snapped to the right. Their bodies soon disappeared as twenty more souls flowed into her ring.


    ¡°Thanks for that!¡± Rie said with her fist in the chest of a man. She pulled out his heart and crushed it before moving on to the next enemy.  She completely ignored the crimson blood splashing about on her purple scales, dripping down while leaving long red streaks.


    It didn''t take long for Rie and the others to finish everything up. The room was silent except for the exasperated breathing of Kire, Rie, and Lurrgy. While they caught their breath, Servi walked around and absorbed the corpses and furniture that littered the room. She didn¡¯t know when it would come in handy, but she had unlimited storage in her ring.  If there was even a fraction of a chance she could use them, she would go through the slight trouble to absorb it.


    ¡°Do ya¡­think that¡¯s¡­.all of them?¡± Lurrgy said in between breaths.


    ¡°Maybe?¡± Rie answered.


    ¡°Our scouts didn¡¯t come this far in, so we¡¯re blind from here on out. Our best bet is to go through the doors the reinforcements came from,¡± commanded Kire. He walked through the door without waiting to hear any replies.


    Servi and the other two followed him, and they came to a large room filled with jail cells. They were on the top floor, and from over the guardrail, they could see at least one more rail and the bottom floor.


    ¡°Wait, so this is where the slaves are being held?! And there are three of these markets?!!" Servi yelled, her body surging with anger. Her loud voice got the attention of a set of guards standing at the ready nearby. Before they even opened their mouths, their heads were separated from their bodies as Servi lifted them up and tossed them over the rail. Cries of fear and sadness erupted from the unfortunate souls who were nearby when the bodies landed.


    ¡°Blue?¡± Rie exclaimed, but Servi was so upset she couldn¡¯t hear.


    ¡°Itarr. Kill everyone except the slaves.¡±


    As you wish.


    Servi put her hand to the rusty railing and hopped over, her black hair fluttering as she fell. She landed with a heavy thump, and once her companions heard screaming, they rushed over.


    ¡°What the¡­???!!!!¡± they didn¡¯t even know what to expect. Servi, the girl they know as Blue, stood perfectly still. Fifteen bodies, all broken and battered and twisted to half their size, laid around her in a somewhat symmetrical pattern.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?!! Too fucking afraid when a real challenge comes around?!¡± though it might have looked like she was yelling to a crowd, it was only a single person. A young boy was all that was left alive after her slaughter.


    ¡°Do you think I''m gonna take it easy on you?!¡±


    ¡°Please, no!!! I¡ª¡± the boy who couldn¡¯t be older than fourteen or fifteen tragically tried to explain himself, but Servi would not have it. She didn¡¯t bother using Telekinesis.  No, Servi wanted to make this personal.  She drew a blade from her ring and walked up to the boy.  He tried his best to move, but he was paralyzed by the poison known as fear.  In a swift motion, she cleaved his head from his shoulders.  Servi dropped her blade and absorbed it along with the parts of the boy she had just killed.


    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s all of them! Come down here!¡± She yelled, covered in the blood that squirted out when Itarr twisted and contorted the bodies.


    ¡°Remind me to never, ever, ever, make her angry. I¡¯m damn sure she¡¯s strong enough to take on an army¡­.¡± Lurrgy said, feeling a chill in his beard.


    Kire agreed, and the two made their way down to Servi.  They saw her staring through the thin gaps of a jail cell.  Waste littered the stone floor, and it didn¡¯t even have a bed. It was just a small rectangle, and if Servi laid down, she¡¯d be too big for it by about 150 centimeters.


    The three walked over to her and saw a young girl, not even older than five, cowering against the wall naked. Her little hands covered her private parts as tears filled her eyes. Bright red lines went down her arms and legs. Servi heard a sound, looked down, and saw yellow liquid running down the girl''s leg before it intermingled with the brown excrement that littered the floor.


    ¡°Shit, we overdid it. Look, that little girl will never talk to me after she saw what I did, so I¡¯ll take care of the gate and leave some clothes. It¡¯s your job to convince them, alright?¡±


    ¡°Aye. We can handle that much.¡±


    Servi took out another table she got from the Rude Crystal and placed clothes and blankets on it. Next, she went around to each jail cell on the bottom floor and absorbed the gatekeeping it shut.


    ¡°Aye, that¡¯s a good lad. Come to Lurrgy. We¡¯re here to rescue you,¡± Lurrgy did his best to wave over a little dwarf boy that was missing an eye, but he wouldn¡¯t budge. It wasn¡¯t until he saw the young girl of around five years old come out that he did.


    He walked over to the table, and she had the biggest smile on her.


    ¡°Rwaky, you here?¡± she cutely mumbled her words as Rie did her best to put clothes on the girl. Due to the red marks on her arms, she couldn¡¯t lift them above her neck. Nor could she even walk well ¨C she had to slide her feet across the nasty floor.


    ¡°I am,¡± he turned to Lurrgy. ¡°Are we really free?¡±


    ¡°Aye. You¡¯re free now. We¡¯re gonna take you out of here.¡±


    He stared at the black bracelet around his arm.


    ¡°Aye, don¡¯t worry about it. Blue over there can take em¡¯ off.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s scary¡­¡± the red-marked girl said.


    ¡°She might be, but she means well,¡± Rie replied.


    About this time, Servi walked back to the table with a crowd of little girls and boys following behind her.


    ¡°Wow!! Miss Lady made the mean bars and bad guys disappear,¡± one of them said.


    ¡°Umm¡­this isn¡¯t a lie, is it? Are we gonna be punished? I can¡¯t take any more pain¡­.¡± the tallest one said. He was an Elf with one arm.  A section of his jaw wasn''t there, revealing the whites of his teeth and pinks of his gum.


    ¡°Lad, it¡¯s no joke, and it¡¯s no lie. We¡¯re gonna take all of ye to freedom, but you have to be silent and follow our directions, okay?¡±


    They all silently nodded as Lurrgy directed them to the table of clothes. For some reason, all of the slaves in this market were naked and young, further upsetting Servi.


    I can¡¯t wait to burn this place to the ground. This whole area is making me sick. Itarr said. Servi would have to agree. The market believed the lives of certain people to be nothing more than property to buy and sell.


    After making sure the children on the bottom floor were rescued and clothed, they moved to the second floor and repeated the same. Afterwards, they did the same with the third and final floor.


    Servi and Itarr did one more final check before they came back up the stairs. The large group, probably around 60 or 70, were in a single file line.


    ¡°This is all of them,¡± Servi reported to Kire.  He was at the end of the line. He explained to Servi that she was to take the front while Rie and Lurrgy took the middle, and he¡¯ll bring up the rear.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m sorry for the way I acted early. I just¡ª¡± Kire was trying to apologize, something that was extremely difficult for him to do but couldn¡¯t before he was interrupted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Let¡¯s just get these kids to safety. I¡¯ll take off their bracelets now.¡±


    Servi started from the end and put her hand to each bracelet, absorbing them while using Remedium to heal any wounds. Though she tried her best, some injuries were just too old and gruesome that even she was unable to cure them. She apologized to those individuals, who only said they were grateful they were finally being rescued.


    ¡°Wow¡­. Are we really being free?¡±


    ¡°Look, sister! It¡¯s gone!¡±


    ¡°Dolly¡­¡­¡±


    A vast array of emotions came out from each child when their explosive shackle disappeared. Some were angry and mad that their late friends weren¡¯t here to be rescued, and others were ecstatic and bursting with joy.


    ¡°And there you go. I¡¯m sorry you saw me at my worst. I swear I¡¯m a good person,¡± Servi whispered to the girl with red marks. The fright in her heart disappeared when her black bracelet did.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome! This might be scary, but bear with it, ok? I¡¯m gonna pick you up now, ok?¡±


    ¡°Ok¡­.¡± she flinched as Servi gently lifted the girl with Telekinesis.


    ¡°Itarr, keep her safe and don¡¯t let her bump into anything.¡±


    Of course.


    With that, Servi, the floating girl, and the line of slaves all retraced her steps.  It didn''t take long until they found themselves looking up at the moon high above.  Only this time, they weren''t looking at it from within the disgusting and inhumane cages.


    Unfortunately, the blood from the little massacre remained.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, kiddies, don¡¯t look down. Just stare straight ahead,¡± Lurrgy said, encouraging the kids to look ahead and not see the blood that they¡¯re currently stepping in.


    Reaching the entrance after following that ridiculously long narrow pathway, the clangs of blades clashing and people grunting could be heard. Servi saw Miu and Mii engaged in combat with three guards. Two had swords, and the last held a bow.


    ¡°Itarr, put her down gently and get ready. Rie, Lurrgy, stay here,¡± though she wasn¡¯t the commander, Servi still ordered them as she ran over to the battle. The enemy with the bow launched an arrow at Mii, who flinched and cowered, but Servi managed to stop it just before it entered her body with Telekinesis.


    Turning around, Mii smiled and thanked Servi before getting back to fighting.


    Servi sent the arrow back to the shooter, piercing through his helmet''s eyeholes and killing him instantly. She then used absorb to steal the armor of the two enemies Miu and Mii were fighting. The two Singi used that momentary confusion to charge forward and stab their daggers in their hearts.


    Servi looked around. There were ten bodies littered with arrows lying around. Servi looked up. She saw Llara the Elf waving as she climbed down the building in a way only an Elf could do.


    ¡°Blue!¡± Miu said as they ran up to her.


    ¡°Thanks a lot for the save! I owe you my life!¡± Mii said.


    ¡°Lurrgy, Rie, Kire, come on!¡± Servi shouted. A moment later, Kire walked out in front of the line carrying the girl with red marks.


    ¡°Thank goodness!¡± Llara sighed in relief as she put a hand to her chest. Now that her mission was over, she could finally relax a little.


    ¡°It¡¯s all of them. And the slavers are all dead. We have nothing to worry about,¡± Kire said.


    Miu and Mii walked up to the line of slaves and crouched down.


    ¡°My name is Miu, and this is Mii. I¡¯m sure you all had a bad time, but that¡¯s all about to change! We¡¯re here to guide you all to a better place.¡± They stood up, and Miu spoke to the adults. ¡°Rie, Lurrgy, Kire, we¡¯ll gonna go ahead and get moving.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a fine idea. We¡¯ll be along shortly after we destroy the market,¡± Kire said. Llara, along with Haq, Haqi, and Ziq, went with the two Singi. Along the way, those in the support group used healing skills to heal any injuries they could, but that was useless because Servi already healed them the best she could.


    ¡°Just curious,¡± Rie asked Servi after they were out of earshot. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you heal the girl with the red marks? I noticed that some of their wounds were gone, but you didn¡¯t do anything to the girl.¡±


    ¡°I tried too. I used Remedium as many times as I could when I removed the bracelets, but the marks wouldn''t go away.¡±


    ¡°Then maybe it¡¯s a curse? Who would curse a slave?¡±


    ¡°Can you get rid of it?¡± asked Servi.


    Rie shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Maybe? It depends on the nature of the curse, but we have to wait until we¡¯re back at the base.¡±


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt, but we need to destroy the market,¡± Kire said.


    ¡°I got it. It¡¯s a good thing the kids left,¡± Servi said as fifty fireballs, at least two meters in diameter, appeared overhead.  They materialized from nowhere, like an ethereal guardian who only showed up with their master needed them. The damage one could cause was substantial.  The damage fifty could cause was catastrophic.


    ¡°If they saw me do this, then they¡¯d never stop being afraid¡­¡±


    ¡°Greater Fireball?!! And so many?!¡± Rie gasped as Servi sent the mental command to launch. Rie, Kire, and Lurrgy all ran away as far as they could, leaving Servi alone.


    The intense light illuminated everything nearby, destroying  shadows while the heat began to vaporize the spilled blood inside the markets.


    Though they were only two meters wide, they were so packed and infused with Skill Energy that the resulting explosion from a single one colliding with the ground was more than twenty meters big. The market was instantly destroyed in a sea of glorious fire that baptized the area, burning away the horrible sins that happened here. The moment it looked like the sea would spread over, fifty walls of fire appeared above Servi and formed the shape of a gigantic dome. It floated over to the burning market and enclosed it, allowing the fire inside to rage as hard and fierce as it wanted to.


    I used Fire Wall to make an enclosed area. This way, we do not need to worry about it spreading like in the forest. In addition, the information about Greater Fireball appeared in our minds the moment you used it. I made sure to set it that it¡¯ll burn out automatically in four hours. There''s one more thing. I could do the same with the Fire Wall, so I configured it to expire at the same time.


    ¡°Thank you, Itarr,¡± Servi said as she jogged over to where her three companions stood.  Their mouths were wide in shock and fear.


    ¡°What in the goddamn?!?¡±


    ¡°Aye. It¡¯s like looking at the devil¡¯s home.¡±


    ¡°Blue?!!!¡±


    The three cried out, showing their reactions in different ways. With a giant dome of fire spreading more than five city blocks, it was like a miniature sun formed on the ground. Even standing thirty meters away wasn''t enough.  Well, it wouldn''t be enough for Humans. The two Koena were alright because of their scaly skin, and Lurrgy was fine because a Dwarf was used to hot heat. Servi, immortal and not affected by anything that would discomfort her, was also fine.


    ¡°This is fine, right? The market is destroyed, the fire will draw attention, and the other two targets will probably be less defended. It¡¯s a good distraction, yeah?¡±


    ¡°What are you? Who are you?¡± Kire said, feeling weak in his knees at such an overwhelming display of strength. He always thought humans were weak and pathetic, but he was wrong today.


    ¡°Can¡¯t answer that. Now, I¡¯m gonna need a favor. Where is the next market at?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you myself, but I got one more question," Kire said.  He had to dig deep for a source of strength to continue in the face of such overwhelming firepower.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Servi simply replied.


    ¡°...If you wanted to, could you destroy the world?¡± Rie asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Servi said to a collective sigh of relief, but that soon faded when she continued.


    ¡°Not right now. Later? Yes. Very easy. But I have no desire to do that. I just want to live my life and try to be happy. I¡¯ll help people if I want to, and I won¡¯t kill the innocent.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°What? I answered your question truthfully. I don¡¯t want to destroy the world. My best friend is here, and they¡¯ll be mad and disappointed if I did something stupid.¡±


    ¡°Your friend is the reason?¡± Rie asked.


    ¡°That''s right,¡± Servi answered.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Lads, I suggest ye hurry up,¡± Lurrgy said, putting his ear to the ground. ¡°I feel the footsteps, and they¡¯re awfully close by.¡±


    ¡°Alright, here¡¯s the plan. I¡¯ll take Blue to the next market. You and Rie will go to the hideout and make sure the tunnel is there. If you see the boss, tell them that the first is done, and Blue is on her way to the second with me.¡±


    ¡°Aye. I¡¯ll do it. You ready, Rie?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± She walked over and embraced Kire before kissing him. ¡°Please come back safe,¡± she turned to Servi. ¡°I know he¡¯s been rude, but please keep him safe. He¡¯s all the family I have left.¡±


    Servi used Protection on Lurrgy, Rie, Kire, and finally herself, making sure to stack it to her new limit before taking a sword and slamming it into Kire. He jumped back in fright and fear of being suddenly attacked. As she predicted, the blade not only bounced off but shattered into thousands of pieces.


    ¡°Not even I could get through my Protection with physical attacks. Kire only needs to watch out for skills," Servi said.  She had a slight smile on her face.


    ¡°What the hell was that for?! What if your Protection didn¡¯t work?!¡± Rie lashed out at Servi for obvious reasons but, she just shrugged.


    ¡°Because I tested it on me yesterday with an enchanted dagger. It couldn¡¯t get through 50 stacks, let alone 148. Trust me, there¡¯s no weapon I have on me that could break through these barriers. It¡¯d take something enormous, like a building dropping on him. Even then, that might not be enough.¡±


    ¡°You could¡¯ve warned him!¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, like I¡¯m gonna say, ¡®just stand still while I take this sword and stab you.¡¯ Would you do it if I asked? A complete stranger? I didn¡¯t think so.¡±


    Rie growled angrily and grabbed Lurrgy by his beard as they walked away. ¡°Ow!! Dammit, woman, that¡¯s my beard!!¡± he complained.


    ¡°Look, let¡¯s just go to the second site, alright?¡± Kire said.  He sighed.  What he had just went through, the power he had seen, and the sheer strength of something strange was enough to mentally drain him.


    ¡°You can thank me later,¡± Servi said, to which Kire asked what she meant by it. She just said the same thing, and they walked to the second slave market, making sure to take the back roads.

 Book One – Interlude – Part Five – Servi’s Nightly Stroll II – Attack on the Markets

    Ten minutes later, as they approached the building where the second group of associates was in, Servi and Kire stood out of the way as a company of guards hastily ran by.


    ¡°Haha, there¡¯s no way they can get rid of that fire. It¡¯s set to automatically go out in a few hours, so they just have to wait. If they try, then there¡¯s a massive fire burning inside the dome that¡¯ll just reheat the outside if they try to cool it down. They¡¯ll try and try, leaving us with enough time to rescue the slaves here. Was that your original plan, Itarr?¡±


    No. I wanted to contain the fire.


    ¡°What¡¯d she say? Did she know that would happen?¡± Kire asked. Servi noticed that he was nicer to her. They walked into a similar-looking ruined building and made their way up the stairs.


    ¡°She said she didn¡¯t. She wanted to contain the fire.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Reaching a black door, Kire knocked in a pattern, and Servi heard a click. The door opened, allowing the two to walk inside.  They were met with some very frantic and alarmed people.


    ¡°Kire?! Oh, thank the Gods above you¡¯re here! Look, man, the market is on fire! What about the slaves?! Oh Gods, we didn¡¯t save them?! Tell me you saved them!¡± A teenage Singi scrambled over to Kire and pointed out the window. Even from here, the massive dome looked so big and intimidating, like it was an eye of a devil who woke up.


    ¡°Calm down, Scratch,¡± Kire said, chopping the boy on the head between his yellow ears. ¡°The slaves are fine. Miu, Mii, Llara, Hue, Haqi, Ziq, Rie, and Lurrgy are escorting them. Blue here is the one who summoned that dome of fire.¡±


    ¡°It was Itarr who did it, not me,¡± she said, correcting him.


    The group of people scattered around came close while Servi, Scratch, and Kire were talking.


    ¡°Blue? Itarr? Wait, a Human?! Kire, you hate Humans. Why would you ev¡ªhhhmmmpppp!!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you fool,¡± Kire used his massive hands to shut the Singi¡¯s mouth while he explained. ¡°I made an exception for her. She healed up Rie¡¯s arm so good it was like it was never broken to begin with. And she managed to take off those damn bracelets and opened the jail cells. And she saved my life,¡± he removed his hand, and Scratch nodded.


    Kire then talked to the group. ¡°Listen up! This is Blue! She¡¯ll be taking part in the raid. That dome of fire you see over there? She, or rather someone she¡¯s very close with, did it. But don¡¯t take that to mean she¡¯s weak. If she wanted to, she could¡¯ve destroyed this whole town in a matter of minutes, but she decided to lend us her strength! If you have a problem with her, then you have a problem with me!¡±


    A female Elf who sat on a piece of rubble spoke up. ¡°If you say she¡¯s good, then I¡¯m down with it,¡± Servi could see her wince in pain as she slowly adjusted her foot.


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re gonna win!!¡±


    ¡°Alright! Alright! Quiet down. Now, tell me what you have on this market.¡±


    ¡°Well, we know the slaves are kept in their cages at all times, and there¡¯s no underground storage. We scouted around and counted at least 42 guards. Divided three ways for the three buildings, we expect each building to have anywhere from 13 to 15 enemies. But we don¡¯t know what to do about the cages and bracelets. We don¡¯t have a key,¡± Scratch said, his ears drooping when he got to the end of his sentence.


    ¡°I can handle the cages and bracelets." Servi demonstrated what she meant by taking a sword out of her ring by making it appear in different places using Absorption.


    ¡°Dimensional Storage?! Hell yeah, dude, she¡¯s at least Rank 4!¡±


    ¡°Not exactly, but close enough. Regardless, don¡¯t worry about the bracelets or any injuries. Speaking of that, anyone who''s hurt, no matter how small or minor it may be, raise your hand.¡±


    ¡°You guys might want to listen to her. Her healing skills are incredible, and we need everyone to be in tip-top shape,¡± Kire said. A few hands immediately shot up.


    Servi noticed the Elf with an injured foot had her hand up. She decided that would be her first patient.


    ¡°What¡¯s hurting ya?¡± Servi cheerfully asked. She didn¡¯t know it until now, but she liked healing people. Was Servi a nurse or doctor before she lost her memories?


    ¡°My foot. I got a nasty cut across it a few days ago, and none of us knew a strong enough healing skill. And we couldn¡¯t afford a healer who did,¡± the Elf took off her boot to reveal a black sock that used to be white. More than that, an ungodly stench wafted up, forcing everyone around her to nearly vomit.  The Elf teared up at such a reaction.


    ¡°It¡¯s gonna hurt, but bear with me,¡± Servi grabbed the top of the sock and slowly slid it off as the over-saturated cloth dripped black blood. The Elf winced in pain, groaning when Servi was met with some resistance. The fabric around the Elf''s foot was nearly glued to her foot by way of black crimson.


    Once it was off, Servi saw how bad it was.


    It was a lengthy black cut that was infested to the point yellow blisters had started to form. Thanks to Servi¡¯s Immortality, the horrid and rotten smell didn¡¯t bother her. Using a cautious touch, Servi gently used her finger to touch the area around the cut.  Servi''s finger accidentally glanced against it, and the Elf yelped and jumped in pain.


    ¡°Itarr, how much Potential do we have?¡±


    176


    ¡°And how much are the next level healing skills?¡±


    The Rank 6 skill requires 35 Potential. The Rank 1 needs 100.


    ¡°Alright, if this doesn¡¯t work, get the Rank 6. Let¡¯s do all 156 stacks.¡±


    Right!


    While Servi was stacking Remedium, a process that took a few seconds, the Elf asked Kire what just happened.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who this Itarr person is, but Blue obviously trusts her. Stacking? Well, I don¡¯t know either, but I can show you an example,¡± Kire looked down at his wrist and saw that the Protection flower had a few petals left.


    ¡°Scratch!¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Take out your dagger and stab my arm.¡±


    ¡°What?! No, I can¡¯t do that!¡± Scratched stepped back. He and the group had a frazzled look on their faces.


    ¡°Just do it! This is the only way for me to show it.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say, but you better not hit me.¡±


    Scratch reluctantly took his dagger and stabbed it into Kire¡¯s arm.  As the Koena expected, it bounced back. But Scratch didn¡¯t expect it. He had purposely kept a loose grip on his weapon so he wouldn''t hurt his friend.  It escaped his grasp and bounced off a wall behind him.


    As Scratch retrieved it, Kire explained. ¡°That was the Rank 10 skill known as Protection.¡±


    A Dwarf walked up. ¡°Bullshit. Protection''s too weak to stop all the damage from an attack.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the truth. Blue''s can ¡®stack¡¯ the effect of skills. Or something like that. I don¡¯t really understand it, but if what she says is correct, I have 156 ¡®stacks¡¯ of Protection on me right now.¡±


    ¡°But just think of the Skill Energy required! Protection doesn¡¯t use a lot, but the energy requires to use it 156 times adds up! It¡¯s impossible!¡± a female Singi with glasses spoke up. She held a mystical-looking staff in her robe-covered hands. Her weapon was a black pole that seemed to suck in light with a small red jewel on top, and it was transparent to those around that she was well versed in the ways of skills.


    ¡°That may be so, but I saw her, or Itarr, or someone, hell I don¡¯t know. But I saw fifty Greater Fireballs materialize above her before they smashed into the market.¡±


    ¡°FIFTY!!!!! That is so utterly impossible! I won¡¯t, and I can¡¯t believe it! Even I can¡¯t use Fireball more than five times without feeling woozy, and she can use GREATER FIREBALL FIFTY TIMES?!!!¡± The glasses-wearing Singi fell to the ground in disbelief with her red tail drooping along with its master.


    ¡°I know what I saw, and I saw what I saw.¡±


    While Kire talked to the group, Servi finished with her stacking and let loose Remedium. It fluttered about before congregating on her foot. As the icky, black, disease-ridden skin faded away, her beautiful pale skin took its rightful place. Servi looked up and saw her patient was staring at her.


    ¡°Red eyes?¡± she asked.  Servi froze up for a second or two before responding.


    ¡°Blue.¡±


    ¡°Why the mask?¡±


    ¡°Keep asking questions, and I¡¯ll stop the healing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Good. Well, the infested skin is gone. I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s a faint scar. Put some weight on it,¡± Servi stood up and walked back, giving the Elf the space to stand up. She did so gently at first, starting with her toes before pressing her foot on the ground. The Elf limped for a second or two before walking. Then, she jogged and eventually broke into a small sprint.


    ¡°How is it?¡± Servi asked.  The Elf surprised her with a hug.


    She whispered and teared up. ¡°Thank you so much. I¡¯m sorry I tried to pry¡­ For something like this, I should¡¯ve known you wanted to keep your identity a secret. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Servi hugged back. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    She broke off from the hug and asked around. ¡°Anyone else?¡± A large number of hands raised up.


    Servi walked around to each person and healed a variety of wounds. Some were minor cuts and bruises, while others were a sprained ankle or a broken finger. As she was healing the last patient¡¯s broken thumb, a glasses-wearing Singi with a staff walked over and interrogated Servi.  Her red tail whipped in anger and envy, responding to the emotions of its master.


    ¡°What you¡¯re doing right now is impossible," she said.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°Even if it was possible, this so-called ¡®stacking¡¯ should be impossible without a staff. And even then, the staff would have to be incredibly powerful AND able to repeat actions multiple times! And that¡¯s currently impossible. It has to be!"


    ¡°Why¡¯s a staff so important anyway?¡± she asked as her Dwarf patient moved his thumb back and forth. He profusely thanked Servi and walked off to talk to Kire.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know! Hahaha¡­.¡± the Singi sadly chuckled to herself. ¡°How can someone with so much power not know that?!¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t. Oh wait, how could someone not do something so simple as stacking?! Hahaha¡­.¡± Servi replied in a mocking tone. That angered the Singi. ¡°Look,¡± Servi continued in her regular tone, free of mocking, ¡°don¡¯t assume that knowledge that is common to you is common to everyone. It¡¯s not. Everyone has their own story. Me? Well, I know nothing about staffs like you don¡¯t know about Skill Stacking.¡±


    The Singi let Servi¡¯s words resonate within her mind for a moment before sighing. ¡°Fine, I¡¯m sorry. A staff multiplies a skill¡¯s power before it¡¯s used. For example, Fireball and Fire Wall will be both hotter and stronger, and Electric Touch and Lightning Orb will deliver a more powerful shock. For a skill user like me, it¡¯s both my sword and shield. In short, a personalized staff is one of the most important items a skill user can invest in."


    ¡°I see. Maybe I should get one. Itarr, how powerful would we be?¡±


    There¡¯s no way for me to tell without actually using one.


    ¡°Itarr?¡± the Singi asked.


    ¡°A very close friend and someone I love very much.¡±


    I love you too, Servi.


    ¡°A very close friend that you can talk with? Someone we can¡¯t see¡­.. Perhaps.. a spirit?" The Singi placed a finger to her chin. "Are you possessed?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t answer that,¡± Servi answered as she walked over to Kire. The entire group, sans Servi and the Singi, were around him as he gave a final talk.


    Servi arrived to a chorus of applause.


    ¡°Enough! Enough!¡± Kire boomed over the clapping. ¡°Everybody check and double-check your equipment. We¡¯re about to start!¡±


    Five minutes later, Servi, the Elf with the once-infected foot, the Singi with the glasses and staff, Kire, and all the others stood in front of a pair of frightened guards. They twitched and shook with something like excitement but also regret and fear. Their first battle against a powerful group of individuals was terrible luck on their part.


    ¡°I suppose you aren¡¯t gonna let us in?¡± asked Servi.


    ¡°Ge-Get back now! This ain¡¯t the place for you filthy Demis!¡± the left had somehow scrounged up the courage to speak.


    ¡°Blue, can you do the honors? A display of your power is sure to convince those in the group who still harbor doubts.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Servi, for the umpteenth time, used Telekinesis to snap the necks of the young guards and stored the bodies in her ring. After that, it was child''s play to absorb the gate that blocked them from entering.


    ¡°No. Nonononononono! Impossible!¡± the staff-wielding glasses-wearing Singi went to her knees. ¡°That was Telekinesis!! Invoking skills without speaking isn¡¯t something that¡¯s supposed to exist¡­.¡± she said so silently that no one heard her. The Elf that had the foot injury crouched down and helped the Singi back to her feet.


    ¡°Come on, we have some saving to do.  That Blue is clearly powerful, and she''s hiding something.  But it''s not our place to question her.  She''s helping us."


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Sorry about that,¡± after meekly apologizing, the Singi and Elf hurried to join up with their group. Though it should¡¯ve been a battle at night, Itarr¡¯s dome of fire illuminated nearly the entire city.  It wouldn¡¯t be long until the curse of panic ran throughout Canary like a virus.


    This market was different from the one Servi had come from. It was smaller, with no underground cells to mentally torment slaves, and it wasn''t funnel-shaped. Three large and long buildings stood parallel from each other.


    ¡°Follow the plan and break into two teams for two buildings. Blue is on her own, and she¡¯ll take care of the last one. Make sure to keep in contact. We shouldn¡¯t have to worry about any reinforcements because of Blue¡¯s fire dome. That''s a big enough distraction by itself, so spread out and kill everything. After that, we can go ahead and rescue the slaves.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Servi said. She was the first to break off from the group and ran towards her assigned building. It was made of metal and had a black roof. The doors that led into it were big and heavy, only able to be opened on the inside by the guards who had the night shift. There weren¡¯t any windows, so it was likely those inside had no idea what was going on.


    ¡°Can we absorb the building?¡± Servi asked.


    We can, but it''ll take us hours.  Our Absorption isn''t strong enough.


    ¡°Damn. Well, might as well get to it,¡± even though the door had no visible handles, Servi¡¯s Telekinesis could create an anchor point on the door and slide it up.  A part of her wished she didn''t because it revealed a dark and horrifying sight that stained her eyes.


    Small cages were littered in an ironic neat line that spanned the length of the building. Each one had a person inside that was forced to bend and crouch in a painful way to fit.


    ¡°Whaaz? It ain¡¯t time yet fer changing!¡± a large man asleep nearby on a chair woke up.  The screeching of the door opening was loud enough to wake him.


    It took him a moment to realize the door was being opened from the outside.


    Servi didn¡¯t give him any chance to speak or act before she charged forward. She summoned a sword from her ring and sliced downward, cutting off half of his face. It messily slid down, revealing an inside look at his brain and teeth. Then she quickly ran to a cage that held a child and spoke softly. The little child inside had her mouth open.  She was about to scream.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to save you and all the others, but you gotta be brave for me. Can you do that?¡± Servi asked.  Her voice was sweet like syrup, yet it contained more kindness than the little girl had ever received in her horrible life.


    The frightened Dwarf child nodded her head as she stared at the mask her potential savior wore.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good girl. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Servi stood up, walked back to the guy she killed, and absorbed his corpse.  Turning her head, she quickly analyzed the path she would take. The walkway wasn¡¯t that big, maybe enough for two or three people to walk side to side, though the lines of cages on either side made it look smaller.


    Further ahead, two people were asleep, standing against a support beam. It was comically easy for Servi to walk up to each one and stab their hearts. Absorbing the bodies, it was about this time that the slaves in this building yelled and screamed. Usually, they¡¯d be dead asleep, stressed, and worn out from standing all day and doing what their potential masters ordered them to do. But that changed when a young Elf boy turned in his cage. The light coming from the faraway dome fluttered in his eyes. It was a mix of seeing the fire, and the door opened frighten him to the point where he had no choice but to yell out. His screaming woke up the children caged beside him, which woke up more and more until everyone was shouting and crying.


    For Servi, that was a good thing. She didn¡¯t have to sneak around anymore. She asked Itarr to take out some swords and control them using Telekinesis.


    Of course. You just walk, and I¡¯ll kill.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    To the slaves, Servi looked like an angel with autonomous blades forged from the Gods Above with the sole objective to slay evil-doers.


    To the enemies, it was like she was a demon that was sent by the devil with his hand-forged, blood-soaked blades that had a soul of their own. They flew around, mercilessly slaughtering all without remorse or regret.


    ¡°MONSTER! DIE! MONS¡ªGAAAHHH!!!¡± A burly man with a bald head tried to rush through the deadly floating swords, but he was far too slow. One blade went through his chest and kept flying, while a second soared in and sliced off his head. He died instantly.


    ¡°COME ON!! She¡¯s by herself. GAAH!¡± The backdrop of slaves screaming in fear when combined with the slaver''s death cries made for a horrid show.


    When all was said and done, Servi stood as the lone survivor. A maestro of death and destruction covered her concert hall with blood. She left the building with the slaves still screaming before going to the next one over.


    ¡°I see I¡¯m not needed,¡± Servi quipped.  She stood by, leaned against a support beam as the Elf with the foot wound forced her dagger to dance across the throat of a man she had held against the wall.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re done here. How was your building?¡± The Elf retrieved a cloth and wiped her blade clean.


    ¡°The slavers are, dead but I might¡¯ve frightened the slaves. You hear them screaming? Sorry, but can you get someone to calm them? I¡¯m not the best with kids.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll head over there in a second,¡± Scratch said. With a temporary goodbye, Servi went to the last building and discovered that they also were done.


    ¡°Blue! Did you have any trouble?¡± Kire asked while his hands gripped the bars of a cage. Servi shook her head, and Kire nodded before turning back to the coops. The slave inside cautiously poked his head out before he took the Koena''s outstretched hand.


    ¡°You¡¯re safe now, alright? You don¡¯t have to worry. We¡¯ll get those bracelets off in a second, okay?¡±


    The slave was too scared to do anything more than nod.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s my cue?¡± Kire nodded at Servi¡¯s question as she ran to the end of the building. Making her way back down, she absorbed every single cage and bracelet, as well as using a Remedium to heal any wounds. After making sure that they were okay, Servi went to the second building, and the Singi with the glasses followed her while she worked.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t get it. There''s no chant, and I¡¯ve never heard of a skill that could remove items like this.  It''s like the bracelets are ceasing to exist. These things are enchanted with a seal to prevent them from being removed via Dimensional Storage, so it can''t be that.  Gah! I need to know! Please! Tell! Me!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but you can guess all you like. I¡¯m not telling you," Servi replied.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am? Are you really here to save us?¡± the Koena slave inside the cage asked. He was the oldest looking and largest one by far. Servi could see deep indentations and cracked black scales from where he was forced to crouch to fit in the cage.


    With a bit of Remedium, the cracked scales fixed themselves.


    ¡°Oh! Thank you so much!¡±


    Servi nodded and kept working. Before long, the second building was cleared out. Moving onto the third, she saw Scratch juggling some rocks, much to the amusement of the slaves that could see him. He walked up and down the length of the building to make sure no one was left out.


    ¡°That¡¯s awfully sweet of you,¡± Servi said as she walked to him. He was so focused that her voice caused him to jump, and some rocks bounced off his head.


    ¡°Ouch¡­ Blue. Did you finish up the other two?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I did,¡± Servi used Remedium to heal Scratch''s head.  A little bit of blood dribbled down his forehead.


    ¡°Thanks. Hey, I have a quick question.  How in the world did you splatter all that blood? I had a helluva time cleaning it off everybody through the cages. They¡¯re pretty scared of you now.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but that¡¯s just the way I fight.¡±


    ¡°Remind me not to piss you off.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­. I¡¯m gonna go ahead and get rid of the cages. Follow me and reassure them that I mean no harm.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    Starting from the back, Servi made her way down the length of the building. Like clockwork, she removed bracelets and healed wounds from every single slave. Some screamed when they saw her, but after a bit of reassurance of the Singi who juggled rocks, they calmed down.


    Twenty minutes after that attack began, Servi watched the Elf that she healed, Scratch, and the rest of the group walk away with the slaves. They were escorting them to the tunnel. Once they were far enough, Servi asked Itarr to recreate the same dome of fire.


    ¡°And you¡¯re sure I can watch!?¡± The staff-wielding Singi asked.  Her tail swooshed a mile a second.  If she wasn''t sure of it, Servi swore the Singi''s tail moved fast enough to create tornados.


    ¡°Yep," Servi lazily answered.


    ¡°But you might want to stand back a bit,¡± Kire warned.  He grabbed the Singi¡¯s hand and walked away.


    She protested. "Bua?! No! I wanna see it close up! I wanna!¡± she exclaimed and begged like a child, but once the fifty Greater Fireballs appeared overhead, she was the one who dragged Kire.


    Like before? Use Fire Wall afterwards? How long before it extinguishes itself?


    ¡°Make so that this dome will disappear at the same time as the first one. And yes, just like before.¡±


    Right!


    Itarr let loose the Greater Fireballs and allowed them to fall down and explode on impact. A massive firestorm erupted as the murderous and destructive red glow threatened to overflow and burn the surrounding buildings. Just like before, fifty Fire Walls appeared above Servi, and they launched towards the market. Combining together, they made a dome-like shape and enclosed the area. When compared to the first dome, the second was tinier in scale. The heat that raged on inside, however, was hotter than the inside of a volcano. Metal, brick, glass, nothing could withstand the insane temperature stampeding on inside it.


    After watching for a minute to make sure the dome functioned correctly, Servi walked over to Kire and the very excited Singi.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything so beautiful and awe-inspiring before in my life¡­. Please, be my teacher!!¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Geh!!¡± the Singi dropped to her knees, defeated. Kire uncharacteristically chuckled.


    ¡°Go ahead and meet up with the others. We got one more market to hit up,¡± Kire ordered.


    ¡°Right¡­ Blue?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for showing me what lies beyond. I thought I was pretty damn good with skills. After seeing you, though, I feel like a child who can¡¯t even walk. But I won¡¯t give up!¡± she said before she ran away after the slaves.


    ¡°You know, Cara rarely acts like that. Usually, she¡¯s spouting off stuff like ¡®I¡¯m the greatest skill user in the world, and no one can stop me.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­.¡±


    ¡°Well, shall we get to the last one?¡± he said as he started walking, not even waiting for Servi¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Sure,¡± she replied as she followed him.


    Servi thought that her nightly stroll was to be over after the last market, but it was only beginning. There was more murdering and saving to be done before she had a chance to rest her weary head.

 Book One – Interlude – Part Six – Servi’s Nightly Stroll II – Attack on the Markets

    Thirteen minutes later, Servi and Kire passed a company of guards panicking and running towards the fire. Usually, those who calmly walked away from a scene were the first to be interrogated, but that wasn¡¯t the case today. The city was in a panic when the first dome appeared, and with the second, all reason was lost. Still, the only ones that Servi and Kire saw were guards in their armor. They didn¡¯t see a single adventurer other than themselves. Most adventurers didn''t like to risk their necks without any reward. Even Warden, a symbol of hope and goodness, couldn¡¯t force members to go on quests or do things they didn''t want to. Sure, some might have a hero complex, but most wanted to finish some quests and learn some skills.


    ¡°Wait, you hear that?¡± Kire said as he stopped. He strained his ears before exclaiming, ¡°Blue, we gotta hurry. I hear fighting, and it¡¯s coming from the last market!¡± Not waiting for any kind of response, Kire shot off like an arrow as his hulking body ran down past an intersection before taking a right. Another few meters after that, he  dodged down an alley and jumped over a wall. After taking one more left, the pair came to the entrance of the third market.


    The sounds of battle died down.


    Iron bars ran through the necks of five unfortunate victims who were pinned to the ground. Their limbs, torn asunder, laid nearby in a horrific pile of flesh as the blood oozed from their four openings. The remains of the gate that, presumably, guarded the entrance were torn asunder from its hinges.  It was now the primary structural part of a hideous flesh fountain that squirted blood.


    Just then, the sounds of battle revived, and with it came a roar like no other followed by a soul-piercing screech of pain.


    Servi and Kire both ran into the market and discovered a horrific sight. It stood at least three and a half meters tall; a towering green-skinned monster had half a body in his massive hands. The other half was in his mouth. After eating, he tossed the other half of his snack into his mouth before roaring and charging at a group of armored guards. He swept them away with his fist before grabbing a nearby horse and throwing it at his enemies. It exploded in a gory explosion. The beast roared once again, causing all those around him, except for a single girl, to freeze in fear.


    Kire only had one word to shout.


    ¡°Ogre!¡±


    The layout of the third market was unlike the other two. The first had the weird funnel shape walkway, and the second had the three long buildings. The third, this one, was an open-air market. It had no tunnels or buildings, just cages displaying people like cattle for sale. Right now, the ogre was near the entrance, just past the gate. From what Servi saw, there were no crushed or half-eaten cages, and she sighed in relief. As if a show of its strength, the ogre was surrounded by bodies. A lot of them. But as long as they weren¡¯t slaves, and they weren¡¯t because they had armor on, Servi didn¡¯t care. And neither did Itarr, Kire, or anyone else.


    Hearing footsteps racing in from behind her, Servi drew a sword from her ring and turned around, instantly transitioning into a stance engraved in her by Soul Essence of Primal Combat. But she had nothing to worry about because a familiar Elf ran in.  Servi absorbed her sword and slightly smiled.


    ¡°Hiya, Blue!¡± she said, panting for air.


    ¡°Hiya, Navel!¡± Servi replied.


    A rude voice then came. ¡°Damnit, cousin, you can¡¯t just run off¡­ Blue?¡± There was Arm, also breathing hard under the moonlight.


    Both were absolutely out of breath, but it wasn¡¯t the time to idly stand by. The moment the cousins realized the rampaging green monster was the source of the noise they had been hearing, they expertly drew their naginatas from their backs.


    ¡°Yeah, this is gonna have to wait. Let me kill that thing right quick," Servi said.


    Without waiting for a response, Servi turned back around and walked calmly to the rampaging monster. She saw a guard chanting furiously as a small Greater Fireball appeared over the head of the ogre. The skill user grinned like she was assured of victory as the giant red orb smashed into the ogre¡¯s head. After the smoke was cleared out by a wind skill from the same guard, it revealed the unaffected ogre. The monster showed off its yellow teeth in a fear-inducing smile. Shrugging off such a weak sill was simple for something as powerful as an Ogre.  Picking up a rock from the explosion, the ogre threw it with such strength and speed at the skill user. His body exploded like crimson confetti, and there wasn''t anything left that could identify him.


    Servi saw a second guard sneaking up behind the green monster. A yellow sword pulsed slightly in his hands as he charged forward. This was the skill Lightning Sword. Using Skill Energy, the user created a blade of pure lightning that they could wield. The yellow sword pierced through the ogre''s dense hide, but that was it. If it was hurt, it didn¡¯t show it. The monster retaliated by falling backwards, crushing the guard into nothing more than a bloody paste. Every bone in the poor bastard''s body broke at the same time, but he wasn''t alive long enough to feel it.


    ¡°Wait! You can¡¯t possibly take that thing on!¡± Arm yelled out. He had just witnessed the ogre surviving a Greater Fireball AND a Lightning Sword, but Kire interrupted him.


    ¡°Look. Boss, I¡¯ve seen what she can do, and something like that is a pebble to her.¡±


    ¡°And how would you know that? That thing just took two Rank 4 skills like they were water!¡± Navel demanded.


    ¡°Because she created those two fire domes that I¡¯m sure you must¡¯ve seen. They¡¯re much hotter and fiercer than whatever that crummy skill user can muster.¡±


    ¡°She did?! But how?! Why?!¡± Arm and Navel both exclaimed at the same time.


    ¡°Or that Itarr person did. Regardless, that ogre is just a tiny bug to her. Just watch,¡± Kire tapped Arm on the shoulder and pointed at the black-haired girl.


    Servi was about four meters from the monster, and she was still unnoticed. She took the opportunity to ask Itarr a question. ¡°Itarr, do you know anything about this thing?


    I do not. And I fear that thing is much too heavy for us to use Telekinesis on.


    ¡°I see. Well, I can finally try this out. Follow my lead.¡±


    Servi took out five swords from her ring and used Telekinesis ¨C Her current limit, not Itarr¡¯s limit ¨C and suddenly, twenty more appeared beside it. Commanding the swords to fly up, they flew around until they caught the attention of the ogre, at which they broke off into two groups, the first being made up of only three of Itarr¡¯s swords. She controlled them as they flew in a set pattern that distracted the beast while the rest flew up high. Once they were in the sky and out of sight, Servi and Itarr ordered them down and used the skill Lightning Smash 23 times.


    The entire night sky lit up for at least ten solid seconds. It was like the moon and darkness disappeared from the world, and all that was left was pure light.  Not to mention the thunder suddenly bellowing out likely caused many to soil their underwear from fright.


    Half of the beast''s corpse, now burnt, scorching hot, and tinging with electricity, fell to the ground next to 23 black marks.


    After they regained sight in their eyes and hearing in their ears, the guards, who were being slaughtered by the deceased ogre, immediately dropped their weapons and surrendered. All it took was one glance at the charred and still burning ogre''s corpse to know that the guards had no hope of emerging victoriously towards this new opponent.


    After all, if they couldn¡¯t kill an ogre when they had a group, how could they take on the one person who killed it singlehandedly.


    A single man among them saw that the best way to escape with his life was to reason with the monster who killed the Ogre.


    But what if the monster was more than that? What if she was living on the edge of being a simple mad dog and the personification of cataclysmic destruction?


    ¡°Nice work!¡± Servi praised Itarr.


    Thanks!


    Servi felt good at taking down the Ogre, and she walked back to the frightened group consisting of Kire, Arm, and Navel. Their wide-eyed stare said it all, displaying their amazement at witnessing such an intense battle.


    ¡°Blue, if things were just a slightly bit different and you didn¡¯t stop your attack, is that how we would¡¯ve died?¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡± Servi honestly answered Navel.


    ¡°¡­¡± Arm had nothing to say. How could he? The person in front of him was someone he tried to kill, and even though he apologized, he couldn¡¯t help but shake in fear.


    Is there a chance she wants revenge? The answer to that was no. Servi didn¡¯t want anything even resembling revenge against Arm and Navel. But they didn¡¯t know that, and Arm was too proud to ask.


    ¡°Are you gonna go get your people? Tell you what, you do that, and I¡¯ll go talk to the guards. I¡¯m mighty interested in where that thing came from.¡± the shock was still flowing through their bodies, and all they could do was nod. Kire stayed with Servi. Arm and his cousin ran off to some ruined building where their comrades had made their base.


    Servi walked over to the sobbing guards and picked one of them up via Telekinesis. She put the anchor point around his neck, and the air slowly  squeezed out of him. Someone nearby went to stand but was smacked to the ground by a hard haymaker from Kire.  Kire''s scales sliced open part of his cheeks.


    ¡°Are you gonna tell me what that ogre was doing here?¡±


    ¡°Eat shit!¡±


    Servi cracked his neck and absorbed the corpse before picking up the next one.


    ¡°Let me try again. Tell me what that thing was doing here.¡±


    ¡°P-P-Please!! I know nothing!! Oh, don¡¯t kill me! I have a wife and a daughter. Please do¡ªAAAHHHHHHH!!!!¡± Servi used Telekinesis to toss the man high in the air and barely caught him half a meter before he smashed into the ground.


    ¡°Next time, I won¡¯t catch you. Tell me!¡±


    ¡°Fine! Let him go, and I¡¯ll tell everything,¡± a sitting guard took off his helmet to reveal an old man of about 45. Weathered scars ran down his nose and throat before disappearing under his armor.


    ¡°Sorry, man, but you¡¯re in no position to make demands,¡± Servi said. ¡°If none of you tell me, then you¡¯re all dying. But then again, if you do tell me, I won¡¯t have a reason to keep you alive.¡±


    ¡°And why is that?¡± he asked, not showing a hint of fear.


    ¡°Just look around you and tell me what you see in those cages!¡±


    ¡°Demi-Humans,¡± he calmly answered.


    This fool of a woman is too easy to read. All I gotta do is play it like I¡¯ve always wanted to help. He thought.


    ¡°Liar," Servi said, not falling for his rouse.


    The invisible smirk he had disappeared instantly.


    ¡°What?! I always wanted to help these poor bastards, but how could I? Look at me! I¡¯m weak, and the only way I could help was to get a job here and treat them nicer! I treated them the way they deserved to be treated!¡± sweat dropped from his face, and the girl with blue eyes sighed before killing the poor bastard held in her invisible grip.


    ¡°Look, that was your fault,¡± she said as she picked up another guard who struggled to the bitter end. ¡°Just tell me what I want to know, and I¡¯ll make your death painless.¡±


    ¡°But I was¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wrong answer.¡± The guard watched as another life ended before him.


    As she picked up the second to last enemy before the older man, the smell of ammonia filled the air. ¡°I think we¡¯ve gotten a little off-topic. Tell me why that ogre was here," she asked the man she held.


    ¡°We-we were gonna take advantage of the panic in the city to move the ogre, but the tranquilizer wore off.  The ogre woke up!! I-I-I swear that¡¯s the truth!!¡± Servi heard a loud snap, and she stored his corpse.


    ¡°And then there were two,¡± Servi muttered. She picked the other guard, leaving the older man on the ground, but his face was full of hatred and anger when he exploded with rage.


    ¡°You fucking traitor!!!¡± he shouted.


    ¡°And there is it: your true colors and beliefs. Kire, you want him? It might feel good to blow off some steam,¡± Servi said.  She tossed the man she held up into the air and brought out a sword.  She held it out, and gravity assisted the man in bisecting himself down the middle.  The two halves of his corpses laid on the filthy ground.  Servi crushed the two halves of his brain that plopped out before absorbing both parts.


    ¡°No!!!!¡± the older guard hurriedly stood up, and that was as far as he made it. Servi immobilized him with Telekinesis in a way where he couldn¡¯t budge. That allowed Kire to wrap his massive hands around the older man, and he whined out loud. A moment later, his head was ripped from his body like a cap from a drink.  Blood sprayed like a fountain, covering Kire in a hot crimson.


    Servi absorbed both parts of the guard''s body before moving on to the ogre''s corpse. The weapons she used in the Lightning Smash attack were destroyed. Such simple and weak swords couldn¡¯t handle the divine power of lightning.


    ¡°Thanks for that, but I don¡¯t feel like I thought I would,¡± he said, pondering his thoughts and feelings. For someone like Kire, who¡¯d been oppressed his whole life for being born a Demi, this should¡¯ve felt good, but it didn¡¯t.


    ¡°That¡¯s something that you have to work out yourself. I think I see Arm and Navel?¡±


    ¡°Who and what?¡± Kire was incredibly confused, so Servi explained the name situation to him


    ¡°For your eyes?¡± Kire asked.


    Servi nodded. "Think of it like codenames."


    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re all here. Where¡¯re those guards?¡± Navel asked.


    ¡°I took care of them.¡±


    ¡°But where are the corpses?¡± Arm asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know. Follow me, and I¡¯ll remove the cages and bracelets,¡± Servi said, not waiting to hear a word of protest from Arm or Navel.


    As they walked through the multitude of torn apart corpses that the ogre was responsible for and watched Servi as she worked, Navel whispered to Kire.


    ¡°Do you know the bodies went? You were here with her, right? So you should know.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t. Blue wouldn¡¯t say, and I don¡¯t ask questions that might annoy her. I make it a point not to piss off people who can break my neck silently if they want to. Don¡¯t let it bother you. Corpses don¡¯t tell truths or lie, so I¡¯d say let it go.¡±


    ¡°You have a good point,¡± the woman in question said.


    ¡°Eeeppp!!¡± Navel screamed cutely. The girl they¡¯ve been talking about had walked up behind them after she absorbed the cages and bracelets in this area and put a hand to Navel¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°What I do with the bodies doesn¡¯t concern you. Let it go, okay?¡± Servi flashed a smile that made Navel¡¯s gut sink from uneasiness.


    What the hell?! That smile was so frightening!!!


    Fifteen minutes later, the job was finished, and the mission was a success. The market was liberated, and everyone but Servi, Arm, and Navel watched the group of very thankful former slaves and their protectors as they walked to the area of the city that had the secret tunnel.  Servi still had no idea where the tunnel was even at.


    You sure you don¡¯t want to absorb the corpses? Itarr asked. Servi had debated on storing the scattered corpses produced by the ogre but decided against it. Maybe it was because she¡¯d absorbed too many bodies for one night, and it wasn¡¯t like they were going to be discovered. The forthcoming sacrificial fire would take care of that.


    After making sure they were gone, Servi was about to ask Itarr to create yet another dome of fire when she heard two names from the two Elves beside her.


    ¡°Llamare Perro," said Arm.


    ¡°Liealia Perro,¡± said Navel.


    ¡°What?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°Those are our names. I¡¯m Llamare, and this is my cousin, Liealia. We¡¯re of the Perro clan. After what you¡¯ve done tonight, I can at least tell you that."


    Taken a bit back, Servi had to ask them something important. ¡°Why would you tell me your names? Ah, before I forget, here is your emblem.¡± The wooden badge Llamare had given her appeared from nowhere.


    ¡°Because we find you trustworthy. That¡¯s all. No more and no less,¡± Liealia, formerly know as Navel, said as Llamare took the badge back and placed it in a pouch on his hip.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯re gonna guilt trip me into revealing my name. As much as I want to, I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine and all, but can I ask why?¡± asked Liealia as she jabbed the end of naginata in the ground and rested against it. She got a mean look from Llamare, who quickly chastised her about treating her equipment poorly.


    ¡°Because there¡¯s a small chance of it being spread, and I can¡¯t risk it. My best friend is a Singi, and she doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m doing this.  If she suddenly hears my name and figures out I was behind this, her heart would probably break.¡±


    Best friend after two days? Can I really call her that? Servi thought.


    Liealia¡¯s eyes started watering. ¡°That¡¯s so sweet!¡± she cried.


    ¡°Please, cousin, keep it together. Though it¡¯s a bit unusual for a Singi and a human to be so close. I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s impossible, but it¡¯s rarer than you¡¯d think," remarked Llamare.


    ¡°Maybe, but we can talk in a second. Itarr, you ready?¡±


    I¡¯ll get right to it.


    To Servi, what was currently happening in front of her red-eyes-turned-blue was nothing special. Once she¡¯d seen one massive fire dome capable of burning iron and steel to the blackest ash, it wouldn¡¯t ever surprise her again. But the same couldn¡¯t be said for the two Elves behind her. Llamare, with his collected and logical attitude that wouldn''t allow any panicking or fear, muttered words of disbelief as he shook the fear from his system. Liealia, meanwhile, turned around and looked at the ground. She was unable to verify the destruction any longer with her eyes. She wondered what would happen if that devil¡¯s fire was able to reign free.


    Even from here, it¡¯s sweltering¡­. And this is something Blue can use freely?! Liealia thought.


    ¡°Impossible! Impossible! Impossible¡­¡­¡± She whispered to herself.  It was far too quiet for Servi to hear.


    With flame stoking the fear in the hearts of thousands of onlookers, the third dome of fire in the city of Canary was formed. Within minutes, the market and everything in it would soon be reduced to something even less than ash.


    ¡°Good job!¡± Servi exclaimed to her beloved Goddess.


    Thank you!


    ¡°Cousin?¡± Liealia asked.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Remind me to never piss her off.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I ask that you remind me as well.¡±


    Servi ran up to them, and they turned to look at her. Black hair, blue eyes, and a backdrop of the most horrific red they had ever seen. She spoke with a gentle voice that did not match the situation.  ¡°We might want to leave soon. Since this is the third dome, they probably have people on standby in case more show up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Come, cousin," spoke Llamare.


    ¡°Right,¡± the three ran down the streets and alleys in an attempt to get away from the red dome. After about five minutes of running, they found themselves in the slums.  Luckily enough, they were in the midst of a large crowd of panicking citizens. Servi told them to follow her, and she led them to that playground she was at before.


    The moon above would be the only witness to their conversation.


    ¡°This should be far away,¡± Servi said as she took a seat on the rusty swing. It squeaked and refused to move no matter how hard Servi tried to make it.


    ¡°Cousin, do you think she knows?¡± Liealia said as she took the other swing. It was recently greased because even as rusty as it was, it started to sway.


    ¡°Know what?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°We actually came to this city to find an awful slaver by the name of Parrel. Do you know of him?¡± Llamare answered.


    ¡°I heard he lives in that sickeningly large and ugly mansion right over there,¡± Servi pointed to the eyesore that was a giant mansion with an ugly color. ¡°Yesterday, I apparently killed two of his personal guards. A man and woman named Axel and Mossi. I think the man you''re looking for is royalty.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?! Cousin, we have to go!¡± Liealia immediately stopped swinging and stood up, taking her naginata off her back.


    ¡°I agree. Blue, I thank you for all that you¡¯ve done for us.¡±


    ¡°Wait, royalty?!!!¡± Liealia said after a second of pondering. The gears in her brain made the connection.


    ¡°Yeah. Apparently, Your target is the first son of Virin Keywater, Emperor of Keywater. You know the place?"


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s the country to the north. Virin''s the current ruler... But this changes things, doesn''t it?¡± Liealia asked her cousin.


    ¡°We kill him. Plain and simple. Him being royalty doesn¡¯t change anything.¡±


    ¡°Now hold up, if you¡¯re attacking, I want to go with you," Servi stood up.


    Liealia ran up and hugged Servi. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s incredible! Isn¡¯t it, cousin?!¡± Servi smelled the scent of sweet fruit coming from Liealia''s hair as she returned the hug.


    Servi hugging a girl she''d met only hours ago should''ve been something strange, but Servi realized she wanted that physical connection.


    ¡°Are you sure? Do you have any business with him?¡± asked Llamare.


    ¡°A reputable source told me that there¡¯s a lot of slaves being held in the mansion, but I don¡¯t know where,¡± Servi said as she gently pushed Liealia away. The Earth Elf realized what was happening, and her beautiful face took on a bit of a red tone.


    ¡°And you want to free them?¡± Llamare continued.


    ¡°That¡¯s part of it. I imagine a place like that would have treasure or something inside. Maybe expensive paintings or furniture?" Servi held a finger to her chin. While she did need money, stealing it from someone innocent was out of the question. Luckily for her, Parrel, for all the knowledge Servi  had about him, didn''t have a sinless bone in his body. "I¡¯ll help on the condition that you let me rob the place,¡± she finally said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem, do you?¡± Liealia asked her cousin.  He shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine with me. I imagine the whole place is probably well guarded, even more so after the events of tonight.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right, but it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Shall we go?¡± Servi asked as she used the max amount of Protection on the three of them.


    ¡°Yep!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    The cousins said in unison.


    "Then let''s go free us some slaves," Servi said, re-adjusting her mask. Her nightly stroll was only reaching its halfway point, and the moon still had so much light to give before it had to rest up for the next night.

 Book One – Interlude – Part Seven – Servi’s Nightly Stroll II – Attack on the Markets

    And so, the Llamare, Liealia, and Servi rushed their way through the panicked-filled alleys. After dodging crowds and hopping over fences and gates, the three peeked out from behind a wall.  Just ahead of them sat the large and imposing gate that blocked the way leading to the mansion.


    ¡°Five guards?! And look at that armor¡­¡± Liealia exclaimed. She had the right to be surprised. The armor she saw was as black as Servi¡¯s Shadow Shot, and it acted like natural camouflage. The only reason Servi saw them was because of the unnaturally bright light her massive fire domes gave off. Somehow, the guards didn¡¯t act worried. The three stopped peeking and huddled together to think of a plan.


    ¡°I can remove their armor and weapons, but I have to get closer,¡± Servi offered, even though she could single-handedly destroy the entire mansion. The slaves were the only reason she hadn''t engulfed it in a dome of fire.


    ¡°Damn, if I only had a bow.¡±


    ¡°Llamare, I can help with that,¡± a wooden bow and a quiver of arrows appeared floating beside him. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about the quality, but that¡¯s the best I have.¡±


    ¡°Many thanks, Blue,¡± he said, not even phased by the floating weapon.  He snatched them out of the air. Nocking an arrow, he began chanting, and a whimsical green glow covered the bow.


    ¡°Oh, the Winds above who slumber in a place further than our universe. I pray to you. Grant us your power of Five Shot!¡± after releasing the string, the single arrow turned into five as they soared through the air on a direct course with the guards. The eyeholes on their helmets were just large enough for the projectiles to enter in.  While Servi didn''t see it, she heard the crimson lifeblood splatter.  It wouldn''t be long until the metal helmets filled up with blood and chunks of pink and white.


    ¡°Good job, cousin!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was a skill like that. What Rank is it?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not a member of Warden.¡±


    ¡°How can you use it?¡±


    ¡°My God, Aeriy, is a Wind God. He has blessed me with archery-related skills. Five Shot is one of them.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Servi said as the three walked up to the gate. After absorbing the bodies and equipment, Servi moved onto the gate. It took a total of 38 seconds to fully absorb the massive thing, so the cousins were standing guard. Once it was gone, the three made a mad dash up the driveway, sticking to the shadows and hiding behind anything they could.


    For a large building, the front yard was similar. Strangely enough, it was all flat. Servi could spot no buildings, sheds, plants, or flowers.  The number of items to take cover behind was practically zero. Somehow, they made it without being spotted.  Upon taking cover next to a door, they decided on their options.  There talked about heading further on to the larger door up ahead, but Servi said it was too risky.


    "Fair enough.  Let''s rush on through this door.  Blue, can you make it disappear?" asked Liealia.


    "Already ahead of you.  Come on!" the door disappeared, stored inside Servi''s ring, and the three rushed in.


    The inside was so glitzy and ugly. The walls, covered in hideous yellow paint, reminded Servi of urine. The place they found themselves in was a hallway. They were at the end, and when they looked to the right, they saw five doors spread equally apart. Next to each door was a painting of the same person. Bald and pig-like, he had a round face and wore a green suit that looked like gross vomit.


    ¡°What terrible color¡­¡± Servi muttered.  She felt sick in her stomach. Everything in this place made her feel queasy.


    ¡°It¡¯s horrendous¡­¡± Llamare agreed.


    ¡°Come on, guys, it¡¯s not that bad...¡± Liealia tried to act like she wasn¡¯t bothered but failed.


    ¡°Look, the faster we do this, the faster we can leave,¡± muttered Llamare.


    ¡°That being said, where do we start? Blue?¡± asked Liealia.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I mean, we don¡¯t know where the slaves are being held.  I hate to say it, but we might have to search every room.¡±


    ¡°Then I guess we start with that door right there,¡± Liealia pointed to the closest one. Servi nodded and walked over while the two Earth Elves drew their weapons.


    Shall I absorb the door and painting? You can focus on attacking.


    ¡°Yeah, that sounds good. Thanks, Itarr,¡± Llamare and Liealia gave Servi a look, and she explained that Itarr would make the door disappear. They nodded and took a stance.


    The moment the door disappeared, Servi rushed in with ten Shadow Shots rotating around her, like deadly shadows waiting to take a life to protect their master.  However, the room was empty.


    ¡°There¡¯s only a bed,¡± Llamare noticed. Servi took it, and they walked out before heading to the next door.


    ¡°Another bed?¡± Llamare said again. Servi absorbed it, and they went to the next door, but the same events played out.


    ¡°Why does he have these empty rooms? It¡¯s unnerving,¡± Liealia said as they entered the fourth door to discover an empty room with a bed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s weird. I wonder if the last door leads to a hallway?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s find out,¡± Liealia answered Servi as she absorbed the door.


    It wasn¡¯t a hallway but a large room that had a set of regal-looking stairs in the center. It went up to the wall before turning to the left. It followed along and turned ninety degrees before continuing up. From what they could see, the stairs went about halfway up to the ceiling before suddenly stopping.  Intricate patterns were engraved on the floor, and right in front of the stairs sat a large army of around one hundred. Except for one man, they all stood in formation. The sole exception stood a few steps up. He was yelling something to the army, but they were too far away to hear them.


    The one shouting on the stairs looked over their men rather than at them, choosing to glance upon a large set of doors. Servi did the math and figured it was the door they saw-- the main entrance-- but didn''t want to risk.


    It''s a good thing we found that side entrance. Itarr noted.


    Servi and the two Elves ran behind a nearby pillar and peeked out. ¡°Good, they haven¡¯t seen us,¡± Llamare said.


    ¡°What do we do?¡±


    Servi answered Liealia. ¡°I¡¯ll kill all but the one that looks like a leader.¡± Servi pointed to the single man on the steps.  He wore red armor with a blue jewel in the middle.


    ¡°You know, I want to call you a liar, but I know you¡¯re telling the truth. When you start your attack, we¡¯ll rush in and bind him,¡± Llamare said as Liealia chanted the incantation for Conjure Ice Rope.


    I guess that¡¯s a good use for that ice rope skill. Itarr said.


    ¡°Yeah.  Itarr, we need to keep shooting Shadow Shots until they¡¯re all dead, but don¡¯t hit the man in red armor.¡±


    Right!


    One, two, four, eight. The number of black arrows orbiting Servi grew and increased until they numbered 50. Then, Servi gave the mental command to launch.


    ¡°Eh?¡± A lazy guard at the back of the formation yawned unprofessionally and turned his head, but it was too late. The sight of the arrows launching out, impaling and stabbing through hearts and domes, only appeared in his eyes for a moment before his life ended.


    ¡°Now!¡± Servi yelled out after the first wave of Shadow Shots. She quickly prepared another volley.


    ¡°Got it!¡± like a pair of brave soldiers rushing underneath a volley of arrows, the two cousins raced forward as the Shadow Shots continued to launch overhead. Though they started off as enemies, the two Elves trusted Servi enough that they knew she wouldn¡¯t intentionally hit them.


    They were right. Ahead of the cousins, some guards instantly moved to surround and protect the leader. But they died from a few Shadow Shots that flew nearby.  The black arrows death dodged and avoided the two running Elves, brutally piercing the would-be protectors¡¯ armor and heart.


    ¡°Wha!?! How?! Why?! Guards¡ª¡± The leader was panicking. Everything was happening way too quickly for even an experienced man like him to follow.


    ¡°Nope!¡± Liealia ran full speed towards the leader with her rope out. The man finally had enough reason to draw his sword, a red blade with a blue jewel in the hilt, but it was futile. Llamare, slowing to a jog, readied and fire an arrow in the time it took for the leader to grab his sword. It hit his hand, bouncing off and not causing any damage, but it was enough for him to jerk his hand back. Unfortunately for him, he didn¡¯t have the best grip. The sword slipped from his hand, and Liealia tackled him to the ground. He tried to escape from the Earth Elf, but a Shadow Shot flew by close to his head, centimeters away from killing him. In that one moment, he experienced real fear, and Liealia took the initiative. Using some martial art technique, Liealia flipped the confused man to his stomach, armor and all, and wrapped the icy rope around his neck. She pulled tight, just enough for the man to think he was about to die as his face slowly went blue.


    ¡°You bitch! Let our comm¡ª¡± An incoming Shadow Shot killed a young soldier who had survived the skill skewering his body. This time, it destroyed his head, and there was no way he could¡¯ve survived.


    ¡°Gah¡­y¡­ou¡­.bit¡­ch¡­my men¡­.will¡­.kill¡­.yo¡­.you¡± the man in red armor struggled to curse Liealia as she laughed. Since she didn¡¯t want to kill him, she kicked the sword away and lightly loosened her grip.  She graciously allowed him to taste the medicine known as air.


    ¡°Look around you,¡± Llamare said.  The man struggled to turn his head, and he saw a most hideous sight. His men, his brothers in arms, the ones who looked up to him as a leader, were all dead. Destructive black arrows continued to fly around and land themselves in the already dead corpses, further brutalizing them to where the poor bastards couldn''t be identified.


    ¡°NOOOOOOOOO!!! YOU MONSTERS!!¡± the leader screamed in a way that wasn¡¯t like him. As the leader of one of the most dominant families in Canary and Lando, he should¡¯ve acted with more respect and dignity. But the sight of his best men violently dying robbed him of that training and leadership in a mere moment.


    ¡°Says the one who¡¯s working for a slave driver. Shut up.¡± Liealia pulled her ice rope tighter until he finally begged for her to stop.


    ¡°Itarr, take some swords and use Telekinesis to fly them around the room. If you see any reinforcements, kill them. Liealia, get off him. I¡¯ll keep him restrained.¡±


    Of course.


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Liealia removed her rope and hopped off of him. And as Servi expected, her foe tried to crawl his way to safety but was stopped by Telekinesis. She put an anchor point on each of his limbs, followed by a final one on his chest while flying him over to her.


    ¡°Hello, there. You mind answering our questions?¡± Servi asked as she went around absorbing the corpses. The leader floated alongside her like a puppy following its owner. He tried to close his eyes, but Telekinesis prevented that.  He was forced to bear witness to the slaughter.


    ¡°You bitch. You¡¯re a human, so why are you working with the Demis? AAAAGGHHHH!!!¡±


    Servi manipulated his left arm until it was able to bend backwards.


    ¡°Not what I wanted to hear. You should¡¯ve said ¡®Yes, ma¡¯am.¡¯ Where are the slaves?¡±


    ¡°Fuck off!¡±


    ¡°Another wrong answer, another broken arm.¡±


    ¡°Like I care. I¡¯m willing to die for this city!¡± He foolishly declared his pride, much to the disgust of Liealia and Llamare.  Even as his right arm twisted like a type of red candy, he somehow pushed the pain away from his mind.


    ¡°For this city? The city that forces little Demi-Human children to be locked in jail cells naked and paraded around like caged animals?¡± Liealia readied her naginata and held it to the leader¡¯s neck.


    The leader wasn''t scared.  Not at all.  He had lived a life of battle and had always come out on top.¡° It¡¯s not against the law to buy and sell Demi-Humans.¡±


    He flew high in the air, courtesy of Servi, and it wasn¡¯t a moment too soon. Liealia had jabbed her weapon forward, expecting to cut flesh and see blood, but all she hit was air. Thanks to Soul Essence of Primal Combat, Servi knew she was going to attack.


    ¡°Blue?!¡± Liealia asked, a look of betrayal plastered across her face.


    ¡°He¡¯s gonna die,¡± Servi said as she brought the whimpering man back down.  His overconfident ego was nowhere to be found. ¡°But not now. We need answers. Hey!¡± she walked to the man and smacked him across the face. Her armored hands were covered in her oversized armor, and even though it was weak, it was still hard enough to where even a grown man couldn¡¯t shake off being punched in the face.


    ¡°Where are the slaves?¡±


    ¡°Fuck. Off.¡±


    Servi broke his two legs, and the leader passed out.


    ¡°Fuck¡­ Maybe we can find someone less willing. He¡¯s all yours,¡± Servi released Telekinesis, and the leader dropped to the ground. Before Liealia had a chance to crush his heart, Servi absorbed his armor and sword.


    Wait, isn¡¯t this the sword Rowan had when we first saw him? Why would this guy have it? Servi thought.


    The sound of flesh ripping and a final gurgle of death came from behind Servi. Servi didn¡¯t even have to turn around because Itarr absorbed the corpse for her.


    ¡°What now?¡± Liealia asked, her hand moving down the blade of her weapon as she cleaned the blood.


    ¡°I say we go up. I¡¯d imagine Parrel would be near the top.¡±


    ¡°I agree, but what if the slaves are behind those doors over there?¡± Liealia pointed across the giant room, and Servi could make out a single door that looked like the one that led to this room.


    ¡°There¡¯s a chance, but we can¡¯t spend too much time here. We have to meet up with the rest of the group at dawn.¡±


    ¡°I know that cousin. But¡­.¡± Liealia looked like she was about to cry, but a few words from Servi prevented that.


    ¡°Look, we¡¯ll find them, alright. We just have to ask the right person. Believe me, I won''t leave without them.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Blue,¡± Liealia thanked her as she readied her weapon and made her way up the stairs. Servi and Llamare followed close by.


    ¡°Itarr, did the swords find anything?¡± Servi asked as they flew back to her before disappearing.


    No.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    And so they ascended the stairs. After they reached the first turn, it became something similar to a square spiral. Every few turns, there would be a door that Servi would peak into, and she would see a hallway much like the one they saw when they entered this place. They went to each of the five doors and opened them to reveal nothing but a bed.


    Getting back to the main staircase and resuming their journey to the top, Liealia had something to say.


    ¡°This stupid house is so damn confusing. Why are there so many rooms that only have a single bed?!! I feel like I¡¯m about to go crazy!¡±


    ¡°Calm yourself, cousin. Don¡¯t let any thoughts distract you. Though if I had to guess, I¡¯d say that the Humans we encountered earlier lived here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I just hate this place so much!¡± though it didn¡¯t match the current situation, Servi watched the two cousins playfully talked while they walked. Soon though, they reached the end of the stairs.  Strangely enough, there was still a ton of space between them and the ceiling.  It was like there used to be another staircase here, but it was moved.


    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s another set of stairs through here?¡± Servi wondered.  She opened the door and saw something she didn''t expect to see.


    ¡°Eh?!¡± A young Human girl in a white and black maid outfit stood there with a broom in her hand. She glanced at Servi, then to Liealia, and finally to Llamare before dropping her cleaning instrument and falling down. Water clouded her eyes as a wet spot appeared between her legs.


    Llamare rushed forward with his weapon but was stopped by Servi and her Telekinesis.


    ¡°What?! Let! Me! Go!¡± he struggled with everything he had, but it wasn''t enough to break the invisible hold.


    ¡°No. Look at her. She can''t be older than sixteen,¡± Servi said.


    ¡°Blue?¡± Liealia nervously muttered. She knew that if it came to a fight, and it was unquestionably possible because of the current tense situation, she and her cousin had no chance of winning.


    Servi walked up to the tearful girl and crouched.  Facing eye to eye, she spoke slowly and sweetly. ¡°I need you to be honest with me, okay? Do that, and we won¡¯t hurt you.  You have my word.¡±


    The frightened girl nodded.


    ¡°Do you work here?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°My granny is sick, an¡¯ I¡¯m too scared to join Warden. I couldn¡¯t get hired anywhere else, so I work here. I¡¯m a maid.¡±


    ¡°I see. Itarr, do we have any potions or anything?¡±


    We have a few health potions.


    ¡°Tell me, do you hate slaves?¡±


    ¡°No, ma¡¯am. They¡¯re always real nice to me. When I was little, and I was out searchin¡¯ for food, a little boy with a bracelet gave me a cracker. I knew my granny was right. She always said that we had to be nice to each other, no matter what we look like. But I know Master Parrel has some. It¡¯s a known fact that the screams coming at night are him having fun...I...I don¡¯t want to work for a man like that, but I have no other choice. I need the money for food and medicine.¡±


    Servi turned to Llamare. ¡°Do you still want to kill her, even knowing that she only wants to help her granny?¡±


    ¡°Damnit, Blue¡­ You¡¯re making me feel sorry for her...¡±


    Servi and Liealia chuckled, causing the young girl to have a puzzled look.


    Servi reached her hand out, and the young girl took it. Using Remedium four times, Servi used a fully stacked Protection on her new friend and pulled her to her feet. Afterwards, she gave her two red vials.


    ¡°But why?¡± asked the girl as tears flooded her eyes. ¡°Ain¡¯t nobody ever been nice to me like this before.¡±


    ¡°And take this too.¡± Servi pulled out a small bag of dupla and gave it to the girl, who cried harder. Bending down just a little bit, Servi pulled a cloth from her ring and gently wiped the young girl¡¯s eyes. ¡°Can you promise me something?¡±


    ¡°Anything, ma¡¯am!¡±


    ¡°Take this money and buy food for your granny. And make sure to give her the potion. Just a little bit at first. I don¡¯t know how much it¡¯ll help, and I don¡¯t know her injury, but it should lessen the pain. Just remember that you never saw us, okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course, ma¡¯am. You three were never here¡­. Thank you again...¡± the girl teared up again, so Servi wiped her tears with the same cloth. She thanked Servi before walking to the crying Liealia and immobilized Llamare.


    ¡°Oh, your story is so sad¡­.¡± Liealia so crouched down and hugged the girl, scaring her for a second before she wrapped her arms around the Elf.


    ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am...¡± The girl said before turning to Llamare. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°No child, you have done nothing to apologize for. It¡¯s not as if you were personally responsible. If anything, I should apologize. I know that not all humans are despicable to us Demi-Humans, yet I tried to take my anger out on you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say¡­.¡±


    ¡°Then say nothing. I do wish the best for this¡­.¡®granny.¡¯¡±


    The young girl smiled at Llamare before hugging him. ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± she said before running off downstairs.


    Granny, I¡¯m coming home early tonight! And I won¡¯t have to go back!! Positive thoughts flooded her wasteland of negative thoughts that was her mind. The door closed behind her as she ran down the stairs, nearly tripping a few times. As she saw the horrible blood at the bottom of the stairs, she put on a brave face and ran through it. She was determined to make it home and inform her granny of the good news.


    ¡°Blue?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Can you let me down?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Servi and Liealia ended up checking the next few doors in this hallway as he floated right behind them like a poltergeist.


    ¡°Cousin, you could''ve said something.¡±


    ¡°I forgot¡­ Hehe!¡± a small giggle followed Liealia''s words, and Llamare sighed.


    ¡°I know what you were trying to do, but what if she had a weapon? Or if she was lying,¡± Llamare asked.


    Servi¡¯s following words froze him to the core. ¡°I would¡¯ve ripped her head off and killed her myself. But I don¡¯t think she was lying.¡±


    ¡°My cousin has a point. What if we come across someone who¡¯s not a guard or a fighter, but they have a weapon that they refuse to drop?¡±


    ¡°Then I have no problem with you killing them. But if there¡¯s no weapon and your target seems scared or frightened, I will not allow you two to kill innocent people.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fair enough,¡± Liealia said. Her cousin nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Good,¡± Servi said as she absorbed the second to last door. Rushing inside, it, like all the others, was empty.


    ¡°Why is it always a bed?!!¡± Liealia was getting irritated, but Servi and Llamare ignored her. Absorbing the bed inside, they went it the last door. Instead of using her Ring, Servi bashed it down with a few Shadow Shots and stepped through. She was met with another set of stairs and its guardrails.


    It was reminiscent, matching the vibe of the room where they killed the large group of men.


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Servi said as she canceled her skill. ¡°I wonder where the guards are at?¡±


    ¡°They might be at the top,¡± Liealia answered Servi. She walked over to the banister, leaning on it and looking over. No stairs led down, and only a floor was below her. Far, far, far below her.


    ¡°How strange¡­ I wonder why this place was designed like this?¡± Llamare wondered out loud. Neither Servi nor Liealia could answer that.


    Ten minutes later, the group of three was at the top of this set of stairs.


    ¡°Amazing¡­. Every door we opened led to an empty hallway filled with more doors. I wonder why we haven¡¯t come across any more workers or guards?¡± Liealia asked.


    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a second way up here?¡± asked Servi.


    ¡°Perhaps. It makes no sense these asinine stairs would be the only path to the top. There has to be another way.¡±  Llamare said.


    Servi absorbed the last door. Unlike all the others that led to a hallway, this one led to a wide-open area. Weapons and armor of all kinds of shapes, colors, sizes, and materials hung on the wall in vast quantities. These were metal. And not just steel or iron, but red-brown copper, green emerald, blue sapphire, and more. In the back sat a large door that was at least three meters high. Jewels of various colors and sizes formed a design in the middle.


    This Parrel is probably behind that door there. Itarr said, and Servi nodded.


    ¡°What the¡­?! There¡¯s enough gear in here to outfit an army!!!¡± Though they didn¡¯t count it, more than two hundred sets of equipment were on display, and that didn¡¯t include the weapons. By dividing the armor up equally so that not everyone received a complete set, there was enough to outfit 1,000 people.


    ¡°But why?!¡± Liealia asked, and though she didn¡¯t expect an answer, she received one from an old man with grey hair who walked towards them.  Somehow, Servi, Liealia, and Llamare had missed him, and they couldn''t believe it. Somehow, they were blind to the immense aura he gave off.

 Book One – Interlude – Part Eight – Servi’s Nightly Stroll II – Attack on the Markets

    He had a gentle face, though one could see a grim history lying underneath it. A thin rapier was on his hip, its sheath matching its master¡¯s black butler outfit. His grey hair, trimmed and styled, gave the illusion he was someone who cared about his physical appearance.


    ¡°My dear master loves to collect weaponry and armor he has no use for. Besides, this is a room that is most suited to my skills,¡± he answered. Llamare and Liealia readied their weapons, but the old man put his hand up like he didn¡¯t want to fight. Not yet, anyway.


    ¡°Master? You mean Parrel?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°Yes, I do. May I ask a question?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Are you the one who killed Axel, Mossi, and the others?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    The old man bowed down, completely surprising the three invaders. Liealia and Llamare were flabbergasted.


    ¡°Explain!¡± Liealia ordered.


    ¡°They were a most rambunctious group, and I hated them. I know that¡¯s wrong of a head butler, but it¡¯s the truth. The way they went around doing whatever they wanted as if the consequences didn¡¯t matter to them always put me in a terrible mood.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I killed them. Mossi and her gaggle of idiots tried to mess around with my friend.  Later that day, I killed them. Here¡¯s the proof.¡±


    Servi dropped the corpses of Mossi and her group in front of her. They landed with a splattering sound as blood soiled the intricate pattern on the floor.


    ¡°Blue?!¡± Liealia was taken back by their sudden appearance. Llamare stayed silent, talking in the disgust of the corpses.


    ¡°And did you kill Rowan?¡± asked the old man.


    ¡°I did not. Rowan killed himself by drinking a glass of Elemental Nightfall.¡±


    ¡°How foolish, but I suppose it¡¯s for the best. May I ask another question?¡±


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Servi said. She absorbed the corpses she dropped to the floor, leaving nothing but a pool of blood.


    ¡°Are you the cause of those massive red domes that appeared in the city earlier?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Do you realize where you put them?¡±


    ¡°I do. Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°I suppose you rescued the slaves that were being held?¡±


    This time, it was Llamare who answered. ¡°We did. They¡¯re currently being led to safety by our friends.¡±


    The old man bowed his head once again as he thanked them.  ¡°I assume that was your objective?¡±


    ¡°It was,¡± Llamare kept answering.


    ¡°Then why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Parrel and the slaves he owns. Do you know where they are?¡±


    ¡°I do. Go through the door behind me and up the stairs. You¡¯ll see a big door. Master Parrel is behind it. Be warned, though, the rest of the guards are up there. If you look behind the foolish throne he has set up, you¡¯ll find a gold door. Inside that door is the treasury, and inside the treasury is a black door with a bloody handprint. The slaves are inside that room. I thank you in advance for rescuing them."


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. You¡¯re working for Parrel, yet you¡¯re thanking us for destroying the markets? And why does it sound like you want to die?!¡± Liealia asked


    ¡°Because it¡¯s my plan. My foolish pride won¡¯t allow me to run away and abandon my duties. And I can¡¯t bring myself to kill my master or myself.¡±


    ¡°But why?!¡± Liealia whined.


    The old man began to tell a story. ¡°A long time ago, I was just a young ruffian on the streets trying to survive. A girl about my age, a Singi, rescued me from being beaten by a stall owner. I had tried to steal some food. You see, I was poor, and my mother had just died.  With no one to look after me, I had to do it. She took my hand, and we ran away together. We spent ten wonderful hours with each other. But it wasn¡¯t until later I realized that bracelet on her hand meant she was a slave. And her so-called ¡®master¡¯ was the stall owner. She helped me, even though she was going to be punished.


    "You¡¯re probably asking why we didn¡¯t run away. Well, Victoria, the one who saved me, had a sister who was very sick. I don¡¯t know what she had, but she killed herself the hour before. Victoria wanted to do one last nice thing before taking her life. She said she didn¡¯t have a reason to live anymore, and she wanted to try to find one. I remember crying my eyes out when she said she was going back to that horrible man. Eventually, my crying put me to sleep."


    ¡°¡­¡± The three stayed silent as the man continued his recollection.


    ¡°When I finally woke up, I ran like the wind to where I knew she would be. Unfortunately, I was too late. Once I heard and felt that explosion when I was just a block away, I lost myself to anger and picked up a rock.  The next thing I know, I¡¯m standing over her half desecrated corpse. The sight is ever so vivid in my memory. Victoria''s organs and blood were blanketed about all over the area. Her soft hands that once held mine sat black and burnt in a bloody pile. Her beautiful head wasn¡¯t attached to her body and laid half caved in. I looked down and saw a bloody rock. The head of the stall owner was lying right beside it with his corpse."


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I was arrested and was to be put to death, but I was rescued by a young noble by the name of Virin Keywater.¡±


    ¡°The emperor?!¡± Liealia muttered in disbelief.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Virin wasn¡¯t the emperor yet, but he was a member of Warden.  Rank 4. I¡¯m not quite sure if you know the imperial family tradition, but it states that the firstborn son shall join Warden and do good in the world. Only then shall he be allowed to take the throne. Though I say that, it isn¡¯t really tradition anymore. Just take a look at Master Parrel... Regardless, he had built up some trust with the guards and somehow made a deal, so I was let go. I thanked him over and over again. He asked me to join his party, and I did so immediately.¡±


    ¡°And then what?¡±


    The old man continued. ¡°I ended up joining Warden and found out I was blessed by a Major God of Earth. Virin helped me nurture and grow my skills. We went on many adventurers and made quite a bit of money, but I only took what was necessary for my daily expenses. The rest I donated to a few Demi-Human-only orphanages. Victoria was my one and only love, and I miss her every day.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious you¡¯re a friend to us, so why are you allowing Parrel to do this shit?!¡± Llamare barked out. Anger filled his voice, but that wasn¡¯t all. A hint of sadness for a love that died way too quickly was in there as well. Though he hated Humans, Llamare felt for the old man.


    ¡°Because I swore my loyalty to the first-born son, which is Master Parrel.¡±


    ¡°But an honorable man like yourself shouldn¡¯t be loyal to Parrel. Have you ever visited the slave markets?! The first one I destroyed was full of naked children!!¡± Servi hollered out.


    ¡°Demi-Human children at that!¡± Liealia added on.


    ¡°I know, and I spoke to Master Parrel many times about it, but he wouldn¡¯t hear of it. I hope you can forgive me.¡±


    ¡°You humans confuse me so much!! An Elf would never pledge their loyalty to a despicable man!¡± Liealia yelled.


    ¡°I know that, too.¡±


    The room went silent as Servi¡¯s group stared against a lone old man who lost his one love before it even had a chance to blossom.


    ¡°I suppose you aren¡¯t going to let us pass?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. Even though I wish to die, I must try my best for my master. Please forgive me,¡± the man drew his weapon. It was sleek and black, but Servi could spot red flames dancing from the tip. ¡°My name is Albert Crysalerek, and I stand as your opponent. Earth Puppets, to me!¡±


    Albert thrusted his blade high in the sky as ten colorless lights flowed from its tip. They scattered about and collided with the various colored armor hanging around the room. Then the colorless lights changed hue to match the armor they touched, twisting and stretching as they all fell to the ground. The lights soon morphed until they were taller than a large man. Then they shattered like glass, revealing ten humanoid-like figures that were all a different color. They all walked to the wall and grabbed a weapon before returning to their master¡¯s side.


    ¡°Different elemental Earth Puppets? At the same time? Is such a thing possible?¡± Llamare loudly wondered as he readied his naginata. He tossed the bow back and arrows he had borrowed to Servi, who absorbed them. He knew they were too weak to help in a fight like this.


    ¡°Blue?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Let us handle it. I know you¡¯re super strong, but if you fight for us, it¡¯ll feel like our conviction is weak. We hate that. Right, cousin?¡± Liealia said.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Sorry, Blue, but let us handle it. After all, this is our mission.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Servi walked back a bit and sat down in a chair she pulled from her ring. A short second later, the large door to Albert¡¯s back opened up, allowing nearly a hundred guards to pour through.


    The one at the front, dressed in bright purple armor, was a woman with short black hair. Standing tall and resolute, she saluted Albert and spoke.


    ¡°Sir Albert, Master Parrel sent us to help you.¡±


    ¡°Stay out of the fight,¡± He said in a tone that felt like it had more force in it than necessary.


    ¡°But sir, we were sent here to help you.¡±


    ¡°The answer is no. This isn¡¯t just a life or death battle. If you intervene, I will kill you myself,¡± the way he said those words so coldly and without tone shook the woman in purple armor to the core.


    It was about that time Servi walked up.


    ¡°If you¡¯re looking for someone to fight, then fight me. I need something to do.¡±


    ¡°I believe that¡¯s a splendid idea. Casa, if you want to help, then do so by fighting her. In fact, to make it so we won¡¯t interrupt each other...¡± Albert sheathed his rapier and said two words.  ¡°Glass Wall.¡±


    A giant glass wall started to rise up from the ground, dividing the already massive room into two halves.


    The ground rumbled, shaking and stirring as if it was in a blender. Servi suddenly found herself becoming taller, but that wasn''t it.  It was the glass divider rising from the ground. She acted fast, hopping off to the side as the growing object picked up in speed. In just a few seconds, the preparation was done, and Servi couldn''t help but be amazed.


    ¡°Oh man, I can¡¯t even do that¡­.¡± Servi uttered. Considering how big and wide the room was, to create such a thick wall of glass would require such precision that not even Servi had.


    But I believe if we were to fight, we would win. Itarr said.


    Servi saw Llamare and Liealia through the glass, so she waved. Only Liealia waved back.


    ¡°I do too, but that kind of precision is something I don¡¯t have. And did Albert use that skill without chanting?¡±


    That he did. He definitely has the power equal to a Rank 1. That''s what I get from him, at least.  I do hope Liealia and Llamare can handle him.


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    A moment later, a small door appeared in the glass, and Servi walked through.


    ¡°So I¡¯m guessing that this side is for you three, and the other side is for me and the rest?¡± Servi asked Albert, who was sweating and panting. Summoning a wall like that took a lot of Skill Energy, nearly draining the aging warrior to the point of unconsciousness.


    ¡°That is what I had in mind.¡± Albert took out a blue potion and drank it. Suddenly, the sweat that dripped from his face disappeared, and he looked younger and more relaxed.


    ¡°Casa, you and those you brought go through the door and fight on that side. I will not have any interruptions, understand?¡±


    ¡°Sir! I will dispose of this harlot posthaste.¡± She saluted once more and walked through the door.  Her gaggle of guards followed her. As they went to the other side, Servi spoke with Albert.


    ¡°You do realize that you¡¯re sending them to their deaths, right? Even if I was to take it easy, there¡¯s no chance I¡¯ll lose."


    ¡°Whether they die here or later is of no concern. If Casa had stayed up on the top floor, they would''ve met their end by your blade.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you want them to die.¡±


    ¡°I do and quite violently at that. It¡¯s funny, isn¡¯t it? I actually want you to win and slaughter them without remorse. I want you to become a holy flame that punishes them for the death and hardships they brought to so many young Demi-Human children. Yet, I can¡¯t bring myself to kill myself, who was also a cause of such hardships. Since I want to betray those who are supposed to be my comrades, why can¡¯t I betray Master Parrel? It¡¯s something that I¡¯ve thought about for years and years, but I imagine I have to die if I want to be free,¡± he lightly chuckled sadly as the last of the backup Casa brought with her entered through the glass door. It closed gently.


    Albert was a man of many different and complex emotions swirling around his mind. That itself resulted in living a complicated life surrounded by a series of paradoxical events. It was no wonder that he became who he was


    ¡°¡­..¡± Servi put her hand on the glass doorknob. An idea came to her.


    ¡°Why do you have to die to redeem yourself? Why not go with those two and help out? Even I can tell that you¡¯re a good man at heart,¡± she said.


    ¡°Other than the debt to Virin, I have done a lot of shameful things. Things that I cannot take back. Even if I were to turncoat and join you, the dark stains on my past could only be forgiven with my death.¡±


    ¡°But what if there was a way to bring you back?¡± Servi thought back to the previous night, where she had read about two particular skills in the Necromancy section of her ID.


    Are you talking about Resurrection and True Resurrection?


    ¡°I am. Look, if there was a way to bring you back from the dead, would you consider your debt paid and your past cleaned?¡±


    ¡°It is impossible to bring someone back after they¡¯ve passed on. Trust me, I¡¯ve tried every possible way and listened to the smallest rumors,¡± Albert pictured his first love in his mind and smiled, giving him a hint of melancholy air that surrounded him.


    ¡°Even so, would it be paid?¡±


    Albert put a wrinkled hand to his chin. ¡°I suppose so.¡±


    ¡°Good. I don¡¯t know what death is like, but you better remember this conversation,¡± Servi opened the door and went inside. She watched as it shut behind her. The seams and glass hinges Albert made disappeared. Now, it was just one solid wall of glass with absolutely no openings. It was either thick enough to take a beating, but it could have been enchanted. In either way, no sound could pass through.


    Servi watched the other side for just a moment. Albert¡¯s ten different colored golems started to move as the two cousins prepared some sort of skill. He stayed back and used his rapier as some sort of baton to control the puppets.


    The moment before they started the battle proper, a voice interrupted Servi¡¯s watching. ¡°I feel bad for you,¡± Servi turned around to find Casa taunting her. ¡°All of the men you see behind me, as well as myself, were trained by Albert.¡±


    ¡°And? Just because someone was trained by a strong person doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re strong themselves. Look at me, for example. Never been trained, but I have more than enough strength to create massive domes where the hottest fire rages on within. Of course, I assume you¡¯ve seen them?¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re lying. Not even Albert could do that, and here I am to assume you can? A woman who can¡¯t even wear fitted armor and hides behind an eye color-changing mask?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to get angry like you want me to, so let¡¯s just figure out how we¡¯re gonna do this,¡± Servi pulled out a sword, but it was one she had never used before.


    ¡°That sword!! What did you do with my father?!¡± Casa yelled out, her face so strained and angry that blood vessels were visible on her forehead.


    ¡°Did he have red armor with a jewel in the middle?¡±


    ¡°Yes! What did you do with him?!¡±


    ¡°But I thought Rowan owned this sword?¡±


    ¡°You bitch! You killed my brother?!¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re all related?¡± Servi took out the red armor and floated it around with Telekinesis. Then she took out the corpse that used to own said armor. It flopped to the ground with a thud. Casa''s eyes focused only on the deep emblazoned across his chest.


    ¡°DADDY?!¡± Casa screamed out and rushed like a bat out of hell towards the corpse. She crouched down and tried to shake him awake.


    ¡°Sorry, but he¡¯s dead. But I didn¡¯t kill him. That Elf did.¡± Servi pointed to Liealia, who was currently engaged with one of the ten puppets. Green wind flowed down the blade of her naginata as she acrobatically dodged backwards, barely avoiding a red puppet¡¯s attempt at thrusting its spear. As she weaved, she waved her naginata around so that it would slice off the puppet¡¯s arm as she recovered.


    Meanwhile, Llamare took on two at once; a blue and yellow golem that held an axe and a bow, respectively. Perhaps Servi had underestimated him. He dodged arrows left and right while managing to fend off a constant barrage of axe swipes. But he wasn¡¯t doing it with his skill alone. Servi could see that an aura of green energy radiate from him. She wondered if that increased his strength and speed.


    Albert remained at the back, waving his rapier around and controlling the puppets. From what Servi could tell, he hadn''t moved even a single millimeter.


    Servi, I sense a self-enhancement skill coming from Llamare, but I don¡¯t know what it is. It certainly doesn¡¯t look like one we could learn through the Warden system. Perhaps there are skills exclusive to a God that can only be used by the individual they blessed? Yes, I think that¡¯s it.


    ¡°Why are you killing my family?!! What have we ever done to you?!!!!¡± Servi turned back to a wailing Casa. Tears escaped from her eyes as reason depleted her mind. The soldiers she brought with her could only stare.


    ¡°Rowan gave a slave to Brick. That¡¯s why I wanted him dead. Your father, on the other hand, was just in my way. You see, he was downstairs. That meant he was an enemy.  Just someone who was on the other side.¡±


    ¡°But they were my family!!!!¡± she yelled at Servi.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up, you brat! Have you ever realized the slave your shitty brother sold to Brick could¡¯ve had a family?! How would his parents or sister or brother or cousin or grandparents feel if they knew what happened to him?!! How his fate was to be nothing more than a temporary plaything for some fucked up man who had a whip fetish!!¡± Servi yelled back.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing the same thing!! The people you¡¯ve killed all had families. YOU KILLED MY FAMILY!!¡±


    ¡°I know I did,¡± Servi calmly replied.


    ¡°I loved them!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you did.¡±


    ¡°How many lives have you taken tonight?!¡±


    ¡°Too many to count, but at least 150.¡±


    ¡°ALL FOR ONE STUPID SLAVE?!¡±


    ¡°No. It was for all of the slaves so they could live and learn to love again. You people broke up helpless families with your stupid need to put your wallets over lives.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a hypocrite? Just think about how many lives you¡¯ve destroyed!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware I don¡¯t practice what I preach. If it helps you, feel free to call me a monster. But don¡¯t you fucking dare think for a moment that I¡¯m the only one at fault here.¡±


    She absorbed the armor and corpse that Casa leaned on, and she fell to the ground. She got up, filled up with tremendous anger, and gave an order with tearstained eyes.


    ¡°KILL HER!!!!!¡±


    All at once, the massive group of guards behind Casa swarmed Servi, forming a circle with the black-haired girl in the middle. Then at the same time, they all attacked her in different patterns.


    ¡°Itarr,¡± Servi spoke and gave instructions to her trusted friend as she activated Soul Essence of Primal Combat. ¡°Do not interfere. This is a good chance for me to practice my swordplay.¡±


    Of course. I wish you the best.


    Servi nodded and allowed her body to move. She did nothing but follow her newly gained knowledge of combat, now accumulated from over 150 souls.


    Gripping her newly acquired sword with a sharp red blade decorated with a blue jewel, Servi began to follow the afterimages, but she discovered a problem. Even though she saw the afterimages and avoided the attacks, the sheer amount of them overloaded her brain, and she froze for a split moment. That instant was all it took for a guard to sleuth around Servi, kicking her in the back. She fell forward, sliding on her chest while screaming out in pain.


    ¡°Look, men, this bitch isn¡¯t as touch as she claims to be!!¡± Casa¡¯s voice echoed in the back. ¡°Have fun with her. Break her legs, and rip her nails from her fingers! Rip her hair and gouge out her eyes! But don¡¯t kill her. She¡¯s mine!¡±


    Servi!! Itarr screamed out within her mind.


    ¡°How much Potential do we have, and how much is it for the next level of Soul Essence of Primal Combat?!¡± Servi demanded, standing up. Her attempts at dodging were useless. She received glancing blows to her arms and legs as metal scraped against metal, producing yellow sparks that danced the night away. Now she realized just how much she took her skills for granted. It allowed her to wield incredible power and adapt to almost any situation. However, Servi''s brain was that of a mere Human. She was unable to analyze as quickly as she wanted to. But she figured that if she leveled up Soul Essence of Primal Combat, her ability to process information would be improved dramatically.


    We have enough to upgrade it seven times. That¡¯ll leave us with 4 Potential left.


    ¡°Do it. We¡¯ll get some back after I slaughter these fools,¡± Servi turned tail and ran away some distance to prepare for the second round.


    Very well. It¡¯s done.


    Perhaps that was all it took. At its base level, Servi could only follow and process one set of images. But at level 7? She could handle up to eight at once.


    ¡°You won¡¯t get lucky again. Come on!¡± Casa yelled at the guards, who raised a hellacious battle cry before they all resumed attacking.


    "Then fucking bring it!" Servi shouted as she felt her blood run hot.


    The first half of the battle came to a close with Servi on the losing team, but now it was about to enter its second half. Servi yearned for the chance to go wild. She saw enemies-- prey-- standing in front of her, gazing upon the red-eyed girl like children would at a petting zoo.


    But Servi wasn''t a goat or a sheep. She was a beast waiting to be unleashed-- a sort of Mad Dog wanting to be left off its chain.

 Book One – Interlude – Part Nine – Servi’s Nightly Stroll II – Attack on the Markets

    ¡°What?!! Why?!!!!!¡± Casa exclaimed in pure hate as she watched the girl in front effortlessly dodge and avoided attacks that she couldn¡¯t handle just seconds before.


    Perhaps you can attack now without disrupting the images?


    Servi tried to attack but discovered something new. The afterimages she used to dodge were white, but now, if she thought about striking back, a red image showed up. And she squarely understood what that meant.


    Like a graceful ballet dancer, the girl in the oversized and partially damaged armor moved with such grace that she could only be compared to one. She knew where the attacks would come, even before the attackers knew themselves. Not to mention she knew how to kill them in a way that required the least amount of effort.


    Servi stepped back to avoid a wide arc swing before immediately ducking down and jumping up to avoid a thrust followed by a sweep. She followed her future self in the red images and cut an arm off some guard who tried to sneak up to her left before transitioning into a slight twirl to avoid another attack. Kicking a guard in the stomach, she followed the red images that instructed her to chase him as her souls gave her the information on where to stab his throat.


    In just a matter of seconds, Servi had poked her sword through the necks of ten enemies. The incredibly sharp tip of her red blade transferred fire to the stabbed soldiers, who burned to death as they screamed.


    ¡°You stupid idiots, use your skills!!!¡± Casa yelled from a protected spot.


    ¡°Cover us!¡± said a group of ten or so guards near the back.  They couldn''t be heard over the screams.  But Servi heard. More accurately, Itarr heard and told her. As Servi thought of the fastest way to get to the skill users, she dodged a strike that seemingly came from behind her.


    She should''ve been hit, but her body moved before her mind had a chance to think. That was Soul Essence of Primal Combat at work. Even if attacks came from somewhere out of Servi''s sight, her body would always dodge out of the way if it had the chance. However, it wasn¡¯t the end all be all. If the attacks came faster than she could avoid them, Soul Essence of Primal Combat would fail to activate. It was the same as if a hundred people all fired arrows upon Servi at the same time. There were simply too many projectiles to avoid, and Servi would definitely be wounded.


    Continuing her dance, Servi cut, sliced, thrusted as she dodged swipes, kicks, punches. Rather than a one-on-one dance, it was like a group battle where Servi couldn¡¯t even make one mistake.


    ¡°WHY???!!!!!¡± Casa did nothing but scream like a child as the men she led died for her.


    ¡°Now!!!¡± shouted a skill user. He was the one that asked his fellow men to cover him, and they did in a way, with their bodies and lives instead of swords and shields.


    Five giant floating pillars appeared from nowhere. One was made of dirt, one was rock, one was steel, one was glass, and the last was sand. They were probably twenty meters tall, twenty meters wide, and ten meters thick.


    ¡°SCATTER!!!!! IT''S STONEHENGE!!!! STONEHENGE IS READY!!!¡± someone yelled.


    Like clockwork, the group that surrounded Servi all leaped out of the way, even leaving their dead behind as the massive five pillars assumed a formation stacked on top of each other. Then like a puppet with its strings cut, they fell, but it wasn¡¯t all at once. The first pillar fell, and then around five seconds later, the second did. Followed by the third, fourth, and last one.


    ¡°Finally, I can test myself!¡± Servi yelled out as she held her sword up high. The moment the tip came into contact with the pillar of dirt, it exploded into fire and burned away.


    The rock pillar liquified, turning into a stream of blistering magma for a moment before it evaporated into nothing.


    The steel pillar became super hot as it balanced on the tip of her sword. Like a flame thrower, the point of her blade expelled a vast plume of fire. Any brave foes who had wandered close to Servi hastily retreated to a safe distance.  The steel pillar was the heaviest by far, and Servi had to grab the hilt of her sword with both hands, but even that wasn¡¯t enough. Her arms broke 73 times, and her ankles snapped 81 different times, all within moments of each other. The instant the bone was severed, it instantly grew back, but the pain lingered a moment more. Servi was experiencing pain on pain on pain, and it just kept stacking more and more.


    But she stayed strong and focused on her entire body to keep her sword up. And eventually, even the steel became liquid and melted before disappearing like the rest. It¡¯s no small wonder that the floor below her didn¡¯t crack or break.


    The second to last pillar was glass, and as soon as it started descending, it shattered. Thousands upon thousands of razor-edged and deadly translucent objects rained down as Servi screamed in pain. Being glass created by a skill, it was sharper than metal and sliced through her oversized and weak armor like a hot knife through butter. Her soft white skin and arms turned into a pin cushion as an impossible amount of blood flowed out. The glass entered through the wounds they created and flowed throughout her body. The little demons sliced her insides, eventually cutting through the skin and thereby creating an exit wound. The glass joined with the blood cascading down from nearly a hundred microscopic wounds, noisily scattering as it splattered against the ground.


    ¡°GGGAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± Servi screamed in response to the terrifying pain. As if to reply, glass that had still yet to fall entered through Servi''s open mouth, cutting her tongue and gums and making their way to both her stomach and lungs.


    SERVI!!!!!!


    ¡°I! CAN! HANDLE! IT!!!!!¡± she yelled out, even as her lungs filled with blood. Soon, she felt the horrible sensation of suffocation. The armor covering her limbs was no more, only white skin covered with blood, giving her the illusion that she always had red skin. Chunks of muscle, bone, and glass floated around in the ungodly amount of blood pooling below her. Locks of black hair were cleaved off as she turned her head to the ground, but perhaps that was a mistake. The raining glass pierced through her head and her skull before making its way to her brain.


    I know you said not to interfere, and I¡¯m sorry for going against you, but please allow me to remove the glass from your body! I¡¯m begging you!!


    Servi¡¯s vocal cords were damaged, so she couldn''t respond.  The only thing Servi did was weakly nod.


    She vomited out blood mixed with glass that went to her stomach as she felt those sharp, see-through objects disappear from her head and body. But even through all that, she stood tall.


    ¡°She¡¯s a demon¡­.¡±


    ¡°How could she¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°No human should ever have that much blood¡­¡­.¡±


    The guards surrounding her all stopped and stared in disbelief before one man made a logical conclusion.


    ¡°Monster¡­..¡±


    ¡°Men, don¡¯t give up hope! Believe in the power of Stonehenge, one of the most powerful skills!! Believe with me that it will kill this monster disguising itself as one of us!¡± Casa bellowed out. Morale was rapidly dropping, and she needed something, anything to bring it back up. ¡°We have one more pillar of Stonehenge left!!!¡±


    As Casa yelled, the sand pillar was ready to drop.


    ¡°Itarr. I need to focus¡­¡­the pain too much to bear¡­.. so I need you¡­¡­. to get me some armor¡­¡­¡­ and another mask from the¡­¡­¡­ ring, ok? I don¡¯t¡­¡­.. care if it¡¯s¡­¡­¡­ too big.¡±


    Of course.


    A split second later, a full-body suit of red armor with a blue jewel in its chest appeared on Servi''s body. Yes, it was oversized and too big, but the gem shined bright blue, and the armor started shrinking, becoming the perfect fit. The mask Itarr selected was similar to the one destroyed in the glass pillar attack. It made her eyes blue.


    But that was all.  This one had tiny red flame-like decorations that flared up around the blue-colored lenses, giving it an allusion of ice and fire, two total and polar opposites, working in tandem to make a mask that was beyond the concept of ''beautiful.''


    Her Immortality finished up, and her body was back in perfect shape. No cuts, scars, or open wounds remained on the outside. On the inside, her organs were in perfect working order.


    The only evidence remaining was the blood Servi stood in and the crimson trapped in the narrow space between skin and armor.


    Would you like me to remove the blood?


    ¡°Only from my body,¡± Servi replied.  Her voice was devoid of any emotion. She had just experienced true torture and pain, and that was something she couldn¡¯t just toss away. Her body healed back up, But her mind was still very much injured, and it would be a while longer before she felt like herself. Even now, she could feel the phantom sensation of glass traveling through her bloodstream, cutting and slicing straight through her muscle and bone. She couldn¡¯t even focus on her new armor.


    ¡°NOOOOOO! THAT ARMOR ISN¡¯T MEANT FOR YOU!!!!¡± Casa yelled out.  She drew her sword, green with a blue jewel, and rushed in,  but her trusted men made the right decision to hold her back. She cursed and threw punches and kicks, but they never let her take another step.


    ¡°Casa! The last pillar is about to fall! Calm yourself!!!!¡±


    ¡°MONSTER!!!!!!!¡± Casa¡¯s scream acted as the background noise for the final act of the skill known as Stonehenge. It consisted of five different pillars, all incredibly heavy, being dropped on someone. It was originally used to kill criminals, but it could also be used in battle if one could be protected long enough to chant its long incantation.


    How strange. The armor shrunk to fit you. Perhaps it has something to do with the jewel? I¡¯m sure I saw it glow when I put it on you. It wasn¡¯t until Itarr mentioned the armor that Servi glanced down and ran her covered arm and hand over the glossy, smooth red surface.


    ¡°I feel strong¡­ and protected¡­¡± Servi said as she continued to hold her sword up high. Some type of energy flowed through the armor. It was almost like the skill Protection, but it felt like there was more than that.


    The sandy pillar instantly turned to glass when it collided with Servi¡¯s outstretched sword. Just like the glass pillar, the events would soon repeat themselves, and Servi¡¯s body felt such a terrible feeling that reminded her of when she lost her hand.


    Unlike before, Servi covered her head with her arms, trying not to cry. There was no use holding the sword up anymore. But amazingly, the falling glass slid down her covered arms. Smoke and a tiny ember of fire appeared where the glass collided, burning to nothing instantly. Soon enough, the final act of Stonehenge was over. Servi stood tall with the beautiful red sword by her side. Her red armor endured the entirety of the glass attack, and it wasn¡¯t damaged in the slightest.


    ¡°Things burn when they touch it¡­¡­so maybe it¡¯s protected by fire? Maybe that¡¯s what I felt¡­?¡± she said quietly to herself.


    That seems to be the case, but I can¡¯t be sure.


    Servi heard a whiny brat complain, and she turned to look at her. ¡°Impossible!!!! IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!! How did you survive Stonehenge?! NOBODY HAS THAT MUCH BLOOD!!!!! NOBODY CAN SURVIVE THE WOUNDS YOU HAD!!!!!¡±


    ¡°Casa, I must thank your family for this armor,¡± Servi mocked the poor girl as she walked towards the retreated group of guards. Even with the face of death standing in front of them, they all moved to protect their leader.


    It was literally a case of 1 against 100.


    ¡°Prepare more skills!!!!¡± one man yelled out. He walked forward, taking off his helmet, and took control of the situation. He was bald, and a black mark ran down the left side of his face. A second later, a volley of a variety of skills launched at the lone woman.


    She didn¡¯t move.


    The Wind Strikes cracked against her armor and disappeared. The Shadow Shots evaporated into nothing. Two Fire Walls surrounded her from each side, and she thrusted her arms into them. They dissipated. The combination skill: Venti Aqua, a large water tornado, did nothing in the face of the red armor. The water evaporated and filled the room with hot steam before it got close. An Archer in the backline crouched down and shot an arrow high in the air. It was the skill called Arrow Shower. The lone projectile glowed green before multiplying seventy-five times. Servi looked around her and noticed that it was dark. She looked up and could¡¯ve sworn it was an eclipse. The vast amount of arrows blotted out the light so high above in the ceiling as they made their way down.


    Servi didn¡¯t do anything. There was no need. The arrows burned up right before they made contact with her.


    ¡°Dammit! Keep at it! Use Enchant: Water!¡± at his behest, five skill users wearing cloaks and holding staffs started chanting. Blue energy appeared above them messily and disarrayed before forming a perfect rectangle. The archers behind took the initiative and readily nocked an arrow.


    ¡°FIRE!!!¡± Casa ordered. She had a smug look on her face. After all, when it came to the elements, water beats fire. But what they didn''t know was that the force of fire that protected Servi was much, much stronger than anything water-related Casa¡¯s men could muster. Even Casa couldn¡¯t hope to break through the fiery protection.


    The archers followed their captain¡¯s command, firing all they had at once. The group of wooden arrows with a metal tip flew through the water field, becoming an arrow that was imbued with the essence of water. The metal tips turned dark blue like the ocean''s depths, while the wooden shaft took on a light blue color.


    Servi just stood there, and just like with Arrow Shower, the water arrows burned and extinguished before they came close to her.


    ¡°That¡¯s not gonna work,¡± the girl in armor replied in a singsong-like voice, and that made Casa angrier.


    ¡°Summoners!!!¡± the bald man yelled out, seeing that their skills didn¡¯t work. This was their last-ditch effort. Skills didn¡¯t work, physical combat was impossible, and arrows were useless. From behind him, three tornados of red, yellow, and green energy swarmed together before letting out an explosion of fire, lightning, and wind, respectively.


    The crowd parted and allowed the three elemental beings to move up.


    One was a fire wolf. Its entire body, a raging inferno. As it howled, its back slightly opened, and fire spewed out high above.


    The second was a large yellow bird. Lightning crackled around its body as its wings flapped.


    The third was a long and wide green snake. Two sharp daggers orbited its body and left behind a green trail.


    The three summoners walked up behind them and gave the order.


    ¡°Kill her!¡± all three shouted.


    The three spirits launched instantly at the same time. The wolf circled around to the side, using the hole in its back to blast a steady stream of crimson fire. Servi ignored it.


    The bird flew at such a high speed around Servi as it tried to distract her.  The lightning it produced assaulted her armor and uncovered head.


    ¡°Amazing¡­. I didn¡¯t even feel that¡­.that has to be the armor¡­..¡± even though the lightning should¡¯ve snapped Servi¡¯s head in half, it just bounced off like throwing a rubber ball against the wall.


    Using Soul Essence of Primal Combat, and Servi didn¡¯t expect it to work, but it did. To predict the bird¡¯s path, Servi stuck her hand out and grabbed it by the throat. She squeezed hard, breaking its neck before ripping its off head.


    ¡°GAAAHHHHH!!!¡± the summoner responsible for the bird put his hands to his neck and coughed up blood before falling to his knees.


    It appears that some of the damage we did to that thing was reflected back to him. Did that man yell out summoners? I remember that was a skill we could learn, Itarr commentated.


    The man to his left, who summoned the fire wolf, begged the man on his knees to release the spirit. The two halves of the bird in Servi¡¯s hand disappeared.


    Since she didn¡¯t have to worry about the fire wolf, Servi turned her attention to the green snake. It hissed and bared its teeth as its daggers shot out. Servi could predict the path using her Soul Essence of Primal Combat, so she grabbed them from mid-flight. The weak blade had no chance of cutting through her red armor. Somehow, the snake''s face twisted into a cruel smile. The daggers in her hand went incredibly hot before they blew up. The armor protected her from any damage she would''ve sustained.


    Servi rushed forward with her sword and bisected the snake. The fire from her sword traveled down the length of the two body parts, and fire appeared on the summoner¡¯s body as he screamed in mortal pain. It disappeared when the snake did.


    All that was left was the wolf, who bravely launched deadly fire from its back. Walking up to it, Servi used her armor to tank any weak attacks the wolf dished out. When she had a clear shot, Servi raced ahead and used her blade to split the incoming fire stream. The wind created from her swing knocked the flaming beast to the ground and sent its flame to the ceiling. That opening allowed Servi to cleave her foe with a single slice, who howled in pain as it faded away. Its summoner felt the same pain as he collapsed to the floor. Since she didn''t gain any souls, she knew the summoners were still alive.


    She would have to remedy that.


    ¡°All of your skills and summons are useless before me!!!!¡± Servi yelled out. Her thoughts were filled with nothing but rage. She wanted to kill and cover the floor with the blood of those in front of her.


    ¡°All of you will die!! I will KILL EVERY ONE!!!!" Servi''s voice took on a tone similar to a demon as she tightened the grip on her red blade.

 Book One – Interlude – Part Ten – Servi’s Nightly Stroll II – Attack on the Markets

    ¡°Why?! WHY?!Whywhywhywhy?!!!!!!!¡± Casa repeated over and over again. She was so far gone, and there was no way she would come back. First, her brother died, then her father was killed the next day. His corpse landed in front of her, and their killer took the heirloom armor and sword. To make it worse, that accursed woman used it to massacre her men, who were like family. All the while, she was being mocked by the monster who was responsible.


    ¡°That should¡¯ve been me¡­.¡±


    ¡°CASA, RUUNNN!!!¡± yelled Marcus Bellero, a squad captain in her unit. With a wave of her sword, Servi cleaved through his chest, cutting him in two. He left behind a caring wife, two beautiful children, and his mother.


    Servi set her eyes on nine more people, and ten people, total, died by being cut in half.


    ¡°Why? I wanted to be the one to wear it¡­THAT WAS MY BIRTHRIGHT!!!!!¡±


    ¡°Captain?! GAAAHHHH!!! IT BURNSSS!!!¡± that was Manny Donny screaming. He used to be a thief before Casa¡¯s father forced him to go on the straight and narrow.  Servi slid her sword along the ground, slicing through part of his foot, and the fire ran up his body. He was baked alive in a matter of seconds.


    Thirty more people died being cooked from the inside out. Servi danced more and more as it took only a single touch to the chest to kill someone. Even if the tip of her sword just glanced off their armor, the fire would finish the job.


    ¡°Daddy¡­.. Rowan¡­..¡±


    ¡°PROTECT THE CAPTAIN WITH YOUR LIFE!!!!¡± this unlucky fool was Wailie. No last name. He was nothing more than an orphan who happened to join the city guard. Through hard work and dedication, he eventually joined Casa¡¯s unit. The only thing that earned him was dying in a sea of fire with thirty-nine other people.


    Servi dodged backwards, and she came up with a horizontal slash.  To her surprise, the very air itself was set aflame in front of her.  A moment later, the fire lashed out in a massive sea of fire that swallowed everybody in front of it.


    After burning many men alive, a group of five was all that stood between Servi and Casa.


    ¡°Move,¡± Servi ordered. The red armor matched the fierce red decorations of her mask as the red fire raged on behind her, consuming life after life after life until there was nothing else to devour. The last five heard the screams of their fallen comrades echo in their minds long after the poor bastards had died.


    ¡°S-Stay away!!¡± a boy, who couldn¡¯t be older than thirteen, said. His voice still the same high pitch as a girl. He was the leader of this small group, which consisted of other boys around his age.


    ¡°This is your last chance. Leave, or die. Don¡¯t throw your life away for something so foolish.¡±


    The five looked at each other and nodded. It looked like the group was about to leave, but Servi¡¯s Soul Essence of Primal Combat proved otherwise.


    The one on the far left charged in yelling. Servi reacted with a quick upward slash that took off his arm.  The flames eventually swallowed him whole, leaving behind a pile of ash.


    The boy on the far right, a bit heavier than the others, threw his spear at Servi. It pathetically bounced off her armor.  He ran in, attempting to wrap his arms around Servi, but the bright red armor came to life. A layer of fire defended her. He instinctively backed off and looked at himself. His armor melted and dripped to his pudgy white stomach, becoming a fused substance of skin and liquid metal. The poor boy didn¡¯t even have time to feel the pain or realized what exactly happened before Servi took his head off.


    The second one from the left and right went high and low, respectively. The monster in red didn¡¯t even attempt to dodge. The boys'' metal weapons melted when they bounced off of her armor. Servi thrusted twice back-to-back as two more lives faded away far earlier than they should have.


    Servi then just realized what she had done. Four brave children, trying to protect their captain, died horribly by her hands.


    She was a child killer.


    A murderer of children.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s just you. Please, I don¡¯t want to kill any more children¡­.¡± Servi cried, her tears sizzling when they dripped to her red armor. Her unbridled rage seemed like nothing more than a passing memory as her reason came back to her. The four dead children were a spark that brought Servi back from the dark recesses of her mind, where she was trapped by nothing but anger and hatred.


    ¡°I cannot abandon my duties¡­¡± the boy said. His body, feeling fear he had never experienced before in his life. The boy''s mind ran through different scenarios in an attempt to come up with a way to kill the monster in front of him. There were none. He was to die here. That was the only truth in his world at the moment.


    He charged. With a foolishly tight grip, he swung his sword, and Servi easily deflected it.  She knocked him away, and he lost balance, falling to the ground in the process. She kicked him in the stomach, leaving a burning footmark as his armor slowly melted. With haste, he removed it as he laid on the floor but was just a bit too slow. The molten metal dripped to his stomach, and he cried in pain, but he didn¡¯t let it stop him. He managed to get it off in time before any substantial damage was done, and he would be fine in the long run. At least, he thought he would be fine.  The pain was too much for a boy whose stones haven¡¯t dropped.


    With nothing but a burned white undershirt, fused substance of skin and liquid metal, and his sword, he charged in. The result was the same. Servi parried the overhead slash with a flick of her sword and punched the boy in the chest.


    ¡°Please stop¡­. I can heal you and make the pain go away, but please go home¡­..¡± tears flowed from her eyes, and the boy yelled at her.


    ¡°IS YOUR CONVICTION SO WEAK THAT ME BEING A CHILD IS ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU WAVER?!¡± he shouted.


    ¡°What?!¡± Servi was astonished.


    ¡°THE FIRST THING WE¡¯RE TAUGHT IS HOW TO FIND OUR RESOLVE. THIS IS MY RESOLVE. I WILL PROTECT MASTER PARREL AND CAPTAIN CASA, OR I WILL DIE TRYING.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°AS SIR ALBERT SAID, THIS IS MORE THAN A LIFE OR DEATH BATTLE. YOU MIGHT BE WINNING, BUT YOU¡¯RE WAVERING IN YOUR BELIEFS. IT¡¯S THE SAME AS TAKING PITY ON YOUR OPPONENT, SO STOP TRYING TO SAVE ME BY GOING EASY. I AM A WARRIOR, AND THIS IS MY RESOLVE!!!!¡±


    ¡°YOU DON¡¯T HAVE TO LOSE YOUR LIFE FOR HER!!¡± Servi yelled back, but the boy shook his head before he readied his sword.


    ¡°You should be playing and having fun, not dying to protect a piece of shit. YOU ARE A CHILD, NOT A WARRIOR!!!!¡± he didn¡¯t respond but instead charged forward.


    ¡°DON¡¯T THROW YOUR LIFE AWAY!!!!¡± she screamed. But again, nothing.


    Servi could do nothing but ready her sword as well.


    Servi saw how the boy would fall to his knees and slide, trying to cut her legs. Servi  responded with an exaggerated swing that went in an arc starting from behind her head. The boy knew he would die here, so he did his best and used his secret move. One that won him almost every mock battle he had ever taken part in. When Servi moved her blade, he realized she knew what he was going to do. The edge of her sword collided with his head, cutting it straight down the middle as fire began spreading inside his wounds. The fire cooked his brain, turning it black like charcoal before it diverged down his body.  His dark skin burned to ash.


    The brave boy had died a warrior''s death.


    In other words, he had died a foolish death, a preventable death all the same.


    A red soul flowed from his body, and Servi''s ring absorbed it.


    Of the hundred-member squad, only the leader, Casa, remained alive.


    Servi walked up to the sniveling mess that was the boy¡¯s captain. Servi used Fire Wall to make some privacy as she exchanged the red armor for iron. It was a bit too big, but that was fine. She also stored the red enchanted sword and took out a regular steel one.


    Was that red armor too much?


    ¡°It was strong. Really strong. The same with the sword. But I don¡¯t need it right now.¡±


    Canceling the Fire Wall, Servi walked up to the sole survivor. Casa was a pathetic mess. Tears flowed from her eyes, and snot dripped from her nose as Servi raised her foot. With as much force as she could muster, she aimed for Casa¡¯s right arm. Like a twig, it broke as the pain brought reason back to her eyes.


    ¡°KILL HER!!!!¡± she yelled, but nobody was around to follow it.


    ¡°Your men are dead.¡± Servi used Telekinesis to float Casa in the air just a tiny bit so that their eyes met.


    ¡°MONSTER!!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. But I¡¯d say you¡¯re an even bigger monster. What kind of horrible person fills a young boy¡¯s head with stupid ideas? Do you realized he fought to the bitter end?! He should¡¯ve been out playing or finding his first love, not being a member of your fucking unit!!!¡± Servi balled her fists and punched Casa¡¯s stomach. Due to her Telekinesis, she didn¡¯t move a bit, and Servi heard a brutal crack. Casa screamed and vomited blood as Servi delivered a second punch to the same area.


    ¡°Pathetic. Such a weak armor for a weak woman who would have children join her ranks,¡± the purple armor with a blue jewel easily cracked under the force of her punches. Even if her hand broke with each hit, it was healed in a matter of milliseconds.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­.not¡­.fair¡­.. The¡­red armor¡­..was¡­to¡­be..mine¡­. Give¡­it¡­ba¡­.c¡­k¡­.¡± she croaked out. Her ribs were broken, her lungs crushed. She was on death¡¯s door. It wouldn¡¯t be too long until she passed on.


    ¡°So you¡¯re knowledgeable? Why don¡¯t you do something useful before you die? Explain to me why this armor is so powerful? And why did it shrink to fit me? When your pathetic father had it on, it was nothing more than a paperweight.¡±


    Casa coughed more blood. ¡°Fine¡­. The armor¡­¡­..responds¡­¡­to¡­the¡­.skill¡­.energy¡­..of¡­.its¡­.wearer. It¡¯s¡­.. impossible¡­..for it¡­..to get¡­¡­¡­so¡­strong¡­.¡±


    ¡°And the sword?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡­the¡­.same¡­ Daddy¡­..?¡± Casa closed her eyes and stopped breathing. A red soul came from her body, proof she was dead.


    ¡°Foolish woman..." That was all Servi muttered when she absorbed the armor and sword.


    ¡°Maybe I can find someone to repair it¡­¡±


    I have a suggestion. Put it on.  It might repair itself.


    Servi did just that, and Itarr was right. The cracks in the chest puffed out, and the armor expanded back to its original pristine shape.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    How does it feel?


    ¡°Somehow, it¡¯s worse. I don¡¯t feel as protected as I did when I had the red one on.¡±


    I see.


    Servi took off the purple armor and re-equipped a set of iron armor. She absorbed her sword and glanced around her side of the battle area because she felt it was her duty to engrave the sight of this into her mind.


    A mighty conflagration filled her sight. The flame Servi launched from the red sword still burned hot even after consuming all a hundred corpses like a gluttonous wave of death.


    Shall we check on Llamare and Liealia? Itarr said, wanting to do something to take her friend¡¯s mind off her most recent battle.

 Book One – Interlude – Part Eleven – Servi’s Nightly Stroll II – Attack on the Markets

    Servi turned from the burning fire to the see-through glass wall and saw that the fight between the two Elves and Albert was at a fierce conclusion.


    Ten destroyed puppets of different colors were scattered about, and all of them had a deep hole in their chest.


    Liealia was standing farther back than her cousin, who was locked into physical combat with Albert. His thin rapier matched the long naginata blow for blow, even though a naginata¡¯s range should¡¯ve been superior. Both were sweating profusely and had glancing injuries covering their bodies, which showed off Albert¡¯s chest, scarred from a lifetime of adventuring.


    Servi saw Liealia''s mouth moving and knew she was chanting a skill, but she didn¡¯t know which one. And sound couldn¡¯t travel through the glass, so she couldn¡¯t exactly ask. Servi also wasn¡¯t sure if she could break it.


    Her arm had green energy flowing from her shoulder to her forearm as it circled around like a snake climbing  down a tree. It eventually reached the tip of her index finger, at which it pooled together to form a small ball.  Closing one eye, she held both hands out and aimed.


    ¡°Wait, she¡¯s aiming at Llamare??!!! What are you doing?!!!!¡± Servi hollered and hit the glass, but it was no use. Nothing could pass from one blocked area to the other, but it didn¡¯t matter. Liealia wasn¡¯t aiming at her cousin. She was aiming at Albert through her cousin.


    The green ball launched like an arrow, flying straight before turning and doing a barrel roll as it went through Llamare¡¯s legs to hit Albert''s knee. It must¡¯ve been his experience, but the injury didn¡¯t slow him down a bit, even though an impact like that should¡¯ve shattered it.


    Liealia spat in disbelief before reading her naginata. With a mighty cry, she charged in to join her cousin in physical combat. It was like watching one person control two bodies. Liealia attacked from the back, making careful yet highly accurate jabs that barely missed Albert by the smallest amount. Meanwhile, Llamare took advantage of the moments when Albert had to dodge. Even then, he couldn¡¯t land a solid strike.


    It¡¯s like he has something similar to Soul Essence of Primal Combat, but that should be impossible.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that. Unlike the excuse I made to Tarch and Momo, he is actually reading the minute unconscious muscle movements in their bodies. Their footwork, the way they look before they strike, and even how much air the cousins inhale before they turn a certain way¡­ He is taking all of that information and processing it faster than I can with my skill that seemed like it was created with that sole function in mind.  There is one thing that my combat data, accumulated from hundreds of souls experienced in mortal physical combat by Soul Essence of Primal Combat, is telling me. And that one thing is that Albert is someone who is not to be trifled with. He is the real deal. Every soul in my body is screaming out.  It''s like they''re saying that he is the warrior they all wished to be.  If we were to fight with no skills, there is no doubt that he would kill us fifteen or twenty times. Even then, I doubt we''d win."


    How incredible¡­.


    Liealia looked back at Servi and noticed she wasn''t fighting. The raging sea of flame had died down to nothing more than a tiny ember that lusted for material to burn. The flaming imagery forced an idea to pop into her Elven head, but it was impossibly risky. She shouted something to her cousin, who nodded while he fended off a flurry of attacks.


    It was like Liealia was waiting for something. Her attacks slowed down considerably, only a few glancing attempts every few seconds that resulted in Albert deftly dodging. But something was wrong, and Servi couldn¡¯t put her finger on it.


    When she first joined in, Liealia was at Albert¡¯s back, trying to attack his blind spot, but now she was inching closer and closer to the point where they were side by side. And as Liealia''s eyes watched Albert¡¯s expert movements, she did something Servi wouldn¡¯t expect in a million, no, a trillion years.


    Albert swung his rapier down, and he expected it to be dodged or blocked, in which he would transition to a defensive stance.


    He didn¡¯t expect his attack to land home.


    Liealia had deliberately jumped in front of the attack that was sure to be blocked. It slid across her chest and inflicted a gruesome wound that was only a few centimeters deep. Usually, those kinds of injuries were considered minor, but that was only when the weapon was not enchanted. From the moment the rapier made contact with the wooden armor, it erupted into flames and engulfed her chest. And obviously, she cried out in pain.


    But that wasn¡¯t all.


    Llamare steeled himself as he used the enflamed body of his cousin to hide his upcoming movements. Then he stabbed Liealia through the chest, weapon and all until his arm was sticking right through it. And the blade of his weapon? It was resting right at home in Albert''s heart. Or rather, the area where it used to be was destroyed by Llamare''s attack.


    With wide eyes, Albert smiled softly before falling on his back. Tears flowed from both his and Llamare''s eyes.


    He had pierced through his own cousin''s body to kill their opponent.


    ¡°NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!¡± in a fit of rage, Servi equipped the red armor and sword and lashed out with a vicious attack fueled by hatred.


    ¡°THAT WAS HIS COUSIN!!! I¡¯LL KILL HIM!!!!!!!!" Servi raged, screaming at the top of her lungs until she tasted iron in the back of her throat.


    Please, calm down! Itarr¡¯s voice wouldn¡¯t reach Servi anymore. Pure, unadulterated anger flowed through her body like a disease through a favela.  The sight of Llamare collapsing to his knees over his cousin was far too much for Servi to take.


    Servi''s assault continued.  All sense of skill she acquired via her souls had been lost, and her attacks were reminiscent of a savage banging a club on a rock. She would¡¯ve noticed that her strikes bounced off less and less if she wasn¡¯t drunk on rage.  Thousands of hairline fractures appeared in the glass, spreading ever so slightly as the wall weakened.


    The glass finally broke, and Servi ran as hard and as fast as she could over to the crying Elf. She had her arms out like she wanted to strangle Llamare, but then she couldn''t move. It was like an invisible being had its tight grip around her body.


    ¡°ITARR!!!!!!!!¡± she screamed, but not even she could break out of her own Telekinesis.  Her arms snapped twice, her legs thrice, and her neck once from trying to fight the invisible force holding her back.


    CALM YOURSELF!!! WE CAN STILL SAVE HER!! Itarr yelled at Servi, raising her voice for the first time.


    Servi stopped struggling, and Itarr let her down as she forcibly removed the red armor and sword.  A calm set of iron armor appeared in their place, clasping her in something that wasn''t the color of blood.


    With tear-stained eyes and a clear mind, Servi ran over and crouched beside the burnt girl. Liealia''s brown skin was black as night from being the fire, and her bare chest and torn ribs were visible. A horrific burnt smell radiated up, poisoning the nostrils of her cousin. Servi put her trembling hands to the large, fist-sized hole in her new friend''s chest.


    We have vastly more power than we did before. We can save Liealia¡­.


    ¡°Please, can you save my cousin?! I¡¯ll do anything for you, anything at all! But please¡­save her!!¡±Llamare touched his forehead to the hardwood floor and begged.


    ¡°I won''t let her die!¡± Servi said as her hand glanced against Liealia''s ribcage. The hole was wide enough for her fist to fit right in.  She used her Remedium to her utmost limit, which happened to be 592 times.


    ¡°Come on! Come on!! COME ON!!¡± the gaping hole slowly started to close as the flesh regenerated.  It took a few extra seconds, but the crushed sections of white bone began to grow back.


    Ten seconds later, the hole was closed, but not even Servi and her 592 stacks of Remedium could thoroughly heal all the damage. The ribs were back to where they should be, the new lung was slowly filling with air as her chest moved up and down, and even the burnt skin was healing, but a terrible scar would forever be on the right side of her breast. But rather than thinking of it as nothing but a wound, it was evidence. Evidence that she would put her body on the line to fight for what she believed in. Pulling a cloth from her ring, Servi laid it across Liealia''s naked chest so that she would somewhat be covered.


    As Servi left the two Elves alone, she walked over to Albert, who laid on his back. His separated heart would never again beat in this life.  However, he still had a bit of life left in him.  The jaws of death would not take him yet.


    ¡°Please tell¡­.me the¡­.. girl is ok..?¡± he asked, being careful not to waste the precious breath he had left.


    ¡°I did all I could¡­ Liealia... It''s up to her, now." Servi thought about taking a sword and finishing the job, but she reconsidered. She would allow him to say his final words in peace.


    ¡°I never¡­...expected her¡­¡­..to purposely take my attack¡­¡­¡­and use¡­..her body like¡­¡­.that.¡±


    Servi started crying. Her emotions had gotten the best of her. ¡°Neither did I...¡±


    ¡°The¡­..moment¡­.he went¡­¡­.to attack¡­¡­.I saw the. ¡­¡­..pain he¡­¡­.when¡­..he¡­.realized.......had¡­.do¡­. don¡¯t¡­¡­hate¡­.him¡­.¡±


    The light faded from his eyes as he went unconscious for the previous few seconds of his life.


    This is the end. Oh, Victoria, I wished I could see you once again¡­


    Before he passed on, a mysterious voice spoke to him through his mind.


    Idiot, you can see me again!


    A strange voice caused Albert to open his eyes, and he didn¡¯t see anything familiar. It was a large green meadow, colorful flowers were planted all around, and a single girl stood near the center. Albert laid up and discovered that he was lying down on a hill. To his left was a small pond. He glanced back to the center and looked closely at the girl as his heart beat faster and faster. A watering-can was gripped gently in her caring hand, a blue sundress covered her silky skin, and two black cat-like ears sat atop her head. Albert struggled to open his mouth and speak, but no words came out.


    Victoria!!!! He screamed in the only place he could: his mind.


    Be quiet, idiot! You don¡¯t have to shout, you know. I can hear you just fine.


    The girl turned around to reveal a Singi. Her long black hair, tied in a ponytail, lively bounced along with her tail.


    Is that really you?


    It¡¯s me... Albert, it¡¯s really me. Victoria sat the watering can on the ground.  With a gentle smile, she walked over to Albert, who had tears dripping from his eyes.


    Victoria!!! I''m sorry!!! I''m so sorry!!! Albert cried.


    For what? My death had nothing to do with you.


    I¡¯m sorry for not helping you more... I¡¯m sorry for letting you go back... I¡¯m sorry... I¡¯m so sorry! Albert felt a gentle embrace as he looked up. Victoria had her kind arms around him. It was then he realized that he wasn''t in the body of an old man weathered by time, but he was in a body that reminded him of his childhood.


    I¡¯ve been watching you, you know? From the moment you killed that bastard store owner to the moment you came here, I¡¯ve been watching. I¡¯m both happy and sad. She said with her arms around him. I was thankful you devoted so much time and money to the orphanages. Little girls and boys would have the chance to make something of themselves, but I¡¯m sad because you didn¡¯t live for yourself.


    But I did.


    Huh?


    I lived for the both of us.  I tried to live my life in a way that would make you proud of me.


    Dummy, I am proud of you, but why would you waste your one and only life on someone like me?


    Because I love you.


    You love me?


    Yes, I really do. Victoria backed off from the hug and looked at Albert, who stood up.


    Then prove it. Victoria said. Albert reached down and grabbed hold of her shaking hands before pulling her in for a gentle kiss on the lips. Continuing to hold his hand, Victoria sat down beside him.


    I was waiting for you to do that.


    I know.


    Albert?


    Yes?


    I love you.


    I love you too.


    But I have to say something to you.


    What is it?


    That girl down there, the one with the black hair and blue eyes?


    What about her?


    She was telling the truth about bringing back the dead.


    Albert kept silent and focused on the hand of his beloved Victoria while she spoke.


    I have a little favor to ask you.


    What is it?


    When the time comes, and you have the option to go back, please take it.


    But why? I want to be with you!


    And I want to be with you too... But there¡¯s still a lot for you to do down there. Slaves like me that need saving, troublemakers to be put down, and lives that need rescuing.


    Very well, but on one condition.


    What¡¯s that?


    I want you to come with me. That¡¯s the only way I¡¯ll go back. I¡¯ll find some way to convince her. I don¡¯t know how, but I will. I will never leave you!


    Victoria looked up, and tears flowed down her eyes.


    Yes! I love you, Albert.


    And I love you too, Victoria.


    The two shared one more kiss before lying back on the hill.  Colorful flowers of all different colors grew and wilted in what seemed like a second.  The passing of time was a fickle beast that could not be contained.


    The only thing the two lovers could do was wait for that fateful day to come, the day in which they could taste the breath of life once more.


    A red soul calmly floated up from Albert''s warm corpse and landed gently inside the red ring worn by a crying girl. Servi silently absorbed his body as she slowly rose to her feet. Shaking her head, she wiped her eyes with her hands.


    ¡°Blue!!¡± she heard a voice from behind, and she turned around. Llamare sat next to his cousin and held her hand tightly. Making her way back to them, Servi sat down and gently grasped the wounded Elf''s other hand.


    Let¡¯s keep using Remedium.


    Following Itarr¡¯s command, Servi saw and felt the warm white light flow from her hand to Liealia''s chest. It took some time, but her face twitched. A moment later, she opened her eyes.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t heaven¡­. Cousin? Blue?¡± Liealia muttered.  Two heads came into view.  One belonged to her beloved cousin, the other to the girl who helped them in their time of need. They both were crying, and their tears dripped on her newly regrown skin.


    ¡°Crying?¡± she softly said. It was hard for Liealia to speak at her regular volume.  Servi caught onto this and helped her lean up. The cloth covering her chest fell down, revealing her A-cup breasts to the world.  Or rather, to her cousin and Servi.


    ¡°Stupid¡­¡± Servi whimpered. ¡° You stupid idiot!¡± she started crying before she charged in for a hug. ¡°Why¡¯d you do something like that?!¡±


    Liealia returned the hug, and she smiled. ¡°You do care¡­..¡±


    "Of course, I care! So why?! Why did you do it??!!¡±


    ¡°That was the only way we could have won. That man was far too strong for us to win against without doing something drastic. And I trusted both you and my cousin. I had enough faith that you would heal me in time.¡±


    ¡°But what if I didn¡¯t?!¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯d be dead, and that would be that. But I¡¯m not dead,¡± Servi didn''t like that answer. She pulled back from the hug and frowned before she pressed her finger to the scar on Liealia''s chest.


    ¡°Ow! Ow! Owowowowowow!!!! I¡¯m sorry! I won¡¯t do it again!! Stop!!!¡± The Earth Elf winced in pain and teared up. Servi apologized and used Remedium to heal her. Hearing Llamare cough from behind, Servi gave Liealia one last hug before noticing the cloth covering her chest fell down. Llamare, who just now realized that fact, immediately went red in the cheeks and turned around. Liealia didn''t know why he did that. It seemed she was unaware of her topless state.


    ¡°Here,¡± Servi pulled out a black bra, a red shirt, and an iron chest plate for Liealia to wear. The Elf receiving the gifts looked down and saw her tiny breasts. After she had done the math, her face took on a red hue. In a panic, she crossed her hands over her chest. ¡°I¡¯d imagine he wants to talk to you. You know, he cried. He begged and begged me to save you¡­¡± Servi explained.  Then, she stood up and walked away. The room was too full of valuable-looking armor and weapons, and Servi wanted to give the cousins some time to talk. Not to mention that she had to have a tense conversation with Itarr.


    I¡¯m sorry¡­ Itarr whimpered when Servi absorbed the thirty-second armor set. It was red and blue; perhaps it was made out of ruby and sapphire?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry too. I didn¡¯t mean to yell at you but just seeing¡­..Llamare''s fist through Liealia¡­. I was angry. And I would¡¯ve killed him if not for you,¡± Servi quietly said.  She could feel the tears filling her eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I did that¡­¡±


    Servi¡­. I think this is what sadness feels like. I guess I want to cry, but I don¡¯t know.


    ¡°I¡¯m already crying¡­¡±


    Do you still love me, even after I betrayed you? Even when I said I will always support you?


    Servi wiped her eyes. ¡°I do. I love you even more now¡­ You stopped me when I was about to kill him. I can¡¯t thank you enough. Do you still love me, even after I yelled at you?¡±


    I do.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad¡­ Itarr?¡±


    Yes?


    ¡°If I should ever lose myself to anger again, would you stop me? You¡¯re the only one who can, and you''re the only one I can ask.¡±


    I will. You can count on me!


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    You¡¯re most welcome.


    While Servi and Itarr were patching things up, Liealia had just finished putting on the bra and shirt and was in the process of slipping on the iron armor as she walked to her cousin. Her chest burned with pain, but it was dull enough to where she could ignore it and walk.


    ¡°Cousin?¡± she timidly said to Llamare. He had his eyes closed and was thinking of something fierce. Liealia flinched when he opened his eyes, and he raised his hand high in the air.


    Liealia braced herself for a hit that never came. Instead of pain on her head, she felt a warm hand embrace her hair.  A second hand hugged her small back and pulled her close to his chest.


    ¡°Cousin?! That hurts¡­.¡±


    ¡°Stupid fool¡­¡± he cried, his face buried in her as he ignored her. ¡°When you told me to trust you, I didn¡¯t expect you to do that¡­. Did you really want to sacrifice yourself just to kill him?¡±


    Liealia burrowed her head in her cousin¡¯s broad chest as she cried.


    ¡°Of course not, but that was the only way¡­ I was so scared that I was gonna die. I¡¯m glad you did that because...because I didn¡¯t want to leave it to Blue! If she fought all of our battles, then we didn¡¯t do anything¡­¡±


    ¡°But if it meant losing you, I¡¯d be happy to ask Blue! Liealia, I honestly have no idea what I would¡¯ve done if you¡¯ve died,¡± Llamare wailed loudly, like a wild beast who had lost a dear family member, and Liealia was shocked. It was rare that they called each other by their names instead of cousin, and it was even rarer for Llamare to cry so intensely.


    ¡°Llamare!!!! I¡¯m sorry!! I¡¯m sorry!!¡± it was like a floodgate opened on both of their eyes.


    Servi glanced over at the two cousins who cried their hearts out and smiled. ¡°I should give them a bit more time.¡±


    I agree.


    Five minutes later, Servi walked back over to the two cousins.   The crying had died down, and all that was left was their breathing.


    ¡°You two feel better?¡± she asked. Instead of being embarrassed and jumping back, the two slowly removed themselves from the hug, but they continued holding each other¡¯s hands. Then they both bowed and thanked Servi profusely.


    ¡°Blue, I just cannot thank you enough for saving my dear cousin. I am so, so, so, sorry for the way I treated you when we met. Please forgive me¡­¡±


    Servi put her hands up. ¡°I should be the one to apologize. When I saw what happened and the glass wall broke, I was seriously about to kill you. Itarr stopped me, and I came back to my senses. Please forgive me.¡±


    ¡°So you really do care?¡± Liealia asked again.


    ¡°Of course I care. You''re my friends, right? Why wouldn''t I care about you two? Besides, I''ve really only talked to you two, Itarr and my Singi friend. If either of you would¡¯ve died, I really might¡¯ve destroyed this city.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­. I say we  forgive each other and be over with it, right, Liealia?¡± Llamare gripped his cousin¡¯s hand a bit tighter as he stared at her. She returned the grip and smiled before agreeing.


    ¡°Drink this,¡± Servi took out a small red vial from her ring and gave it to Liealia. ¡°Unfortunately, my healing skills can¡¯t erase the pain completely. I¡¯m sure it still hurts.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Blue,¡± She undid the cork on the vial and drunk it in one swallow before Servi absorbed the empty glass she held in her hand.


    Servi.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Can you summon your ID and hand it to Liealia and Llamare?


    Servi did as she asked and noticed the surface of her red ID was blank.  It was utterly devoid of any information.


    Just then, the flat, empty surface of the ID had the sentences, ¡®I can communicate using this. Can you hand it to them, please?¡¯


    ¡°Yeah. Take a look at this. Itarr wants to talk to you.¡±


    Confused, Llamare took the red stone tablet with his free hand and watched with wide eyes as words appeared from nowhere.


    ¡®Hello.¡¯


    ¡°Itarr¡­? Is that you?¡± Liealia asked.


    ¡®It¡¯s me. Are you still in pain?¡¯


    ¡°No, I¡¯m feeling better. Thank you so much for saving me. And thank you for protecting Llamare.¡±


    Servi overheard and became depressed. She felt uncomfortable about what she did.


    Maybe I¡¯m nothing more than a monster. If I consider my actions so far, then I destroyed hundreds of families today. And here I am, threatening to destroy the city if Liealia died. I know I¡¯m probably no better than Casa, Parrel, and the others. I just don¡¯t know what or how to feel¡­ Servi thought.


    ¡®You¡¯re most welcome. I wish I could talk to you two properly, but it¡¯s impossible at the moment. I just wanted to introduce myself.¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I hope that we have the chance to talk again,¡± Llamare said. He handed the ID back to Servi. She tossed it to the ground and absorbed the smoke that was produced.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we got to talk to her,¡± Liealia said.  She turned her head left and right, trying to find Albert.  Or if not him, then his corpse.  ¡°What happened to Albert?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s dead. After I¡­.. After I stabbed him, Blue healed you and walked to him.¡±


    ¡°The first words to come out of his mouth were about you. He wanted to know if you were okay,¡± Servi explained.


    ¡°Llamare, I don¡¯t think he was a bad guy at heart.¡±


    He nodded at his cousin''s words. ¡°I agree. Perhaps he had too much loyalty in his heart. If we get a chance, I would like to meet him again. I think he''s someone I could become friends with.¡±


    Servi thought about telling the two Elves about her plans to bring Albert back but decided against it.


    ¡°Aww¡­ I never thought I¡¯d live to see you say those words,¡± Liealia gently said, teasing her beloved cousin.


    Becoming red in the face, Llamare hastily spoke. ¡°I mean, he was a worthy opponent, and I wanted to speak with him a while longer. And after experiencing what happened tonight, I just can¡¯t bring myself to hate those few humans who really care.¡±


    ¡°Oohh¡­.. You¡¯re not falling for Blue, are you? Hehehe!¡± Liealia put a hand to her face in a cat-like way and grinned.  Llamare''s face turned redder than the sun.


    ¡°Please, Liealia!!!¡± Llamare complained in an uncharacteristically like way, and Liealia giggled.


    Servi looked down and realized the two were still holding hands. Perhaps the two cousins were closer than family? If they were, then it didn¡¯t bother Servi one bit. She believed love was love. As long as it was safe and consensual, what right did she have to complain or speak on things that didn¡¯t bother her?


    ¡°So uh¡­ Should we go on up?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°Yes. Liealia, are you ready?¡±


    ¡°I am! Let¡¯s finish this up and go home.¡±


    Liealia glanced around as she picked up her precious weapon. It had been lying right next to her body. ¡°What happened to the armor and weapons?¡± She noticed the walls were now empty and devoid of anything.


    ¡°I took them. Do you want some? They seem to be valuable.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, but we¡¯re good,¡± Llamare said. ¡°Once we get back to our forest, we¡¯ll be able to make gear that¡¯s stronger than steel.¡±


    ¡°The offers on the table,¡± Servi replied as she absorbed the large door that led out. It took around a minute and a half, but another expensive-looking item was stored inside her ring.


    Just like Albert said, there was a set of stairs behind the door.  At the top of those stairs sat an extravagant double set of doors. It was gaudy and gold.


    ¡°Parrel is behind this door¡­ Itarr, can you put the red armor on for me? I have to do these doors.¡±


    Of course.


    ¡°Red armor? Woah!! Blue?¡± Liealia was taken by the sudden red armor. As she put a finger to the surface, Servi shook her head.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t touch it,¡± Servi pulled a small cloth from her ring and held it against the armor. Smoke came up.


    ¡°Wow, it burned instantly! Wait, is this the same armor that guy had on downstairs?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°How does it feel?¡± Llamare asked. Servi gave a positive review.


    ¡°Amazing. It even stopped a skill called Stonehenge,¡± Servi announced.


    ¡°Stonehenge?!!¡± they both exclaimed.  Servi wasn''t ready and flinched.


    ¡°Yeah¡­.?¡±


    ¡°Blue, do you realize what this means? Stonehenge was designed to deal with the worst of the worst. It¡¯s a skill that deals an impossible amount of damage, and that armor saved you?!¡± Liealia explained.


    ¡°Well...¡± Itarr brought the red sword and floated it around her, ¡°This sword saved me from the first three attacks. And this armor protected me for the last two. The glass burned up as soon as it touched me."


    "If it''s that powerful, it has to be a Divine Item!¡± Liealia said.


    ¡°Divine?¡±


    ¡°It refers to an item, may it be armor, a sword, or even a pot, that was personally blessed by the Gods Above,¡± Llamare explained to Servi but quickly apologized since he didn¡¯t know more.


    ¡°Casa said it was a family heirloom or something.  She also said it grows stronger with the user.  Something to do with the Skill Energy or something.  I wasn''t paying attention."


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a pair of divine items growing with their user. How unusual¡­¡±


    ¡°Regardless, the door is almost gone, so get ready!¡± Servi announced. It disappeared into nothingness. She ran in first, using her bright red armor as a shield.


    Servi expected trouble, but she didn''t expect it to come in the form of a volley of black arrows. But she wasn''t afraid.  She stood tall and allowed the shadow arrows to burn, igniting from the sheer heat her armor gave off.


    Servi''s final battle of the night was about to begin.

 Book One – Interlude – Part Twelve – Servi’s Nightly Stroll II – Attack on the Markets

    "If that''s the best he has, then this will be easy.  Come on!" Servi shouted. She turned around and saw Liealia''s and Llamare''s determined faces.


    The room the three of them were in could only be described as a pseudo throne room. It was like something that would¡¯ve been right at home in a mini castle, but at the same time, something was off. It was probably the set of stairs that led to a small elevated platform where the large man sat on a throne that was too small for him. The distance between Servi and him must¡¯ve been less than twenty meters.


    That must be Parrel, Itarr thought.


    He was big around the gut and taller than someone like him ought to have been. His face was patchy with black hair, and his head was devoid of any hair.  A depressed-looking woman and a guard in black armor were to his right. To his left was a boy of about ten or eleven years. Unlike his assumed father, Parrel''s son was tall and gangly, with two daggers tied around his ankles. To the child¡¯s left was a Koena in a black and white maid uniform. Her orange scales stood out and reflected the candle lights set up all around the platform.


    On each of the seven stairs that led to the platform stood seven guards wearing the same black armor, but that was all the similarities they had. The weapons they held in their hands were drastically different.


    Starting from the top, one held a red sword that crackled with fire, while another gripped a yellow spear that had sparks dancing around the tip.


    A blue dagger had ice dripping from its blade, and a green axe pulsed with wind.


    The guard on the third to last step had a brown shield that almost looked like it was made from dirt.


    Below him stood a man with no armor that carried brass knuckles, but they were white and gold.


    Standing in front of all of them, on the last step, was a man with a black bow.


    The man with the bow didn¡¯t have a quiver, at least not where Servi could see it, but he drew the string back and aimed high. Suddenly, a shadowy arrow appeared in it. As he let loose the pulled-back string, it launched high in the air before turning into yet another shower of arrows.


    Servi lifted her red sword and cut the area in front of her, launching a tremendous wave of fire that followed the arrows and burned them to ash.


    ¡°Are you Parrel?!¡± Servi yelled out as she walked forward. Llamare and his cousin were at her side.


    ¡°Who wants to know?! Did you kill my dog?! And what about that whore, Casa?!¡± he yelled frantically, pulling at his non-existent hair so hard that he started to bleed from his bald head.


    ¡°Casa is dead. I killed her,¡± Servi announced.


    ¡°If by ¡®dog,¡¯ then you mean Albert, then we killed him,¡± Liealia yelled.


    By now, they were close enough that they didn¡¯t need to yell anymore.


    ¡°That worthless bastard! So fucking worthless!!!!¡±


    ¡°Shut your tongue, you ingrate! He was a far better man than you would ever be. He had honor and loyalty, and it was wasted on some pathetic man who can¡¯t fight his own battles!¡± Llamare yelled out.  He spun his naginata around his body and pointed it towards his opponent.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Liealia added, but they didn¡¯t get the response they wanted.


    ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! COME IN, BOYS!!!!!!¡± Parrel screamed out, running his lungs raw as sections of the walls around them disappeared, revealing an army of at least two hundred.


    ¡°DIE DIE DIE!!! KILL THEM, WHO DARED TO INVADE MY HOLY GROUND. THAT¡¯S WHY I RIPPED AND SLAUGHTERED MY LITTLE PLAYTHINGS THE MOMENT YOUR SHITTY ATTACK HAPPENED! THE POOR, DEFENSELESS SLAVES YOU TRIED SO HARD TO RESCUE FROM ME ARE DEAD! THEIR SCREAMS, A MOST PLEASANT DESSERT THAT I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED!!!!!¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP!!!¡± Liealia screamed back, her eyes wet from tears.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t expect a quick death¡­¡± Llamare muttered. His voice was thick with the essence of hatred. It took everything he had not to lash out in a verbal rage.


    The air turned sour, and Servi felt the rage building up inside of her. Anger, resentment, depression. A mix of everything and anything, and she saw red.


    ¡°HAHAHAHA!!!! I HAVE TWO HUNDRED MEN, AND IT''S ONLY YOU THREE!!! WHAT CAN YO--??!¡±


    ¡°Enough!!!!!¡± Servi roared like a dangerous animal as she rapidly cut the space in front of her, hitting nothing. But in reality, every time she threw a slice, she launched a beam of fire that was as wide as she was angry. It was all too quick for anyone, even the two Elves, to follow. Her cuts seemed to be sharper than lightning, and just as she started, she stopped and switched sides.  The background noise-- the lack of background noise-- made it clear what was happening.


    She attacked the left side first, and the screaming and hollering they were doing just moments before were no more. And ten seconds later, the right side went quiet. Only the low whimpers of those who had yet to die were audible, but even a moment later, that stopped.


    In just a couple of seconds, two hundred men lost their lives in a raging sea of fire launched by a monster in Human skin.


    ¡°Blue¡­.?¡± Llamare timidly asked as he stood in front of his cousin and readied his naginata.  He had a horrible feeling.


    Like a beast from the darkest depths, Servi could do nothing but roar demonically. Her mind was being twisted and warped by the armor''s seductive power. It was something she was just now conscious of, but she couldn¡¯t do anything about it. And as she lifted her sword against her two new friends, she stopped.  The demonic armor and weapon disappeared. A simple set of iron armor was in its place. She then fell to the ground and coughed heavily as the rage dissipated from her soul like water flowing from a cup.


    Servi¡­. Listen to my voice¡­It¡¯s me, Itarr. That¡¯s right, that¡¯s a good girl¡­.


    ¡°Ngh¡­.?¡± she started to get up but vomited and fell back down.  At the last second, Servi jerked her body sideways, avoiding the puddle of vomit.


    ¡°HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! ANOTHER ARROW STORM! NOW!!!!¡±


    The archer nodded and drew back his arm. Once the shadowy arrow appeared, the man with the black bow released the string and watched.  The sky went black, blanketed out by black projectiles whose only wish was to kill for its wielder.


    ¡°Llamare, use a skill! Hurry!¡± Liealia jumped on top of Servi¡¯s body. She was prepared to cover her, even at the cost of her life.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to stop that?! I don¡¯t have any shield skills¡­¡± Llamare fell to his knees.  There was only one way the three of them could survive, and it relied on someone who couldn''t be heard by anyone but Servi.  Still, he had to take a chance.


    ¡°ITARR!!!!¡± Llamare yelled before a gigantic wall of fire appeared overhead, burning the arrows before they even started their downward arc.  Parrel stumbled backwards, mumbling and cursing everyone in sight, including his own family.


    I won¡¯t let you! Wake up, Servi! They need you!! Itarr cried out.


    Hearing Itarr¡¯s cries for help, Servi moved a bit.  Liealia noticed this, and she hurriedly backed off.  Servi slowly stood up, her red eyes almost intensifying as she realized she had lost control of herself.


    ¡°Itarr, can you lock away that armor? That is too dangerous, and it felt like my mind was being corrupted. Llamare, Liealia, I deeply apologize for turning my blade on you once again. Would you fight with me?¡±  Servi asked.  Her voice trembled with fear and anxiety.


    Of course, Itarr said as Servi pulled out a regular sword. For the moment, she wasn¡¯t going anywhere near that accursed sword and armor.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be behind you," Liealia said.


    ¡°Got it!¡± Llamare commented.


    ¡°Oh dear, this could be bad¡­ My worthless slave, could you take my precious child to safety? I have to deal with these measly intruders.¡±


    ¡°No¡­.¡± that was all that the Koena in a maid outfit said as tears dripped down her orange-scaled face. She rapidly crouched down and pulled the dagger from the child¡¯s ankle before violently slitting his neck. As the knife ran red with crimson, the Koena ripped a scale from her neck.  It was red and pulsing, like a heart. A moment later, she thrusted the blade into the exposed throat, taking her own life.


    If I¡¯m going to die, then I¡¯m going to kill this bastard of a demon child. I¡¯m not going to hell alone. Missik, Mossok, please wait for me. That was her last thought as she pierced her own throat. Since she was a slave and therefore beaten, her scales were softer than Rie''s purple scales, who had trained them up by years of fighting and training.


    Parrel screamed in pain as he launched himself in a fury of rage at the dead Koena. Grabbing the knife from her still warm body, he thrusted in over and over, making more blood flow. But during all of this, not once did he ever say a word about his son. His wife also showed no emotions whatsoever, and the only people who even looked back were the seven guards on the steps. The one beside his wife didn¡¯t do anything. It was almost like he was a human-shaped doll.


    The moment the guards turned back, which couldn¡¯t have lasted more than a quarter of a second, Servi, Llamare, and Liealia launched forward.


    Though they didn¡¯t say it, the two Elves were surprised to see that Servi could match their speed. They didn¡¯t know she was using the combined physical power of her entire reservoir of souls. Even if her Absorption skill could only use two percent of a person''s physical ability, she had well over 450 souls inside her. That was a 900% boost, which was nothing to scoff at.  She currently had the strength and speed of nine Humans.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take three. You take two each,¡± Servi said, coming to a sudden halt. Not waiting for a response, Servi used Telekinesis to grab the scariest ones first. Those being the ones with the shield, sword, and the bow, and tossed them over her. They flew overhead as Llamare and Liealia made their way towards the seven steps and four enemies that stood between them and victory. The three Servi pulled towards her landed with a heavy thud on their feet as they began their attacks.


    ¡°Itarr, do you think it¡¯s possible for me to use the sword?¡± she asked her faithful friend as she followed three white afterimages. Her foes'' attacks were unchallenging, meaning she dodged them with the simplest of ease.


    Perhaps, but please don¡¯t. That armor almost seems to be cursed, and I''m afraid of what would happen if you would continue to wear it. The sword could be cursed too, and I don''t want to risk it.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Servi went to attack and followed a red image. It told her to sidestep past an arrow, roll to avoid a thrust, and aim for the shield wielder¡¯s shin as she recovered. The way he moved put too much pressure on his left ankle, and therefore had to take an extra moment to recover. Servi took advantage of that and attempted to slice his ankle off, but the sword she used paled in comparison to the red one. In the end, it didn¡¯t matter. A wound was a wound, and the sword was stuck in his leg. It was far too dull to be of any use, so Servi backed off and drew a spare blade.


    ¡°¡­..¡± The two remaining enemies showed no regard for their fallen comrade. The shield wielder didn¡¯t even scream or yell from the pain. As she dodged another set of attacks, the shield user tried to get up, but he collapsed after putting too much weight on his injured leg.


    ¡°They¡¯re like zombies¡­¡±


    What?


    ¡°Someone who came back from the dead with no free will. They can¡¯t feel pain. To kill them, one needs to destroy the head.¡± As she explained, Servi thought about cutting off a head and dodged until the red image showed itself.


    ¡°There!¡± she exclaimed. Twirling to avoid an arrow, she did a little hop afterwards to jump over another wave of fire aimed at her legs and thrusted out towards the archer. For some reason, he was way too far forward, and Servi effortlessly cleaved his head in half. He fell to the ground instantly, not in a way that he should have. It then became clear to Servi that something more was at work, but she didn¡¯t know what.


    That only left the sword wielder, and Servi easily parried the blade before kicking him in the stomach. He tried to get up, but she was there to take his head off. Afterwards, it was easy to finish off the still downed enemy that had the shield.  ¡°They barely used any skills. And they were weaker than I thought they would be. How strange¡­¡±


    She turned around and saw her friends taking care of themselves. They each had one down, and it was two one-on-one fights.


    Servi went around absorbing the colored weapons as the three souls flowed into her ring. ¡°These could be useful, but I¡¯m a bit hesitant to use them¡­¡±


    Because of the red armor?


    ¡°Yeah. Can you lock these up too?¡±


    Of course. I think Llamare and Liealia are done.


    Turning around, Servi saw the two deal the finishing blow on their respective enemies concurrently. Though their fight had started on the ground next to the seven stairs, it finished up on the throne platform.


    She walked over to them and spoke.


    ¡°Good work. Hey, where¡¯s Parrel?¡± Servi asked while she absorbed the rest of the colored weapons.


    You don''t need to worry about him. He''s right there, next to the big chair.


    From behind the throne came a squirming Parrel, who floated so helplessly as he begged for forgiveness.


    Of course, that would never come.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me!!!! Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!!!!¡±


    Llamare responded by hitting the handle of his weapon against Parrel''s arm. Servi could hear a snap and knew it was broken.


    ¡°AAAHHHHHHH!!!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Llamare spun his naginata around his body to shatter Parrel''s jaw. The handle smashed him on the chin, and even Servi had to wince in pain.


    ¡°Ga¡­¡­shorrryy¡­.¡± he moaned as he cradled his mouth.


    ¡°You think sorry is gonna make this all disappear?! Thousands of children were torn from their homes because of you. Die!!!¡± Liealia spun her weapon around and stabbed the miserable man in his heart multiple times to make sure he was dead. Afterwards, she turned to the doll-like guard and the woman who didn¡¯t even react to her husband¡¯s death.


    ¡°What are you going to do to them?¡± asked Servi. Llamare used his expert skill to decapitate the two. ¡°That answers that,¡± she added.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Llamare ordered as he made his way for the gold door. Albert said it would be behind the throne, and it was, but on the ground and not on the elevated platform. Llamare tried to rush through it, but it was locked.


    Servi tapped him on the shoulders.  "Let me handle the door."

 Book One – Interlude – Part Thirteen – Servi’s Nightly Stroll II – Attack on the Markets

    ¡°I''ll get it,¡± announced Servi as she got to work. A few seconds later, the solid golden door disappeared to reveal a medium-sized circular room. The floor and walls were wooden and plain, unlike the intricate tile designed that made up all the other rooms. In the middle sat three treasure chests made of solid gold.


    They''re nearly the same size as Parrel... Itarr said in disbelief. Parrel stood a bit over 190 centimeters, and these chests were as tall as he was and as wide as his gut.


    Twenty fully armored mannequins surrounded the chests. They were as black as night, but the chest, arms, legs, and feet of each one had a pair of glowing blue lines. Servi glanced at the armor long enough and somehow felt that they were alive. Perhaps it was her stressed mind playing tricks on her.


    Next to the armor sat five wooden pallets stacked beside each other. Each pallet laid five weapons of different types, and each had the same pulsing black and blue lines. The fifth and last one had four black bows. Their strings were blue, and a quiver of arrows was next to them. As Servi expected, the projectiles'' shafts were black, and their tips were blue.


    ¡°Nadrium?!! Twenty sets of nadrium armor?!!¡± Liealia exclaimed as she ran her hand down the surface. Llamare looked around for the door with the bloody handprint. He found it and started to break it down as Servi asked Liealia to explain.


    ¡°Nadrium is metal forged from meteorites that fall to the ground from the sky. It¡¯s a tough material, resistant to all forms of attacks. It¡¯s also very sharp, so it¡¯s good for weapons. Just making one set of armor is enough to feed a city for a year, and for Parrel to have TWENTY SETS is unheard of. Only royalty would ever have three or four at most, so I guess he really was the son of Virin Keywater. And the weapons would be considered national treasures-- something only given to the most powerful soldier¡­ Blue, if you sold this haul, there''s no doubt you¡¯d be the richest woman in the world. The only problem would be finding a buyer...¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± That was all Servi said as she got to work. That richest in the world that Liealia was talking about didn¡¯t include the three giant treasure chests. Flashy jewels filled the left chest. The right one was filled to the brim with different kinds of necklaces and watches, with each one carrying an expensive stone. The middle container was overflowing with dupla of a variety of denominations. Just from the one chest with the coins, Servi was thirty million dupla richer. Even if she would never find a buyer for the weapons, thirty million was still an incredible amount of money.


    All of the armor looked too big for Servi to wear, so that was a bit of a bust. And she didn¡¯t know how much it would cost to have it altered to suit her body. They were useless for the time being.


    But the same couldn¡¯t be said about the weapons. If they were made from nadrium and meant for the strongest, then the weapon horde couldn''t have been a better find. Servi finally had a proper weapon that could support her ever-growing strength. Sure, she¡¯d like to use the red sword with the blue jewel, but it wasn¡¯t worth the risk.


    It¡¯ll take me quite a while to categorize all of this. I¡¯ll let you know when I¡¯m done.


    ¡°Right.  Now, what about that door¡­.¡± Servi glanced over and saw Llamare was just about done tearing the door down. With a final roar-filled strike, the door broke into two, and he ran in. Liealia was behind him and was about to go in when he screamed.


    ¡°DON¡¯T!¡± he immediately turned around and body-blocked the doorway.


    ¡°Wh¡ªhmmph!!¡± Suddenly, Liealia found herself forced against her cousin¡¯s chest as he lifted up her and carried her away. He stopped a meter or so away from the door and wanted to move further, but the sight he saw destroyed his spirit and motivation.


    She struggled to pull back but stopped when her hair became damp with her cousin''s tears. Llamare was crying. ¡°Don¡¯t go in. Don¡¯t....¡± he begged as he hugged tighter.


    She was about to bite him to make him back off but stopped when a horrible stench invaded her nose. Liealia was a smart girl, and she connected the smell to the words Parrel said when they confronted him.


    ¡°NOOO!!!!¡± she cried out as the tears flowed from her eyes. She pressed her head against his toned chest as he wailed in return. Servi finished up robbing the treasury and just so happened to glance inside the door.


    She was lucky True Immortality extended to horrible smells, or else she would¡¯ve vomited. The corpses of thirty slaves were inside. Some were on the floor, covered with excrement and urine, but no eyes. Others were hanging with a rope around their neck. The skin on their stomach was removed, showing their gruesome red insides to any who dared to walk in.


    Six tables lined the room, and each had a corpse on it, but the bodies had no hair or ears. They were skinned. The worst part was that based on their size, the carcasses clearly belonged to children, and Servi had no way to know if they were Singi, Dwarven, Koena, Kobold, or Elven in origin. But then she thought about it. The children''s races didn¡¯t matter at all. In the end, it was still children that had to suffer most horribly before their lives were extinguished in a fit of rage by a mad man.


    On the far back wall, a pregnant woman was impaled to it by four swords. With her stomach cut open, Servi could see and make out every little, bloody detail. From between her legs, Servi followed a flesh-colored cord that led to a baby-sized, unmoving body, still red with blood. Some bastard had wrapped the umbilical cord around the baby''s neck. Its first few seconds in this horrible world was its last as the very air it strived to breathe was denied to it.


    How monstrous¡­.


    ¡°Burn it," Servi ordered.


    Of course¡­


    Itarr used Fire Wall to burn the entire room before using it one more time to create a door-sized wall of fire to block the doorway. Servi started to walk over to Liealia and Llamare, but they were still crying, consoling each other. She thought it best not to disturb them and instead made her way over a box on the wall she missed before. It was just like the one Arty spoke into in the sewer base.


    Maybe that thing connects to this house?


    ¡°Probably,¡± Servi pressed the red button and talked into it. Her voice was a bit delayed, but it came from overhead. The two hugging Elves were a bit started, and they looked over at Servi with wet eyes.


    ¡°Hello. I can¡¯t tell you my name or anything like that, but Parrel is dead. So are his wife and child. This is what he had coming, and we feel no regret about doing so. The horrible way he treated slaves as nothing more than property was not something that could remain. And so we slaughtered him. But our attack is not over. In three minutes, this disgusting mansion will burn. If you don''t want to face your crimes with death, then leave like a fucking coward. Just be warned that if I catch you, I will string you up by your entrails and leave you for the crows. If anyone wants to try and stop me, then come to the top floor. That is all.¡± She moved away from the box and walked to the two Elves.


    Servi went to open her mouth but stopped. She couldn¡¯t think of anything to say to make it any less painful. But she could do something. Liealia looked at her with those watery eyes, and Servi went in for a hug. Just as she thought all of her tears had dried up, Liealia let loose the waterworks once again.


    ¡°WWAAHHHHHH!!!! IT¡¯S NOT FAIR!!!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Servi could do nothing but hold her, and soon after, her tears dried up for good. She stepped away from Servi.


    Though she still sniffled, she walked back to the pseudo throne room. Llamare and Servi followed her over to a wide glass window. Three giant domes of fire were still burning as hot as ever as three groups of little torches made their way through the city. Servi imagined they were trying to find a way to put the fire out, but it would be no use.


    ¡°You know, now I can finally see just how frightening that must be. Imagine waking up in the middle of the night to what must seem like three gates of hell covering parts of the city. I hope Momo¡¯s still asleep¡­.¡± she said so quietly that she wasn¡¯t sure if she said it at all.


    We still have about two hours left on the fire. Itarr reported.


    Servi relayed that to Llamare and Liealia, who just nodded.


    And so, three minutes passed, and not a single person entered the throne room. Servi walked back a few steps, and she asked the two to do the same. Three Greater Fireballs floated beside her as they launched into the glass wall, instantly burning it to ash.


    ¡°It¡¯s so much more powerful now,¡± Servi noticed. Itarr explained.


    Between now and the last time, our overall strength has grown tremendously. It¡¯s like comparing a child to an adult. This is how it¡¯s gonna be from now on. We¡¯re going to get stronger and stronger.


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Also, how are you going to get out? That man, Albert, had Earth Wall. It''s a skill that allowed him to freely make walls from a surface. That might be an option to consider.


    ¡°I can use that to create steps? I guess I can.  Liealia, Llamare, you ready?¡± she asked the Elves. They nodded. Servi walked over to the ledge of the building and looked down. She was high up, and the breeze felt so good on her face.


    Using Earth Wall for the first time, knowledge flooded Servi''s mind, and she instantly knew the best way to use it. By choosing an anchor point, she could see an outline of what would become the wall. She could make it small or big. At higher levels, Servi could make items like beds and climbable structures by altering the outline. Depending on where the anchor point was at, the material could be strong or weak. For example, using dirt as a base would result in a wall, while using a chunk of rock would make it quite durable and sturdy.


    ¡°Come on!¡± Servi hollered to the Elves as she ran down the stairs materializing in front of her. The Elves were right behind her as they descended more and more. Servi glanced to her side and saw a large number of torches coming to the mansion, but that problem was something she could handle later.


    Finally reaching the ground, the three were surprised by a small unit that happened to be standing near. Servi couldn''t kill them quick enough, and the group managed to produce a scream.


    ¡°They¡¯re over there!¡± a nearby unit heard their screams and ran over. A neighboring squad near them heard it and passed the news on. And soon, ten groups were running towards them with their weapons at the ready.


    ¡°Shit! You two, get ready to run! I¡¯ll catch up!¡± Servi commanded. Using Earth Wall, Servi created a giant wall in front of them that blocked off the pursuing guards. Itarr worked her skills, and thirty Greater Fireballs appeared over ahead.


    ¡°Destroy the mansion!¡±


    I¡¯m on it!


    Itarr sent the command to the thirty giant orbs that appeared to be destruction incarnate. All fell concurrently, exploding into a firestorm as they hit the wall of the ugly mansion. The moment the building started to crumble, Itarr skillfully created seventy Fire Walls.


    Like a puppet master, she expertly manipulated and contorted them into a dome shape. As with the three previous incidents, the Goddess then set the dome down, doing her best to prevent any flame from splashing away. If anyone was still inside, then they¡¯d most certainly be dead. Most likely, the intense residual heat scorched everyone within 100 meters except those with access to fire-resistant skills or clothing. Even then, they only had a few seconds at most to properly apply any resistances.


    From the other side of the wall, Servi could hear screams that got quieter and quieter. Then, forty more souls floated to her.


    ¡°Good job! Now, let¡¯s go. Gotta catch up with Liealia and Llamare!¡± With the objective accomplished, Servi rushed down the alleyways in an attempt to catch up with her new friends.


    A minute later, she ran down a side street only lit with the flaming dome behind her. Servi heard a hushed voice followed by a hand grabbing her. ¡°Blue! Here!¡± She turned around and saw Liealia and Llamare breathing hard.


    ¡°We saw the fire¡­.¡± Liealia said.


    Llamare finished the sentence. ¡°And now our job is done.¡±


    ¡°I should be happier, but I¡¯m not¡­¡± Liealia said sadly, and Llamare took her hand with his own.


    ¡°We did the best we could, and nobody can deny that. Liealia, just think of the lives that were saved today.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­¡± she muttered as she turned to face Servi.


    ¡°Blue?!¡± Servi was no longer in regular old iron armor. She¡¯d been seen at the mansion, and there was a chance she was noticed. Servi changed the armor for a black set of overalls, complete with a yellow shirt, white pants, and red boots. The mask she wore was also changed, and her eyes were pink.


    ¡°Had to change my clothes and mask. There was a chance I was seen, and I have to play it safe,¡± she explained.


    ¡°But your eyes are pink... Wait, they aren¡¯t blue?¡± Liealia looked shocked, and Llamare chuckled.


    ¡°That¡¯s smart. Here I thought the mask for just for show. I guess we call you Pink now?¡±


    ¡°Servi,¡± the girl said, absorbing the mask and revealing her red eyes that burned with the same intensity as the four hell-like domes.


    So you¡¯re going to tell them?


    ¡°But I thought you wanted to keep it hidden?!¡± Llamare exclaimed, a bit out of character.


    ¡°Pretty¡­.¡± Liealia whispered while looking at Servi''s eyes.


    ¡°Umm...thanks,¡± replied Servi, embarrassed and red in the face. ¡°I did want to hide it, but then I thought it wouldn¡¯t be fair to you. So here I am,¡±  Servi opened her arms wide, indicating that she had nothing to hide.


    ¡°Oh, Servi¡­¡± Liealia went for a hug and cried a bit, even though she thought her tears were all dried up.


    ¡°Oh, Liealia¡­¡± Servi replied as she hugged the girl back.


    ¡°I take this to mean that you trust us?¡± Liealia said as she pulled back from the hug, and Servi nodded. Llamare smiled and pulled out a wooden emblem from his pouch. The feel of it was vastly different compared to the one he gave her when they first met. It had an eye-raising design of three arrows and three bows arranged in a pattern.


    ¡°This badge bears the symbol of our family. It means that you are someone who helped us in our time of need. I doubt it, considering your strength, but if you''re ever in trouble, or you are lost in a forest, and you meet an Elf, show them this."


    Servi carefully accepted it, stored it, and thanked him.


    He turned to his cousin and grabbed her hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for us to go.¡±


    ¡°I know. Servi?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll meet again, right? Please say we can¡­¡±


    Servi smiled gently and took hold of Liealia''s other hand, gripping it tightly. ¡°We can, and we will.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you¡­.¡± Liealia whimpered before pulling her hand from Llamare and hugging Servi again. She giggled and gave Liealia one last hug.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Liealia hates goodbyes,¡± Llamare tried to apologize for his cousin¡¯s actions, but Servi giggled again.


    ¡°I hate goodbyes too.¡±


    ¡°Come on, cousin, we need to meet up with the others.¡± He said as he tried to drag Liealia away from Servi. After a bit of a struggle, he did, and Servi waved them off as they left. The pair of Earth Elves used the growing chaos to mask their escape, managing to squeeze through the west gate without being stopped for questioning.


    ¡°Llamare?¡± Liealia asked when they were far past the city gate. The sun peaked through the dark night above, and the world was beginning to light up. They were walking on a beautiful path in the Forest of Gife, surrounded by trees, which the pair relished. Wood and leaves were vastly preferable to stone and metal. The singing songbirds waking from a night of sleep was music to their ears, and both smiled when the familiar smell of flowers wafted to their nostrils.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Llamare replied.


    ¡°After what happened tonight, I think I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°You are?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I want to¡ª¡±


    ¡°HEY!!!!¡± a loud voice interrupted the two as Liealia was about to confess something. It belonged to a rock juggling Singi trying to impress a large gaggle of slaves resting nearby. His sharp ears picked up a couple of footsteps, and he turned around, ignoring the fact that there were currently three rocks in the air. They fell on his head. Though he didn¡¯t find it that funny, the tortured and abused slaves laughed. It was a small flame of humor in the dark and murky mess that was their lives.


    ¡°Stupid Scratch and his stupid yellow ears...interruptin¡¯ me¡­¡± Liealia muttered and adorably pouted as Llamare yelled back. He yelled at Scratch to get ready because they were about to head out.


    ¡°So you¡¯re ready?¡± Llamare asked his cousin, who affectionately held his hand. They walked forward towards the hidden area where their friends and comrades were waiting.


    ¡°I am. I got my feelings all sorted out. We can talk to our parents when we get back.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll be right there beside you, hand in hand.¡±


    ¡°I know you will.¡±


    Two Earth Elves walked together towards a crowd of people. Some were their comrades, and others were just frightened children who finally had a chance to live the life they were given.


    For the Earth Elf cousins? They were ecstatic. Llamare discovered that some Humans were worthy of his trust, and Liealia had a new friend who she wanted to meet again. Not to mention that the depressing and dark doubts that clouded her mind were gone, and a beautiful green paradise laid within it.


    I¡¯m ready for the next step. Even if our parents disagree, I know what my heart desires. I couldn¡¯t see it until I almost died, and I feel like such a fool. I¡¯m happy we accepted this mission together.

 Book One – Interlude – Part Fourteen – Servi’s Nightly Stroll II – Attack on the Markets

    A girl with black hair and red eyes stood alone in an empty alley.  With a sword slotted into the shield on her left arm, she crouched down and ran a hand through her hair.


    I¡¯ll miss them.


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    What do we do now?


    ¡°I guess we go back to the guild, but I want to look around for a bit.¡±


    That sounds good to me.


    Not having a single direction in mind, Servi made her way back to a main street and walked. Being out this late at night, or rather it was so early in the morning, was quite different. The roads that should¡¯ve been mostly empty were packed to the brim from the sheer panic that four unknown domes of fire could cause. Servi moseyed on over and leaned against a stone wall, eavesdropping on a conversation between four people. Due to the wall of bodies in front of her, she couldn¡¯t tell who they were. All she could do was listen.


    ¡°Are we under attack?!¡±


    ¡°Nah, we can¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°Then explain why there¡¯s a fucking firestorm?!¡±


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s alright to be scared.¡±


    ¡°Fuck off, I¡¯m not scared.¡±


    ¡°Look, man, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯m scared too.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Do we know anything?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I actually heard something a bit ago. Some guy was saying he saw a strange woman with blue eyes running around near the underground market. Apparently, it''s where the first fire dome appeared, but I don''t know if that''s true.¡±


    ¡°Blue eyes? They didn¡¯t say anything else?¡±


    ¡°Nah. But I heard it from a drunk who stumbled about. Who the hell knows if he¡¯s telling the truth.¡±


    ¡°Hold on, you mean the slave market? That¡¯s what they attacked?!¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°Why would I? I¡¯m too poor to be going around there. Besides, why would I want to see my own race in chains?!¡±


    ¡°Calm down, man, I¡¯m just asking.¡±


    ¡°If you ask me, I¡¯m happy they attacked them.¡±


    ¡°Look, Singi, I wouldn¡¯t joke like that. You¡¯re probably new here, but if it was the markets that got attacked, then that¡¯s bad. Really bad.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because of the rumors.¡±


    ¡°You mean about our governor?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Word around town says he came to this city ten years ago, and he was the reason it got so big. Even though Canary''s been here for a long time, it was poor, and we really only had a Warden office.¡±


    ¡°And what else?¡±


    ¡°Governor Parrel was the sole reason behind the growth of this city. He was the one who brought in slaves and enticed those fancy nobles to move here. They even say he picks out a few slave girls and sends them over to the family heads for a bit of fun, but that''s not all.  There was even a rumor of him sending slaves to Westera and Keywater every few months, and don''t even get me started on the connection between Parrel at the king of Lando. If you wanna know why there haven''t been any elections, that''s why. The nobles love him, and they don''t see a reason to get rid of him."


    ¡°That¡¯s preposterous!¡±


    ¡°Is it? Just look at how slavery is treated here compared to other places. Especially Arcton.¡±


    ¡°I just came from there, and it¡¯s bad. Slaves are property, just like here.¡±


    ¡°While that may be true, the Mafia running that corrupt town owns them.¡±


    ¡°Hold up, Mafia? Do you mean a secret organization?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s no secret that Arcton is super corrupt. The Mafia controls damn near everything, and that includes slaves.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by renting?¡±


    ¡°I can answer that. You gotta pay a certain amount that depends on the slaves. You also gotta tell them what you¡¯re going to do with them. Hell, if you pay enough, you can even kill them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s sad.¡±


    ¡°Serves them right. Those damn things deserve what they get.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a Dwarf.  How can you say that?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m a believer in the Church of the Heavens. The teachings say that slaves are a right for those who believe. I wish I had enough saved up to buy one.¡±


    Servi had heard enough. She stood up and walked closer to the group, staying just far enough away. Once she saw the Dwarf and made sure it was him, she broke his neck via telekinesis. The sturdy thing collapsed as he struggled to breathe.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡±


    ¡°Come on¡­.¡±


    ¡°The fuck are you doing?! Help!¡±


    ¡°I-i-i-I don¡¯t know any healing skills!¡±


    ¡°He deserved it,¡± Servi quietly said as she walked off. A red soul trailed behind her eventually went inside her ring.


    I agree.


    Leaving that group behind, Servi wandered aimlessly, going wherever her feet took her. She¡¯d been walking for around for who knows how long when the four bright sources of light instantly disappeared.


    Loud and frightened screams came with the sudden darkness. Since the lights were so bright, everyone became momentarily blind as they waited for their eyes to adjust. Servi was the only one who kept walking since her eyes adapted instantly, bypassing and squeezing through a multitude of humanoid barriers.


    I guess time is up.


    ¡°I believe so. Good work on the domes.¡±


    You¡¯re welcome. What now?


    ¡°I¡¯ll walk around for a bit more, then go to the guild.¡±


    Alright.


    And so her walk continued until it felt like she¡¯d circled the whole city twice over. She passed by the guild twice, that fish stall three times, and went back to the slums and playground once. Maybe a part of her hoped she¡¯d be able to see Elly and Cue, but they weren¡¯t there.


    After leaving the slums and rotten houses for the final time, Servi eventually found herself around ten blocks from the first dome Itarr had made. She wasn¡¯t able to get any closer because the guards had sectioned it off, so Servi walked back until she was near the welcome center she went into a day or so ago. The benches that littered the area were filled with the elderly. Perhaps they were afraid of a forthcoming attack and were waiting for a chance to escape the city with their lives? Servi had no idea.


    Still, she didn¡¯t know why she was walking so much and decided to lean against a nearby wall, watching the people walk on by. Servi knew that everyone had their own story. Perhaps that young Dwarf with the small pickaxe had a friend who was stolen away and sold like a cut of meat, or maybe he was one of the lucky ones who never had to part with a loved one. There was just no way for Servi to know. However, she did see a close-knit group of Koena and Singi walk by and  overheard what they were saying. They were glad the attacks happen as they told each other stories of what happened in their dark past. Each of them had a family member who was sold into slavery, and they wanted to thank the person responsible for it. Servi knew she couldn¡¯t tell anyone, so she just smiled to herself.


    Servi then saw a girl and boy talking as they walked down the street together. The two had honey-blond hair and the same face. The only differences were their gender and hair design. The male had short hair styled down the middle, and to Servi, it looked shoddy compared to the long flowing hair that reached the middle of the girl¡¯s back. Two pairs of pure blue eyes stared ahead as they chatted amongst themselves. They each had on a set of armor that would make a deceased boy''s rusty armor look magnificent.


    ¡°Twins?¡±


    I believe so. I can feel quite a bit of power coming from those two.


    Servi didn¡¯t think anything of them and turned to walk away but stopped when she saw a young girl fall in front of her.


    ¡°Owie¡­¡± she said as she got up. Putting weight on her left ankle, the girl winced in pain and fell back to the ground.


    ¡°Get the fuck outta the street.¡±


    ¡°Move on, little girl.¡±


    ¡°Stop hogging the damn road!¡±


    The heartless people walking around her spat and muttered curses and harsh words at a little girl who couldn¡¯t walk.


    ¡°I¡¯m-I¡¯m sorry!¡± she cried. Since she couldn¡¯t walk, the girl dragged herself out of the street, ruining her white skirt.


    She was a Singi. Though her hair was orange instead of pink, Servi couldn¡¯t help but think of Momo and how she would eventually have to explain herself. She knew there was no way she could keep all of this a secret, and she even pondered about never telling at all but knew that was impossible.  One day, sooner or later, they would encounter a situation that they could not handle with their regular strength, and Servi would be forced to use her true power.


    Shaking her head, Servi went to move away from the wall. She planned to walk by and heal the girl without stopping. Even if Remedium worked best by physical contact, it would be fruitful enough if Servi stacked it.


    But her plan wouldn¡¯t work out. The girl who walked with her twin brother sped past Servi and crouched beside the fallen girl.


    ¡°There there...¡± she spoke sweetly like sugar and rubbed the girl''s head. ¡°I¡¯ll make it all better, so be strong. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± The girl¡¯s tail stopped moving and slowly wrapped around her waist like she had on an orange belt.


    ¡°Deus Lux.¡± The girl with golden hair spoke two words. From Servi¡¯s viewpoint, nothing happened, but that couldn¡¯t be true since the girl in the armor helped the Singi to her feet. She didn¡¯t fall when she balanced on her left foot.


    ¡°Wow¡­ Thank you so much!¡± The Singi smiled and thanked the girl, who blushed a bit.


    ¡°Aie?!¡± Servi turned her head and saw a frantic woman, also a Singi with orange hair and tail, run rapidly towards her. She had a red and white apron over a white blouse and a black skirt. Her face was red, and she breathed heavily.


    ¡°Momma, I¡¯m right here,¡± said the young Singi. ¡°This nice woman helped me after I fell,¡± the mother ran to Aie and crouched down, hugging her hard before scolding her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t run off like that ever again!¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry, momma.¡±


    ¡°And you¡­ I thank you for helping my child, but please don¡¯t do it again.¡±


    ¡°B-But¡ª¡± the girl stuttered but was interrupted.


    ¡°She is my child, and I¡¯ll take care of her. We don¡¯t need to be in debt to the stupid church or anyone else. It¡¯s hard enough to make a living even without being attacked in the middle of the night! I¡¯m sorry, but we can¡¯t pay you!¡±


    She stood up and grabbed her daughter by the hand before rushing off.


    The girl sadly stood still and stared at her hands.


    Servi should¡¯ve left and walked away, but something told her to talk to her. She glanced back and saw her brother standing a bit away. He just sighed.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Servi said as she walked up the stiff girl who still stared at her hands like they were poison, ¡°Don¡¯t take it the wrong way.¡±


    ¡°But I just wanted to help!¡±


    ¡°That may be true, but this city¡¯s been through a lot tonight,¡± The girl turned to look at Servi, and she couldn¡¯t help but stare into her bright red eyes. They were like a void that she could never escape from. Eventually, the golden-haired girl spoke.


    ¡°Do you know what happened?¡±


    ¡°Only what I know from rumors. They say the first dome appeared outta nowhere. The second one showed up sometime later after a loud noise. You see, I got scared and hid, but then later, it was like a lightning storm hit the town. Just back to back to back loud noises. I swear I saw thunderbolts in the middle of the city. I slowly peaked out from my window, and just then, another massive fire dome appeared.¡±


    ¡°Why are you out walking? Shouldn¡¯t you be inside?¡±


    ¡°Because I wanted to help. I can¡¯t really do much, though, but I thought I could try to hear some rumors and maybe try to find out what¡¯s the truth. I was just about to head back when I saw that girl trip and fall.¡±


    ¡°What do you think is the truth?¡± She asked as she waved her brother on over.


    ¡°I heard the slave markets got hit, so maybe it was a group who wanted to free them?.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what we think as well,¡± her brother said, sighing again before complaining. ¡°Been traveling all night, and we arrive to this¡­¡±


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, but I noticed you used a skill without chanting. I thought it was illegal to heal without a license?¡±


    ¡°That? I was blessed with it. Oh, that skill was called Deus Lux. It¡¯s a strong healing skill. And it is illegal, but I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t tell anyone, right?¡±


    It¡¯s a high-level healing skill. Requires Rank 1. Itarr said.


    ¡°I see. I¡¯m not blessed, so I was wondering. And no, I won¡¯t tell anyone. Hell, I¡¯ll just happen to forget it.¡±


    ¡°Come, Eina, we have to leave.¡± her brother said.


    ¡°I know,¡± she held out her hand. ¡°I¡¯m Eina, and that¡¯s my brother Blas¨¦,¡± Blas¨¦ nodded, and Servi shook hands with Eina.


    ¡°My name¡¯s Flyneria. It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Servi said, giving a fake name.


    ¡°Flyneria? Such a unique name. Regardless, it¡¯s nice to meet you too.¡±


    They waved goodbye, and Servi decided that now was a good time to go back to the guild. Since she was so far away and the roads were crowded, it took her about an hour.


    Flyneria?


    ¡°Fake name. Hell, it might even be my real name for all I know. I only chose Servi because of that strange memory.¡±


    So why not tell her your real name?


    ¡°Because I still don¡¯t want anything to be traced back to me, especially when Momo still doesn¡¯t know. Besides, with a city this big, who knows if I¡¯ll see them again.¡±


    That makes sense.


    ¡°And I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re lying as well.¡±


    How can you tell?


    ¡°If she can use skills by saying the name, then she has to blessed by a Major God, right? And besides, Deus Lux is a Rank 1 skill, so she has to be strong. If that¡¯s the case, why were they wearing such low-quality armor? That has to be a disguise.  I bet the names they gave me were fake as well."


    That makes sense.


    ¡°Itarr, I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    About Momo?


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m petrified... If I was withholding my strength, it would be one thing, but we killed many people tonight. And not just regular old people¡­ We killed fathers, brothers, cousins, sons, mothers, sisters, and daughters¡­ It¡¯ll be one thing if I could think of them as heartless slavers, but I can¡¯t. We destroyed a lot of families¡­¡±


    They deserved it.


    ¡°I know, but what if Momo doesn¡¯t think that way? What if I tell her, and she thinks I¡¯m nothing more than a murderer? Someone who just destroyed hundreds of families?¡±


    I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t think about all that. These emotions are still too new for me to understand.


    ¡°I can just hope for the best, I guess. But I¡¯m not looking forward to it.¡±


    An hour later, the sun broke through the barrier of the night, casting a purplish glow. Servi glanced at a large clock hanging on a building near the Warden office.


    ¡°I never knew there was a clock there,¡± Servi said.


    Neither did I.


    But that wasn¡¯t the only thing that surprised them. The area in front of the guild was full of people packed shoulder to shoulder, with barely enough room for Servi to squeeze through. Once she finally did and received a few hateful messages because she forced herself through everyone, an idea popped in her head as she raced to the fourth floor. Well, not so much as raced but squeeze by people.


    Isn¡¯t our room on the third floor?


    ¡°It is, but I gotta check on Momo. I didn¡¯t even think about how the guild would react to all of this. If I check on her, then when I¡¯m forced to tell her the truth, it¡¯ll hurt her less,¡± while her logic was wonky, it made sense. At least it did in her mind. She explained her plan to Itarr.


    That¡¯s one way to do it.


    Perhaps it was a little mean for her to check on Momo for that reason, but it wasn¡¯t as if that was the sole motivation. She considered Momo to be her best friend after Itarr, even if they¡¯ve only been friends for two days. Servi knew it was stupid to think that, but for the sake of her sanity, Servi needed something to cling to. Like how most of her skills needed an anchor point, her mind needed one as well. It just so happened that Momo was her anchor.


    Though she didn¡¯t think about it often, she wondered what would¡¯ve happened if she never met Momo. What if Servi showed up a day early or a day too late, or even two hours earlier? It wouldn¡¯t be dramatic to say that the Servi of now would be a complete stranger when put up against the Servi of that hypothetical parallel. The same physical body, but her thoughts and mannerisms would most definitely be different.


    ¡°Finally!¡± though it took fifteen minutes to squeeze up to the fourth floor, Servi had finally made it. But then she ran into a problem.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what room she¡¯s in¡­ Damn!¡± she silently swore as she stood in front of a random door. She debated on knocking, but that stopped when the door swung open, and someone ran into her.


    ¡°Hey, watch it¡ªoh, Momo?¡± Servi turned to face the open doorway and saw a Singi.  A familiar set of pink ears adorned her head, and a tail so cute and fluffy wagged behind her.


    This girl right here, one who trusted Servi with her life, was the one girl she had to lie to. And that destroyed Servi''s heart more than anything. Friends were something she didn''t have a lot of, and something deep inside told her that she needed comrades to rely on, and that made looking at such an innocent Singi gut-wrenchingly harder than it needed to be.


    Well, Momo¡¯s fine. Itarr said.


    For some reason, Servi couldn¡¯t keep her mind on the conversation, and she only remembered Momo hugging her, her hugging Momo back, and saying  a single sentence as she fought back the tears in her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re okay!¡±

 Book One – Interlude – Part One – The Twins’ Lamentations

    ¡°Why do we have to travel all the way out here? I mean, we ain¡¯t seen him in ten years! He couldn¡¯t even send a damn letter, and here we are having to deliver one in person? We¡¯ve finally joined, and now we¡¯re being treated like a delivery crew.¡±


    I rolled my eyes at my brother¡¯s childish complaining. This entire trip was supposed to be our debut assignment for the Imperial Guard, something we¡¯ve both wanted since we were children playing in the garden with wooden swords.


    ¡°Father and the Commander already told us why we¡¯re doing this. Every member takes on a mission like this when they first join. Even the Commander had to do something like this.¡±


    That¡¯s what I said, but it didn¡¯t mean I accepted it. Coming from Keyya to this little city in Lando was an annoying journey, but my brother and I achieved Rank 1 in Warden. We can pretty much handle any monsters or robbers. The difficulty came from doing nothing but ride on a horse all night long. My butt hurts, my back hurts! Everything hurts! And I¡¯m so tired all the time!


    ¡°I¡¯m tired of riding throughout the night. Why couldn¡¯t we go during the day like everyone else? I feel like a bat!¡± he complained.


    ¡°That I can agree with you on. My schedule is all messed up now, and I¡¯d kill for a chance to get some good sleep. I¡¯m so tired,¡± I yawned as I spoke.


    ¡°Bahaha! Don¡¯t let the Commander hear you say that, or you¡¯ll get a lecture.¡±


    ¡°Oh shut up,¡± I muttered back as I did my best to stifle a yawn, but it was to no avail. Even though I¡¯d done pretty much nothing but complain like my brother, I had to admit one thing. The sense of nature and the feeling I get from traveling through the night is nothing compared to the day. For example, when traveling at night, I¡¯m more likely to see animals and critters that would be asleep during the day. Nocturnal, I think Veris called them. So maybe if I¡¯m lucky, I¡¯ll be able to see an owl or two.


    As my eyes devoured the sight before me, an irritating noise hampered my pleasure. Glancing over, my brother was in the process of thumping his armor.


    ¡°Do you really have to do that?¡± I rolled my eyes as I asked.


    ¡°Sorry, but look! I mean, it¡¯s cracking and bending just from a single thump.¡±


    ¡°If it''s cracking from thumping, then stop.¡±


    ¡°Fine¡­ Hey, how come we couldn¡¯t wear our proper armor?¡±


    I sighed again. I loved my brother, I do, but sometimes he doesn¡¯t listen. It¡¯s just his attitude. Unfortunately, that attitude had gotten him quite a bit of punishment during our training. But I can¡¯t complain. If he suddenly went on the straight and narrow and became all serious, then he wouldn¡¯t really be the brother I loved so dearly. So I guess at times like this, I can feel happy knowing he¡¯s the same old brother I grew up and trained with.


    ¡°Because this is an undercover mission. We¡¯re just two adventurers riding through the night. If anyone asks, and they shouldn¡¯t because we¡¯re just an hour or so away from Canary, that¡¯s what you should tell them.¡±


    He smirked. ¡°I knew that. I¡¯m not dumb.¡±


    ¡°Then why¡¯d you ask?¡±


    He grabbed the reins of his horse and got closer to me.


    ¡°I just wanted to talk.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°You blockhead. If you wanted to talk then, all you had to do was talk.¡±


    ¡°I know, but hearing you explain it to me brought me back to when we were getting trained by Veris and Trerk. You remember how I couldn¡¯t even get Remedium right, and you cut your finger on purpose?¡±


    I smiled again. That memory brought me down memory lane. ¡°I remember you crying so much that you practiced hours and hours while they went to grab supplies. Even though the cut was literally smaller than a dupla,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    ¡°Laugh all you want, but at the time, I was freaking out.¡±


    ¡°But you got it in the end. Remember?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do.¡±


    ¡°But then you started crying again,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but tease him.


    ¡°Yeah, because I was so happy. If you wouldn¡¯t have done that, then I¡¯d never been able to move on with my studies.¡± My brother looked down at his hands, then back to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad we made it. Maybe we can meet our mother soon.¡±


    ¡°Me too. I miss our mother. It¡¯s hard to believe that it¡¯s been ten years.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Hey, our birthday is coming up. You decided on a gift?¡±


    ¡°Yep. What about you?¡± My face went red when I pictured what I wanted. If even a single person knew, then it wouldn''t be good. But my brother wouldn¡¯t care. Even though we''re twins, born only minutes apart, he always treated me like a little sister, and that¡¯s partially the reason I was able to get away with so much stuff when we were younger.


    ¡°Yeah, but I can¡¯t tell you. I¡¯m sure we know just what each other wants. I can tell because your face is as red as a tomato. Haha!¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Your face is red too!¡±


    ¡°While that may be, it¡¯s because I have a sunburn.¡±


    ¡°You idiot, we¡¯ve been traveling in the dark for weeks. I never heard of someone getting burnt from the moon.¡±


    My brother laughed. ¡°That¡¯s my story, and I¡¯m sticking to it.¡±


    And we rode the rest of the way in silence. Well, I wished that was what happened, but something caught my eye.


    ¡°Is¡­..is that smoke?!¡± There was a hill in front of me.  Once we were at the top, the city of Canary would''ve been in our sight.  But smoke?


    ¡°Qina!¡± my brother shouted in a tone he only used when he was serious.


    ¡°I¡¯m right behind you!¡±


    Kicking into our horses slightly with our spurs, we raced off over the hill.


    Come on¡­.. Faster!!


    ¡°Dear Gods Above¡­¡± I heard my brother mutter in disbelief, and I couldn¡¯t blame him. Four giant domes of red fire lit up the entire city. And I mean in the sense that if the sun was out, it would be darker than what I saw.


    ¡°Qina! We gotta go!¡±


    Kicking our horses into action, I said a silent apology for my faithful steed as we raced down the hill and passed by a frantic line of people rushing to run away from the city. I shook my head and tried to keep the negative thoughts from clouding my mind.


    Parrel is okay.  He has to be.  He¡¯s royalty and the firstborn son of our father, Virin Keywater. There¡¯s no way he¡¯d be in danger.


    That¡¯s what I thought at the time, at least, and I hoped and prayed with all of my being that my dear brother was safe.


    ¡°Hold it!¡± A man in armor as black as the night sky stood in front of our panting horses. In gold writing, the word ¡®justice¡¯ was engraved on his breastplate. His face was youthful and young in the glowing light, but I would wager he was older than he appeared. Maybe around 28 or 29? Regardless of his age, he had brown hair and brown eyes.


    We were currently in front of one of the gates that led into the city. A stable was to our right, and a company of guards was at the ready to our left.


    ¡°Look, you have to let us pass. We were sent here by the Emperor of Keywater to deliver a letter,¡± I said as I pulled a scroll out of my pouch.  I wanted to vomit in disgust at the green tree-like seal that kept the letter closed. Honestly, just looking at it was enough to piss me off. Apparently, our father thought it right to banish Veris from the Empire, but he didn''t want to change the emblem? That just didn¡¯t sit right with me, but I was in no position to complain. Not if I wanted to see my mother again.


    ¡°So you¡¯re the ones? Qina and Claus?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. So can you let us pass? We¡¯d like to help out!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s nothing to help with. Please, follow me, and I¡¯ll explain. You can hand your horses to the stable hand,¡± the man in black armor pointed to a man next to the nearby stable as he turned to walk. We did as he said and handed our horses off before following the man. He led us to a building, one that a person would store gardening tools in. It was a bit too small for my liking, but I didn¡¯t say anything. As a member of the Imperial Guard, I was trained in uncomfortable locations all the time.


    ¡°Sorry, but this the best we can do.¡± He took a glance around and shook his head towards the door. The two guards inside saluted and left, making sure to close the door behind them. We all took a seat around a small table that was set up. White candles littered the table, providing a decent source of light that illuminated the dark inside. Still, my brother and I were instantly ready to draw our weapons if this turned out to be some sort of a trap. One thing they beat into our heads while training was that something could always happen. Whether it was good or bad had yet to be seen. Even if I felt safe, I was still ready to attack in case something went wrong.


    ¡°Can you give me a summary? Why can¡¯t we go out and help?!¡± Claus violently said.


    ¡°Because the attack is over, and the injured are mostly collected,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Can you explain that to us, Mr...¡± I asked.


    ¡°Jin. My name is Fisher Jin, but please call me Fisher.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, Fisher, why can¡¯t we help? Surely we could help put out the fire,¡± now that I knew his name, I asked him directly.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s impossible to put out. Inside that dome of fire is an equally hellish firestorm that is just begging to be let loose. If we somehow get rid of the dome, then we have something even bigger to worry about.¡±


    ¡°I see. So someone thought to use a mixture of two skills to create an everlasting fire? No, that can¡¯t be it¡­ The only way to make a dome-like object was to use Fire Wall, but to make a dome so big and wide would require a lot of people. And even then, the incredible Skill Energy requirements to sustain such a wall would be too much,¡± I placed my left hand on my chin and forced my brain to churn.  Skills were what I was good at.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s ri¡ª"


    ¡°If that explains the outside, then what about the inside. A firestorm brewing¡­.. Considering the average Rank¡­ Hey, what exactly got attacked?¡± I asked, interrupting Fisher.


    ¡°Three slavery markets and¡ª¡±


    ¡°If I take the target into consideration¡­. Then¡­.how long ago?¡±


    ¡°The earliest report says the first dome appeared a little after 1 AM.¡±


    ¡°Four targets would require an equal amount of energy, and they would want all four to stay active for as long as they can to thin out the forces¡­. 30 minutes. If I¡¯m right, the fire should disappear in half an hour,¡± I said.


    ¡°But how can you be so sure?¡± Fisher asked. I went to explain, but my brother did it for me.


    ¡°When it comes to skills, there is no one better or smarter than my sister. If she says 30 minutes, then it¡¯ll be 30 minutes.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Claus, but I¡¯ll explain more.¡± He smiled as he leaned back in his chair. ¡°There is a property of skills called duration. Let¡¯s say I use Fire Wall and set it for 30 seconds. In 30 seconds, the wall will disappear by itself, but adding a duration is a resource-hog, even for Fire Wall. Since the slave markets were attacked, I¡¯m guessing the attackers wanted it to go off without a hitch. So I imagine they brought in some powerful allies, maybe Rank 2 or 3.


    ¡°If they combined their power and had multiple people for each location using Fire Wall, then something like this wouldn¡¯t exactly be impossible to do if they set the first dome to have the longest duration. In that case, the second, third, and fourth dome¡¯s duration would be shorter than the previous one because of their low remaining Skill Energy. If someone were to get tired, then they¡¯d have a replacement. Of course, that only works if it was a large group doing the attacking. What would be impossible was setting the duration to be longer than five or so hours. The amount of Skill Energy required for that is even more than I have. And then they¡¯d have to do it three more times.  Besides, the flames inside the domes have surely run out of things to burn, and they should be close to dying out. All we have to do is wait.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Miss Keywater, for that informative lesson.¡± My brother clapped, and my face reddened.


    ¡°Wait?! Keywater?! You¡¯re the two messengers?!¡± Fisher''s face was nearly swamped with sweat.


    ¡°Easy, man. You were expecting us, right? So it shouldn¡¯t be too much of a shock,¡± my brother said as he reached in his pouch for his canteen of water and took a sip.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but there was another attack beside the slave markets. The mansion... Governor Parrel¡¯s mansion is currently engulfed inside the smallest dome.¡±


    The canteen my brother picked up dropped to the table, spilling water on its light brown surface.  He hastily grabbed it, returning it to his pouch.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked. On the outside, I was as cool as a cucumber, but I desperately wanted to cry. And I¡¯m sure my brother did too, but we were trained to completely hide our emotions while on a mission. And goddamn it, we were on a mission.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. It was the very last dome to appear.¡±


    ¡°What of his personal guards?¡± my brother asked.


    ¡°Mossi, Axel, and a few others went missing last night after an attack on the bar they like to go to. Rowan, one of our fine adventurers at Warden, was carried to the Governor¡¯s Mansion late yesterday night. He wasn¡¯t alive.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the only attack?¡±


    ¡°No, sir. The Rude Crystal, a bar, and a clothing store called the Old Onyx were attacked last night.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any suspects?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, ma¡¯am. Though one of my guards saw two Earth Elves rushing out through the city gate that leads to the Forest Of Gife.¡±


    ¡°Do you think those two were responsible for everything?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That I do, but that¡¯s not all. A few days ago, we had a thief steal food and ran off. The guards that went after her never came back. We couldn¡¯t even find their bodies, only a massive pile of blood.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Qina, we need to check in with father and the Commander.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡± I stood up. Of course, I¡¯m sad, and I¡¯m shaking from hearing about my brother¡¯s mansion being attacked, but I had to hold it in.


    ¡°Fisher, we¡¯ll back as soon as we can. I still have some questions.¡± My brother stood up as well. He walked over to me and grabbed my hand while I¡¯m was getting Teleportation ready.


    I absolutely hated this skill. It used too much Skill Energy, and it took a while to activate.  It also wasn''t the safest skill to use.  One wrong or stray thought was enough to send us to a completely different location.


    Dark light slowly surrounded us as a list of saved locations flashed through my mind. I used my eyes and head to gesture through the list until I found the one I¡¯m looking for.


    ¡°Teleportation: Imperial Guard Teleportation Gate!¡± I said out loud. I felt my sense of self disappear right in front of me. This skill worked by converting my body into the seven elements that made up the world. Then the elements at the destination, where I wanted to go, were in charge of putting me back together. It felt so weird like I was being violated, and I just hated it. Claus said he didn''t feel anything, but still, I hate this stupid skill. Even then, I can¡¯t deny just how useful it is, and it was worth the 90 Potential.


    A few seconds later, the small building meant to store tools disappeared from my sight, and our awe-inspiring HQ appeared in its place. The floors were made from Veris¡¯s tree. A few months ago, I had heard rumors of a plan to replace them with stone or marble. The walls were hand-painted by her as a token of goodwill towards a previous emperor.


    Claus and I had appeared in a room dedicated to Teleportation, which was aptly named Teleportation Gate.  Other than a few chairs sparsely scattered around, it was empty, which was a good thing. I had heard stories of someone teleporting to a crowded room and becoming fused with a vase. I cringed like never before when Veris told me that, and she forced Claus and me to promise her we''d be safe with Teleportation. Yeah, she didn''t need to do that because fusing with a piece of furniture isn''t something I care to experience.


    We quickly left the dedicated room. Our footsteps echoed loudly, reflecting our haste. We rushed to the command room because we knew the Commander was waiting for our report upon a successful mission. Since it was an emergency, we ignored those asking questions and focused on our goal.


    Finally, we arrived, and I panickily knocked on the door. After getting a confirmation to come in, Claus opened the door, and I entered first.


    I saw our father, Virin Keywater, instead of the Commander.


    ¡°Ahh, my newest guards. Have you already returned from your mission?¡± he asked as he held a cup in his hands. His robe wasn¡¯t tied correctly, and his face looked flushed. He was getting on up there in age. The tiniest wrinkles were beginning to form on his face. Even then, he was still the strongest warrior in the empire. His God, Bahmutia, was said to be one of the strongest in the Heavens Above. And my father had the strength and skills to back it up. Only a foolish man would ever dare challenge him.


    ¡°No, sir. There was an emergency when we arrived. The slave markets and Governor Parrel¡¯s mansion are enclosed in a raging dome of fire. What do we do?¡± asked my brother.


    Almost like he wanted or expected this development, our father took a sip of his cup and placed it down on a nearby table with a few folders full of documents. ¡°Is he dead?¡±


    ¡°Sir, we don¡¯t know. The fire is too hot, probably hot enough to burn it to ashes,¡± I reported.


    ¡°Then we consider him dead. Consider your previous mission completed, and I¡¯ll give you the next one. Claus!¡±


    My brother jumped slightly and saluted. ¡°You are to be the new governor of Canary,¡± father walked over to a desk and grabbed a paper and a quill pen before scribbling a message.


    ¡°Qina, you are to be his secretary. Do your best for a year to make the city as successful as your brother did. I¡¯ll send word to King Lando and have him acknowledge it. For right now, show this letter to anyone who asks. Now, tear up the other letter in front of me.¡±


    "Yes, sir!" Claus retrieved the letter we were supposed to deliver and ripped it four times.  Father smiled and retrieved a small wax cube and a wooden block engraved with Keywater''s symbol from his robe''s pocket.  With a snap of his fingers, a fierce fire roared to life.  After burning the wax and allowing it to drip on the letter, he pressed the wooden block to the paper until it was sealed. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the letter to my brother, who caught it.


    And he did all of that without chanting. My brother and I couldn''t do that. Even Veris couldn''t, and she was way stronger than us.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± we said in unison as we saluted our emperor.


    ¡°Good. Then be gone back to that pathetic city and try not to ruin it. And I expect you two to get stronger and stronger. I¡¯m quite sure you want to see your dear mother again, right? It¡¯s been oh so long since you last saw each her.¡±


    ¡°Sir, we¡¯ll do our best!¡± I said with pride and resolve as we left the room.


    We walked back to the teleportation gate, staring straight ahead as our feet stomped against the wooden floor. My mind was occupied with a million things, but Claus had an odd look plastered on his face. Right when I was about to inquire, he spoke to me about something he noticed.


    ¡°When father handed me the letter, I glanced over and saw the Commander collapsed and naked. I¡¯m 100% percent he just finished assaulting her. I guess mother didn¡¯t mean much to him,¡± Claus balled his fist in anger, and I did the same. ¡°Just because he¡¯s the emperor doesn¡¯t mean he can have any woman he wants! And he didn¡¯t even care about Parrel!!¡±


    It was complicated. We both really wanted to join the guard, and now that we have, it was nothing like we thought it was. What made it worse was the knowledge we have. Father locked our mother up, we haven¡¯t been allowed to see her, and now he has sex with literally anything that he can. It¡¯s disgusting. If we didn¡¯t know that, Claus and I could focus even more on our tasks. And I know we are supposed to defend Keyya and Keywater, but how does running a city in Lando do that?


    I know I should feel bad, but I can''t.  To be honest, I didn''t like the Commander that much.  Even if I did, I couldn''t spare the feelings.  Come hell or high water, I will do what I need to do to see my mother.  If I have to live with the fact that my father is a shitty rapist, I will live with it.


    But those suspicions were my own, and nobody was privy to them.  Claus didn''t even know about them, but I''m sure a part of him realizes the dark thoughts in my mind.


    I shook my head silently took a deep breath before changing the subject in my mind.  I asked my brother, and he gave me his opinion on our task. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a test or something. All I know is that I¡¯m gonna do what he wants and run the city the best I can. And I¡¯m counting on your support. Right, Secretary of Canary?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Yeah yeah¡­ Whatever you say, Governor.¡±


    We finally made it to the gate. Very few of our comrades were around, and I guess that was to be expected. The only way to access this area was by teleporting to it, and the only ones who could accomplish that were father and members of the Imperial Guard.


    ¡°Take this,¡± Claus reached into his pouch to store the letter and retrieved a blue vial. ¡°Teleportation takes a lot of Skill Energy, right?¡±


    I thanked him as I placed the vial to my lips and tilted my head.  The flavor reminded me of blueberries. ¡°Skill potions taste so much better than their red kin...¡± I tossed the bottle to the floor. It broke, but the shards were immediately teleported away to the dedicated trash heap. I wasn''t sure how it worked, but the flooring had an enchantment on it. Anything considered trash was instantly whisked away, and it made cleaning up a breeze. A few of the Warden offices my brother and I had gone to had the same perk, but most of them didn''t. It seemed to be something of a rarity.


    ¡°We ready?¡± I asked. Claus reached out to hold my hand, and I took that as a yes.

 Book One – Interlude – Part Two – The Twins’ Lamentations (R-18)

    In the darkness of the command room, Virin Keywater stood tall with a glass in his hand. He had just given a letter sealed with the emblem of Keywater to his son, Claus.


    ¡°I never expected this would happen so soon. Parrel needed to die for my plan to come to fruition, but how lucky,¡± he said out loud to himself and the convulsing mess of a woman who laid naked at his feet. With short black hair and a small nose, her name was Vela Aela. Yes, a name that was the source of bullying, but she took it in stride.  She molded her funny-sounding name into armor and embraced it.


    By using the power of Orieq, a Major God of Fire, Vela managed to rise through the military''s ranks before finally getting a chance to prove herself to the Emperor. She joined the Imperial Guard at the age of 21, and six years later, she was the commander. It should¡¯ve been something to be proud of. After all, the Imperial Guard was made up of the best of the best of the best.


    But now she realized that was a mistake.


    All of Vela''s hard work and sacrifice led to her lying on the command center''s floor with the thick white jelly of her emperor running out of her crotch. She had red hand marks around her throat from where she¡¯d been choked. Her once pink and perky nipples and average-sized chest were abused enough to turn black with bruises and sagged, respectively. And that wasn¡¯t the worst part. Claus, one of the newest recruits, saw her in such a vulnerable state.


    It wasn¡¯t like she could refuse anymore. The first and only time she did, the emperor forced her down and ripped her clothes off before taking her virginity. When she started crying, she was rewarded with a punch to the face. When day finally broke, every hole on her body was defiled and covered in his scent. Like a defective doll, Vela could only lie there on the cold and filthy ground while her mind recessed to the darkest corners of her soul to protect itself.


    How could a wonderful dream end up a total nightmare? If I knew this would happen, I¡¯d rather be a common whore than turn into a sick plaything for this disgusting man. How dare Keywater spread lies about the ¡®glories¡¯ of the Imperial Guard. It¡¯s nothing but bullshit propaganda.


    ¡°My dear, Commander, your Emperor commands you to clean him.¡± Virin reached down, grabbed her short brown hair with his large and rugged hands. Vela tensed up because she knew what was going to happen.  With a brutal yank, Virin pulled Vela''s hair until her eyes were staring at the seven-and-a-half-inch appendage that, moments before, viciously rubbed her inner-most areas. The one-eyed monster, with its rugged, veiny appearance, had torn her maidenhood before she had to find her soulmate.


    ¡°You do know what would happen, right?¡± he squeezed tighter, and Vela screamed out. He took that opportunity to thrust his hips forward, gagging her with his flesh stick.


    As he raped her throat and enjoyed the feeling of Vela''s tongue uselessly fighting back, he thought about the trial that would soon be unlocked to him.


    That damn King of Lando doesn¡¯t realize what power the Labyrinth holds. Soon, I¡¯ll have the troubled soul to access it. Then true power will be mine!


    An electric shock of pleasure ran through his body as he forced Vela to drink his milk, his large hand squeezing Vela¡¯s head tight enough to leave red marks. It was like she could feel her skull cracking.


    ¡°Clean yourself,¡± he commanded as he tied his robe. It was green and brown with a tree stitched on the back. He threw his glass down and walked out of the door, leaving poor Vela alone with nothing but her shame and anger. She made a fist and punched her stomach over and over until greenish-white, thick vomit spewed from her throat. It was a puddle of liquid mixed with the bile from her stomach, and what remained of her dinner polluted the room. Vela coughed, and little spurts of white flew out and dripped down her chin to her injured nipples. Rage and hatred filled her yellow eyes.


    ¡°That shitty emperor¡­ I¡¯ll get my revenge¡­¡±


    She relied on her anger to stand up. After getting dressed, she limped her way to the nearest washroom. As she did, she thought back to that offer she received a few months ago.


    Maybe I should take it. I wonder how many I could get on my side.


    After I spoke aloud the words I needed to say to teleport, the modern base we spent so much time in training disappeared, and the beautiful night sky was above us. The smell of horse manure did flutter into my nose, but I had sufficient training to not cough in response.


    ¡°I see the fire is still up,¡± Claus said as he yawned again. We both made our way back to the small building where we left Fisher, passing by numerous people with injuries. I really wanted to help them, but the city came first. Besides, their wounds didn¡¯t look that bad.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re back?!¡± Fisher exclaimed as we entered the building. He stood up and sat down.


    We took a seat, and Claus did most of the talking. ¡°Our father appointed me as Governor and my sister as my Secretary. I assume that won¡¯t be a problem?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, Governor Claus," Fisher said.


    ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t want to use our name. Someone might make a connection. I¡¯ll be Blas¨¦, and you¡¯ll be Eina,¡± my brother said as he pointed to me.


    ¡°You do know that those fake names are too close to our real ones, right?¡±


    ¡°I do, but it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine and all, but what should we do about this situation? We need to come up with a statement that makes our citizens feel safe,¡± I said to the new governor sitting beside me, and it sort of made me feel like a secretary.


    ¡°Allow me to help,¡± Fisher said, finally adding to the conversation. ¡°I used to help your brother when he had to make such things.¡±


    And so we debated amongst ourselves for close to fifteen minutes before we had an acceptable first draft we all agreed on. Suddenly, a messenger came running into the building. He was in full gear, so I couldn¡¯t see his face.


    "I''m sorry for interrupting, but the domes have disappeared.  Smoke is still rising--"


    ¡°That¡¯s normal,¡± I said, interrupting him. ¡°The smoke should last for a while. I¡¯d say it should be gone by noon or so.¡±


    Just then, a thought flew into my mind. ¡°Claus, le¡ª¡±


    ¡°Blas¨¦,¡± he corrected me.


    I sighed. I knew such an action was unbecoming of a member of the Imperial Guard, but I was stressed. And I knew that any member of the Imperial Guard was trained against sighing. I did. I really did, but the entire situation as a whole was almost too much for me to bear.


    But I sighed anyways.


    ¡°Blas¨¦, should we go examine the sites?¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a good idea, but what are you hoping to find.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but as your secretary, we needed to find as much information as possible.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. Let¡¯s go,¡± Claus stood up, followed by me. I looked back at Fisher, but he shook his head. ¡°Sorry, ma¡¯am, but I have work to do here. I need to finish up the statement, and I¡¯ll have it for you in the morning. But take this.¡± He reached in his pouch and handed me a small paper card. "That¡¯s my pass. Anyone who holds it has the same level of authority I do. I don¡¯t know if I said it before, but I¡¯m the captain. I lead the city guard.¡±


    I thanked him and left with my brother.


    When we stepped outside, it took a bit longer than necessary for my eyes to adjust to the lack of three fire domes.  But when they adapted, my brother and I walked through the streets of the city we were to be responsible for. But even now, I don¡¯t know why our father gave us this order, but I had to follow it.  More than that, I was determined to see it through.


    ¡°Do you think those freedom fighters were responsible for the attack?¡± my brother asked me when we turned a corner.  People of all kinds of races and ages were in the streets trying to find out what was going on. I imagine the sudden disappearance of those demon-like domes did more harm than good. Right now, the city didn¡¯t need any more sudden surprises.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I think. This isn''t the first time we''ve encountered those bastards in a surprise location, but that was years ago on a different continent. No." Claus shook his head. "The freedom fighters don''t have anything to do with this. Why else would they attack the markets? I imagine that they got the slaves out, but where did they take them?¡± After thinking for a moment, I finally responded.


    ¡°I know what you mean. Let¡¯s just say that each market had 50 slaves. That¡¯s 150 that disappeared. From basically nowhere.¡±


    ¡°The first thing that popped into my mind was a Mass Teleportation, but¡­.¡±


    ¡°I thought the same, but that doesn¡¯t seem too feasible. Once you get more than ten people or so in a circle, it becomes too difficult. Hell, even you can only manage fifteen.¡±


    ¡°It''s possible if two people chanted together, but then their Blessed God needs to have the Concurrent Casting passive skill like we do,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Hey! Watch it!¡± A Dwarf I walked by turned to look at me, even though I clearly didn¡¯t touch him. Maybe he wanted a reaction? If that was the case, he wasn¡¯t getting it. I had more important things to do than kick a Dwarf''s ass in the middle of the city. My brother and I kept on walking until we saw several guards blocking the street.


    ¡°Sorry, but you gotta turn around,¡± a female guard said to me. She was shorter than I was and held a spear in her hand. I held out the card Fisher gave me, and we were allowed to pass without any trouble. But still, my brother and I received nasty stares, and I didn¡¯t know why. Was it because we were strangers waving around a card that seemed to be important?


    ¡°Eina, just ignore them, alright?¡± my brother said, and I nodded. We made our way through the gathering of guards that did nothing but stood around when we finally came upon the sight of the attack.


    It was black and empty. Like someone took a pen and scribbled a giant hole where a market used to be.


    ¡°Five city blocks?!¡± my brother exclaimed.


    Five entire city blocks used to stand right here, but now it was just a hole.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we can learn anything from here,¡± I said out loud. ¡°There''s nothing left, not even ash. Don¡¯t tell me the fire was that hot...?¡±


    ¡°Eina. There are no bodies. No blood. Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Of course, there are no corpses. The fire burned them.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you realize it?! If this place was so important to the city as a source of income, wouldn¡¯t there be powerful guards stationed here? Both inside and out. And I¡¯d imagine they¡¯d be trained to go call for help if things got too bad.¡±


    It was then I realized what he was trying to say. Whoever attacked this place had enough power to completely massacre the guards inside. I mean, that had to be the truth. If it wasn¡¯t, then we¡¯d at least have a survivor to tell us what happened. Someone, ANYONE, had to have escaped.


    ¡°I can see that you figured it out. But here¡¯s this. What if it wasn¡¯t a massive group like you said? Just think. How would a large group, with fifty or so slaves, make their way out of here?" my brother continued.


    ¡°I see what you¡¯re saying, but I can¡¯t believe it. Not even Veris could inflict this kind of damage by herself. Even if I helped out, together, we don¡¯t have the firepower. But if we go by what you say, then are you saying that the two Earth Elves are responsible?¡± I asked. Of course, I already deducted that being the case, but I threw it out because I deemed it impossible. But was it really?


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s walk to the other two sights, and I¡¯ll explain what I think happened,¡± I followed my brother down a crowded alley. From seeing how far the smoke was, I¡¯d say we had a few minutes of walking ahead of us. Of course, we¡¯d be there instantly if we were allowed to fly, but the Commander told us to hide our strength.


    ¡°What if they didn¡¯t teleport?¡± my brother asked, beginning his obnoxious way of explaining things to me. He would ask a series of questions, and I was supposed to guess the answer, and in a way, it did help. But I didn¡¯t like it, and he knew it too. Last time I asked why he did it this way, he just said he liked seeing me irritated. The dummy...


    ¡°Then they would¡¯ve used the gates,¡± I replied.


    ¡°True, but I highly doubt that. One: someone would¡¯ve noticed a hundred or so slaves escaping. Two: the black bracelets would''ve gone off the moment the Slavemaster found out, but they didn¡¯t. Three: some of the slaves they kept here were injured and couldn¡¯t walk.¡±


    ¡°Wait, how did you know that last part?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I overheard two people talking. Sounded like they used to work in the markets but left for another job. They were discussing amongst themselves how this could¡¯ve happened.¡±


    ¡°Alright, so continue.¡±


    ¡°Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. You say a small group can''t be responsible for tonight''s events, and I agree, but when you take everything together and really scrutinize the details, I have to disagree. If it was a large group, then they¡¯d be seen going from market to market. But as we know, the only suspects we have are the two Earth Elves.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°I do believe a large group was involved, but I don¡¯t they were responsible for the attacks. I think they were here to escort the slaves to a tunnel.¡±


    ¡°Why a tunnel?¡±


    ¡°Because going over the wall is too difficult, and you can¡¯t sneak through a guarded gate with a hundred slaves. That left me with one option: a tunnel.¡±


    ¡°But how would they dig a tunnel? Earth Elves are good with skills, but even then, to make a tunnel from here to the forest would take forever. Unless they had a couple of Dwarves?¡±


    My brother clicked his tongue. ¡°Bingo!  As for the large group, I say they were in the city weeks or even months before tonight. They would need a large group to build the underground path, and people to escort the slaves from the market to their base where the tunnel was being built.¡±


    ¡°Even if that was true, how would we explain the domes? And how would that explain what happened to our brother?¡±


    ¡°If what I said before is correct, then I say maybe two or three strong and powerful skill users were responsible for the domes. As for our brother? I say that maybe he was their main target. Maybe the slaves were nothing but a side objective?¡± he said that, but I had a problem with that way of thinking.


    ¡°If the slaves were nothing more than a side project, then why go through the time to build the tunnel?¡± I asked him, challenging his deduction.


    ¡°Hmm¡­..¡± My brother put his hand to his chain and thought real hard. ¡°What if I had it wrong and our brother was the side objective. I mean, think about it. What would he do when he saw a massive dome of fire appear in the city? In a market no less, where a good portion of the city¡¯s money came from.¡±


    ¡°He would send guards to try to put it out,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Right, but when the second and third appeared, he would send more guards, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. So how would Parrel be a side objective?¡±


    ¡°What if the ones responsible for the domes beat the guards to get the Slavemaster''s info before torching the place?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°That would only work if the Slavemaster is dead.¡±


    Suddenly, it clicks into my head.


    ¡°Parrel was the Slavemaster?!¡± I exclaimed. We were still in public, and I couldn''t believe I raised my voice high enough.


    ¡°Shhhh!!!!¡± My brother put his hand to my mouth and covered it. ¡°Remember your training, idiot!¡±


    Ashamed, I did nothing but nod my head.


    ¡°But if that¡¯s the truth, then why didn¡¯t he activate the bracelets?¡± I said when my brother finally removed his hand. I internally gagged from the armor''s awful taste, but I suppose that was my punishment for momentarily acting out of turn.


    ¡°Knowing him, he probably thought he could handle it. And I¡¯d imagine he didn¡¯t want to lose any of the money the city could¡¯ve gained from the taxes when they were sold. When he realized he couldn¡¯t handle it, he sent the command, but it didn¡¯t work for some reason.¡±


    ¡°The obvious answer would be that the slaves were out of range. The other option was that they were taken off somehow. But that doesn¡¯t matter. What does matter is that the bracelets didn¡¯t activate,¡± I said. Whatever ended up happening to the bracelets didn''t matter. Only the end result did.


    ¡°Realizing he¡¯s the Slavemaster, the attackers then rushed to the mansion and killed him? But he had Albert. He was an adventurer, and he was in the same party as our father. Sure he was getting old, but he was still Rank 1!¡±


    ¡°We have to assume that he died. Either in the fire or in combat. In that case, we have to accept that the one responsible for everything is at least Rank 1. Maybe even Rank 0, but I doubt that.  I don''t think there are any Rank 0s alive."


    My brother nodded. ¡°I suppose that''s one way to think about it, but... I highly doubt it. But hold on¡­. We agreed Parrel was the Slavemaster, right?¡±


    Though it seemed to me like Parrel was the Slavemaster, my heart was in pain. According to the church, slaves were a right for those who believed in the Heavens Above. I didn''t like that. Not at all. There¡¯s something wrong with taking a living, breathing person with emotions and treating them like an animal. Like they were nothing more than the bottom of my shoe when I stepped in mud.


    I¡¯ve experienced many things in the past ten years, and slavery and slaves were one of those things that I¡¯ll never get used to. The sight of that little girl, who was starving and homeless, getting blown up just because she stole a single noodle left a deep scar on my conscience. The guards caught her, beat her, forced her to put on the bracelet, then sold her for cheap. Her new owner bought her and immediately activated the command because he wanted to see someone die.


    I really wanted to do something, but my brother stopped me. He whispered that he was angry and this wasn¡¯t right, but we were on a quest from Warden. We couldn¡¯t risk messing up and being fired. The one who bought her and sent the command to the bracelet was our client. We got there just in time, watching from the moment the poor girl stole food in plain sight. Gah, I remember getting to the inn and doing nothing but cry. I didn¡¯t get any sleep that night because the nightmares were too vicious. That time of my life was...difficult, to say the least.


    A part of my heart hoped that my brother didn¡¯t believe Parrel was the Slavemaster, just like me. He didn''t do it much, but Parrel used to play with us when we were younger. He didn''t do it often, and that stopped after our exile, but if I had any pleasant memories, it was those playful times.


    And I know that this way of thinking didn''t make sense when I was comfortable when I found out the Commander was raped by our father. Maybe comfortable isn''t the right word, but I know I''m a hypocrite.


    I probably deserved to die for my way of thinking, and I won''t deny it.


    Hey, thinking on it now, maybe my heart was in too much pain? Perhaps I didn''t have enough space left in it to be worried about everything? Did I have to pick and choose what to be sad about? Maybe, but I didn''t know.


    I had to keep this conversation going, so I nodded. My brother continued. ¡°What if Parrel had slaves in his mansion? Wouldn¡¯t it be against their objective to torch the building from the outside if that was the case? Then it¡¯d be likely that they went inside and made their way to the holding cells or wherever he kept them.¡±


    ¡°So let me see if I got this right. A group, a small group, went inside each of the markets, killed everyone, freed the slaves so that their other members could lead them to safety via a tunnel dug by Dwarves over a few months, then went to the mansion and kept fighting. Then they had enough stamina to defeat Albert, someone who traveled with our father in the prime of his life? Then that group freed the slaves and escaped?¡± I said, summing it all up.


    ¡°Pretty much. But if the slaves were on the bottom floor or so, that didn¡¯t mean they fought Albert. But if they were being held near the top, then they¡¯d have to be extremely strong to fight all throughout the night.¡±


    I could do nothing but gasp in disbelief. If we considered this to be the truth, then we were dealing with an elite group that¡¯s incredibly strong.


    ¡°Blas¨¦, the conclusion we came to requires a large number of coincidences.¡±


    ¡°All we have to do is find the tunnel. If it¡¯s here, then all the pieces would fall into place.¡±


    ¡°But even if you¡¯re the Governor, you can¡¯t demand that the homes of every Dwarf be searched! Besides, what if it wasn¡¯t a home? I¡¯d imagine having a large hole under your house would be inconvenient.  Think about the foundation.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. That¡¯s why when we get back to Fisher, I¡¯m gonna ask him to get a group together to go ask questions. I¡¯ll even put up a reward from the city¡¯s treasury. If Parrel was smart, he would¡¯ve set aside a large portion of treasure and money for such an emergency.  He wouldn''t keep everything in a single location. Shit... I suppose anything he did have in the mansion''s treasury has burned up. Can''t really rely on it..."


    ¡°What questions?¡± I asked as we took a left, choosing to ignore Claus''s comments about the money. The smoke was a few more blocks ahead of us.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have them ask if anyone was acting strange recently, or if they heard any loud noises, or there was a large group that always went somewhere together. People talk when they¡¯re scared. And people talk even more when they have a chance to make some dupla.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right about that. It seems like everyone is only loyal to the coin these days,¡± I sighed as events over the past five years played through my mind. When we were fifteen, Claus and I joined Warden, and we learned firsthand how greedy people could be. We were betrayed two times before we finally said enough was enough. Since then, I could only trust him, and he could only trust me. Well, that wasn¡¯t the entire truth. We still had Veris and Trerk, but we hadn''t seen them in a couple of months.


    We made it to the right of the second attack. I was told from a nearby guard that three long and large metal buildings used to sit here. But now, there was nothing here. It was just a big black mark. Unlike the first market we saw, this one wasn¡¯t exactly a hole in the ground, but I could see a few places where the soil looked like it was about to collapse. It wouldn''t surprise me if it caved in after a few days.


    From there, we went to the third market that got hit. And again, it was more of the same. No blood or bodies because of the fire and the only thing that was left was black ash. My brother and I could do nothing but stare silently. If the group responsible for this was, in fact, one or two or three people, then they¡¯d most definitely be considered monsters. And although it was a long shot, it was possible for the ones responsible to still be in the city.


    We left and decided that now would be a good time to check on the mansion. Or rather, what¡¯s left of it. The quickest way would be to retrace our steps and get on the main street. It had a path that led directly to the mansion, and that was what we did.

 Book One – Interlude – Part Three – The Twins’ Lamentations

    Unfortunately, I ran into a situation. My brother and I were talking when I saw a little girl trip and fall in the street. Her tail and ears were orange, so she wasn¡¯t a human but a Singi. It looked like she tried to put some weight on one of her ankles, but she cried out and went back to the dirty concrete. Some of the people walking by made rude and crude remarks because she blocked the path.  I noticed tears welling up in her eyes as she dragged herself out of the way. Her pretty clothes got torn and dirtied in the process.


    ¡°Hey, let me go heal that girl right quick,¡± I told my brother.


    ¡°You got a license for that? Besides, most people are totally on edge. They might mistake healing for entirely something else.¡±


    ¡°Screw that rule that requires a license. I don¡¯t care, ¡± I retorted.


    ¡°Whatever you say.¡±


    I started walking but stopped, then I looked back. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to report me, are you?¡±


    ¡°Not in a million years. In fact, I¡¯d be disappointed and angry if you just ignored that little rascal.¡± Claus smiled, and I felt my heart flutter for but a fleeting moment.


    I smiled back and ran over to the girl, passing by a woman leaning against a nearby wall.


    She looked to be a member of Warden. Leather armor, pouches, that kind of stuff. But one thing was different and stood out to me. An evil shield, black and red, was attached to her arm. An eye was painted on the front, and it was the kind of shield a villain would use. But I ignored that and made my way to the girl.


    I told her that I¡¯ll make it all better, and I used a skill called Deus Lux. It was the highest level healing skill, and it required that its user reach Rank 1 in Warden. That restriction didn¡¯t apply to me because my Goddess, Yoneia, had blessed me with Earth and Light skills. That meant that the only limit for me learning those skills was the knowledge and the theory behind them.


    It was different from how one would learn skills by the Warden system. For example, if I were to learn Deus Lux through Warden, then the chant I needed to invoke appeared in my mind the moment I bought it using Potential. In theory, I could use Deus Lux the moment I learned that Yoneia was my God. The only problem would be the knowledge and understanding, and I didn''t have that as a ten-year-old girl.


    It was a combination of my brother and I learning powerful skills earlier than if we had used Warden that allowed us to rise through the ranks. By our tenth year, we defeated a rampaging dragon in a little-known country to the far east and were promoted to Rank 1 as a result.


    But enough of that.


    I healed the little Singi, and she thanked me, but then I heard someone yell for a girl named Aie. Looking up, a woman with the same orange hair and ears but a longer tail frantically searched the streets.


    ¡°Momma, I¡¯m right here,¡± the Singi I healed said.


    She ran over and embraced her daughter, then she thanked me but said not to do it again.


    The fee¡­ The stupid tariff the church demanded to be paid when a person received healing. More than once, rebels went around to the impoverished villages and towns to cure those stricken with wounds and injuries. I even thought about doing it too, but then I heard rumors of an elite squad hidden deep within the church''s bowels. Needless to say, the ones who do heal without permission or a license have all gone missing. It¡¯s actually pretty scary when I think about it, and I just healed that girl¡¯s foot.


    Should I be afraid? I mean, I should be okay as long as this didn''t get out. And it really shouldn¡¯t.


    Regardless, the girl¡¯s mom said something about not paying the stupid church¡¯s fee and grabbed her daughter''s hand before running off.


    Not able to do anything, I just stood there and sighed while staring at my hands. A second or two later, I heard a voice that said not to take it the wrong way. I turned to face it and saw that girl with the evil-looking shield. She had black hair, but it was her eyes that stood out to me the most. Red. Bright red. Red like the infernal domes of fire that plagued this city.


    She told me not to feel down about it. I asked about her, and she said she came out to see if she could help. Not knowing any healing skills, she said that she tried to find out rumors, and my brother and I asked her about them when he walked over. The girl said that she knew the slave markets got hit. She said her idea was that a group of people against slavery were behind the attacks, and that''s what my brother and I agreed upon earlier.


    We talked for a bit, and she asked me about using Deus Lux without chanting. I told her that it was a skill I was blessed with by my God, but I didn¡¯t tell her my God¡¯s name. It¡¯s not something that should be hidden, but most people agree that you shouldn¡¯t tell strangers something like that. And I concurred with them.


    The girl with the red eyes told me that she wasn¡¯t blessed, and she was just curious.


    She did, however, ask me something that immediately made me tense up. The girl mentioned that she thought it was illegal to heal without a license. I immediately thought she was someone from the church and used my peripheral vision to scan the area without breaking eye contact. How in the world did she know I didn¡¯t have a license?


    I assume my brother did the same, and I told the girl to keep this a secret. She said she would, and she¡¯d forget it. I didn¡¯t know if I could trust her, so I kept an attacking skill on the tip of my tongue just in case.


    My brother tapped me on the shoulder and said we should go. We shook hands, and I introduced myself and my brother using our fake names, Eina and Blas¨¦. The girl mentioned her name was Flyneria, a name that I had never heard of before.  I won''t be the first to lie and say I knew the vernacular behind every name. Claus and I have been to many countries and met many people, but there was just something odd about that word ''Flyneria.''


    We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. My brother and I were going towards the remains of the mansion, and Flyneria was going somewhere else, though a part of me believed we would meet again.


    ¡°Tell me your thoughts on this, ¡®Flyneria,¡¯¡± my brother said once we were far enough. I looked behind my shoulder.  I wanted to make sure she was gone.


    ¡°For supposedly being scared, she didn¡¯t look too frightened to me. And did you see that shield?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It looked like something a criminal would have. But seriously, it didn¡¯t even look like Flyneria was scared at all. I didn¡¯t feel anything from her.¡±


    ¡°Same here. Usually, we can look at a person and gauge their strength, but I got nothing. When she asked about a  license, I thought she was from the church,¡± I sighed in relief.


    ¡°Same here. I started scanning around. I know it was good for you to heal that little girl, so don¡¯t let anyone tell you otherwise.¡±


    ¡°I know, but you heard the rumors. Do you think the church really has a secret squad?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible.¡± He said after thinking for a few. We stopped talking after that and walked under the moonlight through crowded streets until we arrived at a place I was dreading to go.


    We were currently at the main gate that led to the driveway that led to the mansion proper, but something was missing.


    ¡°What happened to the gate?¡± my brother asked. Right between two very tall stone decorative pillars stood nothing.


    ¡°Ignore that. Let¡¯s hurry!¡± I told him, and we both ran. Even though we were on a mission, fright, panic, and other negative emotions started swelling in my heart. I had to fight it off. I had to. Imperial Guard rules dictate that members couldn¡¯t show any kind of weak emotions while on a mission. We were trained to ignore hatred or love and kindness, or really anything that could get in the way.


    The pillar of smoke in front of us continued to rise, getting bigger and monstrous as we got closer and closer. A few guards stopped us as we made our way up the driveway, but my brother flashed the pass we got from Fisher.


    ¡°It¡¯s just like the other three¡­¡±


    ¡°Like someone took a marker to this entire area and blacked it out.¡±


    Like the other three, the ground where the mansion once stood was scorched black. Not even a single trace of it remained. We didn''t see any fragmented piece of lumber or a scrap of paper escaped via the backdraft  when the windows busted. It was just nothing at all. It defied everything! No matter how hot the flames were, there had to be something that escaped their wrath. The entire area smelled like smoke, and I¡¯d imagine the smell would remain for weeks or even months to come.


    ¡°Eina, I never heard of fire ever becoming this hot. It¡¯s one thing to burn the ground, but this¡­¡±


    ¡°I know. I couldn¡¯t even imagine anything surviving even a moment in that. Even now, I¡¯m about to burn up just from the residual heat.¡±


    ¡°I guess there¡¯s no hope of finding survivors, huh?¡±


    ¡°No, there isn¡¯t. Shit¡­¡± I had to face it. Parrel Keywater, my big brother, was dead. He had to be. If we were right and this was a small specialized group of people who produced such a hellish fire, then he was dead.


    My big brother, who was ordered to come here by our father as a political prisoner, was dead. His wife always looked so shy, but I remember seeing the love she had for him. Their child, my future niece or nephew, who I never had a chance to meet, had died. They would¡¯ve been ten or nine, depending on his date of birth, but hell, my brother and I didn¡¯t know when that was. Due to our training with Trerk and Veris, and our commitment to Warden, we never had a chance to send letters. I never had the opportunity to spoil and play with him or her.


    It¡¯s unfair. So fucking unfair.....but I had to keep this poker face.


    ¡°Blas¨¦, what now?¡± I asked my brother. I noticed that his fists were balled up, and he¡¯s shaking with anger, but only a little bit. Such a tiny movement would go unnoticed by everyone else but me.


    He looked up at the smoke rising. I did the same and realized I couldn''t even see the stars. It was that thick and black.


    ¡°We go back to Fisher. Didn¡¯t he say he had something to tell us?¡±


    I raced back through my memory. ¡°Yeah... Fisher mentioned some of his men went missing a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°I thought so. It¡¯s a small chance, but it might be connected with this. Come on!¡± we both turned around.


    My brother started jogging, and I followed right behind him. His broad back in my sight, we dodged and jumped over people and walls as we made our back to the city entrance with the storage building serving as a temporary headquarters.


    ¡°Fisher, we¡¯re back,¡± my brother said as we open it. Fisher, still in his back armor, had a cup to his mouth and a piece of paper in his free hand.


    ¡°So how was it?¡± he asked.  Even with how hot it was with, Fisher didn''t have a bead of sweat on him. Unlike me, who was nearly drenched wet with salty liquid... What I wouldn''t give for a shower and a soft bed... I just wanted to sleep the night away and put an end to this nightmare.


    ¡°Everything was black and burnt. It was like someone took black paint and covered the entire area. There¡¯s no way there would be any survivors,¡± I said with a heavy heart. If there were no survivors, then that¡¯s the same as me saying my brother is dead. And I refuse to believe it, but I know well enough that I can¡¯t act like a brat. I had to accept the facts as they came to me.

 (Finale) Book One – Interlude – Part Four – The Twins’ Lamentations (R-18)

    ¡°Fisher, I want you to get a group together and ask around about any weird noises or get-togethers. We believe we figured out how this whole thing happened,¡± my brother said as he took a seat. He yawned heavily before continuing. ¡°See, we believe the slaves escaped via a tunnel that was dug somewhere. That¡¯s really the only way they could¡¯ve escaped. It would be impossible for 150 or so slaves to just walk through the city gates when guards were running through because of the fire.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Where should we begin our search?¡±


    ¡°Take a map and mark down the locations of the three markets, then draw a line connecting them in the middle. Once you do, search in a five to six-block radius. If you find nothing, expand it to ten blocks.¡±


    ¡°Sir, what about the mansion?¡± Fisher asked.  He took out a piece of paper and a pen from his Dimensional Storage and jotted everything down.


    ¡°We believe it was an afterthought, so it wouldn¡¯t be included in the original three targets. Anyway, you said something about missing bodies and blood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. I did. A few days ago, we had a report of a thief in an area of the city. Some guards went after her, but they never came back. When we went to investigate, we found the sight of what seems to be a battle. Blood was everywhere, and we found no bodies. A bit further, we found the remains of a massive fire. It was like the entire ground was blacked out with paint."


    ¡°And you think that might be connected?¡±


    ¡°I think the culprit might be a necromancer. Reports say the anti-theft enchantment kicked in, and the thief lost her hand. And she was bleeding pretty badly too.¡±


    Necromancy? That knowledge was supposed to be forbidden-- lost to time... Claus and I had to fight against necromancers during our time at Warden. But would a necromancer really be working with a group dedicated to freeing slaves? Most of the ones we''ve fought wanted to learn about the undead and take over the world...


    ¡°Fisher, do you think the fire that burned the forest and the fire that destroyed the markets were created by the same person or group of people?¡±


    ¡°I do. I also think the same person or group was behind the murders at the Old Onyx and the Rude Crystal. In both cases, no bodies were found, and the whole place was robbed. Why else would someone need an entire store and restaurant of clothes and food? I¡¯m 100% sure that the group behind that is the same group behind these attacks,¡± Fisher said.


    ¡°Makes sense to me. I¡¯d imagine that the food required for that would be a lot. Same with the clothes. But in the morning, be sure to get a group together and ask around. If we find a tunnel, then we know exactly how they escaped.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir. In addition, I¡¯ll get some men together to build another governor¡¯s mansion. In the meantime, take this,¡± Fisher stood up and reached into a pouch on his hip. He took out two sets of silver keys and handed them to us.  ¡°Until the mansion is rebuilt, there¡¯s a house a few blocks away that the previous governor had built when VIPs came to visit.  It¡¯s three bedrooms and two baths with a fully stocked kitchen. Oh, and we have a maid clean there every week when it¡¯s not in use, and she cleaned it yesterday.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s kind of you, and we¡¯ll take it. Don¡¯t worry about rebuilding the mansion.  Turn it into a park or something. That¡¯s a lot of space, and based on the size of the burnt area, no one needs a house that big,¡± my brother said before he stood up. He stretched his arms and yawned.


    ¡°Of course, sir. Shall I come and get you in the morning with the revised statement for your approval?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be fine. Let¡¯s go, Eina.¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± I said as I followed him out. After making our way through the ever-growing crowd of scared and frightened citizens that we were now responsible for, we eventually made it to what would be our new house.


    It was two stories tall and painted blue. The door was white with the number 619 engraved on it. My brother unlocked the door, and in we went. I made sure to lock the door after we entered.


    It was spacious, something I wasn''t expecting. The floor was hardwood and brown, and the walls were painted eggshell white. Perhaps the color choice didn¡¯t speak to me, but it wasn¡¯t like I hated it. It was also dark, but the moon helped with that regard. It wasn''t much illumination, but it was enough for me to feel out the house.


    My brother then asked me to use Lux Sphere, a skill that created a ball of light I could control, and I did. He then used a miniature Fire Wall to light the candles. We repeated this as we made our way through the house.


    From the entranceway, the living room was to the left. Complete with three couches and two chairs around a large glass table, I could already tell that this room was where we would spend most of our time deciding and debating how what would be best for the city. The kitchen was to the right, and it came with two Skill Items. The first was a stove that used the Skill Energy I provided to heat up. The second was a refrigerator that had a newer invention called a battery. By filling it with Skill Energy, it stayed activated for a few days. While they weren''t that special, batteries were still somewhat rare and out-of-place in a country like Lando. Still, after a quick examination, my brother and I got lucky. The battery was one of the new models that could last a month without being recharged. The fridge itself was more sizable than what we were used to. Unfortunately, my brother ate like a pig because he trained like crazy, so I was sure I was about to become intimate with Canary''s food markets.


    I didn''t mind that, however, because I loved taking care of my brother. I even liked cooking for him, and nothing made me happier than seeing a big smile on his face.


    My brother opened it and whistled in response. I took a look and saw a few bottles of milk, a lot of meat wrapped in paper, and a few bags of fruit and vegetables. I had to admit, I wasn¡¯t expecting this.  However, I didn''t think it was enough.  As I mentioned before, my brother could eat two or three steaks at once, and that didn''t include any side dishes. Yep! The market is about to become my second home! Hehe!


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s go check out the rest,¡± my brother held his hand out, and I timidly took it. Using my other hand, I closed the refrigerator door.  He smiled at me as he led me through the rest of the first floor. We look into three rooms. One was a guest room, and it was pretty small. The second was a storage closet, and the last was a showering room, complete with a blue Wash Stone.


    We left the shower room and went back to the living room, where the stairs were at. We ascended them and came to the second floor, where we discovered the other two bedrooms. One was a bit bigger than the guest room downstairs, but the other was giant.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± I slowly exclaimed in excitement. The room was big, too big for just me and my brother. A beautiful mirror was on top of an exquisite black clothes drawer. The bed was big enough for four or even five people. We saw two doors in this room, and I glanced in one while my brother peeked in the other. My door was a walk-in closet filled with fancy-looking suits of all different colors. I would have to either sell these or give them away. They were way too big for my brother, and I was a girl who didn¡¯t wear suits.


    ¡°Hey, come look at this!¡± my brother excitedly exclaimed.


    I entered the door he went through and saw another shower room. Well, it wasn¡¯t a shower room intrinsically, but more like a bathhouse.


    There were three pools of different sizes and depths inside, along with three more Wash Stones. The walls were beautiful marble, and somehow, the whole room was lit up, even though it¡¯s dark out. I glanced up and saw two big balls of light, like my Lux Sphere, and assumed it might be some sort of Skill Item. Ah, now that I remembered, I think they were called fluorescent lights? It was a new technology coming from the genius minds in Westera, but I never thought they had them in full production.


    ¡°Since this was a house for VIPs, I¡¯m guessing Parrel really went all out. But why three tubs?¡± I asked as I felt a headache coming on. Quickly, I averted my gaze from up high to down low, choosing to stare at the magnificent tilework.


    ¡°Regardless, what do you think? It¡¯s a nice house if I say so myself.¡±


    ¡°It is. I love it.¡±


    ¡°So, who gets what room? Am I correct in guessing you want this one? It''s got the fancy bath attached to it,¡± my brother asked, and I immediately went red in the face.


    ¡°The bed will be freezing cold if it¡¯s just me¡­.¡± I wanted to tease him, but it didn''t work out that way. My brother laughed before I felt his large hand on my head. Damn him. He knew I was weak to this. ¡°I don¡¯t mind sleeping with you. In fact, I like it. If I had the bed to myself, I''d probably get lost because it''s so big. Why don¡¯t we put our clothes up and then take a bath? Didn¡¯t you mention that you wanted to take a nice hot one earlier, or am I misremembering it?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, you were right. But¡­¡±


    ¡°Look, I know what you¡¯re thinking. A brother falling in love with his sister and a sister in love with her totally awesome and super cool brother is taboo, but that doesn¡¯t matter to us. Do you love me?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You know I do. I love you more than anything in the world, but if someone found out, then imagine the scandal¡­ Especially more so since we''re royalty in a different country doing Gods knows what for our father...¡±


    My brother hugged and rested his chin on my head. ¡°Then all we have to do is keep it a secret.¡±


    I wrapped my arms around him and furiously wished he took off that shitty armor. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna keep it a secret. Do you know how hard it is for me to act like we''re nothing more than siblings? I want to hold your hands, but I can only do that in secret¡­¡±


    ¡°How about this? All for tonight, I¡¯ll hold your hand.  Even when we bathe and sleep, I''ll do it.¡±


    ¡°You promise?¡± I looked up.  I stared into his fierce blue eyes that showed so much kindness to me and much hatred and anger to our enemies. He never said a word, and he gently lifted my hands with his.


    He finally spoke. ¡°Why don¡¯t we get out of this armor and take a bath?¡± I nodded and started to remove my armor. From all the running around we did, I was probably stinky and sweaty. I even found myself groaning at my own scent. But if my brother was bothered by it, he didn''t let me know. Like a trained actor, he kept a flawless smile on his handsome and chiseled face.


    Slipping off my breastplate revealed a white tunic that was utterly drenched in sweat. It had so much liquid absorbed into its fibers that my yellow bra was clearly visible. Internally, I sighed and frowned at my chest size. Though my brother always reassured me that I was perfect in every way, a part of me felt like he wanted me to have the type of breasts that were bigger than his hands. Something he could squeeze while we made love and something he slept against when we cuddled. What I have now is more like a pinch than a handful.


    Sorry, but I wish I was bigger¡­.even by just a little bit¡­.


    I then slipped off my gauntlets and boots before moving to my legs.


    ¡°Ewww¡­.¡± I mumbled as I removed my socks. Sweat and sweat. Nothing but sweat. My white pants were completely see-through as well, revealing my matching yellow panties. My thighs were like they were coated with a glistening liquid, but it was only sweat.


    I opened my Dimensional Storage, a skill I learned at Rank 4 and pulled out a bottle of soap and shampoo, as well as a towel and a washcloth. I glanced at my brother and saw a fleshy, dangly rod between his legs. It wasn''t awake yet, so it didn''t seem that intimating, seeing it was only 15 centimeters long. But when it was at the ready and at attention, it was nearly 25 centimeters long. Every time I saw it, my face turned bright red, even though it shouldn¡¯t. After all, I had been up close and personal with it for a long time, ever since we were 17. But still, I always get this fluttering feeling in my stomach.


    ¡°Hurry up, I¡¯m gonna start the bath,¡± he turned around, went into one of the tubs, and filled it with water via the Wash Stone.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming. Don¡¯t rush me,¡± I barked as I took off my underwear.  My hand innocently glanced against my erect nipples, reminding me that my brother was probably excited. Even an innocent of my bare nape was enough to send the blood rushing to his lower waist.


    I slipped in behind him and felt water filling up from the bottom, but it wasn''t too hot or cold. It was just the perfect temperature.


    ¡°Claus...¡± I weakly murmured as I pressed my chest into his broad back and wrapped my arms around his toned stomach. I felt his hands rest atop of mine.  As a man, he was much more muscular than me, and his whole body reflected that. His arms were defined and thick, rugged like a stone fortress. With his thick hands, I''m sure Claus could palm a cantaloupe. Just think, his body had killed hundreds of monsters and men, and yet, it was gentle, loving, and affectionate towards me.


    ¡°He¡¯s really gone¡­ Isn¡¯t he?¡± I quietly whispered. I could feel the fat liquid that desperately wanted to fall from my eyes earlier but couldn¡¯t. Now, there wasn¡¯t anything stopping them. I internally apologized to Claus for staining his back with my tears.


    It was always a flaw of mine. Whenever I started crying, I couldn¡¯t stop until my tear ducts were empty.


    ¡°He is¡­¡± my brother whispered just loud enough so I could hear him.


    We stayed that way, and I let loose all of my emotions built up from the night until the water filled up enough to sit down in. Then I washed him, rubbing a minty soap up and down his stomach while touching his many scars. Even now, after years had passed, I knew the time, date, location, and reason behind every single wound. As I expected, my sensitive touch had awoken the beast slumbering below the water, and it peeked its engorged head out. My eyes were drawn to it, but Claus meekly apologized and said it wasn''t the best time.


    "It''s okay... It''s just a physical reaction to my touch... Do... Do you want me to calm it down?" I asked.


    "No." He shook his head. "I don''t think we should do it tonight... I''m sorry..."


    I leaned up, kissing him on the cheek as I slid my hands up to his neck. "Don''t be," I whispered. "Let''s just enjoy each other''s and be thankful we''re together. I wanted to reconnect with Parrel... It was one of our biggest regrets... Even if... He was still our brother, even if that day was the last we saw of him..."


    Claus gently smiled, softly sighing as he took my hands into his. He placed it on his face and leaned down for a kiss on the lips. Then he washed me, covering every millimeter of my chest in a thick white foam. My nipples and breasts were more sensitive than ever, sending electric shocks down my body every time his fingers swiped by them. Eventually, Claus turned me around and asked me to lean against his chest. I did so and rested my weary body against my beloved brother while he sat against the tub''s wall.


    "Claus, I love you," I said. I searched around in the soapy water for his fingers and rubbed them. He lifted his left hand and lovingly stroked my blond hair, which had somewhat dried, but it still retained some wetness.


    "And I love you too," he whispered. I gripped his left hand and pushed it against my stomach. Claus giggled and knew what I wanted, so before long, we sat in silence while Claus rubbed my belly. It was odd-- that much I will admit-- but his touch was the only thing I needed in this life. I told him that, and he said the same to me.


    When the water went cold, we got out and dried off before pulling some clothes from our Dimensional Storage. He took out a set of pajama pants, and I retrieved a thin nightgown.  It was funny.  We were both wearing the clothes we got each other for our 18th birthday.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said to him as I pulled back the yellow covers of the giant bed.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said back to me.


    ¡°Promise me that we¡¯ll always be together.¡± I crawled into bed and laid my head on the fluffy pillows. The smell of detergent swiftly tunneled through my nose, and I felt totally at peace.


    ¡°I promise. Can you promise me that one day we¡¯ll get married? Even if we have to change our last names and identities? Even if the whole thing will be a sham, a fake celebration is better than nothing.¡± He slipped into bed and kissed me on my lips.


    ¡°I promise. I can¡¯t wait for the day I¡¯m able to call you my husband, and you can call me your wife.¡± I ran my tongue over my lips where he kissed me. It was sweet, in a weird way.


    ¡°My wife, Qina, so beautiful and elegant. Someone who I love so much,¡± he rolled over to his side and stared at me. ¡°The love of my life, and someone I would do anything for,¡± he held his right arm out.


    I rolled to my side and held my left arm out. My fingers glanced across the back of Claus''s hand before I gripped his fingers. It didn¡¯t matter if it was just a tiny part of his pinky or his entire hand: I just wanted to hold a part of my beloved brother as I drifted off to sleep. ¡°My husband, Claus, so handsome and protective. Someone who will always protect me, no matter what. The one and only person I would give my heart for.¡±


    ¡°I love you so much.¡± He closed his eyes, and a smile formed on his face.


    ¡°I love you too. Maybe even more¡­¡± I giggled before closing my eyes. I tried to drift off to a blissful dream where all of my wants were reality, but I couldn''t. My boneheaded, yet lovable brother, was whispering something.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I totally love you more." Then he did something I didn''t expect and pulled my arm. "And I''ll show you. Come a little closer," he whispered. With my eyes still full of darkness, I wiggled like a worm until I felt our feet touch, then I wiggled more until my head was touching his broad chest. He wrapped his hands around my head, and I burrowed my head into his shirt like I wanted his soapy scent to be rubbed off on me. When he patted my blond hair, I stopped and fell into a deep slumber while being held by the love of my life.


    And so we found ourselves in a position we didn¡¯t want. My brother was the new governor of a city in southeastern Lando, and I was his personal secretary. But I gotta be thankful. If not for this position, then I wouldn¡¯t be here, hand in hand, with my beloved brother. I didn''t care if our relationship was taboo; that kind of pathetic reasoning could be dammed.


    I love him. And that¡¯s all that matters.


    Fin~~

 Update – 28 May 2020 – (Nothing’s Wrong & Everything Is Good!)

    RuggyRuggy


    Hello Everyone! This is just a small update of the status of Book Two and other things.  The book is going good, and I have Prologue, and chapters 1 -4 written.  I''ve taken care to cut the chapters accordingly into different parts, so there won''t be 8,000 or 9,000 word chapters.  At least, I hope so.


    Though, I''m going to spend a few extra days editing it while I work on the rest of the book.  I was pretty disappointed in myself when I re-read all of Book One and discovered a lot of typos and grammatical mistakes.  I''m extremely sorry about that....  In the mean time, I''ll go back through what''s already posted here and fix them.  I''m not sure if you all get notified of any revisions I do, but you do, then I''m sorry for spamming your notifications.


    As for when to expect Book Two? Monday, June 1st.  I won''t post them all at once, but every few days.


    Meanwhile, I''d like to hear you all think of the story so far! There certainly was a lot of action towards the end, and even a little bit of romance between two certain characters! Those two have certain been through a lot in those ten years.


    How do you feel about Servi, Itarr, and Momo? Or even Fisher Jin and the twins?  What did you think of Servi''s Nightly Strolls?


    If anyone has any predictions of where they think the story will go, or even how it will end, I''d like to read them.  But don''t take this to mean that I''m fishing for ideas.  All of the major plot beats and story arcs are already outlined, even the ending.  It''s just a fact of putting the meat in between the proverbial buns.  I know writing a book this way can make the characters seem more like walking plot points instead of actual characters, and I will keep that in mind.


    Thank you for reading this update.  I''ve been RuggyRuggy.  Good Morning, Good Afternoon, and Good Evening, wherever you are!


    PS. First of all, I can''t believe I''ve gotten over 3,000 views in three days!  Honestly, I never expected this...  But I''m even more determined than ever!!! I really hope you all will like and enjoy the story I have in mind.

 Book Two – Prologue – A Month Since The Attack

    RuggyRuggy


    Since this is a diary entry from the PoV of Momo, expect there to be a decent amount of errors.  Remember, Momo wasn''t formally educated, and she''s not all that knowledgeable when it comes to writing rules and such.  She''s a hard worker, though, and she tries her best.


    Please keep that in mind as you read this.


    Thank You!


    RuggyRuggy


    Dear diary, today is June 3rd. I¡¯m sorry it¡¯s been a while since I last wrote in you, but things have been pretty crazy ever since the attack a month ago. I really wanted to write more often than I have. I really did. I guess I have to make up for it.


    A month ago, some group invaded the city and set fire to three slavery markets and Governor Parrel¡¯s mansion. And believe it or not, I slept through the whole thing. Even the 23 lightning strikes, which apparently woke everyone up. Somehow, I slept through it.


    Warden also apparently announced the attack the moment it happened over the speakers that they¡¯ve installed. But I slept through that too.  I''ve always been a heavy sleeper, so I guess that explains why


    I, myself, have mixed feelings about the attacks. As someone who was almost sold into slavery, I¡¯m so happy and thankful the places were attacked. And I can only assume that the slaves inside were rescued before they set fire to it.


    I should be happy about that. And I think I am. But then I hear about the mansion, and my feelings go a bit sour. The rumor around town says that Parrel was a bad man. One who sold and gave slaves to rich and powerful people all across Gea, and if that¡¯s the truth, I should be happy that he¡¯s dead, but I¡¯m not.  I¡¯m actually kind of sad.  He had a son and a wife.


    Since they didn¡¯t find their bodies amongst the ash, I can only assume they died as well. Grandpa, why did his son and wife have to die as well? When they made their statement a few days after the attack, I found out that he was only ten years old. He was innocent. And even if he wasn¡¯t, was it right to murder a little kid like that for crimes he may or may not have understood and committed? I don¡¯t think so, but somebody must have.


    And what of the people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time? A place that big must¡¯ve had a lot of maids and butlers. People who weren¡¯t involved in slavery at all. I¡¯m sad for them. I really am. But there¡¯s nothing I can do. I¡¯m weak. But I am trying to get stronger. I really am.


    Oh yeah, about the statement. They had guards pulling crates of newspapers and gave them out for free. I still have it so I''ll write it down here for safe keeping, just in case I lose the original.


    Dear citizens of our beloved city of Canary. Late last night and this morning, our city came under attacked by terrorists who used the cowardice of the moon and night to sneak inside. We regret to inform you that over 250 brave men and women, who defended our beloved markets, as well as our dear Governor Parrel, perished in the fires from last night. In addition, we regret to inform you that his wife Fia, and his darling son Timiothy, only age ten, also passed away.


    We are just as sad as you are. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the brave warriors who gave their lives to Canary. If anyone has even the smallest amount of information that can lead to the whereabouts of anyone who was involved, please tell the nearest guard.


    There is a monetary reward involved. Together, we will get past this and become stronger as a result. In order to make our city feel safer for our beloved citizens, we are doubling the patrols and stationing extra guards around the city gates. This has been the darkest moment in our city¡¯s life, and we will make sure it will be the last.


    Thank you.


    When this statement came out, most people wondered what would happen to the city. I did too. I mean, if the guy leading the city dies, then what happens? I would¡¯ve thought there would be an election and that¡¯s what Servi said too, but we were both wrong.


    The very next day, Servi and I bought a paper after eating breakfast and apparently two twins named Blas¨¦ and Eina Dearton were sent here from Adenaford, the capital city of Lando. It¡¯s where the castle is. I heard it¡¯s so big and beautiful and it was built nearly a thousand years ago. Though I don¡¯t know how true that statement is.


    They scheduled a forum for today where the mansion used to be. Apparently it¡¯s open to the public, and not just nobles, so that¡¯s kinda cool. I asked Servi if she wanted to go and she said yes, after we eat and train. We should have enough time go. I mean, it¡¯s only 8:32 AM and the forum doesn¡¯t start until 11:30. Hey, maybe we can buy drinks or something along the way. That¡¯ll be kinda nice.


    Oops, I¡¯m getting a little off topic. For a week after the attack, anyone who didn¡¯t have an important reason for leaving Canary couldn¡¯t. That included quests from Warden that were deemed non-essential. Basically, any quests from Rank 10 through 5 that we had to travel outside the city for were impossible to complete. Rank 4 through 1 depended on the description of the quest, but most were able to go.


    Since Servi and I were only Rank 10, we had to stay here for that week. We spent the time in the sewers, which unfortunately we had to meet Arty again. He taunted us like always and I always got sad. But Servi would look at me and rub my head, saying for me to ignore him. I always felt good after that. You know grandpa, whenever she did that, it reminded me of when you used to rub my head after I had a scary dream, or whenever I would get frightened by thunder. I can¡¯t help but picture you¡­.


    But yeah, when we went to the sewers, we found a lot of people in there. People way stronger than us. In the time it would take for us to kill a single rat, some guy who¡¯s way stronger would have three or four killed. It was obvious to Servi that this would happen, but it wasn¡¯t to me. Gah! You stupid cat, you should¡¯ve know that being in lockdown would result in even advanced and expert adventurers coming to the sewers. They had to eat too.


    So for that week, Servi and I had to wake up real early and skip breakfast in order to be one of the first ones in the sewers. I don¡¯t know how, but we always managed to find a few rats and roaches so we always broke even at the end of the day. We were just lucky with the spawns, I guess. That, along with the money you gave me was enough for me to keep my room and eat dinner each night. I even had some extra, so I bought a cute outfit. But going so early meant that we had to skip training, which was the one thing I was looking forward too.


    Speaking of training, Servi is really, really good with a bow. And throwing knives. And throwing axes. And the mace and the shield and the spear and the staff and really everything. Here I am trying to find the pointy end of a mace and she¡¯s shooting bull¡¯s-eye after bull¡¯s-eye after bull¡¯s-eye. I gotta admit, it made me feel inadequate and worthless, but I tried my best to never let it show.


    She¡¯s like the perfect girl and someone who I really want to be. But I know I can¡¯t do that.  I¡¯m me and she¡¯s her. She¡¯s way prettier, especially with her soft black hair and intense red eyes, and stronger than I could ever be. But I can still try, right grandpa? That¡¯s what you always said when you used to teach me.


    She taught me how to shoot a bow. After around ten minutes, I managed to hit the target, but missed the bull¡¯s-eye. In the ten minutes it took me to hit it, I thought Servi had given up hope of ever teaching me, but she even more excited that I was. It was nice seeing someone happy for me. There hasn¡¯t been anyone since you, Grandpa, who smiled when ever I accomplished something. Though I guess Servi was happy when we first killed a rat.


    You know, over the past month, we¡¯ve only ever had the single fight out at Luqa village. And yes, even I have gotten over it. I know I have a tendency to keep things locked up and beat myself over my mistakes when everyone else has forgiven me, but I truly have gotten over it. You can¡¯t believe it either, grandpa? Maybe that means I have grown in the six months I¡¯ve been gone.


    But after the first week of lockdown, everyone from Rank 10 through 5 was able to take quests again. Servi said we should stick to areas close to Canary and I agreed with her. That was, if we could even find any.


    I don¡¯t know if it was because people were scared that quests would be locked away again if there was another attack, but almost every quest was taken by the time we got to the board. Servi told me that people who stocked up on quests were fools and I didn¡¯t know what she meant until the next week. That is, the third week since the attack.


    We came down in the morning like always and saw a few groups being yelled at by Claire, the Elf with red hair who¡¯s super cute. I don¡¯t remember her exact words, but she berated the five groups who took on too many and thus couldn¡¯t finish them. Servi shook her head and then I realized what she meant. They took on too much and thus couldn¡¯t finish them, and that meant they were punished by Warden for how many quests they accepted that they couldn¡¯t turn it. Boy, that was a bit confusing to write.


    Note: maybe I should ask Servi to tutor me in writing and language? She seems really smart about some stuff but also brainless about other things. Like, she didn¡¯t know what the church was at first. I thought it was a bit odd since the Church of the Heavens is basically the official religion of Gea. In fact, I wonder if she knows the continent we¡¯re on is called Gea.


    Speaking of Servi, she hasn¡¯t ever said anything to me about her home town or village, or even her family. For that matter, I don¡¯t know if she even has a last name. All I know is that her name is Servi, and she¡¯s dang good with a bunch of different weapons. She¡¯s super nice to me, but also doesn¡¯t back down if someone makes her mad. Like Arty, if I didn¡¯t wake up at that time and say something, I¡¯m pretty sure she would¡¯ve killed him. That part of her scares me and I¡¯m afraid to bring it up. She¡¯s my first friend I ever made outside of the village, and I don¡¯t want to lose her.


    But I don¡¯t want it to sound like she¡¯s threatening me. That¡¯s the farthest thing from the truth, and I know that if it somehow came to a big argument between us, she would never hit me. She doesn¡¯t strike me as that kind of girl. I mean, she pushed me that one time, but it was to move me out of harms way. But that doesn¡¯t count. She was looking out for me.


    Whoops, I¡¯m getting off topic again. Anyway, the five parties that got in trouble were left with a warning and another 100 dupla added on to their debt. The 100 dupla was the price it would cost to send a more powerful to complete the quest. And this was something I didn¡¯t know. And neither did Servi until Claire explained it to us when we went to pick up another rat kill quest.


    If a Rank 10 party takes on a quest and fails, then Warden upgrades it to a Rank 9 quest and gives back the client their application fee along with their reward money. Warden then takes the full financial brunt of the quest. That¡¯s why there¡¯s such a steep warning and penalty. Because every failed quest is a black mark on Warden¡¯s reputation.


    So for the rest of the third week and the entire fourth week, Servi and I took on some quests that didn¡¯t take us too far away from Canary for two reasons. In fact, we were never more than two hours away. The first being the attack. We never know if another one might happen. The second being that we couldn¡¯t afford two tents and the supplies to camp out. Well, we might have been able to buy them if the attack never happened in the first place and caused the sewers to be overrun with adventurers. I mean, I know I¡¯m angry but I can¡¯t blame them for trying to earn some money. That¡¯s what Servi and I were doing.


    But now I¡¯m getting to the good part. Skills! Ever since Servi and I bought that shield, we haven¡¯t had that much trouble and that meant taking on the more dangerous Rank 10 quests. Which in turn meant more Potential.


    Oh yeah!!! I actually managed to learn pre-casting. Well, not learn it as much as figured it out for myself and let me say, it¡¯s been very useful!!!


    I, myself, have learned the following: True Aim, Feather Fall and Dirt Skin. True Aim is a passive skill that increases my accuracy with a bow and it was the third skill I learned. I gotta say, it hasn¡¯t really helped that much. But Claire says that¡¯s because I haven¡¯t upgraded it at all. Apparently it¡¯s one of those skills that gets better as it is upgraded. All of the top archers have it at maxed or near-maxed level. I guess I got a good ways to go.


    Feather Fall was a good one I was excited about. When I¡¯m falling, I activate this skill and I gently fall down like a feather would. It hasn¡¯t been especially useful so far, but I¡¯m sure the chance will come soon enough. And the last skill I learned is called Dirt Skin. It hardens my skin like I¡¯m in a layer of dirt, but without the dirty feeling. It¡¯s a lesser version of protection, but it combines with it, giving me just a little bit more defense than I would otherwise.


    Servi learned some skills too. Mainly ones that would help with her tanking. Thunder Snap is good because it produces an incredibly loud sound whenever she snaps her fingers. For monsters sensitive to sounds, it¡¯s very useful. The other skill was called Lucem. It produces a ball of really bright white light that¡¯s useful for monsters with sensitive eyes.


    They¡¯re good, but they have some drawbacks¡­. Or they would for literally every one else. For most people, it¡¯s really hard to concentrate on attacking, or blocking in Servi¡¯s case, and chant at the same time. Most people don¡¯t try that and just focus on one or the other, at least until they get the speed casting skill at a lower rank. That¡¯s what you did, grandpa.


    But Servi doesn¡¯t need that. Just yesterday, in the sewers, we were fighting a rat that a sword stuck in its head. Servi chanted while blocking, even taking multiple swipes and body smashes that would¡¯ve knocked back a regular joe, but she withstood it and let off a Thunder Snap that really hurt my ears.


    I managed to kill the rat while it was disoriented before Servi noticed I was in pain. Before I had the chance to say anything, she said sorry and explained that she wouldn¡¯t use Thunder Snap in such a close location. I went to say something but couldn¡¯t. Would I have been a bad person if I said for her to stop before she figured it out? Probably not, but I didn¡¯t want to cause a scene.


    I know I¡¯m repeating this over and over again, but I do consider Servi to be my very best friend. Especially after what happened in the village, grandpa. I didn¡¯t have any friends except you. But I¡¯m getting off topic again.


    The next roach we killed; I was waiting for the Thunder Snap but it never came. Instead, Servi told me to shut my eyes for two seconds and I did. Even through my closed eye lids, I saw and felt a vast white light. She yelled out for me to attack and I did, using the moves she taught me when we trained together.


    It was by far the easiest time I had killing a giant roach.


    So after yesterday, we both had around 18 Potential left. Servi asked me what I wanted to spend them on and I said I wanted to save them. She asked why and I told her I wanted to learn Summon Spirit Familiar: Minor. I know that required Rank 9, but Clair told us that we were pretty close to getting our promotion quest. Servi asked what that was and I explained it to her. I told her that a promotion quest is what Warden gives to parties or individuals who they acknowledge as someone or a group worthy of being promoted to the next Rank. The quest to go from 10 to 9 depended on whether or not you were in a party. But the quest was the same for all parties. For example, if Servi and I did it, our task would be the same for every other party that came before us and it would be the same for every party to come after us. But it would be different for those who went solo.


    She then asked about the Summon Spirit Familiar and again, I was surprised. Almost everyone knew what these skills did but she didn¡¯t. It made me wonder if she came from a place where skills weren¡¯t used.


    Did places like that even exist?


    Regardless, I told her it allowed the summoner to ask a Spirit of the world for help. I also told her there are three levels to the skill. Minor, Average, and Superior. Although I really wanted to hit Rank 1 and learn the Superior version, I¡¯ll settle for Minor. For now, at least. Hehe! I better not get to ahead of myself.


    Servi said she¡¯ll also save them. She said that it might be a good idea to have some Potential to fall back on in case we get into a hairy situation. I guess that makes sense. If we find ourselves in need of fire, and we spent our Potential on a bunch of ice skills, then... Yeah, I don''t want to think like that. Servi, you''re a smart girl!


    Whoops, someone''s knocking at the door, and it¡¯s probably Servi. Usually, it¡¯s me going to wake her up, but I guess she wanted to surprise me.


    Well, I got to go.  I¡¯ll be sure to hopefully remember to write in here tonight.


    Sincerely, Momo.

 Book Two – Chapter One – Part One – Announcement

    ¡°There we go!¡± A pink tail swooshed and swished around as Momo stored her diary in her bag. Momo was a Singi ¨C a cat person with cat ears and a cat tail ¨C and her bag belonged to her grandpa. He gave Momo his bag, the diary, and his sword before leaving on her journey to follow in his footsteps.


    ¡°Momo!¡± A girl¡¯s voice came from the door, followed by another knock.


    ¡°Coming!¡± Momo replied as she slipped her black sleeveless leather armor over her chainmail, another present from her grandpa. Her white undershirt, black leather pants, and black boots etched with a pink cat on the side was something she bought for herself. She tapped her side and hip.


    Let¡¯s see¡­.. Two potions¡­grandpa''s sword...bag¡­. Yep! I got everything.


    Momo took one last look around her tiny room and smiled. Though it was supposed to be a temporary room to stay in, Momo had come to think of it as her home. It¡¯s been a long month since she met Servi, who she considered to be her very best friend. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t say it to her face because she thought it embarrassing. And there was always the chance that Servi wouldn¡¯t feel the same about her.


    Another knock came from the wooden door, and Momo took a deep breath before she opened it. A girl, about the age of twenty, stood on the other side. She had shoulder-length black hair that was a bit wavy, and her bright red eyes looked like an inferno. Brown leather armor that had a green cape covered her fair and beautiful chest. Brown reinforced leather pants with black boots protected her lower body and feet. Two pouches were fastened to her hip.


    Unlike her Momo''s armor, Servi¡¯s armor wasn''t sleeveless, and there was a reason for that. She was the tank of the two-man group. She was in charge of getting the enemy¡¯s attention and taking the damage while her partner did most of the offensive work. But it wasn¡¯t like she took attacks barehanded. No, she had an evil and ominous shield on her left hand. It was a heater shield, and it was bigger and heavier than other shields of the same type. And for regular people, the beefier shield would be somewhat useless.


    Servi wasn¡¯t exactly normal. She had a Goddess by the name of Itarr resting inside her. After waking up near a forest on April 30th, Servi wandered around a while before succumbing to injuries Servi had suffered after stealing food. When she died, she met a humanoid figure of red energy that called itself Itarr. By eating her essence, her body, Itarr was able to bless Servi, though not in the standard way. Her skills: True Immortality and Absorption were passed on to Servi. The first meant she was unable to die. It didn''t matter how much damage she sustained; Servi couldn''t venture off to the afterlife. It was the main reason she took on the tank role. The second skill allowed Servi to absorb the souls of her fallen enemies. By doing so, she took their strength and abilities for herself.


    When the two skills combined together, it was child''s play for Servi to wield such a heavy shield with minimum effort. Even if her arm began hurting, True Immortality would kick in and heal any damage or discomfort she sustained.


    ¡°Hello, there!¡± said the immortal girl to her unknowing friend, who knew absolutely nothing about Servi''s circumstance. She thought many different times about telling Momo about her situation but couldn¡¯t find the proper way. Even though she knew that the longer she waited, the more painful it would be.


    ¡°Sorry if I made you wait. I was writing in a journal my grandpa gave me.¡± The pink-haired Singi smiled bashfully as her fair skin took on a reddish hue.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have to wait. So, what shall we do first? The forum starts at 11, right?¡±


    ¡°11:30, but I¡¯m hungry. How about we eat some breakfast before a bit of training?¡±


    Servi smiled. ¡°That sounds good to me. Let¡¯s head on down.¡±


    Momo closed and locked her door before she took her place beside her friend. Together, they descended the stairs to the kitchen and restaurant, and they took a seat at the closest available table.


    The area was big and open, with tables and chairs filling out the empty space.  Oddly enough, it wasn''t filled up. Around seventy percent of the tables were vacant, and as Servi glanced around the floor, she saw a particular Earth Elf, an Elf whose skin tone was similar to dirt, named Nimea.


    Nimea was, as Servi would put it, a dickhead and a jackass. He tried to convince Momo to leave Servi and join him and two others when they first went to the training room. The Earth Elf even resorted to insults about Servi and her lack of proper equipment. Once he found out that Servi was the tank, he said she was too cheap to get a shield and too poor to take care of her equipment. And that pissed Momo off. In a moment of passion and anger, something she was not prone to, she told off Nimea and defended her friend. That one incident ended any and all ties between the two.


    But now, when Servi thought back to it, she thought it was funny. She was broke at the time, only having a few hundred dupla to her name, but after the raid on the Governor¡¯s Mansion, she found herself amongst the wealthiest people in the world. Thirty million dupla, hundreds and hundreds of expensive jewels and jewelry, and twenty complete sets of nadrium armor were at her disposal.


    Nadrium was gathered from meteorites that fell to the ground from the heavens above. When crafted into weapons and armor, it left behind blue lines that glowed and pulsed.  Being both lightweight and durable, it was the perfect material for protective gear and offensive weaponry. It was surreal.  One piece of nadrium equipment sold for hundreds of thousands, and she had twenty complete sets of armor.  That didn''t include the various nadrium weaponry she ''acquired'' from the previous governor''s stash.  Servi had all this wealth that was more than enough to feed a large city for decades, and she couldn''t do a thing with it.


    Of course, all that wealth didn¡¯t come freely. Servi had to fight and kill and maim and burn hundreds of soldiers throughout the night of May 2nd and the morning of May 3rd. Literal rivers of blood were spilled for her to gain those riches, but they weren¡¯t the main reason she did such horrible things. When she first acquired Itarr¡¯s power, Servi said she wanted to fight and protect those who couldn¡¯t do it themselves. Whether they were physically or mentally incapable didn¡¯t matter. She desired to help.


    And so, during her last nightly stroll through the city, she came upon two cousins: the Earth Elves Llamare and Liealia. Servi fought with them to destroy three slave markets and freed the slaves held inside. Servi did so with a smile on her face. Afterwhich, they mentioned they were looking for someone named Parrel. He was the supposed ringleader of this whole slavery operation. Servi found out a day before that that he lived in the giant mansion overlooking the city. She relayed that information, and they launched an attack on his home. They fought their way up and eventually killed Parrel.


    Along the way, they encountered a butler named Albert Crysalerek. He wasn¡¯t a bad man at heart, and the only reason he was loyal to Parrel was out of respect for his father, Emperor Virin Keywater. Albert was to be executed, and he was only saved by Virin''s good graces. He became loyal to Virin, and eventually, he moved that loyalty to his son. Albert quickly realized that was a mistake. Parrel was someone who deserved a most painful death, but due to his pledge of allegiance, Albert couldn¡¯t betray his master.


    Even Llamare and Liealia wished they could''ve met Albert under different circumstances.


    Servi swore to Itarr that she would complete the trial required to unlock Necromancy. She vowed to bring back Albert from the dead. She kept all of this secret from the two Earth Elves.


    Servi was a girl who had not only had power over the dead. She could also control time, manipulate the elements, and alter reality with just a spoken word. Of course, she couldn''t use such incredible power.  Not yet, anyways.  She was required to complete a trial, though she didn''t know where it was or what it was about.


    The Warden office consisted of five floors. The first floor belonged to the lobby. It was where people could sign up, take, and turn in quests in which they would get paid in both dupla, the currency, and Potential, the abstract source of power that allowed Warden members to learn skills via their ID.


    Everybody, with no exceptions, was born with the ability to summon a stone tablet. It held their name, Warden Rank, if they¡¯ve joined, their blessed God, and skills.  It was universally called an ID, and since everyone had one, it was engraved in daily life. Even taking and turning in a quest at Warden required the use of an ID.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking I might get the veggie omelette. What how about you?¡± Servi asked as she pulled out some dupla from her ring by using one of her pouches as a proxy. Since Servi wanted to keep her unique abilities hidden, she used a small pouch as a proxy to retrieve small items from her ring.


    ¡°I woke up pretty hungry, so I might get the pork and sausage breakfast stew with bread and¡ª¡±


    ¡°And a glass of milk? Good choice.¡±


    ¡°Yep! If I can help it, I try to drink some milk every morning.¡±


    There¡¯s a stupid rumor going about that drinking milk makes your boobs bigger. It sounds foolish, but there¡¯s always a chance. Momo thought. She loved milk and wanted a bigger chest, so it was a win-win situation for her.


    The two friends chatted a bit after they paid the server, and a few minutes later, the scent of freshly cooked food invaded their noses.


    The veggie omelette had steam coming off of it, proof it literally came off the stove. Onions, tomatoes, peppers, and mushrooms filled it to the brim. The omelette itself had a gorgeous yellow shine, indicating that the eggs used were of high quality. A type of cheese sauce covered the top of the omelette, and Servi¡¯s mouth was watering. To top it off, a tall glass of milk sat beside the wooden plate.


    As an immortal being possessing the skill True Immortality, she never felt the pangs of hunger or thirst, nor did she need sleep.  Even after running all night, she never produced any sweat or smells. But it wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t want to eat. After all, she enjoyed eating tasty food and drinking delicious drinks.


    Compared to the wooden plate of hot food, Momo had a wooden bowl of pork and sausage stew, complete with onions, carrots, peas, garlic, and tomatoes. A pinch of both sweet and regular paprika covered the top. Momo stared at her scrumptious bowl in front of her and picked up the wooden spoon.


    ¡°Hey, it might be a bit hot, so wa¡ª Yep. Told you.¡±


    In a fluid motion, Momo filled her spoon and put it in her mouth.  She only had a small second to enjoy the meaty flavors before she desperately reached for her milk. Taking a big gulp, she put the glass back down and smiled in relief. Unfortunately, milk only temporarily soothed a burning tongue, and the pain came back.


    ¡°Ouch, my tongue¡­.¡± her cute face had an uncomfortable expression of pain as she blew on her bowl of food to cook it down. The two pointy cat ears folded down on themselves as her tail stopped moving. Servi couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    ¡°If only I knew Remedium,¡± Servi said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know how useful Remedium would be with such a tiny wound like a burnt tongue, but thank you.¡±


    You do know it. The voice talking to Servi was Itarr, a Goddess who was banished and sealed away. She was also the one Servi found when she died. Even though Servi had to kill the Goddess by eating her essence, Itarr stuck around as a voice in Servi¡¯s head that talked to her. The body was no more, but the mind remained.


    Like Servi, the Goddess''s memory was gone. The two decided to search for their memories together. After a day or so of being together, Servi discovered Itarr didn¡¯t know that much about human emotions. When she described the sentiment of love to Itarr, Itarr thought love was doing anything to make the one she loved happy. That was her own interpretation of it. Ultimately, she decided she loved Servi. Helping and accomplishing Servi¡¯s goals was what Itarr wanted to do the most. She wanted her memories, but to her, Servi was more important than that.


    The conversation they had had was cute. In the end, Servi ultimately decided that she did carry feelings for the Goddess because of their similarities. It wasn''t that usual, then, for the two of them to develop feelings for each other.


    When asked by Itarr if she loved Momo, Servi said she didn¡¯t know. Other than her, Momo was the only friend Servi had and quite possibly the person with the most common sense. She told Itarr that a few days wasn¡¯t long enough to determine if she loved her, to which Itarr became worried about the love she felt for Servi. Realizing Servi made a mistake, the black-haired girl quickly explained it to Itarr. She said the love they shared was as real as they come. Considering their unique situation, it was clear they relied on each other. Servi was thankful that was enough to extinguish the worry in Itarr¡¯s heart.


    As her bowl cooled down enough, Servi smiled at her friend as she scooped spoon after spoon of the stew to her mouth. Her pink lips became brown.  After her pink tongue traced her lips, they returned to their original color.


    Servi shook her head and was thankful Momo had her eyes on the hot bowl. She didn¡¯t think she could come up with an excuse to give her, so she quickly shifted her attention to the now cooled omelette. Using her wooden fork, she tore off a piece and brought it to her mouth.


    ¡°Mmmm¡­.¡± she unconsciously sounded out. The cheese sauce was still hot, and the mix of veggies combined to give her taste buds a flavor they wouldn''t soon forget. Though it might¡¯ve been awkward to most, the two friends enjoyed their breakfast in mostly silence. It wasn¡¯t as if they didn¡¯t have anything to talk about; the food was that good.


    When the waiter came to take the plates away, Servi spoke to him. ¡°Please, give my compliments to the chef. Today¡¯s breakfast was delicious.¡±


    ¡°Me too. I never had stew as good as that,¡± Momo added on.


    The waiter smiled, and he had scales where his skin should be. That was the telltale sign of a Koena: a scale person. Most Koena had scales that ranged from red to blue to black to white to pink to purple. They came in all sorts of colors, but the rarest one was green, which so happened to be the color of their waiter. He was like a walking emerald, and the light sparkled beautifully off his body.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you two enjoyed it. I¡¯ll be sure to convey your praise to the cooking staff.¡± He walked away with the two plates as the two girls downed the last bit of milk left in their glasses.


    ¡°Was it good?¡±


    ¡°Yep! Even my grandpa couldn¡¯t make stew as good as that, and he was a good cook. What about your omelette? I might get that tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°The cheese sauce was really good. And the peppers were just spicy enough that it didn¡¯t overpower the rest of the ingredients.¡±


    ¡°Oh man, I can¡¯t wait until lunch!¡± Then it happened, the telltale sign of a happy Singi. Their tail. Since it was a part of their body, Singi had total control over it. But more often than not, it was like Momo''s tail had a mind of its own.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we eat out for lunch? We still have a bit saved up, don¡¯t we?¡± Servi asked as she watched Momo''s tail.  It whacked the back of her chain. The thunking noise it produced was drowned out by the atmosphere.


    ¡°I still have a few hundred left. Ever since we discovered the cash building, I haven¡¯t been hurting for money. So yeah, let¡¯s try to find a nice spot.¡±


    ¡°Great. We still have some time before this thing starts, so how about we head on down to the training room?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me. You know, I¡¯m even thinking I might get two bull¡¯s-eyes in a row,¡± Momo stood up and pushed her chair in.


    Servi did the same. ¡°Really? Feeling confident?¡±


    ¡°Yep. I got a good feeling about today!¡± Momo replied as they walked across the suspiciously wooden floors that never had a speck of dirt. ¡°I really think I¡¯m getting the hang of it,¡± her pink tail swooshed so cutely, and Servi had to steel herself. She really, really, really, wanted to touch those furry pink ears and tail but couldn¡¯t. She didn¡¯t think they were close enough, and she didn¡¯t want to do anything to jeopardize her friendship.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±

 Book Two – Chapter One – Part Two – Announcement

    The two went down to the second floor, bypassing the inn''s check-in counter of the third floor. The second floor was home to the Warden shop. To get to their destination, they had to walk past the store until they came to a set of doors near the end of the floor.


    The training room was a large square that was sectioned off into four smaller partitions. One focused on range weaponry, one focused on hand-to-hand and physical weaponry, one focused solely on skills, and the last square was an arena where two people could spar. Giant glass walls surrounded it, so no spare arrows nor wayward skills could interrupt the people inside. Two big windows nearby allowed the pleasant sunlight to flow in, and now that it was the beginning of summer, it was starting to get uncomfortably warm. That was probably why the males either wore tank tops or went shirtless, and the women wore sports bras or thin shirts and shorts. Servi and Momo were the only ones wearing armor.


    After looking around, there was no one in the skill square or the range square. Ten or so were crowded around the physical square, and another five were at the arena square.


    Usually, Servi and Momo would wait for a chance and enter the arena, but today was different.


    Since the announcement was supposed to be significant, they decided to forgo the sparing and focused on ranged weapons. It wouldn''t do them much good to tire themselves out before the big announcement.


    Servi walked over to the range square and picked up two bows and a few wooden arrows. She walked back to Momo while using a skill called Soul Essence of Primal Combat. Said skill was most likely exclusive to her and her alone because it was under the category of ¡®Primordial,¡¯ something neither Itarr nor Servi knew anything about.


    The Primordial category had such skills like Absorption and its upgraded version called True Absorption. True Immortality granted Servi a life that could not be ended. It also prevented her from taking damage from attacks that targeted the soul.  It sounded scary, and it was something Servi didn''t want to experience, but she was relieved to realize she wouldn''t die from it.  There was also something called Bloodline, which Servi and Itarr didn¡¯t know too much about. However, the pair did learn that they could bestow a portion of their power to someone who drank Servi''s blood. Finally, there was Servi''s favorite skill: Soul Essence of Primal Combat.


    Soul Essence of Primal Combat allowed Servi to tap into the combat memories of every soul inside her ring.  Their experiences and tribulations became her source of strength. It also allowed her to see afterimages when she fought. By following the images, she could see what they were going to do and avoid the attacks altogether. Conversely, if she thought about attacking, red images appeared in her sight and mind, and all she had to do was follow them.


    When she thought about it, she realized it was kind of cheating.  The more and more souls inside her body, the better she would fight and dodge. Everything she killed, be it a bug or a human or an animal, contributed to her overall growth as if she was an ever-evolving beast of nature.


    But it wasn¡¯t invincible. Depending on the skill''s level and amount of enemies, the ability was a detriment. Cluttered and messy, her brain couldn¡¯t process the data fast enough. She had to use valuable Potential to level it up. And to see the images in the first place, one of two things had to be true. One: she must already have a soul of the same race as her opponent. Two: the souls inside must have experience fighting the race of the enemy she was currently facing. If one of those two conditions weren''t met, then half of the skill doesn¡¯t work. Even if they were achieved, if she didn''t have enough memories to tap into, Servi would sporadically receive the afterimages in short bursts.


    Nocking the arrow and drawing back the string, Servi allowed her body to read from the hundreds and hundreds of experienced archers inside her body and combined them all into the perfect form. Of course, it was only perfect in the sense that it was the best of all of the souls she had so far. In the future, whenever she absorbed more souls, the new perfect being would most likely put the old one to shame; Like comparing a puppy to a wolf or a child to an adult.


    ¡°Focus your breathing and still your heart. Always fire when the last of your breath has exited your lungs. Don¡¯t stress too much, and keep your muscles relaxed yet firm.


    You do realize that you two were supposed to learn the bow together, right?


    ¡°And always keep your eyes on the target. When you release your fingers, do it all at once. The slower you do it, the more likely you¡¯ll misfire. Oh, one more thing. If it helps, close one of your eyes while you¡¯re aiming,¡± Servi continued as she demonstrated what she said. She let loose the arrow, and it landed dead center of the hay target. Though they weren¡¯t that far away, only about ten meters, it was still impressive.


    ¡°Alright. Breathe and calm my heart¡­¡± Momo closed her eyes for a moment before opening them back up. Her breathing closed to a crawl as she nocked the arrow. Gripping the projectile''s shaft with her fingers, she pulled back until she couldn''t.


    ¡°Good. Now hold that position,¡± Servi spoke as she walked around Momo. She compared Momo''s stance to the one Servi had and asked permission to adjust it. Momo nodded, and Servi used her hands to straighten up Momo¡¯s back, lifted her chin, and tucked in her arms.


    ¡°It feels uncomfortable¡­¡± Momo whined. Servi giggled.


    ¡°Until you get used to it, it will. But good form. Now, breathe out and let go of the arrow when you have no more air.¡±


    ¡°Okay. No more air¡­¡±


    Keeping an eye on the hay target, Momo released her fingers and watched the arrow fly true. Soaring through the ten meters of empty space, the pink-haired Singi had a smile on her face that turned sour. Her projectile did not land in the middle, but it was very, very, very close.


    ¡°Darn it¡­¡± she said dejectedly, but Servi offered her support.


    ¡°That¡¯s the closest you¡¯ve gotten yet. Be proud, Momo, you¡¯ve made a lot of progress!¡±


    ¡°Really? It doesn¡¯t feel like it to me. I mean, you were able to hit it dead on since the third day..¡±


    Not to mention the throwing knives and shields¡­..it¡¯s like you¡¯re a master of everything. So why do you stick with me? I¡¯m only gonna slow you down. Momo''s internal thoughts held her true feelings.  She had a bad habit of thinking that she was useless. Servi wanted to fix that by training her, but perhaps it was doing more harm than good. Servi wasn¡¯t all-knowing, after all.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain. I couldn''t hit anything for the first thirty minutes. Heck, even you managed to hit the target before I did.¡±


    Because you were missing on purpose, Itarr quipped.


    ¡°I remember¡­ But do you think I¡¯ll be as good as you?¡±


    ¡°Of course, you will!  Since I¡¯m the tank, I¡¯ll be more focused on defending than trying to hit them with an arrow. Maybe we should invest in a bow for you.¡±


    Momo nocked another arrow and let it loose. This time, hitting the small space just above her previous attempt. It still wasn¡¯t a bull¡¯s-eye.


    ¡°Maybe, but I want to be sure I can actually hit things first. I don¡¯t want to spend that much only to find out I suck with it.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which...¡± Servi grabbed some throwing knives and began to practice. She hit dead center every time. ¡°It might actually be the bow that¡¯s throwing you off.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Another arrow, another near miss. This time, landing at the bottom of the bull¡¯s-eye, just barely away from the center. Momo sighed and nocked another arrow.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite possible that bow has been handled way too many times. Perhaps the wood is beginning to weaken, or maybe the balance had changed over time?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think about that.¡± Another hit but no bull¡¯s-eye.


    ¡°But you can look at it this way. If you¡¯re able to get good using a faulty bow, then imagine how easy it would be to use a proper and maintained one.¡±


    ¡°So... I should look to this as a challenge?¡± Another shot and yet another miss¡­ is what Momo thought would happen.


    ¡°Servi!!! Look! Looklooklook!!!¡± Momo loudly said at first but then lowered her voice. She didn¡¯t want to be rude to the others practicing around her.


    Servi took a look and smiled. Though it wasn¡¯t dead center like Servi¡¯s arrow, it technically was a bull¡¯s-eye.


    ¡°Very good!¡± she said. ¡°I bet it felt great, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Momo flashed a smile at Servi and readied another arrow. This time, it struck the thin line between being a bull¡¯s-eye and not being one.


    She turned to her friend with wide eyes, and Servi shook her head.


    ¡°Sorry, that doesn¡¯t count. It¡¯s only a half of a bull¡¯s-eye.¡±


    Cutely, Momo pouted, and her tail whipped around playfully, like a slow streak of pink lightning. Servi giggled.


    ¡°Tell you what, if you hit the line again, I¡¯ll count the two as half a bull¡¯s-eye each."


    ¡°Good! Hehe!!¡± Momo grabbed an arrow and nocked it. This time, she focused. Based on her last few shots, it seemed that she had a tendency to over aim to the left, so she needed to compensate by aiming a bit to the right. But last time she did, she hit the circle line that was just half of a bull¡¯s-eye.


    So, I aimed too far to compensate for my adjustment... If I just do it the same way and very slightly rotate my upper body counter-clockwise, it should be¡­.


    Servi stayed silent and used her Soul Essence of Primal Combat to compare Momo¡¯s stance to her own.


    Her form is slowly getting more and more like yours. And this was just a week or so. Imagine how much better she¡¯ll be a month or two from now. Maybe she really does have potential¡­ Itarr acknowledged Momo''s valiant effort.


    She didn¡¯t want to speak out loud, that being the only way for her to communicate with Itarr, so she nodded. Besides, the smallest amount of noise could throw off Momo¡¯s concentration.


    Sweat beads formed on the Singi''s forehead, dripping down her face by way of her nose before reaching her pretty little chin.


    Breathe in and breathe out. Calm my heart.


    Watching with intense eyes, Servi saw the moment Momo released her fingers and using Soul Essence of Primal Combat, she saw the arrow fly in slow motion. She knew the path it would travel as well where it would ultimately end up.


    She smiled and stood up. The next moment, the arrow came to a stop right where the previous projectile landed. It didn¡¯t land above or below it, and it didn''t strike to the left or right of it. Instead, it landed right on it, splitting it down the middle. Momo froze for a few seconds, and Servi took that time to talk to Itarr.


    ¡°Just like Robin Hood¡­¡±


    Did he do something like this?


    ¡°He did. I can¡¯t remember how many times it showed up in his stories, but he managed to split an arrow with another arrow. But to do it with wooden arrows¡­¡±


    Momo turned to look at Servi, again with wide eyes and twitching ears.


    ¡°Good job. Honestly, that was way more impressive than scoring a bull¡¯s-eye.¡±


    She smiled bashfully, becoming red in the face from the praise. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, really. Seriously, good work,¡± Servi flashed her a smile, and Momo felt her heart skip a beat. Here she was, being praised by her best friend. And that made the past few weeks worthwhile. The time she spent with Servi was special to her.


    Servi continued. ¡°So I guess the feeling you had earlier was correct. Two bull¡¯s-eyes, though probably not the way you thought it would be. Congratulations, Momo!¡±


    Momo blushed hard as she stole a glance up at her teacher-slash-best friend.


    Glancing up at the clock, Servi noticed it was 10:48 AM. ¡°Hey, it starts in 42 minutes. You want to start making our way there?


    ¡°Sounds good to me. Hey, can you put these back? I gotta go to the restroom,¡± Momo asked as she averted her eyes from her friend. Servi thought that she might¡¯ve been embarrassed, but why? Going to the bathroom was something everyone, except Servi, did. But maybe it was embarrassing for some people? Or maybe, Momo was the kind of person who became embarrassed about everything? Yeah, she thought that was probably it.


    ¡°Alrighty. I¡¯ll meet you downstairs.¡± Servi replied, and Momo thanked her. She walked off with her pink tail swaying back and forth.


    Look, I¡¯m sure if you ask her, she¡¯ll let you touch her tail.


    ¡°Maybe, but there¡¯s always a chance she¡¯ll say no. And I don¡¯t want to risk it.¡± The girl with red eyes said to herself as she put back the training equipment. ¡°I feel like there¡¯s a small wall between us or something. Even though we act so close¡­.I don¡¯t know.¡±


    I wish I could help, but I¡¯m not that knowledgeable about human emotions. Not yet, anyway. But I¡¯m learning. I¡¯m trying my hardest.


    ¡°I appreciate it nonetheless.¡± Servi sighed and made her way out of the training room. She saw far fewer people than she usually would have, probably because of the forthcoming announcement. Reaching the hardwood stairs, the girl with black hair and ominous red shield gripped the railing and made her way down to the first floor, which was the heart and soul of Warden.


    A lengthy board sat against the wall separated into different sections marked Rank 10 through Rank 0. Adventurers of Warden would pick a quest according to their rank, or maybe one a bit higher, and take it to one of the eight windows situated a bit away.


    Now, the windows were something Servi had a problem with. It was one giant pane of glass separated into eight sections. Within each segment sat a desk, a chair, a safe, and some cabinets. Maybe a bit more and a bit less depending on the employee working that day. It also had a door that one would assume would be used to enter the room, and that person would be right.


    There were eight doors for eight windows, but the area behind the windows was all connected. It was just one large room with eight entrances. Worth noting, the glass didn''t reach the desk the employees sat behind. There was space that allowed Warden members to transfer quest materials and their IDs through the receptionists.


    She knew it was childish, but the design made no sense to her.  In many ways, Servi found it comical how upset she was about something that didn''t harm her.


    Claire, Servi¡¯s favorite employee and the one who helped her to get signed up, said it was looked down upon to sit on the bit of desk sticking out, but most people did it anyway. The rules that should apply to all didn¡¯t apply to those who were favored.


    There are not that many people here.


    ¡°Yeah. I''m sure a lot of people probably went to the forum place. Yesterday, I heard a rumor that Warden was involved somehow, but I don¡¯t know if it''s true.¡±


    I¡¯m actually a bit excited.


    Servi heard some footsteps and turned to the stairs. A beautiful Singi with pink hair made her way down, humming and smiling. She waved at Servi when she saw her, the bag hanging around her body slightly moved as if wanting to give its greetings as well.


    ¡°Sorry about that. Are you ready?¡±


    "No need to be sorry.  Let''s go."

 Book Two – Chapter One – Part Three – Announcement

    Servi walked over to the door and opened it up, allowing Momo to walk through first. After a polite thank you and you¡¯re welcome, Servi walked and joined her friend. The sun was already high in the sky, and the heat beating down affected everyone but Servi.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you do it. You¡¯re carrying that heavy shield, and you''re in that armor¡­¡± Momo said as she pulled a white handkerchief from her bag. She wiped her face clean before putting it back.


    ¡°I consider it training. Like, I¡¯m preparing my body. Besides, I¡¯m pretty used to the weight of this shield,¡± Servi raised her arm, which was inside and gripping the handle to the shield, to the sky and lowered it. To her, it weighed just a little more than a rock.


    ¡°Amazing. And your arms are still so slender too!¡± After realizing what she said, Momo went red in the face and covered her mouth.


    Servi laughed and took it off her arm. ¡°Here, you want to try it?¡±


    Momo nodded, and the two of them walked off to the side of the road. Servi held it up while Momo slipped her hand through the strap.


    ¡°Let me know when you got a good grip, okay?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Okay. I think I got it..." A falsely confident smiled formed on Momo¡¯s face. She didn¡¯t have it.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll slowly remove my hands, alright? If it gets heavy, just say something, and I¡¯ll grab it.¡±


    Seeing Momo nod, Servi slowly removed her hands from the shield as Momo dug her feet in the ground and took a weird stance. She was almost leaning backwards while she used her other hand to support the one holding the shield.


    ¡°How is it?¡± Servi stepped back and away, but she still had a grip on the shield through the use of her Telekinesis. The first thing she did was apply an anchor point, which was an invisible spot where she could control and manipulate objects. But she didn¡¯t do anything with it. It was there just in case.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­super¡­he¡­avy..¡± Momo gritted through her teeth, and Servi took that as a sign to help her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how you do it. It¡¯s like paper to you, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just like with archery. Once you get used to it and practice, even you can wield a shield like this,¡± Servi said as she slipped her left arm through the two straps and made a fist around the handle. Her sword was still in the hollowed-out slot on the top of the shield. It acted as something of a sheath, but Servi vaguely suspected the hole was for something else.


    The two walked away from the corner and continued their journey to the forum location. The two enjoyed each other¡¯s company as they chatted, and they were glad they were in a party together. Along the way, the two saw a few merchants a few blocks away selling various types of juices and food. They wanted to get in on the potential profit that came with a public gathering. A lot of people could mean a lot of customers.


    The first stall had a faded and worn-out sign of a cow holding a sword, and it was oddly called Fight Milk. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t the best presentation, considering the name was written in what looked to be yellow and green paint, but it had heart.


    The second stall was, weirdly enough, a sword with arms holding a cow. Predicatively, the name was called... Cow Sword?


    ¡°How about it? Want something to drink?¡± Servi asked, and Momo nodded.


    ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t know about those two stalls. I don¡¯t want to judge, but they¡¯ve been bickering ever since I saw them.¡±


    ¡°Eh, you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s see if we can find something up ahead,¡± Servi continued walking, having just enough space because people would rather avoid her and her shield, and kept an eye out for another stall. Even now, she heard some guy yelled at another man named Charlie to shut up.


    Leaving that behind them, the two friends quickly found a more reputable and normal-looking stall from which they ordered juice. Momo wanted apple juice, and Servi settled for orange juice. It was a few dupla each, and if they returned the cup, they¡¯d get one dupla back. After downing their glasses, they took them back and received their partial refund.


    ¡°Man, I wished I had a watch,¡± Servi mumbled as she approached the sight of a battle so fierce, hundreds of men lost their lives. The gate she had stolen with Absorption had a replacement, and so they waited in line. From what she gathered, she would have to show her ID to the guards to enter.  And even then, there was another checkpoint a bit further ahead.


    The sun beat down harder and hotter as it approached noon, and other than the guards, Servi was the only one in full armor. Everywhere else she looked, she saw people with a chest plate and nothing else or a mismatched variety of different parts. Though the one thing they all had in common was the fact that everyone here had a weapon. It seemed the guards thought they had everything under control in the event of an attack. Or perhaps the new governor was that confident in his skills. Servi didn¡¯t know.


    She continued to people watch as Momo replied to her previous statement of owning a watch. ¡°I want one too, but they¡¯re surprisingly expensive. Even a simple one costs a few hundred dupla. It¡¯ll be nice knowing the exact time, but I don¡¯t think we¡¯re late,¡± Momo did a little hop. She saw a long line of people that went all the way up the driveway and into the exact spot the house used to be. In the area where the mansion used to sit, there were rows and rows upon white chairs.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know they were that expensive,¡± Servi replied.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a Skill Item, and that¡¯s only for a simple one that only tells the time. By paying a lot more, you can get watches that tell you the current date and time, as well as how hot or cold it is. But those start at about ten thousand.¡±


    ¡°Ten thousand?!¡± exclaimed Servi. ¡°For just a watch?!¡±


    ¡°Yep. My grandpa told me that as long as people willing to buy crazy and expensive things, they¡¯ll always be a market for it,¡± Momo said as an absentmindedness smile appeared on her face. Her eyes looked down into the ground like she was watching the events of a long past day.


    ¡°I see,¡± replied the girl who didn¡¯t know a single thing about her friend other than her name and the fact she was close with her grandpa. Servi thought that maybe it was time to get to know her more since they¡¯ve been party members and friends for over a month, but she quickly stopped that line of thought because it wasn''t fair.


    As far as Servi was concerned, Momo knew even less about Servi. All Servi had was her first name, and that was it. Servi didn''t know if she had a last name, if she had any friends or family, or why she woke up just a few hours away from Canary. Of course, she could lie and make it all up, but then when Momo finally learned the truth, and she would, one day, it¡¯d make telling her that much harder.


    Quick question, what are you going to do if Eina and Blas¨¦ see you? You told them your name was Flyneria.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say they have the wrong person,¡± Servi pretended to sneeze and covered her mouth. During the past few weeks, Servi noticed Momo stared at her whenever she tried to talk to Itarr. She had to get creative with it when she wanted to speak to her beloved Goddess.


    I guess that¡¯s a good plan.


    The yellow replacement gate the new Governor picked out was nothing like the one Servi stole during the attack. In fact, it was still stored in her ring. It did occur to Servi that she should sell the gate. If Parrel, a man who kept thirty million dupla in a chest, had it, it had to be worth something. But she didn¡¯t want it to be traced back to her.


    Looking over, Servi saw Momo take out another cloth from her bag. She wiped her soft face and neck somewhat erotically, though she didn¡¯t do it on purpose before putting it back.


    ¡°Hey, how much is a good canteen? Do you know?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°Umm¡­¡± Momo put her index finger to her chin and started thinking. ¡°I guess it just depends... I saw one a few days ago that was going for 105 dupla. It was made out of a material that guaranteed to keep cold cold and hot hot for hours.¡±


    ¡°Cold cold and hot hot?¡± Servi asked, and Momo went red in the cheeks.


    ¡°It was on their stall, and it sounded kinda cute. Don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s adorable, I¡¯m not gonna lie. But I might want to pick up one soon. Maybe next time we score big in the sewers. Depending on this announcement, the number of people going into our hunting grounds might decrease.¡±


    The line shifted forward a bit more.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like our names are on them, but it would be nice.¡± Momo agreed. The line shifted forward again.


    ¡°Hey, the lines moving pretty quick now. Maybe we got here a bit too early, and now they¡¯re just letting people in?¡± theorized Servi.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably it. In that case, it¡¯s probably around 11:20 or so.¡±


    The line started to shift forward, and this time, it never stopped.


    After a few minutes of constant shuffling and moving forward, they finally made their way through the new gate and up the driveway to where the mansion sat just a month ago. Though Servi expected there to be a giant black mark from the fire, it was anything but. Green grass laid before her. Beautiful and softly glistening, it seemed to Servi as if the grass was freshly watered.


    Three sections of white lawn chairs stood grouped together to cover the disgustingly open space. In between each group of chairs stood an adjustable metal pipe with a thick base. It had some kind of odd object attached to the top.


    The guards standing at the side directed each person to find a chair. Not wanting to stand out, Servi made her way towards the back and sat down. The white wooden chair creaked under the combined weight of Servi''s armor and shield, so Servi removed her equipment and laid it beside her. Momo, meanwhile, took the seat right next to Servi and hugged her bag tightly against her chest. As more people took their seats, the overall noise gradually raised to something more than a murmur. It was clear to see that both excitement and apprehension filled the invisible atmosphere.


    In front of the chairs sat a stage containing three more chairs and metallic pipes. Servi couldn''t hold her curiosity anymore and asked Momo if she knew what they are.


    ¡°Those? They¡¯re called voice loudners. It¡¯s a type of Skill Item that amplifies your voice. That little thingy on top does it all, and the rest is just for support.¡±


    ¡°They look just like a microphone.¡±


    Puzzled, Momo asked what that was.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little object that you speak into, and it amplifies your voice.¡±


    ¡°I never heard of a microphone before. Maybe it¡¯s the same thing but a different name?¡± replied Momo. She spoke while watching the vast amount of people struggle to find an empty seat.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± meanwhile, Servi watched as three lines steadily formed behind the three microphone-looking objects.


    ¡°What do you think they¡¯re lining up for?¡± asked Servi.


    Momo raised her arms up and stretched before answering. Her pink ears twitched slightly.  ¡°They¡¯re probably lining up to ask questions. Grandpa said that when he was traveling, some towns he went to had these forums every week. Do you have anything you want to ask?¡±


    ¡°Well, I might if I knew what was gonna be announced.¡±


    Just then, three people walked up the side of the stage and took a seat. Even from this far back, Servi never forgot the blond hair and blue eyes that belonged to a set of twins. Eina and Blas¨¦ Dearton. Servi thought Blas¨¦¡¯s smooth and fancy black suit suited him a lot more than the very low-quality armor he had on when they first met. Meanwhile, Eina wore a black pantsuit that hugged her attractive body. A set of glasses sat on her cute face, and a black briefcase completed the secretarial look. Servi had to admit she looked quite beautiful up there.


    Then, she glanced to their left, and it was like a sack fell inside her stomach. It was a man who wore black armor with the word ¡®Justice¡¯ and an unmistakable face, brown hair, and brown eyes she would never forget.  The look on Seko and Seka¡¯s face as he pushed Seko to the ground. The twins'' look of resentment and fear of that moment, possibly being the end of their life, was too much for Servi to take.  She didn''t have any power at the time to do anything.


    But now? She did. The amount of power available to Servi was astronomically higher than anything he could do. It was like comparing a hammer to a legendary sword enchanted with the seven elements. Even now, thinking about it was enough for her to grip her shield. Though she couldn¡¯t dent it by squeezing it--she physically wasn''t strong enough-- Servi broke the tips of her fingers. After they healed the first time, she pinched the metal with more force and broke them three more times.


    Servi fantasied about how she would punish Fisher. First, she¡¯d tear off his fingers one by one before running a knife up his arm. Then, Servi would take some skin and peel him alive before pouring boiling hot water on his exposed muscle. Oh, how sublime his screams would be, she thought.


    That bastard doesn¡¯t deserve a painless death. He deserves more and more and more! I will rip his fucking heart out and feed it to the dogs!!


    Itarr sensed the hatred growing in Servi¡¯s heart and calmly talked her down as much as she could.


    Please, I know you want to make him pay, but we can¡¯t do it now. Think of Momo. Imagine her instead of that man and be still your heart. I promise that we¡¯ll kill him later.


    Servi released her grip from her shield and took a deep breath. Momo, hearing this, glanced over and was a bit shocked to discover such a look on her friend¡¯s face. The Singi went to ask Servi if she was okay but stopped when the man in the suit on the stage spoke. Momo made a mental note to ask her friend later.


    With a booming voice amplified by the microphone-like object, Governor Blas¨¦ spoke.


    ¡°Everyone, I thank you for finding the time to come to this forum. My name is Blas¨¦ Dearton, and I was sent here by the King to govern the town after he received news of the previous Governor¡¯s passing. I¡¯m sure you all have many questions, so please ask when we get to the end. In the meantime, we will now announce something we¡¯ve been planning for the last month.¡± He stepped away from the microphone, and Eina walked up to it. The tight clothes hugged her body oh so well, and there was no doubt many men felt the blood rush to their lower heads.


    ¡°As Governor Blas¨¦ said, we have been working with Warden for the past month to introduce something that will establish confidence,¡± she spoke with such conviction as she used her free hand to adjust her glasses. ¡°We¡¯re happy to announce that starting tomorrow, Warden will implement a mentor program for Rank 10 members.¡±


    There was a slight buzz amongst the audience, Momo included, who listened with wary ears. A few people thought that this couldn¡¯t possibly be the announcement.  Why would the governor make a scene out of something that wouldn''t suit most of Warden?


    ¡°The reason behind this is simple: during the horrific attack last month, we¡¯ve found out that the confidence of all Rank 10 members, as well as those of lower ranks, have dropped dramatically. Experienced members will be paired up with Rank 10 members and tutored for a month to improve their confidence. After which, we will hold a tournament for Rank 10 members who applied to be in the program,¡± Eina stood back from the microphone as the murmur returned. Everyone in the audience talked amongst themselves for a moment before Fisher took the stand.


    ¡°The city guard agrees with the Governor. But that¡¯s not all. We believed that damage to the city and markets could¡¯ve been reduced dramatically. During our investigation of the attack, we discovered a tunnel underneath a house in a particular part of the city, mainly visited by Rank 10 members. Upon further investigation, we found out that a not-so-insignificant amount of people were knowledgeable about the tunnel, including a large group of Rank 10 members. Unfortunately, they were threatened by the foul enemies to stay silent. We believed that if they were more confident and had more faith in their abilities and strength, as well as Warden, this entire attack could¡¯ve been avoided and prevented. If it were, then we¡¯d be having a public execution for those responsible. Since the city guard agrees with this plan, we have decided to send some of our former mid-ranking members to Warden to take part. Thank you.¡±


    If news about the mentorship and training caused a murmur, then the knowledge about the attack was an eruption of both excitement and regret. More than a few members thought that it was disrespectful of those who were threatened to stay silent. But those people didn¡¯t understand. They didn¡¯t understand the fear that a young man or woman would experience by having a bloody knife pressed against their throats, knowing that they were literal moments away from having their neck slashed.


    Death was frightening for those who feared it.


    For Servi, who was directly involved in the attacks, she didn¡¯t even blink at that newfound knowledge. In her eyes, a little bit of threatening behavior was worth it if it resulted in the freedom of hundreds of slaves.


    Back on stage, Fisher sat down, and Blas¨¦ came back to the microphone.


    ¡°Now, we¡¯ll be taking questions. If you have any, please get in line behind the voice loudners.¡±


    At that declaration, many stood up and took their place in line. Each one had at least thirty people standing behind the tall metal object.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll start with you on the right,¡± Blas¨¦ pointed to his right to a young Dwarf holding a shield.


    ¡°Aye. Who will be the mentors? Is it just those who are lower-ranked in Warden? And how many students to a mentor?


    ¡°Yes. Over the past month, we asked the receptionists at Warden to ask anyone they thought would be a good match. Of course, if you didn¡¯t get asked and think you would be a good fit, please ask a receptionist, and they will go over your Warden history and give you an answer. We¡¯re aiming for a one-to-one system, but if we get too many applicants, then some mentors will have two or even three students.¡±


    The middle line was next to go. It was a rugged Human with black hair and one eye. ¡°How is the city funding this? The markets that were attacked contributed a lot to the financial success of this city, and it''s the reason why Canary was turned from a forgotten dirt town to something respectable.¡±


    Respectable? Don''t give me that shit. There ain''t anything to respect about how this city acquired its wealth. Servi thought, picturing the one-eyed man''s death.


    ¡°Good question. The previous Governor had a secret fund set aside in a hidden location for such an occasion. I have decided to take that and use it to fund this tournament, the mentorship program, and other things I have planned. In the meantime, we are working out the details on something that will replace the markets yet bring even more money. Be rest assured, the city will thrive and survive for many years to come. Next.¡±


    The last line was the last to go. It was a Singi with black hair and a white tail. ¡°Where will this tourney be held at? And is there a prize? Or is it mainly a feel-good thing? And what about any fees?


    Blas¨¦ was taken back by the bluntness of the Singi but recovered near instantly. ¡°In one month from today. I have hired some workers to turn a large abandoned warehouse, which I bought, into a fine arena complete with a ring and bleachers for watching. After this tournament is over, we plan to hold regular ones in its location. And yes, there will be a prize; for both this one and for all the ones to come. The one who comes in first place will receive a camping set for two. We know that they can be a bit expensive, and we figured having this item up for grabs will provide a lot of incentive for those who wouldn¡¯t usually sign up to sign up. In addition, the mentor who taught the winner will also receive a reward that is to be revealed at a later date.


    ¡°On the subject of fees, the tournament is free to all who participate. For those who want to watch, there will be a small entrance fee. Food and drink vendors have already been contracted."


    ¡°How do I sign up?¡± asked the Singi before they were shuffled away by the person standing behind them.


    ¡°Tomorrow, and this applies to all who want to participate, go to Warden and speak with a receptionist. They will ask you some questions and take your information. They will run that against a list of mentors to find the best one for you. Afterwards, you¡¯ll receive their information as well as directions to meet them. Once you meet them, it is up to both of you to accept the mentorship. Remember, this is based on trust and mutual relationships. Both parties have to agree for the mentorship to work. Note: sign-ups last a week, and then they¡¯re closed. Be sure to register as soon as you can if you want in.¡±


    After he said that, the Governor and Fisher answered questions for thirty more minutes. Eina, Blas¨¦''s secretary, remained sitting and penned everything down on paper.


    Governor Blas¨¦ ended the forum by thanking everyone for their time and announcing the following day''s paper will have more information.

 Book Two – Chapter Two – Part One – Emotions and Lunch!

    Momo couldn¡¯t have been feeling more different compared to her friend. The Singi was excited by the prospect of a tournament while receiving personalized tutoring from a senior adventurer. Conversely, Servi steamed with anger and wanted to explode. She wanted Fisher¡¯s so badly she imagined it right in front of her.


    ¡°¡­vi?¡± it would be so easy for her to kill him here and now. He was within range of Telekinesis, and she could imagine placing the five anchor points on his limbs and head. Then one by one, she would break his legs and arms before ripping them off. Then¡ª


    ¡°Servi?¡± the girl in question felt a nudge on her shoulder, and she blinked. The white chairs and green grass appeared back in her sight.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± she replied as she stood up. Around eighty percent of the audience had left, and some guards and some of the elderly were left.


    ¡°Are you okay? I¡¯ve called your name three times, but you just stared at the ground,¡± Momo asked. It was her kindness that struck Servi the most.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s¡­.nothing. I was just daydreaming,¡± Servi stood up and put her shield back on her arm before turning to look at Momo. Her pink ears twitched slightly as her tail danced behind her. Smiling, the black-haired girl quickly reassured her friend she was okay.


    Momo wanted to ask again but felt like it would be overstepping her boundaries.


    The two walked back through the driveway and left through the gate. Afterwards, the friends wandered the streets while talking.


    ¡°Are you excited?¡± Servi finally asked, breaking the monotonous silence. During the walk from the mansion to here, it was disturbingly and awkwardly silent. Momo had worries filling her mind while Servi had to fight off the anger in hers.


    ¡°Yep. I never really had a proper mentor before, and I¡¯m excited to be learning from a low-ranking member. It¡¯s funny, isn¡¯t it? I think Warden is the only place where the low-ranking members are stronger than the high-ranking ones. Usually, it¡¯s the other way around, with the big numbers being better than the lower numbers. It¡¯s a bit weird, I guess.¡±


    ¡°It is. But I wonder how Warden is going to organize it all? I mean, we spent so much time together. It¡¯ll be a bit weird training or adventuring with someone else," Servi confessed. She went slightly red in the face.


    Momo went red as well before the biggest smile covered her face. ¡°I mean, we¡¯re friends, right? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re gonna be separated forever. It¡¯s just a month, and after the tournament, you¡¯re still gonna party up with me, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, we¡¯re friends. And I¡¯ll still want to adventure with you. Besides, we¡¯re still staying at the same inn, so we¡¯ll see each other,¡± replied Servi.


    ¡°Then can you tell me what¡¯s bothering you? I don¡¯t wanna be pushy, but ever since we left, you¡¯ve been different. But it¡¯s totally okay if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Servi motioned for Momo to follow her as she walked out of the road and into a partially obscured side street. ¡°At the forum, I saw a man who, just a month ago, laughed as he pushed this Singi to the ground.  It looked like he was trying to get bandage his sister''s wound, but the two guards refused to budge, and one of them even stabbed the boy with a knife.  I wanted to do something about it, I really did, but I''m weak. I''ll never forget the fear in his voice when he screamed...¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Momo couldn''t think of anything else to say. Her mind raced a kilometer a second.


    ¡°And ever since then, I can¡¯t look at him without becoming angry. It¡¯s not fair, Momo. It really isn¡¯t,¡± Servi sighed and moved her hand to her head, rubbing it stressfully.


    ¡°Servi¡­ I didn¡¯t know,¡± Momo reached out a hand to support her friend but took it back. What if she doesn¡¯t wanna be touched and This is too soon ran throughout her mind. But those weren¡¯t the only things yelling inside her. Not by a long shot.


    ¡°I mean, how can people treat people like that?! Maybe those people who attacked were actually the good guys¡­¡±


    ¡°You think so too? I didn¡¯t want to say anything, but I¡¯m happy they attacked. If there¡¯s one thing I hate above all else, it¡¯s slavers and slave markets,¡± Momo put her hand to her heart and spoke her true feelings to her friend. She wanted to say she was almost sold into slavery, but she didn¡¯t want to at the same time. In the end, she held it in.


    Hmm. Maybe this is your chance to tell her. Are you? Itarr asked.


    It was quite a scene. Both friends had many things they wanted to say to the other one, but they couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°And though we can¡¯t really do much, I¡¯m sure they¡¯re happy knowing that people care that much about them. Servi, when I traveled from my village to here, I saw a lot of slaves. And I felt and still feel the same way. I wanna help them, I really do. But I¡¯m powerless¡­ and it¡¯s against the law to help slaves¡­¡± Momo looked down and was surprised when she heard crying. It didn¡¯t come from her, but rather the strong girl standing right in front of her.


    Her eyes went red and raw, water fell down her cheeks, and she stared at the ground with her eyes closed. ¡°It¡¯s not fair. It¡¯s just not fair¡­¡± repeated Servi over and over. Suddenly, she felt two slender arms wrapped around her, and she opened her eyes. Momo hugged her. Considering Momo''s short height, she was in the perfect position for Servi to rest her chin on the beautiful pink field of hair that adorned Momo''s head.


    ¡°Servi, you don¡¯t have to beat yourself up over this. I know it¡¯s not fair, and it¡¯s not right, but it¡¯s the way things are. I¡¯m so happy you hate the slavers as much as me, but you¡¯re tearing yourself up inside.¡±


    ¡°Momo¡­.I didn¡¯t mean to cry¡­¡± Servi wrapped her arms around Momo and hugged her back. She moved her head until her nose was buried in the pink flowing honey that was her hair. It smelled heavenly¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re always the tough one, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen you cry before. Meanwhile, the first day we met, I cried like five times. What I¡¯m saying is that it¡¯s okay to cry when you¡¯re feeling sad. And right now is a good time to cry, so let it all out. Just like you didn¡¯t judge me, I won¡¯t judge you for it.¡±


    And those words were the key to unlock the flood gates. In a side street, two friends held each other in an embrace; the tough one¡ªthe one that was the tank, a symbol of hardiness and toughness¡ªcried her eyes out to the one person she was friends with. Well, that wasn¡¯t quite right. Momo was the only friend Servi had that she could physically touch with her fingers. She could cry to Itarr, but Itarr couldn¡¯t embrace her like this. Servi couldn¡¯t smell the honey-like scent coming from Itarr¡¯s non-existent hair, nor could she feel the warm flesh touching her sides through the leather armor.


    About five minutes later, Servi¡¯s perceptive wailing was nothing more than a few whimpers. Momo unhooked her hands from around Servi, who did the same. She sniffed a bit before walking back a bit, prompting Momo to reach into her bag for a cloth. With a mother¡¯s touch, Momo patted around Servi¡¯s eyes and wiped up the tears.


    ¡°There! Now, how do you feel after crying? Feels good, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Momo smiled and stored the tearstained cloth in her bag.  She made a mental note to wash it later.


    ¡°I¡¯m ¨C¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say you¡¯re sorry for crying," Momo sharply replied. The smile on her face was perfect and motherly. It seemed the skittish girl known as Momo was slowly disappearing. A month ago, she never imagined she would do something like this. In a way, Servi and Itarr were proud of the growth Momo displayed.


    Not even the Singi in question knew why she did what she did. Just a few moments ago, she wanted to touch Servi but stopped because she didn¡¯t think they were close enough. But now? She hugged and wiped her tears. Not to mention she even interrupted her again and told her not to apologize. She didn¡¯t know what kind of feeling or emotion possessed her to do that. Maybe it was the relief of knowing her best friend hated slavers and thought slavery was the worst thing ever?


    But she knew she made the right choice.  If she hadn''t, then why did it feel so good?


    ¡°Alright. But seriously, thank you. I haven¡¯t cried like that since I don¡¯t know when, but I feel better.¡± Dazzling red eyes stared into blue eyes that reminded Servi of an ocean. Those azure eyes were the eyes of her savior, literally. Deep in the darkness of Servi¡¯s mind, she was teetering on the edge of some unknown abyss, but Momo¡¯s touch brought her back from the brink.


    It was the first time Servi had ever felt that way. She didn¡¯t know why it started now, but she did feel better after crying.


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome. Now, why don¡¯t we go get something yummy to eat? I¡¯m a little hungry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry too,¡± Servi smiled at her friend before they walked out of the alley. As much as they both wanted to walk hand in hand, they didn¡¯t. And it was because of the same reasons as before. The two didn¡¯t think they were close enough. And there was also the stupid law written by the church that forbade any relationships between people of the same genders or different races. A female Singi falling in love with a female Human was about the very worst thing that could happen in the eyes of those who worshipped the Church of the Heavens.


    ¡°So, where should we go? I don¡¯t really know that many good restaurants. Hell, I¡¯ve pretty much only eaten at Warden.¡± Admitted Servi. When it came to food, she was, by far, not an expert.


    ¡°What are you in the mood for? When I first came here, I picked this up.¡± Momo reached in her bag and pulled out a small book about five pages long. ¡°It¡¯s a welcome book thingy. There''s a list of restaurants in there. I think it''s on the third page.¡± Momo handed the book to Servi, who thanked her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­.¡± Servi turned to the restaurant page and began scanning it over.


    The first place listed was called Canary¡¯s Steak House. As the name suggested, it served steak, beef, and nothing else. But steak was more of a dinner item and not a lunch meal, so Servi continued to survey the page. A second later, Servi couldn''t help but giggle.


    ¡°What''s so funny?¡± Momo innocently asked as her tail wrapped around her waist like a belt. Her hands softly stroked it, internally smiling at how warm her fur was.


    ¡°It¡¯s the name of this place. ¡®Madam Canary¡¯s Sweetie Tweety?¡¯¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a cute name. I like it,¡± Momo said. They were coming up on the Warden office, even if they didn¡¯t mean to. They followed their feet, and this was where it led them. The road they were walking on was congested, with people forced to walk shoulder-to-shoulder. No doubt news of the forum had already spread, and now, many people were rushing to Warden to ask for more details. Even though they¡¯ll get the same info from tomorrow¡¯s paper. The severe lack of patience would probably slow down the snail-like lines even more. Servi thought about that before replying to Momo.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s super cute. Hey, what do you want to do after lunch?¡± Servi told Momo of the possibility of waiting in long lines. If they even try to accept a quest, it¡¯ll be night before they even make it to the receptionist¡¯s window.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ We can go into the sewers if you want. But we can talk about that over lunch. Have you decided on a place?¡±


    ¡°I think so. Thanks for letting me pick, by the way.¡±


    Momo smiled. ¡°You¡¯re very welcome. After a cry, I like to eat something super yummy. And I don¡¯t exactly know what your favorite foods are.¡±


    This is finally a chance for me to learn something about you!


    My goodness, how sweet. Momo really is a good friend. Though she didn¡¯t realize it, Itarr¡¯s fond words for their mutual friend made confessing to Momo all the more painful. Servi was serious about it. If she didn¡¯t play it exactly right, the friendship between the two would disappear. After all, their entire relationship was built on a lie.


    ¡°I like noodles, I guess. And vegetables. I don¡¯t really have a favorite food¡­ Hold on¡­¡± Servi, while reading, bounced her eyes over to a restaurant called Monkey Noodle House.


    ¡°What¡¯d ya find?¡±


    ¡°Can we go here? This Monkey Noodle House sounds good. It¡¯s on 174 Peddler Avenue. And look here, there¡¯s one dupla out of four, so it shouldn¡¯t be that expensive.¡±


    ¡°Can I see?¡± Servi handed the book back to Momo and pointed to it. ¡°Ramen? I¡¯ve never heard of that before. But it looks yummy.¡±


    ¡°So, how about it? Wanna try it?¡±


    ¡°Sure. It also says the restaurant has something called dango. Apparently, it¡¯s a type of dessert?! Servi, we have to go!¡±


    Upon hearing that the restaurant had dessert, Momo¡¯s tail kicked into overdrive and let everyone around know she was absolutely ecstatic. Once she became conscious of that fact, she grabbed her tail and calmed it down, becoming very embarrassed in the process.


    ¡°Alrighty. I don¡¯t know where 174 Peddler Avenue is, so we might have to ask directions.¡±


    The time was 1:48. The news part of the forum lasted a bit over twenty minutes, and the Q&A took around forty or so. Since it was past noon, the sun had just passed its highest point in the sky, and ever so slightly, it would start to set. The calmness of the white moon above would soon cast its gaze over the world. For a little while, at least.


    Forty minutes and one growling stomach later, they arrived at a pleasant little restaurant. A picture of a yellow monkey was on its sign.


    ¡°I guess this is the place,¡± Momo announced.


    ¡°It has the monkey, so it has to be. Let¡¯s go in,¡± Servi opened the door, and Momo thanked her as she walked inside. The door was different than the others she¡¯d opened. Most opened forward and backwards, using their hinges, but the one before them slid open left to right on a rail.


    Going back around forty minutes or so, Momo had asked if she could change into some regular clothes when the friends passed by the Warden office. Servi had told her she didn¡¯t need to ask permission, and Momo simply nodded said she wanted to change clothes. And so, they went back to their rooms since they were right by the Warden office. After closing the door behind her, Servi figured it''d be nice to get out of her armor and into something far more comfortable.


    With a simple twirl, the bland leather protective gear vanished from existence and was promptly replaced with its cuter counterpart. Servi''s new outfit consisted of a red and white buttoned-down shirt, black pants, black heeled boots, and blue overalls, and she looked like she was going to a party down at the local barn.


    Servi checked herself out by retrieving a mirror from her ring. She genuinely smiled to herself, feeling cute and adorable while twirling like a ballerina as her heeled boots clicked against the wooden floor. With one last giggle at her transformative state, Servi left her room, locked it, and went downstairs to wait for Momo.


    Momo wore clothes that she had never shown Servi before. A sparkling white and blue blouse tucked into a pink and white skirt that stopped above her knees. Combined with the black boots and low-cut pink socks, it was almost the same as the outfit she wore when she first had dinner with Servi. That time, the shirt had been pure white. The skirt was solid black, and the socks came to her knees.


    To Servi, it didn''t matter what her best friend wore. Momo always looked cute.


    It wasn''t until Itarr''s voice sounded in her mind that Servi realized she was staring hard. She was so lucky that Momo didn¡¯t notice it. Servi didn''t think she could make up an excuse if she got caught.


    She looks adorable, doesn¡¯t she?


    ¡°Yes, she does,¡± Servi answered. Momo was still coming down the stairs, so Servi didn¡¯t have to hide her conversation.


    ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t wait long. Ready?¡± asked the beautiful and delightful Momo. Though most would consider her to have too much pink on, Servi didn¡¯t think so. It was just the right amount of white, blue, pink, and black boots that fit her so well.  The right combination brought out the hidden cuteness of the girl known as Momo.


    Wow, Servi looks so cute!! I¡¯m glad she¡¯s still wearing the clothes I picked out for her! Momo thought as her tail innocently wagged along.


    Servi stood up and walked over to the door with Momo.  After opening it, Momo thanked her friend and walked through.  Before she walked out, Servi took the opportunity to check out her friend''s pink tail.  Like she guessed, there was a hole in the top of the skirt that allowed it to snake through.


    Well, that''s one question answered. Servi smiled to herself and walked out to join her friend.

 Book Two – Chapter Two – Part Two – Emotions and Lunch!

    Now back to the present, Servi and Momo entered the restaurant and immediately started drooling. Wonderful and enchanting smells and flavors and sights assaulted all of their senses.


    A dwarf dressed in an exquisite robe picked up two menus and asked Momo and Servi to follow him. They did so, and Servi took careful note of the scenery. The tables and chairs were wooden, like the Warden restaurant, but the walls were where it changed drastically. Instead of framed paintings or drawings, long scrolls littered the walls, and each one had a different kind of monkey on it. One that particularly caught Momo''s eye was a yellow monkey that looked like it was throwing lightning. The name Wukong was engraved at the bottom of the scroll. The floors were wooden and a tiny bit dirty. The chances of a small restaurant like the Monkey Noodle House having enchanted floors were slim to none.  But instead of taking away anything from the restaurant, it only added to its charm.


    ¡°Here you are. So, may I start you off with drinks?¡± said the Dwarf in the robe. His beard was neatly trimmed, and his hair pulled back in a ponytail.


    Servi and Momo sat down in the wooden chairs and glanced through the menus he had placed on the table.


    ¡°What do you recommend? This is my first time here,¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°Is it the same for you as well?¡± he glanced at Servi.  She nodded, and he clapped once.


    ¡°Wonderful. For drinks, I recommend the green-white tea. It¡¯s a wonderful blend of two different leaves fused together to create a masterful flavor that soothes the mind. As for your meal, I¡¯m partial to the spicy pork ramen. However, as the name suggests, it is spicy and not for the faint of heart.¡±


    ¡°What about if I don¡¯t like spicy food? It hurts my tongue.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Singi have a bit of trouble with food like that, don¡¯t you? My apologies. In that case, then I suggest the chicken ramen. It¡¯s not spicy at all, yet it''s very flavorful.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll take the green-white tea and the spicy pork, please,¡± said a girl with blue overalls and black hair.


    ¡°And I want the same drink, but the chicken ramen instead, please,¡± added the cute Singi with a pink tail.


    "Excellent choices, ladies. I shall put your order in right now. I¡¯ll be back momentarily with your drinks,¡± the Dwarf clapped once more before taking the menus away. Servi and Momo thanked him, and off he went through a sliding door near the back of the room. When it opened, delicious aromas filtered through, causing Servi and Momo to take a long sniff.


    While they waited, they talked about the place.


    ¡°This restaurant feels so friendly and inviting.¡±


    ¡°It does. If the food is as good as it smells, then we might need to come back. Oh, I forgot to ask about the dango.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. The name sounds familiar, but I don¡¯t think I ever had it,¡± admitted Servi.


    ¡°From the picture, it¡¯s three little balls on a stick. I imagine they¡¯re filled with sweet goodness!¡±


    Momo¡¯s tail made a dull thunking noise as it thwacked against the chair, and her face glowed red with embarrassment. A few seconds after that, the Dwarf returned to the table carrying a tray holding two cups, but they weren¡¯t wooden. Standing about as tall as a glass Servi would find in the Warden restaurant, it was wobbly and uneven on the sides but sturdy and stood flat on the bottom. Gold lines ran up through the side as if the black cups had been broken and repaired.


    ¡°I can see the looks on your faces, so please, allow me to explain. These cups are handmade. A family member enjoys the art of pottery, and so I buy them from her. The gold lines are a staple of this restaurant, and I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ve seen it anywhere else. It¡¯s called kintsugi. My family believes that when something is broken, you repair it using a different color material. In this case, the cup broke, and I repaired it using melted metal with a coat of gold.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s interesting, but is it safe to drink?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Everything in this restaurant is very safe to eat and drink from. If it helps, think of the gold lines as a design to bring out the uniqueness of every piece.¡±


    ¡°Woah... That''s so cool!" Momo exclaimed. The Dwarf sat the tray down and gave the two friends their green-white tea. Like its name suggested, the cup was filled with green and white liquid.


    Servi took a sniff. She smelled fruity herbs, and the scent somehow relaxed her.  Carefully holding it to her lips, she tilted the cup back. A warm liquid filled her mouth and slithered down her throat.


    ¡°It¡¯s good¡­ It¡¯s better than good,¡± Servi said, who was impressed by how easy it went down.


    After seeing her friend try it, Momo put the black and gold cup, made with love and affection, to her soft lips. She daringly dipped her pink tongue in the liquid before smiling. Then she took a decent-sized gulp and swallowed before letting out an ¡®Ahh...¡±


    ¡°I take it you like it. Is there anything else I can get you while you wait for your lunch?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ Can you tell me about dango? I saw it in this...¡± Momo retrieved the welcome book and showed it to the Dwarf.


    He smiled. ¡°Dango is a dessert snack made from rice that has been sweetened. It¡¯s actually served pretty often with the tea you¡¯re drinking. Would you like some?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please!¡± replied Momo, whose tail happily swayed.


    ¡°Very well, I shall put that order in.¡± With a small clap, the Dwarf in the silver robe walked away with the tray under his arm.


    ¡°This place is amazing!¡± Servi agreed by nodding and taking a drink of her tea.


    ¡°So, I assume we¡¯re both gonna sign up for the mentorship program?¡± asked Momo.


    ¡°I was planning on it. If one of us can win the tournament, we can get the camping set. If we do that, then we can finally take on quests that want us to travel. If both of us enter, then that¡¯s double the chances of actually getting it.¡±


    ¡°Hey, wouldn¡¯t it be cool if we both made it to the finals? The two of us dueling it out and knowing that no matter who wins, we get the tents?¡± said Momo.


    ¡°It would be. You¡¯ve seriously gotten better. I was gonna ask you to spar with me, but on second thought, let¡¯s wait until the tournament. There¡¯s a chance we could face each other.¡±


    But I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll wipe the floor with me. I¡¯m nowhere near as strong as you, is what Momo wanted to say, but she thought it wouldn¡¯t fit the mood.


    ¡°Who do you want as a mentor?¡± Momo asked as her hands gripped the lumpy cup.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I guess a tank. I wanna learn the shield from someone experienced. I gotta tell you, I like being defending and taking attacks. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I want someone cool and strong to teach me the bow. Maybe an Elf?¡±


    Servi laughed a bit. ¡°You are good with the bow. Remember, you split that arrow this morning? I don¡¯t even think I could do that.¡±


    ¡°Was it really that amazing? It just felt like luck to me.¡± Momo downplayed her achievements.


    ¡°Luck or not, the fact you did it in the first place was astounding,¡± Servi took another sip of her tea. Momo wanted to finish it off, but she decided to wait for the dango.


    As if hearing her non-existent prayers, the Dwarf returned with a tray, which held two black and gold bowls along with a wooden plate. Placing the tray on a nearby table, the Dwarf served the two bowls first, then the square platter last, placing it in between the two friends.


    One bowl had a yellow-like liquid and radiated the smell of chicken. The other one was red, and Servi could smell the spiciness. It threatened to overcome her smell buds, but Servi fought them off.


    ¡°Now, the chicken ramen isn¡¯t spicy, but it just came out of the kitchen, so please be careful. In the meantime, why not enjoy the dango? I¡¯ll be back later to check on you.¡±


    Thanking the Dwarf, he went on back to the kitchen before coming right back out and going to another table.


    ¡°Do you know what these are?¡±  Momo asked. She pointed to two pairs of sticks sitting next to a fork.


    ¡°I dunno. Maybe you¡¯re supposed to eat with the sticks? But then why would he give us the forks?¡± Servi glanced around after she replied and discovered that about half of the patrons were using the sticks, and the other half chose the fork.


    ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Servi said after finishing her surveying effort.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna use the fork.¡±


    ¡°Same here. Remember, it¡¯s hot. You don¡¯t wanna burn your tongue again.¡±


    As if remembering the incident from this morning, Momo carefully blew on her bowl, allowing the white steam to radiate upwards and outwards. Servi did the same before plucking a green dango from a stick. There were three to a skewer and four sticks total, so they each got six. They weren¡¯t that big. Maybe a tiny bit bigger than a dupla. Popping one into her mouth, Servi took a swig of her tea and smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s got a sweet flavor, but it¡¯s not overly sweet. Try it.¡±


    Momo grabbed one, looking at it as she spun it around, and finally popped it in her mouth.  It was like happiness radiated outward. If her tail was hooked to a generator, she would probably be able to power a city for a day.


    ¡°It¡¯s so good!!¡± Momo exclaimed.


    ¡°I know!!¡±


    Losing their self-control, the two friends suddenly found themselves dango-less.


    ¡°Noooo¡­.¡± whined Momo in an exaggerated manner. ¡°It¡¯s all gone¡­¡±


    ¡°Such a sad, sad day.¡± Servi closed her eyes as if she was praying, then giggled. Momo found that comical and joined her in snickering.


    ¡°Now then,¡± said Servi as she lifted her fork. ¡°I do believe the main course has cool down enough.¡±


    Momo stuck her fork in and pulled out half an egg that had been boiled. ¡°Egg? I thought it was just chicken and noodles.¡±


    Servi dug out her egg and carefully bit into it before tossing the whole thing in her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s delicious,¡± she said.


    Momo followed suit and ate hers, then immediately went searching for another.


    She found it, ate it, and searched some more, finding the chicken, the noodles, and two small pink swirls that were edible. But there weren''t any more eggs. ¡°How sad. I¡¯ll miss you, Mr. Egg¡­. You were so delicious.¡±


    Servi giggled and said they¡¯ll honor the egg by enjoying the meal.


    Deep inside, Momo was thrashing around in happiness. Her dumb and stupid little jokes and mannerisms would¡¯ve gotten her in trouble back in her village, but here, even Servi joined in. It was like she found someone who understood her, someone who laughed at her corny jokes that weren''t funny, or even a joke at all, but still laughed anyway to not make her feel bad.


    A few wordless minutes later, both bowls were empty, and only the broth remained. As Momo wiped her mouth with a napkin, she asked what to do about the liquid left inside.


    Resuming her surveying operation, Servi found that most people were lifting the bowls to their mouths and drinking the liquid as one would a cup of green-white tea.


    ¡°Really? It doesn¡¯t seem right, but everyone else is doing it.¡±


    ¡°Bottoms up!¡± said Servi as she started drinking her soup. She lifted it carefully, making sure not to put too much strength into and set her alluring lips to the bowl. The red broth flowed from the bowl to her lips before entering her mouth. She placed the bowl down and enjoyed the liquid''s spiciness before swallowing it. She could follow the heat that traveled through her throat before suddenly disappearing when it entered her stomach.


    Seeing her friend do it, Momo followed suit. The yellow liquid pooled around her mouth as it opened slightly. Using her tongue to direct the flow, she swallowed some and returned the bowl to the table. Servi pointed to her mouth, which became yellow with broth, and Momo quickly took a napkin and cleaned herself.


    Momo giggled, pointing to Servi, and the black-haired girl noticed the area around her mouth was also stained.


    It seems the embarrassment has switched from me to her. Yes! I got to see her like this¡­


    With haste, though not as much as Momo, Servi used a napkin the Dwarf had dropped off to clean her mouth before finishing off the rest of the broth. Following her friend once again, Momo did the same. And soon, both their bowls were empty.


    ¡°Oh man, I¡¯m so full¡­¡± Momo said. She leaned back and rubbed her tummy. Servi agreed and did the same, copying her friend.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually a lot of food for being so cheap.¡±


    Picking up their cups, they finished off their drinks before getting the attention of the Dwarf. They asked for the check, and it came out to 28 dupla total. Splitting it in half, they paid 14 each, and both left a 2 dupla tip for the excellent service.


    ¡°We gotta come back here again,¡± Momo rubbed her stomach as the two walked out. The lingering taste of spicy pork remained on the tip of Servi¡¯s tongue, and it would probably stay there until dinner.


    I would very much like to try this food one day. Can we? Itarr asked. Since Momo was with her, Servi only nodded.

 Book Two – Chapter Three – Part One – Sewers and a Duel

    Walking through the streets, the two friends passed by wagons filled with goods and supplies pulled by a few horses. Two armed guards flanked both sides, protecting it. Momo mentioned that maybe those materials were for the upcoming tournament and mentoring program, and Servi nodded in agreement.


    ¡°So, what now? I glanced at a clock, and it¡¯s not too late. We could probably get a few hours in the sewers.¡±


    ¡°Oh man, I said we were gonna talk about that during lunch, right? Sorry, but I forgot. I¡¯ll just blame it on the food. It was too good, and I got distracted.¡±


    Servi smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m to blame too since I forgot about it as well. Ah, the food was certainly delicious.¡±


    ¡°If you wanna go to the sewers for a bit, I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go. Might as well work off the food we ate. Let¡¯s go get our equipment,¡± Momo nodded, and the two traveled back to Warden, where they were met with a massive crowd forming in front of the door. It started at the stairs and went all the way down the street before turning to the left. After a quick estimate, Servi guessed over a hundred people were waiting in line.


    Servi asked a nearby man, and he explained his reason. "I ain''t gonna be the only one without a teacher, so I''m lining up beforehand. I reckon everyone else thought the same thing. If you want to wait, you''d best get to the back of the line."


    ¡°Wait, so all of these people are Rank 10s?! Isn¡¯t that too many?¡± Momo muttered when they entered the lobby. The first thing she saw was the receptionists'' faces, which were filled with dread. No doubt they would soon be swarmed by hundreds or even thousands of Warden members.


    ¡°I wonder how they¡¯re going to assign mentees to the mentors? I imagine it wouldn¡¯t be one-to-one. Maybe more like five or six to one,¡± Servi put her hand on the railing and began ascending the stairs with Momo. All the while, they were forced to one side to make room for those coming down. It was way more than usual for this time of day. No doubt the announcement had spurred the heart of many a Warden member.


    Their thoughts probably went something like this: if they were willing to do this much for the Rank 10s, then I need to do what I can as well. It was a pretty sly tactic, but good luck trying to get anyone at Warden who¡¯s in a leadership position to admit it. They realized they could turn this whole attack around and fuel the flames in the hearts of those who had lost track of what Warden is supposed to be about.


    After brushing through overcrowded stairs to reach the third floor, Servi walked to her room while Momo braced herself to continue on.  Her goal was on the fourth floor. Thanks to Itarr''s gifts and powers,  it was possible to put on an entirely new outfit in the time it took her to snap her fingers. The casual set of clothes she wore disappeared in a small red light, leaving her naked for just a moment that was too small to even be calculated. Her mind didn¡¯t even have time to react to the air touching her bare body. In its place was an oh-so-familiar set of leather armor complete with a green cloak. She tapped her shield once and checked its sheath for her sword.


    After doing one final check for pouches, she made her way back down the stairs. What should¡¯ve taken her a few seconds at most took well over three minutes as she bashed elbow to elbow with those trying to ascend to the higher floors.


    You know, if it was me, I would jump down over the railing. It¡¯s not like it¡¯ll kill you. Servi''s beloved Goddess said.


    ¡°Oh, trust me, I was thinking about it. But then how could I explain that to Momo?¡±


    Sorry.


    ¡°Come on, Itarr, there¡¯s nothing to apologize about,¡± Servi said to herself as she finally found a seat. She told Momo she¡¯d be waiting at the bottom of the stairs, like always. So after sitting her rump down on a bench, Servi glanced at the congregation of newcomers. During the past month since her arrival, she¡¯d enjoyed watching the other members come and go. Speaking of which, people watching was the best way to pass the time while Servi waited for Momo to come down.


    A thing that caught Servi''s eyes was the variety of combinations when it came to a Singi''s hair and tail. Multicolored Singi, like those with white hair and black tails, red hair with blue tails, and yellow hair with green tails, seemed to be the most common. Monocolored Singi, like Momo, was uncommon at best and rare at worst.


    But speaking of uncommon, Kobolds were by far the rarest. Having a mismatch of skin, fur, and scales, not to mention the alligator-like faces and tails, they were intimidating to look at. This, unfortunately, meant that they faced the most hardships when compared to other Demi-Humans. Servi thought it was sad when Momo told her that. Judging people and giving them a hard time just because of how they looked genuinely pissed her off.


    Ever since Servi''s first two nightly strolls, crime and slavery beatings had decreased. It wasn¡¯t entirely gone, but it had dropped to a low enough level that Servi was satisfied. There were rumors going around the noble district saying that the only reason the city was attacked was of the treatment of slaves and not the slavery markets themselves.


    But that wasn¡¯t the only reason she stopped doing her nightly walks. The amount of security at night increased tenfold. Once it went past 9:00 pm, there would be a guard on almost every street. And even though Servi could hold her own, she didn¡¯t want to risk doing anything that might end up hurting her or Momo.


    Look over there, behind the red Koena. Isn¡¯t that Nimea? Itarr asked.


    ¡°It is. Ha! He¡¯s getting chewed out.¡± Servi enjoyed the sight of Claire yelling at the shitty Earth Elf. He probably took on too many quests and didn¡¯t complete them. Her mouth moved nearly a meter a second, and her red ponytail bounced from left to right when she shook her head in anger.  He stared at the ground in embarrassment while clenching his fists.


    He deserves this. Is he on your list of targets to kill?


    ¡°He is. But he¡¯s at the bottom, below Fisher. Honestly, it¡¯s just those two right now. And Arty, I guess. But he¡¯s just really annoying and hasn¡¯t tried to actually hurt us.¡±


    I see. Hey, Momo''s coming down.


    Servi glanced back at the stairs and stood up. Now that her partner was here, it was time to leave and go to the sewers, which could be found behind the Warden building.


    And so they did just that. Coming up on the base inside, Servi and Momo hoped and prayed that Arty wouldn¡¯t be here.


    Their devout thoughts went unanswered because Arty was there.  He was always there. It was like he worked every day without rest.


    The base itself wasn¡¯t that detailed. A few stalls had some goods and weapons for sale in case someone needed some cheap gear. A few beds and medics were standing by in case anyone had gotten hurt. And two or three guards were on standby all the time. The chances of a monster coming up to the base were small, but they were big enough they required constant attention. The air was dark and musty, and the only light came from the torches attached to the walls.


    Everyone who worked in the base belonged to Warden, and they were being paid to be here.


    Arty was a fellow Rank 10 member who Servi and Momo first met a month ago. He was the one who told them about D-Levels ¨C the recommended Rank to take on a monster¡ªbut that was just something he made up. A few weeks ago, Momo asked Claire if that was real, and she just laughed.


    ¡°Of course, it isn¡¯t. Each monster is unique in its own way. Sometimes you¡¯ll find a rat that could take on five or six Rank 9s, and other times there¡¯ll be reports of a tsuaki, a lightning boar, that died to a Rank 10. Really, the only way to determine how dangerous a monster is is to use logic. A dragon would be a dangerous foe, so one would expect it to be a tough battle, no? A roach? Most people would expect them to die easily and be a good training partner for those starting out. Remember, the world isn¡¯t fair, and sometimes things change. It¡¯s very possible you¡¯ll find a roach that not even a Rank 1 could kill, but the chances of that are minor. Smaller than me finding ten million dupla in my purse. Haha¡­..¡± explained Claire with a bit of a terrible joke at the end. Well, it wasn¡¯t a joke as much as a revelation on Claire''s current financial state. Servi and Momo nervously chuckled.


    "The murders are back again,¡± Arty pathetically said. He had his spear gripped behind his head with both hands.  Servi and Momo sighed. Every time they came down here, he said something insulting. It wasn¡¯t their fault the boy in the rusty armor died. He was the one who tried to assault Momo after he failed to kill that rat. Servi knocked him out and left him to fend for himself. She did rob him in the process, but that was beside the point.


    At the end of the day, it was the boy''s own lack of ability and strength that led him to his death.


    ¡°Shut up, man. I¡¯m getting tired of hearing that. Need I remind you that you had a chance to run in after we left, and you didn¡¯t. You had to call first and wait for backup. If you were that worried, you should¡¯ve run in,¡± said Servi in response. Momo usually didn¡¯t do anything when these two met.


    Anger flashed across Arty¡¯s face, and he spat on the ground, much to the annoyance of a guard who held a wet mop and a bucket of water.


    ¡°Stop spitting everywhere, and end the shitty rivalry already,¡± said the annoyed cleaner. ¡°Every day, we gotta listen to you act big and tough. Get over it already. He knew that joining Warden meant he might die anyway.¡±


    ¡°No. Yerue was my friend, and his murderer is right in front of me. You¡¯re so lucky we¡¯re both Warden members,¡± he growled as he stared daggers at Servi.


    ¡°Look, if you wanna fight me, then I''ll fight. But I¡¯m not the one who¡¯s gonna start it. There¡¯s a tournament in a month for Rank 10 members. I assume you heard about that and the mentor program?¡± Servi asked as she leaned against a wall and crossed her arms.


    ¡°I have. Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m entering it. And so is Momo. Maybe you can put your dupla where your mouth is and enter it. Then we¡¯ll see that your bark is way worse than the bite,¡± Servi shrugged her shoulders and smugly grinned.


    Arty hated that.


    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll enter it and win! I¡¯ll show you! Leeroy, we¡¯re training tomorrow!¡± he pointed his weapon at the guy with the mop. The metal armor he wore nosily clanked.


    ¡°Fine. As long as you stop spitting in the damn base. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s gotta clean it up!¡±


    Servi and Momo turned away and went for the door that entered the sewers proper. The little base was nothing more than a stop-gap. Once inside, Momo timidly spoke to Servi.


    ¡°Are you sure that was a good idea? I¡¯m getting tired of him too, but¡­¡±


    ¡°It is. I¡¯m sorry if what I did upset you, but I can¡¯t stand being called a murder anymore.¡± Even if I am one¡­ Servi knew what she did was grim, and her way of killing was far more gruesome than what her enemies did. But Servi was in too far deep. If she didn¡¯t keep telling herself she was right, it felt like something horrible would happen. Itarr was right there with her, and she kept reassuring Servi she did the correct thing.  It was necessary to take lives to save lives.


    Momo shook her head and put up her hands. ¡°I¡¯m not upset or anything. I wished I had the courage to do what you just did. When it comes to people like him, I freeze up.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard, but sometimes all you can do is try your best to ignore them. Arty''s just looking for attention. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t do that anymore. Seriously, I¡¯m sorry if this causes any trouble in the future,¡± Servi solemnly said.


    ¡°If there is trouble, we¡¯ll handle it together, right?¡± Momo spoke to her trusted friend as the stinky, flowing sewer water rushed by them.  By now, she was used to the smell.


    ¡°Right!¡± Servi eagerly replied.


    The way the sewers were laid out was quite simple. Two cement paths, both going down and running parallel to the walls, were separated by a filth-filled river full of waste and trash. At predetermined locations, there were bridges that one could use to cross to the other side. Grated vents were overhead, allowing light to filter down. Unfortunately, the clouds had chosen to come out and play, and little light trickled in. But that didn¡¯t mean it was dark. Torches lined the walls. Unfortunately, while they provided some illumination, it wasn¡¯t that much.


    That was why most Rank 10s didn¡¯t come down when it was raining or late at night. The darkness was perfect for such animals like giant rats and giant roaches. It wasn¡¯t uncommon to hear about a young lad brimming with the overconfidence to prove himself being discovered dead the following morning.


    As a whole, adventuring was risky by default, and it required a leveled head and a calm demeanor. Even a tiny goblin, thought to be the lowest of the low of those considered to be humanoid monsters, could kill a Rank 5 member if they were overconfident. In these times, it paid to not be in over one¡¯s head and to always expect the worst but hope for the best. That was a partial reason why Servi¡¯s ring was filled with such random items and corpses. One time, she had to hide under the bodies of monstrous bees and pretended to be injured. Ever since then, she took the opportunity to absorb almost every corpse she could.


    After walking in a straight line for about fifteen minutes and refusing to take any turns to not get lost, Servi saw something out of the corner of her vision. Due to her absorbing so many souls, her eyesight gradually became better. If compared to when Servi first arrived in Canary over a month ago, it was like a misty veil had been lifted from her eyes.


    Drawing her sword from her shield, she took up a stance and carefully walked forward. Her silver sword, slightly dented and scratched by attacks, was strategically held in her right hand, resting on the top of her shield. She didn¡¯t know if the stance motions she followed even had a name, but that was what her skill told her to do. It was the perfect shield stance made up of all of the souls currently in her ring. The shield itself was held a bit out but also close to her body.  It was held in a grip that allowed her to quickly reposition it if she needed to. Like with her bow stance, Servi''s shield stance was bound to change as she absorbed more souls.


    After seeing her friend go into a defensive stance, Servi silently pulled her sword from its sheath and held up her other hand. Her mouth was moving, but she wasn¡¯t saying anything.


    This was known as pre-casting. To use a skill, one would have to chant an incantation, words of strength that allowed people to borrow the Gods¡¯ powers. By preparing a base-level chant, all she had to do was fill in the element and the skill name.


    When she told Servi about it, she figured the easiest way to describe it would be to explain it as a document with two blank lines. After filling in the element and skill name, the form-- skill-- would be ready to turn in-- used.


    It was something Momo had discovered by herself a few days ago. Once she excitedly told Claire, the Elf told Momo she was surprised Momo found it out herself. While pre-casting wasn''t groundbreaking, most members usually didn''t figure it out for themselves until they were Rank 7 or 6. Regardless, she became a bit more confident in herself.


    The plan that Servi and Momo had been following thus far was the following: Servi would take point and be the tank while Momo would support from a distance and attack when she could. Right now, she waited for Servi to start her attack. Once her friend used Decoy, a skill that forced monsters to notice and attack her, Momo would analyze the battle and determine how best to attack. If it looked dangerous, she would use Magic Missile to deal some damage. If it looked clear, she would use Lurk, a skill that distorted a monster¡¯s five senses, then rush in to provide support.


    The rushing water from the river to their left helped to mask their footsteps as they lightly walked towards the enemy in their sight. Momo squinted her eyes and vaguely made out a rat-like shape gnawing at something. Getting a bit closer, Servi activated Decoy and ran in while clanging the hilt of her sword against her shield.


    The rat, doubly aggroed by noise and skill, turned its body to face the intruders who dared to interrupt dinner time. Its face and snout, glistening crimson with the blood of its prey, snarled and bared its teeth.


    ¡°A red rat? Haven¡¯t seen one of those before,¡± Servi said as she used Decoy again. Momo didn¡¯t know Servi could use skills without speaking, so Servi had to be creative when it came to fights. Whenever Servi did recite a chant, the ability connected to it failed to activate. She learned this a month or so ago when she first tried to use Protection. Nimea, the Earth Elf jackass, laughed like crazy. To overcome the hurdle and disguise her unique ability, Servi would chant the technique like normal but would use the skill by thinking it. It was the perfect cover for someone like her.


    Servi wondered if her inability to use skills the way they were intended and Skill Items were connected.


    As if being guided by some unknown force, the rat violently launched itself at a breakneck pace towards the lone girl with a shield. In Momo''s eyes, the red beast was hauling ass. From Servi''s viewpoint, the monster was moving slower than thick honey dripping from a sticky spoon. She didn¡¯t even need to use Soul Essence of Primal Combat to fight her foe, but she used it anyways.


    The familiar images appeared in her eyes and mind, and she followed them to a tee.


    Let¡¯s see¡­ It''s gonna ram into me, so I need to do this... Planting her feet in the right spot, Servi stomped and took a stance.


    She held her shield tightly with her left arm and braced herself. The snarling face of the rat spewed, splattered, and scattered drops of crimson everywhere, and it threw its whole body into the shield.  Servi took it head-on and held her ground.


    Having blocked it, she jabbed over the shield with her sword, briskly making contact with one of the rat¡¯s eyes. Reeling from the attack, the rat stepped back before charging forward. Servi waited until the last minute to dodge to the right and permitted the rat soar to pass her. Once its locked eyes with Momo''s obscured form, the rat shook its head and immediately stopped. The effects of Lurk were working, and the rat didn¡¯t know if Momo was real or a phantom.


    The rat shook its head and faced Servi, which meant it left its back open to attack. And, also due to Lurk, the beast couldn¡¯t hear the footsteps of Servi¡¯s closest friend. Letting loose the Magic Missile that she had finished chanting, Momo followed behind it and ran to the right. Her tail pointed straight behind her as she closed the distance. She was very close to the wall. The moment the colorless arrow struck red gold on the rat¡¯s left flank, it turned left and swiped at the air with its claws.  Momo sped down to its right and jabbed her thin sword in its furry neck. She faced a bit of resistance but managed to stab it deep enough to where crimson covered three-quarters of the blade when she pulled it out. Then she retreated and ran towards Servi, who rushed forward. Standing in front of her friend, Servi had her shield at the ready to block another attack if it came.


    Suffering from the eye slash, the neck wound, the excruciating pain from the Magic Missile, and the hazy effects of Lurk and Decoy, the rat¡¯s mind was assaulted by a whole host of different and conflicting commands as its bloodshot eyes darted from wall to wall to floor to ceiling.


    Should the rat run away and survive? No, Decoy prevented that. An odd feeling told it that the girl in front of it must die. What about charging in? No, that won¡¯t work either. Its fear prevented it from doing that. What if the girl with the cat ears tried to stab its  throat again? It couldn''t spare a thought because its life faded fast.


    The paradoxical thoughts running through its mind were why Decoy was so convenient. It affected monsters¡¯ thoughts and wit, clouding them with smoke and conflicting commands.


    The beast was losing blood, and only half the recommended amount of air it breathed in made to its lungs. That one attack damaged its windpipe. Its sight became blurry, with light turning to darkness.


    Its strength slowly disappeared as the beast slightly wavered. Yes, the rat''s death was near, and its one regret was that it wouldn¡¯t see its kin again. Emotions like love and hatred, mourning and acceptance, family and friends were all too common, even within monsters. And for the rat that collapsed, it had all of those feelings locked inside its heart.


    It howled as the last embers of its life faded. The memories of its life passed by like someone dropping a stack of photos, and a moment later, it closed its bloodshot eyes for the last time.


    A red soul floated up from its corpse and went straight towards the girl with the shield.

 Book Two – Chapter Three – Part Two – Sewers and a Duel

    ¡°Servi, I think it''s dead." Momo''s voice came from behind Servi. She still had her sword out as she remembered one of the first things her friend had taught her. ¡°But I know monsters like to play dead. It¡¯s like their last choice, and it¡¯s risky to ignore them. Always make sure to confirm the kill.¡± Even though she had 100% confirmation that the rat was dead, Servi smiled, knowing Momo took that lesson to heart.


    Almost every time the two came down here, Servi would mention that. After hearing it well over fifteen times, it was good advice that found a home deep inside Momo¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Can you use Magic Missile again? It was acting kinda strange, and I¡¯ve never seen a red one before,¡± asked Servi. Her shield was at the ready in case anything happens. When it came to life and death situations involving her, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about confirming the kill because she would see her foe''s soul leave their body. But since Servi couldn''t just say she saw the rat''s soul, she had to play it safe.


    From what Servi noticed, Momo had a pretty large reservoir of Skill Energy. From the name, one could guess that to use skills, they would need to expend Skill Energy from their Skill Energy Reservoir to use skills. At first, she would get tired and sweaty after a few skills, but now she could fire off at least ten or eleven Magic Missiles back to back before she felt winded. It was like her capacity grew along with her stamina. Maybe the two were linked? For Servi, who took the Skill Energy Reservoir from all those she killed and combined them into one immeasurable pool, she had never once felt the lethargy that came with expending all of her Skill Energy.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Momo began chanting and held her palm out in front of her. Her deep blue eyes, which had grown from the month of adventuring, were linked directly with the potential corpse of the unique red rat.


    ¡°Magic Missile!¡± A colorless non-elemental arrow formed in front of her palm and launched out. She aimed at the head of her target and was rewarded by a fleshy and squishy sound that painted the cement walls even redder.


    ¡°It¡¯s dead," Momo announced. She took a rag from her bag and wiped her blade clean before sheathing it. Momo¡¯s bag originally belonged to her grandpa, a strong adventurer, and it was enchanted with a Dimensional Storage skill. It could store far more items than its average size led to believe. She put the bloody rag back in, knowing that it wouldn¡¯t get anything else dirty because each item was stored separately from each other, and retrieved a small carving knife she bought a week or so ago.


    Servi held her shield up in case more enemies were waiting to attack, and Momo got to work skinning and declawing the rat. By taking these items to the cash building, a nickname for a business that buys monster materials, they could make extra money. As they found out a month ago, they would get much richer by selling pelts and claws, but they would miss what Warden was all about: helping others in need.


    ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± Momo groaned. Servi turned to look at her. A red pelt laid on the ground, and sixteen claws were on top of that.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting much better,¡± complemented Servi, and Momo smiled.


    ¡°What can I say? I¡¯ve had a month of practice. I shook the pelt when I cut it off, so it shouldn¡¯t have that much blood inside it. We shouldn''t get fined.¡±


    The fine Momo referred to had to deal with the cash building. For pelts, claws, and paws that were carved from a deceased monster, the cash building required them to be free of any and all blood. If they weren''t, then there was a fine that varied from a few to hundreds of dupla. The fee depended on the item itself, as well as the quantity of blood.


    Servi walked over and picked it up. The fur on the pelt was coarse and rough, and tiny droplets of blood made a splatter as it left the ground.


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember seeing a red rat down here before, do ya?¡±


    Momo shook her head. ¡°They¡¯re usually black, brown, or grey. Oh, wouldn¡¯t it be super cool if it¡¯s super rare?!¡±


    ¡°It would be super cool. And hell, it might be.¡±


    Putting her hands out, Servi handed the pelt back to Momo, who shook it for a few more seconds. Due to Momo''s improved skinning skill, little blood remained on the scarlet fur. Momo had managed to dress the wounds ever-so-slightly that they didn¡¯t immediately stick out. Although it wasn¡¯t in perfect shape, it was by far in the best condition it could¡¯ve been considering Servi¡¯s restrictive skill set and Momo¡¯s abilities.


    Momo stored the pelt and sixteen claws in her bag before going back to Servi.


    ¡°Good job. Now, let¡¯s see if we can get a few more.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m right behind you,¡± said the Singi with the bag over her shoulder.


    The two continued their journey and soon came upon another rat. It was black, the most common kind, and Servi took the same stance as she did when she fought against the red one. But the events played out a little differently. Using Decoy, she walked to the rat with her shield out. Turning around, it didn¡¯t do as much as snarl or growl. In fact, it looked scared. Shivering and shaking, the spooked rat began to retreat until its diseased-ridden tail glanced against the wall. Once it did, it charged forward like lightning. A desperate final attempt to kill the person, no, being in front of her. The rat felt deep inside that it couldn''t kill the monster-shaped Human in front of her. The monster in a human shell braced herself and deflected the charging beast. Her evil shield made square contact with the rat¡¯s face, and the impact made it go limp.


    Walking out of the way, a Magic Missile came from her trusted partner. She knew that Momo was watching for the perfect moment, and she knew that after the first attack or block, to move out of the way. She knew that Momo would be there to take advantage of that small opening between attacks.


    A month of adventuring together had created a sort of link between the two. It was trust, and it couldn¡¯t be bought, only earned.


    The moment it hit, fleshy gold exploded from the rat¡¯s flank, and Servi took the opportunity to slash her sword down. Like a knife through butter, her dulled edge blade swiftly cut through the neck and cervical vertebrae. There was no use in making sure this one was dead. Its head had been entirely separated from its body.


    Again, Servi owed her expert skill to Soul Essence of Primal Combat.


    ¡°Nice work!¡± said Momo as she jogged up to Servi and the corpse. She immediately crouched down and started to skin it. A few days ago, Servi had asked her why she was always the one who skinned it, and Momo replied she needed the practice. Servi didn''t see anything wrong with that and said she would stand guard.


    It was a good thing she was at the ready. Hearing a noise, Itarr alerted her that something was rushing in from the river.


    Something''s coming from the water... Be prepared!


    Servi immediately ran to Momo and stood in front. The rat and Momo were a few short steps from the rushing river. Momo knew that something was up. She immediately rushed back, against the wall, and used Lurk. Usually, she would wait and analyze, but something told her she didn¡¯t have the time. The rat was only half-skinned.


    Dangerous was the only way to describe it as it leaped from the water. A long back tail shook violently, spraying filthy sewage water everywhere. Four thick and powerful legs, grown strong by the vast amount of fighting it had done, supported its heavy body. A big mouth opened up, revealing scores and scores of razor-sharp and disease-infected teeth. It was a crocodile in many ways but one.


    Size.


    Standing well over five meters long, this beast was undoubtedly the king of the sewers, a monster that Arty had warned them about a month ago when he was still pleasant.


    ¡°Black Croc?!¡± exclaimed Momo. Her body was shaking, and her teeth chattered against each other. After hearing about the Black Croc for the first time, Servi and Momo asked Claire about it. The Elf told them that yes, she should¡¯ve warned them about it and said she was sorry she didn''t. Servi was a bit upset that she didn¡¯t mention something so important, but she didn¡¯t let it show.


    ¡°The Black Croc is something like the King of the Sewers, but it¡¯s not very neighborly. It actually kills an overabundance of rats, roaches, and bats, and it never leaves the deepest part.  We don¡¯t really have a reason to get rid of it. Of course, that isn¡¯t to say we¡¯re protecting it. It¡¯s just we¡¯re not actively putting up quests to kill it. If it dies, it dies. No harm, no foul,¡± Claire explained.


    Black Croc, the king, stood in front of them. But that wasn''t all.


    Servi, I¡¯m not getting anything from Soul Essence of Primal Combat.


    The beast looked at the shaking Singi and decided that she would be dessert. The infernal adventurers of Warden had been far too numerous in recent months. Killing all of his prey was an unexpected consequence. The hunger he experienced hurt his body, something that had never happened before, and he was forced to venture out from his lair at a much greater distance than ever before.


    The monstrous beast moved forward and raised a claw at the girl holding a shield.


    Fuck, I don¡¯t see anything! Is it because I don¡¯t have enough souls? Have none of them ever fought against anything even remotely like this thing?!


    For the first time in a long time, Servi had to rely on her own skill. She couldn''t depend on Soul Essence of Primal Combat to fight for her.


    Even though the afterimages never showed up, she still had the experience carved into her soul by the skill, and that was good enough. Raising her arm, she deftly blocked the swipe. Her entire body shook. Black Croc was nothing like rats and roaches, and there was a lot of power behind that single swipe. But she still held her ground and jumped back when she had a chance.


    Black Croc followed her and unleashed a fury of swipes before launching at her with its mouth wide-open. She jumped back again and raised her sword. Black Croc took this as a threat and backed off. Watching prey with a cautious eye was the best way to survive.


    Even from taking the swipes from such a heavy beast, Servi¡¯s shield was spotless.  Only the filthy soiled water that splashed about when Black Croc leaped from the river stained her ominous shield.


    Dammit, if only I didn¡¯t have to hide my skills! Servi thought, but that was a mistake. A scattered mind was often a death sentence in battle.


    Black Croc raced forward and immediately stopped before rushing back. Its face contorted into a savage grin. It was playing with its food. Making them feel the fear his prey used to be subjected to before their life was extinguished by his powerful bite was one of its favorite pastimes.


    ¡°Momo!¡± barked the upset girl.


    ¡°I-I-I¡¯m right here!¡± she barked back. Her palm was held out in preparation for a skill, and her sword in her spare hand.


    ¡°Cover your ears, and close your eyes! Be ready to run! I don¡¯t think we¡¯re ready for this thing just yet!¡±


    Of course, Momo was disappointed, but she valued her and her friend¡¯s life even more than the satisfaction of killing such a beast. That''s why she didn¡¯t put up a fight, and she did what her friend told her. She knew what was coming.


    ¡°Oh, the Light above who slumber in a place further our universe. I pray to you. Grant us your power of Lucem!¡± chanting the incantation to cover her ability to use skills by thinking, Servi used Lucem, and due to her Absorption skill, it was much stronger than a regular person''s Lucem. Momo had her eyes closed, so there was no chance of her realizing the difference in strength.


    Spending all of its time in a dark and damp sewer, Black Croc violently shook around. Such a sudden blast of light was far too much for it. Even the pure black sewer sludge that couldn¡¯t even be called liquid lit up, and it was almost possible to see through it. Even Servi''s eyes got a bit fried by the explosion of light.


    ¡°Oh, the Lightning above who slumber in a place further our universe. I pray to you. Grant us your power of Thunder Snap!¡± Servi rushed forward, something Black Croc wasn¡¯t expecting, and thus, it didn¡¯t know how to react and snapped her fingers next to its right ear. It couldn¡¯t see her, but it heard the incoming footsteps before hearing nothing at all. Black Croc should¡¯ve run away the moment Servi used Lucem, but it panicked. It had lived a life of solitude for many years, and very rarely did it ever encounter an adventurer. An earsplittingly sharp noise that sounded like the air cracked into two sounded out, and Servi went deaf for a few brief moments before True Immortality kicked in. If she suffered from that, then she knew the monster had it worse than her.


    The beast howled out and thrashed even more than before it somehow found its way back to the rushing river. It was awe-inspiring, in a way. Such a ferocious creature being bested by two Rank ten skills was funny in its own right, but the fact that it had to come out of hiding as a direct consequence of Servi''s actions was ironic.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna have to come back tonight to kill it. I hate this town, but I¡¯ll be damned if I allow this thing to roam free and potentially kill a kid who¡¯s trying to get some experience,¡± she said quietly to herself as she grabbed Momo¡¯s shoulder. Feeling the touch of her friend, she opened her eyes and removed her hands from her cat ears. She was about to run but stopped when Servi shook her head.


    ¡°Where did it go? Did it hurt you? Are you okay? Do you need a potion?¡± she panicked as she pulled out a small red vial. Her pink tail was barely swaying, proof she was scared and frightened. The red liquid shook against the glass and violently splattered against the cork keeping the vial shut.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. That thing ran away and went back in the water. The sudden light and noise must¡¯ve scared it away.¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness you¡¯re okay. I was scared¡­ I completely forgot that thing was down here.¡±


    ¡°Me too. Even if I didn¡¯t look like it. I¡¯m glad it didn¡¯t turn into a fight.¡±


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Momo asked. They had been here for a bit over forty or so minutes, and the sun was beginning to set.


    ¡°I say we leave. It''s too dangerous with that thing being so close by. I know we only got the one rat, but there¡¯s always a chance the red pelt is rare,¡± Servi said, trying to reassure her friend. Leaving without any injuries was the best thing Servi could ask for. As long as Servi and Momo breathed air, they could always make money another time.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll keep my sword out just in case.¡±


    Servi drew her sword from her shield and took a stance. Ignoring the half-finished skinned rat, the two made their way back to the little sewer base without much trouble at all. They didn¡¯t encounter any rats or roaches. That was probably because of Black Croc¡¯s presence.


    They reached the tunnel that went from the sewers themselves to the base and stopped to take a breather. They¡¯d been half-rushing and half-walking the entire time, and for Momo, that was a bit much.


    ¡°Sorry¡­.but I gotta¡­..take a break¡­¡­.¡± her face was wet and slick with sweat. The hot summer sun beaming down made the sewers that more brutal. Hot air mixed with stinky smells from the river of waste produced an obnoxious aroma of filth. Honestly, if the two friends weren¡¯t used to the smells, Momo would¡¯ve probably thrown up like she did on the first day.


    She took a cloth and wiped her face. The sweat on her cutely shaped chin was sucked to the white rag as she squeezed it.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m good to go. Sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all good,¡± replied Servi. She held out a hand, and Momo took it, using it to pull herself to her feet. After thanking her friend, the two walked through the tunnel and knocked on the sewer base''s door before opening it. Apparently, it was customary to hit it a few times before opening it, something they didn¡¯t do the first few times until someone told them about it.


    Of course, the very first thing they saw was Arty and his dumb-looking face. He was standing next to one of the stalls when he turned to look at the two people entering the base.


    With a smug look, he instinctively began to nag the two. ¡°Hey, the murders are¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just shut up for one damn minute! And I thought you said you¡¯d stop doing that? Or was that a hopeful dream?¡± Servi''s red eyes twitched as she exploded with anger.


    Red rage flashed on his face. ¡°You can¡¯t talk¡ª"


    ¡°Be quiet, please. We just had a run-in with Black Croc,¡± Momo said, exasperated. While she usually wouldn¡¯t say anything as mean as that, her filter disappeared in certain stressful situations. Like when her best friend was crying. There was also that one time where she directly told Arty to shut up. That was right after she woke up after being attacked by the boy in rusty armor.


    ¡°Are you sure?!¡± the guard with the mop, Leeroy-- Servi thought that was his name-- spoke up. His shock caused him to let go of his cleaning utensil, and the wooden handle echoed around the now quiet room when it slammed against the floor. Dirt from the handle moved to corrupt the tile once again.


    ¡°Long and black and many, many sharp teeth. It looked like a crocodile, but way bigger,¡± Servi said to him. He wasn¡¯t that bad, and while she hadn''t had that many interactions with him, she thought he was a decent man.


    ¡°How did you escaped. Oh, let me guess, You push¡ª¡±


    ¡°Say one more word, and I won¡¯t wait for the tournament to knock you on your ass. I¡¯m serious this time.¡± Servi put her hand on the hilt of her sword, and Arty backed up. Fear definitely plastered across his face.


    ¡°Look, ignore that jackass. How did you escape?¡± asked a stall owner with black hair and dark red scales. He was a Koena, but he with such an odd color scheme.


    ¡°I used Lucem and Thunder Snap. It got scared or something and went back in the water.¡±


    ¡°Wait, water?! You¡¯re telling me it was swimming in that filth?!¡± replied Leeroy.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°But hold on, how did Lucem and Thunder Snap allow you to escape?¡± Arty muttered after he regained his composure. Servi scoffed at him and spoke directly to Leeroy.


    ¡°The bright light and noise must¡¯ve frightened it enough.¡±


    ¡°Impossible. It can¡¯t even get that bright.¡±


    ¡°It did. And it happened. Servi used her skills, and the thing ran away. Believe us or not,¡± Momo said, backing up Servi.


    ¡°And what? You two ran away like cowar¡ª¡±


    ¡°Dammit, Arty, shut the hell up! You wanna go fight that thing? Then go,¡± Servi exclaimed. ¡°Actually, you know what? Fight me.  Fight me right here and right now. Consider it a practice match or whatever, but I¡¯m getting tired of you!¡±


    Again, it was like a switch. One moment Servi was fine, and another moment, her anger flared alive.


    Servi drew her sword from the shield and held it by her side. She stared straight daggers at Arty, who somehow found the courage to point his spear right back at her. His dusty and dirty metal armor slightly shifted. It was just a little bit too big for him, but not much. He had on a helmet that covered the sides of his face, but not the front. Green eyes and a little bit of brown hair stared at Servi.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°Ohhh, man! I¡¯ve been waiting for these two to go at it!¡±


    ¡°I got 12 dupla on the girl!!¡±


    ¡°Bro, look at the shield! There¡¯s no way she could lose!¡±


    ¡°The spear, man! It¡¯s all about the spear. If you can reach them before they can reach you, it¡¯s over. You¡¯ve won.¡±


    That and other voices of excitement started to echo around the small space. Though not that many people were there, around 11 or 12, they were awfully excited. For a few weeks now, they''ve witnessed two people who''ve been at each other''s throats, and now they were finally going to fight.


    ¡°Servi¡­?¡± Momo looked at her friend¡¯s back.


    ¡°Sorry, Momo, but I held it in for a month. He¡¯s not gonna shut up until I make him. Can you forgive me?¡± she turned around and flashed a smile to the one Singi she cared about. A month of being together and adventuring, covering each other¡¯s backs, made the bond of trust grow between them. Unfortunately, trust itself is different from friendship.


    It¡¯s possible to trust someone who is hated like it¡¯s possible to not trust someone who is loved. While Servi trusted Momo and wanted to be best friends with her, it all amounted to nothing if the girl in question didn¡¯t feel the same way.


    But she did.


    Momo trusted Servi above everyone else but her grandpa.  And she also considered Servi to be her best friend, but she didn¡¯t know if the strong and tough girl, with hair as black at the night and eyes as fierce as fire, felt the same way.


    But she did.


    If only the two would sit down and talk about it, then they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about all of this. But Servi was scared that Momo would reject the friendship if it got any closer, and Momo expected the same. For an outside viewer, who had an omniscient view of the two, it would be crystal clear and maybe even downright infuriating. But it wasn¡¯t transparent to the two in question. And that was what mattered the most. The two cared deeply about each other, but nothing would come from it until the two themselves gathered the courage to take the next step.


    ¡°Servi, there isn¡¯t anything to forgive,¡± Momo smiled, and that put Servi¡¯s heart at ease. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know how much longer I could hold it in, either. You¡¯re gonna win, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am!¡± Servi slammed the blade of her sword into her shield to make some noise.


    She turned to see Arty, who had the butt of his spear in the ground. The head of it was straight up, and the torches that illuminated the room reflected off of it. Leeroy, the one with the mop, whispered in Arty¡¯s ears. She didn¡¯t know what they were saying.


    The area that they unintentionally chose was the middle of the room. The few Rank 10s that weren¡¯t employed stood far back behind the stalls. The nurses were on standby with bandages and other inexpensive healing items that could be easily replaced. Since it was a practice spar, the chances of a consequential injury weren''t that high.


    ¡°Listen up!¡± Leeroy began speaking in a loud tone. "This is a non-lethal sparring match. Do not fight with the intention to kill or maim your opponent. After a solid hit or when first blood is drawn, I will give one person a point. First to three points win. If I believe that someone acted intending to seriously harm their opponent, the round will go to their opponent. Do the two of you understand the rules?¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± Arty flourished his spear before pointing it directly at Servi.


    ¡°Yep!¡± Servi responded in kind by pointing her sword at Arty.


    Shall I do nothing?


    Servi nodded.


    Very well. I wish you the best of luck.


    ¡°And¡­¡­ GOOO!!!!!¡± Leeroy shouted. He immediately stepped back to allow the two duelers the space to fight it out.

 Book Two – Chapter Three – Part Three – Sewers and a Duel

    Servi activated Soul Essence of Primal Combat and saw the afterimages. Holding her shield up, she walked slowly and carefully towards her opponent.


    ¡°Come on, Arty!!!!¡± A shrill voice caused Momo to glance to her right. It was Leeroy.


    Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be unbiased because he¡¯s the referee or something? Should I cheer for Servi?


    Momo¡¯s mind race a kilometer a second before she opened her mouth.


    ¡°I believe in you, Servi!!!¡± she hollered out, eyes closed and trembling hands down by her side, at the same volume as Leeroy. She eventually opened her eyes, and her precious face was bright red with embarrassment. Servi glanced back and flashed her a smile before getting back to the fight.


    ¡°You know you can forfeit, right? I won¡¯t have to embarrass you in front of that little kitty cat over there,¡± the very overconfident Arty tapped the butt of his spear against the ground. The noise produced by the wooden shaft echoed, but it was drowned out by the cheering. It seemed that most of the audience went for Arty, and only a few, including Momo, cheered for the girl with black hair.


    ¡°¡­¡± Servi didn¡¯t respond and made her way in. She raised her hand and feinted a leftward swipe. Arty fell for it and moved in response to the right, raising his spear for a downward thrust, but Servi dashed in and followed the afterimages to block the thrust with her shield.  Then she kicked him on his right side. The adrenaline in his body dulled the pain a little, but he still felt something.


    ¡°Guh!¡± he reflexively exclaimed as he grabbed his side. With one hand on his side and one gripping his spear, Leeroy rushed in and announced that Servi had won the first point.


    ¡°Go, Servi!!!¡± Momo adorably cheered for her friend


    ¡°Come on, I didn¡¯t even kick you that hard,¡± Servi said as she slowly shook her head in disappointment.


    ¡°Arty, you good?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good. Leeroy, she was trying to kill me!¡± whined Arty. He squinted his face as he let go of his side. His breath hastened, the immediate pain had disappeared, and only a slight thumping of heat remained.


    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t. It was a kick. Look, you¡¯re the one who kept provoking her, and you didn¡¯t have to accept the fight. I¡¯m your friend, but you¡¯ve been a giant dickhead since Yerue died.¡±


    Arty¡¯s face flowed with anger. ¡°She killed Yerue!!! How dare you take her side!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on nobodies your side, but when we all signed up, we knew the risks. If what she said was true, then he really did attack her. We both know he had anger problems.¡±


    He pushed his one remaining friend away.  With a quick flourish of his spear, Arty turned his spear to the girl he believed killed his friend.


    ¡°Dammit, Arty, keep this childish shit up, and you won¡¯t have any friends left,¡± Leeroy got up and dusted off before announcing the current score. Then walked back and gave the start signal.


    Filled with hatred, Arty immediately rushed forward with his spear and let loose a volley of thrusts that were deftly blocked by Servi. Sparks crackled as metal slammed and bounced off metal. Following the images, Servi rotated her shield hand and allowed a single one of her opponent¡¯s attacks to pierce through her guard.


    ¡°Got ya¡ªWhat?!!¡± the look of victory was on his face, but that quickly changed. Servi twisted her body to avoid his thrust, dropped her sword, and grabbed the shaft of the spear with her free hand.


    ¡°When using a spear, don¡¯t just thrust wildly,¡± Servi calmly spoke as if she was giving a lecture to an unruly brat.


    ¡°Gah!! LET! IT! GO!¡± he pulled and pulled with all of his weight, but Servi¡¯s strength was vastly more than anything Arty could muster up.


    ¡°Is breaking weapons against the rules?¡± Servi asked Leeroy. He stared dumbfounded. Momo, meanwhile, was cheering her little heart out.


    ¡°Not really, but¡­¡± he said after processing what was happening.


    Servi jerked back on her end of the weapon, forcing Arty to be pulled forward before suddenly pushing it away and back again. His arms couldn¡¯t take conflicting forces, and he eventually let go and slammed hard on the ground. Arty slowly got to his knees and saw his beloved weapon pointed right at his neck. He nervously gulped and realized that if she wanted to, his life could end. Ending with nothing and nobody remembering him except for his one friend, Leeroy. Servi saw that fear right in his very eyes.


    ¡°I believe I win this round as well.¡± She lightly kicked Arty''s chest. He fell back to the ground on his back, and Servi carelessly tossed the spear to the floor. She then walked over to her blade and picked it up.


    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna break your weapon. Not yet, anyways. Now, get up.  There''s one more round left.¡±


    Her black shoulder-length hair swayed as she walked to her starting spot. She waved at Momo, who waved back, before turning around and facing her opponent. He was still on the ground and, and he wasn¡¯t moving. Well, his eyes were open, and he was taking in air and breathing it out, so he was still alive.


    Leeroy walked over and crouched down to his defeated friend. His hand, tan and with a scar covering the back of it, extended out towards Arty. He silently took it and pulled himself to his feet. A sharp glance later, at both Servi and Leeroy, he walked to pick his weapon.


    ¡°You got zero points so far, and she needs one more to win,¡± he said to his friend. Leeroy knew Arty couldn¡¯t win. Hell, he couldn¡¯t win. Even if they both attacked, they probably wouldn''t win.


    Arty sighed and took his weapon up before taking a stance. His memories of his destroyed home flashed through his mind.


    I¡¯m supposed to be the hero! I¡¯m supposed to be strong! Why her?! I was the one who survived my village being attacked by those damn bandits!!! This was supposed to be my story, and I deserved to be the protagonist. Why can¡¯t I win?!


    Those kinds of thoughts filled his head. The life that Arty had led wasn¡¯t a grand one. Nor could it even be called good. It was terrible and horrible as terrible and horrible could get. Watching his family and friends slaughtered in front of him did some real damage to his psyche. If he didn¡¯t meet Yerue and Leeroy while wandering aimlessly, he probably would¡¯ve ended up dead in a ditch somewhere with his neck slit. But that didn¡¯t happen. He did end up meeting them, and he found the courage and strength to survive because he had two friends by his side.


    Once he arrived here and the three of them signed up for Warden, he immediately took out an extra loan to buy the best gear and weapon possible that he could use. He chose a spear because Leeroy had a bow, and Yerue had a sword. They were saving up to buy a good shield for their tank, Yerue, but he died before they even had a chance. Of course, they tried to take another loan, but Warden refused to give it to them.


    The night before he died, the three had a solemn talk. They each reaffirmed their goal to learn skills and become stronger than anyone had ever before. Neither of them was fortunate enough to be blessed, and in a way, they were like Momo. She had ventured to Canary to find strength and comrades, but there was one key difference between those three and her.


    Momo knew humility. She knew kindness, and even though she had to travel for six months to reach Canary from her village, she never once lost what made Momo, Momo. Not once did she thought she was better than anyone. She always thought she was the worst. If anything, she believed she was a supporting character in her own life.


    It was a combination of that and meeting Servi, which caused her to grow mentally and rapidly.


    Maybe if Yerue had a little bit more humility in his life and learned to keep his emotions underway, he would be alive. But it was that moment of anger and embarrassment that caused him to lash out, which in turn forced Servi to defend Momo. That, in turn, caused Yerue to pass out and eventually be killed by the rats and roaches. And that all led to this moment. The reason Arty lashed out at Servi and Momo was that he didn¡¯t know what to do. Leeroy didn¡¯t seem that upset, and Arty felt like he was the only one who cared. But the more he thought about it, if Yerue did do those things, he should¡¯ve never been mad at Servi and Momo. Or maybe Arty should be upset at them. Arty really didn¡¯t know what to do, who to blame, how to feel, or how to cope.


    His mind raced faster than light in a complete circle of blame, and he didn¡¯t have the strength to escape from that vicious cycle.


    Tears dripped from his eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think crying will help you now. No, you¡¯re not allowed to shed tears.¡± Servi growled through her teeth.


    ¡°Servi¡­¡­¡± Momo whimpered. She was mad at Arty, but she also knew he was sad when he discovered his friend had died. But Arty had no reason to come after them so much when that guy planned to attack her because he was the one who lost focus. And he was the one who took the attack that led to him being unconscious. It was them who ended up saving him from certain death. He did nothing but turn on them, and he would¡¯ve probably killed Momo if not for Servi.


    Arty knew the following.  One: Yerue was dead. Two: he died after he supposedly attacked Servi and Momo. Three: Servi left him alone and passed out somewhere in the sewers. Four: she didn¡¯t tell them where she left him at.


    From his point of view, he had an excellent reason to be mad. But from their point of view, they had a reason to kill Yerue. It would¡¯ve been in self-defense.


    Arty said nothing, gritted his teeth and began his attack. He rushed in and thrusted, but just like before, Servi blocked all of them with her shield. Such intense movements forced his tears to intertangle with his sweat. He wasn¡¯t even properly trained. He allowed his anger to guide his spear, but it was filled with such errors and widely erratic attacks that even a beginner could block them.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t gonna be enough to win,¡± once again, she allowed a thrust to bypass her shield and gripped the wooden shaft before the metal tip touched her face. It was millimeters away from piercing her cheek.


    Arty was aiming to kill. He didn¡¯t want to stop at simply winning the fight.


    ¡°Arty! That was an illegal move! I said no going for lethal hits!¡± Leeroy yelled


    ¡°Servi!!!¡± Momo cried. She had a horrified look on her face.


    Using all of her strength, Servi crushed the wooden shaft into two before kicking Arty away. The broken pieces of his spear laid broken near his body, which came to a halt a few meters away.


    That was a lot of power behind that kick. Itarr commentated from within Servi¡¯s soul.  I can¡¯t say he didn¡¯t deserve it.


    ¡°Three rounds. I win. You better take the mentorship and training seriously, or you¡¯ll be gone in the first fight.¡± After coldly speaking to the sobbing man in the slightly too big metal armor who no longer had a weapon, Servi turned around and walked to Momo. A few tears flowed from her eyes. She still hadn''t calmed down from the nearly lethal attack.


    ¡°See, told you I¡¯ll win. Now, let¡¯s go,¡± Servi smiled ever so calmly at her friend, who stopped crying.


    The crowd that hooted and hollered went deathly silent when it looked like they would witness a death.


    Momo''s blue eyes shined through her tears, and she whimpered a single word.  "Okay..."


    Leaving the base and the silent crowd behind, the two walked through the long tunnel and opened the door.  Once outside, the pair of friends walked up the stairs and glanced around. The sky took on a reddish hue that once again reminded Momo of Servi¡¯s eyes. The sun was going down, and night would soon be upon them.


    ¡°Servi?¡± Momo''s emotions had calmed down, and she was in more control of them.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± she glanced over to Momo.


    ¡°You were so cool! I''ve never seen someone fight so cool! But I was scared...Arty really tried to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but I knew he would try to take my head off. He was angry, and after losing the first two rounds, he would most likely try the same thing again. I figured he would probably want to hurt me. But I¡¯m sorry if I made you worry. I really am.¡± A slight frown appeared on her face. The very last thing she wanted to do was make Momo worry about her. Even though that¡¯s far easier said than done.


    ¡°No, I trusted you would win, and you did. I guess I¡¯m just a worrywart. But good job! I hope I can fight like that one day,¡± even though you said you didn¡¯t want to be dead weight, you¡¯re always so much better than everyone else. Momo internally asked the last part of what she wanted to say. She knew there had to be a reason, and if she asked, she was afraid of the answer.


    ¡°Thanks. And you will. Nothing is impossible, and I¡¯ll be there to support you. Besides, aren¡¯t you the one who wanted us to get strong together? So let¡¯s do it. We can motivate and help each other.¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± smiling brightly, Momo took a cloth and wiped her tear-stained face. ¡°Cause we¡¯re friends, right?¡±


    Ever since she was little, Momo wanted a friend. She had her grandpa, but she wanted an actual friend of around her age. Someone to speak and laugh with, or even maybe to get into an argument with. That was probably the reason why she often ended sentences with the phrase ¡®That¡¯s ''cause we¡¯re friends, right?¡¯ and other variations of it.  She just wanted to be sure, doubly sure, and triply sure.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re friends.  Now, let¡¯s go and see how much that red pelt is worth.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m right behind you!¡±


    The two walked to the cash shop while talking about the fight. Momo had asked why she broke the spear, building up a lot of courage in the process to even ask, and Servi replied that she wanted to make a point to Arty.


    ¡°I needed to teach him that going around and antagonizing people for the death of someone they didn¡¯t cause had consequences. Hell, everything has consequences.¡±


    ¡°I see. I hope that this calms Arty down somewhat. Who knows, maybe we could¡¯ve been friends if things were a bit different.¡±


    ¡°Probably, but that¡¯s in the past. But it would¡¯ve been nice, I guess. There¡¯s always the future, though.¡±


    They walked the rest of the way in silence, listening to the chirping birds that acted as a natural soundtrack.  It was nice.


    ¡°Ya got a red for me? Hmm¡­¡±


    The two friends were inside the aptly nicknamed building called the cash building. Such a name was given by the Members of Warden as a way to shorten the official name. Warden¡¯s Monster Parts Exchange was the proper name, but it was only used in official documents.


    They were chatting with an older man who sat behind a glass window. The gap at the bottom of the pane separating them was big enough to slide a meter and a half object. Anything larger than that would have to be judged and valued outside.


    ¡°Yeah. We came across it in the sewers below. Is it worth anything? Oh, we also have sixteen claws, too,¡± said Momo. She took them out of her bag and slid them through the window.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Let me ask my manager. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    He was gone for but a moment and came back with a smile on his face.


    ¡°Good news! It appears that the rat you two found was a rare variant. As its name suggests, it¡¯s a monster that¡¯s not often seen. I imagine you two have heard of Black Croc?¡±


    ¡°Is it a rare variant?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°Yep. When monsters spawn, there''s a chance for it to be a rare variant."


    ¡°Wait, spawned?¡± Servi suddenly said.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°No. What does it mean?¡±


    Momo subtly puffed out her chest. It wasn¡¯t that often she had a chance to teach Servi, and such an occasion had only happened a few times over the past month. Usually, it was Servi doing the teaching.


    It''s kinda funny. Servi knows a lot about fighting and stuff, but she is almost clueless about other things.


    ¡°Spawning is the term used when a monster appears in the world. For that to happen, two things need to happen, but I only know of one. After a certain amount of Skill Energy is gathered in the world, a monster pops out.  There''s a second condition, but I don''t think anyone knows what that is. That¡¯s why we can still find rats and roaches in the sewers.  But with so many people, we were lucky to find them as soon as they spawned.¡±


    ¡°I had no idea. This is good to know.¡±


    Neither did I. How interesting. I guess I¡¯m not really absorbing souls but the Skill Energy that made them? But that can¡¯t be right. You told me people are born from sex between a man and a woman, and we absorb their souls. So is it possible for monsters to have no soul? Or does the Skill Energy create the soul, which in turn produces the beasts? As Itarr debated internally amongst herself, Momo smiled and was happy she taught Servi something she didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°With the sixteen claws and the red pelt from the rare variant, it comes out to 84 dupla.¡±


    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s a lot.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am, it is. But a rare variant is always worth more than a non-rare. Congratulations! Would you like me to put that into two pouches?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please. If you wouldn''t mind,¡± replied Servi. ¡°Just curious, how much would Black Croc be worth if someone brought you his corpse? I¡¯m not sure what would be the most valuable for a crocodile.¡±


    ¡°Pretty much everything is valuable. The hide would go towards making armor, and it¡¯s a big thing too. The meat would be edible, and depending on how it¡¯s cooked, it would be pretty tasty. The claws would be carved down and attached to spears. As for the price, it all depends on the condition it¡¯s brought in,¡± he spoke as he counted out and divided the 84 dupla.


    ¡°Perfect condition.¡±


    ¡°952 dupla. That¡¯s if it appears to have died from a heart attack or something. No cuts or burn marks or any kind of blemish on the body, and if it still has all of its legs and claws,¡± he replied. In his hands sat two equally distributed pouches. He slid them through the window, and Servi and Momo each took one.


    ¡°Is there anything else I can do for you two?¡±


    Momo looked at Servi, who shook her head before saying no. Wishing him a good night, the two left the shop overcome with joy.


    ¡°952 dupla!! Servi, that¡¯s¡­.¡± Momo looked at her fingers, closing and opening them as she did the math.


    ¡°476,¡± answered Servi.


    Huh, maybe I was good at math? I mean, it¡¯s just a simple division problem, but I was able to answer it quickly enough.


    ¡°476 dupla each. It¡¯d be nice if we were the ones to take it down,¡± Momo''s mind thought back to the brief encounter. Even though she wanted to fight it, Momo was scared, and she knew she wasn¡¯t up to the task. If she wanted proof, she had to just look at what she did when they encountered it today.


    Maybe I should hold off on it? I don¡¯t need to kill it right away, Servi thought.


    ¡°It would. Maybe when we get stronger, we can go and try to fight it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± cheerfully replied the Singi with a swooshing tail, proof of her happy state.


    Making their way through the streets and to the Warden building, they saw that the long line that was previously there had gotten even longer. In addition to snaking around to the left of the intersection, it nearly reached the end of that street.


    ¡°Wow¡­it¡¯s gotten even longer. Look, it goes all the way to the next intersection.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they¡¯ve been standing here all day,¡± Servi glanced at the line as they were walking and saw a familiar crying face holding a broken spear. The moment she made eye contact with him, he turned his head so fast that it hurt him.

 Book Two – Chapter Three – Part Four – Sewers and a Duel (R-18)

    The two friends entered the building and sat down on a bench. The place was surprisingly filled for it being evening, but that was probably because of the hype going around.


    ¡°What now?¡± asked Momo. She took her dupla from the pouch she received at the cash building and pulled out a pink coin purse. After a bit of exchanging from one bag to the other, Momo placed both bags back inside her messenger bag. The amount of bags she pulled out and deposited back in was almost something out of a comedy skit.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m feeling kinda icky, so I think I¡¯ll take a shower. Wanna meet up for dinner in an hour or so?¡±


    ¡°That sounds great. I think I¡¯ll take one too.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s a plan,¡± Servi stood up, and Momo did too. They walked together to the third floor before parting ways. Momo had a room on another floor.


    Entering her room, Servi immediately absorbed her gear and replaced them with clothes she took from the Old Onyx. For the briefest moment, she only had on white underwear, which was utterly devoid of sweat. Her Immortality prevented Servi from leaking water, and therefore from creating any kind of sweaty scent. However, that didn''t account for grime or dirt that came from the heat of battle.


    It was a thin black t-shirt that had a small sword in the top right. Servi wore white shorts that ended up above her knees and some slippers on her delicate feet.


    When it came to fashion, neither Servi nor Itarr had any knowledge of cuteness or style.


    I bet that feels good. It¡¯s cute as well. When I get a body, can I wear clothes like that?


    It was a little cute.


    ¡°Of course, you can. We¡¯ll find the cutest clothes ever, and you can wear them.¡± Servi opened her hand, and a stick of meat she had stolen from when she raided the Rude Crystal appeared floating above it. Rude Crystal was a bar and restaurant all put into one, but it wasn¡¯t like Servi entered with the sole objective of robbing it. Due to some unfortunate coincidences, she was attacked and responded appropriately. She considered all of their food and drinks and their tables and chairs to be hers for the taking.  It was the same thing with the Old Onyx clothing store. She saw the owner beating a slave and killed her in retaliation. Then she robbed the clothing store.


    Of course, that made her nothing more than a common criminal. And she knew that.


    She raised her snack up to her nose and took in a big sniff.  The delicate mixture of spices and the fierce inferno it was cooked warmed her nose and watered her mouth.  Even though she didn''t need to eat, Servi sometimes liked to snack on some of her goodies.


    It was still hot thanks to Absorption¡¯s ability to halt the passing of time for items stored inside it. The juicy meat squished and covered Servi''s pink lips and dropped to the floor. But she didn¡¯t care at all about dirtying the hardwood flooring.


    She knew deep inside she was a hypocrite. The people at the bar and the clothing store had people who loved them.  Servi''s actions only meant countless families had been torn apart by her hands.


    I should feel sad, but I don''t. Why? Servi thought.


    ¡°Well, better go take a shower,¡± Servi pulled out some clothes as well as some shampoo, soap, and a washcloth she bought. She made sure to buy enough to last a few weeks. Considering she had well over 30 million dupla in her ring, she figured she could splurge a little bit and buy some of the brand-name items.  After opening, leaving, and locking the door, Servi began to walk.


    The reason she didn''t absorb her bathing items was because of Momo. If she ran into her, Momo would ask why Servi planned on showering without any soap or shampoo, and Servi didn''t have a way to explain it without revealing her abilities.


    It¡¯ll be so much easier if I could just tell her, but I can¡¯t. I just can¡¯t! Yelling to herself silently, she noticed she forgot to pull out the bath pass, so she did it just then. A small ticket appeared on top of her clothes, and nobody was none-the-wiser.


    Going through the women''s shower hallway, Servi found a vacant door and slid her ticket right in. Stepping in, she checked if the door was locked before absorbing both the clothes she wore and the stuff she brought. The room itself was nothing extravagant. A small device stood in the middle of the room, and a set of curtains hung from the ceilings. One or two tables were nearby, depending on which door Servi entered. It was all white, though some rooms had different paintings and protected drawings on the walls.


    Instantly, anger flashed across her face, and Itarr had to ask why.


    ¡°Did you see those scum staring at me with lustful eyes?! I¡¯m not some fucking object to be used to satisfy someone¡¯s lust. I swear, if they make a move on me, I will kill them. I knew I should¡¯ve worn my armor. Stupid pigs¡­.¡±


    The next few minutes consisted of Servi explaining the reasons why she was upset. Itarr''s understanding of emotions grew by the day, but it was the logical side of things that messed her up. She knew Servi was angry, but she didn''t know why. She couldn''t understand the connection between being leered at like an object and connecting it to anger.


    Her generous-sized breasts bounced lightly as she angrily stomped around the room. Itarr finally calmed her Servi down enough, and she apologized, prompting Itarr to say if it was her, she would be upset as well.


    Take a nice hot shower. That might help you.


    ¡°Yeah. I will.¡±


    Servi stumbled over to the blue stone in the middle of the room. It was a Skill Item called a Wash Stone. Supposedly, and Momo told her this out of the blue when the concept of Skill Items came up, that they worked by using the user¡¯s Skill Energy to start. Then they would take in Skill Energy from the air to continue working. Once that happened, the user could then control the skill as if they were a master.


    It was confusing, and there was a problem.  Servi did not know how to use it.  No matter what she did, it just would not work, and instead of being a valuable tool that provided water at a cheap cost, it was nothing more than an expensive display piece that only decorated the room.


    So, she did the next best thing. Servi manually used Create Water, the skill stored inside a Wash Stone, to wash herself. She didn¡¯t know why she couldn¡¯t use it, and it wasn¡¯t like Itarr knew either. The only one who might know was Momo, and she slyly asked one day.


    ¡°Why would someone be unable to use a Skill Item? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard of something like that happening before. But that¡¯s not to say it¡¯s impossible.¡± That was Momo''s answer, and Servi was only more confused.


    Regardless, Servi used Create Water right next to the Wash Stone and allowed the soothing azure liquid to erase her stress and worries.


    Stepping away from the flowing hot water that dripped on her luscious body, Servi took out some shampoo and controlled it above her using Telekinesis. Then she used two anchor points on each side of the bottle to squeeze it lightly, allowing the sweet-smelling, thick liquid to come down on her alluring black hair.


    I gotta say, I didn¡¯t think Telekinesis could be used for such a thing, Itarr remarked.


    ¡°It¡¯s so helpful, and it¡¯s not even funny. It¡¯s probably my favorite skill outside of Absorption, Immortality, and Soul Essence of Primal Combat.¡± Servi rubbed the sweet-smelling liquid deep within her hair, making sure every strand was coated in it before stepping back under the continuously flowing water.


    The white soap fell from her hair and started to make its way down her body. Her breasts were covered in white foam, and her nipples stiffened when she moved back to let the water clean them. The foam then made her way down her tummy before reaching her crotch, though most of it went down her enticing thighs and long legs.


    She brought out the washcloth and soap from her ring and began to lather it up. Covering her eyes, she washed her face first and rinsed it off before moving to her chest.


    It was like this almost every night. It began with a simple shower before turning into something full of self-pleasure.


    Her pink cherry nipples became hard, and her lower area began to leak with her nectar. And it wouldn¡¯t go away until she pleasured herself.


    And that¡¯s what she did. She pinched her nipples before rubbing her clit, then finally stuck a trembling finger inside her. In and out, Servi''s fingers were surrounded by warmth and coated in nectar when sensation filled the area below her belly button. It grew hotter and hotter, and a tremendous amount of pleasure overpowered her logic. She increased the pace and finally moaned out loud before losing the strength in her legs.


    As if nothing had happened, she licked her fingers clean, enjoying her own flavor, before going back to washing herself. Of course, when she cleaned her crotch, she had to fight off the wanting to masturbate again.


    And she couldn¡¯t.


    Crouching down and spreading her legs, the hot water flowed down unevenly over her body. She used her right hand¡¯s thumb and ring finger to spread her lower lips. Steam from the hot water rose to cover her, and she started to finger herself again. Biting her lips, she stuck her index and middle fingers in her honeypot. She managed to reach all the way to her knuckle before somehow coming up with the idea to bend her fingers upward. She did and immediately felt pleasure, unlike that of the past month. After rubbing a sensual spot inside her, she unbent her fingers and pulled them out of her before repeating the same motions again and again until she couldn¡¯t take it.


    All of her previous orgasms were nothing compared to this one. She lost strength in her legs and fell to her butt, but her legs were spread wide open, and her fingers furiously assaulted her most secret of areas. Her spare hand caressed her clit as electric shocks of pleasure pulsed through her body. She knew it was impossible, but she was so thankful nobody walked in on her. They would¡¯ve been subjected to quite a show.


    ¡°HHHMMMMMMMMMMMPPPPHHHHH!!!!!¡± she had to bit her lip so hard it drew blood to keep from screaming out as liquid squirted from her crotch. Even as she came, her fingers never stopped moving until she lost consciousness.


    Are you okay? It only was when Servi heard Itarr¡¯s voice did she realize she was sprawling on the shower room floor with her butt pointing up. It seemed a few minutes had passed since she fell victim to her overflowing pleasure.


    I guess it was so strong this time it even took True Immortality a while longer to activate. How impressive.


    Servi wobbly stood up before talking.  While Servi wasn''t out of breath, her breath ran ragged and hot like she was still in the process of recovering.


    ¡°I can¡¯t even begin to describe it¡­ By far the most intense I¡¯ve ever felt¡­.¡±


    She glanced at her fingers and brought them to her opened mouth. A pink and sloppily wet tongue appeared and seductively ran over and in-between her fingers that did the deed. Her own juice was, perhaps at that moment, the most delicious thing to her. After finishing, she properly cleaned herself and dried off using a Fire Wall.


    Itarr had told Servi that she had thought of a way to dry off using her ring, but she was yet to be successful at it. By absorbing the moisture and liquid from her skin, she could be slopping wet one moment and completely dry the next.


    The past few days she¡¯d tried, it had ended in failure. Servi told Itarr she¡¯d try again later when she had more control over it.


    And so, her shower was complete, albeit with a little bit of selfish fun while cleaning herself. She decided to wear something else for her dinner with Momo. It was a black, slightly low cut blouse that ended just below her waist, a light blue jacket, buttoned-up, to complete her upper body, black pants that hugged her thighs very well, black socks, and black boots. As for her underwear, she chose a feisty black bra and panties. She had just a little bit of cleavage showing, but not too much. It was classy. Besides, if she decided it was too much, all she had to do was button her jacket.


    She wanted to feel cute, and who could blame her? Servi was a beautiful girl with curves in the right spot. The lustful gazes of men kept attacking her, but not a single man had ever gathered the courage to ask her out. Of course, even if someone were to ask her, she would refuse.


    But even as she stared at herself in a mirror she had taken from the Old Onyx, she couldn''t help but feel odd.  It was different, but it was in a good way.


    I don¡¯t feel like the same old Servi from a month ago. If I was, I would''ve ignored Arty. Why did I snap? He¡¯s literally less frightening than a bug I¡¯ve stepped on while walking down the street with Momo, so why did I all get worked up? She asked herself while keeping up a cheerful appearance. She thought about changing her clothes to something else but shook her head a moment later.


    You know, you really like the color black, don¡¯t you?


    ¡°I guess I do. But look, I got blue on this time. I wanted to wear the overalls and white and red outfit, but I wanna wash them first.¡±


    I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯ll be possible to use Absorption to take all the smell away.


    ¡°That would be nice, but I feel like I¡¯m far away from that."


    We¡¯ll get better. We just need to practice.


    Fully dressed in her new outfit, the sound of her slightly heeled boots echoed against the hardwood as she made her way out of the shower room and into the hallway.  She turned to the left and right, seeing nothing, and proceeded to walk back to her room. There, she laid on the stiff mattress until she heard a soft knock.


    Opening it up, Servi saw her cute friend bouncing ever so slightly on the balls of her feet. Wearing an oversized pink hoodie jacket, Servi could see the bottoms of a black skirt complete with small white frills hanging below. Instead of black boots, she had on a pair of white athletic shoes finished with pink socks that came to just above her ankles.


    ¡°Wow! That out looks so good.¡± Momo complimented Servi as her tail adorably swayed.


    ¡°You look good yourself. That pink hoodie is cute,¡± Servi smiled and returned the compliment.


    ¡°Oh.. umm¡­ Thank you!¡± Embarrassed, Momo had to squeak out a response.


    ¡°Now, why don¡¯t we go eat something good?¡± Servi asked.  Momo responded with a quick nod. They made their way up a floor, bypassing scores of people who were coming down. It was likely they had already eaten and were on their way to accept a night quest. While that wasn¡¯t exactly uncommon, it was still a bit rare.


    After reaching the fourth floor, most tables were occupied, and the two friends had to search far and wide to find an empty two-person table in the corner of the restaurant floor.


    ¡°That announcement was something else, huh?¡± asked the cute girl in the adorable pink hoodie.


    ¡°Yeah. I''ve never seen the kitchen be this full before. I gotta say, I¡¯m a bit excited.¡±


    ¡°Excited enough to stand in line?¡± Momo grinned.


    ¡°Not that excited. Why would all those people ever want to stand out there for like twenty or so hours?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever do something like that.¡±


    ¡°I mean, it might be kind of fun if I was waiting on something I really wanted. But yeah, I can¡¯t ever see myself doing something like that either.¡±


    A waiter came over, and Servi and Momo used their meal tickets. The Singi asked for the medium-rare steak meal, and the Human wanted to try the duck platter.


    They chatted for a while until the food came out. Sizzling and oozing with delicious, meaty smells, the entire dinner was absolutely fantastic. Two good friends, who perhaps began to feel a certain kind of emotion, were enjoying the time.  The food was delicious, the small and corny jokes were flying back and forth, and it was smiles all around. Unfortunately, such a good time had to come to an end.


    With a mighty, out-of-character yawn, Momo sleepily rubbed her eyes.


    ¡°You sleepy?¡± Servi took a drink from her milk.


    ¡°Yeah, I think I might head to bed.¡±


    ¡°Wanna meet up at nine or so?¡±


    ¡°That sounds good to me,¡± Momo stood up and pushed her chair in before yawning again. She raised both arms to the sky and stretched. But when she did, her jacket lifted up and revealed her slim stomach. Momo didn¡¯t notice it, or else her face would¡¯ve gone hot red with embarrassment.


    Her jacket fell back down when she lowered her arms, and based on where she stood, only Servi and Itarr were blessed with seeing it.


    ¡°Good night, Servi. I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Sweet dreams, Momo,¡± She smiled at her friend and made her way to her room, leaving Servi alone at the table. She finished off her glass of milk before standing up.  Her destination was her room.


    What about Black Croc?


    ¡°What about him?¡± Servi said. She was made her way down the stairs to the third floor while gripping the wooden handles. It was so smooth and a bit slippery, meaning someone had probably wiped it down with some kind of cleaning solution.


    Are you gonna kill it?


    ¡°I was thinking about it, but it might be a good idea for Momo and me to take it down when she gets a little stronger. Besides, I think I scared him off.¡±


    That would be nice. What¡¯s the plan? Are you gonna go to sleep?


    ¡°Probably,¡± she said as when gripped the door handle. Pulling out the key using her ring, it appeared right inside the keyhole. She didn¡¯t bother using Telekinesis to turn it because it might bend or crack the key, so she did it manually before absorbing it back inside her ring.


    Stepping inside, Servi did something she should¡¯ve done a while ago. After locking the door, she started preparing.


    ¡°There we go!¡± She picked up the raggedy mattress and course blanket and propped them against the wall before pulling out a fancy bed she took from Parrel''s mansion. It was big and extravagant. The wooden frame was of the highest quality, and the three large white pillows were filled with the softest cotton. It had three blankets covering the bed. The red one was for the bare mattress cover, a fluffy white blanket, like a large sheet of snow, sheltered the red bedspread, and to top it off, a silk-like gold blanket smothered the top.


    It''s big compared to this small room.


    Servi walked over and sat down. It gave just a little bit of leeway, but the mattress was pretty hard. Servi smiled and stripped down to her bare skin via absorbing her clothes.


    How is it?


    ¡°Wonderful. It¡¯s way better than that crappy thing,¡± Servi pointed to the mattress and blanket against the wall. She pulled up the blankets and hopped underneath them. Servi pulled them up to her stomach, leaving her rich breasts uncovered. The dichotomy between her warm waist and chilly upper body nearly excited her, but the alluring gaze of sleep overpowered that pleasure. ¡°It¡¯s really like I¡¯m sleeping on clouds or something... No wonder that rich bastard filled his whole mansion with these... You need to try this¡­¡± Servi gradually closed her eyes after her head rested against the pillow, and seconds later, she was out. It was the fastest she had ever dozed off.


    Sleep well, Servi. I love you.  Itarr said. This was something of a ritual she performed every night. As soon as she could tell that Servi was asleep, she would wish her well and say that she loved her.


    As if hearing it, Servi slowly smiled ever-so-gently, even though she was asleep.


    And thus, the day came to an end. The two best friends had pleasant dreams of each other, and the night passed without much incident.

 Book Two – Chapter Four – Part One – Meeting the Mentors!

    The sun came up around 6:35 AM. The light illuminating through the room''s small windows gradually broke away the corrupting darkness to reveal a naked girl fast asleep. Though she dozed off on her back with the cover-up to her stomach, none of that remained. During the night, Servi had somehow curled into a ball and kicked the blanket off the bed. Her shoulder-length black hair, still as soft as it was when she went to bed, brushed against her nape when she gently moved.


    Seeing that she was slowly waking up, Itarr spoke. She wanted her voice to be the first thing Servi experienced in the mornings.  And for today, she went with a standard greeting she had performed over the past month.


    Good morning, Servi. Did you sleep well?


    Uncurling from her sleeping position, Servi fully extended her body. From raising her fingers to the sky to curling her toes, she looked like a cat who woke up from an evening nap. Even though she was immortal, it felt good to stretch.


    ¡°Good morning, Itarr. Yeah, I slept well,¡± she said as she finished up her stretching. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up and dangled her legs over the edge of the bed.


    I¡¯m glad.


    Servi hopped up and walked over to the small windows, still naked. From this height and such a small opening, no one could see her.


    ¡°Yep, as I figured,¡± she muttered, prompting Itarr to ask why. ¡°You see that line? How much you wanna bet that¡¯s the line to be assigned a mentor. At least, and I assume, that¡¯s the end of the line, but it¡¯s wrapped around the building. It¡¯s gonna be such a long wait¡­. Gah, it¡¯s not like I even need one,¡± Servi rubbed her head and sighed. Servi''s goals included finding hers and Itarr''s memories back while making Momo stronger. The mentorship program seemed like the best way to accomplish the latter, but standing in line for most of the day wasn''t something Servi wanted to do. It brought a certain kind of anxiety to her heart, and she didn''t know why.


    Are you going through this for Momo?


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Servi walked back to the bed and laid back down on the heavenly pillows. Running her fingers through her black hair, she continued speaking. ¡°She¡¯s really the only reason. If I were by myself, I probably would¡¯ve been gone by now.¡±


    Where would you go?


    ¡°Don¡¯t know. Maybe Keywater?¡± She turned to lay on her side, and the wooden walls stared at her. ¡°Hell, I don¡¯t even think I know anything about the geography of this world,¡± Servi sighed again. ¡°And it¡¯s not like I can go to someone and ask where I am and what other countries are around me. Stuff like that is supposed to be common sense.¡±


    I see. I really hope we get our memories back soon. It¡¯s been a whole month, and ever since we got here, I haven¡¯t remembered a single thing¡­. Itarr sounded depressed, but she wasn''t the only one.  Servi had started to feel the troubles of navigating in a world where she knew nothing. All of the information that she desperately wanted to know, like the world and countries, and cities and towns, as well as any cultural events or holidays, was probably really common to everyone else but her.


    The two laid there for a while until they heard a knock and a heartwarming voice that forced the dark clouds away from Servi''s mind.


    ¡°Servi? It¡¯s me, Momo. You awake?¡±


    And there she is. I quite like Momo. Even though she doesn¡¯t know me, I think I love her. But based on what you told me about that emotion, I¡¯m not sure if that is what I am feeling.


    ¡°I like her too. She¡¯s such a great friend. As I said, love is almost impossible to describe. It¡¯s such an abstract emotion that comes in an almost infinite amount of ways. There¡¯s also a lot of different ways to show it.¡±


    I see¡­.


    Servi got up off the bed and absorbed it. Then she used Telekinesis to move the propped-up mattress and blanket over to where they used to be. Deciding on pink underwear, Servi used her ring to put them on and then equipped her leather armor. Once the green cape fluttered behind her, she attached her pouches and shield. Doing a quick check to make sure her sword was in the shield''s sheath, she smiled to herself. Checking everything off, she opened the door to see a smiling Momo.


    She was in the same brown sleeveless armor. Her grandpa¡¯s bag was still slung over her chest, and his beloved long sword remained faithfully at her hip. But something was different.


    ¡°Your hair is different. It looks nice,¡± Servi blurted out.


    ¡°Thanks. I wanted to do something a little different, so I put my hair in a ponytail. I wanted to do twin tails, but my hair isn''t long enough.¡± Sure enough, Momo had a cute ponytail. While talking to Servi, she bounced ever-so-lightly that her hair danced along with her tail.


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome. I looked out my window, and the line was super long. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be even longer if we eat breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I saw that too. I think there¡¯s a stall nearby that sells some fried meat if you wanna get that,¡± Momo offered.


    ¡°Sounds good to me. You ready?¡± Servi asked. She saw Momo nod, so she stepped outside her room and closed the door behind her. Servi reached into her pouch and used it as a proxy to bring her key from her ring. Locking it, she put it back and stored it.


    ¡°I¡¯m so excited!!¡± Momo quietly squealed with excitement. Servi walked behind her as they descended the stairs, and she had the perfect view of her ponytail. It fluttered with every step its master took, and Servi could do nothing but smile.


    Momo''s cute when she acts like this. Servi wordlessly thought.


    When they reached the lobby, their jaws almost dropped at how packed and teeming it was. It was a sea of bodies all crowded and bashing against each other while the poor employees did their best to stop and any fights before they began.


    Far in the distance sat Claire. She was behind the sign-up desk, and she was in charge of signing up a long line of potential people who wanted to join. Said line snaked out through the right door, turning right to go down the street before taking another right. Servi could only guess at how long it really was.


    It¡¯s impossible, right?! I¡¯m just a single person, and I gotta take care of all these people who are probably ungrateful?!! It¡¯s not fair!! Claire thought.


    Internally, she whined, and no one could blame her. But regardless of her internal feelings, she kept a professional smile as she answered any and all questions while performing her duty.


    ¡°I kinda feel bad for her,¡± Momo''s pink hair whipped left and right when she slowly shook her head. She had an empathetic look on her face.


    ¡°Me too. You know, I like Claire. Why don¡¯t we do something nice for her?¡±


    Momo smiled at her friend. ¡°I want to as well. She¡¯s always been nice and helpful to us. But what can we get her?¡±


    Servi held her finger up to her chin and thought about it as they walked outside. As much as they wanted to, they couldn¡¯t jump ahead in line, and like everyone else, they needed to wait. ¡°How about something sweet?¡±


    Now outside, the two gasped at the sheer amount of people. The line to get a mentor was different from the queue to sign up. The mentor line exited through the left door and took a left. It took the first left at the intersection, going all the way to the end of that street before taking another left. The end of this line is what Servi saw from her window when she woke up.


    The Warden building took up a lot of space since Five whole floors offered many services inside, and the area near the building was empty. Other than the building itself and the sewer''s entrance, there was nothing else around in this spot of land.


    Servi started walking and tried to find the end of the line while Momo brainstormed a list of potential gifts. While searching, she saw Arty huddled against the wall, still holding the two parts of his spear. He locked eyes with Servi and just stared. A moment later, he turned away to face the wall.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ How about some chocolate? It¡¯s not that expensive, and it makes a good gift. I know I like to eat it when I¡¯m stressed out.¡±


    ¡°Chocolate, huh? Sounds good to me. Do you know a good place?¡± Servi asked as they made the first left. Up ahead, she saw where the line continued to snake around to the left at the intersection. If what she saw this morning was still accurate, then the end of the line should be around this upcoming corner.


    ¡°I don¡¯t. But we can ask around, right?¡± Momo said. Turning left at this intersection, they now came to the part of the street that Servi saw from her window. If they turned ninety degrees to the left, they would see the back of the Warden office. Up high, there were three rows of windows a bit spread apart. Servi¡¯s room would be one of the windows on the bottom-most row.


    Like she thought, the angle from looking up at the windows was terrible.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she replied to Momo¡¯s question as her eyes finally spotted the end of the line. It was about three-quarters of the way down this street.


    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s the end!¡± Servi excitedly said. ¡°Race you to it?¡±


    ¡°A race? Sure, why not,¡± Momo smiled and stopped moving. Servi did the same.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna count down from three. Go when I say go, okay?¡±


    ¡°I got it!¡± Momo replied.


    ¡°Three! Two! One! Go!!!¡± Servi yelled a little bit above her normal speaking voice, and the two friends darted off.


    Servi didn¡¯t dare to use her full speed, and at first, she kept pace with Momo. Her hair and tail flapped backwards, and she steadily got faster and faster, even surprising Servi.


    She wasn¡¯t this fast a month ago. She¡¯s really grown.


    Servi picked up the pace a little bit, but it was too late. She spent too much time thinking to herself. The distance between the two gradually grew, and the armored-back in front of her shrunk. The only way she could win was to use her full speed, and she immediately decided against it. The moment that thought crossed her mind, the race was over, and a victor was crowned.


    ¡°I¡­.win¡­..¡± Momo said, panting. She was the first to arrive at the end of the line to the noise of light applause of a few people who cared to watch. The sudden burst of speed required all she had, and she was tired. The morning sun was already sweltering, getting close to 34 degrees Celsius. Of course, the leather armor she wore also didn¡¯t help prevent her from sweating. It only made it worse.


    ¡°Good work!¡± Servi said, congratulating her friend on the well-earned victory. She took her place behind Momo, who turned around to face her. She had a rag in her hand that she used to wipe away her sweaty face.


    ¡°Thanks! You¡¯re really fast! I thought I was gonna lose,¡± Momo replied. The white cloth ran over her left cheek before moving to the right one. It quickly turned from dry and pristine to wet and damp in a matter of moments. She then put it back in her bag.


    The next moment, Servi heard Momo¡¯s stomach rumbling, and her face went red.


    ¡°Damn, I forgot about breakfast,¡± Servi lightly stomped the ground in false anger.  Momo was about to respond when they heard a small bell. They both turned to the noise and saw a man pushing a large stall on wheels. The words ¡®Lucky Lucky Chicken¡¯ were written on the sign in large, white letters.


    ¡°How lucky for us!¡± Momo said as she touched her stomach. ¡°I was hungry,¡± hearing her body growl a second time a moment later, Servi chuckled as Momo''s face took on a red hue for the second time.


    It seems like she gets embarrassed a lot. Itarr noted.


    The food cart slowly made its way to the friends as they discussed what they wanted for breakfast. Momo eagerly bought three chicken sticks and a bottle of milk. Servi purchased the same. Before the owner left, Servi asked him if he knew a good place to get some chocolate. After thinking for a moment, the stall owner told them of a place called Madam Canary¡¯s Sweetie Tweety. The two friends thanked him as he made his way to the other line of hungry people on the other side of the building.


    ¡°How dumb am I? We literally talked about Madam Canary''s yesterday,¡± Momo said after swallowing a bit of her food. It was fresh, hot, and juicy as some of the flavorful liquid squirted on her face next to her lips. Instead of using a napkin or rag, she used her tongue to clean it up before going back for a second bite. It was childish in a way, but that just added to her charm.


    Servi didn¡¯t bother taking bites. Instead, she sunk her teeth into the chicken and pulled it off the stick in a manner that was not unlike a rabid dog. The whole thing went into her mouth, where it was crushed and pulverized and chomped and ripped into small pieces that went down through her esophagus before reaching her stomach.


    ¡°You were hungry too?¡± Momo asked, taking a sip of her milk.


    ¡°Definitely. I was starving.¡± Servi ripped off the last stick of chicken after speaking and quickly devoured it. As she chewed, she broke the empty skewers in half and put them in her pouch, secretly absorbing them. ¡°I¡¯ll throw them away later. I don¡¯t wanna lose my spot." She pointed behind her, where a few more people were starting to add to the line.


    Momo did nothing but nod since she had a piece of meat in her mouth. Following it with another swig of her milk, she spoke. ¡°When do you wanna go to that Madam Canary place?¡±


    ¡°How about after we meet our mentors? Since it¡¯s the first day, I imagine today would be mostly introductory stuff like meeting each other and getting acquainted. Besides, at the pace this line is moving, we¡¯ll probably be here for hours.¡± Fifteen minutes had passed from when the race ended, and the line had barely moved more than a few steps.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. But I do hope we can give it to Claire today.¡±


    ¡°I do too. All we can do is hope and wait.¡±


    Momo smiled. ¡°Yeah. There isn¡¯t much use in worrying about it right now,¡± For some reason, Servi¡¯s heart was filled with anxiety over waiting in such a long line, but Momo¡¯s smile washed all of that way. She felt like if it was required, she would be able to stand for days on end.


    The two friends stayed in line for another thirty or so minutes before it started moving.


    ¡°Maybe we won¡¯t be out here for as long as we thought,¡± Momo yawned and covered her mouth with the back of her hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope," Servi replied.


    And they got their hopes answered. From that moment on, it steadily moved, albeit slowly, for an hour or so until they were meters from the front door. From this position, Servi moved to the left just a little bit to peek out. She saw that the sign-up line was still going strong. If anything, it looked like it got even longer.


    ¡°She¡¯s really gonna need that chocolate. Maybe even a beer,¡± Servi joked.


    ¡°Definitely. This one time, I went with my grandpa to help his friend, the one with the horses, and it was almost the worst experience of my life,¡± Momo turned to Servi.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°He owned this shop, and some of his employees got sick. So he asked us for help. So me and grandpa worked there for a few days, and everyone was just so mean. They always say the customer is always right, but they are so wrong.¡±


    ¡°It was bad?¡±


    Momo nodded. ¡°Really bad. I almost get what Claire is experiencing. I bet some of the people who wanted to join are rude as heck. I can imagine what she¡¯s going through, and none of it is good.¡±


    ¡°That sucks. Well, Claire will certainly be surprised tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t wait,¡± Momo said as the line continued to move forward. About fifteen or twenty minutes later, Servi and Momo were finally inside Warden. They were finally out of the hot sun, but that didn''t mean the inside was any better.  The sheer amount of bodies packed together inside, all sweaty from the heat in addition to the doors being held wide open, produced a rank scent. It wasn¡¯t just the long lines, but also the groups of those from Rank 9 to Rank 1 trying to find a quest. The tables and benches were also packed, and more than once did a fight almost break out.

 Book Two – Chapter Four – Part Two – Meeting the Mentors!

    Off to the side, Claire struggled to keep a professional smile. The poor Elf was having a rough time and desperately wished she could have a break or even some help. But alas, she was scheduled to work all day or until everyone was signed up. It was times like this that she so tremendously hated her job and wished she had the courage to be out on the front lines. But even though she was blessed, it was by a Minor God of Light, which was just a blessing in name only. The only skill given to her was Lucem, which was very useful, but the main problem was that she was scared of getting hurt and harming others.


    If I¡¯m not able to actually go out and do good, then I at least want to help those who can. That¡¯s why I want to be a Warden receptionist. That was her line of thought when she made up her mind years ago. It took a while, but she finally achieved her dream.  However, when it came to times like this, she couldn''t help but regret every choice she made.


    ¡°Hello there, I assume you¡¯re here to be assigned a mentor?¡± asked a nice old lady sitting behind the glass window. There were eight windows for eight people, but only four were in charge of finding mentors. The other four were for those wanting to accept a quest.


    ¡°Yes, I am. My name¡¯s Momo,¡± said Momo to the nice old lady. Servi stood behind her in line. Once they made it further inside, the single line split off into four smaller ones in front of four windows. Servi and Momo decided to go into the rightmost line since it was the shortest.


    ¡°Great. May I see your ID?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Summoning it, Momo handed it to the old lady. Servi leaned in while she was looking at it and saw that her name tag read ¡®Estela.¡¯


    Estela glanced at it and looked up. Her old and experienced eyes were hidden behind a pair of glasses that were maybe a bit too big. A set of retainers went through them so that when she took them off, they hung on her wrinkled neck. She sported a simple and formal outfit. A long-sleeved, collared blue shirt complete with a simple and elegant design, black pants, and a pair of slightly heeled shoes. A classy brass ring was on her left ring finger. If Servi had to say a single word to describe Estela, she probably would¡¯ve chosen ¡®professional.¡¯


    "I¡¯m going to ask you some questions. I¡¯m sorry if they get too annoying, but we want to send all of our Rank 10s to the perfect mentor. Just to confirm, You are not blessed, correct?¡± Estela handed Momo¡¯s ID back to her, and she dropped it to the ground.  The dust it produced from the impact scurried to her body.


    That info is on the ID, so why does she need to ask? I don¡¯t get it, Itarr muttered.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. I¡¯m not blessed,¡± answered Momo. Estela took a sheet of paper and wrote down Momo''s answers.


    ¡°What weapons do you use? And have you learned any skills?¡±


    ¡°I use a sword,¡± Momo drew it and held it up so Estela could see it. ¡°And I know Dazzler, Dirt Skin, Feather Fall, Lurk, Magic Missile, and True Aim.¡±


    ¡°True Aim? You use a bow?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been learning, ma¡¯am.¡±


    She glanced up and smiled. ¡°From who? Do you already have a mentor?¡±


    ¡°No, ma¡¯am. My friend, Servi, has been teaching me in our spare time,¡± Momo looked back and smiled at Servi, who returned it.


    ¡°I see. I assume you two are in a party together?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am, we are.¡±


    Estela took a moment to write all this down before glancing over it. ¡°Which would you rather learn, the sword, the bow, or both equally?"


    ¡°Both equally.¡±


    ¡°What about skills? Are you more into the attacking skills like Magic Missile, debuff skills like Lurk, or miscellaneous skills like Feather Fall?¡±


    ¡°I guess a mix of attacking and debuff skills. I bought Feather Fall, but I only had a chance to use it once when I hopped off a small rock.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Good. Now, how many and what kind of quests have you completed, and what type do you prefer?¡±


    Momo racked her brain, trying to remember how many total quests and she couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t remember the exact number, then give me a guesstimate.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­.umm¡­.probably fifteen or so quests. We¡¯ve done exterminating, collecting, and escorting, but my favorites are extermination and collection. For me right now, escort quests a little bit too stressful.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Because I always worry about the client. ''What if I¡¯m not strong enough,'' and ''what if I¡¯m not fast enough...'' Those two things occupy my mind, and I find it hard to focus.¡±


    Estela nodded while she wrote. ¡°For a Rank 10, that is pretty normal. The moment you accept an escort quest to the moment you finish, you are in charge of protecting your client. Now, you have certain positive or negative feelings about any race?¡±


    Momo was a bit confused. ¡°I don¡¯t get the question?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, let me clarify. Are there any races you hate?¡±


    Servi thought this question was a bit out there, but Momo shook her head. ¡°No, ma¡¯am, there isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Good. Good. Thank you for answering. Let me go over this, and I¡¯ll get back to you in a moment,¡± Estela said. She got up out of her chair and walked over to a large filing cabinet. It took around three minutes for her to cross-examine Momo¡¯s answers with whatever was in the large cabinets.  After she was finished, she picked a card from the cabinets and walked back to her chair.


    ¡°Here you go, Momo. This card has the address of an Elf named Dineria. A bit of an unusual one, if I say so. Most Elves love the bow, but she¡¯s rather fond of the sword. Just like you, she has an aversion for escort quests. I do believe she would be the perfect mentor for you,¡± she said upon sitting down. Sliding the card through the opening at the bottom of the glass window, Momo took it and held it like it was the most priceless jewel in the world.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be over there waiting on you, okay?¡± Momo said. Her tail wagged fast, and Servi could tell she was as happy as a clam.


    ¡°Alrighty. See you in a few minutes,¡± Servi replied back. Momo turned around and walked to an empty bench with a hop in her step. Servi watched as the pink ponytail got further away before turning to Estela.


    ¡°And your name? Oh, I need your ID,¡± Estela said in the same kind voice she used with Momo.


    ¡°Here ya go. My name is Servi.¡±


    She took out a new piece of paper and started scribbling before handing the ID back. Servi dropped it, and her body absorbed the dust it turned into.


    ¡°Are you blessed?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±


    I mean, technically, you are, by me, but it¡¯s a good idea to keep it a secret. Besides, I have adjusted your ID to where it looks legitimate. All Primordial skills, and those that are higher than Rank 10, are hidden. Itarr explained.


    ¡°What weapons do you use? And have you learned any skills?¡± Estela asked.


    Servi raised her left arm. ¡°I use this shield and the sword inside. As for skills, I use Decoy, Lucem, Thunder Snap, and Protection.¡±


    ¡°What about the bow? That young Singi said you were teaching her. Is that correct?¡±


    Servi nodded. ¡°It is. But I haven¡¯t used it in an actual quest.¡±


    ¡°I see. Any other weapons?¡± Estela asked, with one eye suspiciously raised.


    ¡°I have a bit of experience with pretty much everything. Spears, axes, lances, throwing knives, daggers, maces, and staffs, but I stick with the sword and shield.¡±


    ¡°Are you lying to me?¡± She immediately barked. The person Servi thought was a sweet old lady was, indeed, not one.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. Ask Momo. For the past few weeks, we¡¯ve been in the training room. I have a little experience with them, but I¡¯m not perfect. I¡¯m no more than a novice.¡±


    Estela sighed and muttered. ¡°If that¡¯s what you say.¡±


    This woman is making me angry, Itarr growled.


    ¡°I assume you¡¯re the tank?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± all respect and kindness in Servi¡¯s voice had disappeared. Though she knew deep down that Estela had a reason to be wary of a Rank 10 who claimed to be experienced in many different weapons, Servi was pissed off.


    ¡°Do you want to focus on the sword and shield or any of the other weapons you claim to know?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t claim to know anything. I just said I have a little experience. And sure, put me down for the sword and shield.¡±


    ¡°Any hated of the various races?¡±


    I just dislike the old Human in front of us... Itarr thought what Servi wanted to say.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Favorite quests?¡±


    ¡°Exterminating.¡±


    ¡°What skills do you want to focus on?¡±


    ¡°Defensive and tank related.¡±


    ¡°Give me a moment.¡± Not even smiling, Estela stood up and went back to the large filing cabinet. Unlike with Momo, the old bat spent all of six seconds before coming back with a random card.


    ¡°You know, it didn¡¯t even take you ten seconds,¡± Servi complained at the old lady''s lack of effort when it came to her.


    ¡°Maybe I would¡¯ve taken my time if someone wasn¡¯t lying and being rude. Here, Fisher Jin is your mentor¡ª¡±


    Servi¡¯s red eyes flared alive, and she moved to grip the table. Forcing down with eight fingers and gripping up with two thumbs, the wooden desk slowly cracked and deformed. The tips of all of her fingers snapped, but her anger dulled the pain. She was going to kill him, and she was going to feel good about it.


    ¡°¡ªand he¡¯s in the city guard¡¯s headquarters. Be warned, he¡¯s someone who¡¯s a big fan of tough training. There¡¯s quite a reputation of the harsh and horrible training he makes his men go through.¡±


    Calm down. Servi, this could be our chance to kill him. But we have to be calm. Can you do that for me?


    ¡°Here, take it.¡±


    Servi?! Please, it¡¯s me, Itarr.


    It was like the fire from her red eyes died down and became just a shade darker. Her body jumped a little bit, and she remembered where she was at. Warden, getting a mentor. Who happened to be Fisher Jin, the number one guy on her kill list.


    Servi snatched the card away from Estela and turned around. Her enhanced hearing picking up Estela cursing her and calling her an ungrateful lying child, but Servi ignored her and walked towards Momo, who happily stared at her card with Dineria''s information.


    Are you okay now?


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thanks, Itarr. I can always count on you to bring me back from anger. I love you.¡±


    I love you too.


    Reaching their friend, Servi apologized to Momo for the wait, and she shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Who did you get?¡±


    ¡°Fisher Jin. That guard guy that came in a while back.¡± Just uttering his name in a somewhat friendly fashion meant to disguise her hatred felt like a mountain was falling on her.


    ¡°The one in the black armor?¡±


    Servi nodded.


    ¡°Wow, he¡¯s like the captain of the guard or something, right? I didn¡¯t know he was in Warden.¡±


    Hearing Momo praise him so gleefully brought more anger to Servi¡¯s heart, but then a soothing coolness flowed over. It must¡¯ve been Itarr¡¯s doing.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t either. Where do you gotta go?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, there¡¯s an Elven shop somewhere in Canary. That¡¯s where Dineria is at. I got the address, so it shouldn¡¯t be too hard to find. What about you?¡±


    ¡°The city guard¡¯s headquarters. Don¡¯t really know where it is, and there¡¯s no address. If I ask around, I should be able to find it. Shall we head out?¡±


    Momo nodded, and the two friends walked through the somehow ever-shrinking free space of the lobby and squeezed in between the two lines of people who have yet to be helped.


    Seeing a passing guard wandering right in front of the Warden building, Servi took a moment to ask him where the headquarters was.


    ¡°I heard rumors he signed up for it, but I didn''t know it was true.  You¡¯re the Captain''s mentee?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Servi replied.


    ¡°He¡¯s a hard one, you know. The training regimen we guards have to do is almost like hell itself. Anyway, head down that way,¡± he pointed to the right. ¡°And keep going until you reach the third intersection. Take a left and keep going straight. You should start seeing signs. Follow them, and you¡¯ll get there in no time.¡±


    ¡°Then, do you know where this place is at?¡± Momo asked, showing him her card.


    He nodded. ¡°Head down that way,¡± he pointed to the left, ¡°and wait until you get to the fourth intersection. Take a right and keep going straight for two more blocks, then a left. You¡¯ll be at a shopping center. The store you¡¯re looking for is called Levadia Woods.¡±


    Servi and Momo both thanked him.


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome. We gotta look out for each other, ya know? We¡¯re all citizens of Canary." The guard then continued his patrol with a hop in his step.


    We gotta look out for each other, huh? Maybe if I used words instead of going straight for my blade, then¡­. When she shook her head, those thoughts left her head faster than Servi expected them to.


    ¡°He was quite nice,¡± Servi said.  She wanted to break the awkward silence that had grown when the guard walked away.


    ¡°He was. I guess this where we go our separate ways?¡± Momo said, but there was a whimper in her voice, produced from an inexplicable sadness that came from walking away from her best friend.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it like that. We¡¯re still friends, and it¡¯s not like we¡¯re leaving for good.¡±


    ¡°I know. But still¡­¡± Momo looked down. Some of the light and brightness had left her eyes. Being with such a strong pillar of support like Servi had done wonders for her self-confidence, but at the same time, it made her dependent on Servi. The forthcoming time would be the longest the pair of friends had been apart since they met. Even during the previous month, they did almost everything together. That included eating, adventuring, doing laundry, and buying supplies. It was like a farewell, in a sense, and Momo hated that. Even though she knew she would see her friend later, it was a hard thing to process.


    ¡°Look, we can still have dinner and breakfast together. Tell you what, when we get back, we¡¯ll get Claire her chocolate.  Then we''ll come back and give it to her together. Okay?¡±


    Momo¡¯s eyes lit back up again, full of life, and she nodded. ¡°Okay. It¡¯s a promise?¡±


    ¡°I promise.¡±


    ¡°Alright then. Good luck!¡±


    Servi nodded and smiled at her friend. ¡°Thanks. Good luck to you as well!¡±


    And with that final farewell, the two friends went their separate ways.


    Servi, I swear I¡¯ll get stronger. I¡¯ll become someone who''ll be able to watch your back.  I''ll become powerful enough to jump in and protect you if you need it. Dineria... I know we haven''t met yet, but I promise to be the best mentee I can possibly be. I have to for... Servi''s sake. Come on, Momo!


    Unlike the pumped-up positive good feelings that Momo experienced, Servi felt the complete opposite.


    Why did it have to be him?! WHY??!!!! But hold on¡­.. If I play this right, I can inflict such terror and pain upon him that would be several hundred times where he did to Seka and Seko. Hmm¡­ But for that to work, I need to get close to him. I need to work out the rest, but I think I have a good plan¡­.


    Their two thoughts couldn¡¯t be further different if the Gods themselves came to interfere. One was hoping to become someone worthy for her friend, and the other¡¯s thoughts were filled with nothing but thinking about the best way to get revenge on Fisher Jin.

 Book Two – Chapter Four – Part Three – Meeting the Mentors!

    The time was 12:38 PM. A young woman with black hair and red eyes, with an ominous shield hooked in her left hand, stood in front of a building. It wasn¡¯t nearly as giant as Parrel''s mansion, but it was still of a decent size. White sparkly stones and deep ocean-like blue ramparts made up the outside appearance, giving it the feeling of an impenetrable structure. If what Servi heard was correct, then this place functioned as the city¡¯s only jail cell. That would probably explain its outrageous size as well. And if that last thing she heard was true, then it was possible for the ramparts to be fused together by Earth Wall to create a monstrous barrier.


    Of course, those words came from excited children playing a game called ''guard and robber,'' so it was probably the overactive imagination of a creative mind.


    Two guards stood on each side of the regal-looking doors that led to the main lobby. Even though it was the guard''s headquarters, citizens were welcome to enter. It was also the place where people who wanted to join the guard signed up at. At least, that¡¯s what Servi overheard while walking towards this place.


    It¡¯s big, isn¡¯t it? Itarr commentated


    ¡°Yeah, it is.¡±


    How are you feeling? You don¡¯t have to do this if you don¡¯t want to.


    ¡°I won¡¯t lie and say I¡¯m fine, but I¡¯m also not as stressed as I thought I would. I just have to control my anger and not let it consume me.¡±


    Don¡¯t do it all by yourself. I¡¯m here as well.


    ¡°I know. Thanks.¡±


    You¡¯re very welcome.


    With her determination steeled against losing herself in anger, Servi walked up to the four guards standing by the door.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± one of them asked. The guards all had on the same shiny metallic armor.  Even then, they were roughly the same height and weight, and Servi couldn''t tell them apart by their raspy voices.


    ¡°Yeah. I got this card from a receptionist at Warden. Fisher Jin is supposed to be my mentor,¡± she replied and showed them the card.


    The one who spoke grabbed it and read it over before handing it back.


    ¡°You¡¯re the sixth one,¡± said the guard who had taken Servi''s card.


    ¡°Sixth?¡± asked Servi.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Captain Fisher said he would only take in six mentees. Ask the receptionist inside for further details and directions.¡±


    Servi thanked him before going inside. The lobby certainly had the qualifications to be called a lobby. Rows and rows of blue seats filled with people of all races, ages, and genders stood within. Heroic-like paintings decorated the walls. A set of bathrooms were located on the left and right walls.


    As Servi walked forward through the lobby to reach the receptionist¡¯s desk, she overheard two people talking. From what she gathered, this place was also where lawsuits between citizens were decided.  In addition, it functioned as the place where everyone paid their taxes.


    Is this place for much more than we thought? Why have so many services in one place? Wouldn¡¯t that just slow everything down? Itarr asked.


    ¡°It would. It¡¯d be much more efficient to have two or three or even four different buildings, each suited for a different task,¡± Servi said out loud. The two young Singi she passed looked weirdly at the girl with red eyes who talked to herself. Servi glanced back at the two, and they quickly averted their eyes like they were scared of her.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± asked a man behind a white wooden desk. He was an older man with a face that had a few slight scars, proof of a few battles gone wrong, but a faint hint of kindness was behind those war wounds. With no hair, his baldness gave the appearance of being older than he looked. Adorned on his red uniform were medals he had acquired from his years of service. Five filing cabinets sat behind him, and he was the only one working.


    How is he supposed to help everyone? It¡¯s just a single man. Itarr asked. Servi couldn¡¯t answer that because she didn''t know. Unlike Warden¡¯s lobby, this one didn¡¯t have any kind of window or other protection. Hell, if she felt like it, Servi was free to hop behind it and sit down by the receptionist in the nearby empty chair. But she didn¡¯t because she had no reason to do such a thing.  A second reason was because regular people wouldn¡¯t usually hop behind a desk to cause trouble. If it came to it, Servi was more than happy to be the proverbial match to light the fire. Especially if it meant protecting Momo.


    ¡°Yeah, hello. Fisher Jin was chosen as my mentor. I got this card from Warden,¡± producing the card from her pouch, she handed it to the man who glanced at it.


    ¡°Checks out. Nice to meet ya. Name¡¯s Roland. The room you¡¯re looking for is right down that hall. Take the second door on your left, and you¡¯ll be at the waiting room. A bit of advice, though. The Captain might be a bit rough, and his training is certainly intense, but stick with it.¡±


    ¡°Did you train under him?¡± Servi asked. She took back the card and stored it in her pouch before absorbing it.


    ¡°Oh, no. I joined thirty years ago and only just retired from active service three years ago. I¡¯m just a humble receptionist to pass by the time. I did peek in on one of his training sessions and was impressed and surprised at the same time. I¡¯ll just say it was something else.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s what the receptionist, Estela, told me. Thank you for that,¡± Servi said.


    ¡°No problem. Good luck to ya,¡± Roland replied, sending Servi off with a wave. The sleeve of his red uniform fluttered in the wind that sneaked through when the entrance opened up.


    Servi didn¡¯t bother to glance in that direction, and she focused on finding the room she was supposed to go to.


    So let¡¯s see¡­ Roland pointed to that hallway and said the second door on the left¡­ Itarr repeated for Servi''s sake. Once she left the receptionist¡¯s desk, she went down the hall he specified. It was off to the side and was smaller than the other three hallways, and he said it was some sort of a meeting room? Or was it a waiting room? She really wasn¡¯t listening.


    ¡°Thanks for reminding me. Honestly, I should¡¯ve been paying more attention.¡±


    You are most welcome. Now, this is the door right here. It''s the one with a ¡®2¡¯ on it.


    Gripping the metallic handle that shined brightly from a set of lights in the ceiling, a type of Skill Item called a Florescent Light that had the skill Lucem Sphere engraved within, that she would later find out from Momo, she turned the knob and opened it up. Stepping inside, she was met with a small white room with six white chairs in the shape of a circle. Five were filled, and one was empty. Ten eyes turned to stare at the black-haired girl with red eyes. The roof of the room had the same Florescent Light Skill Item illuminating it. The door she entered was the only way in and out.


    I guess you know where to sit, Itarr commented from inside Servi. Closing the door silently, Servi went to the one empty chair and sat down. To her left and right was a Dwarf. Occupying the three seats in front of her were two Koena and a Kobold.


    The Dwarves looked to be related. Both were around the same stocky height and built like a brick house. Black hair and beards for both of them, the only way Servi could tell them apart was by the set of scars lining the one to her left. The one on her right had a clean face free of any battle or war wounds.


    Still, the moment she sat down, she was the victim of five instances of unrelenting staring. Turning the scarred Dwarf, she finally spoke.


    ¡°Mind not staring?¡± she asked in her politest tone, which was a bit unnatural for her. It wasn¡¯t like she wanted to be angry and snappy with everyone. They usually started it with her. And maybe it¡¯ll be nice if she could make some additional friends, and since these five would be training with her, she might as well play nice. For a little while, at least.


    ¡°Aye, sorry about that. Captain Fisher came in and told us there¡¯ll be six. We didn¡¯t expect a Human, much less a woman.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, that¡¯s me. Name¡¯s Servi,¡± she smiled politely, not wanting to start any trouble, and held out her shielded hand to the scarred Dwarf. This was actually because of two reasons. One, a handshake was pretty standard, and two, she wanted to show off the shield.


    Speaking of shields, everyone in the room had one. Hers was the only heater shield. The two Dwarves each had a large buckler, colored brown, attached to their non-dominant arm.  The two Koena had kite shields colored the same as their scales. In terms of protective armor, the Dwarves and Koena had stereotypical adventuring gear clasped over their bodies. The Kobold was shirtless, choosing to go with only black pants to clothe his lower body, and it had a hole for his thick tail to pass through. His chest was mostly green skin, but he had emerald scales protecting his stomach, neck, and chest.


    The lone Kobold, with their nearly superhuman strength, had the only tower shield. Much like its namesake, a tower shield was big and heavy, and the one the Kobold had was the biggest. Standing a bit over two meters tall and three inches thick, it was more like a solid chunk of iron with a handle bolted on. Its edges were sharp and rough, not soft at all, and not even Servi could think she could wield it. It wasn¡¯t flat like a shield should be, and small cracks, like handholds, were on its surface like it was designed to be climbable.


    That has to be hundreds of kilograms¡­maybe even a thousand¡­


    ¡°Nice to meet ye. Name¡¯s Rakkire, a bit odd, but what can we do? Bwahaha!¡± Letting out a booming laugh, Servi turned to the other Dwarf, who had his arm out.


    ¡°Name¡¯s Riki. I¡¯m that fool¡¯s cousin. I gotta say, though, that shield looks quite impressive. Mind if I hold it?¡± said the Dwarf with the clean face. Like his cousin Rakkire, Riki¡¯s beard came down to below his stomach. Servi couldn¡¯t even fathom have such a long beard to keep trimmed and neat.


    ¡°Servi. Nice to meet you. And sure,¡± Servi slid the shield off of her left arm and passed it to Riki. He held it with one hand, like Servi, and tapped it with a small hammer he pulled from his waistband. A pleasant and solid sound echoed out, and he nodded like he was satisfied with what he heard.


    ¡°Aye. That there is a good solid shield. Only hollow for the sword slot, but the rest is full metal. Thick mythril, in fact.  I mean no disrespect, but I¡¯m surprised you could lift it so easily.¡± Riki handed it back, and Servi took it.


    Sliding her left arm back in, she made a fist to test her grip. ¡°Thick mythril? I honestly bought it because I got it for cheap.¡±


    Riki started to explain, but a silver Koena sitting across stood up and did it for him. ¡°Thick mythril is an alloy of two different kinds of mythril. There''s a soft, malleable kind that¡¯s like liquid metal, and its total opposite, a very dense and thick kind, where it gets its name from. That way, it¡¯s both extremely strong and flexible. Excellent material for a shield, but not a sword.¡±


    Servi and the two Dwarf cousins stared at the scaly stranger, who quickly gave his name.


    ¡°Call me Silverado. That¡¯s the name my honorable parents gave me.¡±


    ¡°And call me Desperado,¡± said a black Koena who sat near Silverado. Unlike his silver counterpart, the light was seemingly absorbed by Desperado''s black scales, not reflected like his friend.


    How strange. It feels like not that many people give out their last name. Is it rare and exclusive to royalty like Parrel and Eina and her brother? Or do people hide them? Itarr asked. Servi wondered the same thing. Did Momo have a last name? If she did, Servi would like to know it, but Momo would probably ask Servi for her last name. And Servi didn¡¯t know if she had one. Servi could make one up but decided not to. It might be the best thing if she waited to ask that question.


    ¡°Nice to meet you two. Name¡¯s Servi.¡± After shaking their hands, she turned to the lone Kobold, who sat still. The chunk of iron that was his shield sat behind him, leaning against the wall.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to make friends, only to grow strong and learn from the one called the Justice Captain.¡±


    ¡°Not very sociable, are you?¡± replied Servi, and the Kobold growled in response.


    ¡°Human woman, I have no need to be sociable for those weaker than me,¡± the Kobold stood up, motioning for Servi to walk closer. ¡°Perhaps if you could lift my ancestor¡¯s shield, I could give you my name. But until then, I don¡¯t need to know your name, and you don¡¯t need to know mine.¡±


    The Kobold turned around and went past his chair. Gripping the sole handle, the Kobold grunted and focused everything he had, and gradually and gradually, the thick iron slab raised off the ground.


    ¡°See? Only those who can lift this deserve my respect,¡± he said after placing it back down.  One by one, the two Dwarves and Koena walked over with Servi.


    ¡°Bloody impossible! How did you find this?¡± Rakkire asked, his scarred face flushed with sweat and excitement. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a raw chunk of iron!¡±


    ¡°It was in my family before I was born. Only males who can lift it are allowed to roam the outside world. I was the first to lift it.  That is why I am here.¡±


    ¡°Stand back, cousin. Allow me to try.¡±


    ¡°Riki, there¡¯s no way you can do it," Rakkire muttered. As he said, it was impossible for him.


    After him, the two Koena tried their hand and failed.


    ¡°Then it falls to the Human female. Can you use this shield?¡±


    Taking off her shield, Itarr asked if Servi wanted her to use Telekinesis, but she shook her head.


    Very well. Good luck!


    Smiling to herself, Servi gripped the rough handle which came to above her chest. She crouched down under it. Servi planned to keep her arms extended and stand up under while using her legs to take the stress.


    ¡°Strange stance,¡± said the black Koena.


    ¡°Aye, never seen something like that before,¡± said Riki.


    Servi started to slowly raise up, making sure to keep her arms out and locked. But like she predicted earlier when she saw it, the hunk of iron was too much for her to use as a shield. However, she felt it lift up off the ground such a tiny amount. Nobody but her noticed it.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I can¡¯t use this as a shield as it¡¯s intended. But if it¡¯s just a few centimeters...¡± at once, Servi crouched all the way back down, making sure to keep an upward grip on the dirty handle, and hastily stood up. All her muscles and bones and joints screamed at her for trying to lift something that was clearly above her current level of strength. Perhaps if her Absorption skill was maxed out, where she would receive 100% of her souls¡¯ physical strength, she could wield it somewhat.  Alas, that wasn''t the case.


    ¡°Dear Gods above,¡± the two dwarves muttered simultaneously.


    ¡°Human female¡­.no, Servi. I am impressed,¡± said the Kobold. She lifted it a grand total of 2.5 centimeters off the ground and subsequently fell to the floor while faking exasperated breaths. The shield fell as well, and it was almost like an earthquake. The entire room shook.  It only cost her two broken arms, two fractured shoulders, two broken legs, and two shattered knees. Said injuries healed in a matter of microseconds, but she felt the lingering pain. But by this point, she knew it would fade away. Ignoring it, she stood up and stared at the Kobold.


    Wait, why did I do that!? Standing out was something I didn''t want to do!!! Those were her immediate thoughts, but Servi just felt so happy that she threw them away.


    ¡°The name is Feral. I would like to request a battle if we have the time,¡± said the Kobold. His alligator-like mouth opened up, revealing many, many razor-sharp teeth. His tail slammed against the ground repeatedly, showing his happiness as if he was some sort of dog.


    ¡°Feral, it¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Servi extended her hand, and the massive Kobold took hold of it with his right hand. It was three times bigger than her own. Standing well over three meters tall, Feral was by far the largest humanoid she had seen during her time here in Canary, even compared to the other Kobolds.


    For each Kobold, the ratio of skin to scale to fur would be different, and it was sparse for two Kobold to have the same pattern. The only similarities between Kobold would be their alligator-like mouth and tail, which varied in color, but most were green, like Feral¡¯s.

 Book Two – Chapter Four – Part Four – Meeting the Mentors!

    ¡°What the hell is going on in here?!!¡± The door slammed open to reveal a man in black armor. The word ¡®Justice¡¯ was engraved in gold letters on his breastplate. Brown hair and brown eyes decorated the head of a man so hated by Servi that she barely kept herself from lashing out. But she knew of the consequences if she lost to her anger. So she did the next best thing: trusting Itarr with it.


    Please, let me take care of your anger. Do your best to stay calm, and don¡¯t worry, we can kill that bastard later. Please, trust me.


    ¡°You realize this is a fucking waiting room and not a goddamn zoo?!¡± Fisher stomped his feet and smacked the door.


    ¡°Sorry about that. I wanted to try to lift that shield.¡± Servi said in her most pleasant voice. Not a hint of hatred or anger showed through, though those emotions erupted and roared behind her pretty, smiling face. But she didn¡¯t have to worry about them coming out because her faithful friend dealt with them.


    ¡°There¡¯s a time and place for that shit, and it¡ªWait¡­ Why is a woman here? Everyone knows they can¡¯t be a tank!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to disprove that. I¡¯m the tank for my group,¡± Servi stepped close to Fisher and closed the distance between the two. ¡°Estela chose you as my mentor.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Estela made a mistake. Leave. The rest of you come with me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. Estela picked me to come here, and I¡¯m staying.¡±


    ¡°If you stay, the training would be worse than death. For talking back to me, it¡¯ll be even worse. You¡¯d wish you be dead. In fact, tell me, and I¡¯ll slit your fucking throat myself!¡± Fisher reached behind his waist and pulled out a dagger. Both handle and blade were blacker than night, and blue energy pulsed throughout it. Holding it to his neck, he made a motion of slitting his own throat before pointing to Servi. Through her peripheral vision, she saw the two Dwarves and both Koena jitter slightly. Servi and Feral were the only ones to stay still.


    Nadrium? It seems that our target has quite an expensive blade to toy around with.


    ¡°I can deal with it.¡±


    ¡°I''ll hold you to that. Now, all you maggots, get your shit and follow me.¡± Sheathing the knife, Fisher smashed the door with hands, creating a sudden and loud sound. Picking up his large tower shield, Feral was the last to leave. The order went Rakkire, Silverado, Desperado, Riki, Servi, and then the Kobold.


    ¡°Get into two lines, three deep. Follow close and don¡¯t open your worthless mouths!¡± Fisher barked. They were in the hallway that led to the waiting room, which meant they were close to the lobby. But not wanting to anger him anymore, the six new mentees quickly got into his desired formation.


    ¡°Follow me!¡± Fisher stomped his foot down and began to march. Going back to the lobby, he began to walk down the hallways. The six followed along, and none of them knew where they were marching off to. Then, with no warning at all, the pissed-off Captain began explaining the origins of his nickname.


    ¡°They call me the Justice Captain because of my beliefs and love for the concept of ¡®justice.¡¯ You see, I don¡¯t dare to allow anyone to belittle my Justice. Not even the Gods Above can do that. All I do is for justice, and justice is what I do. Ten years ago, I was part of a battle, my first fight... I dispensed so much justice to the foul monsters that dared to attack me it wasn¡¯t even funny. Their blood was the nourishment for the soil. And I was only 14 at the time. Now I¡¯m 30 and already Captain of the Guard. I am responsible for protecting the people of this city with my own blend of justice.¡±


    How disgusting¡­. He¡¯s even worse than I thought. His ¡®justice¡¯ is torturing poor slaves.


    Servi and Itarr were the only ones who felt this way, and they were the only ones who had a look of such disgust plastered on their faces. But even the Dwarves and Koena and the lone Kobold listened and perched onto every word the mad man spoke. It reminded Servi of the time, where minutes after the attack on the slave markets and Parrel¡¯s mansion, she went to walk around the town. There, she eavesdropped on a Dwarf who wished he had the cash saved up to buy a slave. Servi couldn¡¯t fathom that a member of one of the oppressed races would be so willing to participate in the slave trade.


    Maybe that was the norm. Maybe Servi, as someone who had no memories, saw everything from a non-bias perspective.


    Slavery was almost as common as air and water, but that didn¡¯t mean it was right. And the few people who could see that, Servi, Momo, and the rest of the fighters who risked their lives to liberate the three markets, were in the very, very small minority. And in this situation, Servi was the only one of the seven to feel that way.


    But what if the people around Servi were so desensitized to slavery that they accepted it as part of life?


    Suddenly, the Justice Captain stopped and turned around.  His brown eyes scanned over the six mentees, and he stopped when they came to Servi.  He glanced up and down, taking in her armor.  Servi matched his gaze and stared back.


    Stomping again, Fisher turned around and resumed marching. By now, Servi and the rest had followed Fisher up and downstairs, in and out of rooms that were both big and small, and she was getting mentally exhausted. She didn¡¯t know how much more of his preaching she could take without snapping, even though Itarr was doing her best to keep her stable and calm.


    A few minutes later, he suddenly stopped in front of a set of brown double doors.  He ordered the six mentees to introduce themselves, and they did.


    ¡°Behold maggots! This is where we will do the majority of our training!!¡± Fisher yelled. He pushed open the twin set of brown double doors and walked inside. The six mentees followed him.


    It was a large room. Very large, in fact. But it couldn¡¯t be called a room. It was a field, and Servi could see the skies above, but they were blocked by a glass roof. The walls were all white and somehow sparkly clean.


    ¡°Maggots! This is my domain. Governor Blas¨¦ may rule out there but in here? I¡¯m the king. I¡¯m the master, the governor, the president, and even the God of this field.¡±


    As Fisher rambled on about stuff Servi didn''t care about, she looked at the area in front of her that would soon become familiar. It was a large rectangular patch of grass, at least a couple hundreds of meters long and wide, but a concrete circle with ten white lines painted into it surrounded it.


    It was a track and field facility.


    Wait, track and¡­.field? Servi asked herself in her mind.


    On the grassy field sat a wide variety of metal equipment that was sure to be used with training. Swords and shields and lances and all kinds of weapons could be seen, but that was to be expected. What Servi didn¡¯t expect to see was a set of circular weights in the distance. They started off at 1kg and incrementally increased until they topped out at 100 kilograms.


    Is this a field for people to run? Servi questioned. It reminded her of something, and it felt like a memory was on the tip of her tongue, But try as she might, she couldn¡¯t get past the last hurdle to remember.


    ¡°And that¡¯s all for the explanation. Maggots, run over to the weapons you see in that field, grab one, and run back here!!! Go!!!¡± Fisher raised his hand and pointed to the middle of the field, and he once again stomped the floor.


    All at once, everyone sans Servi ran full blast towards the shelf of weapons that seemed so far away in the grassy area. Though she got a late start by a few seconds, Servi effortlessly caught up to the sprinting group.


    ¡°Are you seriously running with that?!!¡± Servi asked, stupefied by what she saw. Feral ran with the two-meter iron tower shield on his back. Even Servi couldn''t lift it more than three centimeters, but Feral somehow had the strength to run with it.


    ¡°My body has grown strong by lifting my ancestral shield since I was small. I was the strongest Kobold in my village. That¡¯s why I can run with it,¡± he replied in a much friendlier tone.


    I guess you really did get his respect. Itarr commented. Servi nodded in response. The distance to the weapons was longer than she thought, and the steady, rhythmic stomping of their feet soon went silent. They were no longer on concrete but on green grass. The grassy ground absorbed the noise, and even though Servi could run two or three times faster, she didn¡¯t want to cause any sort of scene.


    ¡°MAGGOTS! YOU¡¯RE LATE!!!¡± Fisher roared from behind. He stayed where he was and didn¡¯t bother running with them.


    I thought a mentor was supposed to be kind? Itarr asked. After Servi woke up, she told Itarr all she knew of mentors and how they were supposed to be strict and fair. She didn¡¯t know how she knew that knowledge.  Like every other bit of general knowledge, it was something that remained within her brain.


    Servi increased her speed just a little bit, much to the shock of the five she left behind, and soon, she reached the weapon shelf. She snatched a sword from the top shelf since she was most comfortable with it, and she started the journey back. As she passed by the Kobold, she heard him speak quickly and hastily.


    ¡°Servi, perhaps there is more to you than what I thought...¡± Even if she wanted to respond, Servi was too far gone now. Glancing behind her, the other five had reached the shelf and were currently grabbing a weapon, so Servi slowed down her pace a tad bit.


    ¡°As you said earlier, mentors are supposed to be kind. But this is Fisher Jin. The so-called ¡®Justice Captain.¡¯ The same man who beat Seka and Seko, and he probably has the blood of many others on his hands. He will not die painlessly, I assure you. But I do feel calm. Thank you, Itarr.¡±


    You are most welcome, my love.


    Servi blushed slightly. Yes, they loved each other, but it was the first time either of them called the other ¡®my love.¡¯


    I sense something is wrong. Are you okay? The sudden redness that painted Servi¡¯s white face went unnoticed by her beloved friend.


    Still running and coming up on the concrete, Servi shook her head as her hair fought against the wind. ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong. I¡¯m just really happy!¡±


    When it came to people and emotions, being loved was a core part of being alive. Of course, there would be scores and scores of people who swore that they would be fine living alone. They would declare that being loved, or not being loved, wouldn¡¯t affect them in the slightest.


    That was a lie.


    A total lie.


    It was the furthest thing from the truth.


    The truth of the matter was this: if people didn¡¯t get love from other people, they would get it from animals. Dogs, cats, even a spider or a snake, was fair game. They couldn¡¯t speak the language of people, but they understood one thing: love. But if that wasn¡¯t an option, the next thing people would try to get love from would be fictional beings, like someone who appeared in a novel or an imaginary friend that only exists in the believer''s mind. In the end, love is love. There was nothing else to it.


    Servi was the first to arrive back at Fisher. She didn¡¯t know what to do, so she dropped her sword to the ground. The man in question eyed her and spoke. ¡°You¡¯re to tell me that you just ran hundreds of meters in that full armor and didn¡¯t break a sweat?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she replied with a smug grin.


    ¡°Bullshit. Go do it again!¡± Fisher ordered. Slamming his foot down, he pointed back to the shelves of weapons in the middle of the field.


    ¡°But why? I did what you asked,¡± Servi whined back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t care. And don¡¯t you dare talk back to me!¡±


    ¡°I did what you said. I¡¯m not doing it again.¡± That was Servi''s stance. She held her ground and crossed her arms, locking eyes with her mortal enemy.


    ¡°Then ten laps around the field! Now! And nobody is allowed to go to the next step until you¡¯re done!¡±


    Please, Servi, I don¡¯t like him yelling at you.


    ¡°Fine. Then count.¡± After having the last laugh, so to say, Servi spun on her heels and jogged over the ''track'' part of the track and field.


    Once she reached the concrete circle, she took off running. Her hair flowed behind her, and her ruby red eyes stared directly ahead.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Itarr. I know I shouldn¡¯t talk back to him, but he just makes me so mad.¡±


    I know. Fisher''s making me mad, too. Do you wanna put on a show? Maybe go a bit faster?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I gotta say, being able to run like this with the wind in my hair feels great!¡±


    Servi, I''m so glad you''re happy!


    And so, the lone girl with the black hair, red eyes, and evil-looking shield became very well acquainted with the circle. By the time she was done with lap 1, the other five were back at Fisher. He was yelling at them about something, but she didn¡¯t care.


    By lap 3, Servi felt happy and good. She thought it was amazing that her body didn''t need to sweat.


    On lap 5, she saw Fisher looking irritated as he tossed his dagger down. Feral had his shield, if one could call it that, on the hot ground. He sat down, cross-legged, and became a witness to Servi¡¯s incredible feat of five laps without slowing down.


    By lap 9, the other four must have convinced Feral to allow them on his shield.


    They joined in with the cheering and hollering as they yelled out, ¡°One more lap! One more lap!¡±


    ¡°Those five don¡¯t seem that bad, do they?¡± she asked her friend. She was coming up on the last turn before her task would be completed.


    I don¡¯t think so. Feral might be the one I¡¯d keep my eye on, but he seems much nicer after you proved yourself. Speaking of which, why did you do that?


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s a law or custom in his village. Like, if someone wants to enter, then maybe they have to prove themselves? As for why? I don¡¯t really know. I''ve been feeling weird, and I guess I just suddenly felt like proving myself.¡±


    Hmm¡­. In that case, I say you passed.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Servi replied. Her cute face still had no traces of sweat, and her breathing was the same as when she first started. If anything, her arm felt a bit sore from the shield, but the pain went away instantly.


    She rounded the last corner.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how they convinced Feral to let them sit on his shield.¡±


    I don¡¯t know either. The others didn¡¯t prove themselves.


    ¡°He¡¯s probably just shy and hiding it. He could very well be the nicest one here.¡±


    I see. Feral''s acting a little bit rude, but he is actually nice? That is something I need to learn more about.


    Thirty seconds later, Servi finished her ten laps. She turned towards the five on the shield.


    ¡°Hot damn! Ten laps and not a bead of sweat!¡±


    ¡°Gotta say that was incredible.¡±


    Exclaimed the Dwarf cousins.


    The two Koena only nodded, but they wore a wide grin on their face. Feral, the mighty Kobold, slammed his tail into the ground over and over again. Was running ten laps something to be impressed about? Servi didn¡¯t know.


    She didn¡¯t know that one lap around the track was 400 meters. And she did ten after running 300 meters to and from the weapon shelf in the middle of the field. She wasn''t aware of it, but she ran 4,300 meters without even sweating in the middle of summer.


    It was something to be impressed about. But it wasn¡¯t impossible. Most mid-ranking adventurers could do the same, and those who''ve reached  Rank 1 or 2 could triple or quadruple the distance.


    ¡°Alright! Alright! Stop!¡± said Fisher, who came over from the entrance where the brown doors were at. He had been talking to someone, but Servi didn¡¯t know who.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you off this time, but no more backtalk!¡± he pointed his armored fingers in her direction. Two red eyes stared back.


    ¡°Fine. No more backtalk...¡± She shrugged her shoulders.


    Hmm¡­ Maybe this girl does have what it takes to be a tank. Usually, calling them maggots and yelling at them is enough to make the weakest one break. But it didn¡¯t seem to affect her. When I told her women can¡¯t become tanks, I expected her to lash out, but she didn¡¯t. And when I drew my dagger, everyone except her and the big one flinched. She has guts, that¡¯s for sure.


    I said and did all that to test them, and I think she figured that out.  Maybe the Governor forcing this mentorship onto me wasn¡¯t such a bad idea. Fisher thought. He observed the girl who had an incredible amount of stamina and courage deep within herself.

 Book Two – Chapter Four – Part Five – Meeting the Mentors!

    Fisher stomped his foot into the concrete, and all six turned to look at him.


    ¡°You and you!¡± he pointed to Silverado and Rakkire. ¡°Get your weapons and stand over there. You and you: do the same and stand there.¡± This time, he pointed at Feral and Desperado.


    Servi realized what was coming next. With a sigh, she picked up her dropped weapon and walked over to Riki.


    ¡°Good. Now, we''re going to have a few mock battles using the weapons I provided and your armor. That means you can¡¯t use your shield. This is a way for me to see how you approach your opponent if you find yourself without it.¡± He explained and pointed to Silverado¡¯s group. ¡°You two will be going first. Everyone else, to me.¡±


    As Servi walked over to his side, she spoke quietly to Itarr. ¡°That¡¯s how a mentor is supposed to be. Not calling people maggots or forcing them to do ridiculous things.¡±


    I see. But still, I can¡¯t think of Fisher as a proper one. Not after what all I¡¯ve seen.


    Servi did nothing but sigh.


    As she watched the two opponents get into position, a thought occurred to herself.  What she saw conflicted with the knowledge she had learned a month ago, and she said it out loud. ¡°I thought Koena were opposed to using weapons? I thought they used their fists?¡±


    Desperado, the black Koena, answered her. ¡°Some of my people like to fight that way. They believe using weapons cheapen the value of the essence of the Koena. I¡¯m not one of them. The decision to use a weapon is not what makes a Koena closer to the Great Scaled Serpent in the sky. It is about the way you push yourself in the face of adversity.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thanks, I didn¡¯t know,¡± Desperado nodded.  He was happy he had the chance to spread his culture and personal beliefs to someone who wanted knowledge.  However, Servi¡¯s head soon filled with even more questions. Itarr had the same ones.


    A Great Scaled Serpent in the sky? Is it a God like me?


    Servi shrugged.


    I assume you don¡¯t know either?


    Servi nodded.


    I see.


    Servi nodded again and focused her eyes on the sparring match that was about to begin. Since they couldn¡¯t use their shields, they sat them some distance away. Silverado had a small blunt club while the Dwarf he faced held a small hand axe.


    ¡°Alright. Keep going until first blood is called, or you give up. We do have a medical team on standby, but if you need healing, then you fail the test. Being a tank means that you need to minimize the damage you take if you lose your shield. Remember, no skills. I want to see what you¡¯re capable of physically. Skill and shield use will come later.¡±


    Raising his leg, Fisher stomped the ground, and the two competitors started to move.


    Servi thought that Rakkire had the advantage when it came to overall fights. After all, being a Dwarf meant he was shorter and closer to the ground, and his muscles were toned, firm, and resilient. But in a competition like this, Servi thought that maybe being short was a disadvantage.  Rakkire would definitely lose on the reach, but perhaps he could make up for it in strength?


    The five watching the fight stayed silent as the two continued to stare each other down. It was Rakkire who moved first. He took a low stance and crept forward before making a swiping motion with his hand axe. He aimed to attack the feet and legs of his opponent.


    Silverado hopped up, avoiding the swipe and grinned. His club was in the air, and he swung it down. But Rakkire expected that his opponent would jump, and thus he transitioned into a roll. Silverado¡¯s attack missed and slammed into the concrete. The blunt head of his weapon bounced up from the recoil. Rakkire spun the axe in his hand as he recovered.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± growled Feral. He watched with closed eyes and listened to their grunts.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, big guy?¡± Servi turned to look at him.


    ¡°The Dwarf had the perfect chance to take his opponent out, but he didn¡¯t. If it was me, I would¡¯ve turned and used my tail.¡±


    ¡°But Dwarfs and Koena don¡¯t have tails,¡± replied Servi.


    ¡°Aye, the day my cousin grows a tail is the day I stop drinking. A Dwarf with a tail isn¡¯t a Dwarf at all,¡± added Riki.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Feral growled in response, but Servi swore his green face had the tiniest hint of red. Was it possible for such a big guy to be embarrassed?


    Servi turned back to the fight. The two competitors were focused on taking down their opponent without seriously injuring the other. Even though it was a sparring match and they were opponents, they felt a sort of kinship. Everyone who was here, at this moment, was the tank for their group. They were expected to be at the front lines, taking and absorbing the damage in a way to minimize it so their allies could deal the finishing blow.


    ¡°Come on! Stop dallying around! Do you really think your opponent will wait for you to move?!¡± Fisher barked. He was really in the mentoring mood, and he did not remind Servi of the guy she wanted to kill.


    Maybe he really is taking this seriously. If only he could stay like this all the time. Servi uselessly pondered.


    ¡°Whaddya say we finish this?¡± replied the Dwarf. He stood up and held his axe with both hands. The Koena did the same with his club and wordlessly nodded.


    Their two weapons collided when they rushed in. The strength of a Dwarf pushed against the force of a Koena, two races that were stronger than Humans and Elves but weaker than Kobolds, and neither side wanted to give up.


    It seemed like it would be a stalemate, but Silverado stopped pushing.


    ¡°Wha¡ª¡± exclaimed the Dwarf as he fell forward. Silverado rolled to his back and grabbed Rakkire as he fell. Disarming him, he proceeded to slither around and took hold of Rakkire¡¯s arm and pulled tight. His hand-axe fell to the ground some distance away, and Rakkire¡¯s stubby arms couldn¡¯t reach it.


    ¡°Sorry, but I win,¡± Silverado grinned. Positioned on the Dwarf¡¯s back, he had his left arm held up at an angle and was only a few small centimeters away from snapping it.


    ¡°Aye, it¡¯s my loss,¡± Rakkire tapped the ground using his spare hand, and Fisher stomped the concrete floor once more.


    ¡°You both fail,¡± he promptly blurted out. Fisher pulled out a clipboard, paper, and a pen from his Dimensional Storage as he wrote his observations. Once he was finished, he explained what he meant.


    ¡°Silverado, you fell to your back and tried to disarm your opponent. That would be good against someone smaller than you. But you¡¯re the tank. You always need to be on your feet and protect your party. Rakkire, you got disarmed. Your weapon is your last line of defense if you lose your shield. Next up, you two,¡± pointing to Feral and Desperado, the two made their way to the non-existent arena just as Silverado and Rakkire walked out.


    ¡°Good work, you two,¡± Servi tried to complement the two, but she received a gruff grunt from Rakkire.


    ¡°It seems I have a lot to learn. I should approach every battle as if I was the last line of defense.  I think that¡¯s what the Justice Captain was trying to teach us,¡± said Silverado. He looked down at his club and took a stance. His left hand was out in front of him, and he imagined he was blocking all kinds of attacks.


    ¡°Go!¡± hearing Fisher yell and stomp, Servi turned back to the match. It was Desperado against Feral


    When compared to his hands, Feral gripped a massive wooden club that looked like a toothpick, and Servi expected him to win. He had the reach and power behind him to probably break stone walls with a single punch. Desperado had chosen a blunt club as well.


    The match was over as soon as it began. How could it not be over? Feral had so much height on the Koena, and he had a long and thick tail he could use to attack. And that was what he did. He moved forward just a tiny bit while Desperado had his guard up and spun around.


    He was fast. Really fast. Something that big and strong couldn¡¯t have been possible to turn so nimbly, but he did it. His tail collided with his opponent¡¯s arm, and Servi heard a brutal crack before he cried out. But Desperado didn¡¯t drop his weapon even as he slid across the hard floor. He somehow had the right state of mind to hold on to it.


    Just as Desperado was getting up off the floor, Fisher called the match.


    ¡°It¡¯s over. Feral, you pass. You used your tail against an opponent who didn¡¯t have a sharp weapon. If he did, then there was a chance for your tail to be injured, and you would¡¯ve failed. Good job using your strengths to your advantage. Desperado, you fail. Your opponent had a tail that was a natural weapon, and you unknowingly stepped into its range. Don¡¯t try to block such an attack with your arm. Because of that, it¡¯s broken, and you¡¯ve lost half of your fighting strength. Even if you get to your shield, you only have one arm that works. Head to the medics and get healed, then come back." Fisher harshly criticized the results of the short-lived match.


    I gotta say, it seems like he really knows his stuff. I don¡¯t exactly know if he¡¯s telling the truth, but he sounds so confident. Why is he doing this? If he¡¯s the same Fisher I know and saw, then his attitude and way of acting are so different. It¡¯s like they¡¯re not the same person, Servi thought. If he wasn''t fucked up, there was a chance she would have enjoyed learning from him.


    Feral walked back to the group with his tail slamming against the ground. Desperado had an unpleasant look on his face combined with anger, regret, and sadness. He knew it was his fault he lost. But if the pain of a broken arm was what it took to become stronger and more knowledgeable, then he thought it was worth it.


    ¡°Finally! It¡¯s my turn. I gotta say, I¡¯m getting excited," Servi quipped. She didn¡¯t know why, but it was like her blood boiled for a chance to fight. Dropping her shield to the ground, she picked up her sword she retrieved from the weapon shelf.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be so easy. I still haven¡¯t accepted you as a student. Be sure to prove me wrong,¡± Fisher gave Servi a small warning.


    The words he spoke and the words he thought did not match in the least. He believed that only Humans should be allowed to rule the world. Anyone else belonging to a different race should grovel at humanity¡¯s feet.


    But as the Captain of the Guard, he had to keep those thoughts deep down. Relationships between Demis and Humans were regressing, even if it barely showed on the surface.


    Even as he corrupted his mind with those dark thoughts, a tiny speck of light appeared within. Fisher Jin was a person. He had thoughts and feelings. Many different complex emotions made up his mind, and they determined how he lived and acted.


    And yet, here he was. He was mentoring five Demis and a Human because Governor Blas¨¦ forced him to take part. He was teaching those he hated, but he told himself it was so that they could use that knowledge to save Humans.


    People were bound to change based on who they kept as company. That was a solid fact of life. Take Momo as an example; a young girl who made her way to Canary to follow her in her grandpa¡¯s footsteps. Now she was growing, both physically and mentally, because of Servi''s support. Such acts of growth were not uncommon if one kept their eyes peeled.


    Getting into the agreed-upon-but-not-marked-out-ring, Servi stared her opponent down. Riki had a sword, just like she did.


    Shall I stay out of it?


    Servi nodded.


    Very well. I¡¯ll be cheering you on!


    Smiling, Servi activated Soul Essence of Primal Combat. She knew she was cheating, but she didn¡¯t care. From what Servi saw in the past month, the world was a dangerous place. And she didn¡¯t want to play by the rules of this little sparring match ran by her number one enemy. Besides, unlike most skills, Soul Essence of Primal Combat didn¡¯t have a telltale sign of activating. It was entirely hidden, and she was going to rely on it.


    After her new mentor stomped his foot, Servi took a weird stance. Her sword was held perpendicular to her body, going left to right while her free hand was lying on the flat end of her blade. Her black hair slightly swayed as she kept her unblinking red eyes on her opponent.


    ¡°What kinda stance is that?¡± Silverado asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it is strange. I would not underestimate Servi. She¡¯s the first outsider and Human to lift my shield. She is someone to watch out for,¡± Feral growled between his teeth.


    ¡°That stance¡­.she knows it?!¡± Fisher gritted through clenched teeth. He wasn¡¯t angry but surprised. Very, very surprised. Unknown to Servi and the others, Fisher knew just how powerful that stance was. It was something he and Arnold learned a long time ago.


    Arnold was the man who Servi killed after meeting Itarr. While he wasn¡¯t her first kill, that belonged to the monster bees, he was the first humanoid capable of speech that died by her hand. But he had it coming. His silver armor with the gold flower etched into it was a mockery. Such a beautiful symbol on gorgeous armor should not have been adorned by a man with an ugly soul and pitch-black heart.


    It was a memory that would never leave her mind. Arnold and Fisher were taking turns terrorizing Seka and Seko, a pair of Singi siblings that Servi healed and fed during her second nightly stroll. She saw it happen with her own two eyes on the day she woke up next to a forest. She had made her way to Canary and saw Arnold stab his weapon into Seko''s foot, and she thought there was no need for her to understand the language to understand what was happening in front of her. Or was there? She didn''t want to believe it was possible that what she saw was nothing less than the truth.


    ¡°Listen up," Fisher said, speaking in a rarely used voice. It was a dysphoric tone, reminding him of his past. ¡°That stance is called the hand-over-blade. It relies on using precise and minute movements to deflect an incoming attack. Then you launch out with your free hand to disarm your opponent while they try to recover. It¡¯s not unbeatable in group brawls, but it¡¯s the best option in duels. But even just making a single mistake is enough to be seriously injured. To be honest, the risk is far greater than the reward. I don¡¯t even use it anymore.¡±


    Hmm... Perhaps I should... and just like that, Fisher¡¯s opinion of the girl with black hair and red eyes changed again.


    Riki made the first move. Holding his sword with both hands, he launched forward and began a brutal fury of swipes and slashes. Servi, following the afterimages, stayed in one place and carefully adjusted her right hand that held the hilt of her blade. Slightly bending it up for the first downward slash, then to the left and down for the follow-up diagonal slash. The two blades slid against each other, creating tiny sparks of light.


    It wasn¡¯t only Arnold¡¯s soul that she channeled experience from. It was just the base that Servi''s body used for the stance, but the other hundreds of souls contributed just as much. Their experiences and battles and even their training all flowed into Servi¡¯s soul, engraving it. Improving it. Their pain and hardships were used to make her stronger.


    Next, Riki tried to change up and went for a left feint before suddenly thrusting forward. But Servi didn¡¯t fall for it. Instead, she rotated her blade, still perpendicular, 69 degrees, so that Riki¡¯s thrust slid down. During that moment where the two blades touched metal to metal, Servi shot out with her free hand, gripped into a fist, and punched Riki¡¯s hand that held his weapon''s handle.


    She broke three of his fingers, and she backed up when he cried out. Stilling holding her stance, she walked towards the immobilized Dwarf and thought about disarming him. Red images appeared in her mind, and she followed. The moment she got within two steps of her opponent, he switched to a one-handed stance and slashed wildly.


    But every single attack was deflected thanks to her hand-over-blade stance. Fisher could do nothing but stare in disbelief.


    A moment later, the match was coming to a close. Riki went for another thrust followed by a kick, but he didn¡¯t expect Servi to duck under both attacks. As she returned to her stance, he performed one more final, desperate attack, but Servi switched stances. She moved and slashed with both hands on the hilt of her sword and met Riki¡¯s attack head-on. Her weapon cut cleaned through her opponent¡¯s blade, and he was left with a useless sword less than half its original size.


    Taking advantage of his confusion, Servi kicked his knee, and he crumbled to the ground. Putting her sword to his neck, he smiled. ¡°Aye, it¡¯s your win.¡±


    She held her hand out, and he took it, using her as an anchor to get to his feet. ¡°It was a good match, and I felt like I learned a lot, but what was that stance?¡± asked Riki as she helped him over to the group. She didn¡¯t break his leg, but it was sent shocks of pain throughout his body.


    It was a respect-worthy show of sportsmanship for two people who wished to become better tanks.


    ¡°It was something I learned a while ago,¡± Servi lied as naturally as she breathed. Well, she didn¡¯t need to inhale in the first place.


    ¡°How interesting. You took all of my attacks head-on but deflected each one,¡± said Riki. The two then reached the group. She saw Desperado from the double doors, and he was walking back this way. He must¡¯ve finished up being treated.


    ¡°Riki, you fail. Don¡¯t wildly commit to each and every attack. Servi, you pass. Your stance was something that was created for defense, and it showed when you deflected his attacks. But I have to dock points for meeting his sword head-on. As a tank, you have to defend and only go for attacks like that when necessary. You could¡¯ve won by continuing to use the stance. Don¡¯t take any sort of risk when you can help it.¡±


    Fisher then became quiet as he scribbled more on his paper. He kept sneaking glances at Servi, and she hated it. But before long, while the six of them conversed about the matches, he stomped into the floor again.


    ¡°Desperado, Riki, and Rakkire, sit down and watch the upcoming match. Servi, Silverado, and Feral, grab your weapons and go into the ring.¡± After noticing he didn¡¯t stomp, Servi and the two others went into the ring. The three that remained took a seat on the concrete and stared.


    Well, I didn¡¯t expect it to go this way, but whatever. Fisher thought. His black armor sucked in the light from the sun beaming through the glass ceiling, but he wasn¡¯t sweating. It seemed like he was used to such intense heat.


    ¡°This is a three-way battle. Same rules as before,¡± after stomping his feet, the fourth battle of the day began.

 Book Two – Chapter Four – Part Six – Meeting the Mentors!

    Good work on winning! Itarr said. She wanted to congratulate Servi earlier, but she had been so engrossed in the fight that she forgot. The way her black hair danced with her body was mesmerizing in a way. She looked so strong, so beautiful, and so delicate!


    Nodding, Servi took the hand-over-blade stance that she used in her fight with Riki, but she didn¡¯t think it would be that good here. She believed that for two reasons. One, Feral was big and strong, and he had the reach on her. Two, his weapon. It was almost as long as Servi, and he held it with a single hand.


    She knew she could kill Feral. Telekinesis probably wouldn''t be the right skill, but she had tons of other options. Earth Wall, for example, would probably do the job if she could trap him in it. If not that, then five hundred stacks of Stonehenge. Even just a single one brought such untold pain to Servi. She shuddered at the damage five hundred could cause. Especially the pillar that could rip through metal like a knife through liquid.


    But when it came to hand to hand, or rather, sword to club combat, she didn¡¯t believe her chances.


    I suppose I can''t do much but try. Servi thought.


    As if suddenly remembering the battle, she shook her head to remove any unwanted thoughts and activated Soul Essence of Primal Combat. Silverado and Feral turned to Servi, then to themselves. For a one-on-one-on-one battle, the most vital aspect was to figure out the right time to strike. For example, if Servi charged at Feral and focused her attention on him, Silverado would have the perfect chance to join and take Servi by surprise. He¡¯d be able to attack one of the two, and it¡¯d turn into an uneven fight.


    For some reason unknown to her, Servi relished the thought of that. She didn¡¯t know why or how, but it was like she was thriving for the feel of combat. She wanted to get out and lock blades with other competitors.


    So she made the first move. Kicking off with her feet, she held the hand-over-blade stance as she charged at Silverado. His silver scales beamed and reflected the yellow moonlight. He turned to face his charging opponent, but Feral took that moment to swing and turn his tail. Neither Servi nor Silverado realized Feral had been creeping slowly towards them. Then didn¡¯t know how such a large Kobold could get near them without them noticing.


    In an unexpected twist, her afterimages alerted her when she reached Silverado, and it wasn''t a moment too soon. Servi immediately dove in between Silverado''s open legs. He didn¡¯t even have the time to be confused before a massive tail crushed a few scales on his chest, and he was slung back. Sparks appeared as black skid marks gradually changed to red. The grittiness of the hard floor latched onto a few scales, and they were forcibly ripped from his body.


    He wasn¡¯t moving.


    ¡°Feral?!!¡± Desperado yelped as he watched from a distance. ¡°That was too much!!¡± A murderous expression formed on his face as he got up. Fisher stood in front of Desperado and called out for the medics stationed nearby at the doors.


    Two men and two women carrying white and red bags filled with medical supplies ran over to the fallen Koena. Fisher stomped his foot, stopping the match, and ran to join them.


    That attack probably, no, it definitely would¡¯ve killed us.  We don''t have any natural armor like Silverado''s scales.


    Servi nodded and kept her guard up. Even though the match was on hold, she didn¡¯t trust it.


    After staring for a few moments, Servi saw Silverado¡¯s foot twitch. A few seconds later, with the help of the medics, he was on his feet. But his chest had been sort of caved in, and his gorgeous silver scales were red with blood.


    Servi didn¡¯t know about the anatomy of a Koena. Their entire bodies were made up of interconnecting scales, but that was almost all she knew. They could get broken and crushed, and Koena can break their arms. But Silverado¡¯s chest was almost completely caved in. It was almost like looking at an alien life form. It would be something she would have to ask Momo about, but how could she do it in a way that wouldn''t arouse suspicion?


    Gah!! I have so many questions, and I don¡¯t understand!! Frustrated, she lashed out against the corners of her mind where nobody could stop her.


    ¡°Feral, you fail for using such a dangerous move, but you''ll get some points because you started off right.  Your two enemies were close together. Servi''s attention was focused on Silverado and vice versa. You were in the right to use your tail, and there was little chance of her sword digging into it because she wasn''t focused on you. If you were fighting two or even three on one, then you would¡¯ve made the right choice. Servi, that was a good dodge. You saw the attack coming, and instead of bracing against it, you slipped through Silverado¡¯s legs and let him take the full brunt. When dealing with multiple enemies, never let one have your full undivided attention. If you do, then you¡¯ll end up like Silverado.¡±


    While listening to her mentor, Servi turned her head to the door. With help, Silverado painfully limped over to where a wheelchair was waiting.


    ¡°Now then. When I stomp my foot again, continue the fight.¡± Fisher finished up what he was saying and stomped his foot for the final time.


    ¡°How wonderful. Ever since you lifted my shield, I wanted a chance to fight you.¡± Pounding his tail against the ground, the large Kobold roared and slowly closed the distance between them.


    Servi had to watch out for the tail and surprising reach of his weapon. She had a bad feeling about this matchup. Up to this point, Servi had never faced a Kobold in battle, and there weren''t any Kobold souls inside her ring. Even though she received those afterimages, they all came at the very last second. There was no guarantee she would get them again.


    Please be careful, Itarr insisted. She hated being nothing more than a bystander in a fight. But she knew that if she acted or used a skill, it wouldn''t be good. She had to bear with it and trust in her friend.


    Facing the Kobold head-on, Servi had to put faith in her Soul Essence of Primal Combat skill. But at the same time, if she relied on it to the point where she was useless without it, then what would happen if she reached a point in her adventure where it wouldn¡¯t work? Would the afterimages always be with her?


    Servi had stayed within the thoughts of her mind for a tad bit too long, and she only returned to reality as a wooden club made its way to her. Held by Feral¡¯s massive arm, Servi wasn¡¯t able to see any afterimages and had to rely on her instinct. So she ducked down under it and came back up. It skimmed across the top of her head. If it had connected, Servi''s head would''ve been splattered like a watermelon dropped from a tower.


    That lethal attack was called out by everyone else, but Feral slammed his tail into the ground. ¡°I knew she would dodge. Do not interfere in this match," he roared.


    ¡°Shit. Come on!¡± Yelling to herself, Servi was determined to focus on the match and only the match. She couldn¡¯t let her mind wander while in front of her brawny opponent. To do so would disrespect both him and her.


    "Try this!¡± Feral hissed against and ran towards Servi. His heavy footsteps on the concrete floor shook and disrupted her balance, but she regained it immediately.


    Servi ignored the hand-over-blade stance since she didn¡¯t think it would work with the differences in strength and size. She held her blade with both hands and started running towards him. Her black hair trailing behind her and her red eyes gazing ahead to the future, she knew she had to be risky.


    Waiting for the images that never came, she knew she had to do something. Her options were few and varied. She could jump back, dodge to the left or right, or duck down. She could meet Feral''s massive swing with her own sword and be blown away, or she could attempt to jump on to it mid-swing.


    Servi thought that the last option would be what she would¡¯ve done if she didn¡¯t have to keep her abilities a secret, so she went with the one that would most likely garner her respect. But the same move she was going to attempt was what Fisher berated her on. When it came to larger opponents, Servi didn''t know how to take them down without using skills, and that was something she couldn''t use in the battle.


    But other than that, she was finally going up against someone far surpassing her in physical strength. She wanted to test the limits of her souls'' power, but she didn''t know why.


    She met his attack head-on. Stomping in place, she gripped her sword with both hands and faced his swing. The moment her sword glanced against his club, it shattered like fallen glass. It wasn¡¯t even a contest. Pieces of sharp metal went everywhere. After it broke, she immediately jumped back, but she was too slow.


    His club grazed against the side of her armor and rocked her. She heard a chorus of yelling that quickly grew silent.


    She flew some ten or fifteen meters through the air, rag-dolling, before landing with a heavy thud. But she didn¡¯t stop. The momentum was so great that she rolled for an extra fifteen meters. All the while, she coughed up blood. That one attack imploded her side, and if it was anyone else, they would''ve died. But she wasn''t anyone else. Her True Immortality saved her again.


    Other than that and how Servi''s body twisted in the air, Fisher and the other spectators didn¡¯t have a good view of just how much damage she actually received.  They just saw the impact and not the aftermath. That was why she later convinced them she was alright and did not need medical attention.  As for the blood? Itarr took care of it and absorbed the red liquid covertly while they were airborne.


    When her body grew back as she tumbled, it was forced against her dented armor. Due to the force of her body correcting itself, the armor followed the flesh until it was in its original shape. Of course, it was still cracked and damaged because True Immortality didn''t lend itself her clothes or gear.


    Once she stopped rolling, she cursed herself for her lack of strength and stood up. Her side wasn¡¯t hurting anymore, and she felt perfect.


    Goodness, please say you¡¯re alright, Itarr asked. She wanted to be angry and upset, and she wanted the head of that foul Kobold, who damaged her beloved friend, but she knew he didn¡¯t do it out of malice.  She knew that if Servi wanted it, the Kobold wouldn''t be alive for that much longer.


    Servi was partly worried she didn''t feel any sort of anger.  Itarr knew the reason why, but she couldn''t dare tell her.


    Secrets were kept from friends who kept secrets from other friends, and that cycle repeated an infinite amount of time. It¡¯s a tale that was as old as time immemorial.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I feel totally great, for some reason,¡± Servi started chuckling as she looked at her hands. The flesh that peeled off when she slid against the ground had been healed. They were clean and pristine, and it was like Servi had just finished washing her hands. After rubbing them against each other for a brief second, she made her way towards the group, who had their backs turned to her. They were yelling at Feral for killing Servi. None of them believed she could have survived such a brutal hit.


    Feral watched as his opponent closed the distance. He was right about the girl known as Servi.


    Should I let them know she¡¯s uninjured? No, they don¡¯t deserve it. Not even the Justice Captain... I thought he was something else, but he¡¯s not.  Those were the Kobold¡¯s true thoughts. The passion and admiration he had for the Justice Captain Fisher Jin were not accurate to the rumors he had heard. Instead, he moved those feelings to the girl with black hair and red eyes that walked towards him. Her eyes seemed like they stared deep within his soul, and he felt an unknown emotion for the briefest moments. At the time, he didn¡¯t know it was fear.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It didn¡¯t even hurt after the first second or two. As long as I can endure that, I¡¯m fine,¡± Servi replied to her friend.  As she walked, she moved her hand to the crushed section of armor and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m gonna need some new gear.¡±


    I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay, but you¡¯ve had that armor for over a month now. I would say it¡¯s time for an upgrade.


    ¡°Probably,¡± she was now close enough to the group that Riki heard her voice. Turning around, he spoke with wide eyes. ¡°How in the world did you survive that?!¡±


    At his voice, the others also turned around. Noticing the crushed piece of armor, Fisher went to call for a medic, but Servi stopped him. She had to. What would she do when the healers found no evidence of any wounds?


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said, but Fisher was adamant.  She sighed and spoke again in a tone that was a bit deeper and forceful. ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to. I won¡¯t lie and say it didn¡¯t hurt, but I endured it.¡±


    ¡°Very well. If that¡¯s your choice. Regardless, you both fail. Feral, you went for a dangerous move, and that attack had your full power behind it. That would¡¯ve been fine if it was a real battle, but it¡¯s not. Servi, you failed because you tried to match swings with one who was obviously much stronger than you. Just imagine if it was a clan of ogres you locked swords with. You would go flying and crash into the ground, and your party members would die. The males first, and the women would be raped and passed around before being forced to give birth to their awful offspring. Congratulations, you doomed your entire party because you wanted to test your strength.¡±


    I may hate Demis, but if I can pass the knowledge to them so that they can protect humans, I¡¯ll bear with it. And this Servi is quite strange. Maybe there''s more to her than I thought? I''d imagine she''d go for the legs, but she didn¡¯t. Why in the world did she want to go toe to toe with a Kobold...


    Just imagining such a horrible future happening to Momo was enough to make Servi feel sad, but she knew that she¡¯d win if she had access to all of her power and skills.


    Servi knew that if she were serious, she wouldn''t lose to anyone in the world.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t take that into account.¡± It felt like a dagger impaled her from all different sides, and she hated it, but Servi had to apologize to Fisher. The time to kill him would arrive, but she had to endure the humiliation until she could act on her urges to slaughter him.


    Maybe there are things I can learn from him. But I won¡¯t like it. I¡¯ll acquire what knowledge I can and use him before I rip his limbs off. Servi thought.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ve decided that what you showed today outweighed your final mistake.¡± Fisher nodded at Servi before walking a few steps away. Turning to the group of six, he spoke again. ¡°And that goes for everyone. I¡¯ve seen you fight, and some of you are like a rough rock. You got potential, but you have to be polished. Everyone, be here tomorrow at 8 AM sharp. Be sure to wear breathable clothes that you don''t mind getting dirty. If you¡¯re late, that¡¯s ten laps."


    Fisher saluted, and about half of the mentees mirrored him. Once he let down his arm, he walked back towards the double doors.

 Book Two – Chapter Four – Part Seven – Meeting the Mentors!

    Before heading out, Servi jogged over to pick up the shield she had taken off.


    ¡°You¡¯re tough. Very tough. As Fisher mentioned, my full power was behind it,¡± Feral said. His tail slammed against the floor, and Servi thought he was more dog than Kobold with how his feelings were so prominently on display.


    Servi put a hand to her crushed armor and looked back at Feral. ¡°It¡¯ll take a lot more than that to kill me. I¡¯m quite durable,¡± she replied back. After slipping her arms through the shield''s hooks, Servi waved and walked from Feral. He happily slammed his tail in response. Perhaps that was his way of saying goodbye?


    She made her way through the building, and soon, she found herself standing in the middle of the lobby. She didn¡¯t see a clock, so she asked the receptionist the time.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit past 4:30. Oh, hey, how did the training go?¡± Roland asked.


    ¡°It went so-so. But I need some new armor,¡± Servi moved her arm and showed Roland her injury.


    ¡°Do you need to see a medic? And did the Captain cause it?¡± Roland¡¯s face had a bit of a shocked look to it, but it must¡¯ve been his years of experience that helped him keep a mostly straight face.


    ¡°Fisher didn¡¯t do it. We had to spar, and I went up against a Kobold.¡± Just as she finished her sentence, the culprit himself wobbled and stomped out through the lobby. His tower shield, strapped to his back by crude chains, was the talk of the room.  Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared in pure amazement.


    He looked down at Servi and nodded, and she returned it.


    ¡°He was the one who did it," Servi said.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost impossible for a Human to compare their strength to a Kobold. I¡¯m actually surprised you can even walk. What was the Captain even thinking?¡± Roland exclaimed.


    Servi smiled and put her hands up. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal, not one bit. If anything, I was excited to try my hand at fighting him. Still, I''d never faced a stronger opponent.¡± Feeling giddy, Servi waved to the receptionist before leaving the building. Once she was outside, she waved to the guards and jogged her way back to her home at the Warden office with a bright smile on her face.


    I don¡¯t know why, but I feel amazing! I feel like I can take on anything! Watch out, world! I''m coming for you!


    Itarr watched with happiness as Servi eventually made it to the steps. But she didn¡¯t say anything. She stayed quiet and only focused on observing her happy friend.


    The two long lines were gone, but the streets were as packed as ever. Walking inside, it felt like the number of people stayed roughly the same. It was just as crowded, and Servi couldn''t spot the Elf she wanted to see.


    ¡°I hope Claire is still here,¡± Servi said as she made her way up the stairs. The beautiful wooden handles to her right slide across her palm. Her mood had shifted just a bit, and she no longer felt as happy.


    Hmm¡­Did my adrenaline run out? That was a pretty heavy hit.


    Reaching the third floor, she unlocked and entered her room.


    ¡°Man, I forgot to tell Momo where we were gonna meet up,¡± Servi muttered. She slumped down on the hard mattress and changed into something that was much more comfortable. A blue shirt, black pants, and black boots were her choice of wear for the evening. She also had a jacket, but it wasn¡¯t on her. Not having a coat rack, Servi decided to use Telekinesis to use the air as one. It was small and black, barely coming down to her belly button. Standing up, she held her arms out, and the jacked put itself on her.


    I like the clothes, and I noticed you went with black again.


    ¡°Just like Momo has pink, I think I¡¯ll choose black. Besides, it¡¯s cute, isn¡¯t it?¡± Servi took out a mirror she got when she robbed the Old Onyx clothing store and anchored it to the wall via Telekinesis. Doing a little twirl, she giggled as she watched her black hair swished and swooshed in the mirror before striking a pose. Then she pulled out a black comb and started to brush her hair, even though it didn¡¯t need it.


    There¡¯s gotta be something going on. I¡¯d never acted like this before, have I?


    Servi stopped brushing and absorbed the mirror and comb before making her way outside.


    Why did you stop?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t exactly explain it. I¡¯ve been feeling a bit weird all day, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m sick."


    If you were sick, then True Immortality would¡¯ve kicked in.


    Itarr went silent for a moment, then Servi suddenly smiled. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just nervous.¡±


    It could be. This whole mentoring thing is off-putting and new to me as well.  The Goddess added on, but her voice was kind of unusual.


    Making her way up to the fourth floor, Servi knocked on Momo¡¯s door, but she didn''t get a response.


    Seems like Momo isn¡¯t here. Is she still with her mentor?


    ¡°That¡¯s probably it. Well, what do you want to do?¡± Servi turned from the door and made her way back down the stairs.


    Maybe we can relax in your room?


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea as any.¡± Entering her room, Servi had only sat down on the hard mattress when she heard a knock on the door. Answering it, she found a cute Singi with pink hair. Her face was slightly flushed with sweat, and she was breathing a bit hard. It was pretty clear to Servi that Momo probably ran all the way home.


    And that was what Momo did after saying goodbye to her mentor. She wanted to see her friend and tell her about her day.


    ¡°Hi!¡± Momo said as her chest moved with her inhales and exhales.  A wide smile plastered her face.


    ¡°Hey, Momo,¡± Servi replied. She stepped out of her room.


    ¡°You¡¯re done for the day?¡±


    Servi made her way over to a small bench and sat down. Momo took the seat beside her.


    ¡°Yep. How about you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I just got back myself. It was alright. I ended up having to run ten laps around a track and then sparred against a Kobold...¡± After sighing, Servi looked at Momo, who had a look of fright plastered on her pretty face.


    ¡°A Kobold?! Are you okay? They¡¯re super strong, you know.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know that now. I didn¡¯t even stand a chance. He knocked me out in a single hit,¡± Servi laughed as she remembered the fight. ¡°It was like I was a puppy, and he was a lion.¡±


    ¡°You sure you¡¯re okay? What about your shield?¡±


    Servi nodded. ¡°The shield is fine. In fact, we couldn¡¯t use them. And we couldn¡¯t use the weapons we brought with us. Before running the ten laps, Fisher told us to run over to the middle of this field and bring back a weapon. But yeah, I¡¯m fine. I wished I could say the same for my armor, but I can''t.¡±


    ¡°Oh no! How damaged is it?¡± Momo held her sweaty hands to her face in shock.


    ¡°It''s cracked and broken near the side, but it''s wearable.¡±


    Momo sighed in relief and returned her hands to her lap. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you weren¡¯t hurt.¡±


    ¡°That''s enough about me. How was your training?¡±


    Momo¡¯s eyes lit up like a firecracker, and she spoke a kilometer a second. ¡°Oh, it was amazing. Dineria¡¯s store is like a forest inside. And she has her own training room in the back! And she¡¯s super nice, and she even treated Srassa and me to a cup of tea during lunch! Oh, Srassa is the other girl Dineria is mentoring. She¡¯s a Human with blond hair and green eyes. How many were in your class?¡±


    ¡°Six. Two Dwarfs, Two Koena, a Kobold, and me. The only Human girl.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re surrounded by guys?¡±


    ¡°Yep. But I think I managed to prove myself today. I just lost the one match, and the ten laps weren¡¯t that difficult.¡±


    Momo leaned back further on the bench and dangled her legs. She liked it when she could relax and talk to her friend.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. I¡¯m glad we both had a good time. Hey, wanna go and get the chocolate?¡±


    Did she have a good time? Every pore of Servi¡¯s body was yelling at her to say that she didn¡¯t, but her mind counteracted every pore and wanted her to say she did. It was like her body and mind were conflicted on what was the truth.


    Was the body the authority on what was good or bad, or was it the mind? Servi didn''t know.


    Servi nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you brought that up. Honestly, I just about forgot about it.¡±


    ¡°I almost did too. Dineria told us that if we met her expectations, she¡¯d give us some hand-made cookies. I¡¯m glad she said that because it reminded me of our promise.¡± She got up from the bench and stretched. Like its owner, her tail followed along and did something close to stretching.


    ¡°Mind if I change real quick?¡± she turned to look at her sitting friend, and she shook her head.  Her black hair danced lightly in front of her eyes, and her ears and red eyes peeked through the metaphorical black forest.


    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯ll be right here, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okie-dokie! I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Servi watched with a smile as her friend practically skipped up the stairs.


    You know, Momo¡¯s improved quite a bit. Even though it''s only been a single day, maybe this mentoring thing was the thing she needed all along.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s been good for our Singi, hasn''t it?. Being surrounded by a teacher-like figure who really wants to see you improve and even offering snacks if you meet their expectations is something everyone needs. It''s only been one day, but I think it''s a good start... You know, Itarr, I¡¯m so happy for her. I really am.¡±


    Then why do you sound so sad?


    ¡°I liked it when she relied on me. I know I said I wanted to see her stronger and more confident, and I truly meant that, but I hope she doesn¡¯t decide to leave me.¡±


    Why would you ever say that? Remember when she hugged you after the announcement? When you two were talking about slaves?


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s where I¡¯ve been inside you, but I felt nothing but the honest truth coming from her. You and her are friends, right?


    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re friends.¡±


    Wouldn¡¯t friends stay friends with each other? I don¡¯t see why you should think any differently.


    As if flipping a switch, the sadness Servi felt disappeared like a string in the wind. After a few more seconds of thinking, Servi still didn''t understand why she even felt down in the first place.  The sudden disappearance of those emotions frightened her a little bit, but she chalked it up to being stressed out from having to work so closely with one of her mortal enemies.


    ¡°Thanks, Itarr. I can always count on you.¡±


    You are most welcome. I¡¯ll always be here.

 Book Two – Chapter Five – Chocolate Time!

    Feeling happy, Servi tapped her feet against the ground as she watched her friend descend from the stairs. She had a white and blue striped shirt, black suspenders, and blue shorts that came to just above her knees. With her trademark bag hung around her shoulders, pink socks, and black boots, she walked up to Servi.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen this outfit before. Is it new?¡±


    ¡°Yep! I bought it last week after I did laundry. Remember, you went to go get us some drinks, and I popped into the guild store for a quick minute? I wanted you to be the first one I showed it to,¡± Momo slightly blushed, but Servi didn¡¯t catch on to it. She was too busy inside her own mind. But she did keep her attention on her friend.


    That¡¯s right. I remember now. I went and got us some juice, and we sat outside and talked for a while.  Momo had a bag with her that was obviously full of clothes. How could I have forgotten that?


    ¡°Well, it looks great on you.¡± Giving her a friend a smile, the two went down to the lobby together. Being a little bit past 5 PM, the once packed central location for all Warden members was finally thinning out. Before they reached the door, they looked over to the sign-up corner and saw Claire. She looked utterly exhausted. Her beautiful red hair was in a bit of a mess, her collar was sloppily crooked, and it even looked like her Elf ears were drooping.


    ¡°She looks rough, doesn¡¯t she?¡± Servi said as she stepped through the door. She held it open for Momo to follow through after her. The Singi thanked her before responding.


    ¡°Yeah, she does. I only helped my grandpa¡¯s friend for one day, and I couldn¡¯t take it. Honestly, if he wasn¡¯t with me and I had to do it by myself, I probably would''ve just left after thirty minutes.  It was just that bad."


    But if I had to do it now, I think I would be able to get through it. Maybe at least half a shift. I got a wonderful friend to help me, and I have a super cool mentor teaching me. I¡¯m not the same Momo from a month ago. I¡¯m Super Momo! Oh geez, that was corny.


    Servi looked down and saw her friend as red as a tomato and silently giggled.


    Why did I ever think she would leave me? We''re friends.  We''ll always be friends.


    ¡°So uh¡­ Do you know where this place is?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Momo didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been walking for twenty minutes without knowing where this place is?¡±


    ¡°¡­..Yep. I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t even think to ask for directions,¡± pink hair whipped through the air as Momo turned to her friend.  The tips of her index fingers were nervously rubbing against each other.


    Servi smiled down at her friend. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. The breeze is pretty good. And there¡¯s nothing wrong with a walk.¡±


    She jogged up to the nearest person who looked trustworthy and asked him for directions. He was helpful and knowledgeable, and Servi walked back to her patient friend.


    ¡°We were heading in the right direction. It¡¯s actually just up here. That man said to take the second left, and it¡¯ll be to our right.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least we¡¯re close by,¡± Momo grinned, but her cheeks remained as red as a ripe tomato.  Servi cutely giggled, prompting Momo to laugh at the situation as a whole.


    "Come on," Servi said.  Her best friend nodded, and the two continued their short-lived journey to their destination.


    A few minutes later, the smell of wonderfully baked chocolate and other sweets began to permeate their nostrils. Chocolate, honey, and caramel acted as a guide. Servi and Momo followed their noses, and soon, the best friends stood in front of the source of the sugary smells.


    ¡®Madam Canary¡¯s Sweetie Tweety¡¯ had been written on a giant wooden board. Drawn in bright and colorful paint that stood atop the building, Servi wanted to believe the bubbly letters were the aftermath of a child having fun. The sign was of average size, maybe a bit taller and thicker than what would usually be used. Through the glass windows, Servi and Momo saw display cases full of cakes, cookies, and candies, but that wasn''t all. There were so many delectable goodies the friends couldn''t believe it.


    ¡°I believe this is the place," Servi said. She had her hand on the handle to the glass door when she saw a familiar Kobold standing behind the counter near the back.


    She opened the door for Momo and followed her in. Once inside, the smell was more pleasant and grander. It felt like a glorious concert of sweetness was erupting inside. The giant being that Servi saw turned around, and she smiled at him.


    ¡°Welcome to Madam Canary¡¯s Sweetie Tweety. How can¡ª Servi?¡± the surprised giant asked.


    ¡°Feral. Long time no see,¡± Servi walked up to the light blue counter and put her hands on it. Momo followed and was a bit apprehensive at first, but then she remembered what her grandpa told her about judging appearances. Her body relaxed, and she let out a natural smile.


    ¡°Servi, do you know him?¡± asked the Singi with a twitching tail.


    ¡°Yep. This is Feral. Feral, this is Momo. We¡¯re in a party together. He¡¯s the one I spared with and lost in a single hit.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, a Singi. Welcome to my family¡¯s shop.¡± He held his large hands aside as if presenting everything in the display cases.


    ¡°I never would¡¯ve imagined you working in a place like this.¡±


    He grinned, showing off his impressive set of sharp teeth, and explained. ¡°I work here to make money to pay for my time in the city. My kin owns the store, and she hired me.¡±


    As if Feral''s kin was waiting for the opportune moment to make her appearance, a smaller Kobold emerged out of the backroom behind the counter.


    ¡°Feral, do we have customers?¡±


    ¡°Aunt Canary, this is the Human I was telling you about.¡±


    The female Kobold was also named Canary. It was such a strange coincidence that she wanted to open a store in the city that shared her name. Unlike most Kobolds, she didn¡¯t want to dedicate her life to fighting and warmongering, so she decided to take up baking. Canary''s life was filled with hardships and torment since what she wanted to do didn¡¯t match what people thought of when they heard the word ¡®Kobold.¡¯ Still, she worked hard at her craft and opened a store that was thriving. Her green scales and fur formed something like a natural emerald dress, and her head and tail were green like her nephew¡¯s. She had less skin than Feral, however, but more scales and fur.


    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re the Human?¡±


    ¡°I am. My name¡¯s Servi. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± Servi held out her hand, and the Kobold shook it.


    ¡°And I¡¯m Momo. It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Momo also held out her hand and was surprised by how soft Canary¡¯s hand felt.


    ¡°Same here. Any friend of Feral is a friend of mine. What can I do for you?¡± her alligator-like mouth spoke softly and sweetly, the complete opposite of Feral when he first met Servi.


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for some chocolate. We have a friend who works at Warden, and she was looking a bit rough. She probably had a hard day today,¡± Servi said.


    ¡°Yeah. We wanted to get Claire something sweet to cheer her up,¡± added Momo.


    ¡°Today was sign-ups, wasn¡¯t it? I can imagine how stressful that can be. In that case, I recommend this,¡± Canary moved over to the rightmost side of the display case and pulled out a tray of brown chocolate that lightly sparkled in the light.


    ¡°This is the sweetest chocolate I make. It¡¯s wrapped in caramel and baked in a white chocolate shell. Then I heat up dark chocolate and dip the white chocolate inside. Once it cools down, I sprinkle just a tiny bit of sugar on top. Please, try one.  It''s on the house.¡±


    Servi and Momo thanked her and grabbed a piece. Popping it in their mouths, they were instantly assaulted by the sugary chocolatey  goodness inside. The moment their teeth bit into it, delicious brown caramel filled their mouths. It was absolutely heaven in a bite-sized snack.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I ever tasted anything so sweet before," Momo said, after making sure the sweetness covered her tongue. She instantly wanted to reach out for a second one but stopped.


    ¡°Agreed. It¡¯s so good.¡± Servi added.


    Slamming her tail into the ground, which seemed to be a trademark of their family, Canary grinned and told Feral to fetch some bags and paper. He disappeared into the back room and came back with the requested items. In one hand, he had uniformed squares of brown paper, and the other had two bags that were neatly folded. The price tag on the tray said one piece was 3 dupla each.


    ¡°Now, I take it you two want some of this?¡±


    Momo looked at Servi, who nodded. ¡°Yes, please. We¡¯ll take six," Momo answered as her tail delightfully squirmed in excitement.


    Canary took six pieces and wrapped them in the brown paper before setting them on the counter.


    ¡°This chocolate is 3 dupla each, for 18. But since you know Feral, I¡¯ll give them to you for 14. Is that acceptable?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so nice of you!¡± Momo dug into her bag and pulled out seven dupla. Servi reached into her pockets and used her ring to take out her share of the payment.


    Putting them on the table, Canary handed the bag to Servi, and Feral took the coins.


    ¡°Is there anything else I can help you with?¡±


    Servi looked at Momo, who shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Thanks for the discount.¡±


    Waving goodbye to the two Kobolds, Canary wished for the two to have a good evening. Leaving the store, Momo kept eyeing the bag that Servi held.


    ¡°You want one of yours?¡±


    ¡°I do, but I want us to eat it together,¡± Momo whined. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I feel the same. Hopefully, we get there before Claire leaves.¡±


    And with that, the two friends, one holding a bag of the most delicious chocolate they¡¯ve ever tasted, made their way through the streets until the imposing figure of the Warden office came into view. The sun had mostly set, but a few glimpses of reddish light were still visible in the ever-changing sky. Like always, the setting sun reminded Momo of her friend¡¯s eyes.


    A few minutes later, Servi and Momo entered through the doors. Although there were fewer people inside, there were still enough that made it a bit difficult to maneuver.


    ¡°Oh, I think we came just in time!¡± Momo exclaimed. A door in the far back near the receptionists'' windows opened up to reveal a tired Claire. She looked even worse than she did before the two left. Her eyes were absentminded, and her clothes were unprofessionally messy. Her collar was scrunched, her sleeves were rolled up, but they were of uneven length. A slight frown covered her pretty face.


    Walking towards her, Servi and Momo each had a small piece of wrapped chocolate in their hands.


    ¡°Claire!¡± Momo said. The Elf in question turned her head to the Singi who called her.


    ¡°Momo? Servi? How was your day? Did you sign up?¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°It was fine, and we did, but what about your day? Was it rough?¡± asked Momo.


    Claire chuckled as she remembered the torrent of abuse she suffered from. Of course, it wasn¡¯t physical abuse but verbal abuse. With such a grand announcement, like offering mentorships to all Rank 10s, there would be scores and scores of people who always wanted a chance to join Warden. However, that proved to be a lie for the scoundrels who only wanted to take advantage of Warden''s generosity in such a trying time.


    Oh, but Claire had to keep a strict, professional appearance at all times. It was funny when she thought about it.  She had heard stories and legends of a handful of Gods descending to the world below to create Warden.  According to one of the stories, they constructed the Skill System and IDs at the same time to give the races of the world a chance to fight back against the monsters. That was the lore, but Claire didn''t know how much of it was true.


    If it was true, then how come I always get stuck with the rude jackasses?!


    ¡°Oh, it was¡­.something. Why couldn¡¯t I get more people as nice as you two?¡± Claire sighed again and most desperately wanted to go home to her bed.  The bottle of Flytha she had bought a few weeks ago still sat uncorked.  After downing it, she would toss off her clothes and curl up next to her stuffed bear on her soft bed sheets.


    But she didn¡¯t do any of that. It would be one thing to leave at that very moment, but Servi and Momo were there.  She couldn''t immediately end the conversation and walk away because that would be rude. Instead, she walked over to a bench and sat down in the middle. Servi and Momo sat beside her.


    ¡°Claire, I probably know how your day went. When I was younger, me and my grandpa helped his friend with his store for a few days. I didn¡¯t last long. Not at all. So I know how rude people can be. So here! Me and Servi got you this. It¡¯s our present for taking good care of us and answering our questions.¡±


    Momo held out the brown wrapped chocolate in her soft hands, and Claire took it. Unwrapping it, the sweet smells of caramel and chocolate tickled her nose.


    ¡°You got this for me?¡± the light in her eyes gradually returned, and a small smile appeared on her face.


    ¡°Yep. Try it. It¡¯s good, right, Servi?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right. It¡¯s delicious,¡± Servi undid the brown paper on the chocolate in her hand and popped it in her mouth. Claire did the same, and happy tears fell from her eyes.


    ¡°You two, this is just what I needed. Today was rough. It was really, really, rough,¡± Claire said. She pulled a tissue from her purse and wiped her eyes and face. ¡°But at least I¡¯m off the day after tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Momo dug out another piece and ate it. When the dark and white chocolate shells broke, she smiled as the caramel covered her mouth.


    They had three left.


    ¡°So, tell me about your mentors? Have you learned anything?¡± Claire said with a mouth full of food. Her smile was more natural, and she felt so relaxed. Perhaps all she needed was a bit of time to rest. Of course, the delicious chocolate helped a lot.


    ¡°I learned I¡¯m no match for a Kobold.¡±


    Claire coughed and almost choked on her treat. She recovered a moment later.


    ¡°A Kobold?!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Not even grown men like to compare their strength to a Kobold. What happened?!¡±


    ¡°My mentor had the six of us spar with each other. I won against a Dwarf named Riki,  I but lost against Feral.  That''s the Kobold."


    ¡°Six mentees to a single mentor? But forget that. Are you okay?¡±


    Servi nodded. ¡°My armor is a bit crushed, but it¡¯s still wearable. It was probably time for an upgrade, anyways.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, as long as you¡¯re okay. If I can ask, who is your mentor? The only one who would¡¯ve done such a thing is probably the Captain of the Guard, Fisher Jin. His training is supposed to be intense. He was actually a late addition to our mentor list.¡±


    ¡°Bingo! Yeah, it¡¯s him. For the first day, it wasn¡¯t so bad,¡± Servi swallowed the chocolate and desperately wished she had some milk to chase it down with. ¡°I thought it was gonna be terrible, but I was wrong.¡±


    I was so against it, but now I¡¯m looking forward to it. Servi thought it was weird how her thoughts on the entire thing kept flip-flopping.


    ¡°Be careful. I don¡¯t want you to get injured before the tournament," Claire spoke in a serious tone, then she turned to the cute Singi sitting beside her. "Momo, how about you?¡±


    ¡°Her name is Dineria. She¡¯s an Elf, and there''s two of us learning from her."


    ¡°Oh, I remember her. Light green hair, tall, and a red flower tattooed on the back of her hand?¡±


    ¡°Yep! You know her?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Dineria rose from Rank 10 to Rank 6 in two years. It was honestly kinda startling how fast she kept getting promoted, but then she settled down and just hovered around. Honestly, she¡¯s probably in the top ten or twenty of her Rank.¡±


    Sparkles illuminated Momo¡¯s eyes as she realized Dineria had to be an incredible woman!  She couldn''t wait to learn from her.


    ¡°Did you have to spar like Servi?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No. Today was a meet and greet. We talked for a while about what we want to do and how to do it, then she made us some tea. Then she gave us a display of her abilities. She said that tomorrow will be when she evaluates our skills. I gotta say, I¡¯m nervous.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t say to not be nervous. Everyone is at first. But remember, it''s called mentoring for a reason. So don¡¯t try to be too upset if you somehow perform lower than you wanted to. It¡¯s normal to mess up and get nervous, and it¡¯s to be expected.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Claire. I feel a little better.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad. You know, just between us, I think you two really have something. And I don¡¯t just say that to anyone, and it¡¯s not because of the chocolate.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡±


    She smiled at the Singi. ¡°Really. Now, if you excuse me, I gotta be back here bright and early. Again, thank you two so much for the chocolate. It was very delicious.¡±


    As she went to stand up, Momo pulled out another piece of chocolate. ¡°We got six, so that¡¯s two apiece.¡±


    Claire took it from her outstretched hand and smiled before thanking them again. The two friends then decided to eat their last piece together as they watched Claire leave.


    Just like her and Servi, Claire had dreams and hopes for the future. And although her life was difficult at the moment, the gift given to her by the two friends made it a little bit easier to bear.


    ¡°You guys had no idea how much I need this...¡± Claire silently wept the moment she reached her door. She didn¡¯t even bother opening the liquor sitting on her kitchen table, instead choosing to slump through her house until she came to her bedroom. Her eyes did glance at the sink full of dirty dishes, but she ignored it with a simple sigh as she opened the door to her room. The Elf stripped naked, grabbed her stuffed bear, and hopped into bed while hugging her sleeping companion against her much-to-be-desired chest. For the first time in a long time, Claire slept with a smile and tears of happiness and not a frown and a heart full of worries.


    A little bit of kindness was often the only thing that stood in the face of depression and the ability to continue on.


    Such things wouldn''t go noticed by Servi and Momo, who stayed seated on the bench.


    ¡°I gotta be up early in the morning,¡± said Servi after she swallowed her treat.


    ¡°What time?¡±


    ¡°7 AM, bright and early. Fisher told us to be there at 8.¡±


    ¡°You know you can put in a request to be woken up at a certain time. It¡¯s one of the services offered if you stay at a Warden office.¡±


    ¡°I had no idea. Hold on a sec...¡± Servi stood up and made her way to a window that had no line. Talking to the old man behind it, Servi asked to be woken up at 7. He nodded and added her name to a list at the back of the room.


    That was easy. Maybe we should use this more often.


    ¡°Yeah. I won¡¯t have to worry about oversleeping," Servi said.


    Servi walked back to where Momo was at. Instead of sitting down, she walked over to the little trashcan and deposited her trash.


    ¡°So what now? It¡¯s getting pretty late,¡± she asked her friend.


    ¡°I¡¯ll probably take a shower and eat a quick dinner. After that, I''ll probably head to bed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll probably do the same. We¡¯re eating together, right?¡± Momo asked as she glanced towards the ground. The little nightly ritual of her and Servi eating every night became something she was looking forward to, and she never wanted to skip it.


    ¡°Of course. Like I said this morning, we might be busy throughout the day, but we can still eat dinner,¡± Servi smiled as she spoke.


    The two friends went up the stairs and to their respective rooms. Servi pulled some regular old clothes from her ring. Solid black t-shirt, black pants, and black boots. Unlike before, she didn¡¯t feel like putting in the effort to choose a proper outfit.


    I was so hyper and excited earlier, and now, I¡¯m just feeling sluggish. Maybe I¡¯ll feel better after a shower¡­


    She made her way up the stairs and didn¡¯t run into Momo. Going into the women¡¯s bath and finding an empty room, Servi slid her ticket in and walked inside. This time, she didn¡¯t even bother masturbating because the mood didn''t strike her. Even though just a day ago, she had the best orgasm of her life.


    Her shower was as boring as boring could be.  She washed her hair and cleaned her body, and it was a dull affair. Drying off by using her Fire Wall, she used her ring to dress herself and went downstairs. She saw Momo sitting in the corner of the room and went to join her.


    Their dinner wasn¡¯t exciting. It was below average. Servi felt like her steak was cooked a bit differently. It didn¡¯t have any flavor to it. Still, she didn¡¯t let that bother her. The two friends spoke and laughed and joked about what happened during their respective training.


    ¡°And Srassa said that she had never even touched a bow before! I¡¯m hoping I can use what you taught me to make an impression tomorrow. I¡¯m seriously gonna take this seriously. I¡¯m serious! I think it¡¯ll be so cool if it ends up being you against me. I¡¯m gonna work hard!¡± she said as she finished off her milk with a defiant gulp.


    ¡°Good." Servi smiled at her adorable friend, noticing how cute Momo''s tail could be when it was in a good mood. "I¡¯m going to do the same. Let¡¯s have our rematch be in the ring! And I won¡¯t lose this time!¡± Servi referred to the one time when she and Momo sparred. Well, it wasn¡¯t sparring but her trying to avoid Momo¡¯s ferocious attacks. In the end, she tossed her weapon at Servi and ran in. Servi, who relied on Soul Essence of Primal Combat, didn¡¯t get an afterimage, and she panicked. Momo ended up taking her down.


    They did spar during the past month, but it was for both shield training for Servi and sword training for Momo. Servi used her shield to block the incoming attacks, and Momo would have to try to swing fast and quick enough to get past her defenses by using a wooden sword. If she used her grandpa¡¯s sword, then there was a chance she would¡¯ve injured her friend. And she didn¡¯t want that.


    Momo was good; there was no doubt about it. A surprising amount of skill laid underneath her core. It only needed to come out, and that was the hard part.  Momo thought so little of herself that she unconsciously held herself back from showing off her full potential.


    ¡°Right! Let¡¯s do our best!¡± with their determination flaring higher than ever, the two finished their meals and said their goodnights.


    Momo went to bed pretty quickly. The moment she changed into her nightgown and laid her head on the mattress, not even ten seconds had passed before she drifted off to sleep.


    She had a pretty peculiar dream. It was of a girl who looked like her in every way. From an outside perspective, they would''ve been twins, if not for one specific detail. She had the general appearance of a Singi, but was she? Her tail and ears were pink but also bigger and fluffier. She had the same sweet smile, the same pretty pink hair that came somewhat down her back, and the same deep blue eyes that wanted to make friends. Even their clothes, a long white sundress, were the same.


    The two of them were lying in a bed of pink flowers underneath a clear, blue sky. They were holding hands, and no matter how hard Momo struggled to speak, her mouth wouldn¡¯t open. But Momo wasn''t scared. No, far from it. When she looked at the girl who shared her face, it brought a sense of pleasantness and calmness that couldn¡¯t be described with all the words in the world.


    Even in the dream, Momo drifted off to sleep. She woke up feeling refreshed, relaxed, and ready to tackle the day.


    As for Servi? Once she returned to her room, she took out her bed, got undressed, and curled under the covers. She closed her eyes for twenty or so seconds before sleep stole her away.


    Goodnight, Servi. I love you. That was the last thing she heard, but it wasn''t the last thing Itarr said.


    I know what I¡¯ve done was wrong, but I can¡¯t stop. Not now. I need to do this. This is for you and you alone.  I love you, my sweet Servi.

 Book Two – Chapter Six – Part One – Training Time!

    The time was 6:59 AM. The sun was up, and the girl who fell asleep on her back somehow curled up into a ball. It was just like a repeat of the previous morning. The light from the sun tickled her sleeping face until she finally stirred awake.


    Good morning, Servi.


    ¡°Ngh¡­. Morning already?¡± Servi stretched out her body before rolling back over. ¡°Hey, Itarr. Good morning.¡±


    Before her friend even had a chance to respond, there was a knock at the door.


    I believe it¡¯s 7 AM. You wanted them to wake you up, remember?


    A soft look of confusion turned to panic as she got out of bed. Servi tripped on the blankets she had knocked off the bed in her sleep and bonked her head on the floor.


    "Ow...¡± Servi moaned as she placed a hand on her forehead.


    ¡°Are you okay? I heard a noise.¡± A muffled voice came from outside the door.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine!¡± Servi replied, absorbing the out-of-place bed and equipping her gear before grasping the handle. Taking a deep breath, she heard the doorknob creek as the door opened. Standing before her was the woman Servi and Momo gave chocolates to. She was in one of her uniforms: a black blouse with a white button-up shirt, black pants, and shoes. Servi then just realized how much black her outfit had. She would¡¯ve thought that an organization as big as Warden would have a different uniform. Maybe something with a bit of color?


    ¡°Claire?¡±


    ¡°Good morning! You requested a wake-up, correct? I saw your name on the list.¡± She flashed a friendly smile at one of her favorite Warden members.


    ¡°Yeah, I did. Thanks! I gotta be at the headquarters at 8.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Oh, before I forget, take this,¡± Claire reached down into a small bag she had wrapped around her waist and pulled out a ten coin dupla.


    ¡°What¡¯s this for? The chocolate was a gift, you know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not for the chocolate. Since most Rank 10 members will be with their mentors for a while, they might not have many opportunities to do quests and earn money.  In order to remedy that, the decision was made to give a small stipend to each member in the program.¡±


    Servi thanked Claire and deposited the gift in her pouch.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I need to wake up Momo.¡±


    What¡¯s the plan? Itarr asked.


    Servi locked her door and made her way downstairs. ¡°We go to the headquarters. Gotta be there in an hour, and it takes almost forty-five minutes to get there.¡±


    Okay.


    As she made her way through the lobby and outside the door, she noticed that a different girl sat behind the sign-up desk. Servi silently said a small prayer wishing the girl the strength to power through the day.


    I¡¯m glad Claire is happy because I like seeing people happy. Itarr said.  Her thoughts raced back to when she and Servi met, and she decided her favorite moments were when she saw Servi gleefully laughing with Momo.


    ¡°Yeah, me too," Servi replied.


    Making her way outside, Servi walked through the streets and back roads. The headquarters was a surprisingly long walk away from Warden. That meant she saw all kinds of people and things during her little trip, including little Singi girls with their moms out doing the earlier morning grocery shopping. There was also the pair of Koena who were using their scaley bodies to carry boxes and even a Kobold who helped a little boy, who had short red hair and brown eyes after running into the Kobold. The large Kobold turned around and held out his scaley and furry hand before smiling, showing a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. The boy grabbed it with his tiny hand, and the Kobold pulled him up before walking the other way.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± the boy exclaimed as he turned around. Servi heard the Kobold grunted in response as he walked off.


    For a moment, Servi thought it would turn ugly, and she went for her sword before suddenly stopping herself. She was disgusted with how she instantly wanted to turn to violence. At that moment, Servi was so glad that Itarr wasn¡¯t able to hear her thoughts.


    Why?! Why did I go for my sword?! Is this how I am now? Am I someone who always resorted to violence? It feels like I¡¯m a different person each day.


    For but a brief moment, her mood turned sour. It disgusted her. But then she felt the tinge of a headache and blinked. It was gone. She felt great, euphoric even, as a slight smile formed on her face.


    No, I only did it as a precaution.  Servi did her best to convince herself.


    ¡°I did the right thing? Right?¡± she turned to her beloved Goddess for help.


    You did. There was always a chance for it to turn violent. Now, we don¡¯t want to be late, do we?


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t,¡± Servi smiled at the boy, who cheerfully ran towards a woman with red hair. She looked old but not old enough to be his mother. Maybe she was his sister?


    Forty or so minutes later, Servi''s eyes took in the royal-looking headquarters.  The ocean-blue ramparts stood tall and strong. Like before, two guards stood on each side of the exquisite doors leading to the lobby. Because of the all-encompassing, Servi didn''t know if they were the same guards who stood outside yesterday.


    After waving to them, she entered through the opened door, reaching the lobby and smiling when she saw Roland. Walking up with a smile on her face, she waved to him as he looked up from a stack of papers.


    ¡°It¡¯s 7:55, right on time. Captain Fisher told me to tell his mentees to go straight to the training field,¡± his gentle voice didn''t match his demeanor.


    Servi thanked him and made her way through a series of hallways until she came to a set of double doors. Entering, she saw six people just a few meters ahead of her.


    ¡°You¡¯re the last to arrive! Hurry up!¡± Fisher barked. He wasn¡¯t wearing his armor, and instead, he had on a t-shirt and shorts. Both had the word ''Justice'' on them.  Servi thought it was a bit over the top, but she had to stop herself from making a scene when she saw his athletic shoes.  They were black, like his armored boots, but Fisher''s idiotic nickname was handwritten on the side as if a child wrote it.


    How pretentious, Servi thought.  Regardless of her true feelings, she had to keep up the charade for the time being.


    ¡°Look, I said to wear breathable clothes, and you show up in your armor. Why?¡± Fisher demanded.


    That¡¯s when she realized that everyone, except Feral, who went shirtless with only pants, had on regular clothes and not their armor. It was all t-shirts and shorts for the Dwarves, but just pants for the two Koena. Their white and black scales  respectively reflected and absorbed the hot sun. Silverado¡¯s chest looked to be completely healed. If she hadn¡¯t seen it first hand, she never would¡¯ve known that his chest was caved in just a day ago.


    Servi was naked under her armor, so she used her ring to put on underwear, a black t-shirt, and loose shorts that came to her knees while choosing to keep her boots on. Then she took off her shield and laid it on the hard ground that had already been heated by the bright sun.


    ¡°I have them. I didn¡¯t want to leave my armor.¡± Servi made up an excuse as she took off her armor to reveal the clothes she secretly put on.


    ¡°Good. Now then, everyone, stand up and gather around!¡± Everyone stopped what they were doing and ran to Fisher.


    ¡°Today, I am going to announce the schedule for the next month. Listen up and listen close! In the next six days, you will push your body further than you ever had before. Your muscles will rip and tear and grow back stronger than ever. You will be in pain and agony, but don¡¯t you dare give up! A tank would never give up in the face of danger. Show me your resolve! On the seventh day, you all will spar once again after the workout. You¡¯re allowed to use shields!  The week after that, you will train your mind! There is more to being a tank than standing still and taking hits! After that, you will spar once again, but with skills as well as shields. Then, there is the final exam. I can¡¯t tell you yet because you don¡¯t deserve to know!¡±


    Fisher stood still after his little explanation. He watched the reaction of his mentees very closely as he explained the schedule. He was trying to see which word they reacted to. Even something like an eye twitch or an arm scratch was a telltale sign of something.


    What that something was, he didn¡¯t exactly know. But this was a training program he had developed for the city guard. He took every minute detail into account and constantly changed his view and schedule. That¡¯s why, until the past month, Canary¡¯s guards had a bit of a reputation for being strong and resilient in southeastern Lando. Ever since the attack and the disappearance of Arnold, one of the top two guards in Canary, that reputation had tanked.


    Speaking of the guard, until a month ago, Fisher was only a lieutenant. The same rank as his friend, Arnold. Now, they were friends, but only in the sense that they grew up together in a small village a few days away from Canary. There were many things Fisher hated about Arnold, but the two had no choice but to rely on each other as they grew from children to adults. They worked their way up through the world of the city guard. It took years, but they both made it. In fact, the two of them were both appropriate choices for the Captain position. When Arnold disappeared, and Fisher had to relay the emergency quest at Warden to find him, he chose to take on up the role of Captain for himself.  And as he thought, he received no backlash or complaints because his record had been nearly spotless.


    He knew that Arnold was dead, and sure, he was sad. Fisher and Arnold had differing opinions on nearly everything, and they even came to blows during a few tense moments. Especially during a particular incident that happened before he disappeared. Fisher knew it was morally wrong, but it was legal in the eyes of the law. But he didn¡¯t expect Arnold to take it that far. Not even Fisher had crossed that line. All Fisher wanted to do was push and pull, not slice and stab. Not even for those Demi-Humans he hated so much. Fisher knew deep down it was wrong and wanted to stop himself and Arnold. He really did, but he wasn¡¯t the strong man everyone made him out to be. He thought himself to be weak and pathetic when it came to a lot of things.


    They aren¡¯t Human, and they¡¯re nothing but property. That was how Fisher tried to justify the unjustifiable. He even yelled at Arnold, who laughed and laughed over what he did. When he stabbed that young boy in the foot, it was only for the purpose of inflicting pain and terror. It wasn¡¯t justice. Not at all. And the entirety of the situation forced Fisher''s nickname to be more a curse and a weapon than something to be proud of.


    That damn fool forced me to take this shitty name. Even knowing I hated it. I never wanted it in the first place, and now I can¡¯t get rid of it. I have to act like I¡¯m proud of it¡­


    He shook his head, erasing those thoughts of his very first battle and how he got his nickname. Then he turned his attention to the six in front of him.


    Five Demis and one Human. They all had the chance to be good, maybe even excellent, tanks. But doing was different than saying. The girl was obviously at the number two spot on his list. Servi had incredible stamina, running hundreds of meters without sweating. And she was sharp-witted in battle, and she even knew the hand-over-blade stance. It was only perfect for one on one fights. But just the sheer know-how proved Servi had a solid core to branch off of. But she wasn¡¯t that knowledgeable when it came to certain things. She never should¡¯ve tried to match her strength to a Kobold. In a purely physical fight with no skills between a Human and a Kobold, the Kobold would win 99 times out of 100.


    And then there was Feral. Large and mighty, he was the strongest one, physically, out of the six mentees. In terms of pure muscle, Fisher knew he wouldn''t stand a chance against him.  However, strength in both mind and body worked together to form a warrior.  He knew there was a high chance Feral didn''t have the mental capacity to adapt and learn on the fly.  That was the reason why Fisher knew he would be victorious against Feral 100 percent of the time.


    The two Dwarves and both Koena all had potential, but they needed a lot of work. And that was fine. The entire idea behind the program was to instill confidence and the knowledge required to be a better adventurer. Even if they acted otherwise, everyone here had something to learn, something they didn¡¯t know.

 Book Two – Chapter Six – Part Two – Training Time!

    Fisher took a deep breath and yelled as loud as he could. ¡°This is how you¡¯re going to train your muscles! Now, start running! Fifteen laps, then back to me! Go!¡± He raised his leg and stomped it down, signaling the start. All at once, the six mentees started moving. Arms pumping and legs running, Servi¡¯s form gradually began to change.


    The previous day, she ran sloppily and hunched over. But now? She had her ears in line with her straight shoulders. Her arms were tucked in and at a 90-degree angle. Her hands were clenched into a fist, and she pumped them up and down. They came to right below her chin before going back to her hip, which was very slightly leaning forward.


    As she slowly pushed ahead of the pack, one of the Koena had the bright idea to mimic her running stance. It wasn¡¯t something he could perfectively mimic after seeing it once or twice. Servi had to rely on Soul Essence of Primal Combat, an otherworldly technique to get that stance in the first place. But little by little, he began to pick up speed. His form wasn¡¯t as good as Servi¡¯s, but she was impressed on quickly he improved.


    Three laps later, and Servi was in the lead. Silverado, the one one who did his best to copy Servi, was in second. Desperado was in third. Riki and Rakkire were fourth and fifth, respectively. Feral, with his large body, was in last. Running speed wasn¡¯t a Kobold¡¯s strong suit. Instead, it was their strength, toughness, and stamina to fight for days without sleep that made them so feared. It would take time, but Feral would cross the finish line.  He wouldn''t even come close to running out of breath, however.


    ¡°Come on!! FASTER!!¡± Fisher ran alongside the two Dwarves when they rounded the corner and encouraged them to pick up the pace.


    By the sixth lap, Servi had solidified her lead, but she slightly slowed down.


    What''s wrong? Itarr asked out of concern.


    After making sure no one was around her, Servi answered her friend. ¡°I don¡¯t want to stand out. I know that sounds stupid because of what happened yesterday, but I don¡¯t know why I did what I did. I didn¡¯t want to try to pick Feral''s shield up, and I didn¡¯t want to meet his attack head-on... Maybe I was just caught up in the moment?¡±


    Nothing. Itarr remained quiet and allowed her friend to think about it.


    By the eleventh lap, Rakkire and Riki slowed down enough to take the fifth and sixth spots.  As Dwarves, they were used to a hard life of mining ore from the mountains or rocks, but they weren¡¯t used to running long distances. Their arms were built on swinging hammers and pickaxes, and they could easily match a Human or Koena in terms of strength.


    Feral took the fourth position. Desperado noticed Silverado copied Servi''s form and did his best to match it. He spent too much time trying to get it just right, and that cost him some speed.


    And by the fourteenth lap, one before the last, the two Koena were struggling to even move their feet. The Dwarves had started walking since they didn''t have the stamina to run anymore. Fisher, of course, hated that.  He had no use for those who gave up if they could move. He kept his commanding persona and ran over to the stragglers.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing? Run!!¡± Yelling at them, Fisher hooted and hollered, doing anything he can to make them run.


    His training focused on breaking down his recruits and rebuilding them from the ground up. That was what he did for his guards. But for this mentoring program, he decided to push his training to the brink. These Demis would probably be partied up with other Humans, and those Humans were the sole reason he was doing this.


    ¡°Look! You get tired when fighting, and you die! What happens next?! Your party dies! That¡¯s what happens!! You end up in a nest of goblins, and your legs are heavy? You all get eaten alive! Do you want that to happen? Do you want the ones you¡¯re fighting with to die because you happen to get tired?! If you do, then leave! I have no use for those who give up!!¡±


    The two Dwarves dug deep within themselves and found anger. Anger at being told they were weak. Like everyone, the two had a past that deeply affected them, and that was the reason they signed up for Warden.


    The two found a source of strength they didn¡¯t know they had, and their legs kicked into high gear. It wasn¡¯t a run, but it wasn¡¯t a walk. Being a mix of somewhere in between, Fisher wasn¡¯t happy, but he wasn¡¯t as mad.


    Everybody has a past they want to forget. I know that well. That''s why I need to force these Demis to relive it if they ever want to grow stronger. Come on, Fisher, do this for the Humans!


    The Captain''s little speech to the Dwarves unintentionally affected the Koena. They glanced at each other and betrayed their aching muscles. Their mind wanted them to move and finish the fifteen laps, and the body did all it could to stop them.


    In the end, the mind won.


    One lap later, Servi crossed the finish line first.  Feral, who never stopped or slowed once he picked up some speed, came in second. ¡°A Kobold¡¯s stamina is immense! Hahaha!!!¡± he happily slapped his tail against the ground as he boasted.


    The third and fourth were the Dwarves, Riki and Rakkire, in that order. They only managed to squeak past the Koena during the last turn and finished a few short seconds ahead of them.


    ¡°You all did good," Servi said.  She walked over to the four who laid on the ground on their backs. Oxygen entered and left at such a rapid pace.


    ¡°In..credible¡­ Your¡­St..amina..is..unlimited..¡± Riki muttered in between gaps of breath.


    ¡°I¡­didn¡¯t¡­know.. Humans¡­had..so¡­strength..¡± Desperado wheezed. Servi thought he had to be hot. Dark black scales in the middle of summer? It had to be rough. Silverado, meanwhile, was getting to his feet.


    ¡°Listen up! Every day, bright and early for six days, you will run and run and run! Be tired, or even hate me, but you wanted to be tanks, right?! This is nothing compared to what they have to take!!! Now, run over to the field and grab a weight!!¡± Fisher stomped once again and watched as his six mentees walked over.


    They walked, not ran, and that was something unacceptable to Fisher.


    ¡°Did I say walk?! Run! RUN!!!¡± and just like that, the four, who struggled to find strength in their legs, ran faster than they believed they could.


    Servi reached the weights first, and she didn¡¯t know what to grab. Fisher appeared beside her a moment later, and she saw a few droplets of sweat drip down his brow.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing? I said to grab it!! GRAB IT!!!! I didn''t say fucking watch!!!!¡± Servi did as he asked and grabbed the 10-kilogram weight.


    ¡°Now, lay the fuck down and hold it up! Hurry the fuck up!!" Fisher ran past Servi and shouted at the other five.


    A minute later, the six of them were on their backs in the grass, and they had their arms outstretched to the sky. They were holding their weights.


    Servi had 10 kilograms. Feral, with his hulking body, took the 100-kilogram weight. Riki chose the 50, and Rakkire wanted the 51-kilogram weight. And Silverado and Desperado picked the 48 and the 45-kilogram weights, respectively.


    ¡°As a tank, your arms will be battered, brushed, bruised, and buckled under the weight of attacks! Your arms need to be strong enough to wield a shield capable of protecting your party from any-fucking-thing that comes your way! Hold your weights straight up for fifteen minutes! And don¡¯t you dare drop it! If you do, then if this was out in the field, you would¡¯ve died! Congratulations, you and your party died because your arms hurt. Fucking deal with it!¡±


    He shouted and pulled out a watch from his pocket. It was one of those that cost a few thousand dupla. It could tell the time, the temperature, and it even had a stopwatch inside it.  The circular shell of it was brown and matched its owner''s eyes, and there were three blue-tipped buttons on the left side.


    ¡°Start!!!¡± he shouted as he clicked one of the buttons. Servi held her arm straight up, gripping the sides of the weight with both hands.


    ¡°Why such a low weight?¡± asked Feral. The sight of a large Kobold on his back holding a 100-kilogram weight in the air was something to behold.


    ¡°I strained myself picking up your shield. I¡¯m going to take it easy for a bit.¡±


    Feral growled and went silent. He thought that was a good enough reason. She was a Human: a person with soft skin and weak bones that snapped like twigs. They were more for attacking than taking the honorable position of a tank.


    If Fisher noticed them talking for a moment, he didn¡¯t say anything. Honestly, Fisher couldn¡¯t help a Kobold in the physical department. Only a fellow Kobold could do that, and he thought that Servi was strong enough. Even if she wasn''t as strong as he would''ve liked, he could tell she had an incredible amount of stamina.


    Servi is hiding something. She has to be... Why else would I feel this way? My instincts are never wrong, but...


    He shook his head and focused his attention on the four that needed it. Or rather, the two. Dwarves worked with hammers, banging molten metal all day and night to make weapons. Their thick arms and craggy hands were burly and rough, and like he assumed, the two had no trouble at all with the exercise.  In some ways, Fisher couldn''t help them that much in the strength department.


    The two Koena, on the other hand, had some problems ten minutes in. First, their arms started to wobble. The massive weight, to them, at least, was too much. When it came to Koena against Kobold against Dwarves, Kobold took first place in both offense and defense. Dwarves had the silver medal in physical prowess, and Koena came in second with their hard scales that acted as natural armor. Fisher saw the struggle in their eyes and walked over. He placed a hand on Silverado''s weight and gently lifted it up.


    It wasn¡¯t a show of kindness. It was a test. The moment the silver Koena breathed a sigh of relief, he failed.


    ¡°Why do you think you need special treatment? You came here to be a tank, right? So fucking endure it! Five fucking minutes!¡± he dropped the weight, and Silverado cried out for a moment. Fisher did the same to Desperado.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t endure this, then your party better find another tank. I know I wouldn¡¯t trust myself to some fucking weaklings."


    Tears flowed from their eyes, and Fisher figured the two couldn¡¯t take it.


    There are always quitters. Always. I suppose this time it happened to be these two.


    He reached out to remove the weights when Feral¡¯s voice stopped him.


    ¡°Silverado, Desperado, I¡¯ve heard that Koena are strong. Their scales are only second to a Kobold. But now, I can see that was a lie. The Human is doing better than you, and her flesh and bone are weak and soft. They are so easy to tear."


    I''m sorry for being soft and weak, I guess? Servi thought, but she didn''t get mad.  She figured that Feral was trying to encourage the two Koena in his own way.


    Fisher stepped back and waited. This was what he was waiting for, but it happened far faster than he expected. It was small, but there was a chance it would backfire.


    They¡¯ll come to hate me from my ruthless training, and bonds will form between them. Remember, Fisher, you¡¯re doing this for the Humans. That¡¯s all¡­.


    ¡°Silverado, swear on the Great Scaled Serpent. We cannot let this break us!¡±


    ¡°I will. I swear on the Great Scaled Serpent!¡±


    ¡°HYAA!!!¡± Both let loose some sort of war cry from deep within their lungs, and their arms became rigid. Fisher didn¡¯t smile. Not for these Demis, but unbeknownst to him, a tiny spark of light flashed in his mind, and it carried a message. As for the content of that message, he would figure it out later when he came face to face with his trauma.


    For the next and last five minutes, all six mentees on the grass stayed silent. They all finished together. The moment Fisher stomped his foot, Silverado and Desperado simultaneously cried out. When they rolled over, the heavy weights slid from their loosened grips and made a soft thud when they slammed into the ground.


    "Silver, we did it!" Desperado cried.


    "We did!"


    Feral sat up and gently laid his weight.  Servi thought it was a bit weird, but she did the same and stood up. She heard a soft grunt from the two Dwarves as they accomplished the workout without a worry.


    After watching the two Koena and Dwarves rub their arms, Fisher spoke to them. ¡°That pain in your arm is nothing compared to the lives of your party members. You have no right to ever, ever drop your shield! If your hand is cut off, use the other one! If that is chopped off? Hold it in between your fucking stumps! Have someone tie to your arm! Doesn¡¯t fucking matter what you do, but you never drop it!¡±


    Since the six of them weren¡¯t planning on joining the guard, he didn¡¯t make them salute. And he wasn¡¯t going to punish them with the more intense comradery exercises as if he was training a new group of soldiers. They didn''t need to learn how to salute or march, but the training was going to be tough: far, far challenging than anything they had ever been through. It was only fair.


    ¡°Bet you maggots are tired? Tough shit. Sit-ups! Now! Do 50! Afterwards, do 5 more laps!!¡± Fisher stomped his feet, and all six went back to the grass. Because it was June, the sun, high and bright, had warmed the grass until it was nice and toasty. The Dwarves were sweating like crazy, and the Koena had some kind of liquid dripping from their scales. Servi thought it could¡¯ve been sweat, but she couldn''t be sure.


    Is this really supposed to train bodies? In my eyes, we''re only moving repeatedly.


    Since there were no Singi nearby with their sensitive ears, Servi answered her friend in a whisper that was barely above the grunting coming from her right. She started on her sit-ups, keeping a mental count every ten times as a set.


    ¡°Yeah. Fisher''s logic is sound. Muscles get stronger by working them. They tear a little bit, then when they heal up, they¡¯re stronger. But I reckon that doesn¡¯t work for me.¡±


    I don¡¯t think so, either.


    ¡°I guess that only applies to when the body heals itself over time. True Immortality doesn¡¯t count since it¡¯s instantly repaired.¡±


    That''s right.


    Servi was the first to complete her 50. Then it was the two Koena, Silverado being first. Then it was Riki and Rakkire, whose body just oozed sweat down their bronze-like skin. Servi was afraid that they would¡¯ve passed out since she knew they had to be thirsty. Feral ended up finishing last. As a Kobold, he wasn¡¯t that flexible. But he wasn¡¯t tired.


    Servi couldn''t understand why someone like him would want to join a mentoring program.  In terms of physical abilities, he won in every category.


    Unless he wanted to learn strategy? Maybe that''s it? Does he really need a plan with a body like that? Servi wondered in her mind.


    As for the five laps, Servi came in first, followed by Silverado, Desperado, Riki, and Rakkire. Feral ended last, but only because he had a late start.  By the time Riki and Rakkire were on the third lap, Feral was just finishing his sit-ups.


    ¡°You¡¯re all exhausted! Tired! Worn-out! Remember this feeling, and learn to overcome it! Be prepared to start at 8 AM tomorrow! You¡¯re dismissed!¡±  Fisher shouted when Feral finally finished his laps. With a quick salute, Servi''s mentor turned on his heel and presumably went to his office.


    Servi, still with her same fair face free of sweat, turned to pick up her gear. She went to put it on manually over her clothes and saw Silverado supporting Riki and Rakkire supporting Desperado. It quite a show of camaraderie, and that tugged at her heartstrings.


    ¡°It''s nice to see people supporting people.¡± Servi smiled as she slipped her shield on.


    I agree. Servi, do you think there¡¯ll be a day where everyone can act like that?


    Servi thought for a moment. ¡°I do,¡± She felt a tinge of something, but it faded away.


    After she slid her shield through her arm, Servi left the training area and wandered through the hallways until she came to the lobby. He looked up from a packet of paper and smiled.  "How was it?"


    ¡°Fifteen laps, fifteen minutes of weights, fifty sit-ups, and five more laps.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see he went with the 85 today,¡± he said.


    Servi was confused, so she asked him to clarify.


    ¡°Captain Fisher¡¯s training is based around numbers. It starts at a number, this case being 85, and refers to the total amount of exercises done. Be warned, it¡¯ll only go up. But I¡¯m surprised. Not even grown men can walk without limping after experiencing one of his workouts.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a lot tougher than I look. I train hard every day.¡± Servi lied as she bragged about her athletic ability. She couldn¡¯t tell the truth, so she made something up.


    ¡°I see. So ya gotta be here at 8 again?¡±


    Servi nodded and asked what the time was. She was told it was a little past 2 PM.


    Six hours?! It didn¡¯t feel that long.


    Servi thanked Roland and went to leave. She jogged all the way home, stopping by a stall to buy a cup of tea. It was sweeter than she''d expected, but it was enjoyable.


    I guess this is going to be our lives for the next month. Itarr quipped.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said as the Warden office came into view, ¡°It is. You know, it feels familiar. Like, I¡¯ve done this type of thing before. At least, I think I might have.¡±


    Do you think it could be a memory?


    ¡°Maybe. But I wouldn¡¯t trust it. I haven¡¯t been feeling the same. I think I might relax for a while. Maybe I''ll take a nap.¡±


    Servi entered and saw Claire in the distance. She was behind a window and was in the middle of helping a fellow adventure. It¡¯d be rude of her to turn and wave, but her eyes did glance over for the quickest moment. Servi smiled and made her way up to the third floor.


    Inside her room, she locked the door and stripped down before taking out the fancy bed.


    I¡¯ll be sure to wake you up if someone knocks.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Servi muttered as she laid her head down. Again, she curled up until she was in a ball-like shape. It must¡¯ve felt comfortable because she drifted off to sleep moments later.

 Book Two – Chapter Six – Part Three – Training Time!

    As Servi left at 7 AM in the morning, Momo laid comfortably on that pathetic excuse of a bed. A thin nightgown covered her naked body as she laid on her side underneath a thin white piece of fabric, and her pink tail slowly wagged awake.


    This continued for five or so minutes, then a knock came, and the snoozing girl slowly opened her eyes.


    Morning already? Wait?! Morning?! Momo hastily stood up, taking off her nightgown and putting on her underwear and pants in one swift motion.  The sun peeked through the single small window and briefly illuminated her pink hair.


    ¡°Hello? This your wake-up call,¡±  A muffled voice came from behind the door.


    ¡°Yeah! Just a second, please!¡± Momo replied. She tied her belt around her waist and put on a white shirt she had laid out the night before. Then she slid her damaged chainmail, which needed to be repaired, on over her shirt, and finally equipped her armor. She grabbed her bag, which held everything else, and opened the door to see Claire.


    ¡°Good morning, Momo!¡± Claire smiled brightly at her other favorite adventurer.


    ¡°Hi, Claire. Thanks for waking me up,¡± Momo¡¯s hair was a bit frazzled and out of control like a pink storm of falling petals, and a slight amount of sweat dripped down her nose and chin.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Here, take this.¡±


    Momo saw the ten coin dupla in Claire''s hand and shook her head.


    ¡°The chocolate was a gift. You don¡¯t need to pay us back.¡±


    Claire laughed. ¡°Servi said the same thing, but I know it was a gift. This is your stipend.¡± The Elf went on to explain that it was money to help cover her stay during her mentorship.


    ¡°I see. Thanks!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have to get ready for the day. But seriously, thanks again for the chocolate. Yesterday was rough.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome. I¡¯ll see you later, okay?¡±


    Claire nodded and waved to Momo, whose tail was wagging. She went into her room and stuffed her nightgown in her bag before going downstairs. Dineria had told Momo to be there before 8 AM for training.


    Oh jeez, I wonder how Servi''s doing? Her thoughts went to her friend instead of her own situation as she made her way through the exit.  The sun was already so bright and hot, but that was the perfect thing to warm her up.


    Knowing her, she¡¯s doing fine. You know, one of these days I¡¯d like to make us lunch or dinner.  I hope I can get a chance soon. Momo left the Warden office and made her way to Levadia Woods. It was a store that was partly owned by Dineria and her family. It mainly sold archery items like bows, strings, arrows, and other things. That itself was ironic because Dineria favored the sword. She was blessed by a Major God of Wind named Kirchta, and he gave her no skills that would help in close-quarters combat.  When Momo thought about it all, she figured it was pretty ironic.


    Oh, it¡¯s that food cart we ate at when we were standing in line yesterday. About that time, Momo had walked into the smell of chicken. Even so early in the morning, people were out and about. Some were heading to work at bakeries and restaurants, others had to head on out to different villages to find jobs, and some had no plans for the day. The city was full of very different people who lived very different lives.


    Seeing everyone all living in a city together is incredible... My village had like, 40 people, but it seems like thousands and thousands of people live here. After waiting patiently in line to buy her  two sticks of chicken and a small cup of milk, Momo continued her short journey to the shopping center where Levadia Woods was at. It took her around twenty or thirty minutes, and she was afraid she¡¯d be late.


    The shopping center was a large department store-like building. Standing six floors high and taking up a sizable amount of space, it was still smaller than Parrel¡¯s mansion. She glanced at a clock and discovered she had just a few minutes left.


    I better skedaddle! I don¡¯t wanna be late on my second day! Momo tossed her garbage into the nearby can and rushed through the open doors with a tense heart.  She didn¡¯t like the building that much since it was mainly visited by nobles.


    I couldn¡¯t believe the number of slaves I saw yesterday. Even the Demi-Human nobles have them¡­ I¡¯m glad Dineria doesn¡¯t have one.


    Shaking her head, Momo briskly walked up to the large set of stairs in front of her. The center''s six floors contained nothing but shops and stores. And they were organized in alphabetical order, which also didn¡¯t make sense to her.


    If someone has a store that starts with a ¡®U,¡¯ and they leave or sell their business, what happens if a store called ¡®Momo¡¯s Wonders¡¯ takes over? It wouldn¡¯t be in order. The trouble it would take to move a whole store from an upper floor to a lower floor doesn''t seem like it would be worth it.  It just seems like a dumb rule, but I¡¯m just a commoner. Maybe there''s something I don''t understand?


    The day before, Momo had been denied entry from the building by the two guards out front. The stubborn bastards didn¡¯t even let her in when she showed them the card she received from Estela.  As she begged them to let her in, with tears nearly flooding her eyes, an Elf walked over.  She had green hair and deep emerald-like eyes.


    ¡°What''s going on?! Why does this girl look like she''s about to cry?! What did you two do to her?!¡±  The Elf demanded.


    The two guards were taken back but kept their composure. ¡°Dineria, she said she was your mentee, but this Singi isn''t a noble.¡± Dineria reached her hand out and grabbed Momo¡¯s card, and that was when the Singi saw the tattoo, a red flower on the back of her hand. It wasn¡¯t that big, but it was cute.


    Dineria?! So she''s my mentor? She looks so cool! The few tears that managed to form slid down Momo''s cheeks, but that was all.  Her red flushed face soon returned to its original color.


    ¡°It checks out to me. What¡¯s your name?¡± Dineria flashed a smile, and Momo answered her.


    ¡°Hi, Momo. I''m sorry this happened, but you two won¡¯t stop her again, right?¡± Dineria narrowed her eyes, and the two guards shook.


    Wow¡­ Dineria''s tough...  I like her!


    ¡°Sorry, Miss Dineria, it won¡¯t happen again!¡±


    ¡°Not to me, say it to her.¡±


    The two armored guards looked towards the Singi and smiled. ¡°We''re sorry, Miss Momo. It won''t happen again.¡± Instead of feeling relieved, Momo felt nothing but confusion.  She wasn''t used to people seriously apologizing to her, and she didn''t know how to act.


    ¡°Oh..umm¡­. It¡¯s fine. It was just a simple misunderstanding, right?¡±  Momo gently smiled, displaying a perfect smile that carried no hard feelings.


    Dineria stood off the side and nodded, and her green hair looked like liquid leaves with the way it gracefully shook with every moment of her head.


    ¡°Now, Momo, if you¡¯ll come with me, we have to begin.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± She eagerly said. And the rest of that day was history. She met Srassa, a noble girl who seemed to be friendly enough. After drinking some tea, both her and her fellow mentee witnessed the reason why Dineria was chosen as a mentor. Her skill with a bow was almost supernatural because it was like her arrows curved to hit her targets.


    And that was because that was the truth.


    Kirchta, the Major God of Wind who blessed Dineria, had an exclusive skill only he could give. It was a passive skill called String Bender, meaning it was always on, and it allowed her to curve her arrows. She did so by using her thumb and index fingers to lightly twist her bowstring. And it wasn¡¯t just left and right. She could make her projectiles arc up and down. It was difficult, but she could bend the string in such a way that her arrow had enough curve to hit a target behind her. Momo''s and Srassa''s jaws dropped to the floor when they saw that.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty much why I use the sword,¡± Dineria said after her exhibition. ¡°It almost feels like cheating to me. Oh, but I¡¯m not embarrassed. Not at all. If it came to it and I was forced to fight for my life, I would use everything I could to give myself an advantage. But if I¡¯m training or sparing, or maybe doing a quest that isn''t that dangerous, I''d rather use my sword instead to get the practice.¡± Momo couldn¡¯t help but admire her Elven teacher, who seemed to radiate beauty and technique. Momo found herself thinking about her mentor as she ran home to the Warden office that evening.


    She¡¯s the perfect one. The one I wanna learn from. Come on, Momo! You gotta do your best!!


    Back in the present, Momo had just reached the third floor. Every business from ¡®I¡¯ through ¡®L¡¯ was on this floor. And Levadia Woods, one of the largest stores in the shopping center, was at the far back. Momo wanted to run over to it, but she knew she couldn¡¯t.  After all, it was bad manners to run inside a store, and Momo considered herself a proper rule-abiding girl. Still, she walked so fast it was like she was running.


    I''m not running! I swear I''m not! This... I''m just walking fast, okay? There''s a difference! Jeez... I have to leave earlier tomorrow...


    Even with her late start, the pink Singi made it with a minute to spare.


    After she entered through the large glass door, the artificially created forest-like smell overtook her nose. Since it was owned by Elves, Levadia Woods used little to no metal in any of its products. The only metal in the entire store was on the door handles.  That was something that Dineria was proud of, and she made sure to brag about during the first day.


    ¡°Hello there, how can I help you?¡± a young Dwarf asked. He was about the age of thirteen or so. Short, bald, little red beard, he reminded Momo of a Dwarven child, but he was considered an adult in his culture.


    ¡°Hi! I¡¯m here to see Dineria. She¡¯s my mentor.¡±


    ¡°Momo, right?¡± he asked. She nodded but looked confused.


    ¡°Dineria told me to be on the lookout for a pink-haired Singi. She¡¯s right through that door there.¡± Momo looked to where his stubby arms were pointing. It was the same door they went through to reach the training room the day prior.


    Saying thanks to the Dwarf, Momo excitedly walked on over and opened the door. Usually, she would¡¯ve knocked, but Dineria mentioned that there was no need to.


    ¡°Ah!¡± she said out loud, meaning to keep it inside. She saw Dineria, with her light green hair and soft face sitting at a table talking to Srassa. She was a noble girl, but she didn¡¯t want to give out her last name. Her long blond hair nearly came to the end of her back, and her green eyes stared at her mentor.  Being a noble meant she had the perfect posture.  Her legs elegantly crossed themselves as she placed her hands in her lap.


    I mean, that¡¯s fine and all. There¡¯s no reason to give out last names. I mean, I don''t have one... Suddenly, they both looked over to her and waved. Momo waved back as she walked towards the table.


    ¡°Ah, Momo. How are you this morning?¡± Srassa asked with the slightest hint of a posh accent.


    Srassa''s a fancy noble girl, but she''s friendly. I know it¡¯s only been a day, but I like her. Maybe there¡¯s a chance we can be friends?


    ¡°I¡¯m doing good. How are you?¡± Momo answered.  Even though she tried her best to limit her tone to something professional, Momo''s tail betrayed her.  Srassa took note and silently giggled.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing wonderfully well,¡± she replied. She had the tiniest bit of an accent, causing her to inflate just a little bit on certain vowels.


    ¡°Dineria. How are you doing?¡± Momo smiled at her mentor, and she smiled back.


    ¡°I guess I can''t complain. Alrighty!" Dineria stood up, retrieved a nearby chalkboard, and brought it back, "Let me go over the schedule for the day.¡±


    She knew it was silly, but Momo thought the way Dineria walked was graceful in itself.


    ¡°So...¡± Dineria picked up a small chalk piece and began to write in large and cute bubble-like letters.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to start off with a display of what you two can do. Keep in mind, it involves using both the sword and bow. Then, I want to see your Rank 10 skills, if you have any, in action. After that, we¡¯ll have a small break for some tea, and I¡¯ll tell you both about the things I saw. Then, if you feel up to it, I want to see you two spar. Oh, don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t be with metal swords. I have plenty of wooden ones here. Any question?¡±


    Srassa raised her hand up.


    She even looks elegant doing that!


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Dineria, what if we have no experience with shooting a bow or a sword?¡±


    Ah, that¡¯s right. Srassa said she just signed up like three days ago.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. That''s what this mentoring thing is all about. Rest assured, you¡¯ll know your way around both by the time this month is over,¡± she replied with a smile. Srassa¡¯s face slightly blushed red with faint heat.


    ¡°Anything else?¡± Dineria asked. But neither Momo nor her potential new friend said anything.


    ¡°Good! Now then, if you can follow me, please,¡± Momo and Srassa stood up, pushed their chairs in, and followed Dineria over to a corner of the training room.


    Speaking of the training room, it was bigger than the one at Warden, but this one was prepared with all types of training equipment.


    There were a few archery ranges, a spot to practice attacking skills, and even a massive obstacle course that spanned the entirety of the training room.


    ¡°Okay, do you two know about the different types of bows?¡± their mentor asked. She picked up two wooden bows from a nearby wall. The three of them were next to a pair of archery lanes containing five targets a set distance away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Neither do I.¡±


    If Dineria was irritated, she didn¡¯t show it. Instead, she smiled. She always enjoyed teaching. That was why the training room was large and well equipped. She was so devoted that she took a month''s pause from teaching her regular training classes so she could be in the mentor program.


    ¡°This is a recurve bow. Notice the sharp angles? And this is a traditional bow. Unlike the recurve bow, it is made from one piece of wood and not three. There is a third type, called compound bows. It uses a series of pulleys to ease the amount of strength you need to pull the string back. But, those have metal parts, and I don¡¯t really like them.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference between recurve and traditional?¡± Momo asked. She usually wouldn''t be the first to ask questions, but Momo meant what she said when she and Servi had their talk the previous day. Throughout the month, she was devoted to giving 110%, even if it meant overcoming her fears and taking the initiative.


    ¡°Good question! A recurve bow can shoot an arrow faster. It¡¯ll hit your target quicker, but that¡¯s not to say the traditional bow is any slower or weaker. The speed mainly depends on the quality of the string and wood used in the bow''s construction. As for the draw? A traditional bow is going to require more muscle to pull back. If you aren''t confident in your arm strength, you might want to start with a recurve bow and work your way up. Oh, traditional bows are more silent, which are useful if you¡¯re hunting.¡±


    Dineria glanced around and saw Momo nodding. She was storing the information in her brain and repeating it back to herself. Srassa, meanwhile, took out a piece of paper and began to write, and Momo felt like she wasn''t prepared.


    I hope she doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m not paying attention.  Argh, you stupid cat! Bring paper with you next time.


    ¡°Alright! Now comes the fun part! Momo, come and pick which bow you want to try,¡± Dineria presented both weapons to her mentee, and she chose the recurve bow.


    ¡°Good. Now take these arrows and show me what you got! Remember, I¡¯m not judging you or anything like that.¡± Dineria smiled again and walked over to where Srassa was, leaving Momo with the space to move around. There was a small table nearby, so she laid the wooden arrows on them.


    Okay, Momo. Remember what Claire said. I¡¯m nervous. If I mess up, it¡¯s okay. Take a deep breath and remember what Servi taught you!


    She closed her eyes and reopened them. Taking the bow in her left hand, she gripped it and picked up an arrow.


    Her body slowly moved to the stance that Servi had shown her, and she drew the arrow back.


    Come on, Momo! Just take deep breaths in, and then let them out...


    Once her lungs were empty, she let loose the arrow and watched where it landed. Even though her target was five meters away, she didn''t get the bullseye. It was close, though. Still, Momo couldn''t help but sadly sigh at coming up empty.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m impressed with your form. Not many beginners know to straighten up their chin. Your arms were a little bit off, but your back was straight. Do another shot and aim for the second target.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Momo nocked another arrow and pulled the string back. It was a little bit heavier than the bow at Warden, but not by too much. She aimed for the second target, ten meters away, and loose when she was out of breath. It landed near the bottom, almost missing, but it landed.


    Dang it, Momo. You¡¯re nervous. Calm down a little!


    ¡°I see. I see. Do one more and aim for the third one.


    Momo pushed the hair from her eyes and nocked her third arrow of the day. The third target was fifteen meters away.


    Okay. I¡¯m gonna have to aim up a little.


    And she missed the whole thing. Momo''s arrow ended up sailing right past her intended target, avoiding it by a country mile.


    The fourth and fifth marks were twenty and twenty-five meters away, and Momo missed them as well. Sure, she was irritated she missed them, but Momo knew that Dineria planned to teach her the right way. But that¡¯s not to say that Servi didn¡¯t do anything. She taught Momo the pure basics, and Servi was saying things that might be good. After all, Servi''s body understood how to move, but her mind didn¡¯t. Just like how her body couldn¡¯t process the afterimages, her mind could. The two concepts of her body and mind had to work in harmony using the skill as a go-between.

 Book Two – Chapter Six – Part Four – Training Time!

    "Srassa, you¡¯re up,¡± ordered Dineria.


    ¡°Yes, ma''am!¡± the girl with the blond hair and green eyes went to the lane as Momo sat down in her seat.


    ¡°Dineria, how did I do?¡± she asked. Srassa was still thinking about which bow to get.


    ¡°I was surprised. You have the basic form down, but you need some work tightening it. Have you been taught before?¡±


    ¡°Kinda. My friend Servi is good with the bow, and she taught me a little bit.¡±


    ¡°And is she also a Rank 10?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡±


    ¡°I see. Srassa, whenever you¡¯re ready, let me know.¡±


    ¡°Right!¡±


    A few seconds later, Srassa chose the traditional bow. Unlike Momo, she had no experience in anything relating to weapons. She never used a sword or even touched one before, and it was the same with the bow. But she kept her green eyes peeled onto Momo as she did her shots.


    She nocked the arrow and pulled back the string. It was kind of hard for her, and soon, she began to feel pain in her fingers and arms. She panicked and released her grip, and the arrow flew to the right of the first target.


    ¡°Okay. Try again,¡± Dineria said in a gentle voice.


    Srassa readied another arrow, and this time her arm shook when she released the string.  It missed the target by a country mile.


    ¡°One more time,¡± Dineria encouraged.


    With another arrow came another miss. This time, her wrist rotated the moment before the projectile left the bow.


    ¡°I see. Alright, I think I have a good idea,¡± Dineria stood up and walked over to the very frustrated girl. Her body nervously shook from both fear and embarrassment.


    ¡°Srassa, it¡¯s fine. You told me that you signed up a few days ago, and guess what? This program was practically made for you." Dineria placed her hand on Srassa''s head. The noble girl looked up at her with eyes bubbling with tears. ¡°I promise you this. By the end of this month, you¡¯ll be shooting bull¡¯s-eyes after bull¡¯s-eyes. But it¡¯s gonna be hard work. I¡¯ll help you all I can, but you have to put in the effort too.¡±


    ¡°Right! I¡¯ll work super hard!¡±  Srassa exclaimed, forming two fists filled with determination.


    Dineria flashed a bright smile. ¡°Good!  Now, if both of you can follow me,¡± Dineria replied. She took the bow from Srassa''s trembling hands and placed it down nearby before walking away. As Momo followed her mentor, she saw the young Dwarf from earlier with a bag.


    He¡¯s probably going to go clean up. A few moments later, they stood in front of a small shelf of weapons. They were all wooden swords. Momo didn¡¯t think there was a difference between them.


    ¡°Okay. So you two grab a sword and face each other. I do know Remedium, so we won¡¯t have to worry about minor injuries.¡± Dineria sat down on a chair, crossing her legs, and watched the two girls. Momo kept her bag on and picked up the sword on top, while Srassa picked the next one down on the second shelf.


    ¡°I know you said you don¡¯t have any experience, but I need to see what you do have,¡± Dineria said when Srassa looked at her.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± she said as she turned to face her opponent. Momo held her sword in both hands. It was longer and thicker than her grandpa¡¯s sword, but it didn''t feel unnatural.  Stepping in softly, Momo kept both eyes on her opponent.


    Servi said she fights by keeping an eye on her opponent¡¯s body, right? So let me try that.


    Momo kept walking with her guard up. Srassa tried to copy Momo¡¯s stance and went for feet swipe. Momo saw Srassa¡¯s arm and hand move back for a moment, and she figured an attack was coming. She moved back just a little bit and rushed forward while Srassa recovered from the missed strike. With a light bonk on her leg, Srassa hopped back but slipped and landed on her rear. She wasn¡¯t that athletic, either. Dineria stood up.


    ¡°Okay. I believe I got it,¡± Momo watched as her mentor made her way over to the girl on the ground.  Srassa held her knees close together, and Momo heard a quiet whimper coming from her.


    ¡°Look, I can see that this program was basically made for you. And I mean that in a good way. So here...¡± Srassa¡¯s crying face looked at the outstretched hand and took it. Dineria helped her to her feet and took out a small cloth. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be hard, but I believe in you. Nobody is born a master of anything. Everyone, even me, started off like you.¡± Dineria had the tone of a loving mother, and it showed. Srassa¡¯s tears dried up, and she smiled.


    Seeing that reminded me of when I started to learn the sword from grandpa. I used to cry and cry about how I wasn''t any good, but then you¡¯d tell me to keep with it. And look, grandpa... I¡¯m not the best... I''m still a total beginner, but I¡¯m growing. I know how you feel, Srassa... I really do.


    ¡°Now then. Let¡¯s move onto skills., their mentor said as she walked away. There was, yet again, another space for them to train in.  More accurately, it was less of an area and more of a small section. Two heavy and thick planks sat against a reinforced wooden wall, and the three of them stopped at a nearby table.


    After taking a seat, Dineria asked Momo what skill she knew.


    ¡°Well, I know Lurk, Feather Fall, True Aim, Dazzler, Dirt Skin, and Magic Missile.¡±


    ¡°Very good.  Oh, be sure to use Magic Missile and Dazzler on one of the two planks against the wall, and use that for Feather Fall." Dineria pointed to a small, dirt-colored panel and spoke and used a speed-cast version of the Earth Wall chant.


    ¡°By the Earth which slumbers, Earth Wall!¡± Five steps appeared in the square.  They looked fragile, but Dineria assured Momo they were as tough as stone.


    "Yes, ma''am!" Momo said.  She stood up and walked over to the five steps.  They were only a half a meter high up, and it didn''t take even a second and a half to climb them. She used the Feather Fall chant and jumped. It took her two seconds to reach the ground.


    ¡°Alright. Now use Magic Missile and Dazzler on the planks.¡±


    Momo nodded and walked over to the two planks set against a reinforced wall. She stood a few meters away, and a few seconds later, a small black orb was in her hand. She tossed it at her target, and it broke into a cloud of dark dust. Then, she held her left hand out. After chanting, a colorless arrow appeared. Taking aim, Momo used her right hand to reinforce her left arm and fired it. Flying through the air at a speed that only Dineria could follow, the colorless projectile struck the wood with a dull thud. She didn''t know if it was the wood or if she was weak, but her Magic Missile only left a small scratch. But she couldn''t keep her mentor waiting by thinking about it, so she went ahead and used her other available skills.


    After a few minutes, Dineria told her to stop and sit down. Then it was Srassa¡¯s turn. Her God was named Hamie, and she was a Major God of Lightning and Light.


    From where she lacked in physical strength and weapon ability, Srassa made up for it in skills.


    Her God gave her the ability to use skills by saying their name. Well, for most techniques, anyway. She needed to chant the stronger ones, but the words of power required would be less than what someone like Momo would have to say.


    ¡°Magic Missile!¡± Srassa shouted. Hers was a little bit larger and faster than Momo¡¯s, and it made a scratch larger than Momo''s Magic Missile. Then she used Thunder Snap, Protection, and finally, Lucem.


    After a moment, Dineria spoke. ¡°Srassa, your capability as a Skill User is astounding. If you pursue that route, then I see a bright future in front of you. Why the sword and bow?¡±


    ¡°Because I want to fight on the frontline. I don¡¯t want to be at the back, and I know that¡¯s selfish. But my cousins and uncles and aunts have all been supporters. I want to break the cycle and fight up close,¡± she said after a moment of pondering. She thought it would be alright to tell her mentor the real reason.


    And it was. Dineria had a past like everyone else. She''d seen the hardships and the bright moments in her 84 years of living. But, by Elven standards, she was no older than a child.


    ¡°It¡¯s not selfish in the slightest. Take me, for example. Everyone said I had to master the bow and use it because of my Elven heritage. And I said no, I want to use the sword. My old friends and family gave me a hard time, but I kept with it,¡± Dineria grabbed a wooden sword from nearby and held it against her chest as if she was a king''s honor guard.


    She moved, jumped, bounced, and flopped in a series of rolls and flips.  It was acrobatic, and she slashed and swiped and thrusted with her sword at every moment. Srassa and Momo could only look on with amazement.  It was like she was one with the wind, and as her body twisted and turned, the two onlookers were mesmerized.


    That¡¯s the style of swordplay I want to use! If I can learn that and the bow, I can finally support my best friend! Still staring, Momo and Srassa happily clapped when Dineria took a bow.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯m not going to promise you that you¡¯ll be a master of the sword by the end of the month, but I will do the very best I can. Now, let¡¯s have some tea, and I¡¯ll tell you two what I saw and learned about you,¡± Dineria clapped lightly, and she and Momo and Srassa walked over to where a small table was at. Once she and the two mentees sat down, three waiters appeared almost out of nowhere.  Dineria told the two the previous day that tea was her passion. As such, she always had a large selection of tea in Levadia Woods.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take the bearel geey. Three cups, please,¡± Dineria said. The waiters nodded and walked off.


    A few minutes later, after some light chatting, a most delicious fragrance wafted around the air. It was the tea. Momo had never tasted whatever this ¡®bearel geey¡¯ was, but it smelled delicious.  It tasted even better.


    ¡°Now then,¡± Dineria said after dropping a small cube of sugar into her glass, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what I saw. Momo, your core stance is outstanding for a beginner. Your back was straight, and you had your head lined up in just the right way. But your arms were a bit off. And you tend to slightly move when you release the arrow. As for your swordplay, I can see you have a good base to further expand upon. Were you taught by anyone?"


    She nodded. ¡°My grandpa reached Rank 3 before he retired. He taught me what he could with his sword, but grandpa was getting old. He kept joking that he was far more spry and agile in the past. And then I trained with Servi for the past month or so.¡±


    ¡°Servi?¡± asked Srassa. She took a tiny sip of her tea. Her stressed and teary face was gone, replaced by one of calmness and serenity.


    ¡°She¡¯s my friend. We¡¯re in a party together, and during our free time, she¡¯s been teaching me some stuff.¡± Srassa nodded and took another sip.


    ¡°And for you, Srassa. We have a lot of work to do. Your arm shakes a lot, and you seem to be having some trouble releasing the string in one fluid motion. And your wrist shakes. But don¡¯t worry, all of that can be fixed with the proper technique. And as for your sword, it also needs a lot of work. Like the bow, it can be fixed. So don¡¯t worry. A month is a long time, and I like to teach.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Dineria! I promise I¡¯ll work hard!¡±


    ¡°Me too. I told Servi that I was going to take this seriously!¡±


    ¡°Very good. Being eager to learn and knowing what you have to improve on are the first steps to actually improve yourself!¡±


    And so, for the rest of the lesson, which was a few hours long, Momo and Srassa patiently listened as Dineria demonstrated the correct form and posture for pulling back the bow. It was tough for Srassa, who always relied on her skills and never picked up or even touched the weapon in question, but she managed to hit the target. It took her forty or so minutes, longer than it took Momo. But like how Servi was happy for her, Momo made sure to show how excited she was. It was that positive reinforcement that caused her to improve as fast as she did. She was happy when they were happy for her. It¡¯s like a never-ending circle of positivity.


    We¡¯re both here to learn. And grandpa told me that people retain information when you¡¯re having fun. So yeah, I am having a good time. Dineria is super supportive, Srassa and I are gonna encourage each other, and soon enough, we''ll be making some progress. Momo thought to herself as she watched Srassa fire off a couple of arrows.


    ¡°Ow,¡± she heard her say as she walked back. She cradled her hand. Dineria asked for permission to touch it.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a little bit cramped up. But be happy! The pain is proof you¡¯ve been trying. Get a little bit of ice and make sure to rest it. By tomorrow, it should be good. Speaking of that¡­¡± Dineria pulled a watch from her pocket. ¡°It¡¯s 3:53.¡±


    Dineria then stood up and performed a series of stretches. ¡°Be sure to do these every night before you go to bed and every morning when you wake up, okay? The style of sword I teach relies on flexibility. It¡¯s going to hurt at first, but try to hold them as long as possible. And don¡¯t stay up late. You have got to give your body the rest it needs. If you do, it''ll be there when you need it. Oh, and as for food. Try to stay away from really fatty foods and stick to lean foods. Fish and chicken are good choices. Drink lots of water when you can¡­and I think that¡¯s about it. If I think of anything else, I¡¯ll let you know. I¡¯ll see you two tomorrow at 8 AM. Be safe on the way back.¡±


    Srassa and Momo waved to their mentor and left. They walked side by side, chatting about various things. Momo thought it was kind of nice. She was super nervous on the first day, but it was such a pleasant experience, and the Singi was jolly. Her tail was definite proof of that with how it bounced and zagged all over the place.


    ¡°So I''ve got to go this way, but today was fun, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Srassa said. A brisk breeze flew by, sending her blond hair up in a twirl.


    ¡°It was. I¡¯m so excited to continue!¡±


    ¡°Me too. Bye, Momo. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Bye-bye!¡±


    Momo watched as Srassa walked down the street leading to the fancy buildings. Mansions and big homes were commonplace, and everyone wore either elaborate suits or pretty dresses. That was the noble district, and it was home to the wealthiest people in Canary.


    But just because someone is rich and a noble doesn''t mean they¡¯re unpleasant to be around. Grandpa told me that.  Take Srassa, for example. She¡¯s a noble, but we might eventually become friends. Wait... are we already friends...?


    We are, aren''t we? Yay!!!! Momo jumped for joy and raised her arms high in the air, inadvertently twisting her wrist. "Oww... Hehe, maybe take it easy for a little bit, Momo..." Oh, and be sure to take a good shower. Dineria said hot water is good for relaxing the muscles.


    Some thirty or so minutes later, it was a little bit before 4:30, Momo came walking into Warden. She looked around and didn¡¯t see Claire.


    She¡¯s probably off of work by now. I hope her day was good. Hmm, I wonder if Servi is back yet? Oh, I hope so!


    Momo made her way up the stairs as she did so many different times before, and she stopped in front of a particular door.


    ¡°Servi?¡± Momo said as she knocked. A few seconds later, it clicked open to reveal a very sleepy Servi in some casual clothes: a white shirt and black shorts that came to her knees.  She had on white socks but no shoes.


    Yawning, she talked to her friend. ¡°Hey, Momo.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Were you asleep?¡±


    ¡°I was just laying in bed. I might¡¯ve dozed off here and there.¡±


    And so the two friends talked. Servi excused herself for a second and closed the door to slip on more proper clothes. Then she walked out and took a seat on the bench beside her door. Momo joined her.


    Like the previous day, Momo relaxed back in the chair and playfully kicked her legs as she talked to her friend. They must¡¯ve spent thirty or so minutes just chatting before Momo let out a big yawn.


    ¡°Somebody¡¯s tired.¡±


    ¡°Hehe. It didn¡¯t feel like I did that much, but my body is sore. I think I might shower and go to bed early. Dineria told us to be there at 8 AM.¡±


    ¡°Same here. Fisher made us run and do sit-ups and a bunch of other things. I¡¯m pretty tired..¡±  Servi yawned again.


    But why am I tired? I never get tired. It''s supposed to be impossible for me to get tired.


    ¡°Dineria is making us do some stretches before we go to bed and after we wake up. That might help with your physical training. It¡¯s supposed to help prevent cramps.¡±


    ¡°Stretches, huh? I might do some. So how about dinner in an hour?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me. I¡¯ll see you then!¡± Momo made her way up the stairs, and Servi, still yawning, went back to her room.


    Like the night before, she took some random assortment of clothes up to the shower room, cleaned herself, dried off, and changed into her outfit with the overalls. She knew she said she was going to wash it, but it didn¡¯t even smell.


    An hour later, the two were eating. Momo followed what Dineria said and ordered the chicken and a glass of water.


    When Servi asked why she didn¡¯t order milk, Momo told Servi what Dineria told her.


    ¡°That makes sense.¡±


    "It does, but man... I''m gonna miss my daily glass of milk..." Momo cutely pouted, but Servi was there to cheer her up.


    "Eh, I don''t think a glass here or there every few days will mess anything up. Milk has a bunch of calcium, so it''s good for bones."


    Calcium...? What''s that? Momo wanted to ask, but she was just excited by the prospect of enjoying her dairy goodness again that it slipped her mind.


    The meal was somewhat unremarkable, but Servi couldn¡¯t taste that much flavor from her steak. Soon, they parted ways.


    ¡°Good night, Momo.¡±


    ¡°Good night, Servi.¡±


    Servi descended the stairs and groggily walked into her room.  After locking the door, she stumbled to her bed and fell on it.


    Are you going to bed then? Good night, Servi. I love you.


    I love you, too. Good¡­nigh¡­.t.¡± Servi fell victim to sleep the moment her head touched her pillow.


    Hmm, that''s interesting... Itarr mumbled after Servi had already drifted off to sleep.

 Book Two – Chapter Seven – Part One – The Days of Training

    For the next 25 days or so, the lives of Momo and Servi were quite formulaic.


    Every morning, they woke up at 7 AM. Sometimes they would meet up with each other while coming down the stairs, and other times they would only meet for dinner. It was an obvious consequence of their current circumstances. Still, they made sure to see each other at least once a day.


    For Servi, her life was summarized in a monotonous way: wake up, go to the headquarters, train for hours, come home, eat dinner with Momo, and go to bed. Sometimes she didn¡¯t even shower.


    She was in a slump one day and then the opposite the next. She flipped flopped back and forth between being sad and happy, and she didn¡¯t know how she would act until she woke up. She knew, deep down, it should¡¯ve frightened her, but the moment she was afraid, that fear disappeared.


    Nah, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just a bit stressed out. That was how Servi convinced herself she was okay.


    But then there was an incident that occurred during the sixth day of training.  It was during such a day when Servi felt like she was in a rut. Fisher told the six of them to do sixty sit-ups on the concrete, but this time, it was in groups of two. If one didn¡¯t finish, the other didn¡¯t finish. Servi was paired up with Silverado.  His sparkling silver scales shimmered in the sunlight when he gave a Servi a quick nod.


    She didn''t know all that much about him, but he seemed like a nice guy. He didn''t speak that much to anyone but Desperado.  And somehow, when it came to it, Servi felt like she could trust him to watch her back.


    He held down Servi¡¯s legs as she did her sixty, her black hair laid against the green grass.  It didn¡¯t take her long, maybe a bit over two minutes. Servi and Silverado switched positions, and she held his cloth-covered legs. Her soft hands swam over his silvery scales, and they were hard to the touch.  It almost didn''t feel organic.


    I do want to ask, but it''s not the right time.  Maybe later.


    And so he started. At first, he was on pace with ten sit-ups every fifteen seconds. But then he slowed down to one every six before stopping outright.


    ¡°I¡­I¡­I can¡¯t do¡­.it,¡± Silverado said with a pained expression after huffing for air. His left hand went to his scaled stomach.


    ¡°Come on, man! You got 28 left!¡± Servi encouraged him, but it was no use. She saw the struggle and pain in his eyes, and her mood changed. She wanted to see Silverado finish.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t! I have nothing left to give! I¡¯m all tapped out!¡± before they had to do the sit-ups, they had to run fifteen laps with the weights they had previously chosen held their hands. And before that, it was sixty push-ups. And even before that was fifty squats. And that was after the five previous days of training that only grew more and more intense. It was easy to see why he was complaining, and all of his muscles and joints screamed and begged him to stop.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not! You¡¯re only truly tapped out when you''re dead!¡± Servi yelled. Her black hair shook wildly. ¡°Pull it together and dig deep inside! Remember the first few days?! You looked like you were about to pass out, but you gave it your all!! You did it then, so do it now!¡±


    ¡°But¡ªbut¡­¡±


    ¡°No, none of that. Up and down, up and down. Do it!¡±


    From a distance, Fisher stared at the girl, who seemed to have an unlimited amount of strength, encouraging her teammate. Even though they weren¡¯t in the same party, that didn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t help each other. It was one of the most significant non-verbal agreements amongst parties of adventurers.


    Help when you can, even if you have to use valuable resources. Lives were priceless, being more vital than potions or food. Unlike the latter, the former couldn''t be replaced by simply stopping by the store.


    ¡°What¡¯s it going to be, Silverado? You¡¯re going to give up?¡± Fisher said, taunting the struggling Koena. He walked over and crouched down. His brown eyes and hair looked down on the silver scaley being.  Silverado grimaced as he forced himself to breathe.


    ¡°28 left. If you give up now, you¡¯ll have to do an extra fifty tomorrow on top of all the other shit I have planned. So don¡¯t fucking quit! Fight through the pain. And that goes for all of you!¡± Fisher stood up and turned around the other two groups.  They stopped what they were doing and stared at their mentor. ¡°That pain you feel is something to embrace. That means you¡¯re doing your goddamn job! You should know this by now because I''ve been beating this into you fuckers! Every single goddamn hit you take, every cut you endure, and every bruise you receive is one less that affects your party! Don¡¯t fuck this up!¡±


    Servi thought it looked cracks were beginning to form in Silverado''s scales, but it could have been an illusion. Sweat-like liquid began to flow down his body, and he cried out.


    But with a new source of determination, he resumed his sit-ups. Every time he sat up, he grunted and gritted his teeth. Every time his back touched blistering hot blacktop, he yelped in agony. The scorching sun or surface didn''t have anything to do with it because Koena were naturally resistant to heat. Instead, it was the pain in his abdomen that radiated through his body. Though his pace remained slow, he eventually did finish.


    The moment his back touched the ground after number sixty, he cried out with a tearful voice that had both pain and relief.


    ¡°Good work, Silverado. You¡¯re done,¡± Servi stood up and held her arm out. He took it, and she helped him up. He tried to be brave, but his body was so sore that he immediately went down to his knees.


    ¡°Are you okay? Need a medic?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Servi, but I am fine. I¡¯m...I¡¯m just a little tired,¡± Silverado grunted in pain and went back to his feet. Without any assistance, the proud Koena stood tall even as his body screamed for rest.


    Fisher crossed his arms and watched from a distance as the scene played out. The other two groups, Desperado and Riki and Rakkire and Feral, had been finished for a couple of minutes.  They walked over and congratulated the silvered being for a job well done.


    The harsh mentor smiled but for a fraction of a second.


    It seems they don¡¯t hate me yet. Strange, by this point, I would¡¯ve received a few death threats.


    Fisher silently sighed and hollered at them to form up. He spoke to them for a few minutes before dismissing them. Before he did, he let them know that they would spar on the following day.


    ¡°Bring your armor and your shield. Don¡¯t worry about a weapon because you¡¯ll use the ones that are over on those shelves. Now, you''re all dismissed!¡±


    Servi made her way back to the Warden office with a skip in her step, waving to Roland, the receptionist.


    What¡¯s wrong? Itarr asked, feeling something was amiss.


    ¡°Nothing. I just felt good when I encouraged Silverado. It almost felt like I was remembering something when I did that, but it¡¯s gone now. Man, over a month and I still have no...¡± she couldn''t finish her sentence.


    Rest assured, I¡¯ll be here for you. Every step of the way!


    ¡°I know,¡± she smiled to herself and started to jog. ¡°We¡¯ll find them together!¡±


    And so, the night ended with a meal that was more delicious than the previous one, but it still didn''t compare to the food she had when she first stayed at Warden.


    After eating, the two friends decided to sit on the bench outside Servi¡¯s room and talk before going off to bed.


    Momo, wearing some pink pajamas which she had bought a few days prior, smiled brightly and kicked her legs as she told Servi how she helped Srassa.


    ¡°So I did what you did to me. When Srassa pulled back the arrow, I noticed that the form I learned from you and Dineria didn''t match what she was doing. So, I slightly adjusted her form when Dineria had to step out. And guess what?!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Servi smiled at her best friend''s genuine happiness.


    ¡°She hit the bull''s-eye on a target ten meters away! I can¡¯t believe it! I know, it¡¯s been six days, but she did it! Oh, Servi, you should¡¯ve seen how happy she was! She almost started crying.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m happy for her. But how is your training going?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going super good! Dineria said that since I have experience with the bow, I should divert my attention and focus on something else. Oh, but it¡¯d not like I¡¯m ignoring it. I shoot a bunch of arrows, and Dineria grades me on my stance and how accurate I am, then I go to the obstacle course to work on my agility.¡±


    ¡°Obstacle course?¡± asked Servi.


    ¡°Yep. It¡¯s filled with rocks, trees, and walls. There¡¯s a rope swing I have to do, and there''s even a tree I have to climb. I mean, it¡¯s a fake tree, but it''s still a tree. Dineria said that a Singi should be maneuverable and agile. I think grandpa said the same thing long ago.¡±


    ¡°Well, it sounds like you¡¯re having fun.¡±


    ¡°I am. But I miss going out on quests with you. By the time I get back, I¡¯m just so tired. And then you¡¯re tired from all of the physical stuff you have to do for Fisher''s training."


    Momo¡¯s ears drooped just a little bit, and her tail slowed to a crawl.


    ¡°It¡¯s only a month. And then there¡¯s the tournament. Hey, didn¡¯t you say we were close to ranking up?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Claire told us that. Why?¡± Momo replied.


    Servi smiled at her friend. ¡°Why not have that be the first quest we do together after the tournament? We have a pretty good track record, so I¡¯m sure Claire would think it¡¯s time for us to at least attempt it, right? It can be light a congratulatory thing for the two of us seeing this mentoring program through the end.¡±


    Internally, Momo exploded with happiness.


    Grandpa!! It¡¯s gonna take a lot more days, but I¡¯ll finally have the chance to be promoted!!!


    ¡°Really?! Really really?!" like an engine, Momo''s tail wagged so fast, and Servi was afraid it would fly off.


    ¡°Yep. Really really.¡±


    ¡°Oh man, that¡¯ll be just perfect, wouldn''t it?!¡± That way, I can show you how much stronger I¡¯ve gotten. Momo thought.


    Servi leaned back against the bench and smiled. "Yeah, it definitely would..."


    The two friends talked a little bit more before Momo yawned.  They said good night and went to bed in their respective rooms. Like always, Itarr and Servi told each other they loved each other.


    And on the seventh day of mentoring, Servi found herself standing in front of Silverado. He had a small bandage wrapped around his shiny scaley stomach, but he looked to be somewhat recovered.  He wasn''t grunting or limping, and he didn''t have the same grimace of pain he had the day before.


    The two of them were the first match of the day, and even at 8:32 AM, the sun was sweltering hot. It was so hot that Fisher had some canteens on a wooden table nearby under an umbrella. Throughout the day, usually after their matches, the six mentees made plenty of trips to the water table. According to Fisher, he would push them hard but not deprive them of hydration.


    I guess he can be nice, but I¡¯m still going to kill him. Servi thought. Throughout the entire mentorship, her memories of what he did not match up to the Fisher she now knew. He didn¡¯t display that pure carnal desire for violence she thought she felt from him when she saw him and the silver armored guy together. That was the very first day she arrived in Canary. She couldn¡¯t speak or understand the language, but¡­.


    Both of their weapons were bloody, and both Seka and Seko were wounded¡­. NO! Don¡¯t back down, Servi! You know what you saw, and you trust that, right? Who else can you trust if not yourself?!


    ¡°Remember! Same rules as last time. Your body may be sore, but that¡¯s how it¡¯s going to be! There may be times where you have to fight and fight and fight and fight back to back to back without any rest! That¡¯s what this whole week was about! Your body is tired and sore, and it¡¯s running on fumes. It wants to collapse! It wants to give up! Don''t submit to your body''s demands! Use everything you got to win! Now, start!¡± Fisher yelled out and stomped his feet.


    Servi twirled her weapon around her hand and took a stance. She had had her left leg out, with her left arm held up. Her right arm was pulled back to where her entire sword was hidden behind the shield.


    Silverado had chosen a club as his weapon, and he did not hide it behind his shield. Wielding a kite shield, he had a tiny bit less upper body protection since it was narrower than Servi¡¯s heater shield, but it was longer. The one saving grace for Silverado was that his shield eventually tapered off until it came to a point. That meant he didn''t modify his equipment to add on any spikes because his shield could do both.


    Servi activated Soul Essence of Primal Combat and walked forward.  Keeping her weapon hidden behind her shield, she waited for the afterimages to show themselves.


    Silverado made the first move. He went for a shield bash that Servi saw from her afterimages, then he went for a quick bonk with his club after she blocked his first attack. Servi blocked the strike with her shield and responded with a quick jab that barely missed.  The scraping noise from her sword grinding against the left side of his shield produced yellow sparks that danced around for only a fraction of a second before disappearing.


    ¡°They¡¯re going at it much more slowly,¡± Desperado noticed. His black kite shield stood in front of him.  In every way but the color, it was a dead ringer for the one his friend had.


    ¡°To break a guard is not easy,¡± Feral spoke while sitting on his shield, ¡°I wonder how she is going to do it.¡±


    ¡°In a real battle, the tank is focused on keeping the opponent¡¯s attention while the rest deal the damage. It¡¯s not common that it comes to a one-on-one fight. But if it does, then I need to see how you react,¡± Fisher said without turning around.


    Come now, show me what you two got. The results of today determine how I''m going to spend next week. Fisher opened the notebook in his hands and began to pen down his thoughts as the sparring match continued.


    Servi followed the afterimages as she blocked a few attacks. But then she saw something coming that she knew she could take advantage of. Servi ran in with her shield in hand and allowed the red afterimages to guide her. As she charged in, she waited until the very last moment to dodge to her left.


    When he raised his hand up, Servi grinned and realized victory was within her grasp.


    She knew Silverado was left-handed, and he held his shield with his right hand. Because of that, he swung his left arm from top left to bottom right in a diagonal strike, but Servi turned around and blocked it. Then she used all of her strength to push against his attack. When he shoved back, Servi allowed Silverado to gain the upper hand.


    She did this for two reasons. One: she knew she wouldn¡¯t touch the ground, and therefore, she wouldn''t lose in Fisher''s eyes. Two: she wouldn¡¯t even need to use her weapon to become victorious.


    As she was pushed back, Servi suddenly held her ground and marched forward with all her strength.  Silverado''s advance immediately stopped cold in its tracks. It was something he didn''t expect, and that gave Servi enough time to drop her sword and launch out with her free hand. A few seconds later, Silverado laid helplessly on the ground. With no weapon, he couldn''t do anything but hold his injured head.


    Fisher couldn¡¯t believe it. He just witnessed a student drop her own weapon, reach around her opponent¡¯s shield, and grab his club. Then she pulled up and away from her and ran forward. It was damn near the damndest thing he¡¯d ever seen during a training match.


    Everyone could run forward, but those with a weaker sense of balance found it hard to run backwards. Servi was counting on that. She increased her speed, and Silverado tripped over his feet and fell to the ground. That caused him to weaken his grip on his weapon, and Servi yanked it out. She then gave him a bonk on his silvery scaled head to end the fight.


    ¡°Servi. Tell me why you went into his guard?¡± Fisher asked after she had helped Silverado up. The Koena''s hand went to his head and rubbed it.  The scales protected him against any real damage, but the pain would linger for a few minutes.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t have a sword, so I knew my fingers would be safe. And I wasn¡¯t trying to steal it. I was trying to divide his attention between staying balanced and keeping his weapon. When he fell, I took the opportunity to take his club and bonked him on the head.¡±


    ¡°So what would you do if he had a sword?¡±


    ¡°I probably would¡¯ve tried to deflect it and counter with an attack my own.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Next! Riki and Rakkire,¡± Servi walked over to the group with Silverado. He just nodded at Servi. She didn¡¯t think he was angry. At least, not at her. If anything, he was probably beating himself up inside.


    The match between the two Dwarves took around six or seven minutes. They each tried to match blows with their bucklers. Servi thought they were trying to counter each other to get the upper hand. Eventually, Rakkire went for a shield bash, and his cousin took it head-on and responded with one of his own. The two backed off, but then Rakkire rushed forward with his axe held high.  Riki¡¯s hand was too slow to bring his axe up.  He was caught unaware. Rakkire didn''t go for a slash or slice, but he smacked his cousin with the flat, wooden handle of his axe.


    They had helmets on, so it didn¡¯t hurt too much.  When Servi walked over and asked if he was alright, Riki asked if she saw the two yellow birds.  She asked him to clarify, and Rakkire chuckled.


    "The fool''s fine.  Come on, get up.  Drinks are on me tonight," Rakkire walked over and held out a hand.  His cousin took it and used it to get to his feet.


    "Keep the money.  Next time, how about double or nothing?"


    "Fine with me, but I hope you like paying!"


    Servi smiled as she walked back to Fisher and the others with the Dwarves.  The relationship those two had with each other was one that she wanted to have with Momo.


    I guess we do have that relationship somewhat, but will it stay the same when I tell her the truth about me?

 Book Two – Chapter Seven – Part Two – The Days of Training

    And so it came to Feral and Desperado. Feral won. And it wasn¡¯t even a contest. He had his club, as thick as a tree trunk, and Desperado had his club. It was like a child fighting against a grown adult. Desperado tried to do anything he possibly could to get around his opponent¡¯s defenses, but he couldn¡¯t.


    With one mighty hand holding his tower shield, he slammed it forward at such a speed that even Servi had trouble following it.


    His upper body strength is really something to behold. Honestly, without skills, I don¡¯t see a way I can best him. Even then, can I do it only using Rank 10 skills? Servi questioned her own ability when it came to her regular strength as a Human.


    Desperado pulled his shield up, but it was useless. He was flung backwards and slid on the concrete.  It was clear for all to see that he did not stand a chance, and the match was over.


    ¡°Servi, you get in there,¡± Fisher ordered. Servi was afraid of fighting Feral when she couldn''t use her skills, but she did it anyway.  Win or lose, if she kept the opportunity to butcher Fisher''s life, then it was worth it.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a week since then,¡± Feral said. He slammed his club against his shield.  Even though she saw it happen in front of her eyes, the idea that Feral could hold that giant slab of iron with one hand amazed her.


    ¡°If not today, then I''ll definitely win next time!¡± Servi barked.


    Servi used Soul Essence of Primal Combat and started to advance at an angle. She knew she wasn''t going to win because it was the worst kind of match-up. Servi was only a Human with Human bones and skin. In physical terms, she was at the bottom of the barrel.


    Feral had two options. His massive shield and tail. If Feral used the latter, then Servi would have to jump to avoid his attack. In that case, she''d most likely be attacked by his club while she was airborne. If she blocked his shield bash, she¡¯d be thrown back.


    Servi''s Absorption was only at level 2, which meant she received 2% of the physical strength from a total of over 732 souls that she had absorbed since she connected with Itarr. But some of those were from rodents and creatures, and those didn¡¯t provide much in the way of anything. They were used as a source for Potential and not much else. Only souls from Humanoids-- Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Koena, Singi, and Kobolds-- gave Servi a substantial amount of power. That came out to 497 souls in total. Counting in her 2% efficiency rate and adding in her own strength as a Human woman of decent shape, Servi currently had the power of eleven people inside of her.  Itarr didn¡¯t count for the physical strength because her main strength relied on the use of skills.


    When it came to the power of Demi-Humans, Servi had none because she hadn''t absorbed any Demi-Human souls. The attributes Servi will gain differed from Demi-Human to Demi-Human.  For example, ingesting a Kobold, Dwarf, or Koena soul would grant her more physical strength.  Singi and Elf souls would contribute more to her speed and agility.


    But even with the power of nearly eleven people, she could barely lift the heavy iron tower shield 2.5 centimeters. She had no idea how she was going to win.


    Come on,  Servi! You can do this! She thought to herself as she continued her sideward advance. She knew she needed to reach Albert''s level. His ability to read and predict movements by watching the minute adjustments of the body before an attack was her ultimate goal.  His soul was inside her body, but she couldn''t access any of his combat memories.  She didn''t know why, but her first guess was that Soul Essence of Primal Combat was under-leveled.  Either that or Albert''s soul was too strong for her to properly absorb. Even though he was an old man, he was a mighty warrior. Servi wondered how strong he was in his prime.


    Feral faked his tailspin, and Servi fell for it. She was in mid-air when he turned back around the other way. Unable to use any skills, she braced herself as his tail collided with her ankle.


    Or it would have.


    She bent and twisted her body so that her left hand, with her shield, was there. Feral''s tail hit its flat surface, thereby redirecting the energy transferred from the hit. She still went sliding across the ground, with only her leather armor protecting her from becoming a fleshy meat crayon. But unlike the first match, she didn¡¯t break anything.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s over!¡± Fisher stomped.


    ¡°Feral, you feinted with your tail. That was good. Servi, you reacted and put your shield in the way. That was also good. If his tail would¡¯ve hit it straight on, you¡¯d be out of commission for a few days. Even with advanced healing skills, your ankles would¡¯ve completely shattered.  This way, your arm is hurting.  It''s probably broken, but you can still walk. This outcome is infinitely better than the alternative. Alright, Silverado and Desperado!¡±


    And so the day continued. Unlike the sparring during the first day, where they only fought a few times, everyone fought everyone. In the end, Servi only lost to Feral, and Feral won every match.


    It was a combination of her sheathing her sword and using a modified version of hand-over-blade, which Fisher internally called shield over hand, that won her the matches. She only used it against enemies who had blunt weapons. That way, it would be impossible for her fingers to glance against the cutting edge of any blade.


    As for when she fought the Dwarves? She allowed them to attack first and followed the red images. She thought about hooking her sword on the beard of the axe and pulling upwards. And that¡¯s what she did.  She won by disarming her opponents and bashing them away with her shield. If it was Dwarves, she could match or even surpass their strength. They were Rank 10, after all.


    After each of Servi''s fights, her classmates couldn''t believe the strength and technique packed inside her 179cm frame.


    Servi knew she was supposed to and wanted to keep her strength hidden, but she always felt the urge to prove herself. She felt good afterwards, and that was why she did it.


    But having six people fight each other in multiple matches took its time. And soon, the sun started to set.


    ¡°Feral, Servi, good work. The rest of you, you need to work on it. That¡¯s what next week is, so this is the schedule for the foreseeable future. You¡¯ll come in, do a lightened workout, then I¡¯ll teach you the proper technique and what to do in specific moments. Being a tank is more about standing still and taking hits. The way you move and think is a big part of it. You¡¯re all dismissed, and be sure to be here at 8 AM.¡±


    And with her day over, Servi walked backed to Warden.  As she ascended the stairs, she saw her best friend sitting on the bench outside her room.  With a gentle smile, Servi approached her and sat down.


    Going back in time a few hours, Momo also had a sparring match. Instead of fighting Srassa, Dineria told her two mentees to fight her.


    They were in the training room at Levadia Woods, a store that Dineria and her family partly owned. Said training room was all wooden with nary a spec of metal or plastic. There were fake trees that people could practice climbing, as well as some archery lanes.  Wooden targets were also set up for people to test out their skills.


    The fight was a total washout. Dineria was just too agile and for the inexperienced pair to keep up with. It was a combination of flips and jumps and rolls and dives, as well as recovering straight into a guard or an attack, that bested them.  Momo tried her little heart out and only managed to connect blades with her teacher once. Srassa couldn''t even achieve that.


    The two were on the floor, breathing hard as Dineria spoke to them.  Momo braced herself against the ground with her wooden sword.  Sweat poured down her face and slithered across her arms, and Srassa wasn''t any better.  Sitting on her knees, she held a hand to her pounding stomach.


    ¡°Maybe it was a little bit too early for that, but do you see how useful it is?¡± Dineria asked.


    ¡°I do,¡± Srassa said between breaths. ¡°It¡¯s hard to follow.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t even think I could do it if I trained for a year straight.¡±


    Dineria laughed. ¡°It took me 37 years to be as good as I am, but my grandma is even better than me. This is the result of hard work and determination. I was just like you two, you know. I still remembered when I asked my grandma to teach me. Boy, she put me in the ringer for months on end.¡±


    ¡°Months?! But¡­¡± Momo blurted out.  She helplessly covered her mouth after those words had been spoken.


    She smiled as she explained. ¡°I know. We only have 16 days left, but don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m going to teach you some more stuff to do before you go to bed and after you wake up. These are the core moves to how I fight. Practice the smaller pieces separately and combine them when you think you''re ready."


    Momo and Srassa stood up and walked backwards. There were two or three meters between them as they followed Dineria¡¯s movements.


    She bent to touch her toes without bending her legs. Then she stretched sideways, holding each for ten seconds before sitting down. She bent down until her stomach almost touched the floor, then rolled to her stomach. Using only her hands, she pushed herself up and curled her back upwards, then downwards. Dineria giggled when she heard small grunts of pain and discomfort coming from behind her.


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s the hardest position. It really stretches your muscles in this area,¡± Dineria got to her feet and moved her hands around her stomach and her back. ¡°Okay, so I want you to practice these moves after you get done stretching.  Remember to stretch in the morning and at night."


    Dineria performed a series of forward and backwards rolls, as well as some somersaults. She explained. ¡°These moves are usually reserved for something called ¡®Gymnastics,¡¯ but they can also be used in battle. So go ahead and try it. If you fall or anything, I know healing skills.¡±


    For the rest of her class, Dineria watched and critiqued her pupils¡¯ rolls. ¡°Momo, tuck your arms in a little bit more. Srassa, don¡¯t be afraid to roll backwards. It¡¯s scary, but it¡¯s not that bad. Remember, chin down and head tucked in.¡±


    Momo crouched down and put her palms on the ground in front of her. Listening, she tucked her arms in a little bit more until they were perfectively straight and did the rest in one swift motion. Well, it was kinda quick. Momo ended up veering off to the side, and it was more of a diagonal roll.


    Dang it¡­ I always saw other kids doing stuff like this and having fun... But they never let me join in. And grandpa was too old to be rolling around. Come on, Momo! No more complaining! Do it for Servi! For your best friend!


    If only Momo could hear Servi thanking her for watching her back... That one goal fueled Momo''s because she wanted to have the courage to stand on her own while being Servi''s equal.


    It was ironic. The two friends, who considered each other to be their best friends but were afraid to tell each other, had joined the mentor program for each other.


    Momo glanced over at Srassa and saw her forward rolling with ease and grace.  She even had enough momentum to rise to her feet while jumping into a backward roll. But the Singi was more determined than ever and kept practicing. After about twenty minutes, Momo decided to move on to the backwards roll after being happy with her forward progress.


    When it came to those, Momo was better than Srassa. She couldn¡¯t exactly do it as well as Srassa could do forward rolls, but it was only the first day.  Dineria quickly assured them that, with practice, these motions would become second nature.


    While the rolls by themselves were easy, the hard part was transitioning into different stances and judging distances. Dineria taught a style of swordplay that favored speed and maneuverability to get in, attack, and get out. Oddly enough, it was perfect for Momo. Her friend could be the tank and get the attention, and she could roll in and attack before acrobatically retreating. Then once Servi had the attention of whatever they were fighting, Momo could strike again and dodge away.


    It was hard to master, and it wasn¡¯t that uncommon to hear that someone dodged into the gaping jaws of a monster when they were disoriented.


    Just think. If my sweet students can do the rolls, then the obstacle course should be a piece of cake. Dineria thought to herself. She glanced at her clock and realized it was getting late.


    ¡°Alrighty. So practice those tonight and be ready for tomorrow. I¡¯m going to have some delicious cookies to give each of you if you can do it.¡±


    ¡°Right! I¡¯ll make sure to practice!¡± Momo said in between breaths.


    ¡°Same here!¡± Srassa said.  Her face was slightly flushed pink, and sweat dripped down her cheeks. Her green eyes stared at her mentor with nothing but the firmest determination.


    You know, she¡¯s been acting a bit more confident lately. She almost reminds me of myself.


    Ten minutes later, the two were outside the shopping center.


    ¡°Well, bye, Momo. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow," Srassa gently spoke as she moved her blond hair out of her eyes.  She stared at Momo''s pink ears and waving tail.


    ¡°Same here. Bye-bye," Momo touched a hand to her grandpa''s sword and bag and smiled at her new friend.


    With the two waving and going their separate ways, Momo thought she would jog the rest of the way home as a way to get in some last-minute exercise.


    She made it back to Warden sooner than her friend and decided to wait on the bench beside Servi¡¯s room after nobody answered. She took the time to wipe her face and arms with a rag.  She was sweaty, but it wasn''t that bad.  Ten minutes later, she saw a head of familiar black hair and red eyes coming towards her.


    Smiling, Servi took a seat, and the two friends began to talk.


    ¡°You know, talking on this bench is becoming a thing,¡± Servi observed.


    ¡°Yeah. It feels liked we¡¯ve talked here every day since the program started. I like it. It gives me a chance to calm down and think about what Dineria told me. She showed us a bunch of moves to perform after stretching,¡± Momo yawned and rubbed her eyes. Like its owner, her tail lazily swooshed and swished in short arcs.  Then it went still.  That was probably because its master was tired.


    ¡°Sounds like it¡¯s hard work.¡±


    ¡°It is. It sure does leave me tired, but it''s probably nothing compared to what you''re going through.  It''s super physical, right?" Momo said. She yawned again.


    "It is, and sometimes I''m tired as well,¡± Servi told a little white lie.  "It''s a good thing showers are free, though."


    Showers at Warden were free. All they had to do was ask the employee at the front desk on the third floor for a shower ticket. But it was something hidden by Warden, and Servi thought that was a scummy move.


    ¡°Same here. The cash we got from selling that red pelt should be enough to get me through until the end of the program.  That way, I only have to pay maybe six or seven dupla a day for breakfast and dinner.  And we don''t need to worry about our rooms because of that deal they did a few days ago,¡± said Momo.


    The deal Momo talked about referred to a deal Warden had.  For a limited time only, a room at the inn only a single dupla.  The two took advantage of it and paid for 21 days.


    Momo continued. ¡°But I still have some money saved up.  What about you?¡±


    "Same. I still have a good amount left.¡± That was a vast understatement coming from the girl who had over thirty million inside her ring.


    The two friends enjoyed an entertaining chat, followed by the usual shower and meal.


    It¡¯s like the food is getting blander and blander. I wonder why? Servi thought. She didn¡¯t know why the once delicious steak and chicken were dry and flavorless. Any flavor Servi could even taste was gone by the next day.  Sometimes, she didn''t even want to eat dinner, but she kept it up for Momo''s sake.


    That kind of irritated her, but then again, it didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Alrighty, I¡¯m about to go do my stretches and rolls. Good night,¡± Momo sat up from the table. Her pink hair was still just a little bit damp. Her plain white t-shirt and shorts were a bit unusual. Usually, Momo would have dressed in a cute skirt, but she was too tired to even do that.


    So Servi went to her room and locked up before taking out her bed.


    Good night Servi. I love you.


    ¡°I love you too, Itarr.¡±


    And like that, she fell asleep. The moon quickly gave way to the sun, and morning came all too soon.

 Book Two – Chapter Seven – Part Three – The Days of Training

    And so, after seven more days, for a total of fourteen days since the mentorship began, Servi once again stood in the non-existent arena. She had her shield and her sword from the weapon shelf but also something else. Since it was the third time sparring, Fisher allowed the use of Rank 10 skills.


    As Servi waited for her mentor to pick out her opponent, her mind raced back to the events of the previous six days.


    After arriving at the headquarters, she went to the training room as usual. It was mainly a standard affair consisting of running, crouching, sit-ups, and push-ups. But after around two hours, Fisher suddenly stopped them.


    ¡°Listen up and follow!¡± Fisher yelled as he walked over to a shadowed area of the grassy field. Looking up, Servi saw that the ceiling wasn''t all glass like she believed it to be.  Some spots were covered in a silvery material, but those modifications had to have been constructed recently.  Regardless, there were now numerous shadowy spots on the grassy area. ¡°Take a seat! We''re going to learn about shield techniques and what to do when certain circumstances show themselves!¡±


    Fisher then began to explain that while being a tank was about taking the hits, there was far more to it.


    ¡°The way you move, breathe, duck, and dodge all have to do with tanking. For example, Riki!¡±


    ¡°Aye?¡± Riki said.


    ¡°If fighting a troll or an ogre and you see an attack coming, what would you do?¡±


    ¡°Roll or dodge out of the way.¡±


    ¡°Right! A troll is big, and an ogre is even bigger. Feral, what would you do?¡±


    The three-meter tall Kobold in question growled and spoke. ¡°I take it head-on. The might of a Kobold is nothing to scoff at.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. The physical strength of a Kobold is amongst the highest of those who can use skills. And so, you would be right to take it. Anyone else would have to dodge. Don¡¯t try to be a hero. A tank needs to keep the attention of the enemy in front of them. If you go down, then it¡¯s pretty much over. But there are things even a Kobold cannot block. Some people think tanks are stupid or brain dead for taking hit after hit, but they are the first line of defense. You need to have the right judgement if you want to be a proper tank.¡±


    Goddamn it, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m complimenting them. Come on, Fisher. Fisher''s mental state began to change ever so slightly. The Demis he hated so much were growing right before him.  The changes were small and minuscule at first, but they weren''t making the same mistakes they used to.


    But one question ran unconsciously ran through his mind.  Will the change be permanent?


    I know they didn¡¯t do it. Hell, that was ten years ago. But something like that is not something I can forgive so easily.  I couldn''t do it in the past, and I can''t do it now.


    For the rest of the day and the following five days, physical training took a back seat, but it didn''t disappear entirely. From training in the morning for a few hours to listening to Fisher''s lectures, a particular Kobold¡¯s thoughts began to change.


    Perhaps my thoughts about the Justice Captain were wrong. I never knew about these strategies.


    As a Kobold, Feral was proud of his massive arms, thick legs, and resilient body. But even with his tremendous physical strength, he wasn¡¯t that smart. The average intelligence of a Kobold was quite a bit lower than other races capable of using skills. Even so, Feral was devoted to becoming a stalwart warrior that was deserving of Warden''s fabled Rank 0.


    At some point during the six days, Fisher had a kite shield with him. He picked volunteers from the crowd and performed a few shield techniques. He told them that their defensive equipment could be used for offense. To demonstrate that, Fisher turned his hand so that the shield''s flat surface faced the sky.


    ¡°If you have a kite shield, you can puncture your foe''s skin like this if you have the opportunity. Some even choose to sharpen the edge of their shield so they can swipe like this. Just remember that whatever modifications you do to your shield, like adding a spike or covering it in oil, are worthless if you drop it. Under no circumstances should you drop your shield, but if you do, you¡¯d best get it back ASAP.¡±


    After lecturing on shield techniques, Fisher went over the list of Rank 10 skills that should be learned first. At the risk of repeating himself to the point where his students hated it, Fisher reiterated the most predominant information multiple times a day.


    I¡¯ll say it as many times as I need to.  Skills are the one thing that allows the races to keep up with monsters like dragons and ogres.


    ¡°Protection is obviously a given. Next up is both Thunder Snap and Lucem.  Those three are the main skills. Decoy is good and very useful, but it can be dangerous.  For example, if you use it at the wrong moment, like in a cramped cave, then there''s a chance your party could be overrun by monsters.  Monsters that you didn''t even know lived there.  By the time you reach Rank 9, you should have a good idea of how you want to tank. Remember, everyone has their own style. Some prefer to be an evasion tank with a small shield, using their natural speed to their advantage, and others prefer to be a standing pillar with a heavy shield while reinforced with defensive skills. I can teach the basics and train your bodies, but I can¡¯t do anything else. However, I can say this. If you can block and chant without losing concentration, then you¡¯re already ahead of the game.  Focus on doing that."


    Back in the present, Servi was in the ring, and she had her shield in her hand. Every Rank 10 Skill, except for Protection, was allowed. Fisher had told them that they needed to fight without relying on Protection. He said it wouldn''t always be there to save them, and there would be times in which they will need to defend against a monster without a tank''s crucial skill backing them up.


    ¡°Now then, Desperado, go in the ring,¡± Fisher said. The Koena did what he was told. He had his black kite shield and a wooden club.


    This should be easy. Our Lucem and Thunder Snap should be on a whole different level.  Itarr said.


    The moment Fisher stomped his foot, Servi held her shield and began to walk forward. She chanted quietly, even though she didn¡¯t need to and held it. This was called pre-casting, and Servi decided to use it but did so incorrectly. The moment she was a meter or so away, Desperado¡¯s black scaley mouth began to move. It seemed he didn¡¯t know anything about the technique. So, she finished the chant and used Thunder Snap.


    Was that pre-casting? No, it wasn''t.  She went about it all wrong, and she used the wrong chant. Thought Fisher, as he read her lips. Due to her inexperience in using skills the standard way, Servi had messed up.  She tried to copy what Momo did when they were in the sewers two weeks ago, and she failed, but Servi''s skill still went off. When a skill chant was interrupted or incorrect, the technique flat-out didn''t work. The invisible mass of Skill Energy evaporates, and the energy is returned to the body.  Nothing happens, and the user is free to try again. However, this didn''t go unnoticed by Fisher, who was able to confirm something.  Servi was more than what she let on.


    Even though what she did was incredible, there''s no use in bringing it up now.  I''ll have to keep an eye on her.


    A powerful crack rang out where she snapped her fingers, which was right in front of her. It seemed Desperado didn¡¯t expect it. The Koena flinched hard, and Servi took that moment to push him.


    Servi had the upper hand, and a moment later, he was on the ground with a sword to his neck.


    Of course, she won the rest of her fights, except one, that way. Even if Riki was the one who got off a Lucem first, True Immortality kicked in, and Servi saw the axe swipe coming as clear as day. Even if her eyes didn¡¯t automatically adjust, she could rely on her afterimages. The next moment, Servi let off her own Lucem, which was more powerful. The Dwarf didn¡¯t expect Servi to have the calmness to reply with a skill of her own, and he didn¡¯t have to time close his eyes. The Dwarf took the full brunt of it, and that was what led to his defeat. With Riki unable to see, Servi effortlessly knocked him to the ground and won yet another match.


    Even though the four of them knew Lucem and Thunder Snap were coming, they were still only Rank 10. One: they couldn¡¯t recover that fast from being temporarily cut off from one of their five senses. Two: it¡¯s hard to fight against the feeling of flinching when hearing a loud noise, and Servi knew that. Her True Immortality allowed her to disregard that feeling, which was how she won each fight. She had an advantage so overwhelming that it was cheating.


    But then it came to her against Feral. Out of the six mentees, he and Servi were the only two to be unblessed. Feral didn¡¯t see it as a weakness but as a challenge. One to be overcome. Sure, he was at a disadvantage, but he knew it made victory all the more sweeter.


    ¡°Servi, you can¡¯t win physically, but let¡¯s see if the use of skills are enough to overcome that gap. Start!¡± Fisher said.  The stomping of his feet was the signal to begin.


    Servi was more determined than ever to win, but she didn¡¯t know how. As she watched Feral fight against the other four, they couldn¡¯t chant fast enough. Feral rushed up and either attacked with his tail or shield. Not once did he ever use a skill.  It wasn''t because he thought it was beneath him, but he didn''t use them because he couldn''t.  He had no skills to use. He had joined Warden because of the mentorship, and thus he didn¡¯t have any Potential saved up. But he relished the challenge of being the underdog.


    Smiling, she quickly chanted. Just like before, Feral charged in. His giant body stomping towards a lone girl was something to behold. If someone didn¡¯t know what was going on,  then it looked like an innocent young Human was about to be trampled by a vicious Kobold. But that couldn¡¯t be further from the truth.


    She paused during her chanting and waited. What she did next depended on Feral''s actions. Fortunately for her, he chose to stop and spun around. She waited a bit longer to make sure it wasn¡¯t a fake, but she still almost got hit. When it came to judging speed and distances on her own, she was pathetic.


    I really did rely on that skill. I wonder if I¡¯ll get to a point where I can fight without it.


    During the jump over his tail, she extended her left arm far in front of her and used Thunder Snap. Even though he was a mighty lad, Feral was taken back. His hands quickly retreated to his ears, and Servi finally had a chance to attack.


    Once landing, she took off, speeding around Feral until she was behind him. Then she drew her sword and slammed the flat edge of the blade into the back of his knee. Hearing a dull thunking noise, she increased her power as Feral began to get his hearing back. He could have, and later realized he should¡¯ve, used his tail or even his arms to flail around. But he didn¡¯t think of it.


    Feral had lived a life of being strong and durable. But even though he knew humility, like when he realized he could learn from the Justice Captain, that disappeared in battle. He wanted a good fight. Unfortunately, that thrill of wanting to fight dulled his common sense. That was why he stood there in pain and covered his ears. There was no way for him to guard against it since he thought his speed and tail would be enough to win in the first few seconds.  After all, it worked for him every other time, so why not now?


    But when Servi realized her sword wasn¡¯t cutting it, she did what Fisher had told her. Sheathing her sword in the shield, she rotated her hand until its flat, evil-like surface was pointing up. But then the black-haired girl realized something, and Servi un-rotated her hand. She knew she didn¡¯t have a lot of time, so she started to prepare another chant. This time, it was for Lucem.


    Fisher couldn¡¯t believe it. Again, he was stupefied. He saw Servi grab onto Feral¡¯s shield, which wasn¡¯t flat and smooth. It was rugged and ugly, with a few blemishes and cracks that were just big enough to act as handholds. And the crazy girl climbed up until her face was right in front of him.


    Feral couldn¡¯t tell anyone was climbing, so he was shocked out of his heart when he realized it wasn¡¯t the red sun he saw. It was eyes belonging to Servi, the Human girl who did the impossible and lifted his shield.


    ¡°Lucem,¡± her cute lips parted to say a single word. A tremendous flash of light appeared right in front of them, and both were blinded. Servi hopped down from the shield, her eyes already healed, and with haste, made her way to his backside.  Without any time to waste, Servi rotated her arm so that her shield was facing up, and she punched  Feral''s legs.


    ¡°GAAH!!¡± the Kobold roared with pain and anger. Servi''s shield''s edge wasn¡¯t sharpened, but it cut better than she expected it to. It did pass her mind to use her sword, but Servi decided against it. Something in her mind told her to do it this way, and she felt like she couldn''t go against it. Still, her shield penetrated through his green skin and found the hidden red gold.


    ¡°Now, when fighting a larger opponent, go for the legs and knee. If you, as the tank, can incapacitate an opponent, then congratulations, you¡¯re actually pretty fucking good. But don¡¯t ever risk it if you can help it. Trust in your party to take out the enemies, and they will trust you to keep them safe.¡± Fisher said that a few days ago when Rakkire asked about taking down something bigger than him. The Dwarf kept stealing glances at Feral when Fisher answered him.


    A large Kobold like Feral needed a lot of strength in his legs to support his heavy weight. And when one was damaged, he had to shift the weight to his other leg. That, coupled with the fact he was blind and his dulled common sense in the heat of battle, was why he eventually lost a few seconds later.


    Servi continued to stab her shield into his legs and knees, and then she heard a pop. The next moment, the three-meter tall Kobold fell to the ground and groaned in pain. His large shield fell with him, and the whole area seemed violently vibrate.

 Book Two – Chapter Seven – Part Four – The Days of Training

    Congratulations! Itarr cheered.  She was the only one who congratulated Servi. The five watching couldn''t do anything more than stare with their jaws opened. Even Fisher was dumbfounded, and the silence only broke when Silverado half-yelled.


    ¡°Did you really climb that shield?!¡±


    ¡°Impossible?!¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. Riki, that''s what we should¡¯ve done. I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t think of it!¡± Rakkire said to his cousin.


    ¡°That has to be the craziest thing I¡¯ve seen. It was like watching a little squirrel climb a tree!¡± Desperado noted.


    ¡°Medic!!¡± Fisher yelled. He had been watching with careful eyes. Two young Humans wearing a red uniform with a white cross rushed to the fallen Kobold. As they were healing Feral, Fisher turned to Servi and questioned her. ¡°Why did you do that?¡±


    ¡°Because I needed to get close to use Lucem. It works better the closer you are to the target¡¯s eyes, right? I was lucky Thunder Snap actually worked. If that didn¡¯t, then I would¡¯ve lost. But why didn¡¯t he use his tail? Even disoriented, he still could¡¯ve won,¡±  Servi said what no one wanted to say.


    ¡°I see. I have never seen anything like that before. As a fighter, you pass. But as a tank, you fail. Feral was disoriented after the Thunder Snap, and you could¡¯ve ended it then and there with your sword, but you had to go use Lucem and your shield, even knowing he might''ve attacked with his tail the second time.¡±


    ¡°Servi¡­¡± Came a growling voice. Feral had a large white bandage around both of his knees, but he was walking fine. Those medics must¡¯ve had access to powerful healing skills. ¡°That was the first time I''ve ever lost to a Human.¡±


    ¡°Explain why you didn''t use your tail when you could¡¯ve won?¡± Fisher demanded.  He narrowed his eyes and stared at Feral like he was pathetic. ¡°You better not have gone easy on her because she''s a Human!!¡±


    ¡°I did no such thing!" Feral angrily slammed his tail into the ground. "Whenever I enter battle, that¡¯s all I can think about. I must admit, I believe it to be a weakness. I realize now I should¡¯ve used my tail, but I was distracted by the pain in my ears and eyes," he admitted. He hated how na?ve he was. Feral didn¡¯t think he could lose to anyone but another Kobold.


    ¡°That¡¯s why this program exists.¡± Fisher turned around and faced his mentees. ¡°This entire thing is to build your confidence and give you the experience so that when you go out into the field and start taking or resume taking quests, you¡¯re more prepared. It¡¯s so that things like this are less common! Everyone here is weak. That¡¯s a fact. You¡¯re only Rank 10, but that¡¯s fine. Everyone starts weak and grows into their strength.¡±


    Compared to when they started, Fisher was like a saint. The first few days were filled with nothing more than him insulting everyone and calling them maggots. He did it for a reason, though. He wanted to break his mentees at their core and rebuild them up. But was that the only reason? Maybe somewhere along the line, and as the days passed, there was a hole in his heart and mind that realized something? Perhaps that realization, as much as he hated it, was something he couldn¡¯t keep inside. But he¡¯d rather die before he ever admitted it.  He was weak and not the strong man that everyone believed him to be.


    Ha, I guess that¡¯s why I¡¯m so frail... Dammit, Fisher! You fool!


    Feral ended up with a damaged knee that''d be better after a bit of rest, so he left right after Fisher dismissed them. Servi went to apologize but was stopped by Silverado of all people. She saw the Kobold disappear as he turned around and corner. She and the rest of the four were in the training field. Fisher had already left as well.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad. Kobolds live for war and battle. And to best one in physical combat is not something for them to be upset about. They value strength, and you showed that today. You don¡¯t want to disrespect him by apologizing, do you?¡± his silver scales shined in the sunlight. He cracked a smile, and Servi returned it.


    ¡°Thanks. I gotta admit, I don¡¯t really know all that about their culture.¡±


    Maybe this could be a chance for me to learn more?


    ¡°Aye. For Kobolds, you just gotta smack those big bastards around a little. Strength is what they value above all else,¡± added Riki.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be racist, cousin. Some of them don¡¯t like to fight all that much,¡± Rakkire berated his cousin and added on more information.


    ¡°Speaking of fighting, I thought a Kobold was a shoo-in to win the tournament. But maybe not,¡± Desperado said.


    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re planning to lose,¡± Servi said.  She held her arms in a t-pose and stretched them.  Silverado thought it was a bit weird, but he mimicked her.  A surprised look appeared on his face when he realized he was tense.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that. You¡¯ve seen how strong Kobolds are. I don¡¯t want to be rude, but if Feral would¡¯ve remembered he had a tail, you would''ve lost.¡±


    ¡°You got me there,¡± Servi chuckled a little bit and lowered her arms.


    ¡°Still, climbing his shield that''s nearly as tall as he is AND using Lucem?! You¡¯re one brave Human.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°So listen, the four of us were thinking about getting some dinner later on. You¡¯re more than welcome to join us,¡± Silverado asked.


    Servi was conflicted. It wasn¡¯t as if she didn¡¯t want to go-- she did because she came to enjoy her new friends'' company-- but her mind immediately went to Momo. And that got her thinking.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to, but I told my party member, Momo, that we¡¯d have dinner together tonight. Did you ask Feral?"


    ¡°We did, but he just grunted and walked off. But you¡¯re more than welcome to invite this Momo and anyone else,¡± Silverado said.


    Ah, he might have to work. Remember? He works at that Madam Canary''s Sweetie Tweety, Itarr said.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll ask her. Where were you meeting at?¡±


    ¡°Here, actually. There¡¯s a good steak house that¡¯s about a fifteen-minute walk from here. Since we¡¯re all comrades, I was thinking we could all go together.¡± This time, it was Rakkire who spoke.


    Well, I don¡¯t really see anything wrong with that. And it might be nice. Enjoying a nice dinner with some friends I¡¯ve grown to like... I could think of a worse way to end the day.


    ¡°Sounds good. So what time?¡± Servi said.


    ¡°7:30. Is that fine with you?¡± Riki asked. ¡°It¡¯s a little bit past 4:40, so that¡¯s a little less than three hours.¡±


    ¡°It sounds fine to me. I¡¯ll see you guys later.¡±


    Servi walked towards the double set of doors after waving to her friends. Yes, to her friends. After working hard with them for two weeks and even seeing their low points where they wanted to give up, she did feel a sort of kinship with them.  It wasn''t entirely there, but it was growing.


    But why is my heart uneasy? Do I really deserve to have friends and to be happy after I¡¯d taken so many lives? As she walked home to the Warden office, passing by hordes of people of all different races and colors, it reminded her of seeing all those slaves locked away in a dank underground cell.


    I did the right thing. I know I did. If I didn¡¯t, then I¡¯m just as bad as those slavers... Or am I even worse? I didn''t kidnap anyone, but I did kill a lot... She felt a tinge of pain in her head before suddenly blinking a few times.


    I feel fine now. I¡¯m not on my period, am I? Can that even happen since I¡¯m immortal? It does cause pain, so I shouldn''t have to worry about bleeding every month... But why does my mood flip-flop like a pancake every morning?


    Servi felt her head hurt for just a moment, and she smiled. I shouldn¡¯t worry about that. She picked her brisk walk into a jog. Servi''s green cape attached to her leather armor fluttered in the wind with her black hair while two red eyes stared straight ahead.


    Fifty minutes later, Servi was sitting on the bench outside her room. She was wearing a yellow tank top, a thin black jacket sewed with an orange pattern, black pants that came to about three-quarters down her legs, and black shoes with white socks. It was modest, sleek, and cute. When she put it on, she did a little twirl and giggled when Servi saw herself in the mirror she took out from her ring.


    She silently talked to Itarr as she waited but stopped when she heard both the voice of her friend and a stranger.


    ¡°And that¡¯s her. Hey, Servi!¡± Momo half-yelled. She waved to her friend, and Servi waved back. She got up and walked over to them.


    ¡°Servi, this is Srassa. Srassa, this my party member, Servi.¡±


    Unlike Momo, Srassa wasn¡¯t wearing any armor. It was a floral sundress that came down right below her knees. Her blond hair was long, but the green bow in it added to her overall adorable charm. Her green eyes matched the light green bra, whose left strap peeked out just a little bit. She was bustier than Momo but smaller than Servi. On her feet, she wore sandals that had quite a few straps around her ankle and legs. Servi later found out from Momo that they were called gladiator sandals. A brown purse was gripped tightly in her hands. Even Servi could see that she was nervous.


    ¡°Nice to meet you! I¡¯m Servi," Servi extended her arm and produced a friendly smile.


    Srassa, the mysterious stranger that Servi knew about from Momo, stuck her hand out as well. ¡°I''m Srassa.  It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Servi, what are you all dressed up for?¡± Momo asked. She gestured over to a small table, and the three sat down.


    ¡°The classmates I''m training with asked me out for dinner tonight. I thought we¡¯d go and have some fun. They said if I knew people who wanted to go, I should ask them. So, Momo, Srassa, want to come with us?¡±


    Me? We just met, and you¡¯re already inviting me out to dinner? Momo was right about you.  You are friendly.


    "That sounds fine to me. Srassa, do you want to come with dinner with us?¡± Momo asked. Her pink tail lightly swayed from side to side as she awaited an answer.


    ¡°Umm, I¡¯m fine with going, but can I ask where?¡± Srassa squeaked. She reminded Servi of Momo.


    ¡°There¡¯s this steak place that¡¯s nearby. We were meeting at 7:30 at the headquarters, and then we''re walking to the restaurant from there. It''s only a fifteen-minute walk.¡±


    ¡°Okay... I¡¯d love to join you all,¡± Srassa stood up, did a little curtsy, and sat back down.


    Momo must¡¯ve seen the confusion in Servi¡¯s eyes, and she explained. ¡°Srassa¡¯s a noble. Apparently, that¡¯s something they do.¡± During the walk from Srassa''s house to the Warden office, the noble girl answered Momo¡¯s question about the nobility, including one about the curtsy.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry if it was inappropriate,¡± Srassa quickly apologized, but Servi shook her head.


    ¡°Nah, it wasn''t inappropriate. But we have some time to waste before we have to leave.¡±


    Srassa looked at the cute pocket watch she pulled from her purse. It was black and had a white cat on the front. ¡°It¡¯s 5:34. What time are we leaving here?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s a bit of a walk to the headquarters, so how about 6:10?¡± Even if we get there early, we shouldn¡¯t have to wait long.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she replied.


    Momo spoke up. ¡°If that''s the case, I¡¯m gonna go change and take a shower, okay? I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    The Singi turned around and almost sped up the steps to her room. Servi was happy that Momo was excited. She really was. There was a time Servi almost cried because there was a chance for Momo to leave her. But this time, her mind didn¡¯t even wander over to the sadness. The only thing the black-haired girl felt was blissful happiness.


    Servi and Srassa had an, admittedly, awkward conversation at first, but it grew organically to the point where both of them felt like old pals.


    Sometime later, and unbeknownst to them, Momo secretly spied on her two friends from the stairs with a smile. She was a bit nervous about introducing Srassa to her friend.


    It was the very first time I actually had someone to introduce to someone else. Hehe!! My friends look like they¡¯re getting along so well!


    Momo stopped hiding and came down to meet them. The Singi wore the outfit with the black suspenders that she wore during the quest to buy Claire chocolate, and the adorable catgirl looked as cute as a button.


    ¡°Wow, that looks good!¡± Srassa excitedly complimented her new friend.


    ¡°Thanks! So I think we got some time left, so why don¡¯t we just chat?¡± Momo bashfully smiled at her new friend and beamed on the inside. She didn''t do a decent job of hiding it, and Servi picked up on Momo''s glee.


    Oh boy, chatting with a couple of friends! Oh, grandpa, I wish you could see me now!!


    "Sure, why not?" Servi said.


    For a little bit over thirty minutes, the three friends talked about their mentors and the training they had done. All the while, Srassa, Momo, and Servi had pleasant smiles on their face.


    If someone looked different or had characteristics that others did not have, like a tail or scales, that did not mean the emotions they felt were any less real or valuable. And for Srassa, who, unfortunately, grew up without many friends, she was absolutely beyond happy. Her situation was similar to Momo''s in more ways than one, but she had the luxury of money and a supportive family. She envied Momo, in a way, and she wanted a close friend to talk to. Srassa yearned to get into fights and have arguments one day and make up the next. She sort of thought that maybe Momo would be that friend. She even thought they could be that friend to each other, but she became slightly sad when she realized Servi was that friend to Momo.


    Maybe..... if possible.... could we be that friend to each other? The three of us?

 Book Two – Chapter Seven – Part Five – The Days of Training

    Going back in time until about 8 AM, Momo had just gotten inside the training room at Levadia Woods. Like always, she had her sleeveless armor equipped, and her grandpa¡¯s bag was slung over her shoulder. She was smiling and skipping, but she made sure that she didn''t run because that would have been rude.


    Oh man, ever since this whole thing started, I¡¯ve been super happy. See, this is what I wanted when I joined Warden. A good friend in Servi, maybe a good friend in Srassa, and a super friendly mentor willing to make sure I¡¯m prepared! I really do hope I can be friends with Srassa, though. Maybe I¡¯ll ask if she wants to meet Servi.  It''d be super cool if the three of us could be super good friends.


    ¡°Okay, okay. Gather around!¡± Dineria clapped. Her long green hair, tied in a pair of twin tails, lightly bounced around. She wasn''t wearing any armor, but she wore a unique-looking shirt and skirt made of leaves and bark from a tree.


    "Today, I¡¯m going to talk to you all about the end of our program. I know, I¡¯m sad too. Watching you all grow has been an enjoyable part of my life. And I truly mean that. I really do. I''m glad we still have some time left to spend together. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to tell you two the final exam you have to pass if you want me to enter you into the tournament.¡±


    She paused for a moment, and Srassa asked a question. She was sitting down next to the big fake tree.  ¡°How many chances do we get to pass your exam?¡±


    ¡°As many as you want. Starting tomorrow, we''ll practice a little bit harder each day to guarantee you all have the skills to pass the three parts of my exam. One: you need to hit two bull¡¯s-eyes on five targets, with each one being further away, using no more than twelve arrows. Two: I will perform a display of attacks, and you need to copy them the best you can. Third: you need to beat the obstacle course in less than five minutes,¡± she turned to look at Momo, who shook slightly.  Dineria smiled and said a few choice words that eased Momo''s worrying heart. ¡°It sounds scary, but I promise you it¡¯s not. It¡¯s just doing the same thing we¡¯ve always been doing. Perhaps I could¡¯ve worded it a little bit better.¡±


    And so, for the next six or so hours, including a small forty-five-minute break that consisted of tea and lunch, the two girls trained like crazy.


    Now, Momo had improved a lot. The form she learned from Servi was good, but it needed to be improved. Her back was a bit straighter, the way she held the string with her fingers was more composed, and she even learned a better way to draw the bow.


    ¡°Remember, hold it up with your left hand like you¡¯re trying to shoot the sun, and use your right hand to draw the string back while you lower your left hand. Take a deep breath while you do so, and shoot when ready,¡± said Dineria. She sat on a chair, sipping a wooden cup of tea as she watched her pupils. Mentally, she judged their form and breathing and offered them tips and improvements.


    ¡°Srassa, your wrist is slightly bent down. That¡¯s why you''re coming up short. See, watch my wrist closely,¡± their mentor took Srassa''s bow, nocked an arrow, and drew the string back. ¡°See? You were holding like this...¡± Her wrist slightly moved. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like a lot, but every little individual movement adds up when you take the shot. A little bend here or a small twist there when you¡¯re pulling back the string can make a difference. Try it again.¡±


    Srassa nodded and took the bow. Her hands were wet and sweaty, but Dineria didn¡¯t even seem to notice it. She did what her mentor said and focused hard on keeping her wrist still. She released the string, and her arrow struck the target, but it was far from a bull¡¯s-eye. Regardless of that, Srassa still smiled when she heard her mentor clap from behind.


    ¡°That was better. Your wrist was still a bit crooked but not by much. Really work on your wrist movement. I think that¡¯s the part that¡¯s holding you back.¡±


    After Dineria said that, she looked to the right at the other lane. Momo was there with the traditional bow. Her weapon was all wooden and sleek, reinforced by a clear coat of sap. It looked to be so expensive, but it was made from a regular tree nearby. Her face was slightly wet in a layer of sweat, and she was in her underclothes which consisted of a white tank top and shorts that came to above her knees. Dineria once told them to wear something easy so they wouldn¡¯t overheat.  She had also told two of them that the bulkiness of their armor might be throwing them off.


    ¡°Once you get it down in regular clothes, then you can start adding your armor. Every little bit of weight that is added will affect you in ways you didn¡¯t know. To be an archer is to understand your body. If your brain isn¡¯t in line with your arms, wrists, fingers, hands, and back, you¡¯re not going to be able to reach your full potential. And adding things like gloves or armor when you¡¯re not used to using your skin to feel the bow''s string will cause you to learn the wrong way. What seems to be right will be wrong, and it¡¯s difficult to unlearn what seems to be right, which was actually wrong, to learn the authentic right way. Does that make sense?¡± Dineria had told her.


    Momo was stupefied. She sort of knew what Dineria meant by it, and she nodded.  She also knew Dineria had an odd way of speaking, but she was used to it.


    Basically, if I learn wrong but think it¡¯s right, then trying to unlearn the wrong way to learn the correct way is more effort than learning it outright? Yeah, I think that¡¯s it... Jeez... That gave me a headache...


    Still, Momo was a near-perfect shot for the first three targets. She could get two bull¡¯s-eyes on the fourth target in four attempts, but that left her with just two arrows for the final mark. It was 25 meters away, and the Singi still had trouble even hitting it in the first place.


    Right now, there''s no way I can hit it twice in a row.


    But that was fine. Momo still had some time left with Dineria.


    After an hour of non-stop practice, Srassa''s and Momo''s hands started to hurt. To give them a break, Dineria took the two mentees over to the start of the obstacle course. It spanned the length of the training room, turned, and continued. It was filled with jumps, rocks, uneven terrain, icy wood, ropes to climb, gaps to jump, and even a tree to climb, amongst other things. Dineria showed it to them on the second day, and the Elf displayed all it had in less than three minutes.


    She told them it was an important tool to help accelerate their training.


    ¡°You never know what kind of terrain you¡¯ll be going to, but you can make a guess. In a place like Canary, you can expect forests and caves. In a big city like Adenaford or Keyya, you could find yourself going to a snowy mountain, a deep ocean, or a flaming volcano. There''s even a chance to be sent to a different country, so you gotta be ready for their geography. Really, there''s no limit to what type of terrain you''d be going to. That''s why I made this course. It''s the perfect training companion. Not to mention that this is a great full-body workout. Your arms and hands, shoulders, stomach and back, legs, and thighs will all be exercised. And that¡¯s what this course is all about. It¡¯s filled with a few different terrains you might come across, and the goal is to finish as fast as possible.¡±


    ¡°But if we somehow finish it in the five minutes early, do we have to do it again on the final day?¡± Srassa asked as she raised her hand.


    ¡°Good question. No, you don¡¯t. However, you¡¯re more than welcome to keep going even when you get to the five-minute mark. The one who gets the best time gets one of my cookies.¡± Ah, yes. The age-old tactic of offering a dessert was enough to send Srassa straight to the starting line.


    Dineria¡¯s hand-baked cookies were mouthwatering, and she claimed they were healthy and sugar-free, but Momo didn¡¯t see how. Still, she wasn¡¯t going to start complaining.


    Momo stood off to the side with Dineria and watched as Srassa ran through the course. The first obstacle was a pretty tall tree they had to climb. It wasn¡¯t the really tall one in the middle of the room, but it still pretty big and intimidating. After that, she had to run down a rocky incline, which was to train their balance. There were rocks and tree roots everywhere, providing an uneven and dangerous terrain to practice on.  Srassa ended up tripping on a rock and tumbled the rest of the way down.


    ¡°Srassa!!¡± Momo cried, but Dineria put her hand up to stop Momo from running over. Srassa didn¡¯t cry out in pain. When she stood up, she discovered that there wasn¡¯t even a scratch on her shiny leather tunic that hugged her slim body.


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s no worry about getting hurt.  The course is fully enchanted with Remedium.  Basically, any damage is almost fully healed instantly.  Have I not mentioned that before?" Dineria put her hand to her chin and grinned slightly.


    Momo shook her head.


    Momo¡¯s curiosity was growing, she didn''t know it was possible to enchant an obstacle course, but she stopped herself from asking.  It wasn''t the right time to ask, and it wasn''t something she needed to know at that very moment.  So, she watched as Srassa picked the pace and ran for the next obstacle. If her memory was correct, then the ground there was slippery. A comedic scream that came from the girl running the course proved Momo right.


    Srassa forgot about it even though they ran it the previous day, and she slid against the guard railing. Her shoulders took the full brunt of the impact, and they should''ve broken, but she was just fine.


    ¡°Remember that the blue wood you see is supposed to be ice. Unless you have boots specifically for slippery surfaces, always be careful. One wrong slip can send you tumbling!¡± her mentor hollered out. Srassa replied with an energetic ¡°Got it!¡± and kept on trucking to the wall in front of her.


    It was like a rock wall but different. The handholds available to her were blue, meaning they were supposed to be cold and wet.


    It''s funny.  I wasn''t scared the other times I did this, but I am now.  I''m probably just nervous because I know Dineria is timing us. I hope I don''t mess up anymore.


    ¡°Srassa!! I believe in you!!¡± Momo encouraged her friend from down below. She waved her arms and jumped around, and that filled Srassa''s heart with determination.


    It took two minutes for her to climb the icy rock wall, and she knew she failed then and there. She still had the robe bridge, the rope swings, the gap to jump, the rope wall, the crawling portion, hoop dive, the finger ledge, and the uphill dash. All, of course, alternating between being rocky and uneven to being blue and slippery.


    She failed the rope swing once by forgetting to grab it. During the icy rope wall, her foot slipped in through one of the holes, and she wasted valuable time getting unstuck. She made the gap the first try and only spent ten or so seconds on the slithering portion, where she had to advance on her stomach. For the hoop dive, it was perfect and almost as good as Dineria¡¯s attempt. She lost her grip once on the finger ledge, where she had to cross a small two-meter long gap using only her fingertips. For the final uphill dash, she tripped on a tree root and fell. When she finally made it to the end, she finished with a time of 9:24.


    She slowly slumped her way over to Momo and Dineria, who had a chair waiting and collapsed in it. Her soft face was drenched with sweat, her blond hair stuck wetly to her forehead, and she seemed to exhaled air more than she inhaled. Though after a few seconds, her breathing was somewhat under control.


    ¡°How was it?¡± she finally asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a personal best. 9:24. I assume you know where you can improve on?


    The course wasn¡¯t that long, but it had many different parts, some of which wasted valuable time if she failed and had to try again.


    ¡°Yes, I know. I promise I¡¯ll get better!¡±


    Dineria smiled and patted Srassa''s wet blond hair. She went beet red. ¡°I know you will. There¡¯s still some time left, so don¡¯t start panicking. Momo?¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± Momo was enthusiastic about her attempt. Dineria had said that most of the Singi she knew were agile and acrobatic.  When she got to the starting line, she bent down and stretched for the final time.


    I mean, I¡¯m a Singi, right? I got the ears and the tail, so I should be good at this.  It might take some time, but I''m sure I can do it!


    The moment Dineria shouted go, Momo was off. She had more experience with this than Srassa did. For the first few days, Dineria helped Srassa a little more since she had no experience with the bow or sword. Momo, meanwhile, took the time she had after shooting a few arrows to walk and try the obstacle course.


    She would claim that she was knowledgeable, and it showed. She climbed the tree with ease and got past the downhill section without a problem. Her pink hair flowed behind her like it was desperately following its master. She had a close call with the ice rock wall but managed to save herself with her right foot.


    The robe bridge wasn¡¯t icy, and Momo had a decent sense of balance, so she relied on that. She had a bit of trouble on the swings. They weren¡¯t slippery, but they didn¡¯t feel like rope should''ve felt. She slid down and didn¡¯t have enough momentum to make the jump, so she had to try again. And that wasted valuable time.


    The gap to jump, rope wall, and the prone obstacle, where she had to crawl on her stomach through a small tunnel, were also easy for her. The hoop dive was where the difficulty ramped up. It had to be done almost perfectly because Dineria graded on the style and accuracy of the dive and how efficient the recovery roll was performed. She had to repeat it two times until her mentor was satisfied.


    The final obstacle was the dreaded uphill run filled with rocks and tree stumps. It surprised Momo, but the Singi didn¡¯t have that much of a problem.


    Momo didn¡¯t know if it was the spirit of the Singi-- as in the essence of her ancestor''s ability and acrobatics that helped her-- or if it was her own effort. If pressured to ask, she would go with the first one. Even through all of her training, Momo''s personal confidence was still low. But she was slowly developing, growing, and realizing that she was worth something.  And that something was the fact that her life mattered, and it was hers to live in any way she wanted to.


    ¡°Alright, your final time was 7:11. Good job. Failing the rope swing was at least a thirty-second time loss, and you missed the hoop dive twice. That¡¯s twenty seconds each. If you can get those on the first attempt and become more familiar with the course, you¡¯re sure to get a time of 4:54 or so. And yes, that includes you too, Srassa. I believe in both of you, okay?¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± they both said, replying at the same time.


    Dineria clapped her hands, and a few employees appeared from nowhere. Well, not from nowhere. Momo and Srassa didn¡¯t notice them. That, too, was proof they needed more training. But they knew that. They weren¡¯t cocky in the slightest when it came to their overall abilities.


    They had a table and three chairs, all wooden, and a pot of tea, and a plate of cookies. The three thanked the employees, who nodded, then walked away.


    With an expert motion, Dineria picked up the black wooden teapot with her hand that had the red flower tattooed on it and graciously poured her cute mentees some tea in some wooden cups.


    Every item in Levadia Woods were things naturally in a forest except for Srassa''s and Momo¡¯s armor and clothing, leather and cotton, and the food and drink.


    "This is tea brewed and steeped using schwiss leaves. It has an exceptionally strong but sweet aftertaste, even though it doesn¡¯t contain that much sugar. It is, however, good for relieving sore and tired muscles. Especially the smell. Just one whiff of this is enough to relax you.¡±


    ¡°Now then,¡± she continued, ¡°Let¡¯s chat for a bit while our weary muscles relax. Anything you two want to talk about?¡± As if the Elf couldn''t be more graceful, Dineria lifted the cup and the plate it sat on up and took a delicate sip. Her pink lips looked so soft as she drank the still hot tea.


    ¡°Momo, may I ask a favor?¡± Srassa asked. It was rare for her to start any conversation. That usually fell to Momo and Dineria.


    ¡°Sure!" Momo cheerfully replied.


    ¡°Umm¡­you keep talking about this ¡®Servi,¡¯ and I would like to meet her. She sounds so amazing.¡±


    ¡°Really?! I was actually gonna ask if you wanted to meet her!¡± Momo''s pink ears twitched, and her tail almost kicked into overdrive. It was swooshing around so fast.


    Dineria silently giggled as she watched the two girls talk.


    I¡¯m glad. One of the objectives of this whole program is to build camaraderie. May you two have a wonderful friendship ahead of you, even if you don¡¯t end up in a party together.


    She took another sip and decided to jump into the conversation.


    ¡°So, this Servi, is she the tank of your group?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Servi has this big, heavy shield, but she makes it seem like it¡¯s paper to her. I tried to wield it, but I couldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­ A female tank? That¡¯s rare.¡± Srassa took a sip of tea, and Dineria nodded before adding on.


    ¡°It is. You know, Warden does a little questionnaire at the end of each year. And one of the things they want to know is party roles broken down by gender. There¡¯s actually less than six percent of all female Warden members who consider themselves tanks.  The vast majority of them choose to focus on their skills and become a healer or a supporter. I suppose a few decide to take up the bow and become a ranger or a thief."


    ¡°She''s good. Really good. It¡¯s like she can see an attack before it comes," Momo bragged. She was hyping up her best friend.


    ¡°Do you know who her mentor is?¡± Srassa asked.


    ¡°Yep. It¡¯s Fisher Jin.¡±


    In an almost unladylike manner, Dineria subtly choked on her tea but recovered instantly. Momo and Srassa didn¡¯t even notice.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard he¡¯s tough. Really tough. It¡¯s not exactly uncommon for the guards he ends up training to quit halfway through.¡±


    Srassa replied to Dineria. ¡°Is it really that hard?¡±


    Dineria nodded, and Momo kept speaking. ¡°It is. Servi said she had to spar against a Kobold. She ended up losing, though.¡± The cute girl took a sip of her tea, and her eyes went wide. When Dineria said it was strong, that was an understatement.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone can beat a Kobold in strength. They¡¯re so big and tough.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Dineria said, ¡°Kobolds are the strongest race, physically, that can use skills. In fact, I would say it¡¯s almost impossible for a Human girl to best one in a physical battle. But if skills were involved, I¡¯d be more willing to believe.¡±


    ¡°Servi told me that they were sparring again today, and she said will Fisher allow them to use skills. So it¡¯ll be their third battle.  I''m hoping she can get her first win,¡± Momo took a tiny sip of her tea. A Singi¡¯s tongue was very sensitive to hot or cold liquids, so she had to wait for her tea to cool down.


    ¡°You know, I also think I want to meet this Servi. Anyone who goes up against a Kobold is brave in my book,¡± said Dineria. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll get the chance at the tournament. She is competing, right?¡±


    Momo nodded. ¡°She is. Actually, we were hoping to face each other in the tournament. We had a sparing match the second day we met, and I won.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Srassa¡¯s eyes went a bit wide.


    ¡°I kinda threw my sword at her¡­. Then I... kinda.. tackled her to the ground¡± Momo nervously chuckled and rubbed her head. She was embarrassed.


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, wow, indeed.  I never would''ve expected that from you." Dineria took another sip of her tea.


    ¡°I mean, she told me to come at her with everything I had, and I did. But she was nice about the loss. Ever since then, we¡¯d train together in the arena at the Warden office. She would have a shield, and I would have my sword, then I¡¯d try to break her guard. I haven¡¯t won, but I¡¯m hoping I can win against her at the tournament. That''s if we actually end up fighting each other."


    That¡¯s the kind of party I want to join; just a bunch of friends who like each other and won¡¯t judge. Maybe this is my chance. Srassa thought. She had a lot of non-existent baggage in her mind, but she was willing to put in the effort to overcome it.


    And so, the three of them enjoyed a nice moment that lasted around forty-five minutes. After the tea was gone and the cookies devoured, they went back to training. The two mentees gave the obstacle course another try and improved their time by a few seconds each. As if fate was playing a cruel trick, Momo and Srassa still messed up in the same spots. But if their loving mentor was upset, she clasped such disappointment behind a curtain of praise.


    After the obstacle course, the friends each took a sword and began to try to copy Dineria¡¯s fighting movements. Even though she was doing them slowly, the two still had trouble keeping up. Dineria chalked that up to them being tired and exhausted from the obstacle course.


    And even after that, they went back to the archery lanes to fire off some more arrows.


    But soon, it came time for class to be over. It was way past afternoon, but the sun had a bit of life left in it before it set.


    ¡°Remember, do the stretches and the rolls before you go to bed and after you wake up, Okay?¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± they both said at once.


    Dineria smiled. ¡°Good. Now, we¡¯re going to start a little bit later tomorrow, at 9:30 instead of 8. Be sure to have fun tonight, okay?¡±


    She¡¯s so thoughtful. Momo thought. She couldn¡¯t believe Dineria would postpone class for an hour and thirty minutes so they could have fun, but she wasn¡¯t complaining. And neither was Srassa. The two friends walked out of the Levadia Woods and made their way down the stairs towards the first floor.


    I can do this. I know I can. Come on, Srassa! Be brave and just ask her.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Momo?¡± Srassa squeaked out as they walked out of the shopping center. The two guards watching out for shoplifters nodded at the two girls as Momo spoke.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Do you mind if I go change and shower? I¡¯m a little bit sweaty.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Momo shook her head, ¡°Do you wanna meet up somewhere?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking that you could come to my house. I mean, if you want to. It¡¯s not that far away.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, I¡¯d love to come. Then we can walk to the Warden office together,¡± Momo gave Srassa a gentle smile, but a lot of emotion was hidden behind it.


    I¡¯ve never been invited to a friend¡¯s house before!


    ¡°Really?!¡± her face lit up in a smile.


    "Yep!" replied Momo as they set off together towards Srassa''s house.

 Book Two – Chapter Seven – Part Six – The Days of Training

    RuggyRuggy


    A portion of this part is written from Momo''s point of view, where she writes in her diary. Because I want it to be immersive, there will be more grammar errors to further represent Momo''s lack of knowledge when it comes to writing.


    Momo and Srassa took off towards the noble district. The roads were smoother, the guards more plentiful, and everyone looked so stylish.  Exotic silks and soft velvet were standard on this side of the city.


    But she did start to feel uncomfortable when she saw slaves, more so if they were Singi slaves. They looked up at her with their stoic eyes and sighed.


    Why can¡¯t people get along with each other? Momo thought.


    But to her surprise, they weren¡¯t being treated that badly. Yes, owning slaves was a bad thing in her eyes, but unlike slaves everywhere else, these looked to be well-fed and almost in perfect health. Any scars or wounds she saw looked like they¡¯d been inflicted years ago, and they all were fully clothed. But more than that, a few of them had on armor like they were their master''s bodyguards.


    But that doesn¡¯t excuse it. It never will.


    As Srassa said, her house wasn¡¯t that far away. It was only a short 15-minute walk from the shopping center.


    They stopped in front of a mansion that had three floors. It was pearly white on the outside, and the gate that led to the smooth driveway was black. Colorful flowers adorned the yard, and two towering pillars stood beside where a second black gate was sitting. The mansion itself was past the second gate that acted as another layer of defense.


    ¡°Wow¡­. I¡¯ve never been to a house so big," Momo muttered in amazement. The guard standing nearby nodded to Srassa and opened the gate up.  He wore a slim-fitting set of brown leather armor.  A sharp sword sat on his hip, but his hands never went towards it.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a bit too big,¡± Srassa waved and smiled to the guard, and the two friends walked further on in. ¡°It¡¯s just me, my father, mother, my grandparents, and the few butlers and maids. Oh, and Evie.¡±


    ¡°You don''t have any siblings?¡±


    Srassa shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m an only child, but my mother is pregnant. I¡¯m happy about that.¡±


    But that¡¯s still a lotta people. And who¡¯s Evie?


    ¡°I¡¯m an only child, too. But I''ve always wanted a cute little brother to spoil.¡±


    Srassa laughed. ¡°Me too. I really hope it¡¯s a boy.¡±


    ¡°Good day to you, Miss Flinn.¡± The two friends turned at the voice and saw an elderly Singi. Her short hair, ears, and tail had turned grey and old, and she gently carried a small basket in her arms. There was a black bracelet on her arm, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind. She wore something like a maid uniform, but it was long and nearly reached her ankles.


    ¡°Hello, Evie. Are you off to see mother?¡± Srassa asked.


    Her last name is Flinn? Guess she really is a noble.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. She requested a small meal. She¡¯s in the canopy if you want to stop by. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡±


    Momo locked eyes with Evie, and she just smiled.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± Momo asked when they walked through the second gate.  It had been opened by the guard while the two friends talked to Evie. From here, there was nothing else to prevent them from reaching the mansion.


    ¡°That¡¯s Evie. When I was little, she helped take care of me. I like her a lot, and she¡¯s always nice to me.¡±


    But she¡¯s a slave. Momo thought.  She didn''t like people who owned slaves, yet she just became aware of a startling fact. Her mind was a foggy haze for the next few seconds.


    When they reached the big front door, Srassa suddenly froze in her tracks and slowly looked at Momo. Her heart and mind raced like an explosion as she realized what happened. It was like time slowed to a crawl, and she was suddenly aware of how loud she was breathing.


    I just showed my friend, that''s a Singi, a Singi slave. Singi friend. Singi slave. Srassa, you idiot!!!!!


    Srassa turned her head towards Momo so fast her blond hair streaked across her green eyes and smacked her in the back of the head. ¡°Before you get upset, I just want to say that not once have we ever mistreated Evie. Me, my father, and my mother love her. And we don¡¯t even think of her as a slave. Haa¡­ I guess you hate me now.¡± Srassa sighed and felt like she was about to cry.  Water flooded her eyes like a dam that was about to break.


    Momo shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you. But I was a little surprised. I don¡¯t like slavers. Not at all. And I¡¯m feeling a bit confused. But it seems like you really care about her.¡±


    ¡°I do. Evie''s like a second grandmother. My father tried to convince her to let him get rid of the bracelet, but she refused. I promise you, Momo, we¡¯d never treated her less than how she deserves to be treated. She¡¯s like¡ªno, she is a member of our family.¡±


    ¡°I believe you. I was just caught a little off guard.¡±


    Oh man, this is kind of awkward.  Momo thought.  She looked at Srassa and turned her gaze back to the ground.  Her arms felt sticky and wet with a cold sweat created from her nervousness.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t even think about how¡ª¡±


    ¡°Srassa, it¡¯s fine. I promise it is,¡± she gave her friend a smile, not unlike the one she gave her grandpa when he asked her about her day. A smile that was fake and factual at the same time camouflaged her true feelings. It was something she had practiced over the years, but it had been seven or so months since she had to use it.


    ¡°Thanks, Momo,¡± Srassa opened the door and led Momo into the lobby. The floors were light brown, made from wood, and there was a magnificent staircase, covered with red carpet, sitting a few meters in front of them. It went up until it hit the wall, then spread off into two directions. The left went to the second floor, and the right went to the third. A glitzy chandelier stood right above them.


    ¡°Good day, Miss Flinn,¡± spoke a butler who appeared through a door to their right. He was young, maybe about 27, but he already had grey hair. He was tall, though, standing a bit over 180 centimeters.


    ¡°Hello, Jony. This is Momo. She¡¯s the other girl that''s training under Dineria.¡±


    ¡°Good afternoon, Miss Momo. My name is Jony, and I¡¯m a butler in the service of the Flinn household.¡±


    ¡°Umm...hello,¡± Momo tried to speak with authority, but her nervousness forced her words to come out like a mouse''s squeak.  Jony only smiled at the Singi.


    ¡°Jony, we¡¯re going up to my room for a little bit, then we¡¯re leaving. She¡¯s introducing me to her party member today.¡±


    ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll be sure to tell your father. Do you know what time you¡¯re expecting to come home?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t. But it shouldn¡¯t be too late.¡±


    ¡°Very well. Do you have your emblem on you?¡±


    ¡°I do. I know what to do if I get into trouble,¡± Srassa looked a bit embarrassed when she said that.


    ¡°Very good. In that case, I hope your night is filled with fun and excitement. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me...¡± Jony bowed and walked away. His sturdy hands, covered with a white glove, went to grab a brass door handle, and a moment later, he slipped inside.


    ¡°My room is on the third floor,¡± Srassa began to walk. She was feeling more confident.


    If Momo was going to hate me, then she¡¯d done when she saw Evie, right? I shouldn¡¯t have much to worry about.


    ¡°Who was that? And what¡¯s an emblem? If you don¡¯t mind answering,¡± Momo asked.  She gripped the stair railing and nearly gasped in surprise.


    I''m pretty sure the wood used to make these stairs were more expensive than mine and grandpa''s house!


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. That was Jony. Father found him abandoned and homeless around fifteen years ago when he went on a trip to Adenaford. I actually thought he was my big brother for a while, but I guess he is in a way since he also looked after me when I was younger. And this is an emblem,¡± Srassa reached into a pouch on her waist and took out a small bronze disk. It had an emblem of a Singi and a Human holding hands.  It didn''t look expensive.


    ¡°It¡¯s the emblem of the Flinn family. Not even my father or grandfather know why it¡¯s a Singi and a Human holding hands, but they don¡¯t want to change it.¡±


    "How can it help if you get in trouble?¡± Momo asked. She couldn¡¯t see why it was a big deal. She had been a commoner all her life, and she couldn''t understand the vastly different world of the nobility.


    ¡°There¡¯s a small unspoken rule about the nobility of the world. If we¡¯re ever stranded or lost, we show our family emblem to someone. It¡¯s proof that we are who we say we are, and if they help us, they¡¯re sure to be rewarded.¡±


    ¡°I never knew that,¡± Momo said as they came to the third floor. There were three rooms on the wall in front of them, and each door had a brass handle.


    ¡°The middle one is my room, the left one is the shower, and the right one is a storage room,¡± Srassa saw the confusion in Momo''s eyes and answered her unasked question.


    "Wow... You have a whole floor to yourself?" Momo said in amazement.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a bit too much, but my father insisted a girl of my age needed her privacy.  My parent''s room is on the second floor, and the other bedrooms are on the first floor.  The kitchen and dining rooms and other rooms are spread about the first and second floor."


    He¡¯s caring, and I love my dad, but he¡¯s too overprotective.  And Jony''s a worrywart.  Still... I''d rather have it that way than not have my dad or Jony at all...


    The two walked across the soft red carpet, and Srassa opened the door to her room.


    There was the bed, of course; a queen-sized bed, to be exact. Yellow and blue covers and blankets lined the top of it, and black pillows were resting near the headboard. The floors were hardwood, the same as the lobby, and Momo saw a large walk-in closet that was partly open and a few desks.  The walls were white, sparkling clean.  A few pictures of heroic-looking women in armor decorated them.  There was a single window on the far wall, and a courtyard and a canopy could be seen. In fact, a certain elderly Singi was sitting in a chair talking to a pregnant woman with blond hair.


    ¡°So, this is my room. I¡¯m sorry if it¡¯s a bit messy. I was running late this morning. Please, have a seat,¡± Srassa walked over to a desk and pulled out two chairs that were on wheels. She rolled them over to Momo, and she sat down.


    ¡°That''s adorable.¡± Momo pointed to the corner of the room that had some stuffed animals. She only saw foxes and cats, and they were arranged in a way that showed they were well taken care of. ¡°I like your animal collection.¡±


    ¡°Oh, umm¡­.thank you.  Most of those are from Evie.  She loves to make things like that.  Oh, here¡¯s a small buzzer.¡± Srassa went to another desk and pulled out a small silver object. There was a white button on top. ¡°If you need anything, press it, and Jony or one of the other maids will come up here. And I¡¯m sorry for leaving you alone, but I need to take a shower.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Enjoy your shower!¡± Momo smiled and took the buzzer from Srassa, who then went over to her closet. She grabbed a bag from a nearby shelf inside it and stored a sundress, some underwear, and a pair of cute gladiator-like sandals inside it. Then she made her way to the door and opened it.


    ¡°Feel free to make yourself at home. I¡¯ll be back in ten minutes or so.¡±


    ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll be right here,¡± replied the Singi. Her ears started twitching in happiness. The door closed right after.


    Momo sat in her chair for a few minutes, unsure of what to do. She¡¯d never been alone in another person¡¯s room before.


    Would it be rude if I walk and explore? Or should I just stay seated? But she did say to make myself at home. Ah, I got it!


    ¡°I gotta write in my journal,¡± she said to herself. She carefully rolled over to the desk and retrieved her notebook and a pen from her bag.


    Dear diary. Today, I was invited over to Srassa''s house, or mansion, I should say. I¡¯m actually still here sitting in her room. We¡¯ve known each other for a bit under half a month or so, but I never expected to be invited! I gotta admit, I¡¯m really nervous, even though I feel like I shouldn¡¯t be.


    She¡¯s nice, so I should be fine. But, I got to admit I felt weird seeing a Singi slave. I¡¯m feeling weird. Really, really, really weird. But she seemed to be happy, and Srassa said they treated her like family.  And it sure looks like it.  I didn''t see a single scratch or cut on her.


    I want to believe her, I really do, but it¡¯s hard for me to like people who own slaves. Especially if the slave is a Singi like me. So, I lied to her and gave her a smile like I used to give you, grandpa. I felt bad, but maybe this friendship can work. Honestly, I feel like crying but I got to keep it together.


    But I¡¯m sorry for not writing sooner. I always say I¡¯ll write but I end up forgetting, but it¡¯s not my fault this time. Training with Dineria is hard and tough, and I¡¯m always so tired. But I¡¯m feeling good today. Maybe it means my body is growing stronger? I mean, we¡¯ve been working hard every day, so it stands to reason that I''ll get stronger.


    But back on the topic of Srassa. I know you said not every noble is bad or evil, grandpa, but does that include slave owners? It¡¯s hard to fight against my urge to just walk away, but I really want to believe we can be friends.


    I used to, and still do, think that anyone who owns another person like property is mean and evil, but maybe Srassa''s family can be one of the good ones. An exception to the rule I made up.


    Just writing that gave me a headache. It goes against everything I¡¯ve ever thought, but maybe it¡¯s good that I¡¯ve found something to challenge my way of thinking.


    Or maybe it¡¯s not. Grandpa, I¡¯m just so confused.


    It just feels like I¡¯ve been repeating myself over and over. And it took me five or minutes to even write this much.


    In the end, I think I¡¯ll choose to believe her. If I can''t do that, then I¡¯ll force myself to.  You told me not to judge on appearances, and it worked out for Servi.  She''s my best friend.  Maybe Srassa can be my second best friend? I hope so.


    But I gotta go. I hear the shower turning off.


    Sincerely, Momo.


    P.S ¨C this is probably the hardest-to-read entry I¡¯ve ever written. I promise I¡¯ll try to work on my words and writing when I can.


    Momo put her journal away and spun around in her chair. A moment later, the door opened to reveal a very pretty Srassa. Her blond hair had a small green bow in it, and the floral sundress was dazzling and perfect for the hot weather, and the thin strap of her green bra was very slightly visible on her left shoulder. The sandals she chose to wear quite cute as well.


    Momo¡¯s heart almost skipped a beat.


    ¡°Sorry if I took too long, but I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°That dress looks so cute, and I never knew they made shoes like that. What¡¯re they called, if you don¡¯t mind me asking.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re called gladiator sandals. Apparently, they''re in fashion in Westera. When my father went to Adenaford on business, he stopped by a store and bought them for me because he remembered I complained about wanting a new pair of shoes." NO! Srassa, don''t say embarrassing things!!!


    ¡°Gladiator sandals... I need to remember that.¡±  Momo looked down at her own footwear when she said that, so she didn''t see Srassa''s beet-red face.


    The embarrassed girl walked over and sat lady-like on her bed, crossing her legs while shaking the heat away from her cheeks. ¡°So, I was actually a bit nervous¡­¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s kinda embarrassing, but this is actually the first time I had a friend come to my house,¡± Srassa¡¯s face went red, and she fidgeted a little bit. She lightly squirmed her legs together, and her fingers were interlocked.


    Yep. Srassa''s just like me, but rich and stuff.  I never had any friends growing up to even invite to my house.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you did. To be honest, I¡¯ve never been invited to someone¡¯s house before. So I was nervous. Especially since it¡¯s a noble¡¯s house,¡± Momo gave the nervous girl a gentle smile.


    Srassa nodded. ¡°If it helps, don¡¯t think of me as a noble. There¡¯s not anyone in my family who thinks we¡¯re better than anyone else.¡±


    Momo nodded, and the two talked for a bit more before Srassa looked at her watch.


    After she told Momo the time, the two decided to go to the Warden office. They left the room after Srassa picked up a brown purse. She cradled it with both hands, and the two walked down the stairs together.


    ¡°Father!¡± Srassa suddenly said towards an unknown man when she reached the ground floor. There was Jony, but there was also someone else. He was tall, around 196 centimeters, and had a rugged face, complete with a neatly trimmed mustache. His hair was brown with a reddish-gold tint, and his eyes were the color of mud. A traditional black suit was his outfit of choice for this day, and he gently smiled at his beloved daughter.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Srassa. How was your training today?¡±


    Srassa and Momo walked over to him.


    ¡°It was good. I¡¯m getting better.¡± Srassa smiled as she answered.


    ¡°Good. So, are you going to introduce me to your friend?¡±


    ¡°Father, this is Momo. She¡¯s the girl I¡¯ve been telling you about.¡±


    Was Srassa really talking about me..."


    ¡°Hello, sir!¡± Momo¡¯s body stiffened up, and her words came out at a pitch higher than she wanted them to.


    ¡°Please, be at ease. I¡¯m Harold Flinn. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± He stuck out his hand.


    Momo smiled and took it, and the two shook hands.


    Suddenly, he grinned. ¡°My daughter has been talking about this ''totally amazing'' Singi she¡¯s been training with.¡±


    ¡°Father?!¡± Srassa became embarrassed. Momo just looked at her.


    ¡°Totally amazing? Me?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes. Even during dinner¡ª¡±


    ¡°Dad!!¡± Srassa pouted and puffed her cheeks.


    ¡°And that¡¯s my cue to leave,¡± Harold laughed, and it was like his mustache joined in on the fun. ¡°She only calls me dad when I embarrass her. Based on how she¡¯s dressed, I assume you two are going out for a bit of fun?¡±


    ¡°Srassa asked to meet Servi, my party member. We¡¯re staying at the Warden office.¡± Momo''s voice was a bit strained. It was nerve-wracking speaking to the father of her friend who owned a person. Even if she was a slave, Evie was living a little bit better than most nobles. And Momo didn''t think that the guy standing in front of her was such a bad guy.  It was going to be a challenge, but the pink Singi felt like she could come to trust Harold. She thought his face was too kind to belong to a man who purposely hurt and terrorized slaves.


    ¡°I see. Well, I hope you two have fun. Remember to be safe,¡± Harold said. His chiseled face smiled, and he turned to talk to Jony to talk about business.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so embarrassed,¡± Srassa eventually said. After her father turned away, the two friends, one Singi and one very embarrassed Human, walked outside.


    ¡°He seems nice. But totally amazing?" Momo placed a slender hand to her chest.


    ¡°He is. He¡¯s always very supportive of what I do. But I do think you¡¯re amazing. You¡¯re better than me in everything.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. When it comes to using skills, you¡¯re way better than me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to bring up such a topic. The last thing I want to do is sour the mood,¡± Srassa whimpered and sighed as they walked past the second gate. They stopped speaking, and the only noise came from their footsteps pounding on the paved road.


    Come on, Srassa! Stop saying the wrong things and calm down!


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be sorry about. I mean that. I¡¯m just happy someone thinks I¡¯m amazing. But you¡¯re amazing too.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really. You¡¯re learning much faster than I did, and I¡¯ve been practicing for a lot longer.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Srassa smiled, and her pretty face was almost brighter than her sundress.


    ¡°If anything, Servi is the amazing one. She¡¯s brave, fearless, and strong. She¡¯s super friendly, too. And she¡¯s super good with literally every weapon she tries.¡±


    ¡°She sounds so cool.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she is. I only wish I could be as cool as her.¡±


    And so, the two friends walked side by side, chatting about clothes, training, food, and drinks. The conversation was awkward and filled with pauses as the two tried to come up with the right words. Like a tree that grew strong over the years but started off as a small sapling, so was this friendship that was still in its infancy. But both girls were putting in the effort, and it was sure to have worthwhile dividends.


    Soon, the Warden office was in their sights. A few minutes later, Momo locked eyes with her best friend and waved to her.

 Book Two – Chapter Eight – Part One – A Most Enjoyable Night Out

    ¡°That¡¯s the headquarters?¡± Momo asked, staring at the intimidating-looking ocean-blue ramparts. She only thought those belonged on castles, not a place in the middle of a city. Even then, Momo had to admit the headquarters came together to form a unique structure.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s big, isn¡¯t it?¡± Servi answered Momo''s question.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been here a few times with my father, but I''m always impressed by the sheer size of this place,¡± quipped Srassa.


    The two best friends, and one regular friend, for now, were walking towards the agreed-upon meeting place.


    It was a little bit after 7:15, and the moon had found the courage to come out and play. As the night continued, the celestial object would be witness to a very fond memory that would remain in the hearts of three women.  It would be something they would look back on with fond eyes and a wanting heart.


    ¡°Oh, I see them.¡± Right in front of the entrance to the headquarters stood four humanoid figures. Two Dwarves and two Koena.


    Riki and Rakkire had on tight-fitting black and white shirts and pants, respectively.  Their stocky and burly arms almost couldn''t be contained by simple sleeves. Thick brown boots were their footwear of choice.


    Silverado had on black pants and a white shirt that was a bit too tight, and a small yellow string was tied to his wrist.  Desperado, meanwhile, chose a far more casual approach. A black tank top and blue shorts. Both had on red shoes, but it was an awkward mismatch of colors. It was evident that they didn¡¯t care that much about fashion.


    ¡°Servi!¡± Riki waved at the approaching group of three attractive women.


    ¡°Hey, guys. Sorry if we¡¯re late.¡±


    Desperado shook his head. ¡°Not at all. If anything, we showed up early.¡±


    So these are the guys Servi trains with. They seem nice, but I don¡¯t see Feral.  Momo thought.


    ¡°Oh, this is Momo, and she''s my part member. And that¡¯s Srassa. She¡¯s training with Momo under Dineria." Servi then turned to introduce her training partners to Momo and Srassa.  "And that¡¯s Riki, his cousin Rakkire, and that¡¯s Silverado and Desperado.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Srassa Flinn. It¡¯s nice to meet all of you.¡± Srassa did a curtsy. She didn''t like doing it, but since she was a member of the Flinn family, she had to do it for her family''s reputation.


    ¡°And I¡¯m Momo,¡± said the Singi.  Her tail lazily swooshed from left to right.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you two. Now then, I hope yer hungry," Rakkire grinned, ¡°The restaurant isn¡¯t that far.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯d like, we could go ahead and leave.¡±


    The three girls nodded, and along with the four men, they all started walking together down a small street.


    ¡°What¡¯s the name of this place?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s called Canary¡¯s Steak House. Ate there the first day I came here,¡± said Desperado.


    ¡°Same here. It¡¯s cheap, too. Almost too good to be true. You ever ate there before?¡± Rakkire asked. The three girls were the only ones who shook their heads.


    ¡°It¡¯s a nice place. Anyways, Momo, Srassa, how¡¯s your training going?¡± Silverado asked. He turned his silver face towards the Singi and smiled.


    They are nice. Thought Srassa as she gathered the courage to answer. She was so far out of her usual element that she was screaming and thrashing on the inside, but Srassa knew she had to overcome an uneasiness that might wash over her.


    Strength wasn''t just physical, but mental, too. Even if Srassa was the world''s strongest girl, it would amount to nothing if she was as weak as a baby inside her mind.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard, but I like it. I feel like I¡¯m learning so many different things every day,¡± replied the noble.


    ¡°Same here. But I¡¯m always tired afterwards. Dineria is nice, but her training is tough. What about Fisher¡¯s training? Servi said it¡¯s tough,¡± said Momo.


    ¡°Aye. Fisher''s a damn devil, that''s what I think,¡± Rakkire said.


    ¡°Agreed. I didn¡¯t even eat dinner after the second day. I don¡¯t even know how I got back to the inn,¡± added Desperado.


    ¡°So it¡¯s that hard?¡± asked Srassa. The group made a left turn at an intersection. For it being nearly 7:30, there weren''t that many people out on the road. Probably because it was a weekday, but still. The seven of them almost had the road to themselves, but they had to share it with the few wagons that still had deliveries to make.


    A quick breeze flew by, and it felt nice.


    ¡°Hard is an understatement,¡± said Desperado. ¡°Every day, we push our bodies to the brink, then we push even harder the next day. I¡¯m still sore.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I would¡¯ve given up if not for Servi.¡± Silverado pointed to the only girl with red eyes.


    ¡°What happened?¡± it was Momo''s turn to speak up.


    ¡°Fisher was being a devil as always, and we had to do sixty sit-ups after doing a ton of other stuff. And I¡¯m was just lying there in pain. I think I did 31 or 32 before I wanted to give up, but Servi was there to encourage me.¡±


    Servi felt embarrassed and turned her head away, choosing to look at the passing wagon to her right instead.


    ¡°But I¡¯m glad we only have a week or so left,¡± Desperado said


    ¡°Same here, but I¡¯m going to be a little sad. After being called a maggot for two weeks, it¡¯s hard going back to Rakkire,¡± said Rakkire.


    In his best impression of Fisher Jin, Riki began to talk. ¡°Maggots! Line up and give me fifty sit-ups!! And don''t fucking tally about!¡±


    Servi and the rest of Fisher''s mentees laughed while Srassa and Momo looked horrified.


    ¡°Does he really do that?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Servi answered Srassa. ¡°But he slowed down on calling us maggots. Honestly, I think it was just a test."


    ¡°A test, huh?¡± Momo muttered.


    ¡°I was thinking the same thing. But when Fisher pulled out that dagger on the first day, I thought he was about to cut us," Servi said.


    ¡°That seems too intense for a test. I couldn¡¯t imagine Dineria calling us names and threatening to cut us," Srassa folded her arms and imagined her mentor the way her new friends described Fisher. She shuddered and thanked the Gods Above for being given Dineria as a mentor.


    ¡°They don¡¯t call him the Justice Captain for nothing,¡± replied Riki.


    They reached another intersection and took another turn.  It was a dead-end, and the group of friends was face to face with a large restaurant.


    The words ¡®Canary¡¯s Steak House¡¯ were burned into a beautiful piece of grey wood that spanned the length of the building. Like the Warden office, it seemed to be made of all wood.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pretty building.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Srassa said after Momo.


    Desperado went to the door and opened it up. His fellow Koena, two Dwarves, Srassa, Momo, and Servi, entered in that order. They all said a quiet thank you to him.


    Inside, it was a bit dark and atmospheric. Seven or eight workers dressed in white button-up shirts with black ties, black pants, and black dress shoes all maneuvered around as they did their jobs. Some were carrying plates and trays of drinks, and others had a small wash bucket as they cleaned tables. Servi could see Humans, Singi, Koena, Dwarves, and a lone Kobold, but no Elves.


    Fluorescent Lights that hung from the ceiling via chains provided just the right amount of light. The tables and chairs were made from wood, stained with a dark coat of paint that matched the dark atmosphere.


    It wasn¡¯t anything evil, but Servi guessed that this restaurant followed an irrefutable theme. She felt calm and relaxed. The dark color soothed her, somehow, and she smiled.


    ¡°We have to stand here until a waiter comes and gets us,¡± said Desperado. There was a line of booths in the  lobby, so the three girls took a seat and chatted amongst themselves. The men did the same standing up.


    ¡°This place looks kinda nice,¡± Momo turned her head and took in the sights.


    Srassa agreed while hugging her purse to her lap. ¡°I¡¯ve never been to this part of town before.¡±


    ¡°Why not?" Servi asked.


    ¡°My father is very overprotective of me, and I usually stay in the noble district for one reason.¡±


    ¡°What reason is that?¡± pipped Momo.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit embarrassing, but father has a guard or two to follow me when I leave the house. I guarantee there¡¯s someone following us right now. Sometimes it¡¯s a bit much, so I just stay in the noble district.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I think that¡¯s kind of sweet. It shows your dad cares a lot about you,¡± said Momo.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right, and I shouldn¡¯t be upset, but I want just a little bit of freedom.¡±


    ¡°So that''s why you joined Warden?¡± asked Servi.


    ¡°Yes. My cousins, uncles, and aunts on my father''s side of the family are either active members or have retired. Father was the oldest of his siblings, so he had to take care of the house, and mother was an only child. And father allowed me to join when my mother got pregnant. That way, even if it¡¯s a girl, they can raise her to take over the home and name. Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to only talk about myself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no problem. I like hearing about my friends.¡± Momo smiled at Srassa, whose heart skipped a beat. Before she could say anything, Desperado walked over.


    ¡°Servi, we¡¯re about to head to the table,¡± he said as he straightened his clothes.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Servi replied as she stood up. Srassa and Momo did the same, and they followed a Human boy with yellow hair and hazel eyes. He had seven menus in his hand, which were made out of tanned paper folded into a three-page long book, bounded by brown cow leather. It was almost like a work of art, in a way. It certainly fit the atmosphere.


    The smells of grilled and baked steak and chicken, with fried potatoes and saut¨¦ed shrimp, and more, filled all of their nostrils, and Riki even drooled a little bit. From the entrance, they went straight down a set of stairs before taking a right, passing by a room filled with parties of four that occupied each table they saw. A few seconds later, they came to a large, mostly empty room except for 11 people, made up of Humans, Dwarves, Elves, and Koena, who all sat at one table. They looked like they were having a good time, and Servi definitely smelled the booze that seemed like it disappeared faster than it could be poured.


    It seems this room is for large groups. Itarr said. She had been silent for a while, no doubt observing Srassa and how she reacted to certain things. When the Goddess wasn''t talking to her Servi, she took everything she saw and used that information to learn about the world.


    The Human boy went to the table and laid down the seven menus.


    ¡°Someone will be with you shortly. I hope you all enjoy your meal,¡± the host nervously said. His reddish-brown eyes were focused on two particular girls.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Momo slightly tilted her head. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t staring at her.


    Regardless, he nodded at her, acknowledging her, but his eyes were on Servi and Srassa.


    So, they all took a seat. By total coincidence, the four men all sat on one side, and the three girls sat on the other. The order went Desperado, Riki, Silverado, and Rakkire for the guys, and Momo, Srassa, and Servi for the girls. There was a spare chair sitting beside Servi.


    A few moments later, when they opened the menus to take a look, a Kobold came walking over. It¡¯s almost unbelievable, but the three-meter tall beast had the uniform on, and Servi instantly recognized him.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it! Feral?!¡± Servi had said, louder than she wanted to. The four men all glanced up from their menus and stared with open mouths. Srassa and Momo glanced up, but only Momo was surprised. Srassa just stared at the hulking beast and wondered how his thick body managed to fit in the uniform.


    ¡°Ahhh. Servi, Silverado, Desperado, Riki, Rakkire. This is the restaurant you were talking about? Momo, it¡¯s good to see you again.¡± His broad arms and large hands looked quite comical, holding a pen and a small notebook as he nodded at Momo.


    ¡°You work here?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°Wait, you two know each other?¡± Riki interjected.


    ¡°Yep. Servi and I saw him when we went to Madam Canary''s Sweetie Tweety.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I work here, too. Living in the city is expensive, so I took a second job,¡± he growled out. He wanted to start slamming his tail because he was happy but couldn¡¯t. The manager had already told him before not to do it.


    ¡°Hold up, you work at that sweets shop?¡± asked Desperado.


    ¡°That I do. My relative owns it, and she gave me a job there. Even then, I still run short on cash. A Kobold requires a lot of meat to stay strong.¡±


    ¡°But why not do some quests or hunt in the sewers? That¡¯s what Servi and I do. Well, we haven¡¯t done it since the program started,¡± said Momo.


    Feral froze up as the gears in his head began to turn.


    Feral was as sweet as he was big and tall, but he was not the sharpest tool in the shed. He never even realized that was an option.


    ¡°Hmm...¡± His green alligator-like face took on a red hint, and he figured that was something he could do. ¡°I do suppose that¡¯s an option,¡± he calmly said. ¡°After my shift, I need to talk to the manager. Regardless, what can I get you to drink?¡±


    ¡°Aye, give me some mead,¡± said Riki.


    ¡°Aye, same here.¡±


    ¡°Over here as well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a glass as well.¡±


    Said Rakkire, Silverado, and Desperado, in order.


    ¡°Very well. Then for you three?¡± Feral turned his giant body to the three girls.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a glass of tea,¡± Servi said after glancing at the drink list.  She wasn''t in the mood for juice, and while drinking alcohol with the boys sounded like a fun idea, she figured she could do that some other time.


    ¡°Can I get a glass of water?¡± asked Momo. Srassa ordered the same.


    ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll go put these in. I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes to take your order,¡± growled Feral as he walked through the door that connected their room to the rest of the restaurant. The table behind them roared with laughter, providing a little bit of background noise.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen a Kobold that big before,¡± said Srassa as she glanced through the menu. Usually, she would¡¯ve been so nervous she wouldn¡¯t be able to speak, but Srassa felt fine because the current situation was just what she wanted.


    Going out to dinner with some friends was a reoccurring dream she had whenever she fell asleep. Though she would hesitate to call the four boys and Servi her friends, she felt like maybe that could happen in the future.


    ¡°Speaking of Kobolds, I never woulda expected Feral to work at a sweets shop.¡± Riki''s innocent sentence kicked off a discussion about people working jobs they didn¡¯t seem suited for. Like a Singi working in a dusty mine or an Elf doing heavy construction.


    Servi listened to the four talk amongst themselves, with Momo and Srassa interjecting whenever they could, as she figured out wanted to eat.


    She thought the ribeye looked good. It came in three different sizes, 180g, 225g, and 275g, and had fries and a salad. It also came with a small cup of the juice it produced while being cooked.


    But the filet mignon looked mighty tasty too, but it only came in one size, which was 390g.


    Okay, I can''t starve because I don''t need food. Because of that, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll gain any weight even if I eat for a hundred years. Servi pondered within the depths of her mind, and she didn''t break free until she heard someone speaking.


    ¡°What¡¯re y¡¯all getting?¡± Riki asked. He had one hand stroking his beard, and the other one flipped through the paper menu.


    ¡°I worked up a mighty appetite, so I¡¯m getting the 700g ribeye cooked medium-well and extra taters,¡± said Rakkire. A Dwarf¡¯s hunger was as big as they were stocky. It took many calories to support their strong legs that carried their bodies and thick arms that swung a pickax over and over.


    ¡°Same here,¡± Riki said.


    Silverado and Desperado spoke next.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll get the porterhouse with the shrimp,¡± from the picture on the menu, it was a thick cut of meat covered and smothered in shrimp that was saut¨¦ed in the steak¡¯s juices.


    ¡°I might go for the rib platter. But if you¡¯re getting shrimp, why don¡¯t we all go in for this shrimp platter? Then you¡¯d be able to substitute that for something else.¡±


    ¡°Good idea. I¡¯m game for it. How about you all?¡± asked Silverado.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never had shrimp before, so I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll like it. But I¡¯ll certainly try it,¡± squeaked Momo, who waited for the right moment to join the conversation.


    ¡°Really?! I thought all Singi loved seafood? Like they jumped at any chance to eat it,¡± replied Riki.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be rude, Riki. But I am surprised,¡± Rakkire interjected.


    ¡°My village wasn¡¯t close to any trading villages, nor was it close to any lake, so I grew up mostly eating vegetables,¡± answered Momo.


    ¡°No meat?¡± asked Silverado.


    ¡°Only ten or fifteen times a year.  Meat was a bit too expensive for us to buy.  But it wasn¡¯t like I was starving. Grandpa made sure I never went to bed hungry.¡±


    Desperado smiled, displaying his pearly white teeth that were stained with a hint of yellow. ¡°He sounds like a good man.¡±


    ¡°He is. But I¡¯m happy to pitch in for that shrimp. Servi, Srassa?¡±


    Before they could answer, Feral came back supporting a large tray with seven glasses. After handing out the drinks, he spoke. ¡°Are you all ready to order, or do you all need a few minutes?¡± Even though he was a Kobold, he was dedicated to his job, even if it was something that a Kobold would usually never do.


    They were a race that lived for war and battle, but not all thought that way. In a sense, he was far more mature and understanding than the other members of his kind, even though he was technically just a young adult. His body was big and strong for someone his age, but if he were to fight against a Kobold with more years of experience, it wouldn¡¯t even be a close match.


    ¡°Can you give us a few?¡± asked Servi.


    He nodded and unconsciously growled. Srassa tensed up slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes.¡± He turned and left, his large tail slithering behind him.


    ¡°So about that shrimp. Srassa?¡± Momo asked again.


    She stared at the Kobold as he walked away before realizing somebody was talking to her. ¡°Uh? Oh, yes, sounds fine to me. I¡¯m sorry, I never heard a Kobold growl like that before.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it personally. That¡¯s just how Feral talks,¡± Servi said.


    ¡°She¡¯s right. Feral''s like one of those people who act cold and dismissive, but he''s the complete opposite,¡± said Silverado. ¡°Even if he did crush my chest, he apologized to me later that day for going too far.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?!¡± Srassa and Momo spoke at the same time.


    ¡°It sounds way worse than it was, but we were sparring. It was me, Feral, and Servi. She ducked his tail swipe, and I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Momo put a hand to her chest and imagined it was caved in.


    ¡°Ouch indeed. My chest was caved in, but thanks to the medics, I was healed up. But I was afraid for a moment.¡±


    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t you be mad?¡± pipped Srassa. She didn¡¯t understand how someone would be okay with the person that almost killed him.


    ¡°I¡¯m a Koena, so even if my scales were crushed, I¡¯d be fine if I made sure nothing important was there. We are resilient, after all. I was afraid I was going to pass out, though.¡±


    But isn¡¯t his heart in his chest like mine? He has lungs and ribs, right? That''s important... It has to be... But it was totally crushed. I¡¯m curious, but I don¡¯t know how to ask.


    ¡°Servi? About the shrimp?¡± Desperado turned away from the conversation and asked Servi.


    His question interrupted her thoughts, and she hastily answered. ¡°Sounds good to me.¡±


    ¡°So how about you? What are you thinking about getting?¡± Riki asked Srassa.


    She bashfully answered him, and it was clear to all around that she was nervous, even though she was putting on a brave front.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Probably the spring chicken with mushrooms. Dineria told us to eat lean foods.¡±


    ¡°Bwahaha! A good choice as any. You?¡± Riki took a swig of his mead and asked the only Singi at the table.


    Her tail slowly swayed from side to side as her blue eyes scurried the three pages of the menu.


    ¡°Maybe the barbie grilled chicken and sauce. Wait, what¡¯s a barbie?¡± she asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s just another name for barbecue.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that. Servi, what are you getting?¡± asked Momo. She closed her menu and took a sip of her water.


    Servi took a small sip of her tea, enjoying the cold sweetness as it flowed down her throat, and flipped back through the menu. ¡°Probably the rib and chicken combo with a baked potato on the side. I¡¯m pretty hungry.¡±


    As if Feral had timed it, the hulking Kobold walked back over with a pen and notepad at the ready.


    ¡°Are you all ready?¡± asked the big guy. One by one, the seven at the table gave him their order. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go put this in,¡± he growled once more, nodded, and left.


    Momo glanced over and noticed that Srassa slightly quivered.


    It seems she¡¯s a little bit scared of him. Thought Momo.


    ¡°Servi, didn¡¯t you face Feral in a sparring match today?¡± asked the Singi.


    Servi took a sip of her tea and nodded, promoting Riki to talk about the fights. ¡°Yep. Today was nothing but sparring. We didn¡¯t even work out that much.¡±


    ¡°You were allowed to use skills and shields, right?¡±


    Desperado nodded at Momo. ¡°Yeah. I lost three times,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°Same here,¡± Riki sighed as well.


    ¡°Hey,¡± said Silverado, ¡°guess who went undefeated today?¡± He grinned at Servi, and she went a bit red in the face.


    ¡°Feral?¡± Srassa answered as she took a sip of her water. It was cold and refreshing, the perfect solution for a stuffy, hot room. She picked up her napkin and wiped her face and arms, and wished it was just a little bit cooler.


    ¡°Nope!¡± Silverado replied before pointing his white scaley fingers at Servi.


    ¡°You did it?! You beat Feral?!¡± it took a few moments for Momo¡¯s brain to process what she saw, but she became happy and excited for her friend after she made the connection.


    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ve fought twice in the past, and I lost, but today I finally won one.¡±


    ¡°How did you win? I don¡¯t want to be rude, but he¡¯s a lot stronger, right?¡± it took almost everything Srassa had to ask that tiny question. She desperately wanted to know, but she also wanted to talk to someone who might become her new friend.


    ¡°It¡¯s not rude at all. And Feral is stronger. Like, by a lot. I only won because I could use skills.¡±


    ¡°Tell em¡¯ about how you climbed his shield,¡± Desperado took a giant gulp of his mead.


    ¡°What?! I¡¯m a little confused¡­¡± Momo put a hand to her chin.


    Servi took another sip. ¡°He had a tower shield, which is really tall and big, but a tower shield is like a baby to what Feral had. His shield is a literal chunk of iron with a handle plastered on. It¡¯s a bit over two meters tall!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s that strong..?¡± Srassa said with a voice full of wonder. She knew iron was used for shields, but to make a shield over two meters tall? She thought something like that would¡¯ve been far too heavy to lift. And it was, for Humans, Koena, Singi, Elves, and Dwarves. But Kobolds had thick, powerful arms. They had the strength to rip out a tree stump from the ground.


    ¡°He is. He can even run with it. But the surface of his shield isn¡¯t smooth and flat. It¡¯s cracked and coarse, and I climbed it when he was distracted by one of the skills I used. I can¡¯t remember if it was Lucem or Thunder Snap.¡±


    ¡°Aye, you used both, but I can¡¯t remember what order,¡± Rakkire corrected Servi. He also took a swig of his mead. It had a honey-like taste and smelled something fierce, but it was also delicious: the perfect drink for relaxing after a hard day of fighting.


    ¡°But I should¡¯ve lost.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°Like Silverado put it, if Feral would¡¯ve remembered he had a tail while he was blinded and deaf, I would¡¯ve lost. I was in the perfect position to be attacked, but he didn''t counter-attack. I took the chance to attack his knees, and I won.¡±


    ¡°It was actually me who said that,¡± Desperado muttered. He knocked back his whole mug of mead in a single gulp.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Servi said.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. Hell, sometimes I can¡¯t even remember things from an hour ago. It must be old age.¡±


    ¡°You idiot. You¡¯re 22, like me.¡± Silverado rolled his eyes. The two Dwarves chuckled and took another swig.


    Desperado''s face went slightly red, and he hiccupped before chuckling himself.


    Is he wasted off of one glass? Servi thought. Alcohol acted like water to her since True Immortality prevented her from being drunk, so she couldn¡¯t tell how potent the drinks were.


    ¡°Is that right? It might be old age anyway,¡± a passing waitress, a Singi with purple hair, ears, and tail, walked by the door, and Desperado flagged her down. He asked her for another mug of mead. A moment later, she was setting one down while taking his empty one away. He thanked her, and she just smiled.


    ¡°Wait, are you two family?¡± Servi asked. She knew the Dwarves were cousins, but she wasn''t privy to the relationship between the two Koena.


    Silverado shook his head. ¡°Not blood related, but we grew up together in the same village.  We were even born on the same day. We have different parents, but we''re pretty much brothers.¡±


    Momo smiled at him, but it wasn¡¯t genuine. Nobody could tell it, though.


    Growing up with a friend? That¡¯s just what I wanted. Dang it, Momo! You might not have a childhood friend, but you¡¯re friends with Servi and Srassa. There¡¯s no need to get depressed. You¡¯re out on a fun night, so please don¡¯t sour the mood with a bad attitude!


    ¡°What about you two?¡± Rakkire pointed to Servi and Momo.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been party members for a little over a month and a half, right?¡± Servi asked.


    Momo nodded. ¡°Yep! I was actually the person in front of her. We signed up at the same time.¡±


    ¡°I walked over to the quest board, picked one out, and stood in line. Momo then asked me to be in her party.¡±


    She¡¯s so cool! I wonder if they¡¯d let me join the party. Thought Srassa. ¡­Maybe not. I mean, they¡¯ve known each other longer, and they seem like close friends. I wouldn¡¯t want to intrude on that.


    ¡°What about you four?" Servi took another sip of her tea.


    ¡°He and I are,¡± said Silverado while pointing to his fellow Koena.


    ¡°Same with him and I. I¡¯m stuck with that blubbering fool.¡± Rakkire sat his cup on the table and pointed to his cousin.


    Riki let out a belly laugh and downed the rest of his drink. ¡°You know you can¡¯t get rid of me that easily!¡±


    They seem so close to each other. I wonder if I¡¯ll have anybody like that? Thought Srassa. She also took a sip of her water in a lady-like manner.


    But soon, the question turned to Srassa.


    ¡°How about you? You in a party?¡± it was Silverado who asked it.


    ¡°No,¡± Srassa shook her head. ¡°I just recently joined Warden. I haven¡¯t even been on a quest.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re fine with it, then how about taking a quest or two with us?¡± asked Silverado. ¡°No strings attached. Just to see if we¡¯re compatible.¡±


    ¡°Thank you! Oh, I mean, if you¡¯re fine with me, then I¡¯d like to join you two,¡± her face took on a slight red tinge, but she was smiling.


    ¡°But I think it¡¯d be best to wait until after the tournament. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. That way, we can give it our all with no distractions, right?¡±


    Silverado nodded towards Srassa. ¡°That¡¯s right. After the tourney, let¡¯s do a few quests together and see how we all mesh.¡±


    ¡°I promise I won¡¯t let you down!¡±


    Silverado smiled. ¡°Same with us two. We¡¯ll do our utmost best.¡±


    As Srassa chatted with the two who could be her future party members, Momo smiled at the three. She couldn''t have been happier for her friend.


    If she''s like me, then all she really wanted was some friends. Srassa, I¡¯ll be hoping with all my heart that it¡¯ll work out. Having supportive friends can make all the difference. I know that now, grandpa.

 Book Two – Chapter Eight – Part Two – A Most Enjoyable Night Out

    The group of seven friends chatted for around fifteen more minutes before Feral returned. He refilled glasses and mugs, left, and came back a minute later. This time, he had a large tray filled with food. He set it down on a nearby empty table and passed out the plates.


    ¡°Here is the coconut shrimp platter, complete with two dipping sauces. The red one is sweet chili, and the yellow one is pineapple.¡± Feral laid down a large silver plate in the middle of the table.


    The shrimps still had tails, but they were fried a beautiful golden brown that was crispy and most delicious. The red sweet chili sauce was spicy at first, then became slightly sweet. Momo frowned since she knew it was too spicy for her tongue. She did, however, eyeball the yellow pineapple sauce. One of Momo''s fondest memories was when she would sit and eat pineapples with her grandfather on warm summer nights. She was only a kitten then,  but if Momo closed her eyes, she could still remember the sight of him chopping into a pineapple and giving her the first slice. Of course, she wasn¡¯t with him now, but she was with friends.


    It won''t be the same, but it''ll kinda be the same, right? Does that even make sense?


    ¡°Next, we have the porterhouse, cooked rare, with fries and creamy mashed potatoes...¡± Steam rose from Silverado''s steak.  Momo internally groaned at the reddish appearance.  It was just a bit too bloody for her. The fries were golden brown, and the potatoes smelled heavenly. Garlic and herbs radiated from it, and Silverado licked his chops.  He didn''t dig right in, instead choosing to wait for his friends to get their food.


    ¡°Here is a rib platter with fries," Feral announced. He couldn¡¯t remember who ordered it.


    ¡°That¡¯s me!¡± Desperado stood up and sat right back down. He was on his third mug of mead. ¡°I can¡¯t drink on an empty stomach! Haha!!¡± He laughed while Feral sat the plate down. It was a hefty rack of ribs with white bones sticking out at the ends of each one. Covered in a tasteful barbecue sauce mixed with a little bit of honey, Desperado started picking at his brown fries while waiting for the rest of his friends to get their food.  Unlike his silver-scaled friend, Desperado did not wait.


    He was just a little bit drunk.


    ¡°Next is the 700g ribeye, medium rare with fries.  Two of them.¡±


    ¡°Aye! That¡¯s us,¡± Riki pointed to him and his cousin.


    A few moments later, two plates sat in front of them. A large ribeye, with fries and a small cup of the steaks¡¯ juices, was next to it. It was beautifully cooked, with grill marks that tantalized the two Dwarves. As if they had practiced it before, the two Dwarves grabbed their respective cups of juice and poured them on their steak. Without waiting for their friends to get their food, Riki and Rakkire started to peck at their fries, choosing to finish off the side dish before getting to the main event.


    Momo licked her pink lips.


    Dang, I should''ve gotten that.  It looks so good!!!


    ¡°Next is the half rack of ribs and chicken. I believe this is yours?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It smells and looks even better than I thought it would." Servi moved her glass of tea out of the way as Feral sat it down. The ribs were the same as Desperado¡¯s but smaller. Her chicken was grilled, and she even received fries with it. It was something she didn¡¯t expect to get because it wasn¡¯t on the menu. Still, she wouldn¡¯t look a gift potato in the mouth.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Servi smiled at her beastly friend.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Now, the spring chicken?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ That¡¯s mine¡­¡± Srassa bravely looked up at the beast. He smiled, showing off his sharp teeth, and sat her plate down.


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Srassa made eye contact for the briefest of moments and turned her gaze back to the impressive amount of food in front of her. It was grilled chicken with mushrooms, but that wasn¡¯t all. Crispy bacon and onions were covered and smothered under a glorious helping of melted cheese, which adorned her chicken and mushrooms. A small cup of honey mustard sauce sat nearby.


    There¡¯s no need for me to be afraid of him. Srassa turned back to Feral and smiled before eating a few fries.


    It''s...good. No, it''s better than that. Jony''s an incredible cook, but this is almost on a different level...


    ¡°And I assume this last one is yours?¡± Feral chuckled as he sat the plate down in front of the Singi. Her tail kicked into overdrive as she stared at the food.


    ¡°Yep!¡± Momo answered. Her eyes lit up when she saw those steaming vegetables. The chicken was covered in a type of barbecue sauce mixed with a hint of pepper, but she figured it was mild enough for her oversensitive tongue. Even if it wasn¡¯t, she would power through the pain if it meant she could enjoy something delicious.


    ¡°Now then, I¡¯ll be back in a moment to refill your drinks." Their waiter held the silver tray under his massive arms and walked away.


    ¡°Well then, shall we dig in?¡± Desperado asked.


    ¡°You fool, you¡¯ve been digging in since he laid your plate down! Bwahaha!!¡± Riki replied. He let out a belly laugh and downed his cup.


    He was drunk as well.


    But everyone began to dig in. The air went quiet and still as hands moved to transport food from the plates to their mouths.  No one talked or whispered a single word because the food was too delicious.


    The shrimp was crispy and crunchy, and the sweet chili sauce was spicy and hot, perfect for a Koena or Dwarf¡¯s hardened mouth. Servi tried two, enjoying both sauces. The pineapple was her favorite, as its coldness enhanced the crispy texture of the shrimp.


    Silverado''s steak was thick and juicy and came apart like a hot knife through butter. It was so tender and soft. Going against the normal, the mad man dipped his steak in his potatoes and popped it in his mouth. Juice squeezed out as his tongue was assaulted by potato, garlic, a genius mix of herbs and spices, and the meat of the steak. It was almost the most delicious steak he¡¯d ever eaten.


    In his drunken stupor, Desperado had a bit of trouble pulling the delectable goodness off the bone. He held it to his mouth and ripped the meat off using his teeth before chewing. The sauce hugged his lips, but he used his pink tongue to clean them after swallowing.


    Riki and Rakkire both cut off a piece of their ribeye and ate it. As Dwarves, they were well versed in steak and meat. It took a lot of calories and protein to maintain their hardened bodies. While it wasn¡¯t the best they¡¯d ever had, it was up there.


    Srassa stared at her monstrous meal in front of her. She only expected chicken and mushrooms, not the bacon, onions, and cheese. It wasn¡¯t a problem since she liked bacon and onions and cheese; she just wasn¡¯t expecting it. That, and she never tried all three at the same time in a single dish. Using her delicate hands that had the beginning stages of calluses, proof she was working hard and exerting herself to the fullest, she cut off a small piece of chicken using a knife and a fork. Dipping it in the strange yellow and orange-like sauce, she nibbled and chewed.  An explosion of deliciousness attacked her pink tongue, coating her taste buds in ecstasy. Smiling, she ate the rest of the chicken on her fork.


    ¡°How is it?¡± asked Momo. She had a piece of steamed broccoli on her fork.


    ¡°It¡¯s wonderful. I¡¯ve never had this type of sauce before. Honey mustard, it was called?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± said Momo. She popped the broccoli in her mouth and swallowed it. It was so soft she didn¡¯t need to chew.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll ask Jony if he can pick some up,¡± this time, she cut off a piece of chicken that had bacon, onions, and cheese. She never knew that such a strange combination of food could taste so good. But it did.


    Momo turned to Servi and saw she was three ribs deep, with two more waiting to be eaten. Her chicken was untouched, and her lips had some sauce around them.


    Momo giggled and pointed to her mouth, causing Servi to go red in the face. She dropped her half-finished rip and meekly went for her white napkin.


    ¡°Sorry.  I guess I was hungrier than I thought I was.¡±


    But why am I hungry? I don¡¯t understand¡­


    ¡°There ain¡¯t nothing to be sorry about. We all worked up a mighty appetite. Bwahaha!¡± Riki laughed. He grabbed a handful of fries and stuffed them into his mouth.


    Feral came back over with another tray of drinks and refilled everyone. Then he sat down seven tickets.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes to see if you need anything,¡± then he turned and left. No doubt he had other tables to wait on.


    It was like time stopped. Everyone froze up and stared at the piece of paper. It was the dreaded bill.


    It¡¯s funny. I could probably pay for everyone here to eat the most expensive meals every day for the next ten years and still have millions left over. Do I really need that much money? Why did I even want to rob Parrel? ...Can I even spend that much? Servi asked herself. She turned the paper ticket over and discovered it wasn¡¯t that expensive. Well, everything was inexpensive to her.


    Bill can wait.  I gotta eat first.  She grabbed the ticket and placed it near her plate before getting back to her ribs and chicken.


    Momo, meanwhile, took another sip of her water before trying a shrimp. She bravely went for the red sweet chili sauce. But even as mild as it was, it was too spicy. She hastily drunk her water while she winced in pain. But the shrimp was good. She liked the crunchy texture and the coconutty-flavor.


    ¡°Too hot?¡± asked Rakkire. He grabbed a shrimp and dipped it in the red sauce.


    ¡°Just a little bit. My tongue is super sensitive. I can¡¯t handle really spicy or hot stuff.¡±


    Momo reached out to take another shrimp and dipped it in the pineapple sauce.  "But this I can eat.  I love pineapples."


    ¡°See, that¡¯s a shame you can''t handle the hot stuff. There¡¯s some good Dwarven liquor that burns like fire going down, but it¡¯s good an¡¯ strong.¡±


    ¡°The Durieagr Gruntle, yes? It¡¯s only reserved for special occasions, right?¡± Srassa asked.


    Riki was surprised. ¡°Ye know of it?¡±


    Srassa ate a shrimp covered in the cold pineapple sauce before responding. Unlike at the beginning of dinner, she wasn¡¯t as nervous. She wasn¡¯t totally fine, but she felt like she didn¡¯t have anything to worry about. ¡°Yes. Father told me about it when he visited a friend in the city. He told me about when I was learning about Dwarven history and culture.¡±


    ¡°Oh ho, I didn¡¯t know we had a scholar,¡± Silverado''s scaley mouth curled into a teasing grin. He had no more mashed potatoes left, and only a few fries remained on his plate.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t mean to brag or anything. My father taught me--¡± she quickly added.


    ¡°Bwahaha!! Just having a bit of fun here,¡± It wasn¡¯t Silverado but Riki, who responded.


    Srassa and the two Dwarves and Silverado chatted amongst themselves for a bit while sneaking a few bites of their food. Desperado, by now four or five mugs of mead deep, was still going strong. He inserted himself into the conversation whenever he had something to contribute.


    It gave Momo and Servi the time and opportunity to quietly chat.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked me to come,¡± she smiled as she ate another piece of broccoli. ¡°I¡¯m having so much fun!¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Servi cleaned her mouth and drank some tea. It was still so cold and delicious and not overly sweet. ¡°It¡¯s nice going to dinner with friends.¡±


    I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ve ever done something like this before. I can¡¯t remember.  The Human with the red eyes thought.


    I¡¯ve always dreamed of this. A nice dinner with friends. Thought the Singi with pink hair.


    The group of seven continued to eat their dinner and drink their drinks while having a blast. But such a good time had to eventually come to an end.


    ¡°Oh, by my beard, I can¡¯t eat another bite.¡± Riki sat back in his chair and rubbed his stomach. His plate was empty, and only two shrimp sat on the platter. The two sauce cups were empty.


    Rakkire reached out to the platter. He still had a tiny bit of space left.


    Getting some food in his stomach managed to sober up Desperado. The only thing left on his plate was the sauce from his ribs. He took a deep breath before finishing off his cup of mead.


    Silverado, meanwhile, went for the last shrimp. Somehow, he still had room for more food.


    Servi was the only one of the girls to have finished their plate. Finishing off her tea, she glanced at Srassa and Momo, who struggled to finish their food.


    Momo had two bites of chicken left, and Srassa had just one. In the end, they shamefully put their forks down and went for their drinks.


    ¡°Was it good?¡± Momo asked, noticing that Srassa didn''t have any honey mustard left.


    ¡°Very good. I¡¯ll have to tell Jony about this honey mustard.¡± Srassa sat her drink down and reached for her bill, prompting the rest of the table to do the same.


    24 dupla was the cost of Servi¡¯s meal. With a six dupla tip, it came out to an even 30, which didn¡¯t seem to be too bad. She had a lot of food, after all.


    As Servi reached into her pocket to take out the dupla from her ring, Momo and Srassa retrieved the coins from their bag and purse, respectively.


    The Singi¡¯s meal was 17 dupla, and Srassa had to pay 25 to cover hers.


    The Dwarves¡¯ meals cost 25 dupla each, while Silverado''s cost 22. Desperado had to pay 23 to cover his food.  In addition, everyone gave a generous tip as a way to thank Feral for his excellent service.


    While they waited for Feral to come back to take their payment, the friends talked about the upcoming tournament.


    ¡°So, are you all excited for the tournament?¡± Riki started off by saying.


    ¡°Yep! I¡¯ve been training and practicing really hard for it!¡± Momo said.


    ¡°Same here!¡± Srassa pipped up. She was far more relaxed.


    ¡°Who do you think will end up winning it all? Be truthful,¡± Rakkire asked everyone. He had a sharp look in his eyes, and it almost soured the mood.


    ¡°Honestly, Feral might end up winning it,¡± Desperado spoke what everyone else thought.


    Silverado added on. ¡°If not him, then another Kobold.¡±


    ¡°But I thought you said Servi beat him?¡±


    The girl in question answered Srassa. ¡°I did, but only because he forgot he had a tail. Even if he didn¡¯t, all he had to do was flail his arms. If he did that, I would¡¯ve lost.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you haven¡¯t heard?¡± spoke Feral, the Kobold in question.  He had a small pen in his hand.


    ¡°Heard what?¡± Silverado handed the Kobold his bill and dupla. After counting it and making sure, he signed his name at the bottom of the tab to signify it had been paid.


    ¡°Us Kobolds will have their own tournament on the same day. That¡¯s what I heard from Aunt Canary when I dropped my shield off. Servi, after this tournament, I would like to request another duel. Is that acceptable?¡± like always, he growled slightly. His large yellow eyes stared into a sea of red fire, and he shook uncontrollably for a brief moment.


    ¡°That sounds good to me. I¡¯ll be waiting for it,¡± the girl with red eyes said calmly. Feral continued to take the coins and the bills until he had signed each one.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then my money is on Servi to win. None of us have yet to beat her,¡± said Desperado. Feral slightly adjusted his uniform nodded in agreement.  Getting up the courage, Srassa said a quiet thank you to him for the excellent service.


    ¡°You are most welcome. I must thank you all for the tips. Now, I wish you a good rest of the night,¡± with one last growl Feral left them for good. If they wanted to, they could get up and walk out. All they had to do was show their signed bills to the person standing by the door.


    But the atmosphere was pleasant and relaxing, and it started to cool down. Silently, it seemed like everyone agreed to stay for a little bit longer.


    ¡°I agree on Servi winning it all. She has this unique stance she uses when she only has her sword. I can¡¯t even get near,¡± Rakkire said while looking at his hand. He thought back to how his friend broke his fingers.


    ¡°What stance?¡± asked Srassa. Servi didn¡¯t have a chance to answer because Riki spoke for her.


    ¡°It¡¯s called hand-over-blade. Fisher says it¡¯s strong for one on one duels, but it¡¯s also dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Why is it dangerous?¡± this time, it was Momo who asked. Once again, Servi couldn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of like this,¡± Silverado picked up his sauce-stained knife and handled it like a sword. Then, he turned it 90 degrees until he held it like Servi did. ¡°You hold it like this with your sword arm, and your free hand is hovering above the blade. The general idea is to slightly turn and raise your sword to deflect attacks while attacking your opponent with your free hand.¡±


    ¡°Aye. Servi broke three of my fingers that way," Rakkire added.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to,¡± Servi muttered. She felt upset about it now.


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem. I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t take it easy on me.¡±


    But you kind of did take it easy on them. Itarr quipped. It was her first time speaking in a while. Servi thought that maybe she was done analyzing the dinner and all the emotions that came out? If so, she probably learned quite a bit.


    But knowing wasn¡¯t the same thing as understanding.


    ¡°I hope I get to face you in the tournament,¡± said Momo. ¡°I promise I¡¯m going to win again.¡±


    ¡°Wait? You¡¯ve won against her?!¡± Silverado exclaimed.


    ¡°Just the one time. I actually threw my weapon at Servi...¡± Momo lowered her eyes to the table as if she was ashamed of how she won.


    With wide eyes, the four on the other side of the table turned to Servi for confirmation. She nodded. ¡°I honestly didn¡¯t expect it. She ended up tackling me to the ground, and I lost.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Defeated by a thrown weapon. Too bad Fisher would kill us if we did that,¡± Rakkire shrugged his shoulders and turned to his mead.


    ¡°What do you mean? You can¡¯t do that with him?¡± Asked Srassa. She went to drink the last of her water.


    ¡°Nope. We¡¯re supposed to treat every battle like we¡¯re the first and last line of defense. Losing our weapons or shield is automatically an instant fail. But if we meet in the tournament¡­¡± Desperado trailed off.


    ¡°¡­then Fisher wouldn¡¯t be upset or yell. Since it¡¯s just a tournament and not a life or death situation,¡± Silverado finished up his friend¡¯s sentence.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be looking forward to it if I get matched up with any of you,¡± a genuine smiled appeared on Servi''s soft face, enhancing her red eyes as she pleasantly stared at her friends.


    Srassa, meanwhile, realized just how far behind she was. How can I even win it if there¡¯s someone who can beat even a Kobold? And now that Feral''s not entering, I¡¯m sure Servi''s the one who will win. But I can¡¯t give up! Come on, Srassa! In the end, she managed to convince herself that she had a chance of winning, even if it was microscopic. If Srassa kept thinking she lost the tournament before it had started, then everything she had learned from Dineria would have been wasted, and she didn''t want that.


    A chance was a chance, no matter how small it was.


    But the time then came to where neither of the seven could find something to talk about. The group of friends had been at the restaurant for a little over two hours, and it was no doubt getting late.


    The two Dwarves were the first to leave.


    ¡°Sorry fer cutting so soon, but we¡¯re about to head out. Training is bright and early tomorrow,¡± Rakkire groaned, stretching his tired arms and legs.


    ¡°Aye, it is. The blasted sun comes up way too early,¡± Riki complained about one of the celestial objects in the sky as he stood up from his chair.  Like his cousin, he stretched his arms. The five remaining at the table waved to them as they disappeared through the doors. It was then that Servi realized the party of 11 or so people who were there before had left. For the longest time, it was just the seven of them.


    Well, I guess it''s just the five of us. Servi thought.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I guess we¡¯re going to head out too. Srassa, Momo, it was nice meeting you," said the silver Koena. Desperado murmured much of the same.


    ¡°And it was nice meeting you, too," Momo said.


    Srassa echoed Momo''s sentence but added on something to the end. ¡°After the tournament, where am I going to meet up with you two?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ How about two days after the tournament? Let¡¯s say we meet up at Warden at 9 AM? That sound good to you?¡± Desperado asked.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Srassa smiled and nodded towards two who had the chance of becoming her very first party members.


    Then it was just Servi, Momo, and Srassa. They were alone in a big room, sitting at a table.


    ¡°Are you two ready to leave as well?¡± Servi asked.


    Momo turned to look at Srassa. ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°I am if you two are.¡±


    ¡°Then I guess we¡¯re leaving,¡± Servi said as she got up. Pushing her chair in, she walked over to the doorway and waited for her two friends. Once they came over, the three made their way through the restaurant to the front door. As they did, Servi realized that almost every table was full and packed.


    Maybe it seems this place gets fuller as the night goes on? Itarr asked. Servi just nodded.


    ¡°Thank you for coming. I hope you three have a wonderful night!¡± a young employee said after checking their bills.


    Servi nodded while Srassa and Momo said their thanks.


    Now outside, the sky was dark except for a single white moon. Not even the stars were out.


    A blanket of darkness spread over the city of Canary, but the sun would eventually come to rise.  It would grow ever stronger before passing away to make room for the moon. It was a cycle that was almost older than time, something that would always happen.


    The three started walking back towards the Warden office as Servi noticed the total amount of guards. It more than doubled.


    The way back through the dark streets filled with guards in shiny silver armor was uneventful. After talking for hours, the three couldn¡¯t come up with that much to talk about. Perhaps they could after they allowed their minds to rest.


    Soon, the imposing Warden office came into view.


    ¡°Srassa, do you want us to walk you back to the noble district?¡± Servi offered.


    Srassa thanked them for the offer but declined. she shook her head. "Jony? Are you there?"


    ¡°Yes, my lady?¡± A cloaked man who had just walked past spoke up. When he flipped his hood up, Momo recognized the person she saw as the man who was with Srassa''s father.


    He had grey hair, even though he looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties. An ordinary cane was at his side, but Servi knew it was a weapon.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even notice¡­¡± Momo exclaimed.


    Jony smiled and bowed. ¡°My sincerest apologies for not telling you, but I am required to keep an eye on Miss Flinn. Please, forgive me.¡±


    ¡°Were you at the restaurant with us?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am, I was,¡± Jony answered Servi''s question.


    ¡°Did you follow us from Srassa¡¯s house?¡± Momo asked him.


    ¡°Yes, Miss Momo, I did. I do hope you¡¯ll forgive me.¡±


    The two friends turned to look at Srassa, who sighed. She was embarrassed, sure, but she was also angry. Even though she had no reason to be. She knew Jony only did this because her father asked her to. But even if he didn¡¯t, Jony would¡¯ve taken it upon himself to make sure she would be safe.


    ¡°My apologies, but I don¡¯t believe I know your name,¡± he said to Servi as he held out a hand.


    She took it, shaking it. ¡°I¡¯m Servi, though I guess you already know that.¡±


    ¡°I did know it, but I¡¯d rather learn someone¡¯s name formally first,¡± he smiled back. Unlike most people, Servi felt something brutal and loyal coming from him. She knew he was a man who could be trusted, but it was more than that. Jony reminded Servi of someone. But try as she might, she couldn''t get the memory to come back.


    She was on the cusp of remembering, and it disappeared without a trace in the wind.


    ¡°Miss Momo, Miss Servi, I do thank you for including Lady Srassa in your fun.¡±


    ¡°Jony!!!¡± whined the embarrassed girl. Srassa threw her hands down by her side while her cheeks took on a crimson red hue.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. We¡¯re friends, right?¡± Momo asked.


    Servi nodded along. She didn¡¯t know if she could call Srassa a friend, but Servi knew that she didn¡¯t hate the idea of it.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re friends. Besides, it was fun.¡± Servi added after a few moments of thinking. She ended up deciding that Srassa was a friend.


    ¡°You guys¡­¡± Srassa started to say something but stopped. She twirled to Jony, locking eyes with him, and turned until her back faced her two friends.


    ¡°Momo, I¡¯ll see you at Levadia Woods tomorrow for our training. Servi, it was nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°It was nice to meet you, too.¡± Servi smiled as she spoke. Both she and Momo knew why their newfound friend had her back turned to them.  It was clear to both of them that Srassa was crying. If she was anything like Momo, and she was, the first night out with a new group of friends was emotional. It was likely Srassa had hot tears flowing down her face, and she didn''t want her new companions to gaze upon her slightly state.


    ¡°Bye, Srassa. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± Momo waved.


    ¡°I hope you two ladies have a good night,¡± Jony bowed once more before walking with Srassa, who was still crying a little bit.


    Servi and Momo stood side by side, watching the shrinking backs of Jony and Srassa until they couldn¡¯t see them anymore.


    ¡°What did you think of her?¡± Momo turned to her friend and smiled. The moonlight shone down on the two friends, making it look like the world was their stage. And as if fate was backing them up, there was no one else around. They had the streets to themselves.


    ¡°She was nice. You know, she kinda reminded me of you," Servi answered.


    ¡°Really?¡± Momo heavily yawned and went to wide her eyes.


    ¡°Yeah.  Hey, are you tired?¡± Servi opened the door to the lobby, and Momo walked in.


    ¡°Yep. And sore too. I think I¡¯m about to head to sleep,¡± Momo said after thanking Servi.  The two of them walked on the freshly cleaned floors and stared at the stairs.


    Momo walked up the stairs with heavy steps and growing yawns.  Servi followed behind in case her best friend accidentally slipped in her sleepy stupor.


    ¡°How many more days until the tournament?¡± Servi asked. She didn¡¯t know, and Fisher never said anything of it. She could¡¯ve read the newspaper, but she figured it¡¯d be better to ask her friend.


    ¡°About ten or so days. Are you getting nervous?¡±


    ¡°A little bit,¡± Servi replied. They found themselves on the third floor. ¡°What about you?¡±


    The two friends walked over to Servi''s door.


    ¡°I''m nervous, too," Momo confessed.  Her pink tail stopped wagging and curled close to its master.


    ¡°Good night, Momo.¡±


    ¡°Good night, Servi,¡± Momo gently smiled as she waved at Servi and started on the perilously short journey to the fourth floor.


    Servi went inside her room and locked the door before pulling out the big, fancy bed. As she did so many nights before, she absorbed her clothes and laid down, pulling the blankets up until half her body laid covered in warmth.


    Are you going to sleep?


    ¡°Yeah. I''m sorry we didn¡¯t get to talk that much today.¡±


    Don¡¯t be sorry. I feel like I¡¯ve learned a lot from watching everyone. Good night, Servi.  I love you.


    ¡°I love you too, Itarr.¡±


    A comforting blackness soon entered her sight, and she drifted off to sleep. Oddly enough, neither Servi nor Momo had any dreams that night. Their minds were exhausted, but that wasn''t always a bad thing.

 Book Two – Interlude – Part One – Fisher’s Requiem

    Five days had passed since Servi, Momo, and the rest of their friends had dinner at the restaurant. Fisher Jin walked alone on the street as he made his way home. It was dark out, and he was stuck at the headquarters until it was late. 8:32 PM, to be exact. Today was the day he told his class-- yes, his class-- about their final exam.


    I can¡¯t believe it. I actually think of those Demis as my class. Fisher Jin, you fool, you have got to be going senile.


    As he walked home, his mind wandered to a place: a village. Now, it was nothing more than a memory. But it was worse than that. He couldn¡¯t remember the color of the pretty stone he gave to his sister on that fateful morning, nor could Fisher remember the name of his loyal cat who guarded him while he slept.


    Fisher blinked twice. First, he saw the dark and empty street in front of him, felt the weight of his armor, smelled the meaty scent from a cooked steak a street over, and enjoyed the warm nightly air caress his face. After the second blink, it felt like he was transported back through time.


    The dark alley disappeared, and the night sky was no longer in his view.


    The village standing before Fisher wasn''t anything special. It had 18 buildings, three of which were designated as storehouses for food and supplies.


    It wasn¡¯t night, and he couldn¡¯t see the moon. He saw the yellow sun, shining down its glorious rays upon the world, and the beautiful blue lake that ran right beside his village.


    Fisher knew what he saw was a reconstruction of his past by his mind. It wasn¡¯t the first time he had seen this.


    The events that took place on that fateful day changed him forever. He went from a loving boy who lived with his sister to becoming a man with a hard heart that had the blood of many Demis, innocent and guilty, on his hands.


    Fisher walked around, seeing the little kids play with a rock nearby. One boy looked straight through him, but he wasn¡¯t staring at Fisher. He was just a memory, and try as he might, he would be unable to affect the past in any way.


    Right about now, I should be¡­.


    Fisher walked through the village, eyeing the few plots of farmland that grew tomatoes and carrots and the small huts that were built with love. From the age of 8 to 14, he had worked the fields for half the day before going out to play. He solemnly smiled as he recognized the innocent boy running his way.


    The ever-flowing brown hair rustling in the wind lightly slapped against his forehead. The innocent brown eyes that always stared towards the future, a partly torn white shirt that had been sewed up multiple times, black shorts with two holes, and no shoes: it was beyond doubt a sight for Fisher''s sore eyes. The boy quickly ran into the field and started to pick up the weeds that stole nutrients meant for the crops. All the while, he had the biggest smile on his face. Tonight was the night his sister would make a stew using the vegetables she brought back from working in a nearby field. It was his favorite meal.


    Fisher stood off to the side and smiled. He knew that nothing would happen if he walked up to his past self, but he wanted to give the boy some privacy.


    It seems it''s about 8 AM. The attack doesn¡¯t happen for another few hours.


    It looked like Fisher was a masochist for always going back to the single moment in his history that changed him, but he couldn¡¯t help it. He didn¡¯t want to admit it, but whenever his hate for those damn Demi-Humans started to waver, it was like his soul forced him to re-experience the most traumatic moment in his life to reignite that dimming flame of hatred. For nearly a decade, his mind focused on getting revenge.


    But he did get revenge. On the very first day, in fact. But his soul yearned for more.


    He and his family were generous and helpful. Hell, the entire village was available to all who needed help. Even Singi strangers and Elven travelers received assistance, even though they were Demis.


    My soul has to be punishing me, right? It''s always punishing me. He lamented as he walked through the village.


    Over to the right, sitting on the rocking chair, was Ms. Nodle. Her wavy blond hair and intelligent, green eyes were the talk of the village when she first showed up. Being one of the only teachers around, she was the first love of many boys and some girls. She was kind and beautiful, but soon her head would be on a Kobold¡¯s spear. Her body would be defiled and bit into by a Singi with one eye. His rotten teeth would tear her nape from her flesh and devour it like a tiger would a raw chicken.


    Sitting beside her was her precious dog, Mutton. He, too, would suffer the same fate as his master. He was a good ole dog who never once growled or barked. He enjoyed the easy, soothing life of sleeping in the sunlight. Every few hours, Mutton would walk himself over to the orphanage and lay down in the shade. When the children would come out for recess, he''d soak up all the loving and petting he''d receive from them.


    Ms. Nodle, I wish you could see me now, but you¡¯d probably be disappointed with how I turned out. I have a family, though. I might be a shitty man, but I swear I¡¯ll raise my daughters right. I¡¯ll do all I can to make sure they¡¯ll turn out better than me. Maybe that¡¯s how I can make amends...


    The justice captain just sighed and walked forward. The sun in the sky jumped ahead, and he realized it was 9 AM. Fisher saw a little girl and her older brother walking down the dirt road. He held a small bag in his left hand and her hand in his right. They shared the same hair and eye color, yet the scar plastered across their faces mirrored each other.  Fisher never knew their story, but that was fine.  His sister had told him it wasn''t very nice to pry into the private lives of others, and he took that lesson to heart.


    They were the Tsuka siblings. A year ago, when Fisher was 13, the two siblings just wandered into town in the middle of the night. Fisher¡¯s sister was the first to find them since they collapsed in front of their house.


    Fisher wasn¡¯t exactly close to them, but he did like them. However, they were fated to die. The only ones who would be alive by the end of the day would be Fisher and Arnold. Speaking of his former friend, Fisher decided to change directions and made his way to a little wooden pier beside the river.


    He had been subjected to this memory so often that he knew where everyone was and what times they would die, but Fisher didn¡¯t know how he knew that.


    It¡¯s possible that the things I personally didn¡¯t experience or see, like Arnold fishing, were something my mind and soul made up. Even if he did love to fish, he was probably doing something else at the time.


    He only saw Arnold for the first time that day when he stood over a Kobold''s corpse. Arnold took one look at both Fisher and the corpse, then declared that Fisher had started to dispense justice to the foul bandits. That was after he held a sword for the first time and when he took a life for the first time.


    Even though it was his first time holding a weapon, he undoubtedly showed so much skill that an outsider would¡¯ve thought he¡¯d been training for years. The lone Kobold, the leader of the bandits, died instantly. Rage and anger fueled Fisher¡¯s sword arm. He didn¡¯t know how he knew the right spots to attack or the right moments to dodge, but it had something to do with his God. His name was Blethor, a Major God of Combat. Being blessed by a God of Combat meant that the skills he acquired by being blessed were little to none, but he was blessed with an above-average understanding of combat that only grew as he got older. The skills didn¡¯t matter since he eventually learned them from Warden.


    This moment was also the origin of his nickname. Arnold must¡¯ve overheard the Kobold, who led the bandits, preach about bringing justice to the Demis by killing Humans. Fisher brought justice to his fallen friends killing the Demi-Human bandits. Arnold then had an idea and figured that turning the concept of justice around on the bandits would be effective.


    And it was. It was more effective than Arnold ever imagined it would be. His sick sense of justice was one of the cornerstones that made the Fisher into the ''justice captain'' he would eventually become.


    The rest of them fled, with terror filling their minds after seeing their brave leader fall in battle after Arnold''s declaration. But Fisher wouldn¡¯t let them. In an unbridled and blood lusted rage, the young Fisher screamed as he ran towards the retreating bandits. Blood soiled and soaked the ground that night. Even as they begged him and they prostrated themselves before him, he massacred them. He wasn¡¯t thinking straight, and he only saw blood.  At that moment, the concept of mercy did not exist.


    But he didn¡¯t have to reminisce on that now. It wouldn¡¯t be long until he would be a sideline witness to the two massacres that occurred that day: one committed by the bandits and one perpetrated by a young boy who lost himself to rage.


    Yep, there he is. He thought. The village was behind him, and a single young man, aged 14, was sitting on a stool. He had a wooden rod with a string and a hook attached to it, and he tossed it out. The neatly stylized tuff of blond hair was warmed by the hot sun, and Arnold''s green eyes stared out towards the still surface of the azure lake.


    It was still around 9 AM.


    ¡°You know, I love fishing. I really do. Hey, why don¡¯t we talk?¡± Arnold suddenly said. Fisher wasn¡¯t alarmed. Not at all. He knew it was his mind and soul making the young Arnold in front of him speak.  Perhaps it was because of his current mental state, but the hair on Arnold''s head kept flashing from brown to blonde to red and back to brown.


    ¡°If I¡¯m already this crazy, then I should go all the way. What kind of man ends up trapped in his own horrors and can¡¯t get out?¡± Fisher said. He still had on his black armor that said ¡®Justice.¡¯ His sword was still on his hip, and his nadrium dagger sat nearby on the back of his waist.


    ¡°You should know how to get out already,¡± the younger Arnold pulled his makeshift fishing rod back in, clicked his tongue, and tossed it back out.


    ¡°I do. But it¡¯s not right. My students are not at fault.¡± Fisher grabbed a stool and sat down beside his former friend. Well, it was just a phantom created by his psyche.


    ¡°But it is right. Those bastards killed everyone we loved.¡±


    ¡°Not every Kobold will be or act the same as the one who attacked us. Just like not every Human will be as caring or loving as my sister."


    ¡°But can you take the chance? Kobolds are a violent race, strong and easy to anger, with the stamina to last for days without rest. They don¡¯t deserve freedom.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±


    Young Arnold turned to Fisher and shook his head. ¡°You were the one who told me that. Are you denying your younger self? You know what that would mean, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Fisher stayed silent.


    ¡°See? You¡¯re just preaching the same shit that other people say, and just like them, you know it to be fake. Demi-Humans can¡¯t be trusted. They just can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a teacher now.  I''m not just the captain anymore.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Young Arnold felt a tug on his rod, but it was too late. He yanked it back and missed the opportunity to catch a fish.


    ¡°There¡¯s two Koena, two Dwarves, and a single Kobold.¡±


    ¡°I know that, too. Why haven¡¯t you killed the green bastard?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I know Feral isn''t like the one who attacked us."


    ¡°You¡¯re lying. You know that sack of shit is the same. The only good Demi is a dead Demi.¡± Young Arnold put a worm on his hook and cast his line back out. ¡°Do you remember who told me that?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Fisher stayed silent.


    ¡°There¡¯s no use in staying silent, my friend. After all, you were the one who told me that. I believe it was right after I christened you the nickname ¡®Justice.¡¯ That silver sword dripped with their blood, and you and I were the only ones alive. Your poor sister died, you know. I¡¯d imagine it was quite painful.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think I know that?!¡±


    ¡°Then how come every time you have this flashback, you come straight to me? I know you hate me, but you really should see your sister. Even if it''s just a fickle imagination produced by your mind, which is the same as me, surely you want to gaze your brown eyes upon her uninjured form one last time before she''s brutalized.¡±


    Fisher slammed down on the wooden pier with his foot, but the impact produced no sound.


    That didn¡¯t scare Arnold. He just kept talking. ¡°If only you could¡¯ve saved her. Why did you tremble and hesitate at first? I believe if you would¡¯ve picked up a sword sooner, then most of the village would still be alive. Then maybe I would¡¯ve been alive too.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re dead?¡±


    ¡°I am. But you already knew that. After all, I¡¯m only a product of your mind. Your trauma. The fact that I¡¯m still here proves you¡¯re weak.¡±


    ¡°I guess you can¡¯t tell me how you died?¡±


    "I can''t. If you don''t know, then I can''t tell you. And it doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s all your fault I¡¯m dead. If you would¡¯ve picked up a sword sooner and fought sooner and saved us sooner, then we¡¯d still be here with the village. Perhaps one of us would be married to Ms.Nodle. Or maybe one of the other girls. You probably would¡¯ve become an uncle.¡±


    ¡°Just shut up.¡± Fisher felt like all the strength left his body. The sun dashed ahead in the sky, and it was suddenly 10 AM. One hour remained until the fateful moment.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. If you want to stop seeing this-- to stop coming back to this moment-- you need to get stronger. Hell, you know what you have to do, so fucking do it!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t! I JUST CAN¡¯T!¡± Fisher stood up, grabbed the chair he sat on, and threw it into the lake. Before it hit the water, disturbing the still surface that reflected the white clouds and blue skies above, the chair suddenly appeared back in front of him.


    ¡°Then you¡¯re weak. And you don¡¯t deserve the Justice Captain name.¡±


    ¡°I never wanted it. You¡¯re the one who gave it to me.¡±


    ¡°Did I?¡± asked Young Arnold. He dropped his fishing rod and turned to Fisher.


    ¡°You did. Didn¡¯t you?¡± Fisher muttered slowly.


    ¡°Maybe I did, and maybe I didn¡¯t. I only know what you know. You know how to get rid of me. Didn¡¯t I tell you that already? It feels like I¡¯m repeating myself, but you know why I¡¯m doing that.¡±


    ¡°Just leave!!¡± Fisher shouted.


    ¡°Make me. You know what you have to do, but you¡¯re so fucking weak,¡± taunted Arnold.


    Just then, the sun moved ahead, the blue sky turned red, and the screams began.


    Fisher didn¡¯t dare to look back. Even as he heard his sister cry for help or Ms. Nodle begging the Gods for help. Or even when the Tsuka siblings became nothing more than a chew toy for the bandits¡¯ attack dogs. The smell of blood and fire filled the air around him. Dead fish from the river floated up to the surface, and the yellow sun was in the process of turning black.


    It was a far more horrific sight than what happened. The now black sun started to drip blood-like world-destroying meteors, and the ground around him shook as the meteors brought destruction.


    The world that was his mind-- that was his source of horrors and regrets and pain and agony and anguish and hatred--faced him head-on.


    Fisher Jin, Captain of the Guard, father, and husband. Was he strong enough?


    No.


    But could he ever become powerful enough? Was it possible for him to find the internal strength to overcome the nightmares and become a better person?


    He didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Just cry and rely on the only thing you can. The only good Demi is a dead Demi. You taught AND told me that, so rely on it. Let the hate give you strength.  We both know you practically preached that during our time roaming the countryside.  So much death and despair...  Tell me, how many liters of blood have you spilled?"


    Fisher stayed quiet.


    "Then, how about this? This is the fifteenth time your mind and soul have showed you this, and you¡¯ve failed fourteen times. Do you really have it in you to go another round?¡±


    The sky started to shake, and even more blood-like meteorites fell. It almost like the world was ending.


    Raising his head, Fisher found out that only the little pier remained. The world had nothing else in it.  It had flickered out of existence.


    He was surrounded by an ever-growing black sea filled with blood and bodies.


    Tears flowed from his eyes, and he fell to his knees. The black armor he hated more than anything was something people regarded as an indestructible shield of justice worthy of the justice captain. But to Fisher himself, it was nothing more than wet paper, which was why it suddenly tore away and left him with a white shirt and a pair of white shorts. He put his hand to his sword, but it crumbled like old plaster.


    The world began to grow. Or so Fisher thought. He then realized that he was in the body of his 14-year-old self.


    He was regressing to his younger self: the one that was assaulted by anger and hatred. The one who wished death on Demi-Humans all over the world. The old, the sick, the frail, the young, the children, the babies. He wanted to damn them all. In his mind, if they weren''t Human, then they deserved to die.


    He was the Fisher that Fisher never wanted to be. Not again.


    But he was weak to fight against it. He needed that anger and the thought that he was right to keep going.

 Book Two – Interlude – Part Two – Fisher’s Requiem

    Arnold held his arms out. ¡°You have to make a choice. Submit to your mind or fight! And we both know what it¡¯s going to be. You¡¯re too weak and frail to ever overcome anything by yourself. That¡¯s why you stood by and allowed me to cut that shitty Singi¡¯s ear off and why you allowed me to stab that little fucker in the foot. In fact, was your sword even bloody? No, it wasn¡¯t. You were too fucking frightened to keep your appearance, to keep your reputation, that I had to give you a bloody sword! You remember their cheers for the Justice Captain when you forced yourself to laugh at those fucking Singi? I was the only one to notice the tearful fucking look in your eyes when you helped me push him to the ground! I made you the Justice Captain! It was me! And you let me fucking die!¡±


    ¡°STOOOPP!!!!¡± Fisher whined in a voice that wasn¡¯t suited for a 14-year-old. That was when he discovered he somehow shrunk down to a form that was reminiscent of his 8-year-old self.


    ¡°You better make a choice! You¡¯re shrinking and shrinking and shrinking, and soon? You¡¯ll fade away. But your body is perfectively fine. This entire world is a construction of your mind to help you. I should clarify. Your body would be fine, but your mind would be gone. You¡¯ll be nothing more than a Human shaped doll that can¡¯t move or speak. It can¡¯t even breathe, so you¡¯ll be dead in a matter of minutes.¡±


    ¡°NOOOOOO!!!!¡± It wasn¡¯t the high-pitched voice of a boy who had yet to reach puberty but of a young toddler throwing a fit. Fisher shrunk again until he was his three-year-old self.


    ¡°What about your daughters? Or your wife? You¡¯re going to leave them alone?! Or your students?! Oh, who are we kidding? You only care about Servi, the Human. Silverado and Desperado, you want them to die, maybe by having their guts pulled through their ass? Maybe Riki and Rakkire can hang from a tree somewhere? You know you want to stab your sword into Feral¡¯s stomach, slice down, and pull all of his innards out. You know you want to!¡±


    I¡¯m not strong. I can''t take it anymore, Marissa... I¡¯m too weak to keep it up. Mari, Meri, I¡¯m sorry your father had to be so pathetic.


    He was now no bigger than a 2-year-old. The sun, still pouring meteorite-sized blood drops, jiggled and shifted.


    It was about to fall.


    Men of the city guard, I¡¯m sorry your Captain was weak and frail.


    Fisher, now just 13 months old, started bawling his eyes out. With no more blood to drip, the black sun fell from the sky.


    ¡°This is your last chance, Fisher! Are you going to let your mind die?!¡± Arnold yelled. Unlike Fisher, Arnold kept his original form and never de-aged.


    When the sun had 1,000 meters left until it hit the ground, Fisher de-aged to 5 months.  His body shrinking was proportionally related to his weakening psyche.


    ¡°You better do something!!!¡± Arnold continued to lash out taunts.


    500 meters until it landed ¨C Fisher was no older than a 3-month-old.


    10 meters until it landed ¨C Fisher¡¯s body, just a few seconds old at this point, became covered in blood. It was like an invisible mother had given birth to him, but he wasn¡¯t crying. No, his mind had already shut down from the stresses of his past. He stared with dead eyes and a tiny body with lungs that couldn''t breathe.  Not even a single atom of oxygen circulated through his frail body.


    An image of what his funeral would be like flashed through his mind when the black sun was 4 meters away. They would say three things as his body was lowered into a grave. One: Fisher Jin was the best Captain of the Guard they ever had. Two: Fisher Jin was a loving father and husband. Three: Fisher Jin embodied the purest form of Justice.


    He considered none of that to be true.


    He thought it should¡¯ve been more like this. One: Fisher Jin was the worst Captain of the Guard they ever had. He was weak and fearful of his past, and he was unable to overcome it. Two: Fisher Jin, the father, was a pathetic amalgamation of the Fisher Jin that most people thought was the truth. Three: Fisher Jin embodied the fakest justice that shouldn¡¯t have been called justice.


    "Goodbye, Fisher Jin. The weakest man I had ever met. It was a regret to have even known you," the black sea surrounding the only thing left in the world, the pier, raged like a mad beast.  The tar-like consistency of the water splashed against the pier''s support beams.  The wooden frame nearly shackled but stayed on tight as if it was the last remaining beacon of strength left in Fisher''s mind.


    The moment the sun was 3 meters away from landing on top of Fisher, it stopped. No, it more than stopped. It started to crack, then fracture, then finally crumbled into trillions of pieces.


    Something had stopped the falling black sun that threatened to destroy Fisher¡¯s mind, but who was it?


    The little wooden pier started to shake, and a voice sounded out.


    ¡°The Justice Captain is nothing more than a baby suckling on a teat. I thought you were someone to be impressed by when you started to teach about strategy. Was I wrong?¡±


    It was a Kobold who held a single thing in his massive hands. A shield. Big and tall, black and fierce, metal and raw.  It was held up to the sky and was the sole reason the massive, black sun cracked like glass.


    Feral had shown up. In the deepest reaches of the concept making up Fisher Jin, his true self had sent out a message to the deep and dark mixing pot that was his collective unconsciousness.


    It was his true self. The genuine Fisher Jin wanted to live and make up for his past. The sincere Fisher Jin was locked away by the personal demons that attacked his soul. It was hidden away and only came out in times of doubt, like now. The two selves of Fisher would fight, with one being represented by Arnold and one being represented by Fisher, to convince the other to fade away.


    It had happened fifteen times since the horrible attack, a little bit more than once a year. And every time, Arnold emerged victoriously.


    Fisher didn''t think he had another attempt in him. His mind faded more and more after every effort to eliminate his fears, and such battles wrought a heavy toll on his well-being.


    But the current attempt-- the one that would be the last-- couldn''t have been more different. The one person belonging to a race that reminded Fisher of his greatest fear and worst memory ended up saving him by annihilating the black sun that threatened to destroy his mind.  Usually, Fisher would just submit to Arnold, and his anger of the Demi-Humans would be reignited.


    But not this time.


    For the very first time, Fisher sought help.  For the very first time, It was a Kobold who answered his call.


    ¡°If you are this Justice Captain, then stand and fight for justice!¡± Feral slammed his tail against the ground and adjusted his shield.


    Slowly but surely, Fisher Jin began to age.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Justice¡ªno, Fisher Jin, Captain of the Guard. I am a Kobold, mighty and strong. You are a Human, frail and weak, but you¡¯re courageous. You¡¯ve stood alone against your personal demons for years. Your mental fortitude is much stronger than mine.¡±


    ¡°Aye. That¡¯s right,¡± from behind, two Dwarves materialized from nowhere. It was Riki and Rakkire.


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t have imagined a better mentor. You¡¯re tough, but you care. You can¡¯t let the other you win," Rakkire''s prideful voice drowned out his and his cousin''s matching footsteps.


    Fisher, now aged 8, stood up.


    ¡°Arnold--, no, you''re not Arnold. You¡¯re me. You only took on his form because I never had the strength to properly go against him. Maybe that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t ever win.¡±


    ¡°What?! Your mind should¡¯ve shattered by now!¡± A mysterious light enveloped ''Arnold,'' who slowly morphed and twisted and turned until he took on a form Fisher would never forget.


    It was like looking into a mirror that only reflected the darkest moments in one''s life, only it wasn''t a mirror.  Fisher stared at the lookalike in front of him.  Everything from the brown hair to the brown eyes to the torn clothing looked the same as it did on that fateful day.


    ¡°Fisher, don¡¯t let your past destroy you,¡± said Silverado, who suddenly appeared next to Fisher. He grew four years, becoming taller and more toned, but he didn''t compare to the Fisher in front of him.


    ¡°Listen to me, my friend. Humans, Koena, Dwarves, Kobolds, Singi, and Elves can change the way they think and see things,¡± said Desperado, who came into existence on Fisher''s left side.


    The two Koena took their place in front of Fisher, who was now reminiscent of his 16 year-old-self and guarded him.  Little by little, his students gave him the confidence he needed to challenge his trauma, fear, and past, but it wasn''t enough.  Fisher yearned for more strength.  He needed more power.  He needed more faith in himself, and only a short second later, he received everything he needed from a certain girl who carried a deep secret within.


    ¡°Fisher Jin, don¡¯t you ever dare to give up. People can change. If you truly feel regret your past, then prove it by actions, not words. Stand against injustice and become the true meaning of justice. Take back your nickname whenever you feel you are worthy! Live as Fisher Jin, Captain of the Guard!¡±


    Servi, with her black hair and fierce red eyes, materialized right in front of him.  She turned around and presented him with a gift.


    He looked at it with a tear in his eyes.  His instinct told him to smack it away and destroy it because he wasn''t worthy of it.  But more than ever, he needed to believe in the false faith the citizens of Canary felt when they looked at him.


    An explosion of light engulfed Fisher when his shaking fingers glanced against the armor Servi held out, and all of his students stared at him.  The armor melted, becoming a black goop that raced up his arms and down his body until it covered him from head to toe. Then like glass, the light shattered to reveal a fully reformed Fisher.  The word ''Justice'' appeared on his breastplate when his sword and dagger appeared in front of him.


    As he went to equip them on his person, the Fisher Jin of 14 years ago, who used to be disguised as Arnold, shouted and yelled with everything he mustered. ¡°DON¡¯T DO THIS!!¡± his face contorted in pure pain. ¡°REMEMBER, YOU CAN¡¯T TRUST THESE DEMIS!!¡±


    The older Fisher-- the real Fisher-- took his nadrium dagger and scratched out the word ¡®Justice¡¯ on his armor.


    ¡°I¡¯m no longer the Justice Captain, but you¡¯re still me. You¡¯re the dark past I clung to when I was in times of need. I won¡¯t throw you away to the darkness. To do so will deny that you ever existed. I need you to remain with me so I can always remember the immature brat I used to be.¡±


    Fisher sheathed his dagger and walked towards his younger self. He backed away slowly. A look of fright, like a deer staring down his killer after a botched arrow barely missed his vitals, appeared in his brown eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t! You can still kill those filthy Demis behind you! Behead that filthy Human traitor!!!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. I won''t ever kill someone for something a member of their race had done in the past. I was too young at the time to realize that... It was like a deep fog had covered my mind in an impenetrable darkness for a decade... I couldn''t see the truth or realize how harmful my actions were...¡± The older Fisher had his arms out as the younger one kept backing up.


    ¡°Fisher Jin, I won¡¯t deny you. It¡¯s time for both of us to grow up and see that things aren¡¯t so black and white like we thought." The genuine Fisher spoke such words the younger one never wanted to hear.


    ¡°NOOOOOOO!! I won¡¯t ever forgive them!! I WON''T EVER FORGIVE THEM!!¡± The younger Fisher turned to jump in the black sea of blood and bodies but was stopped by the old Fisher when he lashed out and grabbed his shirt. He yanked his arm back, pulling the younger Fisher into a hug that he fought desperately against.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright now. We both have to do our parts to make up for the hardships we both caused.¡± Tears welled up in both Fishers'' eyes.


    The younger Fisher struggled and struggled, but it was useless. "YOU''RE AREN''T ME, AND I''M NOT YOU!!!!! LET ME--" The younger Fisher''s frantic cries were cut short by a pillar of white light.  It stretched just enough to enclosed the hugging pair, yet it towered above everything that remained in the scar-fueled world that was Fisher''s mind.


    When it faded,  Fisher Jin stood up and faced his precious students.


    ¡°When we first met, I hated every one of you except Servi. And that was because of your race. I knew it was wrong then, but I couldn¡¯t help it. I was weak. But now I know I can overcome it, and I have all of you to thank for. Feral, you¡¯re a good man. I have no doubt you¡¯ll be an excellent tank.¡±


    ¡°Fisher Jin, I thank you for teaching me,¡± the moment Feral said that, he disappeared in a flash of green light.


    ¡°Silverado and Desperado, your tanking ability is further amplified by your tough scales. Your body is a natural defense against attacks, so be sure to properly train it.¡±


    The two Koena nodded and smiled at their mentor, who had fought against the darkness created from his mind. They faded away together in a mix of white and black light.


    ¡°Riki and Rakkire, as Dwarves, you would probably often have a height disadvantage, but you can turn that around. Remember, the bigger the enemy, the harder they fall. Work in tandem and cover for each other¡¯s weaknesses.¡±


    ¡°Aye, we¡¯ll do you proud, Fisher,¡± Riki said. Rakkire nodded. Soon, a brown light enveloped them.


    It was just Fisher Jin and Servi, standing face to face on that dinky little pier. There was still no sun, yet a warming light filled the world around them.


    ¡°And you, Servi. The one I have yet to figure out. You¡¯re obviously strong. Hell, even stronger than me. Your hand-over-blade stance is flawless. I can¡¯t see anything wrong with it. You bravely climbed up a shield to attack, and you took Feral¡¯s attack at full power.  Not to mention that you can use skills even when you mess up the chant. You¡¯re an enigma, a major exception to a major rule."


    Servi only smiled and stayed silent.


    ¡°I know you didn¡¯t need to join this program. Honestly, I should be learning from you, but I know you probably have your reasons for joining."


    ¡°Fisher Jin, stay on the side of justice; The proper justice that fights for those who were done wrong and punishes those who take advantage of the weak and frail. Don¡¯t let the flames of anger corrupt your heart or soul anymore and strive to be the best you. You may still feel sadness and regret, but learn from your mistakes and become a better man each and every day.¡±


    Servi nodded at Fisher one last time before her body disappeared in a blast of red fire.


    ¡°I¡¯ve won, but at what cost? It took ten years and a bunch of Demi-Humans to make me see the way. But at least I see it, now,¡± Fisher stared at the ominous sky that began to change color. He knew what would happen. Since he won the battle in his mind, he would soon be kicked out of it. But he wasn¡¯t scared or afraid.


    Just a few more minutes, and I¡¯ll be back on the street.


    Sixty seconds later, the wooden pier and the sea of blackness that surrounded him exploded into a white light that lit up the whole world inside his mind. With no ground to stand on, Fisher fell.


    He fell and fell and fell and fell and fell until a city came into view. It was Canary.


    He knew it was impossible, but he knew exactly where his body was.


    There it is. Fisher focused his attention on a man standing alone in an empty alley. The ground closed in, the wind raced against his body, and the moment his falling body struck it, he blinked.


    When he opened his eyes, he was standing in the alleyway. Taking a moment to glance down, he checked his arms and legs, then his chest, and finally, his weapons.


    Suddenly, he laughed out loud as his armored finger scraped against a bunch of scratch marks on his breastplate. The word ¡®Justice¡¯ was no longer readable.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s proof. From now on, I am Fisher Jin, simply Captain of the Guard of Canary. Justice Captain is a name I do not deserve. Not until I bring real justice to everyone, Human and Demi-Human.  I will only take that nickname when I am worthy of it.¡±


    Feeling renewed, he picked up his pace and ran to his house. It was a fancy two-floor affair, equipped with a stove, a refrigerator, and a working shower and toilet fueled by Wash Stones. He was living way better off than any other commoner and even some nobles. Just having a toilet and shower was enough, but having the other items was a blessing.


    Gripping the brass handle to the brown door of his house, he entered in, took off his armor, leaving him in comfortable clothing, and went to the kitchen. It wasn¡¯t big, but it was enough. He wanted to be proud of the house and life he had acquired for his wife and daughters.


    He saw his wife. Tall and beautiful, he loved her very much. She was bobbing her head to a lovely tune she hummed. He knew his children, Mari and Meri, would be asleep in their rooms. They were young, and it was late.


    ¡°Marissa, I¡¯m home,¡± Fisher said.


    ¡°Hello, dear, I was just making you a small plate. Are you hungry?¡± Marissa turned around. Her brown hair and blue eyes lit up his view, and Fisher felt a surge of emotion create even more tears. His hands went to his face, rubbing his crying eyes as whimpers escaped from his sobbing mouth.


    Marissa smiled gently, laid down the plate of food she had made him on the counter, and walked over.


    ¡°There there, you can tell me what¡¯s wrong,¡± she lovingly said as she embraced him.


    And for the rest of the night, Fisher told his beloved wife the past that he had kept secret for ten years. She did nothing but listen with a loving heart and an open mind. He confessed all he did, and he eventually cried himself to sleep.


    Such an action was unbefitting of someone who held the nickname of Justice Captain, but he didn¡¯t care about that anymore. And neither did Marissa. She loved Fisher for the kindness she knew he had deep within him.  That was why Marissa married him and gave birth to two precious daughters. A housewife she was, she wasn''t weak or frail, and Marissa had the strength to carry her husband up to their room and put him to bed.


    ¡°My love, you might have done wrong in the past, and you regret that.  That''s the first step to moving on. Now, you must apologize, make amends, and do better from now on. I¡¯ll be here every step of the way,¡± his wife affectionately whispered. She rested her head against his chest and stared up longingly at him.  A few seconds later, Marissa closed her eyes and synchronized her breathing to Fisher''s respirations.


    Soon, morning arrived, and Fisher stirred awake. The first thing he saw was the beautiful eyes of his wife staring up at him.  He was lying in bed on his soft golden blankets, and his head rested on a black pillow stuffed with fluffy feathers.


    How did I get to bed? Was it Marissa? He thought as he stared at his wife, who had fallen asleep against Fisher''s chest. Her gorgeous eyes opened from her slumber, and she lovingly kissed her husband''s chest.


    ¡°Good morning, dear,¡± Marissa spoke in the kind voice that Fisher thought he would never get to hear again.

 Book Two – Chapter Nine – Part One – Final Exam

    It was the early morning on a sunny day. Servi was getting dressed when she heard a knock at the door. Opening it, she saw a cute Singi with beautiful pink hair and dazzling blue eyes.


    ¡°Please, please, please promise me you¡¯ll be careful!¡± That was the first thing Momo said to her that morning.


    The night before, during dinner, Servi told Momo of her final exam and that they were leaving the very next day. And it was so shocking that she dropped her wooden spoon into her chicken soup.


    ¡°Juncea?! Oh, Servi, those things are bad news! Like, really bad! They have swords attached to them!¡± She didn¡¯t mean to raise her voice, but it was a tiny bit louder than usual.


    ¡°I know, Momo. But it¡¯s not like I¡¯m fighting them alone. Fisher told us that we need to bring back six stingers, one for each of us. He said that if we do that, we¡¯ll pass his class.¡±


    The final exam for Fisher Jin¡¯s class was to retrieve a stinger from a juncea, a big Human-sized bee with black and yellow striped bodies.  They had a violent, fright-inducing sword for a stinger, two dagger-like antennae on their heads, and razor-sharp blades at the end of their legs and arms.  These were the same beasts that Servi encountered on her first day.


    ¡°But those things are so tough that not even a Rank 8 would face them solo! Just promise me that you¡¯ll be super, super careful? Okay?¡±


    Servi smiled and took a sip of her drink. ¡°I promise. I won¡¯t do anything more than necessary, or that will put me in danger. But if one of my friends needs help, I¡¯ll help them.¡±


    ¡°I figured you''d say that. Hey, Dineria told us what our final test would be.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s in three parts. First is the archery part. We need to get two bull¡¯s-eyes on five targets that vary in distance in 12 arrows. Then we need to copy Dineria''s sword style as close as we can. She¡¯s going to perform a small demonstration, and we need to replicate it. The third part is the acrobatic part. She has an obstacle course that we gotta complete within a time limit. I gotta say, I¡¯m a bit nervous...¡±


    Servi cracked a smile. ¡°You can do it. I believe in you, Momo!!!¡± though it was much quieter, Servi repeated to Momo what she yelled out when Servi had that duel with Arty.


    Momo¡¯s face went blood red with embarrassment as her furry ears twitched slightly. ¡°Oh jeez, you remember that? I was caught up in the moment¡­¡± she lightly touched the tips of her index fingers together.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, you cheered for me, and I¡¯ll cheer for you. I wish I could be there, but we¡¯re leaving tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°How long?¡±


    Servi held up three fingers. ¡°One day to get there, one day to hunt, and one day to leave. We¡¯re responsible for our own food. And we can only bring our armor and weapons. Nothing else.¡±


    ¡°Servi, if I¡¯m being honest, that sounds more like military or guard training.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°It is. Fisher said that this is something that all of his men have to go through before he considers them a member of the guard.¡±


    ¡°Wait, does he consider you all to be guards? Because you¡¯re Warden, like me,¡± she asked.


    God, I hope not. I¡¯m only putting up with this so I can kill him.


    Keeping her internal thoughts hidden, Servi smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t know. He didn¡¯t really say. Though he seems different.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± Momo grabbed her spoon and ate a little bit of her soup. The peas and corn were effortlessly crushed by her teeth.


    Servi took a sip of her milk. ¡°He seemed nicer. And he stopped calling us maggots entirely. Whenever he spoke to Feral, he would sometimes avert his eyes, but now he doesn¡¯t do that anymore.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    But still, he needs to die.


    ¡°Can you promise me something?¡± Momo put her spoon down and stared at her friend.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Please be safe. Those things are super bad news.¡±


    ¡°Momo, I promise I¡¯ll do all I can to be safe. Besides, Fisher said he wouldn¡¯t let any of us die. He says he can use a Rank 6 healing skill. He also said he¡¯ll jump in if it turns dangerous.¡± Servi smiled at her friend.


    Momo smiled. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m sorry for being pushy, it¡¯s¡ª"


    ¡°It shows you care about your friends. Don¡¯t be sorry,¡± Servi said, finishing off her drink.


    The two friends talked for ten or so more minutes before Momo let out a yawn.


    ¡°I¡¯m sleepy¡­¡± she muttered as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t we call it a night?¡±


    ¡°Okay. Oh, what time are you leaving?¡± Momo stood up and pushed her chair in. Servi did the same.


    ¡°8 AM,¡± her best friend replied.


    ¡°Then is it okay for me to walk with you to the headquarters? I assume that¡¯s where you all are meeting at?¡±


    Servi smiled again. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s okay. Good night, Momo. I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Good night, Servi.¡±


    The two friends went to their respective rooms.


    Momo ended up dreaming that she won the tournament after a hard and intense fight with Servi.


    Servi, meanwhile, had a hard time even getting to sleep. In fact, she did nothing but lay in the bed with her eyes closed.


    Are you still up?


    She responded to Itarr. ¡°Yeah. Can¡¯t sleep.¡±


    I see. The Goddess said in return.


    No more words were shared between the two until the morning sun came up.


    ¡°Oh, I see Feral,¡± Momo said while stretching her arms above her head. With it being just five days before the tournament, the streets were filled to the brim with people getting everything ready.


    Business owners were making sure that their stalls were in tip-top shape and had the food ready to be delivered to the arena. If they played their cards right, they stood to make quite a lot of dupla during this long tournament that was set to last the entire day.


    Not to mention that it was the very first time a fighting tournament of any kind was going to be held in Canary. With such an occasion came gambling. It wouldn¡¯t be that surprising to find out that shady banks and other money lenders realized they had the perfect chance to capitalize on the gambling spirit that would soon show itself.


    Bored nobles who lived a safe life would have the chance to experience the thrill and sadness that came with winning or losing an expensive bet. For some, that desire to feel the rush again would ruin them. And the wealth they¡¯ve enjoyed for years would disappear. Other people would end up lucky, becoming rich and wealthy beyond their wildest dreams.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s him. I don¡¯t see anyone else," Servi replied. She had her ominous shield on her left hand, still with her sword inside it, and wore cracked and damaged leather armor. She knew she had to get it fixed, but she really didn''t care about it.


    Servi was ready to ace this test. Even without any skill besides Soul Essence of Primal Combat, she knew there was no chance she would lose against a juncea. Not anymore.


    ¡°Ahh, Servi, Momo. It¡¯s good to see you again. Did you enjoy your meals at the restaurant?¡± Feral growled. He slammed his tail into the ground as he sat on his shield.


    Servi nodded at him. She looked around and only saw him. Neither the two Koena nor the two Dwarves had shown up yet. Even Fisher wasn¡¯t there.


    He looks scary, but he¡¯s a real softy inside. He''s kinda like a stuffed animal, isn''t he? Thought Momo. She wasn¡¯t afraid of him, not anymore. If anything, Momo was upset at herself because upon seeing Feral for the first time, she was fearful of him. That goes to show just how weak I am. Momo, you need to work harder!


    ¡°I did. It was very delicious!¡± Momo said with a smile.


    ¡°I am glad. What about the chocolate? Did your friend like it?¡±


    ¡°She did. She enjoyed it a lot!¡± she added.


    ¡°I am glad," his tail slammed the ground again. A few guards walked over to investigate but turned away once they saw it was Feral. They knew he liked to bash his tail into the ground, but it wasn¡¯t hard enough to actually do any damage to the concrete and asphalt. Therefore, they had no real need to do anything, though they would if people started to complain.


    Servi looked at Momo, who adjusted her grip on her beloved bag.


    ¡°Alright, so I gotta leave if I want to make it to Levadia Woods on time, but I¡¯ll see you in a few days, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I wish I could be there to support you, but just know I believe in you!¡± Servi said.


    ¡°I know you do. I believe in you, too. I know you and all the others will pass this test with flying colors!¡±


    Momo desperately wanted to give Servi a hug, but she fought against it. She waved at Servi and Feral before turning around. She then began to jog all the way over to Levadia Woods. Even if she was going to be late, Momo knew Dineria and Srassa would forgive her once she explained she wanted to see her friend off.


    Servi, I believe in you. And you believe in me. That¡¯s all the strength and motivation I need!!


    ¡°That girl, Momo, was she worried when you told her about the exam?¡±


    Servi turned to Feral as she made her way over to his shield and sat down on it. There was more than enough space. ¡°She was. She told me many times to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever fought against these so-called juncea?¡± Feral asked. For some reason, he was in a really talkative mood.


    Could it be that such a strong Kobold was afraid?


    ¡°I have not." With a straight face, Servi lied.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    After that, the two sat on the large black shield for another ten or minutes before four people walked their way. Two Dwarves and two Koena. Unlike Servi and Feral, they had a rather large bag tied to their backs.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised,¡± Riki said through short breaths when he got to over to where Servi and Feral were at. Sweat dripped from his face.


    The sun was just barely in the sky, with it being just a little bit before 8 AM, but it was sweltering. Only Feral and Servi were free of sweat. Even the two Koena had some kind of liquid dripping from their scales.


    ¡°Surprised?¡± Servi inquired.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a sleeping bag?¡± Desperado turned around. He had a bright blue bag rolled and tied up on his back. A wooden club hung from his hip, and his kite shied was on his left hand. It was slightly turned in a way where it wouldn¡¯t scratch and slide against the ground while he walked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have one. I have no problem sleeping on grass or dirt,¡± Servi plainly said.


    I thought he said we can only bring weapons and our armor. Did he say food and sleeping bags as well? Dammit, Servi, you need to remember this! Honestly, Servi was starting to get a little afraid. There were times, just recently, where she had trouble remembering things that were said not even a day ago.


    Whenever she talked to Itarr about it, she just said she didn¡¯t know what was wrong.


    I don¡¯t think she¡¯s lying to me. She wouldn¡¯t, right? I mean, we love each other. So, logically, you wouldn¡¯t lie to someone you love, right? I just have to trust her. That¡¯s the only thing I can do.


    ¡°And what about you?¡± Rakkire asked Feral.


    ¡°A sleep covering is much too small for me. I¡¯d rather sleep how a Kobold was intended to. I am not afraid of the ground,¡± Feral growled. Even though the other four didn¡¯t pass his test of picking up his shield like Servi did, he still treated them like they were his friends.


    About this time, Servi just so happened to turn her head. She saw four people walking towards her. One had to be Fisher Jin, but Servi didn¡¯t know who the other three were. She made out two kids and a woman who held hands with Fisher.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± their mentor said when he was within speaking range. The six mentees all said their good mornings back, even Servi.


    ¡°My family wanted to see us off. This is my wife, Marissa, and my daughters, Mari and Meri.¡±


    Marissa, his wife, was gorgeous. Brown hair and blue eyes, soft skin, and a supple body, she was absolutely divine. She wore a beige apron that came to her knees. Servi could see a little bit of a white shirt peeking out from up top. She had on a long brown skirt that came to below her knees.  The end of that was peeking out just a little bit to give her the appeal of a housewife who went out for a quick errand as she made breakfast.


    Standing in front of her were two kids. Both also had brown hair, but Mari, aged 4, had brown eyes while her older sister, Meri, aged 5, had blue eyes. They wore matching yellow sundresses.


    Marissa smiled at the six students as a mother would. ¡°It¡¯s so nice to meet you all. Fisher has told us all about you.¡±


    Mari turned to look at Feral. Surely his large body and alligator-like face would scare her, but it didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Mommy, he¡¯s big!¡± the first thing Mari noticed was his size.


    ¡°Yeah! I bet he''s super strong!¡± Meri added on.


    ¡°My name is Feral. It¡¯s good to meet you," Feral said without the growling.  He didn''t want to scare the children.


    ¡°I¡¯m Silverado.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m Desperado. I didn¡¯t know our dear mentor was married.¡±


    Uncharacteristically, Fisher went a bit red in the face. He had a black helmet in his left hand that hugged his side. The black armor still had the word ¡®Justice¡¯ scratched out. He came up with a regular old excuse when people asked about it. He swore to his wife that he would only have it fixed when he was worthy of the Justice Captain nickname. She thought it was a marvelous declaration of self-improvement and was behind him all the way.


    ¡°I¡¯m Riki, and this is Rakkire." Riki promptly got smacked in the back of the head by his cousin.


    ¡°You fool, I think I¡¯m old enough to introduce myself.¡±


    The two girls laughed at such a comedic move. Servi couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°And you must be Servi. Fisher told us how you climbed Feral¡¯s shield. That¡¯s very impressive,¡± Marissa emitted an aura of motherly energy as she complimented the girl with black hair and red eyes.


    Servi became embarrassed. ¡°Oh, umm...Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Wow, she''s feawless!¡±


    ¡°Mommy, I wanna be that bwave!¡± Like her sister, Meri couldn''t correctly pronounce certain sounds.


    ¡°And it¡¯s possible. You just have to work hard.¡± The two girls'' mother smiled at Servi before realizing something. ¡°Do you not have a sleeping bag?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t need one.¡±


    ¡°Are you scared of the bugs?¡± Meri asked.  Her child-like eyes stared up at Servi with wonder.


    Servi crouched down and spoke. ¡°Nope! I¡¯m not scared of them,¡± then she gave the little girl a bright smile.


    Meri looked up at Feral, then to Servi, then to her father. ¡°Th-Th-Then I¡¯m not s-s-scared of the b-b-bugs, e-e-either.¡± The child did her best, but she wasn''t convincing anyone.


    Servi stared at the scene in front of her. Silverado, Desperado, Riki, and Rakkire all put down their bags and walked over to the two kids. They played with them for a minute or two. As they did, Servi began to think. So he¡¯s married with children. And I need to kill him. But if I do, then these children will be without a dad. But Fisher deserves to die, doesn¡¯t he? He brutally tortured and beat Seka and Seko. That bastard has to die, right? He doesn¡¯t deserve a second chance...


    ¡°Now then, I have something to say,¡± said Fisher. Everyone, including Servi, turned to look at him. ¡°When we all get back, I¡¯m taking all of you to Madam Canary''s Sweetie Tweety as a reward!¡±


    ¡°YAYYY!¡± Mari raised her little hands up to the sky. Marissa took Mari¡¯s left hand into her own.


    ¡°I like that place!!!¡± Meri did the same, and Marissa took her right hand.


    ¡°That¡¯s sweet of you, dear. Now. Mari, Meri, say goodbye to your father. He¡¯ll be gone for three days, okay?¡±


    The two ran up to Fisher, who crouched down. He gave them a big hug.


    ¡°Bye, daddy. I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you, daddy. Beat the bad things!¡±


    ¡°Daddy loves you two very much. Be good for your mother, okay? And don¡¯t cause any trouble." Fisher teared up a little bit but hid it well.


    ¡°We will, daddy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we will be good.¡±


    Marissa stood off to the side and smiled. The six mentees did the same.


    All of their thoughts were filled with happiness at the sight of a father hugging his daughters before leaving. Well, all except one.


    He needs to die for what he did. Itarr said. Remember Seka and Seko? According to you, he was with the silver armored man who cut them. He even laughed, remember?


    Servi just sighed and forced herself to keep smiling while nodding so subtly no one picked up on it.


    But if I kill him, his wife would have no husband and his children no father. But¡­ Servi was fighting her own battle inside her mind, but she didn¡¯t know which side would emerge victoriously.


    ¡°Now, girls, it¡¯s time for us to leave. Feral, Silverado, Desperado, Riki, Rakkire, and Servi: I wish you the best of luck and a safe return. Fisher, please be sure to keep them safe. They aren¡¯t members of the guard.¡±


    He walked up to his wife and kissed her lightly on the lips. ¡°I promise. Now, we have to get going,¡± after waving to his wife as she walked away with their daughters, he turned around to face his students.

 Book Two – Chapter Nine – Part Two – Final Exam

    That¡¯s right. Fisher faced his students. After the incident where he fought against his old self in his mind, the one where all of his students, produced by the genuine Fisher, came to his rescue, he became a changed man. No longer would Fisher stand by and allow Demi-Human slaves, or even regular Human slaves, to be hurt by his own men for their own sadistic fun. He made a declaration the very next day, but it was such a drastic thing.


    Fisher knew some of his men had some doubts, and he knew they wouldn¡¯t listen to him. Some even thought he was making some kind of joke.  That was why he had to catch them in the act.


    But he was currently unable to actually do that because he had to tend to his class. But soon, he¡¯d be able to make due on his promise to himself.


    Until then, he had to hope and pray that some guards took the message to heart.


    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t think there were that many. It¡¯d probably take Fisher himself punishing any guard who went against his order to prove to the rest that he meant what he said.  A large amount probably thought it was some kind of joke.


    He was trying. Really, really, trying to make up for his dark past. He couldn¡¯t erase it completely. The sins of his yore would be forever etched into his soul.


    ¡°Now then. I see some of you brought along sleeping bags, and some of you didn¡¯t. Servi, Feral, do you need one?¡± he spoked towards Servi and watched for anything he could analyze. There was more to Servi than she let on.  He knew that for sure, and even the tiniest hint of something could go a long way into finding out what secrets she held. There was no way a simple Rank 10 would ever climb a tower shield and use a skill meant to disorient an opponent.


    A Rank 10 or a Rank 9 wouldn¡¯t have the courage. So many things could¡¯ve gone wrong if she had just applied her weight in a slightly different way or if Feral would¡¯ve lost his grip on his shield. She could¡¯ve been splattered, turned into nothing more than red paste.


    Servi shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t need one.¡±


    ¡°I am too big for a sleep covering. I will be fine," Feral stated.


    ¡°Very well. Remember, this is at least a three-day trip. It¡¯ll take one day to get their nesting area, then you¡¯ll have one day to finish the exam by taking a sword-stinger from a juncea, and then it¡¯s one day back. If you all finish the exam early, we may be back sooner, but I did account for three days. During which, I¡¯ll teach you how to survive by showing you edible berries and leaves. If we come across any animals, I¡¯ll also teach you how to skin and prepare them for dinner.¡±


    Fisher stopped speaking and watched his students¡¯ faces. He then continued. ¡°If anyone has any prior business, speak up now.¡± He stopped for a second time and waited.


    Nothing. No one raised a hand.


    Fisher smiled and put his helmet on. It was as black as his armor, covering nearly everything but his two brown eyes that stared at his six students.  ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s get to it. We¡¯re burning daylight. Since you¡¯re not members of the guard, there¡¯s no need to be all stiff and walk in formation. Just try not to get too far away. Understood? If something is wrong or you need something, speak up. I have accounted for unexpected problems or emergencies.¡±


    The six mentees nodded.


    ¡°Good. Then follow me.¡±


    Fisher turned around and began to walk. He didn¡¯t bother marching or turning around to make sure his mentees were in perfect sync. There was no need to. If he lost to his old self when he was in his mind, he probably would¡¯ve made them.  That''s if he was able to survive it.  There was a good chance he would be dead if he lost.


    But mentally, he was a brand new man.  It was like a cloud of doubt that fogged his mind for years had lifted, and the air he breathed and the sky he saw was cleaner and brighter.


    Servi adjusted her shield and began to follow Fisher. The two Koena and the two Dwarves made sure their bags were secured, then followed Servi. Feral was the last one. For as strong as he was, he still needed a few seconds to properly store such a heavy thing, even if he could run with it.


    Fisher slowed but kept walking so Feral could catch up.


    ¡°Aye, so you never told us you had a wife or children," Riki finally brought up the subject a few of his fellow mentees wanted to talk about.


    ¡°I did not. It wasn¡¯t like I was keeping it a secret. The opportunity never came up. They wanted to meet all of you before we left.¡±


    ¡°I never realized just how small Human children are," Feral remarked.


    ¡°They¡¯re pretty small when they¡¯re first born." Servi added to the conversation.  She had a headache, but she didn''t want to be the only one not talking.


    ¡°A Kobold is born just as small, but grow more and more until they are recognized as adults,¡± Feral''s mind went back to his own childhood.


    ¡°A Human child isn¡¯t considered an adult until they turn 15," Fisher said.


    But I thought it was 18? Or was it 21? I¡¯ve never heard of it being 15. Servi thought to herself.


    ¡°A Kobold becomes an adult when they turn 5, right?¡±


    The group took a left and kept walking.


    ¡°That is right. But we do not stop growing. Our muscles continue to harden and grow ever stronger with each new day," Feral answered Riki''s question.


    ¡°How old are you?¡± Rakkire asked something Servi wanted to know.


    Feral growled for a moment, then answered. ¡°I am 10 years and 8 months and 14 days old.¡±


    If he¡¯s only been alive for 10 years, then he''s still a young adult, right? From the way he talked earlier, he had to be the strongest in his village because he had to pick up his shield to leave. But then how did his aunt find her way to Canary? Servi thought to herself. If that¡¯s the case, then¡­ Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar head of red hair.


    It was Claire. She wore a lovely tan dress that came below her knees, and she held an empty basket in her right hand. Her left hand¡¯s index finger was on her chin as she turned her head. Servi''s Elven friend searched for something in the colorful display of fruit in front of her, but Servi didn¡¯t know what Claire was searching for.


    Servi wondered for a moment if she should call out but decided against it. Regardless, it didn¡¯t matter because Claire soon turned around and locked eyes with Servi.


    She smiled and waved, and Servi returned it. Then, the Elf went on her way to finish her shopping.


    It seems Servi is with her mentor. I¡¯d better not interrupt. Good luck on the exam and the upcoming tournament! I¡¯ll be rooting for you and Momo!


    ¡°Who was that?¡± Silverado asked, prompting all who were present to open an ear.


    ¡°That was Claire. She works at Warden, and she¡¯s the one who signed Momo and me up," Servi answered.


    ¡°Is she the one who you purchased the chocolate for?¡± Feral inquired. The large back tower shield was attached to his back by thick ropes. With the weight of a Kobold combined with his unique equipment, the ground lightly shook with every step. Eyes of children and men and women of all different races stared at this motley crew who made their way throughout the city. They took another left, passed an intersection, and Servi saw the city gate up ahead.


    ¡°She is. Momo was the one who came up with the idea,¡± she finally replied.


    Did she? Hell, I can¡¯t remember. Why is my memory suddenly so bad? And I was thinking about Feral and his strength, right? Or maybe it was his aunt? Why can''t I remember any of it?! I know it was only a few seconds ago! How could I have forgotten already?!?!


    ¡°Momo?¡± Fisher inquisitively asked.


    Servi drowned her growing anger towards her lack of short-term memory and answered him. ¡°She¡¯s my party member. She has pink hair, a pink tail, and pink ears. She¡¯s training under an Elf named Dineria.¡±


    I don''t have time to worry about my memory problems. If there''s something wrong, I can have Itarr heal me with True Immortality, but that can come way later. I need to focus on killing him.


    ¡°A Singi?¡± Instantly, Fisher¡¯s mind flashed back to when two Singi siblings were attacked by his late partner, Arnold. Fisher had done nothing to stop it and even forced himself to laugh to keep up his appearance as the Justice Captain.


    But that was then, and this was now. Fisher wasn¡¯t the same man.


    Is that the same Dineria...? He was interrupted in his thoughts by a crisp and sharp response from Servi that went unnoticed by everyone but him.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    He¡¯s so fucking dead. I can¡¯t let him live¡­


    After Servi answered Fisher, the conversation all but stopped as the group went through the city gate. Fisher nodded at the two guards standing by the city entrance, who saluted, and the group made their way down a dirt road. Sparse trees littered the plains to their left and right.  The smell of pure nature and clean air filtered throughout their nostrils, cleaning them of the polluted city air.


    ¡°Obviously, it goes without saying, but when traveling from town to town, you¡¯re probably not going to get there in a single day. In that case, you need to be prepared to camp out. So carry food like dried or smoked meat, dried fruit and nuts, and dried fish. If it¡¯s a short journey, like two or three days, then you can bring bread. If it¡¯s longer than that, then head to a baker and buy some hardtack. It has no flavor whatsoever, but it¡¯s food, and it¡¯ll give you energy.  A fishing rod isn''t a bad idea, either.  Especially if you know you''re going to be traveling along a river or if you know you''re going to a lake.¡±


    Five of the mentees listened with open ears while one kept looking straight ahead. Servi had no need to hear what he was saying because none of the advice he offered applied to her.  Food and drink? Servi could live without filling her belly.


    ¡°If you¡¯re even a little bit unsure of whether or not the water you¡¯re drinking is safe, then boil it first. A metal pot and a potholder are always good choices. It might even be worthwhile to invest a little bit more money into buying a quality pot. The same with a whetstone. Keeping your weapon¡­.¡±


    Servi cut her ears off to the world and focused on putting one foot in front of the other.


    Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot.


    She did make sure to pretend to pay attention whenever Fisher stopped by a tree or a bush on the side of the world. He explained the difference between two berries that looked almost alike. Except one was for making poison, and the other was for winemaking. One wasn¡¯t edible, but the other one was.


    ¡°The poison wouldn¡¯t kill you if you ingest a few, but it¡¯ll hurt a lot, and you''d wish you were dead. It works by tightening up your blood flow, thereby reducing your heart rate. You¡¯ll feel like you can¡¯t breathe, but it¡¯ll go away eventually. There¡¯s no known antidote, so there¡¯s no choice but to wait it out or use an anti-poison skill. That brings me to my next point.  You should learn healing skills as soon as you can.¡±


    Maybe you can use it to kill Fisher? Itarr brought up a good point. She proceeded to stealthy absorb some berries, but Servi took them back out. They dropped silently on the dirt road under her feet.


    Why did you do that? Itarr asked, even knowing Servi couldn''t answer. Could it be you wanted to kill him with your own hands? If so, then I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to absorb something you didn¡¯t want me to.


    Servi sighed as the party began to walk again.  Eventually, they stopped for lunch. She was pretty sure they were at the exact spot she woke up at, just a few meters deep into the forest. Thinking back to just a couple of minutes ago, she was sure she saw that same blue lake and the same open plain.


    Her mind was battered by a series of phantom paradoxical pain of burning, drowning, freezing, and suffocating. The only evidence showed on her face that she was suffering from pain was a slight twitch.


    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because I¡¯m so angry, but the pain doesn¡¯t hurt like it did that day.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been walking for a few hours now, so let¡¯s take a small break. This is a good spot to find some of the berries I was talking about. If you need help to tell the difference between the edible ones and the poison ones, ask me. There¡¯s no need to worry about failing just because you need a little bit more help," Fisher said as he sat down on the green grass.


    He took his helmet off to reveal a sweat-filled face. Brown hair stuck wetly to his forehead, which was quickly swept away by a white cloth he pulled from a pouch.


    He spoke to the mentees as they put their bags and shields down. ¡°Also, if you¡¯re thirsty, let me know. I can use Create Water. Speaking of which, if you can, get a durable and reliable canteen to keep water in, even if you can use Create Water. That, along with Fire Wall, are two skills I highly recommend you learn as soon as you can. Until you can use it, I would invest in a good fire starter kit and rely on that. Even still, I would keep one or two on me because you never know when you¡¯re going to be out of Skill Energy, and there¡¯s a sudden need for fire.¡±


    Fisher took a deep breath in and racked his brain. He was thinking if there was anything else he needed to say. ¡°That¡¯s all I have for right now. If I think of anything else, I¡¯ll let you know. You all have fifteen minutes to find food. If you need help, be sure to let me know.¡±


    The six mentees all nodded and began searching the clearing. There were a surprising number of berry bushes to be found. Servi made sure to scavenge in an area by herself and tossed random berries into her mouth.


    Are you going to kill him?


    Servi felt a tinge of discomfort in her stomach and lungs whenever she ate a poisonous berry but ignored it. Whatever damage was healed a moment later.


    ¡°Not now," Servi snapped.


    Itarr replied back, unaware of the snappy tone. I¡¯ll be ready whenever you are.


    ¡°Until then, don¡¯t kill him. I want to be the one to do it.¡±


    Of course.


    Do I want to do it? It feels like I¡¯m having doubts, but I shouldn¡¯t. I know what I saw when I first went to Canary, right? And what I saw was the truth! It has to be! Servi argued internally for a moment before her head started to hurt. A moment later, she felt relief. It was an enormous amount of pressure pressing against her mind vanished, and she smiled.


    Well, I can worry about that later. With Servi''s belly full of both safe and poisonous berries, she walked back to the clearing. Riki and Rakkire were relaxing while popping berries in their mouths. Feral was in the midst of chewing on a handful of berries as blue juice dribbled down his alligator-like mouth while Silverado was walking back to his bag. Water dripped from his mouth.


    Servi turned to look at Fisher, and he pointed to the space of air right beside him. Water flowed from nothingness, and Desperado was standing underneath it with his mouth wide open.


    After drinking, he turned to her. ¡°The water¡¯s free if you¡¯re thirsty,¡± Servi shook her head and reached inside her pouch.


    She took out a 1 coin dupla and began to flip it, but controlled her strength. She didn¡¯t want to launch it into the sky.


    She flipped for around seven more minutes, in which Fisher began to talk about deer, the best cuts of meats, and how to properly dry and salt it.


    He was really going above and beyond for his students. Unfortunately, Servi didn¡¯t even pretend to pay attention.


    Fisher was the only one who noticed her lack of attention, but he wasn¡¯t upset. He remembered what he told the dream Servi that helped rescue him.


    I know she¡¯s stronger than me. Hell, she can use skills without speaking. She tried to hide it by pre-casting, but she failed at that, and it seems that I was the only one who noticed. I best not to antagonize her until I know what her goal is.


    He incorrectly assumed Servi was some kind of agent sent by Blas¨¦ and Eina to watch over him. That was the only reason he could think up. Because why else would someone so strong and powerful be attending a mentor program if not to keep him in check?


    The only thing I can think of that would warrant such a thing would be my past. But Marissa''s the only one who knows, and that¡¯s because I told her a few days ago.  Arnold was the other one who knew, but he¡¯s dead. There is a chance she is working for a survivor, someone we failed to kill when Arnold and I went on our rampage... Is Servi here to punish me for that? What if I¡¯m wrong and she¡¯s here for something else?


    Fisher tossed a couple of berries into his mouth.


    Is she really Rank 10? She has to be because she couldn¡¯t have been referred to me if she wasn¡¯t. Fisher, lay down the facts and think this through. One: she¡¯s stronger than you are. Two: She¡¯s Rank 10. Three: She isn¡¯t blessed. Four: She can use skills without speaking. If not that, then she uses a different method of activation, which should be impossible.


    Fisher''s mind racked at the thought of solving the million dupla questions. Who was Servi? Why did she try to blend in as someone weak? How could she use skills without chanting? Popping the rest of his berries in his mouth, he watched the two Dwarves and Silverado chat about something while he continued to think.


    She has to be lying about being blessed. Warden wouldn¡¯t bend the rules for anyone, so that¡¯s out. And my body shakes at the thought of fighting her. It''s never been wrong before. Using skills without speaking should be impossible, but there are rumors of Virin Keywater being able to it. If she was related to the emperor, then Blas¨¦ and Eina, no, Claus and Qina Keywater would¡¯ve said something. But they didn¡¯t. Could it be possible that this goes deeper than them? Maybe. But it¡¯s also possible this is just a bunch of coincidences.


    Fisher took in a deep breath, exhaled, and stood up. He prematurely ended his Create Water skill after noticing nobody was using it. ¡°Alright, breaks over. Get your bags back on and follow me.¡±


    Fisher waited a moment or two while bags and shields were reattached, then walked out of the forest.


    I don''t think she''ll do anything right now.  If anything, it''ll be when we''re alone.  Well, that is if she is indeed after me.  All I can do is pretend not to notice.  If I have a chance to be alone with her, then I''ll take it and confront her.


    I¡¯m sure of it. This is the place where I woke up. Servi thought while she followed Fisher down the road heading in a direction she chose not to go at first.

 Book Two – Chapter Nine – Part Three – Final Exam

    It was strange, Servi thought, that the single choice she made upon waking up decided everything. If she didn¡¯t go the way she did, then Servi never would¡¯ve met Momo, and there was a chance she wouldn¡¯t have met Itarr. If that was the case, it was highly likely the slaves wouldn¡¯t have been freed during her adventure with  Llamare and Liealia, and Albert and Parrel would still be alive. She wouldn¡¯t have met Claire and probably wouldn¡¯t have joined Warden, either.


    I just can''t believe that one choice I made decided the fate of hundreds. She thought to herself as her eyes scanned beyond the emerald oceans of grass. Two rolling plains flanked them from both sides as they walked down the road, and both were nearly devoid of anything other than green.


    Servi mostly stayed silent during the long walk, choosing to add her comments and thoughts to the various conversations a few times, but soon it was time to take a break. Looking around, Fisher commented that in situations like this, they needed to find something tall to get under to cool off. "You see that tree there? It''s not unusual to find one growing by itself in an area like this, but they rarely ever get that big.  If you see one, then be sure to take advantage of it."


    They all walked over to the lone tree and took refuge underneath it.  The cool shade it provided was very much enjoyed by the two Dwarves and Koena, who had been showing signs that they were getting a little exhausted.


    From the time they left Canary to now, they¡¯d passed by seventeen wagons and nineteen walking travelers, most of whom recognized Fisher from his black armor. Those who did gave him a swift salute or a nod.


    How dare people love a man like him?! He¡¯s not deserving of any love.  Thought Servi.


    She took a seat against the tree and reached into her pouch. Taking out a 1 dupla coin, she began to flip it just to have something to do. As she did, she glanced over to the left and saw Silverado and Desperado sit down.  A thin layer of almost translucent liquid dripped down their scales, and Servi was confused.


    Is that sweat? It kinda looks like a clear coat of paint, but maybe that''s how a Koena sweats?  Like how a dog pants and a pig has to roll in the mud to cool off.


    Servi couldn¡¯t relate to their exhaustion, but she felt the relief their faces showed when they finally sat down. A moment later, Fisher Jin stood up and used Create Water.


    Might as well not make it awkward¡­ Servi was third in line behind Riki and opened her mouth wide when she was underneath the stream.


    It was lukewarm, not as pure as the water she could create, and it had a slight metallic aftertaste, but it wasn¡¯t like she needed to drink. She only did so to keep up appearances.


    And so the second break was over without a single incident. As Fisher waited for his students to get ready, he continued to lead the motley crew towards what would be their sleeping spot.


    Five hours later, Fisher and his six mentees were sitting around a fire he had made using Fire Wall. They sat on a green plain next to a flowing river of azure, and the night air was filled with the smell of still-cooking meat.


    ¡°This is a good place to sleep. It¡¯s wide open, so it''s easy to know if someone is coming. If you¡¯re next to a river, even better,¡± Fisher had told them as they made their way over 37 minutes ago. He had found a deer sleeping in the middle of the plain, which he said was a bit unusual, and retrieved his bow and a single arrow from his Dimension Storage skill.


    ¡°When you reach Rank 4, this is the first skill you should learn. Once you acquire it, you don''t have to be worried about carrying numerous bags of supplies with you as you travel. You can just retrieve them from anywhere,¡± he had told them.


    It¡¯s just like my Absorption, but worse. There¡¯s no need to waste time on chanting. Commented Itarr.


    Fisher took aim at the deer and let loose a single arrow that duplicated itself as it flew. The two projectiles, one conjured by Skill Energy, punctured both the brain and the heart of the sleeping animal.


    ¡°That was the skill called Two Shot.  Archery is a good thing to fall back on. If you have an enemy running towards you, it¡¯s possible to let off a few arrows before you need to switch to your shield. But don¡¯t press your luck. A tank is a tank when they use a shield to take the damage. Don¡¯t use a bow if you aren¡¯t confident in your skills, or if you can¡¯t switch back to a shield fast enough,¡± Fisher ended his short lesson on bows.


    Fisher and his mentees walked out to the dead deer. He took a skinning knife from his Dimensional Storage and began to dress the carcass.


    Servi decided to turn away and focused on gathering sticks and rocks for the fire pit they would soon need.


    Thirty-seven minutes later, she stared down at the half-eaten meat pierced by a brown stick and bit into it. It was tenacious and hard to tear, but as Fisher would say, ¡°It was food.¡±


    Using her peripheral vision, the lone girl glanced at the sky. There wasn¡¯t a cloud in sight, and the pretty stars were visible for all to see. The moon, big and bright and whole, stared down on the world.


    I wonder if Momo is looking up at the night sky as well? I really wanna go to the moon.  It''s so pretty and--


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to break into three teams of two to watch the fire and be on the lookout for any potential danger. It¡¯s an important task, so do your best to not fall asleep when it¡¯s your turn. Riki, Silverado, you take first watch. Rakkire, Feral, you got the second, and Desperado, Servi, you¡¯ll finish us out. If any of you feel like you can¡¯t stay awake, then wake me up,¡± Fisher''s voice interrupted Servi''s pleasant thoughts.


    ¡°Right,¡± Servi only slightly hiding her irritation. She took out her coin and proceeded to flip it after she finished her dinner.


    The next twenty minutes went by without any incident. Feral finished up his meal, growled in thanks for the food, and laid down. Fisher used Create Water for the last time for those who were thirsty and also laid down.


    ¡°Another thing,¡± he said, ¡°When camping in the open, sleep with your armor on if you can. If it¡¯s too uncomfortable, then wear as much as you can. As for your weapon, learn to fall asleep while gripping it. If you¡¯re in a group like this, it¡¯s not as important because you¡¯ll have someone on lookout. But if you¡¯re solo, then do all you can to make sure you¡¯ll have the advantage if you¡¯re attacked. So be sure to take that knowledge to heart. The Create Water I used will shut off in five minutes.¡±


    Closing his eyes, Fisher turned to his side with his sword gripped tightly and drifted off to sleep in front of the campfire.  Its red flames were illuminating the vicious scratch marks on his black armor.


    I''m surprised none of them made a fuss of me being the only one to sleep uninterrupted.  I''ll stay awake for about an hour or so for each shift, just to make sure my students can handle it.


    ¡°Should we call it for the night?¡± Desperado whispered to his five fellow mentees.


    Servi shrugged her shoulders after putting her coin in her pouch. ¡°Might as well. Just wake me up when it¡¯s my turn to watch.¡±


    Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll always be watching. If something happens, I¡¯ll wake you. Good night, Servi.  I love you.


    The girl with red eyes and black hair rolled over on her side, facing away from her friends. Then, she spoke in a quiet voice. ¡°Good night, Itarr. I love you too,¡± her left arm was positioned underneath her head, and she laid on her shield, using it as a pillow. It was a very uncomfortable pillow, nonetheless. Her sword laid in its sheath, ready to be drawn at a moment¡¯s notice.


    Servi closed her eyes, and she soon drifted off to sleep. Even though she didn''t need to sleep, it wasn¡¯t like she could subtly stay awake the entire time.


    From behind her, Desperado and Rakkire laid down and placed their shields beside them. Like Fisher, they had their weapons in their hands.  They never tried to sleep outside on the bare grass while under the moon before, but it was something they needed to learn how to do.


    Riki and Silverado, meanwhile, scooted closer to the heat source while Riki used his axe''s head to move some of the sticks around in the fire pit.


    ¡°Aye, gotta keep the air flowing if you want it to burn as long as it can,¡± he said in a low voice just barely above a whisper.


    ¡°I see. I must admit, when compared to a Dwarf, my knowledge of fire is nothing,¡± Silverado whispered.


    Gradually, the white moon above shifted and soared across the night sky as the two friends, Dwarf and Koena, whispered to each other about one of the core elements of the world. Sure, it was a weird conversation, but a Dwarf always liked it when they had a chance to spread the knowledge about fire. If someone was born a Dwarf, they were statistically more likely to be blessed by a Fire God than any other race.


    Riki and Rakkire were both blessed by Minor Gods of Fire. They were both able to use a few Fire Skills up to Rank 8 but no more.  If they wanted anything else, it would have to be learned from Warden.


    And that was the main weakness of being blessed by a Minor God. They could use skills up to Rank 6 or 7 just by learning the mechanics behind the technique. But other than that, they were no different than an unblessed person who was Rank 6 or 7.


    On the other hand, Major Gods allowed a person to use skills up to Rank 1. In addition, they often had another ability, passive or active, that only they could give, like Dineria¡¯s String Bender. Only Kirchta had that skill, and only those he blessed could use it. But not every Major God had an exclusive technique they could give. In fact, some Gods never gave skills at all but instead granted knowledge.


    For example, a Major God of Combat could impose an advanced understanding of combat on someone who has never picked up a sword in their life, and they would be an equal to someone who has studied for years.  Meanwhile, a Major God of Medicine would give an advanced understanding of medicine and the know-how to make them. In both cases, the one blessed would have little to no skills, but that could be fixed by joining Warden.


    Eventually, the time had come for Rakkire and Feral to take over. Silverado lightly tapped on the hulking beast, and his eyes stirred awake.


    ¡°Is it time?¡± he growled as his large body stood up and stretched.


    ¡°It is. Good luck,¡± Silverado whispered as he laid down. The exhaustion from a day''s worth of travel washed over him like a typhoon, and he was out in a matter of seconds, but not before he tightly gripped his club.


    Riki, meanwhile, kicked his cousin in the back. Feral yawned and wondered why he would do such a thing. He expected Rakkire to start yelling, but he didn¡¯t. Instead, the kicked Dwarf got up, equipped his buckler and axe, and walked over to the fire to join Feral. Riki grunted and laid down, quickly succumbing to the wonders of sleep.


    ¡°Why did he kick you?¡± Feral wanted to know. He reached behind him to grab some sticks, which he half-haphazardly tossed into the fire.


    Rakkire answered him as he used his axe to break up the thicker sticks. ¡°I¡¯m a heavy sleeper. Even if someone yelled at me, I wouldn''t wake up.¡±


    ¡°Kicking is the only way?¡±


    Rakkire looked up at the night sky and nodded his head. ¡°Kicking or pushing. It¡¯s like I can¡¯t hear a single thing when I sleep,¡± his mind raced back to a precious time many years ago when he and Riki were young.  They grew up in a small village that was literally carved into the side of a giant mountain range hundreds of kilometers wide.


    Feral may not have been the smartest Kobold, but he felt a deeper meaning behind his friend''s words. Like Riki, Rakkire, Silverado, Desperado, Momo, Srassa, Fisher, and literally everyone else in the world, they had a past that dictated their future. The events, emotions, and feelings of what happened in the past would carve out the path a person traveled.


    But Servi had none of that. Or did she? She, herself, knew absolutely nothing a month and a half ago. But now? She had friends, not to mention a Goddess inside her. Those two elements fused together, forming the path that she, and only she, could follow.


    The moon continued to soar across the sky. A few hours passed by, and Servi was jolted awake after she felt the touch of a massive hand. She instantly rolled to her left and went into a stance. Her sword was drawn, and her shield was at the ready. Red eyes took notice of the area as her mind analyzed what she saw. It wasn¡¯t until she heard Itarr¡¯s voice that she lowered her weapon and finally took a breath.


    Calm down! It¡¯s just Feral. I tried to wake you up, but I couldn¡¯t get through. Itarr hurriedly said.


    Servi sighed and sheathed her sword. ¡°Sorry about that. I almost forgot where I was at.¡±


    During the swift encounter, Feral stayed perfectly still. He grinned and spoke. ¡°It is fine. I must admit, you rolled right away and pulled your weapon. Even if I am an ally, it is never wrong to practice how you would respond if I was an opponent.¡±


    Servi just nodded and took her place by the fire as Feral laid back down. The red beast of nature was hot and crackled every few moments. Desperado, who finally woke up, sleepily rubbed his eyes as he took a seat. In the background, Servi heard snoring that only could¡¯ve come from Riki.


    Taking her sword from her shield sheath, Servi poked at the fire for a bit. Feral was probably the one who placed the large stick on top of the fire. It was actually smothering the flames, depriving them of the oxygen they needed to flourish. To remedy that, Servi used her sword to cut the stick with Telekinesis providing some additional help.


    The fire crackled even more as smoke made its way up to the sky. Servi just stared at the rising column before sighing.


    Desperado, meanwhile, got up and walked over to his bag. He had his shield on his hand and his club on his back, so Servi didn¡¯t know what he was grabbing.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Servi asked Desperado.


    ¡°Apple. Here.¡± He pulled out two red objects from his bag. He tossed it to Servi, who caught it out of the air, then she bit into it. It was juicy and sweet.


    ¡°Thanks," she said with a mouth half-full.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I know Fisher said not to bring any food, but I love apples. I try to eat one a day,¡± Desperado replied. The flames didn¡¯t reflect off his black scales that well as he bit into his food. Servi didn¡¯t mean to stare, but she couldn''t give up the chance to analyze a Koena.  Her memory started when she woke up in the forest a month or so ago.  General knowledge like Humans, trees, grass, oxygen, math, science, and overall common sense stayed.  But Elves? Dwarves? The first time she saw them was when she arrived at Canary.  She honestly had know why she didn''t have a more extreme reaction upon seeing Singi or Koena.  Somehow, she rolled with the floor as best she could, but she yearned for the chance to fill in the missing gaps of information.


    Desperado has teeth like me, but they¡¯re black like his scales.  Even with that in mind, they don''t look diseased or rotten, and he does have a pink tongue.  They look relatively healthy. What exactly is a Koena? If they have a heart like me, then it should¡¯ve been crushed. She turned her head and bit into her apple. Her teeth pierced the peel like it was nothing, and the juicy sweetness invaded her mouth.


    Do they even have organs? What about a brain? They need to, right? I know they have bones because I healed that one Koena with the hurt arm.  Rie? I think that was her name.


    Servi forced herself to stop thinking about the different parts of a Koena and instead focused on enjoying the delectable fruit in her hands.


    Desperado absentmindedly stared up at the night sky.  He didn¡¯t try to force himself to make conversation, and neither did Servi.  There was no reason to. And both of them knew that.


    They just ate their fruity snack underneath a sky filled with stars, while the campfire provided some warmth and light. A few hours later, the sun and the blue sky began to show themselves to the citizens of the world.  Just a few minutes after that, Fisher woke up.


    He said his good mornings to the members of the last lookout. They said it back, and Fisher walked off, away from the group. Using Earth Wall, he gave himself some privacy as he did his morning business.


    As he did that, the other mentees slowly stirred awake. Some were yawning, like Riki and Rakkire, others were stretching, like Silverado, and one Kobold, in particular, began to lift his shield.


    When asked why by Servi, he answered in a low growl. ¡°It¡¯s a way to wake my muscles up and get them ready for the day. It¡¯s no different than stretching.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad thing to do,¡± Fisher said as he walked back over to the camp. The Earth Wall he had made was still standing. ¡°If you need to do your business, there¡¯s the wall for privacy. If you¡¯re thirsty, then use this. It¡¯ll be up for ten minutes,¡± One chant later, lukewarm water fell from the sky a few meters away.


    ¡°Fisher, what about food?¡± Riki asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s another small clearing about 45 minutes down that road. It¡¯s right inside the forest. We¡¯ll eat there,¡± Fisher answered the Dwarf.


    ¡°When will we encounter the enemies?¡± Feral wobbled over to the flowing water and opened his giant mouth.


    Fisher answered the Kobold. ¡°Later on, probably about four or five hours from now. Once we get to the clearing to grab some food, there¡¯s another one some distance away. We¡¯ll set up camp there. From there, it¡¯s about 30 minutes or so to the nest.¡± He then took out a green watch from his Dimension Storage. ¡°It¡¯s a little bit past 7 now, so with luck, we should have breakfast by 8, then get to the second clearing at 10 or 11. I gotta say, we¡¯re actually ahead of schedule. With luck, we might actually get back tomorrow morning instead of tomorrow evening. But it all depends on how long you all take. Regardless, we leave in ten.¡±

 Book Two – Chapter Nine – Part Four – Final Exam

    Four hours later, when the sun was almost at its highest point, the party found themselves walking down a dirt road. To the group''s right was a wide-open plain, and to the left was the tree line of a forest that seemed to go on forever. Three hours ago, they went a few hundred meters into the jungle to find a neat and calm clearing, then they picked some berries. Once their bellies were full, which was easier said than done for a Kobold and their mighty appetite, they were back on the path.


    It was a quiet walk. Not that many words were being spoken or uttered. They were eventually going to be in combat with the dangerous juncea. The only one to really have any experience in life or death combat was Servi.


    The other five have all been in fights with sticks, rocks, or fists, not axe, club, sword, or shield. Even Feral never encountered such a monster like a juncea. He loved to fight and spar, but those were matches in which he knew he wouldn¡¯t die.


    All of them, sans Servi, knew there was a chance they would not make it back to Canary.


    ¡°Okay, you see that sign up ahead?¡± Fisher broke the monotonous silence and stopped walking.


    Squinting, Servi barely made out a big, brown sign with a stylistic bee holding a sword drawn on it.


    ¡°That means we¡¯re getting close to their nest. When we get the clearing, we¡¯ll set up camp. Then I¡¯ll go over the strategy.¡±


    All six nodded, and they continued on.


    Thirty minutes later, they found a small opening in the tree line to their left. Following Fisher, they found a small area where there were no trees. It was almost like it was a natural barrier. The grass was soft and green, with nary a leaf or limb or branch or even a bug. It reminded Servi of the quiet and calm spot where the shiroblooms were at.


    It''s only been a month or two, but it feels like it was a year ago.


    ¡°Alright. Drop your bags and take a seat,¡± said Fisher. As the mentor, he remained standing.


    ¡°Does anyone have any experience or any knowledge about juncea?¡± he asked his class. All six were sitting in the grass. Some had their shields on their arm, and some had them on their back. However, all had their weapons in their hand.


    All of them shook their head, so Fisher began his little lecture by talking about the bees, the juncea.


    ¡°Their sword-like stinger are incredibly sharp and dangerous, able to cut through leather like nothing. In addition, they have dagger-like antennae and razor-sharp blades on the end of their legs. In short, most people believe juncea were bred and created for war. They do, however, have some trouble cutting through metal. And as all of you have metal shields, you should be fine. Remember the training we did.¡±


    Servi¡¯s mind went back to that moment where she should¡¯ve died for the second, third, and fourth time. Three juncea attacked her, piercing her chest and stomach with their sharp and dangerous sword-like stingers. She wasn¡¯t afraid of them now since she knew she could burn them to a crisp in a great wall of fire or flatten them like paste with Stonehenge, a skill that could bring untold pain and agony to someone like Servi.


    I have the power now. I can¡¯t forget that.


    ¡°Then how are we to attack them? What¡¯s the plan?¡± Riki asked. He shook lightly. Sure, the Dwarf was older than Servi and Fisher, but Riki was still a Rank 10 member who was about to go up against monsters that were seemingly designed for battle. He was pretty much jumping into the deep end of a pool without learning how to swim. Deep in his mind, and in the minds of everyone else except Servi and Fisher, they were wondering if they would remember their training when shit hits the fan. Fisher''s mentees knew, even as inexperienced as they were, that training and fighting in a safe environment were drastically different than doing it in for real.


    And that was something they all wanted. If Riki, Rakkire, Silverado, Desperado, and Feral wanted to grow as a person and a fighter, they had to get down and dirty. They were scared and frightened, but good luck getting them to admit it.


    ¡°That¡¯s for you all to decide.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Servi inquired, and Fisher answered.


    ¡°Unless there is a mating ritual going on nearby, a juncea will meet an opposing force with an equal number of allies. Let me explain further. If I were to go up to the nest and wait, one will come out and face me in combat. If I went with four people at my side, then five juncea would come out.¡±


    ¡°I think I get it," Silverado placed a hand to his silvery-scaley chin. ¡°We should decide if we want to do it as a group of two, three, four, five, or six, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll be off to the side with Lucem at the ready.  If there''s any trouble, then I''ll use it and jump right in. I won¡¯t say it¡¯s impossible, but there is a chance to die. At the very least, you can expect to be injured if something goes wrong.¡±


    ¡°Then if you have to intervene, does that mean we fail?¡±


    ¡°Both yes and no. Yes, in the sense that you fail at what all of my guards have done in the past. No, in the sense of me not allowing you to compete in the tournament. Pass or fail, you all have my blessing to participate. In fact, I already submitted the applications.  But I¡¯m here to make sure that you all come back alive and in one piece. A juncea is a ferocious beast, and many an overzealous Rank 10 have died by their claws and stingers. But if you can overcome that fear and kill one in combat, I have no doubt that you all will be ready for your Warden careers.¡±


    NO, it''s not fair! How can he speak like that to us now, when he looked like he was about to kill Seka and Seko?!


    Servi felt her breathing increase and rage flashed across her mind, like a volcano ready to erupt. She made the subtlest movement to get up, witnesses be damned, but a single voice froze her in her tracks.


    It was Momo. Her adorable face appeared in Servi¡¯s mind, and a voice kept repeating itself over and over again.


    ¡°I know you do. I believe in you, too. I know you and all the others will pass this test with flying colors!¡±


    Dammit, Servi! You need to calm down and think things through. If you did kill Fisher right here, then what? You¡¯d have to kill the other five as well because you know they wouldn¡¯t keep it a secret. Their families would be upset because they would never see them again. And what about Marissa, Mari, and Meri? They would lose a husband and a father.


    Servi took a deep breath in, quietly thanking that nobody noticed it, and kept her eyes on Fisher as he kept talking. It was like something flipped inside of her when her head suddenly started to hurt, and she was calm and collected in the next moment.


    I need to commit to it. I have to. That¡¯s why I was given this power, right? That¡¯s why Itarr reached out to me, right? I have to protect those who can¡¯t defend themselves. Even if it means I have to destroy countless families and kill husbands and daughters and brothers and sisters. Tonight... I¡¯ll do it tonight. I swear it. I can do it, right?


    ¡°Now then! You take this time to talk amongst yourselves and figure out how you want to divide this up. It makes no difference to me if you do it in a group or not.  However, if you decide to do it in a group, you all need to contribute an equal amount.¡±


    ¡°Are we restricted on anything?¡± Desperado asked.  He tightly gripped the handle of his shield.


    ¡°Only Rank 10 skills may be used. I know some of you are blessed and thus have access to Rank 9 or even Rank 8, but you cannot use them. Anything else?¡± their instructor answered as he took off his helmet, revealing a brow plastered with sweaty, brown hair.


    ¡°Will the juncea just stand by and allow us to carve their dead? They''ll attack us, right?¡± Rakkire wanted to know.


    ¡°Good question. The answer is no. These beasts are honorable in that sense. Once a battle begins, they have no interest until it is finished. If one of their own is still standing, then they welcome it back. If it dies, then they don¡¯t care what happens to the body. They won¡¯t jump in to help if one of their own is losing, but they will if an opponent is cheating. So, keep that in mind. Any more questions?¡±


    How strange. I never knew those monstrous beasts could do anything but kill. Itarr thought. She was strangely quiet for the day, and she didn¡¯t even say good morning to Servi.  Though that could have been because she was already awake when the morning came.


    After waiting a moment, Fisher continued. ¡°Alright. You all take a little bit of time to talk it over, and I¡¯ll go gather some berries and hunt for some animals. We¡¯ll have some meat tonight to celebrate!¡±


    Fisher walked away to go deeper into the forest with a bow slung around his shoulders with a quiver of arrows on his back.


    Servi was left alone with her five other mentees as they prepared to talk about their plans for the upcoming battle.


    ¡°Does anyone here feel comfortable taking one on solo?¡± Silverado started the discussion.


    Servi and Feral both raised their hands.


    ¡°I believe I could take one on. My shield is tough and strong. I think I just need one good hit to put it down,¡± Feral said when Desperado asked him to explain his reasoning.


    ¡°Same here. If it¡¯s one on one, I¡¯m pretty confident of my chances," that was Servi''s short and brief explanation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do it solo. I mean, aren¡¯t you scared?¡± Silverado asked. Servi stared at his silvery, shaking scales. ¡°Juncea are pretty frightening, and you¡¯re the only one wearing leather armor.¡±


    ¡°I am, but I also have this shield,¡± Servi raised her arm and showed it off. The evil eye painted on it stared at her comrades. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Rakkire sighed. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, then you can go solo. Remember, these monsters probably won¡¯t stop even if you beg them to.¡±


    ¡°I realize that. I¡¯ve never faced a juncea, but I have fought monsters like rats and roaches in the sewers. I know what it¡¯s like to take an attack and feel the pure adrenaline rushing through my body. And I even had an encounter with Black Croc. And I survived,¡± Servi lied about the first part, but the rest was authentic.


    ¡°Black Croc?!¡± the two Koena said at the same time. While they hadn''t seen it before, they had heard the stories.


    ¡°Did you fight it?!¡± Rakkire stared at Servi as he waited for an answer.


    ¡°You fool, not even a Rank 8 could take it solo. Haven¡¯t you heard the rumors? It¡¯s a miracle that someone hasn''t died to it yet," his cousin replied.


    Servi shook her head. ¡°I used Lucem and Thunder Snap to frighten it. I don''t know why it ran away, but I''m glad it did.  But on the fear front, I know it very well," Servi told the truth about fear. The horror she felt when her hand was cut off, and she had to run for her life was genuine.


    ¡°In that case, good luck. You too, Feral," Silver said. He looked to his other three members, and they nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Well then, how about us four?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me," Desperado said to Riki.


    Rakkire and Desperado nodded. ¡°Might as well. Hey, do either of you two mind going first?¡± Rakkire asked Servi and Feral.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± said the girl with red eyes. She stared down at her hand, which held her shield and formed a tight fist.


    Am I actually looking forward to getting revenge on those damn things? She smiled lightly and unconsciously placed her free hand on the hilt of her sword.


    ¡°If it¡¯s fine, I will go second,¡± growled the mighty Kobold. He placed his large hand flat on the surface of his shield.


    Silverado stood up and began to stretch. ¡°Desperado, we need to stretch before a fight. It¡¯d be bad if we suddenly cramped up.¡±


    Desperado placed his wooden club on the ground and stood up. Following his friend, they performed a series of stretches to loosen up their tight muscles.


    ¡°Aye, cousin?¡± Riki said. Rakkire and followed Riki over to a spot a few meters away. The green grass crushed underneath their stocky bodies had the chance to breathe for a moment before finding themselves under metal boots.


    The armor and the bucklers the two of them were wearing were entirely made out of metal. A self-respecting Dwarf would be hard-pressed to wear leather when metal could be both tougher and lighter. But that wasn¡¯t all. The armor they wore was actually forged by their own hands. It was a test from their father, and they passed with flying colors.


    Sure, it was crude and a bit deformed in some areas, but what it lacked aesthetically, it made it up for in toughness. The metal heads of their axes were made from a piece of mythril they had found some years ago. Both of their fathers worked in tandem to make their weapons and shields. They didn¡¯t have any fancying markings, nor was the wood used to make the handles of the axes anything special. But it had the joy and love of their families, their blessing, behind it.


    Servi watched with calm eyes as the two Dwarves took a stance. Riki raised his shield arm and slammed into his cousin¡¯s shield, who promptly did the same. The noise of metal bashing and clanging against metal became background noise for the next five minutes.


    ¡°Why are they doing that?¡± Servi asked.  She had no idea what the two Dwarves were up to.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of some Dwarves and Kobolds who do a type of ''ritual'' to get themselves ready. Perhaps this is it?¡± spoke Silverado.


    ¡°It is,¡± Feral explained. ¡°In my village, there were two Dwarves who worked the village forge. This is called enerurgi. They would perform this before every hunt.¡±


    ¡°How interesting¡­¡± Servi put her hand to her chin as she stared. Riki brought his shield hand back, Rakkire did the same, and they both put all their energy into one final slam.


    The noise produced by the final slam was so loud that it forced every bird within 300 meters to scatter like ants.  The sky, what little they saw through the thick, brown branches and leafy, green leaves, became filled with scores of red and blue and other colorful avian animals.


    ¡°Are you two finished?¡± Desperado asked with a hint of annoyance. He had his club in both hands as he dodged an imaginary enemy.


    ¡°Aye.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m pretty sure you scared away all the animals,¡± Desperado sat down on the ground. Silverado followed him.


    ¡°Maybe, but it¡¯s a Dwarven traditional. I don¡¯t regret it,¡± Riki replied. ¡°Traditions that don¡¯t hurt anyone deserves to be kept.¡±


    Desperado went to respond back but was interrupted by the noise of the nearby underbrush being crushed. Turning around, he saw a familiar man in black armor.


    ¡°Have you all decided?" Fisher asked. He held both hands out while chanting, and the corpse of a deer appeared. It had two arrow wounds in its neck. He sat it on the ground and retrieved a carving knife before getting to work. With a gruesome sound, the silver blade pierced the dead skin. Blood oozed as the knife slithered down, cutting the brown fur from the body it used to keep warm.


    Fisher wasn¡¯t getting enjoyment from doing this. In fact, if he could help it, he¡¯d rather eat fruits and vegetables. But that wasn¡¯t an option. He knew a Kobold needed meat to keep up their strength.


    If I were the old Fisher, I¡¯d forced them to eat nothing but berries. But I¡¯m not.


    ¡°We have,¡± Riki said, staring at Fisher. He glanced up for a moment, but his hands continued skinning and dressing.


    ¡°I''ll be going first by myself," Servi announced.


    That''s not really a surprise. Servi is hiding something, and that something is what makes her more powerful than me... I can feel it.


    ¡°Then it¡¯ll be me," Feral growled.


    That¡¯s not a surprise either. With Feral''s physical strength, he shouldn''t have any trouble.


    ¡°Then the rest of us will go together as four,¡± Silverado explained.


    Considering their skills, that¡¯s probably for the better. But I need to make sure of something.


    ¡°I see. In party-based combat, there has to be an agreed-upon leader to prevent any confusion. Have you decided on one?¡±


    Servi and Feral turned to the group of four, who quickly whispered amongst themselves as they huddled together.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even think of that," Silverado and Desperado said, their voices echoing together.


    ¡°Neither did I,¡± Riki hung his head in shame.


    ¡°How about this? Who here has been in the most fights? That experience could be used interchangeably with being a leader, right? I''ll start.  I''ve sparred a bit with my father, but that was it,¡± Rakkire said.


    ¡°I guess that kinda makes sense. I¡¯ve been in a few fights over the years, but I¡¯ve never fought a monster to the death," Silverado confessed.


    ¡°Same here,¡± added Desperado.


    ¡°And here. I''ve sparred against my dad a few times, but it wasn''t anything major," Riki said.  Clearly, they weren''t getting anywhere fast, so Silverado decided to change the criteria around.


    ¡°Hmm... What about any leading experience?" asked the silver Koena. He crossed his arms and held up a hand.


    ¡°Nope, but my cousin does."


    "I led a small camping trip into the mountains where we grew up,¡± said Riki¡¯s cousin. ¡°But there was no fighting, just camping, and that was about fifteen years ago.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any experience," Desperado admitted.


    ¡°I, too, have led a camping trip. It was about six years ago, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s enough experience to declare me the leader,¡± said Silverado. He broke off from the huddle and glanced at Fisher, whose armored hands were covered in blood. He was hard at work skinning and preparing the deer.


    ¡°How about we watch Servi and Feral fight? Then we can learn how the juncea move and act. Whoever thinks they can take control after watching the two fights can be the party leader. Hmm?¡± Silverado made a good point. He received three nods in return, then they broke off from the huddle.


    Fisher turned his head towards the group of four who would brave the encounter together as he stacked the square cuts of meat on the green grass, turning it bloody. ¡°Who¡¯s the leader?¡± he asked.  A moment later, the food disappeared inside his Dimensional Storage.


    ¡°We¡¯ve decided to see Servi and Feral fight first, then we¡¯ll decide.¡±


    Fisher nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± he finished dressing the deer, stored the rest of the carcass inside his Dimensional Storage, and stood up. A moment later, water began to fall from the sky in a neat, straight line. Putting his hands and carving knife under it, he washed the blood away before storing the knife.


    ¡°If you¡¯re thirsty, drink up. If you have any prayers, say them. We¡¯ll leave in five minutes.¡±

 Book Two – Chapter Nine – Part Five – Final Exam

    Forty minutes later, Fisher and his students were positioned on a small hill that overlooked a musty cave. The area behind the forest, where they had come from, quickly turned into rocky, mountainous terrain, and the soft green grass was nowhere to be found. There were still trees, but it was mostly rocks and dirt, with a bit of white sand mixed in.  It was like what one would find at the base of a mountain, but the surrounding areas were nothing but trees and plains. There were no mountains in sight, which begged the question of how sand got here in the first place.


    ¡°You see? Juncea aren¡¯t like other bees. They don¡¯t have a nest in the sense of a beehive since there aren¡¯t any trees nearby large enough to support their large weight, so they use a cave," Fisher explained. He wasn¡¯t whispering. ¡°There''s no need to worry about hiding yourself. They already know we¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°How do they know that?" Riki asked.  He tightened his grip on his axe.


    ¡°They have lookouts and scouts. I guarantee you a juncea saw us when we left the clearing. There¡¯s no need to hide because even though they¡¯re monsters, they have honor. They won¡¯t attack first unless they¡¯re in their mating rituals, and the last time that occurred was a few months ago. The next one isn¡¯t supposed to happen for three months, so we¡¯re good. Now let¡¯s go.¡±


    Fisher stood up from his crouched position and made his way down the hill to the cave. The six mentees followed, their shields ready and their weapons gripped tight. Only Servi was totally calm. Feral acted like he was in complete control, but the blood dripping from the numerous sharp stingers shook him. And the other four were getting close to panicking. Silverado¡¯s breathing increased tenfold, almost to the point where he was hyperventilating. Riki and Rakkire closed their eyes for a moment as they took a deep breath. Desperado rubbed the surface of his shield in an unprofessional and hasty manner.


    Fifteen juncea stood outside. The monsters'' sharp blades on the end of their legs clacked against each other like they were clapping. Their large wings buzzed loudly and incessantly. Their sword-like stinger sometimes dragged against the ground as they flew in a pattern, making geometric shapes of all different sizes that Servi didn¡¯t know the meaning behind. She asked Fisher, and he said they were rings.


    Rings? Itarr was as confused as Servi, who only shrugged her shoulders.


    By now, they were within ten meters of the closest one, and once they crossed an invisible threshold, all of the juncea stopped. One by one, they turned to look at the seven intruders who wished to test their strength against the might of a juncea.


    ¡°Juncea. I am Fisher Jin, and my students wish to test their skills against the members of your race!¡± the former Justice Captain yelled. The dark, dank cave was slightly illuminated by the sun, and Servi saw thirty more juncea inside. Some were lying on the ground, and others buzzed aimlessly. Large raw chunks of bloody and pungent rotten meat were sat away in the corner, and two or three juncea were cutting at it with their stingers and claws. But once they heard the declaration, they all rushed out in a neat and organized manner.


    ¡°Fisher, is this normal?¡± Sweat poured from Riki''s face.  He imagined his chest exploding from a simple thrust of their razor-sharp claws, covering his cousin in a gory mess.  Those awful, vivid scenes never left his mind when he shook his head a moment later, so he squeezed his hand until the pain forcibly cleared those gory mental pictures.


    In a matter of moments, all of the juncea became organized in a square-like formation. A single juncea stood at the front. It was large, but Feral had it beat on the height department.  But the beast had something Feral didn''t, and that was a body full of bloody scars, which stared down Fisher and his students. The beast had certainly seen its fair share of battles to the death. Its sword-like stinger was cracked, but fresh blood dripped from its claws. After raising them, the leader juncea clashed them against each other before producing a buzzing noise with its wings. A moment later, the two dagger-like antennae on the large juncea¡¯s head began to slam against each other.


    ¡°It is. That¡¯s the ruler of this colony. The toughest and strongest this group has to offer. He has recognized our challenge and is telling the rest of the hive," their mentor answered.


    ¡°Can they understand us?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no. Juncea can¡¯t understand our words, but they can understand our actions. Do you see that? It means to stand back,¡± Fisher answered Servi''s question and pointed to the large and scarred juncea that was stabbing the ground with its broken stinger. A moment later, it swiped it up, slinging dirt and rock towards the group.


    Servi¡¯s group walked backwards while two juncea floated towards them. The two monsters were close together. Suddenly, they both jabbed their stinger into the ground and began to move. A minute later, the two juncea flew back to the formation, and Servi saw what they were working on.


    It was a square arena, and it was of decent size. Servi assumed what it would be used for. A moment later, Fisher confirmed her assumption.


    ¡°This is the arena. If you leave the ring, you lose.  If you lose your life, you lose. To be honest, I didn¡¯t account for this.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Desperado''s voice cracked with panic.


    ¡°Usually, juncea like to battle to the death, and there is no way to forfeit. They only use this format when there was an incident or event that resulted in the many deaths of their hive members.¡±


    Like the day I arrived? If what Fisher said was correct, then that was a mating ritual I interrupted. And there were a lot of bodies. I guess this was my fault, but maybe it¡¯s a good thing.  But hold on, this isn''t anywhere near where I first encountered them.  Maybe they left? Whatever, it''s not like it matters to me.


    "It¡¯s a bit contradictory, but even though our foes have chosen this format, the juncea still won¡¯t forfeit if they¡¯re in danger of losing or dying. It goes against common sense if you think about it, but this is good, though. If you ever feel like you¡¯re in danger of losing, then you can just leave the arena. It¡¯ll be your loss, and I won¡¯t have to jump in,¡± Fisher paused for a moment, then continued from where he left off.  "But I will jump in if I need to."


    ¡°So we can''t kill them?"


    ¡°You can. A proper fight is what all juncea want, and they won¡¯t try to leave the arena once a match is started. They strive for combat, but somewhere along the way, they learned of honor. Like I said, as long as it¡¯s not during a mating ritual, then juncea won¡¯t attack you. Even if they¡¯re starving and dehydrated. They will, however, attack wild animals and other monsters,¡± Fisher answered Servi.


    ¡°Why do they do that? I do not understand these creatures,¡± Feral continued to stare at them with his alligator-like eyes.


    Fisher answered him. ¡°That I do not know. I just know they won¡¯t attack a person who¡¯s walking down the road minding their own business. But, as I said, they will try their hardest to kill you if you do end up fighting against them.¡±


    Why would they fight to the death even after a bunch of them were killed? It doesn''t make even the smallest amount of sense. Itarr said after thinking about it. Servi only shrugged her shoulders.


    Their mentor turned to the mysterious girl, who was able to use skills without speaking. ¡°You¡¯re up first, right?¡±


    The sun shone down on Servi and her black hair. With a quick nod, she drew her blade and stepped into the drawn arena. The dusty dry ground cracked and crunched below the weight of her steps, and she pointed her sword directly at the group of juncea.


    Good luck, Servi. I won¡¯t interfere. Itarr said. She knew there was no possible way for her beloved to lose, so she wanted to enjoy the battle while taking in the variety of emotions that were sure to be released.  After all, it was the perfect learning experience.


    ¡°If you want to cheer, I have to ask you to refrain from doing that. To the juncea, battle is sacred and something that must be observed, but never reacted to,¡± Fisher took a seat on the ground, placed his sword beside him, and removed his helmet. The two Koena and Dwarves did the same, sans the helmet. Feral sat on his shield after it slammed into the ground, sending up a wave of thick dust. He intended to send a shock of fear through the juncea army standing before him, but it failed spectacularly. Such an elementary intimidating technique wouldn''t work on them. If anything, it only served to piss them off.


    The leader turned around to its fellow monsters before clacking its weaponized appendages together. Then, it spun back around. It pointed one of its legs, with its razor-sharp, bladed edge, at Servi while his two antennae smashed into one another.


    Shocked, Fisher spoke a single word. ¡°Impossible.¡±


    ¡°Why, what¡¯s wrong? Is she in danger?¡±  Silverado spoke with urgency and worry. He nervously gulped when the biggest juncea flew into the arena.


    ¡°I have never seen a leader of a colony step into the ring.  They usually stand back and watch, but...¡±


    I wonder if he can sense the strength coming from Servi? If that''s the case, then it''s likely he wants to prove himself.


    ¡°Then shouldn''t we do something?!¡± Rakkire went to get up, but Fisher shook his head. Riki grabbed his cousin''s hand and dragged him back down.


    Fisher held a hand and pointed to Servi, who had her shield up and ready with the flat edge of her blade resting on it. "You don''t need to worry about her. Just take a look at her stance, and know that she''s ready for whatever comes her way." After he said that, Fisher became quiet and watched Servi''s fight with the rest of his students.


    Servi, is this normal? Itarr asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t expect the big one to challenge me. Regardless, it¡¯s going to die,¡± Servi clanged her sword against her shield. Her foe returned the noise with a rattle of its sharpened legs.


    The air was quiet and thin with a hollow breeze, and the only noise Servi heard was the buzzing wings of the monster in front of her. She wasn¡¯t even sure if she was breathing.


    The leader of the colony stared down its opponent.  Its instincts told it that a mighty monster, disguised as a human, was standing just a few meters away.


    For Servi, she was staring at another obstacle that needed to be overcome. Its ¡®soul,¡¯ Servi wasn¡¯t exactly sure it was accurate to call it that because, according to Momo, monsters were spawned into the world in a place where Skill Energy was plentiful, would soon be deposited into her ring. The energy that fueled the juncea would soon empower her, and she would grow stronger and faster.


    Why am I even doing this?! I said I didn¡¯t want to stand out, but I have the strongest urge to prove myself. And it''s like I want to kill.  Why?! A moment and a headache later, she blinked. There¡¯s no use in worrying about it now. All I can do is take out the monster in front of me.


    A nearby leaf from a forest floated down ever so gracefully. The moment its green surface touched the hard ground below the two fighters, the juncea launched forward with its broken stinger, aimed at Servi''s heart; its wings beginning a symphony of determination to prove itself.


    Standing completely still, Servi saw every single motion the monster would take. She slowly lifted her left arm into the correct position and waited for the perfect moment. Dust and rocks scattered and flew from the intense speed of the murderous beast''s wings. The instant the broken stinger came within millimeters, Servi pushed her shield arm forward with as much strength as she could muster.


    The juncea was pushed back through the air, but it wasn¡¯t deterred. It instantly flew forward and retaliated. This time, it used its deadly legs. Servi deftly blocked the attacks that came while waiting for the right moment.  Meanwhile, the audience, both monster and man, saw an orchestra of yellow sparks that confirmed the battle they saw was a fierce one.


    Silverado and the others were able to follow the attacks, but they didn¡¯t believe in their ability to block each and every stab and thrust as Servi did.


    That¡¯s right. If your stinger doesn¡¯t work, then you¡¯ll use your legs. If that fails, then you¡¯ll use your antennae.


    Servi pushed back as an attack was coming and hopped away. The moment the juncea lowered its head and clacked the antennae together, she knew she won. Relying on her favorite skill, Soul Essence of Primal Combat, she knew just what was going to happen.


    This attack is nothing but a decoy. The juncea is going to jam its broken stinger into the ground at an angle and use the momentum to quickly cut me in half.  Sorry, but I''m not the one who''s going to die.


    Servi acted like she was going to dodge out the way and thus waited for the right moment. The buzzing of the juncea¡¯s wings became louder and louder as it got closer. Servi put some weight on her left leg in preparation to jump right, and the juncea took this moment to execute its failed plan. Its future murderer just smiled, letting her teeth show like a wild animal about to enjoy the act of killing her prey. Her red eyes looked down upon the forthcoming sacrifice in bliss and wanting.


    Twenty seconds later¡­


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Silverado exclaimed with wide eyes and an open mouth. And he wasn¡¯t the only one. Everyone there except for Fisher stared in disbelief and disgust. Riki and Rakkire had to fight back the urge to vomit.


    Servi, the mysterious enigma of a girl, walked out of the crudely drawn ring with a sword in one hand and a stinger in the other. Blood covered a part of her blade, and she sheathed it inside her shield. The juncea laid dead behind her, having been hacked bloody and raw as if it was the discarded toy of a mad butcher. The two antennae were ripped out, the razor-sharp legs were violently cut off. The numerous wings on its back were brutally plundered from its owner and slowly dyed red by the blood on the ground.


    But that wasn¡¯t all.


    The juncea was dead after Servi¡¯s first attack, which bisected it to reveal a beautiful red soul that only she could see. But she wasn''t satisfied with that.


    After all, I have to make sure it¡¯s dead, right?  The lust for blood and death ravaged part of her mind as her sword kept swinging and swinging, with each slice and swipe taking off a hefty chunk of meat and body. The arena was enveloped in an uneven mix of blood and organs as her ruthless post-mortem attack came to an end. The last thing she did was cut off the stinger. Battered and broken by both time and her, she wondered if she could get even ten dupla out of it.


    But she didn¡¯t have to care about that.


    With a gentle toss, the stinger landed right next to Fisher.


    ¡°There you go! One stinger,¡± Servi paradoxically smiled at her most hated enemy. The joy of battle and taking a life once again surged inside her body. Her heart, pumping faster than ever, and her mind, wanting to experience the thrill of killing, worked together to give her an indescribable feeling of euphoria. At that very moment, she yearned for battle. She wanted it. She needed it. The vast amount of endorphins that flowed through her body wasn¡¯t natural, but she didn¡¯t notice.


    Let¡¯s just face it. I¡¯m a monster. I don¡¯t know my past, but I do believe I¡¯m a failure of a person.  Is this my true self?


    Servi felt the tinge of a headache, and a light switch went off. Whenever she felt pain in her head, her mood was inevitably about to change. So Servi braced herself. An incalculably small amount of time later, her cheerfulness and smiling face disappeared. She wasn¡¯t sad, but she wasn¡¯t happy. Instead, she was disgusted.


    It¡¯s like someone took what I was feeling and made it disappear. But that¡¯s impossible, right? How can the emotions I''m feeling just up and disappear? Unless....


    She shook her head, erasing those dark thoughts that were filling up her mind, and stared at Fisher. He offered a soft smile and a gentle compliment.


    ¡°Congratulations on passing,¡± he said. When Servi fought, Fisher stared at her with a glare intense enough to burn a hole through a tree.


    There wasn¡¯t a single wasted movement, and she read her opponent perfectly. I didn¡¯t even know a juncea could fake a charging attack like that, especially considering his stinger was broken... But why did you ravage its corpse? Was it out of rage or anger, or did you want to completely obliterate your opponent, even after it died? Servi, just who are you? Fisher¡¯s mind kicked into overdrive with the number of questions he desperately wanted to ask. But he figured since he couldn¡¯t ask now, he¡¯d ask later.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Replied Servi. She sat down beside Feral and took out a small cloth from her pouch via her ring.  Her face held a fake, happy smile, but her mind anything but.


    Why am I so fucked up? Why do I suddenly enjoy killing?


    A second headache later...


    It happened again. Even though I was just upset, those feelings just disappeared.  I feel like a puppet...

 Book Two – Chapter Nine – Part Six – Final Exam

    As she cleaned her sword, Servi realized that two more juncea had floated over to the corpse of the monster she had killed. Their legs were raised up and swiftly came down, cutting the body and spraying red mist everywhere.  They continued until the very ground the body was on was completely soaked and dyed red.


    Fisher turned around and spoke. ¡°They¡¯re something like a janitor. It¡¯s their responsibility to clean up after a match. Feral, you¡¯re up next. Also, I¡¯m sorry, but you four can¡¯t be in a group. Not during a ringed match like this. It¡¯s specifically for one on one fights,¡± then he promptly turned around, pulled out a small red notebook, and began to write. No doubt he wanted to jot down his internal thoughts on what he had just witnessed from a Rank 10.


    ¡°Why did you continue to attack after it died?¡± Feral asked. He turned his large head and stared directly into Servi¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I was caught up in the moment,¡± she honestly told the truth. At that moment, she felt like she couldn¡¯t live another moment without stabbing her sword into the lifeless corpse of that monster. Every stab, cut, slice, puncture, and bash broke another bone or cut off more meat or sprayed more beautiful crimson up into the air. It was no small wonder that she didn¡¯t become covered in blood.


    ¡°I see. Perhaps we¡¯re more alike than I thought,¡± Feral nodded, growled, then turned his head back to the ring. The two juncea were now in the process of eating the crimson remains of their former leader.


    "But that was kinda brutal, you know? I can''t even tell that corpse used to be a juncea."


    "It was, but when you''re in battle, sometimes your emotions get the better of you.  That''s what happened to me," Servi answered Silverado''s question.


    He spoke up again. ¡°How did you know it was going to be a fake charge? Its stinger was broken, so....¡±


    Servi stared at his trembling silvery hands as she spoke yet another lie. ¡°I didn¡¯t. I figured that if it was the leader of the colony, then it wouldn¡¯t do something so straightforward,¡± she couldn¡¯t tell them she knew the exact movements the monster would make.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you scared?¡± Rik gripped the handle of his axe so tightly that his hands began hurting. He was scared.  Adrenaline surged through his body, fueling his fight or flight instinct, though it benefited the flight half more.


    ¡°Yeah. But I figured I either win, or I die,¡± lying again, Servi heard the crunch of bone. The two janitor-like juncea bit and swallowed through the mushed-up meat.


    ¡°Is that such a way to go through life? Just basing it on if you live or die in a single battle? What happens if you fight against someone more powerful?¡±


    Servi answered Desperado. ¡°It¡¯s how I go through life. If I find someone who¡¯s stronger, I run away,¡±  was she telling the truth? She didn''t know.


    But it¡¯s not like there¡¯s someone stronger than me. I mean, I can almost Skill Stack 1,000 times. Who can survive 1,000 Greater Fire Balls raining from the sky or 1,000 Stonehenges?


    ¡°You almost sound like a Kobold,¡± Rakkire took notice of her fighting nature and compared it to what he knew best.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Servi egged him to continue.


    Feral answered for Rakkire. ¡°Most people, when they think of a Kobold, think war. That¡¯s true. We Kobold love to fight, and we enjoy nothing more than to prove our strength. In fact, I would say you are more Kobold than Human.¡±


    Contemplating on his words, Servi stared as the beastly being stood up and bent right back down. In one hand, Feral held nothing. The other gripped the crude handle of his shield. Black and raw, rugged and thick, Servi knew she couldn¡¯t break through it with her current physical strength.  But that wasn''t what was on her mind.


    If I''m so crazy about fighting that I lose myself in it, then does that mean I used to be a Kobold? I mean, is that even possible?!


    ¡°Feral,¡± spoke Fisher, ¡°It¡¯s your turn.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± with heavy footsteps that seemed to shake the very ground, Feral made his way into the arena.


    ¡°Hey, how come he doesn¡¯t have a weapon?¡±


    Silverado answered Servi. ¡°He said that he didn¡¯t need one.¡±


    "That shield is as much of a weapon as anything else, I guess,¡± after speaking her thoughts, Servi became quiet. Her eyes focused only on the Kobold, who jabbed the bottom of his shield into the ground.


    The group of juncea all buzzed at once. A moment later, a single one flew into the ring. It was smaller than the one Servi fought, but its stinger didn''t compare at all. With no blemishes suggesting it was anything less than perfect, it looked most similar to a newly forged sword, a virgin blade that needed to taste blood.


    The fight was over as soon as it began. With such a heavy shield, the juncea stupidly assumed that the giant beast in front of it couldn¡¯t move as fast as it could. After all, it had wings and was able to soar and fly through the sky. The Kobold in front was stuck on land.  He was big and heavy, while his foe was agile and fast.


    The juncea launched forward, using its speed to fly around the nearly two-meter tall shield, but due to the way it was held, the juncea couldn¡¯t see Feral¡¯s hand.


    The truth was that Feral wasn¡¯t holding his shield. It was standing straight up by itself, but his hands were in a position like they were gripping it.


    The juncea took a wide-angle, coming in from almost behind Feral, and it was over just like that. The Kobold spun around with speed that defied his large body, knocking over his shield with his tail.  It landed with a heavy noise that scattered the birds from the trees some meters away and temporarily distracted the juncea from its current predicament. Suddenly, it felt two large hands grip its black and yellow body.


    ¡°You may be fast, but it¡¯s not fast enough. This is the end, juncea,¡± the monster''s life was literally being squeezed out even as it tried its best to fight back, but the pain was too much.  Servi knew it was dead when Feral tense his large hands, and a new soul joined her armada.


    I thought taking a life would be difficult...more intense and thought-provoking, but it is not. Is it because this is nothing more than a monster? Is it because I know another one will be spawned in a few days? Feral had some thoughts as he killed for the first time. He felt indifferent, and it could¡¯ve been because of a variety of different reasons.


    When Feral used his incredible strength, the stinger was easily plucked from the juncea¡¯s corpse as one would a stem from an apple. Like before, the two janitor juncea flew over to their kin and began to dispose of the body. Feral walked back to the group, with the chopping and slicing noise acting as a kind of a victory fanfare.


    ¡°Here,¡± he tossed it to Fisher. Feral then placed his shield on the ground and sat on it.


    ¡°Good work. Now, who¡¯s next?¡± Fisher asked. He turned around to face the remaining four.


    The four remaining challengers looked amongst themselves. It was the silver Koena that spoke first. ¡°I¡¯ll go next.¡±


    Even if we can¡¯t fight in a group, I¡¯ll still be fine. I don¡¯t plan to lose, but it¡¯s nice I have the option to leave so I won¡¯t die.


    ¡°Then get ready. And remember, there is no shame in escaping. If you can walk away from a battle at the end of the day, consider it a victory."


    The four nodded, and Silverado stood up. His kite shield, tapering from a wide top to a narrow bottom, wasn''t the best choice when fighting a juncea.


    The juncea, if it chose to attack low, could use the two dagger-like antennae to get around the narrowness of his shield. If it decided to spread its bladed legs far and assault Silverado that way by scissoring him, it¡¯d be impossible to block. Even though a kite shield was broad at the top, it was still narrower than a heater shield. More accurately, it was skinnier than Servi¡¯s heater shield, which itself was thicker than other shields of the same kind.


    Silverado, meanwhile, would have trouble landing a decisive blow with his blunt weapon. With a sword or any other bladed weapon, even if it was a glancing blow, there¡¯d probably be a wound. And that meant blood. As long as enough time passed, even a minor cut could kill a beast. But with a blunt weapon, it was harder to inflict a deciding blow because they were made for breaking bones. On top of that, Silverado''s weapon was wooden, and he was fighting against a monster who had plenty of razor-sharp appendages at its disposal.


    I need to watch out and make sure my club doesn¡¯t get cut. If it does, then I¡¯m sure to die. Next time, Silverado, make sure to bring a bladed weapon, too.


    He walked to the arena, where a juncea was already standing by. It was smaller than the other two, but it didn¡¯t look scared, frightened, or even nervous. Juncea were a race that wouldn¡¯t back down from a fight.  Silverado looked up and sighed, wiping the clear paint-like sweat from his scaley brow.  There weren''t any clouds in the sky, and the day would only get hotter from here on out.


    Come on, man! Focus! Get ready!


    Silverado smacked the surface of his shield with his club, and the fight began.


    The juncea was wary, though not out of fear, as it flew in a circle around Silverado. The Koena turned at the same speed, not once showing his back to his opponent.


    I¡¯m not as strong as Feral. And I¡¯m not as talented as Servi. So what can I do? This is a fight, though it¡¯s not to the death. I can leave whenever I want to. But¡ª


    Silverado was caught off guard while he was in the depths of his mind. He struggled to raise his shield up in time, proof he was still vastly inexperienced when it came to combat, but it was too late. The juncea¡¯s right leg had managed to slice against Silverado¡¯s shoulder, breaking off a scale. Red blood mixed with another liquid flowed from the wound. Panicked, Silverado swung his club wildly and managed to connect a glancing blow to the monster¡¯s right leg blade.  However, it wasn''t damaged in the slightest.


    It flew back, still buzzing incessantly, and started circling its prey once again.


    Dammit, Silverado, you gotta stay focused! He grimaced and ignored the pain, then did his best to chant.


    The juncea, even though they couldn¡¯t speak the common language, knew what was happening. It rushed in again and lashed out with its two legs. The white sharp bladed edge desperately wanted to snuff out the Koena¡¯s life, and the juncea attacked with full strength. Each strike carried the will of the juncea ¨C a race that thrived on honorable combat ¨C and it was almost a battle of two different concepts.


    The concept of Silverado, a silver Koena who wanted to prove himself to his village, violently defended against a barrage of attacks that changed between swift leg slices and even faster antennae jabs.


    The concept of juncea, a Human-sized bee-shaped monster, who somehow came to acquire the knowledge of honorable combat, was rapidly attacking the silver shield like a cat would a scratching post.


    All the while, the silver Koena forced himself to continue chanting. But even as he spoke the words of power, his mind waned for a moment, and he lost his concentration. Once that happened, he had no choice but to try again. For a beginner like Silverado, chanting and blocking were incredibly difficult to do concurrently. He was being pushed back by the monster, and he was in danger of stepping out.


    Dammit!


    The pain from his shoulder was no longer dulled, and a burning sensation began to flood his wound. His arm was slowed by a fraction of a second, but he was already having problems keeping up with his opponent''s attacks.


    Why?! Why can¡¯t I do it?!


    A moment later, another mistake. This time, the juncea spread its legs out wide and turned them inward. Like a scissor closing up, Silverado was about to be cut from both sides. His shield didn¡¯t have a curve, so he couldn¡¯t use it to save himself. If he used his club to stop the attack, it¡¯d probably be destroyed. The wood used to make his weapon wasn¡¯t that tough or durable, a mistake that proved to be almost fatal. He could, however, use his shield to block one attack, but it meant that his other side would be vulnerable. If he used his arm, there was a chance for it to be chopped off.


    I''m going to be the only one who failed, aren''t I? Shit.....


    With his mind kicking into overdrive, he realized that there was one option left.


    He had to forfeit.


    The way forward, left, and right was no good. He had only one way to get out of here alive, and he decided to take advantage of it. Putting all of his strength into one final jump, he leaped backwards. Still, he wasn¡¯t quick enough. Both of the enclosing legs ended up carving off two scales from each side.


    ¡°GAAH!!!¡± screamed Silverado. He couldn¡¯t suppress the pain. The juncea went to finish him off but immediately stopped.


    The silver Koena was almost entirely inside the ring, but his head was just slightly over the perimeter.


    He had lost. More importantly, he had survived.


    Upon securing the first victory for its kind, the juncea Silverado lost against clacked its antennae and legs together in a display of happiness.


    ¡°Silver?!!¡± Desperado screamed his friend''s name. He went to get up, but Fisher stopped that.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he won¡¯t die. It¡¯s just a few cuts," Fisher said while standing up. As he made his way to his fallen student, he saw the winner take a victory lap around the ring, kicking up dust and rocks with its furious wings.


    Fisher crouched down and held both hands to Silverado''s exposed chest. Even though he wore metal armor, there were gaps. Mainly, there were openings on both shoulders and both sides. Even though they were tiny and small, they were still taken advantage of. Before the juncea left the arena, it flew over to the five scales that littered the ground and shattered them with five quick thrusts of its stinger.


    Fisher chanted the skill for Remedium Lux, an upgraded form of Remedium, and the wounds partially disappeared. The scales didn¡¯t grow back, that would take some time, but the pain vanished.


    The Koena opened his eyes and saw Fisher''s hand stretched out.


    ¡°You did well,¡± that was all he said. His brown eyes stared down with a feeling towards a Demi he had yet to experience. He was proud of what his student had accomplished.


    Silverado bared his teeth before sighing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he apologized, hesitating for a few seconds before grabbing the outstretched hand. His mentor gave him a soft smile as he helped Silverado up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize,¡± Fisher replied, backing up a few steps.  He wanted to make sure that Silverado could walk by himself.  The Koena could, but it was with a little bit of a limp, and Silverado clutched his sides.  But it was manageable, and he walked back to the group with his mentor.


    Desperado stood up, helping his friend sit down when they got closer.


    ¡°Are you okay? Does it hurt?!¡± he asked. Taking a deep breath, he looked at his friend¡¯s shoulder. The area below the scale was exposed, and Servi got a good look at it. It was red and lightly pulsed. A bit of crimson blood dripped down, covering his silver scales.


    So are the scales a form of armor? Then why is it pulsing underneath?


    ¡°Desperado, it¡¯s fine. My vital organs weren¡¯t there.  My heart is with my lungs in my stomach.  All of my other organs are safe and sound,¡± he replied.


    Wait?! Is his heart in his stomach? What the fuck?!  Servi realized that Koena were different from other humanoids, but she never expected them to have moving organs.


    Servi took a chance to speak. ¡°Then what was hit?¡±


    ¡°My one of my spleens. Oddly enough, all three of my spleens were in the places that got attacked,¡±  Silverado answered. ¡°It hurts, but I¡¯m in no danger of dying. I just have to be careful with what I drink.¡±


    THREE SPLEENS?! Aren¡¯t we supposed to have one only? Wait, why do I know that? Gods above, I¡¯m even more confused.


    "Why didn''t you use Pulm--"


    "You know I hate that.  Remember what happened to me when we were little?" Silverado replied with an edge in his voice that could slice through diamonds, cutting off his childhood friend as he was about to ask something.


    Pulm? What was he going to say? Before Servi had a chance to ask, their mentor spoke.


    ¡°Remember what I said? Rank 10 skills are allowed. So things like Protection, Thunder Snap, and Lucem are available to be used,¡± Fisher reminded them. He opened up his Dimension Storage, after chanting, and pulled out three small bandages. He handed them to Silverado, who promptly applied them to his three wounds.


    ¡°I was trying to use a skill, but I couldn¡¯t block and chant at the same time,¡± he tied the first one around his shoulder.


    ¡°It is hard. But that¡¯s why you need to use your Protection and other protective skills before you fight. Obviously, you won¡¯t always have that chance. But take it when you can," Fisher took the time to give an impromptu lesson.


    Suddenly, Silverado erupted into a fit of laughter. ¡°I forgot to use Protection?! God, I¡¯m so pathetic," a small chuckle escaped his lips as he continued to wrap his wounds.


    ¡°Oi, don¡¯t say that. If Fisher wouldn¡¯t have said anything, then I would''ve gone in too without using it,¡± Desperado said whatever he could to lessen his friend''s humiliation.


    ¡°Aye, same here,¡± said Rakkire in support.


    ¡°I would¡¯ve forgotten as well,¡± said the Dwarf¡¯s cousin.


    ¡°Look, this is the second-best scenario,¡± Fisher spoke up. He knew what he was going to say was harsh, but it needed to be said. ¡°If you lose the fight, but come out with the knowledge to learn from that loss, then it¡¯s a win. You now know about the abilities of a juncea, as well as always using Protection when you can.¡±


    Fisher wasn¡¯t done yet. He waited until Silverado had tied the third bandage before continuing. ¡°It might seem hard to believe, but when emotions are running high, adrenaline is pumping through your body, and you have tunnel vision, common sense may not be so common anymore. I know I¡¯m repeating myself, but don¡¯t take the loss personally,¡± he stared directly at the wounded Koena.


    Then why was Servi able to win so easily?! Am I less than a Human woman, the weakest sex of the frailest race?! Even if she did lift Feral''s shield, I should be above her!


    Silverado thrashed around inside his mind for a while before replying to Fisher. ¡°You¡¯re right. I promise to learn from this.¡±


    At that moment, the three of them who hadn''t stepped into the ring used Protection.


    ¡°Good. Now, who¡¯s next?¡±

 Book Two – Chapter Nine – Part Seven – Final Exam

    The time was 12:56 PM, and the sun was blistering hot.  Seven people were traveling through the forest, followed the path they traveled only hours earlier in reverse. Some were happy, and some were sad.  Fisher Jin was at the front while his mentees were traveling behind him.  All six had the chance to fight, but did they all win?


    Desperado was the fourth one to step into the ring. He won, barely, after being tossed to the ground. His opponent was a juncea bigger than the one Feral faced. Its powerful stinger rammed into the black Koena, knocking it to the ground. He wasn¡¯t hurt, thanks to his tough scales and Protection, but he was in a precarious position.


    He had enough time to run over to the ring and leave, but Desperado chose to fight. Gripping the soft, brown dirt, mixed with sand, into his hand, he got to his feet and tossed it at the juncea in one swift motion.  The monster, now blinded, lashed out at random. Desperado took advantage of this and swiftly made his way behind the distracted beast.


    With a mighty yell, he raised his club just as the juncea figured out where he was at. He had to quickly raise his shield to block a series of rapid thrusts.  Even though the juncea was blind, it still had some fight left in it.  If it couldn''t see him, it would hear him.


    Desperado picked up on that and quickly backpedaled.  Staying completely still, he watched as his opponent did its best to locate its prey.  He turned back to the group of juncea and noticed they were completely still.  If they wanted to, they had the perfect chance to help their comrade.


    Desperado succeeded in sneaking around to the back of the juncea after tossing a rock as a distraction. He was finally in the prime position to finish this off for good.  With a Koena''s strength and muscles fueling his attack, his opponent was none-the-wiser when he brought his brown club down. The exoskeleton that gave its body its rigid shape and overall defensive properties were utterly crushed, and the juncea collapsed. Its horrifying death cries were conveyed to its colony by way of its buzzing wings and clacking antennae.


    ''Brothers, I don''t want to die.'' It begged.


    Desperado turned around and saw that the other juncea were motionless. Not a single one made the tiniest hint of movement to assist their comrade. Their beady black eyes never blinked, and their arms or antennae never smacked against each other. Their rules were ironclad.


    ''Help...''


    The buzzing wings slowly came to a stop when it realized its cries were being ignored.  For the first time in its life, the juncea was full of fear and fright.  The cold looming death that took the shape of a black Koena walked over.  He stood over the fallen beast, still twitching and barely clinging to life, and raised his club.


    A moment later, the juncea had lost its life.


    A few seconds after that, the black Koena walked out with his prize. He was followed by a red soul that he couldn''t see.  After the standard congratulatory congratulations, Riki hobbled over to the ring.


    His opponent was already inside, waiting for him. He glanced to the left and realized the two juncea that acted as janitors weren¡¯t done disposing of the corpse. Not having enough time to do their job before the fight, the two impaled the dead body of their fallen comrade and dragged it out of the ring. He thought it was a vile practice.


    Cannibalism eh? Can¡¯t say I¡¯m a big fan of it. Looking down at his hand, he saw the flower that signified Protection. He still had some petals left, so he didn¡¯t want to waste any Skill Energy to refresh it.


    The moment he pounded his axe into his buckler, the juncea darted ahead. As monsters, most juncea stuck to a single method of attack. It was almost like a set of instructions was engraved in the Skill Energy that made up their core.


    For the juncea, it was to be fast, sharp, and ruthless. Most took that to mean to charge ahead and tire out the enemy with repeated attacks. But then there were some who twisted those instructions and followed their own interpretation of it. For the juncea that Servi fought, it altered the command of ruthlessness into using deceit and feints. And it would¡¯ve won if not for the fact that Servi was, by far, the worst opponent it could¡¯ve fought.


    Riki held his shield up and stayed his ground when it collided with the incoming stinger of the monster. Thanks to a Dwarf¡¯s stockiness and strength, as well as the training he received from Fisher, Riki wasn¡¯t fazed in the slightest. The Dwarf swiftly responded with his axe, and his adrenaline kicked into overdrive. His face took on a neutral look as he approached with a raised arm.


    It¡¯s like the world is slower. Or maybe I¡¯m faster? Regardless, I can do this. Just remember the training!


    Keeping a careful eye on his opponent, Riki dipped down and picked up some brown dirt. The juncea took the chance to charge in but backed off at the last second. Riki fell for the feint and raised his shield, dropping all of the dirt.


    Ye won¡¯t let me use that, will ye? Well, I can chant. Maybe I can even fake it?


    Riki followed through with his plan and began to chant. He didn¡¯t plan on finishing it, so he wasn¡¯t surprised when the juncea rushed in again. This time it wasn¡¯t with a sword-like stinger but with the piercing antennae on its head.


    The Dwarf didn¡¯t know if it was going to be a fake charge, like the one with Servi or a real one. He had a 50/50 chance of guessing right.


    Maybe I can make it a 100 percent chance, eh? But this has a chance of backfiring. I don¡¯t see any other way I can win, though.


    Taking a page out of Servi¡¯s book, Riki put weight on his right foot and prepared to dodge. But at the same time, he had his axe in a reverse grip. Instead of having the axe''s head face the ground, it was flipped and pointed to the sky while being hidden by his metal buckler.


    The moment he realized the juncea wasn¡¯t going to fake it, he dodged to the left. Concomitantly, he tightened his grip on his axe and forced his hand up as fast he could. It connected with the juncea¡¯s mandible, slicing it, but it didn¡¯t completely cut through it.


    The juncea was going too fast, and though the Dwarf did inflict some damage, he didn¡¯t have a good grip on his axe. The moment it made contact with the monster¡¯s mandible, the weapon was viciously torn away and landed not even 10 centimeters away. But since it was outside the ring, and he couldn¡¯t get it without forfeiting the fight. But that wasn¡¯t all. During the exchange of blows, Riki broke two of his fingers in the hand that gripped his axe, and he was in terrible pain. The adrenaline and endorphins flowed through his body, but they weren''t helping at all.


    Rakkire made the move to pick it up, but Fisher stopped him. ¡°If you toss it in, it¡¯d be considered helping.¡±


    ¡°But he doesn¡¯t have a weapon!¡± Rakkire tried to pick it up, but Fisher grabbed his arm, stopping him again.


    ¡°He does. Just watch.¡±


    The juncea was in obvious distress, with half of its mandible missing. So Riki took advantage and used his trusty buckler as a weapon to attack it while it was writhing in pain.


    After that exchange, I''d say I came out on top.


    ¡°That was a dumb move on my part, but at least I still have my shield. Good thing my broken fingers are on my other hand. This is the end, juncea,¡± Riki solemnly whispered in a voice that wasn¡¯t like him. The moment this fight started, something that made up Riki''s core fractured. It allowed new thoughts and feelings that never had a chance to thrive or exist to appear within his soul.


    With a mighty swing of his buckler, the juncea lost its life. It was none the wiser of the impending shield slam, and Servi gained another soul to add to her collection.


    With a Dwarf¡¯s strength, he bashed the fleshy part of the juncea¡¯s stinger until it broke off, and more blood deluged the already soaked arena.


    Riki almost looked something like a villain as he quietly walked back to his group. Sweat poured from his tan face, which heaved for air, and a brutally busted stinger was his victory prize, but it didn''t feel like he won.


    ¡°Here you go, cousin." Rakkire handed Riki his axe.  ¡°Good work,¡± he added.


    ¡°Aye, thank you, cousin,¡± Riki replied.  He tossed the singer in the ever-growing pile and sat down.  Taking his axe from his cousin, he rested it on the ground in front of him as he waited for his mentor to heal him.


    ¡°Good work on using your shield as a weapon. I saw what you were going for with your axe, and it wasn¡¯t a bad idea per se, but you didn¡¯t have the strength to back it up. Regardless, you turned that around and didn¡¯t let it affect you,¡± Fisher prepared Remedium Lux.  "Nice stuff."


    ¡°Thank ye, Fisher, for the kind words and the healing. To be honest, I have your training to thank. If this was me from a month ago, I most likely would¡¯ve died,¡± Riki clenched and made a fist with both hands to test out his fingers.  They still hurt, but he could endure the pain.


    ¡°You never act this serious, cousin.¡±


    ¡°Rakkire, when I was out there, I realized that I truly could¡¯ve died. If I would¡¯ve made just one wrong move, and I did when I went to cut off that thing¡¯s mandible, I¡¯d be dead. I don¡¯t think I could¡¯ve made it out of the ring to forfeit,¡± Riki spoke his heart out, and the five mentees and one mentor paid close attention.


    ¡°If you were to fight again, do you think you would win?¡± their mentor asked.


    Riki shook his head. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t think so. I think it was a combination of luck and my opponent¡¯s inexperience. It looked like the juncea I fought was young.¡±


    Fisher nodded. ¡°I see. This is a good thing. You¡¯ve stepped into the ring, and now you know your limits.¡±


    ¡°Then, I guess it¡¯s my turn,¡± Rakkire got to his feet and pulled his axe from his belt while spinning it around his finger. It was the spitting image of the one that Riki cradled in his lap.


    ¡°Remember, cousin, standing in the heat of a battle is different than just imagining it. I don¡¯t know how to describe it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful,¡± Rakkire made his way to the ring, where he had to wait a minute or two for his opponent to be chosen.  It was smaller than the one his cousin had fought, and that instantly led him to falsely believe it was even more inexperienced.


    While Rakkire waited, Servi took this chance to speak about something that bothered her. ¡°Other than Protection, not many skills are being used.¡±


    ¡°I tried to use some, but I couldn¡¯t block and chant,¡± Silverado said. ¡°It¡¯s difficult. And it¡¯s even harder to learn pre-casting.¡±


    ¡°That it is. Most people don¡¯t even try to learn it until they hit Rank 6 or 7. Some do learn it at Rank 8 or 9, but it¡¯s a bit rare to find a Rank 10 who can do it,¡± Fisher explained.  Thanks to his God of Combat, he never had to spend the effort learning.  The information and know-how were present in his mind from the moment of his birth, but it didn''t materialize until Fisher became serious about fighting. He glanced at Servi when he ended his sentence. ¡°It¡¯s immensely helpful for a tank to learn it, though.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s the reason you put us through hell?¡± Servi asked.  She didn''t want to speak, but knowing more about the things she didn''t know would only help her in the future.


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why I pushed you all so hard physically for the first week. It¡¯s so your bodies can get adapted to the pure stress it¡¯s going to receive in the coming weeks or months. At this Rank, you all mainly have to rely on your physical strength and reflex until you learn how to chant and block at the same time and understand the mechanics behind pre-casting."


    Each mentee that was present, except Servi, looked at their mentor with newfound respect.


    Feral didn¡¯t think it possible for a Human to care so much about a Demi. He knew he didn¡¯t care about Humans that much. Up until he met Servi and heard about Fisher, he thought that Humans were weak bags of flesh and bone that couldn¡¯t stand up to the might of a Kobold.


    I was wrong. Servi and Fisher Jin are worthy of my respect, and Fisher Jin thought about us from day one.  Perhaps other Humans are deserving as well...


    Silverado was mentally beating himself. He thought he had brought shame to Fisher because, so far, he was the only one who had failed.  Fisher, please forgive me for not passing the exam. I promise I¡¯ll work harder.  He almost brought himself to tears from the mental abuse he inflicted upon himself, but a quick nudge from Desperado stopped him.


    Meanwhile, the black Koena reflected on the harsh training he endured and how it helped him win.


    Riki closed his eyes and reflected on his fight in slow motion.  His grading was harsh, but he couldn''t see any way to give himself a passing grade.  I need to do better.  I must be better. Sounds of combat broke him from his trance, and he turned his head towards the arena.  What kind of cousin would he be if he couldn''t spare the time to watch his cousin fight?

 Book Two – Chapter Nine – Part Eight – Final Exam

    The fight between Rakkire and his juncea opponent was close to ending, even though it just started. He was caught off guard by his opponent using its stinger to fling dirt. In a panic, he held his shield up, and luckily, it was in the right spot to block an incoming attack. It was stronger than he expected it to be and pushed him backwards.


    He didn¡¯t think such a small juncea could pack that much power, and it was one of the reasons that led to his eventual defeat.  Rakkire lost his footing, fell to the ground, and unluckily bonked his head on a small rock. It was sharp and went in a few centimeters before being deflected by his hard skull, but it was small enough to not cause any lasting damage that couldn¡¯t be healed with a skill. Regardless, the injury dazed him, and his sight went foggy.


    Riki went to stand up but was stopped by Fisher.  He assured the Dwarf that he would step in if it looked liked he was about to die. ¡°I gave my word to my wife that I would protect you all. And I intend to keep it,¡± he said in a calm voice.


    Riki made a fist then sighed. With hopeful eyes, he wished that the fight would soon end.


    The juncea rushed on over, not missing this advantage, and began to ruthlessly attack. In Rakkire''s impaired moment, he was unable to properly block the attacks flooding his groggy vision.


    ¡°GAH!!¡± he cried out when a razor-edged appendage glanced against his armor. Even though it was metal, and it should''ve been enough, it started to break apart. Piece by piece and bit by bit, the Dwarf''s tanned skin began to show, meaning it was no longer protected.


    No!


    His mind kicked into overdrive as even more adrenaline flooded his body. It fueled his flight response, and he knew he had to get out. However, he also wanted to fight to the bitter end. His mind was in a hazy fog of confusion.


    I wasn¡¯t ready! But I don¡¯t wanna die! I gotta escape! But I want to fight!!! I--


    In a mighty panic, Rakkire wildly thrashed his body. And his arms swirled with the intensity of a tornado. The juncea backed off and stared at the blood that lined its legs. Its antennae clapped against each other, and it slowly started to circle Rakkire, who was still on the ground.


    But, even as the juncea circled him like a predator would its injured prey, it never once went to attack. It gave Riki the time to get up on his feet. He glanced at his hand and saw the flower that signified that he was still under the effects of Protection.


    Then why did it hurt so much?  I''m supposed to be protected, right?


    He was protected, and the skill did its job. An invisible layer of light was around his body, but it was weak. His Protection was only level 2, and thus a percent of the damage was absorbed. That also included damage he sustained by falling on sharp objects, like that rock. But at a lower level, it wasn¡¯t all that powerful. It was, however, better than nothing, which was why the majority of tanks choose it as their first skill to learn. Once upgraded, it would be able to protect its user against attacks that could shatter boulders.


    Rakkire knew this. Fisher even went over this during the second week, multiple times. But thanks to the tense situation, the Dwarf couldn¡¯t accurately recall that info. He went to take a stance but stumbled, going back to his knees. His sight got even blurrier, and the black and yellow juncea was in the process of becoming a shapeless blob.


    Riki knew right then he was no match for the juncea in front of him. And so, he did the next best thing, even though it meant that he would fail the test.


    With a tight hand, as much as he could muster in his injured state, he gripped his axe and used it to help himself to his feet. He drew back his left leg and kicked the ground, sending up a smokescreen of brown dirt and rock. Then he used everything he had to run away from the monster, who quickly gave chase.  The two antennae on its head clanked in an annoying pattern, making a noise that sounded like it was laughing or insulting its opponent.


    The juncea had its stinger pointed right at Riki, who stumbled and almost tripped, but he kept his balance. Regardless, the wound on the back of his head, arms, and legs from where his armor failed him bled more profusely as Rakkire¡¯s heart pumped faster.


    As if it was a stroke of luck from the Gods above, Rakkire tripped on another rock, which caused the juncea to fly straight over him. By now, he was close enough to the edge of the ring, and the monster couldn¡¯t stop in time.


    ¡°Gods above¡­¡± Riki muttered. He stood up fast enough that dizziness nearly brought him back down to the ground, but he kept his balance and ran to his cousin.


    The match was over, and Rakkire was the victor by ring out.


    Their mentor got to his feet and ran on over to join the Dwarf cousins, making sure to prepare Remedium Lux as dust kicked up all around him.


    Once he reached Rakkire, who unsuccessfully tried to stand up, Fisher placed his hand on the back of the Dwarf¡¯s head. White light appeared from his hand and flowed to the wound, and it gradually healed up.  The red puffy mess remained, but it stopped bleeding, which was the important thing.


    "He''ll be fine, but it''s going to hurt," Fisher concluded after a quick examination.


    Rakkire stirred and groaned before looking up. He saw his cousin holding his hand out.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± he asked.


    Rakkire shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine now,¡± taking his cousin¡¯s hand, the Dwarf who felt conflicting thoughts on the outcome of his battle got to his feet. ¡°I know what you mean now, cousin. I wasn¡¯t prepared for that thing¡¯s first attack, and I wasn¡¯t prepared for that rock, either. I knew it was there, and when I walked to the ring, I contemplated tossing it away somewhere. But I didn¡¯t. It¡¯s my loss.¡±


    Fisher wanted to say that Rakkire didn¡¯t lose. And he really didn¡¯t. The juncea was the one who left the ring first, but he knew saying that would only bring pain to his student.


    I¡¯m the same way. If someone told me I won by a rule violation like that, it wouldn¡¯t mean anything. I don¡¯t want to say it, but Rakkire loss was inevitable. He was simply not ready and not to mention outmatched.  His body was strong enough, but his mind wasn''t.


    ¡°Riki, I know what yer going to say but don''t,¡± said Rakkire. He spoke the moment Riki went to open his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s my loss,¡± he turned to point at his opponent, who clapped its legs and antennae together furiously in celebration.


    It was like it was trying to reason with the other members of its colony, but it didn¡¯t matter. It lost the match. And its punishment was to replace one of the two janitor juncea responsible for eating their dead. It was by far the most disgusting and insulting task for a juncea. The one it replaced would soon have a chance to regain its honor and rejoin the main hive.


    Fisher locked eyes with the new leader of the colony, who ascended to the position after the first battle.  It nodded back before clanging its legs and antennae together. Then the juncea all went inside the cave in an orderly fashion. The rest of their day would consist of feasting on the rotting meat in the nearby corner for having completed more rounds of honorable combat.


    ¡°Now then,¡± Fisher said to his group of students. They had all walked back to the little cliff that overlooked the cave entrance. ¡°It¡¯s time to make our return to Canary. With luck, we¡¯ll get there tomorrow before noon,¡± after nodding at their mentor, the seven of them went back into the forest.


    The group reached the second clearing, the one that was close by to the nest, at a little bit past 1 PM. Fisher told them to take a small break. Like always, Servi thought the clear liquid produced from Fisher''s Create Water was lukewarm. It was nothing like the water she could make, but she didn¡¯t say anything about it.  Instead, her mind was filled with conflicting thoughts on what she wanted to do.


    I will get their revenge tonight. I need to do it for Seko and Seka. I must. It¡¯s not fair for a man like him to roam around while purposely inflicting pain to those who can¡¯t protect themselves.  But he''s changed, right? I mean, it looks like it.  But what if he''s just trying to convince himself? What if I talk to him first? Maybe...


    The rest of the day passed by quickly as they made their way down the familiar dirt road.  An emerald plain to one side, the forest line to the right, and green as far as the eye could see was all they had to look at. It was a rural area, and it certainly showed.  Fisher glanced behind him and saw his mentees were staring off in the distance with an absent-minded, dysphoric look on their faces. Almost no one spoke, and it was mostly quiet. Fisher knew why, too.


    They¡¯re most likely going over the fight in their head. They¡¯re trying to find out what they could improve on and how much, what movements they could optimize, and things like that. They now know that live battle is something that has many different variables to it.  There isn''t a single formula they can apply to every situation and expect the same results.


    Fisher hit it right on the head.  The five of them, sans Servi, were replaying the fight. Even Feral was doing it. They all knew they had to improve.


    They know how their bodies reacted. Whether or not it was in a way that they wanted it to is something only they know. The only thing they can do now is practice and prepare for what comes next. But even if they spent a year practicing, it''s all for nothing if the mind and body aren''t used to the fear that comes with combat.


    At 4:48 PM, Fisher saw two deer grazing off to his right. He held his hand up, and his group stopped walking. Pulling out his bow and quiver from Dimensional Storage, he nocked an arrow and let it loose. It turned from one projectile to two thanks to Two Shot. Unlike the previous hunting session, the two soaring objects didn¡¯t impale the same deer. They separated off at just the right time, delivering two near-fatal injuries to both of them. That wasn¡¯t enough to kill them instantly, so Fisher raced ahead and used his dagger to finish the job.


    Servi watched as Fisher walked back over to them. He was empty-handed, explaining that the animals were stored in his Dimensional Storage.  "I''ll dress them when we make camp."


    The six mentees just nodded and followed Fisher as he led them down the road.


    Five hours later, the time was 9:22. Setting up camp in the plains next to the road they had followed for the past 8 hours, Servi leaned against a tree that just so happened to be nearby. She was about ten meters away from a campfire.


    The red flame was dull and insignificant when compared to her eyes. But it produced a mighty thick column of black smoke that drifted towards the Heavens Above. The moon and stars were out in full force, and even a nice breeze joined in. Servi¡¯s black hair danced like a wave in the ocean as the scent of cooked meat filled the air.


    Do you want to eat? Itarr asked.  Eating some yummy food sounds good, doesn''t it? The Goddess was quiet for most of the day.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Servi replied in a voice less than a whisper. She wasn¡¯t but a few meters away from the fire pit made of black rocks that Fisher just remembered he kept in his Dimensional Storage. As she walked back, she saw Riki checking the wound on the back of his cousin¡¯s head. Feral was sitting on his shield, eyes closed. Every so often, Servi would hear him take in a deep sniff. His mouth subtly salivated at the forthcoming meat.


    Silverado was running his hands over his body where his scales were damaged and ripped off. Servi didn¡¯t know about the healing process of a Koena, but she saw a silvery thin film over his wounds. They weren¡¯t pulsing like a heart anymore, but they were still red and fleshy. He was still upset that he was, technically, the only one who lost, but he was getting over it. He knew that it wasn¡¯t worth it to dwell on what could¡¯ve been.


    Three spleens and the ability to move organs through his body? That must¡¯ve been the reason he survived having his chest crushed. His lungs and heart were in another spot, right? That¡¯s the only reason I can think of.


    Desperado poked at the fire with a stick, making sure it had a healthy flame. He had a subtle smile on his face because he actually killed a juncea in mortal combat. But like everyone else, Desperado had a lot of areas to improve in. He couldn¡¯t risk getting cocky and acting like he was better than he really was. If he made a bad call in the heat of battle and someone died because of his own mistakes, he didn''t think he could accept the weight of their lives if he survived. To lessen the chances of that happening, Desperado was going over a few different situations and encounters in his mind.


    Taking a seat, Servi accepted the meat on a stick that Fisher handed her. He was sitting across from her. She bit into it and chewed. Tough and rubbery, it was plain and devoid of any flavor whatsoever.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t bring any spices. When it comes to camping, the main thing is to be fed. Flavor can come second,¡± Fisher said after noticing a scowl covered her face. Then he bit and tore into his food.


    Feral and the others came over and took a spot by the fire. Even though it was summer, the nights were surprisingly crisp, and the fire provided a cozy warmth.  It crackled, being the only source of noise as the seven ate their dinner.


    After they ate, Fisher started talking. He didn¡¯t expect them to say anything back, so he gave them one final lecture. ¡°After today, you know what you need to work on. You know your strengths and weaknesses, your fear, and your limits. That''s why I''m not going to say what doesn''t need to be said. You all did well in your fights against the juncea, and I¡¯m proud of you all. Remember the training we did and keep at it. I have no doubts in my mind that you all have the aptitude to make it to the finals and even go on to enjoy a fantastic Warden career.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Fisher Jin, for mentoring me," Silverado spoke first, thanking his mentor.  Then Desperado thanked him.  Followed by the two Dwarves and then finally Feral. Even Servi joined in against her better judgment. She didn¡¯t want to thank Fisher for anything, but she did it anyway to not stand out.


    The Captain of the Guard was taken back by this, and he gently smiled at his students.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never forget any of you, and I wish you all the best in your Warden careers. Once we get back to Canary, you all will have a day to rest and prepare for the tournament.¡±


    For the next few minutes, Fisher spoke to his students not as a mentor but as someone who was a comrade. He joined Warden years ago and reached Rank 4. Technically, he was still registered as a member even though it had been over a year since Fisher last completed a Warden-affiliated quest.  After giving them some advice on what potions to carry and how many, and even answering some questions, he used Create Water one last time. Once everyone sated their thirst, they decided on who would take what shift.


    Servi volunteered for the first shift. ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    Her heart skipped a beat when a certain armored man spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll join you. We¡¯re all Warden members, and you¡¯re not my mentees anymore, so it wouldn''t be fair if I didn¡¯t pitch in.¡±


    This seems like the best chance to confront her. Well then, Servi... It''s time to find out why you''re here.


    Silverado and Desperado decided to take the second shift, and the two Dwarves and Feral chose to finish out the night.


    I guess the day of reckoning is here.  Servi thought. Fisher, tonight is the night you will die.

 Book Two – Chapter Nine – Part Nine – Final Exam

    One hour later, Servi had her wish. It was late at night, and the camp was deathly silent. She sat across from Fisher with the campfire acting as a barrier. He had on his armor and helmet, and his sword was gripped tightly in his right hand. Servi, meanwhile, kept her shield equipped on her left hand.  The dented blade she used sat against her right hand, but she didn¡¯t grip it.


    Everyone else was in a deep sleep, and it seemed the night belonged to only Servi and Fisher.


    ¡°You know,¡± he was the first to speak, breaking the awkward silence in a voice that was no louder than a whisper, ¡°This program hasn''t helped you that much.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± she responded in a vulgar and tense voice.


    ¡°We both know you¡¯re far stronger than what you let on. Honestly, you didn¡¯t do a good job of hiding it.¡±


    Servi scoffed, choosing to stay silent as she wrapped her mind around the current situation.  She knew she needed to act, but she didn''t want to be too hasty.


    ¡°Hmm¡­. Then answer me this. Why did you join?¡±


    Servi sighed and sheathed her sword. ¡°I had my reasons. Well, I had only one reason until I found out that you were my mentor.¡±


    ¡°So you have a problem with me, then?¡± Fisher didn¡¯t seem surprised by her answer.


    ¡°I do. But we can talk about that later. You probably have more questions about me, so go ahead and ask,¡± Servi stared directly at her mortal foe with piercing red eyes.


    And thus began a sort of question and answer segment between the two.  The tension was so thick it was almost visible.


    ¡°When you fought the juncea, you kept attacking after it was dead. Why?"


    ¡°I wanted to make sure it was really dead,¡± she lied.


    ¡°When you fought Feral, why didn¡¯t you finish him with your sword? You had the perfect chance to win, yet you used your shield. Why?¡±


    ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t want to kill him. I like Feral.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m much stronger than I look. Cutting through Feral''s green body would be easy and simple, and my shield¡¯s edge was dull.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then why did you lose against Feral on the very first day? You matched blows with him, and you went flying.  In fact, you lost against him multiple times until I allowed the use of skills.  Why?¡±


    ¡°Because while I¡¯m strong, my main strength comes from my skills, not my swordplay and muscles.  Though I do admit, it would be a simple task to bisect Feral."


    ¡°What Rank are you?¡±


    ¡°10. And that''s the truth. Take a look,¡± Servi brought out her ID and threw it at Fisher, who yanked it out of the air. He glanced over the information and verified that she was unblessed and had the Rank 10 in Warden. He gently gave it back, and Servi dropped it to the ground.


    ¡°Even though you''re not pre-casting correctly, the skills you used were still activated. Why?¡±


    Servi¡¯s heart sunk, and she was at a loss. She thought she was doing it right.


    ¡°I thought I was hiding it well, but I guess I wasn''t. I can¡¯t say it here, but follow me,¡± Servi stood up and walked away. The ground crunched silently under her feet. A moment later, she heard another set of footsteps coming from behind her.


    She walked over to a nearby copse of bushes about forty or fifty meters away, then suddenly tossed her sword up. Fisher just silently watched as it fell back down. The moment before it hit the ground, it stopped.


    ¡°Telekinesis?¡± Fisher placed an armored hand to his chin as he took in what he saw.


    ¡°Yep. And that¡¯s not all." Suddenly, ten more swords all appeared from around Servi and flew in a circular formation above the two of them.


    ¡°If you''re not blessed, and you¡¯re truly Rank 10, what you¡¯re doing is impossible. Telekinesis wasn¡¯t written in your skill list, and it doesn¡¯t look like you took those weapons out of a Dimensional Storage. If anything, it¡¯s like they materialized from nothing.¡± Fisher squinted his eyes and opened up his Dimensional Storage, pulling out a nadrium heater shield in the process.  It was half black and silver, with two thick, blue, glowing lines that pulsed like a beating heart.  Drawing his sword, he took a tranquil stance that was ready to attack and defend.  ¡°Tell me what you want. Are you going to kill my students?¡±


    Servi¡¯s mood instantly worsened, and she slammed a sword into the ground.  It disappeared. ¡°No! You don¡¯t get to fucking call them your students!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± His calm voice prevented his emotions from getting the best of him.


    ¡°Have you fucking forgot already? Seka and Seko? Two Singi that you brutally tortured?!¡± Servi pulled another sword from her ring and slammed it into the hard ground. Her anger fueled her enhanced strength.  Deciding that wasn''t enough, she grabbed her weapon by the hilt and threw it as hard as she could in a random direction.


    Still, Fisher wasn¡¯t afraid of her erratic movement. He took it all in stride as he answered her. ¡°Are you here to get revenge for them? Then did you kill Arnold?¡±


    Servi, in her hazy rage, didn¡¯t connect the dots. ¡°Who the fuck is that? No, I¡¯m talking about you. You didn¡¯t do a damn thing when that fucker stabbed that boy¡¯s foot! And you pushed him to the fucking ground! An-- Ggaaaghh!!¡± Servi groaned and put a hand to her head.  It was pounding and thrashing, like something or some things were about to break free.


    Servi, you need to calm down! Let me help! Itarr begged.


    ¡°No! Don¡¯t you dare do anything, alright? Let me fucking deal with him!¡±


    Fisher took a defensive stance as he saw yet another blade materialize. Half of his attention was on Servi, but the other half was on the swarm of swords that were still flying overhead.


    ¡°Then you want to kill me?¡± as Fisher waited for an answer, he began to chant.


    ¡°They were children, and you fucking hurt them for your sick fucking games....aahhhhhhhhHHHH!!!¡± Suddenly, Servi vomited blood, and Fisher quickly stepped back, avoiding the vile projectile. One hand went to her to face, which felt like it was about to explode. A crimson line dripped down her face from each nostril, leaving two thin red streaks.  They left parallel lines until they reached her chin, as that was when they collided when Servi shook her like an animal.


    The things that wanted to break free were about to have their wish granted.


    ¡°Do I get a chance to explain myself?¡± Fear remained an emotion that had no home inside of Fisher''s body.  He stared at his


    ¡°No. You don¡¯t. You lost that the¡ª¡±


    ¡°What about my wife? My children? They¡¯re going to be without a father. My wife will have no husband. Who¡¯s going to provide for and protect them?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get it, do you? You can¡¯t play that card. I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment for two fucking months!¡± Servi vomited again and realized every millimeter of her body felt like it was on fire.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re in a position to kill me,¡± Fisher used protection, and a wonderful glow enveloped his body for just a second. He egged Servi on, and she fell for his taunts.


    SERVI!!!!


    Servi didn''t bother to grab a sword and lashed out like a rabid beast who''s been starved for days. Her mind wasn¡¯t in the right place, and her anger grew more and more until it drowned out Itarr''s pleading voice.


    Fisher found it easy to dodge Servi''s animalistic flurry of punches and scratches. He bashed out with his nadrium shield, smacking his former pupil in the head. He had quite a bit of strength packed into that hit, and she went flying back a few meters.


    ¡°You won¡¯t believe me, but I have to tell you. I didn¡¯t want to hurt that boy. Nor did I cut off that girl¡¯s ear,¡± Servi came back for another desperate grapple, but Fisher used his shield to keep her at bay. In her current state, Servi was nothing more than a weak girl drunk on rage. She couldn¡¯t access the power stored inside her. She flew back a meter after being hit again, sliding on the ground. The girl went to get up, but Fisher slammed his shield into her armor-covered stomach, but it didn''t crack or shatter.  She was forced back to the ground and turned her head to the side. More vomit spewed from her mouth and nose.  It was red, black, and clumpy, filling the air with a sickening smell.


    ¡°I¡¯m not proud of my past,¡± Fisher said as he made some distance between them. Vomit stained the ground around Servi, blood dripped from her nose and eyes, and she rapidly breathed in air like a deranged beast that needed to be put down. ¡°I killed a lot of Demi-Humans after my village was attacked by a group of Demi-Human raiders. Arnold was with me, and we saw and heard our friends and family die. My sister was raped, and her head was impaled on a spear. Our teacher was subjected to the same fate. The children and babies weren¡¯t spared, either.  The entire village was nearly wiped out, with only myself and Arnold as the only survivors."


    Tears flowed from his eyes, but he didn¡¯t stop speaking. ¡°I keep telling myself that I could¡¯ve done something sooner. ¡®If only I picked up a sword faster,¡¯ or ¡®if I would¡¯ve taken Tronk¡¯s advice and joined him for training.¡¯ But I had no need or want to ever pick up a sword. I knew it brought death and destruction, but I didn¡¯t know it also brought protection and peace. But I can¡¯t dwell on the past.¡±


    Fisher stopped moving and glanced up. The circling swords were beginning to attack. But they were slower than if they would¡¯ve fallen naturally, and it was easy for Fisher to block them. They disappeared the moment they hit his shield. He glanced back at the camp and sighed in relief when his students didn¡¯t wake up.


    He then walked forward until he stood over Servi¡¯s body and used one last skill.


    Shadow Trap.


    It allowed the user to use shadows to ensnarl an enemy and prevented them from moving. He purposely used a weaker variant of it.


    Servi had lost the ability to speak, thanks to her anger, and just growled and bared her teeth at her most hated enemy. The inhuman, guttural noises she produced with her throat were something a mad dog would make during its final moments of being alive.  As of that moment, the only proof she was a Human because she was shaped like one.


    Still, Fisher just kept talking.


    ¡°After the attack, Arnold christened me with the nickname ¡®Justice.¡¯ We went around the countryside and killed each and every Demi we could find.  I don''t even know how many villages we destroyed..... But the moment I met my wife, I began to change. My past started to creep up on me, and I had these nightmares. They were awful, and I wasn¡¯t strong enough to break free. This was around the time we joined Canary¡¯s city guard. We worked our way up to the rank of lieutenant quickly, and somewhere along the line, Arnold christened me with yet another nickname. ¡®Justice Captain.¡¯ I hated that damn name with a passion. I slowly realized that the justice we had dispensed in our past wasn¡¯t justice. It was murder. Plain and simple.


    ¡°Arnold caught on to my realization, and he forced me to keep with it. I want to blame him. I want to say it was all his fault, with his words of ¡®Justice,¡¯ but I can¡¯t. My sins are solely on my hands, and I cannot deny I wasn¡¯t at fault. If I was stronger, I could have prevented him from doing all of that, and more than you don¡¯t even know about.¡±


    Fisher kneeled, staring into two red eyes that only wished to kill him. ¡°He forced me-- no, my weak, former self accepted his assistance. My weak self took the bloody sword Arnold gave me with false pride so I could keep my reputation. My weak self stood by and watched as he stabbed the boy¡¯s foot. My weak self was forced to laugh at the pain, and my weak self was forced to push him down. I was weak... Weak weak weak!!!


    "As soon as I was out of sight and alone, I broke down. It was like I was alone in a world of hatred that I, myself, created. I didn¡¯t have the strength to stand up to Arnold, and I didn¡¯t have the courage to tell my wife. I thought she would take my precious daughters and run away after knowing I¡¯m nothing more than a killer.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t until the new governor told me to take part in this program that I had the strength to accept my past. That I had the conviction to overcome my darkest moments. You won¡¯t believe me, but let my tears prove my truthfulness. I am so glad that Silverado, and Desperado, and Riki, and Rakkire, and Feral, and yes, even you, became my students. I¡¯ve learned more from all of you than you learned from me. It was because of you six that I was able to overcome my demons. I was able to tell my wife my past. She accepted it and told me I have to make amends for those I have wronged.


    ¡°I would offer to give my life up, but I can¡¯t. My wife needs me to be a husband, and my children need me to be a father. I will teach them love and respect and make sure they turn out better than I did. If you still wish to kill me, know that I will fight with every bit of strength I can muster. You may be strong, but right now, you¡¯re weaker than a rabbit. The Shadow Trap you are bound with is so incredibly weak that even my daughters could break free from it.¡±


    Finally, having finished speaking his peace, he waited for a response. But Servi''s mind didn¡¯t even acknowledge his words.


    But someone did.


    Itarr. She was a witness to Fisher¡¯s life story, and she was more than a witness to Servi¡¯s breakdown.


    Servi told me not to do anything, but I have the perfect chance to kill him. And I think he was telling the truth. He was crying, and I think he really regretted what he did. Do I have the right to take his life? I wanted to kill him, but now, I''m not so sure... And Servi¡­ I¡­ Itarr didn¡¯t have a chance to continue her thoughts as she felt an explosion. It wasn¡¯t a physical explosion affecting the real world but a spiritual one that affected Servi¡¯s soul.


    The things that were caged up broke free.


    NOOOOO!!!!! Itarr screamed inside Servi¡¯s soul as she rapidly repaired the metaphysical cages. At the same time, Servi broke free of her shadowy restraints and pulled out a sword. Her eyes turned an even darker shade of red, and she roared.  Her vocal cords were pushed to their limits, and her throat slowly tore open, dripping blood as vivid as fire, but it was healed almost immediately. Fisher took notice and correctly assumed she had some sort of regenerative ability.


    ¡°So you wish to fight?¡± Fisher glanced over to the camp and noticed his former mentees were walking up. Feral''s tall body was the first to stir awake. He quickly shouted at his comrades, and they all gathered their weapons.


    ¡°It seems I have to end this. Servi, please forgive me. Once you calm down, we can speak. Until then, you must sleep,¡± Fisher opened his Dimension Storage using the shorter chant and pulled out a staff. It was constructed out of black metal with a gnarly green liquid dripping inside the see-through glass handle. A tiny wooden head sat on top of the staff.


    ¡°I never thought I would ever use this thing again,¡± he glanced back at the camp, and they were finally organized. They were sort of scared, but Feral agreed to take the lead. He was out in first with his giant shield at the ready as they ran towards Fisher and Servi, who was still yelling. It didn¡¯t sound anything like her. Instead, it reminded Fisher of a hellish demon who attacked with her shrieking shrills.


    Brandishing his staff, he dropped his sword and pointed it towards Servi, who roared in response. The little head on the weapon turned green and emitted a grass-colored mist. ¡°This can put a Human into a sleep that can last months, but based on your regenerative abilities, it should be enough to knock you out for 10 to 18 hours. I hope you wake up in a talkative mood.¡±


    Gradually, Servi¡¯s roaring dulled, and her dark red eyes returned to their former luster. Her body fought at full force against the green mist, but then it stopped.


    I figured this is the best I can do, but I¡¯ll keep working. Servi, I¡¯m temporarily weakening True Immortality. Please, be at ease and sleep for a while.


    Servi wasn¡¯t entirely conscious during all of this. Her body was fueled by nothing but rage, and her self-concept was pushed aside. She had no say in the matter, and Itarr wasn¡¯t even sure if Servi would remember any of this. The green mist started to have a profound effect on Servi. And it wasn¡¯t a moment too soon. She collapsed to the ground, and her demonic screaming finally came to an end. The green mist immediately dissipated into nothingness.  Fisher chucked the staff back into his Dimension Storage, which was still left open, then closed it.


    He walked towards Servi¡¯s unconscious body, but Itarr wasn¡¯t watching. She had something else to work on. Something that she desperately needed to fix. The only thing she could do was trust Fisher. He did a once over to check for cuts or bruises, then once she was physically fine, he picked her up.


    He then walked towards the approaching group.


    I''m lucky this happened at night. They only should¡¯ve heard the screaming and roaring, and not our conversation. We had nothing reflective on, so I don''t think they saw anything.


    ¡°Fisher, what happened to her?! Did we get attacked?!¡± Silverado asked. White light produced by Protection came from Desperado and went to everyone there except Fisher, whose own Protection was at a much higher level.


    ¡°We heard screaming,¡± said Riki.


    ¡°Is there an enemy?¡± Feral slammed his large shield into the ground as if telling any would-be foes he was ready to fight.


    I shouldn¡¯t tell the truth. At least, not before I have a chance to properly talk to her.


    ¡°Servi thought she saw movement and light in the distance, so she went to investigate those bushes behind me. She didn¡¯t come back, so I went to get her. I heard the same scream you all did, and I saw a little red creature with pointy ears. He had a sleepinwillo flower in his hand.¡±


    I can¡¯t say Servi tried to kill me.


    ¡°I scared it away, but he already used the sleepinwillo on Servi. She¡¯s probably allergic to her, thus the vomit that¡¯s on her. I checked for cuts and gave her some medicine and used an anti-poison skill on her just to be sure,¡± he lied about that last part.


    I suppose it''s a damn good thing I got my healer''s license when Marissa was pregnant.


    ¡°I never knew such a creature was close by. Is Servi going to be fine? And are we in danger?¡± Rakkire''s gasping lungs did the best they could to fill up with oxygen, but he had his weapon and shield at the ready.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re in danger. I scared it off, but we might want to get moving. Staying here any more than we need to isn''t a good idea. Follow me,¡± Fisher walked back to camp with his mentees.


    ¡°Feral, can you carry her? I need to be at the ready,¡± he stopped and turned around.


    I have to be committed to this lie. I''m the best fighter here, so I need to have my hands free.


    He wordlessly growled and nodded.  Being three meters tall, he had to bend to pick up his comrade.


    ¡°Just like a human to be as light as air,¡± he growled once more, angry at the beast he thought was out there. He figured it had to be crafty and slippery to get the jump on the one Human, besides Fisher, who was able to beat him.


    I swear, on the Kobold name Feral, I will get you back to Canary.


    Fisher used Dimension Storage to store the rocks and fire pit while the Dwarves and Koena gathered their sleeping bags. They all did one last check, and that was when Feral asked about Servi¡¯s shield. ¡°She had a sword inside of it. Is it lost?¡±


    To be honest, Fisher didn¡¯t know where Servi''s sword went after it disappeared, and he lied once again. ¡°The little bastard probably tossed it. It wasn¡¯t with her when I found her.¡±


    I¡¯m thankful they haven¡¯t asked me why I allowed a Rank 10 go off alone to investigate a mysterious light and sound. Well, I have an excuse made up, but I don¡¯t want to use it.


    ¡°Come on, we have a long journey ahead of us," Fisher and the group started their night journey back to Canary. He had his sword and shield at the ready, but they did not get used. Even though they were already tired from fighting the juncea, and they didn¡¯t get that much rest, none of the five complained. They believed an unknown red creature attacked their comrade, and it was something not even their former mentor wanted to fight. Their one goal was the same: get their injured friend back to the city. And they would do that even if they had to travel throughout the entire night.


    Fisher scheduled them to arrive around one or two PM. Maybe noon, if they were ahead of schedule, which they were. Now? They would arrive early in the morning.


    During the walk, he pondered the heavy talk he would have with her. Would Servi kill him when she woke up out of anger? Will she stay her hand and listen to him? Was there a chance for forgiveness to show itself?


    I know I need to pay for my past, but I refuse to just die when I have my wife and daughters at home. From just our one encounter, I know you have such impossible strength at your disposal. If you wanted those swords to skewer me, thus ending my life, they would have. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a part of you that believed me. Perhaps it¡¯s the part that you yelled at? Do you have a past similar to my own, and you¡¯re currently fighting the remnants in your mind? I don¡¯t know. But I do know this. I want to help you through whatever pain you are feeling.  I wish to repay you for what the Servi in my mind did when I was fighting my own battle.


    Sighing in a way that wasn¡¯t like him, Fisher kept his eyes peeled for the non-existent creature as they walked under the moon and stars.

 Book Two – Interlude – Inside Her Mind

    The void of regret and guilt was dark and cold, with nothing but the darkest black in every direction.  In the very middle of the emptiness, a single girl was drifting unconsciously. She had no body, so she couldn''t speak, nor did she have a mind able to produce any kind of coherent thought.  The only thing there was a single red soul.


    It was faint and weakly flickered as it was besieged by a near-infinite amount of verbal thoughts that came from the hundreds of people who have died by her hand.


    Why did you kill us?


    It hurts so much!


    Mommy, I don¡¯t want to burn.


    HELP!!!


    I had a family, you know?


    Same here. I¡¯ll never see my daughter again.


    My son only had me. And now he¡¯s alone.


    His son is an orphan, thanks to you.


    Thanks for killing me, I guess.


    Did you have to kill me by breaking my limbs?


    Or me by tearing my head off?


    Or my brother by burning him alive?


    Or my daughter by beating her to death?


    Or my father by burning him?


    Or my cousin by ripping his head off?


    Or me by tearing my limbs off?


    Or me by slicing my foot off?


    Did you really have to let out that wave of fire?


    Yeah, did you? That really hurt.


    All of my skin caught fire.


    I didn¡¯t even leave any ash.


    Nor did I.


    Same here. I still feel those hellish flames burning my skin even now!


    You killed people.


    You killed innocent people.


    Even if they were guilty, they didn¡¯t deserve to die so painfully.


    You¡¯re nothing but a mass murderer.


    You don¡¯t deserve to be happy.


    You robbed me of my happiness.


    Just die.


    Please die.


    Why do you get to live?


    It¡¯s not fair!!!


    Do the world a favor and die.


    You¡¯re a Demon.


    Or maybe a devil?


    You¡¯re evil.


    That¡¯s right, you¡¯re 100% evil.


    You¡¯ve killed children!


    Children!


    Children!


    Why did you kill those children?!


    Do us all a favor and die.


    Can you just die? I hate having my strength becoming yours.


    It¡¯s not fair. I worked hard to get this far while you did nothing! That¡¯s my strength, not yours.


    Those skills are mine!


    I spent thirty years training and training only to die to some whore with a fancy sword.


    Hey, how many other kids did you kill today?


    How many children have you robbed from their fathers?


    What about their mothers?


    I wanna live!!


    Daddy!!!


    Mommy!!!


    See, you got grown men begging for their parents!


    Only heartless witches can do that.


    More like heartless bitches!!


    They''re really the same thing.


    A heartless witch bitch killed us all.


    She killed me while I was asleep.


    Same here.


    Well, I burned to death.


    Same here.


    Same here.


    Here also.


    Can¡¯t forget about me.


    I¡¯m pretty sure the majority of us died by burning.


    Not me. This bitch''s flying swords did the trick.


    That''s what got me.


    Same here. My head was split open.


    Join the club.


    I got stabbed through the heart.


    My arm got cut off.


    My legs were gone.


    I wonder what happened to my family?


    Kelly, I miss you.


    Donnie, please grow up to be stronger than your old man.


    Bailey, I hope you take good care of our son.


    Toni, your daddy loves you very much.


    Becka, I hope to see you in the Heavens Above.


    Darby, may you get revenge for foolish grandfather.


    Abu, remember to eat your vegetables.


    Blu, remember that your uncle loves you.


    Amelia, please listen to your mother.


    Daka, I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t take you to the summer festival.


    Thelma, remember that your friend Louise loves you. I¡¯m sorry we couldn¡¯t go to the canyon together.


    I miss my mommy!


    Daddy, I¡¯m scared!


    Father, I¡¯m sorry your pathetic son had to die like this.


    Sister, I wish I could be there to see the birth of my niece or nephew. Please forgive me.


    Brother, please take care of Molly for me. Be the father I could never be.


    What would you do if your friend found out?


    Would she call you a monster?


    How about a killer


    Or a murderer


    A mass murderer?


    Murder monster?


    A killer monster?


    Does it even matter?


    She¡¯ll still hate you.


    She¡¯d leave you.


    She¡¯d wish she¡¯d never met you.


    She¡¯d wish you died.


    In fact, why didn¡¯t you die?


    Why do you get to enjoy living even after your heart was pierced?


    Or you lost most of your blood?


    Or having your intestines fall out?


    It¡¯s not fair that such a monster is immortal.


    How come I¡¯m not immortal?


    What made you so special?


    You¡¯re not special.


    You¡¯re just a murderer.


    A killer.


    A child killer.


    You killed children


    Why did you do such a thing?


    They didn¡¯t need to die.


    They never even had a chance to feel the touch of a woman.


    Nor have they experienced a kiss.


    You¡¯ve killed them before they even had a chance to really live.


    How much strength could you have possibly gained from children?


    You should die.


    You should really die.


    Can I kill you?


    Can you slit your own throat?


    What about drowning yourself?


    But you can¡¯t.


    You can¡¯t die.


    It¡¯s not fair.


    In reality, it was her voice and her voice alone that cursed her. It brought her so much pain. It flooded her with grief.  In the dark mistiness of the void of regret and guilt, her soul was nearly out of strength.  And right when even the universe and all of creation were certain her soul would be flickered out of existence, it suddenly exploded into a swirling vortex of red energy.


    And from the red energy came a vaguely humanoid-like figure.  With a flick of its hand, a red cage formed around the soul, protecting it from any further abuse.


    The red being turned around and smiled, though no smile appeared on its face while it lovingly stroked the cage.  Servi, I will protect you, and I will help you.  Allow me to take hold of these negative emotions and energy and cage them far away from you.  Please, rest easy and be at peace.  Once I''m finished, I''ll talk to you about Fisher Jin.  I think he''s a man we can trust and rely on, especially after hearing his story.  I don''t think you remember what happened tonight, but I do.  I''ll tell it to you. So please, listen to my voice....

 Book Two – Chapter Ten – Part One – A Secret Revealed & A Small Trip

    In the early morning, two days before the tournament was set to start, a cute Singi with pink hair slowly woke up from a well-deserved sleep. Her pink ears twitched, her tail lazily danced while her left arm stretched up high, as if it was trying to reach the ceiling. Her sleeping face slowly curled into a smile as she opened her bright blue eyes and took a deep breath.


    Today¡¯s the day!! Momo thought to herself. She got up off her mattress and performed a series of stretches her mentor had taught her.


    I¡¯m so glad I was able to pass the exam yesterday.  I can¡¯t believe I got a time of 4:54 on the course, and I only needed ten arrows for the archery portion. I should¡¯ve done better on the part where we had to follow Dineria¡¯s combat routine, but she said I was good. Srassa passed too, but I can¡¯t believe she finished in exactly 5 minutes.


    ¡°But I¡¯m super happy for us. We both ended up passing with two days to spare!" Momo said out loud to herself. ¡°And I can¡¯t wait to tell Servi!¡±


    Momo took off her nightgown, revealing her bare and naked body, and put on white underwear, a pink t-shirt, and black shorts. It wasn¡¯t anything fancy. Then, she got to her stomach, slightly flinching when the cool floor glanced against her smooth legs and began to stretch even more. I missed Servi a lot...and it felt weird having dinner by myself. I wish I could¡¯ve eaten with Srassa, but we both needed to train and focus. Well, at least all that training paid off.


    After doing her second set of stretches, Momo equipped her adventuring gear and made her way to the lobby. A small amount of sweat dripped down her adorable face, so she used a small white cloth she retrieved from a messenger bag that was slung around her shoulders.  It was plain and black, but it was her most prized possession.


    She saw Claire sitting behind the signup desk. Figuring she could spare a few minutes, the pink Singi joyfully walked over to her friend.


    It¡¯s not like I have anything to do. Dineria ended up giving us both cookies and said we had officially passed her test.  The only thing I need to do is prepare for the tournament.


    Oddly enough, the lobby was kind of empty. Momo thought it was unusual for the vast amount of desks and benches to be vacant, but she figured that could be because the tournament was in a few days. I guess that even those of a lower Rank wanted to come and watch. Maybe they¡¯re taking it slow for a few days? Everyone needs to relax now and then.


    ¡°Hey, Momo. How¡¯re you doing this morning?¡± the red-haired Elf asked, stifling a yawn that desperately wanted to escape.


    ¡°Hi, Claire. I¡¯m doing good,¡± Momo chirped as Claire motioned for her to sit down in the chair in front of the desk. ¡°But isn¡¯t this bad? What if people need to sign up?¡±


    ¡°You can move then, but there isn¡¯t a rule that says a friend can¡¯t sit down when there are no people in line. Besides, I wanna hear about your exam,¡± smiled the Elf.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡±


    Momo smiled and spoke faster than she wanted. The adorable Singi couldn¡¯t help it because she was just excited. ¡°We had to do three things for her to pass one: an archery test, an obstacle course, and mimicking her swordplay. It took a lot of time, but I was finally able to get ten bull¡¯s-eyes on ten arrows on five targets that got further apart! I can¡¯t believe how much I improved. I mean, when we first started, I could barely hit the second target.¡±


    ¡°Congratulations!¡± Claire clapped, and it wasn¡¯t sarcastic. She was honestly and happily happy her friend was able to improve at something she lacked. That meant the program worked. ¡°How were the other two parts?¡±


    Momo nodded, her rosy pink hair followed with the movements of her head. ¡°The obstacle course was easier than I thought it would be. Dineria said that most of the Singi she knows are highly agile and athletic. And I was thinking since I¡¯m a Singi, I should be good. But I was slow at first. But when Dineria and Srassa-- oh, she''s the other girl who¡¯s learning under Dineria-- cheered for me, I just felt like I could do it!¡±


    ¡°And I assume you did?¡± Claire smirked. She already knew the answer since she had to process Momo¡¯s tournament application that she received from Dineria.


    ¡°Yep! The time was 5:00, and I did it in 4:54. It¡¯s kinda funny.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s it funny?¡± Claire took a sip of her coffee, which was in a silver cup with a black handle.


    ¡°Dineria said that I should be able to get a time of exactly 4:54. And I did. Oh, Srassa was able to do it in exactly five minutes. She was so tired and exhausted but happy at the same time, and she cried. I gotta admit, I cried a little bit too. Oh, she also was able to finish the archery exam in eleven arrows. She tried over and over again to finish in ten, but she could never get the 25-meter target right. She would always shoot too high or too low.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like she improved a lot,¡± just like with Momo¡¯s, Claire had to process Srassa¡¯s tournament application she got from their mentor. Both Claire and Momo heard the main door opened, but only one looked. Momo was waiting for Servi, and she wasn¡¯t scheduled to return for another few hours. At least, that was what Claire had told her. Since this was a Warden project, all final exam applications had to be approved by Warden. Said applications had the start and finish date, a strenuous detailed account of why and how it was necessary, and the goals that should be accomplished.


    Oddly enough, it was Claire who had to process both Dineria''s and Fisher¡¯s applications.


    ¡°And for¡ªOh Gods above!¡± Claire''s face became pale, and she dropped her coffee cup on her desk.  A sea of brown liquid utterly stained her messy stack of papers. Momo flinched and wondered what was wrong. She slowly turned around and saw something that didn¡¯t make sense.


    ¡°Servi¡­?¡± she muttered with a face frozen in worry. Why is she being held by Feral? And why do they look like that? Why isn¡¯t she walking on her own? Why¡­.


    ¡°Servi!!!¡± Momo hollered out and ran out of her chair. She tripped on the ground, but she didn¡¯t feel the pain. Getting right back up, she floored it over to her friend.


    ¡°What¡ª¡± before she could even start to ask, tears formed in her eyes, choking her voice. Claire came running up behind and put a hand on Momo¡¯s trembling shoulder.


    ¡°Fisher, what the hell happened to Servi?!¡± Claire angrily barked. She was totally against his final exam, citing it was too punishing and stressful for Rank 10 members. Unfortunately, caring Elf was overruled by her boss.


    ¡°First of all, she¡¯s fine, and she¡¯s not in any danger. Sh¡ª"


    ¡°Then why is she covered in vomit?¡± Claire demanded. Momo struggled to say something, but every time she did, it was like she lost her voice. Claire noticed this and did the only thing she could.


    Wrapping her arms around the Singi, Momo turned and cried into her friend¡¯s chest.


    ¡°You¡¯re Momo, right?¡± Fisher stared at the crying Singi, who whimpered in between short breaths of air.


    Momo tearfully nodded.


    Now I probably see why Servi attacked me. Her friend¡¯s a Singi. The pieces are coming together.


    ¡°I promise you that Servi is fine. She has no cuts, no bruises, and no physical damage. We need to get her to her room, and I need to go get a doctor just to make sure. And I don¡¯t want to intrude on her privacy. Can you try to find her keys to her room?¡±


    She rubbed her tear-stained eyes and nodded. Momo was afraid that she would immediately break down if she had to speak, so she stayed silent.


    It''s this one, right? Momo went to remove one of the two pouches attached to her friend''s waist.


    Zipping it open, she started digging and found it mostly empty. The only thing inside was a single brass key.


    She showed it to Fisher, who nodded. ¡°Alright. Feral, follow Momo and take Servi to her room."


    ¡°What¡¯re you going to do?¡± Claire glared at the man in black armor.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get a doctor. I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can,¡± Fisher ran out of Warden and made his way to a particular doctor that he trusted. However, it would take a while because she lived on the other side of town.


    Meanwhile, Momo led Feral up the stairs. All the while, they were getting stares from the few people lounging around.


    They need to mind their own dang business!! Momo internally yelled. She was angry at herself for being unable to do anything but cry.


    It¡¯s just like back then¡­ Dang it, Momo, I thought we got stronger?! I thought we did, but clearly not! What the heck have you been doing this past month!!!


    ¡°Is this her room?¡± Desperado said when they stopped in front of a door.


    Momo nodded while wiping the tears from her eyes. Putting the key in, she unlocked the door and held it open for Feral. He had to duck to get in.


    ¡°It¡¯s a small bed,¡± growled Feral, who laid Servi down on the terrible mattress.


    Momo started crying even harder at watching her friend¡¯s body. She seriously looked like she was dead.


    It¡¯s like she¡¯s asleep, but I¡­. Momo felt warm tears fall from her eyes. The Singi walked over to the mattress and sat down.


    ¡°Momo?¡± Silverado muttered her name, but Momo only stared at her friend.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything for her. I can¡¯t heal her. I can¡¯t wake her up. I can¡¯t do anything. But she could. Heck, she could probably heal herself if she was awake.  She saved me many times and taught me a lot, and here I am, unable to do anything,¡± her eyes became filled with even more tears. ¡°Servi¡­¡±


    Feral growled, tapped Silverado¡¯s shoulder, and pointed to the door. He instantly understood. Once the others saw that they were leaving, they followed, leaving Momo alone with her friend. With a timid motion, the crying Singi reached out and took hold of her best friend¡¯s hand. It was warm and not at all cold, which was proof she was alive. But that wasn¡¯t enough. Momo wouldn¡¯t be satisfied until she heard Servi¡¯s voice with her own ears.


    ¡°Please¡­. Please wake up¡­¡± the terrified Singi was left alone with her unconscious friend for quite some time. All the while, she held her hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m right here. Servi, can you feel my hand? I don¡¯t wanna be alone again, so please¡­..don¡¯t leave me¡­¡±


    In a soul-wrenching voice, she called out for the one person she trusted more than anything. ¡°Grandpa, what do I do?¡±

 Book Two – Chapter Ten – Part Two – A Secret Revealed & A Small Trip

    Thirty minutes later, a knock came from the door.


    ¡°Come in!¡± Momo muttered in a voice that barely reached the person knocking. The door creaked open to reveal Claire, who had a stack of paper in her hands.


    ¡°Hey, Claire...¡± Momo gripped her friend¡¯s hand a little tighter, wishing for it to be returned.


    ¡°Momo¡­ How is she?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Servi won¡¯t move... She won¡¯t wake up...¡± Momo turned to the Elf and looked up with tearful blue eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna lose my best friend¡­¡±


    Claire couldn¡¯t hold it back and dropped her papers, scattering them across the room. She ran over to Momo and fell to her knees, embracing the Singi in a hug they both most desperately needed.


    ¡°I promise you she¡¯s gonna be fine. Fisher is taking full responsibility, and I received word that he¡¯s coming back with a doctor,¡± even Claire starting crying. ¡°Momo, stay strong for Servi. You would want the first thing she saw to be your face, right?¡±


    Claire felt Momo nod. ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t you want to greet her with a big smile? I know I would.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try, but it¡¯s so hard. I feel so useless¡­.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not useless. I¡¯m sure Servi would be thrilled to find out you stayed by her side. I imagine she¡¯s aware of if it. You were holding her hand, right?¡±


    "I was...."


    ¡°My grandma used to tell me that peoples¡¯ souls could communicate while they¡¯re asleep if they hold hands. And she never lied to me, so I believe her. So, I¡¯m sure she feels at ease. Be sure to hold her hand to let her soul know that you¡¯re there,¡± Claire broke from the hug and got to her feet. The many papers scattered around had to be picked up, but that could wait. They were all blank, and she was in the middle of carrying them to the innkeeper. She thought that he could wait for another five or so minutes.


    I¡¯ll have to apologize to Servi later for the mess. So, go ahead and wake up. You¡¯re making a cute girl like Momo cry.


    She stared at Momo¡¯s tear-stained face.  Her eyes were red and raw, and a little snot dribbled down her nose. ¡°As soon as he gets here, I¡¯ll send him up. Okay?¡±


    Momo nodded, and the door shut a second time, leaving the lonely girl alone with her best friend. Before she grabbed her friend''s hand, she took out a cloth and wiped her face.  "I don''t want the first thing you see to be me covered in tears and snot." Momo tried to laugh at her little joke, but she couldn''t find the strength.  Momo then took her hand and hoped and prayed to the Gods above that her friend would wake up soon.


    Twenty minutes after Claire left, someone else knocked on the door. ¡°Momo? It¡¯s me, Fisher. Can I come in?¡±


    ¡°Please, come in!¡± Momo said. This time, her voice contained less crying because she took Claire''s words to heart.  Greeting Servi with a smile was the only thing she could do for her best friend.


    The door swung open to reveal Fisher, who walked in first, and a woman in a white coat over a simple green sundress. She had green hair and a familiar tattoo on the back of her hand. In her right hand, she had a small briefcase that was see-through. Momo saw a few jars and a small container of water that seemed to glow.


    ¡°Dineria?!¡± Momo exclaimed.


    ¡°You know her?¡± Fisher asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s my student. And you had her friend. She¡¯s the patient?¡± Dineria pointed to Servi. Fisher nodded.


    ¡°She is. That¡¯s Servi,¡± Fisher replied.  He couldn''t believe the coincidence.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you found me when I was coming back from collecting herbs. And Momo, I promise I¡¯ll do what I can for Servi. After all, Fisher is footing the bill¡± Dineria smirked at the Captain, who nodded with a static expression.


    ¡°I am. I said I would take responsibility for Servi, so do all you can. Money is no issue.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now then, you need to leave. This isn¡¯t something a man needs to see. I¡¯ll get you when I¡¯m done.¡±


    Fisher nodded and stepped outside, taking a seat on the bench that Servi and Momo used to talk on. He closed the door behind him.


    ¡°Okay, Fisher told me what happened. I imagine nobody has told you, so I¡¯ll tell you. Be strong, okay?¡± said Dineria. She took a seat beside Momo and smiled at her. Her beautiful green hair took the form of a ponytail, and it swooshed when she turned her head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try. I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Momo struggled to hold back her tears.


    ¡°Be sure to hold her hand. Claire probably told you something about souls and talking, and I heard the same thing from my grandpa. I believe it 100%.¡±


    ¡°I will. I won¡¯t let go!¡±


    Dineria smiled back. ¡°Good!¡± She began to take off the leather armor that had been covered in dried vomit. ¡°Fisher told me that everyone besides Silverado completed their trial. Rakkire did, but it wasn¡¯t in a way he was satisfied, so he didn¡¯t count it. Regardless, that means that Servi wasn¡¯t injured when she fought a juncea, so be proud!¡±


    She actually fought one of those monsters? She¡¯s even more incredible than I thought.


    Once the breastplate was unhooked, Dineria had to hold Servi up at an angle so she could take it off, leaving her patient in a white tank top. Her black bra peeked out underneath it. There wasn¡¯t a single drop of sweat on her upper body, nor were her underclothes dirty or smelly.


    As Dineria removed Servi''s shield and other equipment, she continued explaining.  ¡°Fisher said that they were camping on the second night. It was him and Servi who were watching the fire. They took the first watch. He said that she saw movement in the distance, and she went to investigate. Well, she didn¡¯t come back, so Fisher went looking.¡±


    ¡°And¡­¡± Momo didn¡¯t want to hear what came next, but she needed to. If she was going to support her friend, she needed to know everything.


    ¡°He said he heard a scream and saw a small red creature. I think he said it had horns. But it also had a sleepinwillo in its hands. Do you know what that is?¡±


    Momo shook her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s a flower that carries a very potent sleeping agent within its spores, and it¡¯s capable of knocking someone into a slumber that lasts for two or more days. He said he saw her throw up after the creature tossed the flower into her face. I imagined she breathed in the spores through her mouth and her body protected her by forcing her to vomit them back up.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s the good news, though. Not in my 40 years of practicing medicine have I seen someone die from a sleepinwillo. What I¡¯m doing is checking to make sure there aren¡¯t any wounds, and then I¡¯ll wipe Servi''s body clean with a cloth. Depending on how much she vomited, she should wake up as early as tomorrow morning. Maybe even tonight, if all of the spores are out of her body.¡±


    "Even if it takes all day, I''ll stay by her side!" Momo proclaimed, who was relieved that it wasn''t anything severe.


    Dineria had no way of knowing that Fisher told her a lie he had managed to create during the long walk back to Canary. The only person who knew the truth was him, and he couldn¡¯t go around proclaiming that his student tried to kill him.


    Once Dineria did a quick preliminary scan of Servi''s upper body, the Elven doctor  moved to the lower body. She undid Servi''s belt and slid her pants off to reveal black panties. Next, she took off her boots and socks and laid them off in a small pile.


    Momo went to speak, but Dineria was faster. ¡°Now, this is water from a nearby spring that¡¯s been enchanted with Remedium. I don¡¯t know if you know it, but by enchanting a stick or rock with Remedium and setting it into a source of water, that water will begin to take on the properties of Remedium. It¡¯s nowhere as good as a potion, but it gets the job done.¡± As she spoke, she opened her briefcase to reveal its contents.


    Dineria pulled out a dry white rag made from bleached leaves and laid it on the floor. Next came the container that Momo saw and Dineria was talking about. It wasn¡¯t that big, but the water inside slightly glowed. Picking it up, she poured until the leaf rag was damp.


    She spoke while rubbing it down Servi¡¯s arms. ¡°We can¡¯t use a potion because that¡¯s only for physical wounds. It accelerates the body''s natural healing. In this case, the body has no physical wounds. It¡¯s just in a state of sleepiness, and the only cure is to let it rest. If it makes you feel better, you¡¯re more than welcome to take one from my briefcase. If you do, then pick a small spoon. It¡¯s a bad idea to pour the liquid straight down her throat, but it¡¯s alright to use a spoon to drop a few drops around her lips. Once she feels that it¡¯s wet, her body should go to swallow it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯ll leave it to you. I don¡¯t want to do anything that even has the smallest chance of not working.¡±


    But isn¡¯t doing this the same as healing her body with a potion, but it''s only slower? Then why wash her body with that Remedium water? Dang it, Momo, don¡¯t question Dineria. Just stand by and let her work!


    Dineria finished with Servi¡¯s right arm and hand and moved to her left arm. That meant Momo couldn¡¯t grab hold of her best friend¡¯s entire hand, but she made sure their fingers were at least touching.  ¡°She¡¯s really your friend, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°She is. Other than Claire, she was the first person I talked to since coming here. We went and completed our first quest together that day, and I messed up bad. But, she never once yelled or got angry. And then I wasn¡¯t paying attention on the second day, and she pushed me out of harm¡¯s way. She got hurt because of me. Dineria, I don¡¯t know what I would do if she doesn''t wake up. I¡¯m not strong enough to make it on my own.¡±


    I relied on her for everything. Servi, I miss you¡­


    Dineria had finished up Servi¡¯s left hand and arm and went to remove her patient''s tank top. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Didn¡¯t you say that it took six months to travel from your village to get here?¡±


    Servi¡¯s stomach was clean and pristine, with nary a spot of dirt or blemish. Still, Dineria ran the soaked rag over her patient''s belly.


    She did so while listening to Momo¡¯s tearful voice. ¡°I did, but I used up most of what grandpa gave me. He wanted me to get here safe and sound, but it was expensive. When I met Servi, I only had 93 dupla left to my name. That was enough for only a few nights and a little bit of food, and I thought I would have a good time since grandpa taught me the basics. But I completely froze up when we encountered our first rat. If not for Servi and her telling me to make sure that the enemy was dead, I¡¯d be gone. There wouldn¡¯t be a Momo anymore¡­ I owe her my life¡­¡±


    Dineria was at a loss. She knew that Momo had what it took to survive and fight. Especially now. But she couldn¡¯t exactly say it out loud since she wasn''t privy to Momo¡¯s abilities as of two months ago. There was a chance for the Elven mentor to say something hurtful, and she didn¡¯t want to risk it.


    So, she stayed silent as her hand softly rubbed Servi¡¯s slim stomach with her leaf rag until it was all covered in the healing solution. Once she was satisfied, she moved onto Servi¡¯s legs.


    ¡°Momo, I promise you, with everything I have, that Servi will be fine. I¡¯ve seen sleepinwillo many times before, and everyone has made a full recovery. I don¡¯t know what that red creature was that Fisher saw, but it kinda sounds like a goblin. They¡¯re known not for their intelligence but for their craftiness. If they even tried to mess with a sleepinwillo, they¡¯d be knocked out for days. It¡¯s a hard flower to mess with it, but not to toss.¡±


    Momo watched as Dineria¡¯s rag went up and down her best friend¡¯s legs and thighs before moving to her feet and toes.


    ¡°I¡¯m almost done. Let me check Servi''s back,¡± Dineria gently lifted Servi towards her as she glanced her eyes downward. ¡°I don¡¯t see any cuts or scrapes, so we¡¯re good. Thanks to the Remedium infused water, the healing properties would soon embrace her entire body. If there¡¯s even a small cut that I somehow missed, it¡¯ll be healed. It might take some time since it¡¯s a slow process, but she¡¯ll be right as rain.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Dineria. I¡­¡±


    I don¡¯t know why she did that, but it looks like Servi is a bit happier? Oh, I hope this works¡­


    ¡°I know what you need,¡± Dineria smiled gently and sat her rag down before turning to Momo. The Elf had her arms wide open, and Momo practically jumped into them.


    Cradling and rubbing the Singi¡¯s head, Dineria spoke with a voice full of sugar. ¡°It can be scary, watching your friend go through something like this. You feel powerless, and the only thing you can do is wait. Trust me, I¡¯ve been in the same spot. All I could do was hold his hand and pray that my father would be okay. And he was, but I still cried as I watched my grandma nurse him back to health. Let out all of your tears so you can greet your friend with a smile, okay? That¡¯s the best thing you can do.¡±


    ¡°Momo?¡± As if she was struck by lighting, Momo turned around. She thought she had no more tears left, but her body must¡¯ve found a secret stash as she looked at the person staring at her. It was a cute girl with black hair, red eyes, and damp skin. She used her left arm to lean up. A slight smile was in the process of forming on her face.


    ¡°Servi! I¡¯m here!¡± Momo cried out. She practically jumped on Servi, knocking the two to the mattress.


    ¡°Gah!¡± Servi exclaimed.


    ¡°Servi!!! Are you okay? Are you hurt?!¡± Momo used the mattress and the floor to prop herself up until she stared directly into her best friend¡¯s eyes.


    Servi¡¯s response wasn¡¯t what Momo expected. The Human wrapped her arms around her Singi friend and hugged her tightly.


    Momo had her armor on, but she swore she felt Servi¡¯s soft hands through the leather.


    ¡°Momo, you don¡¯t know how happy I am to see you,¡± Servi buried her face in Momo¡¯s body. The Singi returned the affection with a hug of her own while softly crying. Momo''s whimpering only grew louder as the two friends shared their inner feelings without using words.


    Dineria stood some distance away.  The last thing she wanted to do was interrupt a beautiful reunion between two friends.


    ¡°Servi, I was so worried about you. When I saw you come in being carried by Feral, I was thought the worst had happened. And when I heard about the red creature, I got even more scared. But I don¡¯t have to worry anymore now that you¡¯re awake.¡±


    Red creature and Feral? Fuck it, I can ask later.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for worrying you... I really am. But I¡¯m here. I¡¯m back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Momo backed away from Servi, and stared deeply into those red eyes of hers and gave her the biggest smile she¡¯d ever seen. ¡°Welcome back!¡±

 Book Two – Chapter Ten – Part Three – A Secret Revealed & A Small Trip

    After Momo welcomed her back with tearful eyes, she introduced Servi to Dineria, who told Servi that she had rubbed her body down with water infused with Remedium. Momo and Servi ended up thanking her, to which the Elf just giggled.


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome. Fisher Jin is taking care of the bill, so please, don''t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s out there?¡± Servi half-expected to fly into a rage after hearing his name, but she didn¡¯t.


    Is it because of Momo and Dineria? Or something else? I was talking to someone when I was out, right? Was it Itarr?


    ¡°He said he wanted to speak with you as soon as you woke up. It¡¯s about the little red creature you saw. The one that had the sleepinwillo?¡± Dineria leaned up against the wall with her see-through briefcase hugged near her chest.


    Servi was in the process of putting on a particular outfit that Momo had picked out for her. At first, she didn¡¯t know how to explain the items appearing from thin air, but then Servi realized she had stored some bags. She descended into the ring, stuffed the clothes in bags while inside, and took them out in a location that was out of Momo and Dineria¡¯s sight.


    They swore there wasn¡¯t a bag there before, but Momo said that she was too stressed out to be sure. Even though Servi had on underwear and they were both girls, Momo tried to not peek. And the Singi swore she did the best she could, but she might have spared a few glances.


    It¡¯s been a long time since I had to do this manually. I almost forgot how to tie my shoes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t exactly remember a red creature,¡± Servi said, continuing on with the lie, ¡°but it might be good to ask him.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go get him,¡± Dineria opened the door and went to shout but stopped when she saw the man in black armor sitting on a nearby bench.


    ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s like you knew she¡¯d be awake, even though she took in spores from a sleepinwillo,¡± Dineria teased the Captain, and he just sighed.


    ¡°Tell me how much it¡¯s going to cost me,¡± Fisher started chanting his Dimensional Storage skill but was stopped by the Elf who healed Servi.


    ¡°It¡¯s no charge this time. You¡¯re lucky I was Momo¡¯s mentor. And just so you know, I was totally against you bringing them out to fight a juncea. I knew something was going to go bad, and it did. If something would¡¯ve happened to Servi or any of the others, I would never forgive you. Not in a million years,¡± as if she just didn¡¯t pour her true feelings out to Fisher, Dineria gave a paradoxical smile that didn¡¯t fit the current atmosphere, then walked towards the stairs. Her white coat fluttered behind her as she descended. Before she got too far away, she turned around. ¡°Don¡¯t be too rough with the girl. She just woke up, so I imagine her mind is in a bit of a jumble, so to speak.¡±


    And with that, Dineria walked down the stairs and made her way to her store.


    Fisher, meanwhile, took those words to heart.


    Everything was going fine until Servi attacked me. We would¡¯ve been home without a single incident, but I can¡¯t blame it on her. She only went after me because of the things I¡¯ve done in the past. Maybe we can talk this out before she decides to kill me. She was weak before, but if she¡¯s in the right mind, I¡¯m going to die the moment I walk in that room. But if Momo is in there, then I should be fine. I didn¡¯t see her walk out.  But, should I have my weapon out? No, that¡¯s the wrong way to do it. I need to go in to prove I want to talk, not fight.


    Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door. ¡°Servi? Momo? It¡¯s me, Fisher.¡±


    ¡°Come in!¡± came a voice that certainly didn¡¯t belong to Momo.


    He opened it and walked in before closing it. He saw two people in his sight. A girl with black hair and red eyes wanted to murder him, and a Singi with pink hair. Both were sitting on the terrible mattress and looked up at him.


    ¡°Dineria said you wanted to talk to me about the red creature?¡± Servi stared at her armored, helmetless foe.  His brown eyes stared down at her, then they turned to look at the Singi next to her.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If it¡¯s alright with you, I was wondering if I could speak to you alone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go tell Claire that you¡¯re up. She was worried, too,¡± Momo announced. She got up, thanked Fisher once more for going to get Dineria, and left. It was only the two of them.


    ¡°Do you remember any of what we talked about?¡± Fisher started a conversation that might¡¯ve been his last.


    Servi stood up, and two brown chairs appeared from thin air. She sat down in one, and she pointed to the other chair.


    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t. But someone I trust and love very much told me what you said. If you want an apology, you¡¯re not getting one,¡± Servi placed a hand to her heart.  The rugged blue overalls she had put on felt comforting, and she smiled.


    Fisher reached out to grab the chair and positioned it behind him. Sitting down, he carefully thought about the right words that he needed to say. ¡°Then you know my regret, right?¡±


    Servi nodded.


    ¡°You know I cried for them, right?¡±


    Another nod.


    ¡°And you know my past, right?¡±


    ¡°I know everything you said to me before we started fighting, so what¡¯s your point?¡±


    Fisher stared deeply into those red eyes. ¡°Then you should know I¡¯m ashamed of how I was in my youth. I killed a lot of innocent Demi-Humans because I forced myself to see them as enemies. That was something I could never take back, and those lives were cut short because of my ignorance. I admit I was weak and frail, and Arnold took advantage of me. But I don¡¯t blame him. I blame myself.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I should¡¯ve known that my past will come back to haunt me, but I didn¡¯t expect it to take a form of a Human who doesn¡¯t play by the rules the Gods have set.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Servi asked a question she already knew the answer to. She needed him to keep talking so she could figure out, in her mind, the questions she wanted to ask him.


    ¡°Your ID didn¡¯t have Telekinesis, yet those swords were flying. Your throat ripped open from your screaming and healed instantly. The green mist, from my staff, was created from highly concentrated sleepinwillo spores that could knock out a dragon for two days, yet you woke up in just a couple of hours. You can use skills even though you messed up the chant, not to mention it¡¯s like you can them without speaking. I could go on and on.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re something that goes against everything. You have all of this power at your disposal. Even what seems to be the ability to make physical objects from thin air.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s wrong for me to use this power to get revenge, even after I swore I would use it to get revenge for those who¡¯re unable to protect themselves?¡±


    Fisher sighed. ¡°I want to say yes, but I know that if I had this power when my village was attacked, I would¡¯ve used it to its full potential. But ultimately, I would¡¯ve lost myself in the death and carnage I would''ve brought to the Demi-Humans. I wouldn¡¯t be Human anymore, and my anger would¡¯ve consumed me, eventually turning me into nothing more than a monster. I imagine your anger got the best of you, and that¡¯s why you¡­¡± he trailed off and stopped speaking.


    Like what happened to me¡­ Servi sighed. Itarr told me that I was nothing more than a beast who growled and screamed. Gods above, Servi, why did you do that? Is that your true self? A mad dog that can only feel alive when you fight and kill?


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Fisher continued speaking, going in a slightly different direction. ¡°I know what it¡¯s like to dedicate a portion of your life to revenge. I can¡¯t even begin to tell you how many lives I¡¯ve taken. And hell, even if you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯m going to do all I can to make reparations. I don¡¯t hate Demi-Humans anymore. I don¡¯t hold those who weren¡¯t born at the time or weren''t even there to be responsible for my village¡¯s fate. Silverado and the others¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then do you expect me to forgive you because you turned over a new leaf?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t. Hell, I still hate myself. If killing me is enough for you to forgive me, then do it. But I won¡¯t go down without a fight. I finally have something to direct my life towards, and I refuse to have that taken from me. I refuse to be separated from my wife and daughters. I know they¡¯re too good and pure for a sin-stained man like myself, but¡ª¡±


    Servi stood up and sighed. ¡°Goddammit, you¡¯re making it hard for me. I hated you, and I fought off the urge to kill you for a month because I thought I¡¯d have the perfect chance. And I did. But now¡­¡± Servi sat back down and cradled her head with her hands.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, can I ask you something?¡±


    Servi shrugged.


    ¡°Does Momo know any of this?¡±


    ¡°Nope. And I plan to keep it that way.¡±


    ¡°Then does anyone else know?¡±


    ¡°Nobody knows the truth about me, but some know what I¡¯m truly capable of. Those that know that aren¡¯t here anymore, and I don¡¯t know where they¡¯ve gone.¡±


    ¡°I get the feeling you¡¯re behind the attacks from a month ago.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°If you are or aren¡¯t, it is of no concern to me. Hundreds of terrible Humans died in the attack, and many Demi-Human slaves were able to escape. I just want you to know that I want to thank the one responsible for freeing them... I used to be all about Humans. The good ones, the bad ones. The evil and despicable ones. That was the only reason I even bothered to train Silverado and the others.  Because I convinced myself they would use the skills they learned to protect the Humans that would probably join their parties.


    ¡°But when I realized that there were some good Demi-Humans out there... I knew the world had to have its fair share of evil Humans. It sounds weird because I just said I used to be all about Humans, good and evil. But now it''s like I''m seeing everything from a different angle. Of course, I¡¯m well aware I¡¯m one of the evil ones, and I¡¯m not denying that. Gods above, I sound like such a hypocrite. I don''t even know if the words coming out of my mouth are making any sense...¡± Fisher sighed and exhaustedly rubbed his head.


    I can¡¯t believe I just approved the actions of the girl who was responsible for hundreds of people dying.  I know I should do my best to bring her in, but...


    ¡°However, I can¡¯t forgive the person responsible for slaughtering the few good men who had no choice but to work there, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then here,¡± Servi interrupted Fisher and brought out the rest of her sacks and filled them with dupla. They were overflowing, and the coins spilled out onto the wooden floor.


    ¡°This may or may not be from the culprit and may or may not have 500,000 dupla in it. The culprit would want the children and family of those affected by her actions to be taken care of. They had no say in the matter, and it wouldn¡¯t be right for them to be punished. I¡¯m sure the culprit knows this can¡¯t bring back their fathers or mothers or brothers or sisters, but she doesn¡¯t know what else to do. She wants to make sure that this money is properly distributed.¡±


    Fisher cracked a smile and opened his Dimensional Storage.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be surprised at half a million dupla appearing from thin air. Why?¡±


    ¡°There are things in this world that can¡¯t be explained. From my point of view from nothing is another one of your abilities.¡±


    ¡°You talk as if I¡¯m a Goddess.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you? I believe only a God or Goddess could break the rules set by the Gods.¡±


    ¡°Itarr, should I tell him?¡±


    It is up to you.


    ¡°Itarr?¡± Fisher asked. It must be the one she loves and trusts. In that case, she might be possessed by a spirit. Maybe a Goddess? No, I don''t think that''s it... I''ve never heard of a God or Goddess taking control of someone, so it has to be a spirit. They can slip inside weapons and imbue them with their powers, so why they can''t do the same with a person?


    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t say much. But I can, however, say this. I am Human.¡±


    At least I think I¡¯m Human. I hope I¡¯m Human.


    Fisher moved over to the sitting giant sacks of dupla and began to store them inside his Dimensional Storage. Servi spoke to him. ¡°You¡¯re not planning on telling anyone, are you?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s going to believe me? As far as I¡¯m concerned, you encountered a small red creature who tossed a sleepinwillo at you. Then, you fell asleep and woke up hours later after being treated by Dineria. Your secrets are yours to keep and protect. They can only be revealed when you want them to.¡±


    Once all of the bags were gone, he sat down back on his chair. Oddly enough, he only had to touch the bags for them to disappear.


    The two silently stared at each other, and it was Fisher who spoke first. ¡°Are you competing in the tournament?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Though I realize it¡¯s not fair of me. You saw a bad side of me, but I¡¯m pretty damn good with a sword. You want me to forfeit or quit, right?¡±


    Fisher nodded. ¡°I do, but I realize you can¡¯t. Your first reason for joining this program was Momo, wasn¡¯t it? I remember you talking about two reasons.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Momo''s my closest friend, and I originally joined because I needed money. Though, I suppose I only have the one reason now.¡±


    How strange¡­ I¡¯m talking so freely to the man I wanted to kill.


    ¡°I see," Fisher smiled.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell Feral and the others, did you?¡± Servi knew she had already asked about him keeping it a secret, but she wanted to be extra sure.


    ¡°I did not. I just spoke of a red creature that had a sleepinwillo. That¡¯s the lie I made up, so roll with it.¡±


    Servi sighed again. ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry, alright?  At the time, I was just so upset and angry that you said you cared about your students when I thought you were willingly hurting Seka and Seko. But now I know your side of the story and your circumstances. If I was in your shoes, I probably couldn¡¯t have done anything differently. So, I¡¯m sorry for attacking you, and I thank you for keeping my abilities a secret.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. If I was in your position, I would¡¯ve attacked myself. I¡¯m glad we were able to talk this out.¡±


    Servi smiled. ¡°Same here. I guess I know now that I shouldn¡¯t always choose violence. Hell, maybe it¡¯s time for me to tell Momo.¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid?¡±


    Servi nodded. ¡°She¡¯s my first friend after Itarr, and she believes me to be unblessed, like her. If I told her that I have these powers, I¡¯m afraid she would hate me.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t say our situations are the same, but I will say this. My wife, Gods bless her soul, didn¡¯t know anything about my past until a few days ago. I told her, and I fully expected her to leave with the kids. But, to my surprise, she was there smiling at me when I woke up. She knows my past and says she¡¯ll forgive me if I can¡¯t forgive myself. But, I need to do all I can to make amends for the lives I¡¯ve stolen.¡±


    ¡°She sounds like a lovely woman.¡±


    ¡°Oh, she is. She deserves a better man than I, but she sees something in me. All I can do now is make her proud to be my wife.¡±


    ¡°And your two daughters are adorable.¡±


    Fisher smiled. ¡°Mari and Meri are certainly something. I¡¯m proud of them, and I only wish I could do them right. I want them to be proud of their father, but I know I have a lot of work to do.¡±


    ¡°How are you going to distribute the money? I have 29,459,728 dupla left to use. If that¡¯s not enough, I have some nadrium items and gemstones you can sell to get the rest.¡±


    ¡°I believe that¡¯ll be enough. I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s distributed equally. But, there is one thing I¡¯m thinking of that you might like?¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Governor Blas¨¦ and his secretary Eina won¡¯t be at the tournament. They had an appointment with someone important and won¡¯t be back for a week or two.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so what does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Before we left for the juncea, they wanted me to brainstorm and come up with ideas to improve our city. And I think I have one if you¡¯re willing to hear it. It¡¯s something that¡¯s been in the back of my mind for a few weeks now.¡±


    ¡°Alright. What is it?¡± Servi crossed her legs.


    ¡°If you¡¯re willing to pay for it, I believe I can convince the Governor to build an orphanage. There¡¯s a lot of children, both Human and Demi-Human, that are homeless. Right now, they have to steal and lie just to survive. I believe it¡¯s something that Canary really needs right now.¡±


    ¡°I agree. Does Canary have any orphanages?¡±


    Fisher shook his head and sighed. ¡° There¡¯s probably some unofficial ones in the slums, and it¡¯s better than nothing, but I feel it¡¯s not enough.¡±


    ¡°How much is it going to cost?¡±


    ¡°A couple million, at least. But that also includes everything: beds, Wash Stones, the buildings, the crops and grains, the animals, and more. There¡¯s a nice spot outside of town that¡¯s perfect for farming and tending to animals.  There''s a lake nearby.  For just a little bit more money, it''s possible to build a little subdivision from it. That way, we wouldn¡¯t need to use the Wash Stone to provide the water for the crops.  If we do that, then the price drops dramatically.  Wash Stones are pretty expensive."


    ¡°Having the kids work a farm is a good idea, provided they aren¡¯t overworked and are allowed to take enough breaks. They¡¯ve lived a hard life, and I refuse to force them to slave day and night for a place that¡¯s supposed to be their refuge.¡±


    ¡°Definitely. I agree one hundred percent. I¡¯ll personally see to that. If it¡¯s alright with you, I¡¯ll put together a document detailing everything I have planned, as well as an estimated cost. It¡¯ll be expensive, but eventually, the orphanage would be self-sufficient by selling its produce. In addition, the donations they would receive from nobles wishing to flaunt their wealth and generosity should be more than enough to cover any unexpected costs. And yes, I¡¯ll make sure the money that¡¯s earned goes towards improving it. I won¡¯t allow anyone to steal or embezzle anything."


    ¡°That sounds pretty good, and I like it, but don¡¯t put my name on it. Momo doesn¡¯t know I have all this cash on me.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. I¡¯ll leave it blank. If the governor asks, I¡¯ll just say it¡¯s the same anonymous person who donated 500,000 dupla. But don¡¯t take this to mean I¡¯m just going to have it built and leave it alone. I¡¯m not. I¡¯ll make daily visits, and I¡¯ll instruct my men to have a guard or two hanging around. I¡¯m serious, Servi, the treatment of Demi-Human, both citizens and slaves, and the homeless in this city will turn around. I might not have the reach the Governor does, but people know me as the Justice Captain. Even though I¡¯m not worthy of that damn name, I have a certain sway with some of the populace. I¡¯ll do all I can. I promise.¡±


    ¡°I know you will. I don¡¯t even know how many orphans I created, and this won¡¯t even come close to paying it back, but if the orphanage needs it, I¡¯ll donate everything I have. Right now, this is the only thing I can think of to atone for my sins."


    Servi held her hand out, and Fisher smiled.  He stuck out his armored hand, and they shook on it.


    I¡¯m happy for you, Servi. I believe Fisher is a man we can trust.


    ¡°I do too, Itarr.¡±


    ¡°May I ask what she said?¡± asked the man whose hand she was just shaking.


    Servi smiled. ¡°Itarr said she believes you¡¯re a man we can trust. And I believe that as well. You¡¯re one of the only people who know my secret.¡±


    ¡°Your trust in me is something I won¡¯t betray. It goes without saying, but I trust you too.  But.... I need to ask one last thing.  Arnold was the one in silver armor who was with me at that time... Did you kill him?"


    Servi sighed heavily.  As she opened her mouth to speak, Fisher stopped her. "Even if you did, I know deep down he deserved it.  And the ones who went with him deserved to die too.  They were just like Arnold in the same way that they hated Demis, and it wasn''t strange for me to find them with a dagger deep in a Demi-Human slave that either had no master or had run away.   I had all the chances in the world to put a stop to it, but I was afraid and weak.  But you already know that.  At least they can''t hurt them anymore.  Just know that I don''t hate you for what you did. I can only hope they died peacefully, without regret filling their heart.  If there is a world after death, then I hope they''ll do all they can to atone for their sins."

 Book Two – Chapter Ten – Part Four – A Secret Revealed & A Small Trip

    Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.


    ¡°Crap, I gotta get rid of the chairs.¡± Servi and Fisher stood up, and the chairs disappeared like they weren¡¯t even there.  ¡°We can continue this later, right?¡±


    Fisher nodded, speaking in a tone different from the one he had used minutes before. ¡°I¡¯ll start on the design as soon as I can. I¡¯m no architect, but as long as I can lay out the specifications, Governor Blas¨¦ can give it to the people who turned that warehouse into an arena. They can do the rest. Once they do and I get it back, I¡¯ll hand it to you for final approval.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me.¡±


    It sounds good to me, too. Itarr added on.


    ¡°Servi? It¡¯s me, Momo.¡±


    ¡°And Claire!¡±


    ¡°Come on in,¡± Servi half-yelled. The door handle twisted open to reveal a smiling Momo and a relieved Claire.


    Instantly she stormed over to Fisher and started reprimanding him. Her red hair joined in her rage, scattering and fluttering when she angrily shook her head. ¡°See, I knew this was too dangerous. She almost died to an unknown¡ª¡±


    ¡°Claire, I¡¯m fine. I saw the red thing and thought I could take it. Clearly, I couldn¡¯t. I thought I had it under control. It¡¯s not his fault, but mine.¡±


    ¡°Servi...¡± Momo whispered her friend''s name.


    ¡°Hmph! Still, it only happened because he wanted you all to fight a juncea. It was still too dangerous!¡±


    Servi looked and Fisher, and he smiled. ¡°Claire, I¡¯m sorry. I realize now that I should¡¯ve done something else for my exam. Servi, can you forgive me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I''m sorry, too," Servi smiled.


    Seems like it¡¯s nothing but secrets that surrounds me. I know one day I can tell everyone the truth. And I¡¯m sorry, Fisher, if Dineria and Claire, or anyone else gives you a hard time. When I can, I¡¯ll be sure to properly apologize to everyone.


    ¡°Now then, I have some things I gotta do. Oh, I did promise that I¡¯ll take you all to that sweets shop. Momo, Claire, you¡¯re more than welcome to come. How about we meet at 7 at the headquarters? If any of us see Silverado and the others, be sure to let them know. Of course, that includes Dineria and the other girl that¡¯s training under her.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Fisher! That¡¯s very kind of you!¡± Momo''s ears twitched when she realized she had a chance to eat Canary¡¯s chocolate again.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s kind of you. If I get off in time, I¡¯ll come along,¡± Claire sarcastically said with a bit of edge in her voice as she mockingly waved him away. She didn''t think she would ever forgive Fisher, but she wouldn''t bring it up again if it had the chance to sour the mood.


    ¡°Very well. I see you all later,¡± Fisher nodded at Servi and walked out of her room.


    Immediately, Claire turned to Servi and hugged her while Momo watched with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy you¡¯re okay!¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Claire. I¡¯m sorry to have worried you.¡±


    ¡°And now you know not to wander around at night to chase mysterious monsters. It¡¯s a stupid thing to do.¡±


    ¡°Claire¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so, so, so sorry,¡± Servi hugged Claire a bit tighter, and the Elf responded by slowly stroking her soft black hair.


    ¡°As long as you know and learn from it, it¡¯s okay,¡± Claire broke off the hug, and Servi saw her eyes were red from crying.


    Servi then turned to Momo, who flashed a smile. Her blue eyes were also raw and red, no doubt from wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t remember what happened?¡± asked Claire. She took a seat on the terrible mattresses along with Servi and Momo. Since she was on break, she had some time to relax.


    ¡°I don¡¯t. I don¡¯t even remember seeing a red creature,¡± said Servi, ¡°The last thing I know, I¡¯m walking over to a weird noise, and I wake up in my room. Hey, who carried me back?¡±


    ¡°Feral,¡± answered Momo. ¡°He was carrying you so softly like he didn¡¯t want to accidentally hurt you.¡±


    Servi smiled a melancholy smile. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to thank him and the rest of my class. I caused nothing but trouble for them.¡±


    ¡°But if you think of it this way, you showed them how dangerous it could be going off on your own,¡± commented Claire.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! So don¡¯t beat yourself up, okay?¡± Momo stared directly at Servi.


    ¡°I won¡¯t. I¡¯ll take it to heart and learn from it.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now, I have some good news for both of you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± asked the Singi.


    ¡°It¡¯s about your promotion quest. I put in the application a day ago, and you both got approved!¡±


    ¡°Really?! Servi!!!¡± like when she woke up, Momo pounced on Servi and embraced her in a big hug. ¡°We did it!! Servi, we did it!!¡± this time, she didn¡¯t fall.


    Servi wrapped her arms around Momo¡¯s back and hugged her. ¡°Yeah, we did it! Good work, Momo!¡±


    ¡°But, because of the tournament coming up, I would highly suggest you two focus on that. The quest isn¡¯t going anywhere,¡± Claire couldn''t hide her genuine happiness. She beamed from ear to ear.


    ¡°Right!¡± Momo pulled back from the hug. Unlike before, she wasn¡¯t embarrassed about hugging her best friend. Especially not now when she sat there for an hour or so hugging her best friend¡¯s hand while she was unconscious.


    I can¡¯t believe I was afraid of even hugging her, even if I did hug her a few times. I know that sounds weird, but I¡¯m not that Momo anymore. I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t mind if we hugged whenever we accomplished something good. I now know that unexpected things can happen when out on a quest. If I have something to do or say, I just need to say it. That¡¯s it! I decided I¡¯m going to tell her she¡¯s my best friend. I just need to find the right moment.


    ¡°Very well, then. Just let me know when you two want to take it, and I¡¯ll get everything prepared.¡±


    ¡°Momo, how about two days after the tournament? That¡¯ll give us some time to rest and relax.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good to me! But, what if neither of us wins and doesn''t get the camping set?¡±


    ¡°About that¡­ We just received a newsletter that isn¡¯t supposed to go out until tomorrow, but I guess I can let you guys know. One of the sponsors of the tournament runs a camping supply store. For three days after the tournament starts, all of their camping sets are discounted for every Rank 10. It¡¯s not free, but it¡¯s far cheaper than buying it outright. And both of you have your loans paid off, right? I¡¯m not saying you¡¯ll lose.  In fact, I have the highest hopes for the both of you to make it very far and win. But you can always take out a loan.¡±


    ¡°Servi?¡± Momo looked at Servi to ask her opinion on the matter.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me. But let¡¯s not count us out just yet, yeah?¡± Servi grinned.


    ¡°I would never. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have to get back to work,¡± Claire smiled and left the two friends alone.


    Now¡¯s the time!


    ¡°Hey, Servi?¡±


    The girl in question turned to her friend, whose ears twitched in anticipation of a response to a question she most desperately wanted to ask. It was something she needed to know, and she couldn¡¯t put it off any longer.


    ¡°Yeah? What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I gotta be honest. When I saw you unconscious, I was super scared. I was afraid that I wasn¡¯t gonna have another chance to talk to you. And there was something I wanted to say to you when you got back.¡±


    ¡°Momo, I really am sorry. I put my whole team in danger when I went off alone. I even promised you I wouldn¡¯t do anything stupid¡­And I swear I¡­.¡± Servi couldn¡¯t get the words out, and her sentence trailed off.


    ¡°I know, Servi. You didn¡¯t mean to do it, and if you¡¯re like me, you¡¯re beating yourself up inside. I know it all too well. But I wanted to say something to you. And here it goes.¡±


    The Singi took a deep breath while her best friend watched with careful eyes and a smile.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been party members for a while, and we¡¯re friends, right?¡±  Momo looked at Servi, awaiting a response.


    The room was deathly silent, all except the voices of two people.


    ¡°We are,¡± Servi replied.


    ¡°Well, for a while now, I¡¯ve kinda con-considered you to be my b-best friend,¡± Momo said, stuttering cutely over her words.


    ¡°Well, guess what? I consider you to be my best friend, too. For a while now. I just didn¡¯t know how to bring it up.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± asked Momo. Her tail wagged like a dog''s would before it realized that it belonged to a Singi, then it slowed down, becoming upright. Then it began to slightly move back and forth.


    ¡°Really. I consider you to be my best friend. And that¡¯s why I¡¯m kicking myself over the stupid mistake I made. What kind of tank goes off alone and almost gets hurt?¡± Servi sighed and slowly rubbed her head.


    ¡°Honestly, I probably would¡¯ve done the same thing. If you think I¡¯m mad or upset or anything, I¡¯m not. If anything, I¡¯m just super relieved you¡¯re alright,¡± after Momo said that, her stomach let everyone know it was hungry.


    ¡°Hehe, I guess I¡¯m kinda hungry,¡± Momo said as she rubbed her stomach, her hand gliding over the warm leather of her armor. Her face took on a familiar red hue.


    Servi got up and held out her hand. Momo smiled and took it, using it to get to her feet. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go and get some breakfast? Or lunch, I guess. What time is it, anyway?¡± Servi glanced around the room for a second before she realized she didn''t have a clock.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t know. Maybe 11 or 12? I don¡¯t know. Where do ya wanna go?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re letting me pick?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°Yep! Consider it a gift. You passed your exam, after all. With that said, congratulations, Servi!¡± the pink-haired smiled at her very best friend in the world.


    ¡°And that reminds me, how did you and Srassa do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you all about it over lunch. But basically, we both passed--  Whaa!¡± Servi went for a hug and wrapped her hands around her best friend. Momo was surprised, to be sure, but it wasn¡¯t a bad feeling. She touchingly wrapped her arms around Servi.


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome! I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t there to cheer you on, but I was cheering in my heart!¡±


    ¡°I was cheering for you, too!¡±


    ¡°But, if I get to choose this for my gift, then what about you? What do you want?¡±


    Momo pulled back from the hug and grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. You heard what Fisher said, right? He¡¯s taking us to Madam Canary''s Sweetie Tweety! That means I can get that chocolate again!¡±


    ¡°That is right. Then I hope it tastes extra yummy for you!¡±


    ¡°Hehe, thank you!¡±


    ¡°Now then, let¡¯s go get something to eat. I think I want to try that chicken again.  The stall was called Lucky¡¯s Chicken, I think?¡± Servi went to the door and opened it, allowing Momo to walk through.


    ¡°Thanks! Oh, that place was called Lucky Lucky Chicken, but that¡¯s close enough.¡±


    The two friends walked down the stairs and reached the lobby. Since it was almost the tournament, there weren¡¯t that many people doing quests. They saw Claire off to the side, behind one of the eight windows. An older man, a Dwarf with white hair, was talking to her.


    ¡°I hope Claire''s not in any trouble,¡± Momo said as she walked out of the door. The bright sun was high above as its light washed down on her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she is. That Dwarf didn¡¯t look angry. Anyways, let¡¯s go get some food.¡±


    ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll be right here with you!¡± Momo looked up at her best friend and smiled.


    I can¡¯t believe I told her, and I''m so happy she feels the same way about me as I do her. Servi, I¡¯m so thankful I listened to grandpa¡¯s advice. Servi, if I would¡¯ve judged and left you, then I wouldn¡¯t have you as my best friend! Here¡¯s to a lot of fun adventurers ahead of us!

 Book Two – Chapter Ten – Part Five – A Secret Revealed & A Small Trip

    A couple of hours later, the time was rapidly approaching 7 PM. The moon was solidly visible in the night sky, yet the stars were shy. Only a few came out to play. A lovely summer breeze flew through the town, lightly pushing leaves and other light objects down the nearby streets.


    Three people were walking in a small group towards a particular place. Said place had a man, employed by the city, that used to bring much anger to a certain young woman. However, by the passing of time and the power of words, she began to lose the hatred she harbored towards him until it was replaced with trust.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯m overdressed, do you?¡± Claire asked. She had on a modest black sundress that attracted the attention of a few men. It was slim and tight, hugging her body very well but being loose enough that it didn¡¯t hinder her movements. Her feet and recently painted toenails were at home in a cute-looking pair of sandals.  Her state of apparel gave the appearance she was heading out for a romantic night on the town with her one and only, not going to the candy store with her friends.


    ¡°Not at all. You look super good,¡± said a certain pink-haired Singi. Momo was dressed in a soft white shirt tucked into a feisty black skirt. Pink socks covered her feet, which themselves were inside a pair of black boots that had a pink cat on the side. ¡°Right, Servi?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Claire, you look stunning,¡± Servi wore the red and white buttoned-down shirt, black pants and boots, and overalls. The outfit she had on was picked out by her best friend on the first day they met. Servi considered it to be a bit weird, allowing a complete stranger to pick out her outfit, but the black-haired girl didn¡¯t mind. Especially when she realized that the stranger she met on that day was now her best friend.


    ¡°But we¡¯re just going to a candy store, right? Ooh!! Why did I decide to dress up?!¡± Claire whined like a teenage girl stressing over what clothes to wear on a date.


    Servi thought it was a bit unlike Claire to act like this, but she thought it was cute. Even though she hadn''t mentioned it to anyone, she appreciated what Claire did. Being a receptionist at Warden, the Elf was in charge of helping members with what adventurers needed. Be it from answering questions or giving advice, the only thing she wanted was for the members of Warden to come back safe and sound.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with dressing up for something like that, right?¡± said Momo. She still had grandpa''s bag around her shoulder. It was something like a staple for Momo, and she always had it with her.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± added Servi as they turned a corner. Up ahead was the city guard¡¯s headquarters. Up ahead, they saw a large group of people all huddled together, and once Servi saw a large Kobold, she smiled.


    We didn¡¯t run into them earlier, but I''m glad someone told them.  Now, I can finally thank Feral for carrying me back.


    Going back in time for a few hours, after Servi and Momo stopped by their favorite chicken stall to get lunch, they took the time to walk around town. As fate would have it, they eventually met up with Srassa.


    She wasn¡¯t privy to the whole situation, so when she asked Momo and Servi about it, they had to tell her in a way that wouldn¡¯t make her freak out.


    ¡°Oh my Gods above, are you okay?!¡± asked Srassa, clearly freaking out. She dropped her small bag, filled with hard candies that were individually wrapped. Red and white and blue streaks covered the little stone bench the three of them were sitting on. She made a cute little embarrassing squeak as she rapidly tried to pick them back up. Of course, Servi and Momo couldn¡¯t let their friend pick them up alone.


    Momo stood up and crouched down as she picked up the fallen candy. ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡±


    Servi crouched down as well. ¡°Yep. I¡¯m totally okay. It was sleepinwillo, and I only really fell asleep. I woke up feeling sad because I worried everyone,¡± subtly, Servi used Telekinesis to slow the roll of the candies and even used Absorption to sneakily pick up a few that were in hard-to-reach spots.


    Srassa stood back up, opening her bag as Servi and Momo tossed the cloth-covered candy into it.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad. I really am. But did you really fight a juncea?¡± asked Srassa, who wore a simple black shirt and brown pants with white socks and red boots. It was an odd outfit for a noble to be wearing, but Srassa had gotten the permission of her father to wear this outfit. The very last thing Srassa wanted to do was something that would harm the reputation of her family. To her surprise, she was actively encouraged by her father to do what made her happy as long as it was safe and legal. And it just so happened that some of her favorite clothes didn¡¯t necessarily match. It was just one of her quirks.


    ¡°I did. It was tough, but thanks to Fisher¡¯s training, I was able to win,¡± Servi lied a little. She didn¡¯t need the training, considering how Soul Essence of Primal Combat and her unique ability of stacking skills worked. But since it was her fault that Fisher had to cover for her, Servi wanted to do all she could to paint him in a good light.


    It¡¯s kinda funny. My most hated person turned out to be a victim. Not to mention that he knows my secret that not even my best friend knows. Damnit, Servi, you gotta tell her, but how and when?


    ¡°He¡¯s strong, isn¡¯t he? He has to if he''s Captain of the Guard,¡± Srassa was right.  A Captain of the Guard had to be tough enough to protect Canary.


    ¡°He is, but he¡¯s also generous.¡±


    Momo added on to what Servi said. ¡°He offered to take all of us to Madam Canary''s Sweetie Tweety to congratulate us on passing our final exams. And that includes you, Dineria, and Claire.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very sweet of him. But wait, who¡¯s Claire?¡± asked Srassa. She hugged the bag tightly against her chest so it wouldn''t have a chance to fall again.  The last thing she wanted to do was crawl around on all fours and pick up more candy.


    ¡°She¡¯s an employee that works at Warden. She¡¯s nice and wonderful, and very understanding. She¡¯s also the one who signed us up.¡±


    ¡°I had a woman named Estela sign me up,¡± Srassa said.


    ¡°She¡¯s the one who chose Fisher to be my mentor. Honestly, she seems a bit mean.¡±


    ¡°Really? She was nice to me,¡± added Momo.


    ¡°It might just be one of those things,¡± Srassa spoke more freely and with a bit more strength, courage, and confidence behind her voice. Perhaps the accomplishment of passing Dineria''s exam had a profound effect on her psyche? ¡°But going to that place sounds fun! Where are you meeting up at?¡±


    ¡°7 PM at the headquarters," Servi answered.


    ¡°Very well. I can¡¯t wait. Oh, but I have to leave. I was running an errand for Dineria. You know, she said she had the strangest urge to eat candy, and she asked me to get some.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯d you run into her?¡±


    ¡°I was actually in Levadia Woods, looking for a bow. That¡¯s when she came in wearing a white coat. I guess it was just after she left Warden.¡± Srassa cradled the bag of candy close to her chest as she answered her Singi friend.


    ¡°That¡¯s good then. Can you ask Dineria if she wants to go with us?¡± Servi said.


    ¡°I will.¡± Srassa nodded. ¡°But I must be going. I don¡¯t want to make her wait. I¡¯ll see you all tonight, okay?¡±


    The three said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.


    ¡°So what now?¡± asked the Singi, who walked side-by-side her best friend.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. What do you wanna do? We have to rest up for the tourney, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to go into the sewers. And if we train, we might get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Want to just walk around town? If not that, when we can hang out at Warden.¡±


    ¡°Both of those sound good to me.¡± Servi smiled at her best friend.


    At 7 PM, a girl with black hair and red eyes said her utmost apologies and thanks to a group of five Demi-Humans who trained with her under Fisher Jin.


    ¡°Feral, I just want to thank you for carrying me back after I got knocked out. And for the rest of you, I¡¯m sorry I did what I did. I had no right to leave camp to chase for a monster whose ability I had no knowledge of. Please, forgive me,¡± Servi solemnly spoke to her fellow group of former mentees.


    ¡°It was no problem. I am curious and want to know about this red creature that you saw,¡± growled Feral. He lightly slammed his tail into the ground. Mari and Meri, Fisher''s daughters, gleefully laughed at the noise it made.


    ¡°Servi, as he said, it was no problem. You don¡¯t need to apologize. The important thing is that we made it back to the city," Silverado curled his scaley mouth into a gentle smile. Desperado and the two Dwarves nodded.


    Servi smiled at them and then turned towards Marissa. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she spoke earnestly to Fisher''s wife, ¡°I hope you can forgive me. I did a stupid thing, and I regret it.¡±


    She smiled sweetly at the girl who seemed to be on the edge of tears and spoke. ¡°Since everyone came back safe and sound, I¡¯m happy. But I hope this becomes a lesson. You never know what is going to happen when you¡¯re out on a quest, and the first thing on your mind should be the safety of you and your party.¡±


    Mari and Meri walked to Servi, and she crouched down.


    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Mari. She wore a child-sized blue sundress and a straw hat.


    Servi smiled at the two children. ¡°Are you proud of your father?¡± she turned to look at Fisher, who quickly coughed before turning to Feral.


    ¡°Yeah! He¡¯s the best daddy in the world!¡± the two said at the same time.


    ¡°Then you wanna know something awesome?¡±


    The two kids nodded and leaned in closer. From behind, Momo watched with fond eyes.


    ¡°He saved my life last night. Your daddy is a hero!¡±


    ¡°Daddy! Is that true? You¡¯re my hero, too, right?¡± Mari said as she ran towards Fisher.


    ¡°You saved her life? And be my hero too, daddy!¡± Meri squealed. She wore an oversized blue shirt with tan shorts. Like her sister, they both had on cute sandals featuring a cartoon-like fox.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± he glanced at Servi, who nodded so subtly that only he picked up on it.


    Thank you, Servi. His armor didn''t squeak at all as he crouched down and embraced his darling children in a big hug.


    Servi stood up and turned away before looking at Momo. Her pink cat ears twitched, and she smiled. ¡°That was sweet of you, Servi, telling them their dad is a big hero.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s a big hero, isn¡¯t he?¡± Dineria popped into the conversation. Her shirt and shorts were made from leaves sewn together and her sandals from wooden branches.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that every father would like to be called a hero by his children,¡± said Servi.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a wonderful thing,¡± spoke Marissa. A moment later, Srassa and Claire joined in after observing from a distance.


    ¡°Hello, Claire. Long time no see,¡± Dineria greeted her fellow Elf.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, Dineria. How¡¯s the business?¡± Claire pleasantly responded.


    ¡°It¡¯s going great. You know, you should come down one day and shoot some arrows with me. It¡¯s been a while, you know?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t touched a bow in years, and I¡¯m probably rusty, but thank you.¡±


    Srassa, who had on the same clothes as earlier, chose this moment to make her introduction. ¡°Claire, my name is Srassa Flinn. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    The red-headed Elf smiled. ¡°Same here. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be seeing a lot of each other in the future. I bet you¡¯re excited to take on your first quest, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I am. But I¡¯m nervous.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfectively fine,¡± Marissa thought back to her time at Warden. ¡°It¡¯s normal to be nervous or even a little bit scared. I know I was when I was a member. Though, I only lasted a few quests before I realized the Warden life wasn¡¯t for me.¡±


    ¡°I am scared, but I¡¯m also excited. I put in a lot of work this past month!¡±


    ¡°I know you have,¡± said Dineria, ¡°and I know Momo¡¯s been putting in a lot of work too. And Servi, too. I¡¯ll be watching you all very closely at the tournament.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that! You¡¯re going to make them nervous!¡± quipped Claire.


    ¡°Oh, Miss Marissa, I¡¯m Momo. I¡¯m sorry for not introducing myself earlier,¡± Momo smiled and held out her hand.


    Marissa smiled and shook the Singi¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Momo. But please, call me Marissa.¡±


    ¡°Okay. It¡¯s nice to meet you, too!¡± replied Momo.


    This talk about the tournament prompted Servi to ask something. Before she did, she glanced over at the other group that was formed. Fisher was crouched down, talking to his daughters.  Silverado and Desperado were in the middle of a conversation.  And the two Koena, Dwarves, and Feral idly chatted amongst themselves. Servi didn¡¯t know what they were talking about, but that was fine. She didn¡¯t need to know.


    ¡°Are you going to be at the tournament?¡± Servi asked Claire and Marissa.


    ¡°I will. I want you to know that I¡¯ll be cheering on each and every one of you,¡± Marissa had such a motherly aroma around her, and Servi almost wanted to call her mama.


    Maybe I miss my mom? I mean, do I even have a mother? What about a father? I wonder where they¡¯re at now?


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there too. Honestly, almost every Warden employee, except a few staying behind, like Estela, is going to be there. But why couldn¡¯t they let it be free for Warden employees?¡± Claire sighed.


    ¡°Still bad with money, eh?¡± Dineria teased her friend.  She slyly placed a hand over her mouth and grinned from ear to ear. ¡°Do you need a loan?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tease me! I¡¯m older than you, you know!¡±


    ¡°Only by ten years. But that¡¯s practically nothing to an Elf.¡±


    ¡°How long have you two known each other?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°A few years. You know, I got a funny story to tell you. This one time, Claire and I went out on the town to drink up a storm. She¡ª¡±


    ¡°Noooo¡­¡± Claire exaggeratedly whined, prompting a chorus of laughs from the group of girls.


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Dineria giggled. Servi and Momo witnessed a side of Dineria and Claire they never knew they had.


    ¡°But just like her, I¡¯ll be there cheering for all of you," Claire truly cared about her friends. That was why she was going to cheer her Elven heart out.


    It was about this time that Fisher walked over with his daughters in tow.


    ¡°I wanna cheer!¡±


    ¡°Me too!¡±


    His daughters said at the same time. They happened to overhear the talk about cheering.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be counting on you two to cheer really loudly, right? Oh, that¡¯s Srassa, and that¡¯s Momo,¡± Servi crouched down to speak to them at eye level, then she pointed at her friends.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you both!¡± said the Singi.


    ¡°Yes, it is. I hope we can be excellent friends!¡± replied Srassa.


    ¡°Yeah! We do too! We¡¯ll do our best to cheer super loudly!¡± Mari said, doing the talking for Meri, who happily nodded.


    ¡°Well then, shall we get going?¡± asked Fisher. He turned to look at the second group, which consisted of Feral, Silverado, Desperado, Riki, and Rakkire. They all nodded and walked over.


    Somehow, we all just naturally separated into two groups. It¡¯s funny how that works, I guess. Thought Servi.


    Now, as a single group, they all headed towards Madam Canary''s Sweetie Tweety, a shop that was near and dear to the hearts of two best friends.


    Along the way, they all made pleasant small talk about the upcoming tournament, with Feral mentioning that he is ready for the Kobold tournament, which prompted him to ask something.


    ¡°Servi,¡± Feral''s low voice growled out.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± she turned to look at him and kept walking backwards.


    ¡°After the tournament, I would like to request another duel.¡±


    She smiled at him. ¡°I accept, but it might have to wait, if that¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°I do not mind at all, but what is the occasion?¡±


    ¡°Claire said that Momo and I have been approved to take the promotion quest. And we planned on doing that a day or two after the tourney.¡±


    ¡°I see. In that case, congratulations,¡± Feral unintentionally slammed his tail into the ground as they walked, frightening some people walking by. The group stopped moving for the few seconds it took for him to apologize.


    ¡°But seriously, getting a promotion quest in what, two months, is pretty fast,¡± Riki said. ¡°I¡¯m sure the average is around 80 days if I remember right.¡±


    ¡°85 days, cousin. Regardless, congratulations,¡± Rakkire corrected his cousin. If he was still upset about winning by ring out, he wasn¡¯t showing it.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be there soon, right, Silver?¡± asked Desperado. It didn¡¯t go unnoticed by either Servi or Momo that he called his friend by a nickname.


    "That''s right," Desperado replied.


    Maybe I can come up with a cute nickname for Servi. What about Servy? Maybe Vi? Hmm... What about Vivi? Note to Momo: work on coming up with cool and cute nicknames for best friend.


    Unbeknownst to her, Servi was also thinking up a nickname.


    Maybe Momy? Or Mo? Moey? I''ll work on the nickname stuff later.


    ¡°Speaking of that, Srassa, are you still interested in coming on a quest with us?¡± Silverado asked.


    She nodded. ¡°If you two would still have me, I¡¯d like to join.¡±


    ¡°We most definitely would. What about two days after the tournament? Say around 8 or 9 in the morning?¡±


    ¡°That sounds good to me!¡± Srassa smiled at Desperado, who asked the question.


    "That''s when Momo and I are doing our promotion quest," Servi quipped.


    As the mentees were talking, Dineria and Fisher Jin smiled at their pupils. ¡°It¡¯s nice, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It is. Almost brings me back to my days at Warden,¡± Fisher had a sentimental look in his eyes as he gazed at his wife, who walked in front of him. Meri was to her left and Mari to the right, and she held both of their hands.


    ¡°I wish the best for Srassa and those two Koena. I¡¯m sure with your training, they¡¯ll grow up to be excellent tanks.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m sure you taught her and Momo how to wield a bow and fight most effectively.¡±


    Dineria was a little bit appalled at Fisher. From the rumors she had heard going around town, he was a most violent man who tore his soldiers down at their core and built them back up, never showing a hint of kindness. His training regimen was rumored to be so incredibly intense that there were rumors some of his men died during the final test, which so happened to be the same one he gave to his class.


    It was a horrible and brutal month, but his men would always come out stronger and fiercer, if not at least a little traumatized. But the Fisher standing in front of her at this moment didn¡¯t give off that vibe.


    Perhaps I was too harsh with my words? She thought. Maybe. Maybe not. It is odd and strange to see him acting like this since it goes against what I know of him.


    At that moment, Srassa walked back to stand near Momo, eventually matching her stride.


    ¡°Momo, can I ask you and Servi for advice?¡± Srassa said as they rounded another corner.


    During this chat between the three of them, at least four other conversations were going on at once. It was something to behold, but there were even some who became irritated at seeing this. But the group didn¡¯t even notice. As far as they were concerned, this little gathering was a celebration for passing their exams, except for one Koena who failed, but he didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    ¡°Sure,¡± replied the Singi.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of awkward, but I know I want to ask for advice, but I don¡¯t know what questions to ask,¡± Srassa placed a hand against her chin.


    ¡°Here¡¯s one thing Servi taught me. Monsters like to play dead. And it might seem cruel, but it¡¯s a good idea to make sure the monster you¡¯re fighting is dead. Servi said it was us versus them, and she¡¯d rather it¡¯d be us who survived.¡±


    ¡°You remember that?¡±


    She nodded to her best friend. ¡°Yep! I said I would never forget it. And I honestly would¡¯ve been really hurt, if not dead, if I went down there solo. Srassa, here¡¯s one more thing. If it gets too dangerous, there¡¯s no shame in retreating. One time, me and Servi encountered Black Croc--¡±


    Claire overheard and instantly turned her head, looking mortified in the process. ¡°Black Croc?! Why didn¡¯t you say anything?!¡±


    ¡°I guess it slipped my mind. I¡¯m sorry. But we survived. It kinda ran off, which was good.¡±


    Servi, should we kill it? Itarr spoke, breaking her silent streak. Servi knew her beloved Goddess in her mind was still watching, with close intent, at the variety of emotions that swirled around since Servi woke up. She shrugged at Itarr¡¯s question.


    Right, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s hard to talk surrounded by people.


    ¡°Should I take care of it? Shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem,¡± Fisher said.


    If he used that green staff Itarr said he knocked me out with, then it shouldn¡¯t be a problem whatsoever.


    ¡°Daddy? Are you going somewhere?¡± Meri asked. She tapped on his black leg armor to get his attention. Glancing at his wife, who only smiled, he answered them. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere for right now, but I might need to go later.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to be a hero again, daddy?¡± Mari asked.


    ¡°I am. I¡¯m both a Warden member and Captain of the Guard. It¡¯s my job to protect this city and everyone in it,¡± Fisher gently spoke to his daughters, who only smiled. No doubt they were beaming inside at how cool and awesome their dear father was. They weren¡¯t privy to his past and probably wouldn¡¯t be for quite some time.  Would it be months? Years? Fisher didn''t know. If anything, he might realize it''d be better if he never told them at all.


    ¡°When you do take care of it, be sure to tell me. Since it almost attacked someone, I believe I can have Warden offer up an extermination quest.¡±


    ¡°I will. Thank you, Claire.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡±


    Even during my time off, I can¡¯t think of anything but work. Claire, you¡¯re still young. Well, youngish, there¡¯s still time to find the right man. But¡­.


    Servi, should we join in? You did say before that you were going to kill it so it wouldn¡¯t be able to harm¡ªItarr got cut off when Mari and Meri lightly cheered when they saw the very colorful and distinct sign of their destination. It was just after they went around another corner.


    Inside the glass windows were glass cases, and each one was filled with sweets of all different colors, shapes, and sizes that were waiting to fulfill their purpose of being eaten.


    I hope you enjoy this, Servi. Itarr said, and that worried Servi a little bit.  Her friend''s words were ominous, but she felt pain in her and happily blinked. Servi''s mood had once again changed with the pain in her head, but she paid it no attention.


    If I¡¯m happy, then I¡¯m feeling good. I shouldn¡¯t let a little bit of a headache bother me.  Tonight is gonna be fun, so I need to enjoy it the best I can!

 Book Two – Chapter Ten – Part Six – A Secret Revealed & A Small Trip

    Fisher went to the door first, opening it to allow his family to filter through. Next came his group of mentees sans Servi, followed by Dineria, Momo, Claire. Then Servi entered in, taking a spot beside her best friend. Fisher walked in after them. He quickly went to the front of the little group and looked up at the menu.


    The store was illuminated by the same lights that Servi saw in the headquarters. She didn¡¯t notice them the last time she was here, but that was probably because of the smell.  Everyone was being led by their noses. Mouthwatering aromas of chocolate, cinnamon, and caramel-filled goodies monopolized the air inside the shop. Whenever the door opened, the delicate scents escaped to the outside, blessing the city of Canary with exquisite smells. Srassa, Momo, and Fisher''s two daughters unintentionally drooled a little bit.


    ¡°Aunt Canary?¡± Feral said, raising his voice a few decibels louder than usual.


    ¡°Feral, is that you? Give me a moment, and I¡¯ll be right out. Did you bring customers?¡± came a voice from the back. It was slightly muffled.


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±


    ¡°Very good. Please give me a moment. I¡¯m cutting up more brown wrapping paper."


    ¡°Please, take your time,¡± Fisher said as he crouched down.


    While he asked his daughters what they wanted, Servi looked around the shop. The display cases were immaculate and pristine like they were just cleaned, and the floors were spotless, except for dirt they brought in.  Servi felt kind of responsible, so she discreetly used Absorption to clean what she could.


    Those smaller dirt particles are still too much for me. I really need to practice.


    ¡°Servi, what¡¯re you getting?¡± Momo''s tail lightly floated from left to right as she put an index finger to her chin. Her eyes scanned the menu of delicious, delectable delights.


    ¡°The chocolate-dipped cherries sound good,¡± replied Servi.


    ¡°They do. Hmm¡­.¡± Momo took her time thinking.


    ¡°Good evening,¡± said a voice that only could¡¯ve come from a female Kobold. Aunt Canary emerged from the back room with a small stack of brown paper in one of her large hands.


    Fisher stood up and walked over to the counter. ¡°Good evening,¡± he said back to her and smiled. Mari and Meri walked over and pointed to a bar of rainbow-colored chocolate that was sitting by itself.  ¡°Can I get two of these?¡± Fisher requested.


    ¡°Certainly. Is all of this together?¡± Canary pulled a few sheets of brown wrapping paper she laid down a moment before. A simple bracelet adorned her right hand, and it was the same color as her frilly, colorful apron.


    ¡°It is. I¡¯m paying for it. It¡¯s to celebrate the end of the mentor program.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s right. I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s been a month already.¡±


    Fisher turned around. ¡°You all worked extremely hard over the past month, so feel free to pick out what you want,¡± he turned back around and pointed to a glass cup full of small, colorful circles. ¡°Are these hard candies?¡±


    Canary growled lightly. ¡°It is. Yellow is pineapple, red is apple, purple is grape, orange is orange, and green is watermelon. Would you like some?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please. Can I get one of each?¡± Fisher asked as a line formed behind him.


    ¡°Most certainly. Will that be all for you?¡± said the female Kobold. She had already wrapped the rainbow chocolate in two brown pieces of paper. Then, she reached over to her right and pulled out a small cup to put the hard candies in.


    ¡°It will. Thank you,¡± Fisher walked over to the side with his daughters and allowed everyone else to order what they wanted.


    Next up was his wife, Marissa. ¡°Oh goodness, it¡¯s been a while since I had something sweet.¡± She placed her hands on the counter and scanned the menu above her before looking at the display case.


    ¡°Can I recommend something?¡± asked Canary.


    Marissa nodded with a smile as Canary walked over to a nearby display case. Pulling out a small bowl of bear-shaped candy, she returned back.


    ¡°These are called gummies. You¡¯re supposed to chew on them, and they come in different shapes and flavors. The ones I have at the moment are shaped like a bear. They come in three flavors. Red for apple, purple for grape, and yellow for pineapple.¡±


    With a happy clap, Marissa nodded. ¡°Then can I get a few of those, please?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll bag these up for you right now.¡± Canary got to work completing Marissa¡¯s order and sat it off to the side next to the rainbow chocolate and hard candies.


    ¡°Do you have anything hard and sweet that''s shaped like a leaf or tree branch?" asked Dineria, next in line.


    Canary nodded. ¡°I do have something called chocolate bark. It wouldn¡¯t take too long to cut it into the shape of a branch.¡±


    ¡°Then I would like that. Please and thank you!¡±


    Canary walked herself back to the back room and came out a moment later, holding a metal object. It was in the shape of a tree branch with a few limbs sticking off, and it was incredibly sharp to the touch. Pulling out her chocolate bark from the display case, she began to use the cutter to cut out five pieces.


    ¡°Is five enough, or would you like more?¡±


    ¡°That is enough, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Daddy, can we eat?¡± Mari whined and tapped on Fisher''s armored leg.


    ¡°In a minute, sweetie. You would like to eat together, yes? With your new friends?¡± he replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, we do, don¡¯t we?¡± Meri asked her sister, and she nodded and smiled in return.


    ¡°Be patient, okay? It won¡¯t be too long,¡± Fisher said as he watched Dineria move over to them.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hurt your wallet, so five is enough," she said with sass.


    Fisher simply nodded as Claire was next to order. After a few long moments of intense internal deliberation, she ended up choosing the chocolate bark.


    ¡°You know,¡± she said as she walked over to the newly forming group, ¡°Maybe I''ll come down to the shop tomorrow. After I get off of work, of course.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re more than welcome to come anytime you want. Regardless, I¡¯ll be expecting you. Shall we put a little wager on it?¡± Dineria grinned.  One of the favorite things in the world was teasing Claire.


    Claire smiled. ¡°You¡¯d take advantage of someone who hasn¡¯t held a bow in years?¡±


    ¡°Of course. After all, we Elves do not forget how to shoot once we learn.¡±


    As the two Elves talked of challenges and arrows, Silverado, Desperado, and the two Dwarves were next in line. The silver Koena chose a simple chocolate stick that had caramel drizzled down it. His black-scaled friend decided on two pieces of white chocolate covered in sprinkles.


    ¡°You always did have a sweet tooth,¡± Silverado noted.


    ¡°I did. It¡¯s been a while since I had your sister¡¯s baking. Once we get stronger, let¡¯s go back and see her. You miss her, right?¡±


    ¡°That I do. Maybe if it works out with Srassa, we could introduce her to our families?¡±


    Desperado smiled. ¡°I would like that,¡± they quietly talked so Srassa wouldn¡¯t overhear them.


    Riki and Rakkire both chose some chocolate bark in the shape of an axe.


    ¡°Aye, during our birthdays, both of our moms would bake us something similar to this. It was a cake, but it¡¯d be in the shape of an axe or a hammer. Seeing this reminds me of home, cousin.¡±


    Riki nodded. ¡°It does. If we ever find a piece of nadrium or some other fancy ore, we should go back home and give it to our fathers.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a plan to me.¡±


    They do seem to miss their family. Servi thought as she waited her turn in line.  I wonder if I miss mine. Gah! There¡¯s no use in getting sad, Servi. You have Itarr now. And you love her. And, believe it not, all of these people here are your friends.


    Suddenly, Momo¡¯s face appeared in Servi¡¯s mind.


    She doesn¡¯t know the truth. Can we really be best friends if she doesn¡¯t know? The best chance to tell her might be coming up, but I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m strong enough to lay it all out.


    Servi was in-between a rock and a hard place. She didn¡¯t know Momo¡¯s past, so she didn¡¯t know how Momo would react to suddenly being told that her best friend had a Goddess inside of her.


    I thought it through over a thousand times. But it always ends with Momo getting mad and leaving me. Is there even a way to tell her that won¡¯t end in her hating me? Damnit, Servi! Why don¡¯t you have faith in your best friend!


    As Servi argued with herself, Feral stepped up the counter.


    ¡°You did a wonderful job of bringing customers, Feral.¡±


    In a low voice, Feral spoke his true feelings to his aunt. ¡°These are my friends, Aunt Canary. I truly believe they are all people I can rely on.¡±


    The female Kobold slightly teared up and moved to wipe her green eyes with a white napkin. ¡°My nephew is growing up. Oh, if only your mother could see this.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Maybe I¡¯ll go back to the swamp when I get stronger. I do admit that I would like to see mother again,¡± Feral muttered. Canary took out a very unique-looking chocolate bar from the display case. One half was white chocolate, and the other was dark chocolate. It looked ordinary, but the inside had tiny gummies surrounded by caramel. Most people would think that was too much, but Feral absolutely loved it.  He had a sweet tooth that dwarfed the size of his body.


    ¡°I know these are your favorite, so I¡¯ll go ahead and wrap some up for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Feral slightly grinned, showing off his sharp teeth as he moved over to the side. Mari and Meri looked at him, and they ran to the Kobold.


    As the two kids played with Feral, Srassa stepped up to the counter. She was nervous and didn¡¯t know which one of the fine delights to choose. Eventually, she picked a few strands of chocolate licorice which were sprinkled with sugar.


    Next in line was Momo, who chose the same sweet delight that they had bought for Claire. Servi ended up picking the chocolate-dipped cherries, though the gummies were a close second.


    ¡°And is that all?¡± asked Canary. She had several bags on the right side of the counter as Fisher took out his wallet from his Dimensional Storage.


    ¡°It is. Thank you,¡± Fisher replied in a kind tone as he sat down down a stack of dupla.  Aunt Canary counted it and realized he overpaid.  When she tried to hand it back, he shook his head and said it was a tip. Canary thanked him and placed his payment in the register, and Fisher began to pass out the savory sweets, starting with his family.  He didn''t get far before Dineria stopped him.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go take your bags and sit with your family? I¡¯m sure we can handle this.¡±


    ¡°Thank you." Around a minute later, the colorful tables and booths were filled up.  Servi, Momo, Srassa, and Claire sat together at one table while Fisher and his family filled up a booth. Dineria and the rest pulled up spare chairs and sat with one of the two groups. For the next thirty or so minutes, the usually quiet and slow Madam Canary''s Sweetie Tweety was filled with a positive atmosphere that seemed to infect everyone that walked in.


    But the good time had to eventually end.


    After saying their thanks to Canary and throwing away their trash, the large group left the beloved store and walked back to the headquarters. The nightly breeze was gustier than it was before, but it wasn¡¯t a problem at all. Servi ran her fingers through her black hair, pushing it out of her eyes.


    ¡°Well, you got one day to rest for the tournament. The only advice I can say is to not overdo it tomorrow. It might seem like a waste, doing nothing, but you don¡¯t want to risk being injured.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Dineria, adding on to what Fisher had said. ¡°If you get injured tomorrow, then it¡¯s all going to be for nothing. But if you must do something, then only stretch.¡±


    A little bit of small talk later, the group found itself at the place they met up.


    ¡°Remember, take it easy tomorrow, and make sure you have all of your gear. Unlike my training, you have to bring your equipment,¡± Fisher said as his wife walked their daughters over to a bench. Mari let out a big yawn, and Meri lazily rubbed her eyes that grew heavier with each passing second.


    ¡°As for the rules, I can¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s because we don¡¯t know. I guess it¡¯s to stop some mentors from giving their students an unfair advantage. Which means that you¡¯ll find out at the same time we do," Dineria finished Fisher''s sentence for him.


    The group of mentees nodded.


    ¡°It starts at 8 in the morning, so what do you all want to do? We can meet up here and walk together, or we can meet up there?¡±


    ¡°Meet up here, yeah?¡± asked Servi. She looked around and saw her friends nod.


    ¡°Very well. In that case, we need to meet up at 7:15. It¡¯s about 30 minutes away from here, but it¡¯s best to get there early. Is that good?¡±


    Those who would participate in the tournament all agreed that was fine.


    ¡°It¡¯s decided, then. We¡¯ll meet up here on the morning of the tournament and walk to the arena together. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I think it''s time for my children to go to bed.¡± Fisher walked over to the bench where his wife and daughters were at and gently picked up Mari. She ended up falling asleep leaning against her mother''s leg.


    ¡°I need to be leaving too. Momo, Srassa, I¡¯ll see you here at 7:15 in two days, okay?¡± Dineria waved.


    ¡°Okay! We¡¯ll be here.¡± Momo replied for herself and Srassa.


    Everyone then said their goodbyes until it was just Servi, Momo, Srassa, and Claire.


    ¡°Jony!¡± Srassa said his name so suddenly and loudly that Claire flinched in fright. Srassa immediately apologized.


    She was about to ask who this Jony was, but a smooth voice from a nearby old man holding a cane ended up confusing her even more.


    ¡°You called for me, Miss Flinn?¡± The old man removed his hood to reveal it was Jony in disguise. Even though he stood over 180cm tall, he somehow played the role of a hunched-over old man exceptionally well.


    ¡°I figured you were nearby,¡± Servi said.


    ¡°You were with us all night?¡± asked the girl who Jony watched over.


    ¡°I was. The candy  you all were eating looked most delicious.¡±


    ¡°Here. I saved you a little bit of the licorice I was eating,¡± Srassa produced a small item wrapped in brown paper. Jony accepted it most gracefully and opened it to reveal a piece of chocolate licorice.


    ¡°Thank you, my lady,¡± he popped it in his mouth and began to chew.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Claire, Servi, Momo, I¡¯ll see you all later, okay?¡±


    The five said their goodbyes, and then there were three.


    ¡°Is he her bodyguard?¡± asked Claire as she, Servi, and Momo, began to walk back to Warden. Since it was late, not many people were braving the outdoors.  That didn''t account for the patrolling guards, and there were at least two at every intersection.


    ¡°I guess. I thought Jony was just a butler, but he seems to be something even more than that,¡± said Momo.


    ¡°And he¡¯s a master of disguise, too," Servi added on.


    I can never seem to pinpoint him out whenever Srassa is with us. Itarr said. He was probably with her when we talked to her earlier.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a member of Warden,¡± Claire offered her opinion on the matter as her purple eyes looked up at the moon. ¡°But anyway, this is where I have to leave you two. I live over there,¡± she pointed down a well-lit street and over to a row of houses that were nearly the exact same. The only difference was a wreathe of red leaves hanging on a single door. Other than that, the brown houses were generic and shallow, with no sense of uniqueness.


    ¡°Why are the houses the same?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. The landlord gave us the option to hang up decorations, but I guess I was the only one who did so. I actually made that red wreath out of leaves I collected last fall. But I have to work tomorrow, so I¡¯ll see you at Warden. Good night you two.¡±


    ¡°Good night, Claire,¡± Servi said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see you tomorrow,¡± Momo wanted to hug her Elven friend, but she fought against it.  For some reason, she was in a hugging mood.


    Claire waved and walked away.


    ¡°And now it¡¯s the two of us," Servi noted.


    ¡°Yeah. You know, I had a lot of fun today. The most fun I¡¯ve had since I can¡¯t even remember. And I was glad I was able to spend it with you and all of our friends,¡± Momo''s face took on a hue similar to that of a ripe, red apple, but the words she spoke were the truth from her fragile heart.


    ¡°I had fun, too."


    Should I tell her? I mean, this is the perfect chance. We¡¯re alone together, and if I wanted to admit to being more than what I let on, this is the time. Fuck it, I¡¯m going to tell her.


    ¡°Servi?¡± Momo muttered her best friend''s name as they turned a corner, interrupting Servi, who had just opened her mouth. The Warden office was in their sight.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°If we do end up fighting each other at the tournament, then I want you to promise me something.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    She stopped walking and turned to face her best friend. Her blue eyes stared directly at her, and there was no hint of anything less than the fierce spirit of a warrior. ¡°I want you to promise me that you won¡¯t go easy on me. If you¡¯re able to take down someone like Feral, then you¡¯re strong.  And I want to face that strength head-on. I trained super hard this month, and I¡¯m so much stronger than I was the last time we took on a quest together. And I want you to promise me one more thing. No matter who wins or loses, can you promise me that we¡¯ll stay the same? That our relationship won¡¯t be affected in any way?¡±


    Servi smiled and went to hug her best friend. Momo wasn¡¯t alarmed or surprised by this act, and she wrapped her arms around Servi with an affection-filled giggle. The only witnesses to this declaration were the pearlescent celestial body in the sky that signified that it was night and a cool breeze that happened to pass by. Black and pink hair intermingled, twirled, and intertwined together as if dancing a practiced routine of trust between two friends.


    In a quiet voice, Servi spoke. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll go out there, and I won¡¯t hold anything back. And if we face off against each other, and no matter the victor, you¡¯ll still be the first one to appear in my mind when I think of the words ¡®best friend.¡¯¡±


    Momo buried her head in Servi''s chest, feeling the steady, rhythmic beating of her heart. ¡°Same here! Regardless of the winner, you¡¯ll always be my best friend!¡± the Singi dropped her arms from around her friend and stood back a little bit. Servi just smiled.


    ¡°But...¡± Momo grinned like a playful kitten, ¡°I¡¯ve got a new technique I¡¯ve been practicing," Servi started to frown, but Momo''s smile cheered her up.


    She¡¯s gotten really confident. And this is what I wanted. But will that confidence stay if I confess to her?  I mean, our whole friendship was built on a lie, right? If I tell her now, she wouldn¡¯t be able to do her best at the tournament. The best thing for me to do is to keep it a secret. I¡¯ll get the chance to tell her. I know I will. But it can''t be now.  I don''t want to distract her.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yep! I actually got in trouble at Warden. I kept messing up and making a lot of noise, so they got mad at me. But I¡¯m getting pretty good if I say so myself. I hope I don¡¯t have to use it until we fight. I also decided to learn a new skill, but you¡¯re not mad at me, are you?¡±


    "Why would I be mad?" Servi was confused.  If anything, she figured Momo deserved to be mad at her for keeping her life hidden.


    "Because I went and learned it without consulting you.  We said we were going to skills them together, right?"


    ¡°I''m not mad at all! And I mean that. I¡¯ll be hoping we face each other so I can see this secret technique and skill.¡± Servi grinned.


    The two best friends smiled at each other.


    I''m glad she isn''t mad at me.  Servi, you''re such a good and understanding friend.


    With both girls even more determined than ever, they resumed their walk back to Warden.  The distinct building was in their sight.


    ¡°So, we¡¯ll take it easy tomorrow, yeah?¡± Servi opened up the door for her friend.


    ¡°Yeah. I might shoot a few arrows in the training room, but I¡¯ll mostly be doing my stretches. You¡¯re more than welcome to join in," Momo thanked her.


    They walked up the steps to the third floor. The lobby was mostly empty except for a few parties who liked to take on late-night quests.


    ¡°I might just do that. Well, good night Momo. I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Sweet dreams, Servi. Good night,¡± replied the Singi.  Her blue eyes looked up at her best friend in wonder. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around Servi and hugged her tight.  Servi only smiled and returned the hug, making sure to bury her head deep within the pink hair before her.  They didn''t want to break away, but they had to.  Momo took a few steps back and waved to her best friend.


    Servi waved to her friend and entered her room. Taking out the big fancy bed, she used her ring to strip naked and laid down. The soft covers and pillows made it seem like Servi was floating on air. Though she didn¡¯t get underneath the covers, she laid on top of them.  After a few minutes, Servi decided to roll over to her side with her head pressed against a pillow while curling into a ball. For some reason, this was the only way the black-haired girl truly felt relaxed.


    ¡°I can¡¯t go to sleep right now. I still have something to do,¡± Servi said out loud. The things she wanted to say to Itarr flashed like a flood through her mind, but one by one, she began to organize them. Well, somewhat at least. Once that was done, the time was right.


    A crucial conversation was about to begin.

 Book Two – Interlude – Part One – Enemy & Friend, Side by Side

    ¡°Itarr,¡± said Servi, starting off the conversation. ¡°Can you tell me what happened?¡±


    It was strange. Itarr replied. Her words were laced with a benign poison that hinted of a second meaning behind them, but Servi didn¡¯t pick up on it. One moment you were talking to him, and the next, you were growling and screaming. I tried to talk to you, but I couldn¡¯t get through. Do you remember anything?


    ¡°I don¡¯t. Only what you told me when I was unconscious. At least, I think it was you. It sounded like you and was warm like you.¡±


    I¡¯m so happy my words were able to reach you!


    "Thank you, Itarr. Thank you so much for pulling me back. I honestly don¡¯t know what I would¡¯ve done if I killed him.  I love you.¡±


    And I love you too. I told you before that I will always bring you back.


    ¡°I know you do,¡± Servi rolled over and curled back into a ball. ¡°I just wanted to thank you again. I mean, if it wasn¡¯t for you, I¡¯d be dead right now. Those juncea would¡¯ve killed me.¡±


    Itarr kept quiet and listened to the girl she loved.


    ¡°It seems like I always have to rely on you.  Every time I lose control, it''s like you''re the one keeping me from becoming a....¡± Servi trailed off and took a deep breath. She wanted to finish her sentence but was stopped by the Goddess.


    And I want to thank you for unsealing me. If you hadn¡¯t come along, then I still would''ve been inside that seal. And I wouldn¡¯t have met Momo, or Claire, or any of the other people I¡¯ve grown to consider my friends. Servi, I believe we need each other.


    ¡°I do too. You need me, and I need you. That¡¯s the only reason we¡¯re here right now. Hey, can you promise me something?¡±


    Anything.


    ¡°Should I ever lose control of myself again¡­lose to my anger, and Momo is around, I want you to do everything you can to kill me. I know I can¡¯t die, but I want you to kill and kill and kill me again. If not that, then imprison me by doing whatever you need to do.  And keep me sealed until I regain control of myself. If Momo ends up dying because of me, I¡­.¡±


    Servi, I promise you I''ll do everything I can.


    Then, she said two words that brought an insurmountable amount of pain to her heart. Two words that everyone would be delighted to say, but Itarr wasn¡¯t everyone. She was, at that moment, the only one who knew the undesirable potential of what could happen in the near future.  Itarr didn¡¯t know if she could stop it, but she was going to do her best.


    Trust me.


    Didn¡¯t you say something about Black Croc? Itarr changed the subject.


    Servi answered her after rolling to her back and placing her hands behind her head.  The moonlight peeping through the small window spied on her naked body. ¡°I did. How long have I been lying here?¡±


    A little bit over 30 minutes, I imagine.


    Servi rolled off the bed and stood up. With a snap of her fingers, her body was adorned with a never-before-seen set of armor. It was half metal and half leather, with a gray cloak attached to the back of the chest plate. The greaves on her arms were solid metal, while the gloves themselves were leather stained in a light color. Her leg armor was entirely metallic, but the boots were leather. Her familiar shield was nowhere to be seen. A large silver axe rested on her back.  Though to her, it felt like a feather.


    Why the armor? Itarr noticed a silver helmet suspended by Telekinesis.


    ¡°This is my new disguise,¡± A moment later, the new armor she christened as her disguise disappeared, leaving a familiar set of cracked leather armor in its place. ¡°And this is my normal gear. We¡¯ll go outside dressed like this and find a nice spot to put my disguise on.¡±


    That sounds good to me. You know, it¡¯s been a long time since it was just us going out at night.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Servi replied with a gloved hand on her room¡¯s doorknob. ¡°It feels comforting but different.  Well, a little bit. I wish Momo was here with me.¡±


    I¡¯m sorry.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. It¡¯s my fault I can¡¯t come up with the courage to tell Momo.¡±


    But¡­. It¡¯s because of me that you can¡¯t¡ª


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Itarr. Just don¡¯t. I don¡¯t blame you for anything, okay? How could I blame the Goddess, who saved my life?¡±


    I¡­.. I¡¯m sorry, Servi. I won¡¯t say that again.


    ¡°Good,¡± Servi cracked a small smile.


    I forgot to ask, but do you think we¡¯ll see Fisher? Yet again, Itarr changed the subject. Her voice seemed to contain less sadness than it did before.


    ¡°Maybe. Our mentor did say he was going to kill Black Croc tonight.¡±


    I know we hated him a lot at first and wanted to kill him, but I¡¯m glad we didn¡¯t. He seems like a man who was a victim of a bad situation, and Arnold wasn¡¯t the friend Fisher needed at the time.


    ¡°And he¡¯s been tormented by it for years.  It wasn¡¯t right for me to want to kill him without knowing the truth. You know,¡± Servi said, sitting back down on her bed. ¡°It feels like I¡¯m becoming more and more violent by the day. When I fought that juncea, all I could think about was ending its life.¡±


    After a headache a second later, Servi stood back up.


    ¡°And I keep getting these headaches that change my mood. I wonder if something is wrong with me?¡±


    I don¡¯t think so. I think it¡¯s stress.  I imagine it wasn''t the easiest thing in the world to work with Fisher back when we hated him.  It may take a while for the stress to fade away. Itarr, for some reason, had trouble speaking those false truths. But she hid it from Servi, who didn¡¯t pick up on the small nuances.


    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re probably right. These headaches must be some stubborn stress that my mind hasn¡¯t processed. Or something like that.¡±


    Walking over to the door, she opened it and went out. As she locked the door, Servi¡¯s mind raced to the tournament and all the different ways it could end.  Unfortunately, it didn''t look good for her.  Servi reached the lobby and scanned around. She saw three people looking at the quest board and two employees behind two of the eight windows.


    ¡°Must be a slow night,¡± she quietly said to herself.


    It is. I wonder if we¡¯re ever going to do night quests like this?


    Servi shrugged her shoulders and opened the door. According to the clock nearby, it was very late. They had spent quite a lot of time talking and eating earlier, and Servi and Momo didn¡¯t get to the Warden office until it was going on 10 PM. Now, it was nearly 11, and the scenery reflected that.


    Other than a guard or two, who realized that a Warden member heading out late at night wasn¡¯t anything suspicious, the streets were empty. A rare cloud high up in the sky moved in front of the moon, muffling its magnificent lustrous shine.


    Servi made her way to the sewer entrance behind the Warden building and saw a man she wasn''t surprised to see.


    ¡°I figured you¡¯d show up. That¡¯s why I was waiting," Fisher Jin said. He leaned against a sign that pointed to the metal door at the bottom of the nearby staircase.


    Servi, wanting to add a little bit of flair, snapped her fingers.  The cracked leather armor was replaced instantly with her new disguise. ¡°I figured you would be here, too.¡±


    ¡°I have to admit, I didn¡¯t know you could produce armor and axes,¡± Fisher replied. ¡°Did you have fun today?¡±


    ¡°I did.  Thank you for taking us out.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me, but can I ask about the outfit?¡± He wasn¡¯t frightened or alarmed at the sudden change of clothes. Fisher Jin was a man who had seen a lot during his 30 years of life. He had seen more bloodshed and participated in more battles than most men who were twice his age. There were very few things in this world, natural or unnatural, that could get a reaction out of him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to risk anyone finding me out. That¡¯s why I put on this armor and equipped this great axe.¡± It floated above Servi until it dangled right in front of her.  She grabbed the handle and waved it around like a flag. Silver and pristine with a broad head, it was stolen from one of her victims when she helped Liealia and Llamare.


    ¡°It''s a good idea, I suppose. Before we go in, I need to thank you.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± the axe disappeared before reappearing on her back.


    ¡°For talking to my daughters and saying that I rescued you. Before they went to bed, they begged me to tell them a story of a hero. And then, after I turned off the light, Mari and Meri whispered that they thought I was cooler than the hero in the story. Hearing my daughters talk like that got to me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. You said that you wanted your daughters to be proud of you, and I figured this was the best way. Besides, I didn¡¯t lie. You did rescue me. That is a fact I will admit.¡±


    Fisher took a deep breath before pulling out a flask from his belt. He didn''t bother to wear his heavy armor for such a minor beast, so he chose to equip himself in a standard set of sleeveless leather armor he had lying around. Seeing the man known as the Justice Captain without his flashy armor was something of a rare occurrence.  His body was lean, toned, and scarred, yet it contained hints of well-trained muscles hiding beneath his skin. No doubt they''ve swung many swords and took as many lives, but now? Fisher wanted to use anything at his disposal, be it his battle-worn body with a chest full of scars and old wounds, to make the city he lived in a better one for his daughters.


    Fisher took a sip of the water inside his flask and wiped away the tears accumulating in the corner of his eyes. ¡°Shall we go in? I imagine you must be tired, so it might be a good idea to get this over with.¡±


    Servi held a finger and corrected him. ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong. I don¡¯t need to sleep. Nor do I need to eat or drink. I can, and it won¡¯t hurt me if I do those things, but my body doesn¡¯t need them.¡±


    ¡°I see. Doesn¡¯t it ever get tiring?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, I do feel tired. Or at least, what I assume to be tiredness. But I think it might be my mind forcing me to be tired. This has been one long month.¡±


    Fisher walked down the stairs and opened up the door that led to a spacious tunnel connecting the outside to the sewer base. ¡°Stress?¡±


    Servi went through it and thanked him. ¡°Yeah. I was extremely stressed out for reasons you should be able to guess. And now most of those reasons don¡¯t exist anymore. I guess it might take a while for the stress to exit my mind and body. Or something like that, at least.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense to me,¡± Fisher replied. After walking for a big, they came to the door that led from the tunnel to the base. It was an odd design for sure, having two doors to get to a single outpost, but Servi believed it was a defensive tactic.  If monsters overran the base, then the town wasn''t behind just a door.  Any would-be invaders had to at least travel down another hallway before they had a chance of doing any real damage to the city.


    Since it was the dead of night, there were only two guards here. No one staffed the empty stalls, and the healers weren¡¯t present.


    ¡°You two sure you want to go in? It¡¯s practically pitch black down there, other than the torches," said the guard standing to the left of the door.


    ¡°That¡¯s no problem. I¡¯m Fisher Jin. There¡¯s been word of Black Croc getting real close and friendly to people. I¡¯m here to kill it.¡± He summoned his ID and gave it to the guard.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, sir! I didn¡¯t know it was you! Please, proceed!¡± The guard nervously gave Fisher back his ID, which was black, and saluted.  The one on the right joined in.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for all that, alright? I¡¯m not here as Captain of the Guard, but as a fellow Warden member." Fisher''s words were meant to relax the two men.


    ¡°Sorry, sir!¡± both guards lowered their hands and stood straight, with perfect poise. It was clear to Servi that the two in front of her deeply respected Fisher on a personal level.


    ¡°As I said, there¡¯s no need for that. Now then, If you¡¯ll excuse me,¡± Fisher went through the guarded doors followed by Servi.


    ¡°See? I told you I had a certain sway with the populace. It¡¯ll take a while, but I¡¯m sure I can change this city for the better,¡± he said after hearing the door shut behind him.


    ¡°I believe you,¡± Servi replied as they went through one last door at the end of the tunnel.


    Suddenly, the familiar stinky air of waste and trash assaulted her nose. A moment later, the smell was gone, and only the odorless scent of nothing remained.


    I gotta say, I¡¯m glad True Immortality includes making me immune to the rancid sewer air. But I kinda feel bad for Momo. She can¡¯t neutralize the smell like I can.


    ¡°Where did you last see Black Croc? Did you take a left or a right from the entrance?" Fisher placed a hand on his chain as he examined his surroundings.


    ¡°To be honest, I can¡¯t remember. I¡¯m pretty sure we went right, but I don¡¯t know the exact spot.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­. The sewers are big, but it shouldn¡¯t take too long. I guess we¡¯ll go right and hope for the best.¡±


    And that was what they did. Using the lit torches alongside the wall to illuminate their path, the two walked through the dank and nasty sewers for fifteen minutes before finding an enemy. Well, enemies, to be exact.


    ¡°Let me take care of them.¡± Servi walked towards a group of two rats and three roaches, who were locked in a stare-off.


    ¡°What about your weapon?¡± Fisher asked in a voice that was a bit too loud. The five enemies turned to the lone girl, who had the audacity to approach them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t need one,¡± she replied. Five black arrows, as large as the axe on her back, appeared in front of her. Like the guardian of hell, they swarmed their creator, protecting her from anything that dared to do her harm. ¡°It¡¯s been a while....¡± pulling the imaginary trigger in her mind, the five overcharged black arrows launched out, instantly turning the five enemies into nothing more than bloody corpses. They died so quickly that they didn¡¯t have time to feel fear or pain, which was a blessing to them. Even though they were made from Skill Energy, they still bled and had feelings. The rats could reproduce the way nature intended to bolster their forces, which was something of a rarity amongst the monsters of the world.


    Most monsters and animals were produced from an overabundance of Skill Energy. That was why a person could find a cave, kill the bear or goblins hiding inside, leave, come back a few days later, and find more bears or goblins.  Farm animals like sheep and cows had a low enough chance to spawn in an area filled with them, but counting on luck to make more animals when they could reproduce the natural way was a fool''s errand. Very rarely did monsters spawn inside cities, towns, or villages.  Most of the time, those foul beasts appeared in dark places like caves or sewers.  Most avian monsters spawned in areas with a lack of people, like forests and mountain ranges.


    Giving them a painless death is the most I can offer right now. Servi thought. She turned around when she heard a voice as five red souls, or whatever the monster equivalent was, flew over to her ring. Her companion didn''t say anything about them, and that was because they were invisible to everyone but Servi.


    ¡°Shadow Shot?¡± Fisher walked closer and examined the air around Servi.


    ¡°Yeah. What¡¯re you doing?¡± Servi followed his movements with her eyes.


    ¡°Five Shadow Shots appeared from nowhere without a chant. I mean no disrespect, but I do not understand your abilities.  I''m completely stumped..."


    Do you want to explain it to him? I imagine you could leave out the soul part if it helps.


    ¡°I guess I can explain it to you. Well, most of it, at least,¡± Servi walked forward towards the five corpses, and Fisher didn¡¯t react when they disappeared in front of him.


    ¡°I can absorb corpses into my ring,¡± she held it up her hand so Fisher could take a closer look. Servi¡¯s ring wasn¡¯t anything fancy: just a solid red ring that could be found at any jewelry store. ¡°Everything that I own is stored inside of it. It''s also the source of my power."


    ¡°How amazing. It seems to be enchanted, but I¡¯ve never heard of something being that powerful. It also doesn¡¯t seem to have a limit. Even my Dimensional Storage has a limit of a few thousand kilograms.¡±


    "It''s my most beloved item, and it belongs to Itarr, who I love so dearly."


    ¡°I have my thoughts on who Itarr is, but I¡¯ll keep them to myself if that¡¯s okay,¡± Fisher and Servi reached an intersection and took a left.¡±


    ¡°It is. Speaking of Itarr, can you skin and prepare the rats and roaches? We might not need to sell them, but we might find a use for them."


    Of course! It¡¯ll be done in a moment.


    ¡°So Itarr can do even that? How incredible. I¡¯ve never heard of someone who can manipulate stored items.¡±


    Tell him I thank him for the compliment.


    ¡°She says thank you for the compliment,¡± Servi relayed the message.


    ¡°She¡¯s very welcome.¡±


    ¡°She heard you. But as for the Shadow Shot, I require no chant to use them. In fact, if I do use the chant, the skill fails to activate. Oh, the Lightning above who slumber in a place further our universe. I pray to you. Grant us your power of Thunder Snap!¡±


    Servi snapped her fingers, and nothing happened. ¡°That was the correct chant, right?¡± Servi looked to Fisher as he was her senior when it came to skills.


    ¡°It was. How strange... This might be stupid, but the skill is on your ID, right? You have learned it?"


    "It is.  That''s why you noticed my pre-casting was off.  I cannot properly use skills."


    "I''m sorry, but I don''t know why that''s the case," Fisher replied as they continued their journey deeper into the sewer.

 Book Two – Interlude – Part Two – Enemy & Friend, Side by Side

    The two rounded a corner and encountered another group of enemies. This time it was nothing but rats: two with black fur and two with brown.  They turned to face the two Humans.


    ¡°Let me take care of this.¡± Without moving, four swords appeared from behind Servi. All at once, they launched out towards the enemies, cutting and stabbing and slashing until their blood overflowed into the nearby running river of sewage.  Once their task was finished, the bloody swords flew in a small circle above their prey.


    ¡°So I notice you only used four swords,¡± Fisher commented as he and Servi walked closer to the corpses. Once they were within four meters, the rats and swords disappeared, and Itarr began skinning them.


    ¡°I have a max limit of five or six, but I can do more if I focus hard and don¡¯t make any complex movements. Any more than that, and my head starts to hurts,¡± Servi sighed. ¡°You know, it¡¯s difficult hiding my strength. It feels good being around someone who knows my secret. I don¡¯t need to hide it.¡±


    "Our secrets may not have been comparable, but I understand how taxing it can be to keep something to yourself.  Have you decided when to tell Momo?¡±


    Servi nervously giggled. ¡°About that¡­ I wanted to tell her on the way home, but then she spoke about wanting me to use my full strength if we had to fight each other in the tournament. I figured if I told her then and there, she wouldn''t be able to focus.  So, I decided to put it off. I think she knows I¡¯m hiding something, but it¡¯s not what she thinks.¡±


    ¡°And what is it do you think she knows?¡±


    ¡°Right now, I''m as strong as eleven Humans.  As far as I know, that number can only get higher and higher. She probably knows about my physical strength since it¡¯s hard to hide that, but she has no idea about my skills. I don¡¯t see how I can tell her that I can Skill Stack.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Servi stopped and used Shadow Shot one time.  ¡°You see one, yes?¡±


    Fisher nodded.


    The one Shadow Shot became two, then two became four. Four made way to eight, and eventually,  32 Shadow Shots were floating around Servi like a malleable armor of darkness. ¡°Skill Stacking allows me to use skills multiple times to increase their effectiveness. It applies to every skill I can use. I just have to learn them. And I can learn and acquire skills in two different ways. One is by Warden, and the other one is a bit of a secret.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m interested in knowing this secret way, but please, continue.¡±


    ¡°You know the skill Stonehenge, yes?¡±


    ¡°I know of it, but I haven''t learned it. It''s one of the strongest skills out there against a single target, but it takes a while to chant.¡±


    ¡°I can use it instantly without chanting. And I can use it more than once at the same time. Right now, my limit is 994 times. Imagine how much destructive force is in one Stonehenge, and then add another thousand Stonehenges. If not that, then Protection. Here, it¡¯s better to show you.¡±


    Servi used Protection on herself and stood back. ¡°My body is nearly invulnerable to damage right now. I have 994 stacks of Protection, and each one is level 94. Which I know by your lecture is enough to stop a boulder.  Take this and swing it at me.¡±


    A nadrium sword appeared in front of Fisher. ¡°Are you sure? You know nadrium is the hardest material in the world, right? And the sharpest? And I¡¯m not exactly weak.¡±


    ¡°I know you aren¡¯t. So here, try to take off my arm,¡± Servi raised her arm and leaned against the sewer wall. A hideous blood spray was right next to her, the remains of the four swords'' most vicious slaughter, but she ignored the gruesome sight.  "Even if you do manage to chop it off, I can heal it back up by Skill Stacking Remedium Lux."


    ¡°Very well. If that¡¯s what you want.¡±


    Fisher gripped the sword with both hands and took a stance. With the sword held high, his body was following his muscle memory. This one attack, a downward slash, was performed hundreds and thousands of times in the past by Fisher. Both to strengthen his muscles and to behead those he considered his enemies. But that was then, and this was now. The current Fisher Jin overcame his demons, and as of right now, he had no more enemies. His only goal was to make a better life for himself and his family by making Canary a better city for everyone living in it. Admittedly, it was a giant undertaking, but he was ready to throw his entire being into achieving that goal.


    Focusing his core, he swung the glowing blade down. The moment it made contact with Servi¡¯s arm, the sword shattered. Such a thing was supposed to be impossible! Nadrium was supposed to be unbreakable to everything but another nadrium weapon.


    ¡°Right now, my body is harder than even nadrium. I could stand in the middle of the city tied to a post, and no one would be able to kill me, let alone injure me. Honestly, even a mountain falling on me wouldn''t even damage me. And if it did, I could just use a few hundred stacks of Remedium to heal myself.¡±


    ¡°Gods above¡­¡± Fisher muttered.  For the first time in a while, he was taken back by surprise, but he hid it well. He bent down to pick up half of the blade that broke off.


    ¡°Yeah. It''s surprising, isn¡¯t it? As long as I have my Protection on, I can¡¯t die. I don¡¯t know how I can tell Momo any of this.  What I''m capable of goes against what a mortal can do.¡±


    ¡°Servi, I¡¯m sorry,¡± he held out both parts of the sword. It disappeared from his outstretched hands.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. I have a lot more.¡±


    ¡°Er¡­ No. Not the sword, but I am sorry about that too. I meant about your situation. It has to be hard.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. And it is hard. But, as long as I don¡¯t find myself in a situation where I¡¯m forced to use my true power, I just have to worry about my physical strength. And that I can probably explain that better. Well, better than say, ¡®Hey look, I can make 1,000 Greater Fireballs appear at the same time.¡¯"


    Servi sighed again. ¡°You know, it feels good to have someone I can say this to. For over two months, I¡¯ve had to keep everything inside, and I feel like a ton of weight''s just been lifted from my shoulders.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I know I felt a lot of relief when I finally told my wife. But I see how you and Momo are. She cares a lot for you, you know. I¡¯m sure when the time is right, and you tell her, she¡¯ll understand.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Fisher. I appreciate that.¡±


    Before he could say anything in return, his instincts, grown strong by a decade of battle, alerted him to the forthcoming danger.


    From the rushing, foul-smelling river of waste to their left, an enormous monster leapt out and landed on the walkways. Fisher immediately jumped backwards, pulling out a sword and a shield. Dimensional Storage was something he always had at the ready. The next instant, he took a defensive stance and started to chant as the icky water rained down on him.


    Almost at the same time, Black Croc opened his deadly mouth, revealing a set of teeth so rotten and diseased that Servi didn¡¯t know how it ate, and clamped down on Servi¡¯s head. Her vision instantly darkened and brightened. She never felt the feeling of teeth tearing and ripping flesh because it didn¡¯t happen.


    Fisher wanted to stop chanting and rush over to help, but he remembered what had just happened.  There was no way the teeth of a monster could be sturdier or sharper than nadrium.  Upon realizing that, he continued with his chant.


    Black Croc made the mistake of thinking the girl was a regular Human, with skin and bones as weak as the rats it fed on. It never expected to bite into something it couldn¡¯t break. After all, Black Croc was the unofficial king of the sewers. Nothing could stand up to it!


    Or so it thought.


    It stumbled away with fractured and chipped teeth, blood dripping from its open mouth. Its black body shook with fear, and its mind rushed to figure out how it could survive.


    ¡°I would say sorry about that, but I won¡¯t.¡± Servi used her hands to wipe a few teeth off of her shoulders and hair.


    It turned to run, but it was useless. The moment Black Croc tried to jump back into the river with its strong and powerful legs, it found itself floating in mid-air.


    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t have you escaping again.  I wanted to kill you earlier, but I had Momo with me.  Black Croc, your luck ran out. Fisher, kill it.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Lightning Orb!¡± Fisher pointed his sword at the helpless creature.  Yellow lighting crackled around the silver blade until it pooled together at the tip of the sword.  After slicing the air and leaving the electricity behind, Fisher sheathed his weapon as a small yellow orb materialized from the floating lightning.  With the speed of a turtle, it floated towards the immobilized crocodile.


    Once the yellow orb touched Black Croc¡¯s black, durable hide, it exploded into a small flash of light before becoming an electrified net made up of lightning. Since his opponent was immobilized, Fisher had no trouble directing the net to wrap around its body.


    He snapped his fingers, and the net came to life, electrifying Black Croc to death. Its primal screams of pain and desperation filled the sewers and even reached the city above through the ceiling grates. There was no doubt that quite a few children ran to their parents crying because a monster''s dying scream scared them awake.


    The smell of burnt flesh filled the arena around them as Black Croc finally perished. The beast was once a legend in its own right. After being slaughtered by a man with a sinful past and a girl with a Goddess''s powers, the monster would soon vanish from memory until a new one could be spawned. But who knew how long that would be?


    Servi let the beast down, and the Lightning Orb and net disappeared, prompting the girl to ask Fisher something. ¡°If it¡¯s called Lightning Orb, then why the net?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I do not know. Maybe because the orb makes the net? Or maybe the net was being held in the shape of an orb? If you ever reach Rank 4, I highly recommend you take it.  If you can wrap it around an enemy, then the fight is won.  Well, it''s not so useful on rock golems or monsters that are immune to lightning, but those are pretty rare.¡±


    ¡°I see. Here, take it,¡± Servi used Telekinesis to float Black Croc¡¯s corpse over to Fisher and sat it on the ground.  Steam continued to rise from the charred body.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Nah. I don¡¯t have a use for it. Besides, your attack killed it. Sell it, eat it, I don¡¯t care. I don''t know if you''ll get much out of it.  You kinda fried it to death.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Servi.  I''m not hurting for money, but my daughters have been eyeing a new stuffed animal." crouching down, Fisher said a chant for his Dimensional Storage skill and tapped the corpse. It disappeared.


    ¡°Well, I think I¡¯m lost. Do you know the way back?¡± Servi asked. She wasn¡¯t keeping track of where she was going since her mind was occupied by sweet relief. Just having someone to tell her secret to was something Servi yearned for.


    ¡°I do. Follow me,¡± Fisher stored his gear inside his Dimensional Storage. "I suppose I don''t need to tell you this, but I have some advice for you."


    "What is it?"


    "When adventuring in a place where it is easy to get lost, make a map as you explore.  Write down landmarks you see and use that to find your way back.  Unless you have experience, don''t start with making a mental map."


    "That''s a good idea.  I''ll bring it up with Momo," Servi thanked Fisher, and they kept walking. The way back wasn¡¯t anything eventful. Other than a few rats and a single roach, which were taken care of by Shadow Shot, there was nothing of note.


    Once they were back outside, Servi took a deep breath and unconsciously let off a small smile.


    ¡°Thank you for going into the sewers with me. I think I have a decent grasp on what you can do, but I feel like there¡¯s more,¡± Fisher knew for a fact that Servi wasn''t telling him the entire truth about her power. He had an inkling of suspicion. If it wasn''t a spirit possessing Servi, could it be a Goddess? Perhaps that was the truth, even as outlandish as it sounded. Or maybe there wasn''t anything at all inhabiting Servi''s body.  Fisher did entertain the idea that Servi was just naturally gifted, considering much of the world was unknown and mysterious.


    ¡°There is. It¡¯s something that I don¡¯t want anyone to know, but you know most of what I can do,¡± Servi replied. She sat down in a wooden chair she retrieved from her ring.


    ¡°Be honest with me. Can you destroy the world?¡±


    Servi laughed, prompting him to ask why.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the first time someone asked me that. Right now, no. I can¡¯t. But eventually, I probably would be. It¡¯ll take a long while, considering I get stronger, but I¡¯ll eventually be able to. As of right now, I don''t plan to destroy the world. Momo is my best friend, and I don¡¯t want to destroy the world she lives in.  Nor do I even want to do that.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Servi continued speaking to the one person who she could trust with her secrets. ¡°Did you know Albert Crysalerek?¡±


    ¡°I did. We weren¡¯t well acquainted, but I did know Albert. We shared a cup of tea a time or two when I had business at the Governor''s mansion.¡±


    ¡°I saw him fight during the attack. He was a master warrior. It was two on one, and he still had the upper hand.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°He only died because one of the two took an attack head-on, and the other one stabbed his weapon through her body to land a fatal blow on Albert. It almost came at the cost of her life, but I managed to heal her. But Albert¡­. He was so experienced and had such a mastery of his skills and weapon... If we were to fight, I would lose.  The 497 experiences in my body would lose to him."


    497 experiences? Does her body learn from each fight? That doesn''t make any sense.  Then again, nothing about Servi makes any sense.  Fisher racked his brain and tried to figure out what she meant by it.


    ¡°I¡¯m only as strong as I am because of my ability to Skill Stack. If I didn¡¯t have that, and we would¡¯ve fought, Albert would''ve been the clear winner. Even my level 94 Protection would be useless against him if I couldn''t stack it. Who''s to say in the future, I might encounter something that can prevent me from stacking skills?¡±


    You know, when you take away my Skill Stack, I¡¯m just a weak girl.  Sure, I''m immortal, but that''s all.  If someone sealed me up at the bottom of a volcano or trapped me in a cube of nadrium, I don''t think I would be able to escape... I won''t die, but.....


    ¡°They say he was in a party with Virin Keywater back in the day, but I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°It is. Albert told a summarized version of his life before the fight broke out,¡± Servi answered.


    Fisher took a sip of his flask. ¡°I see.¡±


    Servi got up and absorbed her chair before putting on her leather armor. ¡°I guess I should be going back to my room. I¡¯ll see you at the headquarters, then.¡±


    ¡°Good night, Servi.¡±


    ¡°Night, Fisher.¡±


    Servi walked back around the building and entered it. There wasn''t anyone in the lobby other than Warden employees.


    Once she got back to her room and locked the door, she spoke to Itarr. ¡°When do you think I can tell her? Or I guess, when should I tell her?¡±


    I¡¯m sorry, Servi, but I don¡¯t know.


    Taking out the fancy bed, she stripped naked and crawled underneath the covers. ¡°I can¡¯t do it tomorrow or the day after. I want Momo to be in the best possible condition for the tournament, and telling her the truth would shake her.   And I¡­ I don¡¯t want her to hate me. I don¡¯t want her to say something like I ¡®betrayed¡¯ her. If I heard it in her voice, I don¡¯t know what I would do¡­¡± Servi curled up into a ball and sighed.


    I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t help you. I wish I could. I love you, Servi.


    ¡°I love you too, Itarr. Maybe I¡¯ll have an answer if I sleep on it. Good night,¡± Servi closed her eyes and drifted off to a dreamless sleep.


    Good night, Servi.


    A few hours later, once she was absolutely sure Servi was asleep, Itarr got to work on correcting her mistake. She didn¡¯t know if it was impossible to fix completely, but she would do her very best for the girl she loved.


    I used to think what I was doing was wrong, but I felt so happy when I saw you smile. More than ever, I¡¯m convinced what I¡¯m doing is right. If it makes you happy, then how can it be wrong? I don¡¯t know, and it doesn¡¯t make sense.


    And just like how you can¡¯t tell Momo, I don''t want to say anything. If I ever heard you say that you hated me, I have no idea what I would do.


    But if that¡¯s the case, then is it wrong? If I¡¯m afraid to tell you, then it must be, but I¡¯m happy when you smile. I¡¯m so confused, and I don¡¯t know how to sort out these emotions.


    Is it possible to do something right and wrong at the same time? And is it possible for something to be more right or more wrong while also being the opposite? Every time I try to think about it more, I get confused, and then I feel sad. I¡¯m just so confused¡­.


    But I think this is the best way. Until I understand more, I¡¯m going to think of what I¡¯m doing to be correct. As long as I can see you smile and be happy, I¡¯ll do anything and everything possible. When you¡¯re excited, giggling, and laughing without a care in the world, that''s when I smile and know everything is alright.


    I love you, Servi. I love you a whole lot, and this is how I can show it to you.


    If she cares for you as much as I do, then I¡¯m sure she loves you deep down. At least, that¡¯s the feeling I get from watching you two.


    I wish I had a body so I could hug you. I don''t think Momo would leave you, but if she did, you wouldn''t have to worry about a thing because I''ll be right there for you. I won''t ever let you be alone.


    What I¡¯m doing is right. It has to be. I refuse to acknowledge it couldn¡¯t be!


    Sweet dreams, Servi. I love you.

 Book Two – Chapter Eleven – Part One – Tournament!

    ¡°This is it!¡± Dineria announced in a cheerful, almost singsong-like voice. Dressed in a shirt and skirt made of brown bark, she turned around and raised her hands up high. ¡°Are you all excited?!¡±


    She seems to be in a good mood. Itarr observed. Servi only nodded.


    ¡°I am!" Momo mimicked her mentor, raising her slender arms to the skies above. She was getting sucked into the positive vibe that was spreading about. Her damaged chainmail and sleeveless leather armor were her attire of choice for the tournament.  She thought about repairing it, but it wouldn''t have been completed in time, and buying a new set was out of the question. Her pink ears twitched as a nice summer breeze flew by, bringing with it the pleasant smell of flowers.


    ¡°Me too!¡± Srassa, who wore a set of chainmail underneath her newly bought leather armor, joined in on the fun. A spotless, silver blade was attached to her hip along with a single pouch. She ended up coming to Warden the day before and asked Momo and Servi to help her pick out some new gear.


    ¡°I know I have a set, but I want to buy armor with my own money. That way, it¡¯ll truly be mine. And I want to buy a sword, too. Can you help me choose?¡± she had asked them, and they were more than happy to help.


    Fisher turned around and spoke to his former students, and while Servi did keep an ear open, she was more focused on the building in front of her.


    It was a warehouse, clearly, but it didn¡¯t look like one. A massive wooden sign ran along the top that said ¡®Arena¡¯ in giant letters. Six double doors went alongside the front that Servi could see, and each one had a booth near it.


    For only 50 dupla, get an all-day pass! For only 20 dupla, get a ticket to the finals, which will be held tonight!  Itarr read aloud the signs next to each booth. There was a seventh one on the far right side that said ¡®competitors and mentors only.¡¯


    ¡°And that¡¯s what I know. We¡¯re supposed to enter from that door there. Are you all ready?¡± Fisher adjusted his gauntlets and took off his helmet as he looked around. While he didn''t have to wear the black justice armor because he wasn''t on official business as Captain of the Guard, he chose to suit up in it anyway. When the group journeyed from their meet-up location to the arena, nearly all eyes were glued to the scratched word displayed on Fisher''s breastplate. However, he ignored such glances because they didn''t concern him at all. A quick chant later, he tossed his helmet in his Dimensional Storage.


    After getting a series of nods, Claire spoke up. ¡°Since I¡¯m not a mentor or a competitor, I have to go in here. But I¡¯ll be cheering for you all!¡± the day before, she went to Levadia Woods after her shift at Warden ended and nocked a few arrows with Dineria. Somehow, that rekindled the Elven spirit inside of her, and her outfit certainly reflected that.


    It was a white long-sleeved dress that came to above her knees. The collar and bottom were accented by vivid green leaves. A very small cloak, made of leaves and attached to by a button, covered a small part of her back. A clean and thin piece of bark swirled around the dress, making a cute spiral design that brought the whole outfit together. In addition, she had on green stockings that went all the way up her smooth legs. An adorable pair of heeled shoes, made from a block of light brown wood she bought from Dineria¡¯s store, protected her feet from the hot asphalt. It took her all night to carve it since her body had to gradually remember how to do it, but Claire was happy with the result.


    It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve done anything ¡®Elfy.¡¯ Wait, is that even a word? Claire thought.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go with you," Marissa said. She wore a simple red sundress and gladiator sandals. Mari, holding her mother¡¯s right hand, had on a yellow sundress with a straw hat. Meri, holding the left hand, wore a simple yellow shirt and a black skirt, and both were wearing white sandals.


    ¡°Daddy, me and Mari are gonna cheer real loud, okay?¡±


    Fisher crouched down and put his hand to Meri¡¯s head. ¡°They¡¯ll be counting on you two. So do a good job, yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! We will!¡± Meri cheerfully responded with a splendid smile as she put a hand to her father''s head. Her little hands rubbed his brown hair.


    ¡°And listen to your mother, okay?¡± Fisher turned his head and stared at his other daughter with his brown eyes.


    ¡°Okay!!¡± Mari said.


    Marissa turned to the group of mentees and gave them a motherly smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be cheering for each and every one of you, so go out there and do your best!¡±


    After thanking her, Marissa, her two daughters, and Claire walked over to a booth to purchase a ticket. More accurately, they walked over and stood in the shortest line, which was long. Even though tickets were somewhat expensive, Servi was surprised to see how many people actually came.


    ¡°You know, I didn¡¯t think there would be a lot of people. Guess I was wrong,¡± she said as she adjusted her shield. Her sword sat slotted into its sheath. She had to lie and say she bought a replacement one at the equipment store, but she took one from her ring when nobody was looking.


    ¡°This is Canary¡¯s first-ever fighting tournament, so naturally, there¡¯ll be some buzz. But if it¡¯s a hit, then I imagine the Governor will do these more often,¡± Fisher replied. He pointed over towards the competitor entrance and started to walk. His group, and Dineria and her group, followed along.


    ¡°Fisher, do you have any information on the Kobold tournament?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Feral, but I don¡¯t. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll give us all of that info once we get inside.¡±


    Feral lightly growled in response.


    A few minutes later, after standing in yet another line, they finally had shelter from the evil, hot sun. But that wasn¡¯t to say that the inside of the warehouse was any better.


    It wasn¡¯t.


    Fluorescent Lights hung up above, illuminating the place as Servi took a good look. The room they were in was big and square. That was the best way to describe it. The walls were hard and grey, made out of concrete, while the floors were wooden. Other than Feral, Servi could spot seven Kobolds. Only one of which was taller than her friend.


    Against the far wall stood two sets of double doors. In the space between them sat three desks, each with a sign above it.


    ¡°Competitor name A ¨C G. Competitor name H ¨C P. Competitor name Q ¨C Z,¡± Dineria read. ¡°Okay! Stand in line based on your name. You should get a badge with a number on it. Once you do, walk back over to us. We¡¯ll be right there.¡± Dineria pointed to a wall on the left side of the room and walked over there with Fisher.


    I guess it¡¯s time to get this badge. Wait, I thought Fisher and Dineria said they didn¡¯t get any knowledge of the tournament? Itarr asked.


    Servi nodded. When she broke from the group to get into her line, she spoke quietly. ¡°I did too. But maybe getting a badge is a standard affair. I¡¯m sure Dineria has been in many tournaments, so maybe the format is the same? That¡¯s the only thing I can think of.¡±


    Maybe.


    Around five minutes later, Servi was at the desk. The woman, who wore a fancy white buttoned-down shirt and black dress pants, smiled at Servi. ¡°May I have your ID? I need to confirm your identity.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Here you go,¡± replied the girl with red eyes, summoning a red stone tablet.


    ¡°Thank you. So, Servi, yes? Hmm¡­. Ah, here you are. Let me mark you present and get you your group number... Ah, your group number is 1. In case you don¡¯t know, this badge number tells you what group you¡¯re in. It''s pretty much self-explanatory, but some people don''t realize it. Any questions?¡± the woman gracefully reached through a stack of wooden badges that had the numbers 1 ¨C 4. Picking up one with a 1 written on it, she handed it to Servi, who pocketed it in her pouch.


    ¡°What are groups?¡± she asked, puzzled.


    ¡°There are 32 people to a group, and 4 groups in total for 128 people. Each group will fight in a double-elimination bracket until the top 8 are left. Once that is done, there will be 32 people left. They will fight in a single-elimination bracket until only one is standing, and that one will be the winner. Does that make sense?¡±


    ¡°It does. Thank you,¡± Servi smiled at the girl and made her way over to Fisher and Dineria. She reached into her pouch and took out the badge.


    ¡°Seems like I¡¯m the first one back,¡± Servi handed her badge to Fisher.


    ¡°So they¡¯re doing a group stage first? Makes sense considering how many people are entered,¡± he handed it back. ¡°How many groups?¡±


    ¡°Four. And 32 to a group.¡±


    ¡°It''s just like the carving tournament...¡± Dineria placed a hand on her chin while her mind was transported to the past.  Her absentminded stare prompted a puzzled look from both Fisher and Servi.


    ¡°Back in my village of Poun, there was a carving tournament that once lasted a week. Using only a small knife, we had to carve a wooden block into an object that fit the theme for that match. 128 people entered, and a single carve could take an hour or more.¡±


    ¡°Did you win?¡± Momo asked, who overheard as she walked back. She was in group 2.


    Dineria shook her head. ¡°I came in 75th. Honestly, I¡¯m not very good at carving. But Claire is. She carved those shoes she''s wearing.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yep! She asked for a wooden block yesterday when she came to see me, but I didn¡¯t know what it was for. Now I know. Hmm¡­ Maybe I should see if she can carve me a pair?¡±


    Maybe I should ask too? I mean, they¡¯re so cute, and I¡¯ll definitely pay. Yeah, I¡¯ll ask her. If I can remember, that is. Come on, Momo! You can¡¯t let your mind be distracted! Tournament! Tournament! Tournament! Focus on what matters!


    Servi, Momo, and their mentors talked for a few more minutes as the rest of their group came back from getting their badge and signing in. Srassa was in group 2 with Momo. Silverado, Desperado, and Riki were in group 3, and Rakkire was the lone one in group 4. Feral, being one of the few Kobolds, did not get a badge. He also found out that the Kobold tournament will be held after the four group stages, so he had a while to wait before he could prove himself. He relayed that info to his friends and mentor.


    ¡°I guess you''re by yourself, Servi,¡± Feral growled.


    ¡°I guess I am."


    Arty, who spotted them from a distance, walked over. He had a brand new spear in his hand.


    He held it with both hands and pointed it directly at Servi, causing both Fisher and Dineria to grab it. They forced it down until the pristine tip pierced the wooden floor. They reacted even faster than Servi thought they would. Of course, she saw it would be raised the moment he walked over. She activated Soul Essence of Primal Combat out of habit when she entered the building.


    ¡°Are you out of your mind?!¡± Dineria exasperated in a voice full of shock. ¡°Why would you draw your weapon on a fellow competitor?! We''re not even inside the ring!!¡±


    ¡°You better have a damn good reason for pointing your weapon at my student," Fisher had a bit of an edge in his voice that reminded him of his past.


    ¡°She and that damn pet cat killed my friend! And she broke my weapon!¡± Arty argued. He still had on the same set of slightly oversized armor, and his green eyes showed no hint of fear.


    Servi went to respond, but Momo beat her to it. ¡°I¡¯m not a pet cat! My name is Momo, and I¡¯m a Singi! And we didn¡¯t kill your friend! He attacked me after we saved him, and Servi was only defending me! We left him alive! And as for your weapon, you agreed to a duel with Servi, and you lost! Not to mention that you were aiming to kill her.  It¡¯s only natural she broke your spear!¡± Momo raised her voice with every other word until she shouted at the top of her lungs. The large room went deathly silent as Momo stared Arty down. Her tail puffed up out of anger and whipped back and forth very quickly.


    ¡°Momo?¡± Srassa''s voice came out like a mouse''s squeak. The weapon being pulled on her friend was upsetting, but that was the first time she ever heard Momo raised her voice like that. Even though she trained for a month, Srassa couldn''t do anything but watch, frozen in place like a statue.


    Silverado and the others didn¡¯t move to react, but they were cautiously approaching the situation in their mind. Feral had his giant shield in his hand, and he was half-tempted to smash the foolish Human in front of him. With his mighty strength, it would be child''s play to bend and fold that spear until it was useful as a toothpick. But he didn''t.  He held back and watched with careful eyes.


    I¡¯m so proud of Momo, Servi. The girl she is now compared to the day we met is almost non-existent. She¡¯s strong, isn¡¯t she?


    Servi could only nod and smile at her best friend.


    ¡°Easy, Momo,¡± Dineria removed her hand from the spear and placed it on Momo''s head.  Like a mother, her long fingers waved in and out of a sea of pink hair. ¡°You can continue this in the tournament, okay?¡± even as she shook with a seething rage, Momo nodded.


    The Elven mentor turned to look at Arty. ¡°What group number?¡± she asked him.


    He reached into his grey pouch and held out a badge that had the number 1.


    ¡°Servi? Are you up for a rematch?¡± Dineria asked. She affectionately rubbed Momo''s head for the last time, then removed her hand.  The Singi was still upset, but her rage quickly extinguished itself when she realized there was no possible way for her best friend to lose to someone like Arty.


    ¡°I am. And don¡¯t think I¡¯ve gotten weaker. It¡¯s the opposite.¡± Servi held up her badge, and Arty grinned.


    ¡°Neither have I!¡± he responded, still unable to even move his spear. Fisher¡¯s grip was almost unnatural, but it couldn¡¯t dent the metal spear.  He locked eyes with Servi for a moment as if trying to convey a message. Don¡¯t kill him.


    Servi nodded. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t.


    Of course, the two didn¡¯t communicate with their minds, but based on the newfound relationship the two had and their mutual past, Fisher and Servi instantly knew what the other was trying to convey.


    Fisher let go of the spear, and Arty backed away after doing a small performance with his weapon. It was shiny and metal, with a gleaming silver tip. ¡°You won¡¯t break this one, and I will win this time. I promise you that!¡± he turned away and walked over to a smug-looking Elf who had metal bracelets on each one of his arms. He had short black hair and wore a stylish outfit, similar to what a noble would wear when going out to dinner.


    ¡°Do you know him?¡± Servi asked Dineria.


    ¡°Yep. That¡¯s Luka. He¡¯s Rank 4, and nobody in his Rank can match his spear technique. At least not here in Canary. He used to visit Levadia Woods a lot, and he always asked me out on dates, but I never said yes.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Fisher placed a hand to his chin. ¡°I guess we head on in,¡± he nodded at Dineria, and she nodded back, and they all went through the leftmost set of double doors. That led to another hallway that they walked down.


    As they did, Servi spoke quietly to her best friend. ¡°You were so cool back there. Thanks for defending me.¡±


    Momo smiled at Servi. ¡°Anytime! I won¡¯t let anyone insult my best friend, and I did tell you I¡¯ve gotten stronger. I¡¯m not the same scared Singi I was when we met!¡± she made a fist and carefully touched her grandpa¡¯s bag.


    Grandpa, I wish you were here to see me. I¡¯m nervous, but I¡¯m hiding it well. This morning, I thought this nervousness was a sign I was still weak, but now I don¡¯t think it is. I think it¡¯s a sign that yes, I still have room to grow, but in no way does it mean I¡¯m weak.


    ¡°What was that all about?¡± Rakkire asked.


    Servi sighed and began to tell them a story. She cut out some of it and only left in the relevant bits.


    ¡°Aye, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s your fault. You were only defending yourselves,¡± Riki said. Silverado and Desperado agreed, so did Feral, Srassa, and Rakkire.


    Momo took a deep breath and thanked her friends.

 Book Two – Chapter Eleven – Part Two – Tournament!

    Once the group made it out of the hallway, they were met with an incredible sight. There were four square fighting arenas, with each one being seven by seven meters. They surrounded a larger stage, which was ten by ten meters. Each ring had a reinforced glass wall that went around it so that the fighters inside would not be disturbed by an arrow or a skill that accidentally came their way.


    Four sets of bleachers, all able to sit hundreds of people, encircled the five fighting rings, but it wasn¡¯t a complete circle of seats. The seating arrangements were plopped down in a formation that promoted safety. In short, that meant there were four gaps wide enough for four 3-meter Kobolds to walk side by side.


    If one followed the gaps, they would find numerous amount of stalls behind the bleachers. Each one had a variety of different food and drinks to purchase.  Even as early in the morning as it was, most had their grills fired up and began preparation for the long day ahead, which was sure to be filled with hungry and thirsty customers.


    Above one of the bleachers sat a 25 square meter room.  Suspended from the ceiling by a single, sturdy rope, it was almost a technological marvel.  The words ¡®Announcer¡¯s Room¡¯ were written on the side of its white walls in black, blocky letters.


    ¡°Incredible¡­¡± Momo couldn¡¯t believe what she saw. They came out on the east side of the arena, where one of the four gaps was. From here, they could see the bleachers, and they were being filled fast. To their left stood a drink stall that sold alcohol, and the right was a chicken stall. The Singi behind the food stall began to sweat as he started to fry his goods.


    ¡°Where do we go?¡± Dineria had the same look of amazement on her face as Momo.


    ¡°Aye, I know where I¡¯m going,¡± said Riki. He sauntered off towards a stall that sold alcohol but was stopped by a callused hand grabbing his armor.


    ¡°Nope,¡± replied his cousin. ¡°Alcohol will slow you down. And that goes for you too, Desperado,¡± the Koena in question was in the process of sneaking off.


    ¡°Desperado, we can drink later,¡± said Silverado. ¡°The tournament comes first.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but you¡¯re buying the first round!¡± Desperado replied.


    ¡°Agreed. Bahaha!!¡± Riki laughed.


    "Fine. The first round of drinks is on me!" Rakkire chuckled, letting loose a trademarked Dwarven laugh.


    Fisher scanned the horizon and saw a sign suspended by ropes. ¡°I¡¯m sure we go there. The sign said ¡®Competitors and mentors here!¡¯" he finally answered Dineria''s question.


    ¡°Wait, so there are five rings? So all four group stages are going to happen at once?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°Most likely. If not, then with a double-elimination format, it¡¯ll take a day or two to get through all of the matches,¡± Fisher replied when they reached the hanging sign. It was above a long white tent. A similar-looking tent was on the other side. Behind the two tents were two sets of bleachers, and due to the way they were positioned, those watching from the bleachers would be able to see all five rings without any obstructions.


    It seemed that Blas¨¦ had placed a lot of thought and effort into the design of the warehouse-turned-arena. Of course, it also had to be expensive, no doubt using what little bit of money that Parrel, the previous governor, had leftover. If it was a success, and it looked like it would be based on the turnout, then that meant the governor could charge ahead with his other plans he had laid out. His true goal was to transform Canary into a thriving city, though one could argue it already was when under Parrel''s governance. But Blas¨¦ had machinations that dwarfed whatever Parrel had planned. He only needed a little bit of capital and time to see it through to completion.


    Inside the leftmost white tent, which was the one that Fisher, Dineria, and their mentees went into, sat two white tables.


    ¡°Alright, groups 1 and 2 check-in here. Groups 3 and 4 go to the other tent. Once you get checked in, you¡¯re welcome to take a seat under either tent," said an Elf. She had on a grey shirt with the word ¡®Employee¡¯ written on it. Following her instructions, the group separated into four smaller groups and stood in their respective lines.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be over here sitting down, okay?¡± Dineria said before they diverged. They all nodded.


    Servi didn¡¯t have to wait for too long, maybe about three minutes or so before it was her turn. All she had to was give her badge number and ID to the Singi employee sitting behind the wooden table, who wrote her name down on a sheet of paper that had a 32 person bracket.


    "When it is time for you to fight, the announcer will say so.  He¡¯ll also say which ring to go to and who your opponent will be. Each ring has a big number painted on it, so even a Kobold would be able to find the right one. Do you understand that?¡± she asked with a smile.


    ¡°I do. Thank you,¡± replied Servi. She was a bit weirded out the Singi would say an untasteful joke about a Kobold, but she didn¡¯t want to cause a scene.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome! Next, please!¡± Servi went to go sit with Fisher and Dineria. A few minutes later, everyone else was back, and they had nothing to do but wait.


    ¡°Can you see your wife?¡± Dineria broke the growing silence with a simple enough question.


    ¡°I do not. If we were closer, maybe, but--¡±


    ¡°Found her. She¡¯s right there,¡± Servi pointed. ¡°Five rows up and six seats across. Claire and Jony are right next to her and the kids,¡± with her enhanced eyesight from absorbing an incredible amount of souls, Servi could see even better than an Elf.


    ¡°Jony came? I bet you¡¯re happy, huh? But wait, what about your mom and dad?¡± Momo turned to the girl sitting beside her.


    ¡°I am. I wished my mother and father would have come, but mother hasn¡¯t been feeling well. It¡¯s probably morning sickness since she¡¯s pregnant. And father had to go on a business trip. But yes, I¡¯m happy Jony''s here!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry she¡¯s sick, and I hope she gets better!¡± replied Momo. Srassa gave her a sweet smile and thanked her.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good idea she¡¯s sitting on that side, right?¡± Riki added.


    ¡°It is. If not, then I would have asked you all to move to the other tent with us,¡± said Fisher, who waved at his wife. It took her a bit to notice, but she smiled when she saw a man in black armor waving.


    ¡°Look, there¡¯s your father! Wave to him, okay?¡± she told her daughters. They were sitting to the left and right of her.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Mari and Meri said at the same time. Raising both of their hands, they waved.


    ¡°Daddy, I see you!¡±


    ¡°Me too!¡±


    The next moment, Claire and Jony started waving, and Servi, Momo, and Srassa waved back.


    ¡°Feral, what about your aunt?¡± Silverado asked. Desperado was going over his shield and club. Riki and Rakkire started doing the same with their bucklers and axes.  They all wanted to make sure their gear was in tip-top shape.


    ¡°She¡¯s here with a stall, though I don¡¯t know where it is.  This warehouse is bigger than I thought it would be,¡± Feral replied, adjusting his grip on his iron wall-like shield.


    ¡°You know, you can set it down. The Kobold tournament doesn¡¯t start until the group stages are complete,¡± said a passing employee. She was a Koena with yellow and red scales and black hair.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, growling lightly. After gently setting it down, he sat on it and crossed his arms.


    Fifteen minutes later, Fisher checked his watch and realized it was going on 8:50. The stands and bleachers were full, and some people had to stand and watch from the four gaps.


    ¡°Maybe things are running a bit late? It is the first tournament that Canary has hosted, so there¡¯s probably a few kinks to work out." As if to prove Fisher wrong, a voice coming from the ceiling chose that moment to speak.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Yes, hello? Can everyone hear me? Dave, is it on? Is it? It is... Good!  Okay, let¡¯s start it again!¡± said a man¡¯s voice, though Servi didn¡¯t know if it belonged to a Human, an Elf, a Singi, or a Koena. A Dwarf¡¯s voice was a bit deeper than the mysterious speaker''s high-pitched squeal, and a Kobold¡¯s voice was even deeper than that.


    ¡°My name¡¯s Toni, and I¡¯ll be your announcer for the day! We have quite a show for you! Oops, I mean a tournament for you all to witness. 128 of Warden''s very own Rank 10s have worked endlessly for the past month! As you know, our city of Canary was ransacked by vile criminals almost two months ago. I tell ya folks, I can still hear that lightning when I sleep! But enough about that. Because of that incident, our Governor Blas¨¦ decided to institute this mentoring program. Yay!!!¡±


    Servi thought the voice was completely obnoxious, but she powered through it.


    ¡°On behalf of our dear Governor, who unfortunately couldn¡¯t be here with us today because of an important meeting, allow me to thank you all for coming!¡± the voice said to an eruption of cheering.


    ¡°Now then, I know you¡¯re ready to get to the fights, and I am too! But I gotta lay down some rules for both our audience and our fighters. One! There shall be no going for lethal blows. We do have some wonderful licensed healers at the ready, as well as a healthy supply of health potions, but killing your opponent is a no-no! Two! This is for the audience in the stands. Do not throw your trash down at the tents, and do not throw them at the arenas. If you do so, you will be escorted out and banned from attending or competing in any upcoming Canary or Warden-focused event. Keep the trash to yourself and dispose of it in one of the trashcans that are lying around.¡±


    I mean, that makes sense...but I don¡¯t like this guy¡¯s voice. Itarr said. He¡¯s kind of irritating. Servi just nodded as she listened to the rest of the rules. She didn¡¯t know how, but if his voice came from the announcer¡¯s room, then how was it getting to her?


    ¡°Rule number three! Mentors, you cannot help your mentees once they are in the ring. That includes rushing into the ring, using skills to help turn the tide of battle, or coaching from the sideline. That leads us to rule four! Abilities can only be used inside the arenas.  In other words, skills like Protection cannot be used beforehand. But if you use Protection and win, and you have to fight again before it wears off, you can keep it. And now for rule five!! There shall be no outside help from the audience. If any assistance is discovered, there will be a lifetime ban for the helper and the one they assisted. It also goes without saying, but that person will be immediately disqualified from the tournament.


    ¡°Whoops, let me clarify rule one! We are expecting that there will be some injuries. If you happen to cut your opponent''s arm or you somehow break it, you will not be disqualified. It will only apply to circumstances where you needed and wanted to kill your opponent. For example, if your opponent is down and out on the floor and you stab them with your weapon, that would be a clear-cut rule violation. I have four excellent judges up here with me in the announcer¡¯s room, and each one will have their eyes glued to the arenas!!!


    ¡°Now then, let me answer something you might be wondering about. ¡®Toni, how is your voice reaching us?¡¯ The answer might surprise you! I¡¯m speaking into a voice loudner from up here, and it is connected to twenty more voice loudners positioned in the right spots around the building. My beautiful, soothing voice can reach the entire building, so no matter where you go, you will be able to hear it when I call your name for your match.


    ¡°And that brings us into matches! For the group stage, which there are four of them, all will be happening concurrently in the four arenas you see in front of you. The final one, in the middle, is reserved for the Kobold tournament and the finals. So folks! I hope you all can watch multiple things at once! And I do hope I have the ability to commentate four matches at once. Cause I tell ya, it¡¯s going to be hard!


    ¡°And one more thing! Since this is the first tournament to be held in Canary, then let¡¯s take it easy! Only Rank 10 skills are allowed, so I don¡¯t wanna see any Fire Wall or Earth Wall! And that is all, folks! Wait, I lied!!! Let me just reiterate this point if I haven¡¯t said it already!! If your opponent taps out or gives up, do not attack them. Doing so will disqualify you!! That¡¯s is all, I promise!!! Give us a few more minutes to set things up, and we¡¯ll be ready for the first four matches!!!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s uhh... talkative?" Srassa felt a warmness in her cheeks from second-hand embarrassment.


    ¡°He is. I think he likes to hear the sound of his own voice,¡± replied Riki. And a bit annoying. Hope I¡¯m not distracted.


    ¡°But I can''t help but get fired up!¡± Momo made a fist and squeezed it tight.


    ¡°Yeah, but speaking of that, Momo?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± the Singi turned to look at her best friend.


    ¡°Are you going to fight with your grandpa¡¯s bag?¡±


    She looked down and held the black bag close to her chest. ¡°I want to, but it¡¯s probably not a good idea. I don¡¯t want it to get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Momo, I can watch your bag if you want me to. I swear nothing will happen to it,¡± Dineria said as she tied her long green hair up in a ponytail. Momo looked at her, then back to the bag before she took it off.


    ¡°Okay. Thanks, Dineria.¡±


    ¡°You are most welcome. I shall hug it close, and I won¡¯t it get out of my sight. So you just focus on doing your best, okay?¡± the Elven mentor grabbed it, put it on, and hugged it like she said she was going to do.


    ¡°Right!¡± Momo''s hand went to the sword hanging from her hip. It was thin and silver, a gift a grandfather gave to his granddaughter, and it was her second most prized possession. ¡°I gotta do my best, but I can¡¯t do that if I¡¯m worried the bag will get hurt.¡±


    But what about me? Servi momentarily lost herself to the depths of her mind.  If I want to do my best, I need that skill... But I can¡¯t keep relying on Soul Essence of Primal Combat. It¡¯s just not fair for the others. Maybe I should turn it off and only use it when necessary? But if I have it off, my body can¡¯t read the combat memories of the souls, and my mind can¡¯t show the afterimages. I don¡¯t even know how to fight¡­. Dammit, Servi, you should¡¯ve paid attention to Fisher!


    It was a hard decision for Servi. Soul Essence of Primal Combat was something she had relied on for the longest time. It told her how the enemy was going to attack, and it told her how to dodge. It was the perfect shield and sword, all packed into one neat little skill. As far as she knew, it was exclusive to her and her alone.  All she had to do was think about attacking, and her mind would produce a set of red afterimages. If she followed them, then her opponent would end up dead.


    It made her into the perfect warrior. As long as she had the souls, Servi would not lose. However, if against opponents who had a clear and deep understanding of combat, even her Soul Essence of Primal Combat would not be enough to assure her the win. It was almost an unbeatable advantage, yes, but someone else could be even more knowledgeable than her. That¡¯s why she knew she could not defeat Albert in physical combat.


    ¡°Servi?¡± Momo quietly murmured. She turned to her best friend and saw a strained and painful look on her face.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± replied Servi, who found it extremely difficult to turn off her crutch.


    ¡°Are you okay? Is your stomach hurting?¡±


    Servi shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m probably just nervous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nervous too. Hey, do you remember our promise?¡± the two pink cat ears on Momo''s head cutely twitched.


    ¡°I do,¡± Servi replied.


    ¡°Good. I want to add one more thing to it if I can. I promise I¡¯ll cheer loudly for you when you¡¯re out there. So even if you¡¯re nervous, just remember that I believe in you!¡±


    ¡°And I promise I¡¯ll cheer for you, too. Thanks, Momo, I needed that,¡± Servi smiled at her best friend and almost reached out to take her hand, but she stopped herself.


    Why do I feel an urge to hold her hand? She asked herself.


    As Servi was having a conversation with herself, Toni began speaking again. ¡°Alright now, let¡¯s get this started!! I need Servi and Jooe to go to arena 1, Libby and Loren head to arena 2, Silverado and Beky go to arena 3, and Quie and Hraisa to go to arena 4. Note, each arena is surrounded by a thick glass wall nearly invisible to the naked eye! That means, folks, that we can see everything, and they, the fighters, are protected from runaway arrows or skills. Now then, the names I have called are to go to their respective arenas in the next two minutes!!¡±


    ¡°What are the chances I¡¯d be the first one called?¡± Servi said as she stood up. Her ominous shield on her arm almost looked like it wanted to fight even though it was an inanimate object. Drawing her sword from the shield sheath, Servi smiled at her friends, who wished her and Silverado good luck.


    Together, they walked out of the white tent and towards their respective arenas.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Servi asked Silverado, who banged his kite shield and club together.


    ¡°I am. Good luck to you, friend.¡±


    ¡°Same to you.¡±

 Book Two – Chapter Eleven – Part Three – Tournament!

    ¡°Alright now, folks! It might be hard, it might be chaotic, and it might even be impossible, but we¡¯re going to have four matches going at once!!! If I have to introduce everyone and their backstory, we¡¯d be here for years! But wait, I don¡¯t even have that information! Hahaha!!¡±


    ¡°Mommy, is he supposed to be funny?¡± Mari asked as she looked up at her mother.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, dear. Maybe?¡± Marissa answered with a strained face.


    Claire, who sat next to her, cringed and felt embarrassed just by listening to Toni speak.


    ¡°Mama, Servi is about to fight!¡± Meri said, who couldn''t contain her excitement. She pointed and smiled at a girl with black hair and red eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, she is. Be sure to cheer for her, okay?¡±


    ¡°We will!!¡± Mari and Meri stood up and shouted Servi''s name.  Claire smiled and joined in with the girls'' cheering.


    Her opponent was a Human boy of around 17. He had very little armor on that only covered his stomach and lower body, and that was it. His back, chest, and arms were fully exposed, allowing the entire audience to bear witness to his toned muscles and dark skin. With no weapon on his back or his hips, he was someone who fought with his bare hands.


    ¡°So, starting now¡­¡­¡­ FIGHT!¡± yelled Toni, whose energy somehow rubbed across and affected the audience. They started clapping and cheering as the four fights began simultaneously.


    I shall turn on Soul Essence of Primal Combat for you¡ªwait, why did you turn it back off? Itarr asked.


    Shaking lightly from fear, Servi answered in broken words. ¡°Need practice without it,¡± she hastily held her shield up in preparation.


    But why? Itarr wanted to know, but Servi couldn¡¯t answer her. She was distracted by a swift roundhouse kick that she couldn''t defend against. It was aimed directly for her sword hand, and she felt the bones crack.  Unable to keep a grip on her weapon, her sword was sent flying by a second kick to the same hand. Her blade slammed into the glass walls of the arena.


    ¡°Wow!! In the very first seconds of the match, Servi is WITHOUT A WEAPON!! She is not in a good spot, folks!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk!¡± Servi shouted as she walked back with her shield up. She meant it for both Itarr and Toni, but only one of them clamped up. She felt the invisible sensation of sweat pouring down her skin, even though it shouldn¡¯t have been possible, and Servi realized, at that moment, she was utterly outmatched.


    I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to upset you, and I''ll be quiet now.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?!¡± asked Riki, who immediately sat up in his chair.  His eyes focused on Servi''s fight because she seemed to be having the most trouble.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Momo choked back tears. "Is she still affected by the sleepinwillo?¡±


    ¡°She shouldn¡¯t be. She woke up and was fine for the last two days or so, so it shouldn¡¯t be that, but....¡± answered Dineria, who trailed off and finished that sentence in her mind.


    Servi, what''s wrong? I know you can fight better than this! Fisher watched with an analyzing eye.


    Momo was going to say something, but Toni spoke first.  His loud voice was starting to irritate her.


    ¡°Folks! That was a dangerously hard kick. Servi was disarmed, and I¡¯m surprised she can even move her hand! If that was me, my hand would''ve been totally shattered, and I¡¯d be crying like a baby. She looked so confident coming into the match, but none of that remains now!¡±


    Aaagggahah!! Can he shut up?!! Stop distracting my best friend!!!


    Shit! Servi tried to force herself to calm down, but she was forced to be on the defensive. Kick after kick, punch after punch, Jooe was most certainly trained in hand-to-hand combat. Even though each strike wasn''t at the level of a mid-ranked fighter, Servi was still panicking. After a few seconds, the attacks slowed down enough for her to block them.  Bit by bit, her confidence grew, but after a swift punch knocked her down, she then realized Jooe was going easy on her.


    Servi held out her hand, forcing Jooe to back off for a split second.  She had no plans to use a skill.  Unfortunately for her, Jooe called her bluff.


    How pathetic, he thought. This girl lost her sword, and she¡¯s afraid to get it. Now I just need to take this shield. If not that, I can break her arm. Jooe faked a kick and rolled into Servi¡¯s range. She panicked and went to bash with her shield, but he ducked it and came up with a swift punch to her elbow.


    Thanks to her True Immortality, the bone was regenerated mere moments after his punch to the point where it was as good as new while his fist still touched her. Servi realized she could use this to her advantage.


    Jooe believed he had won. After all, he had broken her shield arm, felt the bone crack, and Toni even commented that it was Jooe¡¯s victory. He didn¡¯t expect her arm to be healed up, and he certainly didn¡¯t expect her to reach out with her other hand while ignoring the pain thundering through her body.


    ¡°Got you!!¡± Servi shouted.


    ¡°What is this?!?! I thought it would be over, but it¡¯s not! Her arm WASN''T broken?! Servi, the red-eyed girl, had turned the fight around and grappled Jooe to the ground. What?!?! Folks, I do not believe my eyes. Servi has somehow straddled Jooe, and she has his arm in a lock!!! Will she break it?! Will he tap out?!?!¡±


    ¡°Give up, or I¡¯ll snap your arm!¡± Servi shouted. She had it in a weird grip that gave her total control of his left arm. ¡°All I gotta do is pull back, and it¡¯ll break!¡±


    Jooe tried his best to break free, but his strength was no match for Servi as she pulled more and more on his arm. ¡°A warrior never admits defeat! You say you¡¯re going to break it, but you won¡¯t. You don¡¯t ha¡ªAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!¡± Jooe screamed as his arm was forced back in a way that wasn¡¯t natural, and he quickly used his other hand to tap the floor.


    ¡°Ouch!!!!! Who knew we¡¯d see a gruesome injury in the very first match. Mom and dad, don¡¯t let your children see this. Speaking of which, medics to arena 1!¡±


    The cries of pain echoing from her opponent felt familiar and nostalgic, but Servi had trouble assigning it to a memory she didn¡¯t have. She stood up, retrieved her sword, and walked back to the tent as her footsteps were drowned out by the cheering. As she did, she watched the three other fights. Well, one other match. She only cared about the one involving Silverado, and he was on the attack. She had no doubt he would win.


    As she sat back down, she was met with a bunch of different stares. Some were of fright, and others were from anger, but she only cared about the looks of her friends, who were just worried about her.


    I only won because I knew my arm would heal right up.  I¡¯m so fucking useless without Soul Essence of Primal Combat. Servi was seething inside, but she did her best to hide it. Was breaking his arm necessary? Am I just causing pain for the fun of it? Was there not any other way for me to win?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to break his arm, but I had no choice. He wasn¡¯t going to give up,¡± explained Servi. She realized it wouldn¡¯t do her any good to think about the ¡®what ifs.¡¯


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Momo didn¡¯t care that her best friend just broke someone¡¯s arm because she accepted that could¡¯ve happened. She wouldn¡¯t be mad if her arm broke during her matches. Of course, she would be in a lot of pain, but if it was an accident or whatever, she wouldn¡¯t hold a grudge.  That was the nature of a fighting arena, and Momo knew the risks.  In her mind, the most important thing was that healing was just a few short seconds away.  ¡°You kinda don¡¯t seem like yourself. Oh no! Are you sick?!¡±


    Servi shook her head. ¡°I feel alright.¡±


    ¡°Servi, let me talk to you for a moment,¡± Fisher stood up, and Servi followed him over to a corner of the tent where they wouldn¡¯t be heard.


    ¡°What happened out there?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°I decided I wanted to fight fair, so I turned off my 497 experiences. That way, I can¡¯t rely on them to guide my body and mind,¡± she answered him truthfully but didn¡¯t reveal the name of the skill which gave her those experiences. ¡°What you saw out there is the true me with no help. It¡¯s pathetic, isn¡¯t it? If I weren''t blinded by hate, I could have properly learned,¡± Servi sighed.


    ¡°Pathetic? No, I don¡¯t think so. In fact, I think it¡¯s the opposite. Just imagine how strong you¡¯d be if you did know how to fight without the experiences. Then when you use those experiences, they¡¯ll combine with your newfound knowledge of fighting. Does that make sense? I¡¯m not sure how your abilities work, and I might be wrong, but my intuition is usually right.¡±


    Servi smiled at the man who she used to want to kill. How ironic that he would end up being the one to know more about her than her best friend, and he would be the one to her some much-needed advice. Servi may have been a few years younger than Fisher, but he had a decade of life experiences.  Servi, on the other hand, could only count the last few months. ¡°Thank you, Fisher. I think I needed to hear that.  And Itarr, I didn''t mean to snap at you.  I''m sorry.


    It''s fine.  I love you, Servi.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome," replied Fisher. The two walked back over to the group and discovered Silverado was there. They had kind of tuned Toni out during their conversation, so they weren¡¯t listening when he announced the silver Koena as the winner of his fight.


    Servi took a seat, and Fisher went back to stand with Dineria. Her arms still held Momo''s black bag close to her chest.


    Silverado was all grins and smiles, so Servi congratulated him on winning. He did the same and wondered if she was alright.


    ¡°I saw you were struggling a little bit,¡± he asked.


    Servi replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine now. I guess it might be the sleepinwillo, but it¡¯s like my movements are a bit sluggish.¡±


    ¡°Aye, once you get the blood pumping, you should be fine,¡± Riki leaned back in his chair. He looked relaxed, with a pleasant expression on his face.


    "I couldn''t say it earlier, but I love you too, Itarr," whispered Servi as quietly as she could.  It was during times like this that she wished she could communicate with Itarr by using her thoughts.  For some reason, that wasn''t possible.


    ¡°Servi,¡± said Momo, who moved seats so she could be closer to her best friend, ¡°if you¡¯re sick or anything, you don¡¯t have to force yourself, okay?¡±


    ¡°I promise you, Momo, I¡¯m fine. It might be my nerves.¡±


    Momo smiled. ¡°Okay,¡± she leaned back in her chair and waited with her friend. The day had just begun, and it was going to be a long one.


    It took around fifteen minutes for Momo¡¯s name to be called. She stood up, not even a single bit nervous, and turned back to her best friend.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s my turn,¡± said the Singi. She stood up and stretched her arms, lightly moaning when she felt a small pop.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be cheering for you, so go out and do your best!¡± Servi said.


    Momo nodded at Servi and then to her other friends and walked up to Dineria. She gave Momo a small pat on the head.


    ¡°Remember the training, and use the rolls and dodges to your advantage. I¡¯m sorry that the bow is useless during this tournament, but I¡¯m sure everything else can help. You¡¯re a Singi, athletic and agile, and my style of swordplay is best suited for that. It''s like it was made for you, so go out and do your best, okay?¡± Dineria smiled at her mentee, and Momo nodded in return before she proceeded to the arena Toni specified.


    Her fierce blue eyes no longer belonged to a frightened kitten who thought her fate was loneliness. Instead, two months'' worth of experiences had hardened Momo, and her eyes reflected that. All in all, she far surpassed the Momo of before, and she couldn¡¯t wait to show Servi.


    Servi, I hope I became someone you¡¯d be proud to have in a party! Momo drew her weapon from her waist, a thin longsword with a silver blade. It looked somewhat standard, but it was the first choice sword of Sumo, a Rank 3 Warden member. And he had given it to his precious granddaughter. Grandpa, right now, I¡¯m the strongest I¡¯ve ever been. If this was a month ago, I¡¯d probably be crying. And nervous, too. But I¡¯m not anxious...and I¡¯m not crying... Okay, maybe I lied. I''m a little bit nervous, but that''s okay. For the first time in my life, I think I can do this.


    Stepping into the glass door and into the area, she saw her opponent, who was already there. Tall and proud with yellow ears and a red tail, Momo''s foe was a Singi wearing a cloth shirt and leather pants. His feet were exposed, showing off harsh cuts that were the result of hellish training. A single scar went down his left cheek, and a wooden staff was held gently yet firmly in his calloused hands.


    Momo took a stance Dineria had taught her. She was lightly bouncing on her feet, ready to dodge and roll in any direction.


    ¡°And now, if you¡¯d look at the second arena, we have Momo, pink and pink against Vue, yellow and red. FIGHT!!!¡± Toni shouted before turning his attention to another fight.


    Vue calmly walked forward, and his mouth began to move. Momo, seeing this, began to chant Magic Missile. She finished her chant first and fired it, purposely missing and forcing her opponent to dodge right. Vue couldn¡¯t resume his chant, and he stopped when pink hair flashed in his sight. Momo had rolled forward, keeping low to the ground, and rose to her feet while preparing an attack.


    It was a simple bash with the pommel of her sword, and Vue couldn¡¯t completely jump back. Her attack glanced off his forehead, but Momo didn¡¯t let up. She rolled backwards, preparing another Magic Missile and fired it towards him.


    I don¡¯t need it to hit him. I need him to think about what I¡¯m going to do next. The moment the colorless arrow left Momo''s outstretched hand, she transitioned into a roll that dodged away from Vue. He was distracted, using one hand to nurse his forehead and the other to keep a grip on his staff.  The Magic Missile ended up striking the glass to his right.


    ¡°And right away, folks, I turn my attention back to arena 2. What a quick advancement by Momo, able to get in and out quickly. But what will she do now?!?! Vue might have the reach, but Momo has the speed. FOLKS?!!! Am I going senile already?! Why is Momo walking straight towards her opponent?!¡± Toni observed from the announcer¡¯s room. Being suspended in the air, he had an unobstructed view of all four arenas.


    As he said, Momo was walking right towards her opponent, her mouth was moving, but no skill came out. She was pre-casting. All she had to do was fill in the name and element of the technique, and it would go off. It wasn¡¯t an arduous technique to learn, but most wouldn¡¯t acquire it until Rank 7 or 8 since it had its odd quirks.


    Dineria told me to be unpredictable. That, with my natural swiftness and agility, combined with pre-casting, should be enough for right now. It¡¯s like this style was made for me in mind! Momo dodged forward, using her free hand to stop herself, and rolled to the left, avoiding an incoming slam by Vue. He now had both hands on his staff, and his mouth was moving again. He couldn¡¯t pre-cast, so it was an ordinary skill.


    Got ya! Momo used Dazzler, a skill that only affected monsters. Even though Vue wasn¡¯t a monster, he was a Rank 10, like Momo. That meant he might be inexperienced. And in that inexperience, there was a chance he would mistake the harmless Dazzler for something else.


    Even if he doesn¡¯t react, I have a plan. Momo thought as she tossed it when she got to her feet. Vue panicked, jumped away from the shadowy ball, and Momo grinned like a mischievous cat. She knew she could win. Running forward with the speed she had gained from doing the obstacle course at Levadia Woods, Momo was on him in an instant.


    ¡°MOMO! I BELIEVE IN YOU!!!!¡± a loud shout came from the tents. Momo instantly felt energized after hearing the voice of her best friend, and she re-doubled her efforts.


    Like she did to Servi during their first match, Momo dropped down low and tackled Vue to the ground. He was panicking and dropped his staff, but he didn¡¯t protect his head, which bonked against the hard surface and knocked him out.


    Momo got to her feet and walked back with her, hand ready to use Magic Missile, but Vue wasn''t moving.


    ¡°Ouch, folks!! Vue knocked his head against the ground, and he¡¯s out. I don¡¯t see blood, so he¡¯ll be okay. Regardless, he cannot continue the fight.  Give it up for Momo, the pink-haired Singi!!!¡± Toni yelled over the microphone. He was getting into it, and even Servi had to crack a smile after being infected by his positive energy.


    The audience exploded with cheering and clapping.


    As the medics rushed in, Momo meekly asked them if he was going to be okay. They reassured her he would be fine. After thanking them, Momo walked back to a very happy Srassa and Servi.


    ¡°Good work, Momo,¡± Servi said. Srassa said the same thing, but Momo found herself happier when those words came from Servi''s mouth.


    That doesn¡¯t mean anything, does it? I mean, I just wanted her to be proud to have me as a party member since she¡¯s so much stronger than me. Momo thanked both of them and sat down. Srassa, meanwhile, began to do some light stretching. She knew her turn had to be coming up.


    Dineria walked over and praised Momo, telling her she was excellent.


    ¡°Momo, I¡¯m proud of how much you¡¯ve improved in just a month,¡± she continued to say. ¡°If you keep your training, I have no doubt you would become an impressive Warden member. I truly believe you can reach Rank 1. I really do.¡± Dineria smiled at the blushing Momo, who could only nod. She desperately wanted to thank her, but Momo felt like if she talked, she would cry. It wouldn¡¯t be tears of sadness but tears of happiness.


    Of course, the following words her best friend said would push her over the edge. Coincidentally, those were the very same words she had longed to hear.


    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you too. I¡¯m happy to be in a party with my best friend, and you¡¯ve gotten so much stronger.¡±


    Momo turned to her best friend, and hot tears fell from her pretty blue eyes. On her face sat a smile, pure as the driven snow and as bright as the sun. Servi felt her heart stop for a moment as a single statement came to her mind.


    She looks so beautiful¡­.


    Shaking her head, Servi quickly spoke. ¡°Why¡¯re you crying? Did I do something wrong?¡±


    She shook her head and smiled, happy tears still falling from her eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t say something like that and expect me not to cry. Servi, I got something to say. Ever since we partied up, I wanted to become someone you would proud to have in your party.   And¡­¡±


    Servi reached into her pouch and took out a clean napkin she had stored sometime ago. Momo took it with a quick thanks and wiped her eyes.


    ¡°You were that person on the very first day, Momo. I''ll trust you to watch my back when we go on quests. Now, I just hope I can be that person for you too.¡±


    ¡°Dummy, you are that person. You saved me in the sewers, and you saved me when we went to Tarch¡¯s village for that quest. Remember? You pushed me out of the way of that rat''s attack. I am proud of you,¡± said Momo. More tears fell, prompting her to wipe them away again. They were so lucky that their fellow friends were focused on the matches. Dineria, however, peeked back and saw the two friends in a most important conversation.  She just smiled before returning her attention to the fights.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯re both proud of each other.¡± Servi felt her cheeks turn red from embarrassment.  She felt super relieved and happy.


    ¡°And nothing will ever change that,¡± added Momo as she searched around for a trash can. Finding one, she excused herself for a brief moment.


    Nothing will ever change that, huh? Thought Servi as she watched Momo walk away. She had a jingle in her step, and her pink tail danced around in glee.


    Are you going to tell her?


    ¡°I can¡¯t. It¡¯ll break Momo''s heart.¡±


    The longer you wait, the more it¡¯ll hurt. Itarr didn''t want to see the irony in the advice she spoke.


    ¡°And?!¡± Servi snapped. She was a bit louder than she wanted, and Fisher turned around. She sighed and shook her head, and Fisher nodded to himself.


    If she¡¯s having outbursts like that, and no one is around, then this Itarr must be inside of her. As I thought before, Itarr could be a spirit... Perhaps they¡¯re feuding? Fisher thought.


    I¡¯m sorry. Itarr meekly said.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry. I brought this whole thing on myself, and now I¡¯m just souring the fucking mood.¡±


    I¡ªItarr was going to say something but stopped. She realized she had no right to lecture Servi.


    At that moment, Momo came back. Her eyes were a bit wet, but she was giddy. Sitting back down, they both stood up when they heard Srassa¡¯s name.


    ¡°Guys, I guess it¡¯s my turn,¡± she said to the two mentors standing up and her friends sitting down.


    ¡°Aye, do your best out there,¡± said Rakkire.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you have it in you!¡± Silverado quipped. Srassa smiled at her new friends and potential party members, then walked to Dineria.


    ¡°Remember, you can use Instant Cast. You can use skills by saying their name, so be sure to use that advantage. I¡¯m not saying you have to choose one or the other, but try to combine your skills and my training to create a style that is perfect for you,¡± Dineria patted her darling mentee on her blond head.


    Srassa smiled and nodded before drawing her sword.


    It should be alright. Only my friends know I can use Instant Cast. It¡¯s not against the rules, and it¡¯s not something I can just turn off, so it should be fine. Srassa thought as she walked towards the arena.

 Book Two – Chapter Eleven – Part Four – Tournament!

    Srassa''s opponent was a Koena, who had an equal amount of black and white scales. Kuaq was her name. She had long black hair that reached the middle of her back, but sections of her hair had white diamond highlights, giving her an exotic look of royalty.


    ¡°SRASSA!!!!¡± Momo supported her precious friend from the tents. She had both hands in the air and jumped around like a cheerleader.  Her pink tail flopped up and down and all around, joining in on the fun.  Servi was right next to her, copying her erratic movements as a wave of black hair flashed across her ruby eyes. Off to the back were the two Koena, Silverado and Desperado, who raised their hands and voices in support.


    They¡¯re all watching me....and they all believe in me. Srassa''s emerald eyes looked at her cheering squad with renewed vigor as a surge of strength flowed through her body.


    ¡°Alright, folks, we have a new match for you right now! Srassa versus Kuaq! Human versus Koena! Blond versus white and black, facing off. Who will win and who will lose?!?! Let¡¯s find out! FIGHT!!!¡±


    Kuaq held two daggers, one in each hand, and sped towards her opponent while keeping her center of gravity low to the ground. Srassa stayed ever-unmoving, staring at the face of her approaching foe as she feinted a skill. Even though she could use skills by saying the name, she couldn''t chant them. Instant Cast wasn''t something she could turn on and off like a switch. However, If her opponent didn''t know that, she could take advantage of that lack of information and turn it to her advantage.


    And that''s what she did.


    When Srassa chanted for Thunder Snap, Kuaq stopped and covered her ears. She believed an earsplittingly loud snap was coming, but she was inexperienced. It never crossed her mind at all that it could be a simple decoy.


    Srassa wasn¡¯t planning on using Lucem or any other skill, but Dineria had told her and Momo that they needed to be flexible in both body and mind.


    ¡°When it comes to a fight, feints, tricks, and decoys can be useful allies. Srassa, this goes for you. Since you have Instant Cast, you can use it to your advantage. Pretend to chant one skill and quickly use another. You have to be both flexible in body and mind. In a fight, the situation can change quicker than you can blink, and you have to adapt. It¡¯s hard and exhausting, but your mind has to run at full speed. Understand?¡±


    Dineria, I understand completely...  The Human girl with blond hair and green eyes softly whispered a single word as she covered her eyes. Unfortunately, Kuaq didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Lucem,¡± the arena overflowed with a bright white light that lasted all of two seconds.


    ¡°Folks, that is by far THE strongest Lucem I¡¯ve ever seen from a Rank 10!. Ladies and gentlemen, I do hope your eyes are okay. Hey! Why didn¡¯t we have a warning label?! Oh, we did? Ahh¡­ I see. Well, now that I can see, I can see that Srassa came out on top. The question is this: will Kuaq forfeit? Does she have something to get her out of this bind?! Will she be able to ''kuaq'' this egg she''s in? Get it? Crack. Kuaq? HAHAHA!!! Folks, I''m gonna be here all night!¡±


    Is he trying to be funny? Servi fought back an urge to rip her ears off so she wouldn''t have to listen to Toni anymore.  Judging from the scowl coming from her best friend, she wasn''t alone.


    Inside the arena, Srassa had her sword pointed to her opponent¡¯s neck. As she was blinded, Kuaq was attacked by two Magic Missiles, which brought her down to her knees, and even though she couldn¡¯t see it, she felt the sharp tip of a sword slide chafe against her arm as it made its way up. She didn''t suffer any damage thanks to her hard scales, but it was traumatizing. If their battle was to the death, she would¡¯ve perished in a matter of moments.  With three quick slaps to the floor, Kuaq realized it was her loss and forfeited the match.


    "I did not expect the match to be over that quickly, but we have a winner!!! Give it up for Srassa Flinn!!!!!"


    Damnit it! Master told me that it¡¯s possible to fake a chant, and I still fell for it. I need more training. Kuaq stood up and glanced at her weapons.  Her master had taken out a loan to buy them for her as a graduation gift.  They were supposed to be a symbol of happiness, but she felt nothing but regret and pain.  The thought of tossing them to the ground soared across her mind, but she respected her master far too much to do something so unsportsmanlike.


    Srassa made her way back to the tent, accompanied by a chorus of applause. Momo was right there, ready to congratulate her friend.


    ¡°That was incredible!¡± the Singi''s pink ears twitched in delight and happiness. ¡°Instant Cast is super powerful, isn''t it?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± said Dineria, ¡°But it¡¯s a tool to be used.  It¡¯s not unbeatable, okay? Remember that.¡±


    ¡°Right! I¡¯ll remember!¡± replied Srassa. She smiled at her mentor and friends and thanked them before taking a seat, but her mind didn''t reflect her outward happy appearance.


    Instant Cast feels like I''m cheating... I want to fight hand to hand, sword to sword... Maybe I''ll get the chance too...or perhaps I should accept the fact that I''m doomed to a life of relying on skills.


    Momo sat back down beside Servi.


    ¡°Servi, I wish you could see how Srassa was when I first met her. Like me, she¡¯s improved so much that I can hardly recognize her. Also, like me, she cried the first day we met.  Well, I cried like five times, but¡­¡± You didn¡¯t leave me like I thought you would. Momo wanted to say that last part, but she thought it instead.


    Servi smiled at her best friend, and they focused their attention on the ongoing matches.


    In the span of an hour, all of Fisher''s mentees, sans Servi, were called to battle. Feral, who remained motionless on his shield, was cranky.


    "My blood is running hot because I am doing nothing but watching. I want to fight!!" Feral raised a clenched fist as his tail thumped the ground, nearly knocking over a poor employee who chose that unfortunate moment to move behind him.


    "Calm down, big guy.  You''ll get your chance to fight," Servi had told him after he apologized to the Elf he nearly knocked over. She smiled at the Kobold, and he nodded before growling. A faint tinge of red burned within green cheeks out of embarrassment.


    Servi stood up and stretched when she heard her name. Toni''s voice had gotten a little bit less grating, but it still irritated her.


    ¡°Good luck!¡± said the Singi. She stood up and walked with Servi as far as she could before leaning against a railing.


    ¡°Thanks, Momo! I''ll do my best!¡± replied Servi. She drew her sword and readied her shield as she walked to arena 1.


    Her opponent this time was an Elf with a wooden staff. She had black hair, a pointy hat covering her tipped ears, a black robe, and black gloves. She was the textbook definition of what a devoted skill user looked like. Her name was Ancy. Servi could count her experiences with staffs on one finger.  During the attack to free the slave markets, there was a girl who used one. Servi couldn¡¯t remember her name, but it was a Singi. She had told Servi that staffs empowered skills and increased their effectiveness.


    If that''s the case, then she''s packing some serious firepower. I still think I have the advantage. If she uses Lucem or Thunder Snap, then True Immortality will instantly heal my eyes and ears. But if I find a staff and use it, then realistically, how much stronger will my skills be? Once I tell Momo the truth, I need to buy a stave and try it out.


    ¡°Elf versus Human, staff versus sword and shield! Ancy versus Servi! Let the battle begin!!!¡± After a small message from Toni, the fight commenced.


    Servi held her shield in front and walked menacingly towards her opponent.  It was her second match of the day, but Servi was feeling a little bit better. Sure, she didn¡¯t have her trump card activated, but she was still plenty strong. Technically, Servi was as strong as eleven Humans. All she needed to do was grab onto a body part and not let go.


    Ancy raised her wooden staff and began to chant. Servi charged right in, and the Elf smiled before saying a single word. ¡°Lucem.¡±


    Servi had fallen for the same trick that Srassa used against Kuaq. But there was one drastic difference.


    The moment her eyes were devoid of sight, they were fixed. To Servi, it seemed that repairing smaller body parts and organs didn¡¯t take as long as regenerating legs or arms. Because of that, she was able to see the incoming staff slam.


    If that¡¯s true, then why did my arm heal instantly? He wasn¡¯t even done with his attack, but the bone had already fixed itself. Servi thought as she deflected the attack with her shield.  Could it be that True Immortality is getting faster as my body becomes more familiar with Itarr''s power?


    ¡°What?! You should¡¯ve been blinded!!¡± Ancy exclaimed. She took a few steps back and quickly started to formulate the best way for her to win.


    ¡°Folks!! Seems like Servi can defend even when she¡¯s blind!!!¡± Toni stated the obvious.


    Servi didn¡¯t say anything and dropped her sword. It landed with a clang, and she kicked it away. Since Servi was fighting an opponent who didn¡¯t have a metallic weapon, the red-eyed girl preferred to use her hands. More importantly, she was less likely to accidentally kill her opponent if she went at it empty-handed.


    ¡°What is she doing?¡± asked Riki, who returned to the tent after winning against a fellow Dwarf. After getting his congratulations on a well-deserved victory, he sat down.


    ¡°I do not know,¡± growled Feral. ¡°She tossed away her weapon, but why?¡±


    ¡°Just watch,¡± said Fisher Jin. ¡°She has a plan.¡±


    Servi had her shield at the ready, and even though she couldn''t read the combat memories of her souls, she realized it didn¡¯t take a genius to block a simple attack. Ancy was more suited to skills, and even without her cheat-like ability, Servi could follow them with just a little bit of trouble.


    I guess she wasn¡¯t trained that well in physical attacks, and maybe I did learn something from Fisher...


    ¡°Now that I know you have Instant Cast, I¡¯m more prepared,¡± said Servi, trying to egg on Ancy. The Elf pointed the head of her staff at Servi, who steadied her shield.


    If I can make her use Lucem again, I can win.  If she has Thunder Snap, I believe I can work around that. Regardless, I better pretended to be affected as to not arouse any suspicion.


    ¡°Magic Missile!¡± shouted her opponent, and a single colorless arrow formed. It launched out, far slower than what Servi¡¯s Shadow Shot could do.  With a simple backhand, the attack bounced off Servi''s shield and slammed into the glass wall, dissipating into nothingness.  The Elf panicked and used Lucem and Thunder Snap right after the other but didn¡¯t the time to protect her eyes and ears.


    Perfect! I may not have the knowledge provided by Soul Essence of Primal Combat, but I still have my mind. I can still strategize.


    Not wanting to give herself away, Servi had to act the part of being confused and deaf, but Fisher instantly discerned Servi was faking it. The way she stumbled around was not the same way a blind person would walk. Almost comedic in a way, it took all he had to stifle a growing chuckle that made its way up his throat.


    Once her imaginary blindness and deafness were healed, Servi pretended to be shocked at finding Ancy on the ground with her eyes closed.  She walked closer to the fallen Elf and crouched down. Picking up her staff, she poked the body with it for a few seconds before gently laying it down beside its owner.


    Standing up, Servi turned to Momo and shrugged.  The audience exploded into a fit of laughter. Momo didn¡¯t join in since she knew how it felt to be made fun of. If anything, she felt sad for the poor Elf.  Feral grunted and said nothing, while Riki and Rakkire nearly pissed themselves from cackling so hard. At the time, Silverado and Desperado were in a match. They couldn''t take time away from their own battle to laugh at someone else''s expense.


    ¡°Uhh!!!! I think this is the first case of a self-KO. In her wild attempt to win, Ancy blinded and deafened herself to the point where I think she passed out? Folks, I don¡¯t see any damage, so I don¡¯t know what happened. Medics!!¡± Toni shouted as three people rushed into the arena.  The red and white jackets they had on signified they belonged to the medical team.


    ¡°Yeah, she knocked herself out by overloading her senses. After a couple of minutes of rest, she''ll be fine.  Might have a headache, though,¡± a woman with short hair explained Ancy''s condition to her opponent. Servi thanked her and walked out. As she did, she told an employee who was standing nearby what the medic told her. The employee thanked her and ran to tell Toni, who announced it when Servi sat back down.


    ¡°So let that be a lesson to ya! Using skills that overwhelm your senses are a sure-fire way to pass out. Your brain can¡¯t process the changes fast enough and shuts down so you won¡¯t hurt yourself. Ancy, don¡¯t be embarrassed. It happens to the best of us!¡± Toni said.


    In the next six hours, the group stage finally came to a close. It was a fitting finale that the last two matches came down to friend versus friend and enemy versus enemy.


    Momo ended up winning all of her matches and even came in first place in her group. Srassa came in second, losing only once. Her bout against Momo was the most impressive fight by far, but Momo had a slight advantage. She knew Srassa¡¯s tricks, and she was there when Dineria told them about feinting skills. And since they sparred together when they were learning with Dineria, they had a good grasp of each other¡¯s abilities.


    But Momo still had the advantage, even when not including the fact that they trained together. Her grandpa was Rank 3, and he was indisputably strong. The fundamentals of his style were taught to Momo as best he could in his growing age, and unbeknownst to her, she had been slowly integrating the two forms of combat into her creating her own style. Dineria had first noticed this when Momo did her exam, but since the objective was to copy her movements, she had to give Momo a lower score that didn''t correspond to what the Singi could do.


    Though it¡¯s nowhere as good as mine, you¡¯re growing into an impressive fighter. Be proud, Momo. Even if you don¡¯t realize it, you¡¯ve taken the first step in becoming a master of the sword.  And you reached it so much quicker than I did. I do wish you would have more confidence in yourself. There¡¯s a lot of strength waiting to be unleashed, and I hope you find the right person to help you tap into it. Whether it be Srassa or Servi, I hope they can help you. Dineria thought.  She looked upon her beloved pupils with love and affection.  As a mentor, she couldn''t be any prouder.


    ¡°And here we are, folks! The match I have been wanting to see ever since I received their information mere moments ago!! Momo, the pink Singi, is going up against Srassa Flinn, the blond Human!!! Both of these fine women were trained by Dineria¡­.. wait, no last name?  No matter, folks! As I was saying, both of these fine women were trained by Dineria from Levadia Woods. She''s a respected Warden member in her own right.  Now, let¡¯s see how this match goes!!!!¡± Toni brought Dineria out from her inner thoughts as she watched the match with nothing less than a smile.


    Does it make me a despicable person if I want Momo to win? I like Srassa, and I even want to be friends with her, but I feel like I only desire Momo as a best friend. But I can¡¯t pick and choose who to cheer for. I guess I¡¯ll cheer for both, but my heart will be for Momo. Servi was conflicted, but she tossed those feelings away and began to cheer for both of them from her seat.  Feral''s booming voice erupted from behind as he joined in with her cheering.


    ¡°We¡¯re still gonna friends at the end of this match, right?¡± Srassa drew her sword. Her blond hair, tied into a ponytail, fluttered and flapped about while her eyes stared at her rival.


    ¡°Yep! I made a promise with Servi about the same thing. No hard feelings at the end of the day, okay?¡± Momo drew her grandpa¡¯s sword and took a stance Dineria taught them.


    ¡°Right! I''m going to go all out from the beginning!¡± replied Srassa, mirroring her friend''s stance.


    My God, Hamie, gave me the skill in the first place, so I shouldn''t NOT use it.  It''s a part of me until I die, and I shouldn''t disrespect Hamie by being ashamed of it.


    ¡°Now then, FIGHT!!!!!!¡± Toni roared.


    Srassa immediately used Thunder Snap, but Momo was ready for it. She used one hand to cover an ear, so she was only half affected. Srassa added on by using Magic Missile, and Momo rolled away. She effortlessly avoided the colorless arrow and began to pre-cast. Coming from her roll, she made a swipe with her sword, but Srassa blocked it, pushing her away and sending yellow sparks into the air. Momo used the momentum to transfer into a backwards roll and used Magic Missile as she rose to her feet.


    Without waiting to see if it hit, she used her speed to rush in low with her sword at the ready. She was pre-casting another skill, and her cat-like tail stiffened up.


    Srassa narrowly avoided the arrow as it gazed against her armor. It didn¡¯t hurt, but she didn¡¯t think Momo would pour more Skill Energy into it to increase its speed. That one moment proved to be a mistake as the Singi suddenly jumped to the side. She yelled out, ¡°Thunder Snap,¡± but didn¡¯t say the element it belonged to.


    ¡°No¡ª¡± said Srassa as she realized it was a feint. She went to cover her ears, but Momo finished the pre-cast with Magic Missile that struck against her friend¡¯s foot.


    ¡°Miss Flinn!!¡± Jony shouted from the audience. He knew it was a tournament, and he shouldn¡¯t interfere, but he couldn''t help it. Every fiber of his soul wanted to rush down the steps, hop into the arena, and defend his mistress. He saw Srassa as a little sister he needed to protect and cried on the inside whenever she was hurt.


    Srassa lost her balance and fell to one knee.  Her sword hand dropped her weapon and went to her injury. It wasn¡¯t bleeding, but pain radiated up her leg. Momo walked up and pointed her thin longsword at her friend because she thought the fight was over.


    At that moment, Srassa grinned and said one word.


    ¡°Lucem.¡± Momo was blinded by the light, but she instinctively went to make some distance and attacked at the process. To do so, she had to reveal something she was trying to keep hidden.


    I fell a lot trying to do this, and I was even yelled at by Warden staff for making too much noise in my room, but it¡¯s my only chance.  I wanted to keep this a secret, but I want to win this fight even more!


    Momo said a silent apology and dropped her grandpa¡¯s sword. It wasn¡¯t such a low-quality blade that the fall would damage it, but even though she was in a hurry, it didn''t feel right to drop something so important. Falling to her back, Momo rolled and transitioned into a handstand.  Srassa¡¯s thrust went straight between Momo¡¯s opened legs, missing flesh and piercing nothing but air.  Counterattacking, Momo twisted her hands and spun. Doing so, she kicked her foe''s left hand with the heel of her foot, knocking her sword away.  Srassa groaned in pain and went to pick up her weapon but was stopped in her tracks by a colorless arrow.


    Momo balanced using one hand, while the other one was responsible for the skill. Getting some momentum, she rolled forward to her feet while preparing another Magic Missile.


    ¡°I CAN''T BELIEVE IT!!!!!!¡± Toni''s screaming had everyone scrambling to cover their ears.¡°What a display of agility and accuracy we had seen from our two competitors!!! Who else but a Singi, the cat-like people of the world to come up with something like this!! Momo not only predicted the attack, but she BALANCED ON HER HANDS TO DODGE AND THEN SPUN TO ATTACK. You guys, you don¡¯t know how crazy that is for a simple Rank 10!! I am a Singi, and Rank 8 at that, but I would never, ever do something that wild in the middle of a battle!!! Momo, from the heart of one cat to another, you got my respect!¡± the moment Toni spoke, the audience broke out into a symphony of cheering.


    ¡°It¡¯s my loss. And I don¡¯t know if you wanted it, but the audience loves you,¡± Srassa tapped the ground a few times, and the cheering became even louder. Somehow or another, Momo had won the heart of the audience.


    ¡°It was an amazing fight, Srassa.¡± Momo held out her sweaty hand, and Srassa took it. They were both breathing incredibly hard. The match was short, but it was certainly intense.


    ¡°It was.¡± The two smiled and hugged each other as they walked back to their friends.


    Dineria was right.  Instant Cast isn''t unbeatable.


    Dineria was the first to speak, and she had nothing but praise. ¡°As your mentor, I couldn''t be prouder if I tried. Momo, I¡¯m glad you figured out that you could use your Singi-given balance and agility in that way. Remember, your whole body can be a weapon. I wanted to tell you that, but I''m happy you figured it out! Srassa, your movements were excellent, and I could see nothing mechanically wrong. You two did your very best, and I¡¯m just so happy!!¡± Dineria pulled a dried leaf from a small pouch and wiped her tears.


    Momo turned to see Servi, who was sitting down. She had the biggest smile on her face. Skipping over to her best friend, Servi stood up and gave Momo a big hug.


    ¡±That was absolutely incredible,¡± she began. ¡°I never expected that.¡±


    ¡°Hehe,¡± giggled Momo. ¡°I¡¯ve been working on that for a while now. And maybe I¡¯ve been working more¡­" Momo grinned and teased her best friend. "I can¡¯t say more because it''s secret, but when Dineria said that Singi are agile, I decide I should take advantage of that,¡± Momo squeezed her friend one more time before the two sat down.


    ¡°So,¡± Momo continued. ¡°I started to work on using my legs to attack. It¡¯s helpful if I need to dodge and counterattack right after. Then I realized that if I use pre-casting, I could dodge and attack twice. Once with my legs, and once by using a skill. Then I realized I could attack three times back to back to back. If I use a skill, then roll to a handstand and attack using my legs, I can pre-cast simultaneously and use one more skill if I did a one-handed handstand. It was super hard, and I fell a lot. I also got yelled at by the Warden hotel staff for making too much noise.¡± Momo smiled.


    ¡°Incredible. So that was your secret technique?¡± Servi said, hiding her inner thoughts with a pretty smile.


    She¡¯s been growing and growing every single day, while I¡¯ve been the same. I never once, before today, tried to seriously fight without using Soul Essence of Primal Combat. If she has this much determination, and I don¡¯t, am I even worthy of her friendship? Wouldn¡¯t she be happier with Srassa? They can train and grow together. I can''t. I''m dependent on souls for my strength...


    ¡°Yep! I kept falling and losing balance, and it was loud. I even hurt my head a little bit when I bonked it against the wall, but I think it was worth it. I¡¯m looking forward to our match. If we keep winning, then we¡¯d face off against each other.¡± Momo said. She sat back in her chair, and Servi noticed she was breathing hard.


    ¡°Are you thirsty? Want me to get us something to drink?¡± asked Servi, who stood up to stretch.


    Momo nodded and went to stand up, but her friend stopped her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about paying. I got it.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Momo slightly frowned.


    ¡°Yep! You want water?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± replied the Singi, who smiled meekly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Servi said, walking away. A few minutes later, she came back with two wooden cups. The cup Servi handed to Momo was slightly glowing, but its receiver didn''t notice it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay you back, okay?¡±


    Servi shook her head. ¡°Nope. You don¡¯t need to.¡± The black-haired girl gulped her ice-cold water. It was refreshing and smooth. Momo took small, delicate sips and felt instant relief.


    But it feels weird¡­ Momo¡¯s line of thought was cut short by Toni.


    ¡°Alrighty, folks!!! We just have one more match left, and win or lose, these two are going to the finals!!! So allow me to say a few words first before I call these two names. I¡¯d like to thank all of the competitors!  The fights have been awesome, the people are entertained, and win or lose, I know you can all go home feeling proud and confident! So without further ado, I need Servi and Arty to go to arena 1! Please, make your way there!¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re up,¡± said Momo. She used both hands to gently lift the cup to her lips.


    ¡°I am,¡± Servi finished her water and laid the cup on the ground.


    "Good luck, Servi. I¡¯ll be right here cheering you on!¡±


    Servi nodded and smiled at her best friend before downing her cup. She stood up and walked towards the arena.  Fisher was there waiting for her, and he asked her to keep her anger in check. Servi nodded and said she would.


    "If need too, I will interfere if I believe his life is in danger. He''s a jackass, but don''t kill him," he warned. Servi nodded a second time and walked past him.


    She was then stopped by Dineria, who gave her some advice. Then she was further delayed by the good luck wishes of her other friends.


    When she finally escaped, she had to jog to the arena to make it time. Her almost late appearance didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Arty, who leaned against his spear; a sharp grin covered his face, and his mouth spewed words laced with venom.


    "I''ve waited a whole fucking month for this rematch."

 Book Two – Chapter Eleven – Part Five – Tournament!

    ¡°Almost figured you were scared for a minute,¡± Arty taunted his foe as he leaned against his spear.  "It took you a while to get here."


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared of anyone I can beat,¡± replied Servi.


    Honestly, I barely won all those other matches. I need Soul Essence of Primal Combat, but I need to be able to fight without it.


    ¡°If what I saw was how much you improved by, then there¡¯s no way I¡¯ll lose,¡± Arty flourished his spear and took a stance. His movements, when compared to a month ago, were much sharper and defined.  It lacked that dilettante touch that was so prevalent before he had a mentor to train under.


    Servi silently replied by drawing her sword and readying her shield.


    ¡°For our final match, it¡¯s Servi, the red-eyed black-haired girl, and Arty, the spear-wielding armored guy. Creative nicknames, I know.  Both are undefeated so far, but that will change by the end of this match. Will Servi, with her sword and shield, come out on top, or will it be her opponent?! Can his spear pierce through her defense?! Let¡¯s find out! FIGHT!!!!


    The spear wielder immediately opened with a chant, and Servi held her shield up at the ready. Approaching cautiously, she took a Magic Missile head-on but blocked it. Increasing her speed, she falsely chanted her own Magic Missile in response.


    Servi didn¡¯t plan on using it. She just wanted Arty to dodge away when she held her hand out, but he called her bluff and rushed in. In response, Servi raised her sword and slashed down. It clanged against her opponent¡¯s metal spear, producing yellow sparks, and Arty pushed back with more force than what Servi was expecting and tripped when he transitioned into a sweep.


    ¡°SHIT!¡± she shouted as she landed on her back. Instinctively, she brought her shield up. A sharp metallic sound reverberated through the glass arena as she barely blocked a powerful thrust. If she was tenth of a second slower, it would¡¯ve crushed through her armor and tore her shoulder apart.


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair!!¡± Momo shouted from the tent. ¡°He was aiming directly for her shoulder! If she didn''t block it, it--¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± said Dineria, cutting off Momo. ¡°Fisher?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. Servi''s fine. Even if it did hit, it wouldn''t have been fatal. We have healers all around us," Fisher replied, "The chances of someone dying are slim to none," he was more worried about Arty.  If Servi lost herself and retained control of her godly powers... No, he didn''t want to fathom the outcome.


    Momo scowled, but Fisher ignored it. She went to charge into the arena, hellbent on stopping it, but Srassa stood in front, blocking her with her hands held out.


    ¡°Momo, you¡¯ll be disqualified if you go out there.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. Arty was trying to seriously hurt Servi! What if he tries to kill her again?!?!"


    Dineria moved in front of Momo and gently hugged her. ¡°If I believe he went too far, I¡¯ll jump in there myself, but she blocked it, so they probably didn¡¯t count it. Believe in her, okay? Like she believes in you.¡±


    ¡°I do believe in her...¡± whined Momo, who slumped back to her seat. She wasn¡¯t happy about not being able to do anything, but she promised herself that she¡¯d be the first to jump in.


    Winning this tournament isn''t worth it if she gets injured.


    She sat there, powerlessly, as her best friend in the whole wide world desperately moved her shield to protect her vital areas.


    I don¡¯t know why she¡¯s having trouble. She¡¯s usually way better¡­.. Momo thought. She beat Arty super easily the last time they fought...


    Servi began to chant after she lowered her shield to her stomach, preventing a brutal thrust that would have punctured all the way through her.


    Arty stepped back and began to chant as well, and Servi used that free moment to get to her feet. She quickly chanted and used Thunder Snap, but it seemed that Arty was ready for it. He covered a single ear to protect half of his hearing, then opened his hand and used Freeze Fingers, a Rank 10 water skill that produced pointy icicles at the end of his fingers. By giving the technique more energy, one could have multiple icicles on a single hand.


    He chose to wield his spear with one hand while the other had five pointy strands of ice on the ends of his fingers. This was the first time Servi had experienced Freeze Fingers, and she didn¡¯t know what secrets it held.


    Watching with a careful eye, she slowly approached her opponent. Once she crossed an invisible boundary, she unknowingly entered his attack range. Arty''s face broke into a devilish grin.  In a swift, fluid motion, he lightly tossed his spear up and caught it in a way that allowed him to throw it with the utmost ease. Servi blocked it, thinking he was a fool who would give away his weapon, but because she wasn¡¯t using Soul Essence of Primal Combat, she was lured into a false sense of security.


    SHIT!!!!


    Immediately, her opponent made a mad dash for her. She went to reply with a strike from her sword, but Arty knew that was coming. He leaned back while chanting, faking Thunder Snap while using Lucem for real.


    Servi immediately jumped back, and where she was just standing was an outstretched hand with five very sharp icicles.  The very tips leaked cold water to the floor below. They were in such a spot that they would''ve punctured her left lung if she didn''t trust her instinct.


    Damn it! It¡¯s so fucking hard to fight without that goddamn skill!!! I can¡¯t defend, and I can barely attack. Hell, I only made it this far because¡ªServi''s thoughts roared alive in her mind, and for just a single moment, she embraced that hatred.


    Itarr cried out when a few of the metaphysical cages shattered, leaking out pure rage for a few precious moments.  It wasn''t even long enough to be calculable, but the damage was done.


    With her mouth curling into a sinister smile, Servi calmly stepped towards her opponent and sheathed her blade. He said not a single word as he ran over to his spear.  Picking it up, he canceled Freeze Fingers and thrusted his weapon forward.  Calmly, Servi intercepted its shaft, catching it, and pulled it towards her while cocking her right hand back.  Her full strength was on display, and Arty couldn''t overpower the girl fueled by wrath.


    But he had learned from the past.


    He let go of the spear and made some distance while Servi jerked back and fell to the floor.  Following a page out of Momo''s book, she converted the momentum into a roll and recovered to her feet.  That didn''t go unnoticed by the girl herself, who was happy her best friend mimicked one of her moves.


    "Here," Servi tossed the spear to her opponent, "Let''s finish this," It was a move that was controversial, to say the least.  She had no reason to play by the rules and give him his weapon back.  Gasps of disbelief erupted from her friends.  They couldn''t fathom why Servi decided to give up her advantage.


    Arty kicked the spear up and caught it in one hand while chanting Freeze Fingers.  With six potential objects to skewer his opponent with, he cautiously walked forward.  Servi approached him at a slow speed, almost like a turtle.


    Once they were within reach, Arty jabbed his spear forward.  Aimed at her chest, she rotated her body to dodge it, but Arty responded right after with a quick thrust with his Freeze Fingers.  Five deadly, incredibly sharp objects threatened to pierce her cracked armor.


    But his strike wouldn''t land true because Servi broke her self-imposed rule and activated Soul Essence of Primal Combat just before she tossed his spear back to him.


    Servi grabbed his wrist with her left hand, just in time, and pulled back with her right.  After realizing what was going to happen, Arty screamed in fear as he did everything in his power to escape her grasp.  Perhaps it was his inexperience or cockiness that led to Servi shattering his jaw.  She let go of his wrist when the punch connected, and he stumbled backwards while blood and teeth dripped from his mouth.  His eyes were big and wide, like a deer about to be caught by a predator.  He was about to fall to the ground and tap out, but his foe acted first.


    "Don''t even think about wimping out.  You''ve been waiting for this rematch, right?" Servi growled her words through barred teeth, snarling like a diseased dog in a voice loud enough for only Arty to hear.


    With precise, rapid movement, she practically rushed forward with her shield arm out. With a single bash, her hand moved faster than her foe could follow and connected with Arty''s breastplate. With a brutal crack, he flew back a meter and slid across the hot floor, slamming into the glass wall as he screamed.


    A violent cough interrupted his panic-filled screams, allowing more blood and a few teeth to flow out.  His top set of teeth were fine, but the same couldn''t be said about the bottom row.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Fisher gripped the railing in front of him with almost enough force to crack it. If she loses control, I need to step in.


    Nearby, Momo visibly jumped at such a powerful hit. She thought the attack was enough to end the match.  In the stands, Mari and Meri thought the smash was something a bully would do. It took Marissa and Claire doing their best to explain that sometimes, fights happen like this. The two didn¡¯t understand, but they nodded anyway.


    STOP! PLEASE, STOP!!! Itarr shouted.


    Servi couldn¡¯t hear the voice of her friend, and she stomped closer and closer to her foe. All she saw was red. The girl in question was conscious, but she didn''t have control of her body.  It was like it was on autopilot and followed the movements it had practiced hundreds and thousands of times.  And Servi herself was along for the ride. She knew full well what she was doing, but stopping it wasn''t in the picture.


    Itarr cried and cried.  I''m sorry!!!! Please, forgive me!!! It¡¯s all my fault!!  I didn''t want to do this, but I need to!!! No matter how loud she screamed, it was like Servi was unable to hear her.


    Arty used all his strength to stand up.  His chin and chest, now stained with crimson, pulsed with horrible pain.


    "I......give up......" reaching down to pick up his spear, Arty mouthed the words to Servi.  A part of her reason came back to her, and she walked away.  She thought the match was over.


    But it wasn''t.


    Technically, while he did give up, Toni didn''t announce the end of the fight because nobody heard Arty give up. Nor did he tap out by slapping the ground.  Servi was giving him the benefit of the doubt after reading his lips.


    Rage and hatred surged through his eyes as Yerue''s face flashed in his mind.  He had dreams to accomplish and goals to achieve, but his life was cut short by the woman in front of him.  Arty knew, deep down inside, that Yerue wasn''t the nicest one around.  He had severe problems, but the thought of his life ending then and there when the girl in front of him had the chance to prevent it, but she didn''t, was far too much for his psyche to handle.


    Without saying anything, Arty braced himself for one final attack.  Even right now, he felt the light of consciousness fading away bit by bit and breath by breath.  Even if he was going to be disqualified, he was going to take revenge for Yerue.


    Come hell or high water, he was going to kill Yerue''s murderer.


    With a battle cry that could''ve come from a demon, Arty gripped his spear with both hands charged forward. His target was the heart of the girl in front of him.  She turned around in response and frowned a moment before her face contorted into a grin powered by rage.  The weakened cages had splintered.  More anger flooded out, drowning out every other emotion.


    With a nasty snarl covering her face, Servi had her shield at the ready while she rushed forward like a mag dog.


    Spear versus shield: offense versus defense. Everyone was on the edge of their seats except Fisher. He closely watched Servi''s movements and argued internally on when to step in.


    Come on! Don''t kill him!


    "SERVI!!!!!!" cried Momo. Tears flooded her eyes, and she desperately wanted to cover them. In the end, she fought against it.  What kind of girl would she be if she hid her eyes away from her best friend?


    The instant before Arty''s weapon pierced through Servi''s shield, it happened.  She curled her armored hand around the tip of the spear, gripping and stopping Arty in his tracks.  While doing that, she jerked the spear towards her and used her free hand to grab an exposed section of his armor.  Then, using all of her strength, she fell backwards and used the momentum to throw her opponent against the glass wall behind her. It held strong and stayed firm, not cracking at all from the impact. He landed on his arm with a sickening crack and coughed up blood.


    "DID SHE JUST RUN UP, GRAB HIS SPEAR, AND THROW HIM?!" Toni yelled.


    "You waited a whole fucking month, AND THIS IS THE BEST YOU CAN DO?! Don''t fucking make me laugh! If I was serious, you''d be nothing but a fucking BLOOD STAIN ON THE GROUND!!!" Servi exclaimed as Toni yelled over her shrill voice. She stomped over to his groaning body.


    At that moment, she was the hunter.  And the sniveling mess of a man, groaning and crying in pain, was her prey.


    "Do you fear death? Do you want to join your friend in hell? THEN I''LL SEND YOU TO HELL!!" Servi grinned and lifted her leg.  It was right above his injured arm.  Moments before she stomped down with the intent to shatter it into dust, she stopped and suddenly coughed.


    Itarr had waited long enough to see if Servi would come back to her senses on her own, but it seemed she couldn''t.  She didn''t tell Servi that she secretly absorbed some of the green mist that knocked her out when she fought Fisher, and it was child''s play to release highly concentrated sleepinwillo inside her lungs.  As her blood transported oxygen, even though she didn''t need it, it carried the tiny sleepinwillo spores as well. After turning down True Immortality, it didn''t take long for Servi to start showing symptoms.


    Servi... Please...please forgive me...


    After stumbling backwards and falling to her knees, she felt a cold fire in her stomach and vomited a nasty green mess that resembled the chicken salad she had for breakfast.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, what¡¯s this?! Servi, who was about to deal the finishing blow to end the match, suddenly fell to her knees!!! Is this some kind of skill?! Or did Arty get a lucky break?!?! I don¡¯t mean to be biased, but I believe he was about to have a broken arm to go along with those broken ribs. Wait, I do believe that toss broke his arm... Folks, I see him struggling, but that¡¯s all. Oh, he¡¯s tapping out!!!!! And the winner of group 1 and going undefeated is Servi!!!!!!! As we see folks, Servi herself is absolutely brutal. I do not want to be Arty right now. But wait¡­..she¡¯s not getting back up¡­ And she fell over?!?!?!  Medics!!!! Arena 1 right now!!¡± Toni shouted with his mouth so close to his voice loudner that it came out muffled.


    Since the match was over, Momo rushed into the arena quicker than the medics and immediately went to Servi¡¯s side.  Fisher wanted to follow behind the speeding Singi, but he was stopped by Dineria, who rushed past him and into the arena.


    ¡°Servi?!¡± cried the Singi as she held the girl¡¯s hand. Her best friend was breathing, but that was it. A nauseating smell of blood and vomit wafted up, but the stench was the last thing on Momo¡¯s mind. From behind, Dineria was the second to arrive. Since the tournament had its own contracted medics and healer, she decided to let them handle it. After all, they had more equipment than she did at that very moment.


    The medics came through next, and Dineria had to force Momo away. ¡°I know, Momo. But let the medics do their job,¡± the Elf hugged her pupil. It was the second time in the same number of days that the strong Servi had passed out. The first time was by sleepinwillo, and the lie Fisher made up wasn¡¯t that far from the truth. He did, in fact, use sleepinwillo, but it was a highly concentrated form that could knock out a dragon for days.


    I don¡¯t understand why¡­ The pink Singi began to think as she saw her best friend get put on a stretcher. She was doing so fine yesterday. She said she was nervous but was she hiding it? Was that why she was acting off?


    She looked back at Arty and saw one of the medics tending to him. Pulling out a small red vial, he gently poured it down Arty¡¯s mouth. With a click of her tongue, she turned her attention to the other medics, who had just left the arena.


    Momo followed them to a set of beds on the second white tent. It seemed both had adequate room to function as make-shift medical wards. From here, she was unable to see Claire and Marissa and the others, and she could barely see Dineria, who walked backed to talk with Fisher, Srassa, and the others.


    Momo took a seat on a tiny chair as a female medic took a black rag and dipped it into water. She was a Human girl, of around 15 or 16, with honey blond hair. With a swift and practiced hand, she cleaned the vomit off of her patient¡¯s armor and chanted at the same time. It was for Remedium Lux, a Rank 6 healing skill.


    A few seconds later, Dineria and Fisher rushed over. Silverado, Srassa, and others wanted to come, but the Kobold tournament was about to start.


    Toni had made an announcement, but Momo didn¡¯t even hear it.


    ¡°How is she?¡± Fisher was the first one who broke the uncomfortable silence.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with her, physically. I used Remedium Lux, and there was no reaction. I thought she was unconscious, but she¡¯s not. Somehow, it was like her body was forced to fall asleep. The vomit is probably a reaction to whatever did that. Whether or not it was a skill from someone intruding on the fight, I cannot say.¡±


    ¡°But it can¡¯t be that, right? Didn¡¯t Toni say that people were watching close by?" Momo fought back a few tears.


    ¡°Yeah, he did,¡± Dineria lovingly rubbed Momo¡¯s pink hair. ¡°The chance of someone interfering is close to none.  But remember, she inhaled sleepinwillo.¡±


    "Ah, then that explains it.  How long ago?" asked the medic.


    "Two days ago," Momo said.  She focused on Dineria''s gentle touch to keep herself together.


    "Since she was fighting, her heart needed to pump fast to push oxygen through her body, and what little sleepinwillo that remained traveled with it.  If she''s allergic to it, then that would explain the vomiting.  I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s nothing I, nor any of the other members of my team, can do. She¡¯s simply asleep.  I don''t know when she''ll wake up, but it shouldn''t be that long.  Let me clarify: she''s in no danger of dying.  Give her the rest she needs, and she''ll wake up. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me¡­¡± The Human medic walked over to a group of people who were supporting Arty. He stared daggers at Servi with a foul and hateful look upon his face and cursed the sleeping girl.  With his shattered jaw, his words came out in a slurring mess.


    ¡°Next time, I will win! I¡¯ll make you pay! I have to do it for Yerue!¡±


    Those words weren¡¯t said aloud, but Arty mouthed them towards the sleeping girl while ignoring the pain that shot through his body.


    ¡°Servi..." Momo reached out and took hold of her best friend¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Momo?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna stay here with her,¡± Momo answered Dineria. ¡°I¡­ I wanna be here when she wakes up.¡±


    Fisher went to speak, but Dineria, coughing, stopped him. He got the hint.


    ¡°Momo, the Kobold tournament is about to start. Wouldn¡¯t you like to watch it?¡± asked Dineria.


    ¡°I do, but¡­.¡±


    ¡°How about this? Stand up for a second.¡±


    She was confused, but Momo did as Dineria said and stood up. She picked up the chair she was sitting on, and Fisher pulled the bed out just a little bit. Once enough room was made, Dineria went to the other side of the bed and sat the chair down.


    ¡°There! Now you can watch and be with her.¡±


    Momo smiled gently and walked over, sitting down in the chair. The fragile expression reflected her innermost thoughts.


    You stupid, stupid cat! All you had to do was move the chair to the side of the bed, and you couldn¡¯t even do that!  And why are you acting like this?! She''s just asleep, and it''s not like she''s dying!! She''ll be fine!!! She''ll be fine....but still.....it''s scary...


    ¡°We¡¯re going back over there, okay?¡±


    Momo nodded at Dineria, who left with Fisher.


    ¡°You know, there¡¯s something you¡¯re not telling me,¡± said Dineria to the man in black armor walking beside her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you the truth. There was a little red horned monster with a sleepinwillo flower," Fisher lied. He turned back while walking and waved to his children. They looked afraid at what happened to Servi, and Claire looked like she was about to cry, but they took Fisher''s smile to signify she was okay. The red-headed Elf had never felt such relief before.


    ¡°Hmmm. Even if Servi did have sleepinwillo remaining in her system, it wouldn''t be enough to make her sleep after a day of rest.  Especially if it was just a single flower.  But let''s not tell Momo or the others that.  They need to focus on the fights ahead of them.  But I¡¯ll get the truth one day.  Even if I have to force it out of you,¡± Dineria said, ending her words with a thinly-veiled threat. They reached their group and told them what happened to Servi.


    ¡°I hope she¡¯s okay,¡± said Srassa. She held a hand to her heart, closed her eyes, and prayed to the Gods above.


    ¡°She will be,¡± Fisher replied so fast that Dineria rolled her eyes.  She did it in a way that didn''t draw attention to their strained relationship.


    Feral stood up, picking up his giant shield in the process. ¡°They just called my name to go to the center arena.¡±


    I didn¡¯t even hear the announcement. Srassa thought. She realized she was so focused on what happened to Servi that she didn¡¯t hear Toni¡¯s loud and obnoxious voice.


    ¡°They did. I have faith in you, Feral,¡± Fisher smiled. After getting similar statements from his friends, the big Kobold made it to the center stage. Unlike the four arenas surrounding it, the middle one was a bit bigger. It also had no glass around it.


    With that, Toni began to introduce the eight Kobolds who would take part in the Kobold Tournament.  At the very end of the introductions, he made sure to give the parents in the audience a warning, citing that this side tournament could bloodier than the previous matches.  Some took him up on that warning and left while others stayed and watched.

 Book Two – Chapter Eleven – Part Six – Tournament!

    ¡°Do you hear them? Toni¡¯s introducing the Kobolds. Hey, I see Feral,¡± Momo looked over to her left and saw Servi¡¯s chest gently rise and fall.  She looked so peaceful lying on the bed that she almost felt bad about disturbing her.


    ¡°You were amazing out there. I was a bit worried when you didn¡¯t seem like yourself, but you were great. You beat Arty like it was nothing after having a little bit of trouble, but I think maybe you hit him too hard. I mean, his jaw looked bad, and you probably cracked a few of his ribs and broke his arm when you threw him against the glass. But knowing him, he was probably blaming you for Yerue¡¯s death. Am I bad if I say Arty deserved it? Maybe¡­ But speaking of that, you are strong. Really strong. I only wish I could be as strong as you.¡±


    For the next five minutes, Momo stayed silent as she watched the introductions. Once it was over, Feral walked back to Fisher and Dineria.


    ¡°You know, it would be nice to be over there, talk to Feral and tell him he¡¯s going to do super good. But if I did that, then you wouldn¡¯t have anyone here. They¡¯re my friends, but I only have one best friend. And that¡¯s you. So please¡­¡± Momo teared up. ¡°Please wake up. I¡¯m afraid if you don¡¯t, then you won¡¯t ever wake up¡­ It''s the sleepinwillo, right? I know you''re just asleep. I know that, but... ¡±


    With wet eyes and a warm hand, Momo watched as Toni announced who would fight who. Luckily for Feral and his fighter''s spirit, he wouldn''t have to wait long. With only 8 contenders, it shouldn¡¯t take long for it to be done.


    ¡°You know, they probably did this so we could have the time to eat and drink to try to get some of our strength back.  Well, I''m not that tired, but Srassa might be.  I don''t know how much Skill Energy she used, but it had to be a lot.  I think that''s what Dineria meant when she said Instant Cast isn''t unbeatable.  I think people who are blessed with it have a smaller Skill Energy Reservoir to balance it out. I guess it''s both a good and a bad thing-- well, more good than bad, anyways,¡± Momo spoke loud enough so she wouldn''t disturb anyone else.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Momo gripped her best friend''s hand a little bit tighter, ¡°What do you want to snack on? I¡¯ll pay for it, but you gotta wake up and tell me. Please?¡± tearing up one more time, Momo sat there with one hand on her grandpa¡¯s sword, and the other was holding her best friend¡¯s hand.


    With cold metal in one hand and warm skin in the other, the two feelings couldn¡¯t have been further apart, but they represented the two halves of her life. One was of her childhood and the other of her adulthood. One was finished, never to be experienced again, and the other one was in danger.


    Momo didn¡¯t know which was which, and that scared her.


    ¡°I wish you could see this. Feral¡¯s about to fight, and he has his shield. His opponent is barehanded and smaller, so I think he can win this. No, I know he can win this.¡±


    Once in the area, Feral lifted his shield slammed it to the ground. The ground shook with what seemed to be a minor earthquake, even though it was impossible. His opponent, Gerkle, had a yellow tint to his tail but a completely green face and body.  His large hands were entirely covered in yellow scales. Most of his available skin covered his knees, and everything else was fur. He was almost like a giant werewolf, except much, much bigger.


    Of course, Feral was bigger and stronger. He had fewer scales and less fur because green skin covered most of his body, but as luck would have it, he had durable emerald scales covering his stomach, neck, and chest. Unlike a Koena, he couldn''t move his organs around to protect them. A young Kobold would hope and pray to the Gods above for scales to cover their organs. It was their only protection since it would be expensive to make a suit of armor that would fit a Kobold and their ever-growing bodies.  They could use shields, sure, but it was rare to find one big and sturdy as the iron slab Feral used.


    ¡°Feral, wielder of such a shield¡­. I, Gerkle, will take you down!¡± stomping his feet, Gerkle rushed in with his arms outstretched.


    ¡°Then do it. I shall not fall so easily!¡± Feral held his ground and bashed his shield against Gerkle, who was pushed back. He wiped his hand against his mouth and spat out a crimson mix of blood and teeth. He wasn¡¯t deterred and ran in again. This time, making sure to wrestle his hands around the large shield.


    ¡°My grandpa told me that Kobolds value strength. That¡¯s why he¡¯s trying to wrestle the shield away,¡± Momo said, telling her sleeping friend about what she was missing. ¡°I honestly think Feral has the advanta¡ªyep, I was right.¡±


    Feral had called upon all of his strength and turned around in a circle. He still had his shield, and Gerkle was trying to wrestle it away. He had neither the muscle in his hands nor the strength in his legs to stay put.


    Gerkle was pulled along, with his knees scraping the arena''s floor and leaving behind two lines of blood. The sight of a pair of giant beasts engaging in such an act would be comical if not for the fact that the two belonged to a race that had a reputation for being bloodthirsty warriors.


    Feral hopped back and slammed his shield into the ground. Gerkle was along for the ride, cracking his jaw when his head fell downward. In a daze, he did his best to get to his feet, but Feral was already there.  With surprising swiftness, he spun around. Using his large, thick tail, he smacked his opponent.  Gerkle put his arms up to protect his face, but it was useless.  He was launched back half a meter and slid across the wooden floor of the arena.


    ¡°GUUUHHH!!!¡± Gerkle didn¡¯t have the time to recover before his body shook with uncontrollable fear.  Glancing up, he saw Feral standing above him.  However, he wasn''t empty-handed.  His large body and incredible muscles had lifted his shield.


    "Do it if you must! I won''t ever give up!" shouted Gerkle, his voice filled with defiance and false bravado.


    "Gerkle, I am the winner," Feral said before using his outrageous strength to chuck the thick raw slab of iron.  It landed on his opponent''s hands while he scrambled to roll out of the way.


    ¡°AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!¡± screamed Gerkle, before passing out from the pain. The sheer agony of having eight fingers, sans his two thumbs, utterly crushed until they were flat, was a pain not many could understand. His bones in his hands were reduced to something less than dust, and blood poured like water being squeezed from a wet cloth. It was so bad that Toni had to call the match immediately. Feral lifted his shield, dripping with the blood of his foe, and walked out as a swarm of medics rushed into the ring.


    The audience was utterly silent.  Not a single person there had ever heard such a panicked, pained, and agonizing scream from a Kobold before. It was a cry of despair that wouldn''t be forgotten anytime soon.


    At the same time, three of the six medics began to use Remedium Lux, two of them poured a whole potion each over the crushed hands, and the last pulled out a small syringe filled with purple liquid and injected half into the wrists of each hand. It was a painkiller, and it was going to be necessary. Once he was awake, Gerkle would feel the most pain he had ever felt before as his body worked in tandem with Remedium Lux to repair his hands.  The bones, muscles, and skin regenerating would be a feeling he would never forget.


    ¡°Listen up, folks! Got some info from our top-of-the-line medics. Gerkle will be fine, and his hands will be as good as new by the end of the day. Our top men and women are doing all they can! Boy, our healers¡¯ healing skills are something else, aren¡¯t they? Since we have a lull in the action right now, can we give a big hand of applause for our medics?!! And let this be a warning to all you parents with small children! These matches are most likely going to be much bloodier than the ones before!¡± shouted Toni.


    The bleachers almost shook from the sheer amount of clapping and cheering for the healers. During that time, Claire and Jony, who had introduced himself to Marissa and her daughters, had a rough time trying to calm down the two girls.


    Eventually, Mari and Meri would understand that Feral only did it because if he had held back, he¡¯d be insulting his pride, his opponent¡¯s pride, and the pride of every Kobold warrior. But it took a lot of convincing and a little bit of crying for them to get that far.


    ¡°It kinda seems brutal, but recovery skills can heal almost everything. Well, the Rank 1 healing skill can fix almost everything. Remedium Lux can heal broken bones and bring back fingers and ears, I think, but it has to be used at the same time by a lot of people.  I think there''s a Rank 0 skill that can cure any disease and heal any wound,¡± said Momo, as she watched an employee with a mop and bucket stop Feral. She wanted to clean his shield so it wouldn¡¯t drip blood anymore. ¡°I mean, I feel like I should be disgusted by such brutality, but I¡¯m not. I know that, as a Warden member, I¡¯m sure to encounter things even¡­.. uglier? I think that¡¯s the word I''m looking for.  I wonder what you think of it? You know, if you wake up and tell me, I¡¯ll know.¡±


    Momo¡¯s attempt at getting her friend to wake up didn¡¯t go as planned, nor did it go unnoticed. A passing employee, the one who wiped the vomit off of Servi¡¯s armor, walked over holding a damp rag.


    ¡°How is she?¡± asked the medic.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Servi''s just sleeping.¡±


    The medic used one hand to part Servi¡¯s silky black hair and laid the rag on her forehead. Momo didn¡¯t know if she was imagining it, but her best friend looked to be a bit more relaxed.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome. If it¡¯s any consideration, I hope your friend wakes up too. Seeing you and her reminds me of my friend. He¡¯s a Singi, too, and I care about him.¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡­.¡± was all that Momo could say. Tears filled her eyes as the medic walked away.


    Toni¡¯s voice came back a moment later. ¡°Alright, folks! It uhhh¡­might be a while until the next match. As you can see, we have a little bit of cleaning to do. But hey! This is a good time to go grab something to eat if you''re hungry. Might wanna make sure you have a strong stomach, though, because these fights are going to be intense!¡±


    During that time, Dineria, Fisher, Srassa, and the others all came to check on Servi.  They all wished she would wake up soon, and Srassa asked if she could get them anything.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry, but she might be. I wished she would wake up and tell me what she wants.¡±


    Please, wake up and tell me¡­. We can even go to that place with the dango and the noodles. You like noodles, right?


    "Momo, sweetie, you need to eat something. You¡¯ve fought incredibly hard, and you¡¯re probably running on fumes,¡± Dineria said, ¡°I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t mind, and she would probably prefer it if you went and ate something. You need your energy for the finals, especially if you¡¯re going to face her.¡±


    That¡¯s right. I need to be my best. We are going to face off against each other, right? I know we will!


    Momo smiled and nodded before turning to her friend, who wouldn¡¯t wake up. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, okay?¡± she walked with Dineria, Fisher, and the others to the stalls, where they bought lunch. It was around 4 PM, meaning it was a bit late for lunch.  Her stomach growled, alerting her to the hunger that suddenly showed up.  With renewed haste, she retrieved some dupla from her bag that Dineria protected and jogged over to a small chicken stand.


    ¡°Can I get four chicken sticks and two cups of water?¡± asked the Singi.  The Dwarf behind the stall nodded as he dipped four sticks into a pot of hot oil. As he did so, Momo looked around and noticed that Feral was getting a whole turkey. Srassa bought a small bowl of rice and pork, and Silverado and the others chose to stop by a stall that sold steak bites. Momo saw Fisher talking with his wife and daughters. No doubt they were worried about Servi. Dineria, meanwhile, ordered a bowl of fresh cherries to sink her teeth into. Momo couldn¡¯t see Claire or Jony anywhere.


    After devouring his tasty bird in two or three bites, Feral walked over to Fisher. After seeing his fight, Mari and Meri were scared. They hid behind Marissa, who apologized for her daughters'' rudeness.


    ¡°It is my fault. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Feral apologized after Marissa did, and Mari and Meri bravely peeked their heads out from behind their mother.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try not to be scary. Can we still be friends?¡± asked the big man as he sat down. He had left his shield at the tent where he was sitting. There was no way it would be lifted by someone who wasn¡¯t a Kobold or Servi, so he knew it wouldn¡¯t get stolen.


    Extending a massive hand, he grinned, showing off his sharp teeth. Meri and Mari looked at each other and smiled before reaching and out, taking the outstretched, green palm. Their little hands couldn''t even wrap around his pinky finger. Momo couldn''t help but smile.


    "Mama told me that you had to do that because you respected him.  She said that we shouldn''t be scared. A-a-a-and we aren''t, right?" Mari asked her sister.  Meri simply nodded.


    Feral''s such a sweetheart. He''s so good with little kids that it almost makes more sense for him to be a teacher or something.


    Five minutes later, Momo was back in her chair with four chicken sticks and two cups of water. After laying a napkin down on a small desk, Momo put the two sticks and one of the cups of water she bought for Servi on it.  Satisfied with how it was laid out, she sat down right beside her sleeping friend.


    ¡°It feels weird eating while you¡¯re like that. You know, if you wake up, we can eat together.¡± The Singi opened her mouth and bit off some of her meat. It was hot, juicy, and full of seasonings. There was even a little bit of pepper in it, but Momo powered through the pain scorching her tongue.


    My burning tongue is probably nothing compared to what Servi is going through. I don¡¯t know why you won¡¯t wake up, but it has to be painful. It has to be because you''ve would''ve woken up and told me to be quiet.  I''ve been rambling on and on and on and on... I promise I¡¯ll do everything I can to help you, but you have to wake up. Please?


    Momo shed a lonely tear as she finished her meal and emptied her cup. Taking the two to a trashcan, she was back in no time at all.


    ¡°Now then. I believe what Claire told me about souls speaking while holding hands. That¡¯s why I won¡¯t let go if I can help it. I thought that--¡±


    The Elf in question took the opportunity to make herself known by walking into the tent.


    ¡°How is she?¡± she asked, taking a seat on the other side of the bed.


    ¡°They say she¡¯s just sleeping, but she won¡¯t wake up. It¡¯s just like that time¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be up soon.¡±


    Momo silently nodded. She wanted to talk to Claire some more. But that loud mouth Toni had to speak with his obnoxious voice and said the Kobold Tournament was about to resume.


    ¡°Momo, I have to go back to my seat, but I want you to tell her something for me when she wakes up. Tell her I¡¯m very proud of her. She¡¯s a strong girl.  And there''s one more thing.  It''s something I think you really need,¡± Claire stood up, her red hair dancing around her neck.  Without saying a word, she walked around the bed and hugged Momo.


    Momo sniffled and nodded silently.  With one hand grasping Servi''s hand, Momo hugged Claire, pressing her head against her stomach. Claire continued to say nothing, only rubbing the pink hair of one of her favorite Warden members in complete silence. Eventually, she had to let go and walk away, but before the Elf got too far away, she turned around and said something that Momo realized she desperately wanted to hear.


    ¡°And I¡¯m also proud of you. I¡¯ve never seen a Rank 10 fight like you have. I¡¯m proud to have been the employee who signed you two up,¡± Claire added. She smiled at the girl who fought back her tears, then went back to her seat.


    ¡°She says she¡¯s proud of us. That¡¯s good, right? I guess you¡¯re just resting up for the finals. That¡¯s what you¡¯re doing, right? Since that¡¯s the case, rest up all you want.  if you can''t see what''s happening, then I''ll tell you all about it."


    Taking a deep breath, Momo began to tell Servi all about the ongoing Kobold tournament. All the while, she never, ever, ever let go of her best friend''s hand.  The thought of doing so never crossed her mind for a single second.

 Book Two – Chapter Eleven – Part Seven – Tournament!

    Sometime later, the Kobold tournament was nearing its end.  After many matches filled with blood-curling screams and smashed hands, the final battle was about to get underway.


    ¡°You are tiny, yet I sense much strength within you. Tell me, what clan are you from?¡± asked a Kobold that was half a meter taller than Feral. His name was Gunther, and he slammed the arena with his tail.


    ¡°I have no clan name, but I go by the name of Feral,¡± replied Feral. He lifted his iron slab of a shield and slammed it into the ground.  It was meant to be an intimidation tactic, but Gunther laughed and hammered the floor with his tail even harder.


    ¡°Can you believe he made it to the finals?¡± Momo said.  She still held Servi''s hand as if she was her only anchor of reality.  If she let go, she felt that Servi wouldn''t ever wake up. ¡°His opponent is bigger than he is, so I think it''s going to be a tough battle for him. Hey, what do you think?¡±


    Momo turned her head and sighed. She knew that there was no way for Servi to answer, but she wanted to believe in that slim possibility.


    ¡°Instead of our words, let our strength do the speaking for us!¡± roared Feral''s opponent.


    Gunther roared and smashed his powerful arms against his scaly chest. Unlike most Kobolds, his entire body was almost systematically covered in gray scales. Only the tips of his fingers had dark blue skin. The points of his ten toes were covered in a rugged batch of blue fur. In a sense, he was blessed with natural armor that not many could say they had.


    Feral realized his shield would be rather useless, so he dropped it to the ground, making a thunderous noise in the process. He put his hands up and charged in.


    Gunther kept a complete poker face as he took a weird stance. His left hand was high in the air, while his right hand was around his chest level. Momo was stumped since she didn¡¯t know that much about hand-to-hand techniques.


    Feral went to punch, his large hand aiming directly for his opponent¡¯s face, but he found himself slammed into the ground before he knew what happened.


    ¡°What?!¡± exclaimed Momo. She couldn¡¯t believe what she had just witnessed. And going by the gasps of the audience, they couldn¡¯t believe it either.


    A moment later,  Toni¡¯s voice sounded out, giving a vocal play-by-play. ¡°Folks!!!!! I¡¯ve never seen such a large man fall to the ground so easily. Judging from what I saw, Gunther somehow lightly picked up Feral when his attacks were blocked by grabbing his wrists. At the same time, He used his legs to knock him off balance so he would fall to his back when he let go. But it all happened so fast!!! And let¡¯s face it, Feral isn¡¯t exactly small, so I¡¯m even more impressed by the sheer strength of Gunther. But even more than that, how did his wrists not break?!!!! I mean, the sheer grip strength to lift someone so big by just his wrist has to be astronomical!!! Are his bones stronger than metal?!?!!!¡±


    Feral went to get back to his feet but was stopped by a swift kick to the chin. An audible snap grossly echoed, drowned out by the cheering.


    ¡°GAAAHHHHAHHHH!!¡± roared Feral, as blood poured from his mouth. He went to get up again but was met with another kick that shattered his jaw.


    Trying for a third time to get up, Gunther kicked his opponent, but Feral purposely fell back to the ground, dodging the incoming attack. Then, he gripped his opponent¡¯s thick leg and used all his strength to roll over.


    Gunther didn¡¯t fall. Instead, he lifted his free leg and slammed it down right on Feral¡¯s arm, crushing it under a weight that would turn a Human into a bloody mess.


    After another roar of pain, Feral let go. His mind was in a thick fog of haze and pain, and he didn¡¯t know whether to focus on his broken chin or snapped arm. He went to get up again but accidentally used his broken arm and slipped to the ground once more.


    "I saw your matches, and I was impressed, but you are still nothing more than a child, even if you are over 5,¡± said Gunther, crouching down. ¡°Do you forfeit?¡±


    His crushed chin prevented him from speaking, so he painfully shook his head.


    ¡°Good. A Kobold warrior never forfeits, and they keep fighting until the end. Feral, it has been a good fight, but you were not strong enough. You have no technique, only brute force that hasn''t been refined into true strength.  This is the end.¡± He raised his hand. A moment later, he brought it down on the back of Feral¡¯s neck, knocking him out.


    Toni immediately spoke and announced that the fight was over. He shouted for the medics, and they rushed in with three potions and Remedium Lux at the ready.


    ¡°Folks! Give us a few minutes to clean the arena and heal Feral. We¡¯ll be back soon with the trophy ceremony for the Kobold tournament. Meanwhile, let¡¯s give it up for Gunther!!!!!!¡±


    The audience started clapping and cheering for Gunther. He circled in place, staring at the crowds before finally raising his fist in the air.


    ¡°I am Gunther!!!!¡± he roared before exiting the arena. Feral was still knocked out, staining the floor with even more crimson, but the medics were doing their job. After realizing the four of them couldn''t lift the unconscious Kobold, a Human girl with blond hair ran over to a group of Kobolds who had a pouch that said ¡®Employee¡¯ on it. She led them back to Feral, and they all lifted him gently.  Four supported his limbs, and one cradled his hulking chest.


    ¡°Servi, they¡¯re carrying him over to a big bed for him to rest in. Umm¡­. I¡¯ll be right back, okay? I promise I won¡¯t be gone long, so please don''t go anywhere.¡± The Singi gave one more squeeze to her friend¡¯s hand before she walked over to Feral. Fisher, Dineria, and all of Momo¡¯s friends were with him.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to be fine,¡± said the girl who cleaned Servi¡¯s armor and checked her over. She was currently doing a quick examination of Feral''s condition. ¡°His chin''s in bad shape, and his arm''s broken in half, but it was a clean break. He¡¯ll have some trouble eating for a few days, and I don''t think he¡¯ll be lifting that big shield for a week or so. He''s going to need to rest for about two weeks.  After that, he''ll be as good as new."


    ¡°How long until he wakes up?¡± Momo asked while looking back at Servi''s sleeping body.  She didn''t want to miss the moment she woke up.


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be more than maybe an hour or so? Maybe a little bit less. We gave him a painkiller, but if it still hurts, come and get one of us, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you,¡± Fisher nodded at the medic. The girl smiled and walked away, no doubt going to check on any of the other tens of injured participants.


    ¡°Feral, you did well,¡± said Momo.


    ¡°Aye. Your fights were most spectacular,¡± said Riki. He took a seat beside his Kobold friend.


    Silverado and the others commented on Feral¡¯s fights as well. They were impressed and proud of him.


    ¡°Now, I imagine the finals will start soon,¡± said Dineria, who sat down in a nearby chair. She still had Momo¡¯s bag, hugging it close while she spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here with Feral while you all go get ready.¡±


    They all nodded. Momo put a trembling hand to the pommel of her sword as she walked back to Servi. Taking a seat, she went to grab her friend¡¯s hand. ¡°Servi, don¡¯t you think you rested enough? Come on, the finals are gonna start soon. You need to wake up and get ready, okay?¡±


    Nothing. Momo''s best friend didn¡¯t move a single bit.


    ¡°Please wake up. We were supposed to have our rematch. Remember our promise? No matter who wins or loses, we''ll always be best friends. We can¡¯t have that promise if you don¡¯t wake up¡­¡±


    Ten minutes later, Fisher Jin walked over. He took a seat on the other side of Servi and spoke to a crying girl with pink hair.


    ¡°Momo, it¡¯s almost time. Didn¡¯t you hear the announcement?¡±


    The Singi in question shook her head.


    ¡°They want to introduce the finalists from every group. And if Servi doesn¡¯t wake up, she¡¯ll...¡±


    ¡°I know. But it¡¯s not fair!! She said she was fine, so why?¡± cried Momo. She turned her head to Fisher and shouted at him, then immediately apologized. ¡°We said we would have our rematch here, and we both made it to the finals. I¡­¡± her teary blue eyes trembled at the thought of going a second longer without her precious best friend by her side.


    Before Fisher had a chance to say something, he was interrupted by Toni. ¡°Alright, folks! The time is near. I need every finalist from group 1 to come to the center arena.¡±


    Servi, I absorbed the sleepinwillo and turned up True Immortality. Everything should be back to normal.  Please, wake up!


    Momo went to get up and move, but she was still holding her friend''s hand. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s time. Servi, I think you had enough time to rest, so it¡¯s time to get up.¡±


    Nothing.  Servi''s chest rose and fell calmly, but she made no other movements.


    ¡°Excuse me, is this Servi?¡± said an Elf with black hair who walked up. He had a shirt that signified he was an employee.


    ¡°It is. Servi¡­¡±


    Servi!!!! Itarr shouted.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but if she doesn¡¯t wake up, she will be disqualified.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ma¡¯am, but those are the rules. She has a minute left,¡± the Elf walked away.


    ¡°Servi, did you hear what he said? You gotta get up,¡± Momo let go of her hand and put her hands to Servi¡¯s shoulders. Using a little bit of strength, she nudged her sleeping friend. Her black hair lightly shook, but that was all.  Dineria saw this and quickly walked over.


    Please, wake up!!!!


    ¡°Please, Servi¡­ Wake up!¡± she pushed a little bit hard, but there was still no sign of her waking up.  Eventually, she shook her friend like a baby would shake a rattle.  Her black hair slapped against her cheeks, yet nothing happened.


    ¡°Momo, you need to stop,¡± said Dineria, pulling the Singi away.


    ¡°But she said¡­ She¡­. She won¡¯t wake up...¡± It was like the flood gates had opened up in her eyes when she turned to look at her mentor.


    SERVI!!!!!!!! Itarr roared.


    But it was useless.


    ¡°Folks! I¡¯ve just received word that Servi, first-place winner of group 1, is not awake.  If you don''t remember, she suddenly collapsed after her fight with Arty. I¡¯m sorry to say, but she is disqualified. My heart goes out to her friends and family, and I hope she wakes up soon. The show must go on! Allow me to introduce the seven members¡­..¡±


    ¡°No! Servi!¡± Momo hugged her sleeping friend and buried her head into her chest. ¡°Wake up! Please!¡± she cried. But no matter how many liters of tears she shed, how hard she shook her, or how loud she bawled Servi''s name, Momo''s attempts at waking her best friend were all met with the same result.


    And no matter how loudly Itarr raged inside her and Servi''s interconnected soul, Servi wouldn''t wake up.


    The reason was simple.


    Itarr had miscalculated the amount of sleepinwillo she injected into Servi''s lungs.  That, coupled with the stress of trying to fix her mistakes, prevented her from turning True Immortality back up to its normal state in time. The sleepinwillo spores traveled throughout her body, and it would take True Immortality some time to purify Servi''s blood of the quick-acting sleep-inducing toxin.


    It was her fault and her fault alone that caused Servi to not make the finals.  And she knew it.  She knew it, and she hated it. Unable to do anything else but wait, Itarr curled into a ball and wept. If she took even a second to think about it, all she had to do to fix the current situation was to absorb her sleepinwillo-infested blood.  True Immortality would then create fresh blood for her body to circulate. However, that plan never crossed her mind. Even for a Goddess, she had reached her breaking point and needed time to sort everything out.  The time was coming when she had to tell the truth to Servi, and she had to prepare herself for it.


    I guess I can hope for the best but expect the worst..... She''ll never love me after I confess what I did to her...


    ¡°Fisher, you need to tell me what happened! Right now! This isn''t normal!¡± Dineria said in a hushed tone. She turned to the Captain of the Guard, who sighed.


    ¡°I did tell you the truth. It was sleepinwillo.¡± Fisher kept a straight face as he technically told the truth. He just didn''t specify that it was concentrated to the point where it was dangerous to dragons. But that was then, and this was now.  He didn''t know why Servi wouldn''t wake up.  Truth be told, he was getting worried too, but he couldn''t do anything.  He had no way to speak to Itarr, and he didn''t know if she would even talk to him.


    Dineria narrowed her eyes at Fisher and sighed. She knew she wasn¡¯t going to get it out of him. ¡°I swear... Fine. Momo?¡± she turned back to the Singi and saw her kneeling beside the bed. Her fingers were laced and folded together, and Dineria could faintly hear a small voice pray.


    ¡°Gods above, please give my best friend the power to wake up. I know I haven¡¯t prayed since that night in my village, and I¡¯m sorry, but she¡¯s my best friend¡­. She¡¯s the only one I have¡­. I¡¯m not strong enough to go on my own¡­¡± her pink tail, motionless and limping, reflected its master''s emotions.


    Fisher and Dineria could only stare and watch. The green-haired Elf rubbed her arm as emotions started to flood her eyes. The friendship between the pink Singi and the sleeping girl was unusual, if not unhealthy and obsessive.  Dineria saw that. Fisher saw that. But did they have the right to say anything about their mentees'' unique relationship?


    ¡°And that¡¯s all for group 1. Now, I need the eight finalists for group 2 to come to the center arena, please!¡± said Toni.


    Momo stood up and hugged her sleeping friend. ¡°We can have our match later, right? Cause you¡¯ll be up, right? I¡¯m gonna do my best to win it all. I¡¯ll do it for you. But I gotta go now. If it¡¯s possible, I want my best friend to watch me fight. After all, I joined the mentor program to get stronger, and I wanted to get stronger because I wanted to be someone you would be proud to have as a party member. But I understand if you still need your rest. I¡­.¡±


    Momo turned around and walked towards the center ring. There, she saw Srassa and the seven other finalists. They were stood in a line, and Momo took a spot next to the one person she knew.


    ¡°How is she?¡± whispered the Singi¡¯s friend.


    ¡°She¡¯s still sleeping. I told her that since she couldn¡¯t fight, I was gonna fight for her. That¡¯s all I can do for her."


    ¡°¡­¡± Srassa couldn¡¯t think of anything to say. She cared a lot about Servi since she was so friendly and easy-going, and she cared about Momo, too. But there wasn¡¯t anything she could say that hadn''t already been said.


    Momo, meanwhile, stood there half-heartedly. She didn¡¯t listen to Toni brag about her unique way of using her legs to fight and walked straight back to Servi after the introductions were over. Srassa went with her. Fisher and Dineria were standing in the same spot, having a quiet argument over the validity of Fisher''s statement and recount of what happened to Servi.


    Ignoring them, Momo went to sit back down and held Servi¡¯s hand. ¡°It won¡¯t be long now until I have to fight.¡± Srassa sat down and took hold of Servi¡¯s other hand. When she did, Momo felt pure anger flow through her for a fraction of a second. She wanted to rip that blond hair off and burn it in front of her.


    No! She¡¯s my best friend! She thought before becoming absolutely disgusted with herself. Why did I get so angry? It¡¯s not like Servi is mine and mine alone. In fact, she might even wake up sooner if she knows she has two friends holding her hands. If she realizes she has a whole bunch of other friends wishing for her to wake up, then she might wake up even sooner. Please, Servi, wake up. I need you¡­ I''m not strong enough to go without you...


    Agreeing to disagree, Dineria stormed off back to Silverado and the others. She tried as hard as she could to get the verifiable truth out of Fisher, but like an iron wall, he refused to crack. He kept with his partial truth that was quickly turning into a complete lie. Everyone believed in his story except Dineria, who somehow had the intuition to realize there was more to it.


    Ten minutes later, Toni was finished introducing group 3, of which Silverado, Desperado, and Riki all passed, coming in fourth, third, and fifth place, respectively. Five minutes after that, he gave group 4, the last one, their introduction. Rakkire was a finalist, and he came in first.


    I feel kinda bad because I didn¡¯t congratulate them, even though they said such nice words to me after every match. I¡¯m definitely gonna have to apologize to them. I hope we can still be friends. But maybe they¡¯ll understand. I¡¯m sure Riki would do the same thing if Rakkire was like this, and Silverado and Desperado seem like the best of friends. I don¡¯t think they can blame me. Momo tried to convince herself that her friends wouldn¡¯t be mad at her for wanting to be next to Servi during this time.


    Not a single one of her friends blamed her. The next three minutes consisted of them walking over to Momo and telling her that. Almost immediately after, they got word from a medic that Feral was awake.


    After apologizing to Servi for leaving her, Momo and the group rushed over to the Kobold.


    ¡°Ahhh, it seems I lost the fight,¡± he said, wincing in pain. He brought a big hand to his chin and silently yelped when he accidentally grazed it. Then he looked down at his broken arm, which was tightly wrapped in bandages and a sling.


    ¡°You lost, but it was a really good match!¡± Momo said, wanting to support Feral. Srassa agreed with her, adding on her own compliments.


    ¡°Are you mad or upset at your loss?¡± asked Fisher, who crossed his arms. Dineria didn''t like how he said that and gave him a cross-eyed glare sharp enough to cut nadrium.


    Feral thought about it for a moment before speaking. ¡°I am, but I¡¯m not sad. Me losing to Gunther just meant that I was weak. I need to train until I am stronger than him, and I need to keep training after that.¡±


    Servi, I wish you could see Feral. He¡¯s taking his loss in stride, and I think that¡¯s mature of him. I don¡¯t think I could do that. Heck, I¡¯ll probably end up a crying mess. I say end up, but I¡¯m already a crying mess. I¡¯ll do my very best to win it, okay? The only thing you need to worry about is waking up.


    After a few minutes, in which the group talked between them about the tournament and the upcoming matches, Momo returned to Servi''s side. Srassa and the others walked back to their spot, agreeing to give Momo a little bit of alone time with her best friend.


    Five minutes later, Toni¡¯s voice came back. ¡°Alright now!!!! Sorry for the wait, but we had a lot to take care of behind the scenes!! Coming up in the first match of the finals, I need Momo and Riki!!!!! Come on down!!!¡± The audience erupted into a chorus of applause and cheering, and the bleachers were brimming at max capacity.


    ¡°It¡¯s starting.¡± Momo stood up. Her crying face was replaced with a look of determination as she put a hand to her blade. ¡°I¡¯m not the scaredy-cat I was when we met. Okay, maybe I¡¯m a little bit scared about certain things, but I can ignore those. Right now, the only thing on my mind is to win. Actually, hold on. You trained with Riki and everyone else, so in a way, it¡¯s like I am fighting against you. I¡¯m sure they must¡¯ve learned something from you, so we are having our match. I mean, it¡¯s not the same thing, but I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    After giving her sleeping friend another hug and gently brushing her hand through her black hair, Momo made her way to the arena. As she stepped away from the white tent, the crowd erupted with applause, but Momo didn¡¯t even hear it. To her, the entire stadium was as silent as the friends she laughed with when she was a child.


    Which were non-existent.


    All the clapping, cheering, hooting, and hollering was for her and Riki, two people who impressed the audience with their techniques, but she couldn¡¯t hear it at all. Only Toni¡¯s voice stood out to her, and that probably was because he kept yelling into his voice loudner.


    The one sole thing that was audible to Momo was her friends¡¯ and mentor¡¯s voices, but that wasn¡¯t what she wanted to hear.


    Servi¡­.I wanna hear your voice again.


    ¡°LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!!! Our finals start now!!! We have Momo, the pink Singi who¡¯s been making a name for herself with her speed and agility. And let¡¯s not forget the Dwarf, Riki!! Axe and shield in hand, he¡¯s as sturdy as they come. Speed and agility versus strength and defense!!!!! Fight!!!!!¡± shouted Toni, making sure to hype up both fighters.


    Riki held his shield up and spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that Servi isn¡¯t awake, I really am, but I hope you realize that you¡¯re in a fight. Don¡¯t you think that Servi would want you to give it your all?¡±


    Momo drew her thin longsword, with its gleaming silver blade, and spoke calmly. ¡°I do, and I think she would. I told her that I¡¯ll win it for her, so I¡¯m not even thinking of going easy on myself or my opponents. I learned a lot this past month, and I¡¯m not the same Momo I was a month ago,¡± getting into a stance down low, Momo flashed an insincere smile. ¡°Riki, I¡¯m ready!¡±


    "That''s the spirit!" clanking his axe and buckler together, Riki began to edge closer to the Singi, who waited for the right moment.


    The time for the finals had come at last, and Momo had five battles waiting ahead of her. It would be long, arduous, and exhausting, but the Singi was determined to win it all for her best friend.

 Book Two – Chapter Eleven – Part Eight – Tournament!

    A sudden axe swing came from her left, and Momo ducked to the floor. Her hands nearly slid out from under her against its wet surface, caked with sweat, but she kept her balance as a Singi should. Since she was pre-casting, she was ready to let loose a skill, but she didn¡¯t know which one would be the best to use. Not having time to internally debate it, Momo followed the training instilled into her over the past month.


    A kick came at her, and the Singi pushed herself up using her hands, landing on her feet and barely avoiding a blow that would most certainly have given her a concussion. Still, she wasn¡¯t upset at such a hit because she expected it. This was the finals, and she knew, without having been told, that some people were probably watching with judging eyes. Even if someone wasn¡¯t going to win, they still had a chance to find success if their skills and techniques were what a party was looking for.


    Perhaps that was Riki¡¯s aim? She didn¡¯t know.


    Regardless of his intentions, it didn''t matter to Momo.  The only thing on her mind was the fight.


    ¡°Magic Missile!¡± she shouted as she held out her hand. But Riki called her bluff and rushed forward, his feet pounding on the floor that had felt the brunt of many warriors. His shield was at chest level, and he bashed it forward. Unable to roll out of the way, Momo took the full brunt of the attack. She neither screamed nor groaned out in pain. Perhaps it was a testament to the vow of victory Momo promised Servi, but the determined girl kept the agony inside and hastily prepared a second skill.


    The words she chanted were for Lucem, the skill Momo had learned without consulting Servi, and the Dwarf didn¡¯t know if it was going to be a decoy or not. The upper Ranks of Warden had to fight with trickery and deceit. If they weren¡¯t blessed, then they had very few skills to rely on. A long time ago, someone came up with the idea of bluffing which skill to use by shouting the name of a different technique. It was a sly underhanded tactic that quickly grew in popularity amongst the more unsavory Warden members.  Later on, it became more accepted until it was well-liked enough to be a strategy nearly everyone used.


    The decoy method was effective at any Rank, but it was more so for the beginner Ranks. The lower Ranks would be more likely to have more counters to respond to differing situations, but a beginner didn¡¯t have that luxury.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you!¡± shouted Riki, who ran with his eyes covered and shield out. It was a shield charge. Momo was faster and rolled out of the way. As she did, she stopped and dodged backwards, transitioning into a handstand at the last moment, and spun on her hands.


    She connected with Riki¡¯s shield, but that was fine. He blocked it entirely, bashing against the feet that tried to attack him. Momo almost lost her balance but used the momentum gained to spin the opposite way and kicked him in the back of the head. It was a solid hit, and Momo felt something crack.


    ¡°GGUH,¡± he groaned as it seemed like his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Transitioning from a handstand to a roll, the Singi got to her feet and ran to her sword parried earlier in the match when Riki blocked a simple thrust. She didn¡¯t have a good grip on it, and it landed near the edge of the arena. Riki had been trying to bait her to get it, but Momo didn¡¯t fall for it.


    That¡¯s why I needed to learn how to use my feet. If I didn''t do any of that extra training, I would''ve lost this fight.


    Once she recovered it, she chanted. ¡°Oh, the Non-Elements above who slumber in a place further than our universe, I pray to you. Grant us your power of Magic Missile!¡± A colorless arrow of light formed in front of Momo¡¯s hand as she pointed it towards Riki¡¯s body. He wasn¡¯t moving, but he was breathing.


    Choosing to shoot the skill at the ground, it dissipated into Skill Energy that was then reabsorbed by the air. She then moved to Riki¡¯s body and crouched down. After giving him a few pokes, she stood back up.


    ¡°And there it is, folks! A KO by Momo. Give it up for her and Riki for having such an intense yet quick fight. We got to see her handstand-like style of combat once more!!!!! It gets more impressive the more I see it!!! Now then, medics! We require your expert and delicate healing touch in the main arena!¡± commented Toni.


    ¡°Sorry, Riki, I hope I didn¡¯t kick you too hard,¡± said Momo, who was genuinely apologizing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, ma¡¯am. He¡¯ll be fine, but he¡¯ll have a bit of a headache when he wakes up. Good match, by the way. As a Singi, I¡¯m impressed!" said a young boy of around 15. He had silver hair but black ears and a red tail. A tri-colored Singi was a rare sight indeed.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± replied Momo, who blushed bright red. She walked back to Dineria and the others. Fisher was away talking to his daughters, who suddenly wanted to see him for some reason. Well, that was what Dineria had told her.  Momo didn''t have any reason to believe it was a lie because she could relate to it.


    Knowing how children are, I bet they really wanted to hug or talk to him. I know I was like that with grandpa. There were a couple of days where I didn''t want to be even a meter away from him.


    ¡°Maybe knocking him in the back of the head will give him some common sense. Good fight, Momo,¡± Rakkire said before he laughed.


    ¡°I never would¡¯ve thought to use the push from that first kick to empower the second one,¡± commented Desperado.


    ¡°Same here. Seems like it¡¯s a flexible way of attacking. Especially with what Dineria taught us. You could transition into a dodge from any direction and come up slashing, or you can roll away and use a skill,¡± added Srassa, who looked at Momo like she was a teacher.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± replied Momo, who went red in the face. She looked back at Servi and saw she was still motionless.


    ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Momo. We know you¡¯re close to Servi, so there¡¯s no need for any excuses. I know if something happened to my cousin, I¡¯d be right there beside him,¡± said Rakkire. Even though he joked about Riki quite often, he did care for him.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You want to head back over there, right?¡± said Silverado.


    Momo bashfully nodded. ¡°I do. I want to be there when she wakes up. I¡¯m a little bit scared she won¡¯t¡­¡±


    Dineria walked up and hugged the trembling girl.


    I guess I¡¯m not as strong as I thought I was if this can make me¡­..


    ¡°I promise you she¡¯ll wake up,¡± gently said the Elf with green hair. Like petting a beloved cat, her hand with the red tattoo slowly stroked the blanket of pink hair that was on Momo¡¯s head. The Singi took a deep breath, inhaling the forest-like scent of Dineria and looked up at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just¡ª Ow¡­¡± Momo started to apologize again but was interrupted by her mentor, lightly thumping her on the head.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough apologizing, okay? You don¡¯t have to say sorry to us because we understand how you feel. We want her to wake up too,¡± Dineria smiled gently at her cute student.


    Hehe, it¡¯s just like when Servi told me to stop saying sorry. Then I said the same thing to her... At least, I think I did, and now I¡¯m getting it said back to me.


    ¡°Okay. In that case, I¡¯m going to go back to Servi. I wanna tell her about my match. Oh, I¡¯ll definitely watch all of your matches. We all worked super hard to get here,¡± said Momo, whose tail slowly swayed. Her ears perked up and barely twitched, but relief flowed over her body.


    She smiled at her very understanding friends and jogged back to her sleeping friend, who showed no signs of waking up.


    ¡°Servi, I won the first match. I had to fight Riki, and it was tough. If anyone other than Dineria was my mentor, I would¡¯ve lost. You know, her style of combat is just what I needed. It focuses on dodging and rolling to attack, then dodging right out,¡± Momo talked to her friend as she held her hand. ¡°It was really hard at first since I never rolled like that. Even though the other children in my village all played like that, rolling and tumbling around... Getting dirty and playing in the mud without a care in the world... I wasn''t invited.  I was never invited to a lot of things..."


    The pink Singi found it hard to talk about her past when her friend could respond, but since she couldn¡¯t, it was like a gate that held her sensitive feelings had opened. It all just came pouring out like a landslide.


    ¡°My grandpa taught me a little bit, but he was getting up there in age and couldn¡¯t move as well as he did. Still, he did all he could to prepare me.¡±


    Toni came back over the voice loudner and announced the second match. It was two people who Momo didn¡¯t know, so she didn¡¯t want to focus on it. Instead, she kept talking to Servi.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait until we go on our promotion quest! I wonder where we¡¯re going to go. If I remember right, the Rank 10 to 9 quest involves delivering an item to a Warden office in a nearby town. I guess the nearest one is¡­..Arcton? I heard it¡¯s kind of dangerous, but maybe those are just rumors. I mean a whole town controlled by the Mafia? First of all, what is the Mafia? Or is it what is a Mafia? I''ve never heard of that word before, but it sounds dangerous. If it is true, then why are they still around? I would think someone would do something about it if it was real.¡±


    Momo spoke gently to her friend as the second match came to a quick end. It was two Elves fighting, and the one with red hair used a wooden staff. Sweeping his opponent¡¯s leg, he used both Lucem and Thunder Snap back to back without even covering his eyes and ears from the tremendous flash and crackling thunder.


    ¡°He¡¯s amazing. Even while blind and deaf from the skills, it¡¯s like he knows where his opponent is,¡± said Momo, commenting for her sleeping friend. The red-haired Elf backed up before suddenly thrusting his staff into his opponent¡¯s stomach. Even though he had armor on, he still dropped to his knees and almost coughed up a lung. With three quick thrusts to the chest, his opponent tapped out and forfeited.


    ¡°He¡¯s tough, but I know you would win if you had to fight him. I think I can win, but it¡¯s going to be hard¡­. You know, we¡¯ve been friends for months, and I still don¡¯t know anything about you. I mean, I know your name, and I know you wear that ring, but that¡¯s all. Maybe we can go to dinner after we get back from the quest? I¡¯d love to know more about my best friend. That¡¯ll be fun, right? We go back to that noodle house and get dango again. It can be just the two of us.¡±


    Momo watched the rest of the first-round matches, but she wasn''t alone. Servi''s hand was right there, softly lying on top of Momo''s palm. In a manner unbefitting of her unconfident state of mind, the Singi herself believed she could win against the other competitors. This was a far cry from the weak, pathetic cat she thought she used to be. She had realized she was worth something. She had friends who genuinely liked her, a friendly mentor who wanted to see her succeed, an employee of Warden who treated her and her best friend like they were more than just contractors. Sure, she was sad that her friend was somehow asleep, but she knew she would wake up.


    ¡°Once you wake up, I won¡¯t have any other worries. Heck, I¡¯ll probably be so happy my tail will wag like a dog, but I guess that did happen before, didn¡¯t it? Oh, Silverado, Srassa, and all the others won their first match. Even Arty won. But he¡¯s on the other side of the bracket. An employee went around a few minutes ago and handed me a piece of paper with the brackets, so I got to see who I¡¯m gonna fight. That¡¯s when I found out that only Riki was on this side¡­ So that means I have to win the rest of the matches if I want to fight against Silverado and the others. But since they all won, that means they¡¯re going to have to face each other if they want to get further.  Hey, how funny would it be if I fought against Srassa again? I don''t know if I can win a second time, but I''ll do my very best! And if I have to fight Arty, I''ll be sure to win! I''ll force him to stop blaming us for Yerue''s death."


    Momo pulled the bracket out and glanced at it. ¡°Hmm¡­ Blaire''s the red-headed Elf with the wooden staff. He¡¯s the next one I fight, which should be soon. I forgot to tell you, but Toni said they¡¯ll be a few minutes in between each round so each competitor could have some time to cool down.¡±


    Standing up, Momo put the paper back in her seat and did a few stretches. ¡°Servi, my match is coming up, so I have to leave. I¡¯ll do my very best to win, so wish me luck, okay?¡±


    Momo waited fifteen seconds for an answer she knew she wouldn¡¯t get. Then she smiled. ¡°If you''re dreaming, I hope it¡¯s a wonderful one.¡±


    Just then, Toni came back. He asked for Momo and Blaire to go to the center arena.


    Fight number two is coming up. There are only a few more left. Servi, I promise I¡¯ll win. Momo thought. She made her way there with the clapping and cheering of the audience, acting as her personal soundtrack. Somehow or another, the cute Singi had won the crowd over, but not her own heart.


    As she drew her sword, a lonely thought popped into her mind.


    Why is it so quiet?

 Book Two – Chapter Eleven – Part Nine – Tournament!

    Blaire lightly tapped his staff to the ground and spoke to his opponent after Toni yelled for the match to begin. ¡°I heard about your friend. If it¡¯s any consolation, then I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°You were watching her?¡± Momo asked.


    He nodded, his red hair lightly bouncing around. ¡°I was there when Servi fought against a Human named Arty in the sewers a month ago. I was impressed by how she stayed calm when she was about to die. You realize that if she was a little bit slower, she would be six feet under right now.  As in, she wouldn''t be alive anymore...¡± Blaire was blunt with his coarse words, and that pissed Momo off.


    ¡°And?!¡± her tail puffed up and sharply swooshed back and forth, almost like it was cutting the very air.


    ¡°And I wanted to test my skills against her. At least, that''s what I wanted. When I saw her first match, it was sloppy and weak, devoid of any technique. It was like watching a mad dog who had forgotten how to fight.  I don¡¯t know what happened, but she became weak. She was outmatched when she fought against Arty, and I¡¯m upset he tapped out.  If he would''ve waited a few more seconds, he would''ve been the victor.  Her spirit¡ª"


    Momo, upset and distraught with Blaire, rushed in with her sword drawn. The moment Blaire grinned, Momo felt pain radiate outward from her chest. Feeling the heat rise from her stomach, she doubled over in agony.  A black mix of chicken and water violently escaped up through her throat and dirtied the arena floor. Momo, having had the air knocked out of her, rapidly tried to fill her lungs with air. The attack was just too fast for her to see.


    ¡°Momo!!!¡± cried Srassa from the sideline. Feral unconsciously growled as he observed the match.


    ¡°Rage and anger have no place in a tournament. There are no grudges here, so¡ª" Blaire¡¯s staff, the weapon used to bring Momo to her knees, was right in front of her, taunting her like a noble would with a gift of food to a peasant.


    ¡°Lucem!!¡± shouted Momo, creating a bright flash of white light.


    I wanted to keep this skill hidden, but I guess I can''t.


    While Momo struggled to get her breath, she had started to pre-cast Lucem using what little oxygen she had. She thought she had the advantage.  At the moment, her sword was far too heavy for her arms to lift. But since she was reeling from the pain, she went back down.


    ¡°AAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!¡± she screamed. It felt like her chest was about to fall apart.  Her armor she had on had done nothing to protect her against such a precise hit.


    ¡°I aimed specifically for one of your ribs. With that kind of pain, you lost your ability to perform your handstand attacks. That means you have one less way of attacking.  Well, if you want to lessen the pain,¡± said Blaire as he walked forward. ¡°I¡¯m going to win this tournament, but I don¡¯t like violence. Just admit defeat, and I won¡¯t have to break anything else.¡±


    ¡°I¡­.can¡¯t¡­..fo¡­.r¡­..Servi¡­..¡± Momo glanced up at Blaire and noticed he had on pants and not armor. Meaning his legs were protected by only a thin layer of fabric. And luckily, she still had her sword gripped in her trembling hand. But like before, it was far too heavy for her to swing. She didn¡¯t know if she could brave through the pain of swinging it.  Just the thought of doing so set her whole body aflame with a metaphysical pain.


    It¡¯s gonna hurt!!! It¡¯s gonna hurt!!! It¡¯s gonna hurt so dang bad!!!! But I got to do this.


    ¡°Why are you doing it for her? I¡¯ve seen your skills. Your agility and unique way of fighting are incredible, to say the least. To be honest, I think you have the potential of a Rank 9, or even a Rank 8, and you obviously have been in your share of fights and quests.  I can tell that from your fighting style, you''re better and stronger than her. Come, join my party and me. We¡¯re about to take on our promotion quest in a week.¡±


    While he was talking to Momo, and while she was forcing herself to think of a way to win, Toni questioned what he saw. ¡°Folks! It seems like the fight has slowed down a lot since the first few seconds. Momo¡¯s on the ground, and from the way she¡¯s holding her chest, I imagine he broke one of her ribs. But could this be the end of Momo?!?!?! I had my eye on her to win it all!¡±


    I gotta do it for her. Do it for her. Do it for her! Do! It! For! Her!


    Enduring the pain, Momo subtly began to take a deep breath using her nose and mouth. It was a risky tactic since Blaire was right over her, but it was her last-ditch effort. It wasn''t something she would usually do, but she wasn¡¯t fighting for just herself.  Not anymore, at least.


    I need to win. Even if I have to lie...


    ¡°Fine¡­ I¡­.¡±


    ¡°You what?¡± he said, leaning closer to the ground. ¡°You have to say it, or you have to tap the ground three times. And with that broken rib, I¡¯ll be surprised if you can even raise your arm. Even if you could, could you endure the pain?"


    ¡°I.....¡± Momo coughed, interrupting herself. ¡°I said..I¡­.¡±


    He leaned down even further.


    ¡°I¡­won¡¯t¡­leave¡­.her¡­¡± Like a bat out of hell, Momo launched into action. First, she used Magic Missile. Pre-casting as fast as she could under the pretext of catching her breath, she pressed her hand against the stomach of her opponent. In Blaire''s foolish na?vety, he had believed he was the victor of the match and had gotten too close to Momo.


    ¡°Magic Missile!!!¡± she shouted as he dodged to the right. He didn¡¯t entirely avoid it, and there was a section of burnt skin from where the colorless arrow had materialized. He wore a simple shirt but no armor, so only a thin piece of cloth protected him.


    But she wasn¡¯t done at all. Gritting her teeth, she swung her arm faster than ever before, and her sword caught her opponent¡¯s ankles, cutting a few centimeters deep. In her rage, she wanted to do more, but Momo coughed up blood, and her strength faded away.


    But it was enough.


    ¡°WHAT?!?!¡± yelled Blaire as he fell to his backside, blood pouring from the wounds like a leak in a bottle. It looked worse than it was, but the pain was intense.  Momo coughed again, spitting up blood, and she forced herself to her feet. Standing proud, she glared at her opponent, who had the nerve to try to get her to join his party.


    ¡°Like heck will I ever abandon my best friend...¡± she said, barely above a whisper. ¡°She saved my life multiple times, and you think I would just abandon her for someone who claims they¡¯re stronger?! She¡¯s so much stronger than me, and she¡¯s way stronger than you!!¡± her voice grew louder and louder as she fought through the pain until she realized she wailed with the intensity of a banshee.


    For the first time in a while, pure anger blazed through Momo. The last time she felt this way was back when she was forced to leave her village in the middle of that awful night.


    ¡°I-I-I did¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± yelled the Singi, who held her hand up. She started to chant for Magic Missile, but she coughed up blood halfway through, falling back to the ground before screaming in pain. She kneeled and vomited again. Her breathing quickened, and her eyesight started to blur. It was like there were three or four Blaires in front of her.


    Following her playbook, Blaire decided to swing his staff from his sitting position. Momo grinned, knowing this was the time for her to win.


    She knew it was going to hurt badly, but she had no other option. Bracing herself mentally, she went to block the blow with her hand.


    ¡°AAAHHHHHHHH!!!!¡± she screamed as she felt the bones in her hand break. Instantly, tears fell, and the pink Singi cried, but not for a single moment did she think about giving up. With anger coursing through her body like the force of a thousand suns, she forced her sword forward using her non-broken hand. It took everything she had, and this attack was meant to decide the match.


    She aimed for the side of his leg but only managed to cut cloth. Her attack missed, along with her one chance to win this match. It was her loss, and the record books would declare Blaire as the winner.


    Or so the audience thought. Even Dineria, Fisher, and every one of her friends thought she was going to lose.


    Momo did something that wouldn¡¯t have been possible if she didn''t have the weight of wanting to win for Servi on her shoulders. Using the thrust''s momentum and a kick from her kneeling position, Momo rolled forward while screaming a battle cry.


    The pain was nearly indescribable. It was like having a hellish fire, formed in the pits of hell, burn non-stop in a single area. Then, it spread. From her chest to her stomach to legs and arms... To Momo''s feet and hands, and even to her toes and fingers... Momo''s entire body was screaming¡ª demanding¡ª for her to stop.


    Her mind, however, refused to submit to those demands.


    She gritted her teeth and endured the agony. From the roll, she transitioned into a one-handed handstand. She couldn¡¯t stay that way for more than a few seconds, but it was enough.


    The pain she felt in her chest was extraordinary, and it was no small wonder she remained conscious.


    ¡°WHAT?! But your ri¡ª¡± Blaire exclaimed. He tried to get up, but his ankles were wounded. There was a chance the wounds would stretch, and he was already losing blood. Not to mention the devilish pain that felt like his ankles were on fire. He quickly took his staff and attacked Momo, aiming for the single hand that held her entire body up like a stubborn column that prevented a building from collapsing.


    ¡°AAHAHHHHH!!!¡± screamed Momo, keeping her upside-down eyes on her target. She used what little strength she had left to push herself into the air. She didn¡¯t gain much height at all, but it was enough to avoid the staff swipe and brought her legs straight down as hard as she could into a pair of downward kicks. She missed Blaire''s head but made solid contact with both of his shoulders and fractured his collarbone, which was her ultimate goal.


    A nasty crack later, Blaire''s horrific cries drowned out both the audience and Momo''s own screaming.


    Toni took this moment to remind the audience he existed by offering his own commentary. ¡°Folks! Both of these warriors were determined to do whatever they could to bring home the victory. Tell me, what is her source of strength?! After having a rib break, she somehow found the desire to continue after receiving such a HARD BLOW TO HER HAND, which no doubt broke a few fingers. I don¡¯t think I need to mention how impressive doing all that with her wounds. Folks, I¡¯ll tell ya right now, straight up. I just couldn¡¯t do it. Heck, I¡¯ll be out as soon as my chest was attacked. Recovering from a broken rib, even with Remedium Lux, is no joke. Trust me, I¡¯ve been there. The pain will stick with you for a few weeks at least, and it¡¯ll hurt to even breathe. But then you have to realize that it looked like she broke some fingers as well. How she found the strength to soldier on with such pain is something I don¡¯t know. Folks, I hope we all find that something.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t forget about Blaire. With such a precise strike to her chest, it looked like he was going to win the match. After all, breaking your opponent''s rib was a good strategy. But unluckily for him, his opponent was someone who had the mental strength to fight through the pain. And¡ª¡±


    ¡°I FORFEIT!!¡± moaned the red-haired Elf.  His beloved wooden staff fell from his opened hands, and he didn¡¯t dare move to retrieve it lest it caused the pain to travel even further down his body.


    At once, the entire audience roared with applause and cheering, and it felt like the warehouse was going to rumble from the sheer energy being released.


    ¡°I¡­ won?¡± Momo said, devoid of any and all strength. She was lying on her back, her eyes filled with nothing but the Fluorescent Lights that stared down. The fire in her chest exploded in intensity, and she couldn¡¯t keep her groans of pain inside anymore.


    ¡°THAT¡¯S RIGHT, FOLKS!!!! Momo is going on to the quarter-finals!!!! She¡¯s won two matches, but can she win three more?!?!?! Speaking of her, we need some medics!!!!!¡±


    Tears flooded her eyes, but they weren¡¯t from the pain. It was from happiness, flowing because she was one step closer to her goal.  Her face contorted with so much anguish that it wasn''t funny.  Everything hurt as she laid down on the arena floor, sprawled out as if she was making a snow angel after the remains of a fierce snowstorm.


    Servi¡­.I won. It was¡­messy, and I know you could¡¯ve won¡­bet..te¡­. plea¡­se wake¡­u¡­..p¡­.


    After achieving victory in her second match, Momo closed her eyes and lost consciousness.

 Book Two – Chapter Eleven – Part Ten – Tournament! (Illustration!)

    This isn¡¯t the arena¡­. A confused Singi thought after she woke up. Finding herself in a wide open-plain of colorful flowers and sunlight, Momo stood up. Surprised at feeling no pain, she turned around until she spotted a simple table with chairs made of the prettiest mahogany she had ever seen. But the table wasn¡¯t empty. It had a single person sitting down, and Momo couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    She went to speak but quickly found out she couldn''t. Doing the next best thing, Momo walked over and took a seat. The girl sitting across from her looked like Momo in every way, except for two drastic differences. Her ears were taller and fluffier, and her tail was longer and thicker. Neither looked anything like what a Singi would have. Still, she had the same dazzling blue eyes, the same cute smile, and the same pink hair, which had grown long in the months since she met Servi. It reached down past her shoulder blades, probably indicating it was time for a haircut. Even though her ears were different, they still twitched the same way.


    That was when Momo looked down and realized she was wearing the same thing as the girl, a clean white sundress with no shoes.  She looked behind to the spot where she woke up and saw the crushed flowers were slowly regaining their shape. To her, it was like time was rewinding before her very eyes.


    The Momo lookalike went to speak but frowned when she realized she couldn¡¯t. After snapping her fingers, a stack of papers and a cup of pens appeared.


    Taking one of each, the girl with the fluffy tail began to write.


    I saw your match. It was something to behold, and I¡¯m so proud of you. It couldn¡¯t have been easy, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯re in a lot of pain.


    Momo read the paper and teared up.


    How funny¡­ I never realized just how much I wanted to hear those words from others. I mean, I really wanted Servi to say them, and she did but having other people say that makes me feel good, too. I feel like the happiest girl in the world¡­¡­or I would if Servi was awake¡­.


    The girl just smiled and pointed to a pen and paper. Realizing what she wanted her to do, Momo began to write.


    Thank you. I don¡¯t feel any pain right now. Umm¡­who are you? I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but you look just like me.


    Then, the two girls began to communicate via letter.


    I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t tell you because the time isn¡¯t right. Think of me as someone who wants to see you happy.


    Okay. Thank you! Then can I ask where I¡¯m at? I was in a tournament, but I think I passed out.


    This is your inner consciousness, and it¡¯s not the first time you¡¯ve been here. Remember? It was right after you gave a gift to Claire, the Elf with the red hair. And yes, you did pass out from your wounds. Right now, you¡¯re lying in a bed next to your friend, Servi.


    Momo teared up, prompting the girl who looked like her to write a quick question to ask why.


    Because she¡¯s my best friend. If I¡¯m not there to be with her, then who is? Everyone else has to focus on the fights, and I was the only one who was there. I need to wake up! Momo started to panic and searched for a way out of her inner consciousness.  Her eyes looked in every direction as her breathing hastened ten-fold.


    The girl tapped the desk, and Momo immediately looked at her. Smiling, she wrote a message.


    Momo, please calm down! Srassa and Claire are beside both of you. I¡¯ve been with you since you were born. I know exactly how you¡¯re feeling. I really do. You think that only you can be there for Servi because you knew her the longest. You don¡¯t believe that they could be there for her like you can, and that¡¯s the reason why you felt angry when Srassa held Servi¡¯s hand.


    Momo blinked twice and touched a hand to her heart. Then she took a deep breath and felt the worry wash away like the topsoil in a hurricane. Taking another piece of paper, she began to write.


    I¡­. I feel like a bad friend. I had no right to get angry when Srassa held her other hand¡­


    No, you¡¯re not a bad friend. You¡¯re an excellent friend who cares for Servi¡¯s well-being. And from what I¡¯ve seen, she cares a lot about you. She¡¯s asleep now, but I¡¯m sure she¡¯s thinking of you.


    Momo couldn¡¯t take it anymore, and she began to cry. The girl in front of her got up and ran to Momo before lovingly embracing her. Bring her close to her chest, the girl lovingly stroked Momo¡¯s pink hair, making sure to affectionately rub her cat-like ears.  The sounds of her whimpering were the only noise as a smooth breeze flew by, ruffling their hair and scattering a few loose flowers.


    Momo wiped her teary eyes with the back of her hand and looked up at the girl who held her. The Momo lookalike only smiled and walked back to her seats after kissing the top of Momo''s head.


    How do you feel? She wrote on a piece of paper.


    Better. Thank you.  Momo wrote back, still sniffling a little bit. I don¡¯t want to be rude, but I need to wake up. I need to win the tournament.


    For you or Servi?


    I would say for me, but I mostly want to do it for her. She¡¯s saved my life a few times and taught me some important stuff. Is it wrong for me to do it for her?


    The girl shook her head and began to write. I don¡¯t think it is. Remember, you have your own life to live too. Your feelings and happiness are just as important. I would say they¡¯re more important because they¡¯re your feelings, not hers.


    But I¡¯m happy when I¡¯m with Servi. And I think she¡¯s happy when she¡¯s with me. If she wasn¡¯t, then we wouldn¡¯t be party members.


    Do you think her feelings are more important than yours?


    I wouldn¡¯t say more... But if it came to it, I would want her to be happy if it meant I would be sad. I care for her a lot, and my grandpa told me to find someone to watch my back. And if Servi is going to be that someone for me, I want to be that person for her, Momo wrote back after thinking about it for a few minutes.


    I see. You sure are caring and loyal. Servi doesn¡¯t know what a good friend she has in you.


    Momo blushed and wrote back. I think we make the perfect party. She tanks, I attack, and I think we do a pretty good job of that.


    You do. The teamwork between you two is extraordinary, and I¡¯m very impressed, but let me ask you this. What do you know about Servi''s past?


    With a heavy hand, Momo responded. I don¡¯t know anything. I know her name, and I know she wears a red ring. She¡¯s strong and fast, but she gets angry. I think she might have an anger problem. Oh, she doesn¡¯t get mad at me. It¡¯s usually other people like Arty who tick her off. Not once has she ever threatened or hit me, and I don¡¯t think she ever will. She''s not that kind of girl.


    The lookalike put a hand to her chin for a second, scratching it slightly.  Do you want to know more about her? She wrote.


    I do. I want to know all I can about my best friend. Momo nodded as she slid her paper across the table to the girl who looked like her.


    Do you think there¡¯s a chance you will regret it? What if her past is something you don¡¯t like or you can¡¯t accept?


    I¡­. Momo went to write something but stopped when the girl slid across her paper.


    She¡¯s mysterious, isn¡¯t she? She doesn¡¯t talk about her past whatsoever. She said she didn¡¯t want to be dead weight when we first met... But from what I can tell, Servi was anything but that. She¡¯s an incredible warrior.


    Momo didn¡¯t move and just stared at the girl. The lookalike''s soft lips turned into a mellow frown, and she began to write again.


    I know what you¡¯re afraid of. And the reason you don¡¯t ask is that you think it¡¯s true. I don¡¯t say this to hurt you. I say this to help you. To protect you.


    She¡¯s not like that! She can¡¯t be¡­ She¡­Momo hastily scribbled before her precious paper disappeared.


    Suddenly, a loud voice filled the serene area, disrupting the calm atmosphere.  ¡°Momo, it¡¯s me, Srassa. Are you awake?  I have some good news! But you have to wake up if you want to hear it! Actually, you would want to see it.  But you gotta wake up!"


    I guess it¡¯s about that time. Momo, I¡¯ve been here since you were born. I¡¯ve seen the good and the bad, and I¡¯ve seen you when you were at your happiest and your saddest. I did not say those words to upset you. That was not my intention.


    Momo''s lookalike stood up, pushed in the wooden chair, and walked back over to Momo. The Singi was angry, but only at herself because of her weak feelings.


    Suddenly, Momo found herself enveloped in a fluffy pink mist, and that was when she realized that the girl who held her was fading away.


    As Momo started to cry, words appeared in her vision, and she knew it was from the girl who looked like her.


    I¡¯ll always be here within you. I¡¯ll always be watching and protecting, doing whatever I can to help you. I don¡¯t know when we can meet again, but it shouldn¡¯t be too long. Please forgive me for my harsh words.


    Momo put a hand to her cold, empty shoulder. Hastily, she reached and grabbed at the floating words, but they disappeared into a pink swirl that sank into the ground.


    ¡°Momo? Can you hear me?¡± A voice came from above. The blue sky began to crack and fall apart. But as the pieces fell to the ground below, they disappeared without a trace.


    ¡°Servi?!?!¡± said Momo, who realized she can suddenly speak. ¡°I can hear you!!¡± she yelled out to the sky, which cracked a little bit more.


    Suddenly, the remains of the sky shattered, revealing a large hand surrounded by a black void. It was much, much, much larger than Momo.


    The palm lines of the hand that descended were the same as her best friend¡¯s hand. Both times, when Servi wouldn¡¯t wake up, Momo sat beside her. While holding Servi''s hand, Momo unconsciously traced her best friend''s palm lines over and over until she memorized them.  She could even draw them in her sleep.


    ¡°I need to grab on!¡± Momo found herself growing bigger and bigger until she was finally tall enough to grab the descending hand. At that point, she was pulled up from her inner consciousness. The black void instantly turned pink, breaking into pieces.


    And then, she found herself staring face to face with her very best friend.


    The applause of the arena, the cheering of the crowd, the bashing of steel ranging against steel was like music to Momo''s ears. Staring blankly at the face of her best friend, Momo turned her head to the side, where she saw two thin sticks coated with the remains of fried chicken. Beside them sat an empty cup, devoid of the liquid it once contained.


    She was awake and back in the real world, but the conversation she had with the girl within herself was still engraved in her memory.


    ¡°It seems like our roles are reversed,¡± said Servi, with a little bit of a giggle.


    Momo turned her head to face her best friend. Looking down, she saw that her hand was cradled gently between both of Servi¡¯s hands, and the waterworks started once again.


    Ignoring the non-existent pain in her chest, Momo somehow leapt from the bed and embraced Servi in a big hug. Servi figured it was coming and braced herself, catching her best friend with open arms. Her left hand slowly rubbed the pink hair of the crying girl as her right hand held her gently, cradling the crying Singi close to her chest.


    "Welcome back, Momo."


    RuggyRuggy


    Her hair might be a tad too long, but that''s the closest I could get to it.  And as for Momo''s picture, I couldn''t find the right hairstyle.  I have one that looks like her, but the hair is a bit short.  If I can''t find one that''s a better match, I''ll just use that one.  And I was able to find one that looks exactly like I envisioned Servi.


    Well...almost.  I didn''t notice it at the time, but she has two little robot antenna-like thingies coming off of her head.  I''ll try to use gimp or some other photo editing software to get rid of it, which is something I''ve never done before.  If it works out, great, if not, then I''ll go back to waifulabs and mess about until I get the same thing or something even closer. Or I might browse google images or some other website and see if I can find the perfect match.  I''ll be sure to give credit where credit is due if I go that route.


    Speaking of that, I''ll try to do waifulabs of Dineria, Claire, and Srassa, if I have the time.


    If possible, for future characters that are introduced, I''ll try to make them as best as I can with waifulabs so you all can have a visual representation of what I intend for them to look like. Well, the illustrations are going to be for the female characters only.  I don''t think waifulabs does men.  If someone knows of thing like waifulabs for men, let me know.


    Well! Without further ado, I present to you the girl inside Momo''s consciousness.

 Book Two – Chapter Eleven – Part Eleven – Tournament!

    ¡°Servi!!!!¡± cried Momo. The tears just wouldn¡¯t stop flowing.


    ¡°Momo¡­¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t wake up, and I got scared because you were hurt that one time, and I didn¡¯t know what to and¡­and...you wouldn''t wake up and...and... WAAAAA!¡± Speaking so fast she stumbled over her words, Momo became quiet and allowed her actions to do the talking. Her endless tears and how she hugged her best friend conveyed her feelings more accurately than if she used her words.


    It wasn¡¯t until a few seconds later that Momo broke off from the hug.  That''s also when she realized she wasn''t in pain.


    ¡°They told me about your fight with Blaire,¡± said Servi to the confused girl. ¡°After fighting incredibly hard and winning, you passed out from the pain. Dineria ran back to her place, grabbed her license, and ran back. She personally continued your healing after the medics left.¡±


    ¡°I¡­.¡± I need to thank Dineria for doing that.


    ¡°I need to apologize, Momo. We both said we would have our rematch, and I¡­.¡±


    ¡°Our match can wait. The most important thing to me is that you¡¯re awake.¡±


    ¡°They told me about how you sat right beside me and held my hand. Again,¡± replied the girl with red eyes. She smiled sweetly at her best friend, who laid back on the white bed.


    Momo gazed up at her best friend and smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to be alone, and that¡¯s the only thing I could think of. I thought that if I did that, then you would know I was here. I was right here waiting on you to wake up¡­. And you did¡­¡±


    ¡°Momo, you¡¯re such a good friend to me,¡± replied Servi, and Momo went red in the face.


    At that moment, she suddenly remembered the tournament. Servi saw the sheer panic on her face and quickly reassured her, ¡°You were still passed out when it came to your turn, but you didn¡¯t get disqualified. Turns out that your opponent forfeited. He was so severely injured with a broken leg and fractured knee.  He couldn''t fight with those kinds of injuries, so he forfeited.  Even if he didn¡¯t forfeit, he would¡¯ve collapsed from a small breeze. His wounds were kinda serious."


    What a stroke of luck. But, it doesn¡¯t feel right, Momo thought. She then asked about the fourth match.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Kind of the same situation. Toni said that your fight with Blaire had such an effect on the other fighters that they went to any length to win. Your opponent this time had a broken arm and two injured eyes when his third match was over. He had to be sent off for more healing. He actually won that round because his opponent was disqualified for going for a lethal move, which ended up damaging his eyes. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t fight without seeing, so he forfeited the match."


    ¡°So I¡¯m in the finals?¡±


    ¡°Yep! Srassa and Desperado are about to have their match. Whoever wins will fight you. Do you wanna watch?¡±


    Momo nodded, and Servi held out her hand. The Singi grabbed onto it, and Servi gently pulled her up. Reflexively, the Singi''s hand went to her chest, but she felt no pain.


    Sitting up on her little white bed, Momo put her left foot down on the ground first. Once she put a little weight on it, she put her right foot down and stood up. She was a bit unbalanced at first, with her tail swaying from side to side to help her balance, but she was as fit as a fiddle. There was no pain at all.


    Looking at her used-to-be-injured hand, she made a fist and realized it was in perfect shape. Then, she felt a little bit of a squeeze in her hand that still held Servi¡¯s hand.


    Blushing red, she immediately let go and apologized. Servi nervously scratched her cheek and said it was no problem.


    Her hand was so warm and soft.


    I never realized having my hand held could feel so good.


    The thoughts that ran through their mind couldn''t have been more similar.


    ¡°Hey, Fisher and Dineria and the others are over there. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d be happy to know you¡¯re awake,¡± said Servi.


    Momo smiled. ¡°I need to thank Dineria for doing all that.¡±


    Servi turned to walk away but stopped when she felt a tiny tug on her green cloak. She turned around and saw Momo trembling lightly.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you still hurting?¡± she asked her friend.


    Momo shook her head. ¡°I only know your name, the fact that you wear a ring, and nothing else. We¡¯ve been friends for months now, but¡­.¡±


    Servi, now¡¯s the time. Itarr said. When Servi first woke up, she was there to greet her. Servi asked her why she had passed out, but Itarr lied and said she didn''t know. Those words had a lot of pain and agony behind them, but Servi didn¡¯t realize it.


    ¡°Servi, can we make another promise?¡± Momo looked at the ground for a second before she found her resolve. Raising her head, she stared straight into her best friend¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°I swear I¡¯m gonna win this, and I¡¯m gonna get the camping set. And we¡¯re going to go on our promotion quest, too.¡±


    ¡°I know you can do it,¡± she replied.


    ¡°And when we get back, I want us to go out to dinner, and I want to know about you. I mean, if that¡¯s okay and everything. I mean, we''ve been friends-- best friends-- for a while, and I don''t know that much about you.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good to me.  I wasn''t trying to hide anything, but I couldn''t find the right time to tell you,¡± Servi smiled, but it wasn¡¯t a happy one. Momo, being the queen of delivering fake smiles, noticed it right away, and her heart skipped a beat.


    What if¡­. NO! Stop thinking that way, Momo. Just stop!! You have to focus on winning! After that, you can focus on the quest! Nothing else matters for right now!


    ¡°We can go to that noodle house, too!¡± said Momo, now more determined than ever.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait for it. Now, let¡¯s go cheer on our friends.¡±


    ¡°One more thing¡­.you are okay, right?¡±


    Servi walked to Momo and hugged her. ¡°I am. They said it was the leftover sleepinwillo in my body.  As far as I know, I was asleep.  I''m fine, Momo.  I promise I am."


    Momo squeezed a bit tighter before finally looking up. From an outsider¡¯s point of view, it looked like she was staring up at her lover. She broke off from the hug. After smiling and nodding, her eyes showed the same fierce determination she had this morning.


    Grandpa, I consider myself a loser of this tournament. There¡¯s no way I should¡¯ve won the third and fourth match with me being passed out, but I guess that happened for a reason. I¡¯m not proud of being given a handicap, but I won¡¯t be so selfish as to not use it. Grandpa, I¡¯m going to win this tournament, pass the promotion quest, and learn about my best friend¡¯s past! Her mom and dad¡¯s name, if she has or had any animals, favorite color, and stuff like that! I wanna know everything!


    ¡°Dineria, Servi told me what you did for me, and I want to thank you,¡± said Momo, who was currently being tightly embraced by the Elf in question. Her voice was a bit muffled, but she got her thanks across.


    ¡°Oh, Momo, you fought so incredibly brave, powering through the pain to win it all!¡± replied Dineria.


    ¡°Momo, I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re awake,¡± said Fisher. He had a small wooden cup of water in his left hand. He nodded at the Singi and turned back to the arena. Toni was introducing the two competitors who would end up facing Momo. Coincidentally, he also announced she was awake, and the crowd went wild. This didn¡¯t go unnoticed by the Singi, but she thought the applause was for Silverado and Srassa.


    ¡°Thank you! Umm¡­ It¡¯s hard to breathe¡­¡± squeaked Momo.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry!¡± apologized Dineria. She removed her hands and quickly did a scan of Momo¡¯s body while lifting the hand that used to be broken.


    ¡°Tell me immediately if you feel even the smallest amount of pain!¡± ordered Dineria.


    It''s a good thing we healed her when we woke up.  There shouldn''t be any pain, right? Itarr asked.


    Servi silently nodded and smiled.


    ¡°I swear it doesn¡¯t hurt. It doesn¡¯t even feel like I was even injured.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now, what about your chest? Are you short of breath? Is it hard to breathe? Can you stretch?¡±


    Momo shook her head and bent over to touch her toes. "I feel like a brand new Momo!¡±


    It''s like she''s a whole different person when Servi is around.  More cheerful and outgoing.  That''s a good thing, but I don''t want her to become solely emotional-dependent on someone. Dineria thought. She gave Momo another quick hug, and her tail responded by energetically waving about.


    ¡°Momo, their match is about to start.¡±


    The Singi turned to her best friend and smiled. Then she and Servi sat down next to each other.


    ¡°Hey, where¡¯s Silverado and the others?¡±


    ¡°They went to grab some food before the match. Ah, there they are,¡± Fisher turned around and spoke, then pointed when he saw a set of silver scales being followed by a massive Kobold.  Two Dwarves followed behind.


    Servi turned her head and stared at her friends, who broke into a jog as they raced back to them.


    ¡°Hey you, you''re finally awake,¡± said Riki.  He was very relieved.


    ¡°Sorry for worrying you,¡± she bashfully said.


    Feral shook his head. ¡°There is nothing to say sorry about. Instead, I must thank you for an excellent match. You never gave up, showing the true essence of Kobold!¡± roared Feral.  His tail slammed into the ground, prompting Fisher to quickly apologize on his behalf.


    Momo went red in the face and looked to the ground before immediately turning her head up. Meeting Feral¡¯s eyes, she thanked him.


    I won¡¯t look down anymore. I just won¡¯t.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to imagine how much pain you were in. Does it hurt?¡± asked Silverado. He sat down and drank his cup of water.


    ¡°Nope! Servi told me Dineria ran back to her house and got her license. I don¡¯t feel any pain at all. ¡±


    Dineria blushed, her face becoming the same red as the tattoo on the back of her hand.


    AND NOW, LET THE SEMI-FINAL BETWEEN SRASSA FLINN AND DESPERADO BEGIN!!!!!¡± screamed Toni into his mic.


    With that, everyone around Servi and Momo turned their attention to the center arena. Whoever won this match would go on to face Momo in the very last fight of the tournament.


    If Srassa wins, then we can have our rematch. But I don¡¯t know who to root for¡­.. I¡¯m just gonna root for the both of them!


    Since it was the semi-finals, the crowd expected the fight to be both long and intense, with both competitors doing all they could to win.


    And it was, to an extent. Srassa knew she could win quickly, but it would come at a weary cost. She held the advantage of using skills by only speaking the name, a passive skill that required the user to be Rank 3. That, or they had to be blessed with the ability like Srassa was.


    I know I can spam Magic Missile. Honestly, I can use them as fast as I could say the skill, but I don¡¯t have that much Skill Energy to use. Even using it three or four times is enough to drain me to half. Maybe I can use it a total of ten times, and that''s pushing it, but I¡¯ll be completely tapped out. What should I do?


    Srassa dodged a downward swipe from a brown wooden club as Desperado advanced forward. He had his shield turned slightly to where he could thrust with it. The pointed end faced forward. It was risky since he couldn¡¯t defend, but he had the stamina and the speed, not to mention his natural armor: scales.


    Srassa was too busy ducking underneath horizontal swipes and dodging left and right to avoid a quick thrust. She made a mistake at the beginning of the fight and allowed her opponent to make the first move, thereby setting the pace.


    ¡°LUCEM!¡± shouted, Srassa when she finally had a chance to breathe. The repeated dodging for minutes on end was enough to make even Desperado heave slightly.


    Sweat waterfalled down the girl¡¯s skin as she used the remaining air in her lungs to back up. The bright light produced by Lucem was enough to make that distance. If she was fighting a Human, they¡¯d be both on equal terms, fighting with nary a breath left.


    But Desperado wasn¡¯t a Human. He was Koena, a race that had the unnatural ability to move their organs inside their body. By moving his two lungs in a specific way, he could temporarily boost the amount of oxygen that flowed through his body. Such a technique was called Pulmoni Oxygeni, and it came with dangerous consequences if performed incorrectly.


    There was a chance for his lungs to collapse. While it wouldn¡¯t kill him in most cases, it would most certainly cause an unfathomable amount of pain.


    Should I use it? I didn¡¯t use it before when fighting the juncea because I really could¡¯ve died if it backfired. I would¡¯ve been immobilized, and my opponent would¡¯ve skewered me through. Now? I¡¯m surrounded by medics. I need to use it. I won¡¯t ever catch up to her and her rolling, and I don¡¯t have time to use a skill because I have to chant. I need to end this fast so I can have more energy saved up to fight Momo.


    Suddenly, the Koena stopped moving and let off a battle cry. Then, he ran. His blood transported oxygen at a much faster rate through his body. He was a bit faster and just a little bit stronger.


    A more experienced Koena could get much more out of this technique, doubling, tripling, or even quadrupling their speed and strength, but seeing as Desperado didn''t have that much experience, he didn¡¯t push past his limits. Even then, there was always a chance for it to go wrong.


    Srassa was ready and let off two Magic Missiles back to back. They clashed against his scales and cracked one, revealing the red pulsing fleshy bit underneath.


    The Koena took the pain head-on and raised his club. His other hand had his shield, still rotated, ready to assist at a moment¡¯s notice.


    She closed her eyes used Thunder Snap and Lucem back to back, relying on their ability to blind and deafen her opponent. In the next moment, Srassa opened her eyes and chose to dodge right, transitioning into a roll that narrowly avoided a shield thrust. She came up with her sword ready to attack and sliced against his elbow. Feeling resistance, she jerked her sword backwards, and two crimson-stained scales came along with it.


    Blood dripped to the ground, and he dropped to his knees.


    Shit!! Unable to maintain the technique, one of his lungs bubbled and exploded, causing a torrential amount of blood to pour from his mouth and nose.


    Only half of the recommended amount of oxygen would reach his remaining lung, but more importantly, his trump card had failed him.


    ¡°Desperado?!¡± cried Srassa. She wanted to run over to him and heal him since she had Remedium but didn¡¯t know if she would be disqualified because she wasn''t licensed to provide any healing. Her family had the money to pay the fine, but...


    ¡°I..I¡¯m fine¡­¡± he said, standing up. Every single breath caused him an incredible amount of pain, but just like Momo, he endured it.


    Although Momo didn''t realize it, her match with Blaire struck the heartstrings of many who were watching. A single Singi who refused to give up even while suffering from such harsh injuries resonated within them.


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°I can still fight!¡± shouted Desperado, his voice turning more hoarse by the moment. He turned his shield back to its proper position and took a stance. The arm that held his shield radiated with pain and fire. It was like someone was lighting multiple matches inside his very scales. The fire coursed through his bloodstream, and it was almost like he was being cooked from the inside out.


    ¡°I¡­  Very well. I won¡¯t hold anything back!¡± Srassa took a stance low to the ground and watched.


    Coughing up blood, Desperado walked forward while chanting. From his booth, Toni was telling the medics to be on stand-by. He predicted this match would soon be over.


    And it was. It didn¡¯t have more than five minutes left until one would fall.


    And one would be standing.


    If only I were fighting a monster. I¡¯d be able to use the techniques and information Fisher taught me to protect my party.


    Srassa used Lucem and rolled in. Or at least, that¡¯s what Desperado thought. He heard a noise and went to slam his club down, using the rest of the strength.


    But it hit nothing.


    Srassa had tossed her sword at Desperado¡¯s feet, making him think that she was approaching from below. That was what she did, but she purposely waited for him to prematurely attack and took advantage of his recovery by charging in after he bashed his club down. She rolled forward to pick up some speed, making sure to stay silent, and tackled her opponent to the hard floor.


    Ordinarily, a Koena male was far stronger than a Human female, but this wasn¡¯t an ordinary circumstance. He was weak and on his last legs; it was a terrible mistake to use that Pulmoni Oxygeni.


    I wanted to end it fast, but it backfired. Silver, now I know why you hate to use it.


    Landing hard, Srassa straddled him and held her hand to his chest.


    ¡°Do you forfeit?¡± she asked. ¡°if I use Magic Missile from this close, it¡¯s going to hurt. Especially if I use on a place where you¡¯re missing a scale," Srassa bluffed.  While Srassa had the Skill Energy to let off one or two more Magic Missiles, she was dangerously close to passing out. Her Skill Energy Reservoir wasn''t infinite.


    Desperado smiled and tapped against the ground weakly.


    ¡°THERE WE HAVE IT, FOLKS!!!! Srassa Flinn is going to the FINALS!!!!!!!¡±


    The crowd erupted into a resounding chorus of applause and cheers for two fighters who gave everything they had.  A couple of medics rushed into the ring and carried Desperado to an open bed.  After giving him a few health potions, a painkiller, and a quick examination, one of the medics said he would be out of commission for two or three days.


    ¡°I..guess..the.quests¡­.will..have to..wait¡­¡± said Desperado, barely above a whisper.  "I''m sorry..."


    ¡°Don¡¯t even worry about it, okay? Just focus on getting better. It was an excellent match, by the way,¡± as if mirroring Servi and Momo, Srassa and Silverado sat by their friend''s side.


    A Koena medic walked over and placed a damp rag over his sweaty scales. ¡°You used it, didn¡¯t you? I can¡¯t really say anything since I would¡¯ve done the same thing,¡± she whispered.


    Her patient only weakly nodded his head as a stressful wheezing noise did its best to take in oxygen.


    ¡°Just relax and leave the healing to us. You¡¯ll be back on your feet in no time.¡±


    Even as Srassa looked at her friend, her thoughts went to her forthcoming battle to decide the tournament''s winner. I can¡¯t believe I made it¡­. The finals¡­. Momo, I¡¯m ready for our rematch!

 Book Two – Chapter Eleven – Part Twelve – Tournament!

    ¡°And that¡¯s why you don¡¯t want to abuse Pulmoni Oxygeni. It¡¯s useful and powerful, but it also has a major drawback,¡± said Silverado, explaining it to his friends. After the fight, Momo asked Silverado why Desperado suddenly fell to his knees. ¡°It drastically increases the oxygen flowing through your body, making you stronger and faster, but if your lungs and body can¡¯t take it, they¡¯ll bust,¡± he continued.


    Dineria saw the panicked look on Momo¡¯s face, but the Elven mentor quickly assured her he would be fine. ¡°Once the medics give me the all-clear, I¡¯ll go and treat him after they leave. Don''t worry. He''s not in any danger of dying. There¡¯s a little hole in his lungs where air is escaping from, but it''ll heal up.¡±


    Alright, I¡¯m completely freaked the hell out. Just a little hole?! In the lung?!?!?! Servi quickly shook her head and watched as the medics brought Desperado to the bed where she was in just some time ago.


    ¡°ALRIGHT, EVERYONE!!!!¡± shouted Toni. ¡°It¡¯s getting pretty late and in here, and I know you all are tired!!! BUT!! The last match is coming up in just ten minutes!!! Momo versus Srassa Flinn, Singi versus Human, both trained by Dineria of Levadia Woods!!!! Ten minutes, folks!!! You don¡¯t want to miss it!!!¡±


    After Toni¡¯s announcement, Servi, Momo, the two mentors, and their friends all visited Desperado after a medic talked to them.


    Srassa was right there beside him, sitting in a wooden chair. For a split second, Momo thought she was looking at herself and Servi.


    The only exception is that she isn¡¯t holding his hand, but other than that, it¡¯s just like when Servi was sleeping. Srassa, I knew we were similar. Heck, if you were born a Singi or I a Human, I bet we would¡¯ve been sisters.


    ¡°Silver¡­?¡± croaked Desperado. His chest was barely moving, only giving him the minimum amount of oxygen he needed. Even if he took a deep breath, most of it would be wasted.


    ¡°Easy, buddy, just lay back and relax. I guess you know why I hate it, don¡¯t you?¡±


    His friend just nodded.


    ¡°Back when we were kids, we once had a foot race. I ended up using Pulmoni Oxygeni to run faster.  I won, but my lungs tore. We didn¡¯t have access to many healers, and we couldn¡¯t pay them, so I had to let time heal me. It¡¯s definitely not something I want to re-experience. With that said, good fight.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± agreed Momo, ¡°That was an amazing match!¡±


    The rest of their friends went around giving their congratulations on Srassa¡¯s victory, but they also gave Desperado kudos for a well-fought battle.


    I have nothing to be sorry about now. I did my best, and I lost. It feels like a great weight disappeared from my shoulders. I almost feel happy, Desperado thought.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine. Just give him a day or two. Luckily, the tear wasn¡¯t that big. It¡¯ll hurt, though, and you¡¯ll be short of breath for a week or so,¡± said a medic. It was the same girl who helped Servi.


    Man, we¡¯ve been running into her all day. I gotta say she¡¯s good at her job, Momo thought as she turned to Srassa.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯re having our rematch, Srassa said.


    ¡°I guess we are,¡± replied Momo.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you two go get warmed up? I¡¯ll stay here with Desperado and do a little bit more healing,¡± said Dineria.


    Momo nodded and asked Servi to help her. She nodded with a pleasant smile, and they walked back to their chairs in the tent across from them. Before she had gotten too far, Momo turned around and waved to Claire, Jony, Marissa, and the children up in the bleachers. They waved and cheered back.


    ¡°Momo, I¡¯m feeling a little bit conflicted,¡± Servi suddenly said.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± said Momo, who was stretching. She bent over to touch her toes without bending her knees.


    ¡°I want to cheer for both of you, but I feel kinda bad. I¡­I really want you to win¡­¡± said Servi.


    When she held Momo¡¯s hand when she was unconscious, Servi made a declaration to tell the truth more often. Of course, this included the truth behind her abilities and powers. That was finally going to be exposed and explained to her best friend. It¡¯d take a while because of the promotion quest, but they had a promise. And Servi wasn¡¯t going to hold anything back. She was going to tell her every single thing. After that? She would beg for forgiveness from her best friend.


    Two months of lying isn¡¯t something to be forgiven so easily. Servi thought.  And I''ve killed so many... Can she accept that about me? Momo, please allow me to stay your best friend.


    Momo looked up and immediately went to hug Servi, who hugged her back. ¡°That¡¯s sweet of you. To tell you the truth, I wanna hear you cheer for me. I don¡¯t think that makes us bad people. I¡¯ve known you longer than Srassa, and you¡¯ve known me longer than her. I think it¡¯s natural to want your best friend to win! And besides, it¡¯s not like we hate her. She¡¯s a friend to both of us.¡±


    Servi squeezed a little bit harder, and Momo did the same. They let their nesting hearts do the majority of the talking. By the end, when they stepped away from each other, they had both conveyed everything they wanted to say.


    The body was more honest than the mind, and that was true in almost every single situation.


    Momo sat on the ground and bent over until her stomach touched the floor. It was kind of dirty, but she didn¡¯t care. Win or lose, a long, hot, refreshing shower was waiting for her.


    When it¡¯s time, I¡¯m gonna walk up to the ring with a smile on my face, and I¡¯m gonna fight Srassa with everything I have. I¡¯m gonna win! I¡¯m gonna do it for us, Servi. I¡¯ll win the camping set so we won¡¯t have to spend a lot of money, and then we¡¯ll go on the promotion quest and completely ace it! Then, we¡¯ll come back and have a super yummy meal. I¡¯ll be able to learn about you and your past, and then we¡¯ll go on even more quests!!! I believe we can do anything if we¡¯re together!!


    And so, ten minutes flew by in what felt like seconds. The all the fluorescent lights lighting up the center arena flipped off, with only the dim lights left glowing, but the crowd didn¡¯t panic. No, they cheered. The sudden change in lighting was a sign of what''s to come. The bleachers were full, and a not-so-insignificant amount of people were watching from the ground. Due to the way the warehouse was laid out, they didn¡¯t have the best view, but it was better than nothing.


    ¡°LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!!!¡± shouted Toni. An infectious excitement powered annoying his voice. ¡°It is now time for the FINAAALLSSSS!!!!!! I need Srassa Flinn to come to the center arena!!!!¡±


    Srassa sheathed her sword and wiped her sweat with a small white cloth. The moment she walked out of the white tent, a spotlight turned on and followed her every movement until she reached the center of the arena.


    ¡°Her journey to get this far wasn¡¯t an easy one. In fact, she had to fight many tough opponents. Desperado was a worthy foe, Arty almost won his spear techniques, and Silverado almost had her, but she always came out on top!!! Her single loss was against Momo, her opponent. Will it be a repeat of their previous match, or will she snatch the victory for herself?! LET¡¯S GIVE IT UP FOR SRASSAAAAAA FLINNNNNNNNNN!!!!!¡±


    Looking a bit embarrassed, Srassa kept her head leveled and looked around at everyone. They were cheering their hearts out for her.


    When I get stronger and more experienced, it wouldn''t be a bad idea to come back here and fight. Though, that''s if there are more tournaments. The rush I''m feeling right now is incredible!


    Her internal monologue was cut off by Toni, who went to introduce her opponent. ¡°AAAAAND NOW, MOOOOMOOOOO!!"


    ¡°Servi,¡± said Momo. She used a cloth to wipe her damp face and drank a cup of water.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time. I swear when I walk back to you, I¡¯ll be the winner,¡± there was no hesitation in her voice. She truly believed she had what it took to win it all.


    I don¡¯t believe I should be here. I should actually be disqualified, but I won¡¯t question it!  Thinking I shouldn''t be here and wanting to win are two totally different things!


    ¡°I know you will,¡± Servi stood up from her chair, and Momo gave her best friend a big hug. It somehow felt different from the other hugs they shared, but it wasn¡¯t a bad feeling.


    ¡°You¡¯re proud of me¡­.right?¡± questioned Momo. She knew the answer, but she wanted to hear it one more time. That¡¯s all she needed.


    ¡°Yes. Yes, I am. I¡¯m so proud of you that it isn¡¯t even funny. Look at you! You''re in the finals! I¡¯ll be cheering for both of you. But in my heart, I¡¯ll be cheering harder for you.¡±


    Momo produced her biggest smile yet and hugged Servi one last time.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m off,¡± she said, turning to the arena. Her back was to her friend, who simply smiled with pride.


    ¡°I believe in you, Momo!!!¡± Servi half-yelled. Momo couldn¡¯t help it and let out a little laugh.


    That¡¯s right, she believes in me. That¡¯s the only encouragement I need. Wait, was the crowd always this loud? Momo thought as she stepped out from the tent. Like with Srassa, a spotlight turned on and followed her every movement. All the while, the cheering from the audience exploded, becoming even louder.


    But then, it turned into something Momo would¡¯ve never expected. Not even in a million years.


    They¡¯re¡­.chanting my name?


    Yes, they were. The entire audience was chanting, ¡°Momo!! Momo!! Momo!!¡±


    They like me¡­?


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t even know how she¡¯s still standing!! Her hand was completely broken by Blaire, not to mention the one broken rib that clearly multiplied when she broke her opponent''s collarbone!!! Folks, she has a heart of steel. An unwavering spirit!!! Somehow, along the way, she¡¯s captured our hearts with her creative fighting style and fierce determination. GIVE IT UP FOR MOMO!!!!!!!¡±


    The chanting, somehow, became even louder, and the bleachers started to vibrate.


    Momo was a bit shocked. All these people couldn''t be cheering for her, could they? Was it just a coincidence that they just happened to be saying her name? She turned a cautious head towards Srassa, who smiled.


    "Well?"


    "Well, what?" asked Momo.  She was pretty confused.


    "Hold your sword up," Srassa said, "They''re chanting your name, so you have to give them something."


    With a timid hand that grew more and more confident, Momo placed her palm on the grip of her sword.  Smooth and textured, it fit perfectly in her hand.  Drawing it from her hip, she raised her arm until it was fully extended.  Her pink ears twitched slowly while her tail extended outward, steadily becoming more and more livelier.


    The crowd went wild, exploding and erupting, becoming louder by the passing second.  The stomping, clapping, hooting, and hollering topped out, only quieting when Momo lowered her arm.


    Grandpa, right now, I¡¯m so thankful I¡¯m alive. I used to want to die. Especially after what happened in the village. But now? I''m glad I found my will to live. Somehow, I found the strength to make it all the way here. Sure, it was a difficult journey, but I made it safe and sound. I got to meet so many amazing people. Srassa, for example, is someone who I think I¡¯ll be close friends with. Dineria is a super cool mentor, and it seems she cares a lot about us. And I guess it¡¯s the same with Fisher and everyone else.


    But there¡¯s someone else I¡¯m even more thankful for. Servi... Ever since I met her, my life has improved for the better. She¡¯s so cool, strong, and pretty, but she¡¯s also so mysterious. I like her, grandpa. She¡¯s my first ever friend I¡¯ve made besides you.


    But she¡¯s not my only friend. I have Srassa and the others. But in my heart, Servi will always be my first friend. I hope we''ll be together for a long time!


    Just like Momo, Servi was also at peace. She was by herself at the moment, separate from her mentor and other friends.  Fisher and the others were at the second tent where Desperado was at. She would make her way over there soon, but she wanted to have a quick conversation with Itarr before she did.


    ¡°She''s so strong that I don¡¯t even recognize her.¡±


    I¡¯m proud of her... But I need to tell you something.  When you were asleep, Momo talked non-stop.  It was all about you.


    Itarr took the time to summarize just how much Servi meant to Momo.


    I didn''t mean to overhear her, but she cares a lot about you.


    ¡°I feel like crying...¡±


    Me too, but what now? Do we stay in Canary with her?


    ¡°Of course we do! After hearing what she said, I''d have to be heartless to leave my best friend! Besides, if we get stronger and get promoted in Warden, we might take on more dangerous quests. Who knows, we might end up taking one that¡¯ll take us to the Gods.  Maybe they can give us our memories back.¡±


    I wonder if that will happen? I haven¡¯t remembered a single thing.


    ¡°Neither have I. But that¡¯s fine, I think. I have you, you have me, and we both have Momo. And Fisher and everyone else. We¡¯re not alone anymore. We have friends... And we have people who care about us. But¡­.the question remains: will Momo stay with us when she finds out about us? I want to tell her now, after the fight, but I don''t know. Maybe the best time is when we get back.¡±


    I¡¯ll be hoping with everything I have, but I¡¯m sure she will. We just have to get back from the promotion quest safe and sound. With our abilities, I don''t think anything can stop us!


    ¡°Right! Now, let¡¯s go over there and join the others. I love you, Itarr.¡±


    And I love you too!  I¡¯m going to cheer the best I can for Momo, but I don¡¯t know how much it¡¯ll help since she can¡¯t hear me.


    Servi smiled at nothing and giggled. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll somehow know. Now¡­ MOMO, I BELIEVE IN YOU!!!!!¡± Servi yelled as she placed a hand on the railing.  With a bit of flair, Servi hopped the handrail and jogged to the other tent to join her friends.


    Did she hear you?


    Servi nodded and pointed.


    It was then that Itarr noticed Momo¡¯s tail formed a crudely drawn ¡®S¡¯ as it zipped from top to bottom, left to right. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, she held a hand behind her and gave a thumbs up.


    She knew, and she was smiling so brightly towards her opponent. They both held their swords tightly in their hands and were only waiting for the fight to begin.


    At that moment, Toni, who had finished advertising for a store, finally said-- screamed-- the magic words.


    ¡°NOW, LET THE FINALS BEGIN!!!!!!! FIGHT!!!!!!"

 (Finale) Book Two – Chapter Eleven – Part Thirteen – Tournament!

    It was a long and hard battle for both of them, lasting well over ten minutes.


    It began with a simple exchange of words.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been hoping for a chance to fight you again.¡±


    ¡°Same here. Remember, no matter who wins, we¡¯re friends at the end of the day.¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± said Srassa, gripping her blade. ¡°No matter what happens, we¡¯ll be friends!¡±


    Momo nodded and gripped her beloved blade, a gift from her dearest grandfather.


    Then it upgraded to a swift volley of back and forth replies, but they used their swords to do the speaking.  It was as raw as it could be, with swipe after swipe and slash after slash, both meeting their opposite. Metal sparked against metal as the cheering of hundreds of people encouraged and strengthened their sword arms.


    A few minutes in, Momo caught a lucky break and managed to block an overhead slam that threatened to bypass her defenses.


    The strength in her opponent¡¯s arms gave way, and Srassa backed up, choosing to focus on defense for the time being. Momo went to raise her hand for a Magic Missile, but she couldn¡¯t even do that. Her arm was screaming in pain that it wanted to rest, that it didn¡¯t have anything left to give.


    In a huffed breath, Srassa spoke to her opponent. ¡°Your¡­arms hurt¡­too?¡±


    Momo simply nodded, ¡°I..can¡¯t swing it..anymore,¡± she said in between breaths. Sweat poured like a soft waterfall from both girls¡¯ faces.


    Srassa grinned and spoke two words, ¡°I can!¡± and darted off towards Momo.


    She¡¯s incredible. Momo thought as she rolled back, avoiding a thrust. As Momo recovered to her feet, she was met with a Magic Missile that struck her in the chest. That forced the air to be forcibly evicted from Momo''s lungs. Her armor protected her from any permanent damage, but the pain from the impact remained.


    She went to the ground, clutching her chest as she tried to catch her breath.  But that wasn''t the only thing she did.  Her hurried gasps and gulps of air were a curtain to disguise her true aim.


    Srassa knew how crafty Momo was, and she kept her distance, choosing only to raise her hand in preparation for what her opponent may do.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re pre-casting,¡± said Srassa, ¡°I watched your matches very closely when we got to the finals.¡±


    Crap! Momo got to her feet and didn¡¯t know what to do.


    I could use Magic Missile, but the moment I raise my hand, she¡¯ll attack. Stupid Instant-Cast! Wait¡­.what if I use a skill I don¡¯t have. Like Thunder Snap? Yeah, that might work. If I do that, she¡¯ll have to use a technique, but will it be Magic Missile, Thunder Snap, or Lucem?  I can¡¯t raise my arms to cover my ears or eyes. They¡¯re so sore! But if it¡¯s a handstand for a few seconds¡­. Okay, focus, Momo! Close your eyes and do your best to remember where Srassa is at.


    Momo completed the pre-cast for Thunder Snap and shouted it at the top of her lungs. Srassa went to shield her ears after she used a Lucem of her own in retaliation. She did it so fast that it took a few seconds for her to realize she was duped.


    I didn¡¯t hear anything¡­. She doesn¡¯t have Thunder Snap?!?!?!


    Momo used that instant to sheath her sword, roll in, and transitioned into a handstand. Her end plan was to spin on her hands and used her feet to attack. Unfortunately, her arms gave out, causing her kick to be something akin to a diagonal slash.


    But it worked out anyway.


    She managed to kick Srassa''s side and fell to the ground. Not wanting to miss the right moment, Momo transitioned into a roll, straddled her opponent, and held her hand to her foe''s armor-covered stomach.


    Srassa''s sword was knocked away, sliding a short distance that neither could comfortably reach from their current position.


    ¡°I win!¡± shouted the Singi as she chanted Magic Missile.


    She thought she had it in the bag¡­.


    Srassa¡¯s mind raced back to the conversation they had just minutes ago.


    Remember, no matter who wins, we¡¯re friends at the end of the day.


    Right! No matter what happens, we¡¯ll be friends!


    The short conversation played like a record, and Srassa uttered a single word.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± I¡¯m definitely going to win!


    ¡°Wha¡ªGGAAH!!¡±


    Srassa realized that Momo did not pin her arms down, and she could still raise them. Taking advantage of that, she brought her fist up and clocked Momo across the jaw.


    That distracted her long enough for Srassa to push Momo off of her. She didn''t know what powered her punch.  It could''ve been the growing anger at potentially losing to Momo a second time, or it could''ve been the regret she knew she would feel after the fight was over.  She thought it was a dirty move, but Momo didn''t see it that way.


    Srassa went to get up, but Momo responded by sweeping her legs. They clashed against Srassa¡¯s ankles, and she went down again but not before reaching out to grab the hilt of her sword. She managed to touch it with her pinky but failed to reclaim it. She did, however, slide it towards her a little bit, shortening the distance.


    Not missing this moment, Momo straddled Srassa again, this time on her chest instead of her stomach. She immediately chanted and used Magic Missile.


    Srassa coughed blood and cried out in pain. The skill didn¡¯t penetrate her body, but since it was formed at such a close range, the heat produced ended up burning her armor, staining it black. In addition, Momo overcharged it with Skill Energy, forcing it to shoot out at such a high speed it almost pierced through the armor.


    ¡°Forfeit!!¡± screamed Momo, who prepared another Magic Missile. Sweat dripped down her face and into her mouth, covering her lips in the salty liquid. Her hands trembled from a mixture of adrenaline and excitement.


    ¡°No!! It¡¯s not over!!¡± Srassa yelled. Her hands struggled against Momo''s legs until her palm faced her foe''s back.  Taking advantage of her Instant Cast, she emptied her Skill Energy Reservoir after using Magic Missile four times.


    They all hit the same spot, piercing through Momo''s armor and burning a part of her flesh.  But that wasn''t the end of it. The impact of the last one had nothing to hold it back, so it inflicted the most damage it could, breaking the skin and drawing blood in the process.


    Momo cried out. Her strength drained as quickly as the falling crimson stained the ground, and gravity took hold of her body.  She fell on top of Srassa with a loud yelp of pain and deep breaths full of agony.


    With all of her strength, Srassa pushed Momo off of her a second time. Somehow, the Singi used her training to convert the push to a backwards roll and got to her feet. But she wasn¡¯t in the best shape. Momo''s back had such a wound that it felt like a fire-enchanted saw was carving her spine, and there was a dull, throbbing sensation in her jaw from where she was struck. However, she didn¡¯t retreat empty-handed.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ totally¡­tapped..out¡­¡± gasped Srassa in between deep breaths. Her Skill Energy Reservoir was drained, and any hope of using another skill was a pipe dream.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­.not¡­¡± eked out Momo, who clutched her side. ¡°But..it..hurts to¡­talk¡­¡±  Momo teared up at the pain in her jaw, which suddenly seemed to intensify.


    Talking....hurts...a lot...


    ¡°That¡¯s how to stop¡­skills¡­ Can¡¯t talk¡­can¡¯t chant¡­.or¡­use¡­¡± Srassa looked down at her waist and realized she didn¡¯t have her sword. She swore she grabbed it before Momo swept her ankles.


    ¡°Here¡­here¡­¡± said Momo, grinning even though it hurt.  She had Srassa''s weapon in her hand, leaving the Human with no way to defend herself.


    ¡°Haaa...¡± Srassa started giggling and realized she was at a disadvantage. Or was she?


    ¡°I can¡¯t use skills, and¡­¡± she trailed off, trying to find a way to stall for time as she walked backwards. She needed two minutes to regenerate enough Skill Energy to let loose a single Magic Missile.


    She didn''t get it.  Momo wouldn''t allow her opponent the chance to recuperate even the smallest amount.


    Momo dropped her opponent¡¯s sword to the ground and drew her own sword, but it was useless. Her arms didn¡¯t have the strength. She went to step forward towards her steadfast opponent and cried out with each step. One of her kidneys was damaged, and every step just multiplied the pain, but she never gave up. That thought never crossed her mind.


    Srassa started walking too and eventually broke into a sprint. Momo did the same, even dropping her sword so she could run a bit faster.


    Both girls yelled a mighty cry as they used the last of their strength to punch each other. All of their feelings and hopes and desires and wants and everything else-- their core being-- was put into their fists.


    At that moment, the only thing that mattered was the girl who fought for herself and the girl who fought for her friend.


    Perhaps that was the difference that decided it all?


    The crowd went silent as their fists connected with each other¡¯s faces and the sound of bone being cracked underneath such a pulverizing hit was audible to even Toni, up high in his announcer¡¯s booth. He started commentating when the match started but quickly stopped. He was mesmerized by the sheer fighting spirit displayed by both girls.


    Having given everything they had and with nothing left, neither girl had the energy to remain standing. Falling at the same time, a single voice of hope cut through the dark silence.


    ¡°MOMO, I BELIEVE IN YOU!!!! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!¡±


    Steadying herself, Momo remained standing. Blood dripped from her back; the same red liquid snaked out of her mouth, and her armor was soaked in so much sweat that it felt like it weighed a metric ton. Her arms stayed motionless by her side and her eyes closed for just a second.


    But she was standing. Her opponent was not.


    Toni shouted over the voice loudner, giving his immense thanks and praises to both fighters before declaring Momo the winner.


    The crowd went wild, and Dineria rushed into the arena. Servi followed her.


    The medics were already there. Three were using Remedium Lux on Srassa, and four were doing the same to Momo.


    ¡°Momo?¡± asked Servi as she got closer.


    The Human medic that helped Servi spoke up.


    ¡°She can¡¯t hear you.¡±


    ¡°Explain,¡± barked Dineria, who prepared her healing skill.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Momo passed out.¡±


    ¡°Passed out?¡± questioned Servi.


    The medic nodded. ¡°It¡¯s rare, but people can pass out on their feet. The damage they both sustained is healable. Though they¡¯ll both have sore jaws in the morning, and Momo might want to take it easy for a day or so. If she gets all of her rest, she¡¯ll be good to go in about two days. Now then, if you¡¯ll excuse us, we need to take these two to a bed.¡±


    Servi and Dineria nodded and moved out of the way. They went back to Fisher and the others and told them of the damage.


    A few minutes later, when it was time for the reward ceremony, Momo was still unconscious. On Momo''s behalf, Dineria accepted the grand prize ticket for a camping set valued at 600 dupla. That wasn''t all. The mentor of the winner, also Dineria, received a cash prize of 1,000 dupla. Both gifts were presented in their own decorated boxes engraved with an emblem in the shape of a yellow bird.


    While Dineria was collecting the prizes and saying a few words, Servi was sat right beside Momo.  Using both of her hands to caress one of the sleeping girl''s hand, Servi could only smile.


    Shall we heal her? I mean, just a little bit? We¡¯re alone, and nobody should notice. I don¡¯t want it to be unnatural, so I¡¯ll just heal her a little bit, okay?


    Servi just nodded and began to talk to her best friend. ¡°I¡¯m very proud of you. In fact, I¡¯m more than proud. You went out there and used every bit of strength you had, and you won. You¡¯re my best friend, you know that? You¡¯re probably the first best friend I ever had. I¡­.I hope you¡¯ll be able to accept my past. You¡¯ve grown so much over the past two months, and it¡¯s incredible. I have no doubt you have the spirit, ability, and courage to live a one-of-a-kind life. I just hope you¡¯ll allow me to stay with you. I hope you don¡¯t end up hating me. I¡­..¡±


    Servi trailed off when she realized something important.


    I can¡¯t cry¡­.I should be crying tears of happiness, but I¡¯m not¡­..


    Dear diary, my name is Momo! Wait, scratch that. My name is Momo, the first winner of the first tournament held by Warden in the city of Canary!!!!


    Okay, I shouldn¡¯t let it get to my head. At the end of the day, I''m still just Momo.


    But I figured now would be a good time to write in my diary. It seems like it¡¯s been a whole year, but only a single day has passed since the tournament. I can hardly remember the fight, but I know it was intense and came down to the wire. Well, I guess I''m lying a little bit. There¡¯s one part I can clearly remember.


    It was when Srassa and I were running at each other. I had taken her sword, and I dropped mine because I wanted to run faster. That, and it was strangely heavy. I remember we went to punch each other, and I think we hit each other in the face, with each of us putting all of our strength into one final attack.


    At that moment, I was happy. I was even more than happy because I gave 120%.


    Then I heard a single voice that belonged to my best bestest best friend ever. She told me that she believed in me. She believed that I could do this.


    I think, for a fraction of a fraction of a second, I focused everything on standing. I felt like if I fell, she wouldn¡¯t be proud of me because she told me to win. I didn¡¯t want to make her upset or angry.


    So I stood tall. At least, I think I did.


    I remember waking up maybe 12 hours ago in my room. It was morning, and the sun was shining bright. It wasn¡¯t until I looked around that I saw that it wasn''t my room. It was similar, but also not.


    Then the door opened, and Servi walked in. Grandpa, I immediately cried like a little baby. I don¡¯t really remember the conversation, but she hugged me tightly and said how proud she was of me. At that moment, all of the pain I endured was worth it. It really was.


    Oh, but speaking of pain, when I woke up, I didn¡¯t feel anything. My face wasn¡¯t hurting, and my back was perfectly fine. Like before, it was like I was a brand new Momo!


    But then, she showed me the magical ticket, the whole reason for the tournament. The one single key item that will allow me and Servi to go further and travel more!!!


    It was the ticket to get a camping set. The store is at the shopping center where Levadia Woods is, so that¡¯s where we¡¯ll go in the morning.


    I told Servi and all my other friends (yes, grandpa, all of my other friends!!!) that I never had as much fun before, and they all agreed. They said the tournament was so fun too!


    Speaking of Srassa, there was no animosity or anger or hatred between us. She greeted me with a smile, and I did the same. Then, we hugged. Then I cried, and she cried, and it was just a whole heap of emotions.


    Now that I think about it, Servi didn¡¯t cry a single bit. Maybe she already cried after the tournament? Or maybe she has a stronger grip on her emotions than I do.


    Regardless, we all went out for lunch, except Claire because she had to work. I¡¯m sorry, Claire!! Dineria offered to pay for everyone with her 1,000 dupla prize.


    Oh man, Claire was so jealous. When we left Warden, I overheard Claire say she wished she had that amount of cash. I do too, Claire.


    Oh, speaking of Warden, the room I was in this morning was something that Servi rented for a single day. She didn¡¯t want to go through my bag and find my key. I told her it was okay because I trusted her, but she said she knew how important it was to me. So yeah, that was kinda sweet of her.


    But now I¡¯m in my room properly. It¡¯s almost 10 PM, and it¡¯s getting really dark. I¡¯m in my pajamas that I bought to celebrate my victory. Well, Servi paid for half of it. I told her she didn¡¯t need to, but she didn¡¯t take no for an answer. So I said she could help me pick them out. It¡¯s a cute yellow top with a bird in the middle and black pajama pants that are super soft!


    I told her that I¡¯ll always cherish this moment, and she just smiled. I hope I didn¡¯t freak her out by saying that because it¡¯s true. Every single moment I shared and will share with Servi will have a super special place in my heart. She¡¯s my best bestest best friend.


    Wait, where did that come from? Oh well, it¡¯s the truth.


    But I might want to stop writing for now. Tomorrow is July 10th, and Servi and I are meeting up early. The plan is to go to that shopping center and get the tents and canteens and stuff like that, then go food shopping. If it¡¯s not too late, we¡¯ll officially take the promotion quest and start our journey.


    I already have my bag and sword laid out, as well as my underclothes and armor.


    Grandpa, I¡¯m so thankful I¡¯m alive. After I left the village¡­..during that incident, I really wanted to kill myself. But I felt like it would be disrespectful to you. So I didn¡¯t.


    And I¡¯m so glad I didn¡¯t kill myself.


    I found Servi, and we¡¯re really good friends. Best friends, even. And then there¡¯s Fisher, who¡¯s kinda scary. He has a look about him, but he seems like a good person. Silverado and the others are super nice.


    And Dineria is amazing. She¡¯s so kind, and her gentleness almost reminds me of you. The way she patted my head just made me so happy. And Srassa is super friendly. She might be my rival, but I would say she¡¯s more than that. She¡¯s almost similar to me, in certain ways, but she¡¯s also different. We both gave it our all, and I¡¯m proud of both of us.


    Good night, grandpa. I love you. I hope you¡¯re proud of what I accomplished. I know I am. When I see you again, I¡¯ll tell you everything. And then you can meet Servi. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll have Srassa or Silverado or the others with me, but it¡¯d be nice if I did.


    Sincerely, Momo.


    Fin~~

 Update – 24 September 2020 (Illustrations!)

    RuggyRuggy


    Also, I was kinda writing this update post in a hurry, so I''m sure there''s a bunch of grammatical errors.  I''m not too worried about fixing them since it''s just an update post.


    This update is going to be pretty long.  I didn''t bother to split it into two parts because I felt like it wasn''t necessary.  Like above, it''s only an update.  It doesn''t affect the overall story.


    And all you lurkers out there, feel free to comment!


    Hello, Everyone! This update might be a bit different from the other one.  In addition to talking about Book Two and the progress of Book Three, I want to go over some of the details that didn''t quite make it from the first draft of this story.  In additional, I have some ideas for two or three new stories I would like to write concurrently while I do this story.


    Without further ado, let''s get started.


    Actually, I lied.  Book Two can wait!


    I have some pictures for you, courtesy from waifulabs.com, of Servi, Momo, and the girl inside Momo''s conscience.


    I lied, I have more pictures than just them.  All of these pictures are going in the glossary, too.


    Servi - Okay, for her, I imagined she had red eyes and black hair that came just below her shoulders.  As you can see from below, they stop just above her shoulders.  I couldn''t find one that had the hair length I want, but imagine the hair being a tiny bit longer until it drips past her shoulders. Other than that, that''s how I pictured Servi to look.


    Momo - My description for Momo was pink hair, pink ears, pink tail, and blue eyes.  Again, I tried to get as close as possible as I could.  Imagine the eyes a little bit bluer, and the hair a little bit longer.  Oh, that blue thing on her hair? Imagine it''s not there.  Other than that, I''m happy with it. It''s exactly what I pictured her to be.


    P.S: She''s adorable, isn''t she?


    Girl Inside Momo''s consciousness - She and Momo are supposed to look the same, but their ears and tails are different.  I did my best in waifulabs to make them the same, but with different ears.  I did manage to get the right colored eyes I wanted.  I do wish it was a bit easier.  Regardless, imagine the hair and eyes below with the face above.  Though maybe make the hair a little bit shorter.


    Qina Keywater - Now, My description for Qina and Claus was the following: Blue eyes and blond hair. Qina''s hair is longer than Claus''s.  To picture Claus, imagine short hair and a male body.  They are twins, so they look alike.  I know they didn''t show up that much in Book Two, but they will re-appear.


    Srassa - The noble girl that Momo befriends when they''re training under Dineria.  My description was blond hair and green eyes.  Other than the earring, I think that''s an earring(My eye sight isn''t the greatest,) it''s exactly how I pictured her. Hey, who knows, maybe she''ll get an earring in the future.


    Dineria - I don''t think I ever mentioned her eye color in the story.  Well, it''s green.  In waifulabs, I tried and tried to find pointy ears, because she''s an Elf, but I couldn''t.  Either I was unlucky with the refreshes, or I''m blind.  Regardless, picture her with pointy ears and there you go.


    Claire - Like Dineria, I don''t think I ever mentioned Claire''s eye color. I intended it to be purple from the start, but I don''t think I actually said it.  Imagine her with pointy ears, and there you have Claire.


    Waifulabs, as a whole, is pretty helpful.  My one complaint is that I have to click refresh the grid over and over and over and over again until I find what I''m looking for. I can''t complain too much, though.  I have no artistic ability in my body.  I do want to commission official art work in the future.


    I''m sure none of y''all expected Book Two to be a training/tournament arc, did you? Since Book One didn''t have a lot of Momo in it, I wanted to include a ton of her in the next one.  She''s a main character from here on out, so I wanted her to develop a little bit. She''s still somewhat childish, but I think she''s growing well.


    Servi, on the other hand, stayed somewhat the same until her fight with Fisher.  It was only then that she realized she misinterpreted things on her first day.  Her hatred of him lasted for months because of a misunderstanding. Honestly, who could blame her given the circumstance?


    Oh, but now the readers know that Servi''s emotions are being manipulated by Itarr in order to keep her happy.  That''s why she was looking forward to things she didn''t really want to do.  She never wanted to stand out in front of people, but she volunteered to lift Feral''s shield.  She was having fun when she was learning under Fisher, which was the result of Itarr wanting Servi to be happy.


    It''s a very twisted kind of love, but for Itarr, it''s the only love she knows.  Remember, she was locked up for hundreds of thousands of years.  She only knows her name, skills, and very little knowledge about the outside world.  The rest she learns from Servi, who isn''t exactly the sanest one around.  Even without Itarr manipulating Servi''s anger, Servi has an anger problem herself. Servi has deep mental problems, and she''s relying on both Momo and Itarr to stay grounded.


    The same thing with Momo.  She''s relying on Servi as a source of strength and inspiration that keeps the bad thoughts away.  At the end of Book Two, Momo writes in her diary and thinks to herself that she''s glad to be alive.  After she had to leave her village, she wanted to kill herself.  She didn''t think she had a right to live any more.


    Speaking of which, Momo''s actually suffering, to a certain extent, from Dependent Personality Disorder  She was fine during the month long training because of two reasons:  The first being the fact she would see Servi every day, and her growing friendship with Srassa.  What she couldn''t get from Servi she got from Srassa.


    The same thing with the Final Exam.  She knew she would see Servi again, so she didn''t freak out that much. Again, she got what she would''ve gotten from Servi from Srassa.  One could argue that her actions when Servi was knocked out the first time was because she was scared.  She didn''t know what the heck was going on and only found out when Dineria told her when she was treating Servi.


    There''s a link below if you want to read more about it.


    https://www.healthline.com/health/dependent-personality-disorder#causes-and-symptoms


    Oh yeah, Book Two, in it''s pre-pre-pre-pre-outline, was going to be much darker.  During the final exam, I had planned on Servi succumbing to her anger and killing Fisher.  Silverado and the others would investigate, and she would kill them too.  Servi would end up walking back to Canary covered in blood and guts.


    I thought that was too dark.  I don''t have any problem with dark things, but I don''t want this story to always be dark.  There has to be some light in it or else it''s just depressing. That''s not to say that the depressing moments aren''t going to come, they are, I wanted a light fluffy Book before the events of Book Three.


    Oh yeah, one of the characters introduced in Book Two will eventually be part of Servi and Momo''s party, thus adventuring with them.  Can you guess which one?


    I''m not exactly being subtle with it, but the main romance is going to be Servi x Momo. The end of Book Two had some nice things happen.  Itarr told Servi what Momo said when Servi was asleep,  Momo gathered the courage to basically ask Servi out on a date to dinner to ask her about her past, and there was a time in which they just hugged and let their hearts and feelings do the talking.


    Remember, different race relations are not allowed.  Remember the Church? They haven''t shown up that much since first introduced, but they will start to show up more and more later on. Keep in mind, though, that most Demi-Humans hate the church.  They don''t really care for it that much.  They can''t exactly speak out about it, but there may be some who don''t gives a rat''s ass about the Church''s rules.


    But what about Itarr? She''s inside of Servi, and she''s able to see in a 360-degree view around her.  Even if Servi closes her eyes, Itarr can still see.  It''ll almost be like having a constant third-wheel when the relationship gets romantic.  I''m curious about how you all think that will play out.


    And please, tell me how I did grammar wise? How would you grade my descriptions? Too wordy? Not wordy enough? How about sentence structure? I know someone told me that my writing had some redundancy in it, so I did my best cut some of that out.  How did I do?


    I do know that I have some problems with missing a word in a sentence.  Like, sometimes I''ll just forget a word.  And I''m having some trouble with commas. I do think I''ve improved a lot since Book One. When I go back to Book One, I feel like burning and locking it away in an underground vault inside a volcano.


    First of all, it was written in first person and not third.


    Things that stayed the same: Servi, Itarr, Claus and Qina, juncea, the Skill System, the Blessing System, Warden, Parrel and his giant mansion, Llamare and Liealia(Kinda of), all of the races except for Kobold, and the countries.


    In the first draft, Momo didn''t exist.  Instead, she was replaced by a Human girl named Lin.  She met Servi after Servi passed out from blood loss.  The whole thing with her stealing food, losing a hand, running away and being attacked by the juncea was the same.  But she didn''t die, only passed out.  And when she met Itarr, it wasn''t in a jail cell like area, it was a void of pitch black that cracked to reveal a dazzling red light.  But Itarr didn''t bless Servi then because she didn''t die.  She was just teetering the brink of being alive or dead.  Lin, the girl who Momo replaced, ended up saving Servi.  Then later on, the camp where they were staying got attacked by soldiers and they were looking specifically for Lin.  She was terrified and came up with the plan to kill Servi so she could say that she was kidnapped, and thus wouldn''t be punished for leaving.


    Servi then killed herself, and she met Itarr.  This is when Itarr blessed Servi and she woke up.  At that point, Servi was as strong as a regular Human.  Lin passes out from the shock of seeing someone come back to life and Servi goes out to deal with the intruders.  After they died and Servi found out she could absorb souls, her head starting hurting because her mind processed the memories of the souls (something that may or may not come back.)


    Servi then walked back to Lin and picked her up and realized that Lin was the only one left alive in the camp.  The attackers had killed everyone else.  So, Servi had Itarr burn the camp to ash and the first part of the book ended with Servi carrying Lin as they just walked down the road with a flaming inferno behind them.


    The second part of the book is about the two of them walking to Canary.  Lin wakes up and tells Servi about what happened and why she was being chased.  I can''t explain why because I was able to reuse this plot point in the book, though it doesn''t pop up until much later on.


    But Servi tells Lin about Itarr and she finds it hard to believe but after seeing Servi use skills without speaking, she accepts it.


    They eventually reach Canary and join Warden, but have to do a little fighting tournament to showcase that they actually can fight and hold their on.  Servi had to face Rakred, who in the final version of the story became Warden''s inn keeper in Canary.


    Both of them passed the test, and Servi saw that Lin was a capable fighter who prefers to use a dagger than the staff.  See, part of Lin''s story is that she was forced to heal over and over for hours on end until she passed out, which gave her a phobia of healing with skills.  That''s why when she escaped, she learned, from the village she was staying in, to heal with medicine and plants. She likes to help people, but not with skills.


    But back to the draft.  Other than Rakred, there was an Elf with red hair that was named Rose who was wanting to join Warden.  Claire didn''t exist at the time.


    The rest of the book is about Lin and Servi taking on quests for a few days while they try to save up some money to move to a different city.


    During one of those quests, They come across a little lost girl with a single arm.  Servi tried to heal her, but she wasn''t strong enough.  They end up taking the girl back with them and look after her.  This plot point of looking after a little child may or may not come back up in the future.


    There is a part where Servi does her nightly stroll and she ends up saving a woman and her dog, just like what Servi does in final version.  But instead of giving her a dagger, Servi gives her some money so she could stay at an inn.  In addition, Servi ends up meeting Claus and Qina.  Their designs were the same, but their personalities were totally different.  They''re much more snobbish and uptight, looking down on everyone.  They get into a fight and Servi actually cuts off Qina''s arm.  After that, Claus activates a teleportation skill and runs away back to Keywater with his sister.


    But near the near of the book, Lin and Servi are walking and they see two Earth Elves slaves.  Parrel, still with the same design and personality, buys them and hits them on the way home.  They do this right in front of Servi and Lin.  Servi is mad but Lin doesn''t want her to do anything in public.  Servi agrees and they go back to the inn where the little girl is waiting.  She used to be a slave and isn''t used to being shown kindness, so she always sleeps on the ground and eats on the floor even when Servi and Lin tell her she can use a bed and eat with forks and spoons.


    Later that night, Servi jumps out of the window.  Lin is there leaning against the front of the inn and says she knows about Servi''s nightly strolls.  Servi goes to apologize, but Lin says that she wants in.  She wants to help those who can''t help themselves.


    Some more stuff stuff happens and they find out that Parrel lives in the big giant mansion.  Servi and Lin assault it and Lin mainly plays support.  At this point, Servi used the skill Bloodline on Lin, and she''s receiving some of Servi''s skills that she absorbed, as well as her strength.  So she''s using Wind Strike and Fire Ball to provide backup.


    They fight through the place and eventually come across a guard to tells them where the slaves are being held at.  It''s in the basement.  Lin and Servi go to the basement and find an extremely large door and a bunch of jail cells along the walls.  They go through the cell and find a giant group of slaves all grouped together and they''re protected by guards.  Servi and Lin kills the guards.  The slaves are all Demi-Humans and can''t speak the common tongue, so they have some trouble until someone offers to act as a translator.  Suddenly, the large door inside the room opens up and a dragon comes out.  Servi stays behind and allows Lin to run away with the slaves, with the two Earth Elves with her.


    Servi beats the dragon by having him crush her Earth Walls and absorbing them, then letting them go above the dragon until he''s crushed to death.


    After that, Servi retreats out, helps Lin with some reinforcements that showed up, and heals up all of the slaves.  They do their best to thank Servi and Lin and runaway.  Parrel then comes out and says he''ll pay whatever they want if they let him live.  They say no and Servi kills him.  Then, she uses Earth Wall to go high in the air and sets fire to the giant mansion.  She turns around and uses Absorption to absorb part of the wall surrounding the city so the slaves can escape through it.  Then, she uses Earth Walls to make a ton of the in random places in the city to prevent the guards from coming to the mansion.


    Lin rushes to the inn in the confusion and meets up with Servi a moment later.  She asks to make sure the child, that they''re looking after, is okay.  Lin say she is and that she''s sleeping with the old woman who runs the inn.


    The book ends with Itarr saying she has to go away to process all of the souls that they absorbed that night and it''ll take about a month or so.  Servi says okay and cries when she speaks and no body answers her.


    I wasn''t comfortable writing in first person at the time, and I really only had the first book planned.  I do still have it all saved to my onedrive, so I could put it up.  I won''t because I''m too embarrassed by it and it contains spoilers for something that has yet to be revealed in the current story.  Another reason is that I felt like I was rushing things a lot.  Like, first book in and Servi already killed a dragon that Parrel had locked in the dungeon.


    Another reason is that that version of Servi was definitely OP.  Even more than the Servi of the final version.  Her Absorption had a range of over 1 kilometer to start with, and she gained a ton of strength whenever she absorbed a soul.


    And I felt like it was kind of unrealistic in the sense of "Hey, I know we met a few days ago and you tried to kill me, but let''s take this kid in and provide for her, even though I don''t know you that well."


    But I do think I had some good plot points, I just didn''t know how to accurately tackle them in a way that I would happy.


    As you can probably have guessed, Book Three is about Servi''s and Momo''s promotion quest to go from Rank 10 to 9.  It''s about them getting prepared, traveling for three days, delivering the item to Arcton''s Warden office, and coming back.  Simple and easy, no? All they have to do is go to Arcton and come back.   Yeah... It doesn''t exactly work out that way.  I don''t want to spoil it for the people who want to go in blind, so I''ll just write some stuff in this spoiler below.  Don''t worry, there aren''t any major plot spoilers.


    In the simplest terms, it''s about a Servi with very little to lose. Remember the Mafia I mentioned back near the end of Book One? They make an appearance. Also, keep in mind her power and how much damage she could cause. I''ll just say that something happens, and they become Servi''s target. Obviously, Servi could wipe them all out without break a sweat by destroy Arcton in a sea of fire, but something happens and she''s unable to do that.  So, there''s a different way she goes about rescuing Momo and destroying the Mafia.


    In terms of length, it should be shorter than Book Two.


    Below is a content warning inside a spoiler of non-spoiler things to expect.


    Book Three is like 100% darker than Book One.  There are some light moments, but they''re sparse and scattered. Book Three deals with themes such as prostitution, murder, and cannibalism.  There''s self-harm and self-disfiguring. Quite a bit of brutal and hellacious torture.  There''s quite a bit of gore as well.  As you can tell, it''s going to be depressing and potentially bittersweet. Oh yeah, there''s going to be death.  A lot of death. Like, a lot of people die.  When I say a lot, I mean a lot.


    And here''s just a little thing from me.  It sounds super weird, but trust me with the character I made.  I respect them.


    When a certain event happens in Chapter Two or Three, I can''t remember, I''m going to put a spoiler showing a certain character''s fate and what would happen to them by the end of the Book.  I have a feeling if I don''t do that, then I might get some angry messages.  Please, trust me with the characters.


    Release Date: The Prologue will be published anywhere from 7 to 14 days after this update post goes live. It all depends on when I finish project mentioned directly below this sentence. I might take a day or two off for a small break, I don''t know yet.  I don''t want to keep all of you waiting longer than I need to.


    Current Progress: Almost done with Chapter 5.  I''m aiming for ten chapters and four or five interludes.


    During that week, I wanted to do something I wanted to do for a while now.  I''m going to go back through Book One and separate the chapters into smaller parts.  Because I realized that I, myself, probably wouldn''t want to read a giant 14k word chapter in one sitting.  And I''ll also re-edit each one and fix the typos and errors to the best of my ability.  So when I do that, I don''t know how often you all might be notified, but I hope it doesn''t irritate you too much.  I think I learned a lot about writing during Book Two and I want to thank everyone who alerted me to the errors by commenting.


    Also, I won''t change any major plot or characters when I do the re-edits.  It''ll be specifically for grammar and readability only. So no new characters will be added, and none will be deleted.  If possible, I would appreciate it if you all could glance back over it and tell me how I did grammar wise.  I really do want to be a better writer.


    And there''s one more thing.  I want to thank all of you who''ve stuck with me for these two books. I love each and every one of you.  I know Book One had to be tough to get through with its massive chapters and many typos, but you stuck with it.


    I lied, there''s one more thing.  I just want to reiterate that the first prologue that deals with the Lord, the girl, and the coffin is important.  Those characters aren''t going to be tossed out and forgotten.  They have a purpose and those three are very important to the story.  But like I said, it''s going to be a while before I get to them.


    Okay, so I lied again.  As I go through Book One and separate them so it''s easier to read, I''ll be doing the same for Book Two.  Some of the longer chapters are upwards to 8k words, and I feel like that''s too much.


    CURRENT PROGRESS: As of 23 September 2020, I am at Nightly Stroll II Part 4. The lonest part thus far is 4.6k words.  I couldn''t really find the best place so split it up.  There will probably be 4 or 5 parts that are over 4k words. I want to be done before October 1st, I kinda want to take a small one to two day break.  I''ve been editing pretty much in every bit of spare time I have.


    In the future, I''ll make sure that parts aren''t longer than 4k words while making sure that the max length for an interlude is 6k words. If interlude goes above 6k words, then it will be split into two different parts.  But if some of you feel that''s too long, then give me what you think would be the perfect length. And like I said above, I''m not doing a total rewrite.  The plot is going to be the same, the characters are the same.  The only difference is in the length.


    These are just a few ideas that have been swimming around in my head. Both of these would be written in First Person.  I''d like to try my hand again at that.


    I have an idea of my own take on a summoned hero being betrayed and actively helping the Demon Lord he was supposed to kill.  Rather, the Demon Lord reaches out and talks to the MC.  She says she can help him if he helps her by freeing her from her seal.


    Yeah, sounds a bit familiar, doesn''t it?


    So, he does so.  As they''re walking out from the seal, a trap activates and wipes away all of the power the MC acquired during his journey.  Basically, he''s back at level one with all of his items gone.  He skills and magic are wiped away, and he has to learn them over again. This would be where the prologue ends.  A good bit of it is MC learning his Soul Weapon and traversing down a thousand floor dungeon where the Demon Lord is sealed up.


    From here, they wander the world to gain power to destroy the heroes and take their revenge.  It would mostly dark, since the MC would be traumatized by his past.  Unlike Servi, however, he has full knowledge and memories of before he was summoned. It would be dark and depressing for the most part, with a few hints of happiness. In terms of length, it would be way shorter than what I have planned for The Story of a Girl & a God Whose Souls Became Interconnected, but it would still be long.  I have the first book outlined.


    His ''cheat ability,'' for the lack of a better word, would be his Soul Weapon that every summoned Hero receives.  It reflects the Hero''s deepest desire and strength.  Some people receive a sword, others a bow.  One might receive a shield and another a torch.  Maybe a guy who used to be a mechanic is summoned, and his Soul Weapon is a wrench.  The main character''s weapon is a gun.  More specifically, a Beretta 92FS.  His weapon would grow and change into different forms, like a shotgun, rifle, machine gun, bazooka, sniper, depending on his level.  When he meets up with the Demon Lord, her power is given to him and his weapon takes on a more deadly approach with spikes and skulls and stuff like that.


    There will be a harem involved, and R-18 elements and LitRPG elements will be abound plenty. Stuff like levels and HP and MP and stuff like that.   For the most part, it''ll be him going leveling up his True Demon Lord Skill Tree by doing Demon Lord stuff and gaining power and followers.  More specifically, it''ll be doing ''evil'' things like stealing, killing, kidnapping, destroying villages, and towns. Taking over castles and slaughtering royalty.  Doing those things will give him bonuses to his stats and eventually unlock new powers that a True Demon Lord would have.  One more thing, he can only level up by killing people.  That''s what will give him XP.  He gets XP from monsters, but they''re like 1/20th of what he would get if he killed a human or a beastkin(basically demi-humans)


    The major plot points would be when he gets his revenge on the other heroes and the countries of the world that did nothing when he was betrayed.


    There''s dungeons and bosses and mystical items and LitRPG items and tropes like that.


    Yes, it''s another isekai.  This time, though, it would be light-hearted, almost like a comedy, and I can''t lie, it would be wish-fulfillment to the max. And I''m not going to lie again, it''s going to be pretty degenerate, with the taboo of incest coming into play.


    It''s about a guy who was killed by Father Time in order to prevent a nuclear world war.  In order to reincarnate, Father Time tells the MC he has to father his reincarnated self.


    Yes, you read that right. He is his own daddy.


    To sum it up, he ends up sleeping with two Goddess and impregnating them both.  They descend down to the world he wants to be reincarnated in and eventually give birth 9 months later after disguising themselves.  The degenerate part is when the main character realizes he''s both the brother and father of his sister.  Because of how he was reincarnated, half of his soul is in his sister and the other half is in him.


    Yeah, I know.  It sounds a bit similar to Servi and Itarr, with how their souls are interconnected.  But this time it''s different. I promise.


    Part of the first book would be the main character, named Sky Konohana by his ''Mom'' and his life growing up in his village and coming to terms wit his new life.  Eventually Sky and his sister Chikyu leave their village and adventure off when they''re of age and adventure off into the world.  Their relationship eventually turns incestuous when he tells his sister / daughter the truth of their lineage-- about how he''s hers father and brother and she''s his daughter and sister.


    Obviously, it''s degenerate to the max. I was going for max degeneracy with maybe a little bit of Alabama thrown into the mix.


    NOTE: When I was brainstorming this and I didn''t have a title, I internally referred to it as the Alabama Isekai. Roll Tide!


    Like I said, the book is generally light-hearted and wish-fulfillment to the max (kinda) with a harem thrown in, but there will be some dark moments.  There will be death and pain, and events he''s not strong enough to prevent from happening. The MC isn''t immortal like Servi, and he doesn''t start off super strong and powerful.  He''s a little fish in a giant world.


    I swear it sounds weird, but sometimes weird is good.  But maybe not this good.  I don''t know.  It''s just an idea that''s flowing around in my head.


    In terms of length, it would be probably about half as long as The Story of a Girl & a God Whose Souls Became Interconnected.  Maybe. I only have the first few chapters outlined.


    If I do decide to do another story or two, don''t worry.  My main focus is, will, and always be on telling The Story of a Girl & a God Whose Souls Became Interconnected to the utmost of my ability.


    I have some ideas for various short stories that aren''t iseaki.


    One of them is about what if a person on Earth was given God''s powers? What would they do? It''ll probably be super political and deal with the current issues going on in the world at the moment this update comes out.


    The last is about a super advanced and forgotten country rising up from the depths of the Mariana Trench.  It turns out that the MC, a young man working a dead end retail job at some supermarket, is a long lost descendant of the one ruler who escaped from the country and journeyed to the lands above.  The story will about him basically becoming a new king of this super powerful country that has mechs and lazer weapons and super high powered nukes.  Like the above, it''ll probably be super political with tons of espionage action as the other countries of the world try to take advantage of the MC.


    Eventually, after the project above is finished, I want to launch a patreon.  What I mean by that is that I have all of the details filled out except for tiers.  I don''t want to overcharge, but I don''t want to undercharge.  Don''t get me wrong, I''m not writing for the money.  I love writing! It''s just that times are a bit tough. Regardless of how it turns out, I will always write and post my stories.


    To be honest, I have very little experience when it comes to pricing things.  I was wondering if I could get help on what would be fair.


    I do have some ideas.  I plan to offer advance parts.  Since My chapters are usually long, I''ll probably have one of the expensive options be full chapters.  If the chapter happen to be short, like around 5 or 10k words, then I''ll probably post two chapters.  Like, one of my upcoming chapters is around 22k words.  At 4k words a part, that''s still like a five or six weeks, depending on how I cut it.  I think, hope, people would pay a little bit more to get the whole thing.


    Maybe I''ll have a tier that can influence the story by designing a character? For example, there''s some characters that are pretty important to the story that haven''t been introduced yet.  Maybe I''ll have a thing on designing minor characters, too? The more expensive one can be on designing major characters, within limits.


    Also, it won''t be just The Story of a Girl & a God Whose Souls Became Interconnected.  I''ll have the other stories in there, too.


    That gives me an idea.  Maybe I''ll have a tier that can vote on what story to start first? Either True Demon Lord  or The Life of Sky Konohana.


    What do y''all think?


    NOTE: Between the time I wrote this and now, I made a patreon.  It''s not launched, but here''s some screenshots.  I think I might make one more tier that has an exclusive scene, limited to a few thousand words, between any character and any situation? It could be lewd or unlewd, canon or non-canon.  Also, between the time this update goes live, I have fixed the typos in the descriptions.


    Sidenote: I wanted to launch the Patreon with Book Three, but I don''t know if I will.  I wanted to have all five chapters, plus the prologue edited and ready to be posted, but I don''t think I will make that date.


    Book Four, duh....


    As of right now, in my outline, the plot points of 21 books, not including various side story volumes, are planned.  Of course, that number isn''t set in stone and may increase or decrease.  In an earlier comment on a previous chapter, I said that Book One through Book Five is kind of like a prologue.  It''s main goal is to set up the relationships between the characters as well as set the general tone for the rest of the series.


    Book Six, and it''s ending, kicks off the story proper.  The events that occur in this Book sets the stage and lights the dynamite for everything that comes after.  And in a way, Book Six through Book Nine is another arc.


    And as for Book Ten, it''s going to be the longest one by far considering it''s like six Books all packed into one.  The information revealed in it is very important to the over all plot and endgame.


    Book Eleven through Book Fourteen is another Arc.


    Book Fifteen is its own arc


    Book Sixteen through Book Nineteen consists of an Arc.


    Book Twenty is currently planned to be in two main sections.  It sounds weird, but I promise it makes sense.


    And finally Book Twenty-One is the finale, show casing everything that was built together from the previous Books.


    I do know how the story ends.  It''s not written out, but it''s outlined.  I don''t want to say if it''s a sad or happy ending. I''m gonna keep that to myself for the time being.


    I know I have a monumental task ahead of me, and it might even be too big, but I''m determined to see it through to the end.


    I have an outline that has every single Book in it''s own section, as well as each and major plot point I want to hit.  The main problems is writing in a coherent and organic way to connect the plot points without making my characters seem too robot like.  That''s why I put in the restaurant scene in Book Two.  These characters are real to me and they have their own likes and dislikes, fears and beliefs.  Book Two probably could''ve been 60 or 70 thousands words shorter, but I wanted to make my characters come to life.


    Feral, for example, didn''t need to be a work at the candy shop, but I think it adds to his charm.  Riki and Rakkire didn''t need to have a small section about how the armor and weapons they wield are forged by their fathers and themselves.  It adds some nice detail to them.


    That''s also why this story is a slow burn.  I have a lot I want to tell and I don''t want to cut corners.  In some other stories, being at over 380,000 words would probably have it being somewhat near the end.  If you sum it down, starting from Book One Chapter One, it took around 340,000 words to tell a story that spanned two, two and a half months.  It''s kinda surreal to realize I''ve almost put 400k words into this story.  When I account for the outline, I''m a little bit over 600k words into creating this universe......


    I spent a ton of time building up the world and crafting the story I want to tell, and I only hope I can grow enough as an author to actually tell it in a way that it deserves to be told.  I know there hasn''t been that much world-building.  I''m actually kinda inexperienced in that regard, but I promise to do my best.


    I do hope you all will join me as I tell The Story of a Girl & a God Whose Souls Became Interconnected. (and other stories if I decide to one or two more...)


    And finally, a poll! Who is your favorite character so far?


    I have been RuggyRuggy, and I want to tremendously thank each and every one of you.  I never thought that, at the time of writing this, I would ever have over 70,000 views.  It''s just incredible, and I actually cried that night when I found out. It''s almost unreal.  And sometimes I still think I''m dreaming.

 Book Three – Prologue – Part One – An Unfortunate End

    Roko was a man who had a bright future ahead of him. Blessed by a Major God of Earth, he had a variety of Earth skills available for him to use from the moment he was born. Though his parents were unknown, he thanked them every day for the single gift they had given him. That, of course, was his resilient body that some believed to be blessed by the very planet itself. He rarely got sick, and any wounds he received were healed in a matter of days. By the time he was twenty, he was a local celebrity in the town he was born and raised.


    He had women and girls aplenty that wanted to be his one and only. It would not be strange, or even unusual, to spot a different girl leave his house every morning in the early hours before daybreak.


    Yes, he was blessed in the three areas he thought mattered the most: his looks, personality, and skills. To most, he was the perfect man.


    Such a man had enemies, and it wasn¡¯t that common for those who were upset or jealous of him to try to take him down a notch. It was a regular occurrence, and people even started betting on how many times he would be attacked in one day.


    Those were the good times for Roko, and it seemed like he had life by the horns. And he really did. For a while, at least.


    Until the Mafia came.


    It was outstanding and frankly terrifying. In a matter of days, the governor died from mysterious causes. But that was just the beginning. Anyone who even hinted they wanted to take that spot found themselves at the end of a sword or dagger after finding their family dead. Some were unlucky and had to pass away while having their insides metaphorically set aflame by poison.


    But the townsfolk didn¡¯t know why people were dropping dead left and right. After a few months, nobody was brave enough to even want to become a leader, and chaos occurred. The town guard became nothing more than a mercenary troupe who lent their help to the highest paying noble, and the streets were filled with blood and bodies for weeks.


    The Mafia, still unknown and operating from the shadows like a secret organization, took the chance to infiltrate the nobility and the commoners by using the little war they had created. By using their words, sweetly laced with the poison of what their victims wanted to hear, the town soon found itself at the whims of the Mafia before they even realized what was happening.


    It took about a year for it to happen, but the town was soon under the total control of the Mafia, and the fighting stopped. But most people believed it couldn¡¯t be more than a rumor.


    ¡°Mafia? Running the town? Like a secret organization? Please, you¡¯ve read too many novels,¡± Arke said to Clank as she brushed her brown hair with a simple black comb. Arke and Clank were friends who had been together since childhood. One day, Clank saw a man with a large bandage covering his cheek carry a body down a dark alley. He followed them and overheard a particular conversation that only fueled his fear. Running like a bat, he made his way to Arke and told her of what he saw. She dismissed him, and she went on her way.


    The next day, while walking down the street to her job as a baker, Clank¡¯s decapitated head was tossed at Arke. His eyes were gouged out, leaving two black voids that stared into nothingness. The once blond hair that adorned his head was gone, and a big brass nail came out from where his neck would¡¯ve been. She immediately cried out in fear as a large man approached her. Like Clank said before he died, it was a man with a bandage adorning his cheek.


    ¡°Say nothing. Forget everything,¡± the bandaged man said as he flashed the bloody knife used to cut off the head of her friend.


    Arke could only nod as her bladder lost to fear, staining the dirty ground with a yellow liquid. The air filled with the smell of ammonia.


    She knew the truth of the town, and she couldn¡¯t tell anyone. If she did, only a living hell awaited her. From the novels she had read, she knew what happened to captured women. Between living the rest of her life without speaking of what she knew or dying and suffering a horrible fate, Arke chose another option.


    The very next day, she ran into the most crowded area she could find with a knife held to her throat.  She looked feral.  Her eyes, bloodshot and dripping with tears, were proof she was being pushed to the mental brink by the death of her beloved friend.  Her hair, frayed and starchy, had ragged cut marks where she attempted to cut her own hair in a frantic state.  The apron she wore at her job no longer had the clean white sheen to it.  Instead, it was covered in blood from where she cradled Clank''s disembodied head in her lap and against her chest.


    ¡°THE TOWN IS BEING CONTROLLED BY A GROUP CALLED THE MAFIA!!! THEY KILLED CLANK, AND THEY¡¯LL KILL ALL OF YOU!!!¡± She then slit her own throat and died. Her last sounds in this world were her body¡¯s futile attempt to breathe and live. Soon, everything went black, and she no longer existed. Her final thought was an apology to Clank, her dearest friend, who she had a fondness of.


    Growing up together, the two were nearly inseparable. Playing pranks, working in a baker¡¯s shop together, fighting one day over something stupid, and reuniting the next with a simple apology. Their relationship was almost a textbook romance, with all the ups and downs. Even their friends figured the two would eventually marry and settle down in a small house. Arke even fell asleep with a smile on her face when she imagined her future together with him.


    But neither said anything when they were alive, and the two died before their feelings could be known. Hours before Arke''s death, that was her biggest regret.


    The Mafia hadn¡¯t accounted for this, and they had to work hard and long to undo the damage caused by Arke. It was a valiant attempt, but they couldn¡¯t silence everyone who searched for the truth without arousing suspicion.


    The truth was out there, but people regarded the Mafia as an open secret. Something people knew but didn¡¯t believe in.


    ¡°How could a single organization take over a whole town without anyone knowing? It¡¯s impossible and hard to believe,¡± those were the words that the Mafia themselves spread by using some nobles that were on their payroll.


    Then, on one fateful day, Roko was strolling through the outskirts of town. He had on a red shirt that fitted his chest just right, black pants that hugged his waist, and brown shoes that had just been made not even thirty minutes ago. Feeling cocky, he walked to the house of a girl, Annie, he fancied the night before and knocked on her door.


    ¡°Huh, that¡¯s strange. Annie said she¡¯ll be at the door waiting for me,¡± Roko said to himself.  He reached into his pocket to pull out a key but stopped when he heard the door open.


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it. I¡¯m coming in, baby.¡±


    These rich broads always have the fanciest house in the middle of nowhere.


    He walked in and immediately wished he walked right back out. He saw Annie on her knees sitting beside a Kobold with the number 0 engraved into his face. Annie was sparsely clothed, wearing scraps of brown cloths that only covered her chest and crotch. Her blue hair looked knotted, and her brown eyes were dirty. A look of ecstasy blanketed her face as she licked the Kobold¡¯s legs.


    The house was ransacked. Broken tables and chairs littered the living room, except for the one the Kobold sat in. The wallpaper looked like it was scraped off using a fingernail, and fist-sized holes were in the walls.


    ¡°Master, give me more! Please, master!¡± cried Annie. Her pink tongue hung out like a dog as she panted. Red scratches covered her arms and legs, and a bloody knife laid at her feet.


    ¡°Wha¡ª Annie?!?!¡± Roko exclaimed. Suddenly, the door shut behind him as he felt a burning pain in the back of his legs. Two men in black suits were hiding by the door, and they used a small dagger to cut the back of his knees. Immediately, he fell, and he felt two thick arms grip his neck and head, forcibly lifting him to his knees.


    ¡°Roko,¡± growled the Kobold as his massive body stood up. Annie begged one more time, but he ignored her.


    ¡°Who the fuck are you?!?! Let her go!!! GAAHAH!!¡± he yelled. The man to his left took out a small metal pipe and struck Roko in the face, making sure to aim for his jaw.


    ¡°Be silent and listen. Undoubtedly, you¡¯ve heard rumors about us,¡± the Kobold said. ¡°My name is Sakdu.¡± The very words out of his mouth were nearly enough to stop his heart. ¡°I am the one who leads the Mafia.¡±


    ¡°It''s real?¡± Roko asked in a much quieter tone.


    ¡°It is, and I am the leader. We have come to you because we wish to hire you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Roko groaned in pain as he felt something wet and warm drip down his legs.


    ¡°Do this, and you will live. Refuse, and you will die.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t really have a choice, do I?¡±


    Why am I so calm?! Is it because I¡¯m about to fucking die?! I don¡¯t wanna die!!


    ¡°Bring it in,¡± Sakdu commanded. He sat back down in his chair as an Elf in a white suit brought in a silver platter. On it sat three pills that were nearly indistinguishable from each other, except by the color. One was white, one was pink, and the other one was red.


    ¡°The white one gives pleasure, the pink gives lust, and the red provides rage."


    ¡°Master, please!!! Give your lowly bitch slave a pill!!!!¡± Annie degraded herself in front of everyone as she begged for a pill.


    ¡°See? The strongest one can bring a girl to this horrible state in just a few hours. Here, take it,¡± Sakdu tossed the pink pill to the floor, and Annie rushed for it like a wild animal being given a life-saving piece of meat.


    Almost immediately after swallowing it, she calmed down and laid on her back. One hand went to her crotch, and the other went for her chest. Her breath hastened, becoming ragged as she fingered herself in front of everyone. Ignoring her, Sakdu continued to speak. ¡°See? Without it, a person will do anything for it. That being said, what I just gave her was the strongest pink pill we have.¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to hire me?¡± Roko couldn¡¯t keep his eyes off of Annie as she forced her fingers to go deeper and deeper. The sounds she made did something to Roko, and he felt his pants get tight.


    ¡°We wish for you to distribute these to amongst your peers. We want to expand our control.¡±


    ¡°Why? AAHAHH!!¡± Roko questioned.  He received an answer in the form of a knife stabbing his neck.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know. Do this, and you will live. Refuse, and you will die.¡±


    ¡°Can I¡ª¡± the man to Roko¡¯s left flashed a bloody knife, and he immediately shut up.


    ¡°Yes or no, that¡¯s all.¡±


    It didn¡¯t require more than a microsecond of thought. I die if I refuse, and I¡¯ll live if I accept. Hell, I¡¯ll probably die later on, but I can probably have some fun.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Roko curtly replied.


    Sakdu growled and showed off his yellow teeth. ¡°Heal him.¡±


    The man to Roko¡¯s left started chanting for Remedium Lux, and soon a white light filled Roko¡¯s body. All of his wounds healed up. Well, most of them. He felt a dull pain echo in his jaw.


    Standing up, Roko shook with fear as Sakdu walked up. He was nearly three and a half meters tall, with a body that consisted of green scales. Fur adorned his hands, and pale skin in patches went down his legs. Unlike most Kobolds, he did not have a tail. ¡°Come with me. I¡¯ll explain the terms of our deal. Keep in mind, you say anything about our existence, and I will personally carve you up to feed to her.¡±


    Roko looked over at Annie, who still fingered herself. Every so often, her body would shake violently, and lewd liquids gushed out of her crotch as she whimpered. Then, she would start fingering herself again, splashing around her own nectar. This time, it was even faster as she began to bite her tongue. More and more liquid dripped from her crotch, but blood filled her mouth as Roko and Sakdu walked stepped over her.


    ¡°Master!!!¡± she cried out, looking up with a face that no longer resembled the kind and aloof girl he slept with last night.


    Those few hours were pure passion as the two lost themselves to their carnal desires. Annie''s pretty face kissed Roko¡¯s chest as her hand massaged his manhood, but nothing of what he lusted after remained. He couldn¡¯t even look at her now without being disgusted.


    ¡°Do good, and I¡¯ll sell her to you. She¡¯ll become yours and yours alone. Until then, she is mine. Pray to the Gods I remain in a good enough mood so I won¡¯t be tempted to eat her,¡± Sakdu chuckled, and he didn¡¯t mean it as a threat, but that¡¯s how Roko received it. A wooden door closed behind them as they walked into a room that contained a wooden desk with two chairs.


    Shit¡­. I don¡¯t like the feeling of this¡­..


    Three hours later, he walked out of the house with a renewed sense of purpose. The sun was brighter, and the air was cleaner.


    I can¡¯t believe that¡¯s all I have to do! I got a shit ton of people who were looking for something unique, AND I get to keep ten percent!!! And my life, too.


    He thought back to the conversation, which only took about ten minutes. The other 170 minutes involved him witnessing those who had made the mistake of disobeying Sakdu¡¯s orders being beaten and tortured beyond all relief. He saw fingers chopped off, toes cut in half, and arms chewed off by those addicted to Monotonia.


    Monotonia was the pill that Sakdu wanted Roko to spread and peddle, and it came in three colors. White, pink, and red. Sakdu described the white pills as being in a state of euphoria, but the user still had their senses. Pink was described as entering a hypnotic state where the only thing the user could think about was their lust. Any pain inflicted upon the user while under the effects of the pink Monotonia was registered as pleasure. And the red pill forced the user to consider all those around him as enemies. Love and joy and happiness were forcibly evicted from the user¡¯s heart, leaving nothing but anger and hate that only multiplied minute after minute.


    ¡°Give these out and spread rumors of where to find them.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± Roko replied. He stared at the small bag of colored pills sitting in front of him.


    ¡°These three shops,¡± Sakdu slid across a single sheet of paper, which looked tiny in his giant green hands.


    ¡°But what about the guards?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t betray us, and you won¡¯t have to worry about them. If the guards do anything at all, show them this,¡± Sakdu pulled out a silver card from the pockets of his black jacket. It held the number 0.  He handed it to Roko. ¡°You do this, and we¡¯ll pay you. Then, you¡¯ll become a mobile dealer. Come to a specific spot, and we¡¯ll give you a bag of pills. Sell it at a price we decide, and you get to keep ten percent.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Be truthful with us. If you lie or betray us in any way, this is what I will do to you,¡± Sakdu stood up and gripped Roko by the arm, who realized it could be snapped like a twig at any moment. He led him out of the room and up a set of stairs. Then, Roko was able to hear very faint screams.


    ¡°Enter,¡± Sakdu said as they stopped in front of a bright red door. They were still in Annie''s house, and he recognized it as her room. The very place where he made love to her not even 12 hours ago.


    Listening to what his new boss said, he cracked it opened and vomited from the smell.


    ¡°Weak,¡± Sakdu gave his new employee a push from behind, and he stumbled into the room. When he got up, he was met to a horrible sight: a Human, strung up by his entrails. His crotch was a bloody mess as if cheese grater chewed his testicles and penis, but it was like the Human didn¡¯t even notice. A look of inexplicable happiness spread across his face as his life slowly faded away.


    ¡°The Pink Monotonia turns pain into pleasure, as well as making them succumb to their lust. Right now, he is experiencing pure bliss,¡± said the Elf, who stood right next to the strung-up man. He had on glasses, a long white coat, black hair covered his head, and red earrings decorated his long pointy ears. There was probably more, but Roko couldn¡¯t see or focus on anything but the horrific sight.


    ¡°He betrayed us in a minor way, but it was his third time. As an act of kindness, I allowed him to take three Pink Monotonia before he died. You might not get that mercy. Now, we have more to show you.¡±


    Sakdu led Roko to different rooms, and he encountered a diversified selection of delightful torture, which proved the Mafia didn''t harbor a silly thing like consciousness.


    ¡°Annie is rich. This is the perfect place to do business for the time being. Her parents and relatives are dead, so we are not worried about being discovered. But that doesn¡¯t concern you. Leave and come back tomorrow, but don¡¯t you dare tell anyone. We have observers all over town that report to us. Remember Arke and Clank? We¡¯ll know if you squeal. Now, leave me.¡±


    Lifting him up by one hand, Sakdu tossed Roko out of the doorway and slammed it behind him.  As he stood up, he heard Annie''s muffled cries of passion and excitement penetrate through brick walls.


    He didn''t dare want to imagine what was happening to her.

 Book Three – Prologue – Part Two – An Unfortunate End

    A year later, the newly elected Governor, Frankie Ost, introduced a plan that, on paper, was meant to raise funds for the town. In reality, it was to give the Mafia even more control. Roko, one of the few who knew the truth behind everything, was in the audience as the Governor began to speak to a large crowd that had gathered in the town square.


    ¡°We all know that those damn slaves are annoying to look at. You have to feed them, take care of them, keep them alive, and it gets very costly. That''s why I have something to announce. It¡¯s called RASP, or Rent A Slave Program. We will buy your slaves for a fair price. In return, you lose ownership. Instead, the slaves will be collectively owned by the town.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± asked a man from the audience. He was planted there from the beginning to keep the conversation moving along.


    ¡°Excellent question. By paying a nominal fee and telling us what you want the slave for, they can be yours for the entire day. This way, you can do what you want to them without worrying about keeping them fed, clothed, and sheltered. This allows even the poorest of folks to help contribute for the greater good of the town. Just buy ''em, play with ''em, and return them by the end of the day. If you pay more, you can keep them for a week or even a month. We have the full authority and blessing of the church to go ahead with this.¡±


    As if it was rehearsed, and it was, five key figures in the crowd began to cheer. Due to peer pressure and other societal issues, the rest of the audience started to cheer and clap, even if they were disgusted by what they saw.


    No matter, we won¡¯t use them. Some people thought as they believed they could ignore this new service.


    But Frankie¡¯s following sentence shook them.


    ¡°This service is mandatory. It¡¯s not optional in the least. Let me clarify, it is mandatory for those who live in this town. Visitors will not be subjected to this rule, nor will they be forced to give up their slaves. Only if they decide to live here will the rules be enforced on them.¡±


    Another plant spoke up. ¡°What are the consequences?¡±


    ¡°If you refuse to participate, then you, yourself, will be considered an enemy of the town and become a slave. You will belong to the town and lose your rights as a person. No matter your social standing.¡±


    Again, the same five people cheered, forcing a chain reaction of applause. It almost looked like a cult.


    A few hours later, Roko walked to the hideout with a bag of coins.


    ¡°Uhh¡­ Boss, why are you doing this?¡± asked Roko. He nervously twitched while a man in a black suit counted the dupla he had acquired from selling the Monotonia.


    Sakdu stood up and walked over to a painting on the wall that depicted a Kobold who stood victorious in a bloody battle. Many corpses of various races laid at his feet. ¡°Because Humans don¡¯t deserve peace.  It''s true that some Demi-Humans will be affected, but I plan to flood the town with Human slaves. What better way to get revenge than come to a town, fill the streets and hearts of those in control with poison, and watch as the town deteriorates until depravity is the only thing on their mind? Do you know the joy it brings me watching a Human beg and cry for one more Monotonia?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they innocen¡ªGGAAAFFF!!¡± Roko didn¡¯t have time to finish his sentence before being tossed like a dead dog towards the wall. He landed on his arm and broke it.  After crying out in pain, Sakdu threw a chair at Roko, and he quickly became quiet.


    ¡°Do you wish to make a mockery out of me?!! I gave you a chance to make something of your fucking life, and this is how you repay me?! Begone, and don¡¯t come back for a week. Pray my anger has subsided by then, so I won''t be tempted to remove your Human head from your body.¡± Sakdu grabbed the bag of dupla his henchman had counted and stormed off to the back room. When the door opened, Roko  caught the tiniest glimpse of Annie. Her newly bald head was burnt black, and two white bandages covered her eyes. She was blind.  Fresh scars adorned her lips. The very last thing Roko saw was Sakdu picking Annie up by the neck and biting her one remaining ear off. The door shut, and Roko heard the sounds of pleasure.


    In his desire for revenge, Sakdu made Annie into his personal Human slave. He forced her to do degrading tasks for a quarter of a Pink Monotonia. First, he had her wash her hair with oil before he set it on fire. Then, he promised she would have a whole half of a Pink Monotonia if she gouged out her eyes with a rusty razor. Like a dog wanting to please her master, she did it with a smile on her face and a heart full of pleasure because she knew the pain she felt would turn into ecstasy. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, he tied a razor blade to a quarter of a Pink Monotonia and told her to swallow it.


    ¡°..Annie¡­.?¡± Roko groaned as he struggled to stand. He glanced to his left and sighed when he saw the henchman had a knife out.


    Fighting will be the stupidest thing right now. All of the boss''s men and bodyguards are blessed by Major Gods. Hell, the fucker told me that himself.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­ I¡¯m leaving. Be back in a week.¡± Roko stumbled his way out of the house that used to be Annie''s and painfully made his way to a doctor¡¯s office. ¡°Still have a few thousand dupla in the bank¡­.might as well have fun for the week. Yeah¡­ That sounds good. If I play my cards right, I could be first in line for RASP. Ole Frankie said it opens tomorrow, right? Yeah, I think he did. And I think he said they had fifty or so slaves already ready to be rented.¡±


    With vigor in his step, Roko jaunted off to the nearest doctor''s office. After that, he planned on making his way to his favorite pleasure girl.  He wanted a slave, but the growing pressure in his pants needed to be released before then.


    Two years after that, a large Kobold stood in front of a set of bars.


    ¡°Yeah, boss?¡± squeaked Roko. He timidly glanced up at an imposing figure.


    The years hadn''t been too kind for the man who had life by the horns. He made some dumb mistakes in the past year, but those were forgiven since they were somewhat minor. But then he committed a most horrible crime a few months ago. His luck had escaped him, and now he had to face his punishment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you one chance to apologize. Are you up for it?¡±


    Roko hopped off his stone bed, knocking over a brown bucket filled with shit and piss, and bowed down in front of the iron bars of his jail cell. ¡°Please, boss, I¡¯ll do anything you ask of me!! I want to serve you again!! Please allow me to sell the Monotonia again!!! Please, boss!! Please, boss!!!¡ªAAHH!!¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± Sakdu kicked the bars, bending them as Roko scattered away to the wall. Crying and looking down, he was afraid he''d be beaten again as his mind wandered to the time Sakdu broke his legs. He didn¡¯t have the pleasure of being under the effects of Pink Monotonia at the time.


    ¡°Boss, forgive me.  Please forgive me, boss!!¡± the whimpered shattered man.


    For the longest time, Sakdu almost thought Roko was someone he could trust. He even thought about making him a Numbered¡ªa leader in the Mafia. But then Roko embezzled twenty percent of the dupla he was supposed to pay. At the time, he thought he could get away with it because he had been a model henchman.


    But he was so wrong. Sakdu always had someone watching. He was found out immediately and was sent to Sakdu¡¯s personal prison, which was inside his new hideout.


    His punishment was to be force-fed a different Monotonia every day for four months while being locked in a small cage, with the exception being when he had his legs broken. He was sober and conscious during that. In addition, he was given rotten food and dirty water every two days. His mind and body were warped by the repeated drug use, and it wasn¡¯t all that rare for him to purposely break his thumbs or peel some skin off to experience pleasure once again.


    ¡°I just received a report from my men. Two females are coming this way. One is a Singi, all pink, and the other is a Human with black hair and red eyes. I know you¡¯re blessed by a Major God of Earth, so I want you to go get them. They¡¯re on their promotional quest, so they shouldn¡¯t be but Rank 10. And quite poor at that, judging from their gear, so you shouldn¡¯t have any trouble at all.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss! Anything you say, boss!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not done. I have a little game I want to play. Do what you want to the Human, but keep her alive. As for the Singi, do not hurt her in any way. Don¡¯t even rip a single hair off of her head. If you do, I will tear you alive and feed you to Annie. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s starving. After all, she hasn¡¯t been fed in a few days.¡±


    ¡°Right, boss!! I wouldn¡¯t dream of it, boss!!!¡±


    ¡°You, give him some clothes, armor, and a sword. And give him ten or twenty of the recruits to go with him. They¡¯ve been bitching that they wanted something to do, and now they have the chance.¡±


    The man Sakdu spoke to nodded and went to get the equipment and men. Sakdu walked out of the dank cell and throughout the new hideout until he reached his throne.  It was made from the bones of Humans he had ripped out while they were still alive.


    The room itself was two stories tall. If Sakdu stood up, he''d see over the brass railing and onto the floor below, where currently, three maids and two butlers were performing their weekly cleaning. The wall was painted red with paint mixed with the blood of Humans, Elves, Earth Elves, Singi, and Koena. Every few meters, there were small glass display boxes  nailed to the wall. Inside each of them was a heart that belonged to someone Sakdu had personally killed since arriving in Arcton.


    It won¡¯t be long now until we¡¯re ready to move on to our ultimate goal. It¡¯s been years since then, but Canary is finally in our sight. And HE lives there. My spies tell me he is married with children. How fortunate: wife for a wife, child for a child, city for a village... Canary will burn, and I will force you to watch.


    He shook his head slightly. I need to finish up here, first. After all, there¡¯s a lot to punish, and I need to prepare and call my army... Yet...my anger and hatred aren''t satisfied...


    ¡°Roger,¡± Sakdu spoke.


    The man on his left kneeled. He was an Elf with glasses, and he loved wearing a long white coat. Black hair covered the red earrings in his pointy ears. This Elf was the man responsible for the creation of Monotonia, as well as its various variants.


    ¡°Go with him, but camp out at the front gate. It shouldn¡¯t take him more than three hours to get there and back, even with twenty men. If he fails or runs away, and the two girls make it to Arcton, observe them, and find out what you can. If you can get them alone, then snatch the Singi, and leave this letter for the Human. After that, send someone out to find that spineless bastard. Regardless if he fails, make sure that letter gets to the Human.¡± Sakdu activated Dimensional Storage and pulled out a sealed letter.


    ¡°Yes, it will be done,¡± replied the Elf. He grabbed the letter and opened his own Dimensional Storage.


    ¡°Good. If the Human fails my game, I want you to find her and bring her before me. What better way to punish her by watching her friend die right in front of her before we march? Then that woman will know what I felt then. Soon, every last Human will feel it,¡± Sakdu sinisterly smiled and stood up. Roger nodded and hopped the railing.  He landed gracefully and calmly left the base via the secret exit.


    What¡¯s a Human but a Human? They¡¯re all the same, and they¡¯re all responsible for the damage they cause. I know I¡¯m doing what is right, but one last reminder is what I need. Hurry up, and fail this game, so my conquest of that shitty man, and everything he stands for, can begin.  I know I''m right, but I need that one last push. I''m right.  I know I am, Sakdu thought as he gripped the sides of his throne. His large fingers coarsely massaged the white bone that came from one of his many victims. It was as if he was a shaman: able to feel the fear and emotions that ran through these permanent reminders. The screams, the tears, the last-minute threats, and oaths of vengeance that fell on deaf ears... He remembered the taste of their flesh as he picked it from their very bones.


    He believed Annie had outlived her usefulness, and he was now growing hungry. Walking to a particular room, Sakdu closed the door behind him as Annie, unaware of her fate, squirmed with delight as she thought it was time for her feeding.


    ¡°Annie, your serviceability has nearly run out. No matter, it seems you can¡¯t even hear me. Regardless, I will allow you one final Pink Monotonia before I eat you.¡± Sakdu reached into his jacket pocket and grabbed that pink pill by using her nose to guide her. Even dogs couldn''t snag on the scent it emitted.


    Her mind was so far gone that she didn¡¯t realize her recessed flesh was being eaten right off the bone. Even without the help of a Pink Monotonia, her sense of pain had disappeared, and pleasure was the only thing that filled her mind.


    But when Annie swallowed the pill, the pleasure was multiplied.


    She laid back and opened her legs while Sakdu prepared a skinning dagger coated with Red Scythe, a type of hot spice that dealt terrible damage when it touched flesh.


    Her arms were the first to go, with their hunger-weakened bones snapping like a twig under a boot. Sakdu used his knife to skin the battered and bruised flesh like one would skin a deer.  Delicious red blood fell, staining his mouth, chin, and expensive black suit, but he didn''t care. Before he ate the strips of meat, he jabbed Annie''s arm bone into her opened mouth.  Her teeth did all they could to crush it, but they weren''t strong enough.


    Annie felt her pain multiply into pure pleasure when Sakdu bent down and bit her chin clean off.  The bone nosily crunched under his rugged teeth, and he unconsciously let off a moan after he swallowed.


    Human flesh was his favorite food, and he enjoyed the sound bone made when he crushed it.


    Picking her up with one hand, Sakdu held Annie upside down and placed her emaciated leg into his mouth.  He chomped down, sending another wave of pain disguised as pleasure to Annie''s brain.  She came again, with piss dribbled down what remained of her legs until it flowed into her mouth via her missing chin.


    Sakdu lost himself to his gluttony and threw Annie against the wall.  Her body splattered against the wall, and she screamed with pleasure.  After picking her up and throwing her back down, Sakdu forcibly ripped off her head and devoured it.  He moved on to her body, using his hands to rip apart her chest until he pulled out her heart and lungs.  Like an after-dinner dessert, he snacked on them in between flesh and bone.


    She died unaware of what was happening, even though her body was violently shaking in pleasure. Her last thoughts weren¡¯t of herself, or Roko, or even Sakdu. In fact, she didn¡¯t even know who Roko was. Even though she used to be obsessed with him, he no longer had a place inside her mind.


    The only thing that flashed through her mind was an image of a single pink pill. Then, her suffering ended, and she was no longer a part of this world.


    It was late at night when Roger saw someone running towards the town entrance. Roko had left three hours ago, and it took about ninety minutes to catch up to where they estimated the Singi and Human pair would be at.


    ¡°That damn fool failed,¡± he said under his breath when he realized it was a Singi that ran by him. She had pink hair, pink ears, and a pink tail. It was the very same one that his boss wanted. But seeing as she was here by herself and not that Human, Roger surmised something had happened.


    ¡°He probably ran away,¡± he said to himself as he followed from a distance, ¡°I heard her cry when she ran by me, but she didn¡¯t sound sad. She actually sounded angry. If he did run away, he most likely took a route that led him away from the main road. I suppose it¡¯s possible he killed the twenty men that went with him, but that¡¯s a stretch. If that¡¯s the case, then why the tears? I suppose it''s not that common for Rank 10 parties to have differences. Especially considering how it¡¯s probably their first major quest. Hmm¡­..¡±


    Roger racked his brain as his mind was presented with a wide variety of possible explanations.


    ¡°Yes, the most likely truth is that he ran away, either killing the twenty or convincing them to follow, and the two girls had a fight while traveling. They never even met up with Roko. If that¡¯s the case, then the Human would most certainly try to find the Singi to apologize. Perfect, I¡¯ll just follow her and wait. The Singi made a lot of noise, and she was very noticeable, so it shouldn¡¯t be hard for the Human to locate her."


    Roger followed the pink Singi to a single inn and smiled devilishly.  After taking up a post near a wall, he only had to wait.


    The bloodiest and most deadly week in Arcton''s history was about to begin, and a girl with black hair and red eyes would be the center of it all.

 Book Three – Chapter One – Part One – Trip Prep!

    Three days ago, on the morning of July 10th, a girl woke from a most relaxing sleep. Her blue eyes opened up, and the pink ears on her head twitched slightly.


    Today¡¯s the day! Today¡¯s the day!!!! I gotta get ready!!!  In a practiced motion, the girl rolled out of bed and equipped her gear in record time. A black messenger bag hugged her shoulders, a thin longsword waited faithfully at her hips, and her cleaned leather armor was ready to protect its master.


    ¡°I really need to upgrade my armor. My chainmail''s a bit bent, and it¡¯s probably not a good idea to have my arms exposed.¡± The girl ran her left hand down her right arm, and it slid across her smooth, soft skin.


    She should be up, so I better go check. The adorable catgirl left the room, locked the door, and descended to the third floor with an energetic skip. She was definitely a bundle of energy on this fine morning.


    ¡°Servi!!¡± Momo half-yelled as she ran over to a girl.


    Servi smiled and finished up locking her door. When she turned back, her black hair softly fluttered about before coming to a rest against her shoulders.


    ¡°Good morning, Momo.¡±


    ¡°Good morning!!!¡± said Momo, who couldn''t contain her happiness and excitement.  She opened her arms and gave her best friend a giant hug.  Servi laughed and wrapped her around Momo while taking in the fruity-smelling scent radiating from her best friend''s hair.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan for today?¡± Servi asked.  She retreated from the hug and double-checked her shield and pouches before making her way to the kitchen on the fourth floor.  Momo followed right beside her.


    ¡°One: we go see Claire and formally accept the promotion quest. Two: we go cash in this bad boy!¡± Momo reached into her bag and pulled out a single ticket that was valid for a camping set.


    ¡°Three: we go buy the food and stuff we need. Four: we check and double-check and triple-check everything. Five: we finally start the promotion quest!!!!¡± Right after saying that, Momo¡¯s stomach growled, causing a red hint of embarrassment to cover her face.


    The two sat down at a table and glanced over a menu, and Servi laughed. ¡°It almost seems like your stomach growls at the most important moments.¡±


    Momo scowled and sighed. ¡°I try to be super serious, and my body betrays me.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t anything to be embarrassed about. It¡¯s just your stomach letting you know you¡¯re hungry, and it wants food.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but¡­ Nah, I¡¯m already over it! This is gonna be a good time for us, and I won¡¯t let my stupid hungry stomach embarrass me anymore!¡±


    Almost like there was a Goddess of Irony watching over the world and waiting for the perfect moment to strike, Momo¡¯s stomach growled even louder.


    Servi couldn¡¯t help herself, and she snickered just a little bit. Momo, meanwhile, did her best to stay strong, but she couldn¡¯t hold in her giggle.


    A waiter came by, and the two ordered a small breakfast. Servi asked for two slices of buttered toast, a few sausage links, and a small bowl of fruit. Momo decided to get the same thing and thanked the waiter when he walked away.


    ¡°Hey, you remember our promise, right?¡±


    Servi replied back. ¡°I do. As soon as we get back from the quest, I¡¯ll tell you about me. Momo, I didn¡¯t mean to keep it a secret, but it¡¯s kinda hard to talk about.¡±


    She quickly put her hands up and reassured her friend. ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m not angry or anything. I¡¯m just happy to learn more about you. I mean, I only know your name, and I know you wear that ring. It¡¯s super pretty, by the way. I don¡¯t think I ever said that before.¡±


    I wish I could thank her, but I myself don¡¯t even know why I have it. All I know is that it¡¯s important to me, and somehow my power is activated through it. Itarr said. She amnesiac Goddess that lived inside of Servi. Because of certain events, their souls became interconnected together, and the two were bonded as one soul. Her power of Immortality and Absorption were passed to Servi, which meant she was unable to die. In addition, she could absorb the souls of her fallen enemies and add their strength and skills to her own.


    ¡°Thank you. It belongs to someone I love.¡±


    Momo put her hand up and smiled slyly. ¡°Ooohhhhh, is it a man? Can I meet him?¡±


    Is Itarr a man? I mean, her voice is feminine, so I think she''s a girl. Servi pondered internally for a moment.


    ¡°It belongs to a woman, but I guess I¡¯m just keeping it safe until she comes back.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯d she go? I mean, if you don¡¯t mind me asking.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. She¡¯s a close friend who¡¯s dear to me. She taught me how to fight, then before she left, she gave me this ring.¡±


    Servi¡­..


    ¡°She sounds amazing!¡± Momo smiled.


    Servi returned her smile. ¡°She is. I hope you have a chance to meet her soon.¡±


    Servi¡¯s smile is fake. It¡¯s like the one I used to give grandpa¡­. I hope that woman isn¡¯t dead. I would really like to meet her.  Wait? What am I saying? She has to be alive because Servi said she wanted me to see her.  Grandpa used to go on trips after he retired from Warden and before I was born, so I wonder if it''s the same with that woman? I just have to wait for her to come back.


    Momo went to speak but stopped herself. She didn¡¯t want to sour the mood before they even left, so they settled on small talk. It wasn¡¯t long after that when their food came, and the two girls spent a quiet fifteen minutes eating their breakfast and drinking their beverages.


    ¡°Aahhhh¡­.¡± Momo leaned back in her chair and smiled. ¡°The breakfast here is always so good. I¡¯m gonna miss it.¡±


    ¡°Me too. Hey, do you how to cook over a campfire?¡±


    Momo shook her head. "But don¡¯t all you have to do is stick the meat in the fire? It probably won¡¯t taste the best unless we bring spices and stuff, but to be honest, I¡¯m not a very good cook.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not either.¡± At least I don''t think I am... ¡°We can always get some hardtack.¡±


    ¡°Hardtack?¡± Momo got up out of her chair. Servi followed. After placing a few dupla on their table for a tip, they were ready to leave.


    ¡°Fisher said it was a type of bread or something. It stays fresh for a long time, but it has no flavor. If it''s not that expensive, it might be worthwhile to pick some up in case of emergencies.¡±


    The two walked down the stairs to the lobby. ¡°Good idea. It always pays to be safe. Oh, there¡¯s no one in line!¡±


    Momo¡¯s tail trailed behind her as she half-jogged half-ran over to one of the eight windows. Servi had a problem with how it was outlined and designed, but she figured it wasn¡¯t worth the effort to be annoyed. She ignored it because the headache it brought on wasn''t worth it.


    ¡°Claire!¡± chirped Momo as she put her hands on the desk.


    A red-headed Elf smiled at her through the glass wall separating them. It didn''t reach the table, so there was a bit of a gap that allowed items and voices to pass back and forth. Momo promptly took advantage of the opening and slid her ID in.


    ¡°Good morning, Momo, Servi.¡±


    ¡°Morning to you,¡± Servi nodded and summoned her own ID before putting it through the narrow hole. Everyone born in the world had one, and it was a vital part of daily life, especially if someone wanted to join Warden.


    ¡°Are we excited?!¡± smiled Claire.


    Momo happily stuck both hands in the air as her tail waved from left to right. ¡°I am!! Oh man, I can¡¯t wait.¡±


    ¡°You still have your ticket, right?¡± Claire was searching through a small folder marked ¡®Promotion Quests.¡¯


    ¡°Yep! Me and Servi are gonna go redeem it after we leave here.¡±


    ¡°Good. Okay, so for the Rank 10 to 9 quest, you two need to deliver a letter to a nearby Warden office in a different town. Are you two up for that?¡±


    ¡°We are!¡± Servi and Momo said at the time, prompting a small giggle from their Elven friend.


    ¡°Very good! Alright, the town you two need to go to is called Arcton. It¡¯s about three days away.¡±


    Servi¡¯s heart stopped when she heard the name of the town. Right after she was involved in a massive attack on the city¡¯s slave markets, she overheard a group of people talking about Arcton. To be honest, she didn¡¯t get the best first impression.


    ¡°Is it safe?¡± was the first thing Servi asked Claire. Momo looked up at her with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°It is. Why? Oh, have you heard the rumors?¡±


    Servi nodded. ¡°Yeah. Something about a group called The Mafia is running the town. And there was something about renting slaves.¡±


    ¡°That sounds scary¡­¡± Momo¡¯s mind went back to a moment in her past that frightened her to her core. It was a single event that nearly fractured her soul, metaphorically speaking.


    ¡°I hope this can ease your worries. Warden has also heard the rumors and sent out an advisor some months back, and everything checked out. He did say there was something called RASP, which was about renting slaves, but he did not report anything especially dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­.¡±


    ¡°Look at it this way,¡± Claire said, trying to ease her friend¡¯s worries, ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay overnight if you don¡¯t want you. Really, all you have to do is deliver this letter to the Warden office there. They¡¯ll check it over and promote you, giving you new dog tags in the process. After that, you¡¯re free to leave. Heck, you can start the way back as soon as you leave Warden.¡±


    ¡°Since we won¡¯t have to stay, I feel a lot better,¡± Momo muttered.


    ¡°If you want, I can put in a request to change the town. It¡¯ll take a few days for it to go through, but you¡¯ll probably be sent to Waveret. It¡¯s about a week and a half away.  It''s an ocean-side town down to the south.  It''s quite a beautiful city.¡±


    ¡°Servi?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you.¡±


    Momo puffed out her cheeks. ¡°That¡¯s not fair to you. We¡¯re in this together, so we both need to make a choice!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, sorry. Then my vote is for Arcton. It¡¯s closer, and all we have to do is deliver the item and leave. Besides, we won¡¯t have to spend that much on supplies.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. We are running a bit low on dupla. Claire, is there a reward for the quest?¡±


    ¡°There is. In addition to being promoted, you both get 50 dupla and 10 Potential.¡±


    The Singi turned back to her best friend. ¡°Yeah, I think going to Arcton will be best.¡±


    ¡°Very good!" Claire began to do her work. Thirty seconds later, Servi and Momo received their IDs back. Momo peeked over and looked at Servi''s crimson ID.  She took note of the immaculate, clean, and smooth surface and saw their quest and the neatly etched into her ID.


    When Servi took her first-ever quest, the woman had snapped her fingers and burned the quest paper. The ID then absorbed the ash and glowed. But Claire had to use a small match.


    Servi decided to ask Claire. ¡°That? Once you¡¯ve worked at Warden long enough, you receive permission to use the Acceptance Flame by snapping your fingers. I¡¯ve only been here a few years, so I have to use the matches. Oh, here¡¯s the letter. Who¡¯s going to hold on to it?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­. Servi, you want to hold it?¡± Momo had it in her hands and held it out towards her friend.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you put it in your bag?¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± she replied back. Servi nodded and smiled as Momo deposited it safely in her bag. It was like watching a priest put a holy object into a safe and secure location. ¡°I promise to keep it safe!¡±


    ¡°Now that that¡¯s settled, onto the next thing. Have you two ever camped out before? Well, I know you have because of Fisher''s exam, but what about you?¡± Claire raised both arms to the sky, stretching and yawning as she asked. It was unprofessional, and she knew it, but she realized she didn¡¯t have to be 100% professional when in front of her friends.


    ¡°I have a little bit. When I came from my village to Canary, I was in a caravan, and we had to camp out. But I was with probably 10 or 20 people.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Claire held a hand to her chin and realized she could slack off from work under the guise of helping two newbie Warden members get prepared for their most important quest yet. ¡°In that case, let me give you two some tips. Well, Servi probably heard this from Fisher. When you go to buy supplies, make sure to get food that will last a while. Dried fish and meat are good.¡±


    ¡°Is hardtack any good?¡± asked Momo. ¡°Servi said Fisher told her about it.¡±


    Claire nodded. ¡°It¡¯s bread made from water and flour. Sometimes people add salt. Not very tasty without any jam, but it can last a while.¡±


    ¡°Then we better get a little bit of that.¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± replied Servi.


    ¡°What else¡­. Oh yeah, Fisher probably told Servi this, but before you leave, be sure to drink your fill of water. Oh, and fill your canteen up, too."


    ¡°We don¡¯t have one,¡± Momo replied.


    ¡°Right now, you don¡¯t, but I¡¯m pretty sure that ticket includes a canteen as well as a fire starter kit and a pot. Speaking of that, I recommend you use the 10 Potential to buy Remedium first, then Fire Wall after you get promoted. Those two skills are something you want ASAP.¡±


    ¡°Right!¡±


    ¡°And if you can, camp next to a lake or other water source. Oh, boil your water before you drink it. Even if it''s from a lake or something, always boil it.  And be sure to read the directions on the fire starter kit.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Claire, for telling us all this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome, Champ.¡±


    ¡°Noooo¡­¡± Momo comedically whined. Her face became so enflamed with embarrassment that it almost matched Claire''s hair.


    Ever since Momo won the tournament, her friends had called her Champ. They meant it in good fun, but being called that felt wrong.


    I won, but only because Servi fell asleep and wouldn¡¯t wake up. Or she passed out. Something happened, but she was unable to fight. And even I got knocked out because of the fight with Blaire... Yet the following two matches were my victory because their injuries were too much. Still, Srassa had to fight all five matches. But I know if I complain, they¡¯ll probably get mad at me. Momo, you have to suck it up!


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Momo. I didn¡¯t mean to tease you,¡± replied Claire after noticing the distress on her friend¡¯s face.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Momo turned around and realized a small smile was forming.


    ¡°Claire, we¡¯ll see you when we get back, okay?¡± said Servi.


    ¡°Okay. Be safe, you two!¡±


    The two said their goodbyes and walked out. Momo had a spring in her step, and she couldn¡¯t hide the wide smile that plastered her face.


    ¡°Hey, so you know where we turn in the ticket?¡±


    ¡°That I do,¡± Momo dug it out from her bag. ¡°There¡¯s a store inside the shopping center where Levadia Woods is at.¡±


    ¡°Then I guess that¡¯s our destination.¡±


    Sometime later, the two friends were at a very familiar shopping center that had been engrained in Momo''s daily life for the past month.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s been a month since I met Dineria and Srassa.¡±


    ¡°Did you have fun training with them?¡±


    Momo turned her head and stared into her friend¡¯s red eyes. ¡°Yep! Dineria taught me a whole lot, and Srassa is a good friend.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad. So, what¡¯s the name of the store?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ Castra. What does that even mean?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.  Shall we head in? The quicker we get all of this prep done, the quicker we can leave.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    The two friends walked in, and that was when Momo told Servi the stores were organized based on their name. ¡°So, that means Castra is somewhere on the ground floor¡­. Oh, I see Dineria!¡±


    Far off in the distance stood an Elf with green hair. She had a red tattoo of a flower on the back of one of her hands, and she wore a shirt and pants made of leaves and bark. She was talking to someone, but she overheard one of her favorite pupils. Sparing a moment, she waved and smiled towards Momo, who returned both of them.


    ¡°Seems like she¡¯s busy, so let¡¯s not bother her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Oh man, I can wait to tell Dineria all about the quest!¡± Momo said.


    It took around ten minutes of searching before they found the store.


    ¡°Huh. Never expected a place that sells camping equipment to have so much¡­.¡±


    ¡°Metal?¡± Momo finished her friend¡¯s sentence.


    ¡°Yeah...¡±


    It was the strangest thing. The entrance door was all metal with just a bit of glass.


    ¡°It¡¯s kinda strange. Levadia Woods had nothing but wood and stuff that could be found in nature, but this is like the complete opposite. I hope the tents are metal.¡±


    ¡°If they are, then they¡¯d be too heavy to even move. Well, let¡¯s go in.¡±


    Momo thanked Servi, who held open the door. Then she went in after.


    As soon as Servi closed the door behind her, a person walked up to the two girls.


    ¡°Welcome to Castra. How can I help you two today?¡± said the man, who was no doubt an employee of this place. He had on a simple uniform of a buttoned-up white shirt and black pants. But he had a metallic shoulder pad with the name of the store engraved on it.


    A bit of a weird uniform, but I kinda like it. Servi thought.


    ¡°I have this ticket right here. It¡¯s good for a camping set,¡± Momo dug in her bag and pulled it out.


    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re the champion, Momo. Gotta say, I was very impressed with your matches. I gotta say, you showed so much ferocity and courage in the finals.¡±


    Did he say ''I gotta say'' twice? That''s an odd way of speaking... Itarr said.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Thank you!¡± Momo meekly said, struggling and fighting through her embarrassment.


    Come on, Momo, you¡¯ve got to work on that. Next time they say it, just own it! It won¡¯t be like you¡¯re bragging or anything.


    ¡°You¡¯re actually in luck,¡± said the worker, ¡°Governor Blas¨¦ paid for the winner to have the most popular camping set for two. The going price is a bit over 700 dupla, so you two saved a lot of money. Follow me, and I¡¯ll show it to you.¡±


    ¡°Did you hear that?! 700 dupla is a lot,¡± Momo said as they walked.


    ¡°It is,¡± replied the girl who had over 20 million dupla stored inside her ring.


    ¡°I do agree it is expensive, but once you see it, you¡¯ll see that it is well worth it. Keep in mind that it comes with much more than two tents.¡±


    Servi and Momo followed the worker as he led them to the back of the room, where it opened up. To get here, the worker had slyly followed a route that involved walking by whetstones, grinders, flint, swords and sheaths, shields and spikes, and other objects in the hope he could make a sale. Unfortunately for him, Servi and Momo were not interested in anything but a tent.


    When they finally reached the back, they saw multiple sets of tents set up in their own area. Some had a single tent, and others had two or three. A few had a few canteens and chairs, and one display, in particular, had five tents, five canteens, three fire pits, and six pans.


    And that was the one he stopped in front of.


    Momo¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me we got this one?! I don¡¯t know what we¡¯re going to do with all of it¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha, no worries, this isn¡¯t the one. This is the deluxe set that we offer. It¡¯s a few thousand dupla, but as you can see, it comes with nearly everything. How do you like it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, but there¡¯s no way we can afford it. Can you go ahead and show us ours?¡± Servi said with a little bit of edge and force hidden beneath her words.


    ¡°My apologies. I am proud of what we offer,¡± the worker did a formal bow and led to a display a few meters away. It had two tents, two canteens, a collection of fire-resistant rocks, a fire starter kit, a pot and a holder, and two metal skewers.


    ¡°Servi! It¡¯s perfect!!¡± squealed Momo, who immediately hugged her best friend.


    Servi smiled and hugged her back. ¡°Momo, you did an amazing job, and this is your reward for all your work. I¡¯m proud of you.¡±


    Momo smiled and lightly teared up. Taking a little cloth from her bag, she turned to the worker and saw he was crying.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he went to speak, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for crying. I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but I¡¯ve never seen someone be so happy over getting a camping set.¡±


    ¡°It''s a big deal for me. I grew up poor, and even now, I don¡¯t really have a lot of money, so the fact that I actually own this is almost too much...¡±


    ¡°Then please accept my apologies.¡±


    The worker went to bow, but Momo stopped him. ¡°I¡¯m not angry or anything. So please, there¡¯s no need for that.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Miss. In that case, allow me to offer you two something. Feel free to pick out any color canteen, and I¡¯ll substitute them.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to go that far.¡±


    ¡°Miss, I insist. I don¡¯t want your first impression of our store, if it is your first impression, to be soured by my indecent behavior.¡±


    Momo went to reject his offer but was stopped by Servi. ¡°Maybe we should take him up? I mean, he did offer.¡±


    ¡°But¡­.¡± she turned to face her friend. She smiled, and Momo sighed. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll take you up on it.¡±


    The worker clapped his hands. ¡°Excellent. I¡¯ll show you to the canteens, then I¡¯ll work on getting everything packed up!¡±


    The canteens were displayed about five meters away, and the trip wasn''t arduous in the slightest. ¡°Pick one you like, and I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡±


    The two friends thanked him and began to search far and wide for something that piqued their interest.


    ¡°Servi, some of these are bigger than the ones in the tent set. Do you think it¡¯s okay to pick them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I''m sure that employee will give those to us if we raise hell about it.¡±


    Momo giggled and shook her head. ¡°Probably, but I don¡¯t wanna be that kind of person.¡±


    "Same here. There¡¯s no harm in asking, is there?¡±


    ¡°I guess not," Momo replied as they continued their search for the perfect canteen.

 Book Three – Chapter One – Part Two – Trip Prep!

    Thirty seconds later, Servi found one. It was rectangular with alternating red and black stripes. ¡°It kinda matches my eyes and hair.¡±


    ¡°Oooohhh, that looks cute! I think I like this one,¡± Momo proudly showed off one that was all pink.  Or so Servi thought.  Momo twisted it around and revealed a small black cat painted on the other side.


    ¡°It¡¯s adorable. Oh, it comes in two different sizes. One liter or two-liter.¡±


    ¡°So does yours. I didn¡¯t even notice it comes with a little clip. Maybe it hooks to your belt?¡± asked Momo.


    ¡°Either that, or it clips to the backpack."


    ¡°Ladies, have we decided?¡± asked the worker as he emerged from around the corner. A little bit of sweat dripped down his face.


    ¡°We have, but I have a question. If we want to get the bigger one of these two, can we?¡±


    ¡°That will not be a problem, but it will be ten dupla to upgrade.¡±


    Servi and Momo picked the bigger versions of their chosen canteens, took out ten dupla, and thanked the worker.


    ¡°Please, it was no trouble,¡± he said, accepting the two coins. ¡°Now, if you would follow me.¡±


    He led them to the front of the store, where they saw two backpacks. Both were a naturalistic mix of green and brown, with a single spot left blank and black.  They were kinda big, but when Momo went to lift one, she commented that it was lighter than the Singi expected.


    ¡°The tents themselves are in the biggest part, here. They¡¯re easy to set up, and the materials used in them are tear, water, stain, and fire-resistant. The fire-resistant rocks are shared between both backpacks to divide the weight. The pot is made from foldable metal, so it¡¯s easy to store. The tripod is made with the same material. The fire starter kit is also simple to use. Just read the instructions included. As for your canteens, you can either hook them to your belt or this little strap right here. May I?¡±


    Servi nodded and handed the man her canteen. With a simple touch, he strapped it on and began to pull it.


    ¡°The hooks are tough, so it¡¯ll take something strong to rip them off. There¡¯s just one thing left. I can sew your name on it if you would like. It wouldn¡¯t take but a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good. My name¡¯s Momo.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m Servi.¡±


    ¡°Very well.  I shall be back in a few moments."


    The worker lifted both bags and wandered over to a small sewing station filled with needles and thread.  It took him four minutes to finish up and walk back to the patient girls.  With a presenting hand, he displayed his work.  In the prettiest handwriting, their names were embroidered in white thread.


    ¡°Momo, Servi, I do hope you¡¯ll use these sets to their full potential.¡± He smiled again at the pair.


    Momo couldn¡¯t contain herself as she slipped her hands through the backpack. ¡°Servi, how do I look?!!¡±


    Servi put hers on and smiled. The weight of the backpack was almost non-existent.


    Though I guess... that¡¯s because I have the strength of eleven Humans.


    ¡°You look like a real Warden member.¡±


    ¡°Good!  Umm.. thank you for helping us. We¡¯ll be sure to come back.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Miss. I wish you two nothing but the best in the quests ahead of you,¡± he bowed again and walked away to help someone else who just walked in.


    ¡°Captain Momo, what¡¯s next on the list?¡± Servi said as she walked towards the exit of the store. Momo followed her.


    ¡°Captain? Me?¡±


    ¡°You did win the tournament.  And that was your ticket.  Logically, all of this belongs to you.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°A party needs a leader, right?¡±


    ¡°It does, but am I the best one?¡± she said after she thanked Servi for opening the door. Now back in the lobby of the shopping center, Servi followed Momo over to a small stone bench. It was coarse and rough but somehow smooth at the same time.  It was like someone ran over the marble-like finish with a scratchy batch of sandpaper.


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°That''s nice of you to say, but¡­¡± Momo unconsciously moved a hand to her bag and looked up at the white ceiling. ¡°I think it¡¯s too soon. I¡¯m sorry,¡±  the distance between her and what she saw was far greater than her own talents at being a leader.


    Servi put a hand on her friend''s shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be sorry about. If you want, I can lead. For a little bit, at least.¡± Momo locked eyes with her friend and felt her heart skip a few beats.


    ¡°Thanks.  I feel a lot better with you at the helm, but do I have to call you captain?¡± Momo grinned.


    Servi giggled. ¡°Yes. Yes, you do. That¡¯s Captain Servi¡¯s first order of business.¡±


    Momo saluted and laughed adorably. ¡°Captain Servi, First Mate Momo at the ready.¡±


    The two had a nice chuckle. ¡°Speaking captains, I¡¯d like to travel on a boat.¡±


    ¡°That would be nice. You know, after we finish this quest, we could always travel to Waveret. But I don¡¯t know how much a boat ticket is, or even where we would sail too. It might be nice to spend a few days there to relax.¡±


    Momo replied, ¡°That would be nice, but I also don¡¯t know where we would go. Well then, Captain, should we go get some supplies?¡±


    A group of people who walked by at that moment stopped and stared.


    ¡°Oohh boy, maybe we can stop with the captain stuff?¡±


    Momo playfully grinned as she realized she found a way to embarrass her best friend.


    ¡°Oh, but Captain, we need to get ready,¡± she said in a sing-song-like voice.


    Servi sat back down and covered her face with her hands. At that moment, her face was redder than her eyes.


    Momo laughed and sat back down, putting one hand on Servi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll stop.¡±


    Servi removed her hands and smiled at her friend. Honestly, I don¡¯t remember the last time I had this much fun with just Momo.


    ¡°Well then, First Mate Momo, we¡¯d best be going,¡± Servi stood up.


    Momo froze up when she realized what happened. The group passing by stopped once again and stared at the Human and Singi pair. ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯ll stop with the Captain stuff if you stop with the First Mate. I didn¡¯t realize how embarrassing it was. Deal?¡±


    Servi held out her hand, and Momo took it. ¡°Deal.¡±


    The two stared at each other for a brief moment and started laughing.


    ¡°So, where do we go to get the food?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­There¡¯s a map right over there. We might find a meat shop or something.¡±


    Ten minutes later, they were standing in front of a butcher shop. Even though two doors and glass windows were blocking them, the smell of meat somehow entered the girls'' nostrils. There was a sign out front that said ¡®Kolby¡¯s Meat,¡¯ but the words were drawn like intestines. It was a strange artistic choice, to say the least.


    ¡°It¡¯s kinda stinky,¡± Momo pinched her nose.


    ¡°A little bit,¡± Servi internally thanked Itarr for True Immortality.


    ¡°Well, the faster we get this over, the faster we can breathe fresh air. You ready?¡±


    Servi nodded, and the two walked in. This time, it was Momo who held the door open, and Servi thanked her. They wasted no time at all and made their way to the front. A large familiar Kobold stared them down. A very sharp and bloody cleaver gripped tightly in his hand as its blade stared at the lines of red sausage littering the table.


    ¡°Feral?!¡± Momo and Servi both blurted out his name.


    ¡°Aahhhh, Servi, Momo, how do you do?¡± he growled as he brought the cleaver down. A little bit of meat splattered against the protective glass window standing between the Kobold and the two friends. Momo had to do all she could to stop gagging. It didn¡¯t help that she could see behind the counter. Pigs and cows were hanging lifelessly from meat hooks, waiting to be the next one to feel the cold steel carve their very bodies apart.


    I guess that¡¯s the reality of the meat I eat. I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Cow, chicken, and pig. I hope you died painlessly... It¡¯s the least we can do¡­. I promise I won¡¯t waste any food I eat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you work here too?¡± Servi heard a dull thunking noise as she spoke and realized it must have come from Feral''s tail.


    ¡°I do. But, only for two days a week. Aunt Canary went on vacation using the money she earned from selling her sweets at the tournament. She¡¯s friends with the owner, and she convinced him to hire me on. On the two days I work, I am allowed to take home some of the unsold meat.¡± he grinned and slammed his tail into the ground.  The impact was enough to bounce around some boxes stacked next to the nearby wall.


    ¡°That was kind of them. I¡¯m happy for you!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Momo. Now, what can I help you with?¡±


    ¡°We''re going on our promotion quest today, and Arcton is three days away.¡±


    ¡°I see. Congratulations. In that case, I assume you want three days'' worth of supplies?¡±


    ¡°Not really. We didn''t hear good things about Arcton, so we don¡¯t wanna stay longer than we need to. How much would six days of supplies be?¡±


    ¡°That depends. Chicken is cheaper than pork, which is cheaper than beef,¡± Feral answered Momo. ¡°If it¡¯s all chicken, then 40 dupla.¡±


    ¡°Servi?¡± Momo glanced at her friend, who had a hand to her chin.


    ¡°Can we get hardtack here?¡±


    Feral growled and nodded. ¡°We do offer it.¡±


    ¡°Momo, how about we get all chicken and a few hardtacks to snack on?¡±


    ¡°That sounds good to me!¡±


    ¡°Very good!¡± he slammed his tail once more, prompting an Elf to come out from the backroom to check on things. ¡°Wylie, these two would like six days'' worth of dried and salted chicken.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± replied the Elf as he went to the back. He had a hairnet covering his long blond hair, a white tank top soaked with sweat, and black shorts that stopped above his knees. Two long yellow gloves protected his slim tattooed arms.


    ¡°I will get the bags and hardtack ready. It will be a few minutes, so feel free to look around.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Oh, one more thing. Can we fill our canteens here?¡±


    Feral nodded in response to Servi¡¯s question. ¡°That service is free. May I see them?¡±


    At his request, the two friends unhooked their canteens and gave them to him.


    ¡°I will be right back,¡± Feral growled as he went to the back room.


    Four minutes later, he came back with eight small sacks and two filled canteens.


    ¡°These six bags with the red stickers are the meat. They are proportioned accordingly, and one bag is enough for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for two. These two white bags are your hardtack. And here are your canteens. That¡¯ll be 48 dupla.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing the reward is 50 dupla each. We spent a lot today,¡± Momo picked out 24 dupla from her diminishing collection of currency.


    ¡°We did, but it¡¯s worth it. We¡¯ll be able to take on more difficult quests and make more money, right?¡± Servi handed her half to Feral.


    He counted it and slammed his tail when he was done. Momo took off her backpack and deposited her half of the supplies in the second biggest pouch. She then clipped her brand-new canteen onto a strap and responded to Servi. ¡°Yep. I¡¯m sure the cheapest Rank 9 quest reward is 20 dupla. And it goes all the way up to 50. And that¡¯s not including the tougher monsters we¡¯ll be fighting. If we take their skins and claws to the cash building, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to make even more dupla.¡±


    Servi grabbed the remaining supplies and her canteen and did the same. ¡°That¡¯s good. A few quests and parts, and we¡¯ll back in the black.¡±


    Feral growled. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It means we made more money than we spent.¡±


    ¡°In the black? I¡¯ve never heard that before,¡± quipped Momo.


    Is it really such a strange expression? Servi went to speak but stopped.


    ¡°But I guess I don¡¯t know anything about business,¡± Momo continued.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯ll ask Aunt Canary if she has heard of it when she gets back.¡±


    ¡°Where did she go?¡± asked Momo. Her tail lightly danced throughout the air as she talked with her friend. She was totally at peace and loving life.


    ¡°Waveret. She said that the beaches are beautiful at this time of the year.¡±


    ¡°How funny, Momo and I were talking about visiting there when we get back from Arcton. Going to the beach sounds fun. Doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It does, but I¡¯ve never been swimming before. I don¡¯t know how too.¡±


    ¡°I can teach you,¡± Servi said. Wait, can I swim? If I¡¯m being technical, I don¡¯t need to breathe. In other words, I can¡¯t drown. If I sink to the bottom of the ocean and walk, is it still swimming?


    ¡°Okay! Maybe once we¡¯ve made some money¡­. Hey, maybe all of us could go at the same time? Maybe have a big trip?¡±


    ¡°How excellent!¡± Feral slammed his tail again. This time, the Elf from the backroom stomped out and yelled at the Kobold. With a meek apology, he turned back to Servi and Momo. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I must go back to work. I do wish you two the best on this quest. Please, be safe.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Feral. We¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    ¡°Bye-bye!¡± Momo waved as the two walked out.


    ¡°Alright, we got the quest, the tents, and the food. What¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Ah, our room keys. We won¡¯t be using our room, so let¡¯s go turn in the keys. After that, we should be good to go.¡±


    Servi stretched, interlocked her fingers, and raised them high in the air. ¡°That sounds good to me. I still have like four days left, so I hope it rolls over.¡±


    ¡°It should. If not, then we should be able to get a refund.¡±


    ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s head back to Warden.¡±


    Sometime later, a pair of best friends was about to talk to a stumpy Dwarf who sat nestled in a chair behind a mahogany desk.


    ¡°So ye going on a quest, eh?¡±


    Servi replied to the red-bearded Dwarf. ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re on our promotion quest, and we got to go to Arcton. We won¡¯t be here to actually use the rooms.¡±


    Rakred pulled out a registry and began to write. ¡°It ain¡¯t a problem at all. Could ye hand me yer IDs and room keys? Oh, and any meal or bath tickets ye have. Also, have ye emptied out yer rooms?¡±


    Servi and Momo did as he asked and handed over the required materials while answering his question. ¡°Yeah. We did that just a minute ago.¡±


    ¡°This happens quite regularly. What we do is find out how many days ye have left and freeze them. When ye come back, tell us that ye have some stocked days and hand us yer ID. Once ye do, we¡¯ll give ye a key and however many meal and bath tickets ye gave us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± Momo said aloud as she retrieved her ID.


    ¡°Alrighty, I have ye two taken care of. Ye both have four frozen days, four meal tickets, and four bath tickets waiting on your return. Good luck on yer quest!¡±


    After thanking Rakred, the two friends walked down to the lobby and went outside. Once they were a bit away, Momo suddenly stopped and turned around. A melancholic expression was present on her face.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± asked her friend.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna miss that building,¡± Momo quietly murmured. She knew it was stupid and pathetic, but she came to acknowledge that little room with the lumpy and terrible mattress as her home. ¡°Is it weird for me to be sad about this? This is supposed to be a happy moment, right?¡±


    ¡°It is, but what¡¯s wrong? You were practically glowing this morning.¡±


    Momo walked over to a nearby bench and sat down, making sure not to lean back against the backpack. ¡°It took six months to get from my village to here, and the convoy I was in was always moving. In fact, the Warden office was the very first place besides grandpa¡¯s house that I actually slept in multiple times. It was like a second home, and now I¡¯m leaving.¡± She sighed and slowly shook her head; pink strands of hair like falling cherry blossoms accented her beauty. ¡°I guess I¡¯m just reminded of when I left the village. It feels like I¡¯m not going to come back. Hehe, it¡¯s stupid, right? I¡¯m like, ¡®you stupid cat, it¡¯s not the same. There¡¯s a place for you here¡­¡¯¡± Momo stared at the ground and sighed as a million thoughts coursed through her mind.


    ¡°You stupid cat, it¡¯s not the same. There¡¯s a place for you here.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± she quickly glanced up and Servi, who genuinely smiled.


    ¡°I won¡¯t claim to know what happened in your village or the reasons as to why you feel you won¡¯t be able to return, but I do believe you have a place here. We¡¯re best friends, right? And there¡¯s also Claire, Srassa, Dineria, and all the other friends we¡¯ve made.¡±


    ¡°I¡ª You¡¯re right. Thanks, Servi. I guess I was just feeling a bit sentimental,¡± Momo stood up and parted her hair.  With the bright sun as a backdrop, it was a vivid mix of yellow and pink that brought out the beauty of the adorable and cute girl known as Momo.


    Her best friend stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder. Momo smiled and went in for a hug.


    ¡°You know,¡± she whispered, ¡°That was the first mean thing you ever said to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t be. I guess I was a stupid cat for feeling that way,¡± she backed up and took a breath. ¡°When we come back from the quest and have dinner, I wanna tell you about my village and why I came here. I wasn¡¯t lying before, but since you¡¯re going to tell me about you, I wanna tell you about me.¡±


    Servi stuck out a hand. Momo realized what was happening, and she shook it. ¡°It¡¯s a deal. Now, we might want to leave soon. Oh, do you have a map? I don¡¯t know how to get to Arcton.¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡± Momo reached into her bag and pulled out a small map. It was of the surrounding areas, but that was it. ¡°I actually got it when I first came here. Figured it¡¯d be useful for a little while. At least until I leave. Oh, I guess until we leave. Now, Arcton is to the north, so we gotta leave through the north exit.¡±


    ¡°Shall we get to it?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡± Momo repeated for the second time.  She carefully folded the map and placed it in one of her pouches. ¡°That¡¯s right, I still have those potions we bought when we first met.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a chance we may need them, but I¡¯m hoping not. Still, you can¡¯t be too prepared.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    And with that, the two friends made their way through the expansive city of Canary and reached the north gate after around forty minutes.


    After stepping through the threshold of the gate, the two walked for about fifteen minutes, passing by wagons and walking travelers, before looking back. Servi didn¡¯t have many good memories of Canary, but they did exist. Momo was one of them. Claire, Dineria, and her fellow mentees, and even Fisher, became a part of those jolly memories.


    Hell, maybe I do like this city. I might not have my memories, but at least I¡¯m making new ones.


    Suddenly, Momo took a deep breath and yelled out as she waved both hands. ¡°GOODBYE, CANARY. WE¡¯LL BE BACK!!!!!¡± The other people walking flinched and stared daggers into the girl, but she didn¡¯t care. If she was the old Momo, she would have. But the month-long mentorship had done wonders for her self-confidence.


    ¡°I wanted to say my goodbyes properly. Now then, let¡¯s finally get to it,¡± Momo raised a hand to the sky and confidently smiled at her best friend.


    Servi gave her a reassuring nod, and the two started to walk.


    The three-day journey to Arcton had begun!

 Book Three – Chapter Two – Part One – Blissful Days Won’t Ever Last

    Three hours had passed since the two left. The sky showed no signs of forthcoming rain, and it was as pretty as when they left.  Well, except for the ominous black clouds that threatened to fly over.


    ¡°I hope it stays like this entire time. We kinda didn¡¯t bring any raincoats or umbrellas,¡± said Momo, who wiped her mouth with a napkin. A type of bread called hardtack was in her left hand, and she did her best to hide her displeasure.


    But it sure is hard to chew¡­.


    ¡°Same here. But just in case, we might want to make camp underneath some type of cover, like a hanging rock or a big tree,¡± replied Servi. She also had some hardtack in her hand and was pleasantly surprised to learn that she didn¡¯t outright hate the snack. ¡°How do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­it¡¯s alright. A little bit hard, though. Maybe if we had some peanut butter or jam, it¡¯d be tastier, but I didn¡¯t think that far ahead.¡±


    ¡°Here, try it with this,¡± Servi unclipped the canteen off of her belt and poured a little bit of water on her friend¡¯s bread.


    ¡°Bwhaa!!¡± she exclaimed, making a funny noise. Her face quickly took on a red hue similar to Servi¡¯s eyes. The clear liquid dripped off the brown cracker and mightily quenched the dry and cracked dirt road below.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Servi replied as she clipped her canteen back on.


    You were just drinking it!!! You don¡¯t see the problem?!! Wait, what if this is normal where she is from? If that¡¯s the case, then I was insensitive. I¡¯m sorry!!!


    ¡°Oh, n-nothing. I-I just thought I saw a bug. Hehe¡­¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, it should be a bit softer, so try it and let me know. I know it can be tough to bit into.¡±


    Momo nodded and went to eat as a flash of red flew by her vision. But when she closed her mouth to chew, there was nothing.


    ¡°Eh? Ahhh!!! YOU STUPID BIRD!!!¡± she shouted. In a matter of moments, a red bird had flown in and swooped her snack out of her hands. It crookedly flew just out of reach as Momo ran after it.


    Did a bird just steal her food? Itarr asked.


    ¡°Yep. I only thought stuff like that happened in stories,¡± said Servi, struggling to hold back a fit of laughter. ¡°Better follow her.¡±


    Servi sprinted off towards a pink dot that was slowly getting smaller. To her right was a wide-open lake almost reminiscent of a beach but without the sand and waves. It wasn¡¯t long until Servi caught up with the speeding Singi.


    ¡°That stupid bird stole my food!!!¡± Momo cried out as her friend tried to calm her.


    ¡°Momo, we have enough hardtack¡ª¡±


    ¡°No! It was my food. If it wanted it, it should¡¯ve asked first!¡±


    Servi went to respond but couldn¡¯t. She was laughing too much. Momo glanced over at her friend, who easily kept up with her and giggled when she herself realized the hilarity of the situation. Then she slowed down as they came up to a forest of trees. The flying thief had also slowed down and slowly descended into the branches of one tree in particular.


    ¡°Hahaha! Oh man, can¡¯t believe I¡¯m getting worked up over a piece of bread.¡±


    ¡°I mean, if it was me, I¡¯d be pissed too, but¡ªoh, listen!¡±


    Momo strained her ears and heard multiple chirps coming from the tree in front of them. Squinting her eyes, she also saw a little nest.


    ¡°The bird is a mama. Maybe her babies were hungry?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    Momo put a finger to her chin. ¡°But don¡¯t birds eat worms and bugs? Why take my bread?¡±


    ¡°Probably cause it was easier? She did look like she was having a little bit of trouble flying.¡±


    Her friend frowned, and her ears slightly folded down. ¡°Then, I feel bad. Maybe the mama birdie can¡¯t hunt well. I¡¯m sorry, birdie,¡± reaching into her bag, Momo took out half of the hardtack she had left. ¡°Here you go. Next time, ask instead of stealing.¡±


    The red bird peeked over the nest and blinked when she saw food just out of reach.


    ¡°You can have it. I didn¡¯t know you were injured. Man, I wished I knew Remedium.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t you need a license to heal? Wait, do you need it for healing an animal?¡±


    Momo nodded as the red bird slowly made its way down. ¡°You do, but the church is stupid for requiring it. If you have the chance to help someone, then shouldn¡¯t you take it? It¡¯s not like you won¡¯t regain the Skill Energy.¡±


    Suddenly, she smiled when the bird took up a position on her arm. Using her other hand, she carefully petted it. ¡°This food is all yours, but you might want to dip it in water first, or else you won¡¯t be able to eat it. I¡¯m sorry for yelling.¡±


    As Momo conversed with the bird, Servi couldn¡¯t help but look at her friend in a new way.


    She¡¯s so sweet. If she¡¯s this understanding, then she¡¯ll be fine when I tell her about Itarr and me. She has to be. I hope she¡¯ll¡­


    ¡°And Servi, I¡¯m sorry for running off like that. Because of me, we had¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We should still get there, albeit a bit later. And if that¡¯s a consequence of helping a cute bird with food, then so be it,¡± Servi smiled as the red bird finally trusted Momo enough to take the food.


    It turned to look at the Human and Singi pair, then it started to fly up.


    ¡°Bye-bye!! Don¡¯t steal anymore, okay?¡± Momo waved. As if thanking the Singi, the red bird chirped happily and gleefully.


    ¡°That was sweet of you, but I could¡¯ve given her a little bit of mine, too.¡±


    Momo turned and went to walk back to the road but suddenly stopped as she stared off at the lake to her side. Little white ducks were wadding across its still surface. The largest one stuck its neck underwater and brought it back up, shaking away the water. Momo could only smile as she responded to her friend. ¡°Yeah, but it was my fault I ran off after it and caused us to be distracted.¡±


    Subtly, Servi used a few hundred stacks of Remedium on the bird and smiled. Then turning around, she walked next to Momo, who had resumed walking. ¡°If you get hungry, we can share my hardtack.¡±


    ¡°N¡ª¡±


    ¡°And I won¡¯t take no for an answer. Hehe!¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Servi. I appreciate it.¡±


    It took them some time, but they eventually made it back to the main road. Since the pair of best friends were on the southeastern side of Lando, vast green plains and thick, dense forests made up the landscape. The terrain was perfect for farming, and the two friends saw quite a few farms and cozy houses as they made their little voyage to Arcton.


    If they wanted a change of scenery, they¡¯d have to travel east towards the ocean and Waveret or northwest until they came across the more modern towns. Lando was mainly a farming country, and most of the world¡¯s produce came from here. It meant it was vital to the continent of Gea in regards to filling stomachs. But that didn¡¯t mean that Westera or Keywater were devoid of farmland. It just took a back seat to their own specializations.


    For Westera, it was mechanical devices that were an alternative to Skill Items, which were the specialties of Keywater. It wasn¡¯t that strange for minor skirmishes to break out between the three countries, but most were just that: minor skirmishes that were dealt with formally with punishments on both sides that were punishments in name only. Unfortunately, not all were lucky enough to be swept underneath the proverbial rug.


    Around a decade ago, Keywater had tried to sneakily cross a small force into Lando but were forced back, prompting them to ask for a political hostage in the form of one of the emperor¡¯s children. However, there were rumors of a second demand being made. But those were just unproven tall tales that may have been spread by those unsavory folks looking to take advantage of the situation.


    Instead of the bright blue sky with the pretty cotton candy-like clouds and the lovely yellow sun to watch over them, Servi and Momo found themselves staring at each other in a dark cave that was nearly pitch black. It was almost instantaneous, like someone flipped a switch to turn on the frightening thunderstorms that raged not even ten meters away.


    The cave itself wasn¡¯t too deep, maybe a few meters into the side of a large rock, but they weren¡¯t complaining. And it wasn¡¯t that dirty at all, except for some ash they had found. Momo had inquired about whether or not someone lived here, but Servi shook her head after bending down to touch the black spot. She told her friend that it was cold to the touch and was surprised the ash even remained.


    And that was good enough for Momo.


    Unfortunately, the current situation was not.


    ¡°Aw man, this sucks!!!¡± Momo¡¯s voice reverberated slightly around the natural shelter they found themselves in. ¡°The sky was super pretty earlier!!!¡± she had stripped down to a set of pink underwear, and she covered herself with a pink blanket retrieved from her bag.


    ¡°At least we found this cave before it started raining super hard. Besides, we ran about thirty or so minutes to catch up for the time spent chasing that bird. We should be ahead of schedule,¡± replied Servi. Like her friend, she was sitting in her black underwear huddled underneath a velvet-colored blanket she had borrowed.


    ¡°Aha, that was a good run, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Momo tried to see the good in the situation.


    ¡°It was. I lost the race again, though. Alright, it should be okay to light the fire pit. And then after that, we can put up the tents and finally eat dinner.


    Momo wanted to put the fire pit to work as soon as they found safety from the hard rain, but Servi advised against it, citing that the fire starter set probably needed to dry off first.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m getting a little embarrassed sitting here in my underwear. I mean, I¡¯m covered up, but still¡­¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t you see me in mine when¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, look at that,¡± Momo said, intentionally cutting off her friend. She got to her feet a bit too quickly and stumbled back, prompting Servi to rush forward and catch her by the waist. Her left hand slid gracefully against Momo¡¯s slim stomach, her right hand was supporting her friend¡¯s back, lightly glancing against the strap of her bra, and they locked eyes for just a moment. It was as if time was stopped as flesh touched flesh and soul connected with soul.


    Servi then realized just how soft another person¡¯s body could be.


    She¡¯s warm¡­.and she smells so good¡­..


    ¡°Are you okay?!¡± Servi finally asked.


    ¡°Eh...¡± it took Momo a second to figure out what happened, and she cutely screamed out. ¡°Kyaa!!¡± immediately crouching down, she reached for her blanket to make herself decent.


    ¡°Momo, I¡¯m sorry!! You were gonna fall and ¡ªI mean¡ª¡° Servi tried her best to apologize.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry, Servi. I shouldn¡¯t be too self-conscious. And because I was, I made this harmless situation super weird. I mean, we''re both girls, and it¡¯s not like we¡¯re naked.¡±


    ¡°Our bodies should be dry enough to put on some clothes. If it helps, I¡¯ll turn around,¡± Servi picked up her blanket and turned around as she held it behind her, blocking her backside from being viewable.


    ¡°But¡ª¡± Momo reached out her hand and whispered a single word. She mentally berated herself as she slid on a white shirt and black pants.


    AAHHHHHHHH!!!! CAN YOU DO A SINGLE THING WITHOUT MESSING UP???!!!!!!!!!


    As her friend got dressed, Servi heard a mix of whimpering and crying. ¡°Are you dressed?¡± she asked.


    After receiving a tearful ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Servi walked over to her backpack and pulled out a black shirt, black shorts, and white socks. She made sure that Momo had her back turned and used her ring to put the clothes on, and after wasting a few seconds, she said she was finished.


    Momo turned around to reveal a tear-stained face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Servi. I really am. I¡­¡±


    The girl in question walked up to Momo and gave her a big hug. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to apologize for. Even if we are both girls, it was kinda rude for me to say something like that. I¡¯m the one who should be sorry.¡±


    ¡°I feel like if I said sorry again... It¡¯ll keep going and going in a cycle of us apologizing.¡±


    ¡°Probably. How about this? We both say sorry at the same time and get a fire going. I¡¯m getting a little bit cold. On three, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay. On three.¡±


    ¡°One. Two,¡± Servi started the count.


    ¡°Three,¡± and Momo finished it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    They both said at the same. Realizing the two both did something so dramatic for something so minor in the grand scheme of things, the two friends laughed and laughed until they ended up on their butts.


    ¡°I always take the smallest things and make a mountain out of a molehill. That¡¯s something I need to work on,¡± Momo wiped away her laughing-induced tears.


    ¡°Me too. I mean, we''re best friends, so it isn¡¯t like we need to be weird around each other. Well, I guess we are weird sometimes, but it¡¯s not like that¡¯s a bad thing, is it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I think being able to do weird things and laughing after embarrassing situations shows how close we are,¡± Momo said without a hint of embarrassment.


    ¡°I do too! Now then, I¡¯ll get the fire-resistant rocks from my bag if you can get yours from yours,¡± said Servi.


    ¡°Roger!¡± Momo replied as she exaggeratedly saluted.  That prompted a small chuckle from Servi.


    They both got to work constructing the fire pit. The rocks themselves were made out of packed black dust that was kinda dusty to the touch. They were neatly carved, and when put together, they formed a circular shape that was somehow appealing to the eyes.


    The fire starter itself was two packs of matches and a set of easily burnable material.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing this comes with a stack of leaves and tiny sticks. Servi, we¡¯re gonna have to collect kindling material tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll do it first thing in the morning,¡± Servi replied as she retrieved two metal skewers from her bag.


    Huh? Aren¡¯t there supposed to be one in each? Doesn¡¯t matter, does it?


    Hunched over the fire pit, Momo carefully arranged the leaves showed on the box and lit the first match. ¡°Okay¡­ Steady¡­ Steady¡­. Easy going¡­. There!!¡±


    The small match had done its one and only job, and a steady fire was beginning to grow within the tinder. ¡°Now I have to add the kindling to make it grow big and strong.¡±


    As if she was a mother nursing her child, Momo meticulously laid the sticks in such a way that would only nurture and fuel the fire instead of abusing and smothering it. A few moments later, the nearly black cave became illuminated by a tiny fire that quickly grew. With the newfound light assisting her, Servi realized her temporary shelter had carvings etched in it.


    Seems like someone was drawing. Well, this is a cave, and kids like to explore. If it were kids, then they probably left the ash from the remains of the fire we found.


    ¡°Ta-da!!!!!! Momo 1 ¨C Fire 0,¡± Momo quietly exclaimed. She stood proud and prideful over her beloved red child. She turned around to tell Servi and drooled when she saw a piece of juicy salted chicken on the end of a metal pole. It was nearly smothered in salt and other oils, but it meant she didn''t have to worry about the food spoiling for a week or so.


    ¡°It¡¯s big!!!¡± Momo said as she wiped her mouth. She took it as if a prince would the hand of his darling wife and nursed it over the fire.


    ¡°Hold on. It came with holders,¡± Servi dug into her bag and took out a little gadget whose only function was to hold a skewer over fire. She gave one to Momo, who promptly put it to use. Servi did the same with her chicken.


    ¡°Food, check! While it¡¯s cooking, we can get the tents set up,¡± said Momo as she dug within her backpack. Opening the largest compartment, she took out a carefully folded tent.


    ¡°Hmm¡­so it literally just folds up?¡± Servi watched while Momo unhooked four straps that tied the legs of the tent to the body. And like magic, she had a cute little one-person tent.


    ¡°It¡¯s so adorable!!¡± Momo got to her knees and crawled inside. She had to curl into a ball to fit comfortably, but sure enough, it was a tent.  She rolled left and right, testing out different sleeping positions as a huge smile plastered across her face.


    I never had a chance to go camping with friends, but now I... Aahhh!!! I¡¯m so happy!!!!


    ¡°No sleeping bag?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­.¡± Momo crawled out and went back into her backpack, her tail swooshed like a whip from left to right as her ears slightly twitched.  ¡°Yep! It was buried at the bottom.¡± She retrieved a blue folded-up object and undid the three straps keeping it compressed. Like a spring-powered folding chair, the sleeping bag unfolded to its original size without any additional help from Momo. ¡°It¡¯s just a little bit longer than me,¡± Momo had laid down on top of it.


    ¡°Then mine might be a little bit too short,¡± Servi took out her tent and bag and got them all set up. And as she figured, the bag was a little bit short. But if she slept on her side and curled her legs inward, she should be fine.


    By that time, the smell of delicious chicken wafted throughout their new home. And as if guided by a mysterious fairy, Momo soon found herself plopped down right in front of the fire with her kitty cat canteen nestled in her lap.


    ¡°How much water do you have left?¡± Servi watched as Momo shook her water container.


    ¡°A little bit more than half.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still nearly full,¡± Servi took a sip of it and relished the feeling and taste of her water.


    I guess it¡¯s been about 11 hours since I last had something to drink. Servi, you need to drink more, she told herself.


    ¡°If you get thirsty, let me know. You can have some of mine.¡±


    Servi¡¯s so sweet¡­. She¡¯s always looking out for me and making sure I¡¯m okay. She¡¯s such a good friend. But drinking after her? Isn¡¯t that like an indirect kiss? But it seems she doesn¡¯t mind. If that¡¯s the case, then I shouldn¡¯t make a big deal out of it. Besides, I doubt she¡¯d fall for the bug line twice.


    ¡°I¡¯m good right now, but thank you. Oh, I think dinner is ready!!¡±


    Servi reached to pick up her skewer and lightly bit into it. As expected, while it was juicy, it was salty and had a distinct turmeric-like aftertaste that lingered on her wet tongue. If pressed to describe it, Servi would say it was bitter, musky, and a bit peppery. But all in all, it wasn¡¯t like it was inedible.  It didn''t compare to the food she had eaten while staying in Canary.


    ¡°Well?¡±


    Servi nodded as she chewed, and Momo bit right into it, splattering juice into the fire that hissed in response for new material to burn.


    ¡°Wait, it¡¯s not too hot for you?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°No. I mean, I can taste a bit of pepper, but it¡¯s not too strong. I can easily handle something like this,¡± Momo then took another bite and glanced at Servi, who lightly giggled.


    ¡°You look like a little chipmunk with your cheeks puffed out. It¡¯s pretty adorable.¡±


    Momo swallowed and laughed. ¡°During the trip from my village to Canary, one of the wagon drivers had a little chipmunk that sat on his shoulder. He wouldn¡¯t let anyone near her, but I really wanted to pet her. Whenever I see a cute fuzzy thing, I get the strongest urge to pet it, but I know I probably shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Same here. It¡¯s really hard sometimes,¡± Momo''s tail appeared in Servi''s mind as she spoke those words.


    When I get a body, I hope she¡¯ll let me touch it. It looks so soft, Itarr said. Servi nodded while her teeth mercilessly tore apart her dinner.


    About fifteen minutes later, Momo was doing her nightly stretching. The plip plip plip-like noise of water being collected in a pot acted as a kind of background noise, and Servi was putting away the skewers after dipping them in the collected water.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any soap, but they¡¯re kinda clean.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thanks for doing the dishes,¡± replied Momo, who pressed her stomach to the floor. She was sitting down and was exercising her abdominal muscles. The blanket she used to dry off with was protecting her clothes from getting dirty.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Now, there¡¯s one thing we need to decide on before falling asleep.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± said Momo as she transitioned to a handstand. The tips of her toes were pointing straight up, and her tail swooshed back and forth in a steady motion. Her shirt became gravity''s latest victim, and she lightly panicked when a shivering breeze soared across her soft tummy.


    Servi rushed over, grabbed the edge of Momo''s shirt when it almost exposed her bra, and pulled it back up. ¡°I''ll hold it for you. Hey, I guess I¡¯m the official shirt holder.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for that, and I guess you are! But what were you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Who was going to take first watch?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me. You know, you¡¯re really flexible.¡±


    Momo giggled and thanked her friend as she moved to a one-handed handstand. ¡°Thanks! My main strength as a Singi is my agility and athleticism. And I realized I can use my tail to help keep my balance.¡± She switched off to her other hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m very impressed, but doesn¡¯t your hand hurt?¡±


    ¡°It did at first, but it¡¯s fine now. Oh, I¡¯m about to get down.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Servi pulled Momo''s shirt up and walked backwards.


    Immediately after, Momo leaned forward and transitioned into a roll. ¡°There we go!¡± she said once she was on her feet. Turning around, she was met with a single round of applause from her best friend. Giggling and taking a bow, she walked over and sat back down. ¡°Are you going to bed?¡±


    Servi nodded and walked over to her tent. ¡°Yeah. But if you get sleepy before it¡¯s my turn, then wake me up. Okay?¡±


    ¡°You betcha. Good night, Servi. Sweet dreams!¡±


    Servi thanked Momo as she crawled into her sleeping bag. Though she had to curl up to fit, it was a nice and tight snug fit that hugged her body. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the claustrophobic tent gave her a feeling of being embraced by a loved one. But even as she tried her hardest, Servi couldn''t put a face to the emotion.


    Maybe I won¡¯t thrash around in my sleep now.


    I¡¯ll keep an eye on things and make sure everything is okay. Good night Servi. I love you.


    Whispering, Servi replied back. ¡°I love you too. Good night.¡±

 Book Three – Chapter Two – Part Two – Blissful Days Won’t Ever Last

    Around four hours later, Servi was woken up by the pleasant noise of rain lightly hitting their cave, the harsh distant thunder, and the soft voice of her beloved Itarr.


    Good morning, Servi. Please don¡¯t be upset, but I believe Momo fell asleep.


    ¡°I kinda figured she would, and no, I¡¯m not mad.¡± Getting up and crawling out, Servi scratched her head. Her fingers slid and danced in her smooth black hair. She went to take down her little tent, but Itarr stopped her.


    Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll fold your tent up and place it in the backpack for you.


    ¡°Thanks, Itarr. I suppose I should put Momo to bed.¡±


    Servi walked over and found Momo asleep on the hard reddish ground. She was curled into a ball, something that reminded Servi of the way she liked to sleep, and she looked so delightfully adorable. Cute snoring sounds came from her, and Servi felt the strongest urge to poke her friend¡¯s soft cheeks, but she fought against it. The weak fire threatened to burn out, but a quick Fire Wall was enough to reinvigorate it. Its beautiful orange glow relit the cave in a warm embrace.


    "I don¡¯t wanna touch her without permission. Good thing I have Telekinesis.¡± Concentrating, she and Itarr used over 700 anchor points to make transporting Momo as gently as possible.


    And it was a success.


    The sleeping Singi slowly ascended a few short centimeters in the air, and her body floated in the direction of her tent.


    Using a few anchor points to open the sleeping bag, Servi and Itarr worked together to slide Momo in the opening like one would insert coins at a vending machine.


    ¡°Grampy¡­I love you¡­¡± Momo snuggled against the soft blue interior of her sleeping bag and whispered in her sleep.  Servi finished the task off by using Telekinesis to zip the bag back up.


    ¡°You know,¡± Servi took a seat by the fire and used Absorption to retrieve her canteen from her bag, ¡°I really want to meet her grandpa. He sounds like a wonderful man, and from what I heard, it kinda makes me want to call him grampy too.¡±


    Are grandparents special?


    Servi thought it was a weird question, but she answered as she took a sip. ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re the parents of your parents, and a person has four. Two from your mom and two from your dad.¡±


    I wonder if I have one. Would a Goddess even have something like that?


    ¡°I¡¯d imagine so. Every living thing was given life by something. And that something is your parents.¡±


    I guess so, but if I¡¯m born of my parents, they have to have parents. It goes in a cycle, right? But I wonder what we¡¯ll find if we go back far enough? Will it be an endless cycle of parents? Is there even an end?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Thinking about these things scares me. It¡¯s like I¡¯m afraid of what I¡¯ll find. What if I don¡¯t have parents? And if I did, why can¡¯t I remember them?


    ¡°I get frightened when I think about things like that. Honestly, I¡¯m scared of something else, too.¡±


    What are you afraid of?


    ¡°When I go kill, it¡¯s like I know I¡¯m doing something bad, and I should cry for the life that I ended, but I don¡¯t feel anything. If anything, it just feels like I knocked down a peg that stood in my way. You know, I haven¡¯t cried in a long time¡­.I almost forgot what it even feels like¡­.¡±


    I¡­..


    ¡°Do you think Momo will accept me? I mean, after I tell her the truth? I know I need to eventually¡­. My biggest fear is getting attacked by something stronger than we can handle and having to reveal my true strength,¡± Servi spoke so quietly that even Itarr had to strain to hear her. ¡°If she says she hates me¡­.I¡¯d probably lose it. In a way, I think she¡¯s the only thing that¡¯s keeping me from becoming a total monster¡­..¡±


    Itarr wanted to tell Servi the truth. The monster isn''t you...it''s me! That was what she wanted to shout, but she couldn''t. The Goddess could not gather the courage to speak those six little words that had the power to effectively change her entire life. She was afraid of what would happen to her and Servi''s relationship if the truth came out. But the Goddess knew that day was coming. Until then, she was going to do all she could to support her beloved friend because that''s the only thing she could do.


    I want you to know that I love you, Servi. And no matter what happens, I¡¯ll always love you.


    Servi felt like she wanted to cry, but the growing tears just blew away like a leaf in the wind. She knew her current emotions were liable to dramatically flicker every other second, and she didn¡¯t know why. She wanted to ask Itarr, but it was like the words were locked away and unavailable to be uttered, whispered, spoken, or growled.


    ¡°I love you too, Itarr. Please¡­don¡¯t leave me¡­¡± Servi whimpered and shook as she held her canteen close to her chest.


    Please, calm down and be at ease. For as long as we both live, I will always be here for you. I can promise you that.


    Once Servi heard those words that seemed to have special meaning, she took another deep breath and felt her body and mind relax. She brought out a coin from her ring and began to flip it. The red fire glanced beautifully off of its shiny surface, acting as a tiny nature-fueled spotlight that illuminated the cave. Taking special care, Servi used Telekinesis to zip up Momo¡¯s tent so that the light reflected wouldn''t have the chance to bother her.


    I don¡¯t know why but doing this seems to bring me to peace. Maybe this is something I¡¯ve done in the past? What if the body remembers, but the mind doesn¡¯t? If that¡¯s the case, then which one is real and which is fake? Or are they both real to form the woman known as Servi?


    Time slowly passed, and the rain and thunder and lightning came to an end as she sat there, flipping a single coin over and over again. By the time the sun¡¯s rays peeked in from the cave opening, illuminating the area, Servi realized the fire had died out some time ago. Smelly ashes were scattered about as a freak gust of wind intruded in, blanketing Servi in a light layer of black.


    I¡¯ll take care of that, Itarr said.


    ¡°I need to get better at using the ring,¡± Servi muttered as her body became clean a moment later.  There weren''t any signs of her ever being dirty.


    You¡¯ll get better in time. It does seem like a hard thing to get used to. Especially when absorbing tiny things like dust.


    Servi went to respond but stopped when she heard a meek voice whisper from in front of her. ¡°Grampy¡­.? It¡¯s cold¡­.¡± She walked over and crouched down, undoing the zipper on the tent from which the voice came from.


    She¡¯s cute when she¡¯s sleeping like this. Almost reminds me of a cat. Well, duh, she is a catgirl.


    ¡°Hey, Momo?¡±


    Servi waited for a second, but Momo showed no signs of waking up.


    ¡°Momo?¡± She repeated as she shook her sleeping friend¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Eehh¡­ Grampy?¡± Two blue eyes as deep and as powerful as the ocean stared into red eyes that seemed as if a fire was the source of power that provided its intense luster.


    ¡°Sorry, but it¡¯s Servy.¡±


    ¡°Servy?¡± rubbing her eyes, the sleeping Singi suddenly realized her situation and groggily rolled out of her sleeping bag. A scattered storm of pink hair reinforced her sleepy cat-like look.


    ¡°Good morning, Servy,¡± she lazily said before reaching for her canteen that Servi placed nearby.


    ¡°Did you sleep okay?¡±


    Momo replied by nodding her head and yawned again. ¡°I don¡¯t even remember waking you up. I must¡¯ve slept really good,¡± she got up out of her tent and began to do her morning stretches.


    Servi observed and spoke, ¡°You did wake me up,¡± it was a little white lie she had told since she didn¡¯t want Momo to overreact because she fell asleep. ¡°You were saying Grampy in your sleep. I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to overhear.¡±


    ¡°Grampy is what I called grandpa sometimes. I guess I was having a dream about him, but I haven¡¯t called him that in years. Hey, Servy, what time is it?¡± Momo kept her eyes closed as she undid the cap on her canteen. She lifted it up and took a giant sip. It was cold and refreshing, almost as if it had been poured from the cup of the Gods.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I guess it¡¯s somewhere around 7 or 8 in the morning.¡±


    At that moment, it was like the gears inside the sleepy girl''s head began to work overtime. ¡°Servy? Wait, Servi? Oh man, I¡¯m sorry!!¡±


    Servi waved her hand and sat down. Momo did the same, crossing her legs as her tail stretched and waved about. ¡°You can call me Servy if you want to. The only difference is a single letter.¡±


    And both might even be wrong anyway. But I can cross that bridge when I get to it.


    It is kind of a cute nickname. Wait, wasn¡¯t I just thinking of coming up with a nickname for her? And she went ahead and did it for me? Momo thought as she cracked an embarrassed smile.


    ¡°Okay then. S-Servy.¡±


    Servi reached into her bag and took out some hardtack. ¡°Mo, here you go,¡± she grinned.


    ¡°Oh, than¡ª Wait, Mo? But that¡¯s a guy¡¯s name.¡±


    ¡°Then how about Momoie? Momie? Mosie? Moey?¡±


    Momo quietly chuckled as she finished up her light stretching. Then she leaned over and retrieved her hairbrush from her grandpa¡¯s bag. ¡°My name¡¯s kinda hard to make a nickname of, isn¡¯t it?¡± Next, she said a small thank you to Servi and received the bread from her hand.


    ¡°It is, but I¡¯m sure I can come up with something. Or you might come up with something.¡± Servi bit off a piece of her breakfast and began to chew.


    Momo also tore a piece off and tried to distract herself by both combing and eating concurrently.


    I mean, Mosie sounds kinda cute. And it kinda rhymes with Servy, doesn¡¯t it? Ouch!! This stupid bread is too hard!! I don¡¯t see how she eats it dry. Servy, you¡¯re a tougher girl than I!


    Putting her brush down, she grabbed her canteen and noticed it was heavier than when she went to bed. She must''ve missed that when she sleepily took a sip a few minutes ago.


    ¡°Thanks for filling my bottle up.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± said Servi as she snapped and cracked a piece of hardtack underneath her teeth. Each vicious sound made Momo wince a little bit.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you do it,¡± replied Momo, ¡°I have to pour water on mine.¡±


    ¡°Maybe a Singi¡¯s teeth are more sensitive than a Human¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. I know our tongues are,¡± Momo cracked into the now wet and soft bread. ¡°Next time, let¡¯s bring some peanut butter or jam. Those can last a long time, right?¡±


    Servi nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can get a preserved bottle of one of the two,¡± having finished her breakfast, she began to pack up half of the rocks. ¡°If you want to finish getting ready, I¡¯ll pack up your tent and sleeping bag.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s sweet of you,¡± Momo had just finished her hardtack as she began to equip her gear. Suddenly, the call of nature hit her, and she rushed to put on her boots while ignoring her armor and sword. ¡°Umm¡­. I¡­uh¡­.I gotta use the bathroom.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll go ahead and get everything packed up.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll make it up. I didn¡¯t mean for you to do the whole thing yourself,¡± Momo said while rushing out of the cave.  Her voice became quieter until Servi couldn''t hear it at all.


    Itarr was a bit worried, but Servi assured her nothing was wrong.


    She was back in seven minutes. ¡°And let¡¯s be sure to buy some proper toilet paper. Leaves hurt¡­a lot¡­¡± Servi heard Momo quietly grumble to herself when she came back. A look of unpleasantness and an upset scowl blanketed her face as if she was angry at the Gods Above for making leaves, which she now considered to be nature¡¯s worst toilet paper.


    ¡°Did you see any dry sticks?¡± Servi asked. She was putting the last fire-resistant stone in her bag.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. Seemed like everything was pretty soaked from that rainstorm. I can put some in my bag to dry out for later, though."


    She¡¯s talking about her grampy¡¯s bag, right? So time doesn¡¯t stop for objects stored in there? Itarr asked


    ¡°Apparently not.¡± She whispered before speaking louder. ¡°If that¡¯s fine with you, then go for it.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll be back in a sec.¡±


    Fifteen minutes later, the two were standing by the entrance of the cave that graciously allowed them to take shelter.


    ¡°Leaves and sticks for tinder and kindling?¡±


    ¡°Check!¡±


    ¡°Tents and other camping equipment?¡±


    Momo scanned the sun-lit cave for anything they could¡¯ve missed, but she didn¡¯t spot anything. She then looked at her and Servi''s backpacks. ¡°Check! Check!¡±


    ¡°Map?¡±


    The Singi pulled it out from her bag and looked it over. ¡°Checky Check!¡±


    ¡°Is there a lake in the direction we need to go?¡±


    ¡°There is. It should be about three or four hours away. How much water do you have?¡± Momo glanced up from her map and eyed the black and red striped canteen. It hung from Servi¡¯s belt and danced around when she walked. The water inside made a funny noise as it splashed around.


    ¡°I got about half left. That¡¯s still a whole liter, though. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Well, I think that¡¯s everything. Hey, wanna have lunch when we get to the lake?¡±


    ¡°You read my mind. This hardtack isn¡¯t really the most filling breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Momo glanced down at her hand. It was more of a cracker than bread, but it was hard for her to eat it without dousing it in water. ¡°But it¡¯s not like it''s doing it on purpose. I¡¯m sure Mr. Hardtack will be delicious with some strawberry jelly.¡±


    "Before we leave for our next quest, let¡¯s be sure to pick some up.¡± Servi walked out of the cave, and the wet squishy grass squelched underneath her footsteps.


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Mr. Sun, so high in the sky.


    Makes me want to fly.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯m singing this tune.


    May I touch you soon?


    Mr. Sky, so pretty and blue


    When I look at you, I know that¡¯s true.


    And that fills me with such a boon.


    May I touch you soon?


    Mr. Star, bright, bright, bright.


    At night, you¡¯re always in my sight.


    Even though it¡¯s past June.


    May I touch you soon?


    Mr. Moon, last but not least


    Why don¡¯t you come join us for a feast?


    We can use forks, knives, or spoons.


    May I touch you soon?


    Servi listened as Momo went through the song again, her tail swooshing and whooshing through the air after each verse.


    ¡°You have a pretty singing voice,¡± she said when it was over.  Servi was so overtaken by her melancholic voice that tears almost formed in the corner of her eyes. It was like listening to a songbird in the early morning during spring while sipping a nice cup of coffee. The image of such a scene flashed in Servi''s mind, and she imagined sitting outside on a freshly painted porch with her best friend.  The sea of trees with their green leaves would act as an ocean, yet they all would be the audience as Momo prepared to sing. Her voice would soothe the ears of both Humans and animals alike.


    Such a sight would be a blessing, and Servi wished that scene would one day become a reality.


    Momo scratched her head and lightly chuckled. ¡°Really? Me and grampy used to sing that when I was really little. We would go outside and sit on this little swing and gaze up at the sky. If it was daylight, we¡¯d sing the first two verses. And at night, we¡¯d sing the last two. I haven¡¯t sung it in a few years. I wonder why I did?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I do know that your grandpa sounds like a great man.¡±


    Momo smiled. ¡°He is. I wanna go back and see him... But maybe not for a while. I wanna greet him as a new Momo. One who¡¯s super strong and experienced. And if you don¡¯t mind, I wanna introduce you to him. I want him to meet my best friend.¡±


    ¡°And I want to meet him, too.¡±


    ¡°Okay! It¡¯s a deal!¡± Momo stuck out her hand, and Servi shook it. And as if tradition, Momo¡¯s stomach took the time to alert everyone it was hungry.


    ¡°Seems like your stomach always likes to growl. We¡¯ve been walking for a while, so it might be time to take a lunch break. Hey, about how far away from the lake are we?¡± Servi turned her head and scanned the horizon. Trees to her left and trees to her right. The leaves in the forest were so dense and thick that it was almost pitch black. She could see in a few meters, but after that, nothing. It was nearly darker than night.


    ¡°Hmm¡­. Once we get over that hill there, the lake should be to our right. And there should be a green plain to our left that¡¯s filled with flowers and a mini lake.¡± Momo stored the map back in her bag.


    ¡°A flower field?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what the map said. We¡¯ve seen the fields before, but the map makes it out to be really big. See?¡± she took it back out and handed it to Servi. She stopped moving and sat down.  The lightly damp grass flattened out under her, and a few small birds flew overhead. Their chirping was like music, and Momo couldn''t help but nod her head and wag her tail to the rhythm.


    As her friend said, the entire left side of a small square of the map had flowers drawn over it. If the map was accurate and to scale, then the field had to be at least a square kilometer wide.


    ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll find out once we get over the hill,¡± Servi handed the map back, stood up, and took a sip of her water.


    ¡°I guess we will. It¡¯ll be the perfect place to have lunch, but let¡¯s cook the food on the other side, next to the lake. I don¡¯t want to risk starting a fire in the pretty flowers.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense.¡±


    ¡°WOOOOOW!!!!!¡± Momo exclaimed when she reached the top of the hill that separated her from a boring old dirt road and the prettiest area she had ever seen.


    Beautiful rows of pink, red, orange, blue, violet, green, black, and white flowers filled half of her vision. The many different vibrant colors formed a lovely pattern that welcomed bliss, calmness, and happiness into the hearts of all who saw it.


    But that wasn¡¯t all.


    As if standing as their total opposite, a beautiful still blue lake stood apart from the flowers with nothing but a wet dirt road to separate the two. In the far distance, little ducks were wadding through the deep blue, a frog hopped from lily pad to lily pad, and a deer and her fawns were enjoying a nice relaxing lay in the hot sun. Every so often, they would dip their heads into the lake, breaking apart its still surface to enjoy the cold, refreshing water.


    It was something out of a fantasy world where the concept of evil and good did not exist. It was nature in its purest form. And as if reinforcing that concept, a sudden gust of wind blew towards the Human and Singi. Like a gentle mother, the breeze deposited a single White Lily flower into Momo¡¯s hair.


    ¡°I guess they wanted to give you a present,¡± Servi smiled.


    ¡°Hehe! Thank you, Mr. Flower! Oh, Servy, the White Lily is my favorite. Look at this!¡± Momo dug into her bag and pulled out her diary. The flower on the book was the same exact one that was in her hair.


    ¡°Mind if I adjust it? It looks like it¡¯s gonna fall off.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± using both hands, Servi lightly parted the sea of pink that was Momo¡¯s hair and gently grabbed the flower. Then, she spent a quick few seconds debating on the optimal placement to bring out Momo¡¯s natural cuteness.


    ¡°There,¡± Servi softly whispered.  She placed the flower right beside Momo¡¯s left ear. She stood back and admired her work like a sculptor would a statue.


    ¡°Does it look good? Oh, I have a mirror in here somewhere¡­¡± Digging back through her bag, she pulled out a tiny mirror that was no bigger than her hand.


    ¡°Wow, I feel so pretty,¡± she whispered. She didn¡¯t want Servi to hear it, but she did. ¡°Thanks, Servy!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Mosie.¡±


    ¡°Mosie?¡± she confusingly blinked.


    ¡°How do you like it? Or how about Momosie?¡±


    ¡°Or Momomosie?¡± she giggled. Servi joined in at the absurdity of the nickname. ¡°But I like Mosie! It sounds cute.¡±


    My best friend gave me a nickname!!!!


    ¡°Good. Then Servy and Mosie it is. Now then, how about we get something to eat?¡±


    Momo returned the hand mirror to her bag and smiled. Servi took it as a sign to continue walking.

 Book Three – Chapter Two – Part Three – Blissful Days Won’t Ever Last

    A couple of minutes later, they came across a broken-down wagon on the side of the road. A beige cloth covered the bed of it. And the back wheels were a little bit bigger than the front ones. A tall black lever, located a bit behind the front left wheel, acted as an emergency brake.


    ¡°How strange. I didn¡¯t even see it from up on the hill,¡± Servi said.


    ¡°Neither did I. I guess I was blinded by the sheer prettiness of the flower field. Hey, do you want to check it out? Do you think they need help?"


    Servi was a bit wary of helping complete strangers, but she figured it wouldn¡¯t be that much of an issue if she just checked it out. ¡°Sure. Why not?¡±


    The two walked up to it and heard grunts of annoyance coming from the other side. Walking around it, they discovered an elderly man.  His face, red and strained, came from him failing to lift the wagon high enough to replace the broken wheel with the new one that sat right beside him.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Hello?¡± Momo squeaked.


    ¡°Gah!¡± the man grunted as he admitted his defeat. Taking a small cloth rag lying nearby, he turned to look at the strangers as he wiped his sweat-filled face.


    He was nearly bald except for a few strands of hair that stubbornly clung to life. His tired and baggy eyes almost seemed to glow yellow, but Servi later realized that was the sun''s doing. On his right index finger, he wore a simple gold ring that was similar to Servi''s. But unlike Servi, this old man had a scar that stretched from his left eye to his lip.


    Contrary to his rough appearance, he was dressed in clothes that would almost be more suited for a noble. A clean brown vest covered a buttoned-up white shirt. Slick brown trousers sheltered his aged legs, and two black dress shoes finished him out. It was a weird dichotomy of being both a peasant and a noble or, at least having the appearances of both, that put Servi on alert.


    She didn¡¯t immediately go for her sword or even move a single muscle. Instead, she had a few skills at the ready just in case this man decided to do something stupid.


    An air of roughness and unpredictability swarmed around him, but Momo didn¡¯t let that bother her.


    ¡°Do you need some help?¡± she asked, ignoring his appearance.


    If I were scared of appearances, then I¡¯d never have met Servi. I have to keep an open mind.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I do. I hit a rock, and the stupid wheel cracked on me. That¡¯s what I get for going for the cheap stuff. That spooked my horse, and she ran off. I thought I had the ropes and everything else tied right, but I must¡¯ve missed a knot.  I tried to lift the wagon enough to put this spare wheel I was smart enough to buy, but these old bones aren¡¯t as strong as they used to be.¡±


    ¡°A horse? I didn¡¯t see one from up on the hill," other than the fantasy-like flower field and lake, Momo didn''t see a horse.


    ¡°She likes to go lay down in the flowers. She''s been there for a little bit over an hour."


    ¡°You¡¯ve been stuck here for that long?¡± Servi asked.


    The old man nodded. ¡°Yep. I was on my way to Arcton. I wanted to get there before nightfall, but it doesn¡¯t seem like that¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­. Servy,¡± Momo turned from the flower field and stared into her friend''s eyes, ¡°Let¡¯s help him. If you can help with the wagon, I think I can lead the horse back over here.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Servi crossed her arms and looked at the wagon.


    It probably weighs more than Feral¡¯s shield, but I only need to lift it a little bit. At least I don¡¯t have to pick the entire thing up.


    ¡°I am. Remember, grandpa and me took care of his friend¡¯s horses for a while. I know how to act around and treat them,¡± Momo then turned to the old man. ¡°Just leave it to us! Servy¡¯s a lot stronger than I am, so she¡¯ll help you with the wagon. I¡¯ll go and get your horse back for you.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± his yellow eyes lit up. ¡°Oh, thank you! Thank you! I don¡¯t have much to pay you with, but I do have some salted fish.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can have lunch together? If you share your fish, we have some chicken to give you. Is that okay, Servy?¡±


    Servi nodded and took off her shield and backpack. ¡°Sounds fine to me.¡±


    ¡°Great! I¡¯ll go get your horse, mister.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, but please call me Old Man. I¡¯m afraid my name doesn¡¯t have much meaning anymore,¡± Old Man¡¯s eyes looked like they were filled with the fogginess of yesterday: a memory that he could only look back upon with some kind of fond feeling.


    ¡°Umm... This sounds kinda rude, but okay, Old Man. I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Momo dropped her backpack but kept her sword and bag and briskly walked towards the flower field.


    Servi, meanwhile, walked over to the broken wheel. ¡°If you can lift it just a little bit, I should be able to slide this here wheel on there.¡±


    ¡°Sure, Old Man.¡± Servi positioned her hands right near the doubletree and tested its weight.


    Hmm, it¡¯s a bit lighter than Feral¡¯s shield. Guess I¡¯m in luck.


    ¡°Old Man, you¡¯re ready?¡±


    He nodded and strained himself a little bit when he picked up the spare wheel. Servi began to exert herself, and the front end of the wagon slowly rose into the air.


    ¡°Good Gods above¡­ You are strong. Oh, just a little bit longer.¡± Impressed by Servi¡¯s strength, Old Man quickly pulled the broken wheel off and slid the new one in place. ¡°Got it,¡± he said while pulling out a small hammer from a nearby toolbox.


    Servi gently lowered the wagon''s front until it touched the ground.


    Old Man knocked on the wheel with a hammer as he put a few nails in their place. ¡°Mighty fine work, Servy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re welcome.¡± She sat down and took a sip from her canteen as she watched Old Man work.


    He seems a bit odd. Itarr noticed. Servi only nodded as the last of the nails were hammered into place.


    Around ten minutes later, Servi stood up after hearing a set of hoofs clomping against the dirt road. It was Momo, and she led a beautiful brown horse by its leather reins.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good horsie,¡± she sweetly whispered. One hand went to the horse¡¯s nose as she stroked it. ¡°I¡¯m sure you were scared when the wagon broke, but you¡¯re okay now. Servy¡¯s gonna help fix it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a Singi be so attached to a horse she just met," Old Man looked up over the wagon and saw a startling sight.


    ¡°Same here. Mosie said she loves horses. I just didn¡¯t know how much.¡±


    Momo''s ears pricked up, and she glanced up and waved. ¡°Servy, I¡¯m back. And as you can see, I brought the horsie back.¡±


    Still leading her by the rein, Momo led the horse to the spot where Old Man could start the process to hook her to the wagon. As he did the first strap, he stopped and undid all his progress.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Momo asked. She was still petting the horse.


    ¡°I think she needs a bit of a rest. No doubt the broken wheel scared her. Say, if you two are hungry, why don¡¯t we go ahead and have lunch? It was just about time to feed her.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good to me, but we don¡¯t have any dry kinder or tinder. And we don¡¯t know Fire Wall,¡± Servi said.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need about that. I¡¯ll handle the fire since I have the materials in the back. Say, why don¡¯t we go over there?¡± Old Man pointed to a nice soft spot right by the lake. And as luck would have it, it was currently shaded by way of a thick fluffy cloud that was way up high.


    Servi bent down to pick up her shield and bag, then realized she needed to pick up Momo¡¯s backpack as well.


    ¡°Servy, I can carry it," Momo went to stop Servi by grabbing her bag first.


    ¡°You can, but I figured you¡¯d rather lead the horse. That way, you can pet her a little bit more. Wouldn¡¯t you rather do that?¡±


    Momo turned to Old Man, who nodded. ¡°It¡¯s fine with me. Besides, it seems like she likes you.¡±


    ¡°Okay then! Thank you! Umm¡­ What¡¯s her name?¡± Momo turned back to the horse and ran her hand down its body.


    ¡°Lemonade,¡± replied Old Man.


    ¡°Lemonade? Like the drink?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. When Lemonade was a young foal, she knocked over a glass of lemonade and started to lap it right up off the ground. I don¡¯t think it was good for her because she got sick for a few days after, but I figured it¡¯s the perfect name for her.¡±


    ¡°Okay then. Lemonade, let¡¯s go get you some food in your tummy!¡±


    Old Man went to the back of his wagon and took out three bags. One had the fish he promised to give to them, the other contained some carrots, and the last had some tinder and kinder to help start the fire. He gave the bag with the carrots to Momo and started walking.


    ¡°Carrots are yummy!¡± she said as she turned to Lemonade. ¡°Come on, Lemonade,¡± she lightly pulled the rein, and Lemonade followed her new friend, snorting and blowing air in the process.


    ¡°That¡¯s the noise horses make when they¡¯re happy,¡± the Singi explained. She was talking to Servi, who walked beside Old Man.


    Their destination was only a few meters away. Right beside the lake sat a glorious sea of grass that complemented the blue water. It was vivid and bright and lightly danced in the swift breeze that made itself known.


    ¡°The carrots are a snack for her. So, you know a lot about horses?¡± asked Old Man. He groaned as he sat down, crushing the grass beneath his weathered body.


    ¡°I do. Oh, I don¡¯t think I introduced myself. I¡¯m Momo, and that¡¯s Servi.¡±


    ¡°I thought it was Servy? Was I mistaken?¡±


    Servi shook her head as she sat down both backpacks. Digging into them to pull out the fire-pit stones, she answered him. ¡°Servy is something of a nickname.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. In that case, then I¡¯ll refer to you as Servi if that¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, my grampy and I took care of his friend¡¯s horses a long time ago. He taught me everything about them,¡± Momo took a carrot out of her bag and gave it to Lemonade, who laid down beside her.


    She bit off a piece and chewed before snorting again. Momo¡¯s tail began to lightly wave through the air in response to her new friend¡¯s happiness.


    ¡°I see. Ah, here¡¯s the stuff I need,¡± digging into a bag, Old Man took out a small collection of dried leaves and sticks, as well as a small pack of matches. ¡°Please, leave the fire to me.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Servi took out the fire-resistant rocks and placed them in a nice circle. As Old Man started the fire, Servi went into her bag and pulled out some juicy chicken. Momo¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw it, and her stomach growled when she smelled it.


    ¡°Now that we have the fire going¡­¡± Old Man went to talk but stopped as he pulled out some lean red meat from one of his bags. Very tiny white lines ran throughout it like it was just cut from the source.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s fish?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. You sound like you¡¯ve never tried it before.¡±


    Momo responded while she watched Old Man and Servi stab the little meat chunks with a metal skewer. ¡°I didn¡¯t have the chance to eat fish that much since my village wasn¡¯t near any lakes. I only had shrimp for the first time about two weeks ago,¡± she took out another carrot and gave it to Lemonade.


    ¡°I see. This is called salmon, and it¡¯s by far my favorite fish to eat. I do hope you¡¯ll enjoy it,¡± He replied.


    Servi took out the two skewer holders and placed her and Momo¡¯s skewers in them. ¡°Sorry, Old Man. We don¡¯t have a third.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite all right. If anything, I wish I could do more to thank the two of you for helping me. If you didn¡¯t show up, then I don¡¯t know what I would do.¡± Old Man glanced around and saw a nice ¡®Y¡¯ shaped stick nearby. He went to retrieve it and sat back down. ¡°I suppose this will do nicely.¡±


    Momo took a swig of her water. ¡°I¡¯m sure someone else would¡¯ve been by to help you.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± he said, ¡°But other than you two, I¡¯ve seen only three other people. And they didn¡¯t look none-too-friendly. It seems that Arcton isn¡¯t that popular. Speaking of it, might I ask where you two are heading?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re on our promotion quest for Warden,¡± Servi replied.  She made sure to keep the destination a secret because she didn''t want to give a stranger info they didn''t need to know. Though as unlikely as it was, there was always a chance for this strange Old Man to want to steal the letter if he knew it existed.


    And he didn¡¯t until Momo told him.


    ¡°We have a letter we got to give to the Warden branch in Arcton,¡± Momo gave Old Man the info Servi wanted to keep secret.  The black-haired girl silently groaned.


    ¡°Congratulations!¡± Old Man happily clapped, and his face twisted into a smile. ¡°I never had a chance to join Warden when I was younger.¡±


    ¡°Thanks! But can I ask why?¡± Momo¡¯s nose became well aware of the delectable, delightful chicken and fish. Their savory scents permeated up and around, covering a wide area with assistance from the wind.


    ¡°I never really had the chance. Not to mention that I was weak as a stick. Instead, I chose to go to school and focused on nurturing and growing my mind.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know they had those kinds of schools,¡± replied Momo. She held a hand to Lemonade and rubbed her gently.


    ¡°They do. Coincidentally, I went to a school for business. But that was then, and this is now. I¡¯m afraid to say that it didn¡¯t work out for me. But I don¡¯t regret it. I dare say the knowledge and skills I learned helped me greatly in life,¡± Old Man smiled, and Servi felt alarm bells going off in her soul. She didn¡¯t know why or how, but something told her that the schemer disguised as an innocent old man had blood on his hands.


    Discretely, she activated Soul Essence of Primal Combat and observed his movements.


    Servi, I¡¯m getting nothing. Itarr must¡¯ve felt the same exact sensation as Servi.


    ¡°Servy?¡±


    She deactivated Soul Essence of Primal Combat and trusted Itarr with the rest. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You had a scary look on your face?


    ¡°Sorry, I thought I heard something. So, you¡¯re going to Arcton for business then?¡±


    Old Man shook his head. ¡°Just for a visit. I have some relatives who live there.¡±


    A pleasant conversation and a few minutes later, Servi bit into her chicken. A little bit of juice squirted onto her lips, and she lapped it up using her tongue.


    ¡°Seems like they¡¯re done,¡± she announced.


    Momo said a quiet apology to Lemonade and began to eat, making sure to bite off a piece of fish. ¡°This is good,¡± Momo smiled and took a second and third bite. She never had a chance to try salmon since fish expensive in her village. But Momo''s grandpa always said it was a favorite of his.


    Grampy, I¡¯m finally trying it. And it¡¯s just as good as you said it was.


    ¡°I got to say, I never believed chicken could taste so good,¡± said Old Man.


    Servi replied. ¡°Really? It¡¯s just preserved chicken. It¡¯d be better if we had some garlic and other spices to flavor it up.¡±


    ¡°Really. It might be so tasty because I thought I would die out here. It¡¯s a little bit scary being stranded alone in a broken-down wagon. With my old bones, I don¡¯t think I could''ve survived walking the rest of the way.¡±


    ¡°Servy, if we ever have to use a wagon, it might be best if we buy some extra materials,¡± Momo said after realizing how dangerous it would be if she and Servi became stranded due to a broken wagon or cart. ¡°And some extra food for the horse, too.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, girlie, I didn¡¯t mean to frightened you,¡± Old Man laughed and bit into his skewer. Much like his clothes, Old Man¡¯s teeth didn¡¯t match the rest of his body. They were white and bright, not yellow and cracked like Servi would¡¯ve expected to find.


    ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t frighten me. A lot of little problems can pop up when you¡¯re least expecting them, and it¡¯s good to have the supplies to fix the problem.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but we got to think about the weight distribution. If we take spare parts of everything, then the wagon would break down more often due to the heavier load, right?¡± Servi answered Momo''s question. She had no more food left and sat her skewer on the ground beside her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think about that¡­¡± Momo absentmindedly said. She turned around and looked at Lemonade. Her big blue eyes stared directly at the Singi. ¡°If it¡¯s too heavy, then the horse or horses wouldn¡¯t be able to pull it. If they could, then they¡¯ll probably get hurt. Grampy told me that if a horse gets a bad enough injury, then it¡¯s hard to heal them.¡±


    She really does care about horses. Itarr muttered. She was still listening, but she mainly focused on Old Man.


    ¡°There¡¯s no problem with that department. The events of the day are evidence to the contrary, but I treat Lemonade with the respect and dignity she deserves. I always make sure she''s fed before I am,¡± Old Man finished up his wooden skewer and drank some water from his own canteen. It was small and silver, and it clipped onto his belt.


    ¡°Mosie, how much water do you have left?¡±


    ¡°I still have a good bit. Why?¡±


    Servi stood up and dug into her bag to pull out the pot and tripod. ¡°I¡¯m going to go ahead and boil some water. Old Man, you need some?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Servy!¡±


    Servi nodded and walked over to the lake. She was back in a matter of minutes. During that time, Old Man asked Momo why Servi called her Mosie.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a nickname she calls me. I¡¯m Mosie, and she¡¯s Servy.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, the days of youth. Reminds me of the past. A good friend of mine who went to school with me had a nickname for me. Oddly enough, it was Old Man. His reasoning was that I looked elderly even when I was in my mid-twenties. Bwhahah!!¡± Old Man bellowed before welcoming back Servi. ¡°Oh, allow me to help you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Servi replied. She let Old Man set the tripod above the fire and hung the pot from it. Then she sat back down and took a swig from her canteen while waiting for the water to boil.


    ¡°Lemonade?¡± Momo quietly muttered. The horse had gotten up and slowly walked over to the lake. A nice breeze took the time to introduce itself as ripples of water flowed across its shiny surface. Lemonade¡¯s black mane elegantly blew in the wind.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. She¡¯s probably just thirsty. Back when she was just a foal, the stubborn thing could drink buckets and buckets of water. It''s a good thing she calmed down on the drinking. Imagine these old bones going outside and pumping the well ten or fifteen times a day.¡±


    ¡°A horse does drink a lot. It¡¯s a good thing grampy knew Create Water. Though now that I remember it, he was pretty tired every night when we had them. I guess he used all of his Skill Energy to fill the buckets we had lying around.


    ¡°He sounds like someone I¡¯d like to get a drink with,¡± replied Old Man.


    ¡°Sorry, but he never liked alcohol. He only drinks water, milk, or fruit juice when we could afford it. But I guess if you don¡¯t mind sharing a glass of water, it¡¯d be fine.¡±


    And so, the time slowly passed on until the sun was visibly further along the sky. The nice clouded area they were in was now in direct sunlight, and tiny beads of sweat dripped down Old Man and Momo¡¯s faces.


    ¡°Mosie, we might want to leave soon if we want to get there on time,¡± said Servi. She had her hand on Lemonade''s mane and stroked it gently.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± she went to get up and stretched her arms. ¡°Sorry, Old Man, but we have to leave. We planned to get to Arcton tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem at all. I would offer you a ride, but I have to be there myself as soon as I can. I have some important things in the wagon that needs to be delivered.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. Besides, I think Servy and I would rather walk. I mean, we¡¯re going to eventually be traveling to other places that are way farther away, so we need to get used. But thank you for the fish.¡±


    Old Man stood up and helped Servi fold up the tripod and pot. ¡°You¡¯re very welcome. And I must thank you again for helping me. Ever since we sat down to eat, not a single person has walked or rode by.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Old Man,¡± Servi packed up everything else.


    Old Man walked over to Lemonade and grabbed her by the reins. She was stubborn and didn¡¯t want to move, but after a bit of consoling from Momo, the horse relented.


    After making sure they had everything, the three of them, plus the horse, walked back to the wagon that stood undisturbed. Servi went to the back but was stopped by a timely cough from Old Man, who requested her help with securing Lemonade. ¡°I don¡¯t want the knot to come loose, and I¡¯m not confident enough in my ability to tie them. You see, when you¡¯re as old as I am, it¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand. Mosie, let me help,¡± replied Servi.


    ¡°Okie-dokie. If you can pet and keep her calm, I should have it. Grampy also taught me how to do this.¡±


    After making a few knots and testing them, Momo did the final touches in attaching Lemonade to the wagon.


    Old Man thanked them again and got up in the driver''s seat. ¡°When you get to Arcton, be sure to look me up. Just go to the general store on Cofflie Street and ask for Old Man. As thanks, I have some spare fish there that I want to give you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much!¡± Momo smiled at Old Man before turning her attention to Lemonade. ¡°You be sure to be a good horsie, okay?¡± She hugged her neck and tussled her mane before stepping back.


    Servi nodded at the Old Man when he raised the reins up. A loud snap and ¡®hiya!!¡¯ later, Lemonade and the Old Man began to move. It wasn¡¯t long until they descended the hill in front of them and disappeared out of sight.


    Something caught Servi¡¯s eye, and she looked down. It was some kind of red liquid that must¡¯ve dripped through the wooden bed of the wagon. She dipped her gloved index finger in it and rubbed it against her thumb, testing the viscosity of it. It was thinner than paint but thicker than water.


    Is this¡ª


    ¡°Huh, it¡¯s paint. I guess Old Man might be delivering some paint to his family members?¡± Momo crouched down. Servi turned her head and stared into Momo¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    But this isn¡¯t paint... it¡¯s blood...and it¡¯s wet, too. Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Well, it¡¯s not really my problem, but it will be if we meet again. But why didn¡¯t he try to do something? Wait, it was probably too difficult and tiresome to hide three bodies instead of two. And there¡¯s the weight problem. I better keep this a secret for right now.


    Unbeknownst to the two of them, there was no place called Cofflie Street in Arcton.


    ¡°Servy? You ready to go?¡±


    Servi unscrewed her canteen and rinsed off the blood. ¡°Sure. Hey, about we run?¡±


    ¡°Okay. We did spend a while talking and helping Old Man, so it might be good to catch up on time.¡±


    In a flash, the two friends were off at the races, and they didn¡¯t care who came in first. As far as they were concerned, they were two best friends trying to complete the quest given to them.

 Book Three – Chapter Two – Part Four – Blissful Days Won’t Ever Last

    Around seven hours later, Servi and Momo found themselves underneath a big tree that grew on the side of the road. The moon had already been visible in the sky for quite some time, but Momo shook her head at Servi when she asked to make camp just a few hours before.


    ¡°Ugh¡­. I¡¯m all sweaty¡­¡± Momo whined. She took out a small cloth from her bag and damped it with some water from her canteen.


    ¡°Maybe we pushed a little bit too hard. Judging from this map, we should arrive tomorrow night. If that¡¯s the case, then we might have to spend a single night in Arcton,¡± replied Servi. She sat with her back against the brown tree.  In one hand, she held the map, and the other gripped her canteen, which she used to pour water on her handkerchief lying on a nearby rock.


    ¡°I hope not. But if we do, maybe Old Man can recommend us a place to stay that¡¯s cheap.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but I don¡¯t know.¡±


    The weak flame from their fire pit pathetically blossomed but flared back to life when Servi sated its hunger with a few leaves.


    ¡°If we hadn''t stopped and helped, we¡¯d have probably arrived tomorrow afternoon. But I don¡¯t regret helping Old Man,¡± Momo said.  She set down her canteen and wiped her sticky arms with her wet rag. Servi found it hard to look away as the glistening water surged down Momo''s hands and onto her fingers. She didn''t mean to make it erotic, but Servi still found herself drawn to it.


    ¡°Neither do I." Servi finally looked away a second before Momo looked up.


    The Singi twisted the sweat-soaked cloth and deposited it into her bag. Then, she pulled out a single dupla and began to flip it. During their last break, she saw Servi flip a coin, and she was determined to emulate it.


    ¡°It might be because you¡¯re tired,¡± Servi said when Momo completely missed the coin by a country kilometer. ¡°I¡¯m getting a little tired myself,¡± Servi faked a yawn and handed the map back to Momo.


    Pulling out her own coin, she smugly flipped it ten times with perfect form, and Momo scowled.


    ¡°Show off!¡±


    ¡°I only have some practice, but it¡¯s not that hard once you get the hang of it. Wait, I know that sounds stupid, but it¡¯s true. With a little more practice, you¡¯re sure to be consistent,¡± Servi flipped it up once more and caught it between her fingers before putting it back into her pouch.


    ¡°I guess so. Hey, let me do the first watch again," Momo asked.


    ¡°You sure?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°You said I woke you up, but I don¡¯t remember. I don¡¯t even remember how I got into my bed,¡± she pointed to her tent behind her. Her blue sleeping bag was already rolled out and opened.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright with me. Thanks. Just wake me up, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okie-dokie. Good night, Servy.¡±


    ¡°Good night, Mosie.¡±


    ¡°Hehe...¡± for some odd reason, Momo silently giggled. Though it probably had to do with the nickname. The reality of it all finally set in for the cute Singi.


    It seems like all of my dreams are coming true. Promotion Quest, check! Best friend and nicknames, check! I can finally hold my own in a fight, and I even won a tournament... Check! Momo, you¡¯re doing much better than you were eight months ago. I¡¯m proud of you, girl!!!


    The happy Singi kept flipping her coin until she couldn¡¯t keep her eyes open anymore. But before succumbing to the wonders of sleep, she carefully shook Servi¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Servy¡­.wake up¡­¡±


    Servi opened her eyes and rolled over. ¡°I¡¯m up. I¡¯ll watch the rest of the night, so be sure to get some sleep, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay, Servy¡­.night¡­.¡± Momo was like a zombie in how she stumbled back to her tent. Like a clumsy and adorable kitten, she crawled inside and curled into a comfy ball. A literal second later, she was gone from the world of the living into the world of slumber. It was almost like the Sandman himself paid a personal visit.


    ¡°I guess she really gave it her all to stay up,¡± Servi whispered. She sat down on the nice warm grass and stared at the fire. From behind, Itarr was in the process of bagging everything up. ¡°Thanks for doing that, Itarr. I love you.¡±


    You¡¯re very welcome! I love you too!


    ¡°I guess there¡¯s nothing better to do than sit here and stared up at the stars,¡± using Telekinesis, Servi lightly pushed the branches of the tree away until she had a perfect view of the sparkly diamonds that were so very far away.


    ¡°Maybe... Just maybe I''ll have the chance to go up there? I don''t know when or how I''ll do it, but I just want to pet the stars and land on the moon... Until then, I can settle for watching from a distance,¡± Servi said.


    Just then, Servi heard a running noise that came from the far left. She turned her head and saw a single wagon roll drive down the road. The back was opened and uncovered, and Servi spotted five people, not including the driver and the lone horse that pulled it. Even with her enhanced eyesight, Servi couldn¡¯t see finer details in the dark. However, she could vaguely make out the races of the six mysterious people. Three Singi. One Elf. Two Koena.


    They stopped for just a minute and locked eyes with Servi. She reached over, grabbed her sword, and stood up. The people in the wagon talked silently amongst themselves, and the driver cracked the reins.


    Once they were out of sight, Servi sat back down and attached her shield to her arm. The sword she had still laid right beside her. She wouldn''t sheath it just yet.


    I¡¯ll keep an eye out for them in case they come back. You can relax.


    After thanking Itarr, Servi pulled out a single dupla. As if her body was on autopilot, her right hand performed the motion of flipping a coin and catching it in her hand. She repeated this simple task a little bit under 13,500 times. Her mind, meanwhile, tried to process just how far away the stars were.


    Servi didn¡¯t know why she had an obsessive fascination with the celestial bodies, nor why she enjoyed the act of flipping a coin, nor the fact that she suddenly found herself enjoying battle.


    If I think of it logically, maybe I¡¯m subconsciously remembering things that I used to do. If that¡¯s the case, then what kind of girl was I? I like to stare at the moon and stars, I love to fight, and I find it enjoyable to flip a coin. What can I deduce from that? And if I¡¯m even talking about concluding something, then maybe I was smart? Or at least intelligent?


    But then again, what if I had something wrong with me? If I think of the times where I lost myself to anger, it¡¯s like my body is slowly getting more and more used to it. First, there was when I thought Llamare killed Liealia. I really lost myself then. But if I compare that to when I fought Fisher, the anger isn¡¯t even comparable. Is it? I mean, I can¡¯t remember anything other than what Itarr told me.  And then if I compare those two to when I fought Arty in the tournament, I know I was in perfect control of my body. I remember everything I did.


    Maybe my mind and body are adapting to the anger? If that¡¯s the case, then who will I be when the hate takes over my body? It seems in both cases, besides the one with Liealia and Llamare, I lose consciousness. Itarr doesn¡¯t know why, and I certainly don¡¯t.


    But what if I get to a point where I¡¯m perfectly calm yet raging with anger, and I don¡¯t pass out? Will Itarr stop me like we promised?


    Dammit, Servi¡­ That¡¯s a lotta ifs and assumptions you¡¯re making. It could just be a set of complete coincidences. There¡¯s no reason to believe that you¡¯ll completely lose yourself. Itarr swore to bring you back, remember? You can trust in her. So do that.


    Before Servi knew it, the sun shone through the gap in the branches. Glancing her head to the right, she watched the sun¡¯s rays reflect off the shiny metal coin. And just ahead of her, slowly waking from her slumber, was a sleeping cat-girl.


    ¡°Good morning, Mosie,¡± Servi flipped the coin one last time and deposited it in her pouch. The noise of branches ready to get back to their resting place sounded ahead, and quite a few leafy green leaves rained down. One, in particular, landed on Momo¡¯s head and knocked the white Lily out of its resting spot.


    In her groggy daze, Momo yawned and whipped her eyes. ¡°Morning, Servy¡­.¡±


    The third and final day was about to begin.


    ¡°Eehhh¡­ I really need a bath,¡± Momo complained. After she and Servi ate a light breakfast of hardtack, they packed up their equipment and continued their trip. If their map reading skills were correct, then they¡¯d arrive in a little bit under 12 hours. But before they could accomplish their goal, they first had to look somewhat presentable.  Nasty grime had accumulated on their skin, and they needed to wash it off.


    In southeastern Lando, the summers were known to be incredibly brutal and hellish. Combined with the frequent rain, the high humidity made everyone feel like they had a wet, sticky film-like sheen to their skin.  This was the complete opposite of the icy and harsh winters that plagued both Keywater and Westera. In return for the frigid, freezing temperatures, the people of both countries were rewarded with a beautiful blanket of white snow that littered the ground. It was as if a white sheet was thrown by the Goddess of Weaving, who created the velvet snow with honeydew and affection.


    Some considered the harsh cold worth it, and others detested it. It was the same with Lando. There were those who absolutely loved the hot sun, while others wanted nothing more than to soak in a lake or ocean.


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling kinda sticky. Hey, is there a lake up ahead?¡± Servi lied. Thanks to True Immortality, she did not need to worry about her skin feeling slimy or sticky.


    ¡°There is, but if we stop by and take a bath, we won¡¯t arrive until it¡¯s totally dark. Is that okay with you?¡± Momo looked away from the map and stared off to the right. Lush rolling hills of green and emerald grass littered her sight.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine with me,¡± replied Servi.


    ¡°Okie dokie then. We should arrive in about two or three hours if we keep up our pace.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully, we find a nice area that¡¯s hidden. Just a question, did your grandpa teach you how to read a map?¡±


    Momo nodded. ¡°When I was little, he would make me a treasure map and give me a little shovel. We were playing treasure hunter, but I figured he thought I could learn.¡±


    ¡°Was it fun?¡±


    ¡°Definitely. We didn¡¯t have that much money, but grampy would wrap a little toy or something in a bag so it wouldn¡¯t get dirty. Then it was up to me to find the treasure and reclaim it.¡±


    ¡°I guess you were Captain Momo?¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± Momo laughed. ¡°I guess I was. You know, it kinda makes me want to go treasure hunting.¡±


    ¡°Maybe someday. How cool would it be if we sailed across the ocean and found a sunken pirate ship full of gold?¡±


    Momo¡¯s tail waved through the air as she stored the map and took out her canteen. "We''d really be treasure hunters if that happened.¡±


    The two then talked of pirates. As the conversation organically progressed, the topic of discussion gradually shifted to swords, boats, peg legs, birds, and finally to the lake in front of them that dazzled like a sapphire. Like a snake, the naturally made body of water curved and twisted suddenly ended a few hundred meters away.


    Before they knew it, over three hours had passed, and the sun was directly overhead.


    ¡°Alright, now we need to find the right spot.¡±


    Servi pointed over to a nearby copse of thick trees that could act as their natural curtain. They started walking towards it.


    Momo smiled. ¡°Perfect! Umm¡­ Do you mind if I go first? My tail is feeling weird, and I don¡¯t want it to get sick.¡± Her tail curled around, and she took hold of it. The pink fur was brightly vivid when compared to Momo¡¯s white hand. She then held her hand out to Servi. ¡°Touch it.¡±


    Servi confusingly turned her head but did so anyway with the tip of her finger. Then she frowned. The only word that came to her mind was ¡®disgusting.¡¯ It was like touching a cooled-off pan after frying bacon, sausage, and ham together. The sheer greasy feeling was enough to ick out Servi.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s kinda gross, isn¡¯t it?¡± Momo frowned.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say gross. Your tail is super pretty.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but I know when it¡¯s like this, it¡¯s like walking with an icky, sticky rod for a tail. It¡¯s not as flexible as it usually is.¡±


    ¡°We certainly don¡¯t want that, do we? Go ahead and take the first bath. I¡¯ll keep watch,¡± more than ever, Servi wanted to use Earth Wall to give Momo some privacy. But she couldn¡¯t. Not when Momo was still blissfully unaware of her best friend¡¯s powers.


    A few minutes later, as Servi was leaning against a tree, she heard a meek voice.


    ¡°Umm¡­. You won¡¯t peek, right? Promise me you won¡¯t?¡±


    Servi replied back. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t turn around, so just tell me when you¡¯re finished. And I got your bag and sword right here in my hands. I promise nothing will happen to them.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thanks, Servy.¡±


    Momo, now naked and bare in the lake that came up to just below her cute belly button, smiled at the little cup that flowed by.  Before she got in the water, she retrieved it from her bag.  She picked it up and poured water over her pink hair.


    Bath time! Bath time!


    Clean clean clean.


    The lake is not a bathtub


    But I guess it works¡­.


    Momo sang words at random as the cool water only sated half of her hair¡¯s desire to be cleaned. Singing was something she liked to do, but only when she was in private.


    But I guess that¡¯s been changing, huh? I sang that old song me and grampy used to sing in front of Servy.


    ¡°Soapy time!¡± Momo¡¯s child-like tendencies when it came to some things, like bathing or eating or cooking, came as a result of a beloved grandfather being easy and lenient with his cute granddaughter. And Momo knew this. While lathering her hair in a forest of white suds, with the bright sun and green grass as her only witnesses, she had a thought.


    I wonder if Servy likes that part of me? I got to admit that even I was cringing when I said Mr. Hardtack. It¡¯s just a piece of bread¡­. But I can¡¯t deny that I laugh at things like that. Maybe it¡¯s okay to be a little bit childish? Yeah, I think so.


    A moment later, Momo held her breath, closed her eyes, and pinched her nose before dripping her head underwater. Some of the dastardly suds remained, the lone survivors from the cataclysmic dunk into the lake, but Momo used her little cup to rinse the rest off.


    ¡°Okie-dokie. Hair is done, so let¡¯s move on to my tail. I¡¯m sorry, Miss Tail. If I had some of that dry powder grampy used to get, then it wouldn¡¯t be that dirty. But you don¡¯t have to worry about that for long.¡±


    Momo glanced across to the otherwise as she lathered up her greasy tail. Lucky for her, nothing but a thick line of trees littered the lake bank. In any other situation, she¡¯d be terrified to bathe naked in a lake, but she was feeling fine. Probably because she knew Servi would jump in and save her if she ever got into trouble.


    She¡¯s saved me before, like three or four times, but I wish I could save her. It¡¯s something I want to wish for... But since it might involve her getting hurt, I definitely don¡¯t want that. But¡­. Come on, Mosie, don¡¯t think about stuff like that. Just focus on washing your tail.¡±


    A short time later, Momo reached the base of her tail and half expected to feel excitement in her honey pot. Oddly enough, maybe because of the current situation and setting, she felt nothing, which was unusual since she masturbated nearly every time she got into the shower.


    I don¡¯t feel like touching myself¡­ Now that I think about it, maybe this has something to do with that ¡®sex education¡¯ thing grampy tried to tell me. Grampy always went red in the face and skipped it.


    Suddenly, the gears in her pretty little head began to spin.


    If that¡¯s the case, then I practically told him all about it when I wrote in my diary, right?  NOOO!!!!!! Isn¡¯t that kinda stuff SUPPOSED to be private?!?!


    Burning red hot with the flames of embarrassment, Momo crouched down for just a moment before she remembered she couldn¡¯t swim. Luckily it was only belly button high, so she didn¡¯t need to be saved.


    Calm down, Mosie! Calm down! You can either remove it or keep it and don¡¯t hand it back to him. Okay, you can do that. Calm down, Mosie, and just focus on cleaning your tail. Then your body. You¡¯re burning daylight.


    Kicking it into overdrive, Momo practically washed her body in record time, and white soap bubbles littered the surface of the lake before being pushed away by a small wave Momo made with her hand.


    Eyeing her towel and clothes hung up on a neat little branch, Momo waded out of the lake. She felt kinda odd at being stark naked while outside, and it wasn''t an experience she wanted to experience longer than necessary. Because of that, she rushed to her one and only safety: her towel. Its soft, water-absorbing surface wrapped right around her body. From hugging her small, yet perky chest to shielding her soft rear, she was clad in a towel that was nearly the same color as her hair.


    ¡°Dang it!¡±


    ¡°What happened?!¡± Servi yelled, and Momo heard the rustling of grass and branches as her best friend made a bee-line towards her.


    ¡°Umm¡­ It¡¯s¡ªit¡¯s nothing. I just stepped in some stupid mud!¡±


    "Alright," her friend replied.


    Momo whined as she stepped back into the lake, shaking her feet all around to wash away the mud. Now clean, she carefully crept over to the tree that held her clothes.


    The tiny green grass acted as a natural voyeur when Momo removed her towel.


    Okay. Be quick, Momo. Servy said she won¡¯t look, and I trust her... But I still want to hurry.

 Book Three – Chapter Two – Part Five – Blissful Days Won’t Ever Last

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m done!" Momo hollered. Servi turned around and saw a damp Singi walking towards her. Her pink hair stuck wetly to her forehead and neck, but the important thing, her tail, was so shiny and soft looking. She was dressed in her adventuring gear, sans her bag and sword.


    ¡°Okay. I see your tail is looking good,¡± Servi held out Momo¡¯s bag, and she smiled.


    ¡°Thanks! Grampy said a Singi will only have the one tail they¡¯re born with, so we need to treat it with the respect it deserves. The same thing with our ears. We only ever get the two,¡± as if on cue, two pink ears playfully twitched as if they had played some kind of practical joke.


    ¡°In that case, we should¡¯ve stopped by and bathed at the first lake. I¡¯m sure we could¡¯ve found a nice area.¡±


    Momo frowned. ¡°I know, but I didn¡¯t want to be a bother. But once one of us learns Create Water, we don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡±


    Servi gently smiled. ¡°You¡¯ll never be a bother. If we need to stop so you can clean your tail, then that¡¯s no problem at all.¡±


    I¡¯ll never be a bother¡­.


    Momo¡¯s face lit up with happiness, and she almost dropped her beloved bag. ¡°Thanks, Servy! Tomorrow, can we stop by so I can wash my tail?¡±


    Servi smiled and watched as Momo hooked the bag around her shoulder. Then she handed grandpa¡¯s dear sword to her best friend. ¡°Of course. Now, it¡¯s time for me to clean up.¡±


    With her backpack gripped tightly in her hand, Servi playfully waved to Momo as she took up her spot leaning against the tree. Servi, meanwhile, made her way through the thick copse of trees and found the same area where Momo bathed at.


    What are you going to do? Itarr asked as she closely listened to the chirping birds.  Their high-pitched songs dazzled and stole her attention for a few long moments.


    Servi took out some clothes and hung them on a nearby branch as she used her ring to strip naked. Being blessed in the chest department, Servi wasn¡¯t lacking when it came to what some considered to be the symbol of femininity.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just relax in the water,¡± she replied. Testing the lake with the tip of her toes, Servi made a startling discovery. ¡°Can True Immortality prevented me from freezing via water?¡±


    I¡¯m not sure what ¡®via¡¯ means, but if you¡¯re asking if you can¡¯t get cold, then yes. Any type of discomfort will be negated. If you want to feel the water, I can certainly allow it.


    ¡°Hmm," hummed the black-haired girl as she descended further into the water. Since she had longer legs than Momo, the water only covered the top of her rear. She crouched down and ducked her head underwater.


    ¡°Yeah. Seems like I can breathe¡ªwell, I don¡¯t need to breathe, so I guess this test was kinda pointless,¡± Servi said underwater. Perhaps it was True Immortality at work, but Servi could see pretty clearly. Or maybe that had to do with the sheer clarity of the water.


    As far as she could tell, the bottom of this lake was just a bottom of a lake. Other than dirt and some seaweed and some shells and rocks, nothing special stood out.


    But I could use this to do some good. Like, if someone went missing in a big lake or ocean, I can just walk around down here and find them.


    The water against her skin didn¡¯t feel all that different. Instead of feeling a cold sensation, she felt something closer to what she perceived as ¡®normal room temperature.¡¯ She imagined that if she jumped into a tub that was far too hot, the water would be ¡®normalized¡¯ the moment it touched her skin, and what she was currently feeling will be what she feels then.


    Standing back up, she shook her head. The wet strands of black hair smacked against her ears as tiny water droplets flew across the lake and disturbed its calm surface.


    ¡°I wonder¡­¡± Servi imagined a small funnel floated nearby. Then she imagined water being poured in reverse, flowing upward from the small hole up through the big hole. Suddenly, something clicked inside her mind, and Servi felt her ring turn cold. She quickly looked down and saw her thighs, and that that was incredibly odd because just a moment ago, her seductive upper legs were obfuscated by the lake water.


    Panicking, Servi immediately imagined the same funnel. But instead of water flowing upwards in reverse, it was flowing down like normal. After a moment or two, she felt the room temperature-like sensation cover her thighs, crotch, and it stopped right above her butt.


    Having fun?


    ¡°Kinda. If I can absorb water and fire, I wonder if I can absorb wind and air?¡±


    I would say so. But it would be more difficult. Water is an object you can imagine getting tighter and tighter until it disappears, but wind and air are invisible. But I believe in you!


    ¡°Thanks! I love you.¡±


    And I love you too!


    Servi spent the next two or three minutes lightly shuffling through the water. Being so blue and clear, she almost felt bad because she disturbed the stillness of its surface with her body.


    Is someone so ugly and covered in death, like me, allowed to be here? It¡¯s peaceful and beautiful, with birds singing and chirping the whole time. But the moment I get in, they all stop. It¡¯s like they know what I am¡­. Maybe I¡¯m overreacting.


    Servi? Itarr¡¯s voice interrupted Servi¡¯s thinking.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Are you getting out?


    ¡°I guess. Wait¡­ Is that meat?¡± Servi sniffed the air, and the smallest particles of cook chicken managed to reach her.


    Perhaps Momo cooked lunch? We did only have that hardtack for breakfast.


    Servi smiled. Then she frowned when she knew that her blissful friendship had the chance to be broken and fractured in less than a week. Still, she did her best to not show her doubts to Itarr. But that was useless. Itarr knew deep down the exact emotions Servi was feeling, and that was why she did her utmost best to cage away the negative emotions that she deemed harmful.


    But still, Itarr hadn¡¯t said a single thing to Servi about that, and she probably won''t ever will. Perhaps it was twisted, but this was how Itarr showed her love for Servi.


    ¡°Probably. You know, it¡¯s gonna be nice to finally share a meal with you,¡± Servi made her way over to the lake bank and tried her hardest to absorb the water molecules covering her body.


    I can¡¯t wait! Do you think Momo will be mad if I hugged her?


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Servi sighed in annoyance as she failed to completely dry herself. Itarr giggled a little bit and took over that duty. In less than a second, Servi went from being covered in water to being as dry as she was before stepping into the lake.


    ¡°Thanks for that.¡± Servi then used her ring to equip herself with the same gear she wore a few short minutes ago.


    You¡¯re very welcome. And I¡¯m happy to hear you think Momo won¡¯t get mad. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s me, but she seems so soft!


    ¡°Oh, she is. And I can¡¯t explain it... I get a feeling like no other whenever we do hug. It kinda makes my heart beat super fast, and I always find myself sad whenever she lets go...¡±


    Is it love? Itarr wondered.


    Servi made her way back to Momo through the thick forest. ¡°Maybe? But I do know that when we hug, I never want to let go of her.¡± Ducking under a branch, Servi discovered a small fire clinging to life. Next to it, she saw Momo holding two metal skewers in her hand. The delicious juice from the chicken crackled as it fell down into the fiery fire.


    ¡°I figured you were hungry!¡± Momo chirped. She went from crouching to sitting down. Servi joined her, placing her backpack next to Momo¡¯s.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Servi received the outstretched skewer and bit into it. A peppery taste filled her mouth, covering her taste buds in a chicken-like flavor. ¡°Hmm,¡± she took a second and third bite.  She was about to take a fourth, but she stopped when she noticed Momo was looking at her.


    ¡°Wha¡ª! It¡¯s hot!¡±  Momo''s mouth was open in shock. ¡°It literally just came out of the fire! Does it hurt?! Here, take¡ª¡° Momo reached over and grabbed her canteen, but a hand from Servi stopped her.


    ¡°Calm down, Mosie. It wasn¡¯t that hot. Remember, your tongue is more sensitive.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± she meekly replied. Since she was already in the motion of grabbing her canteen, she went ahead and pulled it back to her. ¡°Sorry, I sometimes forget.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± Servi laughed. Momo joined in a moment later.


    The next thirty minutes were filled with the sounds of two best friends enjoying a nice lunch while making small talk. For Momo, she was ecstatic. This was what she wanted when she joined Warden. For Servi, however, it reminded her of a lingering darkness that threatened to flood her mind. A ton of ¡®what ifs¡¯ flooded her mind, but they were swept away by Itarr.


    But she couldn¡¯t stop all of them, and the small cloud of doubt grew bigger and bigger. Itarr, at that moment, resolved herself to do all she could to prevent the metaphysical cages from breaking.


    Servi, meanwhile, focused on Momo. Her appearance: the tail, ears, and vivid pink hair were like a feast for Servi¡¯s eyes. A still calmness blanketed her agony-filled heart, and all of her worries disappeared. Just the simple sound of her voice was like an orchestra of the Gods Above.


    It would not be an understatement to say that Servi¡¯s relationship and need for Momo were unhealthy and unnatural. The same could be said for Momo¡¯s reliance on Servi. In a twisted way, it was like the two of them needed each other. The flaws in the concepts of ¡®Momo¡¯ and ¡®Servi¡¯ could only be repaired and fixed by the other.


    At the same time, down to the corresponding minute, second, and millisecond, they both thought the same thing while gently smiling at each other.


    I¡¯m so glad I met her.


    ¡°Good evening, Mr. Moon,¡± Momo sang as she stood up from sitting down.  A small coin was in her outstretched hand, and it was warm to the touch.  It was evident that she was practicing her coin flips. ¡°Servy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± replied the girl in question after downing some water from her canteen. She was crouched against a nearby tree.


    ¡°Have you ever just stared at the moon?¡±


    ¡°I have. It¡¯s pretty, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Momo nodded, and Servi walked out from under the tree.


    ¡°My grampy once told me that the moon is made out of cheese¡­ And when the Gods are hungry, they pluck some out. That¡¯s why it has those craters. Back then, I would stare up at the moon when me and grampy would sing, and I would imagine what cheese from the moon tasted like.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can find out one day. Anyway, I can see the town in the distance. It¡¯s a bit hazy, but I guess we¡¯re a couple hours away.  We can camp out when we get closer and deliver the letter in the morning, or we can deliver it now.¡±


    Momo took a sip of her water and shook her canteen. It was still over half filed. ¡°It sure is big¡­ But I think Canary is bigger. How about we camp out? That way, we can leave first thing in the morning.¡±


    Servi nodded. ¡°Sounds good to me. Let¡¯s try to find a nice spot to set up camp.¡±


    After Momo nodded, the two walked for about twenty more minutes before Servi suddenly drew her sword and took a stance.


    ¡°Servy? AAHH!!!¡± Servi grabbed Momo¡¯s hand and pulled her close just as an arrow whistled by, impaling a nearby tree.


    ¡°Hey!! You fucking fuckups!!! Don¡¯t hurt the fucking cat!!!¡± A shrill voice imbued with a hint of irrational anger echoed out from the trees to their right.


    ¡°Servy?!?!¡± Whined Momo in a voice that Servi had never heard before. As if finding a source of strength within her best friend, Momo clasped the hilt of her sword with a shaking hand.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t fight back if I were you.¡± The same shrill voice spoke as the bushes and trees to Servi¡¯s left shook lightly. A man walked out and stopped just a few meters away from Servi and Momo.


    He was bald, but his head was full of tiny scratches that had long become infected. A portion of his nose was wrapped in a vomit-inducing, green pus-filled cloth that used to be white. The man smiled, and Servi saw all five teeth that were left hanging in their homes. Raising a hand, he placed it on the hilt of his silver sword that hung from his hip. His other hand went to his armored chest.


    ¡°You almost killed her!¡± Servi shouted. Momo shook from fear as an unforgettable scene from her past began to play out in her mind.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t my fault, though I guess it was since I¡¯m SUPPOSED to lead these sorry sacks of shit. Hey, the fucker who shot that arrow, come here. NOW!!¡±


    From behind the strange and dangerous man, a group of twenty rushed out from the forest.  They all had the same metallic armor, but their weapons were different.


    A Singi ran up to the bald man. Before he had a chance to speak, the bald man wrapped his hand around the Singi¡¯s neck and snapped it then and there.


    ¡°AAAHHHHHH!¡± Momo shouted in fear and lost the strength in her legs. Servi disgustingly stared at him.


    Shall I kill them? Itarr asked.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Servi whispered and glanced down at Momo.


    ¡°Well, I suppose there are no hard feelings, right? I killed the one who shot at you,¡± the bald man showed no signs of remorse. ¡°Oh, the name¡¯s Roko, by the way. I assume you¡¯re the pink Singi and Human with the black hair and red eyes that I was told to find?¡±


    ¡°What do you want?!¡± Servi shouted at the man.


    ¡°Straight to the point? I like that. Well, I¡¯m here to take that cute thing away. You see, my boss told me to find and capture her. He also said not to hurt a single hair on her head. That¡¯s why I had to kill this filth who FUCKING DISOBEYED ME!!!!¡± Roko raised his left leg and stomped on the corpse in front of him.  He lifted and lowered his leg with all the strength he could until the corpse''s head was like a pancake. The cracking of its skull shouldn¡¯t have reverberated around the area, but it did. Each fracture was like poison to Momo¡¯s ear, and she whimpered each time blood splattered up into the air.


    ¡°Well, sorry about that,¡± Roko said. The front of his armor and most of his legs were covered and smothered in red crimson. ¡°Now, the boss said I could do what I want to you as long I took the Singi.¡±


    ¡°Like hell, you will. All you have to leave, and you won¡¯t die. Just fucking leave, got it? JUST LEAVE, AND YOU WON¡¯T DIE!!!! Momo?¡± Servi bared her teeth at the enemies but stopped when she heard a small voice. Looking down, she saw Momo lying in the fetal position. Instead of sucking her thumb, she was covering her head and shook with fright.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna be a slave.  I don¡¯t wanna be a slave.  I don¡¯t wanna be a slave!! Grandpa.... Grandpa.... I''m scared...¡± Tears flowed from Momo¡¯s ocean-like eyes as Roko started laughing.


    ¡°Leave? No can do. And die? Ha! What can a Rank 10 do against me.¡±


    A moment later, the sheer shock and PTSD from a horrible traumatic incident deep in her past robbed Momo''s consciousness. All that was left was the sounds of ragged breathing as her body forced itself to calm down as it rested against the cold dirt.


    ¡°Momo? Momo!!!¡± Servi crouched down and shook Momo, but it was to no avail.


    At that moment, something cracked inside Servi.


    It was a cage that had overflowed to the brim with anger. Then, it shattered¡ªno, that wasn¡¯t the right word. It exploded, destroying the tens of other cages that held other violent emotions.


    In a single moment, love, happiness, sadness, and every other emotion were forced against the far reaches of her soul.


    Anger was the dominant emotion. And with nothing left to hold it back, Servi¡¯s body became the very embodiment of rage.


    ¡°AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡±


    NOOOOOOOOOOOOO Itarr screamed just as loud as Servi, but her voice was drowned out.


    ¡°Look, boys¡ª¡± Roko turned to his left and drew his sword but froze up when he realized the Elf he looked at was a bit strange.


    There was a head, but no body.


    He turned back to Servi and saw the missing body floating right in front of her, blocking her from his vision. But something else was strange.


    ¡°A hand¡­?¡± Roko whispered.


    Now two hands? Wait, a face? Roko¡¯s Monotonia overloaded brain tried to alert his mind of what he saw, but it was so utterly strange that it couldn¡¯t process anything.


    In a flash, Servi had used Telekinesis to place an anchor point on the Elf¡¯s head to keep it in place when she yanked his body to her. Then, she punched straight through it with both hands before forcing them apart. One half went flying towards the left, where it wetly splattered against the ground. The other went right and smacked a tree, covering the brown surface red.


    Servi!!!!!!! Itarr cried out as she hastily built more and more metaphysical cages, but it was futile. They broke the moment she tried to fill them with the excessive, overflowing anger that threatened to consume all of Servi.


    ¡°Die¡­ Die¡­. Die! Die!! DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!!!¡± Servi roared. Roko and his men broke out of their fear-induced paralysis but found themselves bound by what seemed to be nothing.


    ¡°Telekinesis?!¡± shouted a Singi. He strained and fought against the binding force, only stopping when he felt a particular feeling in his body. Coughing blood, he glanced down and realized that a hand was pierced through his chest. He didn¡¯t have time to feel pain since the hand brought itself up through his throat and head. Like a half-cut piece of steak suspended in the air, half of his body flopped forward, and the other flipped back as two halves of his brain slid out through the brand new opening.


    ¡°DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!!!¡± Servi stumbled over in pure rage as she walked to each enemy. Being suspended from Telekinesis, they acted as the perfect fleshy punching bag to get rid of her overflowing anger. Some of them knew Instant Cast. But without the ability to speak, the power that could have saved them wasn''t available to use.


    She ripped out throats and spinal cord, pulled off arms and legs, and beat their respective owners to death. She punched a hole through the chest of one Koena before ripping his scales off.


    ¡°NOOOOOO!!!!¡± he cried out as the darkness of death took him, but it was useless. The Servi that remained was not capable of mutual conversation. Her one and only goal was to sate her anger. And to do so, she had to kill. The more she killed, the more it was filled. It made Itarr¡¯s job painless at the expense of filling up guilt, which itself was already locked up in hundreds of cages. The balance of her soul and mind was tottering back and forth on a thin nail, and it wouldn¡¯t be easy to balance them.


    Itarr knew that, and she cried and cursed herself for allowing it all to spiral out of control.


    But Servi wasn¡¯t privy to any of that information.


    ¡°Please! No! NO NO NO NONONO AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!¡± an agony-filled scream from the person right beside Roko forced him to realize he had made a most heinous mistake.


    It wasn¡¯t a Human that traveled with her, he thought... But a monster instead. Sakdu, he¡ª


    Roko didn¡¯t have time to finish his thought. After Servi mutilated the man next to him, she turned her attention to Roko. He felt total fear when something foreign entered his mouth.


    It was Servi¡¯s bloody fingers, and he believed he could escape if he managed to break the concentration used to maintain Telekinesis.


    And that was what he did, and it ended in total failure.


    Roko did manage to bite through the bone, but a swift punch to the gut forced him to open his mouth wider.  That allowed Servi the chance to put her other hand in there.


    Servi grinned. The brown leather armor had been dyed totally red, the pale white skin was the color of a cardinal bird, and the black of her hair was no longer visible underneath all the blood.


    Annie¡ª


    In a slow and throbbing motion, she forced her hand to go down, breaking his jaw and teeth, tearing his throat, and cutting his chest in half downwards before stopping just above his crotch. She then grabbed one flap of chest skin with her left hand and the other with her right before spreading it open to reveal a beautiful display of a heart, lungs, ribs, and other internal organs as his intestines slopped to the dirty ground.


    Servi stayed quiet as she snapped off a rib and impaled Roko through the brain. What little life he had left expired, and he was the last to die.  His red heart continued to beat for a few more seconds until it finally stopped.


    But that didn¡¯t mean Servi was finished. No, she had far too much anger saved up in her body, and she couldn¡¯t rest until it was eradicated.


    She cradled Roko¡¯s heart in her hand before violently separating it from its body. Spongy and tough with a bit of give, she crushed it, tore it, and slammed it into the ground.


    But she wasn¡¯t done.


    Going back to Roko''s exposed chest, she started to punch, squash, and crush everything she saw before ripping off the two slabs of skin. Then, she ended Telekinesis, and Servi¡¯s anger enjoyed the sound of twenty fleshy bodies hitting the ground at the same time. Blood splattered everywhere, turning the whole brown ground red.


    But she had just one more thing to do. She walked around to each corpse that still had a head and utterly crushed them under her foot.  Skull, brain, and muscles squeezed out from the pressure of her stomp, adding pink and white to the glorious canvas that was the crimson-stained ground.


    When she came to the final head, she crouched down and ripped it from its body before sitting down next to Momo. Servi blinked and found herself conscious of her surroundings, with the memories of everything she did still fresh in her mind.


    Looking down, she screamed when she realized the decapitated head stared at her.

 Book Three – Chapter Three – Part One – The Mad Dog Awakens

    It was bad. No, it was worse than bad. It was terrible, shitty, and quite possibly the worst thing that could have happened. Servi''s biggest fear and worst nightmare had come true.


    ¡°THE ONLY THING YOU FUCKERS HAD TO DO WAS LEAVE!  IF YOU HAD FUCKING LEFT, YOU¡¯D ALL BE ALIVE!! WHY THE FUCK COULDN¡¯T YOU FUCKING LISTEN TO ME!!!!!¡± Servi wallowed and wailed to the moon. There wasn¡¯t a spot on her body that was free of blood. It was as if she was made of the red crimson liquid that all living things needed to survive.


    ¡°FUCK!!! FUCK FUCK FUCK!!!!¡± her two bloody hands were raised to the night sky as Servi screamed her heart and lungs out. To her, the beautiful moon no longer looked so appealing in its beautiful luster. Instead, the blood covering her eyes tinted it red. Perhaps it was a soft reminder that she was a monster who could only kill and destroy.


    ¡°STOP FUCKING MOCKING ME!!!!!!¡±


    She formed a fist and punched the ground, but her hand never touched the dirt. Instead, she was rewarded with a fleshy, sopping noise of a disembodied head being utterly crushed by her incredible strength. Bits of white teeth and pink brain matter scattered against her arms, and that did nothing but fuel her anger.


    But only for a brief second.


    A meek whimper came from behind, and the blood-covered girl crawled over to the source.


    It was Momo, who slowly opened her eyes. She didn¡¯t know what to expect, but it wasn¡¯t the bloody form of a humanoid-like person.


    ¡°AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!¡± Momo screamed and crawled backwards as fast she could.


    ¡°Mosie, it¡¯s me! It¡¯s Servy. I¡¯m here.¡± Servi smiled, and her white teeth clashing with her bloody face forced Momo to cry out again.


    ¡°Eh¡­ Servy¡­ Wha¡ª¡± after Momo¡¯s brain had time to analyze her surroundings, she stopped and slowly spoke. But then the trouble began. Her hand had inadvertently landed inside Roko¡¯s exposed chest cavity. She glanced back, eyes filled with horror and disgust at the gory sight.


    Slowly, she lifted her crimson-clad hands. And that was when she noticed the other corpses that littered the area around them.


    ¡°S.. Servy, did¡­di¡ªdid you do¡­¡± Momo teared up then hunched over. A watery vomit with a mix of hardtack and chicken flowed out, dirtying the already filthy ground even more as she heaved.


    ¡°I protected us, Mosie. They were going to hurt you. I saved us. If I hadn¡¯t, then we would¡¯ve been hurt. I had to do this,¡± Servi did her best to convince Momo, but it didn¡¯t look like it was working. Servi crawled towards Momo, but she kept retreating even though she had to crawl over Roko¡¯s corpse.


    ¡°But¡­but¡­strong¡­wh¡ª¡± she wiped her mouth with her hand. After looking around, the gore was far too much for her to handle, and she vomited again.


    ¡°Mosie, I didn''t want to hide it because I didn¡¯t know how to say it. I¡¯m not exactly who you thought I was. I¡¯m strong. Really strong. Mosie, it was this¡ª¡±


    ¡°DON¡¯T CALL ME THAT!!!!!¡± Momo screamed and stood up, but she slipped against her vomit and almost lost her footing.


    ¡°Mosie¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop calling me that!!!¡± Momo stomped her feet in anger, splashing blood and vomit. Her face was a mess; tears and snot dripped from her eyes and nose. ¡°You smiled at me, even though you killed all of these people. YOU MASSACRED EVERYONE!! So violently¡­.¡±


    ¡°Mosie, I¡ª"


    ¡°DON¡¯T! CALL! ME! THAT! You had all of this power, and you never once told me about it? Was I not worth it? Did you do this to save me because you wanted to feel good?! I THOUGHT WE WERE BEST FRIENDS!!! YOU WERE NEVER MY FRIEND. YOU---¡±


    ¡°I am your friend. I¡¯m sorry¡­. I¡¯m so sorry¡­.¡± Servi whimpered.


    ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you crying like me? You should feel sad!!!¡±


    ¡°I AM CRYING!!!¡± Servi shouted back.


    The following words Momo spoke were sharp enough to cut through Servi¡¯s heart.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. You¡¯re smiling.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯M NOT! I¡¯M CRYING! PLEASE, MOMO! BELIEVE ME! Aren¡¯t I your best friend?!¡± Servi had the happiest and cheesiest grin plastered across her face.


    In a sudden turn of events, Itarr made a fatal mistake when she attempted to fix the problem. She was far too stressed out at the current situation and mixed up the emotions she was supposed to cage up.


    ¡°NO, YOU AREN¡¯T!!! YOU¡¯RE JUST LIKE THOSE PEOPLE WHO SAVED ME AND PRETENDED TO BE MY FRIENDS SO THEY COULD KIDNAP ME!!!! AND GRANDPA WAS HURT BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU. I HATE YOU!!!! I WISH I NEVER MET YOU!!!!!!¡± Momo stomped the ground, turned around, and sped off towards Arcton. Passing by the corpses, her body couldn¡¯t handle the nauseating smell of death, and she vomited again. But this time, it was nothing but clear liquid. The food in her stomach had already been expelled from her mouth.


    She stopped for just a second and yelled back. ¡°I don¡¯t need you! I NEVER NEEDED YOU! I know I¡¯m worth something! I¡¯M NOT THE SAME HELPLESS MOMO!!!!  You won¡¯t EVER try to TRICK ME by SAVING ME!!! NOT ANYMORE!!!!! I DON¡¯T NEED YOOOOU!!!!!¡±


    Her voice, full of emotion, her eyes, full of a clear liquid that dripped endlessly down her cheeks, spoke and displayed the last remaining emotion she held within her fragile heart. With a quick heel turn, she ran for Arcton.


    The sight of that soft pink hair, a cute pink tail covered in red blood, and those soft twitchy ears disappeared in the darkness as Servi fell to her knees.  A beastly wail escaped from her lungs and throat and cursed the world.


    Cursing her inability to shed tears, Servi came up with an idea. ¡°If I can¡¯t cry, then it¡¯s my eyes, right? They''re broken...? That¡¯s right! If something is broken, I only need to replace it!"


    Wait, don¡¯t do it!!


    Servi ignored Itarr¡¯s warning and jabbed three fingers into her left eye. Then, she made a fist and crushed it as an electric shock rushed through her body. Half of her sight went black. A moment later, she could see again. The bloodcurdling sight of corpses, blood, and the limbs she¡¯d ripped off littered her newly regenerated vision.


    ¡°I¡¯m crying, right? I have to be. Mirror¡­mirror¡­ WHERE¡¯S THE FUCKING MIRROR?!!¡±


    One appeared floating in front of her, and she made an unfortunate discovery.


    She was laughing and smiling as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world.


    ¡°FUCK!!!!!¡± she screamed. ¡°Then I need new eyes? New!! New!! NEW NEW NEW!!! NEW NEW NEW!!!¡±


    Like a horrifying version of whack-a-mole, Servi crushed each eye ten more times before moving on to tossing them at the ground. But they kept growing back like an everlasting red fire that refused to go out. And the ones on the ground all stared up at her as if they were mocking her.


    ¡°Smile? Then mouth. I need a new fucking mouth!!!¡± Servi took out a dagger and began to cut her lips. A fire of pain erupted, but Servi¡¯s mental state was so broken, she didn¡¯t notice it. The tip of the iron dagger circled her lips before she used her fingernails to scrape them off, revealing the red flesh that was hidden.


    Stop! Please!


    Servi stared into the mirror and smashed it when the newly grown lips curled into a smile.


    Servi, stop!  Please, calm down!


    ¡°FUCK FUCK FUCK!!!!¡±


    Raising her arms to the sky, she brought them down with frightening speed and snapped her ulna and radius. Near instantly, the broken bones inside her arms regenerated along with the pieces of skin that they pierced.


    But that wasn¡¯t enough to sate Servi. She was seething with anger over her inability to control her emotions when she needed to the most.


    ¡°AAAAAHHHHH!!!¡±


    STOP!!!


    Raising her hands for the eleventh time, and thus ready to break them for the eleventh time, Servi¡¯s body stopped in its place. A mysterious force froze her body, and she felt herself lose consciousness.


    It was never supposed to come this far. All I wanted was to see you happy. Your smile is beautiful, like one of those pretty flowers we found when we took on Tarch¡¯s quest. It¡¯s something that I always want to see. No matter the weather or anything else like that, I just wanted to see you smile.


    The day we met was a dream come true. For hundreds of thousands of years, I had nothing. My seal was a jail cell, and I was chained to the wall. Friends? Family? Love? I had none of that. I don¡¯t even know why I exist in the first place. When you freed me, and even though I wasn''t knowledgeable of the emotion at the time, I fell in love with you.


    You¡¯re my hero...my hero, my savior, my everything... Your enemies are my enemies, and your friends are my friends. Our souls are interconnected. We were supposed to help each other.


    But I failed at that.


    I¡¯m not worthy of being a friend. I¡¯m not worthy of anything. I did what I did out of love, but now I see the danger and problems too much love can cause. I knew deep down I should¡¯ve told you the truth. If I did, then maybe we wouldn¡¯t be in this situation. Wait, no, not we. I mean me. You did nothing wrong whatsoever.


    I just wanted to hear your voice and see your smile. That¡¯s all.


    But maybe that was too much for a monster like me. Monster? That¡¯s a better title than Goddess.


    Servi, I¡¯m the monster...and I¡¯m the bad woman...and I¡¯m the one at fault... Perhaps that¡¯s the reason I was sealed up? Do I bring nothing but pain, agony, and hardships to those I bless? If so, then I understand why they would seal up a monster like me.


    You won¡¯t remember any of this, and I know I¡¯m going to have to repeat it, so I guess this can be practice?


    Maybe.


    But I do feel happy that I was able to tell you.


    Servi, I love you. I will always love you. Even if you hate and curse me, even if you force me to be quiet so I''ll never annoy you, I will always, always, always love you.


    Maybe, sometime in the far future, you will be able to forgive me?


    I think I can handle it if you tell me you hate me, but that¡¯s because I¡¯m currently preparing myself for it.


    Alright, good, that should be enough for right now. Servi, I¡¯m going to let you wake up, okay?


    Remember, I love you.


    Lying face down in the blood-soaked remains of a battlefield, Servi slowly stirred back to life.


    ¡°Momo?!¡± she stood up and shouted as her mind played back the events of the past hour. There was red to her left.  There was red to her right. It was red, only red, and nothing but red. Oh, what Servi would give to catch even a tiny glimpse of pink!


    She ran away after the fight.


    ¡°What direction? I need¡ªoh, who am I kidding¡­.¡± Servi dropped to her knees. ¡°She hates me, plain and simple. And I can¡¯t blame her. Best friends? Fuck that. She didn¡¯t know even the smallest thing about me. Gods above, I fucked up so bad¡­Itarr, I think this might be the end of our friendship¡­.¡±


    Blame me!


    ¡°No,¡± Servi curtly replied.


    But if you blame it all on me, a monster who¡¯s possessing you, then she¡¯ll hate me. It¡ª¡±


    ¡°NO!!!¡± she shouted. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. None of this was your fault. It¡¯s all mine for being so fucked up. I mean, I remember doing this. I wanted to do this. Fuck, I even remember yelling ¡®die die die die¡¯ over and over again like some kind of fucking monster!!!¡± Servi pointed to Roko¡¯s corpse. ¡°I did that. I ripped his fucking chest opened and stabbed his head with his own rib. If that¡¯s not something a monster would do, then what am I? A fucking demon? Something even worse?¡±  Servi ended her statement with a whisper and sat down.


    A charming girl with red eyes and black hair surrounded by twenty mutilated corpses was definitely  a sight to behold, and Itarr was happy no one intruded upon the scene.


    Please, Servi. Blame it all on me. I love you, so I don¡¯t want to see you like this.


    ¡°No. I refuse.¡±


    Then let¡¯s go after her! It¡¯s been some time, but she¡¯s in Arcton. I know she is. We can find her!!


    ¡°It won¡¯t work, Itarr,¡± Servi saw something reflect the moonlight out of the corner of her eyes. ¡°Her sword? Bag? She left them here?¡±


    Yes! She needs them, so let¡¯s go! Itarr absorbed Momo¡¯s precious items while waiting for Servi to get up.


    But she wouldn¡¯t move a single millimeter.


    Servi!! We! Have! Got! To! Move! If not, then I¡¯ll move you!


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. Do what you want,¡± Servi lost the strength in her body, and she fell back, splatting a little bit of blood that had yet to be absorbed into the ground.


    Fine!


    Using Telekinesis, Itarr placed a few anchor points on Servi¡¯s body and manipulated it to make it seem like she was walking. It was the hardest thing Itarr had ever done, both in the emotional and physical sense, and she failed many times, but she eventually was able to control the body like a puppet master would one of his creations.


    But the trip was deathly silent and long. If Servi was walking herself, she could¡¯ve made the trip in thirty or forty minutes if she ran at top speed. But Itarr didn¡¯t have that level of control and had to settle for a quick jog, meaning it took a bit over an hour and a half for her to arrive at the front gate.  As she focused on that, she used Absorption to clean the blood off of Servi.


    Itarr canceled Telekinesis when they reached the town gate, and Servi plopped to the floor like a piece of wet bread.


    Get! Up! Servi! Please! I¡¯m begging you! We have to talk to Momo! If you won¡¯t, then I have to do this. Inside Servi¡¯s soul, Itarr turned to face the hastily constructed cages and used her infantile understanding of emotions to flood Servi¡¯s consciousness until she did what Itarr wanted.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t wa¡ªokay. I need to talk to Momo.¡± Servi immediately stood up and began to run a light jog as she entered the city of Arcton.


    Arcton was a place that used to be blessed by such beauty that it was almost considered a spot wealthy nobles would use if they wanted to go on vacation. From the colorful flower field and lakes to the vivid green forests that were nearby, the area was ripe with nature. Many different kinds of fishes monopolized the lakes, and it wouldn¡¯t be strange for someone to catch ten or twelve to take home.


    It was beauty in nature, and the people of Arcton respected that.


    But that was before the Mafia came.


    They infected the town and surrounding areas like a blanket of death and disease, and only the flower field remained as something unsoiled by their deadly touch. The lakes¡¯ purposes were replaced. They were once a source of water and food, but now they had been relegated to become nothing more than areas to dispose of trash and corpses.


    A good portion of the trees had been cut down for their lumber, and they hadn''t been replanted. Trash and garbage were rampantly overflowing in areas that once belonged to deer and other animals.


    And that was only the outside and areas around Arcton. The actual town itself suffered a similar fate, and it was visible from the moment Servi set foot in the city.


    There were homeless people everywhere. To the left, right, front, and back. With ragged clothing and no shoes, Servi stood out as the only person in anything resembling clothes or armor in the general area. The ground was black with dirt and disease. Human waste was visible in the corner to her left that was probably designated as a public toilet.  Its rancid stench intertwined with the air, and it was impossible to smell anything else.


    How awful! Was this place actually considered fine by Warden?


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Servi said. ¡°Need to find Momo. That¡¯s the only thing that matters.¡±


    Ask around and see if people have seen her.


    Servi did as she was told and tried to find someone who wouldn¡¯t attack her on sight. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t have that much luck in accomplishing her task.


    She saw the shimmer of moonlight reflect off a few daggers that were gripped tightly in the hands of those who seemed to be more well off than their homeless companions.


    ¡°Even if they attack, I can crush them. Hey!¡± Servi yelled and pointed to an old man who shuffled along. She didn¡¯t know what was wrong with him or why he didn¡¯t lift his feet when he walked.


    That build-up of dirt and grime can¡¯t be comfortable. Itarr thought.


    ¡°Ehh¡­¡± he turned his head and showed off his two remaining teeth stained black by neglect. A single eye stared back at Servi.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a Singi. Pink hair and tail. Ring a bell?¡± Servi walked up to him.


    ¡°Eeehhhh¡­.¡± he croaked like a frog and held out his hand like he was waiting for something.


    Servi took out a ten dupla coin and held it up. ¡°Pink Singi. Where is she?¡±


    He pointed further into town, and Servi gave him the coin.


    ¡°Eeehhhh¡­¡± he replied.  Servi didn¡¯t know what his noises meant, but that was the very last thing on her mind as she walked in the direction he pointed.


    The houses and buildings to her left and right reminded Servi of the slums in Canary. Half didn¡¯t have a roof, and some had had giant holes in the rotten walls. Some people chose to sit out in front of whatever building they wanted for their current home, and Servi saw that some of them had little pills. She saw white ones, red ones, and pink ones, but it seemed the women were more prone to the pink pills.


    Servi heard a high-pitched, squeaking noise and halted when she saw a fat rat stop in front of her. One second it was there, looking up at her with big black beady eyes, and the next, it had a crudely made arrow sticking out of it. With no emotion, she glanced from where the shot came from and saw two young kids who couldn¡¯t have been older than seven. The bigger one, with black hair, snatched the rat and ran away with the younger kid, whose hair was grimy and greasy.


    Because of Itarr¡¯s influence, Servi wasn¡¯t startled or frightened at all. She somehow took it in stride as her mind wasn¡¯t allowed to wander. The words ¡®Find Momo¡¯ acted like an immovable set of instructions, and she had no choice but to follow it. That goal had to be achieved, no matter the cost.


    A couple of minutes later, Servi found herself in what could be described as ruined and trashed town square after passing by more shabby houses. A big building stood to her right, and it had the word ¡®RASP¡¯ written in bright red letters. It was in good shape when she thought about the rundown houses she passed. She couldn¡¯t see any holes in the walls, nor were the windows broken.


    Claire told us about RASP, remember?


    Servi didn¡¯t respond. Instead, she chose to walk towards a decently dressed man. Well, he was considered decent when compared to the homeless Servi saw before. But there was no one else to ask about Momo''s whereabouts.


    ¡°A pink Singi? Saw one a while back. Went heading over that way,¡± he said.


    Servi nodded and went to walk away but stopped when the man grabbed her hand.


    ¡°How about a little fun?¡± A greasy smiled formed on his lecherous face. Servi glanced around and realized they weren¡¯t alone. A few people scattered about in the distance towards a second RASP building, but none of their attention was focused on Servi.


    ¡°If I kill him, does it go against finding Momo?¡± Servi said aloud. ¡°Don¡¯t think it does,¡± Servi gripped his hand hard enough to break it and used Telekinesis to sling the would-be sexual assaulter up hundreds of meters in the sky. It happened so fast he didn¡¯t even have time to scream.


    Servi turned away, not caring if she heard the splat sound he would make when he hit the ground. After all, her one goal was finding Momo. That¡¯s what she needed to do.


    She found another person, an Elf with a collar around her neck and a black bracelet around her wrists. Like a dog, the Elf was tied to a metal fence post stuck in the ground. It was connected to her via a metal chain that went to both the collar and bracelet. Two large earrings with the number ¡®31776¡¯ were pierced through both ears. A thick cord bounded her hands to her feet and her arms to her legs. Not wearing clothes, Servi was able to see all of her business, but that didn¡¯t matter to her.


    ¡°Singi. Pink hair and ears. Where did she go?¡±


    The Elf looked Servi up and down and internally scoffed. Thinking that she finally might have the chance for freedom, the Elf spoke. ¡°I saw her. Free me, and I¡¯ll tell¡ªwhat?!¡±


    All of the items bounding the Elf disappeared. Servi gripped her by the chin, applied pressure, and spoke slowly. ¡°Singi. Tell me. Now. Or else.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt me. Umm¡­I saw a Singi go in there... It''s an inn called The Berrycanta Inn. She¡¯s right there. I saw her go in¡­.¡±


    Servi removed her hands and walked away, leaving the naked Elf in a state of confusion. She should¡¯ve been more embarrassed, but after standing outside for six hours naked and tied up like a piece of produce, she didn¡¯t care. If anything, she was happy to finally have free use of her hands.


    But her story and the path she would eventually walk down did not matter to Servi in the slightest, so she didn¡¯t spare a second thought. Since she had a location, Servi jogged over to the building, which was down the street.


    And there it was, in big blue letters, The Berrycanta Inn. Blue and white stripes covered about half of the building in a mesmerizing optical illusion that seemed to be moving, even though it was merely painted on. Brass handles, recently shined, adorned the doors, which themselves seemed to be cut from a most gorgeous mahogany tree.


    This is it. Come on, let¡¯s see if Momo is staying here.

 Book Three – Chapter Three – Part Two – The Mad Dog Awakens

    Servi nodded and opened the door. If she was able to have a free thought at that moment, she would¡¯ve gasped. The floors were hardwood, with little strips of carpet acting as decorations. Pictures of different kinds of berry trees hung on the shiny wooden walls, and a small desk, with appealing notches carved into it, stood front and center against the back wall. A large book was opened, and it was surrounded by three exquisite candles. An elderly woman with glasses stood behind it.


    ¡°Dearie, how¡ªblood?!¡± she gasped in fright. Servi looked down at her arms and legs.  The blood had gone cold, and it stuck to her body and clothes like a wet piece of ham.


    Servi ignored her and walked closer, prompting the woman to pull a small dagger from a sheath hidden under the desk. The flame of a nearby candle reflected off of its virgin blade.


    Slapping a hand on the table and grabbing the dagger by its blade, Servi demanded to know if Momo came here.


    ¡°A Singi did come in here crying, and I gave her a room out of pity, but I refuse to tell you if it was this ¡®Momo.¡¯ A part of me believes you were responsible for her tears, so I have to ask you to leave!¡± the woman said those words with a heart and voice backed by nothing but adrenaline.


    Servi looked down at the book, which was most certainly a hotel registry and began to flip through it. The old woman tried to stop her but was forced against the wall by an invisible force.


    ¡°Stop!¡± she begged, but Servi took a sword from her ring and pressed it against the woman¡¯s chest. She quickly realized what it meant and shut up.


    I saw her name in the book, and she''s in room 205. Itarr said.


    Servi absorbed the sword and dropped the book on the desk, scattering uncleaned dust into the air. Then she released Telekinesis, and the woman fell to the ground, spraining her ankle.


    The woman opened her mouth to shout for help but stopped when she realized it would be useless. She was just held against the wall, and a sword appeared from nothing. A part of her mind told her that she was lucky to even be alive and forced herself to make a decision.


    ¡°Stop! You murderer! Don¡¯t you hurt¡ª¡± the woman used the desk for support as she painfully stood up and roared at Servi. She responded by lifting her up with Telekinesis. Spotting a door nearby, Servi walked over to it and opened it to reveal a tidy room inside. A soft white bed, a simple candle-lit lamp, and some tables here and chairs were the d¨¦cors of choice.


    Maneuvering the old woman around, Servi tossed her onto the bed. She slightly bounced and rolled off the other side, landing on the hardwood floor with a groan. Servi absorbed the opened door and blocked it off with two sets of Earth Wall before making her way up to the second floor via carpet-covered stairs.


    The second-floor hallway was narrow and cramped, with nary enough room for two people to walk side by side. The same blue and white stripes that decorated the exterior painted the interior.  Numbers, forged from metal, were on the top half of each door to indicate which room number it belonged to.


    Room 205 was on the right side of the hall, located three rooms down. Servi lifted her hand and gently rapped on the door.


    ¡°Hello?¡± a tiny voice came from the inside.  Muffled by the door, Servi knew it belonged to Momo.


    ¡°Mosie, it¡¯s me, Servy. Your best friend.  Please, open¡ª¡°


    ¡°GO AWAY!!!¡± she shouted. Hearing the voice of someone claiming to be her best friend reignited the dying flame of anger in her heart.


    ¡°Bu¡ª¡°


    ¡°And don¡¯t call me Mosie!!! You lied to me about everything!! EVERYTHING!!! Is Servi even your real name?!?! Did you even care about me?! At all?! Of course you didn¡¯t! When we get back to Canary, I bet you would¡¯ve lied to me!!! I bet you just looked at our friendship like I was a weak cat. You just wanted the satisfaction of saving me, right? WELL, NO MORE!!! I DON¡¯T EVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!!! I DON¡¯T NEED YOU TO PRETEND TO CARE ABOUT ME ANYMORE!!! I won the tournament! I¡¯m stronger than I used to be!! SO LEAVE!!! I DON¡¯T WANNA SEE YOU EVER AGAIN!!!¡±


    An explosion of epic proportions occurred inside Servi¡¯s soul. More and more cages began to explode. Unable to handle the growing emotions, Servi slumped to the floor.


    Servi¡­ Itarr said in a voice full of sorrow. Even though she needed to deal with the emotional cages, she couldn¡¯t be bothered. The explosion that happened wasn¡¯t a violent one, but one of sorrow and regret. Right then, there was no chance of Servi going off the deep end and slaughtering everything in sight to fulfill her anger. It was impossible.


    Servi stayed kneeling in front of the door for minutes on end. During that time, the other residents emerged from their rooms to see what was going on, but since it didn''t concern them, they ignored Servi, leaving her to wallow in her sadness. Eventually, she couldn''t take it anymore and made her way down the hall.


    What are you doing?


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s better if I died back then.¡±


    Don¡¯t say that!!


    ¡°If I died, then Momo would¡¯ve found someone else to adventure with. Maybe someone who¡­.deserves to be her friend.¡±


    You are her friend!!!


    ¡°Shit¡­.¡± Servi whispered. She reached the lobby and looked around. The depressed girl saw things that didn''t matter, and that included her own reflection Servi saw in a mirror hanging nearby. ¡°It¡¯s not as if that even matters at this point,¡± making her way outside, Servi walked towards the nearest dark alley, but she was unaware that she was being observed by someone she knew.


    Pulling out a dagger after she reached the alley, she stabbed herself in the throat. She died, but it was for just a moment that couldn¡¯t even be measured.


    Servi?! Stop that!


    ¡°Let me die,¡± she impaled her forehead, touching the hard concrete wall behind her with the tip of the dagger.


    Please! Stop it!!!


    ¡°Let me die,¡± she stabbed her throat again but made sure to use her free hand to squeeze out everything inside, crushing her throat and windpipe in the process and throwing it all down into the dirty ground. But like before, all of the damage she inflicted on herself disappeared instantly. The sweet taste of death that she so desperately wanted was out of reach.


    STOP IT!


    ¡°Please, let me die. I have nothing to live for. Not anymore. Memories? Who cares about that shit...¡± Servi forced herself to swallow the dagger as she pulled out another one to stab her eyes. It made its way down her throat, cutting and slicing any and everything it could.  Blood pooled in her lungs, but she didn''t need to breathe.  It was futile since all of the damage disappeared, and Itarr absorbed the dagger after it stopped in her stomach. ¡°These eyes can¡¯t cry. This mouth can¡¯t frown. My body is fucked up. I¡¯m happy, then I¡¯m sad, then I¡¯m happy, then I¡¯m sad again. I can¡¯t control how I feel. Fuck, maybe I really didn¡¯t care about Momo¡­..¡±


    THAT¡¯S ENOUGH!!!!! Itarr roared.


    ¡°Please, just kill¡ªmaybe I should walk around? I might find something nice,¡± Servi said, unaware that the smile on her face was held together so loosely with a stopgap measurement that could break at any point. Servi walked out of the dark alley with blood covering her entire body. It was like she stepped out of a literal river of crimson and left a trail of red behind her.


    These events did not go unnoticed by someone she knew. Someone she met during her first three days in Canary. Someone she had a little bit of history with.


    He had skin the color of dirt and two pointy ears. A button-down striped shirt that had seen much better days had slight stains from being worn without being washed. His trousers came down to his feet but were too small in some areas, gripping his waist. A lone sword sat on his hip. He would¡¯ve loved to have better clothes and a bow and arrows, but life wasn¡¯t treating him the way he wanted it to.


    A few months ago, he had tried to take Momo away from Servi¡¯s party and have her join his own. And even now, after he had forgotten about it, he smiled because of the Gods'' generosity to allow him to witness what he saw.


    ¡°With this,¡± Nimea said, greedily rubbing his  fingers together, ¡°I can get my revenge. If you¡¯re here, then Momo¡¯s here as well. How would you react if she found out what kind of monster you are.¡±


    "Let¡¯s see¡­.the book at the front said she was in room 205,¡± Nimea whispered to himself. He thought it a bit odd that there was no one at the front desk, but he didn¡¯t question it. If anything, he considered it a stroke of luck. He turned around and walked over to the steps. The wispy candlelight illuminated his dirt-colored skin for all to see.


    Unfortunately for the innkeeper, Nimea didn¡¯t realize that the oddly colored surface he saw was an Earth Wall. And it wasn¡¯t like the innkeeper could do anything to help, either. She was far too weak to stand up, and she didn¡¯t have the strength to scream for help. Fear gripped her vocal cords and threatened to reduce the amount of oxygen that went to her lungs, so she could do nothing but wait for help to arrive. She hoped that someone would notice and send help.


    As Nimea ascended the stairs to the second floor, his mind raced back to that moment. It was just a few months ago when he first met Servi and Momo, and he really didn¡¯t think much of them. At first, he wanted to be a responsible lower member and help his high-ranking juniors out. But when he heard about how Servi, the tank, couldn¡¯t afford a shield, he got worried.


    How could a tank defend with no shield? It¡¯s impossible. I couldn¡¯t possibly let a dazzling flower like Momo get hurt or injured! Or worse, how could I stand by if there was a chance she could die?


    I knew that Servi was a rotten apple. I felt it in my bones when we first met, but I didn¡¯t realize she was some kind of monster. To be honest, I was afraid when I saw her in that alley. How did she not die?!?! I have to get Momo away from that thing!


    Reinvigorated, Nimea reached the second floor and made his way to room 205. When he arrived, he noticed something strange and alarming. Someone had smashed the door and forcibly ripped it off its hinges.


    What the? Why is it broken? Did she get robbed?


    Panicking, he rushed in to find an Elf in a white coat.  Turning around at the noise, Nimea realized that the mysterious stranger had a familiar Singi in his arms. She was asleep, somehow, and looked so peaceful as her pink hair draped down the side of her face.


    He couldn¡¯t see any signs of struggle. The paintings on the wall were undisturbed, the small vase next to the bed was untouched, and even the silver bedspread and blue and white striped covers were perfectly folded up. The white carpet had red stains that could¡¯ve come from either Momo or the stranger.  And since he didn''t see any wounds or blood drip from Momo, he concluded there was a struggle, and it came from the stranger.


    Shit, I don¡¯t have time to think about that.


    Drawing his sword, Nimea pointed it to the only other conscious person in the room. ¡°Put her down and leave!¡± he commanded.


    ¡°A second one? Wait, you¡¯re no Human girl with black hair and red eyes. Hmm¡­. What to do¡­..what to do. I suppose I can take you.¡±


    At hearing those words, Nimea charged in. Though he didn¡¯t act like it, he once achieved Rank 7 and had a fair amount of combat experience under his belt. He went to fake a thrust but stopped in his tracks when his opponent reached into his coat pockets.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to use more than one, but I guess there¡¯s no helping it.¡± The Elf in white smoothly muttered something and pulled out a small black ball.  It wasn''t perfectly circular, and a small amount of dusty material fell to the floor. But what was strange was that the dust wasn''t black; it was red and flashy like volcanic fire.


    Nimea eyed this carefully and chanted Wind Strike. His opponent remained as calm as the surface of a dead lake and tossed the ball at Nimea¡¯s feet. It exploded into a small cloud of black dust as thick as smoke. A short time later, he started to lose the strength in his limbs, and his eyes became heavy. He eventually fell to his knees, becoming acquainted with the bloodstains in the carpet. It was safe to say Nimea lost the battle, and he would soon visit the cold and lonely realm of unconsciousness.


    ¡°What a waste of a sleep ball... Oh, I have to leave this letter, or Sakdu won¡¯t be happy with me,¡± the Elf said. He opened his Dimensional Storage and pulled out a letter he was given a few hours ago.


    ¡°I have the utmost belief that the girl with black hair and red eyes will come back here. Is it not the behavior of a normal person to want to make up after having some sort of spat or argument? If not, then it¡¯s no big deal at all. You¡¯ll only be alive for a week, and it¡¯s not like some Rank 10 could force her way through the Mafia. Not even a Rank 0 could do that.¡±


    With a mother''s gentleness, the Elf placed the message on the bed where it wouldn''t be overlooked. After that, he bent down to pick up Nimea by his left arm as he allowed Momo¡¯s unconscious body to adorn his shoulder.


    ¡°Now then, let the game begin,¡± he said. Making his way down the stairs and into the streets, he took a path that would ensure he wouldn¡¯t be seen by anyone willing to tattle or betray him.


    ¡°Oh, this little thing? It¡¯s going to be 22 dupla,¡± a short man said. A fierce scar accented his exposed chest, and he sat behind a blanket filled with handcrafted wooden statues. The item the seller meant was a wooden figurine of a small cat sleeping next to a horse. Underneath the glow of the moon above, the statuette seemed much more vibrant and vivid.


    He was looking up at a girl with damaged leather armor. There used to be a shield attached to her left hand, and her red eyes didn¡¯t harbor any life within them.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, in a voice that held no tone or emotion. Servi tossed down 50 dupla to the man and absorbed the little figurine. If he was frightened by the sudden disappearance, he didn¡¯t let it show. Narrowing his eyes, the seller gave Servi a simple nod while pocketing the coin. He didn''t try to give Servi her change back, and she didn''t push the issue.


    Good. If we give that to Momo as a gift, maybe she¡¯d be willing to listen.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± while Servi was walking by herself, her mind was filled with artificial thoughts Itarr produced by manipulating the right emotions. Of course, she didn¡¯t want to do it, but she had no choice. The only way to fix her mistakes, in her eyes, was to tamper with Servi¡¯s emotions even more as she brainstormed a way to permanently repair it.


    Now let¡¯s go back to the inn.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I guess we were lucky to find this market.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I thought this place was nothing but the slums, like in Canary, but this side of the town seems nice. I¡¯d say it was a good thing I got rid of all that blood so they wouldn¡¯t turn us away. I guess the people we saw earlier aren¡¯t allowed in here. Everyone here looked to be somewhat well-fed, so I suppose they¡¯re healthier than those people near that RASP building.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Sobbing, Itarr begged for Servi to say something different. I love you, Servi. Can you say it back?


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Say, ¡®I love you.¡¯


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    What have I done now? Every time I try to make things right, I mess up. Servi, please, say something else! Anything else! I¡¯m begging you!


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The way back, through the twists and turns of the expensive noble-like district, with the clean roads and dirt-free buildings, into the dirty and slummy homeless-like neighborhoods, full of disease-ridden dirt and abandoned buildings, was awkward. More often than not, a scrounger would come up and harass Servi for some food or money. But she ignored them, and they eventually scurried off.


    Servi responded to every question Itarr asked her with a single word. It was like the person Itarr fell in love with, her savior and rescuer, had died with nothing left but a former shell of what they used to be.


    And the worst part was she knew it was her fault. If possible, she¡¯d prefer to be sealed up for millions and billions and trillions of years if it meant she would have a single second with the normal Servi. The Servi she met that so bravely jumped down into her seal-like jail cell. The Servi who risked her immortal life to free the slaves of Canary. The Servi looked past her grudges and hatred to make peace with the man she most wanted to kill. The Servi who became filled with such genuine happiness and joy that her best friend won the tournament.


    Itarr wanted that Servi back. And at the rate everything was going, she wasn¡¯t even sure if she could get her back. The emotional cages were super fragile, and the problem itself could be described as the most mind-boggling Gordian Knot to have ever existed.


    To get the right amount of emotions to precisely leak in a way that wouldn¡¯t cause any damage or trouble was simple. The problem was the hundreds of other cages that held a near-infinite amount of emotions. Even after observing for months on end, Itarr¡¯s infantile knowledge of the fickle concept of ¡®emotion¡¯ was much like a toddler¡¯s. She couldn''t come up with the right formula of when to leak out what and how much of a particular emotion in a way that wouldn¡¯t overload Servi.


    There has to be a way...  Come on, Itarr, this is your problem! You have to fix it!


    Fifteen or so minutes later, Servi found herself facing the doors of The Berrycanta Inn.


    Servi, we can do this, right? I know we can... Itarr didn¡¯t want to finish her sentence, but Servi didn¡¯t notice. Like a robot, she followed her emotional commands. Opening the front door, she walked right past an empty front desk, up the stairs to the second floor, and stopped right in front of room 205.


    Momo?! Shouted Itarr, after seeing that the door was ripped off its hinges. Servi cautiously walked in and examined the area. Other than the door, the only other things of note were a letter on the bed and red stains on the floor.


    Servi picked up the sealed envelope, opened it, and read it out loud.


    ¡°You don''t know me, but I¡¯m assuming if you¡¯re reading this letter, then that Singi is no longer with you.


    ¡°Are you scared? Frightened? Maybe seething with a rage that not even the Gods can extinguish? How did it happen? Did that fool Roko manage to do his job? How many times did he cut you? Burn you? Did he break anything? Are you wallowing in your weakness and self-pity? You may curse your very existence, or you may curse me; it doesn¡¯t matter. But what does matter is this: I will give you a chance.


    ¡°If you can get to me without me knowing, then consider this little game to be won.  Just know that your failure means that Singi''s death, and your success, however improbable, means you would die in her place. Would you sacrifice yourself for her? Would you go to the depths of hell for someone even if it meant you won¡¯t ever escape? Of course, this only matters if you¡¯re angry enough to take me up on my offer.


    ¡°I do suppose you need a starting point. Therefore I will leave you with this. Mafia.


    ¡°This is a game with no winners, except for me, but let¡¯s see how far you make it. The time limit is exactly one week from today at noon. I would say good luck, but that¡¯s not really necessary.¡±


    Itarr was speechless. She couldn''t think of a single thing to say to soften the blow. And she didn''t know how to act. She might''ve been a Goddess, but her mental state and knowledge were anything but.  She quietly listened as Servi absorbed the letter and spoke out loud as a blank look adorned her face.


    ¡°Itarr, I can only kill. All I¡¯m good for is taking lives. It seems that I always have to turn to it. Was I a murderer before I lost my memory? Was this the life I led every day? Why do I not feel anything from tearing the heads off and crushing the hearts of my enemies? Do their feelings not count for anything? Just who the fuck am I?"


    Itarr tried to speak, but Servi''s sudden voice and deep tone cut her off.


    ¡°Momo, I¡¯ll find the bastards who took you. I¡¯ll kill them all and rescue you. Then, I¡¯ll go my own way. That¡¯s really all I have in my future, isn¡¯t it? A world of utter loneliness...¡±


    For a split second, Servi growled like a Mad Dog.

 Book Three – Chapter Three – Part Three – The Mad Dog Awakens

    Suddenly, Servi was assaulted by another headache, and she closed her eyes in response. But this time, it was not Itarr¡¯s doing. From deep within their interconnected soul, a vivid red paradise decorated by the Goddess with her energy, Itarr gasped with surprise as a previously unseen cage made itself known. She willed herself over to it and examined the mysterious object.


    I didn¡¯t make this, did I? And I don¡¯t think I can open it. But wait, can I be sure that I didn''t make it? What¡¯s inside?


    The metaphysical emotion storing cages Itarr made were not similar to this foreign thing she stared at. For starters, hers were more organic looking, with vivid red spots on each of the vertices.


    The one in front of her looked like something had attacked it with some type of explosive weapon. A black chain, ugly and thick, wrapped around its weathered surface as a giant black lock, dripping with crimson, locked it all up. It was odd, but she felt a deep sadness and a heavy hatred radiate from within its chained confines.


    She reached out with a timid finger and touched it.  The cage was fractured enough for some unknown, colorless substance to squeeze out. Then it closed back up and disappeared from her sight. Itarr immediately tried to contain what had escaped but stopped when she felt no malice or hostility coming from it. It was odd because she had sensed hatred not even a moment ago.


    Should I let it be? It doesn¡¯t seem to have any malicious intent.


    She decided to follow it, eventually coming to an area she dubbed ¡®The Cage Land.¡¯ As its name suggested, it was an area in Servi¡¯s soul where Itarr kept every single cage, filled to the brim with emotion, and categorized them according to what she felt from them.


    Why did you lead me here? Itarr asked the energy.  Her eyes darted back and forth from the substance to the cages. An ominous feeling grew in her stomach, and Itarr reached out with a red hand blessed with her divine essence.


    It crackled in response and launched out hundreds of tendrils for each cage. Itarr shouted for it to stop but was pushed back when another explosion rang out.


    NOOOO. Itarr yelled and feared the worst as she braced herself. When nothing happened, she timidly opened her eyes. Every single cage, to her surprise, was still there. The only difference was a slight crack in each of them that allowed the emotion within to seep out. But it wasn¡¯t like a flood or a tsunami. It was more of a light drip, measured to perfection with the same care a baker would use when trying to bake a cake.


    The colorless substance used its tendrils to gently flood their vast soul with a cacophony of emotions and colors.


    Itarr was startled and afraid. Should she interfere? What if the unknown energy regarded her as an enemy? But what if it was something more personal?


    What if that mysterious cage contained her memories? If that¡¯s the case, then her memories, or some of them, are filling her soul up in accordance with how she used to be? Can that happen? But it¡¯s filling her up with emotion, not memories. Why? Are memories and emotions interchangeable in the grand scheme of things?  What if Servi''s memories contain a blueprint for a certain kind of emotional composition, and that is what¡¯s happening? If I¡¯m right, then after this is done, the emotions that¡¯ll flow through her body will be the same as when she had her memories, but without her actual memories. That¡¯s a long stretch, though.


    But that¡¯s only assuming that substance is her memories. And if it is, it brings me to a different question. If it is her memories, then why is it so small? And why did it happen now, at this very moment in time? Why go about it this way instead of giving Servi her memories back? There has to be more, but I don¡¯t understand.


    As Itarr questioned the events happening right in front of her, the mysterious energy retracted its tendrils and wandered away.  Following it, Itarr was led back to the foreign intruder''s home, which had reappeared as suddenly as it disappeared. The substance stopped the moment it reached the cage and turned around, facing Itarr. Though it had no humanoid-like form like Itarr, she swore the energy looked depressed.


    I promise you. I will correct my mistakes.


    The colorless substance lightly twitched in response before squeezing back inside the cage, which disappeared, leaving Itarr all alone in a vivid spacious red void. With nothing but her thoughts to occupy her, she tried to brainstorm a way to fix her problems.


    Servi opened her eyes. Looking down at her hands, she made a fist and shook her head.


    Servi? Can you hear me?


    Servi didn¡¯t say anything and looked back over the letter.


    Absorbing it, she calmly walked out of room 205 and walked in front of the door to room 206. But she didn¡¯t bother to knock and wait for a response. Instead, she chose to store it inside her ring and walk in as if she owned the place. Servi kicked the nearby counter, and the noise alerted the two people in the room to her presence.


    They were mid-coitus, with the woman with red hair straddling a middle-aged man on the bent bed. They instantly turned their sweaty, passion-filled faces to this unknown intruder and went to scream, but no sound escaped their open mouths.


    Without uttering a noise, Servi picked the two of them up with Telekinesis and slung them out the window. They crashed hard into the dirty, diseased-filled street below. The woman got up instantly, albeit with glass shards in her chest and arms, and cried out. Blood gurgled down from the man¡¯s mouth as the woman tried her best to lift him up. But it was to no avail. The glass shards he landed on punctured through his back and pierced his lungs. In a panic-filled moment, the red-headed woman ran away to find help and a doctor but turned back when she heard him groan. She rushed back over and crouched down, helping him up. Though he had blood running down his back, the wounds themselves began to close up. When the woman looked down, she saw that the glass shards in her body were plucking themselves out one by one by an invisible force.


    Servi, why did you do that?! There was no need to kill them¡ªwait, no souls? Did you heal them? Servi, are you still in there?!! Itarr tried to talk, but it was like Servi couldn¡¯t hear her.


    Servi absorbed her clothes, used Earth Wall to make a new door and window, and finally got to work on brainstorming a plan.


    ¡°The Mafia has Momo,¡± she said out loud. ¡°What¡¯re my options? I could destroy the town, but Momo might die in the process. I have no idea if she¡¯s above ground or underground. If she¡¯s under, then the rubble could trap her. I could absorb the debris, but with how big this town is, it¡¯ll take a while, and I might not find her.


    ¡°I could go house by house and search. I don¡¯t need to sleep, so that could work. If I do a raid a minute, I could do around 10,000 in a week. The problem is that if the Mafia catches wind, they might catch on and kill Momo then and there. They don¡¯t think I have the power to take on their little group, so I could catch them by surprise. Shit! Wait, if I can find one of their high-ranking members, I could torture the info out of him. But if I assume the letter is from the Boss, then there¡¯s no way anyone less than his right-hand man would be sent to deliver it. At least, I wouldn¡¯t send some disposable fuck off to do an important job.


    ¡°Undercover? Yes, that¡¯s the best option. If I make myself pathetic looking enough, I should be able to catch the attention of someone who¡¯s connected to the Mafia. But can I do it in a week? I have to. But if I can just get inside their base and catch a glimpse of someone high up on the totem pole, I could extract the info from them. They might even know where the Boss is at. Yeah, that¡¯s the plan. But first, I gotta disguise myself. There¡¯s a chance they know what I look like.¡±


    Servi? Why are you talking like that? Please, speak to me!!


    Servi didn¡¯t respond. Instead, she chose to take out a mask that would change her eye color. Using Telekinesis to float it in front of her, Servi stared into a mirror she retrieved from her ring.


    Using her index finger and thumb, Servi plucked out her left eyeball with no hesitation.


    ¡°Itarr, do not regenerate my eye,¡± she ordered as she saw her red eye grow back. It was as if time was rewinding for her and her alone.


    But¡­ Itarr went to argue but stopped cold when Servi spoke in a demanding and harsh tone.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking? Doesn¡¯t matter in the long run, just don¡¯t regenerate my eye or any damage I do to myself or my hair. Only heal me when I say so.¡±


    Servi plucked out her eye again and waited. Nothing. Her empty socket was reduced to a black void that continuously leaked blood. The floor below became soiled, but the room''s cleanliness was the furthest thing from her mind.


    I¡¯ll do it, but only because I love you. Can you say it back? I¡ª


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Servi replied. Her face twisted into a devilish smile. Next, she took a dagger and carved out the area around her other eye until she saw the red flesh beneath. Picking up the mask that changed her eye color, Servi carved out the glass until it was the perfect shape to fit the area she had just excavated from her face.


    Placing it in the fleshy, bloody slot like one would a puzzle piece, she held it in place as she gave another order. ¡°Heal it. I want the glass to be motionless, so lock it down when you regenerate my flesh."


    Servi watched as her pristine, white skin grew and replaced the red, raw muscle until the glass couldn''t be seen anymore. She was no longer the girl with red eyes. Instead, her left eye, utterly destroyed, left a black void-like hole, while her right, a pretty blue, stared at her. She tapped a finger on it, and her sight went foggy for a moment, but it wasn¡¯t anything she couldn¡¯t handle.


    Please answer me! Why hurt yourself like this?! Itarr pleaded, but Servi ignored her.


    Pulling out another dagger, Servi painfully scalped herself until her skull showed. In some cases, she pressed a bit too hard and punctured the bone. With a stone-cold gaze, Servi calmly watched as her pink brain matter flowed down her forehead.  All-around and covering her feet were the remains of black hair clumped together with the waterfall of blood, and they clumped together to form a monstrous, bloody hairball.


    Unaware of Itarr¡¯s sobs, Servi commanded the Goddess to do one more thing. ¡°Repair my head, but leave me bald. I have no need for hair right now.¡±


    Itarr had no choice but to obey because, in a way, this was her punishment. She wanted to help Servi so much, to the point where she was locking up her very emotions because of the tremendous love she had for her. But that love had backfired and spiraled out of control.


    In short, the very last thing Itarr ever wanted was happening in front of her. Servi was ignoring her, forcing Itarr to watch as she purposely maimed herself. She was afraid that if she went against Servi¡¯s orders, Servi would say those three little words that would most certainly destroy her.


    ¡°Good,¡± Servi kept a stoic smile, and she looked nothing like her former self. ¡°But it¡¯s not enough. I... I need to..."  she cupped her hands around her chest and debated on cutting them off. After all, they knew that she was a girl, but if she had no breasts and acted in a boyish manner...


    No!! Not that!! Please, you¡¯ve done enough!!!! Itarr cried out when a small carving knife appeared in front of Servi''s hand.


    Grabbing it, she started to pierce her breasts, touching and carving lumps of fat in the process but stopped. Only a little bit of blood drooled down her toned stomach before joining the river of blood that threatened to flood the room. ¡°Too far. Don¡¯t need to do that,¡± she said to Itarr¡¯s relief as Servi¡¯s chest healed right up.


    Sitting down on the bed, Servi projected her subconscious into her ring and found herself surrounded by categories.


    See? I¡¯ve been storing and sorting everything in the categories like you asked. I love you, Servi. You love me, right? Please say you do! I need to hear it!!


    Itarr¡¯s worried voice fell on deaf ears as a minute later, Servi covered her body in a brand new disguise. Two shiny daggers sat on her hip while a long black coat covered her entire body. Under it, she wore a simple brown tunic, brown pants, and black boots. She flipped the hood of her cloak down to reveal her damaged face. The one black eye stared at nothing, unable to take in light, and Servi was left with only half of her vision.


    ¡°The disguise is done. I need to leave, but how? They probably have people watching the inn to make sure I receive the letter. Is there a smokescreen skill?¡± Pulling out her ID, Servi scanned the list of skills and realized she had already learned it. It was simply called Smokescreen, belonging to the Fire Element, and it required the user to be Rank 7.


    Tossing the ID away, Servi took a deep breath and reassured herself.


    ¡°Momo, I will save you. I will. I must. I need to. I need to get going.¡±


    Three minutes later, a thick blanket of grey smoke covered the entirety of The Berrycanta Inn and threatened to fill the entire area around. The inn''s inhabitants stampeded down the stairs to the lobby, crowding it to where no one could move. With the smoke spiraling out of control, the collective rage increased until fights started to break out. In the end, people did escape from the faux burning building, but not without black eyes and broken bones. The elderly owner, however, didn¡¯t make it out alive. The sheer fright from the smoke was too much excitement for the owner''s aging heart, and she passed on to the next life amid the chaos.


    Twenty minutes later, a certain woman found herself walking around the city.


    ¡°I need info. A bar would be the best place,¡± Servi spoke to herself. Her gnarly left eye socket grossed more than a few passersby who gave a wide berth to avoid catching whatever disease they thought she had. Of course, Servi didn¡¯t care enough about that to make a scene. As far as she was concerned, they didn¡¯t matter to her. Their lives were as insignificant as an ant or a fly.


    Just as she rounded a corner, a particular sight caught her eye. About five meters away from her, huddled next to the rotten door of a rundown house, two men stood side by side. Both were shirtless, with thin stripes of blackened cloth covering their waist. But to Servi, clothes didn¡¯t matter. Information did.


    ¡°There¡¯s a man down at Cornets that knows a brothel that sells Pink Monotonia for cheap. I¡¯m talking about real cheap. And you get a girl, too,¡± the man on the left said. A black patch covered his left eye.


    ¡°Yeah? How much?¡± replied the man on the right.  He had no distinguishable or noticeable features about him.  He would fit right in with all the other homeless Servi had encountered since she entered the city.


    ¡°20 for a quarter pink.¡±


    ¡°For real? Then I¡¯m about to head out.¡±


    ¡°Hold up,¡± Eyepatch said. ¡°He doesn¡¯t just tell anyone. I don¡¯t even know if he¡¯s going to be there.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± his friend replied.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just go in there demanding to know where this place is. You gotta go with the flow and vibe with the atmosphere until that guy says the name of it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s stupid. But whatever, I¡¯ll see you later," Eyepatch''s friend said. He walked down the road while Eyepatch went inside.


    ¡°Guess I¡¯m in luck.  I don''t have to torture anyone yet," Servi sighed.  She rubbed her hand over her bare scalp and followed the man to the bar.


    Servi¡­ Please, talk to me!!! Just let me know that you can hear me!!!!! Please!!!!


    Nothing. Not even a simple nod.


    Itarr wailed and wept. The room filled with her cries, but no one could hear her.


    A couple of minutes later, Servi walked through the crooked double doors of a place known as Cornets. Immediately, the smell of smoke and cheap liquor invaded her nostrils before disappearing, thanks to True Immortality. The dirty wooden floors had sharp nails sticking out in some places, and the sickening green wallpaper was peeling harshly in some areas, showing the rotten walls underneath.


    Ignoring all that, Servi made her way over to the bar and sat down on a grey stool. Even with as light as she was, it threatened to crumble underneath Servi''s weight.


    ¡°Good Gods above, what the hell happened to you?¡± asked the man who sat beside her. His red shirt, ripped in half and showing his numerous scars and heavy stomach, gave him an aura of false intimidation. Servi turned to him, blinking only with her missing eye. ¡°You really need to cover that thing up. I¡¯m gonna lose my damn drink,¡± he pointed with a greasy finger to a black void and turned his face back to his glass of whisky.


    Servi ignored him and took out a five dupla coin from nothing. Once she flashed it up, the greasy bartender with patches of black hair and a dirty, stained suit walked over.


    ¡°Aviation. Now,¡± Servi demanded, flipping the coin twice before holding it out.


    The bartender nodded and took her dupla. Out of the corner of her eye, Servi saw that the man she followed here was making himself at home. With his feet propped up on a table, he flashed a white pill.


    ¡°Hey, I got this pill right here for anyone who tells me the name of that whorehouse,¡± he said, ignoring the advice of his friend. After getting no response, he slapped the table and asked again in a louder voice that drowned out all the other conversations.


    The man with the ripped red shirt beside Servi slammed his hands down, stood up, and walked over.  He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a dagger. Even though the blade was in plain sight, not a single person batted an eye.


    ¡°Here. Your drink,¡± the bartender sat down a lavender-colored drink. Servi took it, downed it, and asked for another. The bartender sighed and went to retrieve the glass when he heard yelling.


    Servi turned to the disturbance''s source and discovered the man in the red shirt had the man she followed in a headlock. And no one seemed to be surprised.


    ¡°Come on, Sam, I¡ª¡± yelped the head-locked man.


    Sam, the man with the red shirt, sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be in here causing any kind of fucking trouble like you own this place.¡±


    Still, it wasn¡¯t Servi¡¯s fault, and she downed the second aviation when it was brought to her. As she went to order a third, she saw a man with a hunched-back approach Sam and the other man.


    ¡°Stop with this tomfoolery. If the boy¡¯s that eager, then just tell him. Sonny, it¡¯s called the Boxcar. Head there and ask for Desire.¡±


    ¡°Goddamnit, Petch, you know we ain¡¯t supposed to tell people who don¡¯t deserve to know. You know what the Mafia would do to us?!¡± Sam dropped Sonny and drew his dagger on the hunched-back man named Petch. ¡°You know what they did to Clank, right? And you know they were behind Arke''s suicide.¡±


    ¡°I do, and I won''t ever forget. Sam, face it. This town is nothing more than their playground. Why would I ever want to live in a shit hole like this? Use your head, man. Why would they give us such backwards rules like only tell those who deserve to know? It¡¯s because they use that as an excuse to come and torture our sorry asses. The quicker I die, the quicker I can escape from this hellhole.¡±


    ¡°You ain¡¯t bringing me down with you! I still want to live!¡± Sam brandished the dagger at Petch.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to use it, then fucking use it. End my goddamn life!¡±


    Sonny, finally catching his breath, took this moment to skedaddle out through the double doors.


    Boxcar? Desire? I don¡¯t understand. Do you, Servi?


    Not responding yet once again, Servi plopped down another five dupla and walked out. She made sure to walk directly in-between Sam and Petch, to their annoyance, and left as they threw curses at her. Servi looked around, using the moonlight as her only source of light and found Sonny vomiting nearby. Keeping her distance behind a wall, she used Remedium on him.  The moon burned through its light every minute, and Servi had no time to waste for Sonny to get well enough to travel without any outside help.


    ¡°Wha¡ª¡± he looked up and saw nothing. ¡°Shit, Sam had to go and spook the hell outta me. I swear to the Gods Above, I''m gonna kill that jerkwad. But the Boxcar, eh?¡±


    Sonny walked away, heading north to a half-deserted part of town. Unlike the marketplace Servi went to earlier, this area was even more rundown when compared to the entrance. A rotten smell permeated through the atmosphere, but she didn''t see anyone that cared. They all shuffled along, like zombies going about with the sole goal of surviving another day. The children she saw were alone and by themselves, with parents or guardians nowhere to be found.  It seemed everyone kept to themselves for the most part while trying to survive.  Having another mouth to feed meant that they needed more food, and from what Servi saw, having more food probably meant being a bigger target.


    Unlike the pseudo town square that held the RASP building, this section of the city seemed to have nothing of that nature; no shops, no stores, nothing. Rundown buildings, awful smells, and public indecency were all this shitty place had to offer.


    In one case, she saw an elderly man submitting to his carnal desires as he humped a girl who couldn¡¯t have been older than fourteen. But she didn¡¯t cry out in pain, regret, or agony. Instead, she reached into her shirt pocket and pulled out a pink pill, swallowing it then and there. Moaning even louder, she motioned to a few men nearby. Dropping their trousers to reveal their erect members, they joined in and quickly monopolized the girl¡¯s mouth and hands.


    Servi, meanwhile, kept walking and followed Sonny. The people she saw, the actions they did, their precious lives, none of that had any meaning or purpose to her.


    Servi...

 Book Three – Chapter Three – Part Four – The Mad Dog Awakens (R-18)

    Watching from a distance, Servi observed Sonny walk into a dinky little place called Boxcar. It was around half the size of The Berrycanta Inn, but all a single floor. More accurately, it was a large, crimson shipping container-like box masquerading as a brothel. It had no windows to see into or out of, and the lone door, placed in the very middle, was painted black. It was an odd design, to be sure, but Sonny didn¡¯t see that. In his eyes, he saw a golden palace: a place in which he could ejaculate away the stresses of life while under the influence of Pink Monotonia.


    When Servi followed him inside, her nostrils were temporarily assaulted by the smell of sex, cheap cigars, and water-downed liquor, while her remaining eye took in a most peculiar sight.  There were no boundaries. No walls to separate the copious amounts of bodies that sweated together in feverous fits of passion. It was a single room with beds and chairs, with a small bar set up to the right that sold the elusive Pink Monotonia for cheap.


    Servi saw Sonny in the far corner of the Boxcar. His face, between two sets of perky scaley breasts belonging to a red and black Koena, twisted into a grin of lust as a third woman, a Human with the name ¡®Desire¡¯ tattooed on her lower back, placed a pink pill on her tongue. Kissing him, she forced him to swallow it. Servi turned away and looked to her left, where she saw a woman with silver nipple tassels leaning against the red wall. Her face, perfectly still with a frozen expression of ecstasy, was covered in a thin string-like white substance while a man thrusted his hips in-between her spread legs. Grunting all the while, the man gave one last final thrust, shooting his seed inside the now unconscious woman, who didn¡¯t react in any way.


    However, there was something about the unconscious woman that was off.  It took her a few seconds to realize she had a single eye. That was when Servi discovered that of all the women she saw performing debaucherous acts of pleasure, the majority of them were missing an eye. Unlike Servi''s freshly empty socket, theirs were healed and prettied up.


    As the man fumbled with his britches, a familiar woman walked over to Servi and tapped her shoulder.


    Servi, it¡¯s the Elf you asked for directions when we were looking for that armor shop. Do you remember? She had those heart-shaped stickers on her body, but I don¡¯t see any now. Why is she naked?


    ¡°My, my, my, how awful! Don¡¯t worry, sweetie, that eye can be dolled up,¡± she leaned in closer, allowing Servi to unconsciously take a whiff of her sweet berry-like perfume. ¡°But if you¡¯re willing to put it to use, some of our more ¡®passionate¡¯ patrons have a particular fetish that involves that socket. If you join, we won¡¯t have to draw straws to determine who gets enucleated.  Sweetie, you¡¯ll be rich. That is why you came here, correct? I don¡¯t know why any girl would willingly come here unless they wanted to be fucked.¡±


    Enucleated? Is that why some of the women are missing an eye? Itarr asked.


    Servi didn¡¯t answer, instead choosing to scan her eye downward as she took in the striking figure of the woman. Her breasts, still as big as ever, were just the right size to devour any hand that couldn¡¯t resist their appealing nature. Her pink nipples seductively contrasted with her pale, snowy white skin. Her hips were thick and soft, and her thighs were the target of many men and women who wished to get in between them.


    The woman grinned and swept her blond hair behind her pointy ears. ¡°You like them? I do admit that I¡¯m more blessed than my Elven sisters,¡± the Elf pushed her breasts together. ¡°How about it? Want a taste of me? Do you wish to cross the superficial boundaries the church created? An Elf and Human, rolling and cradling each other in passionate love with nothing left to the imagination, sounds perfect. Don¡¯t you think so? Don¡¯t be scared. Just leave everything to me, sweetie....¡±


    Licking her lips, the Elf leaned in with the idea of stealing a kiss. Servi avoided her and moved in at an angle. Her hot breath tickled the Elf''s ears, and Servi opened her mouth to nibble it.  She used just enough force so that her bite teetered on the thin margin between pleasure and pain.


    Servi? What about Momo? We can¡¯t get distracted. Come on!


    ¡°Aaahhhhhh¡­.¡± moaned the Elf. ¡°How did¡ªMmmmmmppp¡­.¡± her breathing went ragged as she opened her mouth to reveal a pink pill wrapped in her wet tongue.


    Was she trying to make you swallow that? It looks dangerous, so I¡¯ll absorb it, But enough! We need to move!


    Servi caressed the Elf¡¯s panting face with her two soft hands before moving down to her chest. She had made the pair of delectable fruits her property. Her two hands molded and toyed with both tits as she enjoyed their warmness before focusing on her two erect bits. Squeezing her nipples, Servi led the lustful Elf over to a wall and pushed her against it. She moaned in response and leaned in, licking Servi¡¯s ears passionately. The pleasure they both felt did very little for Itarr, who grew angrier and angrier.


    SERVI! Itarr tried to flood Servi¡¯s soul with some emotion, any emotion at all, to snap her out of the trance-like state, but nothing she did worked. No, it was like she was unable to do anything. Her cages refused to listen to her commands and remained locked up, unable to be tampered with in even the tiniest way.


    Like a prisoner, Itarr was forced to watch and sob as Servi¡¯s libido almost got the better of her. The moment her wet tongue lapped the Elf¡¯s left nipple twice, licking her salty sweat and replacing it with her saliva, it happened.


    The man who had thrusted his hips like no tomorrow finally managed to pull his pants up and turned around, revealing he had a weird scar on his cheek that was still raw. Unable to keep his footing, he slammed into the wall, conking his head and losing consciousness for but a few moments.


    The number 10? Why would he carve it into his face? Is it important? Maybe he¡¯s part of the Mafia? Itarr said, fighting through the tears. She wanted nothing more than to turn away and close her eyes, but she couldn''t.  Perhaps it was a curse of being inside of someone, but Itarr couldn''t turn blind to the things she didn''t want to see.


    But maybe that¡¯s who you used to be? I believe you had a hard life because you maimed and scarred yourself on purpose without a second of hesitation, but I hope you know this one thing. No matter your past, and no matter your memories, I will love you. Forever and ever. I just wish I could do something¡­ Itarr whimpered.


    Two men in black suits hurried to the scarred man and took a shoulder each before he completely collapsed.


    ¡°He¡¯s fucked up. How many did he take?¡± asked the bald one on the left.


    ¡°I stopped countin¡¯ at seven,¡± replied the one on the right with a heavy stomach.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get him back home. Hey, he¡¯s got the map and introductions, right?¡±


    The heavy man dug deep into the guy¡¯s pocket, groaning when he made contact with something sticky and cold. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s in there. But it¡¯s covered in¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shit. I ain¡¯t touching that. The 10th can scrape it off himself. I ain¡¯t touching that.¡±


    The heavy man sighed and readjusted his grip. ¡°Yeah, I know. You didn¡¯t have to say it twice. Let¡¯s just get out of here and hide it so he won¡¯t get punished.¡±


    The two men led the scarred man out, and Servi went to walk away from the Elf.  Her youthful face and busty body, flushed wet with her hot sweat, accentuated her mature physique.  The dim lighting hid most of her features, but a few stray candles reflected off her bodily fluids.  In a way, she glowed like a Fertility Goddess.


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± the Elf cried. She reached out and grabbed Servi¡¯s right hand, placing it near her honeysuckle. ¡°I¡¯m¡ª Aah!¡± Servi responded by pulling the Elf into a tight embrace, slipping two fingers inside her hot snatch in the process. She was completely soaked, with some of her juices leaking down her thighs.


    The Elf moaned and nearly lost strength in her legs but gripped Servi¡¯s hand with her thighs to stay upright. With the Elf''s mouth wide open, Servi retrieved the pink pill from her ring and placed it on the Elf¡¯s tongue, making sure to give it a sensual rub with her index finger. And for her final touch, Servi leaned in and whispered, ¡°Swallow,¡± before giving her toy''s ear one last nibble.  This time, she bit hard on purpose and tasted iron in her mouth.


    The Elf nodded quickly, swallowed, and opened her mouth. ¡°Nene¡­ That¡¯s my¡ªAAAH!!¡± Servi didn''t know if the scream was pain or pleasure, but it didn''t matter.


    ¡°Good,¡± whispered the one-eyed girl who sadistically grinned. ¡°Here¡¯s your reward, Nene.¡±


    A look of euphoric pleasure littered her face and exploded into something more when Servi curled her two fingers upward, sliding them in and out rapidly. But that wasn¡¯t all. Servi had moved back down to Nene¡¯s breasts and sucked as if she was a nursing baby.


    Her snatch squeezed her fingers as Servi dealt the final blow. Using her teeth, Servi gently bit the erect nipple she sucked on and slowly curled her fingers once again.  She pressed against Nene''s vaginal walls, scraping them with her nails with the process.  It should have hurt since Servi felt a second wet sticky substance coat her fingers, but it was like Nene couldn''t feel pain.


    ¡°AAAAHHHHHHH!¡± Nene¡¯s body convulsed as Servi removed her fingers for the final time. The pleasure was far too much for her bladder to bear, and she pissed herself. Servi used her free hand to support her as she stuck her crimson-stained fingers in Nene''s mouth.


    "Clean up the mess you made," she ordered.


    Nene didn''t couldn''t understand words at the moment, but she knew what she had to do.  With all the excitement of a happy dog, she lapped her wet tongue and sucked her blood and juices from Servi''s fingers. Like an exploring an unknown land, Nene didn''t leave a single millimeter of skin untouched by her pink tongue.


    "Good," Servi muttered.  She quickly stopped supporting Nene and walked backwards. With nothing to hold her up, Nene collapsed to her knees. Her ragged breaths sent her tilting back until she fell on the filthy red carpet. Urine mixed with crimson sputtered out with every deep breath.


    ¡°FUCK ME!¡±  Nene shouted. The woman she was before she took the pill disappeared, and nothing but a lust-filled shell of a person remained.  Whether it was her choice or the will of the pink pill she swallowed, Itarr didn''t know. ¡°My holes! JUST FUCK ME! I NEED¡ª¡± Spreading her legs wide open, Servi walked out as a group of men came to blows over who would be the first one to explore her forbidden area. Amid their brawl, a lone elderly man snuck over and took her for himself. Leaving that entire mess behind them, Itarr was glad to be out of that sex-filled, debaucherous whorehouse. Even after walking away, Itarr still heard an eruption of passion coming from the Boxcar.  Her anger overflowed, and she took it out on Servi.


    Why did you waste time on her?! We could¡¯ve been looking for Momo?! Isn¡¯t she more important than some stupid Elf?!! But why did you force her to swallow that pill? Why do all of this when we could¡¯ve been looking for Momo?!?!! I don¡¯t understand, but I might if you talk to me!!  Please, answer me!! I¡¯m so confused!! Itarr shouted, exasperated at Servi¡¯s behavior.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Leaving the Boxcar, Servi saw the two men supporting who she thought was their boss. The scarred man they carried produced a weird noise and thrashed his arms around.  The two men backed off, and he fell to the ground, emptying his stomach of the mistakes he had made that night in a patch of grass. After spewing out the contents of his stomach, he fumbled into his pants and pulled out seven pills.  The two men groaned as they watched him down the pills and fall to his stomach.  They were just far enough apart and distracted for her to put her plan into action.


    Pulling out a dagger, Servi calmly walked over to the men, who had their back turned. But she first stopped by a small patch of grass that stubbornly clung to life. Her left hand was slimy and wet with the Elf¡¯s salvia, so she crouched down and wiped her hand on the green grass. After transitioning the fluids to the new owner, Servi continued to creep on the two men.


    Listen to me!! Servi!!


    Itarr¡¯s word fell on deaf ears, and Servi made her move when she was within a meter of her target. Her left hand was raised up in a claw-like formation. Under the pale moonlight, Servi slit the neck of the heavyset man with the dagger in her right hand while using her left to cover his mouth. Then falling back, she rotated around his body until she sat on his waist. With his mouth still covered, Servi forced her hand into his neck, making sure to rip and tear anything her hands touched. These motions were performed by her as if she had practiced them hundreds or even thousands of times before, and it was like she couldn¡¯t feel the hot stickiness of the blood that covered her right arm up to her elbow.


    It was more hellish and brutal than anything Itarr had witnessed during her few months with Servi, and if she could vomit, she would¡¯ve.


    After tearing out his windpipe, Servi left the man to choke on his own blood as she slithered to her next target. Her hands, down by her waist in a relaxed position, yearned for the chance to act again. Her dagger wished to be used as it was intended to: it wanted to end the lives of its user¡¯s enemies. Blood dripped from her left fingers, nurturing the ground in the liquid that fueled the lives of nearly every living thing in the world.


    ¡°Hey, Tat¡ª¡± the bald man went to speak but was silenced when Servi stabbed the back of his neck with her dagger. The moonlight, corrupted by crimson, reflected off the tip of her weapon. It was sudden, but he found himself on his back before he knew it. As with the heavy man, Servi used one hand to cover her prey¡¯s mouth and used her free hand to dig for bloody gold inside his throat, pulling out his trachea in the process. After searching deeper, she found a part of his rigid spine and smiled. Crushing it, Servi watched as an immeasurable amount of pain assaulted the bald man. With no fully functional spinal cord, he could do nothing but wait. Would it be the shock of the pain that killed him? Or would it be blood loss?


    Servi didn¡¯t care about that. She didn¡¯t care about the life of the heavyset man, nor did she care about the two red souls that flowed into her ring.  They were power, nothing more and nothing less.


    She did glance over to the scarred man and noticed his body must¡¯ve shut down from the seven pills he¡¯d ingested.


    ¡°Should I kill him? Would he come for revenge?¡± she said out loud as she searched through both the pockets of the men she had killed. Finding nothing but cigarettes and pills, she tossed them away and walked towards her main target.


    Servi? Are you going to kill him too? If you are, then can you tell me why? It¡¯s like you can¡¯t hear me. Did you¡­


    She kicked him onto his back and searched his pockets. Upon finding a sticky object, she pulled it out to discover it was an envelope. It had no noticeable or discernible details.


    But that was on the outside. The inside, however, contained something else: something attention-grabbing and more worthwhile, especially when compared against the value of the two men she¡¯d just killed.


    Two items were packed closely together within the envelope. The first was a simple map leading to a place called Deset.


    The second was a letter addressed to a Mr. John Carri, who belonged to the Mafia Numbered division. Coincidentally, he was the newest member of the 10th division, and the letter said it contained seven Pink Monotonia for him to celebrate with at a particular place called the Boxcar.


    But that wasn¡¯t all. This letter held the key for Servi to start her week-long journey to rescue Momo. It gave her an in.


    ¡°With the you-know-what coming in a week, this is a task to all Numbered. Using your own judgement, find someone strong and loyal to send to your residential base. Lie if you have to, and use their weaknesses and fear to help, but make sure the one you pick is strong. Whether it is mentally or physically matters little in the grand scheme of things. We will be busier than ever, and we need the extra hands. Note: burn this letter after reading,¡± Servi said, reading the very last part of the letter louder than the rest.


    Servi, did you know about this from the very beginning?


    ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" exploding into a fit of laughter, Servi stomped down on John¡¯s arm and crushed it in two. Instead of waking up from the pain, Servi noticed the crotch area of his pants tighten.


    ¡°What kind of a fucking moron actually keeps the map and letter on his person? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!¡±


    She stomped his other arm. ¡°Fucking piece of trash! You¡¯ve doomed your entire organization!! They¡¯re going to fucking die, and it¡¯s all your fault!¡±


    Servi stomped on his two legs many times and enjoyed the crunching noise of his bones shattering beneath her feet. To end his misery, she gave his head a light kick, as one would a ball, and watched as it rolled a few meters away. Looking down, she saw blood gush out from the new hole.


    ¡°I guess the ground¡¯s the only thing you¡¯re going to make wet from now on,¡± Servi spat on his corpse and decided to take a look at her ID.


    Now that her anger had somewhat subsided, it was like a hazy fog that clouded her mind disappeared. She felt more in control of herself, like the anger had displaced itself throughout her mind instead of being concentrated in one spot. And now that it was all spread out, Servi was sure she wouldn¡¯t lose control again.  Even if Servi''s heart was set ablaze by the very flames of hatred that turned her into a mad dog during her fight with Fisher, she had a central goal to focus on.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d find a way in so soon. It shouldn¡¯t be that hard, but I should look through my ID to find some skills that¡¯ll be useful. And after I rescue Momo, what do I do?¡± she whispered in a calming and smooth voice that did little to match her bloody and scarred appearance.


    Servi, we should try to talk to Momo! I know we¡ª


    ¡°I got it. I know what I have to do. Since Mosie... Since she said she hated me, I¡¯ll leave. She deserves someone way better than me, like Srassa. I know we made that promise where you would stop me if I lost control of myself and there was a chance to hurt Momo, but here¡¯s the thing. I am angry, and I am pissed off, but it¡¯s not at her. I¡¯m 100% in total control of my actions. It¡¯s not like when I fought Fisher, it¡¯s not the same as when I fought Arty in the tournament, and it¡¯s certainly not the same when I killed those people who ambushed us. It¡¯s hard to describe what I¡¯m feeling, but I would say ¡®normal.¡¯ I feel normal in every way possible. I¡¯m entirely conscious of these violent thoughts that are rushing through my head. To kill, to maim, to torture and drown, I feel the urge to take life after life after life. But I desire¡ªno, I know I can control those urges and dump them far away. These are the urges I don''t need to act on. They¡¯re just there.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why, Itarr, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. I won¡¯t even touch her. Even if she attacks me the moment I rescue her, I won¡¯t do anything in retaliation.  After all, I remind her of something from her past. Even if she does forgive me, I¡¯ll only be a reminder of that fear and hate. She won¡¯t look at me as the girl who saved her but as the girl who was the reason her trauma resurfaced. I¡¯ll save her, and I¡¯ll give her some supplies to put in her bag and enough dupla to last a long while, but that¡¯s it. I¡¯ll go back to Canary and pay Fisher for the orphanage.  After that? I guess I''ll leave and go to someplace where I won''t have to hurt anyone ever again. But it¡¯s going to be hard. She¡¯s my best friend, and I love her. She¡¯s always been there for me when I need her to be, and then I go and do something stupid.¡±


    Servi took out a very familiar black bag and thin longsword. Without a pink Singi under the former, it looked lonely and desolate, as if it had lost the will to even function. The sword wasn¡¯t much different. Since it wasn''t gripped in the soft set of hands belonging to its master¡¯s granddaughter, it had no use or purpose.


    After locking them up in her ring, she sighed. ¡°How funny, she hated me so much she didn¡¯t even grab her bag or sword¡­. She hated me more than she loved her grandpa. And could that even be possible? She idolized him! He was her hero, the one blazing, bright star she wanted to reach and surpass! How could I be the antithesis to her ultimate goal?!¡±


    Servi pressed down on John¡¯s corpse, leaving a perfect boot-sized hole that quickly filled a small pond of crimson. Then she decided to get rid of the evidence of her crime by absorbing the three bodies and one disembodied head.


    ¡°A woman without memories is still a woman. A man without them is most certainly a man. And I suppose a monster without memories is definitely a monster.¡±


    I¡¯M THE MONSTER, NOT YOU!!


    ¡°Itarr, you¡¯ve been silent for a long time now. Why won¡¯t you say anything? Do you hate me too? Is it because of how I¡¯m acting? Is it because of what I did to that Elf? We met her a long time ago, and I remembered wanting to touch her, but I didn¡¯t do it then. Now? I wanted to nibble her ear. I wanted to feel her up. I wanted to make her moan with my fingers, and I wanted to make her bleed. You¡¯re probably wondering why, that is if you¡¯re still here, but it¡¯s simple. She was warm and soft, and I wanted to touch and embrace someone. I wanted to feel that sensual skinship with someone. Even if it was for just a fleeting moment, I didn¡¯t want to be alone anymore. It¡¯s lonely without you or Momo, and I¡¯m scared. What if you don¡¯t ever talk to me again? God, I''m so fucked up...¡±  Servi crouched and buried her face in her palms.


    I¡¯m talking, Servi. I promise I am! I¡¯m right here!


    ¡°Nothing? If it makes you feel any better, that was a one-time thing with her. I just wanted to be hugged, but maybe I don¡¯t deserve to be hugged. Maybe I regret even doing anything to her. Regardless, I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m disappointing you, but this might be my true self. Even if my memories are still long gone, I feel like Servi. Even more than ever. Hey, if you love me, can you say something? Anything at all? I miss you¡­¡± She removed her hands from her face, leaving bloody handprints behind. A bit of blood dripped from her forehead and down into her missing eye.


    I AM TALKING! CAN¡¯T YOU HEAR ME?! Servi, I love you! Please, don¡¯t do this! I¡ªI¡­. It¡¯s all my fault¡­ I should¡¯ve been more supportive¡­I should¡¯ve told you the truth from the beginning! And I won¡¯t ever be disappointed in you. Servi!!! I¡¯ll hug you! When I get a body, I¡¯ll hug you any time you want! You won''t ever be alone again!


    Servi laughed as if proving her words of loneliness were true and correct. With Itarr being unable to act as anything more than a bystander, she had nothing to do but settle for the wild ride ahead of her.


    ¡°Even if you left me, and you¡¯re not here anymore, I love you. You stayed with me for a good three months or so, but after I rescue Momo, I guess I¡¯m going to be alone again.¡±


    I love you, too¡­I love you with all I have¡­. But I¡¯m right here!


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s time to get this ¡®game¡¯ underway, and I do hope they¡¯re ready. My fucking enemies opened the cage, and this Mad Dog wants to hunt. Huh, how funny. I guess I¡¯m really nothing more than a..."


    Chuckling, Servi wandered away and didn''t finish her sentence.


    The upcoming week was going to be long, difficult, and gruesomely bloody, and thousands of lives will have been stricken away by the Mad Dog''s fangs.

 Book Three – Chapter Four – Part One – Initiation

    Glancing once more at the map, Servi realized the words ¡®Northern Entrance¡¯ were written at the top and correctly presumed she needed to go there. But since she was in a hurry, she decided to forgo how she would usually get there and climbed up the nearest building.


    Servi? Itarr questioned. At this point, she clearly realized that something was blocking her voice, but she didn¡¯t know what. She had surmised that it might be the work of the mysterious colorless energy that she assumed to be a part of Servi¡¯s memory, but she couldn¡¯t be too sure. Regardless, even if it was an impossible chance, she believed that her voice would eventually squeeze through the rules of reality and reach her beloved Servi. Until then, she would talk to Servi as she usually would.


    Upon reaching the top, Servi looked up. In the world of astronomy, Polaris helped sailors and adventurers to find their way North. And to find Polaris, all she had to do was spot the brightest star inside the constellation of Ursa Minor.


    ¡°How strange, I can¡¯t find it. How come I never tried to look for it before?¡± Servi sighed and started running, jumping just before she reached the edge of the building. With the strength and agility of over eleven men under her belt, she could run faster and jump higher and longer than most other Humans. Her goal was the small building ahead of her. The air fluttered against her cloak, pushing it back as she descended. It gave Servi the illusion of some kind of superhero who traveled through the night to put evil-doers in their place. But the truth couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. In order to get Momo back, Servi would, if she had to, become the complete antithesis of a hero.


    As soon as her feet touched the brick roof, she transitioned into a roll and kept on running until she ran out of space to run. Jumping once again, she repeated this until she arrived at an entrance to the city. A smooth wooden gate sandwiched between two taller concrete support beams stood before her.


    Since the gate was much too tall for her to jump up, Servi resorted to climbing up the nearby tall post with her bare hands. It wasn¡¯t easy, considering she had to jam her fingers into the tough concrete exterior to make handholds, but she managed to do it.


    Some of the gray concrete dust sprinkled onto the onlookers who walked by below her. Only a few chose to look up. They saw something strange, that being Servi, but they decided to ignore it. In their eyes, they didn¡¯t want to waste what little energy they had left. It was past midnight, and most were worn out from the long day of doing menial and dangerous tasks for little pay and a single pill.


    Upon reaching the top, she took out the map from her ring and compared it to what she saw. ¡°Shit, it¡¯s not this one.¡±


    Servi, I promise we can find it. We can do it together. You have me, and I have you.


    Hopping down, Servi used Feather Fall to slow her descent and kicked off against it the post when she knew she could make it to the roof of the abandoned building nearby. After landing with a roll, with the piles of dust kicking up around her, she transitioned into a light sprint as she calculated the optimal path to reach the next city entrance she saw in the far distance.


    Sometime later, after climbing another concrete post, Servi smiled. ¡°This is the one. Now, if that building there is supposed to be this here, then Deset has to be that building there,¡± she said. A relaxing breeze flew by, cooling Servi¡¯s shiny bald head, and she jumped off. Instead of kicking against the post, Servi used Feather Fall and gracefully floated until her feet touched the dirty ground. And while she wasn¡¯t in the ¡®homeless quarter,¡¯ as she called it, Servi wasn¡¯t in a place that''d be described as the noble district.


    Human waste littered the area around her, filling the air with a repugnant fragrance, but Servi didn¡¯t see any homeless. The houses and buildings she saw were in better shape than Cornets or Boxcar, but not by much, and that was why she didn¡¯t see a single person in her surrounding area. She figured that they¡¯d much rather sleep in a covered house than risk it out in the streets.


    ¡°At least they have roofs to sleep under,¡± she said, walking towards Deset. From up high, it was a dinky little one-story building, but Servi knew there was more to it.


    ¡°It probably has a giant underground basement, and I gotta say it¡¯s well disguised. I know I wouldn¡¯t think of it as a hideout for the Mafia. That¡¯d be my last guess.¡±


    Servi, what¡¯re you going to do when you get there? Please, don¡¯t do anything you might regret. I wanna save Momo too, but innocent people don¡¯t need to die.


    After rounding a few corners, hopping over a small rusted gate, and turning left after jogging up a hill, Servi found herself face to face with Deset.


    Like she saw from above, it was a small dinky building sandwiched by two larger ones. Five large glass windows littered the front of the structure. Fifteen basins, designed for washing clothes, were uniformly placed inside. On the far back wall, she saw a large shelf filled with different kinds of soaps and bottles. Next to it sat a door. Two burly men in suits were standing side by side, guarding it.


    ¡°Why a laundromat? And why the guards?¡± asked Servi to no one as she walked up to the building. The suited man beside the entrance walked in front, blocking the door, and held a hand out. A large cloth covered his forehead like it was hiding something.


    ¡°State your business,¡± he sternly said while avoiding direct eye contact.


    ¡°A man named John Carri told me to come here."


    ¡°Where did you meet him? What did he say?¡± the suited man crossed his arms and leaned back against the glass door.


    ¡°At the Boxcar. I was grabbing a pink pill when he walked in. After looking at me, he told me that he had to find someone to come here. And since I didn¡¯t have anything else to do, I came here,¡± Servi lied. Itarr was impressed with how quickly Servi could come with a false truth and stick with it. It was like she had an excuse for nearly everything. No¡ªit was more than that. It was as if Servi truly believed her version of the events she lied about actually happened.


    ¡°Pink pill? The Boxcar stopped calling them Monotonia?¡±


    ¡°Nah, that''s just what I call them.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your story? Why did our newest Numbered pick you?¡±


    Servi shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t know. I mean, I can handle myself in a fight, but he told me to come here after I mentioned I wanted to make money.¡±


    ¡°He was correct. You''ll have a lucrative opportunity to earn some cash if you¡¯re willing to get your hands dirty. If you¡¯re not cut out for it, then we¡¯ll know that soon enough. Go ahead inside and talk to the two inside,¡± he moved out of the way. ¡°By the by, did you let him have a go at you?¡±


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t interested.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± the suited man bellowed with laughter. ¡°I guess even he had limits on what he fucks.¡±


    Servi laughed along as well, frightening Itarr. ¡°I guess so. I guess even the horniest of men would have trouble maintaining a stiffy while looking at me.¡±


    ¡°Shit, maybe. Never met someone with a twisted sense of humor like you. But a hole is a hole, and it¡¯s all pink on the inside. Anyway, head on in.¡±


    Servi put a hand on the glass doorknob and turned to the suited man. ¡°You¡¯re not going to ask for proof?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. If there¡¯s evidence of foul play¡­well, let me say this: Your corpse would be unrecognizable. Fear keeps the others in line, and what¡¯s a better example than a traitor or an infiltrator? The details will be confirmed with John when he arrives in a few minutes.¡±


    Servi opened the door, not at all scared. The same couldn¡¯t be said for Itarr, whose hearts grew with a tremendous amount of stress and worry. ¡°If he wakes up. He had two men by his side who failed to catch him when he collapsed. I overheard he had seven or eight Pink Monotonia in his system. And who knows how much alcohol he drank when I was there.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, you¡¯re here at this location, and you know your referrer''s name. That¡¯s good for me. It¡¯s not like he would carry the map on his person while not covering his number. He¡¯s a fucking moron, but he knows better. And the two bodyguards by his side were blessed by Major Gods. Not just anyone could kill them. And no offense, you don¡¯t look that tough.¡±


    Little does he know. Itarr murmured. Would they get suspicious if he doesn¡¯t come?


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m not tough. I just wanted to make some money,¡± Servi said as she finally made her way in.


    Soap and detergent filled her nostrils as the first pleasant thing she¡¯d smelled since coming to this shit hole town. The floors were squeaky as if they were just cleaned. The two men in black suits nodded to Servi as she entered the door between them.


    I guess you don¡¯t need to do anything since you talked to the man outside. Servi, I¡¯m nervous. What if Momo is in here? What¡¯re you going to do?


    Behind the door was a little passage that had another door at the end of it. Opening it, Servi made her way down a descending spiral staircase that reminded her of the first slave market she helped liberate. The similarity didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Itarr, who surmised to herself  whether or not there was a connection between Parrel and the Mafia.


    Other than a few dimly lit candles, the staircase was dark and musty, like it was a disgusting rite of passage for all new members. But when she got to the bottom, there was a third door waiting for her. After knocking on it, it swung open to reveal a man with a spear. He wore a toga that showed off his burnt right arm as if it was a source of pride.


    ¡°The fuck are you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°A man named John Carri told me to come here. He said I could make me some money,¡± Servi said, slightly adjusting her speech pattern.


    ¡°Name?¡±


    Servi? What¡¯re you going to do?


    ¡°Williana,¡± Servi answered his question with the first thing that came to mind. She couldn¡¯t use Servi because Momo might unintentionally let it slip, and there was a chance for someone to connect the dots. Of course, Servi knew that it wasn''t likely, but it was still possible. She didn¡¯t trust the Mafia to keep their word. That was why the option to exterminate the city came into her mind earlier, but Servi refused because there was a chance Momo would have been a victim in the ensuing chaos. She couldn¡¯t risk having her suffocate to death because she was trapped in a burning building.


    ¡°No last name, eh? Join the club.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s just Williana.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the first 10th.  Now, hold up your right arm.¡± The man retrieved a pen from the folds of his toga and wrote ¡®10¡¯ on Servi¡¯s arm. When asked why, the man replied that she¡¯d find out in a few minutes. He stood back and motioned for Servi to walk in. The room was similar to a supply room. Barrels of swords and spears stood off in the distance next to the wall, and the single table had a set of cards messily covering it. It felt somewhat comfortable to Servi, even though it shouldn¡¯t have. The walls were barren and rugged without a single decoration, and the floors were lumpy as if the cement wasn¡¯t flat.


    ¡°Where do I go?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°Head through the door there and walk down the stairs. They¡¯ll tell you the rest. But a word of advice. Cover that fucking empty socket up.¡±


    Servi ignored him and walked through the door he specified. Like he said, there was another set of stairs, and she descended it.


    At the bottom was an arch whose brown wood was dimly illuminated by a single candle hanging from the ceiling. And through the archway was a big room. Standing about 400 square meters, Servi believed it to be a community room. Tables, adorned with the remains of a midnight snack, stood clumped together against the right wall. Chairs, wobbling and splattered with paint, ruined the rustic atmosphere the room was trying to convey.


    ¡°Hey, Eyeless!" the only girl sitting in the room shouted at Servi. The number 9 was carved into her forehead, but it was partially hidden by her red bangs. Two red cat-like ears angrily twitched, showing off expressions that Servi didn¡¯t think possible.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Servi curtly replied, walking over to her.


    ¡°Not ¡®yeah,¡¯ but yes! Show some respect!¡± she replied, getting up and stomping forward. Her generous bust jiggled underneath her cut-off red shirt that stopped at her belly button. She wore short black shorts that showed off her thighs and long legs.  Dirty white shoes stained black and brown protected her feet.


    A red Singi? Itarr asked. Blue eyes?


    ¡°And? What did I do wrong? And maybe you can not talk about my eye like that?¡± Servi shot back.


    Her red tail swooshed angrily. ¡°So you¡¯re a smart ass? I¡¯ve dealt with your kind before. It¡¯s always the ones who act the hardest that die first. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Williana.¡±


    ¡°Who scouted you?¡±


    ¡°John Carri.¡±


    The red Singi scoffed. ¡°The new bitch? He only just got promoted. Let me guess, he lost track of time fucking you and panicked when he realized he didn¡¯t have someone to send?¡±


    ¡°Who would fuck me? Be honest and look at my face. One eye and a bald head? I met him at the Boxcar, we didn¡¯t have sex, and he told me to come here if I wanted to make some money.¡±


    Servi, I don¡¯t like it when you talk like this. Don¡¯t degrade yourself for these people! You¡¯re pretty and beautiful!


    ¡°Did anyone tell you what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Servi shook her head.


    ¡°Being scouted by a Numbered, even one newly promoted, is a big deal. In a sense, you¡¯re at a higher standing within the Mafia than someone who we grabbed from a dark alley. That means that you¡¯ll get paid more but are also expected to achieve nothing less than perfection.¡±


    ¡°I see. And what kind of tasks am I supposed to be accomplishing?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough. To be honest, I believe you¡¯ll be the first to fail. Just go through that door there and enter the room with a number 10.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Servi turned away and walked through the specified door.


    ¡°And show some damn respect. You''re nothing but walking failure-to-be!¡± the Singi yelled at Servi before going back to her chair.


    Servi, she¡¯s rude and mean, don¡¯t you think?


    Not replying, the one-eyed girl found herself in a long hallway with ten numbered doors. After discovering the tenth one at the end of the corridor, Servi entered and sat in the only chair. The room itself was more of a closet, with room for only two people. The walls and ceiling looked flimsy like it was paper, and the only light came from a single candle that didn''t have much life left in it. After hearing some footsteps, Servi turned to the door.


    The door opened up to reveal a familiar old man that Servi and Momo shared lunch with not that long ago. He had on the same brown vest, white shirt, and brown trousers with boots. His nearly bald head almost matched Servi¡¯s.


    ¡°Hello there, you can just call¡ª¡±


    ¡°Old Man,¡± Servi said, disguising her voice, so it was a bit deeper.


    He smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right. Just call me Old Man. Say, have we met before?¡± closing the door, Old Man realized that they had the one chair and resorted to sitting down. With nary any legroom, he crossed his legs, and Servi heard a few cracks and pops here and there. ¡°Ahhh¡­ A few good stretches do wonders for the old bones.¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t met. I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯d be recognizable.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. Women with one eye and hair or both eyes and no hair are quite common, but I¡¯ve only seen a few with both traits. Say, you know why we¡¯re here? I know we were scouted, but I don¡ª¡±


    Interrupting him, a voice of pure agony and despair roared out from behind them as the white paper-like walls burned red hot. Quite a few people yelped in response as the walls disintegrated into ash and revealed a startling sight.


    I can see a bunch of other people. So the walls were just paper, and the hallway was fake? It¡¯s like a giant room... And there¡¯s even a stage, but why?


    Turning around, Servi noticed a strange sight. Two naked men, both hung upside down and attached to a weird machine by the ankles via a razor-sharp wire, were on the stage. It took a moment, but Servi eventually recognized the two men.


    ¡°Sam and Petch?¡± she muttered with a face devoid of emotion. Old Man didn¡¯t hear her.


    From the way their weird contraption was set up, Sam, with his heavy gut, acted as a counterweight designed to force the razor wire to dig deep into Petch¡¯s ankles.  Meanwhile, there was a bottle under Petch that collected blood. As it filled up, it acted as a weight, and that forced the wire to dig deeper into Sam¡¯s ankles. It was a sadistically and brilliantly designed dual torture machine created to inflict the utmost pain. In addition, the psychological damage inflicted couldn¡¯t be understated. Whenever one of the two men cried in pain, they knew the agony came from the other.


    But it wasn¡¯t just the machine up there. A faintly familiar Singi with red ears took a spot beside it. With a portable voice loudner in one hand, she shouted into it.


    ¡°How fucking lucky is it that I have the chance to do this. What I have here beside me are two men who betrayed the Mafia not an hour ago. They thought they were crafty! They thought they could get away with that crime! But as you can see, they didn¡¯t. Now, I¡¯d like to announce the first assignment. I need each and every one of you to come up skin off a piece of them. Now, who¡¯s going to be the one to start us off?¡±


    The Mafia got to them that fast?! Itarr said, slightly sickened from the sight she saw.  Petch''s ankle bones were nearly visible underneath the black wire.


    ¡°Are you serious?!¡± a Kobold stood up and shouted in a booming voice. Bright orange skin with green scales covering his stomach made up his body. With no fur, he almost looked like a giant marker. "I didn¡¯t sign up to join no Mafia! I was told I could fight strong opponents, so I came here. I¡¯m not going to kill someone who cannot give me the fight I want.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we have a complaint?¡± the red Singi kicked off the ground and hopped across tables and empty chairs before finally jumping high into the air. She pulled out a spear from nowhere and brought it down upon the stunned Kobold, piercing his scaled stomach with the utmost ease.  Her technique, raw and unfiltered, showed she didn''t have any formal training, but despite that, her movements were somewhat clean.


    The spear she wielded was unique. The shaft, sleek and clean, was constructed from a black material Servi didn''t recognize. Unlike most spears she saw, the spearhead couldn''t be separated from the body. It was all a single piece. But instead of being hammered out of metal ingots like most weapons, it was like it was once a large object that had been stripped away until only a spear remained. As for whether it was man or nature that shaped it? Neither Servi nor Itarr knew.


    Servi couldn''t say the same about the Singi''s attitude, but the lack of any scuffs or fingerprints proved she cared about something, at least.


    "You''re a fucking Kobold with weak-ass scales!" she shouted and kept spewing more obscene profanities.


    ¡°AAAAHHHHH!!¡± the Kobold screamed, but the Singi kept pulling out her spear and stabbing it back in. He went to break the thin weapon when it entered his stomach for the fourth time but stopped when he felt two daggers placed against his neck.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Old Man did a double-take. He spoke to a chair that he thought was occupied, but the girl who sat there disappeared. He glanced and stared, like everyone else, at the impromptu show.


    ¡°Now this I like,¡± said the spear-wielding Singi. Grinning, she laughed.


    ¡°You said I could make some money by being loyal, am I right? I assume direct disrespect towards someone like you is a clear-cut violation of a rule, yes? With loyalty and all?¡± Servi replied. Servi crouched behind the orange Kobold, and both daggers vied for a chance to taste blood once again. The other person in his little area, a blue Singi, almost looked like he was going to tear up.


    ¡°You do realize you¡¯re being contradictory right now, right? Especially since you disrespected me from the motherfucking second you walked in. You were next on my shit list, but let¡¯s change that. You¡¯re that eager to prove yourself, right?¡± the 9th removed her spear and slammed it back in, twisting and turning it every which way.


    Forcing himself to exhale with bated breath, the Kobold stared daggers into both girls. Pure rage fueled his orange eyes as he growled a most severe threat. ¡°It¡¯s always the cowardly Singi and pathetic Humans to act dishonorably. Allow me the chance to prove myself in combat. I demand it!¡±


    ¡±You don¡¯t get it. Traitors don¡¯t get to have their requests granted. And yes, you are a traitor. The moment you spoke up against me was the moment you fucking signed your death warrant,¡± said the Singi. She turned to Servi. ¡°Kill him. Here and now. Rip his fucking eyes out and give them to the blue bitch to eat. Do that, and I¡¯ll forgive your earlier transgressions towards me.¡±

 Book Three – Chapter Four – Part Two – Initiation (R-18)

    Servi glanced up, meeting the Singi''s blue eyes, and subtly grinned.


    ¡°Done,¡± she said with the softness of a falling leaf. Two swift cuts later, the Kobold¡¯s scaleless neck had two parallel slashes so cleanly cut that it took a few seconds for it to bleed. But she wasn¡¯t done with just that. After all, her target was still alive. Sheathing her spotless weapons behind her, she jabbed both hands into the wound she made and explored, ripping and tearing whatever she could grab like a dog digging a hole. Blood showered the front of her body, soaking and turning her clothes into something akin to a red, crimson-stained dress, and the people behind her were too stunned to acknowledge the muscle and bone slapping against them.


    Blood sputtered from the two wounds like water from a pierced pipe, indicating that he was about to meet the grim reaper. Taking out her left dagger with a hand covered in crimson, Servi carved a portion of the Kobold¡¯s face out, almost like one would cut a cake, and lifted it up. She left a blood-filled, square-shaped crater behind, which exposed part of his white skull.  Red blood bubbled up, overflowing and dyeing his orange face in a hot, sticky mess. The liquid dripped down his throat, joining in with the blood relentlessly pouring from his slit neck.


    A red soul, invisible to all but her, flowed into her ring.


    Servi! Don¡¯t do that! Please! It¡¯s too much! Itarr''s terrified pleading came too late.


    In a delicate manner that didn¡¯t fit the mood, she gently positioned her thumb and index fingers and plucked the eye like one would a grape. And after ignoring Itarr again, Servi did the same with the Kobold¡¯s other eyeball.


    The Singi, with the few people brave enough to look over Servi¡¯s shoulders, turned away and vomited their dinner onto the floor. They were all trained and hardened warriors. They had to be since they were chosen by a Numbered, but the horrific sight happening in front of them was far too gruesome.


    ¡°He¡¯s not even dead...¡± incorrectly whispered a gray Koena from behind.  Ever-so-slightly the orange Kobold jittered and flinched, but he wasn''t alive.  It was the last of his nerves firing off before they stopped for good. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a Human act like this before."


    The blue Singi nearby vomited again when he took the freshly excavated eyes from Servi¡¯s hand. He looked at Servi, who remained motionless, and the red Singi. She flourished her black spear and slid the top of it across his neck, but she didn¡¯t cut into him. Understanding what would happen if he refused, the Singi got it over with.


    He wanted to swallow them whole, but the eyes were bigger than he thought. And choking to death while eating another sapient species was at the bottom of his list of ways he wanted to die. Without a choice, tears flowed from his eyes as his sharp teeth pierced one of the forbidden snacks. It was slightly gummy with a little bit of give, like poking into a steak for the first time. Eventually, he punctured through the slight protection and crushed it, filling his mouth with a liquid similar to clear gel. Powering through it, he forced his teeth to snap through the second eye. And although he cried and wailed, he finished the task assigned to him.


    ¡°Perfect! Just fucking perfect!¡± the red-eared Singi shouted. She slammed the butt of her spear into the ground. ¡°Listen up! It¡¯s currently a bit past 2:32 in the morning, but the night is far from over. We still haven¡¯t even started the initiation. ¡®And what is it?¡¯ you might be asking? Well, I won¡¯t tell you. If you sad sacks can go through that door there, you¡¯ll come to a hallway much like the one that used to be in here. Find your number and enter inside. Your two Numbered recruiters will be inside, and they¡¯ll give you the first task. Understood?


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no need to say this, but I¡¯ll announce it anyway. All of you fuckers in this room now belong to the Mafia. Follow our rules and instructions, and it¡¯ll be all hunky-dory. You¡¯ll have dupla and all the Monotonia you could ever want. Truth be told, you get a free White Monotonia after every mission.  Refusal to follow instructions for any reason, leaving in the middle of the night without permission, or abandoning a mission or task are grounds for immediate death. And don¡¯t even think about betraying us.  You see those fuckers up there? Imagine that sharp wire wrapped all-around your bodies while I personally skin you alive and make a fucking dress with your skin! It¡¯s not pleasant, is it? That¡¯s right! It¡¯s not. And you see this corpse at my feet? That¡¯s going to happen to you if you don¡¯t move. Now fucking go!¡± she shouted into her voice loudner, and everyone moved at once and rushed to the narrow door.


    Pushing and shoving, it took more time than they wanted to admit to complete the simple task. But that probably was because the new candidates didn¡¯t realize what would happen when they showed up. They never expected to be locked into the Mafia way of life, and the horrendous display of violence doused any fire left in their heart that fueled their desire to leave.


    But not all felt that way. It wasn''t uncommon, but a lot of the new recruits wanted this. They had dark thoughts forming their minds, and having an outlet to act on those desires, like going on tasks for the Mafia, was the best release they could ask for.


    Servi knew that.  She also knew that even those that seem to be the most innocent, like that blue Singi who ate the orange Kobold''s eyes, often held the darkest interiors that were hidden behind a calm exterior. She spared no sympathy for anyone around her.


    As Servi turned around to follow the crowd, she was stopped by a hand. Turning around again, she was face to face with the biggest smile she¡¯d ever seen.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± laughed the Singi as she slapped her knee.  ¡°You acted like a dog! A pitiable fucking mutt who wants nothing more than to please her master.¡±


    The red Singi walked forward and grabbed Servi by the chin. Leaning in close, she seductively whispered. ¡°But luckily for you, this kitty has a soft spot for a maimed loyal dog like yourself,¡± she opened her mouth, sticking out her soft tongue, and licked Servi¡¯s blood-covered neck. It was still warm and thick, almost like a paste.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ Seeing such blood excites me! And it¡¯s so delicious¡­¡± she squirmed her legs together as her lower lips ripened with juice. ¡°You know what? You and him,¡± she pointed to Old Man, who shuffled to the door, ¡°are now under my command. Hey, old fuck, come here!¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± he replied. He walked over with the speed of someone befitting his age as his hands rested on his lower back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know if you can hear with those shitty things,¡± she tapped his ear with the butt of her spear, ¡°but tell me who recommended you.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t get his name, but he had a tattoo on his palm. And he was bald, like me. I met him at a bar, and he said to come here when I said I needed some money. Don¡¯t really know what this whole ¡®Mafia¡¯ business is all about, but I¡¯m no strangers to these type of things. And neither are you, apparently.¡± Old Man nodded towards Servi, who didn''t respond.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, this cutesy shit can be done some other time. Follow me." Like loyal dogs, Servi and Old Man followed behind. Servi used her hands to wipe the wet crimson off of her armor and face. Even though it splattered against the floor, the red Singi leading them didn¡¯t get mad. It was almost like she had to fight back the urge to run over and lap it up.


    ¡°Speaking of which, what do we refer to you as?¡± Old Man inquired.


    ¡°My name¡¯s Carrie, but refer to me as 9th. It''s confusing since there are other Numbered with the same rank in Deset, but you two will be reporting to me from now on. If you do have to report to another Numbered, then say their number. You can rarely call a Numbered by their name. As for me, I can call other 9s and 10s by their name because I outrank them, or we''re the same rank. When it comes to 8s and 7s, and so on, I need to refer to them as their number. Ah, I almost forgot something.¡±


    Carrie turned around and tossed her spear at the two naked men. It pierced straight through both stomachs, leaving two holes, and Carrie fought back the urge to rush to the stage and drink their falling blood. Her thrown spear reappeared in her hands when she snapped her fingers.  The weird torture contraption collapsed under the sudden difference in both weight and blood, and Carrie laughed like it was the funniest thing ever.


    That was the exclusive skill called Instant Retrieval, and it was given to her by Lokar, A Major God of Wind. By marking an item with her blood, she could call her weapon from anywhere by using Skill Energy. The amount required was proportionally related to the distance between Carrie and the item.


    ¡°Wished we could¡¯ve skinned them, but I think they were already dead. It¡¯s only fun when you can hear your little pets'' screeching. Hahaha!¡±


    Itarr shuddered to such a carefree and childlike laugh in response to killing someone in one of the worst ways to die. She didn¡¯t want to fathom the thought that someone like that could be out there but became depressed when she realized the truth.


    If this had happened when we got ambushed, then I¡¯m sure Servi would¡¯ve said the same thing. I have a bad feeling about all of this. Servi! Please, let¡¯s go! Servi, I don''t wanna be here anymore! Servi!!!!


    ¡°Like hell, I am! You know good and well that you can¡¯t do that shit! Besides, you already have a pair to look after, don''t you?¡±


    A bald man with a tattoo on his palm slammed his arms onto the wooden table. The room they-- Servi, Old Man, and Carrie-- were in was something akin to a barrack. A black bunk bed that had the ability to rotate the top bunk sat in the corner in something of an ¡®L shape.¡¯ Across from the door used to enter this room was another door. A small nameplate beside it said ¡®Numbered.¡¯ And other than the table the four of them were sitting at, there was nothing else.


    The floors, walls, and ceiling were all white tile, leaving the entire room devoid of nearly anything colorful. It was as if the room itself had no passion. Everything was dull and lifeless like it could be used for punishment.


    ¡°Calm down, Meryl. You know what the rules are, right? Besides, I just so happen to be free, and Williana¡¯s Numbered isn¡¯t here. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s dead in a ditch somewhere or passed out with his cock in a whore. Though knowing him, it¡¯s the second one.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Gods above, man, I¡¯m trying to give you an out. Leave these two with me and go do something else!¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Fucking! Go! Already! I''m! Claiming! Seniority! 9 has more authority than 10. Leave!¡± losing her patience, Carrie tapped her spear against the ground with every syllable.


    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll fucking go! But it¡¯s not my fault when you fuck it up. You might be strong and fucked up, but that¡¯s all you got!¡± Meryl stood up and stomped his way out, making sure to audibly slam the door.


    ¡°Fucking finally! Alright,¡± Carrie stood up and broke the fourth chair with her spear before sitting back down in the one that remained, ¡°I¡¯ll let you know how it¡¯s going to be from now on. One: I am your handler. You get missions from me. Two: I am your handler. You report to me. Three: I am your handler. If you fuck up, it makes me look bad. Four: I am your handler. Don¡¯t fuck up. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Servi and Old Man said at the same time.


    ¡°Now then, you¡¯ll get your missions from me. Then you complete them. Then you come back. That¡¯s how this relationship will play out. Now then, Old Man, you want to make money, yes?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Same here. I need money,¡± said Servi, adding on to what Old Man said and continuing her lie.


    ¡°Then listen up. If you two perform well enough and impress me, I can give you a chance to make a lot of money. But you only have seven days, well six now, to do it. Actually, you have five days for me to send my report to the brass. The sixth day is for deliberation. They needed to decide who to pick. But that¡¯s then, and this is now, and you fuckers don¡¯t need to know more than that.  What a lucky coincidence that you two so happen to need money AND joined right when there''s a chance coming up to make a lot.¡±


    Hmm¡­ That letter we got from John said something about an event happening seven days from now. It has to be related. But we only just chose to come here not that long ago. Maybe it¡¯s a coincidence? But applicants? I don¡¯t get it.  And it''s not that much of a coincidence.  The letter said to lie, and from what I saw, I don''t think anyone would ignore a chance to make money. Itarr said.  She tried her hardest to keep a neutral standpoint, but it was difficult.


    ¡°You¡¯ll even have the chance to meet the Boss himself. Impress him with whatever¡¯s going on in six days, and you can be a Numbered like me. That means a lot of money. And I mean a lot,¡± Carrie continued.


    The Boss, you mean the one who wrote that letter?! We might meet him?! Servi, this is great¡ª wait, that doesn¡¯t sound right. Why would they offer the chance to make someone who had just joined into a Numbered? If I assume a Numbered is someone in a leadership position, it just doesn¡¯t make sense. But maybe I¡¯m missing something. Itarr thought the situation over in her mind and concluded that there was something else afoot. And that something might be a trap, but when thinking clearly on it, it made no sense for the lure to be laid out for Servi. In their eyes, she was a lowly Rank 10.


    Servi, I¡¯ll keep thinking about it. And if I get an answer, I¡¯ll tell you. Maybe you''ll be able to hear me by then. But with how smart you are, I¡¯m sure you realized that this is the best chance we have to find Momo. You were right when you decided to infiltrate the Mafia. You have to do whatever you can to impress Carrie so we can be picked!


    Servi thought the same thing but came to a slightly different understanding. With her unique abilities, there was the option to sow chaos amongst her fellow Mafia members. And if she could paint everyone else in a harsh light and frame them for crimes against Mafia, that would increase the chances of being picked. Of course, she knew that her way wasn¡¯t a guaranteed shot, but she had the overwhelming advantage.


    And she planned to use everything she could.


    ¡°And that brings us to the missions. There¡¯s a lot to be done, so let¡¯s not waste any fucking time,¡± Claire pulled out a map and laid it on the table. Pointing to a spot marked with a ¡¯10,¡¯ she continued. ¡°There¡¯s a man that lives in this armor shop, and he hasn¡¯t paid his protection money in a month. He¡¯s asleep now, and he has a wife and two daughters, so he¡¯s very vulnerable.¡±


    ¡°So you want us to rough him up and get the money?¡± Old Man asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. This fucker owes 1,366 dupla. But don¡¯t kill this bitch or his family. This isn¡¯t wet-work. If you want to kill, then you¡¯ll get your chance. And as for payment. You each get 10% of the 1,366 and split half of whatever is extra. Let me say this: if you want me to put in a good word for you two, then you need to bring back more than the 1,366. Break some arms and crack some skulls if you have to, or even steal his stuff. Hell, if his wife has a necklace, take it. Take anything valuable that we can sell to get that fucking money as long as you don¡¯t kill them.¡±


    ¡°Seems simple enough,¡± remarked Servi.


    ¡°Oh, seems like Williana thinks it¡¯s going to be easy. It should be. It¡¯s a simple collection. If you fuck this up, then you forget about meeting the boss and being promoted. And don¡¯t try to hide anything from me. The Mafia has people we call observers. Their only jobs are to report in at the bases they''re assigned to. They¡¯re everywhere, and they don¡¯t make mistakes. And if what you report in doesn¡¯t match word for word, then let¡¯s say that you¡¯ll be food for the crows after I skin you,¡± Carrie said.


    ¡°I see. I do believe this will be easy as well. I must admit I can be quite ¡®persuasive,¡¯¡± the Old Man chuckled, and Carrie laughed.


    ¡°I had you pegged for a senile old man, but maybe you have what it takes. But that¡¯s enough talking. Fuck off already and head to 42 Wallaby Way, and be back before the sun comes up. Oh yeah, if you haven¡¯t ready figured it out, you two will be staying here for a month or so. When we know you are trustworthy, you¡¯ll be allowed to find a place in town. And that means I have to fucking babysit you two jerk offs until then,¡± Carrie folded the map and stood up. She went to the white door marked ¡®Numbered¡¯ and walked inside. As Itarr heard the door shut, she wondered what their handler would be doing while they were away.


    ¡°Come on, Old Man, let¡¯s get this done,¡± Servi turned around and opened the door to the long hallway.


    ¡°Very well. Thanks for that,¡± Old Man said, walking through the door.


    ¡°Yeah, whatever,¡± replied Servi as they made their way back to the main area where Servi first met Carrie. Other than Servi scoping out the place as she wandered the halls, nothing interesting of note occurred. Servi didn¡¯t see anyone who seemed to have information, but that could¡¯ve been because it was so late at night. She did, however, see all of her fellow initiates walk by and join her and Old Man. But it was a silent journey. Either they were all stressed from the first job, or they were afraid and petrified for being conned into a meaningless existence as a member of the Mafia.


    If nothing else, it could''ve been because they weren''t sociable.


    Old Man tried to make some small talk, but he met resistance in the form of threats or barely audible grunts and growls. The blue Singi that was forced to eat the eyeballs was clutching his stomach closely. He managed to find the strength to look up, but hatred for Servi was all that was there.


    Servi, all of these people¡­the 17 of them¡­I wonder what their respective Numbered told them to make them join? It had to of been a super enticing offer.


    After going up through the dark and dank circular staircase and passing through the first floor of Deset, Old Man let out a queer noise as the cool summer air smacked against his wrinkled skin.


    ¡°Lassie, there ain¡¯t nothing more comforting than a nightly breeze. Am I right?¡± he asked while putting a finger to his scar.  He traced it lengthwise and returned his hand to his side.


    Servi sighed and turned to her left. The man who guarded the outside was gone, but the two inside remained. Everyone who had walked with her and Old Man went their separate ways, and they were alone. ¡°I guess. Now come on, we gotta go to 42 Wallaby Way.¡±


    The moment Carrie closed and locked the door, she jumped into the king-sized bed and stripped. The clothes she wore splattered against the hard wall. Her spear fell over, knocking down a little silver vase on a nearby mahogany table. Its shards crumbled over and fell, landing on the brown tiled floor.


    Mmmmmm!!!! She internally groaned. Her libido nearly overflowed, and she desperately wanted to satisfy it.


    Pinching her nipples and rubbing her bare breasts, she came up with a plan that would achieve the goal of a particular plaything that caught her eye.


    You want money? I¡¯ll give you an offer you can¡¯t refuse. Now, hurry back!


    ¡°I can¡¯t hold it back!!!! AAAHHHHHHHH!!!!¡± Her lust erupted like a volcano when she imagined her tongue licking Servi''s blood-splattered face, forcing her to arch her back as she fingered herself. Her index finger rubbed her erect clit quite violently as the waves of pleasure built up at the potential fun she would be having in a short amount of time.


    Sweat dripping from her moist skin combined with the candlelight from nearby produced a most appealing sheen that highlighted the Singi¡¯s natural beauty. Her thighs, thick and soft, pledged to be licked and enjoyed. Her toned stomach glistened like it was asking to be caressed. Her entire body yearned for a physical embrace that was sexual in nature, and it couldn¡¯t wait. The metaphysical flame of passion couldn¡¯t be extinguished by herself and herself alone.


    It wouldn¡¯t be long until Servi and Old Man came back, but in her mind, the wait would be immense and agonizingly longer than anything she had ever experienced.


    In a pathetic attempt to sate her desire, she rolled off the bed and rubbed her glistening fruit against the edge of the mattress. The cover''s fabric was just tense and coarse enough to occupy her sexual desire, yet it didn''t entirely sate her growing pleasure.

 Book Three – Chapter Four – Part Three – Initiation

    ¡°Hey, she never did explain why we¡¯re together,¡± Servi said with her hands locked behind her head after letting off a false yawn. They were walking down a dinky little street called Wallaby Way and stopped in front of an armor shop. Compared to the other hellish slum sections of Arcton, it almost looked like a normal place you could find in a city like Canary. Perhaps it was because they were on the wealthier side of town, if not the wealthiest, that there were rules and societal requirements to be upheld. There were a few shops other than their destination, but none compared to what they stood in front of.  Since it was night, none of the houses or shops had any sort of light peeking through their windows.


    A little boy wearing a stained toga ran by them, scattering dust and rocks into the air. For a moment, Servi wondered if the debris would be to the insects as the stars are to her. Fleeting and bright, yet ever so far away that only a fool would waste her imagination on touching something so impossible.


    Servi looked up and sighed as a rock glanced against her shin. It felt like, at that moment, the moon was her only ally. It¡¯s always been there for her when she needed it the most. It couldn¡¯t do anything to help her, but just seeing its bright, lustrous surface calmed her heart. Though in this case, it did very little since Servi was as calm as she¡¯d ever been.


    ¡°Perhaps I am a fool,¡± she quietly whispered.


    Her stargazing was interrupted by the bald man to her right.


    ¡°You little shit!¡± cursed Old Man, who raised his fist in anger. Coughing for a moment, he regained his calm and collected nature. ¡°As for your question,¡± he said after regaining his composure, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I imagine it had something to do with loyalty. Let¡¯s say you talk about betraying the Mafia. What would I do?¡±


    Servi quietly pondered an answer for a minute or two. ¡°Turn me in," she said.


    ¡°Right. I¡¯d do that to save my hide and look good in the eyes of the Mafia. That way, I can prove my loyalty. And let¡¯s say that you talked about leaving the Mafia on purpose to see if I would go along with it. You would tell them, and I¡¯d be dead. And since they have these observers, they¡¯d know it if you or I lied to them about the other one of us betraying the Mafia. I bet that shitty brat who ran by was one of their observers. Why else would he be out so late?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any intention of going against or lying towards the Mafia. I just need me some money,¡± Servi said, observing the armor shop. It was two stories in nature, and there were three areas she could enter through.


    The first was the glass windows. With Absorption, Servi could absorb the entire window or the locking mechanism and simply lift it. The second was the door itself. If the doorknob was its own separate object, she could store that in her ring and be allowed full access. The third was the most primitive and what she would¡¯ve done if she was alone. A tall Earth Wall could get her to the large window on the second floor. If she wanted to bet dupla, she¡¯d bet it on that being the window to the master bedroom.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the same ole song and dance everywhere I¡¯ve gone. Money this and money that is all that people need, present company included. It seems like it¡¯d be a helluva lot easier for us poor folks if we could find a nice decent job. But as I can see from you, it ain¡¯t such an easy task,¡± Old Man sighed.


    Servi walked up to the door and tested the handle. It was locked. ¡°You saying you know my entire past?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Old Man said while testing the windows, ¡°I know what I know and see. Only a psychotic killer would do what you did to that Kobold. Even if he was guilty of the most heinous crimes, a death like that was too much.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t approve?¡±


    ¡°I want to say that, but that would mean I would be the world¡¯s biggest hypocrite. I¡¯ve done things that most would find hard to stomach. I like to say I did it for a good cause, and I don¡¯t regret any of what I did, but I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t wish for a chance to make it better,¡± Old Man tapped on the glass and sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t suppose you have a skill or something that¡¯ll get us in?¡±


    ¡°I do. Come on, the door¡¯s open,¡± replied Servi. Old Man turned and saw his partner halfway through the threshold. He hastily and silently walked over.


    ¡°Nice work. Lock pick?¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± she whispered back. After closing the door gently, Servi crouched low to the floor and searched around. Right now, they were clear from any windows, so if someone passed by, they wouldn¡¯t see them. Her first goal was to close the curtains. Servi tapped Old Man and pointed to the window, and he nodded.


    He went to the right one and Servi to the left. A moment later, the room became pitch black. A weird sound later, Servi saw a flicker of light illuminating from a tiny match.


    ¡°It¡¯s a match,¡± he whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s search the bottom floor first. And be quiet.¡±


    Servi nodded and made her way through the shelves of helmets and gloves that littered the floor. The big stuff, suit of armors and shields and even a lance, were clipped to the walls. But nothing particularly interesting stood out for her. Sure, it was expensive if the price tag of 146 dupla could be trusted, but Servi didn¡¯t think that Carrie would be happy if she returned with nothing but armor.


    She crept around to the back of the counter and looked down.


    ¡°Shit,¡± she whispered. A thought occurred to her that a floor safe would be the best thing to find, and what better place than right under the counter, but she found nothing. Other than a few pens and scraps of papers, the counter and the storage space under it was empty.


    ¡°Nothing good?¡± whispered Old Man. The tiny flame flickered faintly before dying out, prompting him to light another one.


    ¡°Nothing good,¡± Servi repeated. ¡°Unless we want to take some armor back with us. But I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll get us the 1,366 dupla we need.¡±


    ¡°It might be time to pay the owner a visit. He has children, correct? Let¡¯s take and use them as ¡®leverage.¡¯ Follow my lead, alright? I can be extremely convincing.¡±


    Servi nodded, and Old Man led her up the stairs. As expected from someone who worked with his hands, the stairs were in excellent shape. Even with the weight of two Humans, they never once creaked.


    Upon reaching the top, they discovered the second floor consisted of a single corridor with a few doors on each side.  The names Leigh and Lori were engraved in a cute, child-like manner on the first door to their right, so Servi silently decided to start with it.


    Servi, are you really doing this? You¡¯re not really going to steal money, are you? Please tell me you have a plan that doesn''t involve hurting children.


    With her hand on the wooden handle, the door slowly opened with nary a squeak.


    As she expected, it was a room for children. Two beds, one pink and one white, sat on opposite sides. A few chests, partly open to reveal a stash of dolls and toys, accentuated the child-like atmosphere the room was trying to convey. An open closet on the back center of the room was wide open, revealing the garments that would be right at home for an 8 or 9-year-old daughter. No doubt, the two had to share a single closet.


    ¡°I assume that the owner¡¯s room is down the hall. I¡¯ll leave this to you, okay? Try to find something to keep their mouths shut. When you¡¯re done, I¡¯ll be outside.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Servi said. It was a good thing she was in charge of grabbing the two kids because she could make sure that everything proceeded according to her plan.


    Maybe it¡¯s for the best. Servi, you wouldn¡¯t hurt these children, would you? You wouldn¡¯t be better than Arnold or the old Fisher if you did.


    ¡°If you let me do the talking, I can get us the money. I have to get prepared,¡± Old Man said. He walked down the hall, stopping just in front of the last door, and closed his eyes.


    Servi stepped over the threshold, feeling a bit uncomfortable trespassing in a room that should¡¯ve been a beacon of safety for the children in front of her. Crouching down, she slowly made her way over to the bed on the right. Servi took a deep breath and raised her hand.


    ¡°HHHMMMMPPPJHHHH!!!!¡± the sleeping girl instantly panicked. A soft hand covered her face, pushing down slightly, and her first reaction was to thrash about and scream. Her arms recoiled upwards, smacking her assailant in the chin and cheeks, but it was useless. An invisible force pinned her arms and legs to her body while the bald, one-eyed intruder spoke a frightening sentence.


    ¡°Do not make me mad. If you do, I will kill your entire family and burn this shit hole to the ground. I used Telekinesis to bind your arms and legs together, and I have a tight grasp on your throat. You can breathe, but only because I allow you to. I can change that in an instant,¡± Servi¡¯s words were something no child ever deserved to hear, and the girl began to cry. Her whimpers were forced down by the iron-like grip of her vocal cords.


    Her pajamas with a yellow cartoon duck flapped about as Servi lifted the girl with a single hand.  She gripped the child by the throat, but it was all a ruse to mask the use of Telekinesis and a few hundred anchor points to make it as painless as possible.


    Servi!!!!! Please don¡¯t!!! DON¡¯T!!!!!


    Itarr¡¯s words of protest went unheard and unprocessed as Servi repeated the process for the other girl. She reacted in much of the same way but managed to clock two clean hits before Servi used Telekinesis. But in her thrashing about, her arms smacked against a family portrait that sat on a nearby nightstand. After catching it with Absorption, Servi retrieved it from her ring and glanced at it.  The technicalities of the drawing itself had much to be desired, but she felt the love it radiated.


    ¡°Your mother¡¯s pretty. And I can that you two are going to be beauties yourself when you¡¯re older. Look, I don¡¯t want to do this, okay? But I have to. I promise that by the end of this, in both the physical sense and the monetary sense, you two and your family will not be hurting. It may not make sense, and you two can hate me. You can even wish for my death if you want, but I have to do this to rescue my best friend,¡± Servi whispered upon using Telekinesis to return the photo to its rightful spot.


    With a girl in both hands, who tearfully and confusingly blinked at each other, Servi walked out and found Old Man leaning against the door that must''ve led to the master bedroom.


    ¡°Ah, you didn¡¯t tie them up?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t need to. I told the kids very clearly that I¡¯ll skin them alive in front of their parents if they make even the smallest amount of noise. And to demonstrate, I showed them just how sharp my dagger is,¡± Servi lied. She did nothing of the sort. But Old Man didn¡¯t know that, and he believed her lies.


    ¡°Alright, if you say so. But these little ones best not scream, or this whole thing is fucked. Here, take this rope I found and tie em'' up.¡±


    He pulled a rope from behind his back, and Servi did as he asked. She tied the girls¡¯ legs and arms in a way so they wouldn¡¯t be able to run away, but at the same time, making sure their skin would be free of marks when the rope came off. And just to humor him, Servi used her dagger to cut off a piece of rope to use as a muzzle but made sure it was clean by using a combination of Absorption and Create Water. But before she placed the gag in their mouth, she used a few stacks of Remedium to be sure that the girls would be healthy at the start.


    Servi, you''re doing all you can to make it as comfortable as possible, aren''t you?


    ¡°Just bear with it,¡± she said while gagging them, ¡°This nightmare will be over soon, and you¡¯ll be back with your family. You have to be strong, okay?¡±


    After making sure the ropes were comfortable and not too tight, she stood up. By using Telekinesis, she pushed the girls forward just a little bit. Their eyes widened in surprise at something touching them, and both turned to look behind them, but they saw nothing.  "Look at me. Don''t look behind you," Servi snapped her fingers, and they turned around.  Since they were truly gagged and bounded by Telekinesis, they could do nothing but shuffle forward with as much freedom as Servi allowed them.


    After Old Man nodded, he opened the door and pointed to an empty spot in between two drawers. Servi knew what he was trying to convey, so she lifted the girls up by their arms, using Telekinesis to make it more gentle, and sat them down in the spot he specified.


    He turned to the king-sized bed, which housed a man and woman. Half of the floral printed bedspread was kicked off in a snake-like pattern, revealing his naked chest and her smooth legs. With nary any snoring, the only noise came from Old Man¡¯s attempt to be quiet as he snuck over.


    He pointed to the woman, and Servi retrieved the rope she attached to her belt. Once she was in position, with the rope held a few centimeters above the woman¡¯s mouth, Old Man used his fingers to count down from three. When he reached zero, it happened.


    Servi gently placed the rope over the woman¡¯s mouth and used Telekinesis to bind her body and throat while Old Man slammed his hand down onto the man¡¯s chest.


    ¡°AAAHHHHH!!¡± screamed the owner of the armor shop before he felt the glint of cold steel lick his throat, leaving behind a faint line of crimson. Old Man chanted for a moment and used Lux Sphere to create a warm, continuous ball of light.


    Once the room was lit, Servi saw every little detail she had overlooked before. The walls were freshly painted a warm lavender color that went nicely with the violet curtains that hung on the wall. Two large chests were wide open, revealing a messy pile of clothes, all disorganized and in desperate need of organization. The bed, big and wide, looked to be newly bought as if the family had renovated their room not even weeks ago.


    Those fine details did not go unnoticed by Old Man, who started to display his unique talent right after Servi moved the woman over to her two trembling children.


    ¡°This is a nice place you have here,¡± he said, pulling the weapon back, ¡°It would be a shame if it went down in flames. But that only would happen if you don¡¯t give us what we''re here for. You do know why we¡¯re here, right?¡±


    ¡°GET OU¡ª¡± the owner screamed while holding the floral pattern cover to his neck. A swift smack from Old Man knocked the shop owner to his back, allowing the crimson to splash around.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Old Man stomped on his victim¡¯s chest, ¡°Your name. Give it to me.¡±


    ¡°Fuc¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sorry, wrong answer,¡± Old Man raised his leg to stomp, but the shop owner acted first. He lifted his arm up, hitting the Old Man in the family jewels. Vomiting a green gruel and clutching his stomach, he went to his knees. The shop owner pushed him away, rolling off in the bed in the process. Servi stood in front of the open door with her dagger drawn.


    Evidently, the owner thought he could beat a wimpy, bald, one-eyed woman, but that couldn¡¯t have been further from the truth. Holding out his hands, the shop owner rushed forward with his body low. Servi responded by saying perfectly still and dodged to the side at the last second while bringing her hand down on his neck. It was a brutal gesture to the dismay of his wife and children, who violently struggled against their tangible and intangible bindings.


    ¡°Ggguuuuu¡­.¡± groaned the owner as he dropped to the floor. His vision went dark and fuzzy for a few moments. When he regained consciousness, he discovered that his arms and legs were tied by rope while his mouth was free.


    ¡°I have orders not to kill you, but that does not apply to those three. I hope you realize what your foolish mistake might cost you,¡± Old Man said. He clutched his stomach and wobbled over.


    ¡°Are your nuts fine, Old Man? I thought you said to trust you on this.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll be fine. Though even if they aren¡¯t, it¡¯s not like I have a use for them anymore. Yeah, I did say that. The bastard just caught me off guard.  I''m not as spry as I used to be back in my younger years,¡± with a grimace of pain, Old Man answered Servi¡¯s question as he closed the left-opened door. With every entrance in the room locked and squared away, the main event was about to begin.


    ¡°I imagine you never thought you would be in this situation before. You, half-naked and tied up with rope. Your daughter, whose neck is about to feel something sharp and cold. Your wife and other daughter, tossed into the corner and forced to watch their family die, are about to get the show of a lifetime.  Oh, and I''ll have to ask you to refrain from shouting. I''m sure you know what will happen if you shout, don''t you,¡± Old Man said. He held his dagger, lightly coated with the crimson of their father, against the shop owner''s daughter''s throat.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll do this by the book, but if you give us the money, we¡¯ll leave. Anyway, your name¡¯s Dal, right?¡± asked Servi. She sat on the comfortable bed with her legs crossed. Her eye stared down as if she was looking at some peasant who crossed the line.


    ¡°It is¡­ Please, don¡¯t hurt Leigh¡­¡± Dal, the shop owner, whined.


    ¡°Listen, Dal. You told me to hurt her. I¡¯m doing what you said,¡± said Old Man. He adjusted his grip on the dagger.


    ¡°No! You said left or right and held a knife to my throat!! I didn¡¯t know what you fucking mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Don¡¯t be angry now. Remember, you brought this on yourself when you refused to pay back the Mafia.¡±


    ¡°Wait? Mafia? I received permission to not pay for this month. I have a letter!!! Look, it¡¯s under the bed, right? Once you look at it, you¡¯ll see that the payment isn¡¯t due until the end of this month!¡±


    Old Man nodded and looked at Servi, who rolled off the bed.  She got down on her stomach and began to search under the bed. She found no such piece of paper and shrugged her shoulders when she stood up.


    ¡°And now you want to lie? I see how it is. Maybe you need a bit of convincing. Williana, are you good at throwing knives?¡±


    Servi saw what he was going for and played along. ¡°I am,¡± she said while taking a seat on the bed, ¡°I¡¯ve been known to toss a few here and there. Am I correct in realizing that pretty Leigh here will be my target?¡± Servi walked to the frightened child and caressed her tearstained cheek with the back of her hand.


    ¡°I do believe so. Alright, darling, let¡¯s come over here,¡± leading her by the hand, Old Man placed Leigh against the wall and ordered her to stand still, warning her that she might not survive the night if she moved. Paralyzed by fear, Servi didn¡¯t need to use Telekinesis anymore.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t!!! Don¡¯t do it!!¡± Dal whined. He struggled against the ropes but failed to budge them even a little bit. Unbeknownst to him, Telekinesis was reinforcing them.


    Servi hopped off the bed and crouched down. With one hand, she rubbed Dal¡¯s cheek and whispered. ¡°Tell me where the money is.¡± Her voice was sharp, with each syllable cutting into his heart.


    She stood up, waited for a response, and became incredibly disappointed when he refused to speak.


    ¡°I guess we have no other choice,¡± Servi retrieved a dagger from her hip and used both Soul Essence of Primal Combat on herself and Protection on Leigh. Before she tossed the weapon, she made sure to have Telekinesis at the ready. That way, even in the most unlikely situation of missing, she could forcibly direct the flying projectile away. With this setup, the chances of inflicting even the smallest injury were close to nil.


    Readying her arm, Servi tossed her projectile, coming dangerously close to piercing an eye. The sweat dripping down her crying face were the only movements the frightened girl made.


    Servi looked over at Dal and told Old Man to force his eyes open. He did as he was told. ¡°Hey, make sure to look, yeah? You don¡¯t want to miss the moment where she dies, do you? I may be a good thrower, but I also have a single eye. My depth perception isn¡¯t what it used to be.¡±


    Raising her arm again, Servi tossed her second dagger, this time pretending to fail and letting it go later than usual. It looked as if it was going straight for the poor girl''s left ear, but suddenly turned veered down at the last minute, cutting a few strands of her brown hair and puncturing them to the wall.


    Deep inside, Servi roared with sadness. She didn¡¯t want to be here, permanently damaging a family¡¯s psyche, but she had no choice. It was all for Momo. And come hell or high water, Momo would be rescued.


    ¡°Woooo¡­. Dodged a bullet there, huh? For a second, I thought I had to turn this fancy-looking bed into a body bag. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so fucking stubborn, but you just have to give us the money. That¡¯s all. Do that, and we¡¯ll be out of your hair. I¡¯m starting to think you don¡¯t love your family. In that case, then do you love this shop? I¡¯m starting to think you love it more than your flesh and blood,¡± Old Man raised up off the ground and cracked his shoulders. Digging into his pocket, he pulled out a match and lit it.


    ¡°I guess burning the place down might be good. If there¡¯s a safe, we''ll find it in the ashes. Well, we might have to dig through their ashes first,¡± Servi pointed to Lori and her mom while retrieving her two daggers.


    ¡°Speaking of ashes, why don¡¯t you tell me your wife¡¯s name? I need to have something put on the tombstone. I can¡¯t very well put ¡®Dal¡¯s wife, who died because her husband was a fucking cheapskate¡¯ on it. She¡¯s her own person, and her tombstone deserves her name.¡±


    ¡°I got a letter¡­ They said I didn¡¯t have to pay¡­ They promised me. Emi, I swear they fucking promised me I didn''t have to pay!!! Emi, you gotta believe me,¡± Dal rocked back and forth, switching between whispering and quietly shouting. Blood dripped down his neck, going past his hairless chest until his white boxer shorts absorbed it and left a growing red stain.


    Old Man kicked him in the chest, which seemed to knock him out of his trance-like state.


    ¡°The letter! There was a fucking letter!! I ain¡¯t paying!!¡± Dal roared.


    Servi sighed and took the lit match from Old Man. One by one, she began to light the curtains and the chests of clothes on fire. Smoke billowed up and threatened to suffocate everything in a thick hazy fog of black, and Servi extinguished the fire before it passed the point of no return.  A part of her died since she had no choice but to listen to the painful coughs of a mother and her innocent two children.


    ¡°Your home almost burned up, and Leigh there almost became a knife holder. Even if you do survive this, do you think your family will love you? Knowing how far you let this go? I know I wouldn¡¯t. Why would I have a failure like you as a husband and a father?¡± Old Man said, fanning the smoke away from his face. The hazy gray fog naturally dissipated as it flew through the various tiny cracks in the window frame and underneath the door.


    ¡°Ask them about the fucking letter!! Fucking ask them about it, goddamn it!!! The letter says I don¡¯t have to pay!!!!¡±


    Old Man, brimming with anger, stood up, grabbed Leigh, and brought her to her mother and sister. He forced her to sit down and ordered Emi to stand. She was still affected by Telekinesis, so she couldn¡¯t get up if she wanted to, but she didn¡¯t attempt to fight against the invisible force. Old Man gripped Emi¡¯s arm and dragged her across the room and onto the bed until those tear-stained blue eyes had no choice but to stare at her pathetic husband and his teary brown eyes.

 Book Three – Chapter Four – Part Four – Initiation

    ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me where the money is, we won''t have any choice but to force your wife and daughters to work for it. If you don¡¯t know what that means, allow me to break it down for you with vivid details,¡± Old Man sat beside Emi and rubbed the pommel of his dagger against her bounded arm. Before he had a chance to continue, Servi took the time to act.


    ¡°Look, Dal, you have to tell us where you keep the money. I¡¯ll let you in on a little secret,¡± she murmured. She walked over to the trembling daughters and grabbed Lori by her shoulder. In reality, she was using Telekinesis to lift her up, so she wasn¡¯t inflicting any damage. ¡°They said to leave you alive. As in, we don¡¯t have the authority to kill you. Your family, on the other hand¡­.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right. And if we don¡¯t want to kill them, they can take on your debt. You¡¯ll be free to gamble to your heart''s content after that! But I hope you know what that entails. If not, let me break it down for you. Man after man; Kobold after Singi after Elf after Dwarf, sticking their filthy cocks in her. Day in and day out. There won¡¯t be a moment that she¡¯s free from semen. Her ears, her eyes. Her mouth and ass, all monopolized by thick rods pounding in and out.  There won¡¯t be a moment for her to rest. If you¡¯re lucky, at the low, low price of 1 dupla a round, it¡¯ll take 1,366 patrons for her to make your payment. She¡¯ll obviously get pregnant, but the baby inside might not survive. And if it did, who would love it? It¡¯d be an unloved baby who came into this world because you were too chicken shit to FUCKING PAY UP!!!¡±


    Dal cried, his words rendered gibberish by his growing emotions. Emi had long since stopped crying. Her body had no more tears to give.


    ¡°Daddy daddy!!¡± Servi spoke in a child-like voice. She crouched behind Lori and used her hand to move her head. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna be raped. I¡¯m too young to be a mommy like mommy. I don¡¯t like pain, and it¡¯s gonna hurt, right? Daddy, I won¡¯t ever forgive you¡­ And I know mommy and sister won¡¯t either¡­. Just pay up¡­ Please, daddy¡­I don¡¯t want some unknown man¡¯s seed inside of me...¡±


    ¡°There you have it, Dal. Your own daughter is telling you to pay up. I¡¯m starting to think you don¡¯t love your family. I th¡ªAaahh, that¡¯s it, isn¡¯t it? You don¡¯t have the money at all, do you?¡± Old Man connected the dots and slowly folded his hands in front of him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± Dal whimpered through the tears as wet snot dribbled from his nose. ¡°Business isn¡¯t going so hot. And I took what I had to pay to gamble after I got the letter from the Mafia. I won big, and I decorated the house. I figured since I won once, I can win again. But I didn¡¯t. I lost it all¡­..¡±


    ¡°Daddy daddy,¡± Servi continued to speak in a little girl¡¯s voice, ¡°You¡¯re fucking pathetic excuse of a father. Because of you, me and my sister have to become cum dumps for older men. And mommy will have a baby inside of her that no one wants. Daddy, why?!  Why?! FUCKING WHY?!¡± in a bout of false anger, Servi raced ahead of the girl she used as a puppet and punched Dal in the face.


    ¡°Willian¡ª¡±


    ¡°No! This deadbeat piece of shit put his whole fucking family in danger!!!¡± like a punching bag, Servi released her anger upon his head, limiting her strength and using Remedium each time to heal whatever damage she inflicted. Old Man was none of the wiser of the award-winning acting happening in front of him.


    ¡°Williana, that¡¯s enough!!!¡± he grabbed her by her arm and pulled her back. The next moment, her fake anger disappeared, and she was cool, calm, and collected. ¡°Calm down!¡± he shouted as he turned back to Dal, who felt the lingering pain of Servi¡¯s attack. The damage was healed, but the pain wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Failure, tell us how much money you have,¡± Servi ordered. ¡°Wait, let me see what your wife has to say about all this. And let me be frank. Should you scream or yell for help, I will kill you. A warm corpse can provide as much pleasure as someone alive. A hole is a hole, after all.¡±


    After releasing her Telekinesis, Emi nodded as fast as she could to the point where Servi was afraid she would injure her neck. Once the rope gag was removed, she went off like a firecracker.


    ¡°You stupid fool!!! You told me that your gambling days were over!!! You¡¯ve doomed our entire family!!! And why haven¡¯t you told me about this?! Didn¡¯t we agree to leave no secrets between us when we married?!! I swear, should we survive this, I am taking our daughters and leaving your sorry ass!!!! Hey, there¡¯s a little box with money inside the mattress. If you take it, can you kill this failure of a husband and father?¡±


    Old Man laughed and clapped. ¡°Damn, Emi. I didn¡¯t know you had it in your to turn on your husband like that. Not a lot of faith, huh? Williana, check out the bed.¡±


    ¡°No! DON¡¯T CHEC¡ª AAAHHH!!!¡± Emi jumped forward, head-butting her husband and breaking his healed nose. The new and previous pain combined, leaving him sickly and bleeding as he fell back to the mattress. Old Man rolled with laughter, slapping his legs and snorting like a pig.


    ¡°Yeah, I found it,¡± Servi said with her hand deep into the fluffy mattress. Five giant stab wounds littered it like a dog digging a hole, and white stuffing covered the bed like snow would the ground in winter. She pulled out a small black jewelry box with three crosses adorning it. Opening it, she saw a single 10 coin dupla. But after a bit of manipulation, it became filled with twenty 100 dupla coins.


    ¡°Lookie what I found! 2,000 dupla all hidden away. Sounds like someone lied again,¡± Servi exclaimed. She handed the box to Old Man, who showed it to Emi.


    ¡°You son of a bitch!! You had the fucking money all along but didn¡¯t tell her?!¡± Emi roared again.


    ¡°Emi, there¡¯s not¡ª¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP!! I HATE YOU!!¡±


    ¡°Well, we got the money, and that¡¯s what we came for. I imagine you four have a lot to talk about. Remember, this all could¡¯ve been avoided if he would¡¯ve given us the money sooner,¡± Old Man sheathed his dagger and turned to leave.


    ¡°What do we do about them?¡± Servi cradled the jewelry box under her right arm.


    ¡°I say we untie the wife. To be fair, everything that transpired tonight was Dal¡¯s fault. We were only here for him and the money, and she and the two children were unfortunate bystanders. We have no problem with them.¡±


    Servi did as Old Man said and removed the rest of the rope. The very first thing Emi did was smack her husband. Then she ran to her children and gave them a hug they desperately needed. Motherly affection was the only cure for the trauma they had to endure.


    ¡°Come on, we¡¯re done here,¡± Old Man opened the door and walked down the corridor.


    Servi went to leave but stopped. She turned around and projected her consciousness into her ring. Once she came back out, two seconds later, a small box filled with expensive jewels and ten 1,000 dupla coins appeared floating in front of her.


    ¡°Take it and leave. I can¡¯t guarantee you or your daughters¡¯ safety,¡± Servi said. Emi blinked twice in confusion as she looked at the open box.


    ¡°I¡­ Why... How?¡± Emi asked. Her silk nightie scrunched up as she sat on the bed. The floating box flew over to her and landed softly on her knees. Lori and Leigh hugged their mother tightly while softly whimpering.


    ¡°Our business was with him. That¡¯s all. You, Lori, and Leigh were never in danger. Even when I threw those daggers, there was a zero percent chance I would miss. Take that money and sell the jewels. Take your daughters and go somewhere safe. I recommend Canary, and it¡¯s your choice to take your pathetic husband with you. But whatever you do, don¡¯t kill him. Our boss told us to keep him alive... It''s not much coming from a piece of shit like me, but I wish I didn''t have to involve children in matters that don''t concern them.  For what it''s worth, I am sorry it happened like this."


    Before Emi had a chance to respond and ask the tens of questions swarming around her exhausted brain, Servi walked out and closed the door. She went down the corridor and descended the steps. Old Man leaned against the counter and glanced up when he heard footsteps. ¡°You about done?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I told Emi to whatever she wanted as long as she didn¡¯t kill Dal. But damn, he had two thousand hidden away?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I won¡¯t lie and say I don¡¯t understand the gambling, I do, but family comes first. It has to be. In that regard, he¡¯s a failure as a husband and a father,¡± Old Man opened the door and walked through as a blast of warm air covered his body.


    ¡°There ain¡¯t nothing better than the nightly air, is there?¡±


    Old Man chuckled. ¡°No, I suppose not. But after what we did, it seems tainted. People like us are the scum of the earth. Because of us, those little girls were exposed to something terrible tonight. I don¡¯t want to say it¡¯s worth it, but it is. Especially for me. Hey, Williana?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up, Old Man?¡± Servi replied.


    She looked behind her and realized that fateful armor shop, which became a turning point in the lives of a mother and two daughters, had lost all emotional value. It probably took Dal a long time to build up his skills, even longer to be hired on by an armorer, and even longer than that to have made enough money to own his own shop. But what had happened to him tonight was the result of his selfish actions. The man Emi fell in love with had disappeared, and she finally realized that.


    ¡°While we¡¯re walking back to Deset, let me tell you a story. I don¡¯t know why, and I don¡¯t know how, but I feel like I can trust you.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯re you acting so sentimental? We only met a few hours ago.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing. I don¡¯t know myself. Maybe I¡¯m tired of keeping everything locked in. But answer me this: will you listen to my story?¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Servi replied. It wouldn¡¯t be the lengthiest story, nor would it be the shortest. It was simply the story of Old Man and the life he led: he once had it all, but a single mistake and a series of bad decisions, made thereafter, took it all away.

 Book Three – Chapter Four – Part Five – Initiation

    I wasn¡¯t always like this. My childhood wasn¡¯t the best, but I can''t complain too much about it. Growing in the poor district of a well-off village, I knew how hard it would be to graduate from poverty, so I threw myself into studying. The sky, the night, the moon, and the stars were things I adored the most.


    However, I knew I couldn''t reach them.  How could I? I was but a mere Human with a Human lifespan.  Instead, I focused on things I could reach.  I could sew a cut, so I focused on medicine.  I knew how to hammer a piece of metal, so I focused on studying metalworking. I could write down numbers on paper and solve mathematical equations, so I focused on math.  If I could grasp it with my hands, then I threw myself into studying it. My head was in a book from the moment I finished my chores to the moment I went to bed. We were poor, so most of those books were stolen from the local library, but I never got caught. Nor do I regret depriving others of the chance to learn.


    Before long, I had people coming to me to ask questions. Whether it was about the best way to suture a cut or how to determine the square footage of a plot of land, I answered everything to the best of my ability. One day, a rich person came through our town and heard the rumors about me. I guess he was impressed with my knowledge since he offered me a chance to go to school. I was about 11 then, and I loved my family, but I wanted to be free. I wanted money to buy delicious food, and I wanted the expensive clothing. Going to sleep on the dirt floor of our house and waking up to sand bugs crawling on me was something I couldn¡¯t wait to get away from.


    I can¡¯t state how happy I was to go off to bigger and better pastures. I never saw my father, mother, or brother after that. I later received news they died from a bandit attack a few years down the line. Sure, I was sad, and I cried for the next few days, but that¡¯s not too relevant to my story.


    So, the following morning, I was off. I¡¯m not going to bore you with the details, but my life was complete bliss for the next 31 years. I met a beautiful woman with the softest hair and tightest ass. I wanted to get on my knees and praise the Gods above for giving the woman I loved an ass so perfect and round. It was the very definition of regal beauty.


    But that¡¯s not important. I just wanted to reminisce about my lovely wife. She died seven years after we married. But I wasn¡¯t left alone. She managed to give me a son in our first year together. I was 42 when she passed away.  It was just my son and me.


    Most parents would say they love their children. And I wanted to. But I couldn¡¯t. There was something fundamentally wrong with him as a person. And to this day, I don¡¯t know what it was. He was violent and mean, prone to anger at even the slightest drop of a hat. He would throw these major tantrums whenever he wanted something.


    You know, those tantrums only started after his mother died.  I guess he couldn''t cope with her death, but what do I know? I''m not a psychologist. Don''t get me wrong, I tried to learn about that subject, but I could never wrap my head or hands around it.  Again, I''m getting off-topic.


    And since I was rich¡ªoh, by this point, I had graduated from business school and ran my own company. The rich man who gave me an opportunity to go to school died. He didn¡¯t have any children, so I inherited most of his money. Since I was rich, I gave my boy everything he asked for. Clothes, swords, shields, paintings, you name it. He had the best tutors money could buy, but it was all for shame.


    He killed one of them, you know. Her name was Aki Shirohani, and she was apparently from a far-off island nation to the east. He was about seven at the time, and it was right after his mother died.  One morning, when I walked into his room, I found him covered in blood. He had a knife in one hand, and the corpse of Aki laid on his bed. I don¡¯t want to disgust you with the details, so I¡¯ll say it was horrifying. Her arms and legs weren¡¯t ¡®attached,¡¯ and half of her jaw was forcefully pushed into her sliced-open stomach. It was...No, I don¡¯t want to say anything about it anymore.


    Any proper parent would¡¯ve turned in their child, even if they were only 7, but I didn¡¯t. I was¡­I don¡¯t even know what the fuck I felt at the time. Maybe it was sadness and regret, or something different.


    No, I know what it was.  When she was on her deathbed, my wife told me to always look out for our son. How could I look after him if he was in prison?


    At the time, I was scared. I knew he was fucked up, but I had no idea it was to that extent. Perhaps some of his craziness rubbed off on me because I did nothing but bring him girl after girl to stop his tantrums. If a girl caught his eye, then he would be in a ¡®relationship¡¯ with her. By that, I mean he would play the act of a gentle and well-mannered boy before gutting them like a goddamn pig. If there was a difference in age or some other factor, I would adopt them as my daughter. If they were older, then I''d  hire them on as a tutor or a maid. I had money to hire as many as I wanted. I also had the money to make sure word of what I was doing never leaked. And to my knowledge, it hasn¡¯t.


    All I had to say was that my newly adopted daughter wanted to go to school in Keywater.  Or the new maid I hired suddenly felt homesick and wanted to go back to their village.  Nobody ever questioned the rapid turnaround at my mansion.


    I knew it was wrong, and I feel like I¡¯m repeating myself over and over, but I don¡¯t think you understand. Williana, being a father or a mother to a child is something no one can be prepared for. If I could take it all away and re-do it, I never would¡¯ve left home. I¡¯d happily died in the bandit attack if it meant my son wouldn¡¯t have been born. And if that wasn¡¯t possible, I would¡¯ve killed my son the moment he came into this world. Even if it meant bringing about the anger of my wife.


    Williana¡­. I¡­. No. Forget about it.


    But I¡¯ll move on to the next part of the story. Eventually, after 13 women spread out over 11 years, he stopped. He told me that he was finished with his ¡®experimentation.¡¯ I didn¡¯t know what he meant by that and I still don¡¯t, but he said he was a changed man. And I made the mistake of believing him. Of forgiving him.


    He was 18 when he left our house, and I was 53. I received no letter or message from him for a year, and I feared the worst. But one day, my company went bankrupt, and I had to leave my house. One of my best friends usurped the company with assistance from my wife''s family and ran it into the ground in a matter of weeks. It all happened too fast for me to realize what was happening.  I lost every friend I ever had because they valued the money they stood to gain over my friendship.


    But I¡¯m getting off-topic. I had nothing but the clothes on my back and a small pouch of coins. With no allies or living family to call on for help, I was totally alone.  And wouldn¡¯t you know it, as soon as I turned the first corner after walking down my driveway, I ran into my boy. But he wasn¡¯t alone. There was a woman by his side, and I noticed she had these ghastly scars running down her arms. I was so taken aback that I didn¡¯t see the little baby the woman hugged close to her breast.


    To summarize it, my son had somehow found this woman and had a child with her. He said he was sorry he didn¡¯t send a message, but he wanted to introduce me to his family. I told him what happened, and he said he had some money saved up.  They lived in a town called Arcton in the Kingdom of Lando. Even though we were in Westera at the time, I had no idea how he could afford such a long trip. I didn¡¯t pay it much mind.


    I accepted his offer, and we started the long yet peaceful journey to this little shit hole of a town. Though back then, the Mafia didn¡¯t exist, and the town was beautiful.


    But the real trouble didn¡¯t start for another six years. I was 59, and my granddaughter was 7. The house we lived in wasn¡¯t that fancy, but it was calm and comforting. In my old age, I didn¡¯t mind not having expensive showers or meals that were 250 dupla a plate. That kind of exotic living was far past me, and I was happy being with my family.


    But that happiness was only at a surface level. You see, my daughter-in-law suffered from a terrible disease. It required constant medication to keep the pain under control.  At first, the medicine was cheap to buy.  The ingredients were common, and it didn''t require anything special to produce.


    Williana, If you can make something life-saving at a cheap cost, that¡¯s the key to making money. People value their lives. They would pay if it was 1 dupla per dose. They would pay if it was 120 dupla per dose.


    I said that¡¯s the key to making money, but it¡¯s not the key to making a lot of money. You see, people are bastards. They¡¯re selfish and ungrateful, and they always want and want and want, even at the cost of others.


    You can probably see where I¡¯m heading with this. One day, a few of the medicine makers had the bright idea to collectively raise the price of the medicine my daughter-in-law needed. Well, it was simple. If I didn''t want to pay 120 dupla, I¡¯ll go around and find someone who wants 11 or 12 dupla. That worked for a while, but soon every medicine maker in Arcton had joined together.


    And before you ask, yes. I tried to make the medicine. If it¡¯s easy to make, then I should be able to do it, right? I thought so too. But as fate would fucking have it, the materials needed to make the medicine became expensive. Even more expensive than buying the pills outright.  Those goddamn bastards collectively raised the prices of the raw materials.


    And all the money my son worked for dried up quickly because he loved his wife. She needed the medicine to live, and he wanted her to be alive. It¡¯s a simple thing to understand. Oh, but the story doesn¡¯t end there.


    Diseases are inheritable, you know. If a mother is suffering from a chronic illness, her child may be born with the same ailment.  If not that, then the chances of it appearing later on in life were high, if not guaranteed.


    That¡¯s what happened to my granddaughter. She had the same terrible disease that plagued her mother.


    My son didn¡¯t know it at the time, but his wife confided in me. She said that she never took the medicine he bought for her.  She used it on her daughter instead. I didn¡¯t know what to think. But in the end, I think I was proud of her. The pain she felt had to be excruciating, and she never did let anyone know what she went through except me.


    She loved her daughter like I wanted to love my son. She was a better parent than me. It¡¯s just that simple.


    A part of me wants to blame myself. If I had been tougher on my son, he might have married a different girl. Said girl probably wouldn¡¯t have such a rare disease, which meant their offspring would be healthy. But because I was a shitty father¡­. Well, you get what I was going to say.


    Then one day, my daughter-in-law dropped dead. We didn¡¯t have money for a proper burial, so I helped my boy dig a hole. My granddaughter cried and cried all day and night. And I had to tell him his wife kept the medicine for their daughter.


    He didn¡¯t react at all. Then he left and came back around 8 hours later. I asked him where he went, and he said gambling. When I asked him about the money for the medicine, he said he didn¡¯t care. He never loved his daughter. He actually told me, to my face, that ¡°He couldn¡¯t love a murderer.¡±


    The fucker actually flashed me the dupla. He had enough to pay for a whole month¡¯s worth of medicine. But the very next day, the son-of-a-bitch lost everything after losing a game of poker.  I reminded him about the many people he killed, and that son of a bitch said it was different because he wanted to ''experiment.''


    I remember being so angry and storming out of the house. With nothing but the warm summer breeze to comfort me, I wandered around for hours. Eventually, I ran into a well-dressed man, and a thought occurred to me.


    ¡°Do I value the lives of others over my flesh and blood?¡± the answer, of course, was no.


    I killed him then and there with a knife I carried for self-defense. I took his wallet, his fancy clothes, his watch, and his rings. That was the day I took my first life, and it was the day I ceased to be Human.  But if that was the price for my granddaughter to stay in good health, then that was the price I was going to pay.


    For the next six years, I wandered around the city. I would break into buildings and rob anyone who looked wealthy. But I made sure to be at the pharmacy bright and early every Monday morning to buy the medicine. Sometimes, it didn¡¯t go so well. You see this scar? Let¡¯s just say I got cocky one night when I was trying to pickpocket a purse from a woman at the bar. I deserved it. That I can agree on. But I never let one setback set me back. The very next night, after paying to have it sutured up, I was back on the prowl. But I¡¯ll skip ahead in my story.


    When it happened, I was 65, and she was 13. One night, when I was coming back home, I heard screaming coming from our house. I rushed in and saw my son with a bloody knife. And right next to him was my granddaughter. I¡¯ll never forget the sight. Her left and right arms were covered with blood, but I saw two long gashes that spanned her forearms.


    That¡¯s when I did the math. My fucking son, own flesh and blood, purposely marked his wife with the two scars. I knew it was familiar. After all, all of his ¡®experiments¡¯ had the same two lines going down their arms. I just didn¡¯t make the connection until that very moment.  Even now, I don''t know why he felt the need to maim people. If only I were a better father, maybe the two of us could''ve had a heart-to-heart, but that day will never come.


    In a rage, I killed him. I committed filicide. I only remember the rush of adrenaline. Haha, in a way, I was finally punishing my son by taking his worthless life. I only stopped stabbing his lifeless corpse when I heard a weak voice. It was my granddaughter calling me. You know, she always called me grampy.


    That was the last time she ever did that.


    I turned around, covered in blood, and she ran out of the house while clutching her arms. I went to chase her but stopped when I realized what I had just done.


    She wouldn¡¯t accept me. Not after I killed her father. So I walked away until I found an alley to die in. Hell, I was old. I figured death could come at any time, so I passed out and waited for my life to be stricken from me by a pack of animals or hoodlums. But when I woke up, I was alive.


    There were so many emotions running through my body at the time that I don¡¯t know what compelled me to go after her. I searched and searched and eventually found her inside of the Warden office.


    She was smiling at some Elf who took a long bandage to her arm. I knew then and there that she had lost her memories. Williana, tell me if you would smile after your father betrayed you. After he used your soft arms as a cutting board? After he gave you the same two long wounds that your mother had? What if you saw your grandfather kill your father? Would you proudly smile after that? No, you wouldn¡¯t. But she did.


    She had the strength to smile because she lost her memories.


    In a weird way, I¡¯m glad they are chambered off in a dark part of her mind. As long as they stayed barred from her soul, I can die happy.


    But then I remembered about the medicine! What if the Elf taking care of her didn¡¯t know about it?! Well, my fears were proven wrong a moment later when I saw her give my granddaughter the life-saving pill she needed.


    I didn¡¯t know what to do. I couldn¡¯t walk in because the shock of seeing me might¡¯ve triggered her dormant memories. Maybe not. Regardless, I couldn¡¯t risk it.


    So I left. I continued my nightly criminal activities until I had enough for a dosage. I couldn¡¯t be sure that the Elf would always pay for her medicine. So after I bought the pill one Monday morning, I decided to camp out in a small alley next to Warden. It didn¡¯t take long for her and the Elf to walk out.


    If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d say that the Elf was her mother. That¡¯s the impression I got from seeing them walk hand-in-hand. But I got up and wandered after them until they led me to a building.


    It was a little old house. Not perfect, but better than my son¡¯s house. I dropped off the medicine in the mailbox and walked away. When I came back a few hours later, the Elf was giving the medication to my granddaughter while they sat on the front porch. And I knew it was mine and not hers because I drew a little yellow fox on the wrapper after dying it black.


    You see, she always loved foxes. Some of my most treasured memories were when she couldn¡¯t sleep. She would say, ¡°Grampy, tell me a story. I wanna hear one about a fox.¡±


    And I would do just that. The fox was named Sparky, and he had yellow fur. He liked to get into all kinds of trouble, but it all worked out in the end.


    But I can¡¯t do that anymore. I can¡¯t do anything a grandfather would do with their granddaughter.


    You know, I don¡¯t even know why the Elf decided to give my granddaughter a random pill she found in the mailbox. But I¡¯m not complaining. So, I take that back. I¡¯m giving her the medicine she needs, so I¡¯m technically doing something a grandfather would do.


    I won¡¯t ever get to be a part of her happiness. All I can do is watch from the sidelines and deliver her the medicine. And so far, for 5 years, I¡¯ve never missed a week. She just turned 18 last month. I debated on leaving a present with the pill, but I decided against it. I wanted to give her a stuffed animal. Something small and cute. But I was scared¡­.. I couldn¡¯t waste 30 dupla on something that won¡¯t help me in the long run.


    I¡¯m 70 years old, Williana, and I could die at any moment. That¡¯s why I need money. That¡¯s why I went so hard on Dal and his family.


    He might love his family, but I love my granddaughter even more. If I were given the chance to earn 3 dupla by slaughtering his family, I would. Hell, I''d do it even it was a single dupla. I don¡¯t think I could kill you, but I would try if the price was high enough.


    But for 8 years, I¡¯ve been killing and stealing. I had a horse named Lemonade that I found one day when I was looting a farmhouse. I had killed the owners and robbed the place blind. I was just about to leave when I had the bright idea to check the barn. That¡¯s when I found Lemonade. From that day on, I slept in the barn and did all I could to make sure Lemonade grew big and strong. Not out of love, but because I knew I could make an investment. There was also a wagon, you see, and I made some legitimate money by ferrying passengers from Canary to Arcton.


    I even killed a passenger who I was transporting from Canary to Arcton because he told me he was going to give me a tip. I wanted all of his money, not just a little bit.


    And I even met these two girls on the way back to Arcton after killing the man. I wanted to kill them then and there, to take their money, but the Singi, Momo, I think her name was? Or maybe it was Mosie? Her child-like way of playing with Lemonade reminded me of my granddaughter¡¯s fixation with foxes. Maybe it was for the best. Her friend, this girl named Servi, reminded me of myself. I smelled the stench of death on her. And if I would¡¯ve died, then my granddaughter would not have gotten her medicine.


    So, I left them. I told them some lie about meeting me at a store, I think. But I have no intention of keeping it. Hell, I don¡¯t even remember what I told them. Again, I¡¯m getting off-topic.


    But when I got back into town that day, some guy offered to buy my horse and wagon. I probably could be gotten more money, but I needed the cash. Lemonade, I hope your new owner is treating you better than I did. Then I went to a bar and met a man who told me about the Mafia.


    That¡¯s pretty much the end of my story. Hell, maybe I told you this because I wanted someone to be aware of my story. Or maybe I wanted you to feel sorry for me so you would take over paying for her medicine after I croak.


    Oh, where is she now? She works at Warden as a receptionist. She still lives with that Elf in the same ole house.


    A skill to cure her? There is one, but it''s nothing but a pipe dream. You see, there is a skill called Lux Dei Omnipotentis. It¡¯s the ultimate healing skill, and it''s able to heal any injury, any illness, and any sickness. As far as I know, there isn¡¯t a God who can bless the skill. The only way to learn it is by achieving Rank 0 in Warden and spending 500 Potential. Oh, it¡¯s one use only. After using it, the user is required to spend double the Potential to learn it again.


    So let¡¯s say someone used it once and had to pay 1,000 Potential to learn it again. They use it a third time. It¡¯s now 2,000 to learn. Use it again after that? It¡¯s now 4,000.


    If I could scrounge up the vast amount of money needed to pay someone to use it, how would I find them in the first place? And why would they use something so precious and scarce on someone who isn¡¯t royalty? Sure, they¡¯d get paid a lot, but if they¡¯re Rank 0, it¡¯s likely they won¡¯t be hurting for money any time soon.


    I don¡¯t know how much my granddaughter gets paid, but it¡¯s not right for her to devote 120 dupla a week just so she can survive pain-free. If I had my wealth, then I technically could¡¯ve bought the entire town. I had that much money. And if I did that, then maybe the Mafia never would''ve shown up.


    But that¡¯s the past, and there¡¯s nothing I can do. Oh, I see Deset.


    Williana, allow this old fool to thank you for listening. It may not seem like much to you, but I¡¯m happy someone knows my story.

 Book Three – Chapter Four – Part Six – Initiation (R-18)

    ¡°Good. Good. Very good. Excellent even. That¡¯ll make that bastard realize he can¡¯t cheat the Mafia,¡± Carrie said as she counted the money Servi and Old Man brought back. An empty glass of water sat on the table next to two white pills.


    ¡°Did the Mafia send him a letter saying he didn¡¯t have to pay for a month?" Servi asked. Something about the whole task didn¡¯t sit right with her.


    ¡°Yeah. The month ended today, which meant Dal needed to pay for both the month he missed and the current month. 1,366 dupla is two months payment.¡±


    ¡°So he was telling the truth. Somehow, I thought he meant that he wouldn¡¯t have to pay until the end of the current month.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s stupid. If we did that, then Dal would¡¯ve missed 8 weeks. The original plan was 683 dupla at the beginning of every month. He came to us when we visited a month ago to say he couldn¡¯t pay. He didn¡¯t have the money. We agreed to give him a month. It¡¯s his own fault for agreeing to the terms. If he wanted to clarify them, he should''ve asked. But he never did.¡±


    Servi and Old Man stayed quiet.


    ¡°And Dal did have the money. He¡¯s lucky I don¡¯t go and kick his fucking teeth in for lying. But regardless, you two did well. Here¡¯s ten percent of what he owed with a bonus of whatever extra you brought back,¡± Carrie slammed 400 dupla on the table and got up. ¡° You each get 200 and a pill. Now, head to bed or go eat or do whatever the fuck you want. Just know that you¡¯ll get your next mission in ten hours. And Williana, come with me.¡±


    Servi stood, stored the dupla and pill in her pouch, and followed Carrie to her room while Old Man hobbled into the bottom bunk bed after pocketing his share of the reward. Within seconds, he was snoring like a foghorn guiding ships through the night. His mind, for the first time in weeks, was calm and serene. His dream would be pleasant and bittersweet, like the passing of a fateful day as it wandered into the uncertainty of tomorrow.


    ¡°Alright. Enough bullshitting around,¡± Carrie hopped on the bed and took off her shirt. Two perky breasts were relieved from their white bra a moment later and felt fresh air. ¡°I have a proposition for you. You need money, yes? Tell me why?¡±


    ¡°I have friends and family as slaves, and I want to buy their freedom. It¡¯s as simple as that,¡± Servi lied. Somehow, she knew what was coming next. And to get a head start on it, she falsely struggled to look away from Carrie''s chest.


    ¡°Good. Become mine for the week and satisfy my every need and craving, and I¡¯ll guarantee you¡¯ll have the chance to meet the Boss. And I¡¯ll even pay you 100 dupla a night to share my bed. There¡¯s something about you. I don''t know what it is, but I do know that I can¡¯t stop this feeling in my crotch. From your point of view, you don¡¯t really have a reason to NOT accept.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t,¡± Servi removed her cloak and started to untie her shoes.


    ¡°With your fucked up appearance, I doubt many men or women have fancied your body. And friends? Ha! You¡¯re alone in this shit hole city, aren¡¯t you? I can remedy that. Just be mine for the week,¡± Carrie pinched her nipples as she began to feel a type of wet warmth between her crotch. ¡°Well? Do you accept?¡±


    ¡°What does it look like?¡± Servi asked. She pulled down her pants, revealing she was going commando as she lifted her tunic. Her chest, supple and erotic, didn¡¯t match her grotesque appearance. Nor did her nearly hairless snatch fit her present demeanor. It was a strange contrast of beauty and ugliness. From her neck down, Servi¡¯s lustful body was perfect in nearly all of the right areas. From the neck up, however, it was like looking at a war-torn hag after completing three tours of duty. After tossing her clothes and daggers in a nearby pile, she walked over to the large bed and sat down.


    Carrie smiled and put both hands to Servi¡¯s chest, cupping her breasts. ¡°I guess you¡¯re as blessed as me. And they''re soft and warm. I wonder if it tastes as good as it looks. Ah, I can find that out later. First, let¡¯s see if you have what it takes to satisfy this cat,¡± she leaned up with the intention of planting a kiss on Servi''s delicate pink lips, but the unwilling Human moved back.


    ¡°No kissing,¡± she said. ¡°This is strictly lust, not love.¡±


    Carrie responded by squeezing Servi¡¯s breasts, who falsely moaned in response. ¡°You¡¯re not really in the best position to make demands, but how about this? If you can satisfy me in a way I¡¯ve never felt, then I¡¯ll concede on no kissing. But if you fail, then I expect your lips to become mine before the morning is over. But right now, I want your nipples,¡± the Singi leaned down and started a conquest with her tongue.


    ¡°That¡¯s fair. Shall I get started?¡± Servi asked. It took her five minutes to get a response. In those five minutes, she had to fake her pleasure to please Carrie.  Her nipples were assaulted by a vicious tongue, whose technique was clumsy and a bit awkward.


    Carrie leaned up, wiping the spit off of her mouth. ¡°If only your face was as hot as your tits. But, I guess it¡¯s time to get to the main event,¡± Carrie laid back on the bed against the red cover, caressed her chest, and licked her lips in anticipation. ¡°Do it.¡±


    Wordlessly, Servi stood up and moved to the end of the bed. She crawled on her hands and knees, her breasts slightly jiggling from side to side while Carrie''s warm spit became cold. Carrie joked that her cute little pet for the week really was a dog and ordered her to undress her.


    Servi nodded and started at Carrie¡¯s feet. Her hands sensually rubbed and massaged her calves, legs, and thighs before finding the only object that stood between Servi and her goal: the almighty belt. After fiddling with it, Servi used one hand to take it off while the other found a bare breast to caress.


    It was then Servi had the bright idea to use Telekinesis to provide a body-sized invisible massage. Upon feeling an unexpected touch on her ass, Carrie cutely squeaked. Servi laughed. ¡°Perhaps you realized that I¡¯m more than what I seem to be? Perhaps my touch is far more than you can handle?¡± Servi cupped her mouth around a nipple and assaulted it with her tongue.  Unlike the way Carrie went about it, Servi focused much more on the nipple itself than the areola.


    ¡°Shut up, dog, and keep lick¡ªAAHH!!! Th¡ªThis isn¡¯t any¡ªMMMMPPPHHHH!!!! Why?! There¡¯s nothing there!!!¡±


    Satisfied for the moment, Servi moved her head up and returned the neck lick she received a few hours before. A kiss on the lips was off-limits, but she didn''t say anything about showing affection to the neck. With one hand massaging Carrie¡¯s crotch through her shorts, Servi leaned up until she lightly bit the twitching red ear. Her mouth, filled with fur, became empty after a quick use of Absorption.


    The body that arched and twisted in response to the twenty phantom gropes brought an unexpected pleasure to Servi. She began to feel wet between her legs, but strangely enough, she felt no desire to satisfy herself.  She felt that masturbating wouldn''t accomplish a single thing.


    Servi? Let¡¯s go find Momo!! This isn¡¯t worth it!! We could just go ahead and get into info out of Carrie!!! There¡¯s bound to be a few Numbered in Deset, so--


    ¡°MMUAAHHH!!!¡± Carrie moaned, cutting off Itarr. Her breathing hastened as a layer of salty sweat dripped down her body.


    ¡°Are you ready? You know, I feel like stopping. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t take the deal,¡± Servi teased before taking another bite of her furry ear. After moaning again, Carrie ordered-- begged-- Servi to continue.


    ¡°As you wish,¡± whispering once again, Servi stuck out her tongue and licked Carrie''s cheek before moving to her neck and finally her chest. She stopped for ten minutes, doing nothing but sucking on the erect nipple she found. At the same time, Servi stuck her left index finger into Carrie''s gaping mouth. Her lust overflowed, and she sucked on it like she expected something thick and white to ejaculate out. All the while, erotic sounds filled the room, giving it the atmosphere of a naughty place only built to satisfy the carnal desires of the inhabitants.


    Moving on to the flat tummy in front of her, Servi used ten instances of Telekinesis to mold and stroke Carrie''s nipples from every which way until the slightest touch was enough to make her go insane. But her pleasure torture had more to go. By using a little bit of trial and error, Servi found out that there was an especially sensitive spot right below Carrie''s belly button.


    The first time she pressed down on it, it was like the breath in Carrie¡¯s lungs was forcibly evicted. The second time, Carrie opened her mouth, but no voice came out. The third time, when Servi licked it, tasting her salty sweat, Carrie forced her legs far apart as the goblet of pleasure threatened to overflow. She went to touch herself, but her arms were held back by an invisible force.  Bound by invisible bondage she couldn''t see, Carrie didn''t know where the next touch was going to come from.


    ¡°Please¡­.¡± Carrie cried. The tears flowing from her eyes were evidence of her defeat. ¡°Stop¡­ I¡­I¡­ I¡¯m going in¡ªAAAAHHHHH!¡± Servi flicked Carrie''s nipples and rubbed them between her fingers.  Hard as diamond, Servi mentally joked that they could probably cut through nadrium.


    ¡°Be quiet. This is what you wanted, yes? I haven¡¯t even begun to get serious.¡±


    ¡°Williana, I¡¯m sorry. I¡ªAAAH!!!¡± Servi stuck two fingers in her mouth to shut her up and finally removed the shorts that prevented her from dealing the final blow.


    SERVI!!! Why?!! Why are you doing this?!!


    After tossing them against the wall, Servi leaned down. Carrie¡¯s pink panties were soaked to the point where Servi clearly saw the outline of the Singi''s feminine lips. Taking those off, Servi licked her lips and moved her head closer to the glistening fruit. Starting from her stomach, Servi led her wet tongue down until it encountered a small forest of red that lingered a feminine smell mixed with the hint of sweat and passion. But she didn¡¯t stop. Her tongue soldiered on through the bush until it found her ultimate goal.


    The moment her tongue flicked her clitoris up, Servi moved all twenty anchor points of Telekinesis to the sensitive flower and smiled before sticking her tongue in. She made sure to coat the entirety of Carrie¡¯s inside with her own spit before sticking her tongue even further in. After scrapping it against her vaginal walls over and over, Servi pulled back her head and wiped her mouth on Carrie¡¯s succulent thighs.


    ¡°Carrie,¡± Servi said, but she didn¡¯t respond. Her eyes almost rolled to the back of her head from just a single lick. ¡°Hey!¡± Servi moved her hands up and flicked both wet nipples. Carrie¡¯s body shuddered in response, and Servi knew what was going to happen.


    She got up from between Carrie¡¯s legs and hopped off the bed. The cold floor before her provided a cooling relief from the ever-growing sexual atmosphere. And that did very little to sway Servi into losing to her lust. While she felt excited down there, just the thought of having Carrie lick her was nearly enough to make her vomit.


    ¡°My job isn¡¯t over yet, but it¡¯s about to be. Time to finish this.¡± Crawling into bed next to the gasping Carrie, Servi placed her mouth over Carrie''s left nipple. She sucked and flicked it with her tongue as hard as she could. Bit by bit, Carrie''s rebellious body submitted to the otherworldly technique that only Servi could pull off. Her right hand, flat as a pancake, started from the Singi¡¯s right breast and made her way down. By the time it reached its goal, a moist fruit, it was soaked, dripping with sweat and her own liquid.


    Servi leaned up and whispered a single sentence into a pair of soaked cat-like ears.  ¡°Enjoy your reward,¡± the next second, Carrie¡¯s back arched up as a wave of pleasure flooded all of her senses. Servi¡¯s two fingers rapidly pounded in and out, squelching and splattering love juice everywhere while her Telekinesis picked up the slack.


    ¡°AAAHAHHHHHMMMMMMPPPPHHHHH,¡± Carrie began to scream, her body overflowing such impossible pleasure, but Servi put a swift end to it by forcing more fingers inside her mouth. Her weak tongue tried valiantly to push the invaders out but submitted to their desires.  With no choice but to relent, Carrie¡¯s tongue lapped the three fingers like they were welcoming home an old friend as Carrie''s body convulsed every thirty seconds.


    Ten minutes later, Servi leaned up against the cool wall. Her eyes were focused on a particular Singi that drastically underestimated her.


    A large part of the bed: from the red comforter down to the thin bedsheets, were so utterly soaked in a weird combination of urine and love juice from where Carrie squirted. Her legs were spread wide open, but she made no attempt to close them. Her feminine odor wafted throughout the room. Her eyes, closed, faintly twitched with every few seconds. It almost like her body had shut down from the sheer amount of ecstasy; what should¡¯ve been a positive emotion were tainted by the sin of having too much and became nothing more than a non-fatal poison paralyzing her. She would eventually regain her reason, but it would take the rest of the night.


    ¡°Pathetic. Carrie talked all that shit and couldn¡¯t back it up. Maybe it¡¯s a good thing she passed out when she came for the sixth time. At least I have some time to myself.¡±


    Servi, why?! Why?!! WHY?!! We could¡¯ve spent that time searching this fucking building?! She¡¯s nothing to us!! SHE¡¯S NOT MOMO!! Itarr seethed with anger and directed it towards Servi. Deep down inside, she knew that the real target of her hatred wasn¡¯t Servi. It was herself. In a way, she was the very one who set the gears of the current situation into motion when she decided to continue with her unique way of expressing her love.


    ¡°Hey, Itarr. If you¡¯re there, then I want to explain something. You¡¯re probably pissed off at me, but I had to do this for two reasons. One, I need to be picked to go meet the Boss. I have to. That¡¯s my best way of finding Momo since I don¡¯t want to destroy this town. If I do that, then tons of innocent people would die. And while I can accept that, I don¡¯t think Momo can. I don¡¯t know if her consciousness can handle having an entire town die in a blaze of fire just so she can be rescued. And if sleeping with Carrie is going to help my chances of finding her with the least amount of innocent casualties, then I¡¯m going to do it.


    ¡°Two: you¡¯re not talking to me. And you might not even be here. I¡¯m probably talking to myself like some sort of nutcase, but I like to imagine that, somehow, you can hear me. But I can¡¯t be sure. However, I know for a fact that Carrie can hear me. She can touch me. And I can touch her. I can feel her heart beating if I wanted to, and I can feel how warm it is inside of her. She¡¯s something I can actually feel and experience for myself. I can get that physical connection I want from her. But I don¡¯t want you to get the wrong idea.


    ¡°I don¡¯t love this pathetic waste in front of me. She¡¯s only a means to an end and a warm body to hold while I sleep.  I might''ve felt something when she locked my nipples and touched my tits, but the thought of her doing anything more makes me sick. I don¡¯t love her like I love you or Momo. And I know that depending on what happens a few days from now, I might need to kill her-- No, I will kill her.  I will rip her head from her body and smash it between my two hands. She''s Mafia, and that means I need to kill her."


    Sobbing, Itarr didn¡¯t have the strength to form any words. And even if she did, Servi was unable to hear them.


    Sighing, Servi crawled into bed and wrapped her arms around Carrie''s unconscious body. She was hot and wet from their sexual encounter, but that didn¡¯t bother her. Deep down inside, Servi admitted to herself that she only went through with this so she would have someone to sleep with. Not in the sexual sense, but in the literal sense. Ever since she played with Nene, her fierce desire for skinship awoken. Two bodies, both bare and naked to each other, sleeping next to and embracing each other while warming each other, was what she wanted the most. Of course, that only came after her desire to rescue and save Momo.


    Servi didn¡¯t know why she was suddenly yearning for a connection. In the past, she had Itarr. And while they weren¡¯t able to physically touch, they had that mental connection. Servi knew that she only needed to call Itarr¡¯s name, and her beautiful voice would respond, filling her ears with a comforting, joyous sound.


    ¡°But I have none of that, now,¡± Servi whimpered and used Telekinesis to slightly roll Carrie''s body until her face right sat in between those breasts she sucked on just minutes before. Then, she wrapped her arms around, tightly embracing her before drifting off to sleep. The raw scent of the Singi she hugged filled her nostrils, and her rapid breaths were music to Servi¡¯s ears. Her face, surrounded on both sides by the twin valleys she¡¯d conquered, curled into a false smile. Her head, supported by a red pillow that was neither soft nor hard, did its best to lull its temporary master into a solemn and peaceful sleep.


    ¡°In the morning, I¡¯ll do a little bit of searching until we get our next task. Until then? I guess I¡¯ll sleep. Good night, Itarr. I love you.¡±


    I have no right for you to love me after everything I''ve done, but I still love you. And I may get upset, but I know it¡¯s my fault in the end. But my love for you will always be strong. Even if you turn into an enemy of the world, I¡¯ll be behind you. Servi, you¡¯re my everything¡­

 Book Three – Chapter Five – Part One – The Act of Subterfuge and Sabotage (R-18)

    Six hours later, the Human and Singi, who had gone to bed embracing each other, slowly stirred awake right after one another.


    ¡°Neehh¡­ Willia¡ª AAAHHH!!¡± Carrie opened her eyes and saw a blue eye staring back at her. Like a flash of lightning, Servi immediately cupped Carrie''s left nipple in her mouth and began to suck. At the same time, she allowed her fingers to explore her handler¡¯s crotch until it found something wet and hot.


    With the gentleness of petting a cat, Servi rolled her finger up and around Carrie''s clitoris until the chalice of pleasure nearly overflowed. Then as suddenly as she began her assault, she backed off and wiped her hand on the bed.


    Carrie¡¯s drastic mood change was understandable. Her body had unconsciously became attuned to Servi¡¯s unique way of pleasuring even though she didn¡¯t quite understand it. Once she experienced that heavenly passion, there was no going back. Her fingers and toys were never going to be enough to bring back that satisfaction.


    ¡°That¡¯s not fucking fair. Ain¡¯t I paying you?!¡± Carrie barked. Her ears angrily twitched as a slight hiss escaped her mouth.


    ¡°Haha. You paid me to warm your bed and sleep with you. And I did just that,¡± replied Servi, putting her clothes back on.


    ¡°But¡ªI¡ªGahh!! How much?!¡± Carrie hopped out of bed and rushed over to her shorts, her red tail whipping the air in anger. Reaching for the wallet inside, she pulled 100 dupla. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the fuck you did, but I ain¡¯t ever felt that way before!¡±


    Servi smiled and continued to dress herself, putting on her tunic and tying her shoes. ¡°I¡¯m fine with the 100 dupla a night, but if you want my pleasure in the morning, then I need some info. Also, there¡¯ll be some new rules,¡± she reached out and grabbed Carrie¡¯s payment, storing it in her pouch.


    ¡°Grr¡­..¡± Carrie growled as she tossed her shorts and wallet against the wall. ¡°It depends. What do you want?¡±


    After attaching her cloak and hooking her daggers, Servi walked over to Carrie and embraced her naked body. At the same time, she used a few stacks of Telekinesis to implant a ¡®rubbing¡¯ motion that traveled across Carrie''s chest. After moaning from the unexpectedness, Servi blew into her right ear.


    ¡°One: you can touch me, but only on my chest. Everything else is off-limits. You can¡¯t touch my face or my crotch. Two: you can only kiss my chest. My lower and upper lips are strictly off-limits. They aren¡¯t for you, so deal with it.¡±


    ¡°Fi¡ªne¡ªAAAHHH!!! Wha¡ªw¡ªwhat el¡ªseAaahhhh?¡±


    Servi lifted Carrie like a knight would a princess and tossed her on the bed. ¡°Three: I want to meet the Boss. And not in seven or six days. I want to meet him soon.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡ªh¡ªhow¡ªget¡ªWHY DID YOU STOP?!¡± Carrie roared, and Servi clicked her tongue as she practically laid down atop of her. Her hot breath tickled against her expecting nipples.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I want to hear,¡± holding up her finger, she placed it on Carrie''s thigh and, with a circular motion, closed the distance between it and Carrie¡¯s sweet spot.


    ¡°But I really don¡¯t know!¡± she whined.


    ¡°Then tell me who can. Or else this little finger won¡¯t find your wet treasure.¡±


    Carrie bit her lip until she drew blood. ¡°Fine! What I¡¯m gonna tell you isn¡¯t a secret, but it¡¯s not exactly out in the open.¡±


    Servi inserted her finger into Carrie while using Telekinesis to fondle the erected clit staring right at her.


    Right when the pleasure was overflowing, Servi stopped and rubbed her moistened finger around her plaything''s inner thighs.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you can hurry up and do me, and I can tell you after?¡± Carrie begged with tearful eyes. Servi shook her head and stood up, intending to walk out. ¡°Wait!! Look, there can be as many as twenty, thirty, or even forty different Numbered from 10 to 6. But when you get to a 5th, that¡¯s when it gets different. I can¡¯t explain it well, but there are only 5 people with the 5th rank. And there are only 4 people with the 4th rank.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s the same until it reaches the top?¡±


    Carrie nodded. ¡°But that¡¯s not all. Each rank above 6 has their own base. There¡¯s a 5th base, a 4th base, a 3rd base, a 2nd base, and the sole Numbered 1 is with the Boss at the true hideout. And there¡¯s one more thing. Only the ones Numbered 5th know where the 4th base is. And only the 4th knows where the 3rd base is.¡±


    ¡°Then are there people working there? I¡¯d imagine they could run the entire base with just 5 people.¡±


    Carrie nodded again and put a hand to her crotch. She did her best to replicate that legendary pleasure she felt from Servi, but it was useless. ¡°Shit, I don¡¯t feel anything.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± Servi laughed. She knew she had Carrie hanging on the tip of her finger. ¡°Then can you explain it for me? If you do, I promise that what I¡¯ll do to you won¡¯t even compare to last night.¡±


    Carrie¡¯s face clearly showed she was struggling with a choice. It wasn¡¯t a secret, and she knew that, but it felt like telling the girl in front of her, who dangled the promises of unparalleled satisfaction, would be like betraying the Mafia. When Carrie thought about it, it wouldn¡¯t be a violation of any rule, but it felt like she was drifting awfully close to becoming a turncoat.


    ¡°Fine. The Boss has his own personal guard, and they listen to him and only him. They do most of the day-to-day work in the true hideout. From there on, it¡¯s people whose loyalties have been strenuously tested. There¡¯s not anyone more loyal or more devoted to the Mafia and its goals than them. And while I haven¡¯t met them, I don¡¯t think I want to.¡±


    Carrie had no way of knowing if the words she spoke had any truth behind them. They were nothing more than rumors she''d heard during her time in the Mafia. It was entirely possible for there to be a ''Negative Numbered.'' Servi realized that and took all of the information with a cautious mind. It was up to her to deduce the truth from whatever false statements Carrie told her.


    ¡°Then how do you get your orders? Does a 5th send it by letter or something?" asked Servi. Her ultimate goal just became further away, but she wasn''t deterred. If anything, the challenge of rising through the ranks excited her.


    ¡°That¡¯s actually right. If we don¡¯t get any orders one week, it means we¡¯re free to do what we want as long as it helps the Mafia. And you know, I outrank you. I¡¯m part of the committee that dictates how we run this base, so you should treat me with more respect.¡±


    ¡°Fine, whatever, Carrie. When you were promoted from 10 to 9, how did it happen?¡±


    Carrie grumbled. ¡°Don¡¯t fucking ignore me¡­¡±


    ¡°Nope! Talking like that will make me go away. Do you really think you can go back to just your fingers after last night?¡±


    ¡°Bitch!¡± Carrie shouted. Anger coursed through her body, but it was drowned out by the impending pleasure. That was why she ultimately decided to answer Servi¡¯s question. ¡°I was taken to a room and blindfolded. Then I heard a deep voice. It congratulated me on being devoted to the Mafia. I remember screaming because a knife carved a 10 into my face. And after that, I fell asleep and woke up in Deset. And it was the same thing to go from 10th to 9th. Taken to a room, heard the same voice, got healed, so the 10 disappeared, then a 9 was carved in. Fell asleep and woke up in Deset.¡±


    ¡°Have you always been at Deset?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I was scouted after I held up a store and robbed the place. This has been my home for a while. Now, any more fucking questions?¡±


    Servi shook her head. Carrie smiled and laid down on the best, spreading her legs wide open as she seductively rubbed her hand in front of her glistening fruit. ¡°Now, hurry up!!¡±


    Servi sighed and crawled on the bed. After spreading Carrie¡¯s legs further open, she put her hands under her thighs and pulled her face closer to the dripping fruit staring at her. Deciding to do something different, Servi removed both hands and used them to spread the sopping lips in front of her. All of Carrie''s innards were packed in a neat, little slit. It was all wet and moist to the touch, like it just couldn''t wait for Servi''s magical touch.


    ¡°Mmmhhh¡­¡± she moaned. A glancing touch was enough to send shocks down her body.


    ¡°Be ready now. Oh, and Carrie. I hope you don¡¯t forget our deal. You¡¯d best put in a good word for me, okay?¡± Servi whispered, breathing her warm breath on Carrie''s quivering clitoris.


    She didn¡¯t bother to wait for a response. After sticking her tongue into the hot snatch staring at her, she lapped it from top to bottom like a dog, making sure to focus extensively on the button-like object nearby. But since she was getting bored and wanted to scout out her new home for the week, Servi decided to finish it.


    Spreading the lower lips once again, she used ten instances of Telekinesis, spread throughout the vaginal canal, and pushed them very slightly in different directions. A few went left, one went right, two or three leaned upwards, and the rest downwards. When she combined those with the twenty on the clitoris and the ten or so on her nipples, Carrie''s body experienced so much pleasure it almost made Servi feel something close to regret.


    Momo was out there, alone and afraid.  Every second Servi spent with another woman was another second she couldn''t use on finding her best friend.


    It''s worth it. Servi thought. I can find you quicker if I do this.  Please, stay strong for me, Mosie.


    Carrie''s body convulsed back, arching while her hands scratched and caressed every part of her body. They left thin red marks all over her body in the process. Her tongue, hanging out, dripped drool that continued to be produced until it dripped back and wetted her throat. Her toes curled in, and her legs stretched out and wrapped around Servi''s head. It was as if the body in front of Servi received different orders based upon the pleasure it received in that very moment, but since the hedonism varied, tons of conflicting signals were being sent to Carrie''s brain.


    Is she going to be okay? Itarr asked. Her voice was solemn and full of depression. Good morning, Servi. I love you. After muttering her greeting, she curled into a crimson ball in the depths of Servi¡¯s mind and cried. Weeping for everything, she resented the fact she was behind the current series of events. And should anything happen to Momo, it would be Itarr¡¯s fault.


    After bringing her Numbered to orgasm, Servi grasped onto Carrie''s legs and pulled them away so she could get up. Then she grabbed the red Singi''s clothes and tossed them on the bed. ¡°She won¡¯t remember any of this. Hell, I doubt Carrie''s even aware of my existence. But now I need to decide on how to act. I can assume Deset isn¡¯t a base for the Numbered I need to find. In that case, I need to make one of them come to me. But how? I could cause trouble using my abilities.


    "With a few unexplained murders here and there, especially if I take out a few 10s and 9s, are bound to get their attention. But if I go too strong at the start, it might not work out. I think I need to start small. A few accidents here and there to lower the morale. Maybe I can even cause some of my fellow initiates to fail. It would mean killing them, but none of us are innocent. Even that blue Singi isn¡¯t. Yeah, that might be the way to proceed.


    "If I can get a 5th to come here, then I can interrogate him for all of the information I need. If I do that, I won''t have to wait until the end of the week to meet the boss. That''s what I need to work towards. Itarr, what do you think about it?¡± after monologuing to herself, Servi sat on the bed. All the while, Carrie¡¯s legs did their best to wrap around Servi¡¯s chest, but she knocked them away.


    I don¡¯t know, Servi. I just don¡¯t know anything. It might...it might not...but we''ve got to do something. I¡¯m worried for Momo. If I don''t see her, then how will I know she''s okay?


    ¡°You¡¯re still not talking to me? Did I piss you off that much? I¡¯m doing my best to not involve innocent people. Remember last¡ªthis morning? I gave that family all that money? I¡¯m still killing, and I¡¯m going to kill from here on out. Hell, I''ll probably kill in a few minutes if I can rig the right situation, but at least they¡¯re not innocent. That counts for something, right? Please, Itarr. I need to hear your voice.¡±


    Servi¡­. Itarr whined and cried herself to sleep. Or so she wanted to. Not able to fall asleep to bypass to the end of this nightmare, she had no choice but to ride it out. And whatever happened would be her sin to bear.


    ¡°Still not talking? Well, that¡¯s fine. I hope you can forgive me eventually. Until then, I¡¯ll keep speaking out loud so you can hear me. That is, if you¡¯re there. I''d like to imagine you are. That and Momo are the only things keeping me going..."


    Standing up, Servi turned around to look at the pathetic mess of Singi she had made. The sounds produced from the girl drowned in pleasure weren¡¯t of this world. It was as if her mind was being rewritten by the laws of satisfaction.


    ¡°You know what¡¯s funny? I deactivated Telekinesis the moment I tossed her clothes to her. And in every other situation, what I¡¯m seeing might actually turn me on. But I don¡¯t feel anything. I¡¯m not even a little bit horny. Damnit, Servi, it was your fault this whole fucking mess happened, so you gotta do what you can to rescue Momo. Even if it means selling yourself like some whore. Remember, Momo¡¯s the only thing that matters,¡± Servi muttered. Upon opening the door, she closed it with a slight slam and discovered Old Man was sitting at the table. A mysterious object sat in front of him.


    He turned back and raised his cup of coffee, gently smiling at the one-eyed girl. ¡°Been wondering where you were.¡±


    Servi sat down and sighed, pointed a thumb at the door behind her. ¡°She wanted me to sleep with her.¡±


    ¡°I assume you did?¡±


    Servi flashed the 100 coin dupla and re-stored it in her pouch. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go get something to eat. Does this place even have a cafeteria?¡± Servi stood up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know myself. All I know is that when I woke up, there was a coffee machine sitting on the table," Old Man stood up and downed the last bit of joe.


    Servi glanced at the now identified object. It wasn¡¯t wood, but it wasn¡¯t metal, either. The hard surface was cool to the touch, yet the glass container filled with a brown liquid that sat inside a small, flat plate was still hot. There was a clear bottle to the side that held water. It had a tube that went around the device as a whole and connected to a black container that presumably held coffee beans. Servi wondered if it was powered by Skill Energy. She didn''t see any outlet nearby, and there wasn''t a wire coming out of the back of it.


    Great. It''s another thing I can''t use because I can''t activate Skill Items.


    ¡°You ever see anything like this before?¡± he asked Servi.


    ¡°Yeah, but it looked different. It was smaller and had a plug-in.¡±


    ¡°Plug-in? Mind explaining?¡±


    ¡°It plugs into the wall, and electricity powers it.¡±


    Old Man put a hand to his bald head. ¡°Electricity? You mean lightning? I know Westera is good with machines, but I never heard of a ¡®plug-in¡¯ before. You from there?¡±


    ¡°Maybe? Don¡¯t really wanna talk about my past all too much. Even though you practically gave me your life story last night.¡±


    ¡°Bwahaa!! I ain¡¯t gonna kid around it. I know I¡¯m near death and hell, I might croak before the week is out, but even if you toss what I said to the back reaches of your mind, someone out there is going to remember me. That¡¯s all I want. Well, that, and the money to buy medicine for my granddaughter. And if I can do that, then that¡¯s enough for me. That¡¯s all I can do.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then here. Take this." Servi reached into her pouch and took out her share of the reward.


    Old Man shook his head, and Servi sighed, increasing the ferocious tone in her voice. ¡°Take it, yeah? If not, then I might have to pay a visit to the Warden office to tell a certain scarred girl a certain relative came to visit.¡±


    Death flashed across his eyes for just a moment, but Servi wasn¡¯t scared.


    ¡°Think of it this way. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m going to be alive either. We don¡¯t know what the future holds for people like us, who hold children at knifepoint. If I can do just a little bit of good in my shitty life, then let me. Okay? Just take the money and use it to buy that medicine. You said it was expensive.¡±


    ¡°Fine. But didn¡¯t you say you needed money?¡± reaching out with regret and a dash of appreciation, Old Man carefully pocketed the money.


    ¡°I do, but hell, I can get a 100 a night just by sleeping with Carrie. And we still have five or six days until whatever event is happening. Who knows, one of us might be picked to meet the Boss. Even if none of that happens, I have ways of getting money,¡± said Servi.


    ¡°Hmm, then why--¡±


    ¡°No questions,¡± Servi opened the door, ¡°Let¡¯s go get something to eat.¡±

 Book Three – Chapter Five – Part Two – The Act of Subterfuge and Sabotage

    It turned out that the area Servi first met Carrie was not the cafeteria. It was more like a living/community room for those off duty or with nothing to do. The actual canteen was located further back towards the middle of the base. And like Servi thought, it wasn¡¯t free.


    Why would a terrible place have something so organized and neat looking? It doesn¡¯t make sense, and these people don¡¯t deserve it! Itarr commented.


    And she was right. Compared to the community room she saw earlier, the spotless canteen didn''t befit the criminal organization.  Such cleanliness was right at home in a noble''s mansion or an exotic resort for the ultra-wealthy.


    Spanning the entire length of the back wall was a self-serve style buffet. But to get to it, one had to pass by a fenced-off area via a gate that held a damaged gray Koena. His left arm was entirely devoid of scales, allowing the pulsing red skin to be on display. The sign nearby said it was a ten dupla a plate, plus an extra five for a spoon. A cup of hot coffee or warm water was an extra 10 or 5 dupla, respectively.


    And that was for a single plate. A little note at the bottom of the sign said that if someone wanted to go back for seconds, then it¡¯ll be another 10 dupla.


    Servi thought that lunch policy was doltish, but the area behind the fence was nearly slammed packed with ravenous Mafia members vying to fill their empty stomachs.


    ¡°25 dupla for a fucking meal and coffee?!¡± Servi exclaimed.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s better than having to eat two eyes because you wanted to interfere. You ever tried to eat eyes before?!¡± A voice came from nearby.


    Servi turned to her left and saw a blue Singi sitting at a decrepit table that looked like it was on its last legs. After not replying, the Singi scoffed and shoveled food into his mouth using his hands.


    Ignoring him, Servi and Old Man walked over to the Koena.


    ¡°What you want?¡±


    ¡°Give me the coffee,¡± replied Servi. She took out ten dupla and handed it to him.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not waste money, but I gotta eat. Just get me the single plate,¡± Old Man said.


    After paying him, the Koena flicked open the gate and allowed the two to enter. Inside, Servi saw a brown Kobold with no fur or scales. His arms crossed, his eyes scanned long and hard over anyone who wanted to snatch something they didn¡¯t pay for.


    When she reached the end of the buffet table, Servi grabbed a cup of coffee and walked out through a second gate. After finding a nearby table, she sat down and waited for Old Man. Considering his age, Servi figured it¡¯ll be a few before Old Man stumbled over, so it was time to survey her surroundings. As she did, she took out a coin and flipped it.


    The first thing of note was a Singi with the number ¡®8¡¯ carved into his wrist. Orange tail and blue eyes, he was bald with nary a scrap of hair on his head except for his orange ears.


    The thought of snapping his neck then and there crossed her mind, but she decided against it. If she wanted to make a 5th come here, then it couldn¡¯t be unwarranted deaths. It would have to be something serious that couldn¡¯t be hand-waved away. She would have to cause a scandal by setting up a fight or a betrayal.


    ¡°There has to be something I can take advantage of. I wonder if that cat has any enemies..." she muttered as she drunk her coffee. It was plain, tasting like regular hot water, only littered with a few raw beans at the bottom.  It certainly wasn''t worth the dupla she paid for it.


    Shaking her head in disgust, Servi glanced around. Other than the bald Singi and a few others, the seats were empty.  She took another look at the buffet and realized that was where everyone else was at.  Until they sat down, her scouting would have to wait, and to pass the time, Servi forced herself to drink the water-like coffee.


    ¡°Only the coffee?¡± asked Old Man when he sat down a few minutes later. His plate was filled to the edge with some type of oatmeal-like substance. Mushy and brown, it didn¡¯t give off the best aroma. He saw Servi stare at his breakfast. ¡°Don¡¯t know what it¡¯s called, but it the only thing they had. Food is good, though.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Taste like water, though. Don¡¯t recommend it,¡± Servi flipped her coin one last time and caught it between her index and middle finger.


    ¡°Best to use the coffee maker in our room,¡± he replied with a handful of ¡®breakfast¡¯ in his mouth. ¡°And that¡¯s some impressive flipping.¡±


    Servi took another sip right when something interesting happened. From the far-right hallway, a group of two people entered the room.


    Both were Kobold, but they were arguing. The topic? Servi didn¡¯t know, but that was fine. She could certainly take advantage of this.


    Setting her cup down, she focused on the movements the two made as they paid the Koena for access to the buffet. As soon as he opened the gate, Servi used Telekinesis to slam the Koena¡¯s arm down, closing it in the process.


    ¡°Jackpot¡­¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Hey, the fuck was that for?!¡± the leftmost Kobold roared. She was light green. Fur and scales covered her large body as she pulled a dagger from her chest sheath. Her total lack of skin was something of a rarity.


    The Koena backed up. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. You¡¯re too fucking dumb to figure that out. Why would I cause trouble for people I don¡¯t care about?! I¡¯m just trying to make some money, that¡¯s all.¡±


    The Singi with the ¡®8¡¯ on his wrist sighed and stood up. He made his way towards the group.


    Servi noticed his plate and knife were left alone and decided to throw her plan into action. If he didn¡¯t have any enemies, she could make some for him.


    Grabbing onto the knife and plate with Telekinesis, Servi launched them at the Singi, who instinctively ducked down. His sensitive ears picked up an odd noise, and he barely avoided the two projectiles by a hairsbreadth.


    ¡°AAAHHHH!!¡± the rightmost Kobold cried out from surprise when the plate shattered off his large body while the knife slammed into him. He was dark green and carried a large sword on his back. With blood pouring from his shoulder blade, he simultaneously drew his weapon and turned around.


    ¡°Whoever the fuck threw that, COME FUCKING FORWARD!!! RIGHT NOW!!¡± yelled the Singi. His bald head pulsed with fury while his tail whipped in anger.


    ¡°Well, well. I guess we have some entertainment to go with our breakfast. Say, Williana.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Servi smiled. It was like she was the puppet master, and the Mafia her puppets. With just a little bit of imagination, she could manipulate those around her. If someone did suspect her and demanded a look at her ID, that was fine. It said she was a lowly Rank 10 with Protection and a few other Rank 10 skills. She wasn¡¯t blessed. More accurately, she was supposed to be as weak as they came, and she could play off that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you were observing that knife? It looked like it picked up and tossed itself.¡±


    ¡°Did it? I wasn¡¯t paying attention. Hey, how much longer until we need to meet up with Carrie?¡±


    ¡°Carrie? First name basis already? And two hours from now, at 11 AM. The clock¡¯s up there,¡± Old Man pointed to a corner of the room with a mushy brown hand before going back to his food.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m going to go see what I can find. If I¡¯m going to be living here, I¡¯d best familiarize myself with everything.¡±


    Amiss the backdrop of the bald Singi and two Kobold yelling, Servi came up with the plan to frame one of them for the other¡¯s death.


    ¡°Very well. See you then, I guess.¡±


    After pushing her chair in, she picked the northernmost hallway, or whatever direction she assumed was north and began to walk. As she did, she looked back at the growing disturbance. The Singi had torn the knife from the Kobold¡¯s shoulder, and the two were yelling at each other. Since it was getting interesting, Servi sat back down at a nearby table and crossed her legs. Her one eye watched with great interest.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t fucking stab you!¡± the cat-man yelled.


    ¡°Yes. You. Did,¡± replied the injured Kobold. The light green one held her hands up to push the Singi but stopped when her throat was lightly pierced by the dagger he frightfully gripped.


    ¡°Enough!!!¡± With two swift punches, the bald Singi brought both Kobolds to their knees. ¡°You! The jackass with the red fucking shirt. Take these two to the hole,¡± after commanding and pointing to a nearby Koena guard, the Singi walked away towards the hallway Servi planned on exploring.


    She nodded at him, but that seemed to piss him off even more. Increasing his pace, he stormed down the corridor and took a left. After looking back at the two Kobolds, Servi saw they were being led through a door off in the corner. Whether or not it was this ¡®hole¡¯ was unknown to her.


    Regardless, the board was set, and it was time for her to move the pieces. Her idea was to kill the Singi and plant it on the two Kobold. They would have the perfect motive. She didn¡¯t account for this ¡®hole,¡¯ but she could work around it. Her one choice was to decide how to go about it. If the ¡®hole¡¯ was a prison cell, she could absorb the chains and leave the Singi¡¯s corpse near it. Or even inside the cell, if she chooses to.


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s my option. And if I let off a powerful Smokescreen every night, I can tank Deset¡¯s reputation. Like I said earlier, I just need a single 5th to show up. Momo was kidnapped on Saturday night, yesterday, and today is Sunday¡­ Then I have six days before this event. But the reports are due on Thursday since Friday is for deliberation. That is if Carrie can be trusted. If she can, then I¡¯m a shoo-in. So realistically, Friday is my limit. Let¡¯s say I do get chosen. Will a 5th come here? Or will it be a letter telling me where to go?¡±


    Servi? What are you going to do?


    Servi re-crossed her legs. ¡°But if I tank the reputation, then wouldn¡¯t that decrease the chance of me being picked? Or would I stand out more in a field of trash? Would it be like a single diamond surrounded by sludge? Being chosen is the safer route, but I don¡¯t know if the Boss will keep his word. Causing harm until a top dog needs to come set everything in line is quicker, potentially, but it''s also riskier¡­.But if a 5th comes here on Friday to deliver the letter or to tell me to be ready for Saturday, then I can grab him, torture the info out, and destroy all of the bases during the night. Then swing by and rescue Momo.


    ¡°Because realistically, a 5th or a 4th or any of the other lower ones should have maps of all the bases. I can get the maps, destroy the bases¡ªno, I can slaughter them all and absorb their bodies. That way, it seems like they all disappeared. I know for sure I can do this base in twenty or thirty minutes. But that all assumes¡­. Damnit, Servi. I guess we¡¯re going to have to play it by ear. There¡¯s no use in assuming since anything could change in a second. Especially when dealing with the criminal life.¡±


    After monologuing to herself once again, Servi stood up and followed the Singi down the hallway. The noise of her shoes accidentally scraping the hallway produced a short but jarring sound. She waited for a moment for someone to come, but no one did.


    After rounding the only turn ahead of her, she was met with a fork in the road. Being a place that wouldn¡¯t benefit from it, there were no navigational signs or placards dictating which way went where.


    ¡°Guess I should flip a coin,¡± with heads left and tail right, she flicked it.


    Suddenly, it was grabbed out of the air by the same man she was trying to follow. Within moments, she had a bloody dagger pressed against her pretty little throat.


    ¡°Here¡¯s some advice, kiddo. Don¡¯t be noisy or talk to yourself like some sort of freak when you¡¯re tailing someone, alright? Now, explain what the fuck you were doing before I rip your head off and skin you alive.¡±


    ¡°Dumb fuck, I¡¯d be dead, not alive. You¡¯d want to skin me first,¡± replied Servi with a chuckle. With creative use of her Absorption, the dagger disappeared. Alarmed, the Singi stepped back and put his hands up.


    Itarr attempted to activate Soul Essence of Primal Combat but failed. As of that very moment, she was locked out of her own powers. It was as if Servi¡¯s soul took over and dominated the soul it was connected to.


    I CAN¡¯T EVEN HELP YOU!!! WHY?!?! IS THIS MY PUNISHMENT??!?!?!


    ¡°I guess I¡¯d be alive. After all, I can¡¯t die. But I can¡¯t say the same for you. Now, won¡¯t you let me kill you?¡± Servi replied. Walking forwards, the Singi jabbed with his left and right with enough force to crack a jaw. Unfortunately for him, Servi used enough stacks of Protection to prevent her from taking damage. If anything, the Singi received more damage since he was punching the equivalent of a boulder reinforced by layers of metal.


    ¡°What the fuck are you?¡± the Singi demanded as he kept his guard up. His eyes darted to the left and right. Should he escape? If so, should he double back and run to the cafeteria? Should he race the hall? His mind did the calculations, but they were interrupted by the voice of the girl in front of him.


    ¡°I am a Mad Dog,¡± replied Servi. Her mouth twisted into a mischievous grin as she slightly tilted her head. ¡°Your Boss personally destroyed my cage and tore my leash when he kidnapped my best friend. And although I wish I could make this encounter last longer, I can¡¯t. But let me ask you one thing. Do you know the location of a 5th base? Or a 4th?¡±


    The Singi spat on the floor and punched again. His mouth shared no words with those he considered traitors. When he realized fighting wouldn''t get him anywhere fast, he turned around. Running away was his only option if he wanted to survive.


    ¡°I figured it wouldn¡¯t be this easy. If only I could take out the whole town¡­¡± Servi sighed. A moment later, the bald Singi fell to the floor while clutching his heart and throat. Crouching down, the one-eyed assailant explained. ¡°Right now, I have your chest in the palms of my hand. And I could snap your throat here and now. I want to skin you alive since you threatened me with it, but cleaning up the blood would be too much work. I guess I settle with this, then. Goodbye, 8th. I hope your life had meaning.¡±


    Servi increased her Telekinetic hold on his neck until it snapped 90 degrees to the right. Once a red soul floated to her ring, she absorbed the body and walked down the left fork.


    Hey, we got the body. Why are we still walking?


    She soon came to a hallway of rooms. None were numbered or marked, so she didn¡¯t know their purpose. After plopping the 8th¡¯s corpse on the ground, she searched the pockets of the Singi''s tan pants and found a key. She reabsorbed his corpse and tried the key on each of the five doors until the one at the end clinked open.


    ¡°Guess it must be his room. Awfully empty, though,¡± Servi said. Other than a small bed with black covers, two sets of dressers, and a closet full of tattered clothes, the place was devoid of any personalization. She quietly closed the door and began to rummage, starting with the two dressers.


    The smaller one had clothes and dupla, while the bigger one was empty. Servi couldn¡¯t even find a spec of dust.


    Seemed like he took care of it. Do you smell soap?


    ¡°Shit, nothing. What about the closet?¡± After making her way to the door, she opened it to reveal nothing. Like the larger dresser, it was also empty and devoid of anything. ¡°Damnit! Maybe he didn¡¯t have any enemies, and he was a loner? If so, then I don¡¯t know how much this is going to do. I want to search some more, but I wished I had something to make me invisible¡­ Wait, can''t I... Damnit, Servi, did you forget what you¡¯re actually capable of?¡±


    Summoning her ID, Servi scouted down until she saw a skill called The Shadow¡¯s Embrace. It required the user to be Rank 0, but it eliminated the user¡¯s appearance, smell, and sound. Effectively, it removed her from existence. She could manipulate the physical objects of the world, like touching and moving cups and opening doors, but those who witnessed the events wouldn¡¯t register them in their mind. They couldn¡¯t touch her, but it wasn¡¯t as if they could see her in the first place.


    But other than the name, there was something else that caught her attention. The skill''s description told her that a blade made of pure shadow would appear around her right forearm. Whatever wound created by the ability would instantly become infected with pure darkness, and that darkness would swallow up and poison the body from the inside. It didn¡¯t say if it was curable, but if it was, then Servi imagined the cure was something extravagant to counteract such a powerful effect.


    It also required the user to pony up 700 Potential, but Servi only had a bit more than half.


    Once again, Servi sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can kill enough to get the amount needed without arousing suspicion. Guess I need to be careful.¡±


    After breaking her ID and absorbing the residue dust, she cracked open the door to the hallway and stepped out. By her estimate, she had maybe an hour and forty-five minutes to continue her search.


    ¡°Better make the best of it,¡± she said as she tested the doorknob next to her. It was locked. Servi thought about what to do for a few precious seconds before deciding to absorb the whole thing. After stepping through the newly opened doorway, she placed it back up behind her.


    ¡°It¡¯s so fucking disgusting¡­¡± Servi whimpered. Dirty clothes and trash filled a corner of the filthy room. There was a large desk covered with a brown sticky material that Servi didn¡¯t want to go anywhere near. However, on the well-made bed nearby, Servi spotted a brown journal lying on a fluffy white pillow. She retrieved it using Telekinesis and flipped through the pages.


    It was brand-new, and only the first five pages had info, but what Servi found was good enough for her.


    ¡°This belongs to a Miss Eletri, an Elf with yellow hair and a lightning bolt scar. It says here she was promoted recently to a 7th. Oh ho, and what¡¯s this? She wrote that she hates Singi and Koena and believes Elves should be dominant? She¡¯s a racist¡­. Wow, she even wrote down her mission details¡­.. Alright, she¡¯s coming back later today, and I think I know how to frame her.¡±


    After projecting her consciousness inside the ring, Servi began to write a letter that would be critical.


    I am an observer for the Boss, and I say this with a heavy heart. Upon investigation of one Eletri, a 7th, I can safely say that she poses a threat to the Mafia and our core values of loyalty. The proof is in her diary, where she stated that she hates Singi and Koena. But that¡¯s not all. The disgusting state of her room is being used to hide the corpses of our fellow members. I expect you all to investigate for yourselves and proceed accordingly. I''ll repeat myself for clarity: do not make the wrong choice. If you do, then the full fury of the Mafia will descend upon Deset like the rage carried within the souls of the traitors I¡¯ve killed to protect my home. Once you make the correct choice, use the emergency contact to send the following message, ¡®Traitor is dead. We are waiting for further instructions.'' That is all. Itarr said, reading the letter to herself.


    It went without saying that there might not be such a thing as an emergency contact. But the chances were high. If something unexpected were to happen, then there had to be a way to contact HQ. And if not headquarters, then a high-ranking member, who had the authority to make tough choices, would have to be within reach.


    ¡°If that doesn¡¯t get anyone here, then I don¡¯t know what will. Carrie told me that observers are everywhere. Well, I¡¯d imagine a couple Numbered are observers, so this is sure to get the ball rolling. All I need is a few quick lies, and I convince Carrie I found this,¡± replied Servi. ¡°Oh, I need to forge the diary. Or try to, anyway. If not, then it¡¯s no big deal. All I gotta do is change a few things.¡±


    After absorbing the diary, Servi projected herself into the ring once more. An idea popped into her head, and after trying it out for a few minutes, she laughed. Servi had made an astonishing discovery. While within the ring, she had perfect control over the objects stored inside. That included pencils and other writing utensils. With such precise precision, forging someone''s handwriting was simpler than breathing, and Servi took full advantage of that.


    The language was symbol-based, but Eletri had a particular way of writing that involved making lines longer or shorter than they needed to be.


    ¡°I know I need to start on my plan. To start off, I¡¯m going to kill every single Singi and Koena I can find. It¡¯s a good thing I can hide the corpses underneath the trash. That should hide them long enough for me to come back and dispose of them properly. If I come across Singi or Koena Mafia members, then I should take care of them, too. They don¡¯t deserve to bask and be blessed by the Mafia!!! It¡¯s a good thing I know where the secret exit is,¡± Servi said, reading the amended entry.


    ¡°Haha!!! When they ask for proof in her diary, she¡¯ll obviously give it to them because she didn¡¯t write this. And that¡¯s what makes this so wonderful. She¡¯ll purposely turn herself in. Now then, time to do some cleaning. It¡¯s a good thing the shit bags who ambushed us we''re mostly Koena and Singi,¡± after putting the diary back on the white pillow, Servi removed a few mutilated corpses from her ring. "It''s a good thing I kept these."


    It was a horrific sight that wouldn¡¯t be out of place in a serial killer¡¯s basement or attic. Once all were decently hidden and disguised under the mountains of trash, Servi absorbed the door, left, and put it back.


    Her destination this time was the mysterious location known as the ¡®hole.¡¯. Hopefully, she''d have the chance to dispose of the bald Singi''s corpse and create a new thread of controversy. She didn¡¯t have the best feeling in the world about this setup. First, it wouldn¡¯t make sense for him to visit the hole to amuse himself at the two Kobolds¡¯ expense. At least, not based on what she gathered from his room. Second, it wasn¡¯t that believable that he would step into the hole where he would have a chance of dying or getting injured.


    ¡°Might as well get it over with,¡± Servi said upon entering the cafeteria. She searched around for Old Man and found him sitting at the same table.


    ¡°You still here?¡± she walked over and sat down, cringing at the squeaking noise the chair made when she slid it out.


    ¡°I am. Don¡¯t have much to do until we meet up with 9th to get our next ask. Where did you go?¡±


    Servi leaned back and stretched. ¡°Followed that bald Singi. He didn¡¯t like it and threatened me. I walked away and explored a bit more until I got bored. Say, do you know what the ¡®hole¡¯ is?¡±


    Old Man shook his head. ¡°I know it¡¯s down that way, but that¡¯s all,¡± he pointed towards a door not-so-subtly hidden in the corner of the room. ¡°Why?¡±


    Servi stood up. ¡°I''m gonna go check it out. I feel anxious when I have to rest,¡± after lying, she entered through the door after passing by tables of her fellow Mafia members. Some had blood dripping from their face and arms. Others were forcing their bodies to stay awake. And two, in particular, were popping back White Monotonia like they were candy.


    "Ain''t nothing more than goddamn druggies," she whispered as the door closed behind her.

 Book Three – Chapter Five – Part Three – The Act of Subterfuge and Sabotage

    The first thing she saw was two guards standing side by side against a large, Kobold-sized hole in the wall. The ground, walls, and floors were dirt, which was odd since everything else was tile, wood, or concrete. It was like this place was a literal hole, or at least led down to one.


    After closing the door behind her, the light died out. Only a few brave candles fought off the impending darkness. But she wasn¡¯t afraid of the dark, so she walked forward until the guards held a hand out.


    ¡°Gonna have to ask you to stop right there and leave,¡± said a Singi on the right. His hair and ears were orange, and his tail white. A small rusted spear rested by his side.


    ¡°You¡¯re new here, aren¡¯t you?¡± said the Human on the left. His chest was exposed, revealing a large number 9.


    ¡°I am. I suppose you¡¯re a 9th?¡± replied Servi. She retrieved a coin and flipped it as the three talked.


    ¡°Great. You can see. You need to leave unless you wanna be thrown in there,¡± the fire from the candles reflected off the coin¡¯s reflective surface.


    ¡°Sorry, but no can do.¡± After flipping the coin one last time, and while it was in the air, Servi snapped both of their necks. She absorbed the bodies and caught the dupla at the same time. Since the guards were dead, Servi proceeded through the hole in the wall and trekked down the hill. It was steep enough for her to angle her body and slide down it, using one foot for balance and the other for control.


    A few seconds later, Servi reached a flat surface, and that was when she saw it. The person who christened the ungodly object in front of her gave that thing the name ''hole'' literally.


    ¡°It has to be at least fifteen meters wide, and I don¡¯t even wanna know how deep it is. It¡¯s so dark¡­.¡±


    After using a few Lux Spheres and raising the hood of her cloak, Servi lowered the floating sources of light deeper and deeper until she heard a large number of screams and cries for help. After making it bigger, she saw it.


    Crowded body to body, the hundreds of naked bodies all pushed against one another. Waste and excrement from all different races almost covered the bottom-most layer of people. And there was no doubt in Servi¡¯s mind that most of the people she saw were dead, suffocated by shit, piss, and the smell of decaying bodies.


    But that wasn¡¯t the worst part. In the distance, Servi saw a small pile of bodies in a large, crimson-filled tub. They were baby-sized, and each one had a slit from the neck down to their stomach. It was as if they were meant for tossing the little corpses down into the pit. Some even had their little eyeballs plucked out. But strangely enough, there were only Human babies to be found. Not that it didn¡¯t make the scene any less gut-wrenchingly horrific, it was something that Servi observed in the quick instant before she vomited.


    ¡°Fuck! I mutilated and ripped off heads, but I don¡¯t fucking do this!! God fucking damnit!!! The Mafia is a diseased limb that deserves to be pruned. Babies?! Fucking babies?!?! Fuck the plan! I need to put these people out of their misery! Why the¡ªGGGUUUUU!!!¡± Servi kneeled over, vomiting the rest of her watered-down coffee. It splattered against the dirty ground, doing absolutely nothing to combat the overwhelming stench of sin and death.


    Is this the true nature of people? Why do such a thing¡­. And why the babies and children¡­.? Servi, I¡¯m¡­..I don¡¯t feel good¡­¡­


    Pulling out her ID, Servi quickly searched for some skill, but her nerves were shaking so badly she couldn¡¯t concentrate. It was hard to believe, but the situation with Parrel¡¯s torture room didn¡¯t compare in the slightest. It was like putting a cat up against a tiger or a wooden shack against a metal building.


    Her nerves got to the best of her, and she slammed her ID down. ¡°Fuck it. It¡¯s going to be painful for a moment, but this is all I can do. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t do more¡­¡± Using Earth Wall, Servi made a round piece big enough to fit the hole. Then using Telekinesis, she lowered it down until she felt some resistance.


    She went further, lowering it until she heard the cries of those unluckily enough to still be alive. It wasn¡¯t long until they were silenced.


    Going even further, the rising sea of waste and excrement overflowed the rim of the hole, prompting Servi to walk back up against the hill.


    ¡°Fuck the Mafia¡­. I can¡¯t destroy these fuckers quick enough¡­.¡± she said as she forced the piece into the hole for good. 174 red souls rushed towards her as if she was their fatal savior who put them out of their misery.


    The piece of Earth Wall she created was a perfect fit, but she wouldn¡¯t dare walk on such an object whose foundation was made up of hundreds of corpses. It would be disrespectful.


    ¡°But why¡­ Even after seeing that¡­.. Why can¡¯t I cry¡­.? Am I broken? Why can¡¯t I fucking cry¡­.?¡± Servi whimpered as she took a deep breath. ¡°I need to stay strong for Momo. But if I find out that Carrie knew about this and actually enjoyed this, I might just go with plan C. Fucking the Mafia and fuck this town for submitting to their desire in the first place. Maybe I should nuke it off the face of the world?¡±


    Servi struggled to come with answers of any kind as she ascended the hill. She heard a sharp crack behind her, and the Earth Wall she used crumbled into dust. Even at her craziest and most depraved, she knew she couldn¡¯t live with herself if she went back and glanced in the hole. Her mind probably couldn¡¯t take the sheer depravity of the situation.


    ¡°Hehe, maybe I¡¯m not a total monster after all. A monster, yes, one with nary any redeeming qualities, but at least I¡¯m not like that bald Singi. Speaking of which, better dispose of the trash,¡± Servi was about halfway up the hill when she took out the bald Singi¡¯s corpse. Its neck still leaning 90 degrees to the side, she tossed it down the incline and faintly heard a quiet plop. ¡°You deserve to be buried with the disgrace you made. Goodbye and good riddance, the world won¡¯t miss you¡­.¡±


    After saying a little prayer for the children and unfortunate bastards in the hole, Servi opened the door to the cafeteria and promptly closed it. At the same time, she used Earth Wall to silently and subtly fill in the area immediately behind the door so it would not open. If the Mafia wanted to enter, then they¡¯d best be prepared to do the work.


    ¡°How was the hole?¡±


    Plopping down, Servi sighed and answered Old Man. ¡°Not good. It¡¯s so nasty. And oddly enough, I didn¡¯t see any guards. Why don¡¯t we go see Carrie and see if we can do our task early? I¡¯m tired of waiting.¡±


    ¡°It makes no difference to me, but will she be in the room?¡± Old Man stood up.


    ¡°Probably. If not, might as well use the coffee maker to make something palatable.¡±


    ¡°Ohoho! I see that nasty-ass coffee is getting to you,¡± Old Man chuckled as the two made their way back to their temporary rooms.


    Upon opening the door, they saw Carrie asleep at the table. She rested her sleeping head with her right hand. Seeing that her handler was totally defenseless, Servi took the time to strike. After creeping around to her back, she reached down and blew into those furry ears.


    ¡°WWAAAHHHH!!!¡± Carrie cried, getting to her feet. She used Instant Retrieval to retrieve her spear but stopped when she saw it was only Servi and Old Man.


    ¡°Damnit, Williana!¡± she yelled as tears streamed down her eyes, thrusting her arms down like a child throwing a tantrum. Her long tail erected up and frayed, becoming proof of her anger.


    ¡°Come down, Carrie. You get so worked up you won¡¯t be able to enjoy tonight, yeah?¡± Servi sat down and took a coin from her pouch. She mindlessly flipped it as Old Man and Carrie both joined her.


    ¡°Alright, smart ass, keep it up, and I won¡¯t recommend you.¡±


    Servi shrugged and called her bluff. ¡°Fine with me, but l doubt your fingers would be a suitable replacement. I can do what no other woman can,¡± she stuck out her tongue and snaked it up and down.


    Carrie smacked the table. ¡°Fine! Just give me some respect!! I AM ranked higher than you!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s acceptable. Oh, one thing. What¡¯s the deal with the hole?¡±


    ¡°That?¡± Carrie scoffed. ¡°It¡¯s a pet project of one of the Numbered. Whereas I like to skin people, that bald cat likes to toss people into a shitty hole. I don¡¯t know why, but he¡¯s so fond of it. It¡¯s not pretty, and I¡¯m fucked up because I drink blood, and I admit that, but I¡¯d never, ever throw someone into that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you licked my neck when I killed that Kobold. Never heard of someone drinking blood before.¡±


    Carrie slammed the table once more. ¡°Got a fucking problem with it?¡± Her sudden anger did little too frightened Old Man, who believed he had experienced it all. Servi kept a pleasant smile and spoke with a simple, easy-going tone.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. I said that I never knew someone who did that. If you want to drink blood, then fine by me. It doesn¡¯t bother me in the slightest. Oh yeah, some guy in a mask gave me this letter when I tried to find the shitter,¡± Servi retrieved the letter she wrote and innocently acted confused. Her second plan was about to begin.


    ¡°Masked man?" Carrie''s anger dissolved like salt in a warm glass of water. Let me see. Have you read it?¡± Carrie unfolded the letter and silently read it.


    ¡°Nah, he gave me orders to give it to a Numbered. And since you¡¯re my handler, I waited until I saw you. To be honest, it sounds important, but there was no seal. A part of me wants to believe it¡¯s fake, but I don¡¯t know. The man had a sense of urgency in his vo¡ª¡±


    ¡°THAT FUCKING LITTLE BITCH!!!!!¡± Carrie roared with anger as she rushed out of the room. Even from down the hall, Servi could hear the faint remnants of her voice. ¡°THAT FUCKING TRAITOR!! I KNOW SHE WAS GOINF TO DI SOMEJRIBWB!!!!¡± eventually, it all became anger-infused gibberish, and neither Servi nor Old Man could decipher it.


    ¡°I wonder what was in the letter?¡± he asked.


    Servi walked over to the coffee maker. ¡°Don¡¯t know. Hey, how do you work this thing?¡±


    Old Man stood up and retrieved a cup and coffee beans from the back of the device. ¡°Move, and I¡¯ll show you,¡± he lifted the top part of the machine and deposited the beans, then he sat the cup underneath a hole. ¡°You push this switch here and wait. I don¡¯t know how it works, but it makes a damn good pot of coffee.¡±


    The machine spring to life after Servi flicked the switch, and she examined it from all angles. ¡°Water? Where¡¯s it coming from?¡±


    ¡°Beats the hell out of me. Maybe it uses Create Water?¡± Old Man sat back down.


    ¡°Probably.¡± A few seconds later, the machine beeped as the pot filled with brown goodness. Servi grabbed a nearby cup and filled it. Then she took a seat with her piping hot cup of joe. ¡°It smells like actual coffee,¡± she said after sniffing it.


    Before she had a chance to taste it, Carrie slammed open the door and pointed at Servi. ¡°You. With me. Now.¡±


    Groaning, Servi stood up.


    ¡°There¡¯s an emergency meeting, so act respectful, okay? And refer to me as 9th. This is non-negotiable. You got that, Williana?¡±


    ¡°I do. But why do I need to go?¡± Servi felt the dangerous urgency and fright in Carrie¡¯s voice. Figuring it would be a waste of time and awful for her, Servi decided to play it safe and acted totally politely.


    ¡°It¡¯s the letter. Now, come on. Old Man, you do whatever the fuck you want. Depending on what happens, the task might be called off," he did nothing but nod and watched as the door closed.


    ¡°Well, since she¡¯s gone¡­might as well enjoy this abandoned cup of coffee."


    ¡°Tell me again what he looked like. And leave out no small details,¡± ordered a Singi. A 6, carved into his forehead, was raw and scared. Having no cat-ears or tail, he looked like a regular Human without Human ears. Servi thought he looked a bit strange, but she didn''t know the truth until Carrie whispered it to her.


    If he has no ears, then how can he hear us? Itarr wondered.  Though they weren''t communicating, Servi internally asked that same thing.


    ¡°He was tall and had a deep voice. And I didn¡¯t get a look at his face because he had a mask on. I didn¡¯t see a tail, and I didn¡¯t see any furry ears. I didn¡¯t see any pointy ears, either, but they could¡¯ve been hidden inside the mask and pressed against his face,¡± replied Servi. Standing in the center of a circle of bodies, she turned to face the Singi. It was clear to her that he was the one who had the most authoritative power here.


    The room she found herself in was large and threatening. A wide ceiling invoked a foreign sense of vertigo while the few candles sprinkled about multiplied the density of the room, making it feel more ginormous than what it actually was. It was a place designed to maximize the mental stress of a person. The sheer amount of bodies circling her didn¡¯t help much, either. Or at least, it wouldn¡¯t do much for a usual person.


    And as Servi, herself, knew: she wasn¡¯t typical in the slightest.


    ¡°What kind of mask?¡± Carrie asked.


    ¡°It was white or gray, I didn¡¯t get a good look because of the Florescent Lights, but it was featureless. I didn¡¯t see any scars or bright colors or even stains. Oddly enough, it had no eye holes, so I don¡¯t know how he saw. And when he walked away, he didn¡¯t act like he was blind.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what¡¯s in the letter?¡± An Elf in with a 7 carved in the middle of her chest asked. Her tank top was low cut, showing off the scar that she was proud of.


    ¡°I do not. I wanted to hand it to my handler, and I felt like I shouldn¡¯t read it because it wasn¡¯t meant for my eyes,¡± said the girl who wrote the letter.


    ¡°There are some pretty serious accusations written in here. It says my sworn sister, Eletri, is a traitor. It says there are corpses of Singi and Koena hidden beneath the trash in her room, who belong to the Mafia. Tell me this: this letter wouldn¡¯t be the words of a slimy little bitch who wants to get ahead in the Mafia at the cost of others, would it? I¡¯m of the right mind that you wrote this, but Carrie disagrees. Oh, but speaking of that, John Carri isn¡¯t here. He¡¯s the one who recommended you, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am, he is. Last I saw of him, he wasn¡¯t in the best condition. I overheard two men at his side saying he took 10 Pink Monotonia. That was at the Boxcar, though.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case,¡± spoke the featureless Singi, ¡°Why can we not find him? It seems to me that you are responsible for his disappearance. If you have proof to the contrary, then make it known. If not, then your death will not be quick or gentle.¡±


    ¡°6th, I¡¯m not blessed. I only made it to Rank 10 in Warden. Here¡¯s my ID,¡± Servi summoned her ID and handed it to Carrie, who passed it around the Numbered who circled her. Most were quiet, but Servi could feel their stern gaze.


    But for a brief moment, Servi forgot something important. It was something serious that she couldn''t believe she had overlooked something so basic, even after making sure and putting in the work to orchestrate this turn of events.


    The ID had Servi. It did not have her fake name, Williana.


    Servi waited with bated breath for them to discover her real name. Her mind had already thought of fifty Greater Fireballs. All she needed to do was complete the thought, and everyone in the room would burn to death.


    ¡°6th, an ID cannot be forged or scribbled with false truths. Williana is telling the truth. See? Here¡¯s her name, her Warden Rank, and even her skills. From what it looks like, the best thing she can use Protection and Lucem. I don¡¯t think she could¡¯ve killed John Carri,¡± Carrie said. She was pleading to her superiors.


    Servi took a subtle breath of relief and thought it was strange that it didn¡¯t say Servi, but maybe¡­


    Servi, I¡¯m here. I¡¯m always here. I¡¯ll always help you when you need it. I may not be able to use our powers, but as a Goddess, not even your soul can take away my administrative rights to manipulate your ID. I know not why I can, but perhaps I was instrumental in creating them? After all, the dust they produce when broken is absorbed by their wielders¡¯ bodies. And my power is Absorption...


    So she is here¡­.. I¡¯m glad¡­. I¡¯m so very, very glad¡­. She never left in the first place¡­. Servi mouthed those words. Not a single decibel of sound escaped her pretty pink lips, yet on the inside, there was a full-blown party. Her realizing that Itarr was still inside of her felt like the final push of strength she needed to see the undercover operation through to the end.


    ¡°6th, I do believe Carrie is right,¡± said an old Kobold with grey skin. The number ¡®7¡¯ was displayed on his stomach via the manipulation of his black stomach scales. Most were missing, but the few that remained formed his rank. ¡°John might¡¯ve been a lustful display of Human eroticism, but he knew how to fight. And the two bodyguards assigned to him weren¡¯t weak. And based on what I see from this ¡®Williana,¡¯ she has nothing to do with his unexplained disappearance.¡±


    ¡°Even so, that doesn¡¯t explain why an informant of the Boss would use her to send a letter. That never happened in the time I¡¯ve been here, so why now?¡± exclaimed the Elf with the tank top. Servi turned to look at her and realized the 7 almost seemed to be pulsing.


    ¡°None of us has ever laid eyes on the Boss, and none of us know the Boss. Who¡¯s to say that his tactics are beyond our knowledge or understanding? The best thing to do is to verify the claims in this letter and see the truth with our own eyes,¡± the earless Singi narrowed his reddish-brown eyes and stared at Carrie. ¡°I assume you will take responsibility for her actions? She only just joined, and as I recall, you took her under her wing until she can be trusted, yes?¡±


    ¡°6th, I do take responsibility. With my life, if I nee¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean. I want you to punish her the way we would any traitors. You can send her to the hole, or you can skin her alive by ripping pieces of her flesh off. In reality, the full punishment will be inflicted on John whenever he is found. He was the one who originally scouted her, after all.¡±


    Was Carrie willing to die for you? Why? She just met us, and I don¡¯t understand¡­


    Itarr¡¯s thoughts were the same ones that barrier through Servi¡¯s mind. She didn¡¯t understand how or why Carrie would do such a thing.


    The featureless Singi was about to say something else but was stopped by this room¡¯s single door slamming open.


    ¡°6th, I can¡¯t find Salcedo. I searched his room, and I tried to get to the hole, but the door wouldn¡¯t open. I think it¡¯s blocked,¡± the intruder hastily said. He was a Koena, but his arms and legs were red and blue, respectively, while his body was black. On his forehead laid a fleshy, pulsing bit of red skin in the shape of an 8. A triple-colored Koena was quite a rare sight to behold. ¡°I asked around, and I heard mention of a situation with him and two new members.¡±


    The Elf with the 7 ordered the red and blue Koena to continue speaking.


    ¡°There was an altercation this morning,¡± he said as he walked closer, ¡°It had something to do with his knife from breakfast. Someone said he threw it at the Kobolds, while another said the knife launched itself. But they both acknowledged the factual truth that Salcedo ordered a guard to bring them to the hole after hitting them. That¡¯s why I tried to get into it, because I thought he was in there, but the door refused to open.¡±


    ¡°And you, the Human bitch, do you have something to do with this?¡± the 7th correctly accused of Servi, but she had the perfect defense.


    ¡°7th, I do not have Telekinesis in my skill list. Nor do I have any skill capable of blocking a door. The only thing I am guilty of is receiving that letter from the masked man and bringing it to my 9th,¡± Servi said like she was an honor student submitting a report to the headmaster.


    ¡°It seems the best way to settle this is to go to the hole and Eletri¡¯s room ourselves. You, Williana, will come with us until your claims are proven true,¡± said the Singi with no ears or tail. With a swift chant, two metal handcuffs appeared from his Dimensional Storage.


    Servi knew what was coming, so she didn''t put up any resistance when she held out her wrists. Carrie took the cuffs from the 6th. ¡°Just deal with it, alright?" Carrie said. Servi nodded and sighed as the cold metal bindings clasped around her wrists.


    After being led out from the massive room, Servi soon found herself in the middle of a conga-like line of the strongest people in Deset. If she wanted to, she could take out the entire leadership. That was an option, and Servi considered that action might be drastic enough for a 5th to be sent, but it was still too much of a risk. She had to be careful. The slightest fuck up, while safe for her, might put pressure on the Boss. If he got too stressed, there was a chance he''d slit Momo''s throat to get it over with.


    It was like a balancing act, only the stakes were much higher.


    After taking a few lefts and a couple of rights, Servi found herself back in the cafeteria. The door that led to the hole had a line of people in front, and each did their best to open it.


    ¡°Ah, 6th?!¡± exclaimed the blue Singi, who was forced to eat a Kobold''s eyes. He smirked when he saw Servi in cuffs. ¡°We''re trying to open the door, but it¡¯s like something is behind it. And it doesn¡¯t open outwards, only inwards.¡±


    ¡°You, open this door,¡± the 6th pointed to the Kobold with a 7. He nodded and maneuvered his hulking body to the door. With two mighty hands, he poured his pride as a Kobold and pushed with all he could muster. But it didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°6th, that girl there. I saw her go into that door not too long ago,¡± squealed the blue Singi.


    Servi felt an urge to give him a sudden heart attack but fought it back. He¡¯d die soon enough.


    ¡°Well then, it seems like you¡¯re a core suspect to all of our mysteries. What do you have to say for yourself?¡± asked the Elf with a 7.


    Servi had her response all lined up. ¡°I went in and saw a hole in the wall, but no guards. I figured a place like that would have to be important. I went in a little further and made it about halfway down the hill before I ran back. The smell was just too awful. Once I made it to the top, I calmly closed the door and went on my own way. I have no skills or anything to lock a door. You''ve seen my ID, so you know I''m telling the truth.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right! I bet you had something to do with this! Why would someone new actually go into the hole?! And I know you¡¯re lying because there are two guards at every hole!¡±


    Did she say ''every?!'' Servi, does that mean what I think it means¡­.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, 7th, but I saw no guards. They may have been at the bottom, but I couldn¡¯t make it that far,¡± replied Servi.


    The 6th sighed and rubbed his non-existent furry ears. ¡°You, tear it off.¡± The Kobold with a 7 nodded and effortlessly ripped the metallic door with such ease. A solid wall of dirt and rock stood in the doorway.


    I don¡¯t think Feral could¡¯ve ripped it off like that¡­ Kobolds sure are strong¡­ Itarr chirped. She was in a much better mood now that Servi knew she didn''t leave her. Suddenly a thought came into her head. If I use the ID, then couldn¡¯t I talk to her? I should since I can control what it says. Okay, I¡¯ll do it tonight or when we¡¯re alone. Servi! It won¡¯t be too long!!

 Book Three – Chapter Five – Part Four – The Act of Subterfuge and Sabotage

    The 6th continued. ¡°The rest of you, use any skills you can to help with digging out this wall. For those who can''t, use your hands or whatever tools you can find. Some weird shit happened today, but we¡¯re going to get to the bottom of this. Now let¡¯s head to Eletri¡¯s room to straighten this out. For your sake, Williana, you¡¯d best be telling the truth. Such false accusations against the Mafia and its members are not treated lightly. At the very least, you can expect to be tortured and displayed as a deterrent for all who wish to falsely incriminate their allies.¡±


    After dividing the group in two, Servi, Carrie, the 6th, the Elf with a 7, and seven other Numbered made their way down the hallway. Servi smiled when they reached the spot where she had killed the bald Singi Salcedo. As she thought, there was no evidence of even the tiniest thing happening.


    At the fork into the road, Eletri¡¯s sworn sister suddenly asked a question. ¡°Which way is to Eletri¡¯s room?¡± she pointed to Servi.


    Servi simply smiled. ¡°7th, I don¡¯t know. I only know where the cafeteria is, my room, and how to leave. Hell, I even couldn¡¯t find the shitter.¡±


    The 7th scowled, and Servi silently chuckled.


    I guess you were ready for that, weren¡¯t you, Servi? It¡¯s like you¡¯ve been in this situation before¡­. Or maybe a similar situation¡­


    After being told to shut up by the 6th, the group took a left at the fork and stopped in front of a room.


    ¡°This is Eletri¡¯s room, and I don¡¯t smell a damn thing. If there are corpses inside here, we should smell them! She¡¯s nothing but a lying bitch!¡±


    The 6th gave an order for her to calm down as he tried the handle. It was locked. After signing once again, he took out two items from his Dimensional Storage. One was a metal mold of a key, and the other was a sealed jar of brown liquid. After carefully placing the mold into the keyhole, he opened the jar lid and poured it into the mold. Some of the mysterious liquid splattered about, dirtying the gray walls and wooden floors, but it seemed that no one present cared about his mess.


    After he poured the jar, he closed the lid and tossed it into his Dimensional Storage. Next, he an ice skill called Frost Breath. It required the user to be at least Rank 5 in Warden and converted a person¡¯s warm breath into a freezing chill. The 6th blew for just a few moments, causing the liquid inside the mold to expand and break, leaving behind a solid object in the shape of a newly formed key.


    After twisting it, the door slid open to reveal a horrific sight to all but Servi, who subtly grinned.


    ¡°I know some of these men. That¡¯s Rok, isn''t it? I used to work with him back in the day,¡± the 6th said. A serene panic filled his voice, and his body trembled with anger. ¡°And that¡¯s Shimmie. I can recognize those cloudy scales anywhere.¡±


    ¡°No¡­. No! No!! NO NO NO NO NO!!!¡± shouted Eletri¡¯s sworn sister. She saw the diary and immediately went to grab it. Opening it hastily, she scanned through the entries until she found the perfect forged entry amended by Servi.


    ¡°ELETRI, WHY?!!! WE¡­. We¡­..¡± she collapsed to her knees, and the 6th picked the diary she dropped. As he did, Carrie walked around to the corpses and cringed.


    ¡°Holy hell, his chest is wide open. I never knew Eletri had it in her to be ruthless. Hell, even I wouldn¡¯t go this far. And yeah, I recognize that Koena and that Singi.¡±


    ¡°SHE DIDN¡¯T FUCKING DO THIS, CARRIE! It¡¯s impossible!! It has to be!!!!¡± Tears flowed from her eyes, dampening the filthy trash and moisturizing the dried blood underneath her.


    ¡°Dana,¡± the 6th said. ¡°Everything in the letter is true. Williana, you¡¯re hereby cleared from all suspicion,¡± with a quick chant, he produced a key and un-cuffed Servi.


    After rubbing her wrists, Servi asked her 9th what was going to happen. ¡°Eletri was Dana¡¯s sworn sister. They joined together about a year ago. And they were responsible for each other,¡± Carrie whispered. ¡°They¡¯ll both be taken by the 6th and tortured. If they confess to this and anything else they have planned, then the torture stops and gets commuted to immediate death by skinning. But that¡¯s if the info they give is reliable. If it¡¯s not, then the torture gets worse. Right before they die, a healer would be brought in to heal any damage. Then the torture starts over again. It¡¯ll never end.¡±


    That¡¯s brutal¡­ Servi, I do think this is the only way. If it comes to the lives of everyone here or Momo, then I pick Momo every time.


    ¡°Carrie, you can head on back. Even though you¡¯re her handler, let me send the report in. I¡¯m the lowest Numbered here, so it ultimately falls to me. You two, take Dana and send her to the torture room. The rest of you, send out an alert for Eletri for her immediate capture and have all observers work to find her. She needs to pay." Before anyone could carry out the orders the 6th had barked, a messenger ran into the room.


    ¡°6th! It¡¯s the hole!! There¡¯s been a cave-in or something.¡±


    ¡°Explain!¡± he demanded.


    ¡°Sir, the hole¡¯s been squeezed shut, like a giant disk fell inside and crushed everything. And that¡¯s not all. We found the corpse of an 8th. It¡¯s¡­ Salcedo. He was laid on top, like some sort of warning. We believe the cause of death to be by his broken neck.¡±


    ¡°Shit¡­¡± The 6th made a fist and punched the wall, creating a hole half a meter deep.


    ¡°Wait, it couldn¡¯t have been Eletri, right?¡± pleaded Dana. ¡°She¡¯s been on a mission, right? And we have witnesses who saw Salcedo this morning. Hell, it wasn¡¯t even two hours ago that he was still alive.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not for Salcedo, I¡¯ll look into that, but definitely for these poor bastards. She¡¯s a Numbered, so she knew the location of the secret exit. Based on her skills and overall ability, I have no doubt that she could pull this off. Regardless, you were her sworn sister. You two were responsible for each other¡¯s failures and success. And you have failed, miserably. Your death will not be swift, nor will it be painless. Be prepared to atone for your sins of harming the Mafia.¡± After repeating his previous orders, the 6th went to the cafeteria to check on the excavation progress. Carrie and Servi, meanwhile, proceeded to go back to their room. As they did, the sounds of protest coming from Dana were like music to Servi''s ears. They could hear her desperation from two or three corridors away.


    Servi, do you think we have to do more to get a 5th to visit? I¡¯m getting nervous. If I think about it, Salcedo, Dana, and Eletri are all Numbered. They¡¯re in a leadership position. I don¡¯t know how involved they actually were, but maybe it wasn¡¯t enough. Nobody¡¯s panicking. We might find a way to kill the 6th and frame it on someone else. If there¡¯s enough havoc, and Deset is unruly, a 5th would have to come to straighten it out. Maybe we can ask Carrie tomorrow morning about the situation. I know you can¡¯t hear me, but I¡¯ll bring this up when we can finally talk. Umm...one more thing. I love you, Servi.


    Old Man was there in their room, finishing up his stolen cup of coffee. After filling him in on the details, he looked so shocked that he couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°So you mean to tell me that no one knows who killed him?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You remember seeing that Singi alive, right?¡± asked Carrie. She sat down at the table and took a sip of the cup of coffee in front of her. Hot and steamy, it was the perfect treat to wash away the stresses and worries of the adrenaline-filled morning.


    ¡°I do. I remember seeing him walk away. I stayed in the cafeteria for quite a while, but I didn¡¯t see him come back. I only saw Williana there when she stepped through the door to the hole,¡± Old Man said.


    ¡°That lines up with what you told me. Did Williana tell you that there weren¡¯t any guards?¡±


    Old Man nodded.


    ¡°See? I was telling the truth.¡±


    ¡°I do now, but you gotta see it from the Mafia¡¯s side. The day¡ªnot even the day, but only hours after you showed up, we have a Numbered who died by a broken neck and a situation with Eletri, another Numbered. And you were at the center of both incidents. I know from your ID that you only know shitty skills, so I don¡¯t think you could¡¯ve framed Eletri or killed Salcedo.¡±


    Servi scoffed and took a sip of her coffee. ¡°Well, excuse me for knowing shitty skills.¡±


    ¡°Look, let¡¯s just throw all that shit behind us and get on to your next task. We need you two to go into the city and sell some Monotonia,¡± Carrie said. She emptied her cup and tossed it into the trash can before rubbing her hands through her red hair. They lightly rubbed against her furry ears, which happily twitched.


    ¡°It seems too easy. What¡¯s the catch?¡± Servi replied.


    ¡°They¡¯re White Monotonia, and you need to get more than the selling price.¡±


    ¡°How much is the selling price? If I remember right, it was 20 or so dupla for a quarter pink, right?¡± Servi responded.


    ¡°That sounds about right,¡± Old Man pipped up.


    ¡°That¡¯s only at the Boxcar. Usually, whites go for around 30 a quarter. But those are pink, not white. Pink¡¯s are more expensive because of the pleasure that you feel. The white one makes you feel like you¡¯re on cloud nine without the anger from the Red Monotonia or the lust from the Pink Monotonia.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so how much do we need to get for them?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°More than 10 a quarter, or 40 total for one pill. You each will get a bag of eleven. If you want, you can take a pill out and keep it as part of your payment, or you can go ahead and sell it. Regardless, you two need to come back with over 400 dupla each. If you can scam some shit head into paying more, then great.¡± Carrie walked into her room at the back. When she came back a second later, she slammed two small bags on the table.


    Old Man asked Carrie a question when she sat down. ¡°Do we have anything else to do after completing this task?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you do. I can¡¯t say anything more than that. Now, if there aren¡¯t any more questions, go ahead and fuck off.¡±


    ¡°Fine. See ya later, Carrie,¡± Servi said, grabbing a bag. Even if she gave them away for free, she had the dupla in her ring to cover the cost almost 100,000 times over.


    Old Man grabbed his bag and joined his bald friend as she held open the door for him. After a quick thank you, the two headed through Deset, up to the community room, ascended the dank staircase, and made their way through the glass door.


    The sun was shining mighty hot, and there was nary a breeze to help cool the citizens of Arcton off.


    Covering her eye with one hand, Servi spoke. ¡°If I was going to sell pills, I would want to go to the richest part of town. Old Man, you know where that is?¡±


    Wiping the accumulating sweat off his brown, he nodded. ¡°You would think it was where we were at last night, but there is a place even richer. However, it''s hard to get to. It¡¯s blocked off and guarded to make sure the poor and undesirables can¡¯t get to it. People like us, basically.¡±


    ¡°Then lead the way. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to gain access. If not, then we just need to find a way to squeeze in. Hell, maybe someone can start a distraction.¡±


    Even if you have to kill? Itarr asked.


    ¡°Very well then. Follow me,¡± Old Man said as he walked away in a particular direction. Servi followed close behind as she brainstormed a way to gain access. But before she could make any concrete plans, she had to see the area and defenses for herself.


    ¡°See? I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve ever been through there, but the only way to go to the rich, rich part of town is through there. The thing is, it¡¯s imposs¡ªOh, look!¡± Old Man said, peeking out from behind a wall.


    He and a certain bald girl with one eye were about ten or fifteen meters away from a scroungy-looking hobo trying to gain passage through a small gate. It was embedded into a solid brick wall, which prevented people from this side¡ªthe side Old Man and Servi were on¡ªfrom peeking through to the fabled rich part of the district. The place where Servi bought the wooden figurine and the area where Dal''s armor shop stood didn''t compare at all to the sanctuary hidden behind the wall in front of them. The guards didn¡¯t let just anyone in; that¡¯s why Itarr had to clean the blood off of Servi¡¯s clothes, but the rules were far less strict.


    The guard, clad in his expensive metal armor, drew a small wooden scythe from his side. In a single, well-defined motion, he hooked the blade around the back of the man¡¯s neck and yanked down. Simultaneously, the guard lifted his left leg and kneed the homeless man in the chin. He cried out and gargled blood mixed with teeth.


    It was a horrific sight, but one that reminded Servi of what she did to Arty in the tournament.


    ¡°See? He didn¡¯t even say anything, and he¡¯s been clocked in the jaw,¡± Old Man sighed and looked away, leaning up against the wall. A small boy pushing a baby stroller wondered by, locking eyes with Old Man. No doubt he was one of those observers Carrie mentioned.  The only question was what base did he belong to.


    A few seconds later, a second guard, with a metal pole on his back, emerged from behind the gate. The guard with the scythe moved out of the way and allowed the metal pole-wielding guard to drag the homeless man through. All the while, the surprising amount of people who filtered through the filthy streets acted like it was a daily occurrence. The two old women who chatted by the window never even stopped their conversation.


    ¡°How are we gonna get in?¡± Servi asked. Frankly, she already had a way to get in. Her plan was to use Telekinesis to simply snap the guard¡¯s neck, but that kind of bully behavior wouldn¡¯t always work in her favor. She knew there was going to come a time where snapping a neck wouldn¡¯t solve her problems.


    ¡°You need to look the part. By that, I mean we have to lose the clothes and change into something more ''noblish.¡¯ Wait, you see that?¡± Old Man pointed to the gated brick wall.


    Old Man pointed at a man and woman, both adorned in black silk and sparkly jewels. With a stylish swagger, the pair walked up the scythe-wielding guard. Without speaking a single word, he opened the fence and stood back. The two nobles walked right inside, and the guard closed the gate before resuming his guard.


    ¡°So there¡¯s a dress code? That¡¯s weird, but whatever. So we need to steal some clothes?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And find a wig and something to cover your eye. You see, I¡¯ve lived here a long time, and I saw the transformation from a naturalistic town to whatever we have now. The people inside there all live in their little world. They¡¯re ignorant of the changes that are happening all around them. So to enter, we need to have a little bit of that ignorance.¡±


    ¡°I see. Wait, can we sell the pills inside?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°That we can. They only believe what they want to believe and ignore everything else. They don¡¯t see the poor, the desolate parts of town that are crumbling and falling. Conversely, they believe in the pills and everything else. I should''ve said this earlier, but a simple way to look at it is this: If it goes against their beliefs, ideals, and values, they ignore it. If not, then they welcome it. They welcome the pills, and they ignore everything else. But there are rumors that they don''t openly talk about the pills.  It might not be good to actively go around and advertise that you have them lest the wrong people get involved. However, since they¡¯re rich, we have to look the part of a rich person.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to slaughter the guards?¡±


    Old Man shook his head. ¡°I''ve heard rumors that the guards are all either Rank 2 or 3 in Warden. Some are even rumored to be Rank 1.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then why haven¡¯t they attacked the Mafia? They have the firepower,¡± Servi argued.


    ¡°I can¡¯t answer that. Maybe the Mafia is stronger than that? Or maybe the ignorant rich bastards don¡¯t see war as something they should wage. To be honest, if I was in their position, I¡¯d ignore them. But I¡¯m a selfish bastard in my old age. I do agree that killing them would be easier, but we¡¯re simply too weak.¡±


    Servi kicked a rock and started to walk down the road towards wherever. She needed time to think about how to proceed. Old Man followed along after her while stealing glanced from behind. The wooden scythe guard stood at attention with his weapon at the ready.


    ¡°I should''ve asked this before, but are you blessed?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Old Man replied. ¡°I did join Warden to learn a few skills here or there when I was a young adult, but it''s nothing that would help in combat. But let me tell you something. You can have all the skills in the world; you can make a fire tornado, a wall of pure ice, a volcano of razor-sharp wind, and summon a fire spirit in the shape of a dragon, but all of those combined won¡¯t do much good if your neck is slit in the middle of the night. Skills aren¡¯t the end all be all. Take it from someone who found that out the easy way.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Servi stayed quiet and kept walking. She pulled a dupla out of her pouch and flipped it.


    ¡°So I guess we need some new clothes. A suit and a wig for me and a dress and a wig for you. As long as we look the part, we should be able to get through.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who knows the most about this town. Lead the way,¡± Servi said. She flipped the coin one last time before putting it away.


    ¡°I do know a place. And while we can technically afford the clothes, it¡¯d be better to steal them,¡± Old Man said.


    Thirty minutes later, the two found themselves ten meters away from a particular clothing shop named Frannies. It was located not even twenty meters from the spot where Servi bought that wooden figurine.


    ¡°There are five big windows and seven people loitering out front,¡± Servi observed. She and Old Man were leaning against a building not too far away.


    Behind the wooden counter laid a glass display case full of wigs. Long and short, smooth and frazzled, Frannies had it all. The store itself was split into two halves: one for males and one for females. In other words, one half for suits and dress shoes and one half for dresses and heels. The painted walls were peeling and cracking, leaving small blue flakes to litter the unkempt flooring. The two women inside, both with short black hair, talked aimlessly with each other. It was like they couldn¡¯t see the vast amount of cleaning that needed to be performed.


    ¡°If we can cause a distraction, we can get them away. I wonder¡ª¡±


    ¡°FIRE!!! IT¡¯S A FIRE!!! RUN AWAY!!!!!¡± Servi shouted. She pointed over to a small ball of black smoke that steadily grew bigger and stronger.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t a fire. It was Servi''s Smokescreen skill. Like with Telekinesis, she could place anchor points that dictated where and how fast the smoke would grow. The initial range was most impressive. If she could spot a surface in a 30-meter radius, she could place down the smoke point. And to make it more realistic, a few small Fire Walls were placed within the smoke. Their crimson glow was covered and darkened by the black smoke, which added to the false authenticity of the entire thing. It also obscured the factual location of the Fire Walls. They weren¡¯t placed on the ground but set about half a meter in the air. This way, there wasn¡¯t a chance of anything nearby combusting and causing a real fire to go out of control.


    Once Servi started screaming, other people began to shriek and the area devolved into chaos. Very few tried to play the part of a hero. Most ran away, squealing in terror while those who were too drugged out on Monotonia sat there. It was as if the will to live had been forcibly sucked and squeezed from their bodies.


    Old Man was astonished. He never expected for there to be a distraction as soon as she said something. A part of him, grown wise by his many years of living, immediately knew Servi was behind it. He knew using skills without speaking was bordering on the power of the Gods, but the world contained a great deal of unknown in it.


    There could be thousands of races we have no idea of. There¡¯s that rumor of a Dryad in Keywater... So who¡¯s to say that we don¡¯t have a Dryad of our own somewhere in Lando? Well, not that it matters in the slightest. He thought.  But if it doesn''t harm me in any way, then do I really want to say something?


    ¡°Come on! The store is clear. We can run in and out in a hurry,¡± Servi said. She raced across the street to the now-empty store and grabbed the most expensive-looking dress she could. It was black with a slit going up the side of her leg that ended at her hip.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about the wig!¡± Old Man shouted. He hopped over the counter and smashed the display case of wigs with the pommel of his dagger. Grabbing two at random, he tossed them to Servi. She snatched them and a pair of heeled shoes.


    Old Man, realizing he had the time, smashed the register and took everything inside, which came out to about 172 dupla, and rushed to grab a suit and shoes. Though he was getting up there in age, Old Man was in better shape than most. He never allowed the foul Monotonia to poison his body and mind.


    Once they had the items they needed, Servi and Old Man rushed out under the protection of the black smoke that threatened to suffocate the entire area. She looked behind her and confirmed that the Fire Walls and Smokescreen were canceled. After taking the first left, second right, hopping a small fence, they ran until they found an abandoned shed that was on its last bit of life. It was so rusty that even a briskly breeze had the power to bring it to the ground.


    It won¡¯t take too long for the smoke to dissipate. And I saw you leave three thousand dupla on the table when we ran out. I hope the owner gets it. Itarr said.

 Book Three – Chapter Five – Part Five – The Act of Subterfuge and Sabotage

    Old Man itched his chest and sat down against the shed. Sweat dripped down his face like a waterlogged branch.


    ¡°Gi¡ªGive me¡­.a¡­minute to¡­catch¡­my¡­breathe,¡± he panted. ¡°These old¡­lungs aren¡¯t as¡­strong as they...used to be.¡±


    ¡°Take your time. I¡¯m going to go get changed behind the shed. Oh, if I see you peek, I¡¯ll rip your head off,¡± Servi said, warning Old Man. He made a wheezing noise like a horse would before coughing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kid yourself, Williana. My darling Jezebel had a body you can¡¯t compare to. Besides, I¡¯ve never lusted or loved another woman after she passed,¡± he coughed once more.


    ¡°I see,¡± Servi said. Servi didn¡¯t apologize. Instead, she walked around to the back of the shed and absorbed the wig, dress, and shoes. After doing one more check, making sure there weren¡¯t any holes within the two walls plus the back of the shed, she quickly absorbed her cloak and clothes and equipped her new fancy stuff.


    Her smooth leg playfully teased itself from the single split as her spotless and unblemished feet accented the purple heels. Her bald head was no more; covered by long flowing lavender hair, Servi looked somewhat presentable in her new disguise.


    You look pretty. Itarr said. What about your eye?


    As if hearing her, Servi pulled a small black cloth and a long piece of string from her ring. ¡°Itarr. I¡¯m going to cut my eye again, and I want you to heal it over the string and cloth until it¡¯s like an eye patch. I know you¡¯re there. I love you.¡±


    I love you too. I don¡¯t want you to hurt yourself, but I¡¯ll heal you!


    The first thing Servi did was absorb the wig. It wouldn¡¯t do any good to get blood on its pretty, false locks. She then used Telekinesis to hold a knife to her missing eye. After cutting from the top of her eye to around her ear to back to the bottom of her eye, Servi placed the string in the bloody indent. Little by little, her separated bits of skin healed up just enough to seal the eyepatch''s strap in so it wouldn¡¯t move. It was an awful feeling, like a long worm crawling under the skin but above the skull.


    Once that gross task was complete, she retrieved a second cloth to wipe and clean the blood flowing down her cheek. A few drops splattered about on her dress, but they were hidden very well and disguised. Next, it was time to carved a small square in her flesh around her missing eye. Servi leaned over as if she was trying to vomit. And all of the blood and some red muscle dripped away from her dress and onto the dying grass.


    ¡°Heal it, please,¡± she whispered. Itarr responded and healed just enough of the skin so the black patch of fabric wouldn¡¯t move.


    Servi. It¡¯s done. It really looks like you¡¯re wearing an eye patch. Only you and I know it¡¯s embedded into your flesh.


    Retrieving another cloth, Servi wiped her face until it was all clear of blood. And before she walked back to meet up with Old Man, she pulled out the wig and sat it gently atop her hair. A part of her wanted to scalp herself and fuse the wing to her skull via healing, so it would look legit and authentic, but another part thought it was going too far. The amount of blood would be too much, and Old Man might smell it and investigate. If it came to it, she could use Telekinesis to keep it held down.


    ¡°Ah, so you did have an eye patch. And I gotta say, you actually look decent when you dress up,¡± Old Man said.


    ¡°Yeah yeah. You look less like a bug when you suit up. You think this is enough?¡± Servi said. She placed a hand on her hip and looked over Old Man. The black suit he stole from Frannies was like it was tailored specifically for him. The arms of his jacket and the legs of his pants didn¡¯t require any alterations. His scarred face somehow looked right at home and somehow made it seem less threatening. The two spotless dress shoes covering his feet were just the right size.


    ¡°Hahaha. If only you could see me in my prime. I had a full head of hair. You know, I met Jezebel one night while walking back from a meeting. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be glad to hear about her any other time, but we have a rich district to infiltrate and pills to sell. You sure this¡¯ll be enough to get us through?¡± Servi said. She had a backup plan. Well, more like a backup massacre. She felt like it wouldn¡¯t hurt her psyche at all if she killed the guard that hooked his scythe around that hobo¡¯s head. She thought that if he was violent enough to act like that, then they all were. If that was true, and she thought it was, then maybe she should go ahead and kill them.


    ¡°Maybe then they can all see the truth. Those cowards wouldn¡¯t be blinded by their material wealth. Hell, what if they actually took the fight to the Mafia¡­.¡±


    ¡°Did you say something? Wait, where are your clothes?¡± Old Man said. He did a once-over on himself and straightened out his red tie.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. And I got my clothes in this bag here. The pills are hidden inside. Let¡¯s go already. I¡¯m tired of this dress already,¡± Servi complained.


    ¡°Fine. The quicker we get this done, the quicker I can stop by and buy my granddaughter''s medicine.¡± Old Man slapped the bag he carried. It had his set of pills to sell as well as his clothes and shoes.


    With a simple nod, the two walked out from under their temporary shelter. Servi and Old Man made the trek back to the guard with the wooden scythe. Along the way, they were accosted by the poor, the homeless, and the sick. A few of them tried to steal a quick grope, but Servi put an end to that with a swift uppercut. Shattering jaws with her clean strikes, she comedically laughed when a young shirtless boy called her the Iron Knuckle. Old Man, meanwhile, had women come up to him and caress his body. Since he looked rich, they all thought he would give them something.


    ¡°Sorry, ladies,¡± he said to a group who tore their clothes off in front of him. ¡°That isn''t going to work on me. Go find some other man who would lay with a whore. I¡¯m not interested.¡± Perhaps it was harsh, but Old Man didn¡¯t think so. He lived a long half of his life being an accomplished businessman, then lived the other half as a horrific murderer. What little words, harsh or loving, that flowed out of his mouth at this point of his life wouldn¡¯t tilt the scales of judgement one way or another.


    ¡°My good man, wouldn¡¯t you let us in? We stepped out to take a gander at how the common rabble lived. I dare say we had our fill of the matter,¡± Old Man said, in a polished and refined voice. Servi wondered if his adoptive father had taught him etiquette and manners when he took over the company.


    The guard retrieved his wooden scythe and stared at it. Then he looked to the Old Man and Servi. Once he looked back down at his weapon, Servi¡¯s Soul Essence of Primal Combat alerted her to an incoming attack. Striking first, she quickly drew her daggers, jury-rigged to her succulent thighs by way of strings, and jabbed him through the eye hole of his helmet. His body convulsed violently. He unsuccessfully tried to scream, but no voice could escape his throat. An invisible force had tightened its hold around it, and he choked as blood sputtered from his mouth.


    ¡°Good job,¡± Servi said sarcastically as she gently lowered the dying man. ¡°You said it would work.¡±


    ¡°And it would have if you had stayed your arm!¡±


    ¡°Look, I¡¯ve been in a shit ton of fights, and I kill for a living. I can read people. I know when they¡¯re going to attack before they do. It¡¯s all in the muscles. Besides, we¡¯re alone. Ain¡¯t no one saw what we did.¡±


    ¡°Because of that fire. You know, it feels like someone is following us. Helping us. That¡¯s the second damn fire that suddenly blossomed into existence. Besides, how many fights could you¡¯ve possibly been in to read bodies?¡± Old Man asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look a lucky fire in the eye and doubt it. And for your question: I¡¯ve killed over 500 people. Compared to me, you¡¯re a saint." Using her incredible strength, she dragged the corpse over to a small bundle of bushes next to the brick wall. After kicking him in it, she straightened out her dress and further hid the body.


    ¡°I find that hard to believe, but it¡¯s clear to me that you¡¯re well-versed in that area. It seems like you have no limit to your brutality. What¡¯s your plan if we get caught? You know we¡¯re not authorized to enter.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy,¡± Servi said as she smiled at Old Man, ¡°If we act like we belong, then who would question it. There¡¯s no guard through the gate, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. In fact, it¡¯s all bricked off. It¡¯s kinda like a hallway that turns right.¡±


    After a red soul floated into her ring, Servi walked back over to Old Man and opened the gate. Like he said, it was a hallway of bricks that turned right. Lit candles encased in crimson glass illuminated the area. The ground wasn¡¯t grass, but it wasn¡¯t brick, either. It seemed to be made of some sort of metallic alloy. Old Man took heed of it and commented. ¡°The damn fools have more money than they know what to do with it. I guarantee everyone in here is a crook. I can feel it.¡±


    ¡°Why you say that?¡± asked Servi. She stepped through the gate. She put a hand to the clean brick walls and lightly pressed against it. It was polished and smooth, like a marble countertop, yet it was the color and shape of red bricks. She didn¡¯t know what compelled her to do so, but she brought her hand to her nose and sniffed. ¡°Sugar? Cinnamon?¡±


    It took Old Man a minute to answer. ¡°Because they didn¡¯t fight against the Mafia when they came to Arcton. Look, I¡¯m not going to lie and say I love the Mafia. I don¡¯t hate them, but I don¡¯t love them. I will say I¡¯m glad they¡¯re giving me the opportunity to make some cash. I¡¯m just saying that the rich nobles were the first to fall into the Mafia¡¯s hand. I bet it was the Monotonia that did it. I haven¡¯t tried one, and I never will, but I know the effects they can have. The pink ones can turn any pain into pleasure, and the red ones destroy every emotion but rage. The white one is the tamest of them all, but I don¡¯t need to take it. If I did, then there¡¯s a chance I¡¯ll become addicted. And if I¡¯m addicted, then I have less money to spend on medicine. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°I see. Why do you think the walls are coated sugar and cinnamon?¡± Servi said, cutting off Old Man¡¯s reasoning. He caught onto it and scoffed, but he couldn¡¯t blame her. Back when he was younger, he hated to hear the old cronies in his company or the professors at his school lecture on and on about things that didn¡¯t deal with business. Perhaps some of that rubbed off on him but hadn''t shown itself until now?


    ¡°If I had to guess, I¡¯d say that it¡¯s to keep the smell from coming in. Hell, I don¡¯t know. I ain¡¯t ever been to this part of town before.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Servi simply replied. They resumed walking. After taking that right, they proceeded straight for twenty meters before turning left. The passageway was narrow, maybe wide enough for two skinny Elves to walk side by side. At the end of this corridor was another gate, which reminded Servi of the Rank 10 sewer base in Canary. It was just as big, but there weren''t any shops or medics.


    The area was stretched out, opening into a funnel-shaped lobby. Five empty sets of jail cells stood on each side, next to the brick-like marble walls, while a group of four guards stood at attention next to the gate, two on each side. A single man, wearing a blue feather on his helmet, stood up from the nearby mahogany desk. His super shiny metal armor multiplied the candle reflections and nearly blinded everyone, even his fellow guards.


    He walked over and bowed, flooding Servi¡¯s heart with caution. ¡°My dearest madam and sir, it is most warming to my heart to see you two safe and sound. I do hope the common rabble didn¡¯t bother you too much. If it pleases you, shall I go fetch two more? I imagine you two would love to carve into their bodies with knives and forks and daggers to relieve your stress.¡±


    ¡°My dearest soldier,¡± Servi said, playing the part of a noblewoman. ¡°While I do appreciate it, my grandfather and I are rather famished. We shall reside to a lovely little shop and rest away the day. Be a doll and open the gate, would you?¡±


    Old Man looked shocked as a face of horror mixed with utter disbelief filled his blank expression. The guard with the blue feather caught on, and his hand went to blade. He felt something was amiss. Using Telekinesis, Servi forced Old Man to kneel over in pain by purposely twisting his knee.


    In a shocked manner, she overly exaggerated her movements, bending down and putting her arms around his back. In a heartrending voice, Servi pleaded with the guard. ¡°Dearest grandfather, are you alright?! Was the walk much too great? Please, dearest guard, my grandfather would like to rest.¡± Servi made her eyes big, and after remembering the hurtful things Momo said to her, she forcibly contorted her face into a genuine frown. It was a plea for help that held both true and false meaning, but only she knew the truth.


    The feathered guard removed his hand from his blade and shouted at one of the four to open the gate. When the task was done, Servi released Telekinesis and stumbled through it with Old Man.


    It took a lot of work, more than what she expected for a simple task of selling drugs, but they were near the final step. Truth be told, Servi desperately wanted to go hide out somewhere and return to Deset after a few hours. She had more than enough to dupla to last her a lifetime, and she could use some of that to pay the Mafia, but she was stuck with Old Man.


    The thought of killing Old Man in an accident passed through her mind more than a few times, but it was his constant talk of his granddaughter which prevented her from doing so. More specifically, it was his talk of her love of foxes that prevented her from doing so. She knew that, probably and hopefully, the granddaughter realized that the person who gave her the expensive medicine was her grandfather. Maybe she was just afraid to take the first step to reconnect.


    In a way, it reminded her of her and Momo¡¯s current situation. It wasn¡¯t exactly the same, but it wasn¡¯t that drastically different. They both led secret lives and had to lie to the one they cared about.


    But Servi knew she could think about that later.


    It was time to peddle some drugs.


    ¡°Oh, and to answer your question, I¡¯ve been lying for as long as I remember. My mind is always churning out things I can say to sway a conversation my way. The outcomes, the exceptions, the chances of failure and success, I try to account for everything. It¡¯s a good thing you keeled over in pain. I was able to work off of that,¡± Servi said.


    After walking through the gate, they were met with a beautiful sight. Beautiful trees filled with leafy greens leaves, a crystalline pond with fish and frogs strutting about, a few handmade birdhouses sat nailed to a few trees. People were all walking around and chatting at tables like they didn¡¯t have a care in the world. Their clothes were far more exquisite than what Servi and Old Man had on.


    And it wasn¡¯t just a section dolled up to look good. No, it continued on for quite a while. It was a long strip of what seemed like an entirely different country; bakeries, restaurants, pharmacies, doctors, bars, taverns, and even hotels were all around her.


    The area outside these bricked and sectioned-off walls divided the mega-rich from the super poor. Those inside were privileged with wealth that couldn¡¯t be spent in a lifetime. And those outside was full of the poor, the sick, and the less fortunate. Their money had long since dried up by a mixture of bad luck and Monotonia.


    For some reason, the air itself was far cleaner and enjoyable to breathe. This sanctioned-off section belonged to the truly rich. And it was the complete opposite of the outside in every way. In a way, it was a different universe, but Servi knew that had to be impossible.


    After wandering around, Servi and Old Man found a decorative table that would put the d¨¦cor in Parrel¡¯s mansion to shame. She had just answered Old Man¡¯s question about lying.


    ¡°I¡¯m very interested in your life, but I know if I pressed for it, you¡¯d come up with some lie, and I¡¯d be none the wiser.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare pity me, Old Man,¡± Servi growled.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t doing nothing of the sort. Now, how are we gonna sell the pills?¡± Old Man plopped his bag on the table and took out a small container filled with white tablets. For some odd reason, and Servi wasn¡¯t going to question it, the guards out front didn¡¯t examine or inquire why they held two bags filled with clothes.


    ¡°That I don¡¯t know. It might be best to split up and stick to two areas. If something happens, just yell out, ¡®Williana, I can¡¯t breathe!¡¯ and I¡¯ll come running. Remember, you¡¯re supposed to be my ailing grandfather,¡± Servi said, standing up. Old Man followed. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t do anything that¡¯ll piss off the guards. Hell, lie if you need to.¡±


    ¡°Girlie, there¡¯s no use in teaching me how to lie. I¡¯ve lived far longer than you have. Look, there¡¯s a clock over there. Let¡¯s meet back up at 1 PM, alright?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Servi grabbed her bag. As if flipping an invisible switch, Servi changed her voice into one more regal and noble sounding. ¡°Grandfather, I¡¯ll meet up with you later. Be safe, and don¡¯t overdo it.¡±


    Old Man kept a rigid smile on his face. Inside, he was terrified that such a ruthless killer could play the role of a loving granddaughter. It¡¯s like she didn¡¯t just kill a guard in cold blood not even ten minutes ago.


    After giving a polite way to Old Man, Servi held her bag close to her chest and wandered around.


    Servi, I wonder what the best way to go about this is?


    After a few seconds, she just so happened to glance to her left and saw a little alleyway that looked like it was trying to hide. She stopped in her tracks and looked around. Like mindless zombies, the rich men in their expensive suits and the ladies in their high dupla dresses scurried about. Their eyes didn¡¯t have much light in them; it was like they were living day after day, locked away in a bubble of protection that had no more pleasure to give.


    The whole area didn¡¯t feel right, and on a personal level, Servi was kinda scared. But she pushed the fears away and wandered down the alley. The heels of her shoes clicked loudly against the concrete while the alcove above sheltered her from the sun.


    After turning left at the end of the alley, she found herself in a cornered dead-end lot. The same familiar brick walls that smelled sweet were to her left.


    ¡°Then if I go through here, I¡¯ll be on the outside?¡± Servi wondered. ¡°Maybe. I wonder if the Mafia has any observers in here? Probably. It¡¯s like they have their grimy tendrils everywhere.¡± After muttering to herself, Servi walked out of the empty lot.


    She didn¡¯t know the rules of this little gated community. Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind. If she didn¡¯t know the rules, then all she had to do was ask. And what better to find out than from the very people who had to enforce them?


    Her first task was to find a guard alone. Or, if not alone, a guard who would be willing to follow her for help. Based on her encounter with the blue feathered guard, the armed patrollers of this slice of paradise were more than happy to help its inhabitants.


    After not finding one outside of the alley, Servi turned left and proceeded to walk down the dressed-up road. Gorgeous pink plants and blue roses sat planted in small dirt-filled canals that lined the walkways. Servi took a left at the first intersection she came to.


    That was when she saw it.


    It was a building, clearly, but it was more than that. A regular building wouldn¡¯t need the forty-plus guard patrolling in a wide berth, nor would it desire the ten watchtowers and twenty ballistae. And that was per side. In total, it had over 160 guards, 40 lookouts, and 80 ballistae.


    The term ¡®fortress¡¯ was far more accurate than calling it a simple building. It stood well over four stories tall. Ten giant stone white pillars supported the massive outdoor balcony as well as provided some much-needed aesthetic value. The walls were completely solid white, like marble. There were no windows to gaze into or out of. And the sole entrance that Servi saw was on the side facing her. A massive Kobold stood guard, preventing anyone from entering. Three quadruple-headed nadrium axes¡ª axes with a double-head at each end, rotated around him in a way similar to how Servi used Telekinesis to control her swords. His body was encased from head to toe in nadrium armor. Each part of his armor had two glowing blue lines, and they faintly flashed in sync with each other.


    It¡¯s much smaller than Parrel¡¯s mansion, yet it feels much more sinister. Servi, I wonder what it¡¯s for? And that Kobold¡­. I feel something dangerous from him. He seems to be stronger than Fisher and Albert¡­.


    ¡°It¡¯s a mighty fine building, isn¡¯t it?¡± Someone with a soft voice spoke from Servi''s left. She turned her head and saw a prudish woman. Her brown hair, styled partly to the side and curled into a bun, was a style Servi had never seen before.  Three rings adorned both of her spotless hands as she put one to her chest, touching the purple blouse she had on. ¡°I desperately want to go in, but none of us are worthy.¡±


    ¡°Worthy?¡± asked Servi.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s the only reason I can think of. I¡¯ve been here three years, and not once have I seen someone enter or leave the building.¡± The prudish woman lowered her voice and leaned in, whispering, ¡°I think the Mafia boss is inside there.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± Servi exclaimed loudly enough for passersby to turn their head in confusion.


    If he was in there, then that would be the best news Servi had ever received. However, she knew she couldn¡¯t be hasty.


    ¡°It has to be. Why else would it be so guarded? I do think that there¡¯s a secret entrance. Like I said, I¡¯ve never once seen anyone pass through its guarded doors, and I watch every day. However, that large Kobold seems to move a little bit, but he¡¯s never gone for more than a day or so. I wonder if he leads them? Oh, I have to leave. It¡¯s time for a meeting with the Wind Zeppe¡ªOops! Toodles!¡± The woman waved and walked away, joining a gaggle of women who had walked over. Even though they seemed like they were happy, the light in their eyes told otherwise.


    ¡°Wind? Zeppe--?¡± Servi quietly repeated. Regardless of what it was, she would exterminate it if it prevented her from rescuing Momo.

 Book Three – Chapter Five – Part Six – The Act of Subterfuge and Sabotage

    Immediately, Servi walked away and made her way back to the empty lot located at the end of the alley she was at before.


    However, it wasn¡¯t vacant anymore.


    She saw a group of four. Two men and two women. All were dressed like they had plans to go to a ball or some sort of fancy get-together. That, however, was only accounting for their clothes. Their faces, mannerisms, and body movements told a different story. It was an angry scowl from irritation, erratic twitches from a lacking desire, and heavy breathing from the missing substance that revealed their real aim.


    An empty pill bottle sat in one of their hands, prompting Servi to realize that they were going through withdrawal. The only pill that she knew of was Monotonia, and she had a 33% chance of it being the white variant.


    ¡°My friends, are you perhaps looking for this?¡± Servi pulled out a white pill from her bag.


    ¡°It¡¯s about fuckin time! You were supposed to be here two minutes ago!¡± said a man in a velvet suit. His hair was slicked back and tied in a rat tail.


    ¡°Sorry about that. I was a bit tied up from looking at that big-ass building. It¡¯s quite impressive, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± said a woman wearing a low-cut dress that stopped at her thighs. ¡°You ain¡¯t our regular man. Where is he?¡±


    ¡°Ah, him? He¡¯s sick with the flu. He told me to take over. Now, I have eleven pills to sell, but there¡¯s a catch.¡±


    ¡°Flu? Wait, fuck off with the catch. We ain¡¯t paying more than what we usually pay!¡± shouted the velvet-suited man.


    Servi mockingly waved her fingers. ¡°This place is rich. It¡¯s fancy. You four are bound to have a nice amount of money. Each pill is 1,500 dupla.¡±


    The second guy, in a tiger-striped suit, silently scowled and rushed forward with his hands out. His eyes seemed to roll to the back of his head. Servi sighed and kicked out, impaling his abdomen with the heel of her shoe.


    ¡°Gguuhhh¡­.¡± he coughed, splattering blood down his chin. Servi shook her foot, knocking the man to the ground and off of her foot. But he left a present behind. Part of her heel impaled his intestines, leaving a bloody, fleshy rope connecting her heel to his body.


    ¡°The price just went up. Give me all of your money, and you can have the eleven pills,¡± Servi stomped down, breaking the bloody connection between her and the suited man.


    ¡°Hey! Fuck you! We had a deal with the Mafia. We pay for the pills, and you don¡¯t hurt us!¡± the woman wearing the low-cut dress chanted for a moment and pulled out a dagger from her Dimensional Storage.


    ¡°Why does it always end this way¡­¡± Servi sighed. Four swords appeared from beside her and launched forward, impaling each would-be attacker to the wall of the empty lot, including the tiger-striped suited man, who already had half of his intestines hanging out.


    Blood poured from their wounds like water from a crushed water balloon, covering the clean ground in an ever-growing layer of crimson. At the same time, four openings in the fabric of space and time opened up next to the four corpses.  She jumped back and recalled her weapons. The bodies slumped lifelessly to the ground as stacks of coins fell like a waterfall from the four holes.


    ¡°Now, why did you go and kill them? They were an excellent source of money.¡± Servi turned around and saw two Elves. Both had a ''7'' marked on their forehead.


    ¡°I thought Numbered had to hide their numbers in public?¡± she said. From behind Servi, the coins continued to pour nosily and splattered about in the ever-accumulating crimson, staining them with the blood of their owners. Servi had already done the math and correctly deduced that the coins came out from their owners¡¯ Dimensional Storage. If they hadn''t, then that dupla would¡¯ve been lost forever, but she had one question on her mind.


    Were the four she killed the first ones to have Dimensional Storage? It didn¡¯t seem possible. When Albert died, nothing of the sort happened. But perhaps it was because he was forbidden from having anything stored? Servi didn¡¯t know, but she thought it was weird. It could¡¯ve been because she had killed lowly guards and people who never bothered to use it, or they just didn¡¯t have the skill learned. From what she had been told and concluded on her own, Dimensional Storage was a pretty advanced skill. It was very possible that the four she had just killed were the first ones to have the ability to use it. If she had killed Fisher, then all of his items would¡¯ve fallen out as well. At least, she thought so.


    Regardless, Servi wouldn¡¯t lose sleep over this worthless mystery. She turned her attention back to the two Elves.


    ¡°We are, in most cases. If you know we¡¯re Numbered, then you know we¡¯re ranked higher than you,¡± the Elf on the left said. Part of his left hand was gone, leaving two fingers and a portion of his palm. Servi internally named him Handy.


    ¡°If so, then you fucked up big time. Who¡¯s your Numbered? What¡¯s your base?¡± said the one on the right. A nasty scar covered his left eye, leaving it permanently closed. It would never again see anything. Servi decided to call him Blind.


    ¡°Like I¡¯m gonna tell you. What if I told you I¡¯m not part of the Mafia? Hey, better idea; why don¡¯t you two tell me about that big ass building? The one with the Kobold and the watchtowers and the ballistae?¡±


    Handy drew a small axe from his waist with his functional hand. He pointed it towards Servi.


    ¡°Why do I have to keep killing?¡± Servi sighed and drew a sword from her ring. Appearing from nowhere, Servi used Telekinesis to pull Handy to her. Her blade impaled through his head, and by using her favorite skill, she forced his body to fly up until he was cut in half.  She made sure to step back to avoid any blood being tossed on her.


    Blind, in a sudden panic, angrily drew his bow and nocked it in a flash. He launched it so quickly that the falling brain matter from his friend coated the metallic arrowhead. Servi caught it out of the air by clapping.


    ¡°Good ole'' Soul Essence of Primal Combat¡­ I love you.¡± she muttered. Using Telekinesis, she pulled Blind towards her while absorbing the two halves of Handy. She forced him against the sweet-smelling brick walls and smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this chance for a while. To make sure we¡¯re not disturbed, I¡¯ll cut off the entrance,¡± she said. Pointing to her left, she used Earth Wall to block off the passageway to the empty lot. It used the wall as a base, so color-wise, it looked like it had always been there.


    With an unnecessary snap of her fingers, Servi¡¯s dress and heeled shoes disappeared. A familiar cloak, tunic, and pants adorned her body. She had absorbed her clothes from the bag she still held in her hands and equipped them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get blood on the dress,¡± Servi said. ¡°I quite like it. Now, I can finally get some info. Oh, before we get started, I need to do something,¡± Servi walked over to the giant pile of coins, corpses, and scattered weapons. She absorbed it all. It was like a magic trick. One second it was there, and the next, it wasn¡¯t. To her surprise, all of the coins she stored were in two denominations: 100 and 500. By her rough estimate, she made close to 45,000 dupla from this one encounter.  Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t get rid of the wet blood that stained the concrete. That kind of precise Absorption was still beyond her current skill level.


    Servi, I know you can¡¯t hear me, but I¡¯ll go ahead and clean the coins.


    ¡°Ah, I forgot your pills,¡± Servi reached into her bag and pulled out eleven little pills; White Monotonia. She formed a fist, crushing the deadly drugs until they were dust. Her palm opened, and a breeze snatched the dusty remains, scattering them to the bloody ground and staining them red. ¡°It was a pleasure doing business with you.¡±


    Turning her attention to Blind, she retrieved a coin and began to flip it. ¡°Now then¡­.. I do hope you can answer me.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­. That¡¯s four fingers, ten strips of skin, the tip of your nose, six fingernails, and your left ear,¡± Servi said, counting the bloody objects hanging in front of her. ¡°And you told me jack shit about I want to know.¡±


    She looked up and saw an Elf crying his eye out. Blood dripped from numerous spots on his body. The only reason he wasn¡¯t dead was simple: Remedium Lux. Servi had it going constantly, but stopped it for a moment.


    ¡°If you want the healing, you gotta tell me. What the fuck is that building for, and where the fuck is the Boss at?¡±


    ¡°Aaaa¡­.hhhhhh¡­lp¡­..¡± Blind croaked.


    Servi balled her fist and cracked his jaw. ¡°That¡¯s the wrong fucking answer. Look, I ain¡¯t got all day to sit here and play with you.¡± She healed Blind. In a matter of moments, every single wound he suffered, sans his missing eye, healed up. His lost blood wasn¡¯t restored, and the pain was still there, but his body was nearly in the perfect condition to endure another round of torture.


    ¡°Where. Is. The. Boss?¡±


    ¡°I TOLD YOU!! I don¡¯t know!!! We¡¯re led to a dark room, and he carved our numbers into our flesh¡­.. Please¡­.I¡­I¡­don¡¯t wanna die¡­¡±


    Servi sighed and used Telekinesis to crush Blind¡¯s throat to the point where he could only breathe. He couldn¡¯t talk, scream, or whimper. Then, she grabbed hold of his arm and snapped it like a twig. His mouth opened as wide as it could, but absolutely nothing came out. No screams. No yells. No cries of anguish.


    Then she snapped it again. And again. And again and again and again and again until it was broken in seven spots. Bits of white bone peeked through Blind''s skin as if saying good afternoon.


    With a quick slap to the face, Blind bared his teeth and cried even more. The sheer pain was building up to a breaking point, and he didn¡¯t think his body could handle it anymore.


    ¡°Then the building! Is it Mafia-related? Is that a base for the 5th? 4th? What the fuck is it?! And this area? What¡¯s it for?!¡±


    Servi undid the Telekinesis, and Blind eked out a simple response. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­.. We¡­we were never told¡­. I¡¯m not¡­.auth¡­orized¡­to..k..n..o.w¡­. ple¡ª¡±


    Just as Servi was about to break his other arm, she heard a piercing cry. ¡°WILLIANA¡­.I¡­. CAN¡¯T¡­BREA¡­..¡±


    ¡°FUCK!!!¡± Servi cursed under her breath. She had no time left to spare on her target, so she grabbed a sword from her ring and decapitated Blind. Finally, after an hour of torture, he was put to rest. The sweet embrace of death was what he longed for. She would never admit, but Servi was quite impressed in his ability to withhold information. Well, it was either be impressed with him or upset because he really didn¡¯t know anything. Just like she thought, she had to get her hands on a 5th or higher to find out what she really wanted to know.


    After absorbing his corpse and head, Servi used her ring to put on the dress and shoes. After using a little bit of water to clean the blood off her heel, she absorbed the Earth Wall she had made and ran out of the alley. There, just a few short meters away from her, was Old Man. He laid on his side, clutching his chest in false pain. Two armored men surrounded him, but their swords weren¡¯t drawn. They were thinking of what to do when Servi screamed.


    ¡°Grandfather?!!¡± she quickly walked over to him and crouched. After putting a hand to his back, she spoke urgently and rubbed it. ¡°Grandfather, I¡¯m here. See, is that better?¡± she applied a bit more pressure than what he predicted.


    After combining a cough and a yelp of pain, he slowly got to his feet with Servi''s assistance.


    ¡°Williana, I..I..¡±


    Servi tapped him on the shoulder. ¡°Easy, Grandfather¡­ Let¡¯s go sit down, okay? You probably got too excited. My dearest soldiers and friends, thank you,¡± Servi said, doing a courtesy bow. She walked away slowly from the diminishing group of rich ladies and guards. A few seconds later, they sat down at a small table a few meters away from a quaint restaurant.  As soon as their bottoms touched the stone seats, a waiter came out.  Servi politely waved him away and announced they were only taking a rest so her ''grandfather'' could make the trip home.  He was convinced, wishing Old Man the best in his recovery while walking away to a separate table.


    ¡°Damnit, we were supposed to meet up at 1!¡± Old Man growled. ¡°It¡¯s 1:47! I had no choice but to make a scene!¡±


    ¡°Look, I was busy, alright? Calm the hell down.¡± Servi retrieved 10,000 dupla from her bag and subtly placed them on the table. ¡°I had to make a sale.¡±


    ¡°Dear Gods above! How did you sell them for 1,000 a pop?!¡± Old Man exclaimed.


    Servi chuckled and stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s leave, and I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    Old Man pushed in his chair and followed Servi out through the gate. There, she saw the guard with the blue feather. He nodded his head and looked back down at his paper. Neither Servi nor Old Man said anything. Once they were just far enough, Servi made up some excuse and said she had to tell the guard something.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you leave it?!¡± he asked.


    ¡°No. We might need to come here again. If I leave behind a good impression, I probably won¡¯t have to kill the guard standing out front. If I ask for the man with the blue feather, he¡¯ll probably let us in,¡± she said.


    Old Man threw his hands up in defeat and leaned against the wall.


    Servi ran back, her heels clicking and echoing against the hard surface.


    ¡°Yes?¡± the guard with the blue feathered asked. Unbeknownst to him, that three-letter word would be the last thing he would ever utter. A moment later, after he and the four other guards had their necks broken, their bodies disappeared from the world. The only evidence that remained was the four sets of valuables that appeared from tears in space.  It was what they had inside their Dimensional Storage.  A dead man couldn''t provide Skill Energy, which was what every Dimensional Storage needed.  There was always a constant drain from the day it was learned to the day the user died. When that happened, the skill failed.  What followed was its contents spilling out as the Dimensional Storage blinked from existence.


    They might¡¯ve been good honest family men with daughters and wives, as indicated by a family portrait one of them dropped. Maybe a mother and father they sent money to, as evidenced by a letter from a parent to her son. Perhaps they had never stained their hands with the blood of a criminal, as unveiled by a heartwarming letter from a son to a grandfather, who stated that life was hard and rough, but he had never forgotten the core values he was taught.


    Servi would never know the truth about them. And if she did, it would¡¯ve been an acceptable loss that was calculated within her margins.


    ¡°They wore the uniform and the armor, so they were ready to die.¡± That would¡¯ve been her answer. ¡°I¡¯m ready to burn this entire town to the ground. The only reason I haven''t done it already was because Momo¡¯s heart probably couldn''t take it.¡± Servi would say that, convincing herself she had absolutely no problem massacring hundreds of thousands of potentially innocent people for the life of her best friend.


    ¡°I put her into this mess,¡± she would say. ¡°I must save her. I have to save her. These are my sins to bear. These are my sins to hold. These are my sins to live with for the rest of my immortal life.¡±


    A single thought, flashing like a lost spark of lightning, compelled her to run back to do the deed. Perhaps it was a quick flash of her past? But as soon as it popped into existence, it disappeared. When the five red souls floated into her ring, she couldn¡¯t remember why she wanted to kill them.


    It didn¡¯t matter. ¡°They were my enemies... They wore the uniform,¡± Servi whispered to nobody before running back to Old Man. He was none-the-wiser to what had just happened.


    ¡°You see, that rich area is full of rich people who don¡¯t want to mingle with the common folk. I¡¯m talking super-rich, like how I used to be. And try as I might, I couldn¡¯t get any info about that building. It¡¯s like they really didn¡¯t know even the smallest bit of info about it. For some reason, the people there tolerate it. Hell, this one man told me that he only lived there because he believed the warriors guarding it will protect him from the Mafia. And others believe the group of warriors is the Mafia. It seems like none of them know the truth. Oh yeah, I managed to meet up with two Numbered,¡± Old Man said.


    He and Servi were currently walking back to Deset. After stopping off in a dead-end alley, Servi changed into her tunic and cloak and stored her dress and shoes in the bag. She still had on the wig, having grown quite fond of it during their little adventure together.


    ¡°Did they have 7s?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know. The ones I saw were Elves, though. One guy had a scar on his face, and the other was missing part of his hand. They cornered me and asked who I was with. I told them Deset, and they let me go,¡± Old Man said.


    ¡°Yeah, I met them,¡± said the girl who killed them. ¡°How much did you get for your pills?¡±


    Old Man pulled out eleven 100 dupla coins. ¡°I don¡¯t know how the hell you managed to get to a thousand for each.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say I can be very persuasive. Hell, all I have to do is show a little skin or flash my tits. Coincidentally, that¡¯s what I did,¡± Servi lied. She couldn¡¯t say she slaughtered and robbed four people. And since Old Man already knew she was whoring herself out to Carrie, the lie didn¡¯t hurt her at all. Even if he did think of her as a whore, it wouldn¡¯t bother her. Aside from herself, Momo and Itarr were the only people whose opinions she cared about.


    ¡°Ahh, using your Gods given talents to their utmost, are you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Anything for cash. Say,¡± Servi began to say after they turned a corner, ¡°do you think the Boss lives in that building?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I want to say yes because that¡¯s a lot of men and defenses. Even that Kobold out front with his three nadrium axes had to cost a pretty penny. Not to mention the full nadrium armor. Those axes aren¡¯t light, and his Telekinesis has to be a high level. But at the same time, isn¡¯t having all of that a little too much?¡±


    ¡°I get what you mean. If the boss does live there, then isn''t having all of that a bad thing? Why draw attention to yourself with 40 guards and giant watchtowers? Wait, what if it¡¯s the biggest decoy?¡±


    Old Man coughed and rubbed his chin. ¡°You mean he might actually be in a place like that?¡± Old Man pointed to a random desolate building.


    ¡°He might. Hell, it¡¯s like nobody knows anything around him. Oh yeah, did you find out anything about the guards?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°I did. I actually found out something I didn¡¯t know. Except those surrounding that giant building, a good 80% of the guards are the firstborn sons of their family. It sounds weird and confusing, and I don¡¯t rightly understand it myself, but that¡¯s how it is. Though, I don¡¯t know if we can go back. I overheard this one woman talking about a new rule that would prevent anyone from leaving.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. Why would anyone even leave anyway? It seems like it¡¯s pretty safe. Well, maybe not as safe since we were able to intrude.¡±


    Old Man stopped and took a breather while leaning up against a nearby wall. ¡°That¡¯s the other thing. I overheard this little boy loudly speaking about how more and more people on the outside are trying to finagle their way inside by doing what we did. That¡¯s the other reason why they¡¯re going to lock it down.¡±


    ¡°I see. What¡¯s even the name of that place?¡± Servi asked. She took out a coin and flipped it a few times.


    ¡°I never told you?¡± Old Man said. Servi shook her head, and he continued. ¡°Believe it or not, it¡¯s called New Arcton.¡±


    ¡°Really?


    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know if those pretentious bastards believe that, one day, they¡¯ll be the only remaining people in Arcton, and they want to get a start on it, or if they just wait to lay claim to the name. Honestly, it doesn¡¯t bother me none at all.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, you ready to continue on? According to you, we ain¡¯t that far away,¡± Servi said. After pocketing the coin she had been flipping, she raised her arms up to the sky and stretched.


    ¡°It¡¯s just around there,¡± he replied, pointing just ahead. He sighed as he resumed walking.


    After turning one more corner, Servi and Old Man were at the remains of an abandoned house.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take what she says at full value. This son of a bitch isn¡¯t hurting for cash,¡± he whispered.


    Servi nodded.


    The two of them were at a particular shop that sold the vital life-saving medicine that Old Man¡¯s granddaughter desperately needed to live a life free of pain.


    With no sign or any other easily identifiable objects, Servi never would¡¯ve guessed this was a shop. To her, it looked like trash that needed to be burned away so something better could take root.


    Servi stood down off the steps and allowed Old Man to knock on the door. The sleeves of his suit fluttered faintly in the sudden breeze.


    I guess he really likes that suit. Servi, that wig is pretty, but I like your black hair better. Itarr commented.


    Soon, the door swung open to reveal a short woman.


    ¡°I have 600 dupla, so give me five pills and a pencil,¡± Old Man said. He dropped 600 dupla into her outstretched hands, and she slammed the door in his face. Servi went to walk forward, but Old Man stopped her. ¡°It¡¯s just how she does business,¡± he told her.


    A few seconds later, the door swung back open, and the short woman had five brown bags and a single pencil in her hands. Old Man snatched them out and walked down the steps. The short woman slammed the door in response, and Servi shrugged.


    ¡°That old bitch is always rude. If she didn¡¯t have those guards inside, I¡¯d kill her myself and take her whole stock of medicine.¡± Old Man stomped his foot but immediately calmed himself. Then with a practiced hand, he proceeded to draw five little foxes on the five bags. Each one was of a different style, but Servi felt the love that radiated from it. She thought his ¡®loving grandfather'' routine was a simple act, but it wasn''t. He really did care about his granddaughter.


    ¡°Where to now?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°To drop off the pills. They both should be working, so no one will be at the house. I''ve just got to stick em¡¯ in the mailbox and leave.¡±


    Twenty minutes later, Servi watched as Old Man stared lifelessly at a small house. It wasn¡¯t big at all, but it was cozy. A nice set of chairs, well used and worn, sat on the little porch that looked freshly built. No doubt the owner cared a lot about the house. The door had a little heart, made of leaves and twigs, that added a rustic and heartwarming feel to the area. It was almost like a house that someone would be welcomed into on a Sunday and invited for dinner.


    ¡°Williana¡­ I¡¯ve come to terms with the fact I won¡¯t ever see my granddaughter again. I¡¯m worried that when I¡¯m gone, there¡¯ll be no one to give her medicine. I¡¯m not asking you to pay for it, but if I do die and you¡¯re around, I want you to take everything I have and sell it. Sell it until you can buy as many pills as possible and give it to her. I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯t tell her it was from me, but I¡¯d be dead at that point. It¡¯s not like I can stop you at that point. Goodbye, Angie¡­..¡± Old Man whispered a single name as a single tear fell from his eyes.


    Servi handed him a cloth, and he thanked her.


    ¡°If I¡¯m still around, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to agree so readily, then how about finding a way to cure her for good? Say, for instance, finding someone with Lux Dei Omnipotentis?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck, Old Man,¡± Servi said, ¡°I''ll sell your shit and buy the pills. That¡¯s all.¡±


    He laughed and walked away, heading back towards Deset. ¡°I guess that¡¯s the most I can ask for, and I¡¯m alright with that.¡±


    Servi chuckled, finding herself genuinely happy for the first time since her fight with Momo, and immediately frowned. As long as Momo was kidnapped, Servi felt like any happiness she felt betrayed their friendship.


    ¡°Mosie¡­..¡± Servi whispered as she and Old Man made the long journey back to Deset.

 Book Three – Chapter Five – Part Seven – The Act of Subterfuge and Sabotage

    "We only sold Monotonia, but I feel so tired,¡± Old Man grumbled after descending the dank staircase in Deset. Once he and Servi were let in, they had to proceed through the community room, where she first met Carrie, to get to their room.


    But that didn¡¯t happen. No, that would be too easy. Servi and Old Man only made it a few steps into the room when they saw an odd sight.


    An Elf with a 7 etched into her cheek had her arms and feet chained together to the point where she couldn¡¯t walk. Comparing her yellow hair and lightning bolt scar to what she read in that diary, Servi concluded that they had caught Eletri.


    The Singi with no tail and ears, the 6th, stood off to the side while Carrie grinned sadistically. Two Kobolds stood right behind Eletri with two chains gripped firmly in their hands.


    It seemed that Servi and Old Man entered while Eletri was pleading her innocence.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you!! I didn¡¯t do it! I haven¡¯t killed anyone who¡¯s part of the Mafia!!¡± Sweat dripped down her face as a look of desperation flooded her eyes. She was scared. Frightened. Terrified of what would happen to her.


    ¡°Shut the hell up. I¡¯m telling you for the last time, there¡¯s no need to play stupid. We found the bodies in your room. You were stupid enough to write your plan in your diary,¡± the 6th said.


    ¡°Then show me the bodies!¡± Eletri demanded.


    ¡°Sorry, but we already got rid of them. They were started to stink the place up,¡± Carrie said, giggling and licking her lips. She was definitely enjoying this.


    ¡°Fuck you, Carrie! I¡ª¡±


    With a simple flourish of her spear, Carrie snapped the butt of it upwards, cracking and fracturing Eletri¡¯s jaw. Teeth and blood spilled out, and she pathetically whimpered.


    ¡°Hahaha!!! Hey, bitch, you should thank her right over there,¡± Carrie leaned down and turned Eletri''s head towards Servi and Old Man, who had taken a seat. ¡°Wait, you have hair?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a wig,¡± Servi responded.


    ¡°Whatever. Williana''s the one the Boss¡¯s informant gave the information to. It had proof of your deeds. Here.¡± Carrie reached over and pulled a diary from a nearby table. She opened it up to the last page and read out loud the entry Servi forged.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe my words, then read it yourself,¡± Carrie held the diary open, and Eletri produced an increasingly loud groan of pain.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t write that!! I would never do that!! 6th, you have to believe me!!!¡±


    ¡°Damnit, Eletri, why did you have to betray us?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t! I swear I didn''t!! Please, don¡¯t do this!!¡± Eletri pleaded, but it was no use. The forged evidence was overwhelmingly not in her favor.


    The 6th sighed and ordered the two Kobolds to drag Eletri to the torture room. They silently nodded and dragged her away, screaming.


    ¡°PLEASE, NO!!! DON¡¯T TORTURE ME!!!! I DIDN¡¯T DO ANYTHING WRONG!!!!¡± she cried. ¡°LET ME FIGHT THAT HUMAN!!! I NEED A CHANCE TO PROVE MY INNOCENCE!! NOOOOOOOO!!!!¡±


    Carrie laughed so hard she fell to the floor. ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!¡± After gaining her reason back, she stood up and wandered on over to Servi and Old Man. ¡°You sell them?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Got a pretty dupla out of it,¡± Old Man replied.


    ¡°Same here,¡± Servi said.


    ¡°Good. Then follow me.¡±


    Servi and Old Man stood up and followed Carrie through the halls until they were back in their room. The familiar bunk bed was like finding life-saving water in the desert. At least it was to Old Man. He was getting up there in age and didn¡¯t have as enough energy as he did three, or even four, years ago.


    Servi sat down first, taking out 11,000 dupla from her bag. ¡°I sold eleven and got 11k.¡±


    ¡°How the fuck did you do that?!¡± Carrie exclaimed. Her eyes went wide like she couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°Went to a place called New Arcton. It has those red brick walls and guards?¡±


    ¡°You two actually managed to infiltrate it? Color me surprised. I didn¡¯t think you two had it in you.¡±


    ¡°About that¡­¡± Old Man spoke, ¡°I came back with 1,100. Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t blessed with such¡­ ''charming assets¡¯ as Williana here.¡± He plopped down the dupla.


    ¡°Assets? What? You sell yourself for a better price?¡± Carrie asked.


    ¡°No. I just flashed my tits and convinced them. If I didn¡¯t have this wig and eye patch, then they probably wouldn¡¯t have bought them for a high price,¡± Servi lied.


    ¡°About that wig¡­ I assume this is the dress you wore to sneak in? And I didn¡¯t see the eye patch. Here¡¯s an idea. Keep it.¡±


    Servi nodded. ¡°But I don¡¯t think we can go back. Old Man overheard someone inside talk about closing it off for good because of people like us sneaking in. Speaking of that, what do you know about that big ass building on the inside?¡±


    ¡°The one with the Kobold in nadrium armor?¡± Carrie asked.


    Servi nodded and listened.


    ¡°Not much, to be honest. And I don¡¯t think the 6th knows, either. All I know is that we have orders not to mess with it. A part of me thinks it¡¯s a 5th or 4th base, but I don¡¯t know. I sure would like to have a look inside, though.¡±


    ¡°What about the Kobold?¡± asked Old Man.


    ¡°I know he¡¯s Mafia, but that¡¯s all. The rumor going about is that he¡¯s the Boss¡¯s personal bodyguard, but he rarely leaves that spot. For the most part, he sleeps there, eats there, and shits there. Anyway, come with me. It¡¯s time to brief you two on the next task.¡±


    Why would the Boss make it so obvious? If it were me, I¡¯d have my headquarters in a place that wouldn¡¯t attract any attention. Servi, do you think it¡¯s a fake base? To throw people off his real location?


    ¡°Don¡¯t suppose I have a chance to rest these weary bones, do I?¡± Old Man sighed and reluctantly stood up.


    ¡°Soon. Oh, you needed to bring back 400 dupla each. So I¡¯ll deduct that, and you two can have the remainder. Williana, you¡¯ll get 10,600. Old Man, you¡¯ll get 700. Not too bad, I might say. You know, if you keep this up, you might actually be chosen.¡±


    ¡°Carrie, what about the incident from this morning. Did you get any info from HQ?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your 9th, remember? Your 9th!!¡± Carrie sighed and continued speaking. ¡°But about that. We got a message that thanked us for taking care of it, but there¡¯s no plan to send someone out.¡±


    Are you serious?! All that work for nothing?!! Itarr seethed with anger before calming herself. Servi, on the other hand, just smiled. But underneath those pretty lips was a rage that wanted to lash out.


    ¡°To be honest, I thought that should have garnered a visit from the brass, but apparently not. That fake Singi must have a way with words.¡±


    ¡°Fake?¡± questioned Servi.


    Carrie further clarified that she meant the Singi with no ears and tail. ¡°But don¡¯t call him that to his face if you value your life. A few months back, someone did that. It took six whole buckets to scoop up all of his blood and guts. Anyway, we¡¯re running late. Follow me.¡±


    Carrie jaunted out of the door and into the hallway with Servi and Old Man following close behind. To their surprise, she brought them back out to the community room and over to a table that sat seven. Four seats, however, were already filled.


    Two were Dwarves. One was bald with no other distinguishing features other than an 8 carved into his cheek. The other one had a glorious blond beard that came to his belly. Their red jackets and black greaves stood out as somewhat odd. He also had an 8, but it was branded on. Probably from some sort of cattle prod that had been superheated, if Servi had to guess. It almost looked like it didn¡¯t heal right, but it didn¡¯t look infected.


    The other two were two Earth Elves. The one on the left had a silver ponytail in addition to a thicker nose. The one on the right was bald.


    At Carrie''s behest, Servi and Old Man sat down.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t gonna beat around the bushes. There¡¯s a drug deal going on tonight. It¡¯s a big one with a lot of dupla on the line. You two jerk-offs weren¡¯t my first choice, but Carrie here told me you can deliver. I don¡¯t know how she figured that since you¡¯ve been here a day, but I¡¯ve been looking for a way to get rid of her,¡± the bald dwarf said. Servi mentally nicknamed him Baldy. His utmost rudeness was a big surprise to her. She glanced at Carrie and noticed blood dripping from her lips from where she bit them to stay calm.


    Baldy continued, ¡°I know I can do this deal solo, but bringing along extra meat shields ain¡¯t such a bad idea.¡±


    ¡°If nothing else,¡± said the Earth Elf with a ponytail, ¡°you two can die for us.¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up, long ear!¡± Baldy slammed his hand down on the table, producing a loud noise. ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, you ain¡¯t done shit to earn our trust. You think you¡¯re at a level where you expect people to die for you? Fuck that. YOU TWO better die for me. Scratch that, Carrie, you better die for me.¡±


    Servi, can we kill him? He¡¯s pissing me off.


    Somehow, Carrie managed to keep a smile and produced a simple ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you five know what¡¯s going down. Fuck off and be back at 5. That¡¯s when we''re leaving,¡± Baldy and the other Dwarf, who stayed silent, stood up and wandered off. The two Elves, meanwhile, stayed around and talked shit. More accurately, Servi started first.


    ¡°So you two boys think I¡¯m just going to die for you because you said so?¡±


    ¡°We were scouted by an 8th. I¡¯m not sure Humans live long enough to learn basic math, but in the Mafia, 8 is better than 9,¡± said the Earth Elf with a ponytail.


    ¡°Yeah? Well, those ears will look nice hung in our room. Keep talking like that, and you¡¯ll be missing them before you know it,¡± Servi replied.


    ¡°Williana, calm down,¡± Carrie said, holding an arm out.


    ¡°Oaklin, cool it. There¡¯s not any use in fighting right now. Let¡¯s focus and do what our 8th said. He said he¡¯ll convince the Boss to make us a Numbered. Besides, we¡¯ve been here for a year now. It¡¯s about time,¡± said the bald Earth Elf.


    Oaklin, the one with the ponytail, scoffed. ¡°Daki, please. Like some old bag of bones and a whore with one eye can do what we can do better.¡±


    ¡°Daki and Oaklin, huh?¡± Servi said, ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to piss on your graves when you inevitably fuck up and die after failing to complete the simplest of tasks.¡±


    There was a plan that popped up into Servi¡¯s head the moment she heard Daki talk about their 8th recommending them to be a Numbered, and Itarr picked up on it.


    I see. You¡¯re going to make Daki and Oaklin compromise the task, so they look bad, right? Are you going to make them attack you by using Telekinesis?


    Oaklin kicked the table from underneath them and pulled a dagger. It may have only been made of simple wood, but Servi felt how sharp it was when it hugged her pretty little neck.


    Carrie flourished her spear and jabbed it down on Oaklin¡¯s arm. It didn¡¯t break, but he pulled back and held it close to his body. ¡°You two fuck off somewhere, yeah? Don¡¯t go be causing trouble for stupid shit. And you, Williana, has anyone ever told you to shut the fuck up?!¡± Carrie yelled.


    Oaklin and Daki stood up and scurried off somewhere while Carrie exhaustedly rubbed her head. Servi smiled and stood up, walking close to Carrie until she spoke softly into those fluffy red ears. ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you tonight.¡± Then she lightly blew into her ear, prompting the Singi¡¯s body to shiver from the otherworldly pleasure it had tasted.


    ¡°Shit¡­ Fine! But you need to know your place. There are people in the Mafia that¡¯ll squash you like an insignificant insect. Me being one of them.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Carrie. But this is who I am. To restrict me is to restrict my magical touch that made you moan and convulse all night. Besides, why did that 8th hate you?¡± Old Man, who was listening, suddenly choked on nothing and coughed.


    Carrie took it as a sign to drop the subject. ¡°Fine. I give up. It¡¯s too exhausting. But him? I haven¡¯t done anything to piss him off. The word around Deset is that he hates Singi. Hell, it wouldn¡¯t be the first time I pissed someone just by existing.¡± Carrie closed her eyes for a second and reopened them. ¡°Look, you two can fuck off and do whatever. Eat, sleep, I don¡¯t care. Just be back here at five and ready to go.¡±


    ¡°Got it. What¡¯ll you be doing?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to pay a little visit to the torture room. Since you were the one who received the letter from the observer AND you¡¯re technically working for me until we know you can be trusted, torturing Dana and Eletri falls to me. Rather, I have the option to join in. You know, blood from the neck right when it¡¯s been slit is my favorite drink. It¡¯s so warm and thick, yet it¡¯s so filling,¡± Carrie explained to no one who asked.


    After her little teaching session on blood and necks, she flourished her spear around her body and skipped away down a hall.


    Old Man turned to Servi. ¡°I guess I¡¯m going to get some sleep. What about you?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°Probably the same,¡± she said, walking off.


    A few minutes later, they both walked into their room. Old Man made a beeline for his bed and practically dove into it. Servi, meanwhile, grasped the handle to Carrie''s room and made herself at home. She hopped on the bed immediately, stretching and groaning in anger.


    She heard a little pop and instantly rolled out of bed and drew a dagger. She saw neither friend or for, but a small stone tablet. It was her ID. Bright and red, it felt strange and distant but also warm and familiar.


    ¡°Itarr?¡±


    The ID flew over to Servi, and she sat back down. The surface went totally blank, and words appeared as if they were being written with an invisible hand.


    YES! Servi, it¡¯s me! I¡¯m here! It said. Even though it was words on a stone tablet, Servi could imagine Itarr¡¯s voice speaking the very sentences her red eyes glossed over.


    Servi immediately grabbed it and held it close to her chest, cradling it like an heirloom.


    ¡°Itarr¡­Itarr¡­I¡­I¡­thought you were gone. I thought you left me¡­like Momo did¡­.¡± Servi mumbled. Try as she might, no tears fell from her eyes from such a joyous reunion. It was like she had lost that ability.


    Servi¡­ I was never gone. And even if I had the option, I wouldn¡¯t. Not now and not ever. I won¡¯t ever leave you. Her ID struggled to get free of Servi¡¯s herculean embrace and floated right in front of her face. She read the words and smiled, getting into bed.


    ¡°Itarr, I love you.¡±


    I love you too. The red ID soared ever so gracefully around the room until it came to a stop a few centimeters away from Servi¡¯s face.


    ¡°You won¡¯t ever leave me?¡±


    Never.


    ¡°Never ever?¡± she asked, acting like a child who had just been reunited with a faithful friend.


    Never ever. I¡¯m here to stay.


    After a lengthy conversation lasting well over 30 minutes, in which Servi and Itarr proclaimed their love for each other many times, the Goddess became informed of the thoughts that ran inside Servi¡¯s head over the past day and a half. She knew the reason, but more importantly, the understanding behind each and every choice she made.


    Servi was tough to hold on this far, being alone and trapped with no friend in sight, and Itarr made sure to repeat that many times.


    ¡°I love you, Itarr,¡± Servi said for what must have been the fortieth time.


    I love you, too, replied the Goddess for the fortieth time. It must¡¯ve been hard, but I promise you I won¡¯t ever leave. I never left in the first place! I was talking non-stop. For some reason, my voice isn''t reaching your soul.


    ¡°That¡¯s scary,¡± said Servi.


    It is. But if I can talk to you like this, then I¡¯m happy. Oh, there¡¯s one more thing. I can¡¯t use skills anymore. See? Itarr went to use Telekinesis on a small piece of a broken vase. She expected it to fail, but it was the complete opposite.


    ¡°I thought you said you couldn¡¯t use skills?¡± Servi asked.


    I couldn¡¯t. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s different between now and then, but this is good news! It means I can help you again!


    Servi watched as the vase shard soared happily across the room before crashing into the wall, shattering against it.


    Sorry, I was happy¡­ Itarr said. Even though it was words on a stone tablet, Servi felt the embarrassment coming from the letters as they appeared.


    ¡°Hahaha! It¡¯s fine. When I finally get the info I need to rescue Momo, I¡¯m burning this shitty place to a crisp. Now, I¡ªwe need to come with a plan. I¡¯m going to make those Elves attack Carrie or me. If I make them attack her, I¡¯ll jump in. Oh, if I do that, then you can¡¯t heal my wounds. I¡¯m not going to be able to explain it.¡±


    Got it! I¡¯ll only heal when or if someone uses a healing skill on you. But how about this? Why don¡¯t we take it even further beyond just framing those two?


    ¡°Whaddya mean?¡± Servi rolled over and stretched out wide.


    Remember how you framed Eletri by forging her diary entry? When if we do the same for the 6th? That fake Singi? If we do it right, we can effectively take out Deset¡¯s leader.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. He did say he was the lowest Numbered. If so, then it stands to reason that he didn¡¯t send the report. I bet he lied.¡±


    I bet he lied as well. That¡¯s why something as serious as a Numbered killing a member was washed away. If it was me, I¡¯d be mad and send someone to investigate. Itarr wrote.


    ¡°Same here. But a part of me believes he did send it, and HQ didn¡¯t do anything about it.¡±


    Why do you say that?


    ¡°Think about it. What kind of organization provides a fresh recruit a chance to be in a leadership position just days after joining? That¡¯s not something a successful terrorist organization, like the Mafia, does if they want power and money. To me, it seems like the Boss, maybe a 1st or 2nd, is actively sabotaging the organization. That¡¯s just how I feel. Ha, and you know what¡¯s scary? I don¡¯t even know why I know how a group like this SHOULD act. Why do I know?¡±


    I don¡¯t know, Servi, but don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯ll be here with you a hundred percent. You won¡¯t have to find out alone.


    Servi smiled or at least tried to, but a sigh escaped through her lips.


    ¡°Thanks, Itarr. Switching subjects, how are we going to frame him? I need to know his handwriting, but I can¡¯t just go up to Carrie and ask. If I do, she might start to believe that I forged the entry."


    You did, but she shouldn¡¯t think that. We put the bodies in Eletri¡¯s room, so we should be cleared of all suspicion. Hey, how about this?


    ¡°About what?¡±


    I was analyzing and sorting everything we have, and I found a skill we could use. It¡¯s a Rank 1 skill called Kaasuvuoto. It produces gas from the body.


    ¡°Gas?¡± Servi grabbed her floating ID and flicked down to the Rank 1 skills. ¡°This skill emits a gas from the user. At higher ranks, new gases will be unlocked. Accordingly, the range and potency will also be increased. Note: the user is not immune to the gas'' effects,¡± she said, reading it out loud. ¡°I already have it. I need to spend 20 Potential to upgrade it."


    It''s a skill that harms the user? Why?


    ¡°What if a group is ambushed deep underground or something, and someone knows this skill. They could save the lives of their party by sacrificing themselves. It¡¯s like the ultimate selfless skill. Or in the wrong hands, it¡¯s incredibly deadly. Depending on how strong it really is, it wouldn''t surprise me if I could use it to poison everyone in Arcton.¡±


    Can I use it? Just to see how it works?


    ¡°Go for it, but don¡¯t choose something dangerous.¡±


    Itarr used Kaasuvuoto, and from the two options that popped into her head, she chose the sleeping gas. Immediately after, a faint banana-like smell wafted from Servi¡¯s body before a yellow gas slowly started to leave from every pore in her body. It took around 15 seconds for Carrie¡¯s room to be filled.


    ¡°How strange. It doesn¡¯t look like it''s going through the gaps in the door. Does it have a set range?¡± Servi looked back at her ID.


    It does. It gave me two options. Well, four options, I guess. I can choose between sleeping gas or poison gas and controlled flow or free flow.


    ¡°Free flow is when it spreads out without a defined perimeter. What level is it?¡±


    It''s only level 1. It seems to be a rare skill. If what you say about it is correct, when combined with the fact that the user isn¡¯t immune, I can¡¯t see many people taking it.


    ¡°But it¡¯s the perfect skill for us, side effects be damned. If we use it to its limits, it should be enough to knock out most, if not everyone in Deset. Then we¡¯ll have full reign of the place.¡±


    That¡¯s good, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°It is,¡± Servi rolled back over, her ID following her right along. ¡°I was thinking about using a few hundred Smokescreens and pretending there¡¯s a fire, but this is a lot better.¡±


    Should we use it to explore that building in New Arcton?


    ¡°Probably not. For some reason, I get the feeling that Kobold would not be affected by the Kaasuvuoto. And I want to save the building because it could be a trap. Hey, that¡¯s another thing I don¡¯t get. Or maybe I¡¯m an idiot, but the boss is either a genius or dumb as a rock. I honestly conflicted on whether or not that building is a simple decoy or his real hideout.¡±


    I can see it being either-or. Like a 50/50 chance, especially since we only know he¡¯s secretive. I don¡¯t think anyone but his most loyal members have seen his face.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Servi sat up and hopped off the bed. Her ID flew around before landing softly in her hands. ¡°We can worry about that if this fails. If I don¡¯t get a 5th to come, it might be time to start exterminating. And you know what?¡± She glanced down at her ID.


    What?


    ¡°It feels like a part of me wants to turn this into a slaughter. I¡¯m going to kill everyone regardless... But I want it to fail, so I have a better excuse to start killing. And you know what else? I wanted to kill that man and lady when I threw them out of that window. I wanted to kill that shitty husband and not give any money to that family. Itarr, it¡¯s like there¡¯s two Servis inside of me. It can¡¯t be my conscious because I slowly feel it corrupting my actions, but it¡¯s like half of me wants to do good while the other half wants chaos. If I can¡¯t fix myself... Then even after I save Momo, I can¡¯t be with her. I could snap at any moment.¡±

 Book Three – Chapter Five – Part Eight – The Act of Subterfuge and Sabotage

    Itarr briefly wondered about telling Servi the truth. While she hadn''t manipulated any emotions in a while, it was because she literally couldn¡¯t. Instead, she chose to keep a close eye on Servi¡¯s emotional composition. Thus far, it had only slightly changed. It was the same as when she decided to join the Mafia. The only thing Itarr could think of was that the two emotional compositions of Servi had started vying for control of her body.


    One belonging to the Servi Itarr had known for the past few months, and the other belonging to whatever was inside that mysterious cage. It was good versus evil, and Itarr didn¡¯t know which was which. She believed she knew a way to fix things, but she couldn¡¯t put any of them into play until Momo was rescued. Not only because she would be a vital part of the recovery factor, but because Itarr realized that saving Momo would be the only way to remove the emotional locks that prevented them from drastically changing.


    Believe in Momo, Servi. She¡¯s our best friend. I know she¡ª


    ¡°I¡¯m not mad at her. I¡¯m not even disappointed. I should¡¯ve told her sooner. Much, much, sooner. I can only hope she¡¯ll forgive and take me back. If she doesn¡¯t, I¡­.. No, let¡¯s not think of that right now¡­.¡±


    That''s right, we don¡¯t need to think about those things. Our first priority should be saving Momo.


    ¡°Agreed. Itarr?¡± Servi looked down at her ID while she gripped the doorknob. It was a position she had been in for quite a few minutes.


    Yes?


    "I¡¯m glad you''re here. Talking to me. I don¡¯t feel alone anymore. That also means I don¡¯t have to sleep with Carrie anymore. I hated doing that. I didn¡¯t want to lick or touch her... I just wanted to be needed. But¡­ I¡¯m needed by you, right?¡±


    That''s right! I need you, Servi!


    The torn girl smiled. ¡°All I need to do is hold my ID close to me while I sleep.¡±


    What are you going to tell Carrie?


    ¡°Nothing. When it¡¯s time for me to sleep with Carrie, I¡¯ll use Kaasuvuoto to fill her room with sleeping gas. I¡¯ll probably have to strip her, so she thinks we actually did something, but that''s all. I don¡¯t need her anymore. I only need you.¡±


    And Momo, too.


    "Yes, and her¡­"


    I know we should get a move on, but I want to hear what you¡¯re going to do about Old Man¡¯s granddaughter.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. A part of me wants to leave her be, and the other wants me to learn Lux Dei Omnipotentis. However, I don¡¯t owe her or him anything. Why should I spend my Potential on a single-use skill for some girl I don¡¯t know? Do I want to help her? Do I even want to help her?¡±


    I don¡¯t know. Itarr wrote, then the Goddess stopped writing and just started talking to herself, even though her voice wouldn''t reach anyone.


    Please, I promise to tell you absolutely everything, but it has to wait.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you can do this, but try not to let it leak out of Deset.¡±


    I¡¯ll do my best. By the way, I¡¯ve been letting it build up in this room. The moment you open the door, a whole bunch of gas is going to rush out like a flood. I have it on sleeping gas. I don¡¯t know how long it''ll last, so we might want to be quick.


    ¡°Got it. Use Telekinesis to fly the ID in front of me. Are you ready?¡±


    I am!


    With a confident nod, Servi opened the door. A tremendous amount of yellow gas exploded out, instantly blanketing the entire room in a matter of milliseconds. Servi glanced at Old Man.


    ¡°He was already asleep before, so I don¡¯t know how effective Kaasuvuoto is,¡± she said, opening the door to the hallway.


    Walking through it, she heard a dull noise to her left. It was Carrie, lying on her side in a way that looked uncomfortable. One hand was thrown across her body while the other was flat against the floor. Her tail limply laid pressed against her back while the faintest noise of respiration echoed about.


    ¡°Seems like it¡¯s working. And quick, too. Let¡¯s go!¡± Servi jogged around the corner and saw a few Mafia members walking about. They struggled to stay awake. Some were cutting their fingers. One Elf stabbed his dagger into his thigh, but the gas was too strong. Kaasuvuoto was a Rank 1 skill, after all. If it didn¡¯t act fast, then it would be useless.


    Making her way to the cafeteria was child''s play. The skill said the user would not be immune to the gas''s effects, which included being unable to see through the yellow fog, but Servi had no trouble whatsoever. Itarr explained that it was because her True Immortality registered the gas''s appearance as something harmful. She didn¡¯t know the exact specifics, but it was like her eyes had a filter that visually erased the fog.


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing! Itarr, you¡¯re amazing!¡± Servi said, shouting a bit louder than she wanted to. She glanced at a Kobold, who''d fallen asleep against the wall. The sudden noise didn¡¯t do a single thing. Suddenly, she had something she wanted to test out.


    Taking out a dagger, she spun it around her fingers before stabbing his neck. He made a noise, but that hulking yellow body never quaked.


    It seems that pain can¡¯t wake them. I wonder if they¡¯ll wake immediately when the gas disappears.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find out,¡± Servi said. She proceeded to kill the Kobold and absorb his body before wandering through the twin doors leading to the cafeteria.


    Servi walked over to the blue Singi, who unfortunately had a taste for eyes, and lifted him. She tossed him a few meters, sliding on the tiled surface until his head cracked against the wall. Itarr knew what Servi wanted, so she went ahead and absorbed the gas in a small localized area while changing its instructions.


    Almost immediately, the Singi woke up clutching his head. He glanced at Servi and stumbled back.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t I eating? Why¡¯re you here? And what¡¯s with that yellow fog?¡± he asked.


    Servi ignored him and spoke to Itarr. ¡°Seems like you were right. Hey, tell me everything you know about the Mafia. I suppose it¡¯s a long shot, but do you know where the Rank 5 base is?¡±


    ¡°Mafia? Why the fuck should I tell you? You made me eat eyes!¡± he exclaimed.


    ¡°No, I didn''t. I killed that Kobold because it was going to help me in the long run. And now that you won¡¯t answer my question, well, it''s more likely you don¡¯t know a single fucking thing, so I¡¯m going to have to kill you.¡±


    ¡°WAI¡ª¡± he started to say before his head hit the ground. Servi had brought out a sword and gave him a quick death. It was the least she could do. After absorbing the two parts of his body, Itarr configured Kaasuvuoto to flow freely again.


    That¡¯s good to know.


    ¡°It is, but they might wake up regardless. We have to find the 6th¡¯s room,¡± Servi said. She ran down the hallway where she killed Salcedo and opened the doors she didn¡¯t have the chance to earlier.


    They were rooms belonging to the Numbered, but none that she was interested in. The first was empty except for a half-empty bottle of wine, while the second had 24 stacks of wooden plates in the corner. After a thorough search, they found nothing. Kicking the door, Servi ran back to the fork in the road and took the other direction.


    She came across a similar hallway, but there was a massive door located at the end. It was black and metal, with an imposing keyhole in its doorknob.


    ¡°I¡¯ll check that later. Let¡¯s check out these rooms.¡± Servi opened the first of four doors via absorption. Inside, she found a room full of weapons and a tiny bed that held a sleeping Kobold. A 9 was engraved in his back. His large body was covered with cuts and scrapes, evidence of the bar fight he was recovering from. Servi glanced around for a note or journal but didn¡¯t find one.


    ¡°Shit! I wanted to frame him.¡±


    Servi, remember the Kobold you killed a few minutes ago? There was a letter on him. You can copy his handwriting.


    ¡°That¡¯ll be good enough.¡± After projecting herself inside the ring, she hastily wrote a letter with brutish strokes and dirty angles. It was about how he couldn¡¯t take it anymore and wanted to end his life. Before he did, he wanted to take revenge on the Mafia that ruined his purpose by poisoning the area using a gas he had acquired from a 6th. Servi wrote that it ended with him hoping the gas chocked everyone to death.


    ¡°Even if it doesn¡¯t make sense, all I need is for them to believe something is seriously wrong. And the odds are probably in my favor. I¡¯d imagine at least some Kobolds are borderline crazy, especially if they joined the Mafia,¡± she said, slitting his large throat with one of the daggers she found. ¡°It¡¯s not like they¡¯re going to be alive at the end of the week. The best I can do is make it painless. Honestly, I shouldn¡¯t even do that. It should be painful and horrifying. I should be ripping their chests open and clawing out their hearts and innards.¡±


    Save that for the Boss. He deserves it for what he did.


    ¡°Agreed. That bastard''s death will not be painless. Now, let¡¯s go.¡± Servi wanted to absorb the weapons but stopped herself. It wouldn¡¯t do any good in the long run. She ran out of his room after taping the letter to his door.  With haste, Servi entered the next room. It was locked, but that wasn¡¯t a problem for Telekinesis.


    It wasn¡¯t a Kobold, but an Elven woman laid half-covered up. Her soft hands gripped a large, phallic object made of smooth metal with a flared base. After a quick search, Servi found nothing except a few bows and some arrows. Other than the green walls, the room itself wasn¡¯t anything special. Like before, Servi wrote a fake note by copying Eletri¡¯s handwriting. It was a suicide letter, saying that she was threatened by a 6th into having sex with him. She couldn¡¯t live with it, so she helped her Kobold friend by assisting him with gathering the gas used to put all of Deset to sleep.


    Servi was out of the room after slitting the Elf¡¯s neck. Taping the note to the door, Servi entered the third room to find it empty. The fourth was more of the same. With failure knocking at her mind, Servi left the last room and walked to the imposing metal door at the back of the hallway.


    ¡°Guess we only have this one. Based on how it is, I bet the 6th is behind here.¡± Like Servi guessed, the door was locked. ¡°Absorption is the ultimate key,¡± she said, strolling through the empty doorway. With a quick snap, the intimidating piece of metal took its post once more.


    Servi saw a staircase near the back, so she did the next logical thing and ascended it. At the top, she found another iron door. After absorbing it, strolling through, and putting it back, she grinned.


    ¡°I do believe we found what we were looking for,¡± Servi muttered. Four doors stood in front of her, but they were likely decoys.  She only had eyes for her goal, which stood at the end of the corridor.


    ¡®Room of the 6th,¡¯ it said. Servi wasted no time at all and ran for it. Her footsteps echoed off the red walls and black floors; no doubt the brooding color scheme was a pathetic attempt to mentally devastate anyone who was brought here.


    She didn¡¯t try the door, choosing to absorb it outright since it was easy, and stepped inside.


    I don¡¯t know what I expected, Itarr wrote, but it certainly wasn¡¯t this.


    It was a torture room. With tools to Servi''s left and tools to her right, the whole room was full of tools. When she looked up, Servi was a bit surprised to see bloody instruments of torture stuck to the roof above her.


    Of them, she saw clamps, knives, metal prods, glass shards, and glass cages filled with creepy crawlies of numerous legs.  Her nose swiftly picked up various candles that gave off a variety of different scents, yet True Immortality took care of that. A startling contraption caught her eye.  There was an odd machine filled with heavy iron balls and weights.  A single piece of leather connected it to a dagger attached to the end of a whip.  Judging from the massive amount of dried blood, it was one of the more lethal pieces of torture.  It even put the machine Carrie showed off on Servi''s first day to shame.


    On the table a bit further away, she saw liquids in all different colors and uses. The number of items in her vision was unfathomable, but Servi knew, somehow, that they were all used to inflict untold pain on the poor bastards who were unfortunate enough to be brought here.


    It was a sight that not even the devil would care for: something he wouldn¡¯t even give a second glance to because it was even beyond his wildest imagination.


    But Servi simply smiled. Then chuckled, then laughed. She walked forward, using Absorption to store any items that would impede her path, and stopped in front of the earless Singi. A bloody hammer laid gripped in his hands. A soft smile, one of happiness, blanketed his calm face.


    Such a face did not belong on someone responsible for the nearby vile display of unspeakable cruelty. Servi stayed her urge to kill him and walked over, absorbing more torture tools in her path before stopping in front of two hunks of meat stubbornly clinging to life. They were being held by a barbed wire attached to the ceiling via their wrists.


    She recognized the Elf with the lightning bolt scar to be Eletri. More accurately, the Elf with the multiple disfigurements. She didn¡¯t know what tool he used, but Eletri¡¯s forehead was covered in raw wounds that hadn¡¯t stopped bleeding. Her face, black and blue, was missing some strips of skin a few centimeters wide. The red of her muscles and the whites of her teeth were visible in some spots.


    Like a leaky faucet, a wide wound dripped blood to the cluttered floor below. Servi saw something strange and pressed her finger to a wet spot.


    ¡°Yeah, Carrie did that one. She did say blood from the neck is the best,¡± she said.


    Is blood tasty?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Probably not,¡± Servi answered Itarr before continuing her examination.


    Eletri¡¯s chest was bare, showing off a single breast and a nasty, blood-soaked black cloth. It seemed that someone, Servi¡¯s guess was the 6th, used a knife to cut off Eletri¡¯s right breast. The makeshift bandage was a pathetic attempt to stop the bleeding.


    How awful¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. This is the Mafia, remember? It seems to me they do shit like this all the time. She¡¯s lucky it was him and not me that got ahold of her.¡± Servi summoned a sword from her ring and held it up. Eletri¡¯s other injuries, a sharp double-bladed knife stuck up through her maidenhood and the nailed bat inserted up her rear, were too much to look at anymore. With a hurried hand, Servi gave the tortured Elf an eternal rest.


    Dana was strung up next to her. In terms of torture and pain, she had undeniably lucked out, but that only applied when compared to her deceased sworn sister.


    Her ten fingers, all snapped in half, had the skin and muscle scrapped off. The cracked white bones were like small white pellets in a sea of crimson that was the floor under her. Her nose, which had been snapped in half and removed via a rusty wire, taunted her a few centimeters away. Both eyes were raw and purple, and Servi saw a tiny bug digging around the whites of her eyes. She glanced back at the different jars of insects and shuddered.


    Dana¡¯s chest was also exposed, much like Eletri¡¯s, but one could argue she was worse off there. A big black bug had died after piercing Dana''s breasts, nipples, and stomach with its five legs. Servi didn¡¯t know if they were poisonous or not, but it didn¡¯t matter. A red soul floated over to Servi¡¯s ring and made itself at home.


    The poor Elf had chosen that time to depart for the afterlife, though one could argue her death was an accident since the 6th enjoyed torturing. It could¡¯ve been the blood loss, the snapped fingers, the missing nose, the bugs, the sharp dagger jabbed into her belly button, the chili powder-covered phallic object that was deep inside her fruit, or the nails embedded into her legs and thighs that did it. If anything, all of them could''ve contributed to her death.


    If she felt bad for being the cause, Servi didn¡¯t show it. She wordlessly absorbed Dana¡¯s body and turned to the 6th. Using Telekinesis, she lifted him up and tossed him against the wall, slamming into a shelf and falling to the floor.


    What was that for?


    ¡°He¡¯s going to die, but I want it to last. When he wakes up, I want him to be in pain,¡± Servi replied. She walked over to a long couch and sat down. The rolled-up blankets and pillows nearby signified it was where the 6th slept. ¡°So this is what he sees when he wakes up¡­ Maybe I should kill the bastard now.¡±


    She shook her head and stood up. ¡°No, that can wait. Let¡¯s get what we came for. I guarantee that dresser over there has something. You look too. Remember, we need something with his handwriting.¡±


    Got it. I can¡¯t do much, but I¡¯ll do what I can.


    A few minutes later, Servi smashed the dresser in anger. She found what she was looking for. More accurately, Servi had discovered many things, actually; notes and letters to Deset¡¯s Numbered, a grocery list, and an update on the hole''s status, but it was nothing the worried girl could use to find Momo. A small part of Servi wanted to acquire instructions on contacting a 5th or maybe a hint to their base''s location, but she had found nothing.


    ¡°Perhaps that fake fucking cat is smarter than he appears? No matter. We still have time,¡± Servi said, picking up a piece of mahogany wood the dresser was made from. She used Telekinesis to fly the 6th to her and smashed his arms with the reddish-brown wood she held. It shattered, both the wood and the arm, and Servi released Telekinesis at the right moment so he could fly back into the wall. His body landed on his wrist, making it snap back at an unnatural angle.


    With nothing else to do, Servi projected her consciousness into the ring and forged a note.


    This is to the Dwarf.  You know who you are. You did well to kill the Kobold and Elf during the faux attack on Deset. Destroy this letter after you read it. I command you to kill Carrie and the two Humans with her when the deal is done. Kill your buyer and the two Elves, too. If you bring the money and drugs back to me, I¡¯ll guarantee you a position as a 6th. Be warned, though, that any attempts to use this letter against me will be met with my full force. You do not want to know what I have in my torture room to use against you. Do not make me do to you what I did to Dana and Eletri.


    Will that work?


    ¡°Maybe. Look, the handwriting is the exact same. All I have to do is plant this on the Dwarf when I force him and the two Elves to attack us. He said he could take care of this on his own, right?¡±


    That is what the bald Dwarf said.


    ¡°Then if he fucks it up because of what the 6th said, combined with what happened to Dana and Eletri, a 5th has to come by. If not, then I don¡¯t think anything will make that happen, and we¡¯ll be on our own. But by making it look like he was responsible for the reasons why the Kobold and Elf killed themselves, he won¡¯t be able to talk himself out of it.¡±


    I hope it works. We just need the location of the 5th''s base, right?


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Servi said, walking out. She had gotten what she needed. The only thing left to do was make her way back downstairs to the cafeteria, and from there, go back to her room.


    ¡°You two didn¡¯t fall asleep?¡± asked Carrie. Servi had Itarr stop Kaasuvuoto when they reached the cafeteria and had to act all concerned once everyone started to wake up. She ran into Carrie, gave her a hand, and walked back to their room.


    ¡°I was already asleep,¡± said Old Man, holding back a yawn.


    ¡°I was on my way to the cafeteria after taking a nap. I wasn¡¯t thinking of anything at first, but it felt weird when I saw everyone on the ground,¡± Servi said. She leaned back in her chair as a cup of coffee touched her delicate lips.


    ¡°The 6th should¡¯ve called an emergency meeting by now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not invited?¡± asked Servi.


    ¡°Not for the super important stuff. Only those who are Numbered 6 through 8 are allowed to attend. I was only allowed to attend the meeting this morning because you were the one the observer gave the letter to,¡± Carrie said.


    ¡°Did you go to the torture room?¡±


    ¡°I did. Fuck, the 6th is even more depraved than I am. The bastard used these bugs, right? He forced them to bite Dana¡¯s tits. Hahahaha!!! You should¡¯ve heard her scream. Oh, this is the fucked up part. Those bugs secrete an aphrodisiac. By the time I left, that fucking Elf was begging for a cock.¡± Carrie laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world.


    Instead of getting mad at her, Servi pitied her. She thought there had to be a reason why she acted the way she did. Her fixation with blood and women, torturing and inflicting pain, as well as her crude way of talking, had to be related to something horrific Carrie endured in the past. While it wasn¡¯t vital to her, Servi was a little bit curious but realized there¡¯s no way she would ever get close enough to her to find out. Even if she did, Carrie would be dead in four or five days.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the room at?¡± asked Servi.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know that. It¡¯s a place only us Numbered can get to when we''re invited.¡±


    Servi looked down at her ID and read the words that appeared.


    I guess his room was the torture room. Seems a bit odd and strange considering he has to sleep there.


    ¡°Why the fuck are you staring at your ID?¡± Carrie asked, standing up. She walked around and bent down, placing her head on Servi¡¯s shoulder. Her hands explored around a moment, rubbing and groping Servi¡¯s stomach before settling on her breasts.


    ¡°You drink blood, and I stare at my ID. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that, is there?¡± Servi replied.


    ¡°No, not really,¡± Carrie found Servi¡¯s nipples and pinched them, forcing her to falsely moan in response. Old Man stared for a moment before turning away.


    ¡°Carrie, I said at night. Does it look like night to you?¡± Servi stood up.


    ¡°Fine, but I expect you to make it up to me,¡± with one more pinch, Carrie walked back around the table and sat down. Her fruit in between her legs began to drip its savory love juice. Squirming, she did all she could to hold back the urge to storm off to her room and strip naked before pleasuring herself with the thick, smooth handle of her spear.


    Just then, a Numbered Servi¡¯s never seen before barged in, prompting Carrie to say every curse word in the book at the intruder.


    He had a 10 carved into his palm, and he profusely apologized. ¡°Sorry, 9th, but there have been two murders: a Kobold and an Elf, both Numbered. The 6th is asking for every Numbered to assemble for an emergency meeting,¡± he said.


    Carrie stood up. ¡°Two more? Whatever happened to Salcedo?"


    ¡°9th, I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s currently ruled a suicide,¡± replied the 10th. His orange cat-like ears twitched.


    ¡°I see. Williana, Old Man, if I¡¯m not back in time, just head to the common room and wait,¡± she said, slamming the door before Servi could nod.


    ¡°What¡¯re you going to do?¡± asked Old Man.


    Servi pointed to the coffee machine. ¡°I¡¯m gonna grab another cup and wait. Who knows how long this drug deal will last. Don''t want to fall asleep during the job, am I right?"


    Thirty minutes later, after consuming three more cups of coffee and running out of beans, Servi sighed. ¡°Sure is taking her a while,¡± she said.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Servi looked over at the beds. Old Man was fast asleep.


    It seems like he sleeps a lot.  Itarr noted.  Servi only nodded and wished she had another cup of coffee to pass the time.

 Book Three – Chapter Five – Part Nine – The Act of Subterfuge and Sabotage

    Servi was about to reply to Itarr when the door slammed open to reveal a violent Carrie. Her face, contorted and twisted in anger, had an expression Servi had never seen before on it.


    ¡°Great! Fucking great! Two more Numbered died, we got fucking attacked by sleeping gas, the two Elves fucking escaped, and even the 6th is injured.¡±


    Died? Not betrayed?


    Servi looked down at her ID and shrugged.


    ¡°Easy there, 9th, what the hell happened?¡± asked Servi.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I fucking said?! We all fell asleep because of some fucking gas the two who fucking died somehow fucking acquired! Then they go off and kill themselves?! Fuck that!¡± Carrie threw her arms up in exasperation.


    ¡°Look, you said none of that when you came¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up, Williana!¡± Carrie retrieved her spear using Instant Retrieval and smashed the coffee maker. She picked up the larger pieces and threw them against the wall, shattering them even more. ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking realize it? This could¡¯ve been the end of me! I WAS KNOCKED OUT! What stopped those two from fucking cutting my neck?!¡±


    It sounds like she cares more about herself than Deset or the Mafia. Maybe she doesn¡¯t care that much for them after all. Really, I get the feeling she only cares for herself. Wait, she didn¡¯t say anything about the letters. I wonder if the 6th hid them away? We should¡¯ve made copies.


    Servi agreed with Itarr after she stole a glance at her ID. There was a chance the 6th destroyed two of the letters as soon as he discovered them, but it should be fine.  The one that mattered the most still resided in her ring.


    ¡°Well, calm down. Obviously, you aren''t dead. You said they killed themselves?¡±


    ¡°Why the fuck are you so calm about this? You do realize you could¡¯ve died, too? Right?¡±


    Servi nodded. ¡°I know I can die at any moment. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not panicking. I¡¯m ready for it. But enough of that. The two who died provided the gas, right? Then they worked with someone who wanted to rescue Dana and Eletri. The trick is to find out who wanted to free those two.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we fucking know that already!!!!! The 6th told a 7th to put out an alert for Dana and Eletri. All of Deset¡¯s observers are on high alert,¡± Carrie replied, taking a seat. She tossed her spear up on the top bunk bed and sighed.


    ¡°Deset¡¯s observers? What about the rest of the observers?¡± asked Servi.


    ¡°Dana and Eletri were members of Deset¡¯s Numbered. It falls to us to find them. I wanted to send this to HQ, but that fucking fake cat refused. He said it was something Deset can handle without involving anyone else,¡± Carrie said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a bit weird? Wouldn¡¯t the betrayal and murder of a Numbered be worth investigating? And then there¡¯s two new deaths and two escapees? What are the chances the 6th is in on this?¡± Servi said. Her mouth contorted into a sly grin as she laid the foundation. The notes were written, and the doubts were there. It was time to put her plan into action.


    ¡°Thinking like that is what causes rifts and cracks to form in an organization. Take it from me,¡± Old Man said, popping into the conversation as his mind traveled back to a simpler time. He hopped off his bed and sat down at the table with an audible groan, placing his arms down. The surface top felt nice and cool on his wrinkled skin.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care one way or the other. I¡¯m only loyal to myself for the greater good of myself. I don¡¯t need to wake up dead with my throat slit,¡± Carrie quipped. She sat down and stomped her foot, shaking the table and knocking over an empty cup.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying that maybe the Mafia isn¡¯t as organized as I thought it was. I mean, three people are dead, Deset¡¯s been attacked, two turncoats escaped during said attack.  And you won''t wake up dead.  You''ll just be dead."


    Carrie stood up and promptly punched the table. ¡°SHUT THE FUCK UP WITH YOUR FUCKING WORD GAMES!!!! I know what you¡¯re trying to do, but I have no control over it. He''s the only one who can contact HQ. They''re the only ones who can send out a 5th. That means the only way to investigate that fake fucking cat is through the fake cat himself. Wait, are you saying it¡¯s all his fault? Are you really saying he broke his arm on purpose?"


    ¡°It would be the perfect plan, wouldn¡¯t it? However, don''t take my words as truth. I¡¯m just saying be open to the possibility. That¡¯s how I¡¯ve stayed alive through everything I''ve been through. Expect and prepare for the worst, but hope for the best. That way, nothing can fucking surprise you. In this case, the worst would be the Boss himself coming to slaughter and rape all of us before burning the town and killing himself. Of course, I don¡¯t think he would do that, so by analyzing all of the info available to me, I¡¯ve come up with a new worst-case: the 6th is preparing for something.


    "Why else would he not report it to HQ? Of course, the Boss could come and slaughter and rape us. I''m not denying that. I just think it¡¯s less likely than the 6th betraying Deset. I¡¯m not in any position to do anything. All I have are my thoughts, but my thoughts are how I survived my 20 years of life.¡± Servi had implanted a seed of doubt into her handler. She only needed it to take root. However, it was something she didn''t really need in the grand scheme of things. Servi could use it, that much was true, but it wasn¡¯t a vital element to her ultimate goal.


    ¡°Ha, and here I thought you were only good with your body. Didn¡¯t know we had a fucking scholar,¡± Carrie said, laughing.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a scholar. Hell, I have no schooling whatsoever. I just have my mind and body. But hell.¡± Servi pointed to her one functioning eye, ¡°I don¡¯t always make the right choices. Just like you, I¡¯m only focused on keeping myself alive.¡±


    ¡°AAHH!!!!¡± Carrie violently scratched her red hair, drawing a bit of blood in the process. ¡°Hearing you say all that shit is putting doubts in my mind! Why do I feel like I¡¯m going to be fucking attacked during the mission?¡±


    ¡°Speaking of that, why does that bald Dwarf hate you? And why were you praising us?¡± asked Servi.


    ¡°I told you I don¡¯t know! That fat fuck hates Singi. I was praising you two because you two were the ones who came back with the most cash. You see, every pair of new recruits went on a mission last night, or this morning I suppose, and you two brought back the most money. And as your Numbered, I fucking bragged about it every chance I had."


    In that case, I wonder if that coffee machine was a gift. Itarr asked.  Servi subtly shook her head, sending lavender strands of fake hair across her eyes.


    ¡°Ah, well, my worst-case scenario sense is kicking in again. A part of it feels like he¡¯s going to do something to fuck us up during the deal. I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s going to happen, but it¡¯s just a possibility. What about this? What if that Dwarf is working with the 6th to further accomplish his plans? What if they can further their objectives by fucking up the drug deal? Since he hates Singi, it might be a way to stamp you out of the picture. Why? I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I swear to the fucking Gods above, you better be lying!¡±


    ¡°Carrie, I¡¯m just spouting what I consider to be the worst-case. Hell, the best case is the deal goes off without a hitch, and we all get fucking rich from it. Don¡¯t just focus on the bad. As I said, expect the worst and hope for the best. Live that way, and nothing can surprise you,¡± Servi said, grinning like a fox. She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair.


    In her eyes, everything was laid out. She could see the doubts poisoning Carrie¡¯s eyes by the second. The rusty gears in her mind spurned to life, alerting her to a new way of thinking.


    Suddenly, she flourished her spear. Maneuvering it around her body, she brought it up and struck Servi¡¯s face with the butt of it. She fell to the ground clutching her jaw. Her finger ran over something hard and pointy, and that¡¯s when she realized her jaw bone peaked through her pretty skin. When she tried to speak, the bone sawed through her cheek like putting a pen through paper and yanking it down.


    ¡°What about that?! Huh?! Did you fucking think I wouldn¡¯t attack you?!¡± Carrie snarled. Her eyes, terrified and wide like a frightened animal, did little more than give away her uneasiness to everyone in the room.


    Servi rose to her feet and placed a hand on the back of her chair. Old Man stared with wide eyes like he wanted to do something while Carrie flourished her spear again. Picking up her ID, she shook her head no when Itarr asked if she could kill Carrie.


    ¡°Whether you attack me or not makes no difference,¡± Servi said. The exposed bone went up and down with the movements of her mouth, forcing out more crimson to paint the table and her clothes. Her jaw, no longer aligned with the rest of her face, forced her words to come out muffled and slurred. ¡°If they planned to kill or attack you, then my death wouldn''t prevent anything. Why not keep me alive and use me as a shield? If they try to attack you, push me towards them and run away with your own life.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Just fucking shut up!¡± Carrie shouted. ¡°Shut the fuck up and follow me! Old Man, hurry the fuck up!¡± She stomped towards the door and slammed it open.


    Without saying anything, Servi and Old Man followed along, but they made sure to keep a few steps between them and their Numbered.


    ¡°You need a rag?¡± he asked, pulling out a small cloth from his pockets. The not-so-insignificant amount of blood he saw did little to calm his growing fear.


    Servi shook her head and pinched the exposed bone, snapping it off. She stared at the piece, no bigger than a few centimeters, and tossed it behind her. The pathetic noise it made was drowned out by the heavy stomps of an angry Singi.


    ¡°I take that as a no,¡± Old Man replied. He stuffed his hands in his trouser pockets.


    I take it you don¡¯t want me to heal it, so I¡¯ll prevent it from getting any worse. If you do receive healing, I¡¯ll fix it. Is that okay?


    Servi looked down at her ID and nodded before hugging it close.


    As of that moment, Itarr was the very last thing that prevented Servi from losing her mind. It was ironic. At first, Servi¡¯s soul monopolized any control Itarr used to have on her. Now? Itarr was the one who kept Servi sane. It was her presence that prevented Servi from falling victim to her growing desire to let loose the dogs of war and slaughter everyone around her.


    Because as of that moment in time, Momo did not exist inside Servi''s thoughts.


    ¡°I take it the Human couldn¡¯t keep her shitty little mouth shut? Had to have the shitty cat shut you up?¡± Baldy mocked the pair, embodying the idiotic Dwarven stereotype with the lack of variety in his insults. He slammed his large stomach, laughing like a madman.


    Servi stayed quiet and sat down.


    The usually quiet atmosphere was nowhere to be seen.


    It looks like Warden¡¯s lobby when everyone¡¯s getting ready for a quest? Itarr wrote. Servi felt her ID wiggle and glanced down.


    Baldy didn¡¯t like it. ¡°Human bitch! Eyes on me when I¡¯m fucking explaining things to you, yeah?¡± he pounded her ID, crushing it into dust. Then he opened his hand and smacked the already injured girl in the side of the head. If her wig and eyepatch weren''t fused to her scalp and face, they''d flown off. She fell sideways, her noggin landing on Carrie¡¯s lap as the rest of her body slid off her chair. Servi''s chin rested against Carrie''s soft thighs, but the Singi looked down with so much disgust.


    The growing anger did nothing but well up inside Servi''s body. Pushing against the tiled ground, every bone in her left hand broke four times.


    Carrie grabbed Servi¡¯s hair and pushed her away.  Servi didn''t try to protect her head, allowing it to slam into the floor unaided. Subtly, she formed a fist so hard her fingers punctured her palms. The self-inflicted pain did little to calm her down, but it was enough.  The bald Dwarf and Earth Elves laughed and pointed.


    ¡°Bossman, don¡¯t kill her now,¡± cried Oaklin. ¡°She can still die for us, yeah?¡±


    ¡°Bwhahaha!!! That she can!¡± Baldy snickered.  Oaklin and Daki joined in, laughing at Servi''s pitiful state.


    The friendly chuckle the trio shared didn''t make any sense. To Servi, who tightly gripped the back of her chair as she stood up and sat back down, eyes glaring, she knew Baldy hated the Elves. Or if not hate, then he held a vast amount of displeasure towards them.  Something must''ve lit the lantern of friendship in the time before the two groups reconvened.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter... It doesn¡¯t matter... It doesn¡¯t matter¡­ They''re all going to fucking die...¡± Servi croaked under her breath. Not even Carrie picked up on her repetitive words, even though she had the best hearing out of all of them.  But it wasn''t like she was actively listening to the wounded girl, either.


    ¡°This here is what¡¯s gonna be sold,¡± Baldy said. He gripped the handle of a black briefcase and slammed it on the white table. It almost buckled underneath the sudden weight.  Opening it, he revealed three smaller glass boxes filled to the brim with the three types of Monotonia.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lotta money riding on this deal, so I¡¯m actually giving you four a fucking chance to show us you¡¯re fucking worth it. If anyone of you fucks it up, I will kill you. It won¡¯t be painless, either. I will take you up to the 6th¡¯s private torture chamber and use every fucking tool he has at his disposal. Human bitch, that goes double for you. Try not to fucking bleed out.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± she replied. Baldy laughed at her decrepit state, poking her visible bone as if it was a fun game.

 Book Three – Chapter Five – Part Ten – The Act of Subterfuge and Sabotage

    The drug deal was to take place on the far side of town in an abandoned factory that had seen better days. Rundown by either the harsh flow of time or addicts, the once red brick walls were stained brown and yellow. Trace smells of waste and excrement wafted around, forcing the two Earth Elves to stifle a gag.


    Servi crouched down next to Old Man, who leaned against the remains of some type of iron object. She placed her hand against the ground, feeling the gravel and rocks sink inside her palm. As Servi lifted it, most of the pebbles fell down, but one remained. She plucked it with her spare hand.


    Tiny and small, yet stubborn enough to cling on to the faintest flash of hope to escape the desolate factory. It was almost enough to make her crack a smile. It almost hurt her when she slowly turned her hand, and the pebble journeyed back down to the ground.


    It wouldn¡¯t ever escape this place.


    Looking up, Servi felt the tips of her wig dance and flutter from a sudden breeze. Her disguised eye looked up at the moon. She wondered if her sin-stained soul even deserved to dance with the celestial objects. Would they be upset at her for having the audacity to believe she had the right to join them? Would they be happy? Would the moon roll out a metaphysical red-carpet in preparation for her arrival? And would the sun show up to give its thanks to the moon for making a lonely girl feel like she had a friend?


    What if giving people-like traits and feelings to the powerful objects above meant she was losing her grip on reality? She didn''t know.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m more suited to being a Mad Dog¡­¡± she whispered. At the end of the day, Servi knew there was one path always available to her. Like a failsafe, it was her last option in the traumatizing world that was her life.


    ¡°You say something?


    Servi looked up at Old Man and shook her head.  Her lavender locks covered her eye for just a moment. ¡°It was nothing worth hearing. Keep your eyes up, and that fat fuck won¡¯t yell at us,¡± Servi pointed to the Dwarf in question with her head.


    With a briefcase in one hand and a cigarette in the other, Baldy gripped the case¡¯s leather handle with his thick hand. Other than a Kobold, a Dwarf¡¯s grip strength couldn¡¯t be matched. With his stocky build, not many Kobolds could match Baldy in physical strength, either.


    Carrie used her spear to hop down from a half wall. She locked eyes with Servi as she made her way over to Baldy. At that time, three people emerged from behind a wall on the northern side of the factory.


    All three were Humans. The two behind looked like hired hands. Their leather armor, painted black and red, helped reinforce their violent nature. The ones they were hired to protect, the one in front, wore a bishop''s hat. A dirtied robe clad his body, while a bloody, iron scepter found a home on his back. His darkened face was kind and gentle, yet there were hints of something else. It was like his body radiated the fact he didn¡¯t practice what he preached.  If anything, Servi was positive he never spent a second in prayer.


    ¡°The church?¡± Servi whispered. She didn''t expect a member of the faith to be one they were selling to.


    Old Man turned to her. ¡°Yep. The church in this town is just as bad as the Mafia. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s how the Monotonia spread around in the first place. Didn¡¯t say it before, but Arcton used to be a bit religious. I guess the Gods don¡¯t have a place in the hearts of man anymore. Not that I can blame them. I abandoned those worthless bastards decades ago.¡±


    Servi stood up and watched as the deal proceeded.


    ¡°What''s this? Armie, didn¡¯t we agree on no mercs?¡± Baldy said, dropping his cigarette. His free hand went straight to his one-handed axe.


    ¡°Liron, my friend, why did you bring backup?¡± Armie, the bishop, said. With speed that defied his appearance, Liron brought a hand over his shoulder and gripped the bloodstained handle belonging to his scepter. It was flat and smooth with protrusions. The head, jagged, thick, and smothered in wet crimson, felt like it hungered for another life. Unleashing it from his back, Armie immediately went for the deciding blow. Liron brought the handle of his axe up in time to deflect the sudden attack. A bit of blood splashed on his armor, but he ignored it and grinned.


    The false bishop put all his strength into his attack, but Liron pushed back with barely any effort.


    The two mercenaries, Oaklin, Daki, Carrie, Old Man, and Servi, stood back. Thanks to Soul Essence of Primal Combat, Servi knew there was no anger powering the strikes. It was all in good fun.  Suddenly, Armie laughed, causing his loose hat to rattle around his head.  Liron gave up on his pressure and allowed his foe to jump back.


    ¡°Bwahahhaha!!! Armie, it¡¯s been far too long!¡± Liron slammed his axe to the ground and hugged Armie, taking his bishop hat in the process and exposing a bald head covered with cuts and bruises.


    ¡°Damn it, give me the hat back!¡± Armie exclaimed, dropping his weapon and extending his arms.  It made Servi sick to her stomach to see the pair acting like siblings, even though one was a Dwarven thug and the other a Human clergyman. Old Man couldn''t help but feel flabbergasted. In his long years of living, the events happening before his eyes were a first!


    ¡°Bwhahaha!!!¡± Liron put the hat on his head and twirled around. When tears threatened to leak from Armie''s brown eyes, the Dwarf taunter laughed one more time and took off the hat. He held it out for his friend.


    ¡°How¡¯s Lemmy doing?¡± asked Armie, whose emotions switched like a lever. He took the hat from Liron and cleaned it off. The Dwarf¡¯s dirty hands had soiled the white cross engraved into it.


    ¡°He¡¯s doing fine. You know how he can be,¡± Liron said.


    Lemmy? I wonder if that was the other Dwarf we saw with Liron. Itarr surmised.


    ¡°He¡¯s all quiet, ain¡¯t he?¡± Armie walked over to Carrie with Baldy. He tossed his cigarette and picked up the briefcase.


    ¡°He is. Now, you got the money?¡±


    ¡°What? You in a hurry to get out of here?¡± Armie asked.


    ¡°Can you blame me? The commission I¡¯m getting from this deal is huge. Gonna grab the boys and head over to the RASP on main street. I heard they got a few virgins in, and I''m ready to be the gardener if you know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°Boys? You mean those two Elves you''ve been hanging around with?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Oaklin, Daki, get your asses down here!¡±


    At Liron¡¯s yelling, the two Earth Elves, who were perched high on the abandoned factory¡¯s roof, used Feather Fall as they hopped off. Oaklin''s ponytail loyally followed behind like a lost puppy.


    ¡°I thought you hated those brown bastards. You still got the hate for Singi? What about the Koena?¡± asked Armie. His blatant racism was on full display.  Oaklin and Daki felt anger growing within them, but they knew better than act on it.


    ¡°I do, I do, and I still do. The quicker I can make em¡¯ Numbered, the quicker I can rid of their sorry asses. Bwhahaha!!! Now, hurry up with the cash.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Hey, the bags,¡± Armie pointed to the two men behind him. They dug into her their pockets to reveal two small purple bags each. After tossing them to Armie, he opened each to reveal a small stack of dupla. In total, it was 20,000 dupla, with five 1,000 dupla coins per bag.


    As Liron was double-checking it, Oaklin relaxed his arms. His left hand barely gripped an arrow meant to go the bow in his right hand if a fight was to break out.


    That would never happen. The situation, as it stood, never had a chance in hell of turning violent. The people involved in the exchange didn''t see a reason to turn it ugly.


    But Servi was the single exception. She had her own plan brewing over the day, and she was about to unleash it.


    To start it off, Servi used Telekinesis to push Oaklin into Armie, then placed an anchor point on his arm to force the arrow into the false bishop''s stomach. Simultaneously, she used Telekinesis to rip off the arrowhead and used it as a grinder to forcibly blend Armie¡¯s innards from the inside out.


    The false bishop convulsed, leaking crimson water from his eyes, mouth, nose, and ears. His ribs were broken, pierced, and shattered, sending bits of bone down to his stomach, cutting it. Stomach acid poured out like a waterfall since it had nothing to contain it, scorching the sensitive ligaments and muscles.


    Though his face still twisted in pain from the leftover synapses firing off, his red soul was all the proof Servi needed to know that he had died.


    ¡°!!!¡±


    Not even a second later, it was chaos. Liron dropped his coins and carved his axe into Oaklin¡¯s back before gripping his head and slamming him back. Because of Telekinesis and Skill Stack, Oaklin was effectively glued in place by an invisible force. Liron didn¡¯t realize this and used all his strength. In no time at all, there was a visceral sounding rip. What followed was a beautiful crimson river flowing from the neck of one of Servi''s enemies. Subtly, she grinned, knowing that she was about to have the chance to release her growing stress even more.


    ¡°OAKLIN!!!!¡± Daki screamed. He pointed to companion¡¯s disembodied head that sat in Liron¡¯s large hands.


    A red soul flowed to Servi, and she put her second plan into action. The two mercenaries Armie brought with him acted quickly, going for the throwing knives on their chest. It was child¡¯s play to control them in such a way that two landed in Liron¡¯s thick arm, and two were on a direct course for Carrie¡¯s heart. However, Servi rushed to protect her, taking the stray projectiles in her own chest for the sake of her plan.


    ¡°AAAHHHHH!!!¡± Servi screamed in pain, falling to her knees. She had miscalculated the strength required and accidentally punctured her heart. Itarr sprung into action, healing the fatal damage not even a millisecond after it had occurred. The Goddess couldn''t go overboard, however, and left most of the wound untouched. It pained her greatly, but Itarr had to wait until she had a chance to mask her healing to cure the lesser injuries.


    Still on her knees, Servi''s exaggerated breaths did little to dilute the great pain she felt.  The agony of scalping her own head or removing her eye didn''t compare at all to the lingering effects of a pierced heart.


    I won''t die... I won''t die... I won''t DIE!!!


    Carrie and Old Man were absolutely stunned. Their feet were locked into place by what they considered to be the worst-case scenario.  What Servi had alluded to was happening before their very eyes.


    ¡°Williana¡ª¡± Carrie began to speak, but she was cut off by a blood-curdling scream. Servi had ripped out both knives, leaving the twin streaks of flowing blood that danced down her dirtied tunic.


    ¡°FUCKING DIE!!!!¡± Servi screamed as blood spurted from her mouth. She used Soul Essence of Primal Combat to guide her arm as she returned the knives to their owners¡¯ faces. They flew so fast they were lodged in their heads. Pink brain matter dripped down, coating their backs.  A second later, the strength left their bodies as they fell forward, further pushing the knives in.


    In a matter of five or six seconds, Oaklin, the two mercenaries, and Armie all passed away in the midst of chaos orchestrated by a devilish maestro.


    ¡°I FUCKING TOLD YOU, CARRIE!!¡± Servi yelled. She held a hand to her injuries and cried out in pain. ¡°I FUCKING TOLD YOU!  HE WANTS TO FUCKING KILL US!!!¡±


    The remaining Earth Elf exploded into tears, wailing incomprehensibly to anything that spared an ear.


    ¡°EVERYONE, SHUT THE FUCK UP! Daki, stop crying like a fucking bitch!¡± Liron cocked his arms back and tossed Oaklin''s head at him. Daki caught it, screamed, and collapsed to his knees. Oaklin¡¯s head bounced out of his friend''s arms, rolling until his blank eyes stared up at his friend.


    The two lifeless eyes were too much, and Daki passed out.


    ¡°Liron, what the fuck did you do?!¡± Carrie yelled. The sheer shock of everything had finally settled down enough for her to move again.


    ¡°I OUT RANK YOU!!!! DON''T CALL ME THAT!!!!¡± Liron exclaimed, pulling his weapon from Oaklin¡¯s back. His heavy hands gripped the wooden handle, and the axe¡¯s silver edge was dyed crimson.


    ¡°Bullshit! I know what the fuck you¡¯re doing! You aren¡ª¡°


    ¡°FUCKING DIE!!!¡± she expected such a shrill voice to come from Liron, but Carrie was surprised and utterly horrified to find Servi standing over Daki¡¯s body. With daggers held in both hands, Servi fell to her knees and stabbed his body over and over again.  Everyone present couldn''t help but stare at the brutality of her actions.


    From his chest to his neck, Servi created 47 wounds the size of a dupla and leaked a crimson mixture of white and red. She screamed and lost herself to rage. As for whether or not it was an act? It couldn''t have been, because Servi was very conscious of her actions. She was well aware that her hands were deep inside his exposed chest cavity and that she was pulling his spinal cord out from behind his heart. Her eye vividly remembered the feeling of pushing Daki''s spine through his chin, extracting it from the top of his head.


    Blood, bone, fat, any and everything splashed out from his body. Such a horrific sight was far too much for even the likes of Liron, who was used to torturing. Even then, he wouldn''t go as far as to pierce a dead man¡¯s throat and rip his jaw from the inside.


    ¡°FUCKING DIE, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!!! FUCKING TRAITOR!!!!¡± Servi yelled. She didn¡¯t know if her words were directed to Liron, Daki, Carrie, Old Man, or herself.


    She honestly didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°WILLIANA, STOP IT!!¡± barked Carrie. She dropped her spear and ran to Servi.


    ¡°Carrie, he¡¯s a goddamn traitor! He probably told that fucking Elf to attack the buyer!!!¡± Servi looked up at Carrie, meeting her gaze.


    The Singi flinched, feeling a deep dread that nearly froze her beating heart. She wasn¡¯t looking at the face of the girl who she paid for sex. No, that person no longer existed, having been taken over by a force much more sinister with nearly no limits to control her actions.


    Instead, she was looking at the face of a demon. All that blood, all that bone, that gut, muscle, fat; everything surrounded a perfect smile. The whites of Servi¡¯s teeth surrounded by crimson were beautiful in their own way.

 Book Three – Chapter Five – Part Eleven – The Act of Subterfuge and Sabotage (R-18)

    ¡°Carrie!!! He¡¯s a fucking traitor!! I¡¯ll kill him!! I¡¯ll FUCKING KILL HIM!!!¡± Carrie went to grab Servi, but she wasn¡¯t fast enough. Kicking with her legs, Servi rolled forward and converted that into a full-blown sprint. Blood, not belonging to her, dripped down from her face and onto her ruined tunic.


    Liron, backed by his years of experience, shook off any emotions that may have held him back.


    ¡°Calm down!¡± he shouted. He brought his axe up, meeting metal with metal as he used his strength to push Servi away. She lost her footing, tripping over a stray piece of debris, but she managed to toss a dagger before she fell. It soared in the perfect trajectory, impaling itself in Liron¡¯s left eye.


    The injured Dwarf roared in pain and yelled out two words. ¡°METAL SKIN!!¡± His brown, dirt-colored skin gleamed for a moment before gradually turning the cold color of steel. Servi rolled backwards, getting to her feet.


    ¡°YOU¡¯RE GOING TO DIE, YOU GODDAMN HUMAN!!! CARRIE, KILL HER!¡± Liron screeched. He moved a hand to the dagger in his eye and ripped it out, eyeball and all. He stared at it for a fraction of a second before he attempted to stab his exposed biceps. The tip of the dagger bent, ruining it for good.


    If he¡¯s Rank 3, then he probably learned Instant Cast. If not, then he was born with it. Watch out! Itarr shouted, but her words didn¡¯t reach Servi. At that moment, the Goddess forgot she couldn¡¯t speak with Servi.


    Her words might¡¯ve fallen on deaf ears, but Itarr knew that somewhere, deep inside the inner confines of hers and Servi¡¯s interconnected soul, her words reached her beloved friend.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it, Carrie! Remember the worst-case scenario?! It¡¯s fucking coming true! I know he¡¯s dealing with the 6th! They¡¯re behind this!! FUCKING BELIEVE ME!¡±


    ¡°CARRIE, DON¡¯T BETRAY THE MAFIA. I¡¯ll CUT OFF YOUR FUCKING LEGS AND USE YOU AS A FUCK PUPPET!! RAISE YOUR GODDAMN SPEAR AND TAKE HER HEAD!!!!"


    As Carrie was torn between a situation she didn¡¯t want to be in, Old Man ran away and took cover behind a sturdy-looking wall. He didn¡¯t dare to peek out, for their anger might somehow turn to him. He thought about screaming for help but quickly argued against it.


    It wouldn¡¯t help in the slightest. Shit, what do I¡ª


    Like a brief breeze, a man walked right past Old Man. He wasn¡¯t there before, and try as he might, Old Man couldn¡¯t hear a single thing. There were no footsteps and no rocks and gravel crumbling underneath the thick leather boots protecting the man''s feet. His long hair, tied in a ponytail, didn¡¯t touch Old Man at all even though he was practically millimeters away.


    His long green cloak was something that an Elf would choose. His long ears certainly reinforced that possibility, but he gripped a metal bow in his hands. Surely the nature-loving race of Elves wouldn¡¯t stoop so low to use a metal bow built by the hands of Men and Dwarves. Even odder, the weapon he held had more than one string.


    Things and people that were normal inside the Mafia probably wouldn¡¯t be that common outside the Mafia.


    ¡°¡­CARRIE, YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE ME!! I¡ª¡°


    Before she knew it, Servi was thrown back by a mysterious Elf wearing a green cloak. He had suddenly appeared in front of her, and a single pluck from his metallic bow radiated an invisible force.


    She slid, her back tearing against the hard gravel until her tunic ripped. At that point, she had nothing to protect her skin. Like a crayon of meat being forcibly pushed, the rocks tore chunks of flesh, painting the grey gravel crimson with her blood.


    Her back was set aflame, and she did all she could to not cry out. Itarr couldn¡¯t heal Servi. The only thing the Goddess could do was hold back True Immortality until someone else used a healing skill or potion on her.


    But something was strange. It was like that attack did something to Servi because a brief second later, the fire on her back felt wanted and pleasant.


    Itarr didn¡¯t alter anything. She was just as confused. Frankly, Servi didn¡¯t want to talk about it in the first place because, in her mind, the reason didn¡¯t matter. Servi knew, mentally speaking, she had quite a few screws loose in her head.  She hypothesized that maybe it was a fragment of her past that had activated. Maybe? Maybe not.  As of that moment, when Servi slowly stood up and walked towards the tall intruder, any and all reasoning had left the confines of her mind.


    ¡°A 6th?!¡± Carrie exclaimed. She saw that the Elf¡¯s ears weren¡¯t just pointy. They were crudely carved, cut, healed, and manipulated by sticks and pins until they took on the shape of a ¡®6.¡¯


    ¡°Would you two mind telling me what the hell happened? I was out on a nightly walk...and¡­this¡­all...of this distracted me,¡± his voice was calm and serene like it couldn¡¯t have belonged to the man who had the power to throw someone with his bow alone.


    ¡°THAT HUMAN BITCH ATTACKED ME!¡± Liron yelled and pointed to Servi. Her clothes were in awful shape. Brown and dirtied, her shirt was barely more than a scrap. Her injured back revealed itself to the world. Her pants faired better, but not by much. The whites of her thighs peeked through in gaps that were a bit bigger than a dupla.


    ¡°He betrayed the Mafia. He ordered his men to attack the buyer for his drugs, then he was going to frame us for it.¡±


    Liron raised his axe, but a hand from the Elf put a stop to it. Using a graceful motion, he flicked his gray hair out away from his hazel eyes and spoke. ¡°Speaking such acts, when they are untrue, can have drastic effects on your well-being. You must have evidence if you don¡¯t want me to strike you down now for the crime of betrayal.¡±


    ¡°The evidence is right there,¡± Servi pointed down at Liron¡¯s feet. Right beside his boot sat a letter. More specifically, right beside his boot sat a letter from the 6th that was forged by Servi.


    ¡°Are you resting your entire fate on a random letter? Should I read this and find it unsatisfactory, you, your Numbered, and that elderly gentlemen hiding behind that wall will die by my Clarence,¡± the Elf said. He affectionately cradled his metallic bow and plucked its strings. A visible gust of wind flowed from the metal handles and soared through the air until it touched the letter. Then, like it was traveling in reverse, the letter followed a specific pattern until it sat in the Elf¡¯s hand.


    With a graceful and intellectual eye, the Elf scanned it for a few short moments before carefully folding it in a tiny square.


    ¡°Liron, from what I see around me, you are hereby charged with treason. Clarence, seal him!¡± barked the Elf. He held his bow up and plucked it like one would a guitar. The same green wind flowed out, taking on a darker shade, and wrapped around Liron¡¯s hands and feet. It happened in half a second, at most.


    ¡°Wha¡ª¡° Liron started to speak, but a swift punch to the gut quieted him.


    ¡°Clarence, heal!¡± The Elf plucked his bow, and green light enveloped Servi¡¯s body, healing her of nearly every wound she''d sustained. The same couldn¡¯t be said for her clothes, however.


    ¡°6th, I¡ª¡° Servi started to speak, but she was cut off by the Elf.


    ¡°Say nothing, do nothing, smell nothing, and touch nothing until we arrive at your base. You, 9th, tell me.¡±


    ¡°Deset, sir!¡± Carrie answered quickly.


    ¡°Good. My dear elderly man, come out of hiding, or you will join these corpses that are filling the rocks and dirt with their blood!¡± the Elf yelled.


    Saying nothing, Old Man emerged from the walls and obediently went to Carrie.


    ¡°You, do you know what was on that letter?¡±


    ¡°No, sir!¡±


    He handed it to Carrie. She sped read it before fighting the urge to rip it up. The Elf saw this and quickly snatched it back before she lost the battle.


    ¡°It seems to me that Deset has a poisonous apple I must get rid of myself. Since you¡¯re all witnesses to this, it only makes it right for you to see the outcome of his foolish nature. Now, 9th, lead the way.¡±


    One hour later, Servi held a knife to a particular 6th¡¯s face. It had been years since his head had the cat ears his race was known for. The area above his tailbone hadn''t felt the warmth of a tail in many moons, either.  He was a Singi in name only. Servi didn¡¯t know how it happened, but the loss of his racial body parts didn¡¯t matter at all. To her, she was glad to be rid of him.


    When they arrived at Deset, the Elf, Carmelo, rushed to the 6th and demanded he call an emergency meeting. He did, and every Numbered within Deset met up ten minutes past that.


    Carmelo had opened the emergency forum with the letter Servi had pointed at. He explained to everyone there that Deset¡¯s 6th was a traitor to the Mafia.


    ¡°This letter, in his handwriting, is all the proof we need to make a vote. HE was behind everything. I¡¯m sure of it. From what I gathered from Carrie, Deset had a problem with an Elf named Eletri? I can almost assure you he had something to do with that entire situation,¡± Carmelo had said, convincing everyone of something he didn''t know was false.


    Servi, who had been standing next to Carrie,  had internally smirked. She hadn''t expected this development, but she wasn¡¯t going to complain.


    ¡°Carrie also told me that HQ didn¡¯t send a response for that entire incident? I can assure you he falsified the report he sent. It is clear to me that he believes he is more than the Mafia. Poisonous apples like him must be carved up and used as an example to prevent anyone else from thinking they can do the same thing.¡±


    The 6th, whose name was Mel, had tried to say something in his defense, but he hadn''t been able to get a single word in. In the big room where Servi had been interrogated, she felt pleased to be the one who orchestrated everything.


    She half-thought that it wouldn¡¯t be that bad to rule the Mafia from the shadows like a puppeteer. If she could, then perhaps this room would become her personal quarters. It was tall and spacious, and after going there for the second time, she was growing fond of it.


    Mel¡¯s ¡®trial¡¯ lasted all of fifteen minutes. Carmelo¡¯s excellent way of controlling the mood, tone, and emotion of a forum was instrumental in turning everyone against Mel in less time than it took to cook a meal.


    For a brief second, Servi believed Carmelo to be someone who desired power, and he saw his chance. In the end, it didn''t matter if he was just a simple power-hungry Elf; he would still die by her hands when the time came.


    She would create the most spectacular banquet and bless it with the blood of every Mafia member.


    When his trial ended, Mel begged for a chance to say something. Carmelo responded by giving Servi a single knife.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you the first cut. You will strip a piece of meat off of Mel''s skin and give it to Liron,¡± he said. Servi looked at the bald Dwarf sitting nearby. He struggled against ¡®Clarence,¡¯ whatever that was, but he couldn¡¯t break free its iron-like grasp, which took the form of dark green wind. She looked back and saw the wide circle of Numbered surrounding her. Carrie was there. She met Servi¡¯s blue eye for just a moment before averting them.


    Servi didn¡¯t think anything of it and brought her knife to Mel¡¯s face. His mouth opened in protest, but it was useless. There was no combination of words in the known or unknown universe that he could say to make her stop.  She decided to carve out a piece of skin on his neck. More specifically, the back of his neck where the nape would be. As she walked around his restrained body and leaned down, she whispered eight little words.


    ¡°The. Mafia. Will. Be. Destroyed. In. Five. Days.¡±


    Before Mel could say anything, pain filled his body. Servi had held her knife perpendicular to his skin and scraped it across like one would sharpen a blade in a grindstone. A thick piece of flesh, 30 or 35 cm long, hung from a thin piece of skin that stubbornly clung to his body. Servi, enjoying it immensely, ¡® accidentally¡¯ stuck her fingers inside the wound as she attempted to pull the meat off. After pretending to apologize, she finally finished the job.


    Carrie couldn¡¯t contain her excitement anymore and rushed to Servi. She immediately grabbed her fingers and stuck the bloody ones in her mouth. As she did, warmth radiated from her waist, putting her in an excited state. Her wet tongue did not leave any crimson behind as it lewdly lapped up any trace of the red liquid while coating Servi''s fingers in her spit.


    Carmelo coughed from behind and ordered Carrie and Servi to leave the room. Her task was done. Carrie wanted to argue that she hadn''t peeled off any of Mel''s skin, and Servi was about to say she never had a chance to force Liron to eat it, but they refrained from saying anything. They both felt like it wouldn¡¯t be a good thing to talk back against someone so high up on the totem pole. Before Carrie''s hand gripped the doorknob to leave, Carmelo assured her that his report would reach HQ and they could expect a response in a few hours. He also told Carrie to be ready for a meeting in the morning.


    ¡°Williana, I¡ª¡± Carrie said a few minutes after leaving the large room. After navigating the twists and turns, Servi found herself in her room, standing in front of the door leading to Carrie¡¯s room. She glanced to the left and saw Old Man asleep on his side. His light snoring was the only source of noise echoing about the room until she and Carrie entered.


    ¡°Look, 9th,¡± Servi opened the door and walked inside. ¡°I have no qualms about you breaking my face with your spear. You can do whatever the fuck you want to if it counts as pleasure. After all, you are paying me to sleep with you,¡± Servi grabbed what was left of her clothes and violently ripped them off. She took her daggers from her hip and tossed them at the ground, then she turned to face Carrie, who watched as Servi sensually ran a hand across her rich bosom.


    Carrie didn¡¯t have the time to think of anything. Servi rushed up to the red Singi and placed her mouth on her neck. She embraced her in a hug and twirled around until the two of them fell together on the bed.  Servi''s upper body pressed against Carrie''s cloth-covered breasts.  Their nipples danced with each other, becoming firmer by the coarse shirt sending waves of pleasure through to each other.


    ¡°You wanted me to do this, didn¡¯t you?¡± using her hands, Servi ripped Carrie¡¯s shirt up off her head to reveal her bare chest. Two pink nipples met her gaze, and Servi didn¡¯t let a moment go to waste. She placed her mouth on Carrie''s stomach, allowing her tongue to taste the Singi''s flesh. Then Servi moved upward, leaving a trail of spit behind that seemed to burn Carrie''s skin. Eventually, she reached the left areola, and Servi didn''t spare it. For five solid minutes, Servi toyed with her prey, leading her to the pit of pleasure, but never allowing her to make the final leap.


    But then she did.


    ¡°Williana, ho¡ªNnnneeehhhhh!!!!¡± Servi¡¯s hot tongue flicked Carrie''s left nipple while her hands maneuvered up towards her throat.  A salty, sweaty taste filled her mouth but soon disappeared when True Immortality kicked in.


    Servi thought long and hard about wringing Carrie''s pretty little neck. She squeezed and squeezed, only stopping when an utterly guttural noise erupted from her would-be victim¡¯s throat, and her hands went wild trying to pry Servi¡¯s arms off.  At the same time, Servi noticed a wet spot in between Carrie''s legs.


    ¡°You wanted me to fucking lick this too, right? That¡¯s what you FUCKING wanted, right? You fucking PERVERT!¡± The tormented Singi coughed when she tried to say stop, but Servi took it as an affirmative answer.


    Sinisterly smiling to herself, Servi ripped a hole in Carrie''s shorts using her teeth. She was going commando, and a juicy peach stared right at Servi. Her nostrils, filled with the scent of a cat in heat, flared slightly as a hand pinched Carrie¡¯s clit. As her body convulsed in pain and shock, twenty sets of Telekinesis assaulted both nipples while Servi¡¯s other hand parted the lower pink lips staring at her. A copious amount of liquid dripped down it and onto the bed. A feminine odor wafted up, coating Servi''s nostrils in the warm scent of a Singi in heat.


    Carrie did her best to close her legs, but Servi stretched them open in protest. After flicking Carrie''s stiff clit with more force than she needed, Servi laughed when it became slightly engorged. She wondered what would happen if she bit it off. How much blood would escape? Would it be enough to kill Carrie? Would she ever recover from such a brutal wound? Shaking her head, Servi removed those thoughts from her mind for the time being.


    ¡°That should be enough. Itarr, fill the room with sleeping gas. Don¡¯t let it leak out.¡±


    Of course.


    As if it was all an act, Servi stood up and the damaged clothing she had torn off appeared back on her body.


    A red ID flew next to Servi.


    That was all an act, right? What you did with Carrie? Itarr asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Servi took a seat on the bed and poked Carrie''s stomach with the handle of her dagger. She slid the blade down the Singi''s sleeping body, rubbing cold steel against her inner-most area.  When Servi pulled it back up, a glistening liquid dripped from the sharp edge. Servi shook her head and absorbed the weapon. ¡°I did it that way because I don¡¯t want her to remember this when she wakes up. I acted completely different. That, when combined with the sleeping gas, should distort her memories. Somewhat, at least. I¡¯m sure I have to do it tomorrow night, and again each night after that until I have the chance to destroy the Mafia. Then, I shouldn¡¯t have to force myself to do any of this with someone I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    We only need a 5th, right? Then we save Momo?


    Servi fell back and turned her head to the right. Her right hand extended outwards and groped Carrie''s breasts. ¡°That¡¯s right. We just need one. I¡¯ll torture the ever-living-fuck out of him, find his base, and slaughter every fucking Mafia member I come across. I was serious, Itarr. They made the wrong fucking enemy when they took Momo." She raised her hand a little and flicked Carrie''s nipples for a few seconds, stopping once they became hard. Then she placed her palm down on the Singi''s breasts. The softness of her hand and Carrie''s supple skin did nothing to Servi. Perhaps if it was Momo she saw lying bare, with her cute ears lightly twitching while staring up at her lover, maybe Servi would feel something akin to lust or affection.


    But it wasn''t, and Servi found herself growing angrier by the minute. "I''m going to fucking kill Carrie... I''ll rip off that fucking tail, choke the fucking life out of her, and then stuff it down her goddamn throat! I''ll take a fucking knife and carve off her skin! She''s going to die!!! SHE''S GOING TO FUCKING DIE!!!!"


    Red flashed across Servi¡¯s eye. Before she knew it, she had squeezed and ripped Carrie''s left breast off and crushed it. Liquid red rained all over the bed and covered a part of Servi¡¯s body.


    The pain had to be unbearable. There was so much crimson covering nearly everything.  The whites of Carrie''s ribs and the beating of her heart were on display.


    Even with all of that, the red-headed Singi did not wake up, but her breathing increased.


    ¡°Shit, can¡¯t have you die on me, can I?¡± Servi happily chucked to herself as Carrie¡¯s grotesque wound healed right in front of her. The remains of her once torn breast rested in her hands. For a split second, she thought about forcing it down its owner¡¯s throat and suffocating her. If she played her cards right, she could blame it on Mel and his ¡®supposed gas attacks.¡¯


    However, she decided it wouldn¡¯t be worth it to put more suspicion on her, and she stored the torn breast in her ring.


    Servi¡¯s ID flew in front of her face.


    ¡°Skills are a wonderful thing, aren¡¯t they?  I mean, I ripped her tit off, and it¡¯s healing up perfectly. Look! You can¡¯t even tell it''s not the original one!!¡± After pointing with both hands, Servi used Telekinesis to lift the girl she almost killed. Once she absorbed the bloody bed, she took one of the beds she took from Parrel''s mansion out and laid it down. After that, she took out a rag and cleaned the blood off her would-be victim.


    Won''t she know it¡¯s not the same bed she fell asleep on? Itarr asked. She chose her words very carefully because she sensed something wasn¡¯t right. Ever since Carrie¡¯s attack, something deep inside Servi¡¯s core essence was changing, albeit slightly. It wasn¡¯t like when the mysterious box leaked out the energy that forcibly altered Servi¡¯s emotional make-up, but it felt so similar that Itarr believed it was the same for a few hours. However, like nearly everything else, Itarr was powerless to do anything but hang on for the ride ahead of her. She could use skills to assist her beloved Servi, but that was it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say it¡¯s always been here. If she argues, I¡¯ll say she wasn¡¯t acting right, and she fell over on the bed after stripping. Oh, that reminds me.¡± Servi rolled off the bed and walked around to the front of it. Even though it was unnecessary, she snapped her fingers, and all of Carrie''s clothes disappeared from her body. They reappeared a moment later next to her spear.


    After rubbing her hands up and down Carrie''s succulent thighs, Servi hopped into bed. Her ID flew down and stopped a few centimeters away from her pretty blue eye. ¡°Itarr, I¡¯m about to go to sleep.¡±


    Good night, Servi. I love you.


    The mentally fractured girl took hold of her ID and held it close to her armored chest as she curled into a ball. ¡°I love you, too,¡± she whispered, losing the overwhelming battle against exhaustion that shouldn¡¯t be there.


    But her dreams weren¡¯t a paradise.


    For the next six hours, Servi was trapped in the inner machinations of her dreams, and each one was a nightmare. As if she was an outside spectator, Servi watched as Momo died a hundred horrific ways while she was powerless to save her best friend.


    In one dream, Momo¡¯s decapitated head rolled amongst the nightmarish floor filled with Servi¡¯s victims, and the Singi taunted Servi¡¯s inability to save her.


    ¡°You hid all of this power from me, and you couldn¡¯t even use it to save me. You hated me, didn¡¯t you? You weren¡¯t my friend at all.¡± Momo¡¯s voice filled the dark atmosphere as her sky-blue eyes leaked blood. ¡°WHY WON¡¯T YOU SAVE ME?! WHY WON¡¯T YOU CRY FOR THE LIVES YOU¡¯VE TAKEN?!¡± the head yelled.


    Servi tried to open her mouth, but an empty scream escaped. No¡ªmore than that¡ª sheer laughter made its appearance known as Momo¡¯s head exploded. Chunks of blood, far too big to have been contained in her pretty little head, covered the dreamscape in an eerie red. Then, the blood drained from everywhere as it converged onto one spot. It grew and coagulated together until it was in the shape of two people.


    It was Servi and Momo¡ªno, that wasn''t correct. It was their blood forms created from the inner demons of Servi¡¯s dreams.


    The blood Servi forcibly impaled the blood Momo and ripped her down the middle. Momo¡¯s earsplitting cries of pain and anguish were drowned out by the maniacal laughter of both Servis. The blood Servi locked eyes with the real Servi and spoke.


    ¡°This is what we are. We kill. We kill some more. We destroy. We destroy some more. This isn¡¯t the life for you. Let the rage explode and burn this town to the ground. Better yet, burn this kingdom and this continent. Scorch the oceans, the mountains, and the forests. Burn this whole fucking planet to ashes!! You¡¯re the Mad Dog, aren¡¯t you? Do you think someone like you can be contained by a single fucking girl? We¡¯ve killed hundreds. Before this week is over, thousands will have died by our hands,¡± it said.


    A flash of light appeared around Servi¡¯s neck. When it dissipated, it left a stone collar.


    A dog collar.


    The bloody doppelganger grinned and flattened her palm. ¡°You know what you have to do, don¡¯t you? If it was off, you would¡¯ve slaughtered that damn gambler and his family. If it was torn asunder from your neck, that fucker who fucked his wife would¡¯ve died after you tossed him out of the window. If you were even a shred of the person you used to be, you would¡¯ve burned down the Berrycanta Inn, destroyed the town, and fucked off to satisfy your destructive urges.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Hahahahah!!!!! Shut! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!! THAT¡¯S NOT!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!¡± Servi did her best to respond to her lookalike, but the situation of it all was far too funny. She didn¡¯t know why, but laughing was the only thing she could do.


    ¡°You know what to do. The day will come when the thrill of destruction is too great to ignore, and it will come soon. You know what you have to do to be free. See? You¡¯re almost there. You need that one little push. I wonder what it will be? Will it be this Singi? Will it be that armored Kobold? I know you want to fight him. You want to rip through his armor and crush his innards with your bare hands, don¡¯t you? Maybe I¡¯ll be back later.¡± The blood Servi jabbed her pointed hand in her neck, severing it from her shoulders.


    The dreamscape exploded as a river of crimson erupted from her body, drowning everything.


    The red gave way to a familiar roof and walls as Servi¡¯s eye opened. She quickly leaned up, glancing left and right.


    She had escaped from her nightmare. Carrie¡¯s naked body and snoring were proof of that.  The soft blanket under her, the stiffness of her clothes, and the red ID hugging her chest were further evidence.


    But was it over?


    Servi realized something was off. After retrieving a mirror, she gasped and nearly rolled off the bed. She saw herself, of course, but that wasn¡¯t the reason she was surprised.


    Like the doppelganger from her nightmare, Servi¡¯s fingers were about twenty-five percent of the way through her neck. A never-ending crimson waterfall marinated the bed, submerging most of the blanket in a sea of red. In only a few more seconds, the bed wouldn''t be the only thing Servi would have to replace.


    Servi looked back at the mirror and nearly screamed. Lasting only a split-second, she felt the cold, gritty sensation of a stone collar wrapped around her throat, and Servi wanted nothing more than to take her own head.

 Book Three – Interlude – Part One – The Mafia’s Raison D’être

    A Singi girl sat alone inside a stone cell with nothing but a bucket of her waste to keep her company. She didn¡¯t know how long she had been confined to her prison.


    ¡°She¡¯s never gonna forgive me¡­¡± whined the girl as her pink hair covered her dull blue eyes. They were like the sole color in a sea of lifeless gray, but it wouldn¡¯t last. Even that was beginning to fade, losing their luster and brilliance.


    Her hands gripped the rough, gritty ground, and the thought of slamming her head down occupied her mind more than once. The black bars that kept her locked in reminded her of the one girl she wanted to have to watch her back.


    After hearing a bird chirp, the cat-girl looked up at a small hole in the ceiling. It was much too small for a child¡¯s hand to pass through, let alone a bird, but it was her only link to the outside world. The fierce red glow of the setting sun gave her a sense of loss.


    It¡¯s the same color as her eyes¡­


    When she woke up, Momo''s first thoughts were of the only girl she ever called her best friend.


    After Momo, and Nimea by association, were knocked out and kidnapped, she woke up in a stone prison. She had no idea where she was at or how many hours had passed by. Was it still the same night? Momo didn''t know. There were no injuries or scars on her body, something she was thankful for, but she believed thinking like that was useless.


    Because of my fight with her, she hates me. She¡¯s the only one who¡­ Momo couldn¡¯t finish that thought. With nothing else to do, she wrapped her arms around her legs and did her best to ignore the smell of her waste.


    Out of the four jail cells she saw through the bars, three were empty. The last belonged to Nimea. His pointy ears had been clipped off by the white coat-wearing Elf that came to deliver food after Nimea smashed the plate he was given.


    As further punishment, Nimea no longer had the right to a waste bucket, and he had to sleep with his own filth as a roommate. The sheer smell was repulsive, and Momo had yet to finish even a single bite of her food. Even if the scent wasn¡¯t there, it wasn¡¯t like she could eat the so-called ¡®food¡¯ in the first place because it was long strips of blackened meat alongside a disgusting transparent, flavorless gruel. It was a far cry from the delicious food Momo had at the restaurant she visited with her friends a few weeks before.


    Swallowing the urge to vomit, Momo¡¯s tail wrapped around her waist the best it would. ¡°Mr. Tail, you won¡¯t betray me, will you? Grampy said we Singi are only born with the one tail we have... I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t wash you¡­ I want to, but I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    A sniffle came from the cell in front of her. It was Nimea. The severed tips of his ears were cradled tightly in his hands and held close to his chest. The humiliation he suffered from being toyed around and having the proof of his race chopped off was too much for him to bear. Almost like a bear hibernating, his body and mind shut down. Since then, he only reacted to verbal commands given by the white coat-wearing Elf.


    ¡°Who am I kidding¡­ Servy didn¡¯t betray me...I betrayed her. I¡­I shouldn¡¯t be alive¡­¡± Momo looked around for what must¡¯ve been the hundredth time in an attempt to find a sharp rock or some tool to which she could take her own life.


    ¡°... I¡¯m too weak to even do that. Even if I had the strength to commit suicide, I would¡¯ve done it when I ran away from my village. Damn it, Momo, what was the point of all that training if you¡¯re just going to throw it all way¡­ Dineria, you¡¯re probably upset with me¡­ I never got stronger. I was foolish to think someone like me could grow strong¡­ Servy¡­ I wanna say sorry¡­I¡­ I know you probably aren¡¯t like the people who hurt grampy, but¡­ But¡­now I¡¯ll never know. I¡¯m gonna die, aren¡¯t I? Heck, a bad friend like me dying is good, isn¡¯t it? Grampy, I even lost your sword and bag. You gave them to me after you were hurt, but I lost them because I''m a no-good-dirty-rotten-stupid-stupid-cat who lost them.¡± A small whimper escaped her throat, and salty tears fell down her face. It erased some of the dust and dirt that had accumulated and took refuge on her skin.


    The single wooden door to the hallway of cells exploded from a powerful kick. Shards of the door¡¯s wood splintered forward, destroying nothing as they skidded across the rocky floor. Momo flinched, nearly knocking over her waste bucket.


    After retreating to the corner and making herself small and non-threatening, she waited for the Elf to make his rounds. She recognized his footsteps, but there was a second set of thicker, beefier steps reverberating through the cells.  When Momo peeked through her fingers, she saw a large Kobold leaned against the bars of an empty cell. The Elf in white stood next to him.


    ¡°Singi. Tell me your name,¡± commanded the large Kobold. The number 0 had been scratched into his green facial scales, and a black suit snuggly hugged his giant, muscled body. He looked like a Kobold-sized emerald with a coat of black paint.  What little light in the room reflected off his well-maintained scales, which covered his exposed hands.


    ¡°¡­¡± Momo tried to hide behind her fingers but screamed out when the Kobold¡¯s hands punched a hole in the stone wall next to her cell.


    ¡°M-M-Momo...¡± she squeaked. Her tiny voice came out muffled, but it was good enough for her captor.


    ¡°Momo? I see. Do you know how long you¡¯ve been here? Do you know what day it is?¡±


    Pink strands of greasy hair flashed across her eyes as she shook her head.


    ¡°It is Sunday, and night is nearly upon us. Do you know why you are here?¡± the Kobold growled. The Elf next to him stayed as quiet as a rock.


    Once again, Momo shook her head.


    ¡°It is because I wished to play to a game.¡±


    ¡°A game?¡± Momo wished to yell, but fear stole her body, and it came out as a quiet meow from a frightened kitten.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Tell me, why do you think the Humans like to enslave us Demi-Humans? I do admit there are Human slaves, but they are disproportionate to Demi-Humans. Do you think the pathetic Humans are better than us?¡± he growled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°They say that slavery is a right from the church. They say the Gods Above encouraged the concept of slavery as it is applied to those who do not worship them. But alas, that is not why I am playing a game. The name of the girl you were traveling with. Tell me.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Momo whimpered.


    The Kobold stood up and walked to Nimea¡¯s cell. Using his impressive racial strength, he bent the steel bars like one would fold a piece of paper. After grabbing him by the hair, the Kobold dragged Nimea to Momo¡¯s cell as he retrieved a small dagger from the Elf in white.


    ¡°He isn¡¯t part of the game. You are. Tell me the name of the girl you were with, or I will slit his throat and paint you with his blood.¡±


    ¡°No!! It¡¯s¡­¡± she didn¡¯t want to betray Servi, but Momo didn¡¯t want to be responsible for Nimea¡¯s death.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be responsible for trading his life for hers. By the end of the week, on Saturday morning, you both will die. Whether or not I take his life early is no real concern. However, if you answer me now, I will spare his life until Saturday.¡±


    ¡°Her name¡¯s Servi¡­¡±


    I¡¯m sorry¡­


    ¡°Roger, open that cell,¡± ordered the Kobold. The Elf in white retrieved a set of keys from his pocket and slid open the black bars. Using his strength, the Kobold tossed Nimea against the wall. But even though all of that, he never once showed any kind of emotion. Momo didn¡¯t think her fellow prisoner was dead because she saw his chest go up and down, but with all that had happened, it was like he had given up on everything. Even though he was a jackass, the Singi didn¡¯t want him to die.


    ¡°Servi, eh?


    ¡°Why did you kidnap me?¡± Momo asked. She used what little courage she had left.


    ¡°I told you. It¡¯s because of a game. This is how I want to play it. How much trust can there be between a Human and a Demi-Human? I believe that the bond between Demi-Humans and Humans is weak and fragile. Rest assured, it is her fault for being born Human. If she weren¡¯t, then we wouldn¡¯t be in this situation.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing this because she¡¯s Human? Why? Why do I have to suffer?!¡± Immediately after speaking that, Momo covered her mouth while tears streamed from her eyes. She couldn¡¯t believe her own mouth had spewed such hatred.


    But was it far from the truth?


    ¡°You have to suffer because I had to suffer. Shut up, and I¡¯ll tell you a story. But first, allow me to tell you this. From now until Saturday, you will not be physically harmed. The food given to you will not be tampered with or poisoned in any way. Its taste won¡¯t be to your liking, but you won¡¯t starve. Your life is safe until then.¡±


    Momo didn¡¯t quite understand, but she wasn¡¯t in a position to do anything but listen. She had thought about fighting her way out, but Momo stopped that line of thinking almost immediately. She had no way to bypass through the bars, and her best offensive option was Magic Missile: a simple Rank 10 skill that wasn''t upgraded. Even if she could get her hands on a sword, she knew she wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind to use one. And that didn''t account for the fact she was surrounded by enemies, all of which were far stronger than she was.


    ¡°Years ago, I had a wife and daughter. I lived with them in a little-known village that doesn¡¯t exist anymore.¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± Momo asked. Her hands no longer covered her eyes, but they were clutching the hard stone ground. The grittiness of it reminded her of the pretty rocks she would sometimes find around her grandpa¡¯s house.


    ¡°Because I want you to know what I went through. I was a small-time farmer. We didn¡¯t have a lot of land, but we grew what we could and shared it with the rest of the village. You see, we grew corn, and it was a favorite amongst the children. They would say, ¡®Mr. Sakdu, when is the harvest coming in?¡¯ every single day when the farming season began.¡±


    Something horrible must''ve happened to him in the past. Momo looked at Roger and noticed he had a white handkerchief in his hands.


    ¡°For ten years, me, my wife, and my daughter enjoyed a type of peace the Humans forgot about. While they were focused on expanding their lands and enslaving our kind, we Kobolds in the village were living out our lives in peace. Unlike most of my brethren, we hated war. No, the sounds of battle and the glories of victory and conquest did not tempt us. We went on knowing we wouldn¡¯t die lost and forgotten in some battlefield for a commander who thought of us as a simple statistic.¡±


    Roger wiped his eyes with his cloth and walked out through the empty doorway, leaving a frightened Singi alone with a Kobold strong enough to rip her body in half.


    ¡°Ignore him. He tears up when I tell this story. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t recite it often. But I¡¯ll continue. For years, we lived a peaceful life. It wasn¡¯t until I discovered a sleeping Human in the woods. His armor, bloodied and torn, proved to me he was a Kobold in Human¡¯s clothing. At the time, I did not hate Humans. We had met a few who passed through our village, and we often bartered and traded. I did something stupid and escorted him to my house. I told my wife and daughter to nurse his wounds while I ran to the apothecary. He didn¡¯t have the herbs to make the painkiller, so I ran out to get them.


    ¡°First, I stopped by my house and told my wife I would be back. The Human moved and budged, but his consciousness was not back. I went into the woods and returned to the crimson hue of flame invading everything the village had worked for. The grain houses were engulfed in fire, the little barn where my daughter had kept her chickens illuminated the headless fowls. Someone had plucked their heads clean from their bodies. I panicked. I didn¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awful¡­¡± Momo hugged her knees and put a hand to her tail. She felt it twitch nervously, almost like it knew what soul-shattering revelation was coming.


    ¡°I ran to my house. Do you know what I saw on the dirt roads?¡± The Kobold looked at the ground as he formed a fist. Before Momo had a chance to answer, he roared and pulled an iron bar from a nearby cell. Like a stick, he used his overflowing rage to power his arms while he twisted the metal pole into a perfect circle.


    Momo quailed against the wall, and tears fell from her eyes.


    ¡°The lifeless corpses of my friends. That¡¯s what I saw. I saw them without their heads! Their stomachs, cut from neck to groin, flayed open like a fish and staring at me! Eyes and noses and tails and fingers and TOES AND TONGUES AND EARS AND TAILS WERE LAID BEFORE ME!!! A BLOODY FUCKING TRAIL LED ME TO MY HOUSE!!! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE FUCK I WAS FEELING?!?!!!¡±


    The Kobold¡¯s anger, intense and fierce, was far too much for Momo to handle. He gripped the bent iron in his hands and attacked everything around him in a fit of rage. The stone walls exploded from each impact that had the force to shatter a wagon, the iron bars guarding the empty cells snapped from their concrete posts, and the entire building rumbled from his roar of anguish.


    ¡°I OPENED THE DOOR, AND I SAW MY FAMILY. I saw them¡­ I FUCKING SAW THEM. DO YOU KNOW WHAT I FUCKING SAW?! HUH?! FUCKING ANSWER ME!!¡±


    ¡°NO, I DON¡¯T!!!¡± Momo cried. Snot fell, aided by gravity, down her stained armor while water leaked down to her arms hugging her knees. Her tail, motionless and stressed, sent shocks of pain as Momo used her other hand to keep it bent around her waist. It cried out for help, but its master would not listen to the signals it sent.


    ¡°I saw the Human. He stood there. His blade, sheathed on his back, dripped with blood so crimson I can still see it when I close my eyes. His brown eyes and brown hair, with a mouth formed into the most sinister and sadistic smile, haunts me on every anniversary of that torturous day. In one hand, he held the head of my wife. In his other hand, his fingers gripped my daughter¡¯s head by her beautiful red scales. That demon wore the skin of a Human... He killed my wife, Mafi, and my daughter, Fia. Do you know what he did next?¡±


    The Kobold took Momo¡¯s whimpering and cries as a signal to continue.


    ¡°He told me that they died because they were weak. He said they weren¡¯t real Kobolds, and he regretted the effort he used to slaughter them because he wouldn¡¯t get that strength back. He told me that my family and friends deserved to die, and my village deserved to be burnt because we didn¡¯t offer any type of strength?! He took the LIVES OF EIGHTEEN FUCKING PEACE LOVING KOBOLDS FOR THAT?!?!?! AAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!¡±

 Book Three – Interlude – Part Two – The Mafia’s Raison D’être

    Sakdu fell victim to another bout of anger but recovered quickly. Momo happened to look up from cowering in fear and noticed he didn¡¯t have a tail.


    ¡°He threw the heads down at his feet and stomped down. Once. Twice. Four times. Ten times. He mashed and kicked, and the blood wouldn¡¯t stop splattering. Soon, the flame engulfing the village reached my house, and the Human said it wasn¡¯t all bad. He said if he could rid the world of a few more Kobolds, he wouldn¡¯t worry about wasting the strength to slaughter us. I had never fought a day in my life, so the proper emotions were foreign to me... Hatred, however, surged through my body as if it was there all along. I grabbed anything I could and charged in. Before I knew it, his blade had sliced through my table leg and collided with my scales. He whispered in my shaking ears that he saw the hatred in my eyes and said that reminded him of the past. He flicked his blade up, and I noticed he used the dull edge of his sword.


    ¡°I wanted to die. I yelled at the Human to take my life since he took everything else from me, but he refused to grant me mercy. I fell to my knees and sobbed when the Human reached down and whispered something. He said he had never met a more pathetic Kobold in his life, but he was going to give me a chance. Do you know what he did? He shattered my arms and legs with the dull side of his blade, and he chopped off my tail when I couldn¡¯t support myself.


    ¡°He¡¯s the reason I have no tail. I can still feel it sometimes. Roger says it¡¯s a type of phenomenon called phantom pain where someone still feels something attached to them, even though it was cut off. But when he broke my limbs and cut my tail, I was ready to die. The fire invading the village had to be close to engulfing my house, but it never did. I don¡¯t know why it didn¡¯t kill me then, but I wished it had. The Human walked away laughing, and he came back with the headless corpses of my wife and daughter. He tossed them at my head, and he bent down. Do you know what he told me?


    ¡°He told me his name. He said this was for revenge for what happened to his village. He said he thought his strength would be wasted, but it wasn¡¯t. He said the injuries he suffered were self-inflicted to lower our guard. He said it was all an act. Then, he left. Oh, I wished the fire had taken me then and there. Tell me, do you know how I survived with no food, no water, and no sense of purpose?¡±


    ¡°I do. I¡¯ll tell you how it happened.¡± Momo wiped the tears from her eyes as Roger came into view. His white handkerchief, now soaked with liquid, had absorbed more tears than Momo had shed.


    Roger continued, ¡°Sakdu had to eat the corpses of his wife and child. For seven days, their skin became his reasoning, their flesh his source of strength, their crimson lifeblood his source of water, and their crunchy bones his source of distraction. He had to turn to cannibalism to survive. And do you know why he did it?¡±


    Momo used the rest of her strength to shake her head.


    ¡°Because he wanted revenge, but he''s not the only one. My own village was attacked by the very same Human who forced such dark hatred into Sakdu¡¯s heart. I saw the smoke and heard wailing from one of the unburned houses. You see, my God is a God of Medicine. In exchange for having no skills, I was blessed with a vast amount of medicinal knowledge. The herbs to use, the water to mix, what seeds and bits from plants and animals to use... It all comes naturally to my mind. I used that knowledge to save him. Medicine healed his body, but it couldn¡¯t bring back his tail.¡± Roger looked at Sakdu, who had his eyes closed.


    ¡°After saving me, I told him about the Human who attacked me. Then and there, surrounded by the remains of my village, we vowed to do what we could to take revenge. That¡¯s why he left me alive, and that¡¯s why Roger escaped with his life. Together, we joined Warden and completed quest after quest. When we had the chance, we slaughtered thousands of sick families by offering them what they thought was medicine. Do you know poison and medication are often the same things? The only difference is the amount of ingredients. Roger is an expert in masking poison as medicine. Oh, that¡¯s not all. Somewhere along the line, an idea popped into my head.


    ¡°I asked Roger if he could produce a pill to bring the world to its knees, and he did after a bit of experimentation. At the time, we stayed at an inn in a small village, and I knew it was the best time to test the drug. I handed it to the village elder, then Roger and I set off for the day. When we came back after the moon had risen, the elder begged me on his hands and feet for another one. Once he did that, I knew we had the perfect chance to start our revenge. Over the years, we slowly created an organization and branched out from that village into the multinational shadow organization you see before you.."


    ¡°Then... The Mafia is¡­¡± The gears in Momo¡¯s head turned, and she made a startling connection.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. ¡®Mafi¡¯ is my wife¡¯s name, and ¡®Fia¡¯ is my daughter¡¯s name. When combined together, you get Mafia. It¡¯s a constant reminder of what I lost. Every time I hear it said aloud, it sends a jolt of anger surging through my body. It took years, but it was worth the wait. The hardest part was getting someone to take that first pill. But once they did, it became something they couldn¡¯t live without. Politicians, village militias, governors, mayors, nobles, you name it. Our reach is unparalleled! Even the King of Lando''s and Emperor of Keywater''s information networks doesn¡¯t stack up to the power of the Mafia! That¡¯s how we control cities! That¡¯s why nobody has done anything to stop us! We control those in charge, and they don¡¯t want to erase their only source of Monotonia! We have seen desperate fathers sell their daughters'' virginities for the CHANCE of earning half a pill.


    ¡°We acquired a great fortune over the years, and we spent it wisely by buying the loyalty of men. Strong men. Powerful men. By getting them addicted to Monotonia, they became our slaves. By my count, we have well over 5,000 men in my personal army. And with how quickly we can manufacture Monotonia via Roger, there¡¯s no chance of any deserters. Tell me, what would you feel if you had to face the strength of an army 5,000 strong, all of who were blessed by Major Gods? That¡¯s not including the men we have stationed in Arcton, which number well over 6,000. That¡¯s an army 11,000 strong.¡±


    It was at that moment Momo realized how powerless she was. She was a tiny fish in a pond filled with apex predators who had the strength and ferociousness to bring entire cities under their control by strong-arming a pill they had come to rely on. She knew she could not and would not escape alive. Yet, a single name posed itself on the tip of her tongue, and she yelled her thoughts before her brain had a chance to stop her mouth.


    ¡°SERVY WON¡¯T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS!!!!!¡± Momo shouted a declaration, but she didn¡¯t believe the utterances blurting from her mouth. After what she did and the fight they had, she didn¡¯t know what kind of person would ever want to rescue her.


    ¡°Ahh, Servi. Tell me, she had red hair and black eyes, correct?¡± asked Roger.


    Momo weakly nodded.


    Roger put a hand to his chin while Sakdu spoke. ¡°What do you expect a single Rank 10 to do against the might of 11,000 men? She¡¯s a Human. Her bones aren¡¯t strong like a Kobold, her skin is weaker than a Koena¡¯s scales, her ears and eyes are dull, and they don¡¯t compare to an Elf, and they are much slower and clumsier than a Singi. Their muscles are spongy and fleshy, and they are nothing like a Dwarf¡¯s. Truly, Humans are the weakest of them all."


    ¡°I remember,¡± Roger exclaimed. ¡°After I kidnapped you and that Elf, I had some men keep an eye on the inn. They reported to me of a girl matching this Servi¡¯s description who entered. When the building suddenly became filled with smoke and forced everyone to evacuate, we did not see her escape. There was no fire, so she didn¡¯t burn to death. We didn¡¯t see her corpse, so she¡¯s not dead. If she was around town, we would¡¯ve received word from our many observers. They¡¯ve been instructed to keep an eye out for her. It is impossible to hide from the Mafia¡¯s eyes. In that case, I see two possibilities. One: this ¡®Servi¡¯ escaped and left Arcton with the smoke hiding her tracks. Two: she left the building and tried to hide out, but she was met with a terrible fate. Food is quite rare in some sections of the town, you know. Cannibalism isn¡¯t an uncommon occurrence.¡±


    It was like a spear impaled Momo¡¯s beating heart. Her entire body froze up, and she laughed. It couldn¡¯t be real?! She thought Servi couldn¡¯t be dead.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think for a moment that she could be alive or in the city. We have observers on every corner of every street, and no one has reported seeing a girl with black hair and red eyes. Red eyes are one thing, but having both is unusual. If she was alive, we would know about it. Since we don¡¯t, it stands to differ that she¡¯s either dead or left town. Regardless, she¡¯s abandoned you. You¡¯re all alone,¡± Roger explained.


    Sakdu continued after him. ¡°Let me explain to you about the game I said I wanted to play. Roger left her a letter explaining the rules. To summarize, I gave her one week to save you by finding me. If she could do that, then it would be her I kill and not you. Perhaps a part of me wanted to believe in the bonds between Human and Demi-Human, and now I¡¯m even more convinced of the answer than ever before. There cannot be trust between the two, and anyone saying anything else is an ignorant fool who doesn¡¯t know the truth.


    ¡°But since she is dead, the game is over, and I have no reason to keep you alive any longer. However, as a fellow Demi-Human who was betrayed by a Human, I will honor the rules I laid out. You must stay here, in this cell with that waste bucket, but you will not starve or thirst. If you refuse to eat food, then we will force it down your gullet.¡±


    Momo didn¡¯t react in any way. Her body stayed entirely still. Sakdu didn¡¯t care, and he continued to speak and explained his plan to the frozen girl.


    ¡°Come Saturday, I have ordered my personal army to gather in a spot outside of town. I have also ordered all of my Numbered to gather as well. Do you know what for?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care¡­¡± Momo whispered as she cried. The heavy tears felt like cinder blocks as they dripped to her hands. Her one and only friend had ¡®died,¡¯ and the very last words she said to her were out of hatred and anger. A part of her hoped she could apologize to her best friend from the afterlife, but Momo believed there wouldn¡¯t be one for a girl like her.


    ¡°After I tear the skin from your body and eat your bloody flesh, I will command my army to commence the attack on Canary.¡±


    Sakdu¡¯s words kicked Momo¡¯s heart into overdrive as the bloodied faces of Dineria, Srassa, and Fisher and his family flashed across her eyes. ¡°Why?! What did Canary do to you?!¡±


    ¡°It is easy. That is where that damned devil is. It is where he thinks he can enjoy the privilege of starting a family. How dare he deprive me and others of that opportunity! But don¡¯t worry. Once all of Canary is scorched in my flames of hatred and his wife and children are at home in my gullet, I will be no more. For it is his fault that I have this desire for flesh and not food. It is a curse that can only be broken by forcing him to watch his family become the source of strength for my final act." After taking a subtle breath, Sakdu looked up at the roof and spoke four words. "I will kill myself."


    Roger sadly sighed and remorsefully shook his head from side to side while Sakdu continued to speak. "Having accomplished my revenge, I will have nothing to look forward to. I have no aspirations, no love, no joy to be found in farming corn, no desire to accomplish anything. I will have nothing. The Mafia will be disbanded because its ultimate goal had been achieved, but people are free to re-establish it for themselves. If they wish to rain terror across the land using my wife¡¯s and daughter¡¯s namesake, then I am satisfied with that. Should it be disbanded the moment the task is complete, I will accept that as well. The Mafia is only a tool to be used to obtain our revenge. It is nothing more and nothing less.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯m thinking of it, if this Servi was a Demi, then you two would probably be in Canary when the attack commences. Perhaps it¡¯s a good thing you two won¡¯t witness the atrocities my men and I plan to commit.¡± Sakdu looked to Roger. He nodded and spoke.


    ¡°I plan to keep living. Before my village was exterminated, I wanted to use my gift to help everyone. And I plan to continue that, yet I refuse to treat Humans. I will happily poison them under the guise of providing medicine, but I will never aid one for as long as I breathe.¡±


    Sakdu crushed the metal in his hands and tossed it at the cell where Nimea sat unmoving and unresponsive. Roger¡¯s elven hearing picked the faint footsteps of a messenger and turned to the door. Sakdu turned as well. Twenty-four seconds later, a young Singi, barely older than ten or eleven, ran in with a piece of paper clutched tightly against his chest.


    ¡°Sir! Sir! It¡¯s an urgent message from a 6th, Carmelo,¡± he reported. He stuck his hand out, and Sakdu grabbed it without a single word. A sharp claw on his scaly index finger ripped through the wax seal like a knife through butter.


    ¡°Sakdu?¡± Roger asked.


    ¡°It is nothing. Seems there has been some trouble at Deset. It¡¯s nothing to worry about. Tell a 5th to head there and check things out. And tell the 1st and 2nd base we¡¯re heading out to the advance base in the morning. Make sure they grab everything because we won¡¯t be coming back. I expect them to have the ballistas torn down and ready to move by first light. The men in my army start arriving tomorrow. Make sure to send a message to every base and have them look for the smoke signal on Saturday morning at 6 AM. They should arrive by 9, 10 at the latest, and we can finally begin our conquest. Roger, it¡¯s been a long time coming, but our revenge is nearly here. Take care of any other messages that need to be sent before we leave.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll construct the messages and get the two bases ready to move.¡± Roger nodded his head and walked out with the messenger. Momo caught a glimpse of his tail.


    It had no fur, only skin. Sakdu saw Momo''s questioning eyes and explained. ¡°When I found him a few years back, someone had skinned the fur off of his tail and made it into a scarf. I rounded the criminal up and forced the boy to kill him.¡± Sakdu put a hand to the hole he made with his thick fists and used his other hand to rip his red tie off. ¡°It¡¯s time for me to toss away these ridiculous suits.¡± Sakdu stopped when he reached the doorway and looked back at Momo. The following words out of Sakdu''s mouth launched a second spear of betrayal through Momo''s heart.


    ¡°The name of the Human I want to kill¡­ If you¡¯re from Canary, then you should know him. He is known within Lando as some ridiculous title that I refuse to call him by. The ¡®Justice Captain...¡¯ How asinine. No. To me, he will forever be known as Fisher Jin. That is the name of the man who sent me to Hell all those years ago. I have climbed from the depths of despair over the corpses of countless Humans and Demi-Humans in my quest for revenge, and I will not be stopped when I am so close to tasting his family¡¯s flesh. I will bite off Marissa''s head, and I will split Meri and Mari in half and chew the flesh from their legs. That damn curse he inflicted on me prevented me from enjoying anything other than living meat. I refuse to eat those of my own race, but I have no qualms about eating a Dwarf or a Singi.¡±


    Sakdu growled one final time and left through the threshold, walking until Momo couldn¡¯t hear his heavy footsteps.


    A few hours later, when the sun had disappeared from the sky, and the moon and stars came out to play, watery snot and hot tears continued to fall from Momo¡¯s nose and eyes. Everything she had experienced in the short time she¡¯d be captured had gone against her common sense. She didn¡¯t want to believe someone like Fisher, who had treated her with such kindness, was capable of doing those horrendous things Sakdu accused him of.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Momo squeaked, ¡°Didn¡¯t Servi say something a while ago when he arrived at Warden and announced the emergency quests? Did she know his true nature and not tell me?! I thought we were best friends¡­ Why didn¡¯t you tell me these things¡­¡±


    Like an eternal knot with no end, Momo¡¯s mind traced itself in an endless feedback loop powered by self-doubt and pity. Her mind created new scenarios and false evidence in her memories where there wasn¡¯t any as if it was looking for non-existent signs of betrayal to make her feel less foolish.


    She was so far trapped in her pointless creations that she didn¡¯t realize Nimea had stirred awake.


    Somehow, he was well aware of the conversation shared by Roger, Sakdu, and Momo. He wanted to speak to the one person he had wronged and treated like an object, but he was petrified of what would happen if his mouth opened. Would he beg for forgiveness? Would he berate Momo and blame her for his impending death? Would any kind of coherent words come out at all, or would it be a babbling mess of sounds?


    Nimea didn¡¯t know what would happen, and that frightened him.


    With nothing else to do, he leaned back against the stone wall and hugged his knees close while listening to the sad whimpers of a girl who had lost everything.

 Book Three – Chapter Six – Part One – The Bank Robbery & A Chance Encounter (R-18)

    ¡°Err¡­ Williana?¡± said Old Man during breakfast. The hustle and bustle of the cafeteria acted as the background noise to an innocent-enough conversation.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Servi replied. The ceramic cup in front of her steamed with coffee inside it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask this for the past few minutes, but why is our 9th hugging your neck?¡±


    ¡°Ever since I woke up, she¡¯s been clinging to me like this. If not my neck, then it¡¯s my arms.¡± Servi sighed and held her cup to her lips.


    ¡°Oh, Willie, I¡¯ll get that for you!¡± Carrie¡¯s soft hands wrapped around Servi¡¯s fingers and stole the cup from her. As if she was feeding a child, she carefully lifted the white cup until its caffeinated liquid touched Servi''s pink tongue. All the while, two large, soft objects, hidden behind a low-cut red tank top, massaged Servi''s neck.


    ¡°Err¡­ Willie¡­?¡± Old Man looked around and saw that every single pair of eyes in the room were staring at the peculiar scene. Servi wasn¡¯t a Numbered, nor was she a senior member. Only two days had passed since she squirmed her way into the Mafia, yet the scowls she received made it seem like she was a long-time member.


    Envy and hatred-infused eyes stared at her. Every other member, especially the ones that were new like Servi, didn''t like the way she was receiving special treatment.


    ¡°There!¡± Servi internally cringed when Carrie retrieved a napkin from her cleavage and wiped Servi''s mouth.


    ¡°Damnit, Carrie, I can¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nope! You told me to act like this, right?¡±


    That¡¯s not what I said, though. Servi thought.


    Servi felt her ID buzz. Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t in a prime position to read it. Her mind raced back to the unexpected events that played out a few hours ago.


    After waking up from her nightmare a few hours beforehand, Servi and Itarr talked for a few short moments about what it could mean. It was too confusing for either of them to make head or tails of, and Servi wanted to ignore it completely.


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll just stay up. I don¡¯t need sleep. If I don¡¯t sleep, I can¡¯t have nightmares,¡± Servi had said while she groped Carrie¡¯s sleeping body. Servi realized the hypocrisy between her actions and words from the previous nights and explained that she needed to fulfill the contract. The better she pleasured Carrie, the more likely Servi would have a chance to meet the Boss. Itarr internally argued why Servi couldn''t just lie about it, but she chose not to say anything.


    That¡¯s fine with me. Itarr said. The Goddess did her best to ignore Servi¡¯s tongue swirling around the nipple of a Singi who wasn¡¯t Momo. Her hands ventured close to Carrie''s crotch but backed off at the last moment. Their new targets were the soft thighs that seemed to sparkle from the sweat accumulating from the growing pleasure that overflowed a moment later.


    Servi continued to tease Carrie''s thighs before moving her hands upward. She pressed her palm down on Carrie''s stomach, then her fingers a mad dash for her chest. It didn''t take long for Servi to lean her head down and put her mouth to work. Servi''s tongue monopolized Carrie''s chest, almost claiming her left nipple as her own property. Then she moved on to the right breast and did the same thing.


    After five minutes, Servi gave Carrie''s erect nipples a nibble each and lifted her head, revealing a collection of thick strands of spit. The Singi squirmed and rolled over. Servi took the time to curl into a small ball while wiping her mouth. With her ID held tight to her chest, she stayed motionless like the placid waters of a serene lake. Servi didn''t move until she felt a set of twin mountains press against her back and a pair of soft hands wrapped around her stomach.


    Carrie assaulted Servi¡¯s neck with tiny kisses as she rubbed her head against the girl she tightly held. It was as if she was a cat showing affection. In a quiet voice, she whispered four words that only made sense to her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve fallen for you¡­¡±


    Immediately after that, she sniffled and pressed her head against Servi¡¯s back while making an odd noise. It didn¡¯t take Servi long to realize the girl she had almost killed was crying into her back.


    Servi¡¯s ID struggled to get free from her embrace.


    Is she still going to die? Itarr wrote.


    Servi simply nodded.


    ¡°Ahh, it¡¯s crazy, right? I¡¯m crazy. I don¡¯t even know why I¡­ Fuck! Why couldn¡¯t you wish me dead like all the other bastards?! Why did you give me permission to hit you?! Why did you tell me I could do whatever I wanted¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine, you don¡¯t have to speak. I¡¯m paying you, so stay quiet and listen. I¡­ You¡¯re someone who I should hate, and I¡¯m someone who you hate. I expected you to refute my offer, but you took it without even thinking. I didn¡¯t want to get close to you like this. I only wanted to have fun. When I realized the feelings I had, I wanted to push you away. That¡¯s why I struck you yesterday under the guise of being angry about your shitty prediction that came true. That¡¯s why I act cold and heavy to everyone¡­because I don''t want to be... But¡­You even protected me from those knives¡­ Why?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I did all that¡­and I planned on doing more to push you away¡­but I don¡¯t wanna do that anymore. I¡­ It¡¯s only been two days, but¡­¡±


    I can¡¯t imagine life without you¡­ It was her thoughts, not words, that finished Carrie''s feelings.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to say anything. You need money, right? You need a lot of it. I promise you you¡¯ll have a chance to earn it on Saturday. I swear I¡¯ll get you invited to whatever''s going on.¡± Carrie''s caring and meek act almost frightened Itarr.


    Is this the power of love? Or is it something else? I don¡¯t understand how she could flip her emotions so drastically without someone manipulating them¡­


    Servi rolled over and stared into Carrie''s eyes.


    The love-starved Singi felt her starved heart beat with such passion that had been unknown to her until now. It felt like her body yearned for something it had lacked for over twenty years, and Carrie was scared and frightened.


    Almost like instinct, the Singi closed her eyes and lightly puckered her lips. She had kissed other girls before when she used to visit the Boxcar, and she wasn¡¯t a stranger to giving and receiving female pleasure, but there was something different about the one-eyed Human staring at her.


    Somehow, she wanted to believe that the Human was the same as her. Not physically, but mentally. Carrie knew her extreme violence, bloodthirst, and torture weren¡¯t something to be admired. Up until now, she was satisfied with enjoying the company of a different girl, be it Human, Elf, Dwarf, Kobold, or Singi, if it meant her urges would be satisfied.


    But then along came a Human who exhibited the same sadistic tendencies and joy for torture as she did. Sometime in the past, Carrie heard an old woman speak of soulmates. Two people whose souls, interests, and joys were so intertwined that they were destined to be together. She had thrown it off as a bunch of hoo-ha, but the past day forced Carrie to realize the woman she waved off probably knew what she was talking about.


    Her heart had accepted the possibility that Servi could¡¯ve been her soulmate, but her mind hadn¡¯t reached that point yet. Now? Both body and soul were in harmony. They both yearned together to reinforce the sense of love and companionship Carrie wanted to receive. She didn¡¯t think someone like her would be good at it, but she vowed to do her best.


    Kiss me! Carrie whined.


    The red-haired Singi was waiting for a kiss that wouldn¡¯t be returned, but she did feel a pair of hands squeeze her rich bosom. Her stiff nipples received a bit of a twist.


    ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I?¡± Carrie opened her eyes. She tearfully watched as the body she desperately wanted to love had moved away after rejecting her attempt at a kiss. ¡°My upper and lower lips are off-limits. This isn¡¯t love. It¡¯s lust. You wanted that and pleasure,¡± Servi coldly said.


    Unlike Carrie¡¯s heart that grew open, Servi¡¯s heart recessed until it was frozen over by her growing hatred of the Mafia. In her mind, she wondered why she would ever expend the energy to falsify a non-existent love for a girl who would die by her hands in less than a week.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ That¡¯s right. I forgot. Umm¡­here¡¯s your money¡­¡± Carrie slumped out of bed and walked over to her clothes. She retrieved a 100 dupla coin and tossed it at Servi. Servi snatched it out of the air, storing it in her pouch.


    ¡°If that¡¯s everything¡ª¡±


    Carrie spoke and thrusted her arms out. ¡°Wait! Isn¡¯t there something you want to ask me?! About¡ª¡±


    ¡°There isn''t. You have your own reasons for acting like a psychotic bitch out there and a tamed kitten in here, and it doesn¡¯t involve me. You do what you want. I don¡¯t give two rats¡¯ asses about the reasons you act the way you do.¡± Servi heard the sharp clink of her daggers sliding into place, and she checked her boots.


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Carrie, there¡¯s nothing to say. If you¡¯re looking for validation on how you should act, then you came to the wrong person. I don¡¯t care, I won¡¯t care, and I probably won¡¯t ever fucking care. The only one who cares is you.¡±


    ¡°Then¡ª"


    Servi held a hand up and glanced at her ID.


    What are you going to do? Itarr asked.


    Servi knew her main goal was Momo¡¯s rescue and extermination of the group known as the Mafia. Her other secondary objectives didn¡¯t matter at all. But if it meant it would increase her chances with the Boss, Servi realized she had to take one for the greater good.


    It killed her, knowing she had to show ¡®kindness¡¯ and ¡®love¡¯ to a person belonging to the group responsible for the kidnapping of her best friend, but Servi gritted her teeth and rushed at Carrie with her arms open.


    As Servi embraced Carrie''s naked body with a deep hug and a lick to her neck, a depraved line of thoughts ran through Servi¡¯s fractured mind. Even if her thoughts and words didn¡¯t necessarily line up in the grand scheme of things, it reminded her of her goal.


    She¡¯s part of the group responsible for Momo¡¯s kidnapping. You need to kill her to save Momo. Fake the love and betray her when the time the right. They, them, all of them, the entire Mafia deserve nothing less than total destruction and devastation. Slaughter them all, and save Momo. Save her. You¡¯re doing this for Momo. Carrie¡¯s life doesn¡¯t matter at all.


    ¡°Williana¡­WWAAHHHHH!!!!¡± With nothing else she could do, Servi hugged Carrie until her tears stopped on their own.


    After forcing herself to take Carrie''s hand, Servi sat on the bed and asked a question while stealing glances at Carrie''s breasts. ¡°Do you remember last night?¡±


    ¡°No. I know something incredible happened, that¡¯s why I¡¯m feeling this way, but I don¡¯t know what. And, right here...¡± Carrie''s hand grabbed Servi''s fingers and brought them to the breast Servi ripped off the night prior. Her thumb tenderly flicked the Singi''s stiff nipples, eliciting a cute moan from Carrie. ¡°It¡¯s so tender and sensitive, and it sounds shitty, but I can feel the love come from it. That¡¯s not all. It¡¯s like your tongue ran over every bit of my body.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Servi realized it wouldn''t help her achieve her goal if she spilled the truth, and she chose to remain silent. What Carrie believed had happened became the infallible truth for her and her alone. If it was something positive, then it would only help her.  That was supposed to be last the bit of mercy Servi ever wanted to give to her enemies, but even she knew that wasn¡¯t going to be the case if she wanted an interview with the boss.  Carrie stood up and walked over to a messy pile of clothes. As she dressed herself, the Singi did something she had never done before.


    She talked about her past.


    ¡°I¡¯m paying you, so listen up. Think of this as something you needed to pleasure me. Pillow talk? Yeah, think of it as pillow talk. And I know you¡¯re sitting down. I¡¯m getting dressed, but it fucking makes sense to me, yeah?¡± Carrie grabbed a pair of red panties and slid them up her leg.


    ¡°I suppose... Fine. Go ahead and speak.¡± Servi laid down. To her surprise, Carrie hadn¡¯t noticed the bed and sheets were different.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t telling everything, but I never knew I could feel this way. I still remember the first time I drank blood and the first person I killed. From that day onward, it¡¯s like having a different me inside me. It took over and handled nearly everything. I sound crazy. I know I do. Fuck, I can¡¯t explain it. It¡¯s like there¡¯s me, and then there¡¯s a second me. But now, what if that second me was me all along? What if this is who I am? Williana, I don¡¯t know what to do. I like killing. I like drinking blood. I like having sex with women, yet I like to hold people. Those things shouldn¡¯t be a part of the same person, yet here they are. Williana, what should I do? If I want to be normal, I need to stop that. I want to be normal, but I need to kill. If I don¡¯t, then I feel crazy. Yesterday, I killed four guards while out on the town. I ripped a hole in their throat and licked their necks while the blood was hot. Then this morning, I¡¯m fucking crying because of shit I don¡¯t know!!!¡±


    Carrie turned to Servi and dropped the tank top her hands had clenched. A hand reflexively went to her regenerated breast, and clear tears dripped from the corner of her eyes.


    ¡°There isn''t anyone who can tell you the way you should act. If there¡¯s something inside you, then it¡¯s a part of you. Deny it if you wish. Let it out if you want to. I cannot tell you which is the best way to act. That is something you need to discover on your own.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s fine to act like this? Is it wrong to kill and drink blood in the mornings and snuggle up to you while we¡¯re sleeping at night? Since I¡¯m paying you, tell me how I should act¡­¡±


    ¡°Only you can decide that. But since you''re paying me, I¡¯ll tell you what I really think. Don¡¯t hold anything back. If you have urges, then act on them. If you want to kill? Then kill. If you want to drink blood? Then drink it. Hell, if you want to act meek and fragile away from the public eye, like what you¡¯re doing now, then fucking do it. If you don¡¯t want to do that, then don¡¯t do it. If those urges are striking you at the same time, then fucking do them at the same time. Now, if that¡¯s all, I¡¯m going to the cafeteria.¡± Standing up, Servi walked past Carrie and left through the door, leaving the motionless Singi alone with newfound knowledge and advice.


    Itarr paid very close attention to Servi¡¯s last statement about urges.


    If she acted on them, I wonder what would happen? She told me about her dream and the collar she saw in the mirror. Of course, the collar isn¡¯t real. But if it was, then would it be something like a mental block? Does that mysterious energy have something to do with it? If it breaks... I¡¯m scared of what would happen. I¡¯d wager she already has enough power to level a continent, but if she were to absorb the souls of everyone in Lando, then¡­


    No, I shouldn¡¯t think like that. I¡¯ve already betrayed Servi more times than I can count. I need to let her make her own decisions like Carrie. Not that I can do it anymore, but manipulating Servi is something I should not have done.


    Servi glanced to the bunk bed and didn¡¯t see Old Man. She surmised he was already in the cafeteria, and she decided to join him for a cup of coffee.


    As she left, Servi did not realize the irony of the words she said to Carrie when it came to her own situation.


    After closing the door behind her, Servi¡¯s face twisted into a scowl. Unpleasantness washed over her like a waterfall, and she grumbled down the hallway. Her ID appeared in front of her.


    Are you still planning to kill Carrie? Itarr asked.


    ¡°I am.¡±


    You planned to kill Fisher, but that didn¡¯t turn¡ª


    Before Itarr finished her words, Servi gripped her ID and angrily threw it against the nearby wall right as a Singi turned the corner. His blue eyes and hair were familiar to Servi.


    He looked at the red dust flowing back into Servi¡¯s body and told her to calm the fuck down.


    After summoning her ID again, Servi stared at its blank surface. ¡°You know what? Fuck it. This is what¡¯s gonna happen to Carrie. You don¡¯t fucking believe me?! Fucking watch!¡± Servi looked behind to make sure they were alone. Carrie had to get dressed and fix the hole in her shorts, so she needed a bit of time.


    Using Telekinesis, she wrapped an invisible force around the Singi¡¯s neck and took out a knife. The Singi tried to break away, but Servi¡¯s grip was so tight that his arms and legs snapped. His face, teary and frightened, didn¡¯t know what emotion to take on.


    Servi ran up to the Singi, and using the knife¡¯s handle, slammed it into his head before wrapping her arms around his neck. She squeezed and gripped while his skin turned blue and purple. She let go, allowing him to breathe one last drop of air before Servi unleashed a rage-fueled flurry of punches on his chest. Then, she wrapped her arms around his neck a second time and twisted as if rewinding a clock until the top of his head faced the ground. Meanwhile, his chin pointed towards the ceiling.


    A red soul flew up, and Servi¡¯s first instinct was to swat it away. That didn¡¯t work, and her arm passed right through as it made a beeline for her ring.


    ¡°What luck he was the one to run into me. I only wished I could¡¯ve made it more painful¡­¡± Servi absorbed the corpse and summoned her ID. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s enough of a fucking answer? Still think I won¡¯t fucking do it?! I didn¡¯t kill Fisher because he regrets what he¡¯s done, and my whole business with him was based on a misunderstanding and his own fucking cowardice. After he cleared it up, he showed me he wants to make amends. Why the fuck did you think I offered to pay for his fucking orphanage? But hey, if you want me to fucking kill him, I will. I''ll burn his goddamn house down and hang him from a tree built from the corpses in my ring. I''ll finish what I didn''t have the fucking guts to complete because maybe he deserves to die for his sinful past... Eventually, everyone''s going to die... Carrie¡¯s going to be slaughtered, Old Man¡¯s going to perish, and every fucking Numbered will hang from their fucking entrails¡­¡±


    Itarr apologized after recovering from her shock and mentioned she didn''t want Fisher to die, but Servi didn¡¯t respond. She looked at the words appearing on its red surface. For a brief moment, even looking at the thing made her want to vomit.  Scoffing, Servi tossed the ID behind her.


    She continued to walk silently until her soft hands touched the cafeteria door. Its silver handles felt pleasant to the touch, and the scent of chemicals remained in the air. It had probably been cleaned moments ago.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just¡­ Nevermind¡­¡± Servi whispered.


    Servi pushed open the doors and scanned for Old Man. After she saw him in the corner of the room with a cup in his hands, she took a deep breath and made her way over to him.

 Book Three – Chapter Six – Part Two – The Bank Robbery & A Chance Encounter

    ¡°That¡¯s why she¡¯s clinging to you?¡± Old Man asked after hearing an abridged version of the morning¡¯s incident.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Willie told me to be true to my urges!¡± Carrie rested her chin on Servi¡¯s lavender wig as her hands gently wrapped around her neck.


    ¡°Willie?¡±


    ¡°Since she¡¯s paying me to fuck her, I figured I''d allow her to call me that," Servi said while shrugging.


    But why does it sound familiar? Am I such a good liar that I¡¯m actually convinced my name is Williana? Servi thought as her cup met her lips. Like before, Carrie embraced the curved, white handle as if it was a newborn babe.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said anything, but fuck it. Act like this if you want to..." Servi later added on.


    ¡°Williana, what¡¯re you going to do about your clothes and armor?¡± Old Man asked. He noticed Servi¡¯s back, stomach, and thighs peeking through her shirt and her pants, respectively. Those ¡®modifications¡¯ were proof of Carmelo¡¯s involvement in the drug deal the night before.


    ¡°I¡¯ll steal some later today. I didn¡¯t know the back of it wasn¡¯t reinforced. If I had known that, I would¡¯ve splurged and bought something more protective.¡±


    ¡°I can get ya something if you want,¡± Carrie said. She reached down over Servi and grabbed the coffee cup.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that,¡± Servi said, drinking a few sips of her hot drink. It wasn¡¯t nearly as good as the coffee from the machine Carrie broke, but it was better than nothing.


    ¡°But I wa¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t want to do it either. I¡¯m fine. I can find my own clothes.¡± Sharp words spewed from Servi¡¯s mouth in a cold and aggressive tone. Old Man picked up on it instantly, narrowing his brow, but Carrie''s lovesick persona was too thick to realize the harshnesses of Servi¡¯s words.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, too!¡±


    After rubbing her head on Servi¡¯s head, Carrie remembered something important.


    ¡°Hey, they told something important at the meeting."


    "What meeting?" Servi asked.


    "Right after you left our room this morning, I had to go to a meeting with the other Numbered. That''s why it took me a while to get here."


    "Okay, and what did they tell you?"


    "After the 6th sent in his report, he received word that a 5th is coming here tonight!  Willie, you gotta call me your 9th when they¡¯re here. I don¡¯t care if you call me Carrie, but a 5th is a big deal. They only answer to 4ths and higher," Carrie explained.


    Servi¡¯s sinister smiled appeared hidden behind a seemingly innocent smile. She didn¡¯t believe the opportunity would present itself to her so quickly, but it meant that she was one step closer to finding her beloved Momo.


    ¡°Oh, and there¡¯s something else. I don¡¯t think I can recommend you for the big thing on Saturday because everyone¡¯s participating. For the first time since I¡¯ve joined, it¡¯s a Mafia-wide event, and every member in every base is required to attend. I don¡¯t really know the details or where to go, but I know it¡¯s Saturday at 9 AM. The 6th told us to be ready at 6 AM, so it''s going to be early.  Make sure to get your rest, okay?¡± Carrie kissed the top of Servi''s head, who fought the urge to smack that insufferable Singi around like a toy.


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting. I wonder why everyone¡¯s getting together?¡± Old Man inquired.


    ¡°I can¡¯t really say, but we, Deset, received more instructions. As of right now, we are required to snatch and hoard supplies for the Mafia. If we need potions and battle items, then I say we might be moving to a new place.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯re we supposed to do on Saturday? How do we know where to go if they didn¡¯t tell us the location?¡± Servi asked. Her mind debated on the best way to inflict pain and gather information from her soon-to-be victim.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know. Rumors say it¡¯s gonna be a signal, but if we have to travel three hours, then it has to be a smoke signal, yeah? I can¡¯t see it being a sound or light signal,¡± Carrie quipped.


    ¡°I wonder if the Boss is at this new location,¡± Old Man asked aloud.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he is. There¡¯s probably a lot to get done in preparation. If he handles the logistics, then I believe we need to gather the supplies. But only having a few days to do it? I¡¯d rather have a week, but if it¡¯s what the Boss wants, then we have to do it.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you love the Boss,¡± Servi said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t. I¡¯m just part of the Mafia because I can kill, fuck, and drink blood. If I can¡¯t get that here, then I would¡¯ve resigned and left a while ago. Well, I guess there¡¯s no such thing as resigning from the Mafia while you¡¯re still alive. The only way out is by being buried in a box two meters in the ground.¡±


    "Being buried? Wouldn''t any deserters be tortured to death? Or maybe tossed in a ditch after losing all of their limbs?" Servi quipped.


    "Yeah. I guess it just depends on how a base''s leader is feeling that day. Any deserters might be strung up by their dick and left for the crows after being tarred and feathered. Or just left in a ditch like you said."


    ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t you say no one knows what the Boss looks like?¡±


    ¡°Yep! But I guess that¡¯s about to change,¡± Carrie answered Old Man¡¯s question as her hands weaved through Servi¡¯s lavender wig.


    The group of three heard a door opening and turned to the newcomer.


    It was Carmelo, the new leader of Deset. His metallic bow, gently carried with both hands, reminded Servi of a mother cradling her newborn as she walked down the street surrounded by predators. It was odd, in a way, that someone would care so much for a simple bow.


    Servi, I feel something coming from that weapon. Remember when we attacked Parrel¡¯s mansion and fought the summoners? I think there¡¯s a spirit in that bow.


    Servi quickly glanced downward and simply nodded. She never fought a spirit inhabiting a weapon before, but she knew it would die by her hands in a few days.


    Wearing a long robe garbed in painted leaves, Carmelo looked like a village elder or a high-ranking magistrate. His slim arms and delicate soft hands didn¡¯t seem right as they carried Deset¡¯s weight. The plip-plop of his wooden sandals echoed across the cafeteria as he walked in a single direction towards Servi¡¯s table. The other members, eating their breakfast, froze solid for a few moments before their hands continued to shovel food into their gaping mouths.


    As of yet, Servi didn¡¯t think anyone noticed the blue-haired Singi was missing, but anything relating to him was the furthest thing from Servi¡¯s mind. It didn¡¯t matter if he died here or later. She had more important things to focus on.


    ¡°Carrie, Williana, Old Man, good morning,¡± Carmelo pleasantly said as he took a seat. He took a single glance at the red-headed Singi and Human and sighed. Carrie took the quick second to explain, and that was good enough for him. As long as work and tasks were being completed, Carmelo didn¡¯t care what was happening inside the base.


    ¡°Williana, I¡¯ve heard through the grapevine that you are looking to make money. Is that correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes, 6th, it is,¡± Servi replied with no hint of aggressiveness or tone that would suggest she¡¯s anything but content and happy. It was a skill of hers, though not one that was in the Skill System. It was almost as if Servi believed whatever lies she told to be the absolute truth.


    ¡°I see. Yesterday, I saw you jump in front of Carrie to protect her from those throwing knives. It was impressive because you threw them back even though one of them pierced your very heart. Tell me, do you not fear death? If I had not come along, I doubt you would be alive. Liron was a fierce warrior with the ever-impressive Metal Skin. Other than the lucky dagger you threw that took his eye, you three would not have been able to kill him. Speaking of that, show me your ID.¡±


    Servi slid it over to Carmelo. With his beloved Clarence held tightly, he expertly flicked through everything Servi¡¯s ID had to offer. Because of Itarr, he only found the skills relating to a newly registered Rank 10 Warden member who only knew weak skills because she wasn¡¯t blessed.


    ¡°To be frank,¡± he said, handing the ID back to Servi. ¡°Your skills are quite shit. You¡¯re not blessed in any way, you know no attacking skills, and your physique doesn¡¯t support what you have shown me. Tell me, what training have you done?¡±


    ¡°6th, when I was younger, life was hard for an orphan like me. I had to defend myself because the shitty Gods believed I wasn¡¯t worthy of a blessing. Day and night, I trained with sticks, rocks, and wooden shields until I stole swords, bows, and spears,¡± Servi lied.


    ¡°From what I have seen, that certainly seems to be the case. Here,¡± Carmelo used Instant Cast to open his Dimensional Storage and retrieved a simple bow and ten metal arrows, ¡°Take these items and prove yourself. Take note, however, that if you accept this bow and I do not find your work satisfactory, then your life is forfeit. If you¡¯re lying to me, now would be a good time to say so. Your life is on the line.¡±


    Without missing a beat, Servi activated Soul Essence of Primal Combat and retrieved the bow. Her index finger traced the curved wood and spider-silk string. She didn¡¯t know what she was doing or how she evaluated the bow''s quality, but Carmelo was nonetheless impressed.


    Carrie removed her chin from Servi¡¯s head and stepped back. Old Man did the same as Servi nocked an arrow and stood up.


    ¡°What should I do to prove myself?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Split an arrow with an arrow,¡± Carmelo ordered. ¡°Aim for that spot over there, and don¡¯t worry about damaging the walls. Just focus on impressing me.¡±


    The spot he pointed at was a little hole through the gate leading to the buffet. Squeezing through the chain links, which were only a tiny bit larger than the feather span of an arrow, was an impressive shot for even an experienced archer. As an Elf, Carmelo wouldn''t stress about failing the task he had set because it was impossible, but a Human? He had only met a few non-Elves who were up for the challenge, but he didn¡¯t think Servi was one of them. Sure, her skills with the throwing knives and daggers were impressive, but throwing a weapon and shooting a bow were two vastly different things. The proper muscle development and stance couldn¡¯t be used interchangeably.


    ¡°Shoot it through the hole and then split it with a second one?¡± Servi wanted to confirm. After a confirming nod from Carmelo, Servi pulled the arrow back. After allowing her newly gained souls to meld with her current stockpile, her body slowly changed to accommodate the newfound knowledge she had acquired.


    I suppose one of the men we killed was an expert archer. We did absorb Oaklin and Daki¡¯s souls, so I¡¯d imagine that¡¯s helping us out. Itarr said to herself while aimlessly floating inside their shared soul. The red void-like d¨¦cor around her calmed her.


    ¡°Oh ho, I didn¡¯t expect this¡­¡± Carmelo whispered as he analyzed Servi¡¯s form. It was a night and day difference when compared with the stance Servi took to teach Momo the basics of archery. That was only a month ago, but she didn¡¯t even look like she was the same person. Her arms, shoulders, and back were oddly relaxed and stressed. It was a juxtaposition of what an archer should be, yet Carmelo was impressed by it.


    With a calm breath, she released her grip and grinned. Like she wanted, her arrow soared through the air until it slipped in between a tiny gap in the fence. Its metal head collided with the concrete walls, impaling itself a few inches in. Without saying a single word, Servi grabbed, nocked, and released another arrow. This time, she aided it with Telekinesis to give it a little extra push to split the first arrow.


    ¡°Well?¡± Servi said as she returned the leftover arrows to Carmelo.


    ¡°For a Human, it¡¯s impressive. However¡­ Clarence, soar!¡± Carmelo strummed his metallic bow¡¯s metal strings as a green arrow of energy formed in front of it. With a flick of his thumb across the first string, it launched like a rocket and destroyed the gate. With a pluck of the second string, two green energy-filled arrows danced across the air until they obliterated Servi¡¯s arrows.


    Was that necessary? Itarr asked herself.


    The two poor bastards near the buffet ducked for cover when the first green arrow launched, and they only came up when Carmelo said it was safe to do so.


    ¡°Do not think your archery skills are above those of an Elf. Now, I have one more task for you to complete. Carrie, stand against the wall and put this on your head.¡± Carmelo retrieved Servi¡¯s coffee cup and tossed it to the red-haired Singi.


    Carrie nodded, confused, but did as he asked. Servi reached out for the bow and arrows but stopped when they disappeared. Two throwing knives appeared in their place.


    ¡°Throw both and destroy the cup. If you miss, then you¡¯ll injure your 9th. That would be betrayal, and you will die. Let¡¯s see how you perform under stress.¡±


    Servi sighed and picked up a knife in each hand. Soul Essence of Primal Combat still activated, so Servi followed her souls¡¯ memories. She tossed both one after the other after doing a small spin to build up speed and power. With three anchors on each dagger, the two flew nearly parallel with each other as they shattered the cup. Small ceramic pieces rained down on Carrie¡¯s red hair and fell into her cleavage. She dug it out and tossed it away as she walked back to Servi.


    ¡°Very well. I¡¯m convinced you can back up your words. Your form was exquisite, and I couldn¡¯t see anything wrong. Now, take a seat. I have a proposition to talk to you about.¡±


    Servi, Old Man, and Carrie took a seat after Carmelo sat. He laid his beloved bow on the table and protectively gripped its limbs.


    ¡°I searched through Mel¡¯s notes last night, and I discovered something. He had been working on a plan to rob the Corner Bank. I¡¯m not sure if you know it, but the Corner Bank is where the residents and nobles of New Arcton keep their precious money. Do you know where that is?¡±


    Servi answered Carmelo. ¡°I know where New Arcton is. I sold Monotonia there yesterday. Is the building with the guards and Kobold in nadrium armor the Corner Bank?¡±


    ¡°No, though I can see why you see came to that conclusion. Corner Bank is outside of New Arcton, and it is disguised as an entirely different building. There¡¯s a large tunnel spanning from a building in New Arcton to the Corner Bank¡¯s base floor, located underground.  It is filled with millions in dupla and gems.¡±


    ¡°Sir?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°I normally don''t do this. Rather, I have refused to allow Non-Numbered to participate in this mission. But I will make an exception for you because of the loyalty you showed when you protected Carrie. While I won¡¯t allow you to be a member of the main force, I will leave you with the support team. More accurately, you will be a member of the second archery sub-team. Their job is to provide range support for the main force.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference between second and first archery teams?¡± Servi asked. If she played her cards right, she stood to gain an impressive amount of wealth. But more importantly, this was the chance she needed to prove herself to the Mafia.


    ¡°The first archery team will be in New Arcton. They will slaughter and kill the nobles. That will force the area to descend into chaos. The second team is responsible for taking up a position in the area around Corner Bank. Your tasks include slaughtering the guards and providing covering fire when the main force escapes. Half will rush back through the tunnel, and the other half will ascend the stairs and emerge outside the building above the Corner Bank. By this point, the area should be littered with corpses. Keep this in mind: those near the Corner Bank are not civilians. They are all mercenaries and guards hired by New Arcton to keep an eye on their valuables.


    ¡°Okay, and once they emerge, what is the plan?¡±


    ¡°You protect them with your life. Judging from your excellent display of archery, you should have no trouble if you can maintain your level of accuracy. You shall only retreat when the commander of your team says so. If this goes off, we plan to make a lot of money. For you, you stand to earn anywhere between twenty and thirty thousand dupla. Is that enough?¡±


    Thirty thousand is shit compared to my millions, but I can play this to my advantage. Servi thought as she replied. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Good. Do you have any questions?¡± Carmelo slowly nodded, readjusting the grip he had on his bow.


    ¡°I do. What are we do to about the heavily guarded building in New Arcton?"


    ¡°As of this morning, every guard, watchtower, and ballistae around it have disappeared. Therefore, there is no need to worry about them. Any other question?¡±


    They¡¯re gone?!  Itarr shouted in surprise.


    ¡°When will the operation start?¡± Servi asked. ¡°And what about Old Man and our 9th?¡± She pointed to both of them.


    ¡°The robbery will start four hours from now. Mel was meticulous. He had all of the arrows and other supplies he believed he needed already prepared at the correct locations. He even had a list of candidates at the ready. They arrived this morning after I sent messages late last night.


    ¡°As for your second question. Old Man doesn''t have the strength or energy to do anything useful, and I have not allowed Carrie to participate. Last night, I observed for a distance, and I am disappointed in how you reacted. Take Old Man and shakedown some shops or sell Monotonia. Be sure to be back tonight for the 5th¡¯s visit. Oh, Williana. Do your best and impress me, and I will personally put in an excellent word with the 5th. I¡¯ll even allow you to be present at the meeting.¡±


    Servi¡¯s gleaming smile disguised a murderous hatred, and nobody caught on to it. She thanked Carmelo for the chance to prove herself, and he pulled out a set of clothes and armor from his Dimensional Storage.


    ¡°I noticed your clothing and armor are in disarray. Take this as a small gift for protecting Carrie last night. Head to your room, put it on, and return to me. Once you do, I will take you to the planning room,¡± Carmelo ordered. Servi took the equipment from his outstretched hands and walked back to her room.


    After shutting the door, she stripped naked and summoned her ID.


    ¡°Can you believe it?!¡± Servi said as she rolled on her and Carrie¡¯s bed. ¡°HAHAHAHAHA!!!!¡± she roared with laughter.


    I cannot believe it. Servi, our goal is almost here. But how are we gonna get the 5th?


    ¡°Kaasuvuoto,¡± Servi answered as she absorbed her newly acquired equipment. With a simple and unnecessary snap, her curvy body became covered. A solid black tunic reinforced with a metal plate protected her chest, while black pants with two layers of chainmail embedded in them guarded her legs. She had no cloak, but the metal shoulder pads and steel-toed boots made up for it. It wasn¡¯t what she thought an archer would wear on a mission that involved robbing a bank, but she didn¡¯t care. ¡°We flood Deset with sleeping gas and kidnap the 5th. I torture him until he gives me info. I destroy every base I can, then I go to the Boss and kill him. I¡¯ll save Momo. After that? Whatever happens, happens.¡±


    I hope we can save her tonight. I don¡¯t want to stay here.


    ¡°¡­¡± Servi remained quiet and picked up her ID. After hugging it against her chest, she walked back to the cafeteria without saying a single word. Itarr wanted to say something, but she didn¡¯t. She knew that Servi wanted to save Momo more than anything in the world. That¡¯s why she tainted her soul and joined with the people responsible for her kidnapping. If she wanted to recover Momo without destroying the entire town, she had to go undercover.


    But it was worth it. If it would save Momo, there were no limits to the dark sea of madness Servi would sink to.

 Book Three – Chapter Six – Part Three – The Bank Robbery & A Chance Encounter

    Five and a half hours later, the sun, a mystical yellow celestial body that was at its brightest, was about to have its lovely glow tainted by crimson blood. If Carmelo¡¯s revised plan worked out the way he wanted it to, then he stood to gain hundreds of thousands of dupla at the cost of hundreds or thousands of lives.


    Servi bunkered down against a waist-high wall. A broken window stood above her head, and from it, she saw hundreds of people going about their daily ways. Husbands walked with their wives, brothers walked with sisters, a few kids played with a few rocks in the corner, a pack of well-fed-but-disguised-as-underfed animals laid on their backs and allowed the sun to warm their filled tummies. Those few examples, multiplied by a few hundred, were Servi¡¯s team¡¯s sole objective. They had to do what they could to thin the numbers and prevent reinforcements from making their way inside the Corner Bank: a simple one-story shopping center reinforced with thick black bricks. The only view inside was through the glass doors, but that wasn¡¯t so odd.


    ¡°So¡­everyone here is an experienced fighter, eh?¡± Servi whispered.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Both up here and down there. Those people look like homeless civilians, but each one of them is being paid a lot of money from the folks in New Arcton.¡± A small voice squeaked up from beside her. It was a Singi. Her long azure tail curled around her body as a frightened hand rubbed against it. The Singi''s left ear was carved into the shape of a ''1'' while her right ear had been gutted. The meat and fur inside it had long been dissected. Now, it was painfully shaped like a ''0.'' Windy nights and breezy days were hell on the girl since she had barely any fur. "It feels kinda odd... I mean, we''re on the 7th floor...that''s so high up...and they-- our enemies-- are all down there... Why did I ever volunteer for this?! I can''t stand heights..." The Singi''s blue ears flattened against the top of her head, and her tail wrapped around her waist.


    The girl with lavender hair briefly glanced at the Singi while clutching the wooden bow on her lap. The wood had been cracked by the weather and humidity, but the string was fresh. It wouldn¡¯t support her full power, only nadrium could, but Servi believed she would eventually reach a point where even nadrium equipment couldn''t stand up to her herculean strength.


    There was a bundle of arrows lying beside Servi. Turning away from the Singi, Servi spotted crates full of quivers that waited to be instrumental in taking the lives of Servi''s group''s targets. By rough guesstimation, Servi figured there had to be over 30,000 arrows in those six huge crates. She glanced to the left and right and didn¡¯t how the boxes ended up here. They were much too wide to fit in the narrow doors, but the ceiling above had a rather large hole. If a few Kobolds were involved, then she realized that explained everything.


    I guess Carmelo didn¡¯t want to let all this work go to waste. That¡¯s strange Mel would have all this ready and not say anything at that meeting. I wondered if he planned this whole thing without giving his share to the Mafia? Itarr questioned.


    A frightened cough got Servi¡¯s attention, and she glanced over. The blue-haired Singi had her hand pressed against the wall behind her. The backs of her fingers and hand had tiny scrape marks. Some looked to be ancient, but others oozed fresh blood upon the granite walls and floor. ¡°You¡¯re in Deset, right? Do you know Marcoi? He¡¯s my brother¡­ I to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up and get prepared!¡± Wearing full metal armor, a short Elf nocked back his crossbow and prepared an arrow. The number ¡®7¡¯ had been engraved on his left cheek.


    ¡°Eee!! Yes, sir!¡± The Singi saluted, and the Elf clicked his tongue in annoyance. He turned to look at Servi, but he only slowly shook his head. He opened his mouth to complain about there being a Non-Numbered, but it wasn¡¯t his choice. The new Mastermind behind this plan personally vouched for her skills, so he had no choice but to take her.


    After he turned away and walked down the walkway filled with thirty soon-to-be archers, Servi looked to her right and found a brick wall. She had been placed nearest the end. Once the chaos started, there would be enough targets for her to slaughter, but she¡¯d prefer to be stationed in the middle. That was the most dangerous spot since there wasn¡¯t a wall to duck down behind. Someone had been tossed through it and left a hole behind. A Kobold currently stood at the ready by pretending to do construction.  A bloody bandage covered his abdomen and hid his number.


    Pitch black scales, darker than the night sky, covered his entire body, and Servi was almost convinced he was a giant Koena.


    Soon enough, the sound of fighting would rear its ugly head, and all hell would break loose.


    But it wouldn¡¯t be a one-sided battle.


    Carmelo and Servi¡¯s captain had told her group to expect hundreds of guards once the attack started. Even if they had over thirty strong members prepared to kill for the glorious Mafia, they were still facing off against trained mercs and hired goons.


    ¡°Listen up,¡± the Elf with the crossbow whispered. ¡°I received word via a messenger spirit that the groups in New Arcton are about ready. In three minutes, there¡¯s going to be an enchantment field in front of you. It¡¯s going to coat your arrow with power equivalent to Fireball. For you dumb fucks out there, it makes your projectile go boom. Our Skill Users can only hold it up for fifteen minutes before they need to take a break. That¡¯s when our shield summoners come in handy. They know the Rank 1 skill Judas Shield. They¡¯ll start preparing it to be used with our trump card.


    ¡°When I give the order to fall, fucking do it unless you want to be fried to a crisp.¡± The Elf pointed his weapon at a cloaked Dwarf with a hunched back. He sat crossed-legged in the corner of the room as his mouth moved a meter a second. ¡°That bastard was blessed with Fulgur Spike. For those who don¡¯t know it, it¡¯s a Rank 1 skill that produces a giant lightning rod from Skill Energy. When it appears, the enchantment field will come back up, only this time it¡¯ll be lightning.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need to tell you, but fucking fire every arrow or lightning skill you have at the Fulgur Spike, then fall down, cover your ears, and open your mouth so your brain doesn¡¯t get liquified from the explosion. We¡¯ll be fine as long as we hide behind the Judas Shield, but take cover regardless.


    ¡°The more lives we take during the opening moment dictate how much manpower they want to throw at us. I thought of opening with Fulgur Spike, but it¡¯s best to wait and see where they¡¯re hiding at. Remember, don¡¯t fucking aim for that building!¡± This time, the crossbow-wielding Elf pointed it towards the black-bricked building. ¡°Corner Bank is underneath there, and we don¡¯t want to entrap our brothers on the rubble. You do that, and we won¡¯t get paid. I¡¯ll even kill the unlucky fucking traitors who fired the arrows! Now, we start in one minute.¡±


    ¡°Damnit, Marci, you never shoulda left home¡­¡± The blue Singi next to Servi shook and teared up as a meek hand glanced against her malformed ears. Servi ignored her and stood up. Looking down upon the people who would shortly become corpses, Servi was oddly calm. The stiff breeze dancing with her hair stopped and disappeared, the small cawing of a baby crow ceased to exist, and even the faraway meow of a tiny kitten stopped to hiss and run away.


    The masses were totally unaware of the line of deadly archers hidden in the middle floor of an abandoned building. After all, if people don¡¯t have a reason to do it, why would they ever look up?


    As she nocked an arrow from the quiver on her hip, Servi subtly used Telekinesis to cause a commotion within the two groups of children she saw. She didn¡¯t want to hurt them, but if a quick push from behind was enough to make them angry enough to storm off, then she considered it was worth the scraped elbow.


    And her plan worked. Confusion spread like a virus, and the children turned on their heels and ran away from the ones they thought were responsible for their superficial injuries.


    ¡°Five seconds. Skill Users, get those enchantment fields up. Archers, draw your bowstrings and release when the field opens,¡± ordered the Elf as he raised his crossbow.


    The moment Servi¡¯s eyes were filled with the transparent orange glow of a floating fire trapped in time, over thirty arrows were launched down upon the unsuspecting crowds.


    She didn¡¯t know how many people would die by the time she fired her fifth arrow, and she didn¡¯t know how many would venture into the unknown afterlife when the projectiles ran dry.


    The lives of everyone in front of Servi did not compare to the life of her best friend.


    With bated breath, Servi pulled back on her string and activated Soul Essence of Primal Combat. Angling her bow slightly upward and reducing her strength, she officially joined in on the massacre.


    As the forthcoming chaos started to ramp in intensity, Servi was not aware of a third group of children playing in the pile of garbage.


    ¡°Robby, you pushed me!¡± Sammie whined. Her small hands held her left knee cap that was stained with crimson.


    ¡°Nuh-uh! It wasn¡¯t me!¡± Robby removed his hat and shook his head. His outstretched hands betrayed his lies and told the truth.  Robby had pushed Sammie to the ground.


    ¡°Yes! It! Was! I¡­I..I HATE YOU!¡± Sammie yelled, catching the attention of her fellow homeless. Though she didn¡¯t know it, every adult surrounding her did not belong with her. They had copious amounts of cash and food and even a house to lay in. It was a far cry from the rotten canopy that did little to protect Sammie and her friends from the brutish sunlight, nor did the hard ground coated with waste do good for health.


    She had very little in the world to call her own, and Robby was one of those things. They had been together since their families died a few years back.


    ¡°Sammie, I didn¡¯t do it! I prom¡ª¡± Before he had a chance to continue, a flaming hot arrow pierced through from the top of his head to the bottom of his chin.


    ¡°Robby¡­¡± Sammie fell to her rear and shook uncontrollably as the small rocks dug into the back of her knees. Instinctively, she glanced up and was witness to a rain of arrows. A final scream of panic and fear erupted from her tiny mouth, and she, along with twenty-four others, died in the initial barrage.


    The arrows riddled their corpses and engulfed in flames as the streets were filled with burnt flesh.


    ¡°Hahaha! Can¡¯t believe I got that brat. Hey! Who picked off the little twerp that fell?¡± The crossbow-wielding Elf asked.


    ¡°I did, boss!¡± said a Singi with yellow hair.


    ¡°Good shit. Keep it up, and kill everyone you see. And that goes for all of you! Fire like your fucking lives depends on it. That¡¯s because they do!¡± After barking out an order, the Elf reloaded his crossbow and set his sites on an elderly man. He had a cane in one hand, and he wobbled off behind cover.


    He wouldn¡¯t make it. After pulling the trigger, the Elf immediately nocked another arrow but stopped when he saw the cane-wielding man wasn¡¯t injured. Somehow, he had twisted his walking stick in such a way that the shaft of the arrow bent around the curved handle, and it redirected away.


    The man grinned and cracked his cane on the wall he took cover behind. Hidden inside was a pair of two scrolls. After slapping one on the ground, he removed his grime-stained jacket and tossed it around the wall. The Elf fell for this trick and fired, cursing as he realized he¡¯d been bamboozled.


    Leaning low enough to where the hairs of his white beard scratched the hard ground below him, the elderly man rushed out from behind the wall. His goal was the wall ahead of him. The scrolls were linked with an advanced form of Earth Wall that could make walls five meters in thickness, but they required two anchor points: those being the scrolls themselves.


    He instinctively dodged and sucked the arrows coming at him as his companions returned fire with their own bows. Some were launching Fireball and Greater Fireball, and screams of death from both sides occupied the area.


    He knew there was a chance the area could be attacked because the Corner Bank was nearby. Thoughts of dying and being forgotten in a shit hole of a town passed his mind, but he disregarded those thoughts whenever they showed up.


    ¡°Come on!!¡± he yelled as he fell to his knees. A sharp red arrow passed right by his eyes and scorched his brows, but he immediately converted the fall into a forward dodge and narrowly escaped three more.


    With his hands clutching the scroll tightly, he felt it pulse.


    ¡°Hey! The walls going¡ª¡± he yelled, but his voice had been cut off. No¡ªhis throat had been pierced by a single arrow while he was in the middle of a dive. The strength abandoned his body, and blood trickled out of his mouth. His arms twitched, and his mind forced himself to crawl forward.


    Then an arrow stapled his arm to the ground.


    Then a third arrow lodged itself in his other arm, piercing through the scroll. It faded to dust and scattered in the growing wind that was being corrupted by smoke and fire. The enchanted fire from the arrow spread like disease through a slum as his body soon took on a red hue of pure heat.


    Oddly enough, he couldn¡¯t feel the pain from the arrow wounds nor the heat. It was probably because the intense fire had scorched his nerves. Now that he thought about it, it probably was the reason why he couldn¡¯t feel a single thing. Even the blood trailing down his throat and into his lungs was something he shrugged off. He couldn¡¯t breathe without coughing, but he couldn¡¯t cough in the first place.


    Before his life left him, he turned his neck and noticed a single girl. But that should''ve been impossible. Because of the distance between the two, her lavender hair and blue eye should¡¯ve been indistinguishable, but they weren''t. The assailant nocked a final arrow and aimed upwards. With a simple release, the projectile beautifully trailed a perfect arc until gravity took hold. As the elderly man waited for his death to come, he attempted to close his eyes.


    But his body wouldn¡¯t even grant him that.


    ¡°IRON WALL!¡±


    A robed Human yelled at the top of her lungs as a defensive black wall emerged in front of her after she targeted a nearby dagger. It curled up at an angle, blocking the sun. More importantly, it prevented the arrow and the archer from achieving their goal.


    The enflamed arrow boinked off the newly grown wall and flopped to the ground. With no flesh to fuel its desire to burn, the flame engulfed the wooden shaft of its arrow and became black ash.


    ¡°EVERYONE, BEHIND THE WALL!!!  THE SCROLLS HAVE BEEN DESTROYED, SO MAKE MORE WALLS!!!¡± the woman shouted as she tore off her cloak to reveal shiny armor.


    Just like that, the tide of battle slowly swayed the other direction, and the element of surprise had been wasted.


    ¡°Damnit!¡± Servi cursed as her arrow bounced off. Something told her that she needed to kill the elderly man with the scrolls, and she followed her thoughts. Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t successful.


    Scowling, she hurriedly nocked another arrow and took aim at the robed man with a shield. As soon it left her bow, the orange flame field disappeared as her projectile passed through it into a sea of black smoke. Her vision was foggy, but she could still see. If she could do that, then she could properly aim her arrow. Though she didn¡¯t see or hear the impact, an incoming red soul alerted her to her success.


    ¡°Shit, duck!¡± yelled the Elven captain as he fell to the ground with his crossbow.


    Now that the flame field had disappeared and they had the cover of smoke on their side, the mercenaries and guards staged their counterattack.


    Servi did as she was commanded and narrowly dodged a Fireball. It had come from directly underneath, and it smashed through the roof above Servi¡¯s head. Flaming debris poured down on Servi as she covered her head with her arms.


    Thanks to the new armor, she came out unscathed, but she couldn¡¯t say the same about the building.


    ¡°Boss, why the fuck WOULD WE TAKE UP POSITION IN THIS RICKETY-ASS BUILDING?¡± someone yelled as Servi returned to a crouching position.


    ¡°It was in the FUCKING PLANS! Everybody, return fire. Hold them off for ten more minutes!¡± The Elf took up a position near one of the standing pillars and blindly fired his crossbow. Servi heard him curse in delight when his arrow struck gold, and his Elven ears picked up a painful cry.


    Servi, do you think Carmelo is trying to get rid of us? Being in a building during a battle when we''re surrounded on all sides is a terrible plan. What if he wants to get rid of everyone here? Itarr asked as words made themselves known across her ID.


    Servi felt her red tablet smack against her legs, and she glanced down while yelling for another quiver.


    ¡°Seems like it to me. The greedy fucking bastard. Doesn¡¯t matter since I can¡¯t die. I just have to meet the 5th. Hell, even if the robbery is a failure, I just need to catch a glimpse of him,¡± Servi replied as she caught a quiver thrown to her by someone situated near the crates. Her voice, drowned out by the yelling and screaming from both sides, gave her an advantage. She could converse with Itarr all she wanted.


    Servi crouched low and prepared an arrow. The blue Singi next to her had a loose grip around her bow¡¯s limbs. When she stood up to fire her bow, she accidentally let loose the bow instead of the arrow, and her weapon disappeared into the smoky battlefield. In an embarrassed rage, she hustled to the supply crates and retrieved a second bow.


    ¡°Dammit, don¡¯t mess up...¡± she murmured. Gathering the courage to stand again, she immediately fell back as a Greater Fireball exploded her head. Hot blood and strips of fire covered the people to her left and right, but none of them even paused to note her death as Servi''s ring sucked up her soul.


    ¡°Itarr,¡± Servi said as she leaned up. When she took in the whole battlefield, the entire area was black with a blanket of smoke. ¡°This is war. People die. Either they deserve it, they brought it on themselves, or they were unlucky. At the end of the day, there¡¯s not much people can do to prevent it. Hell, someone''s death is set in stone the moment they are born. Maybe it¡¯s the same for those two kids that died. There''s a chance that if Momo and I went to Waveret instead, those children still would¡¯ve died. This heist still would¡¯ve happened.¡± Servi fired off three more arrows before ducking under a Greater Lightning Bolt. Its white lightning attempted to spread from the stony walls but couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°How the hell are they hitting us?!¡± a Human exclaimed. Servi glanced over and saw a middle-aged man clutching his shoulder as she blind-fired six arrows from her crouching position. Blood poured down his arms as parts of his flesh melted and dripped to the ground.


    ¡°They¡¯re trained mercenaries! They probably memorized the entire fucking layout! Shit! Why did he pick this fucking building!? WE¡¯RE FUCKED!!!!!!¡± The same person who complained about the attack position griped again.


    ¡°Keep fucking firing! We only need three minutes!¡± shouted the short Elf with a crossbow.

 Book Three – Chapter Six – Part Four – The Bank Robbery & A Chance Encounter

    RuggyRuggy


    Have an extra part today.


    New Upload Schedule: Tuesday and Friday. After Book Three is fully edited, I will gradually add more chapters until I release 5 parts a week.


    Three minutes later, after Servi had fired forty-five more arrows to be swallowed by the thick cloud of smoke, she received an order.


    ¡°Back up! Skill Users, use Judas Shield!¡±


    All at once, a chorus of ten people all shouted as a mystical glow of yellow dust covered the floor they were on. The incoming skills and arrows bounced off the glowing substance as it instantly exploded.


    Servi and the others fell to the ground and braced themselves for what came next. When the gold smoke disappeared, a beautiful shield engraved with spears, flying horses, and a lone man sitting at a table enclosed them. It spanned the entire floor, multiplying itself over and over again until it covered them from all sides.  Then it spread out and started to cover the whole building. However, the process was slow, and it would take some time for the entire building to be protected.


    ¡°Now, prepare Fulgur Spike and the Lightning Fields! Everyone, shoot through the Judas Shield into the Lightning Fields and hit the Fulgur Spike. Don¡¯t worry about the explosion! The Judas Shield will protect us!¡± the Elf shouted.


    Suddenly, it felt like the very core of the world shattered as the space above the battlefield distorted in a wavy pattern of energy. Servi steadied herself as the building rumbled, and she rushed to the splintered window. As arrows and skills bounced off the ever-protective Judas Shield, Servi stared in pure wonder as the sky folded away from itself. A few long moments later, a black object filled with spikes, as tall as two Kobolds and as wide as six Dwarves, exploded the atmosphere as a wave of air pressure blanketed across the battlefield and scattered the ever-growing smoke.


    For the first time since the battle began, Servi bore witness to the destruction she had caused. Countless bodies littered the few hundred meters of space in front of her. Women, men, children, and even animals made up the fallen as hundreds of red souls emerged from the corpses. Making a beeline for her, they rapidly made a home inside her ring.


    In a few areas, the filthy ground had been covered in so much blood it couldn''t absorb any more. It was like a flowing carpet of crimson that whisked away whenever the wind blew. The narrow alleyways between the buildings were covered in soot from the fire, and bodies littered them. No doubt some of the people here weren¡¯t warriors, and they tried to escape from the burning buildings by jumping from the windows. The poor Monotonia-drugged bastards decided that an instant death from landing on their heads was more preferable than the slow, agonizing pain of choking and burning to death.


    In the moments after the monstrous spike made itself known, anyone who was still alive had ducked for cover behind the ever-growing line of metallic walls. The top had curled into a sharp, soft arc, and it wasn''t something an archer could just shoot around.


    Behind the walls of metal, Servi saw a woman peek her head out as she shouted a single command. It was the same woman in shiny armor that protected the elderly man with the scrolls.  ¡°TAKE OUT THE BUILDING!!! PREVENT THEM FROM USING FULGUR SPIKE!!! AIM FOR ITS SUPPORTS AND THE GROUND IT STANDS ON!!!  JUDAS SHIELD ISN''T FULLY DEPLOYED!!!!!! REINFORCEMENTS!!!!¡±


    Like moths to a flame, hundreds of people dressed head to toe in protective equipment poured out from the surrounded buildings. Most had kite or tower shields, and they stood next to each other with them at the ready to block arrows or skills. Those with staffs raised them high in the sky as a swirling red blast of energy grew from a spot a few centimeters in front of them.


    ¡°NOW, USE EXPLOSION TO BRING IT DOWN!!!¡± the woman in shiny armor shouted as she raised her own spear.


    The Elven commander shouted the opposite and ordered everyone to shoot through the newly formed Lightning Fields. They were shaped like frozen lightning that had been fattened up, but it was blue and translucent.  ¡°EVEN IF THE BUILDING FALLS, WE HAVE TO CHARGE UP THE FULGUR SPIKE!!!! JUDAS SHIELD USERS, DON''T FUCKING STOP!!!!!¡± After tossing his crossbow to the floor and picking up a spare bow, the Elven commander began shooting. The metallic tip of his arrows charged with electricity, and once it neared the rapidly descending Fulgur Spike, it exploded into a cobalt-colored mist full of charged particles.


    Servi joined in and fired as fast as she could as the building''s base was assaulted by a plethora of skills. Greater Fireball warmed the filthy bricks and weakened them as Greater Iceball froze the bricks and tanked the surrounding temperature. Greater Lightning Bolt pierced through the more important support beams. Even with how powerful Judas Shield was, it still had a few floors left to go before the entire building was protected.


    The building tilted, but it remained upright. Servi lost her balance and rolled backwards, but she readily recovered and let off three arrows in half a second. The misty blue field with electrified particles became bigger and thicker, but a panicked sentence from the Elven Captain forced everyone¡¯s fears to come true.  ¡°THAT¡¯S NOT ENOUGH!!! WE NEED MORE!!! AND JUDAS SHIELD, HURRY THE FUCK UP!!!! THE BUILDING IS ABOUT TO FUCKING FALL!!!!¡± he shouted as one of the support beams exploded into icy dust. The building shook again. The skill users then focused on speed rather than defense, and the Judas Shield started to cover the building faster than it had done before at the cost of protective ability.


    On the ground, one of the Skill Users decided to aim at the floor below where the Mafia was at when he realized what was happening. "AIM RIGHT BELOW THOSE BASTARDS!!! THEY''RE FOCUSING ON SPEED!!!! A few others joined in with him.


    Thanks to Instant Cast, six back-to-back Explosions launched from their jewel-encrusted staffs continuously broke through the already formed Judas Shield. Before it had a chance to hastily regenerate, a few more Explosions snuck through, shattering apart stone and weakening the building even more.


    After releasing such powerful attacks, the users¡¯ Skill Energy Reservoir were emptied out, and they immediately lost consciousness. As they were being dragged behind the iron-like walls produced by Metal Wall, the shiny armored woman glanced up and smiled. With nothing to support the floor, it collapsed, bringing the Mafia bastards down with it.  All it took was a quick second for a powerful skill to squeeze through while Judas Shield regenerated. If only her foes had separated into two groups, with one starting Judas Shield from the bottom and the other from the top, they maybe would have stood a chance. But she couldn''t expect such sound strategy from stupid criminals.


    ¡°BRACE YOURSELVES!!!¡± the Elf Captain shouted as he fell to the floor below. The weakening foundation couldn¡¯t take the sheer weight of thirty people and the floors above it, and it gave out like wet paper. What followed was a series of chain reactions in which the building gradually fell apart.


    After a final wave of Explosion took out the last support beam on the bottom floor, the entire building rumbled down. People screamed, others prayed to the Gods Above, and a few even hopped out one of the broken windows as gravity accelerated the building¡¯s tumble.


    ¡°Shit¡­¡± Servi silently cursed as she gathered her balance. With no time to spare, Servi leapt from the building and watched as the ground rapidly closed in. At the last second, she used Feather Fall to gently touch down. Feigning injury, she falsely cried out in pain and crawled away. The collapsing building produced a thick cloud of brown and black dust that provided enough cover for her to skedaddle behind a large piece of rubble.


    The Judas Shield became affected by gravity when it had no one to channel the energy it needed to stay airborne, and it collided with the ground, bouncing and nearly causing an earthquake in the process. When Servi realized her rubble wasn''t behind Judas Shield, she promptly crawled behind a large rock protected by the shield and took out her dagger.


    ¡°WE NEED MORE METAL WALLS!!¡± a man yelled.


    ¡°USE JUDAS SHIELD!¡±


    ¡°THERE¡¯S NO TIME! IF YOU HAVE IT, USE PROIECTURA CLYPEUS!!!¡± shouted another woman.


    The Fulgur Spike absorbed the remaining blue particles and glowed a terrifying azure. Spinning in place, it slowly descended towards the ground as the wind became charged with thick visible particles.  The lightning field in play was utterly destroyed, disintegrating into pure Skill Energy.


    Fulgur Spike would impact and explode within ten seconds.


    Immediately, hundreds and hundreds of walls, both from Earth Wall and Metal Wall, created a dome around the line of Metal Walls, but that wasn¡¯t all. Metal Walls upon Earth Walls upon Metal Walls almost reached the very sky as they continued to stack on top of each other.


    Five seconds from impact, sixty light shields produced by Proiectura Clypeus enclosed the falling spike in an attempt to slow it down, but that was useless. The light shattered and faded black as the Fulgur Spike accelerated.


    ¡°GET DOW¡ª¡± before the armored woman finished her command, the forthcoming black spike of certain death touched the ground. Instantaneously, a wave of lightning assaulted everything in a 200-meter radius. Stone turned to dust, dust evaporated, and both scattered for thousands of meters, covering a good portion of Arcton under a blanket of thick dust as lightning cackled about at the Fulgur Spike''s epicenter.


    The crackling produced by the lightning was enough to severely injure everyone¡¯s eardrums, and the god-like power of the sharp electricity zipped throughout the massive dome of Metal Walls. They weakened and crumbled, but new ones appeared in their place instantly.


    ¡°AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!¡± the terrified cries of fear were drowned out by the lightning, whose rage continued unrivaled for a total of thirty seconds as it blanketed everything in blue flashes. After that, the Fulgur Spike skill had done its job, but it was only a quarter of the way charged. And as it exploded into one final ball of lightning that splashed electricity on everything in a range of 200 meters, the black spike crumbled into dust and slowly floated to the ground below.


    Servi, hiding behind the fallen Judas Shield, peaked her head over and nervously chuckled at the destruction.


    ¡°The buildings¡­the grass¡­even the ground¡­ it¡¯s fucking gone. It¡¯s all gone¡­¡±


    The many buildings that used to stand tall and proud weren¡¯t there anymore. There wasn''t any debris, no traces of any stones, and even the furniture inside the buildings had vanished. It was like looking at the remnants of a war zone after it had been ravished by a force of pure destruction. The only thing standing was the dome of walls produced by Earth and Metal Wall, but even then, more than 95% of the defenses had been lost in the thirty seconds of pure chaos. The last five percent had faded and crumbled with the final explosion.


    ¡°Itarr, now that there are no walls, I see what we were truly up against. Fuck Carmelo¡­ We never could¡¯ve done what he wanted us to do with only thirty men and a fucking decrepit building,¡± Servi said as she stopped counting at 168 people. The majority of them covered and nursed their ears, but quite a few had their weapons at the ready. Servi peeked back down behind the rubble she took cover, and the Judas Shield crumbled into yellow dust as it all floated to the sky. The impressive defensive shield had done its duty.


    Groans of pain quietly echoed from her left and right, and she discovered she was the only one in fighting shape. The Elven Captain hadn¡¯t made it. His body, torn in half from landing on a sharp piece of rubble, laid a few meters away from each other. She saw other Mafia members with missing arms, crushed heads, and impaled chests. Some were utterly crushed underneath the larger pieces of rubble, becoming a fleshy pancake.


    ¡°THAT¡¯LL SHOW THOSE DAMN MAFIA MEMBERS!! WE¡¯VE WON!!!¡± Servi¡¯s scouting was interrupted by a shrill voice. Peaking over the rubble protected by the late Judas Shield, she saw a heavy-set woman with no hair. Twin staffs rested in her overgrown palms as her chest quickened from a lack of air.


    ¡°Listen up! The battle over, and we¡¯re the victors. Surrender to us now, and your death will be swift and painless! If you choose not to, then we''ll agonizingly annihilate you all!¡± shouted the armored woman who protected the elderly man with the scrolls. Despite her best effort and healing, the burns and wounds were too much to come back from, and he perished a few minutes after the attack started.


    Servi¡¯s ID summoned itself and floated into her arms.


    What are you going to do? Itarr asked.


    ¡°Carmelo intended for us to die, but I plan to come back alive. However, if they know where Momo''s at, then I¡¯ll join them. I doubt they do, but it¡¯s a chance I¡¯m willing to take. Besides, if that doesn''t work out, then I have to resort to what I do best.¡±


    What¡¯s that?


    Servi grinned and retrieved a crossbow from her ring.  ¡°Killing.¡±


    ¡°Tammy, I know you¡¯re sad about Elk, but he¡¯s dead. Remember, he knew death was waiting for him,¡± a heavy woman said to the slim, armored girl. She had removed her glove, and her hand traced the ground. Thanks to the Fulgur Spike, the hard rocks had been tossed away. Only the smooth, sand-like particles remained.


    ¡°I know, but he was like a father! He¡¯s the one who took us in. Maggie, what do I do?¡± Tammy said, forming a fist and punching the ground. The dust scattered and flew away. The man she had failed to save was the one who saved her from a life of torture and abuse.


    Maggie slammed the two staffs into the ground and crouched until she was at eye level with Tammy. After winning the battle at the cost of Elk and Tammy''s companions dying, it was all too much for the battle-hardened girl to take. Her eyes glistened with wet tears.


    ¡°I saw his will. He wanted you to lead us after he passed away.¡± Maggie smiled. She had fond memories of Elk since she was his blood daughter, but the heavy-set woman had made her peace with his death many months ago when she found out about his sickness. With a contract from the elusive nobles of New Arcton, he realized his frail old body didn¡¯t have that much left to give. Elk also realized Tammy had to grow away from her dependency on him if she wanted to grow into a fantastic woman. Tammy and Maggie had been opposed to the Corner Bank mission, but Elk had a way with words. His gentle and baritone voice could soothe and calm the hearts of anyone.


    ¡°But why me?!¡± Tammy complained. Her sharp words brought Maggie out from a daydream.


    In retaliation, she raised a thick hand smacked the one she considered to be her sister. Immediately after, she embraced the shaking girl in a tight hug and exposed her heart.


    ¡°Because he believed in you! Look, after he died, you took complete control of this mission. You barked out commands and gave orders like he did. In a way, it was a final task to see if you were up to the job. Commanding the Wind Zeppelins isn¡¯t an easy task. Hell, you remember the mission back near Waveret a few months back, right? Remember the¡ª¡±


    In between large tears, Tammy reminisced about those few days that changed her core way of thinking. She had hated guarding that chubby noble, but she and the Wind Zeppelins were rewarded with a memorable party.


    ¡°Yeah, I remember¡­ Hey, remember what Elk said he wanted to do? When all this shit was over with?¡± Tammy asked.


    Maggie howled with laughter. ¡°Yeah, I do. He said, and I quote: ¡®I¡¯m tired of sleeping on these fucking rocks! I got dirt in my ass, dirt in my dick, and dirt in my fucking ears and mouth! I can¡¯t even go two goddamn steps without breathing this shitty smell in. When we get paid, I¡¯m retiring. I¡¯ll buy a bar and fill it up with cheap liquor. That way, I can get drunk when I want, where I want.¡¯


    ¡°You sounded like him,¡± Tammy quietly said. Her foster father was dead. She wouldn¡¯t ever listen to his crude humor, his unexpected antics after downing two barrels of alcohol, and she wouldn¡¯t smell the fruity cigarettes he¡¯d puff on before each battle.


    And as her mind enjoyed the memories she shared with him, a stray question from Darn brought her back to reality.


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t it supposed to be in the afternoon? Then why is it getting darker?¡± he innocently asked as he looked up. The bright sun blinded him, which caused his fellow member to smack him upside the head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at the sun directly, Darn. Hold your hand like this, yeah?¡± The man raised his tanned arm and curled his hand.


    Darn wasn¡¯t the sharpest tool in the toolbox, but he had a good heart. He couldn¡¯t kill, but he could heal, and he was damn good at it. During the battle, he had been in command of one of the teams focused on healing and providing support. Three hip pouches full of empty potions proved that.


    ¡°Thanks, man!¡± Darn smiled and held his tattooed hand above his eyes. Even with that, he didn¡¯t know what had blocked out the sun.


    But then the mysterious object grew. And it grew. And it grew more and more until everyone alive had stopped and looked up at the growing dark spot.


    Tammy stood up and ran to Darn while putting on her glove. Maggie slammed both staffs into the ground and chanted. A short moment later, the crimson heads of both weapons glowed and unleashed a wide burst of flame that soared high in the sky.


    The red beast engulfed as many arrows as it could, and cheers and applause went around in celebration.


    But the cheering and clapping immediately stopped when the fire lost the fight to gravity and discovered the mysterious object still littered the sky. But more than that, it looked like it grew wider and taller, and the shadow it cast felt ominous and frightening, like it wanted to swallow everything it covered.


    ¡°Tammy, what do¡ª¡±


    ¡°Those are¡­¡± Tammy began to say. As she took out a set of binoculars from her Dimensional Storage, she saw the familiar blue pulsing line of energy travel down the shaft of the faraway objects. ¡°Nadrium arrows? Arrows?! Wha¡ª¡±


    Maggie rushed forward and held both staffs high in the sky as the other members of the Wind Zeppelins took notice of the arrows that seemed as if they were frozen in the sky.


    From far away, Darn saw something move out of the corner of his eye, and he pulled a brown shield off his back.


    ¡°Tammy,¡± he said, ¡°Someone¡¯s still alive. She¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You didn¡¯t kill everyone!¡± From behind the few remaining pieces of rubble, one of the few survivors made herself know. With lavender hair and a single blue eye, a girl skipped over the rubble and slowly walked towards the group of mercenaries. All at once, the remaining Wind Zeppelins pulled weapons from sheaths, drew bowstrings, unhooked hammers and axes, and pointed staffs at the unknown girl.


    Servi dropped her bow to the ground and held her hands up. ¡°Look, I can clearly see I was on the wrong side of this fight. That¡¯s why I want to make a compromise.¡± She pointed up towards the ever-growing collection of nadrium death that threatened to rain down upon them.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Tammy asked. She held her arms towards the mysterious foe, and Greater Fireball was on the tip of her tongue. If she didn¡¯t like her opponent''s answer, she would vaporize her enemy.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m trying to find a friend. She was kidnapped by the Mafia. Her name¡¯s Momo. Have you heard anything?¡±


    ¡°Why should we answer you?!¡± Darn yelled as tears flowed from his brown eyes. ¡°You killed our friends, and now you want us to help you?!¡±


    ¡°Darn, calm down,¡± Tammy barked at Darn, and he tearfully nodded. The poor souls he couldn¡¯t save haunted him, and he hated the fact one of those responsible for so much death was standing in front of him asking for help. ¡°But he does have a point. What do we get if you help us?¡±


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re heartless, aren¡¯t you? Here I am, standing all alone after I killed a lot of people. Well, I¡¯ll answer your question. It¡¯s a simple answer. You. Get. To. Live. Tell me if you know, and you can survive another day. Hell, I¡¯ll even pay you.¡±


    ¡°Look, lassie, you¡¯re surrounded. We have an army. You just have one person. Besides, one person can¡¯t be responsible for¡­all...of that!¡± Maggie swirled and pointed her staff at the frozen nadrium projectiles. ¡°I bet my bottom dupla it¡¯s an illusion skill. Probably Multiple Projection, if I had to guess. If you have a nadrium arrow, that explains it. You only copied its appearance, and those things are only astral projections meant to scare us."


    ¡°And she¡¯s right, too. If you wanted to bluff, you should¡¯ve come up with something better. Besides, you killed my father. Maybe not you specifically, but your side shot the arrow that ended his life. You have nothing you can say¡ª¡±


    ¡°What about if I give up Deset¡¯s location?¡± Servi interrupted Tammy''s sentence.


    ¡°Lassie, we¡¯re mercenaries. We go to whoever has the money to pay us. Those stuffy nobles paid us a lot of money to protect that underground entrance to the Corner Bank. It¡¯s more dupla that anything a young girl like you could provide,¡± Maggie said. She gripped the red wooden handles of her staffs and pointed them both at Servi.


    ¡°Itarr, like I said earlier, I realized this didn¡¯t have a chance in hell of working. Fuck it, release the hold.¡±


    Very well. Are you going to take cover?


    Twisting on her heels, Servi crossed her arms behind her back and whistled as she walked away.


    ¡°Tammy, give the order!¡± Maggie smashed the head of her staffs together as her mouth chanted. A red ball, smaller than a pinhead, appeared, and it rapidly grew to a hellacious orb the size of a Kobold. Liquid crimson, hotter than even boiling water, rose in temperature until the outer red shell cracked. The red liquid hardened the moment it touched air and wiggled until it was a long spear in the shape of a snake. The spear''s head had two snake-like tongues, sharper than even the sharpest sword, and the four fangs were at the ready to snap down.


    This was the Rank 2 skill known as Serpent Flame Spear. For what it lacked in area-of-effect damage, it made up for in the sheer destructive quality. Once the sharpened tongues pierced an object, the red head of the spear would bite down, and the liquid crimson, superheated to an unimaginable temperature, would be injected into whatever it bit.


    In other words, they would almost be boiled alive via their bloodstream. It was a skill that was nearly impossible to survive and almost even harder to wield, but when something needed to die, like a criminal or a ferocious monster, Serpent Flame Spear was the go-to skill.


    ¡°Surely that isn¡¯t necessary! She¡¯s a single girl!¡± Tammy yelled as she fired off two Greater Fireballs. They were aimed directly at Servi. The moment before they would¡¯ve burned her back and head, Servi dropped to the floor and rolled forward, dodging the terrible flames.


    ¡°Nice dodge, but how about this!¡± Maggie slammed the head of her staffs into the handle of her Serpent Flame Spear and used a series of Greater Fireballs to further accelerate her thrown spear.


    ¡°Not good enough!¡± Servi yelled as she turned on her heels. Dodging to the side at the right moment, she gripped the superheated handle and used the spear¡¯s momentum to turn around. After three revolutions, she removed her grip and watched as the spear¡¯s creator narrowly used Metal Wall to protect herself.


    The tongues of the Serpent Flame Spear pierced the metal, and the four fangs extended. After they latched onto their non-living prey, the shot liquid instantly melted the wall like an abandoned ice cube in a desert.


    ¡°Tammy!¡± Maggie yelled. Her heavy chest breathed in and out, and adrenaline coursed through her very body. The fear of death would be with her for a while.


    Servi twisted on her heels while Tammy opened her mouth to give the order. After refolding her arms behind her back and whistling a tune, Servi heard Itarr apologize for the wait.

 Book Three – Chapter Six – Part Five – The Bank Robbery & A Chance Encounter

    I¡¯ve never controlled 2,400 items at once. I¡¯m sorry it took a while. Itarr said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. I know I¡¯m asking a lot out of you, but if they¡¯re ready, drop them,¡±


    Thanks to Servi and Itarr stacking the archery skill Four Shot 600 times, they had a massive force of 2,400 nadrium arrows suspended via a stack of Telekinesis. The circle of utter devastation covered more than the entire battlefield.


    With one final command from Itarr, the arrows, accelerated by Telekinesis and assisted by gravity, descended to the earth below. Its victim''s believed the horde of projectiles was an illusion, but that could¡¯ve been further from the truth. They were tangible, very sharp, and very deadly. The only thing that stopped a nadrium was nadrium. Earth Walls, Metal Walls, Protection of the highest levels, not counting Servi¡¯s ability to stack Protection, and even the almighty Judas Shield all laughably failed.


    Nadrium could pierce through nearly everything, and even a single ingot cost tens of thousands of dupla. Most people wouldn¡¯t waste such valuable ore on arrows that were more than likely going to be lost, and most opted to make a weapon or a piece of defensive gear. The ones that would produce projectiles from priceless nadrium had to be a particular type of crazy.


    ¡°CHARG¡ª¡±


    Tammy couldn¡¯t get the words out because a nadrium arrow had tunneled through her throat, down her chest, and out the backside of her waist. A second and third arrow occupied and destroyed her eyes, while a fourth made itself home inside her stomach before impaling the ground.


    Maggie and everyone else on the battlefield, including Servi, suffered a similar fate. Countless holes filled everybody, and the area turned into a massive grave for the poor bastards. Those who didn¡¯t believe in Maggie and Tammy¡¯s words tried to escape for safety, but they couldn¡¯t outrun the deadly shadows. Try as they might, the arrows found a squelching home and pleasant warmth after being covered in guts and muscles.


    Darn had his mouth opened and eyes to the sky, and four arrows slipped through. As they sped through his body, destroying organs and bone and skin, the pulsing blue projectiles finally stopped when they were fifteen centimeters into the earth.


    After a grand total of seven seconds had passed since the arrows descended, a single body stood up from the massive massacre. Servi''s lavender wig, fair skin, and brand-new armor set had been dyed crimson by the blood of her foes, and sixteen arrows littered her chest and forehead.


    Servi started to pull the arrows out but stopped as they all faded away.


    When it comes to skills like Four Shot, the arrows created by Skill Energy fade away after a few seconds. The only one remaining is the one you launched into the air.


    True to Itarr¡¯s words, Servi¡¯s arrow-filled sighed cleared, and only a single arrow remained in the eye socket of a boy who couldn¡¯t have been older than sixteen. His head, riddled with holes, gave Servi the chance to look deep within the corpse.


    She didn¡¯t take it. Instead, she waded through the large blood pool that only increased in volume, splattering crimson on her pants and the other corpses, and she bent down and ripped her arrow out.


    It came with a small present: the remains of the boy¡¯s crushed eye. It had been orange, probably to match the color of his ears and tail, but those had long since dyed red. She pinched it with a gloved hand and removed it from her property. After absorbing the arrow, she wordlessly walked over to the rubble that remained, but it was weakened. Not even the pieces of debris were given sympathy by the arrows.


    She tested the integrity by kicking it and sat down once she determined it wouldn¡¯t crumble underneath her weight.


    Her blue eye took the sight: hundreds of arrow-riddled corpses sat before in a span of a couple hundred meters. The many buildings that used to litter this area had become no more. Fulgur Spike took care of that.


    It was an utter wasteland in front of her. As far as she knew, it¡¯d be years before anything green ever grew from these blood-soaked grounds.


    A gust of wind blew by Servi, but it wasn¡¯t a pleasant breeze. It was malevolent in nature, and no doubt it would carry the smell of burnt flesh and death for tens of thousands of meters. Servi wondered if the scent would be something frightening for those who live in Arcton, but maybe not. She¡¯d imagine that in a shit hole like Arcton, death and disease were all too common. The chances were high that people had become used to seeing it on a daily occurrence. More than likely, the putrid odor of dead bodies would be something of a relaxing scent, much akin to lightning a pleasant candle before one would take a hot bath.


    For her, the citizens, the town, and even the area around Arcton wasn¡¯t worth saving.


    ¡°How many people died?¡±


    Since the battle began, we absorbed 589 souls.


    ¡°Fucking hell¡­ Hey, any of you alive?¡± Servi turned around and looked at her Mafia members. As she imagined, none of them were alive. Arrow holes littered their bodies.


    What are you going to tell Carmelo?


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell him we used Fulgur Spike, and it killed everyone. I¡¯ll say someone sabotaged the Judas Shield and moved it at the last second, and I was the only one who made it to the new location after I killed the traitor. If he asks why no one else made it, I¡¯ll say that they panicked because death stared them in the face."


    Does that mean¡­


    ¡°Yeah. It does...¡± The very sky crackled and folded away to reveal a very familiar black spike. At the same time, a shield with a spear, flying horse, and a man sitting alone at a table surrounded Servi from all sides after a puff of gold smoke vanished. To speed it along, she used a few Greater Lightning Bolts to charge the weapon of mass destruction, and she laid down and waited for it to go off. The air pressure generated from its arrival had scattered blood and corpses a hundred meters away. From the very far distance, Servi spotted the area where the skill ended.


    The missing windows were proof even they were affected by the eruption of air pressure, but the building didn¡¯t seem to suffer any damage. It was surreal. There was a clear divide where the destruction began and where it stopped. Sure, the windows were broken, and some of the bricks had cracked and crumbled, but it was nothing compared to the destruction that was a few short meters away.


    But as the Fulgur Spike touched the ground, Servi could only smile. The power available to her now was otherworldly. Her mind could only imagine the sheer destructive power of a thousand Fulgur Spikes going off at once in set locations. If she set them in the right spots, then the air pressure had a chance to form a tornado.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± she chucked. The thought of such an apocalyptic weapon losing to a tornado and being flung around like a toy was comical, and a gentle smile covered her face as the Fulgur Spike went off.


    Monstrous and deadly bolts of lightning raged out, electrifying corpses and exploding them. A gooey red mess of muscle and bone splattered meters into the air. The metal weapons lying about attracted the blue lightning, but they couldn¡¯t handle its impressive strength. The materials used weren¡¯t durable enough, and the steel, iron, and mythril weapons instantly liquified. The wooden staffs a few of the former mercenaries used caught fire, but it wasn¡¯t regular fire. It was a fierce flame infused with the electric powers of the Fulgur Spike. Red fire entangled with blue streaks of lightning spread like wildfire over the corpses.


    After raging for a little bit over 30 seconds, the Fulgur Spike exploded, obliterating the crimson-stained dirty ground and the remainder of the dead bodies. In a way, the destruction baptized the bloody dirt. By vaporizing the liquid, the soil was given a head start on becoming capable of supporting life.


    A few seconds later, Servi¡¯s Judas Shield crumbled into gold dust as it floated to the Heavens Above. She rolled backwards, getting to her feet, and chuckled.


    The blood, the corpses, the few Metal Walls¡­they were all gone.


    It was a total wasteland, with a ground partly scorched black by the fierce lightning, that had a very abrupt end.


    The destruction had been somewhat the same as the first Fulgur Spike, and it had spread no further than the first one. The same buildings, though with a thick coat of crimson from the Fulgur Spike¡¯s blast of air when it materialized, stood tall with the same broken windows, but this time, Servi saw a few brave individuals peek around a ruby stained wall. Either they had a death wish, or they weren¡¯t afraid of a third Fulgur Spike appearing? Servi didn¡¯t know. Her blue eye had long since focused on a single thing.


    A simple hatch.


    Off in the distance, where the black-bricked building once stood, there was a single hatch. It had survived through both Fulgur Spikes, two fierce lightning storms, and a hailstorm of nadrium arrows, which begged the question: what was it made out of if even nadrium couldn¡¯t pierce it?


    Instead of the answer being shrouded in a world of mystery, it was outright simple. The hatch itself was made from nadrium reinforced by multiple layers of additional nadrium. It was only painted black hundreds of times to disguise nadrium''s unique appearance.


    The team Servi was assigned to was given a single task: support the primary team by thinning out the enemies. And that goal was accomplished. However, there was a single thing she had to do.


    ¡°Itarr, I have to injure myself to make it believable. Don¡¯t heal me, okay?¡±


    Okay. I won¡¯t.


    Taking a dagger from her ring, Servi gave herself a few random cuts going up her arms and hands, a few wide gashes on her cheeks and neck. Next, she retrieved a few scraps of cloth and held them to some of the wounds as she bent down. Filling her hands with the dirt, she splashed it over herself.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t going to be enough. I mean, Fulgur Spike went off twice. I¡¯m not going to come out of this with no broken bones¡­¡± She stored her dagger and gripped her left index and middle finger with her right hand.


    It didn¡¯t require that much effort to snap her fingers back until they touched the back of her hand. Itarr, however, was frightened by how easy Servi made it look. But she wasn¡¯t finished. After forming a fist with her left hand, she shattered her left kneecap and balanced on her remaining uninjured leg.


    ¡°Well...¡± Servi laid down, ignoring the pain, and curled into a tight ball. ¡°We wait until the main team is finished. The hatch should open in an hour. Don¡¯t have much to do since I refuse to fall asleep.¡±


    The nightmare?


    ¡°Yeah. Guess I can¡¯t ever sleep again,¡±


    With the deaths of nearly 600 people behind her, she stared, unblinkingly, at the destruction.


    Why do you think there haven¡¯t been any guards?


    Servi spoke while staring at a floating tablet. ¡°I¡¯m sure the Mafia has got the city guard under their total control. Hell, they probably received orders to stay away from any large field of battle. If I was in charge, that¡¯s just what I¡¯d do.¡±


    Two and a half hours later, after the people closest to the battlefield came to investigate and Servi sent a flying sword through them for trying to rob her, the hatch opened up. She leaned up, propping herself up with her unbroken hand, and took in the sight before her.


    A total of 44 people emerged from the trap door, and each one had two large bags wrapped around their waists and backs. They all gasped at the sight of such destruction, and one screamed out for any survivors.


    Servi forgot about her kneecap and tried to stand, but she fell back to the ground. Cursing loud enough to get their attention, Servi began to crawl like a worm using her two unbroken limbs. Carmelo, who carried four bags and wore an expensive set of skillfully reinforced wooden armor, had a soft frown. The truth was that he didn¡¯t expect there to be anyone alive after Fulgur Spike. But then again, it wasn¡¯t that odd to have at least a single person survive. Regardless, their task was to thin out and eliminate every enemy in this location. It seemed to him that the total devastation of nearly everything would mean that they succeeded.


    ¡°Clarence, heal!¡± he shouted as he strummed his bow. Green healing light flew over to Servi, and she watched as her self-inflicted wounds healed right up. Then, she broke into a sprint and gradually closed the distance.


    Carmelo put an exhausted hand to his forehead. His wooden armor had been replaced by a silken robe. Clarence laid gently in his lap as he sat back in a chair and crossed his legs.


    He was surrounded by the other surviving Numbered who took part in the robbery. They were inside the room that had become something of a second or third home to Servi. It was where she was interrogated, where she participated in Mel''s trial, and where she was under the questioning of Deset¡¯s second leader for the second time. The imposing ceiling stared down upon the 43 participants of this emergency meeting.


    ¡°Again, tell me what happened,¡± he said, exasperated from the many fights and exhausting day.


    After Servi told him the truth for the third time, she switched off and spoke of the lie she had crafted.


    ¡°After the Fulgur Spike, nearly everything was leveled to the ground. But as I said before, there was a traitor, and they forcefully dropped the Judas Shield down another level. I was one of the only ones who noticed. But it was me and a few others who made it. When the lightning took out the building, the Judas Shield fell again, and all of us tumbled to the ground. Some were crushed by the falling debris, and others had landed the wrong way, slamming their heads into the earth. I landed alright, but I suffered quite a few injuries. Thank you, 6th, for healing those for me,¡± Servi said.


    Her lies somehow had the power to make Servi believe they were the truth. That was the reason why she was such an effective liar.


    ¡°Ignore that and go on.¡± Carmelo waved his hand as if hurrying Servi up.


    ¡°I imagine the mercenaries couldn¡¯t stack enough defenses, or maybe they didn¡¯t have Judas Shield, but the lightning took out most of them. And I¡¯m sure the explosion decimated their bodies to the point where there was nothing to recover.¡±


    ¡°Then explain the two separate rumbles we heard.¡±


    ¡°6th, it could¡¯ve been from the mercenaries¡¯ skills. There was a woman who wielded two staves. Her explosive abilities couldn''t be underestimated, and they shook the sky and rattled the air. It seemed she tried to take down the building, and she helped the Fulgur Spike in doing so. I¡¯d imagine the source of the rumbles was her,¡± Servi said. She wasn¡¯t worried if someone discovered her lie. If anything, she had a way of getting around that with a few more forged letters.


    ¡°Regardless of the truth, the evidence we saw when we emerged reinforces your statement. I wish to consult the observers on whether or not you told me the whole truth, but I doubt any would want to be at the sight of a battle that needed to use the power of Fulgur Spike. Such an apocalyptic skill had little ability to differentiate from friend or foe. To be frank, I¡¯m surprised the Wind Zeppelins were totally eradicated in the battle. Here, take this as your reward. And be sure to thank the Gods you believe in that you survived the attack.¡± Carmelo grabbed a small bag and retrieved 23 dupla. Servi walked up to his chair and took it.


    ¡°Thousand?¡± Servi said as she realized Carmelo didn¡¯t expect there to be any survivors whatsoever.


    Wind Zeppelins? That woman in New Arcton mentioned them. Huh, guess I did have to slaughter them.


    Itarr picked up on that. He really believed we would all die in that attack. That¡¯s about what I expected from a Mafia Numbered, I guess.


    ¡°Yes, there is 23,000 dupla there for you. Consider it your reward. Now, go clean up and prepare yourself. As I promised, I will give you a chance to meet with the 5th. Be sure to wait in your room until the time comes,¡± barked Carmelo. Servi nodded and thanked him as she walked towards the exit. Her dirtied appearance and previously injured state did much to back up her lies.


    A short walk down the hall later, Servi overheard someone yelling for Marcoi.


    ¡°That damn cat! Where the fuck is he?!¡± A Kobold stomped his heavy feet in anger and rushed off down another hall.


    I guess the blue Singi we saw die was his sister. Servi felt her ID buzz and held it up. She waited until she rounded the corner and made it past a pair of Elves before she responded.


    ¡°It was. Consider it a blessing those bastards died on the same day. Luckily for the bitch, she perished before I could beat the fuck out of her."


    A few turns later, she gripped the knob to her room. A certain uneasiness passed through her heart, but it wasn¡¯t anything resembling regret. She thought it may have been because she was about to meet one of the top officers of the Mafia, or maybe it was because she had the faintest chance of ending everything without waiting for Saturday.


    Regardless of that, she twisted the handle with renewed vigor in her heart and stepped inside.


    ¡°Guess Old Man''s not here. That means Carrie''s not here, either,¡± Servi quipped as she stripped naked.


    I guess not. Itarr replied.


    After absorbing the tables and chairs, Servi pulled out a washcloth and soap. ¡°You can absorb the water that splatters everywhere, right?¡±


    I can. Do you want me to do that?


    ¡°I do.¡± A wordless second later, it was as if hot water suddenly sprung into existence in the ceiling and leaked down. It purified the disease-ridden filth corrupting Servi''s supple skin and flowed down to the ground, where it amassed into a puddle.


    She squirted some lavender-scented soap onto the pearly white cloth and rubbed her body from head to toe.


    When she rubbed the cloth on her nipples and around her breasts, she expected them to stiffen up like the countless other showers she¡¯d taken, but they didn¡¯t. When she wiped the cloth around her stomach and down her waist into her thighs, there was absolutely nothing.


    The urge to masturbate wasn¡¯t there¡ªmore accurately, it was like it had disappeared. The only thoughts flowing through Servi''s mind were revenge and murder. There was a whole host of cruel and usual things she¡¯d like to do to everyone in the Mafia. She wanted to force the Monotonia down their throats and laugh while they lost themselves to their own drugs. Maybe she¡¯d rip the head off of every Numbered 5th through 1st and present it to the boss. If he could feel even a single ounce of terror Momo had felt, then Servi would realize that even a monster like the Mafia leader could feel fear.


    In that case, she would fill him full of fear that would last for seven lifetimes.


    Servi, you¡¯re smiling, Itarr noted.


    ¡°How could I not? Something is going right, and we have the chance to end all of this shit tonight. The only problem is to decide if I want to hurry up and eradicate Deset and leave with the 5th, or if I use Kaasuvuoto to put everyone to sleep and follow him at a distance,¡± Servi said as she massaged her hands through her wig. It had certainly seen its fair share of troubles since becoming attached to her head. Still, it hung in there and was along for the ride ahead. At least until Servi could rip it off and regrow her black hair.


    I would say wait. I don¡¯t doubt your skill at getting information, but what if the 5th has something on them.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Servi walked underneath the flowing water as it cleaned her hair from all dirt, grime, and soapy suds.


    I don¡¯t know if this is correct, but a 5th is a leader in the Mafia. As such, he should be privy to information that no one but those in his Rank and lowered should know. If that¡¯s the case, and I¡¯m remembering Kaasuvuoto as a suicide skill, what if he has something similar?


    ¡°Shit, that¡¯s a good point. But I doubt anyone, including the 5th, can use skills via thought.  Only I can do that... And if I rip his teeth and tongue out, he wouldn''t be able to swallow shit. I guess there¡¯s a possibility of hiding a small poison-tipped spike in a ring or necklace. If he any accessories, I¡¯m taking them. I won¡¯t allow my one chance to find Momo go to waste...¡± Servi stepped away from the floating water and waited for Itarr to act once she stopped Create Water.


    The water flooding the ground vanished out of thin air, leaving it as dry as it was when Servi entered the room, and the moisture and water stuck to her wig and skin disappeared. She raised a hand and rubbed it against her cheek. The warmness of the shower remained, but it was free of any and all wetness.


    ¡°I gotta put more practice in Absorption,¡± Servi mumbled as a set of armor appeared in front of her. It was the same one Carmelo had given her, but Itarr had absorbed every bit of dust and smell that remained. In a sense, it was as clean as when it was first produced by whatever or whoever made it.

 Book Three – Chapter Six – Part Six – The Bank Robbery & A Chance Encounter

    What now? Servi¡¯s red tablet bounced in front of her.


    ¡°We wait for Carmelo. He said he¡¯ll come get us.¡± The tables and chairs that once occupied the room appeared from her ring. After picking a chair, she sat down and crossed her legs. A piercing stare by a single ferocious blue eye dug deep holes into a plain door as a dupla appeared in her clenched fist. Its slippery surface almost floated across her skin when she twisted her hand and opened it palm up.


    ¡°1,000 dupla¡­ Can¡¯t believe this little coin is worth that,¡± Servi rolled it around and down her fingers before it came to a halt on top of her thumb. With a simple flick, she played with a single coin that most people would never see. In the impoverished parts of the world, a dupla with a 100 on it was nearly a rumor. And here was a girl playing with ten times that amount. Such a coin would be life-changing and promote many out of poverty, but that was the absolute furthest thing from her mind.


    The needs of the poor, the sick, and the needy... Even the worries of the homeless and orphans of the world didn¡¯t matter to her at that point. Even if it took the lives of a million Innocents to strike the Mafia from existence, Servi believed it would be an equal trade.


    Yet she couldn¡¯t bring herself to eradicate the town in a baptismal surge of holy flame created to burn the sins of the area.


    There was one reason why she was unable to bring herself down that far, and her name was Momo. Servi believed that Momo would be heartbroken. Not only because of the incredible amount of deaths, but because children would die. Servi had already killed five young teens in the assault on the mansion. What little morality she held close to her heart had already been shattered and twisted. A life was a life, and it didn¡¯t matter if it belonged to a man or woman, an adult or child, or a Human or a Demi-Human.


    If there was a chance for Momo to stay blind to the chaos, then Servi would¡¯ve started the slaughter hours after she was taken. To her, the girl, who currently had lavender hair and a blue eye, who enjoyed staring at the moon and flipping a coin, there were no innocent people in Arcton.


    She had to deny the growing urge to slaughter everything, but she didn¡¯t know that urge remained behind. It was buried, that much was true, but it was growing.


    But her reasoning began to change after the seventy-eight coin flip. Momo hated her. She never wanted to see her again. A part of Servi believed that it didn¡¯t matter which route she took to save Momo. Her mind had already made its decision long ago when she yelled those harsh words.


    Another part believed there was still a chance to reforge the friendship into something unbreakable and indestructible. Then again, that same part of her thought everything would be okay. It kept telling her that Momo wouldn¡¯t mind. She¡¯d be a little mad, but after everything she went through with her, she¡¯d understand that it wasn¡¯t something to be brought up out of the blue.


    That part had betrayed her. But it was more than that. As a whole, Servi was a collection of different messed up parts trying to accurately portray an amnesiac girl who was prone to extreme anger and violence towards her enemies. She didn¡¯t want to think she was a violent girl, but her actions, words, and responses reflected that spear.


    But she could worry about that later. The first and foremost objective was Momo.


    ¡°5th, I do thank you for coming to Deset. I have made sure that those who were responsible for its disarray have been punished and executed. Mel¡¯s disobedience was a fierce demerit on us Numbered, and I only wish I could have caught it sooner.¡± Carmelo lightly lowered his head to the one-eyed Elf in a black suit that would rival the deepest darkness.


    Servi stood next to Carmelo, and it was only those three. Carrie wasn¡¯t allowed to meet the 5th due to her actions at the drug deal the night before, but she wasn¡¯t upset about it.


    Before Carmelo had sent for Servi, Carrie and Old Man had returned to the room from the trip up top. Their only objective was to sell Monotonia and bring back dupla, and for the Mafia, that meant they had a relatively easy day. Nothing of note happened to the both of them, and they each greeted Servi. She knew they wanted to ask about the robbery, so she quickly went ahead and summarized the set of events she had told Carmelo. Most of the words coming out of her mouth were lies, but no one could fact check her. To Servi, they were a false truth that had become reality.


    After she had explained everything, Carrie smirked and rushed around to Servi¡¯s back. She didn¡¯t say anything, but Servi internally groaned when she felt a set of hands wrapped around her stomach. Even through the armor, Servi felt her fingers work and waggle around. Still, she kept a mostly straight face and allowed Carrie to hug all she wanted. It wouldn''t do her any good to suddenly make a big deal about it.


    She could endure it.


    And when the clock struck 9:31 PM, a methodical set of knocks came from the shut door. Servi stood up from her chair with a small cup of coffee in her hands and approached the door. As she gripped the handle, a calm and masculine voice came from the other side.


    ¡°Williana, the 6th is ready to introduce you. You know where to go.¡± After delivering the message, the mysterious speaker walked away, and Servi heard his footsteps grow silent. She turned around and told Carrie she had been called for.


    ¡°Alright. When Old Man and I checked in, the 6th told me I didn''t have the right to meet the 5th. Whatever, it doesn¡¯t bother me. Williana, just don¡¯t do anything to piss him off. And don¡¯t do something stupid that would insult the 6th. And please, don¡¯t call him Carmelo,¡± Carrie said. She was on the top bunk of the bed and lazily hung her legs over the tiny railing.


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll be back whenever,¡± Servi said. She downed the rest of her disgusting coffee and made her way to the room she was supposed to go to. Truthfully, Carmelo didn¡¯t mention a room she had to go to, but she could narrow it down.


    And her first choice was correct. The meeting room was in the same room that she had come from just hours ago. The same ceiling trembled high in the sky when she entered through the door. In the far distance, there was a wooden table complete with mugs, cups, and plates. Out of the three chairs, two were taken.


    She saw Carmelo, and Servi would never forget that gray hair and those ears shaped like a 6. That meant the other man in the pitch-black suit had to be the 5th. But it was odd. As she closed the distance with calm and quiet steps that didn¡¯t echo in the lonely room, she scanned every visible part of his body for a number.


    There wasn¡¯t one. Unless it was hidden beneath the Elf''s suit, Servi didn¡¯t know if this was the 5th she was waiting for. She only needed a single chance to verify it.


    ¡°6th, good evening. Did you call for me?¡± Servi asked in her most sugary voice. Behind it, however, laid a sharpened edge waiting to lash out and pry for information.


    ¡°That I did. Sit down,¡± ordered Carmelo. An exquisite robe adorned his body, yet like an out-of-place piece of furniture, his beloved bow sat within his lap.


    Servi did as he asked and sat down. The chair was rough and circular around the armrests, and it did not match the table or room at all. It was wooden, yes, but that was the only thing it had going for it.


    ¡°Williana, my name isn¡¯t important, so call me 5th,¡± the 5th said. His face was rough and gentle around his cheeks, and his chin and jawline were sharp, almost like it had been physically adjusted by someone stronger. His voice, deep and sultry, was lower than what she thought he would sound like.


    ¡°5th, I¡¯m honored I could meet someone like you. I do not believe I am worthy, though,¡± Servi replied through gritted teeth, but she didn¡¯t let it show.


    ¡°After Carmelo explained to me how you jumped in front to save your Numbered and how you were the only survivor of the robbery. I imagine it must¡¯ve been awfully frightful.¡±


    ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve been in battle all my life. I was afraid, yes, but only that I wouldn''t survive to get paid.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s another thing. It sounds like you¡¯re awfully strapped for cash. Care to tell me why?¡± The one-eyed Elf crossed his arms and sat back. A single yellow eye stared at the girl who had a bushel of lies that only waited to be used.


    ¡°I have some friends who were sold into slavery. I was told I could make a lot of money if I came here. That¡¯s what the man who recruited me said.¡± Servi¡¯s posture remained perfect, her two hands stayed folded in her lap, and a calming yet professional smile sat engraved on her face. Her one remaining, falsely-colored eye returned the gazing stare.


    ¡°I see. Carmelo told me about your skills. It¡¯s very impressive for a one-eyed human to split an arrow through a chain-length fence, and he¡¯s told me you¡¯re proficient in throwing weapons?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any formal training, but I¡¯ve been practicing with weapons with all my life. After watching my friends and family be stolen away by that slave caravan, I decided I¡¯d do anything to get them back.¡±


    The one-eyed Elf reached down and retrieved a simple bow and a single arrow, and he placed both on the table. ¡°The limbs on this bow are bent, the string isn¡¯t elastic, and the arrow is missing two of its feathers. I¡¯m going to toss this plate in the air. If you strike it, then I have an offer I want to give you.¡± He picked up a ceramic plate that had a bit of juice left on it. As for whether it was from chicken or steak, Servi didn¡¯t know.


    Servi nodded and reached out to take the provided items. As she turned channeled Soul Essence of Primal Combat, she nocked the disfigured arrow. The tale that the 5th told her was an understatement because the projectile had even more damage. The wood used to make its shaft had been slightly sanded off one side, and the quality of the feathers varied.


    He grinned when he saw her hand glance over those flaws. ¡°Good. I see you know how to inspect your weaponry. Yes, this little test is harder than it seems, but I assure you it is possible. Well, for an Elf, that is.¡±


    With no warning, he launched the plate sideways across the large room. Servi took careful aim as she rapidly tracked the flying projectile. Her lavender wig followed her head¡¯s every move. Carmelo and the 5th thought it would be an impossible challenge.


    It was everything but that. To Servi, the one girl in the world who housed over a thousand souls deep inside her ring, the girl who could draw upon the combat memories stored inside those souls, it was the easiest thing.


    Making toast would¡¯ve been more difficult.


    Putting on a sock would¡¯ve been more of a pain.


    Breathing air would¡¯ve been more strenuous than exerting the effort to land such an easy shot.


    As the broken plate fell to the wood, Servi placed the injured bow on the table in-between a half-filled cup of liquid and an untouched bowl of corn.


    ¡°Magnificent¡­¡± Carmelo whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed. Carmelo, put her on wetwork tomorrow. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a list of targets that we need taken out.¡±


    ¡°5th, she isn¡¯t blessed. W¡ª¡± Carmelo went to argue, but his boss interrupted by loudly coughing.


    ¡°Do as I say, Carmelo. Give her the proper equipment, and I bet she could kill from hundreds of meters away.¡± The Elf stood up and removed his hair. For a split second, Servi had to do all she could to not break out into a fit of laughter.


    That¡¯s where his number was. It was hidden beneath what Servi internally called a ¡®security wig.¡¯ He turned to Servi, whose face didn¡¯t react at all. Apparently, he liked that because he pointed to her while facing the other Elf in the room.


    ¡°Carmelo, I do believe we¡¯re done here. I¡¯ll have her lead me out while you get the contracts for the wetwork in place. And don¡¯t skip on the reward. If she completes all of them, then give her the big one. Even an unblessed can change the course of history with a single murder. If she messes up and gets caught, have one of our men dispose of her.¡± Then he turned to Servi, ¡°Complete the assassinations, and you¡¯ll have more than enough to buy your friends and family from even the greediest of slavers. Now, stand up and walk me out.¡±


    Servi did as he asked and stood up. The 5th returned his hair to his head and sauntered over to his escort. His hands, squeezing at nothing but the air, soon found a home on her waist.


    ¡°Carmelo, she might be home late,¡± 5th said. The Elf he spoke to simply nodded and returned his attention to his cup of coffee.


    ¡°Williana, I assure you know not to do anything stupid or foolish,¡± he warned her.


    ¡°6th, I¡¯ll be on my best behavior.¡± Servi growled the words, but they came out in a pleasant tone that made Carmelo consider something. He believed that her total disarray of the current situation meant Servi didn¡¯t mind selling her body to anyone who asked for money.


    ¡°Well then, we¡¯ll be going now,¡± 5th walked towards the door, and he held Servi close to him by the waist. She simply smiled and waited for the perfect chance as he led her down and out through the hallways. The odd pair, a Numbered and a Non-Numbered, attracted quite a few eyes. Once they made it up the dark and dank spiral staircase case, a stressful moment for Servi because the 5th became brave with his hand placement, they emerged into the laundromat-like area.


    ¡°5th, wouldn¡¯t this be better?¡± Servi grabbed hold of his hand, which was on her upper stomach and nearly touching the bottom of her breasts, and maneuvered it down by her side. It took all she had to resist the urge to break him.


    But that time was coming. And it was coming very soon.


    ¡°My dear, I¡¯m a 5th. I can have anything I want,¡± the Elf said as he held open the glass door. Servi quickly skipped through it and turned around with her hands held behind her back. With a false smile blanketing her face, she seductively flickered her eyes and pointed to a dark alley.


    ¡°I know what you want. If you don¡¯t want to wait, then how about we go that street over there? I¡¯m fine with anything, you know,¡± Servi said. ¡°I know how to please both men and women, and I believed I was trained very well,¡± Itarr didn¡¯t want Servi to degrade herself by talking about like she was some kind of sex slave, but Servi didn¡¯t care how she treated herself. She¡¯d say anything just for a chance to get the 5th alone in the alley. ¡°There¡¯s no light, which is good because I¡¯m a bit shy¡­¡±


    She wanted to strike the moment she left, but her instinct told her to wait. The chances were somewhat high that Carmelo had ordered someone to watch the front entrance. The lack of visible light on this street tried to convince her, but she didn¡¯t take it. Servi had to be absolutely sure she wouldn¡¯t be seen by anyone close to Carmelo. Even she couldn¡¯t pierce the deep, dark murk of the alley, and her eyes were far sharper than any Elf.


    ¡°A whore who knows how to kill is at the top of my lists. Fine! If you cannot wait, I will take you in the alley, and we¡¯ll fuck like dogs,¡± the 5th replied.


    Servi smiled, and not for the reasons the 5th believed. Behind those cute lips, attractive nose, and soft, supple skin laid an unfathomable and endless source of rage and hatred.


    It was finally about to be unleashed.


    ¡°Now, start stripping,¡± the 5th said while fumbling with his jacket. He and Servi had only just entered the alley, and he expected Servi¡¯s false sultry voice to respond in kind.


    But she didn¡¯t. The tone of voice coming from her was anything but sexy, and the 5th''s heart skipped many beats when Servi said a single word.


    ¡°No.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t used to being denied. When he whipped around with his hand curled into a fist, he was met with a scowl that could give the devil a heart attack. With frightening speed, she wrapped one hand around his neck and squeezed tight enough to prevent any words from coming out. Next, and while under the blanket of darkness, she used Smokescreen to create a thick haze of smoke that couldn¡¯t leave the alley. Servi then discovered she could use the property of Kaasuvuoto that restricted it to specific locations with techniques like Smokescreen. If she was correct, she could use it with any skill that emitted gas, fog, or smoke.


    Once their forms were obscured by a foggy smoke, she finished off the beginning stage of her plan by crouching down low. Using all of the strength in her legs, she jumped. But while she couldn¡¯t leap the building beside her with a single motion, a few well-placed instances of Earth Wall created the footholds she needed, and that allowed her to jump again.


    With the wind forcing down upon their faces and hair, which forced the 5th''s security wig to abandon its owner, Servi reached the top of the building. The 5th squirmed and tried his best to break Servi¡¯s arm while under the constant threat of suffocation, but she didn¡¯t let go.


    Servi did a quick scan for anything that might have been out of place. Once the coast was clear, she retrieved a chair from her ring. The 5th squirmed even more and acquired his wish of freedom, but it didn¡¯t last long. An unbreakable invisible force gripped him by the throat when he stumbled free and tripped on the rusted ceiling beneath them. He soon found himself stuck to the chair. Servi approached him with her hands outward and empty, but seven icy-blue ropes suddenly appeared in her hands.


    The act was up, and it was time for Servi to strike back.

 Book Three – Chapter Seven – Part One – Prelude to the Banquet

    Before Servi even spoke to the 5th, she had his neck in a vice grip and taunted him with seven icy-blue ropes. At the same time, she searched through her ID for the skill to suit her needs. She didn''t think she would find it because it needed to hide both sight and sound. Now, Servi knew of a Rank 0 skill to hide herself from existence, but she needed it to either affect multiple targets or an area. If that was the case, then was it possible to use a combination of skills to achieve her desired effect?


    Yes, it was possible. With the Rank 1 skill Veil of Obfuscation, Servi could mark an area and pick what things she wanted to be turned invisible. As for sound, Servi needed the Rank 1 skill Silentium Fluctus. Much like Veil of Obfuscation, Silentium Fluctus required the user to dictate an area. Once a section of space was marked out, any noise produced inside of Silentium Fluctus could not escape to the outside.


    "You know... It''s kinda funny," Servi spoke as she learned both skills. They were 130 Potential each, but Servi had so much saved up she didn''t care about spending them. "Here I am, flipping through my ID while searching for the best skills like I''m a rich bitch at a market. The best part? I probably won''t even use them more than once or twice. And I don''t even have to worry about upgrading them because I can just stack them 400 times each." With a final tap on her ID, Servi used both of her recently purchased skills and blocked out the entire roof she was standing on.


    If, at that particular time, someone was looking at the roof Servi stood on, they would see nothing out of place. If, for some reason, someone on the roof had the desire to scream to the Heavens Above using all of their lung power, no one would hear it. The stage was now set.


    Servi turned to the 5th. "Now then, I don''t think we are going to be interrupted at all. Let''s have some fun, shall we?"


    ¡°5th...¡± Servi spoke as she tied the ropes around his arms and legs. Telekinesis kept her target floating in the air. ¡°I¡¯m not who I say I am, but that¡¯s all you¡¯re getting from me. Your shitty, pathetic, goddamn fucking organization stole something important from me, and I¡¯m here to get her back. I had to put up with all kinds of shit, and I¡¯m very fucking pissed off.¡± The moment the rope touched his skin, he suffered immediate frostbite. His arms and legs turned a deathly shade of blue, and intense, vocalized pain breached through her hold on his throat.


    ¡°Oh, that won¡¯t do.¡± Servi used Remedium Lux and kept it going. It healed his body, but it didn¡¯t stop the pain from being frostbitten. It could forever continue in a cycle until Servi stopped it. Her Skill Energy Regeneration was so quick and high that she could use multiple Rank 3 skills back to back, and she would gain everything she wasted in a matter of moments. A puny ability like Ice Rope wasn¡¯t even a drop in the proverbial ocean.


    The 5th¡¯s face strangely contorted, and Servi immediately stuck her hand in his mouth. He tried to retaliate by biting down, but Servi¡¯s massive stack of Protection protected her. The only damage he did was to his own teeth.


    ¡°You¡¯re not trying to get out of here by biting down on a pill, are you? Can¡¯t have that now, can we? Hahaha!!¡± Servi chuckled like a giggling schoolgirl. She crouched low and grabbed a rock. ¡°I¡¯m not the best dentist, so I hope this hurts. Shit, it better hurt a lot.¡±


    She took the rock and scrapped it across his bottom-most row of teeth. Like carving wood using a knife, she scraped all of his enamel until he was left with nothing but his gums. The incredible pain forcing its way through his bound body was too much to handle, but he didn¡¯t lose consciousness. Remedium Lux prevented that. His body was assured that he would be healed because that was what Remedium Lux was supposed to do, and therefore, it kept him awake and conscious.


    Servi kept scraping until crimson covered the once gray rock, and she moved on to his upper row of teeth. But then she discarded the teeth-scraping object by tossing it behind her. Servi couldn¡¯t settle for using a tool as a proxy to inflict pain because that was something she wanted to personally do.


    Her strength had grown tremendously since the Warden Tournament. It wasn¡¯t even calculable. Back then, she didn¡¯t think she could pinch a tooth as if it was soft clay, but she could do it now. One by one, she plucked his teeth from their sockets, making sure to dig her index finger into the newly created wound for added pain.


    ¡°Hahaha!!!! How is it?! You fucking fuck! This isn¡¯t anything compared to what I can truly do! I just wanna have a little fun before the real fun begins!!!! Hahahah!!!¡± Once the final tooth had been plucked, with warm crimson dripping from his mouth, she placed the tooth on her thumb and jabbed it into the 5th¡¯s tongue. Servi scraped and dug back and forth until she had dug out a trench.


    Like a schoolgirl talking to her crush, Servi relished the pain she inflicted. She admired it so much she had to take a few steps back. A puddle of his blood had probably soaked through the seams in the roof, and the ongoing fight between the Ice Ropes and Remedium Lux was still in a stalemate. Servi had only used a single stack to assure that his teeth wouldn¡¯t grow back.


    Suddenly, he found he could talk when he gasped for air, and his body allowed him to taste it. His first words were of him wanting to know what he had done to deserve such torture, but Servi only responded by pulling out a knife from her ring.


    Her answer would be long and painful, and as the beautiful moon would witness this horrific scene of torture and mutilation, it wouldn¡¯t compare to what came next.


    Servi¡¯s counterattack had only started, and it was a long way from ending.


    In a hoarse voice, filled with slurred words, the tortured Elf begged for his life under the bright moonlight.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± his assailant said. ¡°I have a list of questions I want answered. As you can see, I have no qualms about removing your teeth before we even begin. Are you gonna be a good boy and answer my questions? To be honest, I hope you resist. I¡¯m curious to see how many times I can remove your fingers and ears before it gets boring. Though, if that happens, I¡¯ll remove your cock and balls. I¡¯ll squish them right in front of you. So tell me, motherfucker!! Are you gonna answer my goddamn questions?¡± Servi tilted her head and cutely smiled while hugging a knife to her chest.


    ¡°Yesh!!!! Yesh!!!!¡± he cried as tears flowed down his face and into his mouth. Their saltiness forced another wave of pain to surge through his already injured body. The feelings in his limbs had been the first consequence to the contrasting sensations of healing and freezing.


    ¡°Good! I¡¯ll start off with something small. The building in New Arcton, the one with the fuck off levels of defense. What is it used for?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bank. A church¡­nothing but a ba-- church¡­ AAA¡ª¡± Servi didn¡¯t like his answer, so she snapped off his right index finger like a child breaking a stick. To prevent him from screaming, she jabbed her arm in his open mouth and cracked his jaw.


    ¡°DON¡¯T FUCKING LIE TO ME!!!! Shit, that was too much! But bank? Church? A combined bank and church? The fuck does that mean...?¡± Servi started out shouting before trailing off into muttering. A quick Remedium Lux later, those injuries, and only those injuries, were healed.


    ¡°Fine¡­. Boss¡­ Boss...was there¡­¡±


    ¡°Shit, I was right. Hey, you¡¯re not lying, are you? Better make sure.¡± She snapped off the same finger and healed it a moment later.


    ¡°Boss¡­¡­.¡± he whined. ¡°H¡­e there¡­.¡±


    ¡°Itarr, maybe we should¡¯ve attacked it," Servi said while tossing the 5th''s detached finger in the air like a ball. Then she dropped it and stomped, crushing it while grinding her heel into it.


    Maybe, but the chances of the Boss getting mad and killing Momo were high, wasn¡¯t it? But now that we know he¡¯s there, we can go and save Momo! Servi''s ID appeared and floated in front of her.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I guess I would like fighting that Kobold.¡± Servi turned to walk away before realizing she had the chance to access more information. That was the reason she turned around, but it wasn¡¯t the reason why she ripped her victim''s arms from his body and smacked him across the face with his own hands.


    ¡°He¡­isn¡¯t..there¡­anymore...¡± Those four little words were all it took for her rage to flare alive.


    Her rage fueled her strength, and it took Itarr casting 184 stacks of Remedium Lux to keep the 5th from dying. That meant all of his wounds were healed up, and his teeth had been regenerated. Even the pain had subsided.


    We need him alive! Servi!


    ¡°Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Hey!¡± Servi grabbed the newly healed 5th and fractured his jaw between her fingers after dropping his severed arms. ¡°Where the fuck is he?! Where is he?¡±


    He had enough freedom to spit in Servi¡¯s face. ¡°I don¡¯t know! Even if I did, I wouldn¡¯t tell a goddam¡ªAAA¡ª¡±


    Servi grabbed his head and squashed his eye sockets with her thumbs. Next, she took her knife and carved off a piece of skin that stretched from his wrist to his shoulder. Servi dangled it in front of the 5th''s eyes even though his sight was robbed from him. Then she smacked him with it, leaving a horizontal splash of crimson that joined the blood dripping from his eyes.


    ¡°Tell me! Tell me! Tellmetellmetellme!!!!!¡± She waited a total of four seconds before scalping him. Servi wasn¡¯t gentle with her knife work, either.


    ¡°He¡ªI¡ª, I DON¡¯T KNOW, BUT I KNOW HOW¡ª" He didn¡¯t know how he did it, but the 5th managed to squeak the words out.


    ¡°Tell me, now! Or I will rip your ass out through your fucking mouth!¡± Servi took the skin that had his number and forced it down his mouth. She allowed him to keep his teeth, but it wasn¡¯t a blessing. Servi closed his mouth shut and forcibly grounded his teeth together. It wasn''t until he whimpered the word ¡®signal¡¯ that she stopped and backed away.


    ¡°Signal¡­Saturday¡­don¡¯t¡­know¡­signal¡­forest¡­.outside¡­of¡­town... Every..body¡­at¡­6..AM. Arrive¡­at¡­9..AM¡­heal..me¡­I¡¯ll¡­say..everything..I¡­know¡­pain¡­is..to..much¡­¡±


    ¡°I swear to everything you stand for¡­ Should you say something I don¡¯t want to hear, I will rip your teeth out and force you to swallow your own cock¡­ Should you use a skill, I will keep you alive while I skin you piece by piece. Death will never come for you if you piss me off¡­¡± Servi grabbed his head and whispered in his ears before removing the Ice Ropes and replacing them with standard ropes. Then she held a knife up to his throat as a warning while healing his injuries.


    ¡°The boss isn¡¯t in town. He left to get ready for Saturday. I swear I don¡¯t know what it is he has planned. Only the 1sts and 2nds know that, and they¡¯ve left the city with him.¡±


    Servi held her knife closer to his throat and pulled back when he didn¡¯t try to correct himself. However, his body remembered the pain and memories of the blade as it scraped away the skin on his head, and he uncontrollably shook with fright.


    ¡°Who¡¯s left in the city?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Every base but the 2nd and 1st. The building where the boss stayed was the 2nd base, but I don¡¯t know where the 1st is. I only heard rumors about this... But the four other 5ths believe the 2nd and 1st bases are the same..."


    ¡°Then what about 5th through 3rd? Are they here?¡±


    ¡°We have orders to leave Saturday morning when we see the signal. I don¡¯t know what it is. He didn¡¯t tell us,¡± 5th replied back. He avoided looking up at Servi, but her knife was always in his sight.


    ¡°Who was that Kobold?¡±


    ¡°They say he¡¯s the Boss¡¯s personal bodyguard. Rumors say he can rival a Rank 0 in Warden, and he¡¯s strong enough to destroy a nest of dragons by himself."


    ¡°That might prove to be a challenge. It¡¯ll be fun to kill that armored bastard. Tell me, do you know a pink Singi? She was brought in a few days ago during the night. Her name¡¯s Momo.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Come on! Of course, you do. The boss sent a letter directly to me. He wanted to play a game. Tell me, where¡¯s Momo. Where is she?!?!?! Where the fuck is she?! TELL ME!!!! WHAT''S THE FUCKING SIGNAL?!?!?!?!¡± Servi barked at her constrained foe and shouted in his face. She spoke so quickly and deranged her spit coated him in warm drool.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know¡­¡± the 5th whimpered. He felt Servi''s warm saliva drip from his nose to his quivering lips.


    ¡°Oh, the signal is going to be smoke.¡± Servi spun on her heels and casually dropped a landmine. Her trap was set, and she only needed him to reveal his card.


    ¡°HOW DID¡ª¡±


    In a very soft voice, Servi whispered four soft words.


    ¡°I fucking knew it¡­¡±


    ¡°No¡ªnonono!!NONONO!!!NONONONONONONO¡ª¡± Servi wrapped an invisible force around his throat, and she flourished her knife around her hand by flipping it between her fingers.


    ¡°You fucked up. You majorly fucked up! I can¡¯t even begin to tell you how fucked you are. Where the fuck is Momo?! Tell me WHERE SHE IS?! WHERE THE FUCK IS SHE?!?!?!¡± she shouted as she peeled his arm like one would a potato, carving the flesh until his arm was skinless. With her strength and the nadrium dagger she used, it was like pushing a sword through sand. His skin instantly surrendered to her weapon. It was as if his blood took on the role of a white flag.


    ¡°I don¡¯t...know¡­ I swear¡­if..the¡­boss had her¡­then..the..2nd¡­base¡­. But..he¡¯s..gone¡­forest¡­¡±


    He struggled to speak as he forced himself against the newly tied Ice Ropes that had regained their home, but there was something different. The Remedium Lux had been replaced with a simple Remedium, and its replacement was badly losing to frostbite.  Perhaps that was why he didn''t react much at all to having his skin cut off?


    ¡°How can I believe you?! You fucking lied to me! Is the boss worth enduring this fucking pain?!¡± Servi stood up from her chair and pointed to the pounds of flesh she had carved off. ¡°THAT!!! THAT USED TO BE FUCKING ATTACHED TO YOUR ARM!!!!! Take a closer fucking look at what you made me do!¡± She grabbed a handful of flesh and forced it down his throat. Somehow, the 5th threw it up in a volley of bloody vomit.


    Suddenly, Servi healed his arm with a few hundred stacks of Remedium Lux, and it regenerated like normal. Strangely enough, the leftover flesh remained at her feet. Even so, he wasn''t totally healed.


    ¡°5th, this torture isn¡¯t going to end until the sun comes up. However, I¡¯ll give you a deal. If you tell me where the 5th, 4th, and 3rd bases are, I will kill you now. You won¡¯t have to suffer the frostbitten legs, the excruciating feeling of having your arms chopped up like meat, and everything else I put you through. Your betrayal will mean their deaths will arrive sooner. I¡¯m sure they have more info than what you can provide. Just know one thing. What I did to you is nothing to what I will do to them. I won¡¯t stop until I have ripped out every goddamn bone in their bodies.¡± Servi crouched down and poked her dagger at his chest. The remains of several deep gashes continued to pour blood. She had lost herself in anger and nearly killed him a second time.


    Servi continued to speak under the moonlight. ¡°Look, the girl your shitty, fucking, goddamn boss kidnapped was my best friend. She only has her grandpa and me. And me? I only have her because I''m a fucking orphan. I don¡¯t know shit about my parents. Do you know what it¡¯s like to whore yourself out when you can barely fucking walk? By the time I was 10, I had already fucked more men than there are days in a year! I have absolutely nothing to fucking lose other than my life, but I refuse to die before I can save my best friend.¡± Servi¡¯s story was full of lies, but she believed it wouldn¡¯t hurt if she appealed to his humanity.


    ¡°Kill¡­me¡­.if¡­I¡­te¡­l¡­l¡­yo..u.¡± Even with his arm healed, the 5th was incredibly weak. His nerves were probably shot all to hell after a constant battle of freezing while simultaneously being healed. And his teeth littered the roof from where they had been picked and plucked. He couldn¡¯t even lean back in his chair anymore. If the ropes weren¡¯t binding him to the chair, he¡¯d have landed face down on the roof. Maybe on a rock if he was lucky. He¡¯d be dead if that happened.


    Even as words passed through his lips, the thought of using a skill never entered his mind. What good could he do against a source of evil who had godly powers and a total lack of consciousness? Only death mattered to him now, and he¡¯d do anything to feel its cold embrace because it''d be warmer than the icy restraints that tied him to the chair.


    ¡°You¡¯ll die a quick death,¡± Servi lied, ¡°If you give up the location of your comrades. If you don¡¯t, I will slice your other arm like a potato, and I will leave you that way to die slowly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­over¡­there¡­towards¡­the¡­main¡­RASP¡­.building...orange¡­.sign¡­location¡­¡±


    Servi lifted the chair with Telekinesis and slowly rotated him until he said stop.


    ¡°I won¡¯t kill you until I verify the base,¡± Servi had no plans to let him off with a simple death, nor did she ever want to allow him to die before the sun came up.


    He only grunted in response, and Servi took off running in the direction he specified. With her new ability and strength, she could effortlessly leap from building to building.  At the same time, she used Veil of Obfuscation and Silentium Fluctus whenever she could to keep hidden from any prying eyes.


    Servi took up cover behind a brick chimney on a building that was in surprisingly decent shape. It looked abandoned, but Servi couldn¡¯t spot any noticeable defects or holes in the roof. Like her hostage said, there was a building with the word ¡®RASP¡¯ on it. With a colorful rainbow sign, the building attracted quite a bit of attention. There was a line spanning a few hundred meters filled with both Humans and Demi-Humans. And from the number of floors and windows, she estimated there to be at least 150 rooms.


    The fates of those forced to be rented out for whatever their renter wanted to do with them had nothing to do with her. Maybe once Momo was rescued and found, Servi would spend the energy to save the slaves inside, but that was an internal conversation for another time.


    ¡°It¡¯s the building with the orange sign, right?¡± Servi asked. She had forgone her usual attire for a complete set of steel armor that covered her face and body. It was big enough to hide the shapely lumps of her breasts, and if she kept her mouth shut, only Servi knew of her true gender. With that in mind, she didn''t need Veil of Obfuscation or Silentium Fluctus anymore. At least not for the time being.


    ¡°Yes,¡± groaned her hostage. Though the icy ropes had been removed, the damage remained. The bindings had left dark spots, and the meat in those areas was putrid and stringy, like over rotted flesh. Even a child could rip his legs and arms apart with the smallest of force. They were only attached by Servi¡¯s Telekinesis.


    ¡°Keep in mind what happens if it isn¡¯t. Oh, I hope you don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to kill you now. I promised you a quick death, but I have to verify it. You¡¯re coming with me.¡± Servi had Itarr control the Telekinetic link between her and the floating chair, and the only thing the armored girl had to do was answer her craving for murder.


    Servi, why not attack it instead of trying to sneak in?


    ¡°Because I need to know for sure that Momo is with the boss in the forest. This dumb fuck could be lying about everything. I just need some documentation. That¡¯s literally all I fucking need.¡±


    Before she made her move, something odd caught her eye. For the four minutes Servi had stood watch, only people with red jumpsuits entered the solid red door belonging to the orange-signed building. Even more stranger, the sign was complete gibberish. Servi knew she could read the language, and the symbols she saw were actual letters, but they didn¡¯t spell out a word she thought was real.


    It didn¡¯t matter at all in the long run. Servi gripped her hand on the roof ledge in front of her and vaulted over it. At the same time, she used a few instances of Smokescreen to cloud everyone¡¯s vision. The 5th¡¯s coughing that came from nearby proved Itarr still had a hold on him. The pair raced through the alarmed citizens underneath the artificial cover while Itarr expertly maneuvered the chair in between the growing chaos. When they reached the red door, Servi absorbed it and jumped through, her armor clanking and scrapping across the rough stone floor.


    ¡°Put the door back!¡± Servi shouted.


    Already on it! Itarr wrote. Using Telekinesis, Itarr attached the ID to Servi¡¯s hip, and it vibrated when it had a message. Considering the door reappeared in its proper place, Servi didn¡¯t have any need to check what Itarr wrote. And due to the seven men in red jumpsuits standing in front of her with swords and axes, she couldn¡¯t spare the time to read it if she wanted to.


    That only applied if she didn¡¯t have a Goddess inside of her who gave her the ability to become unfathomably strong.


    Not even half a second had passed, and there were already seven corpses. Seven black holes littered the stone behind them with blood, and the size of the wounds in the mens'' chests matched the holes. A quick absorb later, Servi ran for the nearest door while ordering her hostage to speak. The claps of her armored feet against the stone ground almost drowned out his frail voice.


    ¡°Red¡­jumpsuit¡­color¡­of¡­this¡­base¡­ Monotonia¡­dependent¡­slaves¡­.¡±


    Servi took his broken words and quickly analyzed them as she hurried down a familiar spiral staircase. Deset had one like it.


    ¡°The jumpsuit-wearing people are slaves who lost to Monotonia?¡± she questioned as she absorbed the door she found at the bottom. It led to a small guard shack filled with weapons, but the six men lined against the wall had a stoic look on their faces. As if Servi was in a bloody slasher film, the jumpsuit-wearing foes turned their heads at the intruder and rushed forward with anything they found.


    Servi had underestimated the sole Singi amongst themselves and met his downward sword slice with a punch to the blade. It shattered, and her fist continued its course until it found a fleshy home in his face. The pressure and force must¡¯ve been too much because the back of Servi''s foe''s head exploded and showered the room in a red paste.


    The five remaining in the room never gave their fallen ally a second glance as they brought down their attacks on the intruder. Even with Soul Essence of Primal Combat, Servi had a small amount of difficulty dodging the incoming attacks. They were messy and wild, but the speed was nothing she had ever faced. The only person coming close was Fisher, but she didn¡¯t remember their fight.


    Servi ducked a thrown brick and responded with a nadrium war hammer she pilfered from Parrel¡¯s mansion. Its flat head glowed with two blue lines while the spike remained totally black. But the lines weren¡¯t exclusive to the weapon''s head. They trailed all the way down its sleek-looking handle and onto the spiky pommel.


    Servi twirled her body around, picked up speed, and slammed her weapon into the chest of a dagger-wielding Dwarf. With nary a sound of pain, a chunk of flesh tore off, and the short-statured Dwarf flew back from the impact.


    ¡°I can¡¯t play with you. I have a friend to save, so fucking die!¡± Blocking an attack from the back, Servi tossed her war hammer at her foe. The bald Human ducked, and Servi surprised him with two shots of Greater Lightning Bolt. His body wordlessly convulsed in pain, but Servi figured it was only because his muscles inadvertently spasmed that way. Something told her that the foes she faced had lost all sense of discomfort and self, and they very much reminded her of the enemies she faced at Parrel''s mansion. The only difference was the lack of colored-weapons, but nearly everything else-- the mannerisms, the way they moved and acted-- were the same. If so, then it possibly meant Parrel was somehow connected with the Mafia. Perhaps even more egregious, the Mafia''s boss feasibly had a hand in the illegal slave markets Servi helped destroy.


    Thinking it could all be connected pissed her off, and she immediately ended the fight by resorting to Telekinesis. Like a toy, the remaining enemies¡¯ heads popped off, and their bodies collapsed to the ground. Like a fallen glass of juice, crimson poured from the new opening and stained the stone floor.

 Book Three – Chapter Seven – Part Two – Prelude to the Banquet

    In many ways, the base she was at was similar to the one in Deset. That caused Itarr and Servi to internally surmise that maybe all bases held the same core layout.


    ¡°Core structure or not, the damn layout of this place won''t change my fucking mind. Everyone is dying tonight, and I¡¯m the one who¡¯ll guide them to hell,¡± she said with her hand gripped on the only other doorknob. She didn¡¯t know what was going to be behind it, but that didn''t matter at all. Servi lifted her war hammer on her shoulder and absorbed the door.


    She rushed in, not at all surprised by what she saw. It was a group of enemies in those jumpsuits, but they weren¡¯t doing anything. More accurately, they were standing against the wall with a weapon held in their hands. Swords, axes, spears, knives, and more were waiting to be used by their wielders.


    Like the room she had come from, the stairwell, and the room where she first encountered the red jumpsuits, the walls, ceiling, and floors were stone with only weak candles to provide the dim lighting. And within the large common room-like area standing before her, Servi saw no chairs or couches. The walls lacked any decoration, and the room couldn¡¯t be more pathetic and devoid of any aesthetic value if it tried. It was as if the one who designed this underground area carved it out of stone and left it that way.


    All at once, the seventeen enemies began to move to take down the intruder. Arrows and skills launched one after another, setting fire and destroying the concrete when Servi dodged out of the way. Servi recovered from her sidestep with seventeen stacks of fully charged Shadow Shots and unleashed their destructive potential upon her enemies. They all were thrown back towards the ground and slid away. Their weight, the speed and force of the Shadow Shots, and the gritty surface of the stone floors tore the backs of their matching red jumpsuits. Servi couldn¡¯t believe how weak they were and how easily they died.


    Or so she thought.


    She didn¡¯t know if the jumpsuits were enchanted or if the foes Servi faced were different than those outside because the Shadow Shots weren¡¯t all that effective. Some died, but the majority stood up and continued their trek towards the intruder even as blood spilled from their crimson-stained backs. Servi wasn¡¯t alarmed by this. It was the complete opposite. She had longed for a chance to get serious with her power so much that she found herself smiling and chuckling as she dodged under a quick thrust.


    She fell back to avoid an arrow threatening to pierce her helmet and rolled back onto her feet. The metal armor scraped and battled against the stone floor, scuffing and roughing its clean appearance in some spots. Her foes were there and waiting, and she didn¡¯t expect to recover into the extended tip of a sharp sword. It pierced her armor with as much effort as stabbing water, and Servi felt her hot blood drop down the inside until it started to pool around her boot-covered feet.


    Servi coughed, painting the inside of her helmet with crimson, and she frowned in disgust. She couldn¡¯t believe she was enjoying the fight when she had more important things to do. Momo came first above all else, and that meant Servi should¡¯ve plucked her enemies'' heads off their shoulders via Telekinesis rather than waste time.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be fuckin around!¡± she screamed as bodies rhythmically fell to the floor around her while their heads remained airborne. In a rage, Servi ran to the only door she saw and absorbed it while Itarr handled corpse cleanup.


    After running through it, Servi came to a long hallway filled with doors on each side. She smacked her hostage and forced him to explain. In broken words fueled by pain, he muttered that the 5th had a private room built deep in the heart of the base. After more physical coercion, he further specified that the door at the very end of the hallway was her goal.


    ¡°The rooms at the side. What are they?¡± Servi demanded.


    ¡°Holding¡­areas¡­for¡­the¡­¡±


    ¡°Got it. That¡¯s where those jumpsuit-wearing bastards are staying. Itarr, use Telekinesis to kill anyone you see wearing those red clothes. Don¡¯t even give them a microsecond of freedom, got it? Fucking rip their heads off and get it done.¡±


    I got it. Itarr wrote on the ID. Servi didn¡¯t bother checking it since she knew what Itarr¡¯s response would be.


    With haste, Servi ran into the first door she saw that littered the long hallway like bugs on a diseased animal and absorbed it. Stepping inside, she saw fifteen men, all a collective of different races, but most were Human, leaning against the walls with their eyes closed. What must¡¯ve been their weapons sat in front of them. Servi¡¯s armor accidentally bonked against the door frame, and all fifteen pairs of eyes opened at once. They turned to the intruder and immediately charged towards her with their picked-up weapons. Their target immediately hopped out and heard the sickening noise of heads being forcibly removed from their bodies. But there wasn¡¯t a loud thud. Once her enemies'' life had perished, with their souls joining Servi''s ring, Itarr absorbed the corpses, their heads, and their weapons. If, for some reason, she couldn¡¯t reach them with Absorption, she brought the unobtainable objects closer with Telekinesis.


    ¡°Next time, kill them faster. Don¡¯t give those fuckers even a single microsecond to react,¡± Servi growled. She felt her ID vibrate but didn''t look at it.


    Servi walked to the door across and opened it. Even quicker than she could take a breath, the fifteen enemies inside all perished, and they disappeared faster than she could blink. Before she walked out, Servi realized the holding room was the same thing as the first room she had entered moments before. The walls were plain, like the prior rooms, and the floors were made out of the same stone. It was, perhaps, just big enough for fifteen people, and it resembled a cramped prison cell without the iron bars. Like before, it was as if the designer had removed a chunk of stone and called it a day.


    Then again, if they¡¯re so corrupted by the Monotonia that they don¡¯t need any luxuries, then it makes sense they wouldn¡¯t care for anything that looks good. They probably take whatever they¡¯re given with no questions asked. Servi thought.


    ¡°Good. No mercy for these fucks.¡± Servi sadistically smiled and rapidly rushed to a third door. It only took a quarter of a second for those inside to feel the immediate cloak of death. And it took less than that to eliminate any evidence they had once walked upon the planet.


    In the span of three doors, she had gained forty-five souls. If her estimate proved correct, there were around seventy to eighty doors, not including the three she had taken care of and her goal at the end. That meant, if fifteen enemies stood in each of the holding rooms, she stood to gain over 1,000 souls to further increase her already god-like power.


    But as she reached the fifty-second door in her massacre, she opened to reveal not a standard array of fifteen jumpsuit-wearing enemies against the wall, but a large prison cell. Its black iron bars spanned from the ceiling to the floor. With how narrow it was, even a small dog couldn¡¯t fit through the gaps.


    Servi walked a bit further in. Like everything else, stone surrounded her. The single gate to the cells had a large lock fastened through the handle. She looked up past the bars and saw what she assumed to be slaves. They were naked and afraid, quivering in the corner while their hands covered their heads. Sitting in groups of three or four, they all huddled close together in order to do what they could to protect themselves.


    The biggest one, a fair-skinned man with no hair, hunkered down in a group with two men and a single woman, but when he saw Servi was someone new, he took a chance.


    ¡°Hey!¡± he shouted. ¡°Help! You gotta help us!¡± His hands gripped the bars, and he pounded them with his knuckles.


    Servi turned to the naked man and shook her head. ¡°Why? I¡¯m trying to find a girl, and I doubt you could help. There¡¯s nothing for it.¡± She turned to walk away but stopped when her ID rumbled.


    Will you not help them? Itarr asked.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t. It¡¯s not my problem if these prisoners live or die. They won¡¯t help me find Momo, anyways. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know where she is! I heard that name before I came here.¡± Servi launched herself at the iron bars and ripped them out of the ceiling and ground with her strength. Itarr absorbed them, but she didn''t do anything to the sizable bits of ceiling that fell. Servi wrapped her hands around the man¡¯s arm who said those life-changing sentences.


    ¡°Tell me! Where the fuck is she?!¡± Servi barked at the man, and with her hold like a vice-grip, her grasp only increased in strength.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know...  KIMMIE, DO IT!¡± he shouted. Servi felt a large object smash her helmeted head. She ripped off the man¡¯s arms and turned around. The culprit was the sole woman who had huddled with the large man whose arms Servi currently held.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± the frightened girl whined. She walked back as Servi approached her and fell to the ground when her back touched it. A warm yellow liquid escaped down her legs when Servi bent down to pick up the rock. She looked up at the ceiling and realized it came from where she tore off the iron bars.


    She held her weapon tightly and turned around to the armless man. With the stone in hand, she rushed forward and slammed it into his head. Pink bits of brain and white pieces of skull exploded out of his head, and it showered the other slaves in a rain of crimson.


    ¡°DON¡¯T FUCKING LIE TO ME ABOUT HER!!!!!!¡± Servi roared with anger.


    Kimmie begged for forgiveness from the enemy she had wronged, but Servi wasn¡¯t in the mood. It was one thing to attack her if she did it voluntarily, but it wasn¡¯t as simple as that.


    Servi couldn¡¯t let the short-lived betrayal go, and she killed everybody in the room with a sword she retrieved from her ring. It was like a ballet of death. Her nadrium sword, with the two blue pulsing lines, illuminated the bloody cell when the deed was done. With her brutality involved, the corpses weren¡¯t even recognizable, and most of their heads had been sliced in five or six different sections. She had spared no one. That was the cost of angering her. Their lives had been forfeit the moment they believed they could use someone near and dear to her as a bargaining chip.


    ¡°IT¡¯S YOUR FAULT YOU FUCKING DIED!¡± she screamed at the bloody mess of severed limbs and heads before she stomped her way out of the room. The instant her head passed through the threshold, sixteen arrows battled towards her head. Itarr stopped them the moment their metal tips started to penetrate through her helmet.


    She turned to her left and saw a hallway filled with bodies. Red jumpsuits lined her sight like she was staring at a pack of red marbles in a bowl.


    ¡°I guess I screamed a bit too loudly, but this is good. This is very good. I won¡¯t have to search room by room anymore. But seriously, you think you can kill me with fucking NUMBERS?!?!!¡± Itarr retrieved five nadrium swords and held them horizontally in front of Servi even while absorbing the incoming attacks.


    The five swords began to spin in place before racing off down the hallway filled with meat sacks disguised as animate beings. Like a lawnmower, Servi''s weapons raced back and forth and up and down. Flesh diced into chunks no bigger than a dupla, and the blood had nearly covered the entirety of the stone floor in a crimson filter. Microscopic white bone floated through the hastily man-made river of blood, but they were crushed underneath Servi¡¯s heavy footsteps as she walked down the visceral red carpet.


    A torrential amount of souls flooded her ring as she proceeded down. After looking in each of the open rooms, she saw no more cages. Her hostage chose that time to stir awake, and, for a brief moment, he had forgotten where he was.


    ¡°HELP!!¡± he screamed. Servi turned back and ripped his ear off.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up,¡± she said as she gripped the handle of the door at the very end of the hallway. With her enhanced strength, she tore the plain wooden door off its hinges and tossed it behind her.


    She was immediately met with a spear through her stomach that pierced right through her armor, and a nadrium arrow to the head destroyed her brain. No¡ªits sharp point wasn¡¯t threatened by the protective power of an iron helmet, and it bore a hole straight through her head, piercing her brain to the wall behind her. The pink mass of brain with its crinkled lines involuntary wiggled.


    ¡°Damnit, I told you not to use that!¡± A voice berated someone, but Servi couldn¡¯t see. Her standing body had been engulfed with the skill called Lava Wall, the vastly upgraded form of Fire Wall. The armor melted off instantly, painting her body in boiling metal. Her skin soon followed suit, and she was nothing more than a puddle of skin and organs, which evaporated into nothingness.


    It all happened in less than a quick second, but the girl Servi had died again.


    ¡°Kinda weird how the bitch didn¡¯t scream¡ªMarky?!¡± The man with the spear, who had attacked Servi, rushed forward past the disappearing wall of lava. He nearly slipped in the blood but regained his footing as he gently clasped his hands around the intruder''s hostage¡¯s throat.


    ¡°So that¡¯s where he was at. Wait, DID¡ªno, surely not¡­¡± The man with the bow lowered his weapon and gasped at the bloody remains of an event that couldn¡¯t even be called a massacre. It was something far worse, but he couldn¡¯t come up with something to describe it. But it was the smell of blood and guts combined with the lingering smell of Servi¡¯s crispy remains that was revolting and putrid. It was a scent that only could¡¯ve come from a monster¡¯s disgusting, filthy cavern. The bow-wielder did all he could to swallow a growing urge to vomit.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me she killed all of our Suits? Fucking all of them?!¡± That was the voice of the woman who used Lava Wall. She lowered the hood of her cloak to reveal a set of whitened eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I heard the blood spill from the Suits'' bodies, and their silent cries echoed out from the horrible way they died. Though they were only Suits, they were¡ª¡± The man with the bow tried to speak, but a chilling voice froze his mouth.


    ¡°You know, that kinda fucking hurt. Feeling that pain makes me want to do the same to you.¡± A shrill voice echoed around the room, prompting the four 5ths to prepare for battle.


    From particles smaller than the tip of a pin, a girl with pale white skin, red eyes, and black hair materialized from what seemed to be nothing. Her head no longer had a hole from where an arrow pierced through it, her stomach had no imperfections or scars from the result of a spear impalement, and nary a black mark even resembling the faintest spec of ash soiled her skin. With a flick of her fingers, her naked body became coated in a dazzling set of steel armor, sans a helmet that was only a little bit too big. "Did you really think killing me was enough to make me die?" Servi taunted her motionless enemies.


    The glass she used to disguise her eye color had melted away, and the one eye patch she wore had caught fire and burned to ash. For the first time since her revenge started, Servi¡¯s appearance was true to her former self.


    Jaws dropped to the floor. The girl the Numbered saw in front of them couldn¡¯t exist. They had watched her die in excruciating pain only moments before.


    Marky was the first to emerge from the curtain of fear that paralyzed him, but it was worthless. Servi summoned four chairs from her ring. He looked alarmed at the sudden appearance of a wooden piece of furniture, but he soon found himself stuck to it. Crying out, he withstood the invisible force as it tore his hands and arms apart. Nails, skin, and flesh ripped away from his left hand like a child lacerating at a present''s wrapping paper. Then Servi moved to one of his ears and tore it off like tearing a piece of writing paper.


    But he wasn¡¯t alone in his torture. The other three attackers found themselves attached to their respective chairs, and their torment wasn¡¯t any less monstrous or painless.


    ¡°You know something funny?¡± She walked across the tiled floor, a much different thing she had expected considering the rest of this base¡¯s furnishing, and formed a fist. ¡°I¡¯m really only here for a couple of reasons. Oh, I have to check first. Please, don¡¯t bear the pain I¡¯m about to inflict on you.¡±


    Servi retrieved a rock from her ring and scraped it across Marky¡¯s teeth until crimson splattered about. His screams of pain were a welcome addition to ease Servi¡¯s growing desire for chaos and murder.


    ¡°I have to make sure you don¡¯t have a suicide pill. Can¡¯t have you dying on me before it gets to your turn, can I?¡± One by one, Servi went to the other three and scrapped their teeth out. It was incredibly excruciating and demoralizing for those who had the pain tolerance high enough to concentrate on something other than the pain of their missing teeth, but it was intentional. Servi needed that fear to fester and infect those around them. Fear led to the truth, and that was something she counted on.


    ¡°All done. Now, I¡¯ll heal your mouth back so you can talk. I suppose I¡¯ll do the same and heal your limbs.¡± She did as she said and followed it up with a dire warning. ¡°Should you answer me with something I don¡¯t like, or you try to attack me by using a skill, I will boil you alive and heal you at the same time. You won¡¯t be able to die, and the pain will be felt for as long as I want it to.¡±


    All six present, including Servi''s first hostage, nodded, but their faces were anything but willing. A growing snarl appeared on their faces, and one or two of them internally debated on whether not they should strike. However, that sprouting confidence shattered when they took in the truth of the situation. They were faced with a monster in Human clothing. Not only had she killed the army they had under their control, but Servi had come back to life after dying.


    ¡°Tell me your names, so I have something to call you,¡± Servi demanded. "If you don''t, I guess I''m gonna have to rough you the fuck up. Hey, maybe I''ll call you eyeless. You know why? Because I''ll rip your fucking eyes out and stick needles in your empty fucking sockets."


    ¡°YOU¡¯RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD! WE KILLED YOU!!!¡± the one on the far left shouted. His ignorance of her question angered her.


    Servi replied by smacking his head with the back of her hand. ¡°Shut the fuck up and tell me your names! How I¡¯m here or not is none of your fucking concern!¡±


    ¡°Ed,¡± the one with the spear whispered. The green scales proved he was a Koena, but they nearly crackled and jittered with anger and rage.


    ¡°Ae,¡± muttered the blind Elf with the cloak.


    ¡°Swif,¡± said the one who fired that nadrium arrow. His bow and all of their weapons had already been confiscated by Servi. Oddly enough, he was the sole Human amongst the group of 5ths.


    ¡°And you¡¯re Marky, so shut the fuck up and don¡¯t say a damn thing.¡± Servi smacked Marky and regenerated his pointy ear.


    ¡°Berth,¡± confidently spoke the last one. He was a Dwarf, but he had been too occupied with drinking to do anything about the intruder. His now-empty bottle sat nestled in the corner of the room.


    ¡°You¡¯re that confident, huh.¡± Servi walked over to the wooden wall and ripped off a painting of a Kobold. Tearing the frame, she ripped it apart until she had a fist full of sharp wooden fragments. Next, Servi held her other hand in front of her and began stabbing those wooden fragments through her hand like pins in a pincushion. She walked up to Berth and gave a simple command. ¡°Open your mouth.¡±


    He barked with laughter and spat on Servi¡¯s face, who chuckled and ripped Berth''s lower jaw off and stuck her fragment-filled hand down his throat. Spinning and rotating her fist, she made mincemeat out of his throat. Blood went down, vomit came up, and the lack of air made it hard to breathe. His body convulsed until the chair broke under his stocky body.


    With her spare hand, Servi gripped Berth¡¯s hair and held him up. ¡°You still gonna be a smart ass? The shit I can do you isn¡¯t something you want to experience.¡± She removed her hand and retrieved another chair as Berth¡¯s blood began to conquer the tiled floor. Its brown luster had been soiled by the crimson lifeblood of one who used to live there.

 Book Three – Chapter Seven – Part Three – Prelude to the Banquet

    ¡°Itarr, heal and bind him to the chair. Now, Ed, those green scales are beautiful. It¡¯d probably hurt if I peeled them off like ripping a scab, right?¡± Servi asked while walking to the bound Koena. The inhuman brutality he had just witnessed froze him to the core, and it took Servi ripping a scale off his face for him to respond.


    ¡°Good,¡± Servi muttered. She looked at the emerald-like jewel in her hand and crushed it until it was reduced to powder. ¡°This is what I want to know: where are the 4th and 3rd base?¡±


    ¡°We¡ªw¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking for we! The only thing you¡¯re allowed to say is the fucking location! I find it hard to believe that a group like the Mafia would never give its leaders a map of the bases! For fucks sake! There are only fifteen Numbered from 5th to 1st! You''re telling me that the Boss wouldn¡¯t give a whole 33% of his upper leadership information that¡¯s fucking crucial?!


    ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know! We don¡¯t know! I swear, we¡ªGGGAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!¡±


    Servi did not like his answer, and she let him know that by forcing two fingers into the exposed, red, pulsing-like spot that was once covered by the scale she ripped off. Her index finger curled into a hook while she extended her middle finger. She felt his innards and did all she could to rip whatever she could out of his body. His emerald scales became stained with red. His throat exerted itself to its limits by screaming in pure pain.


    Ae, the Skill User, shouted. ¡°Stop it! I¡¯ll tell you what you want to know!¡± Tears fell from eyes that no longer had the ability to see, and her cloak slightly trembled. She didn¡¯t need to see to picture the dangerous situation she was in. The cries of pain coming from her fellow Numbered, who were powerful and dangerous in their all right, were enough to force the severity of Ae''s situation on her.


    That pissed Servi off.


    ¡°Aww, you¡¯re scared? You think you have the fucking right to be frightened now that someone bigger has come to fuck you up?!¡± She stomped towards the crying Elf and ripped off her left ear. Ignoring the following cries of pain, Servi saw something she should have demanded earlier.


    ¡°Your numbers. Where are they?!¡± Servi had confirmed Marky and Ae¡¯s numbers, which were under his hair and hidden behind her ear, respectively, but it was possible the other three weren¡¯t members of the 5ths. The odds were low, but Servi didn¡¯t want to make any mistakes. ¡°You! You better have the right fucking info when I come back!¡±


    Servi left with a warning and stripped the other three members.


    Ed had his number underneath a scale located on his left wrist. It had been forcibly engraved into his pulsing flesh. Swif¡¯s 5 had been carved underneath his left hand¡¯s index fingernail. Berth, still recovering from Servi¡¯s brutal torture, hadn¡¯t regained the reason to speak. And while that wasn¡¯t a problem because it allowed her to display her various torture techniques to the other three who were conscious, it took up valuable time that she¡¯d rather use to find Momo.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ve confirmed your numbers,¡± Servi said upon ripping the remainders of Berth¡¯s shirt off. His number had been formed by pushing pebbles into his back. ¡°Ae, tell me what I want, or I¡¯ll rip off the other ear.¡±


    Forcing her words through cloudy eyes and a throat run raw with agony and screams, she spoke a simple sentence. ¡°What you want to know is in the desk at the back.¡± However, those words were laced with a trap. She grinned when Servi turned her back, showing off a set of yellowed teeth diseased by a lack of cleaning and nearly broke in a cackle when Servi approached the lone desk at the back.


    ¡°DON¡¯T OPEN IT!  YOU BITCH, DON¡¯T FUCKING OPEN IT!!!¡± Berth raged against his invisible constraints, and Servi retrieved a rock from her ring and threw it at him. It struck his chest, and vomit rose from the depths of his stomach and spewed out of his mouth.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up and stay silent!¡± Servi demanded.


    Swif opened his mouth to protest, but Servi¡¯s sharp glare shut him up. She wasn¡¯t satisfied with only that, and so she used Telekinesis to take one of his eyes.


    She didn¡¯t think about it at the time because her mind wasn¡¯t focused on the plain room that only had its floor and walls going for it, but the lack of furniture in the room should have sent alarm bells through her mind the moment Servi walked in. Other than the desk, there were five chairs and a single bed. An empty weapon rack sat nearby with a quiver of arrows next to it, but that was all this room had to offer.


    ¡°Itarr, absorb the desk,¡± Servi commanded while Swif¡¯s cries echoed in the back. If they were doing their best to prevent her from getting the info, something funny had to be going on. Her ID flew from her waist until it entered her sight and wiggled.


    Got it. Servi, there¡¯s a mysterious object in here. It¡¯s round in nature, but there¡¯s a small wire that was connected to the desk handle. There was a stack of papers under it. And there was a small opening behind that.


    ¡°It was a goddamn bomb? You bitch!¡± In a rage, Servi rushed back to Ae, who had quickly lost her smile, and proceeded to rip off each of her fingers. ¡°SHUT THE FUCK UP! JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!!¡± Servi¡¯s anger drowned out Ae¡¯s pathetic screaming until her reason left her. Blood flowed from the ten new openings, and Itarr hastily applied Remedium Lux.


    Now, it was clear why Ae''s companions didn''t want Servi to open the desk. It had to have been a powerful bomb. It was a final failsafe to prevent someone from gaining information relating to the Mafia.


    After summoning the papers from her ring, Servi¡¯s face morphed into a crooked grin. It was probably just the thing she had been searching for.


    The stack was made out of six small pieces of paper while a stiff and heavy folder, colored black, filled in as the base. The very top one had a message that Servi believed came from the boss himself.


    ¡°Do what you wish until Saturday morning is upon us. When the time is at 6 AM, there will be a smoke signal. Follow it. I have already gone ahead with the Numbered and Suits from the 1st and 2nd base. Do not disappoint me, and I expect you all to be here with your Suits by 9 AM. Send word to the other bases and tell them to prepare in any way they can. This operation involves every Mafia member,¡± she read aloud.


    Servi absorbed the top letter and fumbled through the remaining five pages. Rather than creating a multi-paged letter, the five had pictures on them, and they went together to form a map. The discoloration near the edges proved they were somewhat old and well-handled.


    Servi used Telekinesis to hold them in place in front of her and rearranged them like a puzzle. There were five Xs marked with red ink, eight places marked with a green B, and 7 places marked with the acronym RASP written with pink ink. She hastily absorbed those pages and flipped open the thick folder.


    Ae howled with laughter as Servi¡¯s ear picked up an incredibly quiet metallic clink. It had happened the moment she began to crack open the black folder.


    Itarr couldn¡¯t act fast enough, and the expertly constructed bomb went off. Smoke annexed every room in the building and nearly escaped up through the stairwell, but it didn¡¯t have enough power because Itarr absorbed the explosion a tenth of a second after it went off. She couldn¡¯t do anything about the smoke, but Servi didn¡¯t care. Even as her flesh regenerated from the thousands of chunks splattering the wall, Servi wasn¡¯t angry. She was happy. Thrilled. Ecstatic.


    Once her legs, body, and some of her head had been made whole by True Immortality, she turned to five Numbered she wanted to torture. She wouldn¡¯t have the chance to do to them what she wanted because that explosion had been strong enough to shoot out hyper-accelerated shrapnel, and each of their corpses had tiny holes that acted as blood waterfalls. The chairs they had been invisibly tied to had broken apart from the dense microprojectiles. The bed and chairs that used to be standing had been eviscerated as well, and the wooden walls surrounding Servi had tiny holes from where the shrapnel had bounced off. The tiled floor was all but gone, and only little chunks remained.


    Her armor had been obliterated since she was at the epicenter of the explosion, and she quickly covered herself in more clothing. This time, she chose a simple red blouse with yellow cloth pants. The color didn¡¯t match, but Servi didn''t have the time to care about fashion.


    But all wasn¡¯t lost. Ae had somehow survived through the horrible explosion. Servi grinned when she heard her groan and used a few thousand stacks of  Remedium Lux to heal every wound Ae suffered. It was so powerful that the white color faded from her eyes and replaced it with a luscious deep brown. The thick smoke from the explosion was too rough for her sensitive eyes, but her amazement didn¡¯t last. A partly regenerated hand gripped Ae by her hair and tossed her down. The black hair she saw struck fear in her heart, and those red eyes looked like they were from the devil. It was both a blessing and curse she had regained her sight, but if she had to choose one, she¡¯d rather be blind. Seeing the true face of the one who had caused so much damage wasn¡¯t worth seeing her friends again. Nor was it worth it to catch a glimpse of the Monarch Butterflies she loved to chase a child.


    ¡°Oh, how lucky for me that you didn¡¯t die right away.¡± Servi stood over her and cracked her knuckles.


    Ae braced herself and tried to lean up, but her hands slipped across the bloody floor. The broken tile that remained was sharp enough to cut right into her palm. It should''ve been painful, but Ae never cried out. Servi decided to get rid of her anger by stomping down on Ae¡¯s trembling left leg. She gritted her teeth, cracking them in a few spots and swallowed any scream.


    ¡°STOP! You got what you needed, right? Please, let us go!¡± The girl¡¯s body shook from the pain. The many holes in her cloak gave way to bare skin. She had nothing on underneath it.


    ¡°Us? Bitch, there isn¡¯t any ¡®us.¡¯ You¡¯re going to die like those other four fuckups, and I¡¯m going to enjoy wringing the life from your eyes. But before I do that, I need more info. Your fucking boss kidnapped a girl named Momo. She wasn¡¯t mentioned in the letter, so I need you to tell me where she is!¡± Servi waited for a brief three seconds before stomping down again. ¡°MOMO! WHERE! IS! SHE!!¡±


    ¡°I DON¡¯T KNOW A MOMO!!!!¡± Ae couldn¡¯t swallow the pain anymore and cried out. The sickening splatters of her blood being sprayed and bones being repeatedly cracked and regenerated were far too much for her to take.


    ¡°WHERE IS THE BOSS?! WHERE THE FUCK IS HE?¡± Servi had moved her stomps up until her thighs were crushed every second while they regenerated every other second.


    ¡°FOOOOOREST!!! AAHHHH STOP! PLEASE, STOP!!!!¡±


    Like she begged for, Servi immediately stopped her stomps and walked away. ¡°What¡¯s the signal?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­smoke¡­ Wwaahhh!!!¡± Ae had been left with a crushed thigh, and the pain and loss of feeling had forced her mind to fill herself with dopamine. But the pleasure she felt was still multiplied by the pain, and it gave off a similar infatuation as if taking a Pink Monotonia.


    ¡°The bald Elf and this letter said the same thing. Now, where is Momo? Tell me what I fucking want to know!¡± Servi retrieved a dagger and walked up to Ae. Her arms couldn¡¯t handle propping her up anymore, and she fell to the ground. The rapid narrow breaths she inhaled in her moments of being alive did little more than stave off asphyxiation. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t let you die.¡± With a simple and unnecessary snap of her fingers, Ae¡¯s body was healed to perfection. Only the pain she suffered remained.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know a girl named Momo. I don¡¯t know any Momo. But she might be with the boss,¡± Ae answered. Lying on her side after falling, she remained motionless.


    ¡°Then what are the Suits?¡± Servi flipped her dagger around her fingers and slid its handle up and down the front of Ae¡¯s robes.


    ¡°They¡¯re dependent on Monotonia. They can¡¯t live or think for themselves, and it¡¯s the final stages of pure Monotonia Dependency. They would do anything for even the smallest scrap of Monotonia. That¡¯s why they¡¯re the perfect warriors and guards. They have no morality or any feelings left in their bodies,¡± Ae explained.


    You¡¯re kinda chatty now.¡± Servi crouched down and ran the handle of her weapon up and down the bloody cloaked-covered leg she had broken and healed hundreds of times.


    Ae didn¡¯t flinch and kept speaking in the same tone, devoid of any emotion. ¡°I¡¯m going to die. Why should I be loyal to a man whose trap didn¡¯t help kill you? The boss assured us that the desk and folder each had a bomb, and it would kill all of us. It was supposed to be the final punishment for allowing someone to get this far into the base. If we couldn¡¯t win against the intruder, our last goal for the Mafia was to force the intruder to open the desk. They would¡¯ve died, but so would we.


    ¡°I loved the boss! I wanted to die by his hands! He took my sight when he first gave me my Number, and I wanted to give him my life!¡± Ae displayed emotion as her voice took on a thunderous wail filled with tension. She slammed her arms down onto the blood floor and cried out a single name.


    ¡°BOSS!!!!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s kind of a fucked up relationship, isn¡¯t it? Why would you want him to kill you? I guess it doesn¡¯t mean a damn thing to me. Tell me this: why are the Suits red and the sign to this building orange?¡±


    ¡°No correlation. The building was already here, and it had the sign when we decided to use it as a base. The color clothing the Suits wear doesn''t mean anything. It was something we-- the 5th-- collectively decided on after a round of beers.¡±


    ¡°Is there really only five 5ths?¡± Servi figured if her enemy was in a talkative mood, she would do all she can to get every little bit of information she could.


    ¡°Yes. Whenever one dies, a 6th is promoted. Whenever a 4th dies, a 5th is promoted. However, I don¡¯t know how it works for the 1st or 2nd ranks."


    ¡°I do have some questions about how the Mafia started and its beginning years, but I feel that it doesn¡¯t matter at the end of the day. When this week is over, I¡¯m going to kill every fucking Mafia member I find. In that way, I suppose it¡¯s a good thing that I found a map. I gotta say, it¡¯s a major fucking mistake that you used a real map. That kind of error is something you never want to make if there¡¯s even a small chance for the enemy to get it. Good work for being the reason thousands are gonna die, you fucking idiot.¡±


    ¡°Thousands? I don¡¯t care about them. If it sounded like I cared about the Suits, then it was a lie. The Boss told us to make good use of them, so I treated them like pets, but there was no love.¡± Ae sighed and stared up at the ceiling. Not moving, it was as if she waited for death to take her. ¡°You got what you came for, so just kill me. If I can¡¯t die by the boss, then just fucking end my existence. Wait,¡± she said in a monotone voice as her mind made a connection to what she was told earlier. ¡°Red eyes? Black hair? You¡¯re the one we were told to look out for¡­¡±


    ¡°Most of what you said doesn''t make sense, but I guess I¡¯ll chalk that up to you hallucinating from the torture. But that last part? Well, I¡¯m glad about that. What else did he tell you? Tell me every fucking thing!¡±


    ¡°He only told us to watch out for a girl with black hair and red eyes. That¡¯s all. He didn¡¯t mention a thing about someone named Momo. Hey, kill him for me. I wanted to die by his hands, but if he can¡¯t even do that, then fucking kill HIM!¡± Ae yelled, and Servi only laughed. She couldn¡¯t implicitly trust the information she gathered, but it was a good enough start to her search.


    ¡°Well, I got the info I needed, but I have to verify it. I suppose the 4th and 3rd base would be a good place to start. Surely they know the boss¡¯s location. The forest is too fucking wide to search, and I hope I don¡¯t have to wait for the fucking smoke signal. But I promise I¡¯ll kill the boss to fulfill your weird fucking fantasy.¡± Servi stood up and tossed the knife in the air. It flipped a few times and came down, blade first, on Ae¡¯s hip.


    ¡°Good...¡± That was the very last word to escape from her lips.


    ¡°What? No scream? That takes the fun out.¡± Servi sighed and used Telekinesis to lift Ae. It was a trifle to rip off her arms and legs, but Servi¡¯s mood was soured by her enemy¡¯s lack of screaming. As she stared at the limbless body in front of her, Ae¡¯s eyes flickered open before they shut. The blood pouring from the four openings splashed about, covering Servi¡¯s legs. She formed a fist, punched right through Ae¡¯s chest, and jerked her whole hand down. The floating body split down the middle, and Servi canceled Telekinesis.


    The corpse landed with a sickening splash and splattered crimson all over Servi¡¯s leg. She ignored it and walked over the shredded bodies and into the long hallway. As she neared the exit, Servi hopped into a nearby room and changed into another set of armor. This time, it included a helmet that helped hide her hair and an eye color-changing mask.


    That should be fine. Red eyes and black hair are a no-go, but purple eyes and a helmet should be enough. Good thing I put that wig in my ring before charging in.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Servi said as she replied to Itarr. She stepped out of the room, waded through the blood, and made her way back to the bottom of the spiral staircase. Using Metal Wall from an iron shield Servi had tossed away, a giant block of metal filled in the long hallway. She used the malleability property of Metal Wall to snake up through the spiral staircase. And after Servi reached the room where she first fought the Suits, she cut off the skill and retrieved a second shield.


    This time, it was made out of nadrium, and Servi used Metal Wall again to cover the iron in a layer of nearly impenetrable nadrium. It was mainly a deterrent to prevent anyone from digging further. To disguise the nadrium''s identifiable physical properties, Servi tossed some dirt from her ring. Then, she used Earth Wall to add the finishing touches before walking out.


    It seemed like that was overkill, but Servi did it for a reason. From a far distance, nadrium was noticeable, and the dirt would hide its signifying features. Then again, perhaps there was a better way to do what Servi wanted. But in the end, it didn''t matter because everyone inside that base was dead, and that was the only thing that mattered.


    Her job wasn¡¯t done, however, and she had at least two more bases to eliminate. She didn¡¯t know if it was possible to destroy every base before sunrise, but she was going to do as much as she could. But she couldn¡¯t spend the entire night on it. If Servi could trust the information she had gathered, Momo was out in the forest with the Boss.


    But Servi didn¡¯t know if she should ignore the other bases and rush to the forest. Her entire being wanted that information to be factual, but what if it wasn¡¯t? If she spent the whole night searching the woods when it was totally false, then she¡¯d be the fool. Before she acted, she needed that assurance. She would probably get only a single chance to pull this off, and that single chance had to be foolproof.


    Servi stomped her feet and ran to the right, bypassing the line to get into the RASP building until she came to a somewhat hidden alley. Using a single jump, she leapt to the roof of the nearest building and pulled out the map she had found. She figured the five Xs she saw had to be the bases belonging to the 5th and below.


    ¡°Then these places marked with a ¡®B¡¯ have to be bases like Deset. Look, here¡¯s a place marked ¡®RASP,¡¯ and there¡¯s an ¡®X¡¯ right beside it. That has to be the 5th base.¡±


    Look, there¡¯s a small number beside it. It says 5. If this map is the real deal, then it can be trusted. Hey, that place on the upper corner is marked New Arcton. You see the ¡®X¡¯ with a 2?


    Servi read her vibrating ID and did as Itarr asked. It was true. There really was an ¡®X¡¯ with a 2 marked on it.


    ¡°Then it has to be empty, right? One of the 5th said the boss stayed there. Let¡¯s go and check it out!¡±


    Servi absorbed the floating map and ran towards the edge of the building. With a single leap, she soared across the moonlit sky. For a single moment, Servi believed she could actually touch those celestial beings she so desperately wanted to feel. But at the apex of her jump, she slowly fell, and her dream was no more. Servi converted into a roll upon landing on a second building and transitioned into a perfect sprint.


    RuggyRuggy


    So a little update.


    I had done a bit of work going back through the earlier chapters and cleaning them up because I wanted to spread out to different websites. I had published this story on royal road, and I got an email saying they deleted it. I went and checked, and yeah, it was gone.

 Book Three – Chapter Seven – Part Four – Prelude to the Banquet

    The power Servi had now, compared to when she woke up next to the Forest of Gife, couldn¡¯t have been more different. Her strength had grown over a thousandfold, and jumping hundreds of meters was as easy as breathing. She could most definitely outrun most land-based animals, and to the current her, Feral¡¯s slab of iron he called a shield was probably no heavier than a medium-sized pebble.


    She was a soul-absorbing monster in the most literal sense. Her strength could only increase, and there would be a time where the Servi of the current moment wouldn¡¯t even compare to the Servi of the future. She didn¡¯t know what kind of strength she would have if she kept killing. Lifting a brick shack probably wouldn¡¯t even be out of the picture. Jumping until she reached escape velocity? She figured that after absorbing a few hundred thousand souls and upgrading Absorption, she would literally be able to jump from the bottom of the ocean and touch the moon with her fingertips.


    And that scared her. More accurately, it would have frightened her if she faced those thoughts earlier. Now that Momo was kidnapped, Servi would embrace the monster she was becoming. Souls, murder, death, and destruction-- killing hundreds, thousands, or even millions wouldn¡¯t even be given a second thought. But if that was how she felt, then why not burn Arcton to ash and dust?


    The truth was that she didn¡¯t know how Momo would feel about Servi wiping out a town. Servi wouldn¡¯t care at all, but it was Momo¡¯s feelings she had to consider. There was a second reason. If Momo was somehow in the city when Servi began her attack, what if she died in the process? Servi just couldn¡¯t risk accidentally killing her best friend.


    Before long, Servi landed gracefully on top of a building. Even though she was six stories up, it didn¡¯t compare to the tremendously towering walls of New Arcton. It must¡¯ve cost a fortune to create those fifteen-story-high walls, and that pissed Servi off. A ludicrous amount of money went selfishly towards defense rather than offense.


    Ah, I see smoke, but I don¡¯t hear any screaming. I guess the team assigned to New Arcton didn¡¯t do that well of a job.


    She peeked over the edges and found four guards, two on each side of the gate. Putting a hand on the railing, she hopped over it and fell with a mighty thud. The dust below her boots scattered about, and she slowly walked towards the guards. Two of the guards drew swords while the other two held their hands out, preparing a skill.


    They seem too calm for having been through an attack. Is it possible Carmelo lied about the New Arcton team? It¡¯s starting to sound fishy. Or they might¡¯ve done their job too well without having to resort to mindless violence like we had to. In any case, it doesn¡¯t change a damn thing. I just have to do what I need to do.


    Servi stood still and leaned down low with a foot behind her like a star athlete would if they ran the 100-meter dash. Pushing off with every bit of strength, the ground behind her cracked and quaked from her strength as she shot forward. In the time it took to blink twice, four throats had been slit from behind.


    The bodies collapsed to the ground, still writhing in pain, and Servi finished them off with four quick thrusts to their hearts. Itarr absorbed the corpses while Servi ripped the gate off and absorbed it. She didn¡¯t even hide her footsteps as she walked through the twisty and tunnel-like path laced with red bricks. When she came to the office-like area with a desk and jail cells, she instantly took the lives of four more guards by throwing four daggers in rapid succession. The force behind the thrown weapons was enough to pin Servi¡¯s foes¡¯ heads to the walls behind them, and Servi trusted Itarr to do the clean-up.


    After ripping off the second gate, Servi walked through and realized the area in front of her was empty. Nobody sat at the numerous tables. And the various shops and buildings to both of her sides had been locked. The fancy fluorescent lighting they used had been switched off, and Servi felt like she was in a ghost town; it the perfect situation for her. With a single jump, she leapt from the ground to the nearest roof and ran across it. She hopped from building to building, landing with a heavy thump that threatened to break her footing until she came to her goal.


    Like I figured¡­ The smoke seems to come from a fire burning. Perhaps it¡¯s trash? I don¡¯t see anything even resembling ¡®chaos.¡¯ It seems that there wasn''t any intention... Carmelo only wanted one team-- us-- to die in battle. I suppose he had an inside path to the bank, but it doesn¡¯t concern me. Only¡ª


    ¡°SON OF A BITCH!¡± Servi yelled and interrupted her short internal monologue. The hundreds of guards that used to patrol the fortress-like building had disappeared. The powerful ballistas that used to stand guard were no more. Even the watch tower-like objects had been torn down and taken apart. Without all of the defenses, the place only looked like a tall building that happened to be beautiful. The long white walls were devoid of any kind of blemish that threatened to take away its luster.


    The info she had gained during her search proved to be true. The boss had been here, and she had missed them because she was too careful.


    ¡°What¡¯s that? Hey, are yo¡ª¡± Servi heard a voice coming from down below. It was a group of guards. The red flicker of a lantern about to die out briefly illuminated their faces, but Servi wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind to acknowledge useless information. She hopped over the roof¡¯s walls with her fist held up high and slammed it down onto the center guard¡¯s face. Like a fleshy pi?ata, his head exploded into a gory mess. Before the two flanking him could react, Servi held her arms out and gripped them by their jaws. She yanked down, ripping their chins clean off while using Telekinesis to apply downward pressure. Like a slinky, her enemies¡¯ bodies vertically shrunk, sending bone and blood exploding out until they were nothing but a thin, fleshy pancake.


    Once again, Servi told Itarr to handle the clean-up while racing to the large, imposing doors. Servi tried the handle, and it was unlocked. Fearing another bomb, she kicked the door open and rolled back. When nothing happened, she rushed forward and into the building.


    Its insides were most similar to a church. The floor was made out of marble tile polished to the highest degree, and long pews stood into two large groups off to the side and sandwiched a long red carpet that stretched from the furthest bench to the one closest to a gaudy golden-colored altar. To the left and right sat a few doors and a set of stairs that led to a balcony containing more pews. It didn¡¯t seem like the church had a second floor.


    Looking up, Servi felt a vague sense of vertigo. The distance between herself and the plain wooden roof felt like a gap she couldn¡¯t cross. Maybe she felt the vastness was reminiscent of the current trust between her and Momo?


    ¡°How fucking hilarious,¡± Servi sarcastically muttered as she looked straight ahead. ¡°He¡¯s been hiding in a goddamn church?!¡± Servi kicked the pew closest to her and sent it flying a good seventeen meters. It loudly crashed and broke when it landed on top of a second one.


    ¡°HE! WAS! SO! FUCKING! CLOSE!¡± With each word shouted, Servi kicked another pew. By the time she reached the altar, the entire left group of benches laid in disrepair. The beautiful mahogany wood used to create them had been broken into hundreds of pieces. The single chandelier up above held a large candelabra filled with lit candles, though the light they provided wasn¡¯t more than a small match. Almost like it was mirroring Servi¡¯s sanity, the candles were very close to dying out.


    Servi, there¡¯s a desk.


    Servi read her ID after it materialized and searched far and wide. She found one sitting near the very back of the church. She ran across the carpet, shattered the gaudy golden altar with an anger-fueled punch, and stopped a few short meters away from the desk. It matched the one in the base belonging to the 5th in every way.


    ¡°There¡¯s gotta be a fucking bomb in there. Itarr, remove it.¡±


    The Goddess did as her friend asked and confirmed that there was an object similar to the one they found earlier.


    ¡°What about the folder you said you found? What¡¯s inside it?¡±


    There¡¯s a letter and a second bomb inside it. It looks to be the exact same one as the one from the 5th base.


    ¡°That fucker is four for four for fucking bombs! Take it out, and let me read the letter inside.¡±


    Got it.


    A second later, a pristine letter appeared about half a meter in front of her. Servi reached forward, grabbed it, and used a tiny Lux Sphere to fill in for the light she needed to read its contents.


    ¡°Dearest Servi, I hope that you find this letter. I am the boss of the Mafia. If you are reading this letter, I am no longer inside the church. Maybe you know this, but the church was where I commanded the Mafia. I told everyone that it belonged to the 2nds, but that was only a lie. If you must know how I left without anyone finding out, there was a secret passageway in the prison quarters. Of course, I use the word ¡®was.¡¯ I will have it destroyed when we leave.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re wondering about Momo¡¯s whereabouts and safety. I¡¯m happy to say that she is doing fine. I was serious about the game, you know. Unfortunately, there was nothing in the rules that said I cannot move. Luckily for you, this new spot will be my final one. I sent a letter to a few bases with my general location. Unfortunately, finding me would be like finding a needle in a haystack. I am in the forest, and I don¡¯t feel shame in telling you because you probably know that if you¡¯ve made it this far.


    ¡°But it will be hard to find me. Lando is home to many forests, and although you might think it easy because I¡¯m somewhere around Arcton, it won¡¯t. I¡¯m absolutely sure you won¡¯t be able to find me.


    ¡°Ah, one more thing. I¡¯m sure your days have been filled with fright and terror over poor Momo¡¯s fate. I assure you she has received food and water every day. I will not harm a single hair on her head, and that is because of two reasons. One, she believes you to have run away like a pathetic Human would and believes you left her to die a lonely death. Humans are the enemy, and that is the truth. Momo''s first mistake was foolishly trusting a Human. Had you been born a Demi, I wouldn¡¯t have bothered going about this shitty game. You two would¡¯ve made it back to wherever you came from without a moment¡¯s worry, but I assume your home is Canary.


    ¡°Two, changing the location might¡¯ve been harsh, but there¡¯s not anything I can do because of what will happen on Saturday morning. I needed to be at the specific location I am heading to because I have work to accomplish. Your deadline is at 9 AM Saturday morning. If you do not make yourself known to me before then, I will kill Momo and devour her flesh. Her death will be the starting signal to lead the Mafia into its final act.


    ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t try to go to the guards with this letter. They are under my control, and they have orders to kill anyone who brings them a written message.


    ¡°To be frank, I have no idea why I am writing this. The chances of a pathetic Human finding the guts to enter an abandoned building in the exclusive area of New Arcton is already close to zero, yet for them to evade capture for multiple days just to find me? Perhaps the last remaining naivety in my body is making itself know? I know not the truth.


    ¡°Regardless, I¡¯ll end the letter by saying this: Servi, the girl with the black hair and red eyes, if you are somehow reading this, then know that I have sent word to the 5th and below to watch out for someone matching your appearance. But that¡¯s not all. I have given orders to every single observer in Arcton to find you. But don¡¯t take it to mean that they are aware of where I am at. They don¡¯t. Only the Numbered ranked 2nd and 1st know where I am because they are with me. One more thing, I told the 5th, 4th, and 3rd bases to alert the guards about you. If they spot you, you will die. They have orders to kill on sight.  Consider it an instant failure. Ah, yes... The guards do not know where I am at.


    ¡°I know not how you managed to escape The Berrycanta Inn under cover of that smoke, if you did, in fact, escape it, but it doesn¡¯t matter. Depending on when and if you find this letter, there¡¯s a chance you just missed me. I am penning this on Tuesday morning at 1:47 AM. We will leave here at 5 AM. Oh, here¡¯s something that should help you. Consider it a final hint.


    ¡°I have instructed my men to send up smoke on Saturday morning at 6 AM. Follow the smoke, and you¡¯ll come to my location. Of course, that''s assuming you find this letter after evading my warriors and then surviving long enough to even reach Saturday. Again, that is if you haven¡¯t already died a dog¡¯s death. Consider it a final gift...


    ¡°If you¡¯re reading this, I wonder how long it¡¯s been since we left. You¡¯re feeling so helpless, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯m sure you are.


    ¡°This letter is getting quite long, so I need to end it. I do hope you realize how this will end. If not, I will spell it out for you: you will die, and Momo will live. Then once she is free, I will capture her and kill her after you die. There is nothing but death awaiting you two at the end of your journeys. Everything I said and wrote down in this letter is factual. You have no reason to believe me, but whether or not you do is really of no concern to me. Feel free to fret and worry about Momo¡¯s fate, or cling to what little hope and hints I have provided for you. Will I see you on Saturday? Will I see you before then? The game will continue, but what will its conclusion be?


    ¡°Sincerely, the one who holds Momo¡¯s fate within his grasp.¡±


    Servi¡¯s ID wiggled and flew in front of her eyes. Itarr paid close attention to what Servi would do. A part of her believed she would explode in anger, and there would be nothing she could do.


    To the Goddess''s surprise, Servi did nothing of that. She simply absorbed the letter, walked over to a pew, and sat down. Her footsteps weakly echoed in the empty church. Putting her hands over her eyes, she leaned back and sighed.


    But Itarr should''ve known that Servi wouldn¡¯t take such information in a way that was calm and collected.


    ¡°I had him. I fucking had him. He was here. He was right fucking here. And this letter has to be real. He knew our names. She was here. She was right here. I¡­ I was so close. Why was I so fucking reserved? Why didn¡¯t I come back that night?! Why? Whywhywhywhywhywhy? WHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHY??!!!¡±


    Servi lifted her legs and stomped down as hard as she could. The marble tiling cracked into a thousand sharp pieces that flew every which way.


    ¡°I WAS RIGHT FUCKING HERE!!!! I COULD HAVE ENDED ALL OF THIS!!! FFFUUUCCCKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!! AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!¡± Servi screamed at everything and nothing. Suddenly, she rushed forward, fell, and punched the ground with her full strength. The whole building vibrated from her punch, but she didn¡¯t stop. She punched over and over again. Each time, she cursed herself for being weak and reserved for not acting on her urges. Itarr tried to stop Servi, but she smashed the ID when it came into her view.


    Servi may have had the power, but her bones were fundamentally Human. It couldn¡¯t handle her incredible strength without fracturing into a hundred pieces, but True Immortality was the perfect solution for her problem. In a way, the only problem came from the pain she felt from having her bones break, but that was something she could endure by masking it with her hatred.


    By the time she struck the ground twenty-six times and subsequently had her arm healed the same number of times, there was a hole that spanned the length of her arm from where she had punched. The shocks from Servi''s impacts sent vibrations through the foundation and up to the walls, which knocked off some of the paintings.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Servi stood up and stared at the hole she had made, ¡°The boss is in the forest with Momo. He has to be. The information in the letter matched up with what I learned. It wouldn¡¯t make any kind of sense if it turned out to be fake. He didn¡¯t even expect me to make it this far. Lying wouldn¡¯t accomplish anything.¡± Putting her hand to her chin, Servi walked towards the imposing doors made of thick mythril. It had been polished to a sheen and reinforced to the highest degree. Even a cannon would have trouble breaking through, much less a man with a simple hammer or sword.


    Contrary to what Itarr thought she would do, Servi opened it, walked through it, and closed it behind her. She looked to the left and right and saw nothing. Her screams and yells from moments before must¡¯ve been heard by someone, but maybe it wasn¡¯t worth investigating since most people didn¡¯t like to get near the building because of its prior history.


    With a thousand things on her mind, Servi picked a random direction and walked. She remained totally quiet, and Itarr was getting worried. She tried to say something via the ID, but Servi only grabbed it and tossed it to the ground.


    I guess you don¡¯t want to talk to anyone. I understand. I¡¯ll be quiet¡­


    Suddenly, she saw a group of people walking by way of candlelight and lanterns after turning a corner. Half wore lavish suits and dresses of the finest silk and cotton, while the other half had armor and weapons. They were nobles returning from a lavish party, accompanied by armed guards. The cheering and laughter... The giggling and carefree attitude while thousands of people were suffering on the opposite side of the walls... All of that angered Servi, and like a lightbulb going off, she had an epiphany.


    ¡°Itarr, I... I just realized something. I''m actually pretty fucking grateful to the boss... The deadline he gave me wasn¡¯t for finding Momo... It was a deadline that told me when I had to stop killing. Everyone in this fucking city is responsible for allowing the Mafia to take root. They¡¯re the ones at fault. They¡¯re the fucking cowards who gave up the fight!


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking at it all wrong! I need to kill the Mafia, that¡¯s for sure... But I can''t believe I¡¯ve been so fucking na?ve that I was afraid of innocents getting caught in the crossfire. What happened with the bank robbery was sad... I thought all those that died and couldn''t get away in time were just bastards in the wrong place at the wrong time. I had thought...they were innocent...


    "Innocent? Fuck that. There¡¯s not a single goddamn person in Arcton free of sin. You see what those fuckers are wearing?! If only they put more money into defense than luxuries, then maybe Arcton could have been a respectable fucking town. In my eyes, that¡¯s as good as rolling over and showing their belly. They don¡¯t have any fucking backbone!¡±


    Pulling out a nadrium warhammer, Servi ran towards the group. Her footsteps were loud and noticeable, and everyone turned to look at her. By the time she had swung her weapon and killed four people with a single blow, it was too late. Like a madwoman, Servi took complete advantage of the chaos she caused and indiscriminately swung every which way. Faces exploded into a crimson mist, bones cracked and shattered underneath the strength of a girl who had very little to lose, and the once peaceful streets of New Arcton became stained with red in a place that couldn¡¯t be hidden. Servi no longer had the intention of hiding the corpses.


    By the time her rampage had finished, two minutes had passed. The only survivor, a man with an imploded side and no arms, weakly cried out for help.  Servi responded by kicking him and raising her hammer. From his point-of-view, he had done nothing wrong. If fear and pain weren¡¯t paralyzing his heart, he wanted to ask his assailant the reason why he was about to die.


    As if Servi could read his mind, she answered his unspoken question. ¡°This is your punishment for not standing up to the Mafia. If you hadn¡¯t run away and formed this shitty little community, Arcton could¡¯ve been a city worth coming to. But no. You and the other fucking rich fucks had to be scared. Why couldn¡¯t you have hired the fucking Wind Zeppelins to take out the Mafia when they fucking showed up?! Why?! Why?!?!!? Why?!?!?! Why?! FUCKING WHY?! WHY DID YOU WANT THEM TO PROTECT YOUR FUCKING MONEY INSTEAD OF YOUR GODDAMN FREEDOM!?!?!?!?!¡±


    Servi lost herself in a bout of screeching before calming down. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. I have until Sunday morning to take revenge on every fucking person in both Arcton and New Arcton. Everybody is guilty, and I will be the one to deliver punishment.¡±


    Servi brought her arms down as hard as she could, and the man, who chose to run away and hide with his money instead of fighting for the town he grew up in, had died surrounded by fear. It was a far cry from how he wanted to go, but Servi didn¡¯t know that. Even if she did, Servi wouldn''t ever care to entertain her enemy''s dying wishes.


    ¡°Itarr,¡± Servi said.


    Yes?


    The girl with the bloody weapon watched as her red ID appeared from thin air. ¡°Starting from now, everyone in Arcton is an enemy. There is not a single person here that is deserving of life. No one. The people here are traitors who didn¡¯t even try to fight for freedom. When I say kill, we kill. It doesn¡¯t matter who it is. This whole fucking city is my goddamn playground until Saturday morning. If only I weren¡¯t so na?ve. Why the fuck was I SO GODDAMN NA?VE?! WHY WAS I SO FUCKING RESERVED?!?!?!?!?!? WHYWHYWHYWHYWHY!!!!!!¡±


    RuggyRuggy


    Good News and Bad News!


    Chapter Seven: 2 parts a week until it is done.


    Interlude After: It''s 3 parts, so I''ll stick with 2 parts a week.


    Chapter Eight and Nine: 12 parts total. I might just do 3 a week, so it only takes four weeks to get through it.


    Chapter Ten: 5 parts, but I''m going back to 2 parts a week for this.


    Interlude is after that, and that is 3 parts. 2 parts a week for this, too.


    After that? I haven''t gotten those parts edited, but I will do my best to release everything after that interlude at 3 times a week. If I can do it daily, then expect daily releases. But I won''t know for sure until I get to them.


    Speaking of Book Four, the outline is complete, and I am steadily making progress.


    I''ve started to feel some pain in my neck, upper back, and shoulders and it hurts a bit when I sit down at my computer. That doesn''t affect my writing because I write on my phone, but my editing is probably going to slow down a little bit. I can''t afford to go to the doctor, so I hope it is something I can treat with tylenol and one of those icy-hot bandages thingies. Everything up to part 3 of the interlude after Chapter Ten is scheduled, but I haven''t gotten around to editing Chapter Ten and beyond. That is on my to-do list. I''ll get to it when I can.


    Even if I have the parts to release, I won''t upload faster than what I said above because I like to have a somewhat large backlog for situations like this. I''m sure it''s nothing serious, but on the off chance it is, there is content to be released.

 Book Three – Chapter Seven – Part Five – Prelude to the Banquet

    Itarr remained quiet and carefully debated on how to respond.


    In a fit of rage that was most like her true self, Servi raised her warhammer to the sky and brought it down all the strength she mustered. The very asphalt ground split in two while a shockwave radiated out from the center. The nearby benches and small decorative trees collapsed and fell, but Servi wasn¡¯t done. After her arms healed themselves, she raised her weapon up high and did the same thing.


    Over and over and over and over. The damage Servi caused, while not especially major, had been loud enough to draw attention from a few guards who had the night duty.


    ¡°Hey, stop it! Wha¡ª¡± Out of the four there, one man bravely spoke. The lantern his partner carried shined upon a bloody girl wielding a weapon with two pulsing blue lines. The moon chose that moment to take refuge behind a passing cloud, and maybe that was a good thing. If it was obscured, it wouldn¡¯t be able to gaze upon the atrocities that were about to be committed.


    ¡°You¡¯re part of the problem,¡± Servi nonchalantly murmured as she swung her arm. The guard who spoke couldn¡¯t dodge in time, and the men behind him were covered in his fleshy substance. To Itarr¡¯s surprise, the three living guards didn¡¯t panic. She thought that they may be more trained since they assumed a formation and drew their weapons.


    Another swing at nearly inhuman speeds put an end to their lives. Even if they knew Instant Cast, it wouldn¡¯t have done a single thing. It took time for the brain to process sights and images and even more time to formulate a plan. Servi didn¡¯t have that worry, because when it came to her, Soul Essence of Primal Combat could do the thinking for her. It was a strange skill, and one she fully didn¡¯t understand, but she had a few hypotheses on it that she didn¡¯t share with Itarr.


    ¡°Ah, that feels good. You know what? I think I want to go all out! It¡¯s time! THE MAD DOG IS COMING OUT!¡± Cackling like a demonic clown, Servi dropped her heavy weapon onto the ground and formed a sharp point with her left hand. Bring it to her neck, she forced it down deep until she grasped her own cervical spine.


    A torrential amount of blood flowed from the hand-sized wound on her neck, and it never ended. Her physical hand prevented it from healing, and Itarr forced True Immortality to keep producing blood to keep Servi conscious.  A seemingly endless stream of crimson noisily swam down Servi''s body.


    SERVI, STOP! PLEASE, STOP IT! Itarr controlled Servi¡¯s ID and rammed it into her face. The sudden smack distracted her for only a moment, but it was enough for her to remove her hand. Her porcelain-like hand, now covered in her own blood, almost endlessly dripped as Servi suddenly ran. She picked enough speed, and when she jumped, soared through the sky for hundreds of meters. She landed on buildings, crashed into walls with her body, and eventually killed sixteen other people, who believed their only crimes were walking late at night and without a guard.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to kill everyone now. I can wait. Besides, it isn¡¯t time for the Mad Dog to show itself. I¡¯m saving that for the boss. I can¡¯t wait! I CAN¡¯T WAIT!!!¡± Servi monologued over the corpses of a wife and her husband. Four long slashes acted as windows into their bodies, but they had been obscured by thick blood. Absorbing her nadrium sword that dripped red, Servi took a seat in the nearby swing.


    The location she had found and killed them at happened to be a children¡¯s swing set surrounded by roses. With a couple of aesthetically pleasing designs, the twenty stone circles laid a gentle pathway over a small gravel path that led to the swing from the main road. A mini toy horse on a spring sat nearby, and it was popular amongst the children.


    Servi kicked off the ground and allowed gravity to push her down. The creeks and squeaks of the swing didn¡¯t match up with the overly expensive and luxurious atmosphere Servi received from New Arcton. Ignoring that, she pulled out the map she put together some time ago and settled on a destination.


    ¡°Tonight, we take out the bases belonging to the 4th and 3rd. After that, we go back to Deset and lie about what that fucking 5th did to us. We do the assassination missions. Depending on who I have to kill, I can probably get some more info.¡±


    What are we going to do after tomorrow? I know! Let¡¯s save Momo! Come on, Servi!!! Why can¡¯t we go save her?!?!?! Itarr controlled the ID as Servi swung back and forth. It always stayed the proper distance away from her face.


    ¡°We kill, and we take revenge. I¡¯ll find the guard hideout and wipe them all out. Oh, but we won¡¯t touch Deset and the other Non-Numbered bases until Friday night. Hell, if I leave them alive, then I have the chance to kill every single one of them at the meet-up location Saturday morning. Then, I¡¯ll save Momo. If I do that, then I can really go all out. But fuck it, I might kill them all earlier. It¡¯s too early to totally decide. The only thing I¡¯m sure of is that I¡¯m gonna have my fun in this shit hole of a town. Hell, maybe I should wipe out the Warden office. They''re also at fault for letting things go this far.¡± Servi answered Itarr, but she ignored the Goddess¡¯s most pressing question.


    But what about the quest?! If we aren¡¯t back in time, then wouldn¡¯t Claire sent someone from Canary? And Momo?! Let¡¯s find her!!!


    ¡°Fuck the quest. And fuck Warden. Fuck all of them who allowed the Mafia to spread like this. They say that the Gods were the ones who founded Warden, so if I launch a war against them, the Gods have to come down. Besides, who knows what kind of power I¡¯ll gain from killing them? Hahaha! I feel so free! EVERYBODY IS GOING TO FUCKING DIE!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! PASSIVE? ME FUCKING PASSIVE AND RESERVED? I¡¯LL SHOW THE GODDAMN WORLD WHO¡¯S FUCKING PASSIVE!!!!!¡± Laughing, Servi kicked forward a final time, using all of her strength, and soared across the sky with the swing set in tow.


    The wind rushed through her black hair and blood-stained face when she managed to stand up on her seat. She kicked off when it started to descend and flew through the air. Using Feather Fall, Servi slowed down enough until she kicked off a tall chimney. For the next minute or so, Servi jumped and soared across the sky until she came to the wall separating Arcton from New Arcton.


    Her first instinct was to destroy it, and as she started the process to create 100 Greater Fireballs, Itarr assured her that destroying the wall wouldn¡¯t be the right way to go about her goal.


    If you burn the wall down and panic ensures, wouldn¡¯t the boss know something was wrong? He has to have eyes on this place! If you do too much, then it¡¯s going to get back to him! LET¡¯S GO!!!! LET''S SAVE MOMO!!! Itarr did her very best to manipulate Servi by the power of words, and it paled in comparison to when Itarr had a mental grasp on Servi.


    But it worked, somewhat, and that prompted an impossible sigh of relief from the Goddess that was only wasted moments later.


    ¡°Shit, you¡¯re right.¡± Servi, once again, ignored the main subject. Instead, she canceled the skills and crouched down. Kicking off, Servi soared up high over the tremendous barrier. The roof she leapt from crumbled and broke, but it wasn¡¯t her problem. Landing ever-so-gracefully, Servi took out the map. She had a beautiful view of the horizon and crossed-reference what she saw with what was on the map.


    ¡°Got it! That tall clock tower is right beside the 4th base.¡± Absorbing the map, Servi took a few steps back and crouched down. Kicking off with all she had, she sent shockwaves through the two-meter-thick concrete wall and launched like a strike of lightning.


    If someone were to look up, they would have seen an awe-inspiring sight that was incredible for the wrong reasons. The moon had found its courage and appeared from behind the cloud, and Servi¡¯s silhouette was totally illuminated by the celestial body.


    It had given the girl permission to kill, or so she thought, and she wasn¡¯t going to let it down.


    The hunt was on, and her prey didn¡¯t have any idea what true terror was until they stared into a set of red eyes that would rival the hottest fire and coldest blood.


    The storeroom was as bright as the sun and as colorful as a rainbow, with stacks upon stacks of wooden boxes and barrels containing hundreds and thousands of Monotonia in different colors helplessly laid in front of a girl. In her right hand, she held the disembodied head of Marcyoni, an elderly Singi who had the number ¡®4¡¯ tattooed on the inside of her lip. In Servi¡¯s left hand, she had the only remaining 4th in the base on the verge of life and death.


    Behind her, through the two steel vault doors and scattered about the one giant interconnected area that made up the 4th base, sprawled 883 corpses. Out of that, 880 were wearing orange jumpsuits. Servi¡¯s demonic way of fighting had sundered limb from limb and flesh from flesh. The silent death cries of those who felt no pain put a damper on the mood, and that irritation only fueled her brutality even more. Her vision narrowed as her ears only picked up the immortal beating of her heart.


    Truly, her fury was such that even hell itself might tremble.


    ¡°I certainly didn¡¯t expect to find this behind that door. I guess you didn¡¯t expect me to punch my way through, did you?¡± Servi tossed her hostage behind her. He flew through the air and landed with a heavy thud that sent splatters of blood up. He continued to slide until his head conked the steel door used to guard the Monotonia storage room.


    After Servi killed everyone and left the sole survivor, Redoi, she walked through the growing pool of blood and ripped the door off its metal hinges.


    ¡°Please, why are you doing this?!¡± her captive said at the time. Servi told him that it was for revenge. Under the guise of anxiousness, Redoi, the survivor, used his own Telekinesis skill to send a sharp bone through Servi¡¯s helmet.  It had enough force to blast a small hole in her head, but she didn¡¯t die. With a simple grin, she turned to her attacker and tossed the 3,000-kilogram door at him. He tried to dodge, but Servi locked him in place with Telekinesis, and the heavy object crushed approximately half of his body. Servi had no idea how he didn¡¯t die in the short 30 seconds it took for her to push the door off and heal him, but she was thankful he was alive.


    In the time it took for Servi to rip off the second door and tear Marcyoni¡¯s head from her elderly body, Redoi felt what it was like to have his arms utterly yanked from their sockets and smashed into his legs. White bone was shoved down his throat and forced him to choke on his own spit and vomit. He thought he would have some relief when he felt himself slide across the ground until Servi gripped his arms, but that hope turned into despair.


    After she tossed him against the wall when she discovered the Monotonia stash, he did his best to speak a word of protest.


    Servi interrupted him by summoning a wall of pure lava. It started off tiny, no bigger than a brick, but by the time it grew to engulf half the room in a hellish heat, his consciousness left him. But that wasn¡¯t the only thing that abandoned him. Under the guise of a deep orange that almost matched her eyes, Servi scoffed at the pathetic piece of shit and walked out. The stone ceiling probably couldn¡¯t handle the lava, but its creator took that into account when she used the skill. But on the off chance that the heat would weaken the walls and ceilings and caused the roof to collapse, it still wouldn¡¯t have any harmful effects on Servi¡¯s ultimate goal. The lava would¡¯ve burnt everything, like the blood, bone, and the entire stash of Monotonia, into something that couldn¡¯t be traceable.


    Servi, was that the right call?


    ¡°Taking some of the Monotonia? I¡¯m gonna shove that shit down the boss¡¯s throat. I¡¯ll see how he likes overdosing on it.¡±


    No, the fire. Itarr wrote.  After thinking for a second, she asked about Momo for the umpteenth time and was promptly ignored.


    ¡°Yeah, it was. Servi said as she walked up the only ramp located past the only opening she found. The 4th base was unlike any she had encountered before. It only consisted of a ramp that descended down into a large empty room filled with hundreds of Suits. And at the end of that room were the two steel doors Servi had ripped off. She continued speaking to Itarr. ¡°They had the numbers on their bodies, and they had to die. Everyone had to die. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d find the source of Monotonia¡ªno, that¡¯s wrong. I didn¡¯t find the production area. I only found the storage facility. But this had to be the base. I know it¡¯s the base.¡±


    As Servi reached about the halfway point up the ramp, she stopped and turned around. The lava, which was just a few short centimeters away from burning the roof, disappeared out of sight. And although Servi couldn¡¯t see it happen, she knew it was gone because the orange glow had vanished.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine. That¡¯s the last of Monotonia, for a while at least. I don¡¯t know how much effort goes into making it, but I¡¯m sure that that set them back a few weeks, maybe even a month. But it¡¯s not like I¡¯m gonna let them stay alive to see the fallout of losing their entire stash. Itarr.¡±


    Yes?


    ¡°I already know where the 3rd base is. We actually passed by it when I was jumping from roof to roof. But I need you to fill in the path behind me with Metal Wall. When you do it, smooth it out until it looks like a ramp that leads to nowhere.¡±


    I¡¯ll get it done. Itarr wrote. Though the power of words was awe-inspiring in a way, it had a vital weakness.


    Emotion.


    For someone like Itarr, it was impossible to get her tone across when she was limited to written words. In a way, that was a weird blessing because she didn¡¯t how or what kind of tone her voice would take. And if it somehow came across wrong, then she didn¡¯t know how Servi would react.


    And as she summoned a stray shield to use as the base for the Metal Wall she had been commanded to construct, she spoke to herself. The conversation she had was one she desperately needed to have with Servi, but it had the power to fracture everything.


    Words were powerful in the right hands, and they were downright destructive in nature when used by the wrong person.


    A lone girl dressed in armor stood at the entrance to an underground cellar. According to the map floating in front of her, it belonged to the 3rd base, and as Servi soared from roof to roof a few short minutes ago, she commanded Itarr to organize whatever new skills she had gained since her attack began.


    Out of the ones she listed, Servi reacted most to a particular skill called Niadiabola. From Niadiabola''s description, it created a volatile red cloud that discharged lightning infused with the power of fire. She figured that the perfect place to test such an area-of-effect skill would be on her mortal enemies.


    And that was what she did.


    After she ripped off the two wooden doors that did a terrible job of hiding the base, four white jumpsuits-wearing Suits with blank and devoid faces rushed out with weapons. Servi did a small hop backwards and felt something large penetrate her back. The tall buildings camouflaged the little hidden alley with the cellar, and she should''ve known there would be lookouts.


    ¡°Bad luck for you, eh?¡± Servi laughed as she used Niadiabola for the first time. Red clouds, thicker than cotton, suffocated her as they appeared from nowhere. The knife in her chest violently shook from the charged particles in the air. The Suits couldn¡¯t feel fear, nor could they even think for themselves. They could do nothing but feel the fire-infused lightning scorch the very flesh and bone from their bodies, but they weren¡¯t the only ones.


    Niadiabola was a skill that, metaphorically, only had an on and off switch. Once it was used, it grew at a rapid rate by siphoning the user¡¯s Skill Energy. If it had the resources needed to sustain itself then it would grow without limits. It also wasn¡¯t one meant to be used near ground level. The red clouds it created sucked all of the oxygen out of the air surrounding it and used it as fuel to further increase the power of its fiery lightning strikes.


    Servi had died the instant the skill activated. And during the time it took for her body to regrow itself from literal ash, Niadiabola had ravished the small alley in a baptismal wave of fire and lightning. The cracks of thunder so close to the ground broke countless amounts of windows in a 200-meter radius, and no doubt many people went deaf. It was a skill that, on a surface level, only had one use, but that couldn¡¯t have been further from the truth.


    Some argued that it was more destructive than the Rank 1 skill Fulgur Spike, and that was true in a way. It took less Skill Energy to use in the first place, and there was no need to charge it up with lightning skill. The downside was that it took a tremendous amount of Skill Energy to sustain it. And only those who truly devoted themselves to Niadiabola could optimize and harness its true power.


    Within literal seconds, it posed a real threat to the entire population of Arcton. Servi regenerated Skill Energy faster than Niadiabola drained it, and it was a real possibility, if she wanted it to, to literally ravage the planet with a single skill. The only reason it never grew that far was Itarr. She made an executive decision to cut the technique off when Servi regenerated. The orange fire illuminated the alley and her naked body. Giant sections of the building surrounding her had been struck and exploded, and the fire traveled up and around.


    Every building within a 10-block radius of her had caught fire. In a panic, Itarr asked to take care of it, but Servi replied that a fire to cleanse the sinful Arcton was what she wanted.


    ¡°If they want to survive, then let them take care of it. Besides, it doesn¡¯t have a connection to me. It¡¯ll die down soon. But man, this skill is something else!¡± Servi exclaimed. She threw her hands out as if to reinforce her point. ¡°It¡¯s death incarnate! Hahahaha!!¡±


    Servi¡¯s joyous laughter was something inappropriate for the current situation. Hundreds of pained screams echoed around her as Niadiabola¡¯s remnants had the energy to spare. They would die out in a few minutes, but until then, they were mindless beasts who had no ability to anything but destroy.


    ¡°Imagine how painful it¡¯d be to die by it! If only I could weaken the power, but I don¡¯t think I can. But fuck it, let¡¯s put it to the ultimate test!¡± Servi clothed herself in another set of armor that hid her face and descended the stairs, but she immediately stopped when fifteen Suits rushed up the stairs. She knew what she had done couldn¡¯t have gone unnoticed, but there wasn¡¯t anything wrong with it. No, it was good they did that because it gave her an excellent idea.


    Servi literally threw herself down the stairs. The weight of the armor and the speed she gained from gravity¡¯s delightful assistance transformed her into a Human-shaped wrecking ball.


    She couldn¡¯t make it to the ground and had to settle for rolling down the stairs. The Suits fell with her, and the majority of them died from the backs of their heads smashing into the grungy concrete steps. The stairwell wasn¡¯t that wide, either, maybe large enough for two men and a child to walk side-by-side, but that was it. The chances of them coming out unscathed were zero.


    But when Servi finally made it to the bottom after tumbling down, she realized there were no lights. The dark, stony corridor was pitch black, but she knew people were waiting at the ready because her ears picked up the sound of footsteps. They were approaching her, and Servi looked up the stairs. Niadiabola was still burning, but the orange glowed was dying down.


    RuggyRuggy


    Next part is the last for this chapter, but is the longest by far at 5.2k words. I didn''t want to split it up.


    UPDATE!!!!


    After Chapter Ten, there is a 3 part interlude. After that, there are 21 parts left until Book Three is done, and that consists of Chapter Eleven, Chapter Twelve, and an Epilogue. That''s like 80k words JUST AFTER THAT INTERLUDE!!! Serious, Chapter Eleven is 45k words by itself.


    I mean, I can do 21 days of daily uploading, but I think that might be extremely overwhelming for some people since it''s almost a straight month of daily content. There is a poll, so vote to have your voice heard.


    Keep in mind the poll is for the FINAL 21 parts-- AKA: Everything after Chapter 10 and the interlude that follows it!!!

 Book Three – Chapter Seven – Part Six – Prelude to the Banquet

    After looking up at the dying light, Servi jumped to her feet and raced up the stairs she had thrown herself down. Behind her, the reinforcements reached their fallen comrades, and they didn¡¯t show any bit of emotion. Monotonia was the poison that rotted their brains, and they would only receive orders from the one who gave them the poison they desperately needed to survive. And if those commands didn¡¯t include something as simple as helping their fellow Suits if they sustained any injuries, then absolutely nothing would happen.


    And that was what happened. Servi didn¡¯t know how they saw in the pitch darkness, but she did see them step on and over their fellow Suits like a pack of wild animals as they raced up the stairs. They all had sharp weapons in their hands, and as they prepared to throw them at the intruder, but a solid wall of metal appeared. One Suit, the one further ahead, was caught by the ascending wall and died being crushed between the ceiling and walls.


    Blood dripped down the walls while Servi heard her enemies do all in their power to destroy the wall of metal. Their orders were to eliminate any enemies who dared to bring harm to their masters, and come hell or high water, they were brainwashed to do it. Using a Nadrium sword, Servi punctured a tiny little hole near the bottom of the wall.


    ¡°What better place to test out the power than in a place that¡¯s closed up? Niadiabola, I want you to do your worst,¡± Servi stuck her hand near the hole and used the hellish skill. A thick, red cloud was forced within the opening, shooting out like a pressurized pipe that had just come unclogged. Immediately, Servi heard bodies drop to the floor as Niadiabola began to feed on whatever oxygen was inside.


    Then it felt like the entire world was struck by an earthquake. The fire-lightning raged on unscathed. The powerful strikes torched and set fire to everything, even the stone walls, and it was so loud that the ground shook with every crack of lightning. Servi plugged the hole with her hand, laughing as she sat down.


    ¡°Just think. If I remove my hand, then Niadiabola would come out and bring hell to Arcton. The massacre won¡¯t be confined any longer. I wonder what¡¯ll happen if I let it take revenge for me? How many would die? It''d be worth it, but hell, the lightning might reach the forest and kill Momo. As much as I want total devastation, I can¡¯t risk Momo to something out of my control? Wait, if I act all fucking reserved after I said I wasn¡¯t, then aren¡¯t I a hypocrite?¡±


    Servi, if you move your hand, there¡¯s a chance Momo will die! Niadiabola doesn¡¯t discern from friend or foe! Please, don¡¯t risk it!


    "Hypocrite... HYPOCRITE!?!?!?!?!?" Servi shouted. Her head started to hurt for a hasty second, then the pain disappeared.


    Itarr remained silent and stayed still while the lightning ferociously liquified every living thing it touched.


    About ten minutes later, the first Niadiabola had finally vaporized out of existence, and the crimson glow had died down. She turned her head from the Metal Wall to the outside, straining her ears for any sign of life. She saw that the city was still on fire. The tall buildings surrounding the alley she was in were only half their original size, and the ground shook as chunks of metal and stone fell down to the ground. A part of her wanted Arcton to have been completely burned, but that wasn''t the case. A desperate scream a few seconds later meant that life was still thriving.


    Servi guessed it had been long enough, and she cut off the connection to the second Niadiabola, which was inside the hole. At the same time, she removed her hand from the opening and repaired it with Metal Wall. After waiting for another ten minutes, she heard no more lightning and correctly assumed it had stopped. With no oxygen and Skill Energy, the skill had no choice but to die with a whimper. But even as it died out, it had killed a tremendous amount of people, and Servi¡¯s eyes filled with red orbs as they swarmed her.


    ¡°How many?¡± she said as she smashed through the Metal Wall.


    751.


    Servi read her ID and walked down the rest of the stairs. A large portion of the stone used to construct the walls and ceilings had melted and covered what remained in a sickening goop. The smell was horrendous, something that shouldn¡¯t have been possible, but Servi didn¡¯t have to worry about it.


    Since it was dark, Servi used Lux Sphere to give herself a small ball of light that acted as a flashlight. The hallway was long and straight, almost like the 5th base''s corridor, but she didn¡¯t see any doors. With nothing else to do, she started to walk. Servi passed by piles of ashes and half-melted weapons. That was her reward and consequence of using such a horrible skill, but Servi only smiled. If she used Niadiabola to its utmost potential, there wouldn¡¯t be anything she couldn¡¯t kill.


    Once she reached the end of the hallway, she found a single door. It was metal, but the middle of it had a large opening. Lightning must¡¯ve struck it. Servi formed a fist, punched it off of its hinges, and stepped through.


    ¡°Ah, here it is,¡± she muttered. ¡°I guess the 3rd base was a nice mixture of the 5th and 4th.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know what it looked like before Niadiabola did its devilish work, but it looked like a slice of hell. In terms of size, the 4th base, while similar, didn¡¯t compare.  The ceiling was so high above Servi that she felt like a Dwarf in a crater. If Servi didn¡¯t have Lux Sphere, then it¡¯d be totally dark, and she wouldn¡¯t have been able to see something that nearly disgusted her.


    Spared from Niadiabola¡¯s more destructive tendencies, a large wooden and stone platform rested nearby. It spanned the length of the room, and it came up about five meters. The rocky stairs used to ascend the stage-like platform had been lost in the attack, but covering such a distance was child¡¯s play to Servi. With a quick hop, she soared across the empty room and scouted about. She saw ash¡ªremains from the burnt corpses, but that wasn''t all.


    They were rare, but she saw small iron tools covered with red blood. She wondered what they were used for, but she didn¡¯t know that she would get an answer sooner than she thought. The platform she landed on wasn¡¯t a platform¡ªit was a large feeding trough. It was hollowed out, and although there was a red liquid similar to blood filling it up, there was something else to it.


    Corpses.


    Corpses floated around the trough like ducks at a lake, and Servi perceived that it was blood. Pushing Lux Sphere to its limits, the whole area lit up. It was only then she got a clear look at what she had to deal with. It wasn¡¯t just one feeding trough-like object: there were five. And scattered about the large room like bugs were corpses that Niadiabola had inevitably missed, but they weren¡¯t Demi-Human corpses. No, they were far too tiny and underdeveloped. She couldn''t tell the genders, but it didn¡¯t matter because Servi discovered the Suits'' food source.


    Babies.


    She didn¡¯t think the whole situation could get any more disturbing, but it did. It was nearly impossible to feed such a large army that had to stay hidden, but if they resorted to cannibalism, then it would¡¯ve worked. And since the Suits were totally controlled by the manipulative powers of the Monotonia, they only needed the bare minimum. A single child could probably feed two or three, and in a place like Arcton where the booze and sex flowed free, unwanted children were a dime a dozen. And that even didn¡¯t take into account the people that died every day. When she thought about it, there couldn¡¯t be a better food source. The Suits couldn¡¯t care if dinner was a pig roasted for hours on end or the arm of a toddler who died from malnourishment. They only needed the bare minimum of nourishment, and that was it.


    To sate her morbid curiosity, Servi dashed from feeding trough to feeding trough and checked out what was inside. And as she expected, all were filled with blood. There were some corpses-- mainly children, but some adults. And chunks of meat floated around like it was a crimson soup.


    Itarr wanted to vomit, but she didn¡¯t have the body to do so. It was so revolting and disgusting that there was someone who decided on this course of action. She was so thankful Servi hopped down off the trough and walked towards the giant metal doors at the back. They were the only things that could even be considered ¡®pristine,¡¯ but there were still fifteen or twenty scorched black soot marks from where Niadiabola had been defeated. It was the only thing that had withstood its destructive power.


    Servi heard a loud screeching, like two rusty gears grinding together, and as the doors ascended upward, speckles of light appeared. Evidentially, the room had its own light source. Shutting off Lux Sphere, Servi dashed with her full speed under the ever-decreasing cover of darkness while retrieving a sword. She tossed it in front of her. As it slid across the floor, the scraping noise it produced was drowned out by the metal door¡¯s grinding gears.


    The moment her thrown weapon slid under the barely raised door, Servi used Metal Wall and forced the door open at speed it wasn¡¯t designed for. The gears instantly broke, and the whole opening system fell apart. But now that it was wide open, Servi saw the final targets she would kill for the night.


    All three were stumpy Dwarves with bloody aprons. Their eyes were foggy and whitened, and they each held a different bloody weapon. Behind them laid a complex machine whose sole purpose was to take in corpses and eviscerate them into a fine liquid via many bladed weapons. The supply mechanism was a flat pitchfork that stabbed into a glass holding cell filled with terrified people. Even as the conscious ones cried out for help and banged against the glass, their desperation wouldn¡¯t ever reach Servi. In a way, the horrible scene reminded the calm girl with black hair of the disgusting hole she destroyed in Deset. A part of her wondered if this place would be their final destination if she never interfered.  Was it possible that Deset''s hole was just a place to collect food in the form of people, and they would then be delivered to this location for further processing?


    Did it really matter to Servi?


    The glass holding cell was soundproofed by using technology imported from Westera. The poor bastards inside could scream and shout for eons, but their voices wouldn¡¯t ever be heard again unless someone rescued them or the glass eroded. But the chances of that happening were close to none. One: because of its design, the holding cell had no airflow. Whenever a new batch of feed was delivered, the glass prison was open just long enough to add people. Two: because of that, death was a certainty. It would be either by eviscerations or suffocation, but dying a frightening death was assured. Three: the glass was heavily reinforced, and not even a team of Kobolds could break its hold. Time would eventually decompose, but that was a long-term solution, meaning it would take tens of thousands of years. Even an Elf would die before then.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Wait, blood?¡± the Dwarf on the right spoke as he sniffed the air.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re blind. Ahh... that''s such a shame. I wanted you to see what I did. But I guess it doesn¡¯t matter in the long run." Speaking in a calm voice that didn¡¯t befit the situation, Servi calmly pulled a sword from her ring and carefully pressed it into the rightmost Dwarf¡¯s throat. The ones in the left and middle reacted violently and shouted Greater Lightning Bolt. Two yellow orbs appeared overhead and formed into one as a flash of light illuminated nearly everything.


    Servi heard a sharp crackle, and her body was blown to smithereens.


    ¡°Huh,¡± Servi said as her body regenerated, ¡°skills can combine like that? That¡¯s good to know. I guess this wasn¡¯t a waste of time. But you know, if you can¡¯t see, then I can¡¯t really get my revenge.¡± Stark naked, Servi turned around and snapped her fingers right when the two Dwarves shouted. The Lava Wall Servi used appeared about midway up the Dwarves¡¯ feet. Their ankles melted almost instantly, and their bodies followed suit a moment later.


    Itarr hastily asked about the people trapped in the glass cube as Servi walked away.


    ¡°Fuck em. If those bastards were weak enough to get captured, they should''ve done more to fight off the Mafia. They¡¯re enemies. They¡¯re all fucking enemies. Be thankful I''m letting them die without being turned into food.¡± When Servi had reached the exit to the large room, she turned around. Thanks to one of the properties of the Wall-type skills, it was possible to set a shape for it. Because of that, the Lava Wall only enveloped the room behind the large doors that opened upwards. The odd machine had been baptized by divine lava originating from a girl who shared her soul with a Goddess.


    Itarr cried as she imagined the pain and sorrow the people inside the holding cell felt. She knew Servi believed that they deserved it, but Itarr didn¡¯t think that. The countless murders she saw and aided had started to crack away at her feelings. Itarr wasn¡¯t an emotionless Goddess-- not anymore.  She could cry and laugh, she could feel sadness and happiness, and even how to feel fear and hopelessness. She wanted Servi to make a beeline for the forest. The quicker she saved Momo, the faster the three of them could leave the rotten city.


    But while Servi wanted to save Momo, she desired revenge even more. She couldn¡¯t contemplate the Boss breaking the rules of the game he set up, and since he gave a deadline and even offered her a way to find him via the smoke signal, she was going to take full advantage of the time left to kill her true enemies.


    It was the oddest thing, but Servi felt she could trust Sakdu to keep his word. When pressed to ask why, Servi would respond in hundreds of different ways. Was it because she wanted to believe¡ªtrust¡ªin him? Was it possible the growing urge to commit mass murder had gone out of control? Was the so-called ¡®Mad Dog¡¯ behind her controversial feelings? Whatever it was, and the reason would change each time Servi was asked the question, Itarr wasn¡¯t a fan of it at all. She hated it.


    The people of Arcton were at fault for letting everything happens the way it did. At least, that was what Servi thought. And as she made her way down the long hallway and up the stairs that led to the cellar entrance, the Lava Wall she created had its restrictions lifted. With no boundaries, it spread like crazy, melting even the hardest metals in seconds while devouring everything. The feeding troughs burned without a single bit of blood or stone remaining. It grew like a wildfire and threatened to swallow its creator''s ankles.


    But before it did, it sizzled out of existence with a passive whimper. The intoxicating heat rushed out of the only exit, but before it could burn Servi to a crisp, she dropped a spare sword and used Metal Wall to form an air-tight seal.


    Once she reached the top, she found herself in the middle of a group of frightened people. Servi looked at the six of them and correctly guessed that they suffered from the first Niadiabola. Two of them were missing arms, but all suffered from deadly burns. Servi didn¡¯t know how they were alive. She thought it possible that they were looking for an out-of-the-way place to die.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, then I¡¯ll grant it,¡± she spoke in a cold voice as six weapons appeared from her ring. The six weapons drilled down into their heads, spinning like a cyclone. It was a silent massacre. No one screamed for mercy or help, and it was over a second after it happened.


    Standing alone in an alley filled with the stench of death, Servi chuckled and crouched down. Kicking off with everything she had, she flew higher than ever before. Nearly the entire town was in her sight, and thanks to Feather Fall, she could stay airborne for minutes on end.


    ¡°One of these days, I¡¯ll swear I¡¯ll touch you,¡± Servi muttered as she closed her eyes. Her sight had been on the moon, but it was still so far out of her reach that she couldn¡¯t joke about it. Instead, the black-haired red-eyed simply smiled and allowed gravity to take over her Feather Fall-affected body. Her black hair lightly danced around as she floated to the ground. The sickening crimson under her feet alerted her to the fact that she was naked.


    She fixed that with a quick snap and crouched down again. Her destination wasn¡¯t the moon or sky, but it was the building close by.


    Where are we going?


    ¡°Back to Deset,¡± Servi read the words off of her ID as she gently landed on the roof. ¡°Oh, I gotta do something. Hey, I need to injure myself again, so don¡¯t heal me.¡±


    Okay, I won¡¯t. Though Itarr agreed, the Goddess didn¡¯t like the plan. She desperately wanted this nightmare to end, but she wasn¡¯t in control anymore. There was nothing she could do. Like a helpless passenger, Itarr was just along for the ride. The indifferent look on her beloved¡¯s face as she ripped out an eye and carved her own scalp shook Itarr to the core. She once wondered about Servi¡¯s past, but now she didn¡¯t want to know.


    She believed whatever happened in the past that shaped Servi as a whole was better off being lost to the depths of her mind. Other than having the same body, voice, and goals, the two Servis felt like different people. One enjoyed killing all that stood in her way without a second thought, while the other believed in the good buried deep within people.


    Itarr desperately yearned for the Servi that reconciled with Fisher. She wished with all of her divine heart that the Servi who agreed to fund the orphanage was the real Servi.


    If we can''t find Momo and...and...and fix this... I''m scared of what''s going to happen... If I didn¡¯t say anything, I¡¯m sure¡ªno, I know Servi would¡¯ve allowed Niadiabola to devour the town! Servi, please, come back to me! Why won¡¯t you go rescue Momo?!?!


    After fusing the wig to her head via healing, splitting her skin to attach her eye patch, and pushing the colored-glass into her eye, Servi changed into a protective set of leather armor. It wasn¡¯t the same one she had on when she left with that 5th, but it was similar enough.


    ¡°Maybe I should make a quick stop by Dal¡¯s house. Isn¡¯t that his name? The one Old Man and I went and extorted money from? I¡¯m sure he helped the Mafia, so I might as well kill him.¡±


    I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve already left by now. Servi, there¡¯s no use in going to do that. Itarr wrote. The letters appeared suspiciously quickly, almost as if Itarr was trying to change Servi¡¯s mind by the power of words.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Dal''s wife and children are probably gone. But if I see him, I¡¯ll slaughter him. And that goes for his fucking wife and her two brats. Why should... Why... Enemies... They¡¯re all my enemies...¡± Servi¡¯s words were cold, cryptic, and harsh, and Itarr felt chills run through her immaterial body.


    Racing through over the rooftops, Servi eventually landed a few blocks away from Deset. She rounded the corner, nodded to the two who stood guard and made her way through Deset until she reached the door to her room.


    As she expected, Old Man was fast asleep, but he was alert. He didn¡¯t fully trust Servi or Carrie, and Servi believed there was nothing wrong with that. She still didn¡¯t know why he told her his life story. Staring for but a moment, she walked over to the only other door and opened it.


    Glancing to the bed, Servi saw Carrie. Spread out like an eagle, she was bare naked. Her nipples were slightly erect from the chilly breeze that somehow invaded Deset. At first glance, Servi thought she was awake. However, her closed eyes and rhythmically moving chest proved otherwise. Carrie likely fell asleep while waiting, but Servi wasn¡¯t going to take any chances in the off chance she woke up in the middle of the night.


    ¡°If you think I¡¯m gonna fuck you, you got another thing coming. Itarr, fill the room with the sleeping gas. I¡¯m gonna go sit down and think about shit for a few hours.¡±


    Servi noticed her ID didn¡¯t buzz or vibrate. But as long as the gas appeared, she was fine. Servi took a seat against Carrie''s clothing and hugged her knees close to her chest. Her single blue eye stared motionlessly at the wall ahead of her.


    A red stone tablet appeared, and Itarr asked the weighty question once more. Servi... Why can¡¯t we go save Momo? Why...?


    ¡°Because the town and Mafia have to suffer. How can I face her if the ones behind her disappearance are still breathing? Yes, I could go ahead and wipe out the bases, but I want them to feel fear. I want them to feel the dread that their life could be taken if I chose to act. Besides, Momo¡¯s a strong girl. She¡¯s strong... She has to be strong... She will be strong...¡±


    Momo¡¯s scared! Why don¡¯t we save her? Then we can destroy the town later!!!


    ¡°She¡¯s strong. She doesn¡¯t need to be scared. If she can hold out a few more days, I¡¯ll be right there to rescue her. That¡¯s all. Trust in her strength like I do.¡±


    But the Mafia! How can you trust the boss¡¯s words?!


    ¡°His words. I¡¯m a killer¡ª through and through¡ªand so is he. He won¡¯t physically harm her.¡±


    How is that trust?!


    ¡°Because he¡ª?


    But how can you tell?! Please, let¡¯s just save Momo! SERVY!! LET¡¯S GO!!! Do you not care what happens to your best friend?! SUCK IT UP, AND LET¡¯S GO RESCUE HER!!!!! SERVI¡ª


    ¡°Shut the fuck up, and fucking LISTEN TO ME!!!¡± Servi slammed her ID down on the ground, breaking it and her hand. ¡°YOU SHITTY GODDESS!!!!!! MOMO¡¯S GOING TO BE FUCKING FINE!!! THEY HAVE TO DIE FIRST!!! I HAVE TO FUCKING SLAUGHTER THEM ALL!!! AAAHAHAHAGAAAAAAHGHSHAHAAAA!!!!!!!!!!¡± Servi''s unearthly screams exploded out of her mouth. She gripped her head with her left and used her right index finger to burrow a hole into her neck. ¡°LET ME FUCKING TAKE IT OFF!!!! TAKE IT THE FUCK OFF!!!!!!! LETMEKILLTHEMLETMEKILLTHEMLETMEKILLTHEM!!!!!!!¡±


    Blood flowed in a new stream for a few seconds until Itarr had healed the wound. By that time, Servi had gone off the deep end and bashed her skull against the floor. Each slam sent chunks of skin, bone, and flesh sprawling about, but the pain did nothing to end Servi¡¯s torment.


    Itarr panicked and didn¡¯t know what to do. She had lost total control over Servi, and now the Goddess was simply an observer.


    The distraught Human suddenly ceased her erratic self-harm and stood up. She robotically walked to the wall and sat down. Itarr attempted to say something¡ªanything¡ªto her beloved friend, but any attempts at communication were met with near silence. It was only when the Goddess had cleaned up the blood Servi had spilt from her own neck did Servi speak.


    ¡°They have to die¡­ My enemies have to¡­ I need to see them slaughtered¡­ Why else would I not kill them if I don¡¯t want revenge¡­ Revenge¡­ Revenge¡­ Wait¡­ Make them think it¡¯s not coming, then strike¡­ Leave no one alive¡­ Tear their heads... Rip off arms... Cleave them in half... Kill them all... Make them die... Die... They all have to die...Mosie¡¯s strong. Stronger than me. She¡¯ll¡­ She¡¯ll be okay¡­ I know it¡­ She knows it¡­ But they have to die¡­ I can''t face her without killing her captors...¡± Servi whispered in a rapid and brisk voice. Then she stood up.


    With silent steps, Servi walked over to Carrie and straddled her waist. Her opened palms slowly descended on Carrie''s chest, and instead of fondling her breasts, Servi ripped them away.  Then she plunged her hands into the crimson soup, splashing and playing about like a kid while causing an incalculable about of pain to the sleeping Singi. It was only thanks to the gas that Carrie stayed unmoving, even when her literal beating heart was being toyed with like a wooden figurine.


    Before life left Carrie for good, Servi healed her plaything with 200 counts of Remedium Lux. And once Carrie''s body was as good as new, Servi curled her bloody fists and began to wail on her face. She punched, smacked, slammed, battered, and beat the living life out of the unconscious Singi, only stopping and healing when her nose had unnaturally bent, and her mouth was empty of teeth. To say Servi treated Carrie harshly was an understatement.


    Servi chanted, "They all have to die," as if it was her life''s motto. She did it when she broke Carrie''s neck with her own arm Servi had ripped off, and she did it when jabbing finger-sized holes into Carrie''s head and retrieved brain matter. And still, Servi stopped just the split-second before the red-haired Singi would have passed onto the afterlife. Eventually, Servi''s fun time came to an end after she reached inside Carrie''s stomach and pulled out her entire ribcage. With nothing to give her chest structure, Carrie''s upper body deflated like a balloon. Her heart''s final beats weakly pressed against her chest as if someone pushed a rock through a layer of rubber.


    All it took was a single thought, and Carrie''s body was just healed to how it was before Servi had started to punish her. Then Servi simply stood up on the bed, jumped down, lifted Carrie up, replaced the mattress and sheets with new ones from her ring, and sat the sleeping Singi back down.  She was none the wiser to just how close she came to death.


    "Clean the blood," Servi ordered as she walked over to the wall and sat down, leaning against it. Without replying, Itarr followed Servi''s command.


    For the next four hours, that was how the girl with a Goddess inside her soul spent the final hours of her first day of absolute revenge. Even if it meant putting Momo to the side, the Mad Dog was determined to bring ruin to the Mafia and its allies, which included all of Arcton. Servi didn¡¯t think such a town had any right to exist because it rolled over and showed its belly to the group behind Momo¡¯s capture.


    Itarr didn¡¯t want to take anything Servi said at face value. Truth be told, her relationship with Servi became tremendously strained when Servi wanted to push rescuing Momo off until Saturday. In Itarr¡¯s eyes, every second that had passed was another second they were without Momo.


    What else could Itarr do to get her soulmate to listen to her? Words obviously failed. An attempt to appeal to Servi¡¯s emotional side wasn¡¯t working either. Even anger and guilt didn¡¯t work. That only brought Itarr pain in the form of Servi cursing her name while shouting at the Goddess.


    Why¡­ Why did it all have to happen this way¡­ Am I really nothing more than a shitty Goddess? Momo¡­ Servi¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­


    Servi¡¯s very own reign of terror had begun, and there was no stopping it. Conversely, Itarr fell into a deep depression, and she could only turn to herself for comfort.


    After Servi¡¯s traitorous decision, it seemed that both Human and Goddess were mentally shattered and in desperate need of love and affection. Sadly, neither would get it. At least, not while Servi had unfathomable plans to wipe out the Mafia.


    RuggyRuggy


    Most of this is in a spoiler tag because it is long. It concerns Servi''s choices she made this chapter, but there aren''t any actual spoilers.


    I feel like Servi''s decision will not be a popular one-- it''s definitely going to be controversial-- but it is one she made. Finding out that Momo was right there in the building Servi once stared at was enough to shatter what was left of her.


    She says it herself: if only she wasn''t so passive and actually acted on her feelings by investigating the building, then she and Momo would be back in Canary. But Servi didn''t. Momo was just right there, not even 500 meters away, and Servi just walked away because she figured Sakdu wouldn''t be so stupid to draw so much attention to himself. Now, when she found out the truth, she started to hate herself.


    Now, one could argue all Servi has to do is just wipe out the bases, continue the attack she started earlier, rush to the forest, save Momo, and kill Sakdu. But she is so absolutely torn in the mind that the only thing she wants to do is kill and take revenge. Think mind-broken on top of mind-broken on top of more mind-broken. She''s solely following her growing violent desires--the Mad Dog she keeps saying she is. Her anger and hatred and need for violence far outweighed her wanting to save Momo in that instant, and until she sates those desires, Servi will not go save her friend.  Unfortunately, for our adorable Momo, she will have to wait until Saturday morning.


    I fully intended for readers to hate Servi by this point. Heck, I wrote this and I hate her. She definitely has flaws, and Servi isn''t perfect. And I think that''s a good thing.


    Thinking clearly isn''t something that is in the cards for her. And yes, it could backfire on her. This decision Servi made is not without its own fair share of consequences in its own right. If you think Servi will get out of this scot-free, you are wrong.


    I know some readers were waiting for the time when Servi strikes back, and well, this is it. Maybe she goes overboard, and maybe she doesn''t. All I can say is that in the coming chapters, Servi will kill a lot of people. Because right now, she is at war with all of Arcton. As you can see from this chapter, Servi no longer cares about any innocents because she believes that everyone in Arcton is her foe.


    If you''ve ever wanted to see a deranged Servi, then this is it.


    The next chapter is an interlude about Carrie and her past. There is a content warning because it goes to some dark places.

 Book Three – Interlude – Part One – A Girl Reborn Within Fire and Blood.

    RuggyRuggy


    This interlude is possibly the darkest I have ever gone when writing something.


    This interlude consists of three parts, and it is Carrie''s backstory.


    I''m sure there will be questions, but I''ll answer them in the comment section / author''s note on part three.


    One more thing: This interlude is heavy on the dialogue.


    A girl was floating around in a sea of darkness that rivaled the deepest reaches of space. Filled with the trauma of her past, she had to constantly endure a life of pain. It was something of a nightly ritual she took on for herself to protect the person she cared about the most. However, unlike her outer self for which she had endured such hellish torture, the girl and the one she cared for looked nothing alike.


    The girl wandering aimlessly in a black vacuum had pink hair, blue eyes, pink cat ears, and a flashy pink tail. She was like Carrie, except not stained with crimson.


    ¡°How did she break through the exterior?¡± the pink cat girl murmured to herself. ¡°I need to know. I must know... Williana!¡±


    Shouting at nothing but the great void filled with pain and hurt, a small pocket of space next to her glowed a deep black; blacker than even nothing and exploded into a lavender light that seemed to stretch for kilometers. The girl stared at its brilliance. When the light finally faded from the watcher¡¯s blue irises, she saw a single person, who was reminiscent of the only one who had managed to get close.


    ¡°Williana, I need to know how you did it,¡± the girl asked. Her pink tail curled around her body, which used to be naked. However, when the explosion occurred, her body became enveloped in a silken white robe that was a mother¡¯s last bit of love for her daughter.


    ¡°Carrie, it¡¯s good to see you,¡± Williana said. ¡°Wait, why am I a fairy?¡± she asked as she parted her lavender hair. Her one blue eye confusingly blinked.


    It was an excellent question, one that Carrie wasted no time in answering with a snide remark.


    ¡°You should know the answer to that. We¡¯re in the depths of Carrie¡¯s mind. I¡¯m the only thing standing between her surviving and killing herself. You¡¯re a fairy because that¡¯s what I wanted you to be. When I said your name, the power I have over this area took Carrie¡¯s memories and constructed you from it. And my name isn¡¯t Carrie. It¡¯s Vali.¡±


    ¡°Vali?¡± Out of everything Williana heard, she had a problem with the name.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself. And wipe that grin off your face,¡± Carrie¡ªVali¡ªsaid in annoyance.


    ¡°Sorry! No can do!¡± Williana buzzed her wings and flew over to Vali¡¯s face. Her tiny body, adorned with a simple robe similar to the one Vali wore, snugly fit her fairy-like body. ¡°I know why I¡¯m here. You know why I¡¯m here. After all, you summoned me here. Here. Here. Here. I¡¯m right here, and I won¡¯t be leaving until morning. You''re stuck with me until the sun comes up.¡± Williana laughed, prompting Vali to grab the tiny pest in a tight grip.


    ¡°Listen here, Williana, I want to know how you managed to break through the protection I created!¡± Vali shouted.


    ¡°Sorry, but if you want to know that, you need to start talking.¡± Williana snapped her fingers, vanishing into a lavender-colored mist. A moment later, she appeared just to the right of Vali¡¯s clenched fist.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Vali muttered. Williana flew to her head and lightly patted it.


    ¡°Come on, it won¡¯t be too bad. After all, you experience this pain every night, don¡¯t you? It should be easier to handle now that I¡¯m here. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be sure to ask the right questions to speed this along.¡±


    Vali touched a hand to her tail with one hand and snapped her fingers with the other. In that instant, a powerful explosion filled all of Carrie''s consciousness with pure light that alternated colors. The mind was massive, almost never-ending with how much information it could process. Its only limit was its user''s lifespan. And in the world of the mind, anything--even the impossible-- was possible.


    ¡°Vali, what¡¯s this?¡± Williana asked. She stared at an odd structure when the flashing light had finally disappeared. Williana falsely wondered about the building''s true meaning. It was oddly shaped, but it had a door and roof--the telltale signs of a house.


    ¡°That¡¯s a museum. What better way to get it done than act like my whole life is one big museum display for people to gawk at. Other than me, and I suppose you because I made you, there is not a single person in the world who knows Carrie¡¯s origins.¡±


    ¡°Carrie? Your name is Vali, right? And you¡¯re the same as the girl in the real world?¡± Williana asked such innocent questions with the ignorance of a child.


    ¡°I see you¡¯re taking your role literally. Fine, if you¡¯re going all out with this, then I will too! I have to know how you broke the defenses I made for Carrie."


    Vali floated towards the only door she saw with Williana in tow. When her hand reached out, she discovered it shook with such fright and fear.


    Why am I shaking? I came to terms with what happened. Is it because I have to speak about it to Williana? She already knows what happened because I made her. She¡¯s a simple, imaginative device whose sole purpose is to help me understand what happened-- no, that isn''t it. How can she help me understand it when I already understand it...? Why is she here...? Why did I make her...? So why¡ª


    ¡°Thinking about questions you know the answer to is only going to make the anticipation much worse,¡± Williana got on all fours while balancing on Vali¡¯s robed-covered shoulders and whispered into her ear.


    ¡°Just shut up,¡± Vali muttered in irritation.


    Shaking head after stopping once more, she lashed out with the force of 1,000 winds and ripped the wooden door away.


    Williana commented that she didn¡¯t have to do that. ¡°You could¡¯ve willed it away.¡±


    Vali remained quiet and flew through the threshold until her feet touched the hardwood floors. The walls were made from the same material, but if she wished it to be ceramic or tile, it was only a thought away. Following the only hallway before her, she eventually came to a spot that held two objects: an empty picture frame and a single chair.


    ¡°Hurry up, sit down, and start talking,¡± Williana ordered. Like a freeloader, she lazily relaxed on on Vali¡¯s shoulders. The energy to fight and argue against Williana didn¡¯t come to Vali. She walked with heavy steps to cover the remaining ten paces that stood between her and pain. With each stomp, part of the long hallway Vali trekked through fell away, choosing to be swallowed by the vastness of her mind.


    With only a single step standing between her and remembrance, the room rattled like a building caught in an earthquake. A part of Vali wanted everything to collapse when she took the final step. Another part wanted both her and Carrie to cease from existing. And yet a third part wanted none of that, and everything, to happen at once.


    But the final part of Vali''s mind-- the one that victoriously emerged-- pushed through the impending discomfort and claimed the single white chair for her own. For a single instance, the shaking stopped, and the fear in Vali¡¯s heart became replaced by joy.


    But then the dread came like an invading force a thousand strong. Her palms, sweaty. Her knees, weak. Her arms, heavy. Vomit threatened to spew from her throat like an overturned pot of raw spaghetti. Her two blue eyes wavered against the oppressive force that threatened to swallow her whole.


    I can do it! I can do it! I can¡¯t do it! I can¡¯t do it! I CAN¡¯T DO IT¡ª


    Vali had no choice but to put on a tough act. It was her punishment, after all.


    Thick tears grew fat and heavy in the corner of her eyes, and just when it seemed to consume her, a ferocious light in the form of a tiny fairy purified everything: the fear, the dread...the oppressiveness of her past... All of it was swept away like a leaf in a tornado.


    ¡°Vali, you aren¡¯t alone anymore. I¡¯m here. We can get through this together,¡± Williana said. Her tiny arms weren¡¯t long enough to hug Vali¡¯s body, so she had to settle for hugging the bridge of her nose.


    ¡°Williana¡­¡±


    ¡°Easy, we can start when you¡¯re ready.¡± Williana kissed the spot she hugged and flew up to Vali¡¯s head. The soft, pink forest of hair was fluffier than any blanket and smelled better than any flower. It was really something to get lost in.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready,¡± Vali said. She spoke with a voice that couldn¡¯t have been stronger. ¡°If explaining it all to you will allow me the chance to... Williana, I want to tell you the story... The story of a girl named Vali and how she turned¡ªwas forced¡ª into becoming a girl who you know as Carrie.¡±


    With that sentence, filled with a fierce determination and wavering sport, spoke aloud, Vali and Williana stared in unison at the pitch-black picture frame. The frame itself was empty, holding nothing but the blackest void, but that changed when the framed abyss morphed, altered, and grew into an overhead painting of a village.


    ¡°Vali, tell me what I¡¯m looking at,¡± Williana asked.


    With her front-row seat atop of her head, Vali answered. ¡°You¡¯re looking at the village I grew up in but from a bird¡¯s-eye view. Or what I¡¯m assuming to be a bird¡¯s-eye view. That big tree in the middle was only a little sapling when the original founders started the village. The house in the far back with the metal gate was where I lived with the man who fathered me.¡±


    Williana took an unusual interest in the way Vali answered her question. More accurately, it was the simple word choice that struck the most. However, as a construct of Vali¡¯s thoughts, Williana had all the answers. But her role was not one of an observer. She was here as an inquisitor. ¡°Why did you use that word? Why not say he¡¯s your father?¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t consider him to be my father. And I know what your next question is, so I¡¯ll answer it. He raped my mom¡ªhis daughter¡ªmy mother. He¡¯s both my grandfather and my father, but he¡¯s such a sack of shit that he doesn¡¯t deserve to be called either,¡± Vali replied.


    ¡°Did he father you or Carrie? Why do you call yourself that name?¡± Williana asked another question.


    ¡°I¡¯ll answer it, but I know it¡¯s going to get confusing. Look, when I was born, that bastard gave me the name Vali. My mother couldn¡¯t do anything about the name because she perished in childbirth. The one and only gift I ever received from her was this robe. She took her measurements from when she was a young adult and sewed these clothes to those specifications. But back to the name. Vali was my birth name, and Carrie was the name I chose after witnessing someone close to me dying.¡± Even Vali couldn¡¯t help but silently gasp at how easily she revealed such information. If she really wanted to end the farce, then Vali had the power to do so. It only required a single thought, and Williana would be whisked away.


    ¡°You¡¯re right! I am confused, but let¡¯s go at a slow pace. We still have some time before the sun rises,¡± Williana calmly replied with a small lie. ¡°But I do understand why you chose that terminology.¡±


    The little fairy turned to the picture frame and focused on the fountain standing a few meters away from the big house¡¯s door. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty piece of art. The fountain, I mean,¡± she added on.


    ¡°It is. Wait until I tell you about when it ran red.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    ¡°But I was born in that house. Specifically, there was a little nursery in the basement that shitty man kept me in until I was of age to start my duties as Verta¡¯s Priestess.¡±


    Williana tapped her little knuckles against a pair of fluffy cat ears. ¡°You need to explain. Be as detailed and descriptive as you want.¡±


    ¡°My village stood on top of a flat mountain. The ¡®walls,¡¯ I guess, of the mountains, were steep. I have no doubt an experienced climber could make the trip up and down, but no one in the village could do that. There was a rope bridge, though. It stretched from the village¡¯s outer exit to a flat ridge located some distance away. According to the man who fathered me, it was common for a passing storm to destroy it. In such a case, we had no way in or out, and it became almost impossible to leave.¡±


    ¡°What does this¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting to it!¡± Vali¡¯s words silenced Williana. ¡°The village stood for a few hundred years. Maybe it stood for a thousand years. I don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t care anymore. I do know that there was a time, however, that the bridge took an extraordinarily long amount of time before it was repaired. During that stretch of time, a sinister darkness had enveloped the village, and every inhabitant learned of a false Goddess named Verta.


    ¡°People are selfish. They vie for control whenever they have an opportunity. And in one such case, many, many years ago, a village chief had the chance to act out his fantasy. It was in the time in which it was impossible to leave the village by normal means. Unbeknownst to anyone else, the evil chief had gained the trust of a few close men and excavated a path from the top of the mountain to the very bottom. Suddenly, there was an escape route! Over the years, the number of secret tunnels expanded and grew until there were spots all over town. They were all very well-hidden, but the evil chief knew where all of them were.


    ¡°That¡¯s an important detail, and I¡¯ll tell you why. Somewhere along the way, from the founder¡¯s time to when the evil chief lived, knowledge of IDs and Gods and blessings weren¡¯t a thing in the village. I¡¯m sure you know that when a baby is born into this world... their ID first appears when their mother or father speaks a name for them. For a while, though, everyone in the village didn¡¯t know what that meant. But the evil chief discovered it during one of his secret expeditions. He twisted the information during one village meeting and announced something to the people. He claimed that the Goddess Verta gave him a divine prophecy in which his child shall become the next priestess. The mysterious stone tablets were proof of that, he said.


    ¡°The people were rightly suspicious of him, but they cowered against his might when he used a skill. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re asking how I know this, but he, and the various other chiefs, including the original founders, kept very detailed diary entries. I¡¯ll get to that later, but he wrote that a ¡®ball made from flowing light soared from my fingertips and illuminated the ever-growing darkness, giving me the right to be the Goddess''s Messiah.¡¯


    ¡°The people knew nothing of IDs and skills. They didn¡¯t know that they could have done the same thing. In a way, they were like livestock who had no choice but to follow the alpha animal. The evil chief had unrivaled power, and since he claimed that the Goddess Verta, who I don¡¯t think even exists as a Goddess who can give blessings, he was able to do unthinkable things in her name. It was the evil chief who started the tradition, and the village soon changed to suit his needs... But I was the one who ended it all. I only wish I knew how many innocent girls were forced to take on that damn role.¡± Finally, Vali¡¯s explanation came to an end. She started with a voice full of passion and ended with a weak whimper.


    ¡°But,¡± the Singi continued to speak as she stared at the picture of the village. Suddenly, before she could say anything else, the picture frame glowed black until it showed something different.  ¡°I knew it was a matter of time before it showed that damn tub.¡±


    Williana leaned up and stared at the picture. Sure enough, she stared at a picture of a wooden washbasin that could function as a bathtub. But it wasn¡¯t water that filled it.


    ¡°One of the duties I had to perform was called purification. Every few days, the bucket became filled with the various liquids of every village inhabitant. To sum it up for you, I had to bathe in shit, piss, spit, vomit, sweat, and everything else a person produces.¡± Vali answered Williana¡¯s unanswered question, but she didn¡¯t stop speaking. It was as if a floodgate of words broke in her mind, and Vali wouldn¡¯t stop talking-- she couldn¡¯t stop explaining. She would speak and speak until there was nothing left.


    ¡°My earliest memories were of me happily bouncing along in that tub of filth. I was young... so very, very young. The man you see there in the picture standing beside the tub was my¡­you-know-who. His sweet words were laced with a poison that only affected me. ¡®It¡¯s your duty as Verta¡¯s Priestess to purify the sins of our village. If they want to go to heaven, then you need to take on their darkness and cleanse it with the power of our Goddess.¡¯ He told me that it was something only I could do. He even brought me out to meet the villagers I would be responsible for saving. If he had a shred of decency, he would have put a stop to the bullshit. You see, he was a descendent of the evil chief. That meant he knew the truth behind the ID, and he had chosen his closest and most loyal friends to share that knowledge with. Everyone else still believed they were a gift from Verta.


    "He and his group had all the power, and if they wanted, they could have made everyone¡¯s life horrible. To their credit, I guess... they didn¡¯t do that. I wonder if...if...the knowledge that they could was enough. Even the evil chief said he only wanted total control of his subjects, and I guess that desire continued with his descendants. None of them even tried to fix the bridge...because it would mean people would leave and re-discover skills and the world for themselves... And the evil chief, and the shit-stain who fathered me, and the village elders in between just couldn''t have that... They needed to be in control... They had to be at the top of the food chain... If I was born a man, I wonder... No, it''s no use thinking like that.


    ¡°And that was my reality. For the first eight years, at least. I didn¡¯t believe it was weird or gross at the time because it was the only thing I¡¯ve known, but before I go too far, there¡¯s something else. The man who fathered me became ecstatic when I was born. And the reason is clear as glass once I explain it.


    ¡°The founder and first chief of the village was Human. Their partner was a Singi...like me. At some point, the number of Demi-Humans dwindled until the place consisted of only Humans. I don¡¯t know the specifics, but I was the first Singi to be born in a long, long, long time. My fa¡ªthe man who fathered me knew what I was the second he saw my tail and ears. And like I said, no one else knew what a Singi was. When he announced my birth to the village, he took the opportunity to declare that I was special. He presented me like a prized pig and bragged that I was the very reincarnation of the Goddess Verta.


    ¡°Every day, that man would tell me I was special. He petted my ears and softly rubbed my tail when he wanted to show affection. Ugh... It makes me sick to my fucking stomach.¡± Vali groaned and felt the need to vomit.


    ¡°Speaking of your features as a Singi, why are they pink? Carrie¡ªthe outside you¡ªis all red except for her eyes,¡± Williana asked. Vali felt the fairy shift her weight as she rolled over to her stomach.


    ¡°That¡¯s going to have to wait until I get to the end of my story. Just stay quiet and listen,¡± Vali rudely remarked. ¡°I first realized something was very wrong when I turned eight. The man who fathered me escorted me to the tub during one of my ¡®purification¡¯ sessions, but when he opened the door to the special room, I saw a naked man lying in the wooden tub. I turned to the one  I trusted the most and asked what I was supposed to do. It doesn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that my father sold me to that man. That shit stain took my virginity, and that fucker had the audacity to watch as I cried out. I shouted, ¡®Papa, it hurts!! I don¡¯t wanna do this!!¡¯ but he told me it was my duty as Verta¡¯s Priestess to purify the especially wretched with my own body. I grabbed onto the tub so hard I broke my fingers, and that bastard man slapped my hands away.


    ¡°I knew then and there that something was wrong, but my little self didn¡¯t know what. I only knew that it hurt. Pain is supposed to be a signal to stop doing what you¡¯re doing, right? That man who fathered me didn¡¯t see it that way. After the deed was done and the bastard had defiled me, the man who fathered me forced me to swallow a weird type of medicine. I didn¡¯t want to, but he hurt me and forced it down my open mouth. It burned going down. He said it would increase my purification powers to fight off the sinful liquid that shit-stain injected in my privates.


    ¡°I¡­I¡­I¡ª¡±


    Williana stared at the picture of a wooden basin for far too long as the girl she sat on cried her eyes out.


    ¡°Why does it hurt to talk about it?! I DON''T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT I DO IT ANYWAYS!!!! WHYWHYWHYWHYWHY?!?!?!?!? Why can¡¯t I just fucking bury it inside?!¡± Vali yelled. Her voice had regressed to that of a child, but her body remained the same. Standing up hastily, she grabbed the picture frame and tried to punch it, but it was intangible. Her efforts to destroy it only fueled her raging melancholic madness. The years of withholding such a hellish and harrowing anguish had finally caught up with her, and she vented it all out with a gut-wrenching scream.


    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAHAHAHAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!¡±


    RuggyRuggy


    All three parts of this interlude are needed for it to properly make sense.

 Book Three – Interlude – Part Two – A Girl Reborn Within Fire and Blood.

    Williana didn¡¯t know how long the scream lasted. It could¡¯ve been ten seconds. Fifteen seconds. A minute. A year. A decade. It could have even lasted an entire eternity.


    And yet...she did nothing but watch. Williana''s role as an inquisitor wasn¡¯t over. Her sole job was to ask questions, and that was it. Anything else she may have done wasn''t required of her.


    ¡°AAAAHHHH!! AAAHHHHHH!!¡± Vali finally collapsed in her seat. The tantrum accomplished nothing in terms of damage. Her strikes and kicks went through the two walls and chair, yet she couldn''t waltz through. She hastily tried to jump out through the gap to her left, where the hallway she walked down used to be, but an invisible wall stopped her. It was there: the black void-like abyss that was Carrie''s mind. It was so big and expansive, like a never-ending desert...


    That was when it clicked. With nowhere to run and hide, Vali sighed and sat back down. The pink-haired Singi spoke and finished out the rest of her story with a soft voice barely above a mouse¡¯s squeak.


    ¡°I bathed in the blood and waste mixture twice a week after that. After... After that, I was taken to a room where that deadbeat bastard, with his wrinkled hands and gross skin, poured water on me. On some days, I wouldn¡¯t even move, and he dragged me by the arm and washed me himself.


    ¡°On the days where I was raped, I¡¯m not calling it purification¡ªit is what it is¡ª by practically every other male in the village, he also dragged me to the washroom. If I didn¡¯t open my mouth, that bastard kicked and punched me until I cried out. Then, depending on if I wanted to move, he left me soaking in the cold water for hours on end. And until him or one of the maids came and retrieved me, I was left alone...


    "One day, after a few years of repeating that brutal cycle, I stopped reacting at all. I didn¡¯t eat. I didn¡¯t even bring myself to the bathroom when I had to go. When the village¡¯s men thrusted themselves into me, I did nothing. I couldn¡¯t give them any satis-fucking-faction. One of those bastards had the fucking audacity to complain to that bastard. That¡¯s when he became fed up with me and my lack of reactions. After dinner that night, he threw my still-full plate into my face. When I didn¡¯t move. He pushed me down and punched me. When that didn¡¯t work, he ripped off the clothes he had dressed me with and crossed the final line.


    ¡°After he exhausted himself, he drank part of the medicine and forced it down my mouth when he stole my first kiss. I¡¯m sure you can guess, but I didn¡¯t react to that either. The next day, he held a town meeting and said he received a holy revelation. To summarize his false claims, he lied and said he had been ordered to reflect on the Goddess Verta for seven days and seven nights. To do so, he said he would spend a whole week locked in his study while praying.


    ¡°That was all a lie. Remember those secret tunnels I talked about earlier? One of those was located in his study. During those seven days, he snuck out down through the tunnel and went to some town. When the maids knocked on the door to give him his food, there wasn¡¯t any reply. And they couldn¡¯t open the door because there was only one key, and it was with that bastard.


    ¡°After seven days, he came back. His first order of business was to fire the maids and butlers. They protested, of course, but that bastard was the chief. They had to obey his rules. I still never reacted to anything, and I chose to spend my time as if I was in a coma. But just because he was gone for that week didn¡¯t mean I was free of my priestly duties. That continued, but it was by the maids until he fired them. Oh, yes, the maids and butlers were in on it.  The whole fucking village knew what was taking place...


    ¡°The day after that, I stood alone in the center of my room. He placed me there and walked away for about fifteen minutes. He opened the door, walked in, and turned me around.  Do you know what I saw?¡± Vali asked. She stared at the picture frame. Glowing black, the image of a blasted tub, a horrendous reminder of every bit of trauma Vali endured and suffered through, disappeared in a pitiful plip. She half-expected a black light would introduce what came after that, but that never happened. Instead, and without any warning, the wall started to emit black smoke until fire spontaneously bellowed to life.


    The frame was the first to go up in smoke, and it didn''t take long for the wall it sat on to shimmer in a beautiful crimson glow. The flames were never-ending, and they continued to burn for what felt like an eternity.


    The room started to rumble and shake. Rather than engulf the rest of the room in a blaze, the fire remained static. Then it began to morph, taking on a solid shade of orange that still burned with the intensity of a hundred volcanos.


    Then a part turned into blue fire. And another turned blood red. Another changed section of flame changed to pink, and even another changed until it was a pale white. In uniformed chunks the frozen fire changed colors, and that continued for three minutes. Only when it was complete did time resume for the flames.


    Vali looked at it when it was finished. Standing up out of her chair and stepping back, Vali realized she was looking at a wall-sized painting of the woman who saved her life, the woman who gave meaning to her life.


    It was the woman whose name Vali took for herself.


    ¡°I do, but keep talking,¡± Williana replied. She hopped off Vali¡¯s head and took a nice seat on her shoulder.


    ¡°I saw her.¡± Vali raised a stiff hand and pointed a shaking finger at the girl on the wall. ¡°It isn''t¡ªno, that¡¯s not important. The woman I saw had the same cat-like ears as I did, only they were red. And the tail tied around her waist was a stunning match for my own, but it was red. She had red hair, and I had pink hair. It was like I was all pink, and she was all red..."


    Williana noticed Vali¡¯s odd repetition, but she stayed quiet and allowed the troubled girl to speak her mind.


    ¡°That bastard said she was my gift. At the time, I didn¡¯t know a damn thing about slaves or property because I wasn¡¯t taught any of that stuff. Nobody taught me anything except Carrie.¡±


    ¡°How did she feel about your duties as Verta¡¯s Priestess? Did she support it?¡± Williana asked.


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t privy to it. When that bastard fired everyone, he kept two men who were loyal to him. They always stood by and kept a close ear and eye on whatever we did. I was forbidden from talking about my duties. But because she was a secret, Carrie and I never left the house. I mean, I rarely left the house anyway, but I stopped leaving for good after that. If Carrie didn¡¯t hear it from me, and she didn¡¯t hear it from that bastard and his goons, then logically, it was impossible for her to know about it. She did eventually find out, but that can wait.¡±


    ¡°How did you and her get close?¡± Williana asked. She slowly touched the whimsical-like pink strands of hair that covered the side of Vali¡¯s head. With a timid hand, she stroked it with care and love.


    ¡°She told me about her life a few days after we met. At first, she whispered it to me because she thought it was against the rules. But when that bastard found out, he relented and said it didn¡¯t matter if I knew. I suppose we bonded over her adventures. You see, Carrie was a member of Warden, and she was strong. She reached Rank 4 during her time. I¡¯ve never heard or knew anything about the outside world. I¡¯m sure fathe-- that bastard man-- didn¡¯t want me to know any of it because I might have developed a longing for that freedom I was denied, but I think he wanted me to regain the spark in my eyes. I overheard the people who¡­you know... I overheard them complaining to that bastard that they felt like the sins weren¡¯t leaving their bodies because I didn¡¯t fight back or react. That was before that bastard went on the seven-day trip.


    ¡°But more on Carrie. As I said, she used to be an adventurer. She even had her own party. They fought the monsters and bad guys and saved and helped the innocent. One day, after she told me a story of how she saved a mother and her daughter from a monster called a bear, I asked her why she was with me and not her daughter. I figured she had one, but now I realize it was a stupid and insensitive thing to ask. Her tail stopped moving.


    ¡°Carrie said she suffered from a disease that prevented her from having children. The same illness struck her with bouts of unbearable pain that radiated outward from between her legs. During her last quest for Warden, the disease flared up and rendered her immobilized. Out of all those in her party, Carrie was the strongest. But she couldn''t fight...not while suffering. The bandits they were fighting were stronger than they were led to believe. Without Carrie as the cornerstone, it didn''t take long for the enemies to overpower the rest of them. Carrie and her friends were captured, and she was separated from them when the bandits took them to a city and sold them as slaves.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how long ago it was because she never said it, but it must¡¯ve been a while. Eventually, I suppose that bastard bought her, brought her to me, and the rest was history. She still suffered from the same disease, though. There were many times in which the pain was too much to bear... Carrie had to stay in bed on those days.¡±


    When Vali finished speaking, Williana stood up, stretched, and asked another question. ¡°And what happened next?¡±


    ¡°When I met Carrie, that bastard didn¡¯t force me to do anything an entire month. And during that month, I learned to smile and laugh...just like I used to when I was younger. I played games and talked loudly with Carrie, but my duties never came up. But when that bastard barged into the room and grabbed me by the arm, I knew what was about to happen. Tears flowed from my eyes, and I screamed... I didn¡¯t want to do it anymore. Carrie struggled and tried to fight off that bastard, but his men beat her down and tied her to the bed with rope. That bastard took me to the room with the wooden tub, and then I smelled it: the all-familiar stench of shit and puke and piss and semen. Why! Why did I have to bathe in it?! WHY THE FUCK DID HE FORCE HIS OWN DAUGHTER TO¡ª AAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!¡±


    Vali¡¯s voice grew louder until it exploded like the ear-destroying boom of a pack of fireworks. Williana remained motionless because she knew it was hard. She knew it was vile, too. The things Vali endured as a child, and later on as a teenager, weren¡¯t something she would wish on her worst enemy.


    A father is supposed to protect his child, not whore her out for some sick pleasure. Williana thought.


    ¡°And then the shit-stain who took my first time wobbled through the door. Stark naked. He tossed a small bag to that bastard, and he nodded. He actually gave permission¡ªhis blessing¡ªto have his daughter abused for whatever was in the bag. I don¡¯t know what it was. I still don¡¯t know what it was. It couldn''t have been dupla because our village didn''t have a concept of money... Everyone worked together to survive because it was supposed to be impossible to leave... What was in the bag... I...


    "No, the bag doesn''t matter...not anymore... But he sat there...on a small chair. Watching me. He watched while I performed my ¡®cleansing¡¯-- while his daughter was being raped in front of him... And after the shit-stain released his sins into me¡ªafter I cried and begged and attempted to fight back... That bastard stood up, grabbed me by the hair, and dragged me up the steps to the ground floor. I tried to get up, but I was weak. The waste mixture I was forced to bathe in disgustingly clung to my body. It was slick and thick, and I couldn¡¯t get a grip on the wooden floors. My feet kept sliding, my ankles kept slipping, and when I tried to grab onto the wall, my hands fumbled.


    ¡°He continued to drag me until he had his men kick down the door to Carrie''s room. Without even saying a word, he threw me in there and locked the door behind. Carrie was having one of her attacks, and she had trouble even walking. But that didn¡¯t stop her from jumping out of bed and crawling over to me. The pain I felt didn¡¯t compare to her, but she still withstood the sheer agony to comfort me. You know, we¡¯d only met and known each other for a month, but I wanted her to be my mom. If she was my Mama, then maybe¡­


    ¡°She ripped the cover off the bed and did her best to wipe the disgust from my body. Weird sounds erupted from my mouth and throat. I cried, I screamed, I shouted, I did everything. Carrie covered me and hugged me close to her chest. I held my arms around her and cried into her. I cried, and I cried, and I cried. That¡¯s when Carrie looked down and saw a little bit of white leaking down my legs. I guess the gears finally clicked.


    ¡°She grabbed my shoulders and asked if I wanted to leave. I said yes. She asked me if I wanted to stay here. I said no. That¡¯s when it happened.¡±


    ¡°What exactly happened?¡± Williana asked. She stood up and flew back up to Vali¡¯s pink hair.


    ¡°That¡¯s when I passed the point of no return. The two men standing at the door must¡¯ve heard her, and I do admit we weren¡¯t quiet, and they started kicking the door down. Carrie pointed at the door and shouted for Earth Wall. The ground trembled, and a massive wall of solid dirt appeared up from the ground. It tore through the foundation, the floor... It even appeared up and crashed through the ceiling. Carrie coughed, spitting blood on my stained body, and said she will give me the chance to escape. And what followed was a hasty explanation of things commonplace to everywhere else but my village.


    ¡°She taught me how to summon my ID, explained the skills my God blessed me with, she told me my real name. She said she knew Verta¡¯s Priestess couldn¡¯t have been my name, but I swore it was because I didn¡¯t know anything else. But when she read off ¡®Vali,¡¯ my heart skipped a beat. I had a name. A real name! I kept repeating it over and over and over again in my mind while Carrie continued. Tears still flowed from my eyes, but it was like a new determination started growing deep inside of me.


    ¡°I finally realized that everything was a lie. It was all fake. But like I said, Carrie told me everything she possibly could within the few minutes her Earth Wall stood. It was things children were supposed to learn from family and friends... But for me, it was a crash course on everything I was forbidden to know.


    When the kicks and punches started to carve away at the wall of dirt, Carrie used Dimensional Storage and pulled out everything she had stowed away. Blood poured from her mouth and crotch, but she fought through the pain. I shouted for her to stop. I said I could bear through the pain of purifying and cleansing, but Carrie said no girl should have to live that way. She said if she knew about it, then she would have done something sooner.


    ¡°That¡¯s when she explained to me about Instant Retrieval. I know you know about it, but Carrie took a spear she had retrieved from Dimensional Storage and lightly pierced the tip of my finger. She then held it against its smooth, black shaft and rubbed it down and up. ¡®This is yours, now. I want you to have it,¡¯ she said to me.  The blood no longer only fell from her mouth and crotch, but it dripped down her eyes and started to pour from her nose. Even someone as stupid as me figured out that pulling out those items took a lot of her strength.  She begged me to fight for my freedom like she was unable to do. With shaking hands, I took the spear... My crimson-- my blood-- continued to trail down the weapon, but my eyes weren''t on that.  I immediately dropped it and tried to catch Carrie as she collapsed to the ground. She screamed when I failed to do so, and I shouted because I didn¡¯t make it. It was then the wall of dirt blocking that bastard and his men from intruding broke down.


    ¡°I met his reddish-brown eyes, and I screamed at him for killing Carrie. He called me by the fake title he gave me, and I angrily picked up the weapon. ¡®My name is Vali,¡¯ I shouted. I held it in front of me and ran as fast as my tired and desecrated body could go. He held a hand up and screamed. A large white ball of light barreled towards me, but I kept running as my body passed right through it. Maybe he thought it would scare me, but I wasn¡¯t left in the dark. Carrie told me about skills in the short time we had. I knew it wasn¡¯t something only limited to him. I could do it too.


    ¡°The anger and hated I had for him bloomed like a bloody flower. When the tip of the spear pierced his black shirt and drew blood, the screams he produced reminded me of the terror I felt when I had my first time stolen away from me.


    ¡°And I did what that bastard did to me. I ignored it and pretended it didn¡¯t exist. His screams meant nothing to me. Nothing!! Nothing!! IT ALL MEANT FUCKING NOTHING!!! I stabbed him. I pierced him. The two goons at his side froze from fear, but I didn¡¯t see them. I only saw a monster who held the form of that bastard who fathered me. I saw him collapse to the floor while I angled my weapon. I pushed deeper and harder until I felt it scrape against the bloody floor. But it wasn''t enough!¡± Vali¡¯s breathing rate increased tenfold. Her nostrils flared, and her hands couldn¡¯t remain motionless because she performed the motions of strangling someone.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t satisfied with stabbing him. I wanted something more¡­primal and painful. I sliced at him with my nails, I beat on him with my balled fists, I wrapped my shaky hands around his fucking throat... And as I stared at a man begging for help, I smiled. I still had my teeth left, after all. And so I bit him. I chewed, I gnawed, I tore his flesh from his neck, filling my mouth and wetting my tongue and cheeks with his hot blood. He screamed, yelled, shouted, begged, and cursed me all at once, but I never stopped. The strength left his body, and he couldn¡¯t support himself anymore. When his screams quieted, I knew he was dead. The monster who never loved me, the shitty man who willingly loaned out his daughter in the name of a fake fucking Goddess just have a sense of control, died. And I killed him.


    ¡°But don¡¯t think for a minute I was done. I wasn¡¯t. I gripped the bloody spear hard enough to crack my knuckles, and I turned its bloody point to the two men still frozen. I was an amateur, sure. I never held a weapon before. I¡¯ve never even held something sharper than a spoon, but the two goons were the same. But like them, I knew what it was like to kill in cold blood, so I slaughtered them, stabbing them right through the heart. But like when I killed that bastard, I wanted to do more. I clawed and bit at their corpses, but one of them was alive. He used the last of his strength to raise his hand and shoot a ball of fire. It missed me, but it crashed into the wall and set the house on fire... But the smoke and heat didn¡¯t bother me.


    ¡°I stomped my way out of the house and walked outside. The village was small, and smoke coming from the chief''s home was impossible to ignore. I saw the women who I met once long before I started my duties, I saw the children who were born after I had been barred from leaving, but most importantly, I saw every man who raped me under the guise of releasing their sins into me. And it didn¡¯t take long for the crowd to notice me. I was still naked, covered in a disgusting mix of Human waste and blood. The weapon I carried drew their eyes more than my horrendous state and horrific smell. The hot sun only made the putrid aroma worse, but it wasn¡¯t anything I couldn¡¯t handle. I was practically born in the waste produced by Humans. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me one bit if that fucking bastard forced my mother to give birth to me in it... Was that the fate waiting for me?


    ¡°The man who took my first time approached me. His back was towards the ever-growing crowd, so only I saw the look on his face. Was it fear? Excitement? Hatred? Worry? I don¡¯t know. I still don¡¯t know. But the second he reached out with a hand covered by a white cloth, I killed him. I stabbed my weapon in his mouth and twisted. I was like a beast submitting to my buried desires of revenge. The whole town had betrayed me. They never once tried to help me. They never thought it was wrong for me to cry while having two or three men slam their hips into me. THEY NEVER THOUGHT IT WAS WRONG! THEY NEVER THOUGHT IT WAS ABNORMAL!!!!!¡±

 Book Three – Interlude – Part Three – A Girl Reborn Within Fire and Blood.

    Vali wrapped her hands around Williana¡¯s tiny body and held her in front of her sparkling blue eyes. ¡°I KILLED THEM!! I KILLED THEM ALL! THE WOMEN WHO HELD THEIR HUSBANDS EVEN KNOWING THE PAIN THEY CAUSED ME!!!! THE MEN WHO DID THE DEEDS!!! I EVEN KILLED THE CHILDREN BECAUSE THEY CAME FROM THOSE FUCKING MEN!!!! Why could they live a life free of rape...and I HAD TO SUFFER EVERY DAY!!!! I HAD TO SUFFER EVERY DAY, AND IT WASN''T FAIR!!!!!¡±


    In a rage, Vali threw Williana against the wall. Her tiny body left a nasty, bloody spot as she slid down like a piece of wet meat. But even as Williana''s body laid in a growing pile of blood, Vali heard a voice coming right beside her.


    ¡°You can¡¯t kill me. I can¡¯t die. But that did hurt, so let¡¯s try not to do that again, okay?¡± Vali turned her head and saw a familiar fairy dressed in the same kind of robe she had on, but it was a smaller version.


    ¡°You know what¡¯s funny?¡± Vali said. ¡°I never had a chance to wear this robe when I was Vali. That bastard showed it to me when I was five or six, and he said I could only wear it when it was time to produce another priestess. He said my mom wore the one her mom gave her when she carried me for 9 months. I was supposed to continue the tradition and make one for my daughter, but I¡¯ll never get the chance. And maybe that¡¯s a good thing. When--if-- I had a daughter... A baby girl... When her little lungs fought to breathe air¡­ When her little arms flailed around, and her legs kicked at everything¡­¡±


    Vali took a breath.


    ¡°That would¡¯ve been her last moment in this world. I will¡ªI would¡ªbear the pain of killing my own child to prevent her from succumbing to the fucked up life I had to live. But I¡¯m glad that the medicine that bastard gave me prevented me from carrying my rapists'' festering seed. Even now, I don¡¯t remember what happened after I killed the man who took my first time. Like I said, I remember stabbing him through the mouth, and I remember killing everyone I saw.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it! The fire spiraled out of control, jumping from my house to the gardens to the other buildings. Everything burned, and everyone died. Those who tried to escape couldn¡¯t go anywhere because the bridge hadn¡¯t been repaired in a while. It was one of the downsides of the village being so self-sufficient that we rarely needed supplies. If we did need them, that bastard would send someone they trusted through a secret exit to travel to a nearby town and get what we needed. But the villagers didn¡¯t know that. And the number of people that close to that bastard man was small enough to count on one hand.


    ¡°Some of them tried to leap off the steep edges to escape my wrath, but I wouldn¡¯t let them. I recalled what Carrie taught me before she...I just remembered what she told me. I had the power to summon her spear, marked with my blood, from anywhere. And my hatred was much stronger than my fear of losing it, so I threw it. I remembered laughing like crazy when I summoned it back. Strength left my body, but I had a new way to kill people. If I missed my throw, I could try again. But that¡¯s beside the point.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much time passed, but by the time I stumbled back to the fountain in front of my house, the pretty blue water running through it had been tainted red by blood. Was it my blood? I don¡¯t know. It could¡¯ve been from anyone I killed when the crowd gathered before they ran away. I looked up at the sky, and the pretty blue was hidden by the thick clouds of smoke. The houses burned, so there was nowhere to sleep. The animals burned to death or stampeded off the edge of the village, so I couldn¡¯t butcher them for meat. The fields where we grew corn and other vegetables were consumed by the flames that couldn¡¯t match my rage.


    ¡°I fell to the ground and cried in pain. My hands finally let go of the spear, and I saw large patches of raw and bloody skin from where I had tightly gripped it. My arms and legs and lungs begged me to give them a chance to rest, but I couldn¡¯t. I had one more person to kill. Do you know who it was?¡±


    Williana silently nodded and touched Vali¡¯s pink hair.


    ¡°It was me. I was the last person. And what better way to go than dying with the only friend I ever had? I forced my body to breathe in the air it needed, even if it was corrupted by smoke, and I compelled my tired and achy feet to walk up the burning stairs. I stepped over the corpses of that bastard and his two goons, and then I saw Carrie. She wasn¡¯t moving, but the smoke and fire hadn¡¯t yet consumed her. Even though the heat wasn¡¯t bearable, I dropped to the floor and vomited, and I used the last of my strength to crawl myself towards her. The smile on her face had been my only source of comfort. Before I knew it, my hand touched her red hair, my body soaked in her blood, and I closed my eyes. I wanted it to be for the final time, but I¡¯m sure you know that didn¡¯t happen.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much time passed, but I woke up. The smoke still threatened to devour us, but we didn¡¯t have to worry about the fire. I closed my eyes again, but something hit my face. I went to wipe it away, but it was an envelope. And still, to this day, I don¡¯t know what compelled me to read the letter. But I couldn¡¯t read it. Not with the smoke covering my vision. Using the rest of my strength gained over a small rest,  I tossed the spear out of the window and dragged Carrie out of the house. As if it was a joke by the Gods themselves, the fire came back with a vengeance. The wooden beams in the room fell, sending fire to block my way and destroying the stairs.


    ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t give up. Not yet. Something really compelled me to read the letter. I had to read it. I wanted to read it. And I fought against the fire and whatever cruel joke the Gods wanted to play. By the time I stepped through the doorway for the final time, over 80% of my body was burnt black. The hair on my head, ears, and tail had burned away. I couldn¡¯t stop coughing out the smoke festering in my lungs, and I couldn¡¯t see a single thing in front of me. But I forced myself to crack open the envelope underneath that sky clouded by smoke.


    ¡°It was from Carrie to her daughter. More accurately, it was from Carrie to her unborn daughter. Even more specifically, it was a letter to a daughter she knew she would never have. I read it. Then, something clicked, and I was born. My name is Vali, the girl who endured everything.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. Then explain to me about the girl the outside me knows as Carrie,¡± Williana quipped.


    The large wall that had Carrie¡¯s painting on it flickered and began to move like a movie. It showed a set of events, very similar, if not outright identical, to the ones Vali explained. Seeing it move in motion rather than simple words proved to be more than Williana could handle, but as a figment of Vali¡¯s imagination who played the role of an inquisitor, she kept her one eye on the moving wall.


    ¡°When I¡ªVali¡ªread the letter, something happened. I became relegated to who you see here. I¡¯m the Vali who had to endure over a decade and a half of endless torture and rape. She¡ªthe girl reading the letter¡ªtruly...¡± Vali held a hand out towards the moving wall. The burnt Singi, with large patches of dead skin flaking off, via gravity, finished reading the letter. She turned to face the woman she carried out.


    ¡°Mama! You gotta move! Mama! Wake up! Wake up, Mama! Mama, please! Mama¡ª" The sound coming from the girl, who shook an unmoving body over and over again, cut off, and Vali said those fateful words.


    ¡°She truly believes herself to be her daughter. The words twisted her mind, and maybe yet, that was the only way for her to survive. It was the single way for her psyche to stay intact. Or maybe I didn¡¯t deserve to be the dominant personality.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain why her name is Carrie or how she survived. And what about the hair color? And the story Carrie told the outside me on the morning of the bank robbery? You haven¡¯t even answered why I¡¯m even here! Or have you?¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll answer it all. That girl''s name is Carrie because she believes it to be her nickname... She looked so much like the woman she thought was her mom. And even I don¡¯t know why her hair changed color to red. Perhaps the blood seeped into her bald spots and took over the color like how I was relegated to being here? And she survived because Carrie wasn¡¯t dead. Look at the wall.¡± Vali pointed to the moving wall once again.


    Williana watched with a calm eye and a shaky breath when the woman she thought to be dead moved. The smoke dirtied her face, the fire burned and scarred her already flawed body, but her mouth moved. No voice erupted from those charred lips, but a mystical glow enveloped Vali¡¯s¡ªCarrie¡¯s¡ª burnt body. ¡°I may not have been your biological mother, but¡­I loved you¡­all..the¡­same¡­during our¡­ti¡­m¡­e¡­tog¡­eth...er¡± The words, fractured and broken, sputtered from her damaged vocal cords as the healing light washed away Vali''s burnt spots. The spotless skin revealed underneath shimmered and slightly moved as a woman who never had a chance to be a mother passed on to the afterlife.


    At the same time, a girl who had never known the touch of a mother woke up to a startling and horrifying sight. Instantly, her drowsy blue eyes turned to the woman cradling her. ¡°Mama? Hey, Mama, wake up...¡± It was a terrified whisper at first, but her voice grew weak and wispy. ¡°Mama! Don¡¯t die on me, Mama! Mama, hey, we need to move! The fire¡¯s gonna get us! Mama!!¡±


    Vali stared with heavy, wet eyes as the girl she used to be pulled and pushed against the burned sleeves in a futile attempt to wake up its owner. ¡°Carrie¡ªthe real Carrie¡ªused the last bit of her strength to heal me. You see, Williana, that¡¯s why I¡¯m¡ªwe¡ªaren¡¯t dead,¡± she turned her attention back to the moving wall.


    ¡°Mama, I¡¯ll get us out of here! I swear I will!¡± Carrie forced her words through a clenched mouth and lifted the deceased woman with the greatest of ease. As she walked through the still-burning village, she saw a strange metal hatch. It used to be hidden by the house standing above it, but the wildfire had no allegiances. It didn¡¯t care for friend or foe.


    Carrie opened the hatched, and with great difficulty, crawled down the long ladder with her mother figure in tow. Once she descended far enough, it was as if the light entering from the small square hatch above disappeared. With nothing but darkness guiding her the rest of the way down the wooden ladder, Carrie found a source of strength inside the power of words.


    ¡°Mama,¡± Carrie said as she lowered her feet. A sharp, jagged piece of wood broke off and stabbed her foot, but that didn¡¯t stop her. ¡°I¡¯ll bury you someplace pretty. It has to be a place pretty enough for my Mama.¡± She kept repeating those two sentences over and over as if they were words of power, and they were, to her at least.


    Eventually, after saying them over 100 times, Carrie felt the soft dirt between her toes when she expected to feel wood. Sweat dripped down her still-soiled body, taking away some of the filth she was forced to endure.


    Vali pointed at the moving wall and spoke. ¡°This is the secret library that connects to the outside. There¡¯s a little door down that hallway. Once I went through there, I was finally free of that oppressive life. But before I did that, I stopped¡ªno, Carrie stopped and looked at that bookshelf lit by a single candle. Remember, I¡¯m Vali, and she¡¯s Carrie. Carrie went to it and looked at the journals she saw placed in them. You can see it yourself, Williana. There were hundreds of them, and each held the memories of the chief in charge at the time. Logically, you would think the very first one belonged to the evil chief, right? You know, the one who started the whole Goddess Verta bullshit?¡±


    ¡°You already know I know the answer. Asking questions is supposed to be my job. But I¡¯ll humor you. Yes, I would think the first journal would be the evil chief¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re wrong.¡± The moving wall froze. Vali walked towards it and touched it with her left hand. It lit aflame and changed color until the image of a Singi and Human stared into Vali¡¯s and Williana¡¯s eyes. The figures were darkened, somewhat, but the pinks of the Singi¡¯s hair, ears, and tail, and the blues of her eyes could be seen. The Human, however, remained blacked and void.


    ¡°Those two were the original founders of the village. I know what they looked like because I saw photos of them in their journals, but the Human''s photo was damaged. And you know what? I don¡¯t hate them. And I don¡¯t hate the ones who became the chief after them. It¡¯s the damn evil chief I hate the most. But more than that, it¡¯s the sadness I feel. You see, Williana, the founders intended the village to be a safe haven for people and races of all kinds. There used to be Elves, Dwarves, Koena, and Kobold, and they all lived peacefully in this village. And I know from reading the founder¡¯s journal that they loved their wife. They were Human, and she was Singi, but that didn¡¯t stop them. And here¡¯s the kicker! They hated the Gods. They absolutely fucking hated them! I wonder if they had a glimpse of the future, you know.  What if they believed something like this was going to happen?! Maybe that¡¯s why they wrote that warning!¡±


    The wall flickered again until it showed a frayed book battered and warped by time. It was opened on the last page, and there was a single sentence. Vali read it out loud.


    ¡°Do not trust the Gods, for they only live for their own amusement.¡±


    ¡°Hold on. If the evil chief created the tunnel, then why was the founder¡¯s journal there?¡± Williana asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. When Carrie took a look at the second journal she found¡ªthe one belonging to the evil chief¡ªhe wrote that he found the library while trying to tunnel a secret exit. I imagine the founders built it for a reason. Again, I suspected they knew someone was going to find the area. If it¡¯s a warning, then I hope they didn¡¯t count on their far descendants to be responsible. Or maybe they did. I don¡¯t know. I just know I feel sorry for them.


    ¡°Regardless of that... After Carrie flipped through a few of them, she picked up her ¡®mom¡¯ and walked towards the exit. When she opened the metal door and withstood its noisy creaks and clanks from a lack of care, two things happened. One: Carrie saw a beautiful sight full of whimsical greens and an unfiltered blue. The air smelled different, it tasted different, everything was different from the horrible life she had led. Two: a final fear prevented her from moving. Do you know what fear was?¡±


    Williana remained quiet and stared at the wall while fluttering her wings. She flew away from Vali and hovered in mid-air. The image on it flipped from an open book to Vali herself. She turned around from the wall and stared into Williana¡¯s one eye.


    ¡°I was that fear. I made that fear. I sent that fear through our body. It wasn¡¯t fair! I lived through the pain! I did! I did! I did! She didn¡¯t! She¡¯s the lucky one! She doesn¡¯t know what I experienced! SHE JUST DOESN¡¯T FUCKING KNOW, AND NOW SHE CAN LIVE THE LIFE I FUCKING WANTED!!!!! DO YOU KNOW WHAT I FUCKING DID, WILLIANA?!?!!!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Vali stomped over to Williana and shouted in her fairy face. ¡°I gave her a back story. I made Carrie into the girl she became. You know that story she told you on the day of the bank robbery? Everything but the killing of the four guards was fake. She only believes her past happened. It never did. She thinks she¡¯s been involved with women before. That never happened because I won¡¯t allow it. I won¡¯t let anyone get close to her!!!


    ¡°That¡¯s why I created that harsh outer personality that wards off anyone who wants to be close. That¡¯s why I gave Carrie an innocent, loving, and caring inner personality. And that¡¯s why I gave her the disgusting quirk of tasting and licking blood! Because it¡¯s a sickening act that I like! She can¡¯t have it easy because I didn¡¯t! She needs to suffer a little bit too!!!! That¡¯s why I created a bad past for her to believe in!!!¡± Williana¡¯s lavender hair flew back from the harsh screech directed at her.


    ¡°Vali, shut up!¡± Williana shouted, raising her fairy vocal cords and stretching them out. ¡°You¡¯re acting like a brat! It¡¯s not her fault that Carrie is the dominant personality! You and I both know that if you wanted to, you could assume direct control and banish her!! But you don¡¯t! You¡¯re scared of getting hurt again! But you can¡¯t sit here and whine about it while intentionally making her life difficult!!!¡±


    ¡°I KNOW THAT!!! That¡¯s why¡­ That¡¯s why¡­ That¡¯s why I lied about her past. I didn¡¯t make it bad. You wanna know what she believed happened? Do you want to know the falsified past of a girl named Carrie?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine. Here it is. Carrie was born to a happy family. Her mother and father were old when they had her, but they loved her a lot. When she was of age, her father trained her with a spear. When she was old enough to be considered an adult, her mother and father peacefully passed away in their sleep. Before her mother died, she gave Vali the nickname Carrie. That¡¯s why her ID says Vali, the name she was born with, and not Carrie. After packing up her supplies and burying her parents, she left their house for the final time with a tearful smile on her face. Her manufactured childhood shouldn''t have allowed her to grow such a personality, and it didn¡¯t. I forced that on her. In her falsified past, there was never a chance for her to enjoy the act of drinking blood. It was something I made her take on to scare people away.


    "Now, do you want to know what really happened?!?! The girl you see found a simple spot and abandoned the original Carrie a few steps after walking outside! She then wandered naked through the woods until she found someone to kill! She murdered an innocent family, stole their money and clothes, and went to live her own life at the expense of a mother, a father, and two daughters!


    ¡°She has no home. She has no family. Everything about her is just a fucking lie! She doesn¡¯t even have friends because I won¡¯t allow just anyone to become close to her! They have to earn her trust and look past her violent outlook on life!! They have to love her! That''s why I guided her to a life of sin and murder, and that''s why I directed her to join the Mafia whenever we found out about it! I thought that was the perfect place for her! She would be safe there... As long as she kept up that horrible outer personality, no one would want to be with her... She''d be safe...and her heart wouldn''t ever be broken! They were only a means to an end, and--"


    ¡°And now you know why. You finally have the answer to your question. That¡¯s why you summoned me here, isn''t it? You never knew love. That¡¯s why you couldn¡¯t see the answer. Yes, I broke through that barrier because I love her. I feel in love with her because I want to shoulder her pain,¡± Williana said. Her fairy-like body glowed with a lavender light. It filled up the room, drowning everything in pure light, but it didn¡¯t stop. It grew until the pressure she emitted blew away the cramped museums and broke the walls, both visible and invisible.


    And yet...it didn¡¯t stop. It continued to grow for hours, days, months. It didn¡¯t stop when it felt like a year passed, and when a decade passed, it showed no signs of stopping.


    But it did stop. And when it did, the light shrunk instantly, leveling everything inside with a powerful explosion. Vali was at the center of it all, yet she stood tall and embraced whatever happened.


    When the light faded away, she saw Williana, but she didn''t have the fairy-sized body anymore. Her one blue eye stared ahead without a hint of fear.


    ¡°I know it''s hard, but do you believe me now? That girl¡ªthat red-haired, red-eared, red-tailed Singi with a mouth like alcohol, a touch like a lover, and an insatiable lust for blood, is the girl I fell in love with. Vali, you don¡¯t have to be afraid. You don¡¯t have to worry about her. I know you did the things you did because you don¡¯t want her to be hurt like you were, but you have to let her be free. Let her live for you. And you don¡¯t have to subject yourself to enduring your trauma every night. You''ve already suffered enough..."


    Vali held out a hand and took Williana¡¯s fingers. Like a child gripping something for the first time, she held on with uneven pressure. ¡°I can¡¯t force her to live through that! Williana, I¡­I¡­¡± She crumbled into a babbling mess of snot dripping down her nose and water flowing from her eyes.


    Williana bent down with her, embracing Vali in a touch she never had a chance to feel when she was alive. It was warm and soft, and she felt the love she needed and wanted.


    ¡°Protect her from the memories if you must, but she won¡¯t grow as a person unless you let her face them. But it doesn¡¯t have to be all at once. A little bit at a time is alright. And if you really don¡¯t want to face those horrifying things, then don¡¯t.


    ¡°At the same time, you don¡¯t have to suffer through a repeat of what happened to you. I know you think of it as your punishment, but no one wants to punish you.


    ¡°You¡¯re her, and she¡¯s you. You know what¡¯s best for her, and she knows what¡¯s best for you. You¡¯re one and the same, and you¡¯re one and different,¡± Williana whispered. She felt two arms grip her waist and a head burrow deep into her chest. The wails erupting from the poor girl filled the lavender-lit void around them.


    And it continued until the area around them shook.


    ¡°Carrie¡¯s waking up, Vali. It¡¯s time for you to sleep,¡± Williana said.


    For the first time in a long time, Vali wasn¡¯t afraid. She stared up at Williana''s face and buried her head into her neck. Williana responded by looking down and placing an affectionate kiss on her pink hair.


    ¡°Vali, Carrie has the outside me, and you have me. I¡¯m always in your heart. Don¡¯t try to face everything alone, okay? I¡¯m only a simple wish away. If you still want to suffer through your past while Carrie is asleep, then all you have to do is call me, okay?¡± Suddenly, Vali¡¯s arms held nothing, and she looked up with crying eyes. Williana was the only person who had broken through Vali''s defenses... She was the sole girl who Vali wanted to trust with Carrie, and she had disappeared like sugar dissolving in water.


    ¡°WAIT FOR ME!¡± Vali shouted.


    Then the tortured girl ceased to exist while Carrie was awake. When she laid her head down to rest, Vali reappeared from the void. But unlike before, the abyss wasn¡¯t black. No, it had a pure and comforting lavender hue to it.


    ¡°Hey, Williana!¡± Vali shouted. The white robe she never had a chance to wear adorned her body. Moving slightly to the left, Vali watched as the space beside her became distorted. A second later, she smiled when she saw a girl with a single eye. The lavender hair covering her head danced around slightly as the energy creating her dispersed.


    ¡°What did I say? I said you only had to call out,¡± Williana whispered. She held out her hand and gently gripped Vali¡¯s soft and weathered fingers.


    It was going to be a long night of enduring the painful memories¡ªa process that acted as her self-inflicted punishment¡ª but Vali wasn¡¯t afraid. She had someone who could share the burden, fear, and pain she felt. She wouldn¡¯t ever be alone again. Not anymore.


    RuggyRuggy


    The entire interlude takes place inside Carrie''s mind, and the Williana--Servi-- that appears is just a fabrication of what Carrie really thinks of Servi--Williana.  In reality, Servi can''t stand Carrie and wants to kill her.


    But we do get to know Carrie''s past and what she had to endure.


    But other than Carrie''s past, there some important info is hinted at. It takes a few leaps of logic, but an important part of the story can be somewhat solved when used with information from Book One and a certain object from Book Two.


    It still might be somewhat confusing, and that was on purpose.

 Book Three – Chapter Eight – Part One – Wetwork

    RuggyRuggy


    For those who want to know, everything is now scheduled, but not necessarily edited. That is why I can''t just mass upload. And my editing time will be somewhat lacking because life is picking up, and I won''t have much free time. On top of that, my internet has been very shaky. It often goes out 8 or 9 times for ten to fifteen minutes every day.


    Here is a rough schedule. It will be in a spoiler to save space.


    Chapter Eight and Nine will be uploaded three times a week, skipping Saturday and Sunday. Since the day this is uploaded is on a Friday, the next part won''t be until Monday. The final part of Chapter Nine will be uploaded on July 7th.


    Chapter Ten is twice a week, lasting from July 9th to July 23rd


    There is an interlude that will start July 27th, and it will last until August 3rd. (Also twice a week)


    Then Chapter Eleven, Twelve, and the Epilogue will be daily uploads starting from August 4th. The final part of Book Three will be uploaded on August 24th, which just so happens to be my birthday. I didn''t plan it like this, but it''s funny how it worked out.


    And for those curious when a certain pair of friends will see each other, it is in the part below.


    August 3rd - the last part of that interlude is when it begins.


    Since Deset was located underground, it had no windows. Therefore, if someone was to be trapped or locked up, it would be virtually impossible for them to discern whether or not the sun or moon graced the skies. But contrary to the bases Servi exterminated only a few short hours ago, it was extravagant in a weird way. Even though Deset was filled to the brim with lowlifes who had no qualms about robbing or murdering, Servi had fallen for the place. At least, she said that when Carrie woke up and asked how she felt about Deset.


    It was all a lie; nothing of that statement contained even a shred of truth.


    Servi couldn¡¯t care less for Deset, and she loathed the rotten people inside. Nearly everything that spewed from her pretty lips were falsehoods, but Servi had honed that skill to such a sharp point that it felt like she even believed in them.


    When it came to her violent outburst that wasn¡¯t even four hours old, it seemed to be something of a faint memory. Servi didn¡¯t remember anything but her reasoning of why Momo was going to be safe. The immortal being didn¡¯t even remember slamming her head into the ground, nor did she recall her finger being a few centimeters into her neck. And Servi definitely held no memories of the horrific beatdown she put Carrie through.


    When Itarr had gathered the courage to apologize, Servi deflected the question, choosing only to talk about her desire to kill. It seemed she didn¡¯t have a recollection of the tense conversation the two shared. Only Itarr knew, and it was a curse. She was left with the pain of what it wrought while Servi didn¡¯t have to worry about it.


    It¡¯s just another painful source I have to bear¡­ Itarr whined. From then on, Itarr did the best she could in supporting Servi because she really wanted to believe in Servi¡¯s words. The girl the Goddess loved was her whole life, and whether or not she was starting to have regrets, the Goddess was in it for the long haul. Everything¡¯s going to work out, right? Servi¡­ I can¡¯t do anything but believe in Servi. I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll try to convince her again, but I fear revenge has overcome her desire to rescue Momo. She''ll still be saved, but it won''t be now... It should be now, but it''s not... But it¡¯s going to be okay¡­ It has to be¡­ It just has to be¡­


    ¡°Is that all he did?¡± Carrie asked as she pulled her shorts up.


    ¡°Yeah. That bastard brought me to his place, fucked me, and told me to go back to Deset,¡± Servi replied. She had remained in the same spot she took after brutalizing Carrie. She vowed to never again pleasure a member of the Mafia with her tongue or fingers, but that didn''t mean she was going to miss out on an erotic show. Though they were enemies, Servi enjoyed Carrie¡¯s bare body. Her generous breasts were just the right size for her hands to sink into, and her cute moans tickled Servi¡¯s more sadistic side.


    But after silently promising herself that she wouldn¡¯t spend time on any pleasures that would sate her sexual urges, she spent most of the night coming up with the right kind of excuses.


    ¡°I can kinda see why you wouldn¡¯t have to have sex right now. Such a shame. Hey, you know you can suck on my tits, right?¡± Carrie slyly hid her mouth behind her hand and shook her chest. Two twin peaks moved with her, slightly jiggling.


    ¡°Thanks, but no. I don¡¯t even want to think about sex. That shitty bastard was rough,¡± Servi continued with her lie.


    ¡°That bastard,¡± Carrie cursed the now-deceased 5th as she slid her black top over her body. It covered everything except her stomach.  After bending down to tie her boots, she used Instant Retrieval to retrieve her spear.


    ¡°You know it wasn¡¯t even three meters away from you, right?¡± Servi quipped as she stood up. Dusting off her pants, she made sure her daggers were attached to the back of her hip.


    ¡°I know, but my God chose to bless me with Instant Retrieval. I¡¯m gonna use it as much as I can. Hey, after breakfast, let¡¯s head up topside and extort supplies and money. Rumors say that we need to be prepared for Saturday.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but last night, before the 5th took me to his place, he told the 6th to put me on wetwork,¡± Servi said as she walked through the door. Glancing at the empty bed and ruffled sheets, Old Man was probably in the cafeteria getting that filth called breakfast.


    ¡°Wetwork already? It pays good money, but I can¡¯t believe a 5th told the 6th to put you on that. Do you think you can handle it?¡± Carrie asked. She sounded a little bit worried about her new lover, and Servi did all she could to stop herself from lashing out and killing her. The thought of her enemies pitying her pissed her off. Opening the door, Servi and Carrie stepped out into the hallway and made way for the cafeteria.


    The small talk continued.


    ¡°If they give me a bow, a target, and a description, I can kill them. What use are Protection and skills if they never see or hear the arrow coming? I just have to strike before such things are used. If arrows won¡¯t work, then all I have to do is throw some daggers. I rarely miss,¡± Servi replied with a bit of a boastful tone, but it was true. She didn¡¯t think it was possible to miss with the thousands of different souls swirling around her ring.


    ¡°Maybe, but if the 6th does call on you, be careful.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be¡ª¡±


    The two turned the corner and walked into an obstacle: a Kobold with the number ¡®7¡¯ etched into his facial scales stood tall and firm, preventing them from moving forward.


    ¡°Williana,¡± growled the Kobold. His voice was deep and guttural.


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°The 6th wants to meet with you. It is about the assignments 5th wanted to give you.¡±


    ¡°Where is he?¡± Servi asked. She noticed the Kobold¡¯s muscles twitch ever-so-slightly. It was almost like he fought back the urge to grab his spiky mace and soil it with the Human¡¯s blood.


    ¡°He¡¯s in the same room as last night.¡± Turning on his heels, his large tail nearly smacked Servi to the ground, but a quick backwards hop took her out of his range. She swore she heard him chuckle as he turned the corner at the end of the hallway.


    ¡°If you have time to spare before you have to leave, come to the cafeteria, alright?¡±


    ¡°I will. But knowing him, I might have to leave right away.¡± Servi lifted a small hand towards Carrie and jogged to the spacious room she proved herself in the night before.


    ¡°Your first target is a man by the name of Snare. He¡¯s a former medicine maker who recently found his conscious,¡± Carmelo said as he held his knife and fork. He sat on a nice chair at a table that was different from the last night. A plate of half-eaten eggs and sausage laid before him. The wooden cup to the left of his plate was empty, but a sickeningly sweet smell wafted from it.


    ¡°Where can I find him? What does he look like?¡± Servi asked. There was a second chair for her, but she said she would rather stand.


    ¡°He¡¯s over next to the part of town where you were stationed yesterday during the bank robbery. It¡¯s a total wasteland now. He doesn¡¯t live there, but he showed up late last night to check things out. I would start checking around there. Here¡¯s a portrait of him. It was drawn early this morning after confirming he was still around.¡± Reaching into his robe pocket, Carmelo took out a thinly rolled-up piece of parchment. He tossed it to Servi, who caught and unrolled it in a single motion.


    Her target was an Elf. His pointy ears were rough and jagged until they somewhat resembled a snake-like shape. He had glasses on, and he had no hair. She thought it was someone she would easily be able to pick out of a crowd.


    ¡°How does he need to die?¡± Servi asked. She rolled the picture up and placed it in her pouch.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Snare only needs to cease living by the time the day is over. I believe he¡¯s married, but I don¡¯t know what kind of ring he has. It¡¯s too easy to be forged, and you might bring back a fake. Hmm¡­ Ah, his ears are unique, so bring one of them back as proof,¡± Carmelo answered.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll get going.¡± Servi turned around to walk out but was stopped by a hasty sentence.


    ¡°Last night, what did the 5th do to you?¡±


    ¡°I told my 9th, but he took me to a house, ordered me to undress, and he fucked me. I only came back early this morning because he told me he was tired of me,¡± she said, turning around and retelling the lie she had prepared.


    ¡°If you were out last night with him, then did you hear anything strange? I received reports of a girl soaring across the skies, a naked girl who slowly floated down after jumping up, and there was some kind of disturbance in New Arcton. Did you hear anything?¡± Carmelo placed his knife and fork on the table and narrowed his eyes. It was for a fraction of a second, but his eyes darted to Clarence. His soft gray robe hugged his slim body and arms.


    ¡°I did not. The 5th was rough when he fucked me, sir, and I focused on making it back to Deset. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t pay enough attention.¡±


    ¡°Then you didn¡¯t hear the lightning? We believe it came from a skill called Niadiabola. There are a lot of burnt buildings that proved it was used last night.¡±


    ¡°I did not. My 9th didn¡¯t say anything to me about it. Now¡¯s the first time I¡¯m hearing about it,¡± Servi replied.


    ¡°Then tell me how a naked girl would jump up until she was the highest object in the sky, even higher than the buildings and birds, and fall like a feather?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, but I don¡¯t know. When it comes to skills, I lack even the most basic knowledge. I pride myself on becoming as efficient as I can with actual weapons because that''s what I know best. I just don¡¯t understand skills, and I can''t just wrap my mind around them,¡± Servi lied.


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s fair enough. After you kill Snare and come back with the proof, I¡¯ll give you the other three targets. If you can manage to kill all of them, I¡¯ll give you a final target. Oh, and as for your reward. You¡¯ll get 600 dupla for the first target. The next group is worth 3,000 dupla, and the final target is worth 10k. Do it all, and you¡¯re looking to get 13,600 dupla. Oh, and take this.¡± Carmelo opened his Dimensional Storage and retrieved a bow that had no discernible flaws or blemishes. Servi took it in her hands and wrapped it around her arm. But that wasn¡¯t all. The 6th reached back into the glowing void and pulled out a quiver of arrows and three throwing knives. ¡°Consider this equipment to be your pre-payment. You can kill in whatever way you want, but if you¡¯re caught, we aren¡¯t doing anything to rescue you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± Servi stared into his narrowed eyes, hooked the quiver around her waist, and stored the daggers in her pouch. After a quick nod, she walked away. Moments before she reached the door, it opened up to reveal a familiar Dwarf. His glorious locks of blond hair forced Servi to remember something. He was the one who was with Baldy, and Baldy was the Dwarf Servi had recently framed. Servi had seen neither him nor Mel, the former 6th, but she was sure they were dead.


    He met her gaze and gave her a scornful look that could make a ghost have a heart attack. Servi only produced a gentle smile and walked by without saying a single word.


    She knew that he hated her. More likely, he wanted to get revenge on her. It was unlikely he knew that she forged the letter, but as far as he was concerned, she was the one who announced it to Carmelo when she first met him.


    If he hates me, then he should hate Carmelo as well. It doesn¡¯t bother me that he¡¯s talking to him because I can easily erase them from existence, but I find it strange. No doubt they¡¯re gonna do something to make my life hellish.


    Turning the corner, Servi walked until she reached the community room. By taking the long way around, she bypassed the cafeteria entirely. Seeing Carrie was the last thing on her mind. Then again, it was probably for the best. She didn¡¯t know until Itarr pointed it out, but Servi¡¯s face had twisted into a sick, sadistic grin that reminded the Goddess of the Servi of the previous night. It was one of a girl who enjoyed taking the lives of those she believed to be enemies.


    Of course, Itarr wouldn¡¯t reference that last part. Her deep thoughts were her own personal thoughts, and if they dealt with Servi, then those wouldn¡¯t ever be shared with the girl in question for the foreseeable future.


    With a bow slung over her shoulders, Servi opened the glass door and stepped outside. The man to her left only nodded. She returned it and started walking towards the aftermath of the fiercest battle she had ever been in.


    The day of assassinations was only beginning, and it was going to be a long day. More than that, it was time to kill, to slaughter those who deserved nothing but death¡¯s release.


    ¡°Come all! Bring me your wounded! Bring me your afflicted! Bring me anyone who needs medicine!¡± A bald Elf with glasses stood outside of a makeshift tent. The hard brown ground underneath him cracked and tore with every hastened step. The number of wounded lying on makeshift straw beds in front of him was a sight for worrying eyes, but Snare was a man who had found his conscious.


    With a step like a fleeting leaf in the wind, he raced to his table inside the tent and expertly mixed up a colorful concoction created from tree roots and shells. The babble of a crying child forced his snake-like ears to attention, and he nearly tripped over a small rock as he raced towards a woman who tightly held a small child.


    ¡°Here you go, sweetie,¡± Snare said. His left hand gripped the granite base of his mortar and pestle. His right hand went to the metal grindstick as he swirled it around the colorful mix until it was as fine as water.


    The bright sunlight illuminated the mixture as its dangerous rays thumped down on everyone. The sweat of nearly one hundred wounded people wafted together with their unwashed bodies and polluted the air. However, not a single person ever made a comment addressing that. They were all here because they had nowhere else to go for healing, and it was no small wonder a fight didn¡¯t break out.


    The wounded didn¡¯t know it, but Snare had incense burning in his tent. With careful manipulation of his various wind skills, its calming smell spread around and did its best to combat the growing disgust.


    ¡°Sir Snare, is she gonna be alright?¡± The woman who asked had a shard of glass sticking out of her arm. The blood had darkened and hardened after half a day of festering, and it was nearly infected. The little girl next to her had the same wound, only it was a shade darker. Snare was the only healer who had his heart touched by the absolute massacre that took place on the very ground he stood on. He had hoped more medics would find the kindness in their hearts and join him, but even he knew that was a long shot.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s going to hurt, so hold her steady. I have to take the glass out and rub this mixture on her. After her, I¡¯ll take care of your arm.¡± Snare''s voice didn¡¯t have the harsh, venomous-like coarseness as it had in his younger years.


    In a swift motion that befitted an assassin, Snare ripped the jagged glass out and hastily applied the colorful mixture. It included a few spores of the sleepinwillo flower. The child¡¯s wailing exploded and subsequently died out in a matter of moments as the sleepinwillo did its job, and the poor mother silently wept. She had no money or items to barter with since the explosion destroyed half of her shack. The other half had been looted in the panic that followed the explosion. It took time for the shock to wear off, but she didn¡¯t have anything to defend herself. For the safety of her child, she couldn¡¯t fight back and risk the looters¡¯ anger.


    ¡°Thank you, Sir Snare! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you,¡± she cried. Tears dripped from her eyes, and they darted back and forth from her child to her savior.


    ¡°You¡¯re more than welcome. I have to go get some more mixture, so I¡¯ll be back in ten seconds.¡± Snare didn¡¯t smile, but he allowed his eyes to convey what little emotion he had left. Standing up, he looked out to the ever-growing crowd. He had healed over forty-seven people, and his only wish was that the number of his patients wouldn¡¯t grow any bigger. The sight of the injured and sick used to bring him joy, but now it only brought him sadness and guilt.


    But more than that, his heart had felt such heaviness for those who he couldn¡¯t save. Behind his tent and situated some fifty meters away was a growing graveyard of unburied corpses. There wasn¡¯t much he could do if his patient was already on the edge of meeting the Gods in the Heavens Above, and although it hurt his heart, he had to prioritize those who had a chance. In a mercy-filled act, he wept as he used a quick-acting poison to end their lives. It had no name since it was a personalized mixture of many different toxins, but it numbed and killed in seconds, and he was sure they weren¡¯t suffering any pain as the final breath left their lungs.


    Unbeknownst to him, he wasn¡¯t alone when he walked back to the tent. The back was enclosed, but the front was open. Someone couldn''t slip by him without being seen, and it was even more impossible to sneak by hundreds of potential patients who watched him like a hawk. But Servi was Servi, a woman who shared a soul with a Goddess. She regularly performed the impossible and defied the world''s expectations.


    She had been watching him the past hour, but he couldn¡¯t see her. His eyes couldn¡¯t pick up her face or clothes, his ears couldn¡¯t register her footsteps, and even if his hands passed right through her, he wouldn¡¯t feel a single thing. The Rank 0 skill called The Shadow¡¯s Embrace effectively erased the user from existence while activated. She tested it out earlier when she ran into a dark alley, but she could use her ring to its fullest potential without interrupting the skill. When she looked down, she saw her body encased in a squirming blanket of shadow, but she felt and heard the ground cracking beneath her. Her hands experienced the tent¡¯s soft, coarse fabric when she walked behind him.


    It seems I still have all of my senses. Servi thought.


    She wouldn¡¯t need to pull a weapon from her ring because the skill granted her a tool to kill in the form of a black bracer that clasped under her right forearm. It wasn¡¯t made out of something solid like leather, but it also wasn¡¯t intangible. The black shadow-like smoke that made up its appearance squirmed like a snake, yet at the same time, it remained still like a block of obsidian. A small black ring attached to a chain extended from the base of the bracer to her middle finger. It acted as a release mechanism for the blade. Cold and hot, it silently vibrated her hand when she pulled her hand back and thrusted her wrist out. Producing no sound, Servi knew it was the ultimate weapon for an assassin like her. When she flicked her middle finger back, the shadow blade returned to its resting position.


    The black shadow covering her body felt both warm and cold. It thrived in the light, yet it recoiled in the darkness and vice versa. It was paradoxical as it could get, and maybe that was why it one of the few skills that required its user to be Rank 0. Servi pulled out a mirror, and even that was invisible to all but her. She saw a single blue eye surrounded by a sea of obsidian that flowed like a river. But that azure orb in her head also remained motionless like a mountain. When she saw her reflection, she grinned because there was nothing more suitable for someone like her.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Snare whispered as if he yelled and hastily gathered various jars filled with alchemical ingredients. ¡°I don¡¯t have enough! It¡¯s never enough! I don¡¯t want anyone else to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Your time has come, and you must die.¡± Servi walked up slowly and rested her left hand around his neck. Like she expected, he didn¡¯t react to her touch. She stared down at her right arm and pulled her right middle finger back. The shadowy blade popped out from the black bracer with a silent echo. Raising her hand up, she brought her hidden blade down his throat and severed his windpipe. Instantly, he struggled against the foreign entity that pierced his throat, but the skill had gone to work. When the blade entered his body, a shadowy poison escaped from it and circulated through his blood. It acted fast and quick. Within seconds, thin smoke poured from his every orifice and flowed back to Servi¡¯s black bracer. She thought it seemed a bit smaller after plunging it into his neck, but now it was back at full size.


    With another quick thrust of her right middle finger, the blade disappeared inside the black bracer.


    To keep his death hidden, Servi helped the man to his chair and faced it towards the backside of his tent. From the woman¡¯s point of view, she figured he needed a quick rest before he returned back. Even if he didn¡¯t come back, her child had been lucky enough to be healed by him. Her injuries didn¡¯t matter at all, and she didn¡¯t feel much of anything from the hundreds who moaned with pain and aches. She believed their lives didn¡¯t matter because no one bothered to help her when she needed it the most.


    ¡°We need proof, right?¡± Servi spoke in her normal voice because there was no need to whisper. She didn¡¯t know what would happen if she stabbed a dead man with such a powerful skill, so she decided to pull a regular dagger from her ring. The shadow hand that held her knife couldn¡¯t be seen by anyone. The blood splattering down fell to the ground, bypassing her hand and knife. For the briefest moment that couldn¡¯t be calculable, Snare¡¯s left snake-like ear appeared to be floating before disappearing.


    We can leave, right? Itarr asked. Servi¡¯s ID was invisible like her body, but she could still read it.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Servi bluntly replied.  "We can leave."

 Book Three – Chapter Eight – Part Two – Wetwork

    Itarr¡¯s eyes focused not on the corpse of an Elf who wanted to correct a horrific past, but they intensely stared at the group of injured victims who wouldn¡¯t receive any further healing. The odds were high that they would be dead soon, and the Goddess asked if she could heal them.


    ¡°Why would I ever want to heal my enemies? If they weren¡¯t so fucking weak, then we wouldn¡¯t be in this situation. It¡¯s their fucking fault, and I¡¯m forced to fucking fix it to save Momo. No, I won¡¯t give you permission to heal them. I want to kill them, but look at them! That one¡¯s missing an eye, and he¡¯s missing both hands! Look at the blood! They¡¯re on death¡¯s door.  If the blood loss won¡¯t kill them, the festering disease that¡¯s to follow will. They will suffer for their cowardice, but that won¡¯t be enough. They rolled over and showed their stomachs when the going got rough. Guess what? You can¡¯t show your stomach twice to different enemies when the first enemy isn¡¯t dead!¡±


    Itarr started to argue about healing the children, but Servi suddenly dodged out of the tent and raced away. An invisible wind produced from her erratic movements died out and scattered nothing in its wake.


    Within seconds, she left the injured masses with no healer, and by the time they discovered Snare¡¯s corpse, Servi would be long gone. Their cries and sorrows wouldn¡¯t reach her.


    It was impossible for something that didn¡¯t exist to affect the world. And it was impossible for a bundle of shadow to physically influence the world. Yet Servi had done the impossible by harnessing the potential of The Shadow''s Embrace.


    Her destination was a dark alley near Deset, and since she didn¡¯t physically exist, Servi used her full speed to soar throughout the air and passed by a kettle of flying vultures and birds. But The Shadow¡¯s Embrace wasn¡¯t an infallible skill. Instead of using a set amount like Fireball, The Shadow''s Embrace used 10% of a person''s Skill Energy every second. A person only received the benefits of such a powerful skill for ten short seconds. In Servi¡¯s case, each soul wasn¡¯t drained concurrently. It was subsequent. The thousands of souls she held within her ring were drained one after another and acted like wood to a charcoal fire.


    When one soul was drained, the skill moved onto the next and then to the next after that. For most people, The Shadow''s Embrace had numerous weaknesses to offset how strong it was. In Servi¡¯s case, it only had one drawback. The Skill Energy used by The Shadow¡¯s Embrace would not regenerate while the skill was active. While it was nearly impossible, there was a chance for Servi to be drained, but that was a risk she was willing to take.


    Even if I do run out, I can¡¯t die. I only have to wait for my Skill Energy to come back. It¡¯s so fucking weird. I have absolutely no downsides to anything. It¡¯s like these skills were waiting for me to draw out their true power. Those thoughts soared across her mind as she landed on top of a building. Transitioning into a roll, Servi continued until she found herself in a small alley a few streets away from Deset.


    Canceling The Shadow''s Embrace, she felt a queer sensation of relief that was foreign to her, but Itarr didn''t write anything on the ID. Because of that, Servi immediately tossed that worry from her mind. She looked down at her right arm. It was fleshy and warm to the touch when her left hand touched her right wrist. Servi rubbed the area where the black ring had been. There wasn¡¯t anything out of place, but Servi¡¯s mind became occupied for a few brief moments. Itarr wondered what was on her beloved¡¯s mind, but Servi didn¡¯t share anything and started walking.


    It took only a few minutes to walk from the alley to having a meeting with Carmelo. But even as she walked with one foot in front of the other, her mind raced back to the brief argument she had with Itarr.


    This nightmare started when I thought you betrayed me, and now you really want to betray me? Itarr, I loved you! Why would you ever want to heal my enemies?! And what was that about¡ª


    Her thoughts became disorganized and chaotic, and Servi couldn¡¯t keep a coherent thought. Strangely enough, she didn¡¯t feel any pain. Her solemn face remained static, and for a brief moment, it felt like Servi was in someone else¡¯s body. But that strange feeling lasted for less than a second, and she thought it best to forget about thinking all together.


    She knew her strength laid in killing. It was what she was good at. With the powers given to her by Itarr, Servi became a monster. She had the ability to kill from a distance, rip heads from bodies, skewer a person with her arm, and recently, the power to erase herself from reality. It was all things that shouldn''t be used by a regular person, but here she was: a skill-slinging Goddess of Death that had thousands of souls inside her ring.


    She didn¡¯t pay attention to the faces of the other Mafia members as she walked the halls, but they certainly paid attention to her. It was unheard of for a new recruit to be given assassination contracts. No doubt Carrie had started bragging to everyone about Servi¡¯s accomplishment, but that wasn¡¯t why they all stared. To carry out a proper assassination, one needed to study the target''s routine and gather information. That would take more than a day, sometimes a week or two, but Servi was only gone for a bit more than an hour. Her footsteps filled in the blank silence as she turned corner after corner. Servi''s eyes stared at the floor, so she didn''t see the Kobold walking towards her, and the two bumped into each other.


    He started to say something when Servi looked at him, but he was killed and absorbed before uttering a single sound. Looking around and behind her, she saw the wide gasp of an Elf who looked like he saw the impossible. Not wanting to take any chances, Servi killed the only witness and continued her walk.


    Would someone as pure as Momo forgive me for my sins? I don''t deserve her, but I need her. If I can¡¯t have her in my life, then¡­


    Carmelo¡¯s voice interrupted her thoughts. Before she knew it, she stood in front of him inside the same room she met with him only an hour before. The high ceiling still felt unnatural for Servi. It was the only thing that gave her a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach.


    ¡°My observers tell me they didn¡¯t see him die. I picked them for their excellent eyesight, yet you¡¯re here before me. He has to be dead. I also see that you haven¡¯t used a single arrow, and your bowstring is free of any blemishes,¡± Carmelo narrowed his eyes. Servi hadn¡¯t taken the observers into account. Even if she had, Itarr didn¡¯t know about it. The Goddess had remained quiet ever since their argument and sulked around inside of their interconnected souls. She wanted to cry herself away because everything was her fault.


    How¡¯d he find out about it so quickly? There must be someone with a bird spirit like that Elf back when we raided the slave markets in Canary. Gonna have to be a bit more secretive since he¡¯s probably gonna have people watching me like a hawk.


    Children aren¡¯t meant to be punished! Why can¡¯t she see it?! Itarr¡¯s wails and arguments would go unreturned because her voice still couldn¡¯t reach Servi. It was like there was a block somewhere inside their soul, but she couldn¡¯t find it.


    ¡°I kill how I want to kill. If you don¡¯t believe me, look at my ID. I did not use a skill to kill Snare, and it¡¯s not my fault your observers are so useless they didn¡¯t catch it. And here. His ear.¡± Servi reached into her pouch and retrieved her proof. Spinning around her fingers, she threw it on the table.


    Carmelo sighed and pointed to two pouches of coins sitting in front of him. ¡°Your attitude is much to be desired. That¡¯s why I¡¯m taking away half of your reward. You¡¯ll get it back if you complete all of the contracts.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯m alright if I can kill. I can only imagine all of this is training for when I kill those fucking slavers.¡± Servi licked her chops as she watched Carmelo¡¯s thin hands and long fingers picked up a pouch. He placed it in a small pocket on his gray robe.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never met such a bloodthirsty Human before. Are you sure you aren¡¯t a Kobold in disguise?¡± Once again, his eyes darted to Clarence.


    ¡°Humans have the abilities to become great monsters, and I do suppose I¡¯m one of the worst. The things I¡¯ve seen and experienced would put normal killers and murderers to shame.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha,¡± Carmelo laughed in a way that didn¡¯t befit him. ¡°You think you¡¯re a monster?! Human, I am an Elf. I¡¯ve been alive for hundreds of years. Even if you were to live to the ripe old age of 100 four times over, it wouldn¡¯t compare to what I¡¯ve seen. I¡¯ve seen a man tear off his skin and meat to feed his child because she was hungry. I¡¯ve seen a child kill his sister because his brother would die if he didn¡¯t. Tell me, what do you think ran through that boy¡¯s father¡¯s head when he had to watch his son choose which of his siblings would live?¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha, I didn¡¯t come here to compete in a contest on who¡¯s seen the worst shit. Just give me my targets. I¡¯ll have them all slaughtered by the end of the day, Carmelo.¡± Servi sat down on the ground. ¡°I ain¡¯t moving until you tell me who to kill.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never met someone who spoke so bluntly with me before.¡± Carmelo grabbed his beloved metal bow. ¡°Clarence has the power to rend your flesh from your body and tear the bones from your limbs. And yet, even knowing that, you would talk to a Numbered that way?!¡±


    Servi stood up. ¡°Death would be a welcome embrace.¡± Staring at the ceiling, she wished the darkness gathered at the top would fall and swallow her whole. Perhaps she thought that would cloud her mind to the point where she would rush off and save Momo. She could do it now, but she felt the city hasn¡¯t been punished enough. Two sharp blades of wind bypassed her head and missed her by a few millimeters. Without looking down, she asked a question. ¡°Could you hurry up and give me my contracts? I gotta kill three, right?¡±


    ¡°Even with knowing how close you came to death, you still speak with no respect?¡±


    ¡°My ability as a killer and murderer should grant me that right.¡± Servi held out her hand.


    ¡°Hahahaha!! Here! Take these three and leave. Don¡¯t come back until they¡¯re all dead, and make sure you bring me proof. Let¡¯s see¡­ Ah, they all have a tattoo on the back of their necks. Bring back that piece of skin, and I¡¯ll give you your last target. Be warned, though, that these three are going to be difficult. They¡¯re all expert fighters. And to make it difficult, I told someone to warn them. I¡¯m expecting good things out of you. You have the potential to be a Numbered far sooner than anyone else.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re expecting me? Good. It''ll be somewhat more fair for them. See ya, boss, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Servi grabbed the three rolled-up pieces of paper and turned on her heels. As her footsteps echoed about the big empty room, Servi came to the door. She knocked on it twice and waited as the guard on the other side opened it up. Leaving, she made her way down the various halls until she ascended the spiral staircase.


    Once she emerged into the room with the washbasins, Servi left through the glass door and opened up the first of three papers.


    ¡°Clarence, come out and talk to me. Tell me your thoughts on that Human.¡± He placed a hand on the metal limbs of his bow. It glowed green, and the entirety of the bow shrunk in size until it was 17 centimeters tall. Then it took on a Humanoid shape, only it had four flickering wings. When the green glow disappeared, it revealed a fairy, and she was sitting down on the edge of a clean plate.


    Her blond hair came to her shoulders, the two green eyes in her head stared up at Carmelo, and two tiny hands folded across her heart. Her two legs dangled over the plate¡¯s edge.


    ¡°Carmy, it¡¯s been a while since you wanted to hear my thoughts,¡± she said. Her voice, tiny and mouse-like, didn¡¯t travel to her master¡¯s ears via sound, but by telepathy. Even though her mouth moved, nothing escaped her pink lips.


    ¡°Clarence, it has been quite some time. I have something I need your opinion on. Oh, and put on some clothes,¡± he said while crossing his legs.


    ¡°Oops! Sorry about that!¡± Clarence stood up and twirled around in place until a green ballroom dress covered her body from neck to toe. Then she sat back down.  ¡°Okay! Whaddya wanna talk about?"


    Carmelo leaned forward and rested his chin on his arms. ¡°I want to know what you think about that Human,¡± he said.


    ¡°Williana? She¡¯s a strange one,¡± Clarence said. She crossed her legs and shrugged her shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything coming from her. Like, not a single thing. It¡¯s like she doesn¡¯t exist.¡±


    ¡°But if she doesn¡¯t exist, then she would be under the effects of The Shadow''s Embrace, correct? We can see her. We can smell her. We can even touch her, so that couldn¡¯t be it. Besides, she doesn¡¯t have that skill. She¡¯s a Rank 10.


    Clarence shook her head. ¡°Carmy, I don¡¯t mean it like that. It¡¯s like she¡¯s an actress. The person she¡¯s portraying isn¡¯t her true self. The Williana you talked to doesn¡¯t exist. At least, that¡¯s what I feel.¡±


    ¡°What do you think her true self is?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The fairy crossed her legs four times in quick succession. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to say. There¡¯s a chance she¡¯s as quiet as a mouse, and it¡¯s possible she¡¯s a nightmare¡¯s worse dream. You saw how she almost begged for those contracts, right?¡±


    ¡°I did. It seemed that Williana would die if she didn¡¯t get a chance to kill. Was that just another act?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I think. Do you want me to follow Williana around to see if she¡¯s hiding something? I can do it,¡± Clarence said while touching her stomach. Her tiny palm was like a grain of rice when compared to Carmelo¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. I¡¯ve seen that girl''s ID. Her skills consist of what a regular Rank 10 would have.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to falsify an ID¡¯s information, so we know she¡¯s telling the truth about that. Hey, Carmy?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Do you think she¡¯s telling the truth about that slavery and her friends and family? If Williana''s as good with weapons as she says she is, then she shouldn¡¯t have any trouble. I mean, she just killed Snare, and he was surrounded by a lot of people. That¡¯s what the observers said.¡±


    Carmelo narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°If she only has Rank 10 skills, yet she¡¯s amazing with weapons, that still doesn¡¯t explain how she was able to get in, kill him in front of all those people, carve off his ear, and come back within an hour. It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t, but like we said, it¡¯s impossible to hide information from an ID.¡±


    ¡°Then let me follow her! I¡¯ll find out her secrets!¡± Clarence cutely thrust her arms down and pouted.


    Carmelo shook his head. ¡°Sorry, but I won¡¯t let you do that.¡±


    ¡°Why not?!¡±


    ¡°Because of our pact. For as long as you rest inside the bow, you will defend me. If you¡¯re following Williana, then you can¡¯t do that, can you?¡±


    ¡°But if I follow her and discover her secrets, then won¡¯t that be protecting you?!¡±


    Carmelo sighed and leaned back in his chair. It quietly squeaked under his shifting weight. ¡°I need you here with me, and I don¡¯t trust anyone else to follow her. This whole base is full of traitorous scum. But I will admit this.  She¡¯s hiding something, and I want to know what it is.¡±


    ¡°Then why not have that Dwarf follow her? He came in here earlier.¡± Clarence held out a hand as if she couldn¡¯t believe Carmelo couldn¡¯t come up with such an obvious answer.


    ¡°He has some work to do. It involves the last contract, though I don¡¯t expect Williana to get that far. That¡¯s why it doesn¡¯t matter if he fails.  Still, I suppose I can have someone follow her closely. But based on how we feel about her, I do not expect the follower to come back alive. Now that we¡¯re talking about it out loud, I suppose it¡¯s good in the long run if that happened.¡±


    ¡°Why not kill her? She has to come back for the fifth contract, right? Just hide beside the door and stab her. And didn¡¯t you want her to die with the rest of those disposable fools? It¡¯s kinda suspect she came back as the only survivor.  Carmelo, I think it¡¯s best to go ahead and kill her. We need control of the Mafia, right?¡± Clarence¡¯s body grew an ominous red aura around her body. Anger surged through her body, but she didn¡¯t know why. On the totem pole of strength, spirits like her ruled from the top.


    ¡°Clarence, calm down. I¡¯ll go call for someone to follow her. At the same time, I¡¯ll send orders to the observers to keep an eye on her. If both the follower dies and the observers are unable to keep an eye on her, then I¡¯ll think about killing her myself. And yes, I know we need control. But I think we need her, too.


    ¡°Since she loves to kill, I may be able to take advantage of her unique talents by offering her a steady stream of contracts in lieu of payment. You saw how she looked, right? Convincing her of that shouldn''t be that hard.  Then we can use the money I saved from not paying her to advance towards our ultimate goal. My home forest won¡¯t wait forever, so we¡ª¡± Carmelo forcibly stopped himself from speaking. He held out a hand and pointed his index finger towards Clarence. She sighed and flew up to it, taking a seat.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want to do, Carmy, then I¡¯m all for it! But if she acts in a way that suggests she wants to harm you, then I¡¯ll have no choice but to take her head. Your safety comes above all else. That¡¯s acceptable, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡± Carmelo stood up and lifted his hand.


    ¡°Aw man, it¡¯s time to go back in?¡± Clarence pouted and turned around.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it is. I¡¯ll be sure to call on you more often. I imagine it¡¯s not that comfortable to stay cooped up inside of it, is it?¡± Carmelo softly smiled and closed his eyes.


    Clarence peeked over her shoulder and smiled before fluttering her wings. Flying up, she soared around in circles until she stopped in front of his nose. ¡°It¡¯s the most comfortable home in the whole wide world! I just want the chance to fly and spread my wings every once in a while! So call me out more often, okay? Maybe next time in my original form? Hehe!!!¡±


    After planting a quick kiss on the tip of her summoner¡¯s nose, Clarence¡¯s legs glowed green. She vibrated as the emerald light reached her knees, thighs, waist, stomach, arms, and eventually, her neck. ¡°I love you, Carmy,¡± Clarence said as the light covered her mouth. When her body had been enveloped, the light swirled around until it formed a mini tornado of torrential power. The empty plates and cups were knocked off the table, and Carmelo¡¯s loose robes fluttered against his body. After reaching its max intensity, the tornado suddenly morphed, growing larger until it was in the shape of a particular metal bow with multiple strings.


    Carmelo picked up his bow and rubbed it against his cheek. ¡°I love you, Clarence,¡± he whispered.


    But true form? I¡­


    He rested the bow against his shoulder and walked towards the door. The guard on the other side heard his footsteps and preemptively opened the door.


    Her true form can wait. Okay, Williana, it¡¯s time to put you to the test. Should you come out unscathed, I¡¯ll know for sure that there¡¯s more to you than what you lead on. I¡¯ll harness whatever power you want to keep hidden for myself.


    ¡°Go and fetch me the most trustworthy man you know,¡± Carmelo said. ¡°I have a most important task that needs to be completed as soon as possible.¡±


    Carmelo spoke to the guard like he was a king ordering his men to die, but the guard was all the more eager to fulfill the Numbered¡¯s request. Even if he wasn¡¯t, he had to act like he was.


    ¡°Yes, sir! I¡¯ll go right away!¡± The guard couldn¡¯t have been older than 20. His light gray hair was unusual for a healthy adult Human male, and his two rust-colored eyes were starkly distinct in terms of coloration. His rather attractive face and small ears stuck out like a sore thumb, and that meant he would draw a bit of attention.


    Better yet, this guard is a waste of space. He doesn¡¯t have anything even close to the power I desire.


    Carmelo¡¯s mouth twisted into a sinister grin that lasted a quarter of a second. ¡°On the other hand, I feel like you could do this job rather well. If you have someone in mind, then get them to help. Here are the details¡­¡±

 Book Three – Chapter Eight – Part Three – Wetwork

    They were complete amateurs. The way they moved and breathed gave away their true intentions. Servi didn¡¯t know why she knew how to spot the two people trailing her, but her instincts were sounding alarms. She first realized something was wrong when she leaned up against the side of an abandoned building on the less fortunate side of town. The homeless stuck out like a sore thumb, but maybe that was wrong. Perhaps Servi, with her nearly spotless leather armor, was the one who stood out. Out of the hundred or so people she saw, only she had a complete set of protective gear. She felt the gazing eyes lustfully staring at her armor and dagger, but nobody made a move.


    She figured Carmelo would send someone after her, but she didn¡¯t think it would be so soon after she left Deset.


    That one there in the yellow shirt and black boots... He¡¯s trying too hard to match the absented-minded state of that old man behind him. And that woman with the dirty face; her nails are too clean and proper to fit this shitty place.


    Servi sighed and pulled out the first of three contracts while the man with the black boots walked by her. She turned to look at him, and he slowly nodded and smiled.


    Fucking amateurs.


    Turning her gaze back to her paper, she discovered she didn¡¯t have a picture to go after. She only had a description, and it wasn¡¯t that thorough.


    His name¡¯s Markka, and he lives on the east side of town next to the guard tower. He¡¯s an Elf, and he has that tattoo on his neck. If I kill all the Elves I see, I¡¯m bound to run into him.


    Servi rolled up the paper and walked in a random direction after sliding it in her pouch. Out of the corner of her eye, the man and woman began to move. The bright early morning sun did more to damage their attempts than it did to help. Perhaps they thought it would help hide their out-of-place motions, but they were wrong. Servi went from walking to jogging and turned down the first street she saw. The two trailing behind her also picked up speed and followed her.


    The street small and dinky, but it also had a small shack that had nearly collapsed. The metal sliding door had seen better days, and it was weak enough for Servi to tear it off without arousing any suspicion. Before she stepped inside, she looked up at the sky and found a single bird. Its fluid movements in the slight breeze meant it was a spirit because even a swallow wouldn¡¯t have been able to fly straight into the wind without slightly jittering.


    And that¡¯s another mistake. If I can find the summoner, I¡¯ll go ahead and take care of it.


    She heard footsteps coming from her right and immediately ducked into the shed. Small and cramped, Servi¡¯s shoulders brushed against spider webs, the spiders themselves, and a lone rat that had gotten trapped. Dust covered practically everything, and her ripping the door off was more than enough to send it in to a dusty frenzy. One eight-legged freak fell from the shed¡¯s ceiling onto Servi''s head. She remained calm, grabbed it, squeezed it to death, and activated The Shadow¡¯s Embrace. The very familiar feeling of darkness and shadow erasing her life from existence filled her up. It was like she was made for killing, and her face couldn¡¯t help but twist into a killer grin.


    Glancing at her right arm, she saw the familiar hidden blade. A ring and chain were attached to her middle finger. With a simple motion, the weapon extended from its sheath, and Servi waited. The footsteps grew louder, and she heard the two followers talk.


    ¡°She¡¯s in here! The 6th said we get a bonus if we find proof,¡± said the man.


    ¡°What proof? And shut up! She can¡¯t find out about us!¡± the woman cried. Her voice was louder than her companion¡¯s.


    ¡°Calm down. Carmelo said we can kill her if we find anything anyways.  She¡¯s only a Rank 10. I say we make up some shit about something and kill her. It¡¯s easy money, and no one will find out about it,¡± he said. ¡°If she¡¯s in here, then it¡¯s even easier. Get your sword out, and let¡¯s get paid!¡±


    ¡°Fine, but you¡¯re taking the blame if we fuck it up.¡± Servi heard and watched as two swords left their sheaths. They expected her to be cowering in the corner like a baby playing peek-a-boo, but in reality, Servi leaned against the back center wall. With how Servi tore the door off, she had a meter and a half of space to see out of, so she saw their every move.


    The man counted to three, and the both of them rushed in with their swords out. The woman stabbed to the left of the door and the man to the right. Considering the shed wasn¡¯t but 5 m x 6 m x 3 m, there weren''t many places for their target to hide. Beforehand, they agreed that if their blades didn¡¯t strike true, they would charge the back wall with skills at the ready.


    ¡°Sword Beam!¡± shouted the man with the yellow shirt as he finished off his pre-casting. Swinging his sword in a wide arc, a beam of white energy materialized from nothing and sliced in front of him. It propelled itself forward until it left a wide horizontal gash n the wall in front of them.  It went right through Servi because she currently did not exist in the world.


    ¡°Flame Sword!¡± the woman shouted. Her blade, lit alive by fire that rivaled the heat of a Greater Fireball, illuminated the trash-filled shed. Its inhabitants didn¡¯t like the sudden light, and all sorts of spiders rushed out in fright because their slumber was disturbed.


    ¡°KYAA!!!¡± The woman wasn¡¯t any good with arachnids, and she dropped her sword to the ground.


    ¡°Damnit! Don¡¯t drop your bloody sword! You trying to burn us?!¡± Her companion maneuvered his foot under the blade and kicked it up. He caught it with his empty hand and waved it around.


    That was when he realized something.


    ¡°Hey, she ain¡¯t in here,¡± he muttered.


    The girl, still screaming and shuttering in disgust, continued to swipe the already-gone bugs off her hair.


    ¡°Hey, I said she ain¡¯t here!¡± His raised voice captured her attention, and she held out a hand to retrieve her sword.


    Only the sword wasn¡¯t there anymore. It vanished, almost as if someone erased it from existence. With the primary source of light gone, the man and woman''s eyes had to take time to adjust to the darkness. But that didn¡¯t stop the girl from freaking out about the missing sword.


    Before she could get a word in, she felt something sharp and dusty pierce her stomach. Blood poured from her mouth along with shadowy tendrils that almost had a mind of their own. Like the demonic smoke created from a demon¡¯s fire, the shadows suffocated the body from within by destroying whatever oxygen circulated around. But there was more to it. When the shadows reached her heart and lungs, it applied ever-increasing pressure from both sides until the three organs stopped in their tracks.


    It was painful and quick, and the chances of surviving it were closer to zero percent than one percent. A Koena had the best shot, but survival depended on how efficiently they used Pulmoni Oxygeni.


    ¡°Shit, I can¡¯t see shit! Here, take my hand! There¡¯s no telling if she¡¯s gonna strike from the back!¡± Like a puppet master, Servi placed the deceased girl¡¯s hand on top of the man¡¯s hand. He gripped tightly, and Servi stopped supporting her body. The man wasn''t prepared for it, and he fell on top of a pile of trash and debris, some of which were spiky and sharp.


    ¡°AAAH,¡± he cried as he felt a foreign object enter in through his upper back. Whatever it was had been sharp enough to pierce through his shoulder. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wro¡ª¡±


    His eyes finally adjusted, the man in the yellow shirt stared at the dead body of his closest friend. But that wasn¡¯t the reason he screamed.


    Servi undid The Shadow¡¯s Embrace and stared at her would-be killer eye to eye, with only millimeters of space separating them. Her facial expressions and non-verbal body language conveyed her aggression and power better than her words could. And like a feather in the wind, she erased herself from existence once more and stabbed her shadowy blade into his throat. With all the calmness of a serene lake, Servi moved her hand down, cutting the man from his neck to this stomach. The smoke billowed out like there was a fire in his belly, and it took longer than usual for Servi¡¯s weapon to grow back to its regular size.


    The kill may have been brutal, but it provided an excellent source of information. Unlike the other skills, knowledge of The Shadow¡¯s Embrace didn¡¯t immediately enter her mind. It was possible there were things she was capable of that she didn¡¯t know how to use, but that was extra.  But as she thought about it, it didn''t make sense. Every other time she had learned or used a skill, the knowledge was just there. Was it possible Rank 0 skills went by different rules?


    If I can kill with it, then I don¡¯t need anything else. A weapon is a weapon. It isn¡¯t some type of fucking toy.


    Absorbing the bodies, Servi stood up and made her way out. A queer movement out of the corner of her eye drew her attention. The weird bird she saw earlier sat perched on a nearby wall. Its beady green eyes focused on the shed¡¯s entrance. For fun, Servi moved in front of the bird and walked to the left. As she expected, it ignored her.


    If I kill it, its summoner takes damage. All I have to do is follow the screams.


    Straining her ears, Servi struck the spirit with her shadowy blade and immediately ran towards the cry of pain. Servi retraced her steps to where she first saw the two now-deceased stalkers and found her target.  To her surprise, it came from a female Singi who couldn¡¯t have been older than sixteen. The shaggy robes she had on had a deep hole stretching from her stomach to her chest. The dirty brown blanket in front of her must¡¯ve been her only way of covering the hole. The little recess she sat in protected her from the blistering sun, and from what Servi saw while looking about, the girl had one of the better spots.


    Blood poured from her eyes.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see! I can¡¯t see! Whisp, are you okay?! Where are you?!¡± she cried. Her hands went from clutching her chest to covering her eyes. The sudden display certainly attracted a lot of attention, but none tried to help. It was like they were watching a wounded animal trapped behind an invisible fence. It wasn¡¯t their fault she suffered injuries. If they helped her, what would they get in return? Appreciation and ¡®thank yous¡¯ didn¡¯t feed their empty stomachs. They didn¡¯t put clothes over their bodies when the snow came. If anything, they would lose out on what little resources they had. In terms of survival, helping strangers was a fast way of losing it all.


    Everyone present thought the exact same thing, and that pushed Servi into a rage.


    IT¡¯S THEIR FAULT ARCTON HAS GONE TO SHIT!!!! THEY DON¡¯T EVER WANT TO FUCKING FIGHT FOR WHAT¡¯S RIGHT!!!


    Her breathing quickened, and she acted. With her right hand held out, she walked by the group of people watching and stuck the tip of her shadow blade into their necks. One by one, the bodies fell to the floor while her deathly shadowy tendrils invaded and destroyed from within.  In total, 22 people dropped dead in three seconds.


    It didn¡¯t take long for there to be a panic. With people falling dead from an invisible assailant, the area within a four-block radius soon became empty.


    Only Servi, the corpses, and the girl were left alone. And after absorbing the dead bodies, Servi took care of the last bit of trouble. Unlike the man with the yellow shirt and reddish-brown eyes, Servi didn¡¯t spend any time prolonging the young summoner¡¯s death. She may have been a teenager, but at the end of the day, the summoner was an enemy. If the girl in front of her, who wailed and panicked at the sudden panic and subsequent silence, had enough conviction to join the Mafia as an observer, then why couldn¡¯t the she harness that strength to fight against them? Servi didn¡¯t know the answer, and she wouldn¡¯t claim to know.


    ¡°Whisp, save me! I¡¯m scared! I can¡¯t move!! What¡¯s happening?! Whisp!!!¡± The terrified child-like voice filled with an unknown fear rang out to all who listened, but no one present was interested. With a simple sigh, Servi jabbed her blade into her forehead, destroying her brain in a single strike. The strength left her body, and she collapsed on her side as blood and smoke poured from her orifices.


    In only a few short minutes, Servi added 25 more people to her ever-growing body count. By the time she rescued Momo, there was no telling what it would be.


    But as far as she was concerned¡­


    I still have a lot of killing left to do.


    Since The Shadow''s Embrace erased her from existence, Servi didn¡¯t have to hide her ever-increasing physical abilities. As she made her way to the east side of town, Servi''s mind only focused on completing her task.


    Markka the Elf was going to die before the day was up. The two targets after him would follow suit and join him in the afterlife. The only question on Servi¡¯s mind was the elusive fifth target.


    But like all the others, I will kill whoever stands in my way.


    ¡°Tell me again why we are guarding him? We¡¯re supposed to be out patrolling, right? Then let¡¯s patrol,¡± the one guard on the left said. With his hand firmly grasped around his axe¡¯s handle, he was ready to go. He talked to the man sitting in front of him.


    ¡°Shut up and stand by. We got orders from the top, and you can¡¯t ignore orders because you don¡¯t feel like following them,¡± replied the sitting man. Unlike his standing companion, his armor had no modifications or designs. Plain and dull was how he liked it, and he didn¡¯t care much for ostentatious red and blue aftermarket modifications because he thought it was stupid to stand out.


    The two of them were in a small room near a door that had no door handle. The only way to get into the room they protected was from the inside. The person they guarded had to be the one to open it. The dust and cobwebs plastered about was proof the entire building had gone unused for a few years, so it was the perfect place to hide Markka.


    ¡°Hey!!!¡± A fist pounded on the door from the inside. ¡°Do you see the assassin?!¡±


    ¡°Like we already told you a hundred times, there¡¯s no one here. It¡¯s only us. Besides, there are thirty men stationed in the living room in front of us. We¡¯ll hear em'' coming before they show up,¡± said the guard with the plain armor. His hands rested on the greatsword lying in his lap. He knew it wasn¡¯t the right weapon for the job because of the low ceiling and cramped room, but it was a disguise.


    The hefty blade only weighed a single kilogram because it was purposely designed that way. Sixteen throwing knives littered his waistband, and they were hidden away by a small cloth that acted as a towel for his sweaty hands when he took off his gloves. In the worst-case scenario, he could use the decoy sword as a weapon, but that meant he had exhausted all options.


    His eager companion slapped his bright blue breastplate and stomped the ground with his red metal boots like a child throwing a tantrum.


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°No buts! Shut the fuck up and do your goddamn job!¡±


    ¡°Tch!¡± The immature guard spat on the floor and leaned back against the wall. The chandelier above him was the only source of light. With the cramped space and heat, it wasn¡¯t long until he nearly sweated through his armor.


    Right as the sitting guard was about to reply, the door to the living room disappeared. The two men were trained, and both instantly went on the attack. The one with the decoy sword hastily reached to his waist and threw four throwing knives in a single motion while his companion sliced downward with all his strength.


    Nothing. There was no one there. The guard one with the axe rushed out through the open doorway with a silent roll, coming to his feet with both hands outstretched. A small rope attached his axe to his wrist, and it dangled freely while allowing the use of his hands. He turned left and saw nothing. Turning right, he didn¡¯t see a single thing, but his training told him there was an enemy afoot.


    ¡°Hey, where¡ª¡± he spoke and turned forward, and that¡¯s when he saw it. More precisely, that was when he saw nothing when there should have been a lot.


    The thirty men that he knew were there a short twenty minutes ago weren¡¯t there. Alarm bells sounded off in his mind. He did his best to retreat, but when he turned his body around to run back, his head smashed into a shadow-infused hidden blade. Dying instantly, Servi absorbed the corpse and calmly walked into the small room.


    The man with the fake greatsword had his emotions halted by his training. There was no way a body could disappear like he had witnessed, but panicking meant he lost the battle before it began.


    That¡¯s how he was trained, but no mere training could help fight a woman with the powers of a Goddess. His beady brown eyes darted from corner to corner to the open doorway. His ears, strained to their limits, tried to pick up even the tiniest noise, but they didn¡¯t register a single thing.


    In his haste, the man threw four more knives, but they hit the wall. Servi had no more time to waste watching a dead man act, so she took his life by thrusting her blade into his stomach. Marching off to the door he guarded with his life, Servi allowed the shadow to finish the job because she had something more important to take care of.


    It only took less than a moment to kill her target. She absorbed the door and held her hand out with her blade extended. Markka rushed forward with a dagger held out, but he ran chest first into Servi¡¯s weapon. She didn¡¯t even have to move or adjust. It was like she knew how he would act.


    Human? Elf? They may look different, but they''re the same on the inside. When you know how one acts, you can predict what the other will do.


    Deactivating The Shadow¡¯s Embrace, Servi retrieved a dagger and tore off Markka¡¯s expensive-looking silk robe. The evidence she needed stared right at her. Like a hot knife through wax, her blade gently pierced his skin. Its sharp edge separated his neck without any resistance. By the time she had finished, he had a square patch a few centimeters across, exposing his red flesh.


    Is there anything special about this tattoo? If all three have them, then it¡¯s bound to be something special.


    As she looked it over, she couldn¡¯t find anything special or ominous. Carmelo¡¯s words led her to believe she would find something sinister and vile, but it wasn''t that at all. It was only a tattoo of Markka¡¯s name written in a child¡¯s shaky handwriting.


    Now that she had her evidence, Servi didn¡¯t care if someone found the body or not. She lifted him with a single hand and threw him towards the back of his room. Smashing into a table, a cabinet, and eventually the back wall, he came to a stop on his bed.


    Still, she didn¡¯t see why he had to die. Markka was rich, that much was for sure, but then again, it didn¡¯t matter at all. Somehow, Servi knew he was partly responsible for the Mafia¡¯s easy takeover of Arcton. That was more than enough reasoning for her to kill him. And if she met him on the streets, she probably would have killed him regardless of whether or not she had a contract.


    With her job complete, Servi retraced her steps and went back to the living room. The bright sunlight filtered through the empty doorway and illuminated nothing. The thirty people who had been in here when she started the attack had died within three seconds, and thanks to her unique skills, there wasn¡¯t even a single drop of crimson. With no evidence, anyone who came to investigate wouldn¡¯t have been able to find anything at all.


    Even before she started her attack, the only piece of furniture in the otherwise empty room was a single chair leaned up against the right wall. She took a seat and reached into her pouch.  Pulling out the second folded-up paper, Servi scanned over her next target.


    Great. It¡¯s another Elf, but this one is named Merkia. It says he¡¯s a frequent RASP visitor, and the building is the most popular in town. Wait, there¡¯s something about a colorful sign. I wonder if it¡¯s the same one near that base I destroyed last night¡­


    ¡°Ain¡¯t no time like the present.¡± Servi stood up and stored her paper. Activating The Shadow¡¯s Embrace, Servi slipped away from reality and ceased to exist. She stormed out of the open doorway and took a soft glance at the large building to her right.


    The massive structure was over six stories tall, and it was home to the majority of Arcton''s guards. She didn¡¯t think it was the central headquarters, but she didn¡¯t have anything to back that up. What she did know, however, was that the building in front of her was the only thing even resembling a guardhouse. There was a chance the main headquarter was disguised like the Mafia bases.


    Whatever, I¡¯ll be back later to massacre all of you. The guards in this shitty town are worse than literal fucking maggots, so why don¡¯t I make them into maggot food?


    She didn¡¯t know if it was going to happen that night, the day after, or the day after next, but her violent cleaning of Arcton¡¯s filthy disease wasn¡¯t anywhere close to being over.


    But that was a story for another day, and Servi knew she had to focus on killing her next target. With a little bit of haste, she sped off towards the fancy RASP building to search for Merkia.

 Book Three – Chapter Eight – Part Four – Wetwork

    I¡¯m not sure if the Mafia or the RASP buildings came first. Servi thought as she sat perched on top of the building closest to her target destination. Even in the early afternoon sunlight, the bright neon sight was eye-catching. Perhaps I should go after the RASP buildings after I slaughter the guards? I do have a map of all of their locations. And I¡¯m sure it was the buildings and the patrons that contributed to the Mafia¡¯s takeover. It has to be. In that case, I suppose I must wipe them out as well... But that can wait. I should just focus on killing my target.


    Servi shifted her weight forward and rolled off the building. The wind and air passed through her non-existent body. A few meters before she would have slammed into the ground, she activated Feather Fall and pulled in her legs. With all the strength she had, she kicked against the wall, destroying a part of it, and launched like a rocket into the RASP building.


    At the last second, she deactivated The Shadow''s Embrace and rotated 90 degrees while stretching her arms and legs. With nothing to protect her, her body was a Human projectile. The damage? Tremendous. She took out four rooms and their support beams, which led to the collapse of the rooms above and the rooms above them. The rest of the building would have fallen, but Servi commanded Itarr to hold it up with Telekinesis as she waited for her body to heal itself from the numerous broken bones and shattered skull.


    The pain hurt her, but she realized it paled in comparison to what Momo must be feeling.


    Dust and debris acted as a natural smokescreen, and that gave her the short second she needed to camouflage herself via The Shadow''s Embrace.


    Panicked screams were all around as a whole host of people rushed out the destroyed rooms. She saw a few slave girls take advantage of the chaos and jumped out of the building. The growing crowd on the ground below stared with wide eyes at what they thought was a structural failure. Even then, their eyes didn¡¯t turn to the slaves running away. They didn¡¯t even move out of the way to give them space. Even if they took the initiative and captured them, it wasn¡¯t guaranteed they would receive a reward for doing so. That was the reason why no one rushed to help. Everyone who dashed to see the aftermath of Servi¡¯s Human rocket only came to observe, not assist in any way.


    All of the women are Human¡­ I don¡¯t see a single Demi-Human.


    ¡°Hey, fucking activate the command already and kill them!!! They¡¯re escaping!!!¡± An Elf in a slim-fitting suit that didn¡¯t do much to hide his wide belly waddled out of the destroyed rooms. Sweat poured down his face while his hands were occupied with the breasts of the two Human slaves at his side.  His ugly eyes stared at the escaping slaves, but he didn''t seem to mind it that much. Even if his tone of voice suggested otherwise.


    Another man rushed out. This time it was a Singi with a single eye dressed in an extravagant suit. Servi figured he ran the place.  He shouted a command, and thirteen explosions sounded out not even fifty meters away. The black bracelets were activated, and the raining crimson explained what didn¡¯t need to be told. Even through the cloud of thick smoke created from Servi¡¯s Human rocket, the tinted red raining down upon them told the truth of what happened.


    ¡°Bwhahahah!! If those fucking peasants didn¡¯t wanna get blown up, they shoulda fuckin moved!! Bwhahahah!!!¡± Servi shook her head with total disgust at the greasy sack of shit standing a meter away from her.


    Servi calmly walked around behind him and stuck her shadow knife into his back. Without even seeing the tattoo, she knew that this man was her target. His great weight became an issue for the unfortunate women beside him. When the shadows did their work and killed him from the inside, he inadvertently closed his hands. When he fell over, the two women fell with him and smacked their heads against some of the debris. As their luck would have it, the rocks they slammed against were pointy, and from the amount of blood leaking from their ears and mouth, the two slave girls died instantly.


    It¡¯s not my fault they died. Those women were too weak to do anything about the situation.


    ¡°MERKIA?! Hey, wake up!! Help!! HELP!!!¡± The suited one-eyed Singi shouted for help, but nobody made a motion to move. Not even the three guards that forced their way in before him moved to help, and the reason was quite simple.


    They were dead, and they only remained standing because of Itarr''s Telekinesis. As she waited the single second for the shadow to return to her hidden blade, Servi went to work on removing Merkia¡¯s neck tattoo.


    This time, the tattoo has Merkia¡¯s name on it. Are they brothers? Should I assume the next target has his name on it as well?


    After pocketing her prize and becoming annoyed at the Singi¡¯s constant begging for help, Servi placed a hand on what little wall remained and hopped over it. She landed, slamming her feet down on the ground, and demanded Itarr deactivate Telekinesis.


    Suddenly, the entire upper floor came crashing down on top of Merkia¡¯s corpse. The Singi tried to move in the split-second he had left, but he was held in place by an invisible force.


    He screamed for help.


    He screamed for the Gods Above.


    He screamed for his father.


    He screamed for his mother.


    No offered any help, and no one did anything. Even if those watching had the godly power to act, no one would have saved the Singi. As the crowd dodged away from the falling floors, the rest of the building couldn¡¯t handle the growing weight. Like a stack of dominos, the building gradually crumbled. It was like a tsunami of dust filled the area within a six-block radius. To Servi¡¯s surprise, the neon sign wasn¡¯t entirely neon.  She didn¡¯t know it stayed lit after it fell, but whatever mechanism inside of that kept it burning after erupted into colored flame. She believed that something volatile ran throughout the tubes making up the letters, and she wanted to examine it.


    I guess that¡¯s out of the picture. What even is neon? Why do I know about it? Did it run off of electr¡ª


    Screams and shouts from those still alive interrupted her thoughts, but the audience watching the destruction remained still. Some even walked away and went on their day. The dark smoke mixed in with the dust. It was so heavy and thick that one could almost cut it with a knife. If the dust didn¡¯t suffocate those trapped inside, the smoke would, and even if that didn¡¯t finish them off, the fire would cook them alive.


    But Servi calmly walked away without looking back.


    I was gonna start attacking the RASP buildings later, but I suppose there¡¯s no harm in getting started earlier. At least the stray dogs and rats will have food for a week or so.


    She crouched down and leapt to the nearest building¡¯s roof, taking a seat on its nasty surface. She might as well enjoy the show while looking at the last piece of paper. Only one target needed to die, and Servi couldn¡¯t wait to end their life.


    However, while Servi registered the vast amount of red souls floating towards her, only Itarr thought it was strange.


    342 souls? That doesn¡¯t make any sense. The building was big, but for it to have that many inhabitants? Why am I getting a bad feeling about this¡­?


    In an open field a kilometer from Arcton and surrounded by hundreds of people acting as if they were at a get-together, a skillful warrior disguised as a civilian gave a hasty report to an Elf. ¡°Sir, we need to get you to a safer spot. We have reports of an¡ª"


    ¡°Blast your reports all to hell. If this so-called assassin is going to kill me, then they have to get by everyone here,¡± he replied. Unlike Servi¡¯s second target, who didn¡¯t react to the warning he had received, Mirkia, her third target, used the time he was given to make preparations.


    The woman the Elf spoke to ran a single hand by her waist. She wore a beige cloak over her tunic, which hid the pair of sharp swords attached to her hip. ¡°Mirkia, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Captain Mary, I paid a lot of money for you and all the other mercenaries around me. Truth be told, I don¡¯t know how I accomplished that in ten hours, but I did. I¡¯ve done the hard part. No matter how good this assassin is, do you think they can fight a hundred people before they get to me? And don¡¯t you dare call me by my name. You will address me as sir.¡± Mirkia¡¯s sharp tone stopped Mary in her tracks, and she fought the urge to cut her employer down.  The humiliation of failing the task would be worth it to see his head at the end of her blade.


    She was the captain of a small yet respected mercenary group who happened to be near the area. Thanks to the power of Teleportation and many, many skill potions provided by Mirkia, she used her influence and Mirkia¡¯s great wealth to gather a large number of soldiers willing to fight from six different cities around Lando. It was a strenuous task that physically and mentally drained Aamir, the token Koena Skill User of the group. But with the impossible task complete and allies gained, Mirkia talked about his crazy idea to improve his chances of living.


    She was against it from the beginning, but Mirkia had the final say on everything. Half of the payment had been given, and they would receive the other half when Mary presented the assassin¡¯s head to him.


    ¡°Sir, that¡¯s impossible. There¡¯s no soldier or warrior alive who can fight against the force gathered here without being exhausted. I know everyone surrounding us are powerful warriors who have proven themselves in combat. I selected them because of that. But, sir, this place is far too open¡ª¡±


    Once again, her concerns were stopped by a gross laugh, and she hated it. Mirkia tapped his red silk shirt and smiled. ¡°Were you or were you not the one who gave me this shirt? You said it¡¯s enchanted with Protection, yes? And these pants and boots are also enchanted, yes? This circlet as well?¡± Mirkia tapped his black pants, silver boots, and glass circlet, which sat atop his head. His ears were twisty and pointed directly to the sky. For someone who had a target on his head, he would have wanted to have on armor, but Mary assured him the enchanted items were more than capable of defending against even her attacks. He didn¡¯t believe her at first, but after she attempted to skewer Aamir¡¯s stomach while he wore them and her sword broke without even cutting a single thread, he became convinced.


    ¡°If you¡¯re so worried about me dying if a battle breaks out, then have that Koena alternate between healing and using Protection on me. If you¡¯re worried about an archer, then it would mean, to me at least, that you don¡¯t believe in the power of the items you gave to me,¡± he continued.


    Mary scrunched her scarred face and shook with anger. Out of all the people she fought for in exchange for dupla, Mirkia was turning out to be a regret. As she started to speak, a white spirit-shaped bird flew down from a tree they stood under. With a circular wall of bodies protecting them under the guise of talking with each other, the sky was the only place anybody could come from. And because of the location, a flat plain with only a single tree, no one could approach undetected.


    Even if the assassin had the power of flight, Mirkia ordered Mary to hire ten mercenaries who could summon avian wind spirits. Their sole task? Send their summons up in the sky and have them constantly do recon.


    Mary sighed and rubbed her brown hair. ¡°Those same items saved me during a battle. I do have the utmost faith in them, but¡­ Fine. Aamir, do as he said,¡± she spoke to the only Koena nearby. His dark green scales shimmered slightly in the sparse sunlight filtering through the tree limbs.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Speaking for the first time in Mirkia¡¯s presence, the Elven target was surprised by his deep voice. His scaly face slightly scowled when he recited the chant for Protection. A Rank 10 skill it may have been, Aamir had leveled it up 73 times. When combined with the Protection effects given by the enchanted items, saying that Mirkia was protected was an understatement. If even Mary¡¯s strikes, being the strongest warrior there because she was the only Rank 3, couldn¡¯t pierce it, then how good would an assassin have to accomplish something she couldn¡¯t?


    ¡°Sir, what are we going to do if the assassin doesn¡¯t come?¡± Mary asked.


    ¡°Then the job is complete. A good friend of mine discovered the contract and said he needed 24 hours to take care of it. Carmelo is a man I trust above all else, and he''ll take care of it. Don¡¯t worry. Even if the assassin doesn¡¯t attack, you all will get paid. The important thing is that I¡¯m alive at the end of this. If I die, you all won¡¯t get a goddamn thing,¡± Mirkia said. He walked over to the base of the tree and sat down. Aamir followed him and took up a crouching position beside him. A few leaves fell down upon his scales, but since they weren¡¯t bothering him, he allowed the leafy green leaves to remain.


    Unlike other Skill Users, Aamir forwent the use of staves and instead chose a shield as his primary weapon. Since he was very adept at pre-casting, he took the role of a second tank when it came to fighting monsters and any other cases where defense was the prime goal. He pulled the steel kite shield from his back and stabbed the sharp end into the ground.


    Mirkia picked up on the strange weapon choice, and Mary put his worries at ease. After that, she turned away from her employer and finally faced the ever-patient spirit. She had kept it waiting long enough.


    Picking it up with her dark hands, she held it close to her ears and listened to the message imbued within it.


    Mary, I¡¯ve done another scan. This time, Swift searched in a 4-kilometer radius, but he didn¡¯t pick up anything strange. Like I reported before, there¡¯s been a disturbance near one of the RASP buildings, but I don¡¯t think it has anything to do with the assassin. I think one of the support beams collapsed, and the other beams couldn¡¯t handle the extra weight. That¡¯s why the building fell.


    ¡°Thanks, Swift. I got the message loud and clear. Tell her to take a small break and have two of the backup Spirit Summoners take over,¡± Mary said. The white avian spirit named Swift flapped his wings and hopped on Mary¡¯s head. Against her wishes, she was bald due to an inability to grow hair. Swift realized that and used his large feet to lightly massage her scalp. He tweeted a few more times and hopped down.


    Mary smiled and pulled a small cracker out of a pouch. ¡°I know you don¡¯t need to eat, but I want you to have this. Consider it a nice treat.¡±


    Swift gladly took it and swallowed the snack in a single bite. Mary stood back and allowed the spirit the room to fly back to its summoner.


    She heard a small grunt and looked to the base of the tree. Aamir had a wide grin on his otherwise silent face, and Mirkia wasn¡¯t looking. His attention had been captured by the expert craftsmanship of the glass circlet. He wasn¡¯t an expert in analyzing, but even he had to admit the beauty in it. A solid piece in and of itself, Mirkia wondered how the craftsman manipulated the glass to take a perfect shape with no imperfection or bloating.


    ¡°Wow, is this supposed to protect you?¡± said a voice beside him. A hand snatched out, grabbing the glass circlet and snapping it in two.


    As evidenced by their training, Mary and Aamir immediately spring into action even though they were caught off guard.


    Drawing her sword, Mary had it pressed against Servi¡¯s neck as she leaned back against the tree. Aamir used a Rank 5 skill called Conjure Flame Sword to create a weapon in an emergency. It would have taken at least ten seconds to chant it, but Aamir was an expert at pre-casting. At any given moment, he had three skills ready to be used. It needed an intense amount of concentration to pull off, and the fact he did it so effortlessly highlighted his proficiency.


    With a steel sword against her neck and a sword of fire ready to pierce her heart, Servi gently cocked her head and smiled.


    ¡°I wanted to talk to my last target for the time being and find out what kind of a person you are. You had all this wealth, yet you didn¡¯t use a single bit to fight back against the Mafia? Why?¡± she asked.


    Mary spoke before Mirkia had a chance to and called out for help. Her eyes turned to the hundreds of people standing, and her heart sunk to the darkest depths when the bodies started to drop. Like a set of dominos, everyone fell to the ground devoid of life. The only exceptions were Mary, Aamir, and Mirkia.


    Mirkia shouted in fear and commanded Mary and Aamir to stab the assassin.


    ¡°Sorry, but they can¡¯t move. Telekinesis is something to behold, isn¡¯t it? But I gotta say, holding that many people up took it out of me. I''m nearly exhausted, but I still have the strength to do this!¡± Servi pinched Mary¡¯s sword, shattering it between her thumb and index finger. ¡°Mary, don¡¯t struggle against my Telekinesis. You can¡¯t break it. And don¡¯t try to force your mouth open. That goes for you too, Aamir.¡±


    ¡°Ho-How do you know their names?! Are you working for her?! You fucking whore! You betrayed me!!!¡± Mirkia shakily grabbed a sharp piece of the broken circlet and tried to stab the side of Mary¡¯s head. Servi acted first, intercepting his hand and crushing it. He cried out in pain and fell back to his rear. Suddenly, he found himself weightless. His legs kicked downward and tried to touch the ground, but it was useless compared to her all-powerful Telekinesis. A tight squeeze on his throat prevented any more screams from erupting out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so hasty,¡± Servi turned to Aamir and smiled. She retrieved a sword and sliced off the hand that held the flaming sword. It fell, stopping before it touched the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never used this skill before. Like The Shadow¡¯s Embrace, it makes a weapon for you to use? Interesting.¡± Servi grabbed the flaming sword, not acting a bit surprised when the fire traveled up her wrist and arms. Burnt flesh wafted up, and before their very eyes, the fire disappeared to reveal an arm clean of any burns.


    ¡°Mary, don¡¯t be mad, but you¡¯re going to die. Just like everyone else. Aamir, I don¡¯t know what the Great Scaled Serpent is, but I know Koena believe in it. You two have the look of mercenaries, so I¡¯m a little bit hesitant in blaming Arcton¡¯s downfall on you. But I know that Elf had something to do with it. And since he paid you to fight against me, I have no choice but to end your lives. Maybe a better person would give you a chance to speak a final thought. Maybe someone more honorable would let you get one last prayer in. But I¡¯m not that someone. I don¡¯t have any honor, and I¡¯m definitely not a better person than most. I¡¯m a killer, through and through. Perhaps you understand some of that. Maybe not. But this is the end.¡±


    Servi activated The Shadow''s Embrace and disappeared from existence. She turned to Aamir, who hastily scanned the area in front of him.


    SHE CAN USE THE SHADOW¡¯S EMBRACE?! WE NEV¡ª


    For as much as he was silent when it came to talking, Aamir spoke with the frequency of a babbling child inside his mind. It was always running and churning out new plans. He was the one who came up with the idea to flood the sky with avian spirits to act as a drone to watch from high above, but even he couldn¡¯t have expected the assassin to use a Rank 0 skill. They were so powerful, but that power had a drawback. For The Shadow''s Embrace, it was the ten-second limitation. But that wasn¡¯t all. When a person was drained of their Skill Energy, they collapsed into a coma-like state. Just like how the body needed oxygen to function, it needed Skill Energy as well. In most cases, the user would start to feel groggy and peckish when their Skill Energy ran low, and the side effects ramped up in intensity the further they were drained of Skill Energy.


    But when someone used The Shadow''s Embrace, they had none of the warning signs. For ten seconds, the user didn¡¯t exist, and they had one of the most lethal weapons in the world at the ready. If improperly used, The Shadow''s Embrace functioned as a suicide skill. When the time ran out, the user would fall into a coma, and they wouldn¡¯t be privy to anything happening around them.


    Servi looked at her shadowy blade and stuck it between Aamir¡¯s neck scales. Mary looked on with utter shock as his body violently fought against the invading shadows. It was then Mary knew just how much a monster was after her employer. Even if she could fight fairly against her, it wouldn''t be worth all of the dupla in the world.


    Servi turned away from the deceased Koena when she absorbed his soul and stared at another girl who was moments away from death. However, true to her word, Servi didn¡¯t allow the prideful warrior a chance to say a final word. But since she saw her closest friend perish before her very eyes, there wasn¡¯t a single coherent thought flowing through her mind.


    She was angry, mad, upset, and depressed.


    She knew it from the moment she picked up a sword that her life would end on a battlefield. She just didn¡¯t think it was going to be so soon.


    ¡°Goodbye, Mary,¡± Servi said as she pushed the tip of her hidden blade into her foe¡¯s neck. The shadows did what they were designed to do and rushed back to Servi¡¯s weapon with a red soul in tow. With a simple sigh, she deactivated The Shadow''s Embrace.


    I¡¯m starting to feel more comfortable when I¡¯m using the skill than I do when I¡¯m not.


    ¡°Now, I can get the main course. First...¡± Servi turned to Mirkia and walked behind him, pulling down the back of his shirt. ¡°I gotta see if you have the tattoo... Ah, you do. Well, I suppose you won¡¯t mind it if I carve it off.¡± Even in his Telekinetic-induced paralysis, he felt like someone was trying to force a pen through a brick wall. Then he felt an invisible pop. It was like something had blanketed his neck as Servi cut out a rectangular patch of flesh. Of course, he wanted to scream out in pain and voice his displeasure, but Servi¡¯s Telekinetic grasp on his throat and vocal cords restricted them from moving.


    ¡°It was hard to cut. I suppose you had Protection? If I heard right, aren¡¯t these clothes enchanted with that skill? Well, it¡¯s not as if it matters because this makes three. You know, Markka and Merkia had tattoos of their names on their neck as well. I don¡¯t really get it.¡± Servi ran her left index finger across the tattooed words. Unlike Markka¡¯s tattoo, where she felt it was a child¡¯s handwriting, she didn¡¯t feel much of anything when it came to Merkia and Mirkia¡¯s tattoos. ¡°But as a hired assassin, I don¡¯t¡ªAhh, I see it now!¡± When blood dripped down Mirkia¡¯s back and dampened his red shirt, gravity took hold and pulled it down just enough for Servi to discover something that allowed her to connect the dots.


    The number 6 had been carved into his back.


    ¡°That fucking Elf had me kill off his competition. Oh, he has some balls to trick me like this. Well, I imagine I have to make his death all the more painful, won¡¯t I?¡± Almost shrugging, Servi absorbed the last piece of evidence she needed and thrust her hand through his chest, piercing his heart. It exploded into a gory mess, filling his lungs and depriving him of the vital oxygen he needed to survive.


    As if to leave a message and further proof of her deed, Servi walked around the open plain and absorbed everything except Mirkia¡¯s corpse.


    Itarr, it¡¯s been a while since you talked to me. Why?


    Slipping into a state of not existing, Servi soared through the air, twirling and spinning to gain speed as she landed with a bumpy roll. With her newfound skills and agility that grew every day, she felt like the day she touched the moon approached. But even if she could reach it, she didn¡¯t know if its beautiful luster would accept her.


    As if trying to ask its forgiveness, Servi sang a song dedicated to the sky, sun, moon, and stars. Perhaps she wanted to try to get in its grace? Or maybe she wanted to feel connected to the girl she missed most in the world by partaking in a song she used to sing with her dearest grandfather?


    Servi didn¡¯t know.


    Mosie, I¡¯m coming for you. I swear I am. I just have to destroy the Mafia and wipeout this rotten town. Be strong. You¡¯re the strongest girl I know¡­


    Hopping a roof, Servi landed on the ground with a roll and spotted a guard. It was strange because guards weren¡¯t that common in the side of town Servi was at. She figured he couldn¡¯t have been up to anything good, and she planned on killing them all.


    Why not get a head start on it? I don¡¯t know when I can wipe them out.


    As she ran past him with the swiftness of a coursing river, she extended her hidden blade and kept her arm strong. It sliced through his waist, bisecting him in half. Since it didn¡¯t have a narrow opening to infiltrate, the smoke went out of control and entered a berserk-like state, blasting outward and filling up the streets.


    As the panic broke out, Servi, long gone, waited patiently on Deset¡¯s roof for the smoke to return to her. Once it did, she hopped into a dark alley and prepared herself for another meeting with Carmelo.


    I shouldn''t have to have many more meetings with him. Come on, Servi, you¡¯re doing this for Momo. You¡¯re killing these fucking scum because they were the reason Momo was kidnapped. THEY¡¯RE the ones at fault. They, and this whole fucking town, deserve to die. You need to say it as many times as you need to for it to become the truth. Arcton will fall, and I will be the one to bring it to ruin... They all have to pay!!! THEY ALL HAVE TO FACE THE MUSIC AND DIE LIKE FUCKING DOGS!!!!

 Book Three – Chapter Eight – Part Five – Wetwork

    ¡°Damn, you¡¯re back already?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I am,¡± Servi curtly replied to the single man standing guard outside of Deset¡¯s entrance. He said something else, but Servi cut him off with a wave of her hand and entered. The washing basins surrounding her were all occupied with Deset¡¯s Mafia members who needed to do laundry.


    I suppose even heartless criminals need to have clean clothes, eh? Enjoy your last few days alive, you sons of bitches.


    Servi ignored the guard standing by the door that led to the spiral staircase and walked down it. When Servi emerged into the community room, a certain red Singi¡¯s sensitive ears picked up her footsteps.


    ¡°Williana!!!¡± Carrie exclaimed. She stood up from her chair, knocking it over in the process, and hastily ran over to the girl she most wanted to see. She jumped at the last second, intending to fly into Servi¡¯s arms, but the Human moved slightly left at the last minute and avoided the pathetic attempt at a leaping hug.


    Carrie flew past Servi, who swiftly turned on her heels, but a wave of fierce anger filled her up when Carrie converted the failed hug into an excellent roll.


    Only Momo should roll like that! Servi wanted to shout, but she held her tongue.


    Stay strong, Momo. The day is coming soon, and you¡¯ll be able to roll and sing all you want... I only hope you''d let me sing with you...


    ¡°Hey, Williana, did you finish?¡± Carrie asked. After recovering into a roll, she dashed backwards with a step and jogged up to her favorite Human.


    ¡°Yeah, I did,¡± Servi replied with annoyance. ¡°I gotta go report to the 6th.¡±


    ¡°Good idea. As your Numbered, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Carrie used Instant Retrieval to summon her spear from who-knows-where and hugged it against her chest.


    ¡°Do what you want,¡± Servi sighed.


    ¡°Hey, show some respect to your Numbered.¡± Servi looked to her right and saw the Koena who spoke. He didn¡¯t look familiar, but Servi wasn¡¯t keeping track of everyone she saw. Why should she put in the effort when everyone was going to die?


    But he wasn¡¯t alone. Even though he sat at a table with a single chair, about half of those present in the community room stood up and walked over to the Koena as if showing support.


    ¡°How about you fuck off, yeah?¡± Servi said. If he was looking for a fight, Servi wouldn¡¯t ignore it.


    ¡°What the fuck does a Human think she can do to a Koena? You¡¯re unblessed. The same as me and those behind me. Don¡¯t think you¡¯re fucking special cause you sucked that 5th¡¯s cock last night. Yeah, I saw it. I saw you leave with him, and you didn¡¯t come back until late. So tell me, why are you getting special treatment just because you opened your legs?¡± He stood up from his chair, grabbed it, and chucked it at Servi. She raised her hands, catching it by two of its legs, and slammed it down in front of her. Part of it shattered, sending wooden bits all over.


    ¡°Carrie, he¡¯s about to die.¡± Servi pulled out the two daggers attached to her back hip.


    ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡± Carrie pressed the flat butt of her spear against the floor and leaned her weight on it. ¡°That Koena wasn¡¯t recruited by a Numbered. Honestly, he¡¯s just a disposable pawn. I don¡¯t even think he¡¯s done anything worthy of acknowledgment, and he¡¯s been here for a few months. Hey, all you fuck offs standing with him better move. I¡¯m starting to take this as an insurrection,¡± Carrie warned and lied at the same time. She knew there was no way any of them was going to live to see the day after tomorrow. There was a high chance they wouldn¡¯t even be alive to smell dinner.


    The moment Carrie finished her sentence, Servi threw her daggers at the Koena who pissed her off. Even if they had natural armor in the form of scales, the eyes were still a weak and sensitive spot for any living thing.


    Those brown ocular organs were her targets. Servi''s foe couldn¡¯t dodge because her daggers flew that fast, covering the distance in less time than it took to blink.


    ¡°AAAHHHHHH!!!!!¡± he cried and yelled, but he didn¡¯t cower in fear like Servi expected. He formed a fist tight enough to pierce his palm scales with his nails and rushed forward in a berserker-like rage.


    The crowd behind him quickly dispersed, but it seemed as if some of the Numbered had infiltrated the dissenters because they started to fight amongst themselves.


    ¡°The 6th expected this and told us to watch out,¡± Carrie said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how he knew this would happen, but he did. Honestly, it was a pretty pathetic attempt, all things considered.¡±


    I guess this means I have less to kill.


    Servi held her ground and met the Koena¡¯s blood-crazed charge head-on. Dropping to the floor, she used her shoulder to slam into her foe¡¯s sternum. It shattered, forcing him to cry out, and Servi didn¡¯t miss a chance to act before he collapsed to the ground in pain. She returned to a standing position and hooked four fingers, two from both hands, in his open mouth and forcibly pulled apart.


    Servi heard something crack. At the same time, she pulled her hooked fingers down and towards her and head-butted the two daggers until they completely pierced his head.


    It took three tries, and that was because Servi wanted him to feel the daggers scrap and burrow deep inside his brain. His cries of pain, while enjoyable to Servi, were practical in another way. About half of the community room inhabitants who didn¡¯t join the Koena¡¯s side stared on with horrified eyes at a Non-Numbered brutally beat down a Koena. The other half consisted of Numbered 10s and 9s, who watched on with attentive eyes.


    In both cases, it earned her respect that, while useless to her, didn''t do anything to actively harm her ultimate goal. From behind, Servi heard the death cries of every traitor being put to the sword.


    ¡°Carrie, you should have her call you by your number.¡± The red Singi turned to the speaker and saw Carmelo. However, he wasn¡¯t alone. There was a second person¡ªan Elf¡ªwith him.


    I wonder if he¡¯s gonna make me kill him. Servi turned around and met the unknown Elf¡¯s gaze. He kept a stoic expression, and Servi turned away and watched the twenty or so red souls flow into her ring.


    ¡°Ah, 6th, I know that¡¯s the rule, but I¡¯m fine with it,¡± Carrie replied. She rested her spear by her side and spoke with the utmost respect. Servi knew right away it was filled with false loyalty. If it came to it, she was sure Carrie would skip off from the Mafia the first moment something better came along.


    If I played my cards right, I bet I can get her to run away if I sweeten my words. But where¡¯s the fun in that? I wanna kill her.


    ¡°I suppose if you¡¯re fine with it, then it¡¯s alright. Williana, follow my companion and me to my room. Since you¡¯re here, I¡¯m sure you have the proof?¡± Carmelo cradled his metal bow and narrowed his gaze. His eyes locked into her pouches.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Servi replied.


    ¡°Carrie, go find Old Man and wait in your room with him for Williana to return.¡±


    Carrie responded and wandered off to search for the second recruit she was responsible for. Even though his accomplishments weren¡¯t anywhere as grand as Servi¡¯s, Old Man could be very persuasive when it came to threats and extorting people for dupla. His old age and vast experiences created a long life that many others couldn¡¯t imagine. However, when it came to fighting and combat, his frail old body couldn¡¯t keep up with his active mind.


    Servi watched as Carmelo¡¯s eyes scanned the faces of the now-deceased traitors and sighed. His companion asked him why Deset was full of turncoats.


    ¡°Not here. I¡¯ll tell you in the room in our mother tongue,¡± Carmelo replied.


    ¡°Fair enough. Lead the way, Carmelo,¡± the second Elf replied.


    Servi walked behind the second Elf and scanned him up and down. He was tall and thin, but Servi couldn¡¯t tell if he carried any weapons because he wore a rather form-fitting gray cloak that hugged his body. There weren¡¯t any outlines of what she classified as weapons, but Servi couldn''t take that at face value. It was likely his true strength lied in his masterful use of skills.


    The fluorescent lights and brightly lit candles reflected light off his shiny, bald head and into Servi¡¯s eyes. Curiously enough, he only had a single pointy-ear. The other one was more Human-shaped.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the three-person parade to reach the room Servi dreaded. Even after entering it multiple times, the sheer height difference and overall feel reminded her of being trapped in a mountain range. The vast spaciousness suffocated Servi with options and choices of where to go and how to go about her dreams, but she was a girl who valued strictness and conformity. At least, she thought she did.


    I¡¯m a killer... A monster... Freedom isn¡¯t something I deserve, but it¡¯s odd that I have so much of it available to me. I have the power to break free of these false chains that bind me to the Mafia before Friday. I wonder if that¡¯s why I feel so sick to my stomach? No, I can''t be getting queasy. Just fight through it all and continue to kill every motherfucker you find. Make them pay for... You have to make them all pay... If you want, I''ll greet you with the heads of all those who stole you away from me...


    ¡°Williana, you stay there while I have a talk Mierkia,¡± Carmelo commanded. He took a seat at the same table, complete with the identical cups and plates that had been there since Servi left with the three Elven targets.


    Mierkia? I see. He had me kill for him? Were they his brothers? And they¡¯re not calling each other by a number. Either Mierkia isn¡¯t Mafia, or they¡¯re both Numbered 6. I¡¯ll assume it¡¯s the latter for right now.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she replied. She rested and relaxed her posture, but she had enough tension left to spring into action if anything went wrong. Mierkia pulled out a chair that stood in front of an empty plate and sat down. Once more, he turned to Servi and immediately looked at Carmelo.


    ¡°Carmelo, why a Human?¡± He asked a simple question, but the way he said it forced Servi to do a double-take. Carmelo noticed her odd movement but simply ignored it while taking a sip of a glass filled with an unknown liquid.


    That¡¯s not the common tongue. Mosie spoke to me briefly about it a while ago because Claire brought up different languages, but why can I understand them so effortlessly?


    Servi thought hard for a few seconds before realizing she knew the answer. In fact, the one responsible was right there with her.


    Itarr.


    The answer has to be Itarr. She¡¯s a Goddess. Having every skill available to her is a simple enough thing to accept, but her knowing every language never crossed my mind. Interesting¡­ I wonder if I can speak it? But hold on. They don¡¯t realize I can understand them. This could be my chance to get some extra information.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That girl is nothing but a dirty Human. However, she¡¯s very good at killing. Have you heard about Snare?¡± Carmelo asked in his native tongue.


    ¡°I did. I received a report before I came here. So that was your doing?¡± Mierkia inquired.


    ¡°It was her. Even I don¡¯t know how she accomplished it, but she somehow killed that shitty traitor in front of all those patients. And she did it without anyone knowing. Even my observers didn¡¯t see it happen.¡±


    ¡°Obviously, she used a skill to do it. Have you checked her ID?¡±


    ¡°I already did that. Williana knows nothing but Protection and a few other worthless skills. She says she trained because some slaver took her friends and family. She wanted to know how to fight so she could rescue them or something. I honestly wasn''t paying attention."


    ¡°Then that Human is lying. Even we couldn¡¯t kill Snare without anyone knowing, and you¡¯re the strongest I know.¡± Mierkia said, flattering Carmelo¡¯s ego.


    He smiled, accepted the compliment without boasting, and continued the conversation. ¡°Are you getting ready for Saturday?¡±


    ¡°I am. I have everyone doing what they can to gather supplies. I¡¯m planning to do what I can so I have a shot at joining the 5ths.¡±


    ¡°Friend, it seems that I¡¯m going about it a different way. But I¡¯ll have my people do the same tomorrow and Friday,¡± Carmelo replied.


    ¡°Then between me, my brothers, and you, let the best man join the exclusive club," Mierkia said.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s only if there is a spot open. A 5th came by yesterday, but I couldn¡¯t pry any useful information out of him.¡±


    ¡°You told me about that. You said he took that Human home to fuck like a whore?¡± Servi expected Mierkia to ask more about the ¡®so-called job,¡¯ but he ignored it.


    So I¡¯m just a Human whore? I¡¯ll show you who''s a fucking whore when I rip your goddamn spine out.


    Carmelo nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what she told me. The next time I¡¯ll see him is on Saturday. I can find out exactly what kind of humiliating experiments he put her through."


    ¡°If she¡¯s such a lay, then give her to me for a night.¡±


    Carmelo laughed. ¡°Sorry, friend, but Williana''s my pet. I still don¡¯t know her secret, but she¡¯s crazy about killing. I even took away half of her pay, and she didn¡¯t care. I¡¯m going to play my cards right and gain a worthy ally. The best part? I don''t think she even wants the money."


    ¡°I still find it hard to believe, but I¡¯ve never known you to lie to me. Have you sent out anyone to follow?¡±


    Carmelo nodded. ¡°I did. I sent two, but I knew she would pick up on them. If she¡¯s as good as she says she is, then she found them quite quickly. However, I also instructed a Spirit Summoner to follow Williana. She¡¯s an expert assassin, but she¡¯s still only a dumb Human. She wouldn¡¯t expect there to be a third follower. Since she¡¯s here, the summoner is most likely putting together a report for me to look at. I¡¯ll send you a summarized copy of what I find out.¡±


    Mierkia slid part of his cloak back and checked a watch on his wrist.


    ¡°That sounds like a plan, but I¡¯m afraid I must leave. I have a few little things to take care of back at base.¡± He stood up.


    ¡°Stay well and safe. Ah, about that favor? It involves the mayor, yes?¡± Carmelo stood up as well.


    ¡°I remember. I suppose it isn¡¯t that unexpected the foolish Human found his conscience. I¡¯ll be there at the right time to take him out. You want him dead in the study, correct? And you want that other thing as well? You want me to test her?¡±


    Test? Is he talking about me? Servi wondered.


    Carmelo grinned. ¡°Yes, and yes. If you kill him, I¡¯ll pass up the spot for the 5th if I¡¯m picked. As we agreed, I¡¯ll even defer and recommend you to take my place.¡± Servi stared intently at Carmelo as he talked with Mierkia, and she realized just how much of a piece of shit he really was. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out his end goal, but she was the final piece of his puzzle.


    Why go through so much and put it all on the back of a single girl? Surely it wasn¡¯t the plan from the beginning because he tried to kill her during the big bank robbery. Since she survived, shouldn¡¯t she have been a thorn in his side? Was what he wanted worth the risk? Was it possible Carmelo planned to usurp the Mafia from the boss''s control using Servi''s power?


    ¡°My friend! You¡¯ve always been good to me! Stay well and safe. I¡¯ll be looking forward to our reunion on Saturday. Oh, I¡¯ll send word of my success via one of my observers.¡± Mierkia held out his arm. Carmelo smiled and grabbed his friend¡¯s forearm. They gave each other a confident nod, and Carmelo watched as his friend walked out the door.


    Turning his attention to Servi, he told her to step up and present her proof.


    ¡°Here you go, Carmelo,¡± Servi reached into her pouches and used it as a proxy to retrieve the three bloody patches of flesh from her ring.  She showed them off like some kind of trophy and tossed them down onto a clean plate. The crimson blood lightly splattered, and a tiny drop landed in Carmelo¡¯s glass of water. Its clear essence became slightly tinted by crimson, and Carmelo threw his glass away. He waited until he heard a loud shattering noise before he spoke.


    ¡°I see you¡¯re as rude as ever. I have not given you the right to refer to me by my name as you talk to Carrie,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yeah, you haven¡¯t. So what?¡± She sat down and crossed her legs.


    ¡°I feel that if I continue to go this route, we will only have a replica of the conversation we had before. I suppose I¡¯ll bear my annoyance, but that means I have to take away your payment for these three contracts.¡±


    ¡°I figured that would happen. That¡¯s why I expected I wouldn¡¯t be paid. But hey, keep the contracts coming, and I¡¯ll be one happy girl.¡± Servi played the role of the girl Carmelo thought she was, and she played it like a champ. He couldn¡¯t tell it was all an act, and it never crossed his mind for a second that she was capable of understanding the Elven language.


    Carmelo grinned and believed he had Servi eating out of the palm of his head. ¡°I will say that I am impressed by how quickly you work. Even I haven¡¯t been notified of their deaths.¡±


    Servi uncrossed her legs. ¡°Then maybe your observers are useless. Didn¡¯t I already say that?¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha!!!¡± Carmelo laughed once again. ¡°Perhaps they are! Maybe I should slaughter them and get new ones. What do you think about that?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me. Now, you said you had one more contract? Who do I gotta kill?¡±


    ¡°I see you want to get straight to business. Are you trying to get it done so you spend time with Carrie?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m a woman who gets her job done. Now tell me who I have to kill.¡± Servi acted cocky, but it was all a ruse. She wanted to see how far Carmelo would bend over and ignore her blatant disrespect to keep her as an assassin.


    ¡°As for your reasoning to speed ahead with the killings? It matters not to me. Here, the final target.¡± Carmelo summoned his Dimensional Storage and pulled out a single piece of paper. She reached out to grab it after he slid it face down on the table. Bits of grime and cold, leftover dried food stuck to it, and Servi audibly groaned in annoyance.


    You¡¯re a manipulative piece of shit who happens to live like a goddamn pig.


    She shook it and flicked off a piece of overcooked, cold ham. Then once it was clean, she took a good look at what the paper contained. Like her first contract, and unlike the last three, she had a drawing to go by. He was short, bald, and in surprisingly decent shape.


    ¡°Does he look familiar?¡± Carmelo asked. He kept a simple, unmoving expression on his face.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the mayor of this fine place called Arcton. I want you to kill him. There have been rumors he¡¯s thinking about turning tail and running to Adenaford, but we can¡¯t have him hiding all the way in the capital city. Frankie Ost used to be a wonderful puppet that did what we told him to do... But alas, that isn¡¯t the case anymore.¡±


    Servi folded it up and placed it in her pouch. ¡°Where can I find him at this time of day?¡±


    ¡°He has a house in New Arcton. He was originally our inside mole before we could spread our roots. Look for a large three-story mansion with a yellow roof,¡± Carmelo said.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be off. Be ba¡ª¡± Servi stood up, but a quick hand motion from Carmelo ordered her to sit down.


    ¡°You have your target, but there¡¯s a certain way you have to go about it. First, I want you to take Old Man with you.¡±


    He thinks he¡¯s slick, but he¡¯s not.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t. I work better on my own.¡± Servi refused, but she had the intention of caving in. She believed that if she fought against it until Carmelo forced it on her, then she would have a better time when it came to getting away with stuff. If so, then even if she didn¡¯t need that experience and freedom, it¡¯d be nice to have it.


    It¡¯s better to over-plan and not need it than under-plan and suffer.


    ¡°Williana, this isn¡¯t negotiable. You take Old Man with you when you go tonight. Should you refuse, I will cut you down where you stand. Clarence, warn her.¡± Carmelo stood up and grabbed his bow.


    Three sharp gusts of wind flew past Servi, cutting her face and drawing blood while sliding off the tips of her lavender wig.


    ¡°Fine. Old Man''s gonna be nothing more than a decoy at best, and the reason I fail at worst.¡± Servi shrugged her shoulders. She felt the sticky crimson slide down her cheek until it traced her neck and became absorbed by her undershirt.


    I suppose it¡¯s time for another outfit change. Maybe I can get something from Carrie.


    ¡°If you fail, then it only meant you didn¡¯t have it in you to become the person I needed you to be. It would also mean you couldn¡¯t satiate your desire for murder,¡± Carmelo retorted. He sat down, but he still cradled his bow.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, then keep thinking it. But fine. What time do we leave?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°9:30 PM. You and that Human are to leave here at that time and arrive at the mayor¡¯s mansion at 11:00 PM. You two will work your way up to his study-- that''s on the third floor-- and kill him. Oh, and if there¡¯s anyone else in the room, then kill them as well. Other than you and Old Man, no one should leave the room alive. I repeat. No one should leave the room alive. No exceptions. It also goes without saying that should you kill someone with a tattoo on their neck, you know to bring it to me as proof, correct?¡± Carmelo put heavy emphasis on the parts that made Servi groan.


    He couldn¡¯t have been more crystal clear even if he had said it outright. It¡¯s so clear to me that he¡¯s setting me up to kill Mierkia. The shitty Elf must think Humans are the dumbest animals on this planet.


    Servi stood up and pushed her chair in. ¡°Yeah. Yeah. Kill everyone and don¡¯t let anyone live. If it¡¯s killing I need to do, I¡¯ll get it done.¡± She tossed a hand up as she walked away. When she turned her hand to open the door, she heard a set of rapidly approaching footsteps and stepped out of the way. A moment later,  after a small argument between the guard standing outside and the mysterious runner, there was a hastily set of knocking knuckles.


    ¡°Let who¡¯s ever knocking in when you leave,¡± Carmelo ordered. His voice contained the tiniest hint of glee.


    Servi silently opened the door and saw a hastily breathing Singi who couldn¡¯t quite catch her breath. Her yellow ponytail swung from side to side as she hurriedly ran past Servi.


    Whatever, it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with me.


    Servi stepped through the ajar door, closing it behind her, and walked with her hands folded behind her head. It was very faint, but she whistled the song Momo had sung to her. Suddenly, she stopped and glanced back over her shoulder at the Koena, who stood guard outside the room Carmelo used as an office.


    Well, I might as well¡­

 Book Three – Chapter Eight – Part Six – Wetwork

    Carmelo¡¯s smile turned sour when he realized the Singi standing before him wasn¡¯t the observer he had been waiting for.


    ¡°Explain to me why you¡¯re here, or I will use Clarence to rend your flesh from your body and feed you to the wildlife!!!¡± He wasn¡¯t joking around. In a movement far faster than he had shown Servi, he kicked the table with his feet, strummed Clarence¡¯s bowstrings, and watched as sixteen green bolts of energy circled the terrified messenger.


    ¡°Sir! It¡¯s about the RASP building with the colorful sign! It¡¯s been demolished! Reports say a bomb blew up a support beam, and the rest of the building fell to the ground, sir! I was told to come directly here and report it to you, sir!¡± The messenger closed her eyes, folded her ears, and forced her tail to wrap around her waist. The buzzing green energy bolts hummed dimly, filling her ears with a sound that could have been her very last. But even as she said her final prayers to the Gods Above, the deadly bolts disappeared. She then felt a hand on the top of her head as something grabbed the tightly clutched report.


    When she realized the humming bolts disappeared, she opened her eyes and saw Carmelo. He had sat back down, but this time, Clarence laid flat on the table.


    ¡°You can leave, now. Good work on bringing this to me,¡± Carmelo said without looking up. After he didn¡¯t hear a set of footsteps scurrying off, he looked up from reading and shooed the messenger away.


    She responded with an energetic, ¡°Yes, sir,¡± and briskly walked towards the door.


    From behind, she heard him exclaim with pure pleasure.


    ¡°She took down the whole building?! Just to¡ªHahaha!!! Incredible!!! She¡¯s just incredible!!!!"


    I wonder why he¡¯s so happy? The 6th is scary, but he didn¡¯t hurt me. I can do this! I know I can do this! Mama, I had to join something that you wouldn¡¯t be proud of, but I¡¯m going to send some money home. You know I was the fastest amongst my siblings, so it was easy to find a job as a messenger! And I get paid a lot! Please, just wai¡ª Wait, wasn¡¯t there a guard here before?


    She opened the door, walked through it, and gently shut it behind her. She swore a guard was standing nearby not even three minutes ago. He stopped and detained her, so she knew he was there.


    ¡°That¡¯s a little bit odd. I wonder where that Koena wen¡ª¡± The Singi turned her head to the right and proceeded to walk down it the corridor.


    And that was when it happened.


    Even though she saw nothing in the hallway in front of her, her short life of 17 years, 7 months, and 12 days came to an abrupt end when she walked into an incredibly sharp blade. Invisible it may have been, it was the product of a legendary skill called The Shadow''s Embrace. And since it pierced her left eye, the shadows didn¡¯t have very long to travel until it relentlessly raged and attacked the Singi¡¯s brain. The very last thing she saw before dying was a girl who held no discernible expression on her face. However, the final thing she envisioned was the face of her beloved mother.


    ¡°And that¡¯s another one down,¡± Servi muttered when she deactivated The Shadow''s Embrace and absorbed the umpteenth corpse. The strength it gave her would suit the Koena guard she killed minutes before the Singi, and at the end of the day, Servi needed every little bit of power. Whether or not it came in the form of Potential, another soul to add to her Skill Stacking, or more strength and speed didn¡¯t matter at all.


    ¡°Tell me again why I need to go out there?¡± Old Man whined like a bratty child while putting on the cheap, thin set of chainmail. It was only him, Servi, and Carrie in their room.


    ¡°Because that¡¯s what the 6th wants. Didn¡¯t you hear Williana?¡± Carrie said lazily. She laid down on the top-most bunk bed and stared at the ceiling. Her red tail squirmed out from under her and half-heartedly swooshed about. She touched a hand to her red shirt. ¡°Williana, is this the last contract the 6th is making you do?¡±


    Servi answered as she slid on a brand-new set of armor she received from Carrie for accomplishing everything Carmelo asked of her. It was chainmail, like the one she gave Old Man, but Servi¡¯s gift was pristine. The metal chains were constructed of reinforced mythril. Firm and rigid, it would protect her from any glancing blows and stray arrows, but it wouldn¡¯t do much when protecting against something like the thrust of a spear. Servi slid it on over her new black undershirt and under her brown leather tunic, which, thanks to Carrie, had reinforced metal plates in the chest and stomach area. Her black pants were also another gift from Carrie. The only things Servi wore that wasn''t new were the two black boots, white socks, and two daggers that stayed at home on her back hip.


    ¡°Yeah. Frankie Ost is his name. I think Carmelo said he¡¯s the mayor or something? We gotta go back into New Arcton, but it shouldn¡¯t be that much trouble.¡± Servi thought back to the previous night when she went on a brisk massacre. She wondered how the folks in New Arcton took it. Did it even matter? It wasn''t like their sadness or sorrow at losing a loved one would change Servi''s ultimate plan.


    Before she had a chance to get lost in the past, Old Man grumbled. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it. But this is the first, last, and only time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your last time only if the 6th says it¡¯s your last time. If our boss tells you to go back out there and join Williana on another contract, then you better get your ass out there and join her.¡±


    ¡°9th, I know that. I¡¯m built for threatening and manipulating people, not slaughtering them in the dead of night. Still, the pay better be worth it. I¡¯m not a fan of doing shit like this for free.¡± Old Man complained even as he finally put on the last of his gear. He wore a leather vest over his chainmail, not a tunic, and simple pants and boots. His only weapon was the small axe on his hip that Carried graciously allowed him to borrow. He wanted to wear more, but since it was an assassination mission, he figured it¡¯d be better if he prioritized stealth and freedom of movement.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Assassination contracts and wetwork are the highest paying missions the Mafia offers. The pay will be even more since it¡¯s coming from a 6th,¡± Carrie muttered. She sat up on the bunk bed and rotated around until her back leaned against the wall and her legs dangled over the bed''s edge. Her red tail sprung to life and happily curled around her slim waist.


    ¡°It better be enough to buy two weeks'' worth of medicine,¡± Old Man grumbled.


    Carrie¡¯s two red cat ears twitched at the word ¡®medicine,¡¯ and she asked about it. Servi looked at Old Man¡¯s face and quickly said something. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s not that important.¡±


    ¡°Oh well. If you say so, Williana. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± She hopped off the bed and strolled out the door.


    ¡°You have got to tell me how you got her eating out the palm of your hand. While you were gone earlier, I happened to overhear a Numbered berate and beat the person he recruited because he spent too long on pronouncing the word ¡®10th'',¡± Old Man sat down in one of the two free chairs at the table where Servi sat and sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve shown her a world that she can¡¯t get to alone. If she wishes to keep going, then she has to put up with my bullshit. It¡¯s the same with Carmelo. He hasn''t met anyone else who can do the things I can do. I suppose it kills him to humor me, but I don¡¯t give a flying fuck. If you have something people really want and desire, can they really control how you talk to them?¡± Servi spoke to a man who would probably¡ª no, he would definitely be dead in a few hours.


    ¡°I see. Remind me not to piss you off.¡±


    Servi grinned and touched a finger to her daggers¡¯ pommels. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll be an issue. We just gotta keep what we¡¯re going, and we won¡¯t have any problems.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. What time did you say we had to leave?¡±


    ¡°We leave at 9:30, and we have an hour and a half to get to the mansion. Our only objective is to kill the mayor. Hey, if you¡¯re the one who kills him, I¡¯ll tell Carmelo and use my sway with him to give you more money,¡±


    ¡°I do appreciate it, but I¡¯ll let you handle the killing. You know I need the money, but I¡¯m not greedy enough to put myself in mortal danger for a bonus that isn''t worth it. I just want to get paid and deliver my granddaughter her medicine. That¡¯s all.¡±


    You fool. We don¡¯t always get what we want in this life. I know that all too well.  Servi thought.


    Servi heard the door turned and looked at the red Singi who walked in. She held two cups against her chest with her right arm.


    ¡°Hey, have you two heard about any disappearances happening around Deset?¡± Carrie wandered over to the last chair at the table and sat down, but she wasn¡¯t empty-handed. ¡°Here, I got you two coffee for the long night ahead.¡±


    They both took a cup and placed it on the table, but Old Man was the only one who offered his thanks.


    ¡°You know the blue Singi who ate that Kobold¡¯s eyes?¡±


    Servi answered Carrie, ¡°I know he didn¡¯t do it willingly thanks to a certain someone, but did something happen to him?¡± The girl who asked such an innocent question already knew the answer.


    ¡°Yeah, he suddenly disappeared. The Kobold who recruited him is in deep shit because he was responsible for him. He¡¯s going crazy trying to find him. And that¡¯s not all. Some of the other Numbered are reporting more disappearances. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s another traitor or whatever, but the 6th doesn¡¯t seem too surprised by it. I guess that means we don¡¯t have that much to worry about,¡± Carrie explained. She sat back in her chair and summoned her spear via Instant Retrieval.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like something I have to care about,¡± said the girl responsible for the base inhabitants¡¯ disappearances. She leaned back in her chair and closed her eye.


    It was an incredibly tedious couple of hours, but soon, the fateful time approached. It started when Carrie entered their room and woke up Old Man. After he stirred awake, she entered the room at the back with the intention to wake up Servi, but she was already up.


    ¡°Yeah, I know it¡¯s time,¡± said the assassin as she attached her daggers. She did a quick check on her pouches.


    ¡°It is. Be careful, yeah?¡± Carrie looked a bit sad, but such a pathetic act didn¡¯t pull at Servi¡¯s frozen heartstrings.


    ¡°I will. Be back when it¡¯s over.¡± Carrie held out her arms, but they would go un-embraced. Servi walked right past her, closing the door behind her with a simple slam. She said something sharp to Old Man, who responded with something witty.


    The red Singi froze up like a virus-infected computer and only stirred alive when she heard the door to the hallway shut.


    Collapsing to her knees, she pressed her hands to the floor and soaked them with the water falling from her face.


    ¡°Williana¡­ Why won¡¯t you¡­¡±


    Carrie couldn¡¯t finish her sentence without crumbling into a crying mess, and she hugged her knees and curled into a ball. She would remain there until the sun had risen from its slumber. Even when a familiar lavender-haired, one-eyed girl walked in, she would only look at the floor-bounded Singi like a pile of burnable garbage.


    With the moon high above her and hidden behind a cloud, it was nearly impossible for anyone to spot Servi as she scaled a derelict building. Old Man looked up at her from below and waited, as per her orders.


    ¡°Stay here,¡± she told him with a hand gripped on the brick that threatened to shatter under her incredible strength. ¡°I¡¯ll get the jump on those two guards.¡±


    Old Man nodded and crouched as she ascended the building. His bones, creaking and crunching, provided a small amount of discomfort, but it wasn¡¯t anything he couldn¡¯t handle. And rather than focus on the pain, he stared at the red-bricked tunnel-way ahead of him. In terms of structure and likeness, it was a dead ringer compared to the other entrance to New Arcton. It was only a few days ago, but to him, it felt even shorter.


    The days are all colliding together, and I can¡¯t make head nor tail of it all. He thought. A small pebble rained down from above and lightly danced with the metal gate the two guards were guarding. As disciplined as they were, their bodies and mind followed the training instilled in them and looked up.


    And that was when they died. Servi had jumped down with her daggers outstretched, and they danced across their throats like the blades of a skater soaring across an icy-blue, frozen lake. The bevor attached to their necks did well to guard against the blade itself, but the hand and arm that powered the attack proved too much for it. Crimson ran down their bodies, covering their chests and legs as the strength abandoned them. Only a single gurgle, an ugly noise produced when the blood poured into their lungs, announced their passage into the afterlife.


    Servi bent down and picked up the weapon the left-most guard carried. The small jingling of her chainmail noised out, and with the still silence, it penetrated for tens of meters. However, only Servi and Old Man heard it. And even though the noise struck the silence like a lance piercing through armor, it couldn¡¯t penetrate through the tunnel and alert those on the other side.


    ¡°Something seems different about you,¡± Old Man said. He stood up from his hiding spot, groaning in the process, and wandered over to his partner. She was in the midst of wiping the blood staining her new bow¡¯s wooden limbs.


    ¡°I finally got a license to kill,¡± Servi simply replied. She bent down, taking the quiver of arrows and attaching it to her belt. Servi drew one and nocked it, pulling back the string until it nearly reached its breaking point. She pointed her head to the gate, and Old Man walked over to it. He did his best to avoid the growing puddles of blood, but he still stepped in them.


    After raising the handle, Servi walked in with her bow at the ready. ¡°Just stay close behind and don¡¯t make a noise unless I talk or tell you to talk.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll let the expert lead the way. Keep in mind, I¡¯m only here because the 6th ordered it. If I knew you weren¡¯t going to rat me out, I¡¯d leave and wait in a bar somewhere. But even if you kept it a secret, I can¡¯t escape from those damned observers,¡± he replied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t give two rats asses about you being here or not. Your old bones are only going to slow me down.¡± Servi felt nice and cozy in the red-bricked tunnel. The tightness and lack of open space restricted her movements like she was a rat in a maze. She didn¡¯t have to think. The only thing required of her at that moment was to press on ahead and kill enemies.


    ¡°I can¡¯t deny that, but I still won¡¯t take any chances. The last thing I need is for the 6th to take my head because I disobeyed his order,¡± Old Man whispered. Servi rounded the second turn and cocked her head back. He took it to mean that he needed to keep low. Holding his hand against the red-bricked wall, he waited while holding his breath.


    Servi rushed around the corner, letting loose her nocked arrow. It parted the invisible air, only coming to an end when it pierced the right-most guard¡¯s yawning mouth and collided with the back of his helmet. Servi had more than enough power to launch an arrow straight through solid steel armor, but her bow couldn¡¯t handle her full strength.  Her target had died instantly, but the gate he stood in front of prevented him from hitting the ground.


    But that¡¯s fine...even this is overkill... Servi thought. In the blink of an eye, she nocked a second arrow and fired at the second of three men in the room. He had no helmet covering his smooth face and black hair, and his brains painted the blue desk behind him with a lovely red. The third guard was no stranger to battle, and his reaction speed proved he had experience. He didn¡¯t cry or scream for backup because he couldn¡¯t spare the strength to do so.


    His buckler deflected Servi¡¯s arrow. While she spent the single second reloading her bow, he rushed forward with his axe held high. Servi acted as if she was going to nock another arrow but smiled when she dropped her bow and chose to slip a second arrow into her free hand. She rushed forward with her center of gravity down low. Her opponent, confused, quickly regained his composure. He also lowered his body and held his shield out. Two blue eyes peeking from the eyeholes of his helmet stared only at the approaching assailant.


    He had the technique and training to win against opponents far surpassing what he could pull off, but his opponent wasn¡¯t just a regular foe to conquer or kill. She had the strength of a Goddess inside her, and she used that strength to her advantage. Silently casting Telekinesis via her thoughts, Servi jumped at the last second and extended both of her arms, sliding across the concrete flooring for a few meters.


    The arrows gripped in her hands were pointing up.


    Her foe couldn¡¯t fight against the invisible force pushing him down. He tried and tried, but his only reward was a pair of shattered legs as his body raced towards the ground.


    The eye slits of his helmet were directly lined up with the gleaming metal tips of her arrows.


    The two arrows pierced his eyes, destroying his brain. ¡°Come on,¡± Servi said. She noticed blood running down the wooden arrow shafts and onto her hands. Standing up, she turned back and took the bow from Old Man¡¯s outstretched hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m not even going to ask or pry on how you knew he would fall. It doesn¡¯t concern me. Not at all,¡± he said. Looking around, he started to dig through the dead guards¡¯ pockets for money.


    ¡°Good. Stop searching. Whatever these guards have isn¡¯t going to compare to whatever reward you¡¯re going to get from Carmelo,¡± Servi lied. She knew the fate awaiting Old Man.


    ¡°I still can''t believe you can just say his name so casually. I do suppose you¡¯ve earned that right since you¡¯re taking on personal assassination contracts from him. And fine, I¡¯ll stop searching. I doubt these poor fools have anything worth taking, anyway.¡± He turned to the corpse leaning against the gate. Servi stood right beside it. Picking it up, she tossed it against the wall and slid the gate handle open.


    Old Man said nothing at all and silently followed behind. Like before, when they first entered New Arcton, they came to a beautiful sight. Small ponds had been dug out from the stone walkways. Colorful fishes swam within them, but Servi didn¡¯t know what kind they were. And with the moon still blocked behind a pesky cloud, it was like it tried to hide the aquatic creatures from Servi¡¯s brutality. The shops covering them on their left and right were all locked, and they couldn''t see anyone in front of them. For Servi and Old Man knew, they were the last ones in the world.


    But Servi knew that wasn¡¯t true. Well, it wasn¡¯t true at the moment. It was very possible for her and Old Man to be the last two Mafia members alive, but if things went right, he wouldn¡¯t be breathing for much longer.


    ¡°Remember,¡± Servi reminded Old Man as they stuck to the left side of the street. ¡°It¡¯s a mansion with a yellow roof, but it shouldn''t be too hard to find.¡±


    ¡°Got it. If I had to guess, then this must be the commercial district. Perhaps the residential districts are further in?¡±

 Book Three – Chapter Eight – Part Seven – Wetwork

    Servi chose to remain quiet. She strained her ears to their limits in an attempt to pick up on any footsteps. About ten minutes into the search, Servi heard a single set of steps coming towards. She pressed her body against the glass of the building she stood in front of, pulling a dagger with her free hand. She had to drop an arrow to the ground, but there were plenty in her quiver. Old Man mimicked her motions and cut short his breaths.


    When Servi saw the gleaming silver armor of the guard walking right past her, she sprung into action. In a single second, she had the guard pressed against the ground with her on his back. The dagger held close to the guard¡¯s throat proved his attacker wasn¡¯t playing around.


    ¡°Mansion. Yellow roof. Where is it?¡± Servi asked. She put a bit of pressure against his neck and drew blood.


    He stuttered, frozen by fear and imminent death, but Servi didn¡¯t like that. She spun the dagger in her grip and slammed the handle of it against his wound. He cried out, but such a foolish action only rewarded him with another slam.


    ¡°Where! Is! It?¡± Servi asked in a hushed tone, emphasizing each word to demonstrate her impatience.


    ¡°It¡¯s...it¡¯s¡­down the road I came from! Don¡¯t kill me! Don¡¯t ki¡ª¡±


    She had her answer, and his usefulness came to an end. It was an act befitting a brutal warlord. She held no remorse or any kind of emotion when her dagger¡¯s blade ended up being the final thing the guard touched. ¡°Come on,¡± she said for what must¡¯ve been the third time that night. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry and finish this up.¡±


    Old Man looked down at the corpse of the man that had died so suddenly and cruelly. He didn¡¯t think it was right to suddenly start caring for the sanctity of life, especially after everything he had done for his late son and granddaughter, but the years of it all had begun to chip away at his conscience. He wanted nothing more than to be a grandfather for his granddaughter, but such a future was an impossible dream.


    If I want the medicine, I can¡¯t look away. The least I can do is bear witness to those who have to die so my granddaughter can live.


    His footsteps were heavy and echoed with his crying soul, but he continued on and left the corpse behind. The monstrous girl he followed so closely led him down a side street. She took a left, cutting down behind a tall house with a red roof. Four of its fifteen windows were illuminated by candlelight, which cast a gentle shadow as she emerged into a large cul-de-sac filled with mansions and exquisite houses. Servi stared at the homes with the intent of slaughtering the cowardly nobles inside, but Old Man only saw an endless supply of dupla.


    If I rob even just one house, I bet I could buy enough medicine to last a year! Maybe¡ª


    ¡°There it is.¡± Servi crouched low and pointed to the house furthest away. That driveway, unlike the driveways of the dwellings around them, held no carriage. The iron fence surrounding it was the only fence Servi saw. ¡°It¡¯s strange. If he¡¯s the mayor, then there should be guards. Why aren¡¯t there any guards?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Old Man remained quiet and only moved when Servi made a mad dash across the street. Her target was the carriage nearest to her target, and after arriving with no issues, she gripped its wooden body and peeked around it. Servi still saw no guards, and while it wouldn''t bother her to charge ahead while under the effects of The Shadow''s Embrace, Servi had a tag-a-long. If there was a bridge or a large shed she could hide under, then she could kill Old Man and continue on with her mission, but her route wouldn¡¯t allow it.


    I should¡¯ve done it in the brick tunnel. Shit. Servi cursed herself as she ran towards the mansion with a yellow roof. Her boot-covered feet pounded the asphalt.  Every window she saw had light coming from it. The shadows she saw must¡¯ve belonged to maids and butlers. On the third floor, she saw a single window. That¡¯s my location. I doubt there¡¯s a way to climb up there. Going through the house is the only way. Wait, why don''t I just kill the bastard now? Well, it might fun to see him struggle... And if I get caught, I can see just how much that old son of a bitch can defend himself... Haha!!!


    As she gauged her options, Servi turned around and leaned against the house, grinning like a drugged-out cat. There were no windows above or next to Servi, so she couldn¡¯t be seen by any of the house¡¯s inhabitants. Motioning with her hand, she waved Old Man across and decided on a plan when he made it to her destination.  By the time he reached her, she had removed her smile and replaced it with a neutral expression.


    ¡°We¡¯ll enter in through the front, so stay close behind me. Our goal is the top floor. There¡¯s a study there, and Frankie should be there at his desk. It¡¯s going to be an easy kill, and after I do it, we can leave,¡± she said. The hot weather didn¡¯t do him any good, and neither did his aging bones and muscles. Old Man nodded through the immense sweat and prepared himself for the final push.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about,¡± he whispered. ¡°Let me do it. I need the money for medicine. If I pull this off, then I should have enough for at least a year, right? Killing a mayor is big, and the reward has to be worth it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being paid 13,600 dupla for this contract,¡± Servi lied. She knew she wasn¡¯t going to get compensated.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough for nearly two years. And a year if it¡¯s split in half!¡±


    The smell of money is too important for him to ignore. ¡°That¡¯s right...¡± Servi internally grinned, ¡°Kill him. Land the killing shot, and I can convince Carmelo to give you more. Truth be told, I already have enough from the four previous targets. I can finally buy back my friends and family.¡± Once again, Servi lied.


    Old Man should¡¯ve known better that some things were too good to be true.


    He knew that. He swore he knew that. But the night, long and hot and stressful, along with his advanced age and ¡®interesting¡¯ life, caught up with him. His senses were dulled for only a moment.


    ¡°Thank you, Williana, for offering me the chance to kill him,¡± he said. Though he didn¡¯t know it, his fate was sealed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you the weapon when we get up there. For now, follow close and stay quiet.¡±


    Servi gripped her bow and nocked an arrow. Staying close to the mansion, she crept along against the brick foundation until she came to the door. After checking to see if it was locked via Telekinesis, and it was, Servi stood in front of it and gave it a little kick. That was used to disguise her absorbing it and promptly bringing it back out and holding it in place with Telekinesis faster than Old Man realized what was happening. I don¡¯t have to hide it anymore, do I? Especially when I¡¯m standing in front of a dead man.


    It wasn¡¯t locked?! And it was open?! Old Man logically came to a false conclusion, but he remained silent. He kept close to Servi to the point where he nearly matched her footstep for footstep.


    The area past the front door led to a dazzling entrance hall. Extravagant chandeliers hung from above. The candles atop of them reflected off a set of angled small mirrors embedded into the ceiling. Servi¡¯s eye naturally followed the reflected light, but they only came to a painting of a short man with no hair. It was of his entire body, and Servi mentally compared it to the drawing she received from Carmelo.


    I¡¯m sure that¡¯s the target, but I don¡¯t see any stairs. Shouldn¡¯t there be stairs in a welcome hall? This shitty place better not be as weird as Parrel¡¯s mansion.


    Silently, Servi readjusted her bow and walked over to a set of doors on the right-most wall. The left wall also contained a set of doors, and since there wasn¡¯t a set of stairs, she had an equal chance of guessing right. But like she did with the front door, Servi used Telekinesis to prop it open and slowly walked in.


    It was a hallway, but it was brightly lit. Servi''s and Old Man''s shadows were visible against the curtained windows to their right, but she couldn¡¯t spare the time to think about blowing out the candles responsible for those shadows. Up ahead, a door clicked open. A man wearing a black suit with a shapely beard emerged, and he promptly received an arrow to the side of the head. The metal tip pierced the wooden door frame, pinning the corpse to the wall with no way to slide down.


    Servi waited for a scream and concluded he was alone when it didn¡¯t come. Rushing forward, she searched his pockets for anything worthwhile but came up empty. And Servi didn¡¯t bother to check the room he came from since it only appeared to be a bathroom. Silently, she nodded her head forward and continued on to the end of the hallway. Old Man didn¡¯t question a single thing and followed along like a lost puppy.


    When Servi entered the room at the end of the hallway, she grinned. ¡°So that¡¯s the layout, huh? Instead of having a central staircase, they have one at the end of each wing. I suppose it¡¯s better for us. Good thing I picked the right door,¡± she muttered. She only saw the staircase and nothing else, not even a utility or janitorial closet. She walked up to it, gripped the handrail, and moved one foot in front of the other as she ascended it.


    Servi arrived at the second floor and noticed it continued on to the elusive third floor: her goal. If only I was by myself¡­ Though I suppose it¡¯ll be that way soon. I can hold off on the killing for a few minutes.


    ¡°We¡¯re skipping the second floor. Come on.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Old Man nodded in affirmation. He retrieved a rag from his trouser pockets and wiped his sweating face. Though he felt like the strength in his aching legs was ready to disappear, he never mentioned a peep and fought through the pain.


    Once they reached the top floor, Servi entered through the only door available to her and came to a single hallway devoid of any paintings or pictures. She saw a door at the far end, but it wasn¡¯t her destination. No, her goal laid behind the mahogany door situated in the very middle. The walk to the door was long and intense for Old Man, who chose to trust Servi. His palms became wet enough to almost drown a fish.


    ¡°Just pull back, aim, and release. It¡¯s a bow, alright? It isn¡¯t some advanced secret weapon,¡± she returned the loaded arrow to her quiver and handed the weapon to Old Man. He took it in his weathered hands. The wood was soaked by the moisture in his shaking fingers, and the string lost some of its elasticity. But as a weapon capable of killing, it could still do its job. ¡°Carmelo says he¡¯s in here,¡± Servi whispered and continued. ¡°And here¡¯s the plan. I¡¯m going to slam open the door. The noise should startle him. You¡¯ll have a few seconds to shoot, so don¡¯t fucking waste it.¡±


    He nodded and took an arrow from Servi¡¯s waist-bounded quiver. The image of his granddaughter enjoying an extra two years to live painlessly appeared in his mind. Such medicine for his aching soul full of sin calmed his shaking hands, and a rousing new determination sprung forth. With a renewed sense of pride, he nocked the arrow as he had done so many times in the past when he trained with his adoptive father and pulled the string back.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± he whispered.


    Servi nodded and put a hand on the brass doorknob. At that moment, the gears in Old Man¡¯s mind turned. He remembered what Servi did back during the day they sold Monotonia, how she talked about expecting the worst but hoping for the best. He most certainly didn¡¯t forget she was right about it all.


    What if she doesn¡¯t need money because she sold me out, not because she¡¯s been paid? What if she lied about her friends and family? Think! Think! There have to be contradictions! There has to be! Why else would she¡ª


    The door slammed open. Old Man turned his head towards a devil in Human clothing, and his heart dropped. She whispered, ¡°Bye-bye,¡± with a devilish grin, and Old Man turned his attention to the open doorway. A man, short and bald, laid dead, slumped against the desk. The killer? A tall Elf with a one-handed cross-bow.


    ¡°WILL¡ª¡± Old Man raised his voice, turning his attention from the Elf to the traitor, but the Elf fired his weapon before Old Man could attack Servi. The strings used to propel the arrow had more than enough strength to sever Old Man¡¯s head from his shoulders. The tension left his arms. With nothing to hold back the string, the arrow remaining in its grasp fired.


    Servi remained still as the arrow flew past her head, piercing the wall behind her. A red soul followed suit and landed in her ring. She walked in front of the doorway and turned to the Elf inside. Stepping over Old Man¡¯s lifeless body, she entered the room.


    ¡°And you must be Mierkia,¡± Servi said. She looked to the left and saw the corpse of the Dwarf who visited Carmelo before she left to kill Snare. Yeah, I figured something like this would happen. Too bad I couldn¡¯t kill him myself. What¡¯s that foaming coming from his mouth? It¡¯s the same coming from Frankie''s corpse. No, I can focus on that later. ¡°I want to say it¡¯s nice of you to help me out on this job, but I know you aren¡¯t here for that. Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Before I answer that, I want to say how impressed I am,¡± Mierkia spoke while leaning back in the chair that used to belong to Frankie Ost. He still wore the slim-fitting cloak he had on earlier.  ¡°I never expected Carmelo¡¯s dog making it all the way here. Tell me, how did you get past the guards in the tunnel? Did you scale the wall? You aren¡¯t blessed, are you?¡±


    ¡°I killed them. No. No, I¡¯m not blessed. Now, answer my question.¡± Servi walked further inside, closing the distance between her and the bald Elf with one pointy ear and one Human-shaped ear.


    He remained sitting, but he raised his one-handed crossbow from Servi''s heart and pointed it at her head. ¡°I¡¯m here to hopefully not kill you. Carmelo confided in me and said he wanted me to test you. I mean, it won¡¯t do him any good if¡ª¡±


    ¡°Markka. Merkia. Mirkia.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± He was taken aback. ¡°What do my brothers have to do with anything?¡±


    ¡°After I slaughtered Snare, that worthless Carmelo gave me three people to kill,¡± Servi said. ¡°You might want to prepare three funerals.¡±


    ¡°Hahahahahaha!!! You dare to threaten me with the lives of my brothers? Did Carmelo tell you about the assassin after their lives?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t heard from them, have you?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°No, I have not. My brothers sent word to me that they were going into hiding until they were safe. I don¡¯t know where they are. Even if Carmelo has a high opinion of you, you wouldn¡¯t be able to kill them. I may be the strongest out of us four, but they are far stronger than a simple unblessed Human. And they wouldn''t have been waiting alone just to die. I''d assume they''d hired guards or some mercenary troupe for protection.¡±


    Servi pulled a chair from her ring and sat down. It was an act that certainly caught Mierkia off guard, and he immediately became as quiet as a mouse. ¡°I killed Markka first. He thought he was safe if he hid in a building near that giant building. I assume it''s the guard''s headquarters? Maybe it''s just their barracks? It doesn''t matter because I still eviscerated all who stood in my way. After I stole his life, it was a simple enough task to carve his tattoo off. Merkia? He thought he could hide¡ªno, I don¡¯t even think he took the threat seriously. I assume you heard about the RASP building collapsing? Well, I did that. And he was inside. I¡¯m sure you can figure out what happened. And Mirkia¡­poor Mirkia thought he would be fine if he surrounded himself with hundreds of warriors. Well, I¡¯m happy to say that his plan failed. They did what you just said they would do, but it just wasn''t enough to stop me.


    ¡°Mierkia, I killed your shitty brothers, I carved their tattoos from their necks, and I handed them to Carmelo. And you know what? He gave me explicit orders to kill everyone inside of this room. And if they do happen to have a tattoo on the back of their necks? Well, he told me to bring it to him.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! SHUT UP! MY BABY BROTHERS AREN¡¯T DEAD!!!¡± Mierkia shook with anger and yelled. Servi copied his shaking and laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world.


    ¡°I enjoyed killing them, Mierkia. They were worst than cow shit. Literally, they were the scum of the earth. The death I gave them was merciful. My only regret is that I couldn¡¯t make it more brutal. How does it feel, Mierkia, to know that your friend was the one who gave the order? He betrayed you. He never thought anything about you.  Carmelo only thinks of you as a stepping stone. As for what he has planned? I don¡¯t know. Hahahaha!!!¡±


    ¡°Fucking die!¡± Unable to withhold his unwavering rage, Mierkia was deadset on pulling his weapon''s trigger. It was a modified crossbow capable of being wielded with one hand. The self-pulling string worked by using the recoil produced when the arrow launched to sling it back into a locked position. When the trigger was released and allowed to go back to a resting state, an arrow from the top rack would drop down into place. A small iron bar would then lock the remaining projectiles in place. It was a genius piece of engineering that only could¡¯ve come from the war and technological-focused Westera.


    In the instant before he fired his weapon, Servi noticed a small puddle of green liquid on the desk beside the deceased mayor. Instead of being worried, she showed off a confident look that indicated she had no worries about being faced with death.

 Book Three – Chapter Eight – Part Eight – Wetwork

    ¡°Ah, those bolts are poisoned, aren¡¯t they?¡± Servi asked, tilting her head. Her sudden words and confident demeanor froze her opponent in his place, and he found himself feeling odd. The scornful, hateful look on his face softened, and he removed his finger from his crossbow''s trigger and lowered it. Even then, he never looked away from his opponent''s single eye.


    In his mind, he didn''t know why he couldn''t just shoot her. Was it because he was frightened? He did find the whole situation puzzling because he couldn''t understand the Human in front of him. Her actions just didn''t make any sense at all, considering she stared death in the face, and that confused his instincts.


    A part of Mierkia believed that firing the arrow would mean the end of something grand, and what if that something was his life? It was possible his self-preservation drained his violent anger and replaced it with something else, something that would grant him a few more seconds with his life.


    "That''s right," he said, stalling for time. "It''s created from mashing up dried shiroblooms, mixing in the venom of a poison dragon, and adding a few pinches of Red Scythe. Have you heard of it before? Red Scythe is a nasty little mineral that can be used as a substitute for all kinds of things relating to fire and explosives. For example, if you were to coat a sword with it and hit a rock, it''ll blow up. I know a Kobold who puts that shit on his steak because that''s the only thing that he can taste.


    "When added to the two ingredients I talked about, the substance changes to a sickly green color. I don''t know why it happens, and to be honest, I don''t care enough to find out the reasoning. All I know is that it allows me to kill from a distance. It''s something I made by myself when I was first starting off as an assassin, so I''m proud of it. If just a drop gets into your body, whether it be from an opening like your mouth or ear, or a wound like a cut, you''re fucked. You''ll freeze in place, and your body will shut down a few seconds later. Then, after foaming from the mouth--"


    Servi stood up and activated 1,250 instances of Protection. "Just shut up! I don''t need to know every little fucking detail about it, and I don''t need to know the culinary preferences of some random Kobold. It''s not like that pathetic poison is even going to work on me. You''re just putting off this fight because you don''t have any balls. If you''re gonna shoot me, then fucking shoot me! Take revenge for your shitty brothers! Go and bury them in a pile of cow shit if you get out of here alive!" Servi shouted. She stomped forwards a step, prompting her foe to take a warning step backwards. Servi''s words forced Mierkia''s rage back to the forefront of his mind, eliminating what little self-preservation he had left. Anger guided his arm, forcing it to aim at the one person he needed to send to the afterlife. With a simple breath, he pulled the trigger. The incoming poison-tipped arrow struck Servi''s cheek¡ªor it would if it hadn''t simply shattered as if it smashed into a boulder.


    Servi advanced forward with one foot in front of the other. Each step brought her closer to her dead target. More importantly, her forward march forced her would-be assassin to step backwards. ¡°St-Stay away!¡± he cried in fear. Each step resulted in a panicked trigger pull, and each arrow fired her way wouldn¡¯t strike through. Her Protection could guard against a nadrium sword! Puny projectiles breaking her invisible shield would be akin to a child taking down a giant with an inflatable toy. ¡°You¡¯re nothing but a monster! Stay back, monster!!!¡± Droplets of green liquid splashed against her invisible shield, tumbling down to the wooden floor.


    ¡°Aww, you¡¯re trying to hurt my fucking feelings? I¡¯m not a monster... I¡¯m something worse than an intangible bag of fear from the depths of hell!¡± Servi stopped in her tracks and psychotically rubbed her hands down her face. A growing, destructive feeling welled up from within the depths of her soul. It scratched and howled, begging for freedom. ¡°I¡¯m your worst fucking nightmare! I hurt! I kill! I rip my enemies a-fucking-part, and I devour their fucking souls!!! I¡¯m the Mad-Fucking-Dog, and I¡¯m here to end your fucking life!¡± Without any warning, Servi rushed forward faster than Mierkia¡¯s trained eyes could follow. She kicked off with such force that the wooden floor under her crackled and buckled, leaving an alternate path to the floor below.


    From Mierkia''s point of view, it was as if she suddenly appeared in front of him, and he couldn¡¯t do a single thing to fight against her. Servi tore off the cloak and jabbed her fingers into his armored chestplate. Servi felt something warm and soft, and she grinned. The bones in her fingers snapped when she ripped his breastplate off. In a rage, he swung his arms in a wild fashion, eventually getting a clean hit. But Servi didn¡¯t drop him. Instead of granting him a moment of peace, she gave him an eternity of suffering.


    Stabbing her bloody fingers back into the injury on his chest, she faintly brushed against one of his ribs and yanked it out, leaving a large, open wound. Mierkia¡¯s agony-filled screams reverberated throughout all three floors, and it was only a few seconds before there was a pounding on the door. From the room under the study, a few guards attempted to climb up. However, they wouldn¡¯t make it far at all. Using his own rib, Servi carved Mierkia¡¯s neck tattoo off, absorbed it, and threw his barely alive body into the hole leading to the floor below.


    ¡°Wha¡ªAAAHHHH!!!!¡± She heard a few screams coming from the hole, but her job was finished when a few red souls flowed over to her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to kill anyone else. I can just go back to Deset. But where¡¯s the fun if I do that? The gnawing inside me... It wants to come out... Should I let it? Maybe a little, right? Just a little? That''ll be okay, right....?¡± As Servi whispered to herself, her voice growing more ragged and deranged, she heard several loud bangs coming from the door.


    ¡°Frankie?! Are you okay? What the hell is going on?! Sorry, but we¡¯re coming in! We found Barry¡¯s corpse!¡± A voice spoke from beyond the door, and Servi guessed it came from a Kobold because it was deep and rough, like a growl. When the door exploded open a few seconds later, her guess had been proven right.


    Eight heavily armored and armed warriors rushed into the room. They kept far away from the clear hole and stared at the girl holding a bloody rib.


    ¡°I''m the Mad Dog, right? Right?! RIGHT?!¡± Servi growled deeper than even the Kobold who spoke at the door and lowered herself down. She kicked off, creating another hole behind her, and tackled the Kobold into the wall. Somehow, it kept standing, but the same couldn¡¯t be said for the Kobold splattered in half. The organs inside his midsection had nowhere to go, so they created their own exit in his lower back. Red hot crimson showered Servi''s face and chest, and her rage and violence-filled eye roared alive with bloodlust.


    She swung the rib around at the crowd frozen by fear, bashing the chin belonging to the closest Elf. His head spun nearly 180-degrees, killing him and destroying Servi¡¯s weapon at the same time. Soul Essence of Primal Combat activated, alerting her to an incoming stab. But Servi deactivated the skill and took the attack head-on after removing her Protection.


    The Koena who attacked her had a sword, and it pierced through her armor to her heart, but Servi only screamed with delight. Her hands went from her joyous face to the two daggers resting at home on her waist. Pulling them, she spun around with no rhyme or reason. There were no techniques, tactics, or even logical sense to the feral motions she performed. It couldn¡¯t even be called combat. Her daggers pierced solid plate, yet they only did so because of her inhuman strength. The pommels and handles left big holes in the side of faces and bare skin, yet it was her raw and rabid power that empowered it. And in the midst of it all, Servi growled like that of a Mad Dog. It was like she had forgotten how to act like a Human.


    In only ten short seconds, the eight intruders lost their lives. The room, painted red, pink, blue, and white with blood, flesh, scales, and bone acted like a temple of death. Anything that entered would die by the hands of the sole survivor, a blood-stained girl whose facial expression resembled that of a rabid beast. Her eye turned to the hole, and she jumped down it.


    Three men littered her view. She killed the left one with a dagger tossed between his eyes. His head split open, embedding part of his brain to the wall behind him. She dragged the middle-most man to her with Telekinesis and ripped him apart from head to groin. She killed the last man, a Human with brown eyes and black hair, by beating him to death with the two halves of the man she tore apart. Suddenly, an arrow pierced her head, and she turned to the shooter.


    He was a boy, no older than sixteen or seventeen. His eyes showed no sense of hesitation or fear in the face of a bloody monster.


    ¡°Die, monster!!!¡± he shouted.


    "THAT WON''T FUCKING KILL ME!!!!!" Servi shouted and unnecessarily snapped her fingers. The arrow acted almost as if time was reversing. It retraced its steps, flying in a perfect arc until it pierced the shooter''s shoulder armor and struck fleshy gold. When he collapsed back in obvious pain, Servi used Telekinesis to float him over to her. She pulled out a dagger and slammed it into his back, but she didn¡¯t stop when he cried for mercy. With his body acting a bowl and her blade a mixer, Servi spun her hand in circles. Every bone that broke, every muscle that snapped, every single joint that cracked and shattered brought her untold joy as if she were a chef making a bloody, red soup. She stopped a few seconds later when his back nearly became hollowed out, but not because she wanted to. Her ID had suddenly appeared from nothing and slammed into her arm.


    SERVI, STOP THIS!!! WE CAME FOR WHAT WE NEEDED, AND WE DON''T HAVE TO STAY HERE ANYMORE!!! Itarr wrote.


    Servi tossed the boy to the ground, spilling the soup-like contents of his hollowed back, and threw her ID against the wall. Servi muttered something incomprehensible as the red dust flowed towards her body. She looked up and down and all around when footsteps closed in on her position.


    ¡°I¡¯ll end it... I¡¯ll end it all!!!!¡± Clapping her hands, Servi summoned a Fire Wall. A tremendous red flame roared alive, consuming her and the entire mansion in a blaze lasting only a single second. The fire, so insanely hot, instantly scorched everything, even the very ash it produced.


    Other than a lone girl, everything had been turned into a a dark black stretch of scorched earth. The only reason Servi came out unscathed wasn¡¯t because of her immortality or Protection. It was because one of the properties of Fire Wall. If she wished it, then the flames created from her would be unable to harm her. It was an extra option that required vastly more Skill Energy, and anyone could use it. In her case, the extra Skill Energy required was the same as scooping a bucket of water out of a 1,000,000,000,000 liter pool as thousands of water hoses constantly kept it filled.


    The large mansion with a yellow roof didn¡¯t exist any longer. By the time morning came, a few people would argue that there wasn¡¯t anything left to find in that area of blackened ground. People did notice the moment a bright red light, even brighter than the sun, illuminated nearly the whole of Arcton and New Arcton as a whole, but most believed it to be an illusion or something similar.


    But it wasn¡¯t an illusion. It was real. The one who created such a flame disappeared into the thin line between existence and non-existence as she soared across the skies. Her blue eye and mind wandered back to Old Man.


    Do you feel sad? Itarr wrote on the red stone tablet.


    ¡°I don¡¯t. I only feel regret,¡± Servi replied.


    Did you want to save him?


    ¡°No, I only wished I could have killed him myself. I should have done it the moment we left Deset. If not then, I should have slaughtered him after we entered through the red-bricked tunnel. But he''s dead... And that''s fine.¡±


    What about his granddau¡ª


    ¡°She means nothing to me. If she dies from the disease, then she fucking dies. I will not go out of my way to do anything. She isn¡¯t my responsibility, alright?! If he cared about her, then he would¡¯ve DONE SOMETHING ABOUT IT! ITARR, WE DON¡¯T CARE ABOUT OUR ENEMIES, ALRIGHT?!!! THEY ARE CALLED ENEMIES FOR A GODDAMN REASON!!!!!¡± Servi shouted, straining her lungs because any sound she produced wouldn''t be heard by anyone.


    After receiving Servi¡¯s abuse, Itarr slumped back into the depths of hers and Servi¡¯s soul. Nestled into a ball, she cried and cried to pass the time because she couldn¡¯t do anything else.


    It¡¯s all my fault¡­Servi, I miss you¡­ I miss the girl I fell in love with¡­ Itarr''s mind and attention then turned to the ring¡¯s innards. While Servi had egged on her crossbow-wielding foe, Itarr absorbed Old Man¡¯s belongings. Other than the dupla he had been collecting, she found a single letter assaulted by time and the elements.


    She read it over and cried when the realization hit her. Old Man always intended to come back in his granddaughter¡¯s life, but he didn¡¯t know how. The letter was proof of him trying to organize what he wanted to say, but his life ended before he gathered the courage.


    Old Man, I promise you I¡¯ll make sure she receives this letter. Even if I have to go against Servi¡­ Even if I have to betray her again¡­ I¡¯ll do it. I swear I will. Your granddaughter deserves to be happy...


    ¡°Here you fucking go.¡± Servi slapped Mierkia¡¯s bloody tattoo on the table in front of her. Even though it was nearly approaching midnight, the same table still carried the identical cups and plates as it did when Servi first took on the mission to kill Snare.


    She no longer felt sick or odd by the vast openness above her, but in turn, her anger had grown by leaps and bounds. When Carmelo didn¡¯t look up from drinking out of his cup, Servi raised her hands and slammed down. The table broke and shattered, and Servi pointed at the proof. ¡°Frankie is dead. That fucking Dwarf is dead. Old Man is dead. Mierkia is fucking dead. And I know you aren¡¯t going to fucking pay.¡±


    ¡°My oh my, are you perhaps saddened by Old Man¡¯s passing?¡± Carmelo said the chant for Telekinesis and let go of his cup. It remained floating as he gently cradled Clarence.


    ¡°No, I wanted him to die. I wanted to kill him.¡±


    ¡°You do realize you¡¯re admitting to being a traitor to your boss, right? And you don¡¯t feel anything?¡±


    ¡°Like I care. You wanted Old Man dead. You wanted me dead. You probably want all of us dead. I even bet the targets the 5th wanted you to give me were different than the ones you actually gave me. And guess what? I want everyone to die, too. That¡¯s the only reason I¡¯ve been playing your goddamn game. And no, I didn¡¯t feel a thing. If anything, I could¡¯ve completed the mission far sooner if I¡¯d went solo.¡± Servi brutally grabbed a nearby chair, spun it around, and sat down.


    I probably should confront him about the robbery. The first team was supposed to bring chaos and slaughter to the nobles, but I didn¡¯t see any sign of that. No, I don¡¯t need to think. I¡¯m just an assassin... A Mad Dog who kills and slaughters to sate her desire.


    ¡°Hahahahahahaha!!!! Yes! This is what I¡¯ve been waiting for! A monster! You¡¯re the monster with an insatiable appetite for killing!!!¡± Carmelo broke into a mad fit of laughter and didn¡¯t stop even when his skin turned a slight purple from a lack of air.


    ¡°Monster? No, I prefer to be called a Mad Dog.¡±


    ¡°Mad Dog, eh? I like it even better. Fine, how about this? I¡¯ll be your master, and I¡¯ll tell you who to kill. Use your fangs to rip their lives, their flesh, their very souls, from their bodies, and bring me back the proof. Do that, and I''ll let you chew on their bones and feast on their meat."


    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me. Just give me the autonomy I deserve, and I¡¯ll sink my fangs into anyone you want.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s agreed. I¡¯ll give you your next task right now. I¡¯ll even give you time to prepare.¡±


    ¡°What are my orders?¡± Servi stood up and ran a hand through her lavender-colored wig.


    ¡°I want you to kill my boss, the leader of the Mafia. I don''t know how you fight, but you clearly have some sort of ability that is perfect for killing. You always seem to do the impossible even when I set you up to fail. Complete this final contract, and you''ll never want for anything ever again.¡±


    Finally! Finally! I knew someone like Carmelo had grand ambitions! He¡¯s a sucker for power!


    ¡°As you wish. He¡¯ll die on Saturday. I¡¯ll leave in the morning to prepare. Don¡¯t come looking for me because you won¡¯t find me. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t run away. I¡¯m a good little Mad Dog. I¡¯ll be sure to be in the right spot at the right time.¡± Servi turned away from Carmelo and walked towards the door. When her hand grabbed onto the handle, she heard a squeaky and childish voice come from behind. Looking back, she saw a small fairy-like creature hovering in mid-air.


    That¡¯s just another spirit for me to kill. She left without speaking a word aloud and made the quiet trek back to her room.


    During her walk, Servi''s vision slowly morphed. The walls turned into a glittering utopia full of bright blue skies, and the floor transformed into waves of verdant grass. In a sense, it was like Servi had been transported to a place where dreams became reality. Obviously, she was still inside Deset, but just for once, Servi allowed her mind to wander free. When she imagined a life of leisure with Momo, a pretty wooden table appeared. With it came two glasses of apple juice and a pair of chairs. A quick thought later, Servi stopped dead in her tracks as the sight of her best friend appeared from a whirling tornado of cherry blossoms. She only saw her back, which was clothed in a white sundress, but it was a glimpse of her ultimate goal.


    Servi instantly thrust her arm out, grasping at what wasn''t there. That crude behavior crushed her daydream, dissipating it into a whimsical mist. She looked down at her clenched fist and sighed.


    "I''m doing this for... I''m doing this for you... That... That scenery I saw... It''ll be us... One day, that''ll be us...me and you...you and me... It feels like..." You''re the only thing keeping me Human... Servi couldn''t say those last words out loud, so she settled for uttering them in her mind. With another sigh, she shook her head and continued walking.


    When she entered through the door, Servi had an urge to slam her foot into the sleeping Singi¡¯s chest. However, she fought against that feeling.


    ¡°Itarr, fill the room with Kaasuvuoto¡¯s sleeping gas,¡± Servi ordered. She stepped over Carrie and sat down against the wall.


    Servi, why did you pledge loyalty to Carmelo?


    ¡°If you need to ask, then you don¡¯t understand. I didn¡¯t pledge anything. I lied to Carmelo so I can leave this fucking place without him going into a frenzy. If I had just left, there''s a chance the boss would''ve been alerted or something. How? I don''t know. Besides, it¡¯s all going to plan.¡± Servi¡¯s reply held a harsh tone. Her words stabbed at Itarr like knives chopping a frozen chunk of meat.


    Okay, Servi. But what if this is something that will also get his attention?  You aren''t being subtle at all... No, I shouldn''t think like that... I¡¯ll believe you, Servi. I always believe you. You have a plan... I know you do... I¡¯ll let you think things over because there¡¯s probably a lot to sort through. I love you, Servi.


    Love? A Mad Dog doesn¡¯t love. It only kills. I¡¯m not worthy of anyone¡¯s love, and no one is worthy of the love of a Mad Dog like myself. Servi thought. Her eye stared ahead. It never blinked.


    Servi, you didn¡¯t say you love me. You do love me, right? You¡¯re probably just thinking about how to spend the next two days, right? I want to say the Mafia is somehow corrupting you, but that can¡¯t be true! I believe in you! I know you still have Momo¡¯s rescue as your main goal. I hope you know I meant it when I said I believe you. Because I do believe in you. You were the one who rescued me from my imprisonment. If anything, keep my love and belief in the back of your mind and heart and draw on it when you need their strength.


    Itarr wanted to write those words on Servi¡¯s ID, but she ultimately settled for speaking them aloud inside their interconnected soul.


    Seven hours later, when Kaasuvuoto¡¯s gas had naturally dissipated, Carrie woke up on the floor of her room. She felt something cool on her face, which turned out to be tears.


    She had been crying in her sleep.


    When Carrie stood up, her head turned to the empty bed. The sheets were still folded up from when she made the bed the night before. She had intended to wait for Servi to get home before slipping under the covers, so she took a small nap on the floor while she waited. Somewhere along the way, she must''ve dozed off. More small tears flowed from her eyes. They traveled down her cheeks, tracing it so delicately like fallen leaves would a tree, and sorrowfully dripped to the floor.


    ¡°Williana¡­you didn¡¯t come home last night... Why?¡± she whispered while holding back a sob. ¡°Why¡­ Why does my heart hurt so bad¡­?¡±


    The dam of tears broke free, and Carrie dissolved into a sobbing mess. Her tail curled around her waist, and she hugged it ever-so-tightly.


    RuggyRuggy


    Here we are: The last part of Chapter Eight. For some reason, I just felt restless about this part. I found myself constantly coming back here to change how it flowed.


    From here on out, it is straight-up carnage. You might think Servi''s off the deep end with how consumed she is by chaos, murder, and destruction, and she is, but Servi still hasn''t reached the bottom of the pit.


    I actually kinda meant for Servi to end up being hated just by how much she had turned into the type of person she hates the most. When this story started, she said that she wanted to fight for those who can''t defend themselves. With how many innocent people have died by her hand, thus far, it seems Servi doesn''t believe in that noble goal anymore.

 Book Three – Chapter Nine – Part One – Who Guards the Guards?

    In the morning, after reporting to Carmelo, Servi left Deset for good. She didn¡¯t foresee a reason to ever return since she planned on killing Deset¡¯s inhabitants in the forest on Saturday. After activating The Shadow''s Embrace, Servi raced all over Arcton. Her goal had been to scout out any potential guard locations like training halls or barracks. She carried a grudge against them because they were all weak cowards who refused to fight back against the Mafia when they rolled into town.


    She found smaller towers and buildings spread all through the Arcton and two located inside New Arcton. Most of the guard bases didn''t seem that big. Each one outside of New Arcton only had the bare minimum of supplies. Most didn¡¯t have a second floor, and since it was still morning, the shift change was a few hours away. That gave her the right opportunity to strike, and she refused to let that slip by her.


    As she raced back to the spot where her assault would begin, Servi mentally planned out the most efficient route in her mind.


    Ten minutes later, she had arrived at the place where she would start her massacre. Servi entered the front door after snuffing the life out of the guards and immediately found herself in a room containing over fifteen beds. It functioned as a communal living space, and it was the largest room. The small training room was connected to the left wall via a broken door, so it was always visible. In other words, there wasn¡¯t any place to hide from her rampage, and she couldn¡¯t have asked for a better opportunity. Like a farmer weeding out any undesirables from a vegetable farm, Servi extinguished the life of everyone she saw sleeping. Male or female? It didn¡¯t matter. Young or old? Somehow, she knew they all played a part in turning Arcton into the shit hole it became.


    The shadows from The Shadow''s Embrace ensured her foes died without murmuring even a tiny squeak. In the first location, Servi killed twenty-seven people. She left, leaving the bodies behind to be discovered. Then the lavender-haired assassin moved on to the next building. After slaughtering the inhabitants inside, she soared across Arcton and continued her rampage, eventually doing the same for the following two locations.


    In the fourth building, Servi went about her slaughter differently. Her very grip could destroy stone and bend hardened iron, and as her luck would have it, the guards she sought to destroy took refuge in a building made out of stone. After sniping the two men standing out front with her nadrium bow, which was one of the only weapons capable of withstanding her incredible strength, Servi calmly walked towards their corpses. She aimed to pierce them to the stone wall like chunks of meat in a frozen locker, but the bricks were too fragile. They exploded into dust, and the simple steel-tipped arrows were too flimsy to be of any use after a single shot.


    ¡°Ah, I knew that wasn¡¯t going to go undetected. The sound of a brick exploding is pretty loud, isn¡¯t it?¡± Servi quipped. She peeked through the destroyed stone bricks and saw the hustle and bustle of guards rushing to discover what had happened. Turning on her heels, Servi walked parallel to the building with her left hand held out and punched every so often. The destroyed bricks sent dust up to her eye, invading her nostrils in the process. She sneezed and redoubled her effort. By the time she turned the first corner and proceeded to do the same for the second wall, she felt the building shake. Having lost nearly half of its support, the other bricks holding it up failed.


    The single-story brick building with two windows collapsed, and Servi simply enjoyed the sight of 31 of her foes being crushed underneath thousand of pounds of debris. Even a Kobold or Koena couldn¡¯t survive such a heavy load suddenly pinning them to the ground. And when the last of the 31 souls flowed to her ring, she activated The Shadow''s Embrace and flew off in search of another barrack.


    When she arrived at the 8th building, her mind and body became dulled when trying to invent creative ways to make her opponents suffer. I better save all of my more sadistic plans for the boss and Deset. I might as well use this time to become more acquainted with my skills.


    Servi parked herself on the dirty ground forty meters away from her latest target. Like all the others, she saw two guards standing out front. But unlike the others, this one-story building with no windows was situated near a residential area. Women and men passed by her, not even stopping to give a second glance at the one-eyed woman sitting against a dilapidated building. Their state of dress was similar to hers, and that helped Servi camouflage herself.


    Taking another look at the building, she was sure it held many guards inside because, appearance-wise, it looked the same as the sixth and seventh building she took down minutes before. She absorbed 21 souls from the former and 28 from the latter.


    Servi¡¯s one remaining eye scouted up and down her list of learned skills, and it stopped on one used by the greatest warrior she had known. ¡°Earth Puppet, eh? I could send them out. I don¡¯t know how strong they are if I use mud and not armor like Albert, so I better wait on that. I need something large and destructive. Ah, here we go.¡± She scrolled up and down and eventually settled on one.


    Venti Aqua: a combination skill that used the incredible power of wind with the dense element of water to produce a water tornado capable of slicing even the most hardened substance. Servi looked up from her ID and focused on the guardhouse. The two outside carried bows, and they must¡¯ve not liked the way Servi stared at them. Simultaneously, they nocked an arrow and fired at her. Instead of taking it head-on, she used Telekinesis to kidnap a man walking by and used him as a shield.


    Even from such a distance away, the two archers were impeccable in their aim. The two arrows pierced her hostage¡¯s head, becoming lodged in his brain. Servi stood up, gripped the man¡¯s spine, and threw him at the building with her superhuman strength. His corpse exploded against the dirty bricks, raining blood and organs down upon the two guards.  Pandemonium broke out when the guards screamed in terror. The man¡¯s family cried out at what happened, and Servi decided it had been long enough.


    She had slaughtering to do.


    Servi held her left arm to the sky while thinking of Venti Aqua. A beautiful green gust swirled alive from the invisible air, curling up and down Servi¡¯s body in an attempt to pick up even more speed. From the skies, a dark cloud willed itself into existence, and it cast an ominous shadow. After that, a torrential amount of water pelted down upon an area of 64,000 square meters. At first, it was nothing but a light drizzle that was oh-so-common in the summer.


    But then the weather picked up in intensity. The rain kept increasing until it started to dent wood. Glass windows were no match for it. The wind continued until small rocks were carried airborne, and it all happened with Servi¡¯s raised hand acting as the epicenter. The bright sun above, hidden by the black clouds surging with water, was helpless. It couldn¡¯t shine its beautiful rays down upon the people that needed it the most. It was almost as if night arrived far earlier than it should''ve.


    As the wind grew in intensity and screams grew numerous, the brutal gusts nearly snatched Servi¡¯s wig from her head. Her clothes threatened to rip off from her body, but then suddenly, there were peace and calm in the area immediately surrounding her. It was as if she stood in the eye of a hurricane. The serene tranquility she experienced didn¡¯t match up at all with the apocalypse happening around her.


    The men and women within 64,000 square meters did their best to stay grounded by grabbing onto walls or each other. But with the wind capable of tearing houses from their very foundation, it didn¡¯t take long for them to let go out of pain. Even if they had the strength to endure the wind, the objects they clung onto for dear life surrendered to the wind.  But the wind wasn¡¯t the only obstacle. The rain had become so powerful that it was more than capable of piercing directly through skin.


    Servi still had her hand raised, and she looked to the left. There was a group of three women huddled underneath a wooden table. Four men stood on top of it in a pathetic attempt to use their weight to keep it grounded. The rag-wearing Singi, with her trembling ears and shaky tail, kept her head low to the ground. Even with the chaos exploding around her, she instantly knew what the warm liquid dripping down through the table¡¯s cracks meant. As if to reinforce her answer, a corpse fell down. It faced towards the Singi and her two other friends. Holes, thicker than a grown man¡¯s thumb, littered the back of his head and body.


    But the elements didn¡¯t differentiate between the living and non-living. Servi poured more energy into Venti Aqua, and the water raining down tripled in size and doubled in destructive power. Right before the Singi¡¯s trembling eyes, the corpse was pelted with water, turning it into a fleshy red mist as the rain demolished his body. The three other men soon died as well. Their corpses, what was left of them, were stolen by the wind. And with nothing to hold down the table, it and the three trembling underneath became Venti Aqua¡¯s latest victims.


    The wind picked up even more strength, and that was when it happened.


    The storm couldn¡¯t be called a storm any longer as the rushing wind finally took on a cylindrical shape. Everything that wasn¡¯t part of the earth was ripped out of the ground and joined the deadly hurricane. Men, women, children, houses and homes, faithful animal companions, and beloved dolls soon became part of the raging storm.


    Venti Aqua snatched and destroyed everything and anything. It spared nothing. A person¡¯s age didn¡¯t matter at all to a cyclone of death.


    The water flowing in it took on the shape of sharps blade, and there were thousands of them. They rotated the opposite way the wind did, and nothing went unpunished. The clear blue water soon turned red from the incredible amount of blood. Bodies were chopped up into pieces so small they couldn¡¯t be seen with the naked eye. Even the metal and stone buildings acted as butter to a hot knife when faced with the tyrannical blades of water.


    Servi smiled as the screams drowned out the incredible roar of the wind rushing faster than 300 km/h. Once the screams died out, Servi formed a fist with the hand she had in the air. Just like that, the wind stopped, the dark clouds disappeared, the rain ceased, and everything was calm. Other than the wasteland surrounding Servi and the immobilized crimson ball of death and destruction above her, things were back to normal.


    The sun shone its brilliance upon the area once more, but it only highlighted the destruction and chaos brought about by Servi.


    She brought her hand down to the ground, and the large, compressed ball of water came down with her. It landed right where the guard building used to be, exploding with such incredible force that it sent the red, bloody water soaring for thousand of meters. As for where the water might land and what the pieces of debris might destroy? Servi didn¡¯t care. The blades of water left nothing bigger than a Kobold¡¯s fist. The chances of them causing any damage while soaring through the air were slim to none.


    She took one final look at the utter wasteland coated in a layer of crimson and left. Other than the coat of red splashed on everything, it was almost identical when compared to the wasteland left behind by a certain skill that needed to be charged.


    ¡°In some way, that skill rivals Fulgur Spike. It might be fun to combine the two together, but that has to wait until Saturday,¡± Servi said to herself. She stopped right at the dividing edge of chaos and order. Servi turned her head behind her and saw the wasteland created by her. Hundreds of red souls rushed towards her, giving her even more strength that would only empower the next skill she used.


    Then she turned her head forward to an area that was spared from most of her destruction. It was almost something out of a painting. The area behind her had no life left in it, the section in front of her still had people who could breathe, yet both were smothered in crimson. She didn¡¯t know that Venti Aqua had a very detailed and defined area of operation, and she definitely didn¡¯t realize that the rain produced by it could break the boundary created by the skill. If she had allowed the watery ball of death to gently land, then the area in front of her would have been clean.


    But I can change that if I want to. I could make a Venti Aqua big enough to swallow this entire town if I want to. Maybe I¡¯ll do it later. Until then, I have more guards to kill.


    Servi stared at the people who gazed lifelessly into the wasteland behind her. Their rotten rags, stained red by the bloody water, did very little to cover their bodies. Black welts ran rampant up and down their skin. Servi surmised a disease ran through the area but put a stop to that line of thinking as quickly as it appeared.  A second later, she disappeared into the realm between existence and non-existence.  The two men in front of her and two girls to her left didn¡¯t acknowledge it. Perhaps they were in pain? Maybe they wished they were part of the monstrous Venti Aqua? What if the crimson rain destroyed what little they had left when it soaked everything around them? The questions were infinite, and the answers were not countable.


    She didn¡¯t know their thoughts because she couldn¡¯t read minds. However, she could almost feel their feelings through their eyes.


    I don¡¯t see any spark of life in them. Can I really blame them? I suppose killing them would be a blessing in disguise...


    Servi might have believed they wanted to die because she wanted to kill them. It was something she didn¡¯t know the answer to, and it was something she wouldn¡¯t even spend the energy and time to discover an answer to.


    Three seconds later, the crowd of survivors, which totaled 29, perished and passed into the afterlife.


    Without looking back, Servi rushed away in search of more guards to kill.


    It didn¡¯t take long at all. Servi''s slaughter continued unopposed and unchallenged. Even if she gave them a chance to act, the guards she fought all chose to run out of fear. Their yearning for personal safety eclipsed their need to protect Arcton and its residents.


    For the 11th building, she grabbed a Kobold guard and bashed out the stone bricks supporting it with her body. For the 12th building, Servi lifted the entire thing with Telekinesis and slammed it down. The very ground below her feet shook with the force of an earthquake. If there were houses and structures nearby, they definitely would¡¯ve collapsed from the shock.


    When Servi arrived at the 13th building, located inside the elite walls of New Arcton, she grinned. Not because she finally found it after an hour of searching, but because it was situated right next to the 14th building. Like the spot where she used Venti Aqua, the targets were near a residential area. Lavish manors and decorated carriages surrounded her. And in a way, it all reminded her of the little cul-de-sac where she burned the mayor¡¯s mansion to the ground. Only everything looked more expensive. There were a total of 8 buildings, and two of them, situated at the northern end of the cul-de-sac, were going to be the sight of her latest attack.


    Servi approached the left-most building in front of her. The four guards standing out in front drew their weapons and approached her. She looked at the building to the right of that and saw more guards walking towards her. They cut across the front yard.


    The noble couple walking behind her ran away. The husband''s suit was made of fine velvet, and it probably cost more than three months'' worth of food. His wife had a fluttery dress made from crimson silk. Their lavish screams grew quiet, then they stopped. Servi surmised they were running to one of the houses behind her. The chances were high that one of them belonged to them, but they wouldn¡¯t reach it.


    She raised her hands to the sky, prompting the growing number of guards around her to step back and take a stance. They didn¡¯t know what awaited them from the mysterious one-eyed girl. Suddenly, two corpses fell from the sky and landed in her outstretched hands. It was the noble couple. She gripped them both and slammed them down. The ensuing explosion of gore distracted everyone but Servi, and she acted in that brief moment.


    Her left hand impaled the steel helmet of the guard in front of her. A nadrium sword materialized from nowhere, slicing the guard behind her in half. She fell to the ground with the first guard¡¯s disembodied helmet and head in tow and slammed it into the Koena to her left. Servi heard a ghastly crack and summoned a large, two-handed nadrium axe from her ring. Staying her ground, she spun in place with the axe at the ready. It sliced through metal, scale, and skin with the utmost ease. The force of her spin sent crimson mist spraying in a wide arc that nearly reached the third and fourth floors of the houses furthest away from her.


    Servi looked down at the corpses cut in half and stared at the two bases. She continued walking towards the one on the left. Each step she took signified that the lives of the building¡¯s inhabitants would soon come to an abrupt end.


    She heard a scream moments before her boot-covered feet touched the first step. She turned towards it and saw a growing number of people emerge from their homes. A few edged closer to the sight of a one-sided battle, and once their eyes discovered the corpses, they screamed in unison.


    Servi heard a second noise and turned her attention to the door in front of her. It blew open with a powerful skill. The door smashed into her, sending her back a few meters. Forty-seven men rushed out in an organized fashion and surrounded Servi. She heard a second explosion and realized the door from the other guard building must¡¯ve blown off. The rhythmical footsteps she heard pounding the grassy ground in unison reinforced her hypothesis.


    Suddenly, she laughed. She laughed, and laughed, and laughed as she laid against the hot ground. A guard with a feather on his helmet raised his sword to the sky. His mouth moved a kilometer a second, arguing with his fellow men about what to do, but his voice was drowned out by Servi¡¯s shriek. Suddenly, he dropped his raised weapon. It fell on Servi¡¯s leg and bounced away. That was when the guard put both hands to his throat and mouth and shouted for others to do the same.


    Kaasuvuoto was a skill that emitted deadly poison gas. While it wasn¡¯t invisible, it was somewhat thin and hard to see when emotions and adrenaline ran high. But there was another reason none of the guards noticed it.


    The amount of time it took to become lethal depended on the volume of the area that needed to be filled. Filling a bedroom took a second or two. A luxurious ballroom took around twenty to twenty-five seconds. But Servi wasn¡¯t filling a simple room. The area she needed to enclose was slightly more than 10,000 square meters. In many ways, it didn¡¯t compare at all to the destruction brought about by Venti Aqua. After all, she turned an area of 64,000 square meters into a desolate wasteland. It was impressive and something to be feared, and there wasn¡¯t any doubt about it.


    But Venti Aqua was meant for wide-scale destruction. Kaasuvuoto wasn¡¯t. Kaasuvuoto was meant for enclosing an area in gas at the expense of the user. In most cases, the user died in the process, but their heroic sacrifice assured their party members could escape whatever grave threat they faced. Therefore, it didn¡¯t matter to most that it drained Skill Energy at such a rapid pace. But considering the lethality of the poison, the user would die seconds after losing consciousness.


    No skill researcher in the world would ever fathom even the tiniest thought of someone having enough Skill Energy to fill in an area of space that was over 10,000 square meters. And none, not even the brightest scientists, would ever expect someone to have the Skill Energy to fill an open area to the point where it overpowered the very air people needed to breathe. And if that wasn¡¯t taken into account, then the wind would be the ultimate enemy. Even if someone had the massive amount of Skill Energy at the ready, a stiff breeze could blow it all away. It was possible to set a boundary. Servi had done that very thing with Kaasuvuoto¡¯s sleeping gas and with Smokescreen. Having an area limit strong enough to prevent gas from leaving via the wind was out of the question.


    Combining all of the elements together, and it was a fool''s errand to even try. It was impossible to find a valued member of society to argue that it was possible to fill an outside area with Kaasuvuoto.


    Of course, it was only impossible because there hasn¡¯t been anyone to accomplish the un-accomplishable.


    But Servi was that person.


    She laughed even as the guard with the feather on his helmet faced his imminent death. Blood poured from his ears and dripped down his nose as a guttural scream of sheer pain escaped from his throat. His bodily functions failed him. Shit and piss leaked out from the proper holes, soiling his armor as the strength left him.


    And he wasn¡¯t alone.


    Servi stood up, dusting off her legs as a roar of laughter emerged from her pretty pink lips.


    ¡°This¡­ It¡¯s even more deadly than Venti Aqua!¡± Servi screamed. She doubled over as if she was in pain, but it was only laughter. Every enemy surrounding her-- the guards and those nobles who just wanted to live their lives-- perished in one of the most painful ways imaginable. And for the first time, Servi nearly felt drained and exhausted. It was the very first time, after almost dying the night she woke up, she had ever felt so tired. But like a surge of energy giving a wounded warrior a second wind of strength, Servi felt the odd feeling fade away. Within a couple of seconds, she surmised that the Skill Energy spent to accomplish something impossible had already regenerated.

 Book Three – Chapter Nine – Part Two – Who Guards the Guards?

    The gas affected everyone differently. Two of the guards died instantly with what seemed to be no pain. The lone female Elf amongst them suffered the most. Clawing at her throat in an attempt to breathe something different, she ended up digging a gory hole directly into her windpipe. And even as the panic grew and bodies dropped, not a single person ever ran away. It wasn¡¯t as they didn¡¯t think of it. They did. It was that the poison was far too aggressive.


    Servi took a step forward, powering through the yellow gas that fogged up the area around her. Her footsteps crumbled the grass below her, which had already turned a sickly brown color. She felt pain in her lungs and body and felt warm liquid drip down her nose. After taking a deep breath, the symptoms exploded until Servi bled from her missing eye. The blood squeezed out from under her eye-patch, giving her the appearance of a crying corpse. It wasn¡¯t until she stopped breathing all together that her wounds healed up completely.


    Okay, so it doesn¡¯t attack via contact to the skin. I''m only affected if I breathe it in. And since everyone has to inhale and exhale, except me, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a way to avoid it.


    She heard a large crash and dropped to the ground while holding a sword. It took her a second to realize that she wasn¡¯t being targeted. The source of the noise was a horse-drawn carriage that entered the area contaminated by Kaasuvuoto. The brown beast instantly collapsed, bringing the wagon down with it.


    The three inhabitants inside, who were on their way to meet up with family, died moments after each other.


    Servi returned to her feet and sheathed her weapon inside her ring. She turned around in a circle and held her hand up as a torrential amount of souls poured inside. Everything inside the area: people, pets, bugs, and even the grass, were dead. Servi had created a large cube of death which killed everything that entered. And it would stay that way until she willed it to move. Even a hurricane couldn¡¯t whoosh away the gas inside the invisible boundary Servi created.


    However, since her job was completed --that being the slaughter of the guards-- Servi snapped her fingers, and the gas quickly dissipated. The yellow fog was gone before she knew it, and she felt the sun¡¯s hot rays shine on her exposed face. The blood trickling down had gotten crusty, and Servi picked it off with her nails. She looked at the bodies in the meantime and activated The Shadow''s Embrace. It wouldn''t be long until they started to warm up to the point where the nauseating smell of death overtook the entire area. And as if that wasn¡¯t vile enough, the waste expunged from their bowels was most likely going to become part of the godawful scent. If the wind cooperated with her and wanted to betray the town, it would send the disgusting odor all over town.


    But maybe that won¡¯t happen. If it does, good. If it doesn¡¯t, then that¡¯s not a problem at all. I can¡¯t control wind. Not yet, at least. Once I complete the Trial of the Primordial Being, I¡¯ll be able to. But I don¡¯t know how far I am from doing that. Hell, I might be too weak to even start it.


    Servi soon found herself surrounded by the familiar shadows she came to love. The hidden blade device on her wrist only waited to be activated by her command. She had total control over it. Perhaps that was why she spent so much time in it? Her mental state had reached a point where it didn¡¯t matter if people spotted her soaring across the city with a single jump, yet she still chose to be embraced by the warming darkness.


    If she had an answer, she didn¡¯t think it. Instead, her mind became focused on the one building she had yet to hit. And after kicking off the ground, she raced across town, kicking off buildings and serpentining through streets and alleys with her arm held out and blade extended. If she saw or encountered any guards, she spent the short seconds to cure them of the gift of life. If she saw any nobles or seedy thugs, she stole them of their lives as well. The whole city was a shit hole, and as far as Servi was concerned, she was doing it a favor.


    By removing the undesirables, she felt better. It was like every kill, every slice, stab, poke, or thrust followed by a red soul joining her repertoire sent an unimaginable amount of dopamine surging through her body. She felt good and happy. Joy and sparks of life surged the growing smile on her face, which showed off her ferocious teeth resembling that of a caged beast mad with the gluttony of murder.


    It wasn¡¯t wrong to say that, at that moment in time, she truly encapsulated the true meaning of a Mad Dog gleefully satisfying its hunger for murder and death. And like a good person following a path, Servi soon found herself lying down on the roof of the building that housed Markka.


    There was just one more building to take out, and all guard-dwelling barracks that she knew of would be exterminated. But before Servi commenced her attack, she wanted to wait until the moon made an appearance. If Servi did miss any, she was sure they would head there, but they couldn''t do so instantly. She wanted to give them the time to regroup so they would all be in one spot.


    All in all, without including the civilians that she knew didn¡¯t do a damn thing to help Arcton, Servi killed 695 guards located across 14 buildings.


    ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s about time, isn¡¯t it?  I wonder how many bastards are about to taste death...¡± Servi growled as she laid on her back. She went to stand up, stretching her arms and shoulders until they audibly cracked. Turning around, the awful skyline of the city stared back at her. The decrepit buildings in the distant, half-torn and destroyed, fit right into the general atmosphere she thought the city was trying to display. Like water to a stain, she wanted to cleanse it.


    If a baptismal wave of fire engulfed the city, then she believed whatever sprouted from the ashes would have to be better than what laid before it. She could see it in her mind when she blinked. A wave of red crimson, giving off heat so intense that metal shook in fear, purifying the town¡¯s sins, appeared in her mind. Since she knew Momo wasn¡¯t in the city anymore, Servi only didn¡¯t have a single reason to deny herself the pleasure of being the one to light the hypothetical spark.


    At least, she thought she didn¡¯t. Servi sighed, and her mind traveled back to a building filled with broken desks and equipment. She just so happened to pass by it while searching for guard barracks, and it was hers and Momo''s original destination: the Arcton Warden Office.


    If I destroy it, then Momo can¡¯t be promoted. That¡¯s the only goddamn thing stopping me from scorching this wretched town. Ha, it¡¯s a good thing it wasn¡¯t near the place where I used Venti Aqua or Kaasuvuoto. I have no qualms about razing this shit hole, but it has to be after she gets promoted.


    Servi sighed, turning her attention from the town and focusing on the building next to her. If her count was correct, the structure with seven or eight floors contained the last of Arcton¡¯s guards. Or if it didn¡¯t have the rest, it had most of what remained. They might have known the other barracks had been hit. How could they not when that monstrous Venti Aqua roared to life and obliterated everything in its path, but Servi didn¡¯t hear anything suggesting that while she waited for the moon to come out.


    More accurately, she didn¡¯t even catch the tiniest whiff of people organizing any kind of rescue attempt. Perhaps Snare¡¯s, the only one willing to provide any aid, death brought forth a suffocating sense of dread to Arcton. He attempted to do the right thing, and only death awaited him in the end.


    ¡°In the end, people are selfish. They only think of themselves and how to get ahead even at the detrimental cost to others. Since I bring death, it¡¯s safe to say that I¡¯m no different. But I would¡¯ve fought. I¡¯d use every bit of my power to destroy anyone seeking to oppress. I¡¯m different. I¡¯m different! I¡¯M DIFFERENT!¡± Servi screamed into the night sky in an attempt to pierce the moon¡¯s rocky surface with her shrills.


    A murder of crows flew away after being startled by her voice. Their black, feathery bodies were like disgusting pimples on the moon as it acted like a backdrop.


    Servi placed a foot on the roof''s ledge and hopped over it. She smashed into the ground, leaving a tiny crater. The option to use Feather Fall ran across her mind, but she just chose to not rely on it. In the end, it didn¡¯t matter because her broken legs and shattered ankles healed within a tenth of a second. The pain hurt, but she didn¡¯t feel it. Perhaps all of the killing had mentally numbed her? She didn¡¯t know.


    She walked up to the large structure, what she thought was the last beacon of the Arcton city guard.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s probably about eight stories tall. Should I slam it into the ground?¡± Servi asked as her boots crushed tiny rocks and pebbles. The two men standing by the door had armor and weapons that put the other guards to shame. They had a sharp eye on Servi since they heard her scream, but they made no motion to move. Even when she approached them, they didn¡¯t do a single thing until she came within a pre-determined range.


    The one on the left held out both hands and launched six Fireballs in rapid succession by only shouting the skill¡¯s name. Their orange glow roared alive and brightened the darkness around. Moments before they were to slam into Servi, she formed a fist and smacked the deadly, fiery orbs away. They soared into an arc, smashing down around her and catching whatever they hit on fire. And since the Warden office wasn¡¯t near her, Servi did nothing and allowed the fire to spread like a deadly disease.


    ¡°Shit! GOD-FUCKING- DAMNIT!!!¡± shouted the Skill User with a voice full of rage that couldn¡¯t have come naturally. His partner drew a bow and grinned at the monster who parried fire with only her hands.


    Evidently, he had something ingenious planned, but Servi didn¡¯t give him the time of day. She held out both hands and muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll show you a real Fireball.¡± Two small orbs appeared in the palm of her hands, but they steadily grew until they became so big they touched each other. At that point, the two combined into one blazing ball of fire that dwarfed a Kobold. Instead of tossing it out and destroying the building in one fell swoop, Servi used Telekinesis to bind her opponents¡¯ hands behind their back and lifted them to her.


    The two tried to scream, but air couldn¡¯t escape his throat. At the same time, anything he inhaled was blocked by an invisible grip. The would-be archer had replaced his smug expression with one of genuine fear as the heat increased. His armor was the first go. Their armor may have been fancy, but it still had a melting point.


    ¡°I bet I can make it even hotter. Now burn!¡± Servi sent even more Skill Energy into her Fireball, more than anyone in the history of the world, though she didn¡¯t know that, and smiled when the orange flame turned blue. The azure ball of fire was suspended above the ground, but that had started to liquefy.


    But Servi went even further beyond a blue hue and overcharged the skill until the fire shined a pure white. It burned hotter than 2,500 degrees Celsius. The guards were already dead from having their armor melted down onto their skin, which eventually burrowed through their bodies and onto their hearts when the flame went blue. But now that the heat it gave off was nearly comparable with the destructive power equal to a Rank 3 skill, the very ground started to liquify. The stone buildings ten meters away began to deform, including the large structure standing right in front of her. Servi quickly ended the skill, and the white-hot ball of pure flame disappeared.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t anyone come out? Surely what just happened was important or dangerous enough to warrant a little investigation? Why is this fucking town so fucking selfish?!¡± Servi stomped like a toddler having a tantrum, sending little splashes of liquified mud and dirt everywhere. ¡°I just don¡¯t fucking get it! I summoned a goddamn hurricane in the middle of town, and I don¡¯t hear a fucking peep. Then when I do get a reaction after something, it¡¯s not what I fucking expect. Surely someone should have come out when I created that giant fucking Fireball, but nothing. I don¡¯t get it, Itarr. I just don¡¯t fucking get this town! Is it the Monotonia?! Is that what¡¯s making them not care about a goddamn thing?! This whole fucking city is like a theme park of absurdity! AAAHHHHHHH!!!¡±


    Servi stomped forward, ripping off the two doors that acted as an entrance. Still gripping them, she rampaged through the unfinished lobby. The floors wooden floors were half-installed. There was more dirt than proper flooring, and about three-quarters of the walls didn¡¯t have any paint. She saw no furniture or desks. Out of the three doorways in front of her, two were blocked by debris and trash. She screamed once more at the insanity of what she saw and threw the two doors. With her reinforced strength powered by almost ten thousand souls, the blockages were cleared out. She couldn¡¯t see where they went because she rushed through the one unobstructed doorway, but the red souls that soon flowed towards her told her all she needed to know.


    Through the only available doorway was a hallway that went on for a few short meters. It led to a large room with two staircases. An open door sat to Servi''s left, and she went inside. The flooring never made it past the pathetic lobby-like area, so she stepped in dry dirt that caked solidly to the bottom of her boots. And in the building¡¯s devoid state, she saw nothing on the walls. The guard headquarters in Canary put the one in Arcton to shame. But in its defense, Servi might have overlooked something. Was she in the right place?


    Even if I''m not, it¡¯s not like I won¡¯t destroy this one anyways. And hey, I don¡¯t necessarily need to charge right out and take it out. It¡¯s all going to be destroyed anyway, so why don¡¯t I have a little fun here. I¡¯ve been hearing a bunch of footsteps from above, so I assume this place is flimsy and weak. It¡¯s probably the same with the support beams. It honestly feels like the engineers and construction company only focused on the outside appearance. Maybe the Mafia arrived before work could be done on the inside?


    Servi looked up the stairs for a moment before walking into the only door available to her. It led to another hallway a bit bigger than the one she walked through before. It was all dusty and filthy, with plenty of creepy crawlies squirming around in the dark. The only light came from up ahead, so she trekked forward. She expected to enter a large room, but it ended up being something that caught her off guard.


    She found herself in a room that had nearly no work done. Even the walls weren¡¯t put up, and the walls she saw belonged to the building¡¯s exterior. And she saw guards. Many, many, guards leaned up against the walls or lying face down in the dirt. And in the far corner, she saw one of the doors she had tossed. It laid surrounded by a pool of blood, but not a single person was tending to the body beneath it. Obviously, nothing could¡¯ve been done to help the Kobold, especially considering the top half of his head was missing, but Servi wanted to believe that someone cared and wanted to help, but couldn''t.


    She went to walk forward with the intent of killing them, but her foot kicked against an empty glass bottle lying nearby. A Kobold immediately to her left, wearing only a rusty helmet, gargled something unintelligible while pointing to the bottle. Servi smiled, picking it up. After reading the label and finding out it used to contain fifteen White Monotonia, Servi crushed it. The helmet-wearing Kobold roared alive in a fury of rage and came down upon Servi with weak punches.


    She took the blows and laughed. Even if she didn¡¯t have a Goddess inside her granting her unparalleled power, Servi knew she could take the hits. She figured even Fisher¡¯s children could take the pathetic punches targeting her face and stomach. And it was those punches that sparked an idea in her head.


    She turned her head to the 60 or 70 other guards wearing a varying amount of armor and smiled. Ten seconds later, she had every single nadrium weapon floating beside her. It was far more than what she could do without any backlash, and the splitting headache kept reminding her of her limit, but Servi powered through the pain and sent every weapon up. She didn¡¯t intend to slaughter the guards above her, but if a few dozen or so died, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    Twenty seconds later, Servi knew her little project was complete when she heard a thundering noise. Her goal was to make the multi-storied building into a single floor, and she accomplished that by literally cutting the floors¡¯ support beams above her. The building shook, vibrating to the point where even the relaxed guards were forced to act. Their self-preservation overpowered the tremendous grip the Monotonia had. The majority of them pounded on the walls, but a few tried to run past Servi.


    She didn¡¯t let that happen. She threw a spare sword down and used it as the basis for Metal Wall, which she manipulated and configured until it slotted perfectly into the hall she came from. Even still, their self-preservation fueled their desire to live. The weapons hanging from their hips weren¡¯t just decorations. Servi simply leaned back and enjoyed the orchestra of metal banging against metal. She commanded Itarr to take control of the weapons and bring them back down so they can be absorbed. The Goddess silently obeyed.


    ¡°Try as you want, but you can¡¯t escape,¡± she calmly yelled. Suddenly, everyone stopped what they were doing and stared right at her. That was when the upper floors finally crashed down into the center of the room. Dust and flakes of cheap wood exploded out, sending everyone into a mad coughing fit. Servi walked forward into the dust and started absorbing the corpses of those that died in the process. By just a rough count, she estimated ten percent of the 90 guards who inhabited the upper floors perished upon impact. Servi used Telekinesis to slam the 81 survivors against the wall with enough force to startle them but not enough to break through to the outside.


    Itarr had absolutely no idea what Servi tried to accomplish. She wanted to speak and ask, but she didn¡¯t want to at the same time. It was like she was afraid to open her mouth, so she stayed silent even when her beloved friend threw down ten swords. A few uses of Metal Wall later, Servi had constructed a crudely-shaped fighting arena.


    Everyone stood motionless while Servi did what she did. It wasn¡¯t until she stood in the very middle of the silver arena created from wasted swords that they even showed the tiniest hint of emotion.


    ¡°Who is the fucking captain?!¡± Servi shouted as she turned her head upward. Just like she wanted, she saw nothing but the roof standing tens of meters above her.


    ¡°I am!¡± a deep voice yelled. Servi didn¡¯t expect a reply. She turned her head to the speaker and saw a Koena adorned in full armor. The armor he had on was rusty, but it did give off a vibe of authority. And like the other guards she seen before that acted as a commander or captain, he had a feather on his helmet.


    ¡°Good! I¡¯m glad to see you aren¡¯t a bunch of fucking zombies drugged outta your minds. I¡¯m going to keep it simple. I have a lot of time to¡ª¡±


    ¡°You dare think we¡¯re going to stay here? Fledge, break the wall already!¡± the Koena, who claimed to be a captain, barked an order to the large Kobold standing beside him. Nodding wordlessly, he raised an arm covered in black scales. Before he could punch the one and only wall standing between them and freedom, Servi manipulated the metal she stood on.


    She willed it to travel down a meter before extending in a radius of twenty meters. Then like a birdcage being constructed from the bottom up, numerous thin lines of metal shot out of the ground. They followed along the walls, breaking whatever pieces of floors above that didn¡¯t come down until it reached the very top. Then the many lines thickened up, growing larger and wider until they connected together to form a building-sized bell-shaped object. The only things that wasn''t covered by a layer of metal were windows located on the fifth floor. The frames themselves were covered, but the actual glass was free to remain unobstructed.


    At the same time, Servi sent a swarm of Lux Spheres up to act as lights. The moon was full and bright, but even it couldn¡¯t fully illuminate the now-single-room-but-multi-storied-building. When the floors came crashing down, the impact and dust smothered every lantern and candle out of existence.


    But she wasn¡¯t done yet. The metal that punctured the ground started to spread out and covered the area with more metal, and it lifted, descended, shrunk, and grew for the next few minutes until they were surrounded by nothing but hardened steel. The building was still there, but it now had a metal skeleton reinforcing it from the inside.


    ¡°Fledge, break it! It¡¯s only steel!¡± ordered the Koena with panic in his voice. He felt the very ground below his feet shift and wobble.


    Fledged nodded his scaley head and punched, but his strike bounced off.


    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?!¡± the Koena turned to Servi, who had sat down.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple, really. I¡¯m here to kill you. And you. And you, and you, and you, and you.  Everyone here, in this room, will die before the sun comes up. He can¡¯t break it because the metal has been reinforced and layered multiple times. It¡¯s also currently spreading out to the entire building, not just this one room. Don''t think that if they aren''t here, then they''ll survive. They won''t, and you can take that promise to the bank and cash it. Maybe I should send a few Fire Walls to kill them? Maybe I should scorch the metal until it¡¯s hot enough to melt? It''ll be like a brazen bull, then? Yeah? Why don''t I just roast all of us alive? You''ll all die, but I''ll survive. Then we¡ª"


    ¡°What the fuck can a Human do against me?!¡± Fledge roared after shouting and cutting Servi off, and she couldn¡¯t help but scream with glee.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about! When I walked into this room, everyone was totally different. No one showed any emotion. But now that your lives are in danger, I¡¯m finally getting a response! Maybe you all can answer a question for me!¡± Servi stood up and bounced on the balls of her feet. She felt a fight coming up, and the Mad Dog inside of her couldn¡¯t wait to kill.


    Fledge went to shout, but he quieted down like a trained puppy when Servi¡¯s head was growing in size. More accurately, it wasn¡¯t that it became bigger; it was that he flew towards her against his will. The Koena looked on with a face full of fear at experiencing the impossible, and he wasn¡¯t the only one. The anguish he felt at the situation spread like wildfire.


    ¡°Answer my questions, or Fledge is going to be the first casualty of the night.¡±

 Book Three – Chapter Nine – Part Three – Who Guards the Guards?

    RuggyRuggy


    Judging from a few things, it seems that this chapter and the next one might cause a few issues. I wanted to write about Servi finally taking revenge on the city with almost no restraints. That''s this chapter. The next chapter is more revenge on the other mafia bases located throughout Arcton.


    I wouldn''t say these chapters are nonsensical or useless because it further paints Servi as a mad dog of war who has ''forgotten'' / put off her main objective.  I also wouldn''t say I''m stalling the story by putting these chapters here. I believe they serve a real purpose, especially because something that is brought up in these chapter comes up again before Book Three is over. In addition, these chapters need to happen for something later to make sense.


    For those who like chaos and revenge, this chapter and the next are going to be your best friend. There''s a lot of revenge and fighting to be had, and that functions as a way for Servi to further experiment with her power in ways you might not have thought of.


    For those who want more of Momo, then the interlude after chapter ten and the rest of the book is going to be your best friend.


    Things that people want to happen will happen. It''s just going to take sometime to get there.


    ¡°Fine. Go ahead and ask,¡± the Koena begrudgingly murmured. He asked for permission to approach the metal arena, and Servi nodded. She kept a close eye on the two swords hanging from his hip. And like she expected, he drew them both and charged forward when he was only two meters away.


    He grinned, thinking he would kill her then and there, but Servi maneuvered Fledge in front of her. And when that grin twisted into a look of horror, Servi laughed.


    ¡°Good job, dick head. You stabbed your friend.¡± She ripped off Fledge¡¯s head and threw his body behind her while using Telekinesis. He wasn¡¯t small or tiny in the slightest, either, and the cries of pain from behind stopped any would-be attempt at being a hero. Servi canceled Telekinesis and tossed Fledge¡¯s head from hand to hand. ¡°And now that your swords aren¡¯t with you anymore, you don¡¯t have a single way to attack me. Sure, you could use skills. And that goes for all of you!¡± Servi suddenly shouted. ¡°But the results would be the same. Now, answer my goddamn questions.¡±


    She didn¡¯t wait for him to answer. ¡°I¡¯ve been here only a few short days, and no one ever helps anyone else. There¡¯s been a few rare cases, but¡ª no. You know what? It doesn¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t need to know why everyone in this fucking city is a shit bag. I don¡¯t. I don¡¯t fucking need to know. It could be they¡¯re fucking heartless. It could be the Monotonia poisoning their sympathy and empathy. It could be a mix of every goddamn thing in the universe. But look at me!¡± Servi screamed and slammed Fledge¡¯s head into the cold metal she stood on. It exploded into a gory mess, coating her and the Koena in a thin blanket of red.


    ¡°I¡¯m just a fucking killer! I kill! And I kill! I slaughter and eat my foes¡¯ souls! I grow stronger by taking lives!!! I¡¯m the Mad fucking Dog, and I want to hunt! I want to kill! I want to experience the thrill of fucking combat!! Go! Go back to the fucking wall!¡± Itarr shuddered at Servi¡¯s current state as she had no choice but to watch the Koena cower in fear.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?!¡± Servi grinned, forcing her mouth to be as wide as possible. ¡°You don¡¯t want to follow my directions?! Are you volunteering to be the first fucking victim?! Here! ITARR, BRING OUT EVERY GODDAMN NADRIUM WEAPON I HAVE AND LINE THEM UP!!!!¡± Itarr refused to go against Servi, so she followed her commands like a common slave. It was like an armory floated around her, listening and patiently waiting for an order. The Lux Spheres, so high in the air, illuminated the blue lines of energy that pulsed like a beating heart. They were the trademark sign of an authentic weapon crafted from nadrium.


    Contrary to her current emotional state, which hinged on madness and delirium, the many floating weapons slowly moved into formation a few meters to her left. ¡°Take one. Choose one! Use it to kill me! Use it to give me the fight I fucking want! If you have drugs that enhance your physical and fighting abilities, take them!¡± Servi grabbed the Koena¡¯s armored arms and dragged him to the floating weapons.


    ¡°Pick and choose! Take one or take all! You can use anything you want if you think it will help you kill me!!! Oh, that¡¯s not all! Every one of you fucking pathetic worms will have an opportunity to fight me!!!!¡± Servi raised her voice and shouted at the top of her lungs.


    The Koena remained paralyzed by fear. In only a few short minutes, he experienced everything he thought impossible. His hands shook, sweat poured down his softly-colored scales, and his two lungs slowly rotated around his body in an attempt to stabilize his erratic breathing. When that didn¡¯t work, his body even activated Pulmoni Oxygeni. In addition to giving the user a burst of power and strength, it also flooded their body with adrenaline. In the best-case scenario, it forced a wandering mind to stabilize while giving the user the ability to defeat whatever foe stood between them and their goal.


    It was a Koena¡¯s trump card, something that allowed them to rival the sheer strength that came naturally to a Kobold. But in the face of such overwhelming power, like what Servi displayed, Pulmoni Oxygeni was nothing more than a minor boost that had all of the downsides and none of the positives.


    If he wanted to live, he had to move. If he wanted to experience the moon and the sun, he had to move. If he wanted to find a wife and father children, he had to move. If he wanted to eat, drink, and sleep, he had to move. But his fear and sense of self-preservation, backed by Pulmoni Oxygeni, fought against each other in brutal combat. Even as Servi counted down from ten, the internal battle continued.


    When she said seven, fear had the upper hand. When the word four escaped her crazed lips, self-preservation had despair on the ropes. When the number before zero reached the Koena''s ears, he started to move his hand to grab the nearest floating weapon.


    But he was too slow.


    ¡°Sorry, but you took too long. You only had to grab a weapon and fight me. Even a fucking toddler could have done that.¡± She reached out, stopping his arm with her left hand. Her right hand reached up to grab his plumed helmet. She spun it around, taking in the feather''s beauty. The bird it came from was unknown to her. ¡°It¡¯s a shame such a beautiful white feather is about to turn red.¡±


    ¡°Wai¡ª¡±


    Servi gripped the inside of the helmet tight and slammed it into the Koena¡¯s softly-colored head with just enough force to knock him down. She purposely held back because she wanted to enjoy it.


    And that was what she did. She used the Koena''s helmet as a crude hammer, slamming it down and smashing his head over and over until his skull¡¯s fragments were about as big as grains of sand.


    And then she continued, traveling down his back, tracing his spinal cord, and increasing her strength until the helmet bent like paper. It lasted the entirety of thirty seconds, yet to the audience full of petrified onlookers, it felt like an eternity had passed.


    ¡°You! Come up here, grab a fucking weapon, AND FUCKING FIGHT ME!!!!¡± Servi kicked away the Koena¡¯s corpse, which had lost all shape, and pointed to a random guard wearing only panties and a breastplate. She was of Elven descent, but the cropped ears made her look somewhat Human. Her bald head, littered with scars and black warts, didn¡¯t seem Elven in the slightest. She almost looked like a diseased Human cosplaying an Elf, but failing spectacularly.


    The thought of succumbing to the same fate as her captain never crossed her mind for even a second. Servi had to give her props for not wasting any time at all. She rushed across the ground, now completely covered with hardened steel, and chose the first weapon she saw. It was a one-handed axe. The pitter-patter of her footsteps echoed as she stomped backwards and took on a somewhat comprehensible stance.


    ¡°Good! I didn¡¯t even have to tell you to back up! You¡¯re a lot fucking braver than that pathetic shit bag. Now, I¡¯ll give you a fucking handicap! I won¡¯t use a weapon. I won¡¯t use a single goddamn thing other than my two hands. I won¡¯t use a skill, either. To win and escape with your lives, you have to kill me. Do that, and you all can take every fucking thing I have. Oh, but there is a time limit. Do be sure to kill me by the time the sun comes up.


    ¡°And one more thing! If you think you can kill me when I¡¯m distracted by fighting, think again. It won¡¯t work. You¡¯re all more than welcome to try. Hell, you can all come at me at the same fucking time!!! But I gotta warn you. If you do that, it¡¯s only fair for me to use skills. And you all don¡¯t want that. You all have a higher chance of winning one-on-one when I¡¯m purposely restricting myself to no weapons! Now then! Let¡¯s fucking fight!!!¡±


    Servi roared and dashed forward down low. Her sudden leap caught everyone off guard. Before her Elven opponent knew it, Servi had grasped both wrists and squeezed with enough force to break stone.


    ¡°NOOOOOOO¡ª¡± As the pain traveled up her nervous system and escaped in the form of a scream, Servi yanked her foe¡¯s arms down while raising her left knee.


    A second later, a bald head went soaring to the top of the metal-enclosed building while leaving its body behind. Because of the sudden force transferring and suddenly stopping, Servi inadvertently ripped off both of the Elf¡¯s arms. Crimson pooled around the headless, armless corpse as Servi proceeded to beat the body with its own arms. Each impact sent heavy vibrations throughout the enclosed metal area. By the time the Elf''s bald, warted head fell back down, both of his severed arms had been thoroughly smashed.


    Servi caught it with both hands and proceeded to squeeze until the skull hidden within popped out. The blood inside was warm and hot, and the consistency was similar to that of a watery paste. She tossed the ruined head behind her and kicked the corpse¡¯s mushy remains. The weapon the Elf chose ascended into the air. It flew back to where the remaining arsenal of armaments was faithfully waiting like it had a mind of its own.


    ¡°Learn from her fucking mistakes! Use that to give me the fucking fight I want! You, get the fuck up here!¡± Servi pointed a bloody finger towards someone at random, and a heavy-set man, whose only equipment consisted of a pair of rusty greaves and moldy pants, approached the floating weapons. He was tall, taller than the Koena, who claimed to be a captain by at least two meters. The bulging veins popping over his muscles were supposed to be an intimidation tactic designed to instill fear into his opponents, but it did the opposite for Servi.


    ¡°Those bad boys aren¡¯t natural, are they? I bet you¡¯re even stronger than a Kobold, and you¡¯re only Human.¡± She assumed a boxing stance and relaxed her body. Resting on the tips of her feet, she lightly jumped up and down to loosen her core.


    Her opponent didn¡¯t respond as he chose a heavy broadsword nearly as thick as his tree trunk-like arms. The two pulsing blue lines reflected off of a tiny glass bottle he pulled from somewhere as he rested the tremendous blade on his shoulders using a single hand.


    Servi¡¯s remaining eye stared at the one red pill hiding within. Her foe crushed the glass bottle and tossed it all, shards and tablets both included, into his mouth. Even from the three or four meters Servi was away, she heard the sound of bone and teeth scratching the jagged fragments. She imagined his mouth filled with blood from the countless cuts, but not once did he change his stoic expression. It was like he didn¡¯t react to anything at all.


    When Servi killed Fledge, the Koena, and the Elven challenger, the beast of a man didn¡¯t react. Even when he fell from the third floor when Servi sent her sword up to cut the area directly above her, he acted as if it was only a minor inconvenience. But when he swallowed the bloody mess in his mouth, glass and all, something inside changed. She realized the red pill inside could¡¯ve been a Red Monotonia.


    He then proved her right not even a second later. She didn¡¯t know how, but the visible veins became more pronounced and exaggerated. If he had gotten his current muscular appearance by working out under the Monotonia¡¯s influence, it would stand to gather that his strength would be enhanced after swallowing one. And if that was the case, it would answer why he could lift the hefty sword with a single hand.


    He opened his mouth, allowing shards, teeth, bone, and tissue to flow out in a river of blood. Crimson fell from his eyes and squirted out his ears. The raging look of a demonic being hell-bent on satisfying his rage stared at Servi¡¯s one eye. She didn¡¯t think it possible, but the veins constricted, growing bigger and becoming more pronounced and ghastly than she ever thought possible.


    But it wasn¡¯t fear she felt. No, she lost the ability to experience that when she became acutely aware of just how much destructive potential she had. Who would someone with the powers of a Goddess ever be afraid of a mere mortal?


    She actually felt happiness mixed with eagerness. She couldn¡¯t deny the part of her that wished and thrilled for a life-or-death fight that actually challenged her. It was when she first challenged the juncea as part of Fisher Jin¡¯s graduation assignment. Dodging and cutting through its body, spilling its lifeblood on the dirty ground where it would become fuel for a new life, gave her a feeling she couldn¡¯t describe. Even if Servi knew every word in every language, the euphoria she felt couldn¡¯t be explained.


    It was a feeling she didn¡¯t experience when she took on a quest to slay rats with Momo. When she killed the slavers during the raid on the slave markets, she felt something similar, but it wasn¡¯t the same. It was like waking up out of a pleasant dream and being unable to fall back asleep to finish, but it took the form of an annoying, gnawing feeling.


    But as the days and weeks passed from the Warden Tournament to the life-or-death metal arena Servi created, the gnawing couldn¡¯t be ignored anymore. She was a fighter. A killer. A Mad Dog, whose only wish was to experience the thrill of ending lives.


    Her foe raised his weapon, holding it to the numerous balls of light above him, and slammed it down. Its tip pierced and sliced the metal arena as easy as poking a knife through softened butter. His two eyes stared up, meeting Servi¡¯s gaze as they became bloodshot. The crimson overtook his white sclera, and his eyes looked like two yellow jewels floating in blood. His facial veins tightened up, becoming a sort of fault line that nearly divided his face into three parts. With how tensed he was, Servi didn¡¯t know how he didn¡¯t pass out or die from circulatory problems.


    It was only then that he stomped the ground and charged towards his foe. Servi held her ground and continued to bounce on her feet. Her weight shifted from left to right, front to back. With her body and muscles relaxed, she allowed the thousands of souls living in her ring to guide her.


    Her left foot kicked off the metal ground, pushing her out of the way of an incoming vertical slice. The floor nearly exploded from such a powerful attack, and his weapon became stuck. Without missing a beat, he immediately slung his greatsword sideways even though a quarter of its blade rested in the ground. Instead of shattering, his great strength  uprooted some of the metal. Perhaps it was the sweat dripping down his bare skin, but his weapon slipped out of his hands.


    She responded after carefully watching his movements. After he picked up his blade, he chopped the raised metal into equal-sized balls. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you think you can hit me with those?¡± Servi taunted.


    Her foe only grinned, showing off even more of his bloodied mouth while raising his free hand. One piece of the metal he cut rested within it. Servi took out a worthless dagger and threw it on the ground. It dissolved into the floor, and the destroyed floor repaired itself.


    Somehow, Servi¡¯s actions to fix the floor only served to anger him even more. He charged forward, stomping on the newly regenerated floor, and held his thick sword by his side. His left hand still carried one of the metal pieces, and he launched it at a surprising speed when he closed the distance.


    Servi hopped back on one foot, pivoted her body, and kicked the projectile away. He had tossed it with such force, which became multiplied by her deflection, and the sap who stood in the path it traveled died.


    Her foe swung his blade in a wide arc. Servi ducked under it, balanced herself on her hands, spun, and kicked out his legs. Even with his incredible resistance to pain and ridiculous power, Servi¡¯s strength easily outmatched him. He fell to the ground while swinging it towards her. And with how she held herself using her hands, she could¡¯ve easily pushed herself up or rolled backwards.


    She didn¡¯t do that.


    She considered herself to be a Mad Dog, and she knew dogs fought with teeth and claws.


    She caught the incoming nadrium blade with her teeth, biting down on the edge of the blade and stopping it in its tracks. For the first time, her opponent gripped the sword with his second hand and used every bit of strength in his arms, but her teeth wouldn¡¯t give.


    The blade didn¡¯t bend, give, or snap, but it absolutely refused to budge. It was almost like Servi''s foe was trying to remove a sword stuck in stone that only a hero could pluck out.  But Servi wasn''t free of the damage. Her chin shattered from the sudden bite, her cervical spine fractured countless times from the amount of force being pushed on it,  and her teeth regenerated over 294 times. When one of her pearly whites showed even a hint of damage, True Immortality kicked in.


    He pushed against, trying to slice the top half of her head off, and Servi struggled back with the same amount of force. A disgusting noise penetrated their ears when her teeth slide across one of the two glowing lines. Instead of feeling something different, like something soft, dense, or entirely different, she didn¡¯t notice anything odd as her teeth scraped over it.


    Servi may have accomplished the impossible thanks to Itarr, but she was still Human. Her bones were Human. Her flesh was Human. She had all of the characteristics that came with being a Human. Even though she spoke and went to such lengths to convince herself that she was a Mad Dog, she was still Human. And while her opponent also belonged to the Human race, his strength was assisted by drugs. They limited his ability to feel pain while increasing the vital chemicals his body needed to sustain his bulging muscles.


    With a yell that rivaled the screams of a thousand civilians being burned alive, he used everything he had until there wasn¡¯t anything left.


    And it wasn¡¯t enough.


    Servi jerked her head back and forth, eventually lifting the weapon in the air, and since her foe held onto its handle, he came along for the ride. Then she spun in circles to pick up speed. The grip he had on his blade weakened, and when Servi suddenly fell backwards and opened her mouth, both her foe and the sword went flying high in the sky. He slammed into the top of the building, some seven stories up.


    From the bottom floor, Servi grinned as she felt True Immortality healed her injuries. Blood dripped down, flowing onto her cheeks as she laughed. After waiting a few seconds and realizing he wasn¡¯t coming down, she did the next best thing.


    She jumped up after him, leaving behind two holes in the shapes of her feet. The force she unleashed traveled through the metal floor, forcing nearly everyone to lose their balance.  The distance between her and her shirtless opponent closed nearly instantaneously, and she saw why he didn¡¯t come back down.


    The sword''s blade had somehow rotated, and it impaled him to the metal behind him. Blood traveled down parallel to the pulsing blue lines as if it was forbidden to cross. His face roared with anger, but the wound was too great. Years of overexertion, drugs, and an overall violent outlook on life had caused his body more stress than it could handle. It was a miracle that he lasted this long in his current state.


    As Servi became gravity¡¯s latest victim, she grabbed both his hand and the sword. Throwing the latter down first, Servi punched through her foe¡¯s chest and grabbed onto his spine. She gripped it hard enough to maintain a solid grasp and held him towards the ground. The approach was fast and rapid, and the onlookers were defeated by the superhuman feats they witnessed.


    When Servi slammed her opponent¡¯s body into the metal-covered floor, it exploded. Thousands of fleshy chunks flew every which way, covering more than 95% of the onlookers with a crimson shower. The impact sent a massive vibration up and down the metal arena she constructed, but not a single person cried out in fear.


    Mentally, they were dead. When Servi, covered in her opponent¡¯s blood by the sheer impact, stood up with his spine, she threw it as hard as she could using every ounce of strength. The head of the Singi it landed on exploded, and nobody reacted. Servi leaned back, roared, shook her head, and sent crimson flying in every direction.

 Book Three – Chapter Nine – Part Four – Who Guards the Guards?

    Servi yelled and shouted, and she charged towards a Kobold leaning against the wall. She gripped his head and screeched into his face. ¡°WHY WON¡¯T YOU FUCKING FIGHT ME?!?!¡±


    ¡°Because we can¡¯t win. How could anyone expect to give you a proper fight? If I¡¯m gonna die, just fucking kill¡ª¡±


    Servi ripped off the green scales protecting his neck and ripped out his spine, along with his skull, through the opening. She turned to the closest opponent, a shivering Elf, who shook her teary head.


    ¡°FUCKING! FIGHT! ME!!!! DIE LIKE A GODDAMN WARRIOR!!! YOU ALL DIDN¡¯T JUST FUCKING STAND THERE WHEN THE MAFIA FUCKING ROLLED INTO TOWN, DID YOU?!!¡± She raised the spine she carried, with the skull still attached, and slammed it down like a whip on the Elf¡¯s head.


    ¡°WHEN THE TOWN NEEDED YOU THE MOST, YOU DIDN''T DO A GODDAMN THING!!! YOU DON¡¯T HELP THOSE WHO NEED IT!! YOU DON¡¯T EVER TRY TO THINK OF ANYONE BUT YOUR GODDAMN SELVES!!! NOT A SINGLE ONE OF YOU FUCKERS EVEN TRIED TO ATTACK ME FROM THE BACK!!! FUCK! THIS! WHOLE! FUCKING! TOWN!!!! IT¡¯S YOUR FAULT IT¡¯S SUCH A SHIT HOLE!!!!! AAAARRRHHHGGGHHH!!!!!!!"


    For the next five hours, Servi committed murder, after murder, after murder. She slaughtered: tearing limbs from limbs, heads from torsos, skewering her enemies with her arm, and even ripping out solid chunks of throat with her teeth. Blood became the decorative choice, covering everything in red. She couldn''t take a step without splashing IN crimson.


    And yet, the people she killed didn¡¯t fight back. They didn¡¯t move, they didn¡¯t cough or speak, they never whimpered or cried out even when Servi skinned a few unfortunate bastards alive. The life had already left them, and only a hollow shell, filled with blood and organs, remained.


    Instead of each soul bringing her the gift of power, it only fueled her hatred and anger because they could have done so much. If they had done their job in the first place and protected the city, then the past few days would have never happened. She¡¯d be back in Canary with her best friend, and all would be well.


    Servi knew Momo¡¯s general location: the forest nearby. Even if she didn¡¯t know the exact spot, she had the ability to scour, scout, and search for hours and days without rest. Yet she didn¡¯t go charging into the forest. A part of Servi wanted to wait until the last minute to find Momo because it gave her more time to bring vengeance upon the worthless sacks inhabiting Arcton and New Arcton.


    She shook her head, ridding herself from thoughts that didn¡¯t provide any substantial help, and focused on the slaughter she had conducted without thinking.


    Every punch she threw contained her full power. Bodies exploded, and the metal wall crumbled. Immediately, it regenerated thanks to the ongoing Metal Wall Servi channeled. She grabbed her latest would-be victim, a Dwarf with long black hair peeking out of her helmet, by the back of her neck and dragged her along the wall. Suddenly, Servi stopped and rapidly scratched her victim''s body against the wall. That created heat, which burned away her helmet, melting it, but Servi didn¡¯t stop. She continued skin, muscle, and bone scraped against the wall. Finally, she spun on her heels and launched the Dwarf to the wall facing across from her.


    Like most of the others she had tossed, her victim landed with the force that could shatter mountains and exploded into a festive rain of even more blood and guts. When compared to the growing river of corpses, body parts, and crimson that slowly pooled up, the fear Servi wanted to give off diminished. Spilling more blood served to increase the Mad Dog side of her.


    And she was satisfied with that.


    Somewhere along the way, Servi''s face twisted into a wide grin that showed off her blood-stained teeth. Every hit she threw, every punch she landed, every jump she performed was followed by an otherworldly growl that benefited no one but her. She smashed, slammed, threw, and stomped without resting for a single moment.


    Only when the sun started to peek through those blood-covered windows on the fifth floor did she come back to her senses. The blood filled the arena up to the top of her ankles, and by then, it had dried up and gotten cold. Instead of splashing around it when she walked, it parted with the consistency of dried paste that had a little bit of moisture left. The lavender hair she wore atop her head didn¡¯t match up with the color of her favorite drink anymore. Having been dyed red like everything else, Servi looked like a red crayon. Any traces of her pale skin were blown away after after her night in the murder bell.


    She looked down and felt blood escape from underneath her eye patch. Somewhere during the guards¡¯ extermination, someone¡¯s life force must¡¯ve snuck in.


    ¡°I only intended to keep it up until 4 AM¡­ Didn¡¯t I say that?¡± Servi muttered. Those words were the first things she had said since she began the massacre. They emerged up from her throat with difficulty, almost as if she had forgotten how to speak. She plopped down on the crimson, crossing her legs and squeezing even more blood against her. She felt the liquid-like paste penetrated through her pant¡¯s fabric and coat her legs.  ¡°Ahh¡­ I planned on having a bit of fun in New Arcton before the sun came up. But I¡¯m not in any hurry to kill those fucking pathetic nobles. They¡¯re so lost in their goddamn world that they don¡¯t even know where their asses are. Whatever, I¡¯ll just rest here for a while and continue tonight. After all, today is Friday. Tomorrow is Saturday. The time is almost here¡­¡±


    A low growl escaped her throat as she laid down. A bit of blood went into her ears, distorting her equilibrium, but that came back instantly. She never dozed off because she didn¡¯t want to risk re-experiencing that nightmare. But now that she thought about it, perhaps it wouldn¡¯t be such a bad thing. After all, she considered herself to be a Mad Dog.


    But was she really? The bloody Servi from the nightmare told her she had to remove her collar, and she did that in the form of beheading herself with her own hand.


    Her words were different. I say I¡¯m a Mad Dog¡­ The blood-covered Servi said the Mad Dog. Am I one of many? Or am I unique? Does it even matter in the first place if there¡¯s an ¡®a¡¯ or ¡®the¡¯ in front of it? What if the only way to regain my memories is to rip off the ''collar?'' But who will I be after that?


    Since she couldn¡¯t hear Itarr¡¯s lovely and comforting voice, Servi became lost in her own thoughts. The time was nearing, and she wanted to have the right words at the ready when she reunited with Momo.


    For the next twelve hours, that was how Servi passed the time. She remained motionless, on her back, inside the building, inside the metal cage-like bell structure, and on top of a large pool of blood. When the moon peeked through one of the uncovered windows on the fifth floor, Servi tapped the ground and stood up.


    The back of her body had so much blood that gravity failed to bring it down. It had caked and almost engraved itself into her very clothing. Both of her ear canals were filled with dried crimson to the point where it affected Servi¡¯s sense of balance. But when she realized something was amiss, True Immortality fixed everything up and forcibly drained her ears. Meanwhile, Servi walked over to the wall. She pressed her hand against it and pushed. The metal couldn¡¯t take it and started to bend outward. Once it had endured enough pressure, her hand poked right through it, and at that point, Servi ripped the metal wall with as much effort as tearing a piece of paper.


    The moon shined its light down upon the world as she emerged from the metal construction. ¡°Huh, I guess the building did fall down. With how shoddy it was constructed, I guess it¡¯s not that surprising,¡± Servi muttered as she turned around once her feet touched solid ground. She stared at the building¡¯s debris, or rather what was left over after scavengers came and took what they could.


    The bags of tools she saw some distance away were situated near the back part of her metal cage. She closed the distance and started to hear a scraping noise. After advancing a couple of more meters and rounding the curve, Servi rubbed the metal shell to her left. Her fingertips lightly danced over the carved surface and became intimately acquainted with the scuff marks. She continued to follow them until she came to the source of the scraping.


    ¡°Hurry up, we can sell this for food.¡± The hunched-back boy with a hammer and file did his very best to carve off metal that would fetch a decent price. ¡°I don¡¯t know where this came from, but it¡¯s all ours!¡± He crouched down with his back to Servi.


    He didn¡¯t know she was there.


    ¡°Domme, my hands hurt¡­ We¡¯ve been at this for hours now, and my tummy¡¯s rumbling¡ª¡± A weak voice filled with pain and exhaustion barely spilled from the girl¡¯s mouth. Unlike the boy, who looked to be about fourteen, the girl seemed to be a few years younger. The blanket of black, knotty hair atop her deformed skull made it looked like a family of grotesque bugs lived there. The odd shape of her head suggested she suffered an injury early in her life, and it didn¡¯t heal properly.


    ¡°Dani, keep at it. After we get food, let¡¯s go get you some pain medicine. Hey, maybe¡ª" Domme, the hunched-back boy, started to speak, but froze when he noticed a shadow moving. He dropped his tools and picked up the dagger hidden between his feet. In a fluid motion, he spun around and stabbed his blade into the gut of the fool who dared to approach him.


    That fool was Servi. Her one eye stared down at his trembling hands, wet with her warm blood. But even though his body was scared, his mind wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Domme!!!¡± Dani screamed. She reached for her own weapon hidden beside her, but stopped in her tracks when Servi lifted Domme up by his neck with one hand. The frightening girl raised him up until they were at eye level. Dani found courage she didn¡¯t know she had. It was as if her body had a thousand weights preventing her from moving, but she somehow stood up.


    ¡°LET HIM DOWN!!!¡± Dani shouted. She was supported by shaky knees and held her dagger towards Servi. She wordlessly stared at the courageous and foolish girl. Her free hand gripped the blade in her stomach, pulling it out and raising it up. Its sharp point aimed at Domme¡¯s head.  Dani rushed forward, screaming a war cry with her eyes closed. She only became quiet when her blade had found its target and crimson coated her hands.


    Dani''s eyes opened, staring up at the girl with an eyepatch. Her mouth twisted into a small grin, and she flashed her teeth.


    ¡°You attacked me. You are an enemy. You do know what happens to enemies, right?¡± Servi said. ¡°They die... I kill them.¡± Suddenly, a small flash of red light appeared beside Servi. It was her ID, and Itarr flew it up to Servi¡¯s face. However, the words she wanted to say came out too slow. Servi dropped the dagger she held and tensed her hands, breaking Domme¡¯s neck with a sickening crunch. He wasn''t dead, but he was as close to death''s door as a person could be.


    She let go, and his body fell to the ground with a thud. Dani froze in place, believing her friend had perished. One of her hands went to her deformed head, grabbing and pulling her knotted hair. Such an odd and violent motion was what she did when she encountered a situation she couldn¡¯t emotionally handle. Itarr slammed the ID into Servi¡¯s face, but she didn¡¯t react.


    WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!?! She hastily wrote with scratchy handwriting. At that very moment, she wished, more than anything in the world, for the ability to reconnect with Servi. Perhaps if Servi heard Itarr¡¯s urgent, frantic, tearful voice, and even if it was just through words, she¡¯d be more willing to calm down.


    That didn''t happen.


    Servi dropped to her knees and grasped her head with two shaking hands. She shivered as if she was cold, yet her skin was scorching hot. "AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" She screamed and screamed as an unknown battle raged on within her mind. It felt like something dangerous was gnawing at her innards, desperately trying to break out.


    Since Servi was having some sort of mental breakdown, Itarr acted with no time to waste. The Goddess subtly healed Domme and brought him back from the brink of death, doing the same for Dani in case she had any injuries. She then used Telekinesis to lift Dani and Domme, then sent them soaring across Arcton in an effort to save them from Servi.


    Dani was too frozen in shock to realize what was going on, and Domme only groaned in pain in between gasps of air. By the time Servi had ceased her screaming, her potential victims were long out of sight. Not even Itarr knew where they were. She only sat them down behind a faraway building after using 400 stacks of Protection on them. Even if they wouldn''t survive past the next day, at least they were safe from the time being. Itarr wanted to do more-- she wanted to give them a peaceful life, one that was free of any hardships and scrounging around in dangerous areas for food, but she knew she couldn''t convince Servi to spare their lives. Especially not after they attacked her. Giving them money was only asking for trouble because someone might attack them and steal it, so Itarr couldn''t do that. She could have given them food, but that thought only passed her mind the moment before Servi calmed down. It was right when her hands removed themselves from her head and fell to the ground. Gritty concrete pressed against her palm, and she carefully took a few deep breaths. Nothing substantial had changed based on her appearance, and Itarr didn''t feel anything odd from their interconnected soul, but Servi had a breakdown for a reason, and the fallout from that was yet to be seen.


    "Where are they?!" Servi demanded as she slowly got to her feet. She wiped the dirt from her legs and pulled Dani''s dagger from her stomach. She brought the blade to her mouth and licked it, tasting her blood. She then threw it behind her, not caring who or what it landed on.


    You don''t remember? You killed them... Why did you kill them? Itarr had to lie if she wanted to steer Servi away from Dani and Domme.


    ¡°They were enemies. They stabbed me. Are you sympathizing with them? What if they had something to do with the Mafia taking the town over? Be thankful I gave them a painless death." Servi was convinced she had ended their lives, and even if it was for a brisk second, Itarr felt relief.


    Servi, are you even hearing yourself?! They were children!!! They were¡ª Itarr was cut off. Even if it hurt her, she had to play along and believe in the lie she had told Servi. That falsehood became her newfound truth.


    ¡°No, they weren¡¯t children... They were enemies... They held weapons. They had the chance to kill me, and they took it. Don¡¯t let their ages fool you. Even a five-year-old brat can slit a throat. This is a war, remember?¡± Servi placed her hand on the metal the two were carving at and used Fire Wall to engulf the structure in a thick blaze of flame. It burned hot enough to begin the melting process. Within a few short seconds, the bottom of the metal arena was bright red.


    War? What war? What the hell are you talking about?! Fine! Then what about babies?! Would you kill babies if they had a weapon?! What if they were born after the Mafia took¡ª


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask such a ridiculous question. You¡¯re pissing me off.¡± Servi grabbed her ID and threw it into the pile of molten metal. With how large the structure was, there was a lot of metal that needed to be melted. The bottom was the first to liquefy. With no support holding the top up, it fell into the growing pool, splashing extremely hot, silver metallic goop everywhere. A few spots landed on the corpses inside the structure, burning a hole straight through their skin. The smell of burnt flesh began to radiate up, and Servi simply walked away, leaving that entire mess behind her.


    She didn¡¯t bother to use The Shadow''s Embrace. Instead, she performed her superhuman feats with nothing to shield her from being seen. Flying through the streets with a single leap, she barreled through solid brick buildings as if she was a Human projectile. The people inside perished, but to her, that was a good thing. She hopped, using all the strength in her legs to continue crashing into buildings. After six buildings, she suddenly stopped and walked away. The destruction and death she left behind her never crossed her mind for a second. Instead, the apathetic reception of her chaos brought anger. The many witnesses who saw her walk away only stared with absented-minded eyes. Not a single one dared to search for survivors, especially when it seemed like the city was falling apart at the seams.


    ¡°I only have one more night left to play,¡± Servi said as she stood atop a worn-down building on the brink of collapsing. With every passing second, she felt the foundation slip under her feet, even though she stood on the roof.


    Her hand went to her eye patch and ripped it off. Since part of it had healed within her skin, a sizable piece of flesh came with it and exposed the innards beneath. Next came her wig. Most of the strands were under her skin and rested on her skull. But even as Itarr cried from Servi maiming herself to tear it off, her thoughts weren¡¯t about the self-inflicted pain.


    She focused on the hundreds of people Servi had killed within the past hour. Weapons or not, Itarr had grown tired of the murders. She didn¡¯t believe in Servi¡¯s words that the entire city was their enemy. At least, she didn¡¯t think that way anymore. The death and pain she witnessed were enough for a thousand lifetimes, and she was tired of it. And while she did want to rescue Momo, that was it. She didn¡¯t yearn for the chance to force her captors to pay. Perhaps she did a week ago, but now everything was numb. Even the moon Servi kept speaking to had lost its luster when viewed through Itarr¡¯s eyes.


    I just want it to end¡­ I just want to save Momo and go home¡­ if Servi''s upset with me for this, then how angry will she be when I have to tell her of my betrayals? Itarr, you¡¯re so stupid¡­ Why the hell are you a Goddess when you¡¯re feeling such emotions? I¡­ I¡­ I want to cry¡­ I don¡¯t understand anything anymore. Servi, what war are you talking about? This is the first time you ever mentioned a war¡­ And then you said you had one more night to play¡­ It¡¯s all confusing to me, and I¡¯m so damn helpless. Nothing has made sense for the past week. Servi, it¡¯s like you¡¯re a new person every day. I¡ª


    ¡°Heal my face after I shower. I have no need for any more disguises,¡± Servi commanded, interrupting Itarr and her monologue. Servi¡¯s hand went to her one disguised eye. She had used a piece of glass from her disguise mask with colored lenses to hide her unique red eyes, but there was no more need for that. She broke the glass and ripped her eye out. Then she used Create Water to produce a stream of water, and she stood underneath while staring at the moon.


    The clear liquid entered the two voids where her eyes used to be. Blood and shards of glass rained down, and Servi turned up the intensity. Instead of absorbing her clothes, Servi ripped them off, throwing them to the ground below. The water was boiling hot. True Immortality prevented her from feeling any discomfort, but some of the pain remained.


    But when compared to everything going on, the pain being doused in hot water barely even registered. Two bottles appeared next to Servi as the bloody water accumulating at her feet found a crack to fall through. She squeezed out some of the body wash onto her hands and rubbed herself down. Her hands slid over her soapy breasts, rubbing them sensually as they traveled down to her snatch, yet she didn¡¯t feel any pleasure.


    She turned around and leaned forward, allowing the flow of water to douse her back. The stickiness of where the blood had attached itself to her remained, so Servi increased the water¡¯s temperature to 120 degrees Celsius. Her skin started to melt. It joined with the bloody water below her, dying it a slightly brighter shade of red. Itarr cried out and forcibly rammed her ID into Servi¡¯s body, but Servi didn¡¯t react. Suddenly, she leaned back. The tremendously hot water poured down her face, entering the black voids that her eyes used to inhabit.


    In a way, the very skin melting off was like a caterpillar shedding its cocoon and emerging as a butterfly. It was the final step in the long and arduous task of transforming Servi the Human into Servi the Mad Dog.


    Itarr helplessly stared at Servi¡¯s flesh. Trapped in a never-ending cycle of creation and destruction, she knew that an incalculable of stress surged through her beloved¡¯s body. As much as Servi showed nothing even resembling pain, the damage was still there. Such a high amount of willpower couldn''t have been developed overnight. A month wouldn''t have been long enough. Maybe not even a year. Even a decade of a torturous life wouldn''t give rise to the willpower Servi had.


    And that only fueled Itarr¡¯s wonder of what kind of life Servi led before the two of them met.


    ¡°Now, heal my body.¡± Servi stepped out from the water and stared up at the night sky. As if time rewound for her, and her alone, the pitch-black strands of her hair slowly appeared. It was only a few stray hairs here and there, but it quickly grew until it passed her ears, only stopping when the longer strands brushed against her shoulders. The empty eye sockets became filled with fleshy tissue. Solid white and lumpy at first, they soon became as red as fire as two black pupils appeared. Then part of the red faded away to become the whites of her eyes, the sclera.


    In only a single second, her body had regenerated from its self-mutilated state. Her hand went to the sea of black hair; as silky and smooth as ever, it parted effortlessly. The softness of her scalp felt pleasant and wonderful, especially since she had to stay deformed for nearly a week.


    The blessing of having another eye to process information couldn¡¯t go unstated. Servi should¡¯ve been affected by her loss of depth perception, yet True Immortality prevented that.


    ¡°I¡¯m feelin¡¯ good,¡± she said as she submerged her consciousness within her ring. A few minutes inside turned out to be only a few moments outside of it. During which, Servi found a set of clothes and armor that were almost an exact fit. However, since she always wore equipment that never quite suited her, size-wise, she verbally spoke aloud about rectifying that.


    "It¡¯d be nice if I had shit that actually fit me. Maybe I¡¯ll swing by an armorer after I¡¯m done with everything?¡± Servi returned to the ring and searched long and hard for a suitable weapon. Unfortunately, the only thing she found worthwhile was the stock of nadrium weapons she recovered from Parrel¡¯s mansion. Nothing else could withstand her unadulterated strength. ¡°Shit, maybe I need to find a weapon, too. Well, that¡¯s a problem for future me. I guess I can use that sword for the time being.¡± The weapon the drugged-out man with the bulging veins used appeared in front of her. The blood dripping down the sleek blade stayed well within the two blue pulsing lines. She didn¡¯t know why the liquid couldn¡¯t cross over, but it didn¡¯t matter at all. Her weapon was a tool for killing, nothing more.


    She reached out with a single hand, grasping the hilt with a stern grip. ¡°It¡¯s not heavier than a feather,¡± Servi muttered. She walked away towards the edge of the building and tapped her blood-stained boots on the roof¡¯s safety rail designed to prevent careless people from falling. Somehow, that piece of preventive railing appeared to be the only thing in a decent state.


    Out of Servi¡¯s equipment, her weapon and footwear were the only things stained with blood. And she didn¡¯t bother trying to wipe away the crimson because it wouldn¡¯t be long until she was painted from head to feet in the blood of her enemies.


    She retrieved the map she acquired a few nights ago and compared it to what she saw. It didn¡¯t take long for her to match up particular landmarks that were somehow still standing, but Servi reassured herself that she would correct that. ¡°I got it! Itarr, that¡¯s the first base we¡¯re gonna hit. It¡¯s somewhere around 10 PM, and there are eight bases marked with a green ¡®B.¡¯ We have more than enough time. We¡¯ll destroy seven of them, leaving Deset until the end. I want to look at the despair on Carmelo¡¯s face when I kill him after slaughtering the boss. That son of a bitch thinks he can control me?!?!?! He really thinks he can control what I am?!?!?!? I''ll rip his fucking throat out..."


    What about the RASP buildings? Are you going to do something with them? Itarr wrote with a pained expression that Servi couldn¡¯t see.


    Servi¡¯s two red eyes scanned over her stone ID. ¡°Maybe. I don¡¯t know. If I kill them, I¡¯ll get more power. Besides, they¡¯re probably the enemy. Seems to me that the most optimal choice is to kill everyone. That¡¯s what I¡¯ll probably do.¡±


    But¡­


    Servi turned her head away from her ID, not even bothering to read it. Itarr whimpered, falling and crying into a sense of deep sadness as the ID fell to the ground. When it shattered, turning into red dust and flowing into Servi¡¯s body, the newly healed girl with black hair and red eyes hopped over the building¡¯s safety rail. She activated Feather Fall and kicked off. The building was already on its last legs, and it crumbled and collapsed from such a powerful kick as Servi soared through the air.


    She had everything she needed for the banquet of murder that was about to begin. The tools¡ªweapons¡ªwere yearning to be used, and the people¡ªlocations¡ªwere known.


    As the host for such an event, she believed it was only admirable to personally deliver the invitation¡ªdeath.

 Book Three – Chapter Ten – Part One – The Banquet of Death

    Servi landed with a roll in front of her first target: a small warehouse near a desolate part of town that would put the wasteland created by Fulgur Spike to shame. It most certainly housed an entrance to a large underground base like Deset¡¯s decoy laundry building. The lack of any windows wasn''t unusual, considering a warehouse¡¯s purpose was to store items, and most people wouldn¡¯t give it a second glance. The map she found hadn¡¯t steered her wrong yet. According to it, the base had the codename ¡®Turner.¡¯


    The two lookouts dressed in heavy armor halted their casual conversation and readily drew their weapons, a sword and a spear, at the mysterious intruder. When their eyes stared at her nadrium sword, a million thoughts ran in their minds.


    Servi laughed in a low voice as a crazed expression took root on her face. Her red eyes were big and wide, her mouth twisted into a grin that showed off her pearly whites as the last of the blood on her sword dripped to the ground.


    It was as if time froze. The Kobold on the left stared like he was dueling Servi¡¯s image in his mind. The sweat dripping down his green, scaley face proved he was losing, and that was when Servi decided she didn¡¯t want to spare any more time.


    With the swiftness of a sparrow and the ferocity of a bear, Servi swung her greatsword in a diagonal arc and sliced the guards in half. The tops of their bodies slid down, revealing their spinal cords and other goodies. Without wasting any time, Servi walked forward, slashing the iron door in front of her with the utmost ease, and created herself her own personal entrance.


    With it being nighttime, she was enveloped by darkness. The only light came from the hole she made. A few uses of Lux Sphere later, she saw something she expected. A staircase, maybe ten meters wide, descended into the ground. Looking around, she noticed that was the only thing of note. Other than the four walls surrounding her, the roof above her, and the staircase, the warehouse was empty.


    The sudden illumination, bright enough to be noticeable in the middle of a volcanic eruption, penetrated down the staircase. It didn¡¯t take a genius to realize something was amiss because three squads of four guards each raced up the steps.


    They arrived to see a single girl with black hair.


    ¡°Tell me. How the fuck were people supposed to go down the staircase when it¡¯s dark as shit?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Who are you?!¡± shouted the Dwarf standing in front. The face of his shield had a ¡®7¡¯ marked on it. He and the eleven other people were decked out from head to toe in protective gear. Even the helmet completely enclosed his head, and he only had a small slit to see out of. Servi really only knew he was Dwarven because of his height. The eleven others standing behind him could¡¯ve been Humans, an Elves, or Koena.


    The three races were nearly equal in height, but Elves were generally the tallest race when excluding Kobolds. The Koena were below them, and Humans below the Koena. The three races came in a variety of different physiological appearances. Of course, that was to be expected since there were estimated to be millions of people belonging to those three races alone.


    ¡°I¡¯m your worst goddamn nightmare. I suppose the two dead bastards in front would have given a candle or something to the members that report here, correct? I did see a small case next to them, but I didn¡¯t see it as anything worthy of my attention,¡± Servi answered him.


    ¡°Gentlemen, let¡¯s make this quick. Notice her sword and lack of armor.¡± The Dwarf readied his axe and commanded his men to attack not with sentences but with a series of hand signals. The taller members of each squad raised their brass staves and chanted. Simultaneously, the leader Dwarf raised his shield and charged forward with two more shield-wielding tanks behind him.


    ¡°Protection!¡± shouted the shortest of the twelve men. The small book he held glowed orange as it elongated into a staff that was no different from an ordinary walking cane. He gripped the handle, hitting the flat bottom into the ground. His tapping didn¡¯t compare to the heavy stomps of the Dwarf and the two men who followed him.


    ¡°Create Water!¡±


    ¡°Chain Lightning!¡±


    The two staff wielders shouted and collapsed in unison from expending nearly all of their Skill Energy.


    ¡°Water?¡± Servi questionably stared up at the waterfall created above her. ¡°Aww, you shouldn¡¯t have. I just took a shower before I came here.¡± She looked down and received a punch to the face from the Dwarf. Servi held her ground as the two guards gripped both arms, each into a lock, then used their weight to force her to the stone ground. Out of the corner of her eye, a single cloud, hidden by her Lux Spheres, descended. It didn¡¯t compare to Niadiabola in terms of destructive potential, but the skill was called Chain Lightning. In theory, it had the potential to spread to an unlimited amount of people if they stood near each other.


    The cloud glowed yellow, and lightning struck the closest enemy. Even as it enveloped him from head to toe, Servi figured there would be an eruption of pain, but nothing came. The lightning embraced him with the gentleness of the wind setting a flower down on a fawn. Then, like an infectious disease, it scattered from person to person.


    ¡°Lightning proof? Insulation?¡± Servi innocently asked when she realized not a single person cried out. Her carefree way of speaking in the face of terror didn¡¯t go unnoticed by the two holding her down. When the lightning struck the Dwarf, who held raised his axe, Servi absorbed the armor worn by the two pinning her to the ground and equipped it over her brown leather armor. ¡°Insulated armor is probably a good thing." Servi¡¯s words were drowned out by roars of pain coming from her left and right. With that, Servi had two more souls inside her ring. The lightning then flowed to Servi, but she didn''t feel a thing. Her eyes did get a bit fried from staring into it, but that was already healed.


    ¡°Wha¡ª¡± The Dwarf swung his axe down in response to an unexpected development while exclaiming his surprise, and his weapon disappeared in front of his very eyes. Servi leaned up, meeting his empty hand with her armored fist backed by her incredible strength. His bare hand exploded like a water balloon dropped from a towering height, and he flew back until he crashed into the ceiling. The rafters halted most of his momentum, but not in a way that benefited him. His body smashed perpendicular, wrapping around the rusted red rafter and crushing nearly every bone he had. With how hard he went flying, it was a small wonder the warehouse didn¡¯t get uprooted.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not insulated. I don¡¯t feel anything¡­ It has to be enchanted against electricity¡­¡± Servi got to her feet and picked up her weapon. The Dwarf¡¯s blood dripped down, splattering loudly against the hard ground. She held her sword out. One by one, the remaining foes, including the two unconscious Skill Users, were lifted by an invisible force and carried towards her sword. Four seconds later, it was as if her weapon became a shish-kabob. She slammed her arm down, cutting up through their corpses. Gravity took over and messily slopped them to the ground.


    Without a second look, Servi walked over to the stairs, absorbing the corpses, and descended. Since her Lux Spheres were enhanced by her Skill Stacking, they gave off an impressive amount of light that pierced down through the stairwell. She saw the bottom, of course, and a lot of trash that probably came from the men she just killed. Chances were high that they were on standby, but Servi didn¡¯t understand why Turner would go through with the effort.


    To her, it seemed that every base had its own personal quirks. During her time at Deset, she didn¡¯t see anything resembling the elite defense force she just annihilated.


    ¡°If the Mafia was one cohesive unit, then there has to be set rules and regulations involving the construction and appearance of the bases. And since there aren¡¯t, I¡¯m sure the Mafia isn¡¯t such a close-knit group after all. It¡¯s almost as if different factions within the Mafia strive for the same thing,¡± Servi spoke to herself to organize her growing disarray of thoughts.


    Itarr found it peculiar how differently Servi acted when it came to combat and fulfilling her mission. She¡¯s hot-headed one moment and cool as ice the next. The different Servis that made up Servi, as a whole, all had a plethora of experiences. At least, that was what Itarr wanted to believe. The one war-torn cage that made itself known after the ambush was the only one of its kind. Itarr knew that because nothing else had shown itself to her.


    The fact that the girl she loved lived such a hellacious life that forced her to be normalized with slaughtering hundreds and thousands of people without a single care was abhorrent to her.


    I¡¯ve only been with her for a few months, yet I¡¯m already tired of the killing. She isn¡¯t. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll ever be exhausted of it. She¡¯s lived a life that I don¡¯t think a thousand people would ever want to live a single second of.


    Servi found a passageway at the bottom of the stairs. The crusty bricks making up the walls to her left and right were nasty and sickening. The trash and gore she saw while descending continued for a few more meters, only stopping when she came to a door with two handles. Out of irritation, Servi hefted her immense blade and slashed at the hinges.


    Kicking the door, Servi sent it back with enough force to shatter into tiny wooden fragments. Such a loud noise obviously alerted the people inside. She stepped through and prepared for the worse.


    There were Mafia members. And a lot of them. And candles. Hundreds of candles flooded the walls like water droplets in a hurricane. There couldn¡¯t have been more than five or six centimeters of free space between each one.


    The Mafia members all sat a variety of different lengths away in a room similar to a warehouse. She saw no dividers to separate the training area from the living area, the kitchen sat right next to a toilet that spewed an unholy and vile scent, and beds took up most of the free space.


    ¡°It looks more like a homeless shelter¡­¡± Servi waved her weapon and stared at the nearest person, a Koena. With a grin, she kicked off the ground towards her next victim. He only stared at the approaching murderer, who seemed to teleport, with big, golden eyes.


    After cleaving him in half, Servi lifted the upper half of his body to block a stream of arrows coming from her left. Most of them pierced the Koena¡¯s scales, and he let off a final agonized breath. She lowered her hand, thereby lowering his corpse, and threw it away to her left. It nearly exploded when it smashed into the ground and slid to the wall, which knocked down more than a dozen of the numerous candles.


    Like a bullet, Servi kicked off the ground and flew towards the group of archers targeting her. The armor she had stolen minutes before protected her from an incoming wave of Thunderbolts and Lightning Orbs.


    She barreled into the back wall with one of the archers acting as a fleshy airbag and immediately ducked an arrow. Thanks to Soul Essence of Primal Combat, she could dodge even when her back was turned, and when she spun around with her sword out, a destructive beam of light followed.


    Sword Beam had the tendency to be an extremely powerful skill, and most researchers agreed it to be a must-have when one reached Rank 6 in Warden. An expert wielder of the technique could block, defend, attack, and pressure their opponent simultaneously by timing the use of Sword Beam. For example, by expending as little Skill Energy as possible, a tank could gain a monster¡¯s aggro in the opening moments of a fight. On the other hand, if an enemy broke away from them and started to retreat from battle, even a half-charged Sword Beam to the leg could be all the difference between killing it and letting it escape.


    Servi didn¡¯t care for any of the nuances involved with Sword Beam. She only cared about the destructive potential. And with her nearly inexhaustible Skill Energy Reservoir, it was no trouble at all to fire off hundreds of thousands. She started slow, taking the time to aim as she sliced the air in front of her. In a way, it was like she repeated the events at Parrel¡¯s mansion. The sword she acquired then had the intrinsic ability to create waves of fire very similar to the pure white beams she was in the midst of shooting off. Yet, in a way, Sword Beam had the potential to come out on top. The thick, destructive waves, white as the driven snow, pierced steel armor and concrete walls with as little effort a Kobold would use if they wanted to tear a dried leaf.


    And that was because Servi could stack it. She sliced and cut the same spot in front of her. A weird noise grew in strength from the amount of compressed energy that accumulated. With a final strike, she sent the fifteen waves off in a straight line spanning the width of the enormous room. Servi was at the northern end, and her targets were huddled at the southern end, trying to escape. They were fast and aggressive when their lives were in danger, but Servi¡¯s beams were faster.


    The cowards who ran never stood a chance of escaping her attack. Servi stood in place, spinning and cutting the air like a madwoman. Beams fired off, cutting off hands and toes, ears and noses, and heads and arms. A loud cackle escaped Servi¡¯s mouth as her movement become feral and animalistic. Her swipes became jagged, like that of rock used to sharpen a second rock, and her beams became varied in both thickness and length. However, she didn¡¯t build up an amount to be launched later. She fired off each beam as she completed her attacks, sending hundreds of deadly lasers every few seconds and reducing the remaining Mafia members to red paste.


    Their screams drowned out the noise of steel weapons banging against the ground as Servi¡¯s deadly beams destroyed barrels full of armaments. The green gruel being made in the kitchen section spilled over the concrete floor and joined with the ever-growing lake of crimson.


    No one tried to be a hero once they realized Servi was a monster. Those who wanted to escape had to step over a growing mountain of corpses in the dark. With so much blood hiding the bodies, every potential escapee tripped. When they did, a swift death only followed.


    Since she had a lot on her docket, Servi decided to finish it up.


    ¡°One base is about to be down, many more to go,¡± she murmured as a yellowish fog-like smoke filled her surroundings. Since she wasn¡¯t outside, where there were different variables to account for, it only took a second or two for the underground-like warehouse to turn into a mass grave. Even those who played dead by hiding in the blood couldn¡¯t escape from Kaasuvuoto¡¯s poisonous touch. Crimson blood soon dripped from everyone¡¯s orifices.


    Servi took a second to crouch down as the quick-acting gas accomplished its intended purpose. The deep, scarred walls from her erratic Sword Beams only showed more concrete behind. In any case, the information she gathered didn¡¯t support any kind of hidden room or secret exit. Even if there were one or two tucked away under that unusual rug near the back corner of the room, which there was because Servi saw two red souls floating to her, Kaasuvuoto''s gaseous particles were super tiny and super deadly. Only a sealed space that prevented any gas from escaping or entering could protect against it, but since living things had no choice but to survive by way of respiration, that option was thrown out of the picture. There might have been a few skills that offered some kind of resistance to gas-based attacks, but Servi wouldn¡¯t claim to know them. And even then, it was entirely possible for there to be living creatures who didn¡¯t need to breathe to survive.


    She just hadn''t met them yet.


    ¡°After all, I¡¯m one of them," Servi whispered to herself.


    You¡¯re one of what? Servi?


    Itarr debated on asking Servi to clarify what she meant, but decided to ignore it. Their relationship was strained to the limits, and any further questioning could transform into the metaphorical scissors to sever the thin string connecting them.


    Servi sighed and put a hand to her blade¡¯s two pulsing lines. They felt cold and lifeless, with the only warmth coming from the few drops of blood that hadn¡¯t dripped off. As she walked over towards the large pile of bodies located in front of the doorway she came through, Servi took one final look around Turner.


    She thought it was an odd name for a base. But more than that, it was the sheer difference in everything that confused her the most. The one thing that remained even similar was the concept of assigning certain people marked with a number to a leadership position.


    It didn¡¯t make sense.


    Nothing in Arcton, New Arcton, Deset, or Turner made sense. For all Servi knew, she didn¡¯t make sense. It was as if her understanding of the world disappeared the moment Momo vanished from her life.


    More than ever, when Servi thought about common sense, she believed she was a person who didn¡¯t belong in this world. Her way of living, way of thinking, the things that made sense, and the things that didn¡¯t make sense all made up Servi as a person.


    Everything together formed her core concept. But as she lived through the past week, no one thought like her, and no one acted like her. If civilization was founded on people coming together and using common sense to thrive, she didn¡¯t belong.


    After all, why would anyone be friends with a person like me? Maybe I don¡¯t need them... I don''t... I don¡¯t need Momo... And forget about Claire and Dineria. Fuck Srassa.  Fuck Fisher and his family. Fuck them all... NO!!! You¡¯re doing this for Momo... It¡¯s all for Momo... It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s¡­ IT¡¯S¡­ AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!


    ¡°FUCK!!!!!!!!!!¡± Servi cracked as part of her psyche shattered for the umpteenth time. She stomped down on a pile of corpses stacked five or six high, sending an unimaginable amount of gore flying up. It coated her from head to toe, but her stomping continued. Each stomp sent out sharp cracks of pressure. They were strong enough to shatter the concrete, along with every bone in her left foot and leg. But even when she had no more concrete or bodies to break with her destructive stomps, she resorted to throwing bodies like a child having a tantrum. They sloppily slapped against the walls making up the single room, spreading cracks and breaking apart.


    A few of the thrown corpses hit the support beams keeping the roof from caving in. And the warehouse on top, along with the area of ground between the roof of the base and the base of the warehouse, fell down on top of Servi. Inadvertently, her powerful stomps had reached even the warehouse itself, which was bolted to the concrete by way of thick screws a Kobold would have trouble bending.


    It sounded like hell. Metal scraped against metal, rusty rafters cried as they forced against the hard ground. An immense amount of dust and smoke billowed up, and an enormous amount of debris crushed Servi alive.


    The pressure pressed against her body flattened her instantly in the first few moments. Servi''s brains splattered out the back of her head, and the rest of her cranial innards were expunged through her ears. True Immortality kept her alive by constantly making sure her body was free of anything providing a minuscule amount of discomfort. In other words, it was always active, but Itarr could choose to decrease its efficiency if she wanted to.


    ¡°HAHAHAHAHA------HAHAHAHAH------HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!¡± When Servi¡¯s head regenerated, she unleashed a torrential amount of laughter in the split-second she had before the debris stacked on top crushed her.


    Itarr cried, screaming out as she hurried to absorb everything pinning Servi down. Little by little, her shrieking laughter lasted longer and longer each time it abruptly ended. When her shrieks had started for the last time, Servi waited for the moon¡¯s light to enter her eyes and illuminate the world while the warehouse¡¯s heavy steel ceiling kept her eyes covered.


    ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH¡ªAh, there it is¡­¡± Like a switch, Servi¡¯s laughter ended, and she spoke in a tone that was quite solemn. The sight of her darkness being defeated by something so beautiful calmed her growing insanity. She looked around.


    Nothing. Servi saw nearly nothing. The warehouse? Nope. The rafters? Gone. The numerous pieces of concrete that fell atop of her? Disappeared. She wasn¡¯t exactly at ground level since everything above her collapsed down. Even though the stairs she walked down were gone as well, she was more than confident she could hop the seven or eight meter walls that did their best to keep her in.


    Servi?! Servi, are you okay?! I absorbed everything!!! Please say¡ª


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Servi spoke towards her ID flying nearby. She pressed her hands down against the dirty ground, squeezing in an attempt to feel the dirt between her fingers.


    But it wasn¡¯t dirt her hand squished against, and that wasn¡¯t wet mud thoroughly coated her fingers. It was her brains.


    Plural.


    Servi died and regenerated nearly a hundred times. Itarr did her best in the stressful situation, but even a Goddess could make mistakes in the heat of passion. Each time she lost her concentration after nearly absorbing a large piece of concrete, thereby having to start over, Itarr verbally and mentally abused herself for being so pathetic.


    I CAN¡¯T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!! Itarr wrote on the floating ID. Her heart, once full of the unbreakable trust between her precious Servi, now contained nothing. There wasn¡¯t anything left even resembling what she once felt. She used to be happy and proud, full of love and joy. Excitement used to flood her heart at the wonders of learning new things about her favorite people. She was especially fond of Claire. That red-haired Elf quickly grew to become one of Servi¡¯s and Momo¡¯s closest friends. Itarr¡¯s too, but her heart no longer had the right to think it had the privilege of receiving love.


    After all, she believed that everything that happened over the past week originated from her stupid desire to help Servi by manipulating her emotions. She felt she was responsible for every corpse Servi produced. It wasn¡¯t Servi killing. Itarr wanted to believe everything was her fault because she altered Servi''s emotions from way back when. And the worst part was that Itarr didn¡¯t have the knowledge or experience of knowing what kind of chaos such manipulation she unintentionally wrought with her experimenting could bring.


    That one sentence Itarr wanted Servi to read held nothing but uncertainty at the growing future and her inability to deal with the tens of thousands of corpses that could only exponentially grow. It was words on a stone tablet, but written letters could only do so much. Itarr didn¡¯t have the know-how to imbue her words with her true feelings. More than ever, she wanted to shout at Servi, telling her the truth in an attempt to prevent the guilt from swallowing her alive. If she had the courage to do that so many moons ago, just how many people would still be alive?


    The Goddess broke down, filling the empty space that was her home with non-existent tears and wails full of regret and guilt. Like a puppet with no strings, Servi¡¯s red ID fell to the ground in a large puddle created by innards.


    But I still love you! I will always love you!! As her red, humanoid form wept, Itarr sobbed the love she held for Servi.


    ¡°How funny¡­ The ID is the same color as blood. Well, time to get to it.¡± Servi spoke while watching the dust fade away into her body. She didn''t even bother to read what was written on it.


    She slapped the bloody ground so hard she lifted herself and landed on her feet, unaware of how much Itarr was suffering.

 Book Three – Chapter Ten – Part Two – The Banquet of Death

    A sudden breeze blew by, cooling Servi¡¯s bloody and naked body. Like before, Servi took an impromptu shower and dressed herself in the closest fitting clothing and armor she had. Again, it wasn¡¯t much at all. Personalized armor would have to wait. She started to jog towards the closest ¡®cliff,¡¯ but doubled back to pick up her nadrium greatsword.


    ¡°I can¡¯t forget about you,¡± she said. Now equipped with everything she needed, Servi took a running start and effortlessly vaulted up the cliff. She landed with a roll and met the eyes of thirteen people. Homeless and scraggy, they weren¡¯t different at all from a plethora of other beggars Servi saw in Arcton. She didn¡¯t know why they showed up in an area they knew must¡¯ve been inhabited by the Mafia. The lifeless eyes each of them had signified the harsh life they lived and the uncertain future awaiting them. Slowly, all of them moved their heads from Servi to the bloody sword she held.


    It was quite possible the crowd of thirteen all agreed on going to a specific location, but the odds were stacked against it. On the other hand, perhaps it was Servi¡¯s wide-scale destruction that pushed them over the edge. Only 24 hours ago, Servi summoned a massive hurricane filled with sharp blades of water that killed hundreds. Such a thing, even if it only lasted a short while, was sure to send fear in the hearts of anyone who saw it and doubts in the ears of those who heard about it.


    Or perhaps they believed her actions were a gift from the Gods Above, who sent an angel to relieve them from the hell they were living?


    Servi remained silent and twitched her arm. A second later, she rested her weapon on her shoulder and walked past them. The sound of thirteen heads uniformly hitting the ground behind her entered her ears.


    But where Servi saw something to be proud of, ending their miserable lives who''d helped sell out Arcton to the Mafia, Itarr only cried harder at thirteen people who didn¡¯t need to die. Their souls flowed into the ring, and she begged for them to leave.


    WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!? YOU DON''T NEED TO DIE!!!!!! GET BACK TO YOUR BODIES!!! Even though souls were practically her playthings, Itarr lacked the ability to return a soul to the body it came from.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s move on to the next one.¡± Servi took out her map and noted the next closest one. ¡°Nova, eh?¡± She looked up at the moon, stared down at the ground, and turned around to fill her eyes with her destruction¡¯s aftermath. In most cases, someone passing by would wonder why she was staring at an empty lot. The chances were high that after a few days pass by, there wouldn¡¯t be anyone alive who knew that a warehouse used to stand in that empty lot.


    In one way, Servi even destroyed the warehouse''s history with her assault. And if things went to plan, that was going to happen a lot more. Hopefully, the Mafia would be something lost and forgotten by everyone. She couldn''t wait for that to happen. Servi practically skipped through the town, leaving large holes behind her as she hopped over buildings, searching for her next target.


    Sure, she was spotted multiple times by Monotonia addicted druggies-- homeless scavengers with nowhere else to go. And the few guards who were lucky enough to be elsewhere when Servi slaughtered their companions, but she killed them the same as everyone else. A part of her wondered how many ¡®guards,¡¯ she used that term lightly because she thought they were all gutless cowards, remained alive.


    Slowly but surely, the entire population of Arcton was slimming down. Their guard force was next to eliminated, and she didn¡¯t know if they had a core commander that led them. The number of people she saw on the streets while traveling to Nova was a far cry from her first night in Arcton. Either she had killed most of them, or they valued their lives enough to find shelter.


    In any way, they all would die when she took her revenge upon the shitty city. Until they, Servi was content with letting them keep their lives for the time being. The city was her prey.


    After all, she was the Mad Dog, and a Mad Dog never allowed its prey to escape.


    ¡°Hey, Nova!!! Knock knock!!!!¡± In a dark alley trapped between two buildings so tightly packed not even a rat could squeeze through, Servi bashed at the buildings¡¯ corners. Bricks stained by years of maltreatment went flying if they didn¡¯t disintegrate from her powerful punches. Slowly, she ended up creating a pathway that contained an excellent view into the two buildings.


    From the map, she saw that Nova was made up of two buildings. As she walked around, Servi noticed the lack of windows, guards, or doors to enter. There was only a single length of space between the two buildings. An adult couldn¡¯t squeeze through. And since Servi couldn¡¯t, she decided to make her own entrance.


    ¡°I must be... here?¡± she murmured when she saw matching stairs to her left and right. Unlike Turner, Nova was very well lit by a combination of candles and fluorescent lights. ¡°Wait, why the fuck am I doing it the hard way?¡± Servi stopped punching, allowing her thoroughly crushed fists a chance to rest and retraced her steps. Even though she had gotten several meters deep, no guards were coming to investigate the disturbance Servi was making.


    And as Servi thought that, she was more sure than ever that each base went by its personal modus operandi. Perhaps Turner contained the fighting force and most of the guards because they were relativity well trained. The idea of using two guards to use Create Water and Chain Lightning was one thing, but they were equipped with gear to eliminate any danger the skill posed to them. With how big the two men who held Servi down, she believed only a Kobold could break away from their tightened grasps.


    If she was anyone else, Turner¡¯s guards would¡¯ve won. Perhaps if she wasn¡¯t Servi, the Mafia would¡¯ve totally destroyed her.


    But she was Servi. She was the girl who held the power of a Goddess at her fingertips, and she was going to use it.


    She retraced her steps until she emerged into the street. The pathway she made between the two buildings stood in front of her. Throwing down a random sword from her ring, she used Metal Wall to create a platform below her and used it to propel herself upward until she towered over Nova. She ascended so fast that when the Metal Wall suddenly stopped, the momentum she carried sent her bouncing up about two meters. Her black hair fluttered upwards as gravity took its toll.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost like the two are mirror images of each other.¡± Servi looked down over the edge. ¡°I wonder...¡± She took out the thickest pieces of concrete Itarr absorbed. They floated motionless in front of her. Instead of looking down, Servi turned her red eyes up and watched as the large pieces became smaller. Once they were about sixty meters up high, Servi canceled Telekinesis and enjoyed the show.


    Instantly, the left building¡¯s weak roof caved in as soon as the concrete hit it, but it didn¡¯t do as much damage as Servi hoped. In retaliation, she took out even more debris.


    ¡°No! I need more!!!¡± she roared out with a voice not like the one she had only a few moments ago. The joyous feeling she felt after destroying a base didn¡¯t last long. Itarr momentarily returned to her senses and shook with fear.


    No!! No!!! SERVI!!!!!!! Itarr cried. Returning from being a sniveling mess, she did her best to find comfort in the good memories the two shared. But that was easier said than done. With a full 360 degree view, Itarr could see all around Servi. Perhaps it had to do with her missing memories, but she couldn¡¯t find a way to shut herself off from the world around her.


    Roaring once more, Servi pelted the two buildings that made up Nova with her debris. Roofs and walls crumbled and caved, but she only received a few souls.


    Servi needed to go further beyond in her destruction and really stress test the power she had.


    That was what she did after doing a quick check on what could be collateral damage. Usually, she wouldn¡¯t account for anything but total destruction, but any harm or damage to Arcton¡¯s Warden office was strictly off-limits. At least, it was until Momo completed the quest and ascended to Rank 9.


    Servi completed her surveying effort and used Earth Wall and Metal Wall in conjunction to create hundreds of pillars all around her. A jungle of dirt and metal trees formed in the middle of the city. Then the next moment, every single pillar launched into the sky. Servi cried out at the mental strain of controlling hundreds of heavy objects at once. In terms of capacity, Servi still had the telekinetic capacity to hold around 3,000 more objects.


    The problem was the pain her brain suffered when controlling many items at once. Each pillar needed a portion of her mental capacity to fully control. If she only needed to make elementary moments like moving up and down, she could manipulate more than the standard five. In such cases, her limit was around ten or eleven, maybe twenty if she pushed herself.


    But 261 objects? Her brain literally tried to split apart into multiple pieces to even began to have the power to send out commands. The synapses in her brain fired faster than they were designed to do, which increased the temperature in her head. Then suddenly, her brain failed, dying as it cooked itself to death.


    But another brain grew, and Servi continued the process all over again. The new brain sizzled out of existence, turning a disturbing charcoal black, and True Immortality returned her to fighting shape, healing her wrinkled organ until it contained no imperfections.


    That only lasted two seconds at most, then True Immortality was needed again.


    ¡°GUUUHHHH!!!¡± Salty tears flowed from Servi¡¯s eyes, instantly evaporating as her body temperature substantially grew to the point where her skin sizzled like bacon in a hot pan. Her bones were the next to heat up, becoming brittle. Then her muscles became hot and relaxed, forcing the feeling in her legs to give out. She fell down, breaking her brittle bones into pieces. Sharp shards of white easily punctured her weakened skin, yet her armor prevented them from completely breaking through.


    But not once did she give up on her mission. The bases were going to be destroyed in any way possible. She continued to suffer through the agony until the last pillar finally reached the proper altitude.


    ¡°DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!!!!!!¡± she screamed as she cut every telepathic link. Blood spurted from her mouth as she simultaneously used Create Water to douse ice-cold relief all over her burning body. The steam explosion that erupted from hot and cold interacting did little to hide the hundreds of falling pillars. Falling back out of relief, Servi knew her plan had worked because the very earth rumbled with the force of an earthquake. She then heard the sound of tens, if not hundreds, of homes collapsing all around her.


    People screamed. People shouted. People died. Heirlooms were destroyed. Histories were erased.


    With a single attack, Servi accomplished more solo than an army wished it could. A strange feeling filled her body as the water continued to drown her.


    It was souls. And not just a few hundred. Thousands of them flowed like a red tsunami, almost battling each other to be the first one to give power to their new owner.


    Servi¡¯s breathing calmed down, and she felt her body temperature drop down to normal levels. Canceling Create Water, she licked her lips and doused her tongue in sweet, ice-cold relief. The Metal Wall she rested on shook, prompting the girl with black hair to stand up.


    ¡°Might as well see the results of my attack,¡± she murmured as her wet boots squeaked against the metal below her.


    It was a vast crater, big and wide. Servi figured it belonged to Nova¡¯s underground portion, but even she couldn¡¯t believe how colossal it was. The total length of the two buildings put together didn¡¯t even equal a quarter of what she saw. But with how her self-made meteors fell and exploded upon impact, trash and debris covered everything. She couldn¡¯t tell how many supplies they had stockpiled.


    ¡°Then again, I suppose it would make sense for there to be a lot of people. The big event is tomorrow, so might as well have everyone together,¡± Servi sat down, dangling her legs over the edge like a schoolgirl about to leap from a small wall. Her eyes turned to the hundreds of cracks spreading out like a spider web. They led directly to the destroyed houses, and if Servi summoned another barrage of ¡®meteors,¡¯ she wondered how large of a hole she would make. Metal weighed a lot, and tightly compacted dirt, when formed into a pillar shape, wasn¡¯t exactly on the lighter side.


    She would love to find out, but she didn¡¯t have the time. There were more bases to destroy and more enemies to kill. Leaning forward, Servi rolled off her platform and used Feather Fall to gently land. Now that she was closer, her eyes took one final look and saw just how much the Nova base had prepared.


    Large barrels full of swords waited to be used. And those broken containers of bread and fruit must¡¯ve been the main food supply. Perhaps there was meat? With how much blood covered the filled the hole of death and destruction, salted chicken and steak might have been hidden amongst them.


    But it wasn¡¯t Servi¡¯s task to separate everything.


    ¡°But there might be some survivors. Better take care of it,¡± Servi produced a Fire Wall via thinking and forced it to grow as wide as the hole in front of her. ¡°Burning it all to ash is the best way to get rid of something, isn¡¯t it?¡± She kept speaking to herself as the heat radiating from flame grew in both size and intensity. Brick and stone melted instantly, followed by skin, blood, the remains of whatever food they had stored, and wood. Glass and metal were the next to go, and all the smells, when combined together, produced a horrid stench. The black smoke radiating upwards tantalized the more destructive side of Servi. She fought against allowing the fire to spread. Consuming the entire city and burning it to ash sounded very seductive.


    Servi turned on her heels and away from the fire bordering on rampancy, forcibly stopping the skill. Like snapping, the ever-hungry flame flickered out of existence. A smile appeared on her face as she checked the location of the next base, but that disappeared when she stored it inside her ring.


    She didn¡¯t receive any bad news, nor was there anything worth getting angry about. The joy Servi felt when destroying did little to soothe her incredible anger, but it didn¡¯t last long. The endorphins emitting from her brain decreased with every murder committed and each base destroyed. It was almost boring her like a child who only had a single toy to play with.


    Servi wanted something more. She needed a challenge to bring her the thrill of death! Even if she couldn¡¯t die, she desired to fight against a strong opponent who could kill her.


    ¡°FUUCCCKKKKKKK!!!!!!¡± Servi shouted and ran off, following the mental map she had laid out in her mind. Her sudden cursing broke Itarr¡¯s crying session. She looked around, and the wails continued.


    Servi¡­ She tried to say her beloved friend¡¯s name, but her voice choked up.


    Shepard was the next base she went to. The name implied that it had something to do with animals. Perhaps dogs or livestock? Servi stood atop a tower and verified her surroundings.


    ¡°Sheep, cows, and horses; they¡¯re breeding them here,¡± she growled through her teeth. The trees towering to her left and right surrounded and reminded her she wasn¡¯t in Arcton. To properly care for farm animals, one needed to have a farm. That required a good bit of open land full of grass, and that was something the city couldn''t provide. That also meant they weren''t known to what was going on in Arcton. Or at least Servi thought that. If they had heard any of the disturbances, there should''ve been something going on. Perhaps a task force could quickly left to investigate, but there was nothing of that sort.


    A thousand different things ran through Servi¡¯s mind. She wanted to shout and yell because she didn¡¯t see that many guards, but they might have slept in the five barns off to the left side. Then she wanted to jump down and fight the men that she could see in combat to find a worthy challenger. A near-infinite amount of wants and needs flooded her desires. It was like a war inside of herself was fighting without any rules of which armaments to forbid. The damage her psyche and mind were receiving from her revenge-filled mission to destroy the Mafia was taking its toll.


    At the end of it all, Servi had to make a decision. She couldn¡¯t just stand on top of the grain tower without doing anything. Her eyes stared at the moon, but she didn¡¯t know why. Was it to beg for forgiveness because she knew how she wanted to go about destroying Shepard? Maybe, but if that was the case, then why did she feel the need to have someone forgive her for only killing her enemies? No, it wasn¡¯t her foes she felt sorry for... It was the farm animals.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you. I promise I will.¡± Servi whispered in a voice so silently it couldn¡¯t wake a sleeping dog. Then, she held out her hand in front of her. Looking down, the red flame that would become one of the most damaging Fire Walls in existence sprung to life. She grasped it with her palm and threw it like a rock until it landed in the middle of the sheep farm. Even though it was clearly past the time for grazing, all of the sheep, cows, and horses were out on the farm.


    Even worse, they were confined to a single, fenced-off area that didn¡¯t have any separators. Life for them had to be miserable. Living with different animals with different needs, fighting over the few spots of green grass left while avoiding the numerous piles of feces was a hell not many could claim to have endured. Yet Servi felt something growing between her and the poor animals. Maybe it was a faint memory? Regardless, Servi didn¡¯t want to waste any time entertaining something that was probably wrong.


    Her mental connection to the speck of flame grew exponentially and achieved Servi¡¯s result so fast that she wondered if she imagined the entire thing. Not even a microsecond passed between a cow mooing out of annoyance and becoming something less than ash. For that fraction of time, the brightest, hottest, and most destructive Fire Wall in the history of the world sprung to life. The light it gave off looked like it illuminated the entire world. It was so bright that Servi had to wait a short second for her eyes to heal up.


    The important was that the animals didn¡¯t suffer. Death was a far better alternative than letting them live out the rest of their lives while being abused by worthless cowards. But as she watched the souls floating to her ring, a tinge of regret sprung up.


    ¡°AAAAHAHAHAHHHAAAAAA!!!!¡± Servi¡¯s psyche nearly cracked again. In short, she was a mess. The actions she took, the words she spoke, the things Servi said she wanted to do and didn¡¯t do; nearly everything conflicted in one way or the other. Servi''s actions couldn¡¯t be trusted any longer. Any words coming from her mouth or thoughts from her mind had to be taken as a lie.


    Did Itarr know that? Possibly. Did she want to believe it? No. She didn¡¯t. But she didn¡¯t know what she could do. Those animals didn¡¯t need to die! She knew if Servi was her old self, she could have wiped out the bad guys while leaving the innocent animals alone.


    You even killed the horses¡­ Momo loves horses¡­She loves cows, too. Why did you do that, Servi? Why did you kill the things she loves? I¡­ I have to do something. I want this killing to stop. It¡¯s just annihilation without¡ª


    Suddenly, Servi jumped down from the grain tower, cutting its tall metal legs as she rapidly approached the earth. She noticed it, of course, but Servi didn¡¯t feel the need to use any skill to prevent herself from dying. Her body regenerated the broken bones and shattered limbs as rotten feed rained upon her head. Maggots and other insects that feasted on spoiled food surrounded her. She exterminated them along with all of the food with a Fire Wall configured to not injure her. The flame glowed, illuminating the current state of the farm, which was nothing. The numerous barns which held a large number of people, likely the Mafia, were all gone. Whatever equipment or food they contained also disappeared with everything else.


    In a few days, no one alive would be aware that this smoldering chunk of black ash used to be a farm.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Old Man say some bullshit about a fucking farm?¡± Servi¡¯s filthy mouth loudly asked a question loaded with expletives. She couldn¡¯t answer it. The ground couldn¡¯t answer it. The blood she sat on couldn¡¯t answer it. Not a single person in Lando could answer that question. And like that, another piece of history was forgotten to the world.


    The universe was full of things that carried history. It was also full of things that didn¡¯t care if something and its history were destroyed. Servi fell into the latter, and she thought that was fine. Her role, after all, was the Mad Dog. That¡¯s why she spent the last days constantly calling herself that like it was a form of hypnotism. If she believed it long enough, even a lie had the potential of becoming a truth.


    Her life was full of lies with very little truth to correct the imbalance created by the two.


    Perhaps she needed the Mad Dog title to keep a grasp on what little psyche she had left. The only one who knew for certain was Servi, and she wasn¡¯t in the right position to spill the truth.


    After a few seconds of remaining motionless, Servi suddenly pulled the map out of her ring. And just as fast, she stored it and stood up.


    ¡°More! More! More more more more!!!! MORE MORE MORE!!!¡± Only a single word escaped from Servi''s mouth as she ran in search of the remaining bases.

 Book Three – Chapter Ten – Part Three – The Banquet of Death

    Nero, Nimbus, Jade, and Sabre. Those were the names of the last four bases Servi needed to destroy. Perhaps it was laziness on the Mafia leader who did the legislative work assigning and creating the bases, but all four were located near each other. With such sharp aliases, it gave the illusion that they were going to be interesting.


    They weren''t.


    Nero and Nimbus were either covered by warehouses or were inside the warehouses. It was one of the two, while Jade was located in a building that reminded Servi of Deset. Sabre was the most interesting of them all, but that didn¡¯t say much since it looked like a homeless camp one would find under a bridge.


    From up high on the tallest building she found, Servi kept an eye on all four targets. If she created enough Greater Fireballs, she could burn the four at once. If she went wild with Earth Wall and Metal Wall, she could flatten all four. That would probably cause a rumble that would be heard all around the world.


    But she couldn¡¯t.


    The Warden office was located right by Jade. Servi couldn¡¯t risk anything happening to any workers inside. Even if they worked a side job for the Mafia or reported to them, the hair on their heads had to be untouched until Momo could get promoted. After that? Destruction would rain from the heavens. That was probably 12 hours away, though.


    After thinking on it for a few short seconds, Servi figured the best way to take care of everything would be to use a skill that quickly became her favorite.


    The Shadow¡¯s Embrace.


    A nostalgic feeling covered her body as shadows embraced her. The thin line of existence and non-existence should have been something no one had access to, including her. Even if they had the help of a skill designed to do that very thing and said skill had the explicit drawback of lasting only ten seconds, the power it gave was too much.


    Servi stood up from her crouched position and stared at the streets below. Trash filled her vision, enhanced by both the shadows covering her and the souls in her ring. However, she didn¡¯t spot a single person out for a stroll. More than that, she hadn¡¯t seen even a single homeless beggar, of which Arcton had plenty of, since coming back to the city after scorching Shepard.


    With how much chaos she caused over the night, combined with the extraordinary events like producing a tornado in the middle of the city and destroying a solid chunk of town with Fulgur Spike, it was likely those who remained alive in Arcton wanted to protect their awful lives. However, if she thought about it that way, it wouldn''t match up to the thirteen people she killed after the events at Turner. Their movements and actions suggested they wanted to die.


    Could it be true that the people of the city didn¡¯t share a single collective will? The Monotonia certainly acted like a corrosive poison to the mind. She didn¡¯t think it was far-fetched for it to have the capabilities to drown out a person''s self-survival instinct. If that was the case, then the terror she exuded had overpowered the Monotonia''s poisoning of the mind.


    It could all be true. Or it could all be false. It wasn¡¯t like Servi had a full report on what the Monotonia was designed to do. She heard from Carrie and others that different colored pills gave different effects, but those were the publicly known effects. Such a pill had to have side effects that were kept from the general public. Or in this case, hidden from the Mafia Numbered.


    With a leap, she jumped from her building without inflicting an extra scratch into its decrepit roof. She curled into a ball, accomplishing a front flip as she rapidly approached the incoming ground. She landed safely on her feet while simultaneously rolling to pick up some speed. Feather Fall wasn¡¯t involved in her soft landing.


    The Shadow¡¯s Embrace took all the credit. Only something trapped between existence and non-existence could hurt Servi while under its effects. However, she had free reign over the world of the living. Anything existing couldn¡¯t damage her, but she could interact with them. That included things like gravity. If she fell from the moon while encased in her shadows, then she¡¯d smashed into the ground with the same force as a mother gently putting her child to sleep. The need of oxygen, food, and water didn¡¯t apply to her because of True Immortality, but The Shadow''s Embrace took care of that as well.


    But The Shadow''s Embrace had the option to interact with the living world. If she chose to, Servi could halt the safeguards preventing her from taking fall damage. And perhaps she would¡¯ve done that if the situation was different.


    Servi kicked off with enough force to shatter stone, yet she didn¡¯t disturb even the tiniest grain of dirt as she ran towards Nero. The warehouse looked similar to one at Turner. With her arms held out, the two guards standing out front painfully perished. The large door was open, and Servi didn¡¯t waste any time and started slaughtering the 36 people inside. The hard scales of a Koena or the giant body belonging to a Kobold put up as much fight as a Human when it came to The Shadow''s Embrace. Servi found out when she stabbed her shadowy blade into a Kobold¡¯s ear, they went to the afterlife much quicker. Since they were, on average, the largest humanoid sentient race, Servi¡¯s shadows had a greater area to ravage. Bigger space meant more wounds, and more wounds meant more damage.


    The massacre was bloodless. To the untrained eye, it looked as if the warehouse was home to a sleepover. Only, they weren¡¯t sleeping.


    Eying the staircase, Servi hopped over to the railing and dashed down to the hallway at the bottom of the stairs. For a moment, she became tangible and rammed the wooden door down.


    It smashed into the support column located a few meters ahead of her, sending numerous wooden fragments up in the air. Multiple Greater Fireballs spurred to life beside her, scorching the wooden chips before they touched the floor and lit up the room. Her red eyes looked left and right at the large single room basement.


    There wasn¡¯t anyone inside. The wooden racks of sword and spears stood undisturbed next to the door she broke down. The living section, complete with beds and furniture, was messy as expected. A small candle lit in the distance faintly flickered, darkening the already dark room. Without a word, Servi canceled the Greater Fireballs and ran out. She leapt up the stairs with a single jump, landing with a roll, and rushed out of the warehouse.


    Her mind raced back to the unnatural amount of souls she absorbed at the Nova base. A part of her wondered if the inhabitants of Nero went to hide out there. It sort of made sense because the supplies she saw at Nova must''ve originally belonged to Nero. The few stragglers she killed in the warehouse-section must¡¯ve been those who were going to bring up the rear. Now that she thought about, the enemies she had just killed were hastily moving about. It made sense, to her, at least. After far as she was concerned, Nero was wiped out. Servi accomplished that part of her ultimate goal and moved on to the next one.


    Her feet silently stomped against the ground as she raced towards Nimbus, the last of the warehouse-type bases. To get there, she jumped on top of an abandoned carriage. Using it as a springboard, she jumped to the roof and took a moment to get her bearings. Her chest stayed motionless as oxygen neither entered nor left her lungs. Like a statue, she stood perfectly still for some reason. Itarr didn¡¯t know why. And at that point, she didn¡¯t care.


    Even if she did, she had no options available to her. She, a Goddess, losing to a Human. It sounded preposterous. People prayed to deities like herself for help with all sorts of things, yet here she was giving her power to a Human who teetered on the brink of insanity.


    Itarr opened her mouth, wanting to say something that couldn¡¯t be heard by anyone but her, but closed it when she realized it was useless.


    Like a switch had been flipped, Servi sprung to life and kicked off of the building. Nimbus was her next destination, and it only required her to hop from three structures. She landed with such gentleness each time, something that didn¡¯t befit her at all when taking her mental state into account. When she leapt from the last building and landed on the broken, paved road below her, Servi saw the rusty warehouse waiting for her. It was the sole thing on the street. Unlike the last two that had doors, the one in front of her only had three walls and no floor.


    No, perhaps calling it a warehouse was too generous. It was more like a canopy that had almost all of the characteristics of a storage facility.


    The lack of a floor meant nothing was bolting the warehouse-like canopy to the ground. The missing wall acted as the door, and that allowed Servi to plan out her attack. But even better than that, she didn¡¯t spot any kind of staircase. There wasn''t anything that could act as a secret passage leading to an underground base, either.


    Nimbus''s inhabitants were all up, moving around in a panic while shuffling large boxes filled with all kinds of supplies. Four or five large wagons were attached to the back of sturdy oxen by way of a piece of wire wrapped around their tails. It wasn¡¯t comfortable at all, and the oxen made their displeasure known by stomping around, throwing tantrums. The Mafia retaliated by hitting the distressed animals with metal bars, inflicting pain to sour the beasts'' growing rebellious spirits. Servi was too far to hear what they said, but her eyes picked up on their body language. It was like they were making jokes about harming the animals.


    Instantly, she fell to the ground and clutched her head in pain. She gritted her teeth, breaking a few and biting down on her gums as the images of two young Singi children appeared in her mind.


    Seka and Seko. Two siblings who had faced torture at the hands of Arnold. Servi saw them on the day she woke up, and she witnessed the beating they received. Inflicting anguish to innocent children and animals for the fun of it struck a violent cord within her body. Rage escaped from her mouth via a horrible shriek.


    Servi kicked off the ground, turning off her shadowy form and storing her sword. She wanted to beat those insufferable fools with her own hands. The ground cracked with every step as her momentum continued to increase. The moment before she rammed into a Human carrying a bag of corn, he turned to look at her by sheer coincidence. The next moment, he exploded into a fine red mist. Her hair, face, and arms were coated in his crimson remains, but she had the advantage. No one realized she was heading their way.


    Sure, they heard the odd noises and seen the strange things happening around the city for the past few days, but they never expected the source of that chaos would be standing in front of them right at that moment.


    A few minutes before Servi made her entrance, the Numbered in charge had ordered everyone to kick it into high gear when his pointy ears picked up a series of odd noises. He figured the things he heard were coming from one of his companions, who was just having a spot of fun the night before leaving Arcton, but he felt something was off. That was why he shouted for his men to move even faster. His instincts were proven correct, and he had the right call, but there was nothing they could do to continue living.


    Servi''s sudden appearance meant she had the time to rip off the arms of a Kobold standing nearby. She threw them down so hard they exploded, and she leapt into the air. An arrow flew where her waist had been. Somehow, she had the presence of mind to rotate 180 degrees while ascending, kick off the rusty roof with her feet, which uprooted the whole canopy and sent it flying tens of meters in the air, and slammed her head into the Koena who fired the arrow.


    He didn¡¯t dodge out of the way in time as a hole the size of Servi¡¯s body appeared in his chest, and cracks in the earth radiated from ground zero. His scales did a pathetic job in both slowing her down and defending him, and Servi died yet again. True Immortality restored her body, healing her crushed head as the metal canopy fell back down. Before it smashed into the ground, Servi held it up in the air with Telekinesis. The strain on her brain didn¡¯t compare at all when she carpet-bombed the area of the city that contained Nova. Comparing the two, it was night and day. Servi only had to focus on the actions of a singular object. Though the pillars she dropped earlier that night paled in comparison to an entire canopy, weight wasn¡¯t an issue. It only became relevant when the combined total weight of everything affected by Telekinesis was more than her limit. Until it did, she could maneuver a single object that weighed half a kilogram with the same ease as a 15,000-kilogram object.


    An idea suddenly appeared in her chaos-filled mind. The structure she held up emitted a horrendous crunching noise as metal folded upon metal. The remaining Mafia members dropped what they were doing and helplessly stared at the impressive display of power happening above them.


    It was unbelievable. The canopy folded over itself as it took on a shape similar to that of a rolled-up rug. The rafters supporting the roof twisted and turned around the log-like object like a snake climbing a tree. When it seemed like the display was finished, the compressed warehouse shrunk.


    It shrunk and shrunk as a thousand anchor points of Telekinesis pushed the compressing warehouse in on itself. The girl responsible for it simply stared at her enemies. Their eyes, turned ever upward, took in something that only a God or Goddess could accomplish. A Kobold could bend metal. That wasn¡¯t difficult at all, but not just anyone could twist something created to provide shelter over a large area.


    Even speaking about something like what Servi was doing was enough to be declared as a crazy person. Yet, here was someone who could do it with the utmost ease. One by one, the combined sounds of weapons hitting the floor reached Servi¡¯s ears. For a final show of force, Servi doubled the anchor points on the still-shrinking canopy until it tripled the size of her nadrium greatsword. When that happened, she cut off Telekinesis. The canopy landed with force befitting its original size and becoming stuck in the ground. Somehow, the weight didn¡¯t change at all. Only the form was altered.


    The ¡®blade¡¯ portion, red and rusty, gave off a diseased vibe. The handle was made out of wrapping the rafters together until it formed a somewhat rounded shape. The rusty rafters curling around the blade section were more for intimidation than practical use. Odd and intimidating, there was certainly nothing else like it in the world.


    Suddenly, Servi broke the silence and summoned her ID.  She expertly clicked on Absorption and upgraded it thirteen times. Her Potential barely dropped at all, and Servi had enough left in the tank to fully max it out. For some reason known only to her, she refused to go that far.


    Every soul used to give her only 2% of their strength. Now, she could use 15%. Servi''s power had utterly increased. The Servi of the past didn¡¯t even come close to the new Servi. It was like comparing a harmless cat to the king of the jungle.


    Servi felt the new strength surge through her body as she walked up, grasped the sword¡¯s crude handle, and lifted it like it was a holy object. Each millisecond she spent holding the near equivalent of a metal warehouse broke all of Servi''s bones, but pain didn''t mean anything to her.


    With every step, her feet sunk a few centimeters into the ground, breaking them tens of times every single second. Her body cried out in pain when her right arm lifted her ¡®weapon¡¯ above her head. It slammed down on the head of the Kobold standing in front of Servi and almost literally sent him to hell. His ¡®remains,¡¯ if it could be called that, consisted of a pile of blood. The few red scales he had left were camouflaged by the crimson.


    Even with one of their members dead, the remaining Mafia associates continued to stare with eyes that couldn''t grasp the current situation. Like shooting blind ducks in a barrel, Servi faced no opposition of any kind. She simply walked from each fear-frozen member, raised her ¡®weapon,¡¯ allowed it to drop on her foe, and moved on to the next. She repeated those simple motions over and over until the moon illuminated 26 piles of blood.


    Well, Servi thought they were frozen in place, and they were, but it wasn''t by fear. Itarr assisted in keeping the enemies restrained, but Servi never found out about it.


    We have to hurry this up... This senseless violence shouldn''t last this long... It''s only wasting time... We have to save Momo...


    Her eyes turned to the area where the oxen and wagons used to be. They picked up the fearful aura Servi emitted when she started the attack. When forced to choose between enduring more punishment at the hands of their ¡®masters¡¯ or potential death via a girl with a grudge, their instinct told them that running away would be the best shot and surviving even a moment longer. Even the stress on their tails from dragging such heavy wagons didn¡¯t hamper their yearning for survival.


    She was left with boxes upon boxes of supplies meant for a wartime expedition. Her hand let go of her shoddily constructed weapon. Quite a few of the boxes trembled from the force dispersing through the ground, but none broke. A minor struggle rose from within Servi. Should she take the supplies for later? Her body required no warmth or nutrients, so food and drink were simple pastimes and nothing else.


    But in the end, she absorbed every box from where she stood. Even if they were more than four meters away, Servi didn¡¯t need to use Telekinesis to bring them to her. When she upgraded Absorption, her range increased from 4 meters to 17 meters. Her efficiency skyrocketed as well. What used to take thirty seconds now took only one, and absorbing entire buildings, as a whole, was no longer out of the realm of possibilities.


    However, those perks were sidelined when compared to the strength increase. Servi could hit far harder than before, and jumping hundreds of meters came was as hard as breathing. It wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say that Servi ascended past her limits and became a warrior on par with heroes of legend.


    As she turned to leave, a stray red eye turned to her makeshift weapon. Even as strong as she was, the strength she had wasn¡¯t yet up to par with what she needed to properly use it. In terms of combat and destructive power, any nadrium greatsword had it beat. But a part of Servi wanted a weapon to call her own. And what better weapon for a Mad Dog than something she molded using her own strength. Appearance-wise, it was raw, messy, and ugly: untamed and wild with years of abuse behind it.


    Perhaps Servi unknowingly made a connection with it and her unknown past? Her body might have remembered whatever she went through. Like a loving memory, Servi stared at the crudely-formed weapon and walked away. The blood dripping down its makeshift-wrapped blade soaked the thirsty ground, but the noise was odd enough to force Servi to double back. She trod forward, looking at what the crimson covered.


    It turned out to be a pack of cigars. Servi wiped away the blood after picking it up. A short groan escaped her lips, but she didn¡¯t know why. The red and green box said it contained ¡®watermelon-infused tobacco wrapped cigars.¡¯ Popping it open, she took one out and held it to her nose.


    A deep sniff later, both a wave of nostalgia and uneasiness washed over her battle-stained soul. The sweetness of the watermelon, filtered with the raw tobacco, yearned to touch Servi¡¯s lips. A short battle endured between her wanting to smoke and her desire for destruction, and that ended with her cocking her head to the night sky and screaming bloody murder in a horrible voice. Afterwards, she grunted, returning the cigar to its slot and slid the slim case down into her left pocket.

 Book Three – Chapter Ten – Part Four – The Banquet of Death

    RuggyRuggy


    Just wanted to write down the schedule again.


    July 20th (Today) - Chapter Ten - Part Four (This Part)


    July 23rd - Chapter Ten - Part Five (Last Part of Chapter Ten)


    July 27th - Interlude Part One


    July 30th - Interlude Part Two


    August 3rd - Interlude Part Three (Last Part of the Interlude)


    August 4th-24th - Daily releases until the rest of the book is complete (Chapter Eleven, Chapter Twelve, and Epilogue)


    Itarr wasn¡¯t a stranger to cigars or cigarettes. She¡¯d seen many people smoke them in her time at Canary. But not once did anyone offer any to Servi or Momo. Her beloved friend never once talked about her experience with them or tried to smoke them. Even when Itarr said she wanted to know more about them, Servi responded with a shrug and said they did nothing but damage the lungs. She felt something off about that response and decided to end her questioning a bit early.


    Servi, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any of the old you inside. What happened¡ª


    Her short monologue was cut short by Servi leaping into the air. She cleared the buildings and almost touched the clouds above. But with such a jump came an equal reaction. A hole the width and size of a Kobold had been left in her place. Instead of succumbing to gravity, the girl with strength on par with legends remained airborne via a skill called Air Step.


    When the skill was invoked, a small, invisible platform appeared underneath the user¡¯s feet. The skill level dictated how many platforms could be created before the user was forced to reset the counter by touching the ground. When used wrong, the created footholds had the tendency to be formed at an angle. The list of people who had perished by improperly using Air Step wasn¡¯t short. It was a skill that relied more on the user¡¯s dexterity and agility than strength and power. It had a time limit. One couldn¡¯t remain motionless in the air for more than fifteen seconds before the transparent platform crumbled and dissolved.


    Servi counteracted that intentional flaw by alternating between her left and right feet like a boxer. The internal platform counter increased far faster than it needed, but Servi had more than fifty thousand steps available before she needed to touch the ground.


    The base called Jade was the second to last target. With Air Step, Servi hopped across the sky towards it. Her eyes weren¡¯t on the Deset lookalike, however. They were focused on the sorry excuse for a Warden office.


    Servi was a girl capable of many things, but subtly wasn¡¯t one of them. The noise created by the chaos she wrought wasn¡¯t something a person could sleep through. On the off chance someone from Warden left the building and investigated the disturbances, Servi had thought of a plan that wouldn¡¯t end in their death. But thankfully, no one emerged. With as clear of a conscious as Servi could have in her current state, she was free to focus her attention on the extermination of the Mafia. Coincidentally, Jade¡¯s roof stood tens of meters below her.


    From her initial reconnaissance from up high, she saw the same washbasins Deset had. Even the broad glass windows and the door leading in were the same. The chances were extremely high that the underground portion either mirrored Deset¡¯s or matched it corner for corner. In either case, there should be a devilish pit filled with enemies and prisoners called the hole. Deset had one, so why wouldn¡¯t Jade?


    But why was it those two were the only ones who had such a terrible room installed? The other bases Servi destroyed never had anything resembling the hole. Again, the inaccuracies and lack of a uniformed policy when it came to a base¡¯s specifications gave off an amateurish vibe. The Mafia''s grip on Arcton must¡¯ve been the result of a series of extraordinary events that happened in the correct order. Before her mind kicked into overdrive at imagining the way their conquest played out, she leapt from her Air Step platforms and took out her nadrium greatsword. She gripped the handle and fell together with it. Like a meteorite, her body collided with the roof, shattering it and 90% of her bones.


    When it came to combat, anything was a weapon. Nothing was off-limits, and that included Servi''s very body. She fell to the dirty tiled floor below, partially landing on a wooden basin filled with cold, soapy water. As she grabbed the edges of the washbasin in an attempt to get up, her strength betrayed her, shattering the oak wood. Somehow, that action snapped the three Koena in the room out of the shocked trace they''d been in. They charged towards her, stabbing their spears downward and grunting in excitement when they pierced her stomach.


    Servi¡¯s soaking wet face remained stoic. Her eyes red only stared at the left-most Koena as she raised a single hand. In a flash, four of his green scales were ripped away, exposing the pulsing flesh beneath. However, Servi wasn¡¯t done. Like a maestro, she manipulated the four scales into killing the three in front of her. By the time she stood up and pulled the three spears out of her midsection, the four bloody scales fell, joining their master in his journey to the afterlife.


    Her wounds healed as quickly as she expected as her eyes turned to the only door that didn¡¯t lead outside. She proceeded to walk through it, coming to a spiral staircase in desperate need of regular maintenance. Every fourth or fifth step was missing, and instead of making the tiresome journey down it, Servi grabbed the railing and hopped it. Air Step was the skill she chose to slow her rapid descent. Compared to Feather Fall, Air Step provided more precise control at the cost of actively thinking about it. With Feather Fall, one only needed to activate it, and they were left to enjoy a pleasant fall.


    Once her feet touched the ground, Servi punched open the door in front of her. Walking in, Servi killed the single Dwarf standing between her and her target. He did the best he could, but Servi was his better in both strength and technique. She stepped back and kicked up, breaking his hands as the Dwarf attempted a pathetic horizontal swipe. He couldn¡¯t keep a grip on his weapon. Catching it with Telekinesis before it hit the ceiling, Servi slammed it down, cutting him from head to crotch. The two halves of his body slammed into the floor, and Servi continued on her way.


    If the similarities between Jade and Deset continued beyond the entrance-way, the room behind the door Servi stood in front should be big and wide. There should be tables galore, partially covered with trash. The walls and floors should need repair to fix the various holes and cracks.


    With a hand, Servi reached out and tore the door off its hinges.


    Then she grinned, showing off a set of teeth stained with her blood. The room she saw matched precisely with the community room in Deset. That was really all the proof she needed to know they shared a layout.


    She stepped over the threshold and proceeded to do what she did best.


    Kill.


    Slipping into The Shadow''s Embrace, Servi exploited every advantage it gave her. First, she kicked off the ground and charged headfirst into the closest enemy. Her shadowy, hidden blades severed his head, and she kicked off his body with nearly enough force to break the sound barrier, yet his body didn¡¯t explode. By manipulating the exact moments her actions affected the living, Servi accomplished the impossible and defied physics. With the addition of Air Step, Servi could stop on a dime, twist her body, and kick-off to fly in a different direction.


    Servi bounced like a ball thrown between two walls, becoming tangible the moments before slamming into an enemy. When they exploded into a shower of gore, Servi severed her link to existence and continued on to the next enemy in her sight. It took a bit of experimentation, but Air Step wasn¡¯t limited to her feet. By creating Air Step platforms in just the right way, Servi could use her fingertips to adjust her direction.  And if she went further beyond, it was within the realm of possibilities to use her hands in conjunction with her feet.


    And that was what she did. Like a monkey, she grabbed and grasped onto invisible platforms, halting her momentum, changing directions, and kicking off, thereby regaining¡ªsurpassing¡ª her initial speed all in a fraction of a second. The force exerted on her body should¡¯ve sent her brain down her neck and into her stomach. Her innards, bone, muscle, ligaments, and tendons, should''ve liquified.


    And that happened to Servi hundreds of times over and over. Each defying moment she made killed her. Every slight, minute adjustment to change her angle by even half a degree required her to pay with her life.


    If she stayed within the depths of non-existence via The Shadow''s Embrace, such mortal concerns were only a spare thought to be tossed aside. Yet, for some odd reason, she chose to cast aside the protective cloak of shadow. Such odd choices were becoming natural. The only one who could know the method to her madness, the reasoning behind her hypocritical actions that flipped flopped every second, was the girl herself. Yet even she didn¡¯t understand why she did the things she did.


    She claimed to know the reasons and believed them to the point where it was the truth, but that was her truth, not anyone else''s.  The madness, anger, hatred, the lucidity she displayed in a few rare moments, they couldn¡¯t be counted on to show up again. Each instance of rage came from a different type of displeasure, and the same could be said for every other emotion coursing through her body.


    Before she knew it, the community room had a fresh coat of crimson with giant cracks from where she slammed into the wall. Bits of brain and bone stubbornly attached to her hair, giving her faint pink and white highlights with a dash of red. Her head hastily turned towards a passageway while holding out both hands. Two uses of Air Step later, Servi gripped the invisible platforms, then slung herself forward like a Human slingshot. Her incredible strength meant she had no use of rubber.


    As soon as her body passed the threshold of the passageway, Servi¡¯s mind and thought process accelerated. The incredible feats of athleticism she performed in the community room paled in comparison to the awe inspiring motions of her dashing in a room, slaughtering all inside, and dashing out in less than a second.


    Much of it had to be attributed to the thousands of Singi and Elven souls inside her ring. They were natural athletes, after all. Elves hopped from tree to tree to train their powerful legs, and Singi raced up and down trees, crossing any terrain with the agileness of a cat. By themselves, they were attributes to be envied. Together? They combined to form the ultimate warrior that couldn¡¯t be matched in regards to speed or agility.


    Thousands of them coming together? Her feats, considering the use of The Shadow''s Embrace or Air Step alone, put her so far past the heroes of legends and into the categories of Divine Beings.


    That was with her Absorption at level 15. She had enough Potential to double her Absorption to level 30, thereby receiving 30% of each soul¡¯s physical power. She could even double it again to 60%.


    She essentially had no limits, and any she might have had were easily broken. In some ways, her sheer potential was only limited by the number of people inhabiting the planet.


    It was a scary thought, for sure, but none of that ran through her mind. When Servi entered the fifth room, all of Jade collapsed on top of her.


    When she slammed into the wall without The Shadow''s Embrace to protect her, the impact had to go somewhere. It traveled up, spreading and scattering like the sharp lines in a broken panel of glass. With enough lines¡ªcracks¡ª in the foundations and walls that dispersed tens of meters, weakening them, the support beams keeping the room above them had no choice but to fail. Support beams could only support when the weight was distributed equally. When more than one beam had to withstand more weight than it was designed to do, they failed, falling like dominos in a chain reaction.


    But it wasn¡¯t a repeat of the events that happened at Turner. Servi faced the falling debris head-on, sending blow after blow, punch after punch, breaking heavy concrete debris that threatened to squish her. Her voice¡ªscreaming and shouting¡ªempowered her strikes. They contained enough power to pulverize rubble on the smaller size into something less than dust. The whole affair lasted a bit over twenty seconds. With tens of punches every second to protect herself, she threw at least 200 punches. By the time her arms had broken for the 174th time, her mind was numb to everything except destruction.


    When it was all said and done, and Servi''s arms had paid the ultimate price hundreds of times over, a single glimpse of the moon shone down upon Servi. However, she wasn¡¯t the focus. Tightly packed smoke and dust met the fresh summer breeze for the first time, covering Jade¡¯s only survivor in a layer of soot thick enough to suffocate an elephant. Her eyes fell victim to a never-ending loop of regeneration in an attempt to free them of any particles that irritated them. Like a swarm of mad bees, a torrential amount of little red orbs flowed towards Servi, but she jumped high in the air.


    As she soared upward, she looked at the Warden office.  Other than a thick layer of soot dirtying its wooden surface, none of the destruction she caused affected it in any way that would prevent it from functioning as it should. When the wind stopped rushing against her face, drying her eyes and fluttering her black hair down, she slowly created two Air Step platforms under her.


    Balancing on them, Servi danced across the skies until she came to the last base. Only once she stood above it, 120 meters in the air, did she allow the souls belonging to the Jade branch a chance to be absorbed by her. The invisible platforms under her disappeared, and Servi made her arrival at the homeless camp-like area known. Twenty Ice Balls proceeded her, giving a chance for twenty members to die before they had the pleasure of falling to her hands.


    Against their vagrant appearance, which suggested they would be the easiest, Sabre put up the biggest fight. How could they not have? They were right next to three bases, which meant everyone there had a front-row seat to the chaos Servi brought. Instead of rushing to help, the upper leadership thought it better to reinforce their position. The open area, in theory, should¡¯ve been the optimal place to defend against a single adversary.


    Perhaps that was what Sabre specialized in. Either way, calling it a ¡®specialization¡¯ was giving it far more credit than it deserved. Trained they may have been, their fighting only consisted of having three lines of ten archers firing in waves, a team of Kobold throwing barrels lit with fire, and a small squad of Skill Users firing off support skills like Protection.


    From the moment Servi landed, their defensive battle began. The three lines of archers spread about horizontally, forming three staggered rows. The metal drums surrounding both them and Sabre¡¯s general layout were lit. Dancing flames reflected across the metallic arrowheads as the first line pulled back their nocked arrows. The commander, a stout Dwarf with half a beard, shouted.


    From then on, it was like clockwork. The moment the first line of archers had released their arrow, they kneeled down and allowed the ones behind them to shoot. And after that, the same thing repeated for the third line, and it popped back around with the first wave firing off their re-nocked projectiles. The total downtime between the first wave shooting twice couldn¡¯t have been more than two seconds.


    Even as Servi took the arrows head-on without Protection, allowing them to shred her body like pins in a pincushion, she advanced forward with no signs of stopping. However, Sabre¡¯s warriors didn¡¯t show any signs of fear or fright. In that way, they were far more well-trained than those guards she fought at Turner.


    Two armored Kobolds broke rank from behind the archers and approached her in formation. Her nadrium blade appeared in her hand. She waved it around in front of her like a magic wand, daring them to make the first move. Suddenly, the pair of Kobolds ducked down, becoming flat as a pancake as two flaming barrels made a beeline for her. She leaned back, kicking the two potential bombs high in the air and swinging them down. Simultaneously, they landed on the group of archers. Two were crushed to death, dying in a somewhat painless way. The rest suffered unimaginable burns if the explosion didn¡¯t incinerate them first.


    Servi wasn¡¯t focused on the little group anymore since she incorporated her own Fire Wall to ensure their death. Their cries of pain slowly died down like the whimpers of a dying animal.


    Her eyes turned to the barrel throwers: a team of Kobolds in a line six members long that stood on a waist-high wall. A strange device sat next to them. It had three metal wires situated in the right spot that allowed the wooden barrels to slide down on it. A bit further past them sat a team of Skill Users who had two jobs. First, they were responsible for filling the barrels with flammable liquids and setting them on the device. An automated trigger handled the rest, including running the top part of the barrel under a lot match, which lit a small, separate container of gas.


    Such a machine had ingenuity behind every step of its construction, from designing the shape of the barrel to determining the proper amount of oil to fill it with. The Skill Users'' second task was support. Even now, as the six Kobolds picked up their flaming barrels and illuminated their armor-less bodies, Protection was in the process of being used on all available men.


    But that wasn¡¯t all. A tremendous flash of white light, courtesy of Lucem, illuminated the area every few seconds, blinding everyone who stared at it. Servi¡¯s eyes adjusted within a quarter of a second. The flaming drums, probably used for warmth, lighting, and cooking were really the only things she saw that had any worth to them. The wall the barrel-throwers stood on was a wall in name only, and with no sleeping bags or any kind of camping equipment, it was impossible to know where Sabre¡¯s inhabitants slept.


    But when it came to her situation, caring about where her foes slept and how they were meant she didn¡¯t see them as enemies. And she didn¡¯t want that. Showing any kind of mercy meant her genocide of all who claimed to be a part of the Mafia would turn out to be for nothing. Her strikes had to be fast like a speeding train, yet carry enough force to send out a wave of terror to all who would strike back against her in the name of the Mafia.


    Genocide was really the only cure for those bastards. If she sincerely wanted to wipe them out, then the only way to be sure was to wipe out the planet¡¯s population. After all, if she¡ªServi¡ª was the last living thing, then claiming that there were no Mafia members would be a genuine truth.


    Or maybe it wouldn''t. Though it was in name only, Servi, temporarily, belonged to that awful organization. She''d ending up being the last spec of remembrance and would continue to be that until the day she took her final breath.


    Was killing hundreds of millions¡ªmaybe even billions¡ª just for the chance to say that she was responsible for wiping out the organization behind causing her so much heartache¡ªthe group that pushed her to evolve beyond that of Servi and into the Mad Dog¡ªworth it?


    No one but Servi could answer that, and until Momo was free of their diabolical clutches, she probably wouldn¡¯t answer it. Her words and actions may have hinted at one way or another in the past, but words were nothing but fickle objects to her current self. They couldn¡¯t be trusted as her true feelings, and they couldn¡¯t be taken as lies.


    A mystical glow enveloped the two armored Kobold, who had returned to a fighting position after spending a bit of time on the ground. They both held a sword and shield, stained silver, which reflected off the intense blasts of Lucem, yet Servi¡¯s weapon dwarfed them both in. The left-most one charged forward as a barrel came flying in from behind her. Servi jumped up, avoiding the area where it smashed into the ground and exploded into flames. She felt a tinge in her knee and looked down. The remaining armored Kobold held a bow in his large hands. It was something he didn¡¯t have before. More importantly, there was an arrow attached to it.


    The smell of kerosene, mixed with oil, filled her nostrils as Servi contemplated her future actions. A second passed, and she realized gravity never took its toll on her. How was it possible Servi remained airborne? Once again, she looked down at the arrow piercing her right kneecap and touched the rope with her hand. It was rigid and stiff like it wasn¡¯t a rope at all. She took her nadrium sword and scrapped the blade against it. Sparks erupted, catching the ¡®rope¡¯ on fire.


    ¡°READY!!!!!¡± She turned towards the voice and saw all six Kobolds on the throwing team had their arms raised up.


    None of them held empty air.


    ¡°THROW!!!!¡± The left-middle Kobold, with her ruby-red scales covering half of her chest, shouted the order. Then Servi was faced with six exploding barrels coming her way. Before they smashed and doused her with a large amount of oil, she looked down at the fool who shot the bow. Both of his hands gripped what she now realized was a metal pole painted to look like wood and covered in gas. With how he leaned back with a little bit of strain on his face and sweat dripping down his arms, holding her up while gravity tried to bring her down was putting the work on his arms.


    The strain on his eyes and cheeks disappeared when six large explosions rang out almost simultaneously.  He dropped the pole, and Servi fell to the ground doused with fire. She looked like a shooting star. But just as quickly as it happened, the flames covering her disappeared. All that remained was her bare body, free of any wounds caused by arrows or fire. Smoke billowing from her hair continued to timidly dance for a few extra seconds.


    ¡°Eh?!¡± The ruby-scaled Kobold felt something pick her up, but she wasn¡¯t alone. The fire reflected and danced off the red scales attached to her chest. The space under her eyes became doused with tears, yet the waterworks didn¡¯t truly begin until the rest of her team slammed into her.


    Like atoms smashing together, the other five members slammed into her, sending blood everywhere. She begged her God for help and forgiveness from her foe, but neither wanted to hear her out. One after another, Servi battered their bodies together like a ball bouncing around a pinball machine. They slammed into the ground, sending up a mist of brown. She only stopped her bloody game when six souls soared to her ring, but that only meant the contestants had to change.

 Book Three – Chapter Ten – Part Five – The Banquet of Death

    Oh, Servi''s fun still continued. She flew up into the air via Air Step and used Telekinesis to grab any survivors she saw. The wind blowing by from such an altitude brushed across her breasts. Though she didn¡¯t show any embarrassment of showing off her naked body, nonetheless, Servi took the short second to make herself decent in whatever clothes she saw first. The color and style didn¡¯t match, a short dress with bright yellow pants and silver shoes, but not a single person laughed or chuckled at her state of apparel.


    Her power spoke for her, and it became even more convincing when she used Telekinesis to grasp any survivors that tried to run away. The battle was their loss. They saw that clearly. Some attempted to use skills like Smokescreen to assist them, but no one successfully escaped.


    Nine people remained alive, and after Servi focused on an Elf with a staff, eight people were left when she ripped her head off. That divided in half when Servi froze four Dwarfs with a hundred Ice Balls each. For the final four, Servi simply tossed them to the ground, but Telekinesis wasn''t involved. No, she used Air Step to drag all four up a distance of 250 meters and then slammed them down using her physical strength. To say they suffered anything else than liquefaction would be a vast understatement. It felt like the very earth shook when each one slapped the ground in quick succession.


    She danced her way across the sky over to the nearest building and sat down.


    ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± she whispered. "By my count, that was the last base. They¡¯re all dead. I killed them. I took their despicable power and made it my own.¡± Her voice still contained and harbored her undivided hatred, but the way her words were articulated by her lips was different. It was as if realizing that, more than ever, her goal was near enough that she could almost grab it with her two hands. Only eight or nine hours remained until the moon went to bed.


    Do you want to check the 1st and 2nd base? Itarr asked. She bravely found the courage to talk with Servi.


    ¡°I already did when I was bouncing through the city earlier. We went right past them, and no one was there.¡±


    How do you know that?


    ¡°I actually crashed into the buildings belonging to them. If someone was inside, then I would¡¯ve gotten their souls because they would¡¯ve died. If they didn¡¯t die, they''re fatally injured. Shit, what do I do now?¡± Servi laid back on the dirty roof covered in white, dried bird excrement. Her beautiful black hair became stained by it, but not a single word of displeasure escaped her lips.


    Servi, remember the RASP buildings? Can we do something about them?


    ¡°Sure. Want me to destroy--"


    Itarr quickly cut her friend off. No! I mean, let¡¯s help them. RASP is short for Rent-A-Slave-Program. That means there are slaves inside there.


    ¡°And? What does that have to do with me?¡± Servi responded in an uppity manner. Itarr became furious and decided she didn¡¯t care if Servi hated her.


    Because think of how Momo would feel! Think of how Seka and Seko would feel! What about Liealia and Llamare?! Servi, we risked our lives to help them rescue those slaves at the markets in Canary! Isn¡¯t it our duty to do what we can? Remember what you said to me on the day we met? You told me that you want to protect those who can¡¯t defend themselves. And those slaves can¡¯t do that! So we have to do it! We have to protect them!


    ¡°Will Momo approve of it?¡± Servi suddenly rose up.


    Yes! She will! Come on! Hey, take out the map! We can find the closest RASP building.


    Servi raised her hands and grabbed onto invisible platforms created from Air Step. She used them as a pull-up bar, but instead of getting to her feet, Servi pulled down so hard she flew dozens of meters into the sky. Servi''s body twirled until her she faced her destination, and she jumped across the sky with the help of a skill that quickly rose to the top of her favorites.


    I¡¯m glad some of the old Servi is here! We only need to do a little bit of good, and I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll come back! Itarr wanted to pat herself on the back for convincing Servi to do a bit of rescuing instead of murdering, but she had no idea what was coming.


    Before Servi landed in front of the first RASP building of the night, she inadvertently flew over an armor shop belonging to a worthless husband by the name of Dal. He was a man who cared more about the thrill of gambling than the thoughts and feelings of his wife and children. She didn¡¯t know what compelled her to slow down and descend to the second-floor window belonging to his room, but she certainly never expected to find him dangling from the ceiling.


    ¡°I guess she took the kids and left.¡± Servi placed no encouragement or sadness in the tone of voice she spoke with. He was trash, plain and simple. The knocked-over chair a meter away from him suggested he tried to break his neck so the death would be painless, but the nasty state of his room suggested the opposite. Servi broke the window and hopped through. The decomposing smell of his corpse had built up, creating a rotten stench far stronger than one man ought to be able to produce.


    ¡°What a failure. Dal couldn¡¯t even hang himself right on the first attempt.¡± Servi picked up a dirty rope from the floor and saw a few large nails hammered into the ceiling. Bits of frayed fabric stayed attached to them when he yanked them down in anger. ¡°I gotta say, I don¡¯t feel sorry for you. Enjoy death, you son of a bitch.¡±


    Servi hopped out of the window while running a hand through her hair, and she left behind a parting gift: Fire Wall. It surged to life after three Air Steps and died down after seven. Itarr watched in silence as the smoke billowed upwards.


    That was probably for the best. If Dal''s wife came back and saw that, I don¡¯t want to imagine the sadness¡ª Wait, why are you stopping? On their combined ID, Itarr asked the latter when Servi made a second sudden stop.


    A large church stood in front of them. Big and imposing, it held a max capacity of 200 worshipers. Such a magnificent church should¡¯ve been the talk or icon of the town, and there was a chance it could have been, but the boat for that sailed a long time ago. None of the stained-glass windows were intact. Most didn¡¯t even have a quarter of glass left standing in the window panes. The doorway was missing the two doors that used to stand guard, but with it gone, Servi waltzed right in like she owned the place.


    ¡°We¡¯re stopping because the church pisses me off. They should¡¯ve done something when the Mafia showed up, but they didn¡¯t.¡± Servi finally answered Itarr¡¯s question.


    She figured it would be the case when she saw piles of warm piss outside, but the inner sanctum belonged to the homeless. Most were asleep with clutched bottles continuing the faint traces of Monotonia, but one was awake. He clutched his scarred head and wobbled back and forth. Whatever flavor of Monotonia he took fried his brain, but he shouted at Servi when his crazed eyes looked at her.


    He stood up, leaning forward as he did and fell over. His teeth severed his tongue from his mouth, but such a trivial thing didn¡¯t stop him from calling Servi the devil. His words, slurred and nearly indecipherable, woke up the others who used a place of worship as a place of rest. They all stared at Servi, and she saw the blood coming from their eyes. If Monotonia had a side effect that caused that, then she wasn¡¯t aware of it, but their frantic state didn¡¯t deter her from what she came to do.


    She hopped back. The crazies followed her out, stumbling over the broken floor and raised asphalt. The pain in their mouths and fragile bodies did very little to prevent them from seeing a growing wave of fire. It started small, of course, like all the other fires in the world, but roared alive when Servi kept stacking Fire Walls. Faster than a blink of the eye, it swallowed the building, church and homeless both, turning them into ash. The light it gave off brightened up a large portion of the town, allowing Servi to take in the dilapidated state of things one last time before the sun came up. Then like the noise produced from a single clap, it was gone. The fire disappeared like it never existed, even though the charred, smoldering remains stood right in front of her.


    Itarr wanted to ask if killing them was something they had to do, but she didn¡¯t have time. By the time the words appeared on the ID, Servi had jumped all the way to her destination.


    It wasn¡¯t the one she crashed into, but it looked similar. With the chaos she produced over the week, the line to get in stretched far and long. Even with death on the line and mysterious events happening over the week, the debaucherous leeches couldn¡¯t go a day without rubbing their privates against something. The RASP program offered far more than sexual favors, but most men and women treated the RASP buildings as a second brothel.


    Nearly every slave was of the female gender, after all. There were a few men of the feminine variety who remained to satisfying a particular fetish that was starting to grow, but the rest had either died or had been sent to work somewhere else.


    In many ways, the rotten buildings provided more than a simple whore house like Boxcar. It held many rooms within its walls, much like a hotel, yet the cost of a room included the slave they wanted to rent. But in terms of price, Boxcar had it beat. Since it was the more expensive option of the two, the line standing outside the RASP building, at this very moment, contained more wealth than what the Boxcar earned in a month.


    ¡°Hey, bitch, to the back¡ª¡± Some tough-looking man grabbed Servi¡¯s shoulder, but she exploded him from within via Telekinesis. The crowd stared, but soon, their bodies were sliced in half at the chest when a fast-moving object sped past them. It was her nadrium greatsword, controlled by Telekinesis, that did the harrowing deed. The street she stood on did not contain a single soul, so nobody saw her.


    Itarr thought about saying something, but again, she refrained against it. In her eyes, the Servi she fell in love with fought against the mental blocks, yearning to become the dominant personality. She was so close to coming back. Itarr only believed she needed a little push.


    Servi gripped the sticky door handle and opened it up. She stepped forward. Her boots deposited whatever filth they had on the black carpet as she walked up to the only desk. A large sign displaying different prices for different debaucherous acts stood behind an Elf with a nose ring. She glanced at Servi and held up a hand, so Servi wasted time by reading the sign. Nothing stood out to her until she read the last line out loud.


    ¡°If you have business that involves killing or maiming your rented slave, please register for an appointment with the acting manager.¡± Disgust slammed into her stomach like a ton of bricks.


    ¡°Ah, would you like¡ª¡± the Elven receptionist looked up from a book on her desk. Thick black bags dirtied her brown eyes. Even though she seemed kind enough, that didn¡¯t matter. Looks didn¡¯t account for anything. Servi rushed forward with her left arm out, catching the Elf off guard. As Servi crushed her throat, her other hand went to the nose ring, ripping it out. A typical response would be to scream, but Servi¡¯s grip could crush stone. Preventing a fleeting scream from escaping was simple. She stared at the bloody nose ring and simply let it fall to the floor.


    Servi then held a fist to the Elf''s face and slowly pushed it forward, continuing until her bloody arm emerged out of the back of the Elf''s head. Then Servi dropped her like a pile of bricks, leaving her corpse for all to see. She then walked into the first door on the right down the only hallway available to her.


    The door had the world ¡®occupied¡¯ written on it in scratchy handwriting. Servi opened it, and the noise of a man thrusting himself on a Human girl filled her ears. They were so deep in mid-coitus that neither of them heard the door open. Their ears didn¡¯t pick up a set of footsteps that only grew louder as Servi walked across the tiled ground. She grabbed him by the shoulder and ripped him off of the girl.


    Servi looked down at the crying girl. Red welts surrounded her inner thighs, and a steady stream of white leaked out from her most secret areas Apparently, the foul bastard Servi held had finished inside. She turned up to the man, and that was when she realized something.


    She had seen him before. After her best friend¡¯s kidnapping at The Berrycanta Inn, Servi walked out of the room belonging to the scene of the crime. Then she stepped into the room next door. That was when she saw that man having sex, and she foolishly decided to heal him and the girl he was inside after she threw them both out of the window.


    Servi''s naivety at the time had cost the girl before her an evening of pain. She wouldn¡¯t make that mistake again. But gravity wouldn¡¯t be the cause of his death. No, Servi needed to be sure he wouldn¡¯t have the chance to force himself on anyone else. So she killed him by breaking his neck and throwing him on the floor. His large stomach twitched during his final moments, but a red soul soon found a home inside Servi¡¯s ring.


    ¡°Hey, that fucker won¡¯t bother you again.¡± Servi produced a blanket and laid it on the sniveling girl. She expected the girl to speak, even if it was nothing more than a whimper, but she never expected the words she uttered.


    ¡°Why did you do that?!¡± the girl cried. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna go in the hole!! I don¡¯t wanna!! Mama, don¡¯t make me go in the hole!!!!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s going to be no hole. I¡¯m here to save you,¡± Servi replied. She crouched down and carefully held the girl¡¯s hand. Small and shaking, it said all she needed to know.


    ¡°Stop lying! This is Mama playing another trick on me! I¡¯m not falling for it!¡±


    Servi lifted the girl up and sat her on the floor. She stared into her crying eyes and waited for her to say something else, but that didn''t happen. The abused girl dropped her towel and started to smack her savior. It wasn''t just once or twice, and it wasn''t even ten times. A hollow sound filled the room twenty-eight times. Each smack came accompanied by a curse or expletive directed towards Servi.


    On the twenty-ninth smack, Servi warned her not to hit her again. ¡°Don¡¯t do it. I promise I¡¯m only here to save you and the others. Come¡ª¡±


    ¡°I JUST WANT YOU TO LEAVE AND DIE!¡± The girl raised her hand for the thirtieth time, and Servi responded with a smack of her own, which knocked the girl''s head clean off her shoulders.


    WHY DID YOU KILL HER?!!! Itarr yelled, scribbling her words on the ID many times over. It was the only thing she could do to show her utter disgust. Servi stared at the girl''s head as it gruesomely slid down the wall and said a simple sentence.


    ¡°She attacked me. She¡¯s an enemy. They¡¯re all enemies. This whole fucking town is full of people who I have to kill!¡±


    No! They aren¡¯t!!


    ¡°Yes, they are! I tried to help them! I did! I FUCKING TRIED TO DO IT YOUR WAY!!! GODDAMN IT, ITARR, WE DON¡¯T NEED TO HELP OUR FUCKING ENEMIES!!!¡± Servi smacked the vibrating ID out of the air. It exploded into red dust, which was something that Servi never wanted to absorb.


    Itarr collapsed into another crying mess. Her na?ve plan of trying to get the old Servi back via rescuing the slaves had failed in a way she never expected.


    I don¡¯t understand why she didn¡¯t grasp at the chance of freedom?! And now I¡¯m responsible for her death!!! A yellow gas filled Servi¡¯s vision¡ªand Itarr¡¯s vision¡ªand she panicked. She did all she could to assume control over Servi¡¯s use of skills, but it was impossible. Even when she could speak to her, Itarr never held power to forcibly control Servi¡¯s abilities. In theory, it was possible to manipulate Servi¡¯s emotions to sway her towards specific techniques and skills. Itarr didn''t want to go that far because her only goal was for Servi to always remain happy. She never desired to go beyond that.


    Servi nearly wiped herself out of exhaustion when she used Kaasuvuoto to flood the area with poisonous gas. When accounting for the wind and other factors, she performed feats of legends. Comparing that to flooding the RASP building with the same gas didn¡¯t seem comparable in any way. And in a way, that was true. However, filling an entire building, especially one with six or seven floors while accounting for any holes that allowed outside air to filter through, was still a breathtaking feat, to say the least.


    A flood of red souls joined her extensive reservoir inside her ring, and Servi pulled open the map. Her eyes darted to the remaining buildings.


    A terrible feeling welled up inside Itarr. No¡­ She wouldn¡¯t do that!!!! Would she? She wouldn¡¯t go to each building and flood¡ªno! NO!!!!! NO!!!! Servi, you have to stop! PLEASE, STOP!!!!


    Like before, Servi slammed her franticly moving ID into the floor. Then she picked up the soiled bed and threw it into the wall. It exploded, revealing a way for her to leave, and she took it.


    In the eight hours Servi had until the sun came up, she went to every RASP building and pumped it full of Kaasuvuoto¡¯s poisonous gas. Such acts of depravity depressed Itarr. As she wallowed in sadness, a weird thought forced itself to the front of her mind.


    Why did we get a different amount of souls from each building? It doesn¡¯t make sense. It''s almost as if certain RASP buildings had something extra, but I don¡¯t know what it is. Does it even matter? Innocent people died! And it¡¯s all my fault!!! I never should¡¯ve asked her about it. Damnit, Itarr¡­


    After gassing the last building, Servi walked to the nearest roof that was closest to the forest. The sun had some time to show up, and Servi wasted time by taking a shower that lasted hours.


    When the tiniest hints of red broke through the sky, Servi dried herself off and put on armor for what would hopefully be the last time.


    She sat down on the wet ground and stared at the sun as it soared across the horizon. Her eyes darted back and forth across the tree line in search of smoke.


    ¡°Momo, today¡¯s the day,¡± she whispered. ¡°I''ve wiped out most of the Mafia, I¡¯ve killed the enemies that rolled over and allowed those foul bastards to take root in this city, and now? I¡¯m waiting. I¡¯m waiting for the signal. Please, Mosie, stay strong for me. Your Servy is coming. I swear.¡±

 Book Three – Interlude – Part One – A Dreaded Lie & Hours Before Execution

    RuggyRuggy


    The last interlude of the book, featuring Momo.


    After Sakdu explained the Mafia''s origins and its goal, he left the sniveling, crying Singi alone in her jail cell. With nothing but a bucket of her own waste to keep her company, she hugged her knees together and did her best to ignore the sour smell coming from her makeshift toilet. Beside that sat a wooden plate of green gruel. Somehow, it smelled worse than her stool, and obviously, she refused to eat it.


    That didn¡¯t last long. Once the guard assigned to her area showed up to do an inspection, he told Momo to eat. She shook her head at the orange-scaled Koena, sending frayed strands of pink hair dashing across her whimpering, blue eyes. Sakdu had commanded the guard and everyone else that violence towards Momo wasn¡¯t allowed, but he had to get rough to feed her. But he didn''t abuse her physically. He was a master of using threats to get what he wanted, and he could articulate verbal anguish like no one else.


    To start off, the Koena roared like an animal and started to beat and bash the bars separating him from Momo. She cowered backwards, protecting her shaking head with a pair of skinny arms. "Eat, girl! You better eat this fucking meal right the fuck now! If you don''t, you don''t even want to know what we have in store for you! I''ll take that fucking tail and make a scarf for myself if you refuse to fucking look at me!" That was the threat that forced Momo to lower her arms. Her puffy eyes and trembling lips stared at her verbal tormenter. "Now, you''re going to crawl over to me, take this plate of food, and fucking eat it. If you don''t, I''ll replace the spoon with my cock and feed you that way. I''m sure I have a whole host of friends who''d want to personally feed a pretty young thing like you. We can top it off with some milk! HAHAHAHA!"


    That was the threat that pushed Momo over the line. She scampered to the bars preventing her freedom, and grabbed the tray of food. It was just a bowl on a wooden plank, and it smelled far worst than it looked. Both hands took the spoon and waddled it through her food, which was some sort of green gruel. She brought it up to her mouth, and she put it back down because it smelled like corpses that had been left out to bake in the hot sun.


    "That''s not the right way, girlie! Take that spoon and put it in your mouth. If you don''t, then you know what''s gonna happen..." The Koena put a hand to his waist and started to unzip his pants. Momo shed a few more tears and ate as fast as she could. She gobbled the disgusting meal, forcing the unknown meat to swim down her throat. The liquid was so thick, sticking to her throat like glue. A wave of shivers attacked the poor Singi, and she started to cough.


    ¡°Hahahaha!!! I don¡¯t even know why he wants your sorry ass alive. Here, I¡¯ll get something so you can wash down that filth.¡± The guard cursed Momo''s name and left. He came back carrying a glass of murky water in his orange, scaley hands. He barked out a series of orders that ended up with Momo sitting beside the bars. He placed the glass of water down and walked away laughing. Apparently, he''d had enough fun to fill his day. Momo looked at the door when he left, then her eyes turned to the water. The odd feeling was still in her throat, and she did need something to wash the horrible taste of that food out of her mouth. Against all odds, she timidly stuck her hand through the bars and retrieved the glass. With courage, she downed it all in one gulp and felt sick to her stomach, but that was her mind''s fault. She had absolutely expected the water to be dirty and poisoned, but it was just regular water. It might have been a bit filthy like it had come from a pond, but there wasn''t anything fundamentally wrong with it.


    But that kindness had to come at a cost, Momo thought. If they were being nice, then what were they going to do next? What awful thing could they do to her to eliminate the faint traces of hope she had left?


    The fortress in her mind stood alone on a weak foundation.


    Momo hugged her legs close together in an attempt to soften her crying voice. In between weeps, she heard a whimpering coming from her nearby neighbor. When that happened, Momo focused her eyes on his snipped ears. Elves were known for their pointy ears. It was the same as how Singi were famous for their tails. It was the symbol of their race, but now Nimea''s ears looked like a Human''s. Because of that, his enemies were saying Nimea was just like a dirty Human.


    He wasn¡¯t a good guy, but Nimea meant well even though his actions suggested otherwise.


    Momo''s life in that rectangular cell consisted of rubbing her hand on the clean part of the concrete floor. Her index finger traced her best friend''s name over and over to the point where the oil on her fingers had darkened the path she followed. Every so often, a terrible odor wafted into the holding area where she was kept. Her companion, Nimea, always had a coughing fit when it happened. In a way, Momo liked it when he coughed because it meant he had enough life in him to want to breathe.


    Momo tried many times to talk to Nimea when she felt the tears drain away from her eyes, but her attempts at socializing fell on deaf ears. Or in the rare case it didn¡¯t, he only communicated with short whimpers. The fear of the situation had a tight grip on Nimea''s heart, even firmer than it had on hers, which yearned for freedom. Sometimes, her eyes scanned down to the puddle of brown he sat in. Roger took away his waste bucket in addition to mutilating his tanned ears when Nimea smashed his plate. Ever since then, he did his best to keep as quiet as a mouse.


    Freedom was within eyesight, however, but calling that was giving it far too much credit. Momo had a little hole situated above her that peeked into the outside. It was tiny enough that even her slender hand couldn¡¯t fit in, but it allowed her to gaze at the moon and stars. In a way, it felt like part of Momo''s soul whisked away from her body and danced amongst the stars in the night sky. That was her freedom, and tears fell from her eyes when she realized she wouldn¡¯t ever have a chance to experience a warm summer night ever again.


    In a weak voice, she cried out the names of all of her friends as a way to say her final goodbyes. Yet when she reached the name belonging to her very best friend in the whole wide world, the power to speak left her. Whispering the name didn¡¯t help. Yelling it didn¡¯t do a thing, either. It was as if a part of her refused to say goodbye. It wouldn¡¯t allow her to utter the name preventing her body from shutting down entirely.


    That girl, who showed Momo such incredible power during that unfortunate ambush, was still out there. She felt it in her very heart that her best friend wouldn¡¯t leave her. And dying? Momo thought if Servi could tap into even 1% of that power, saving her would be a cinch. But hours had passed since Sakdu said Servi had died, and Momo was still locked in her jail cell. Fear prevented her mind from tapping out, but it also prevented her from catching any sort of sleep. The constant hooting and hollering coming from the nearby hallway didn¡¯t help much in the sleep department, either. Momo''s enemies'' shouts and screams of excitement pierced straight through the concrete walls separating them from each other.


    When it seemed as if her despair couldn¡¯t sink any lower on the sea of darkness, it happened. Sakdu, with his well-dressed body and missing tail, barged into the holding area. He held two bags and two thick black pieces of fabric. Roger the Elf came behind him.


    ¡°Tie the blindfold around their eyes and cover their heads with the bags.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Momo cried. She pushed as far back as she could while scrambling her legs, which knocked over her waste bucket. It spilled everywhere, coating her legs and tail in a thick, brown, excrement-filled paste. However, the smell was the least of her worries. ¡°It¡¯s not Saturday! I don¡¯t wanna die! You said¡ª¡±


    ¡°SILENCE!!!¡± Sakdu rushed forward and ripped the iron bars preventing Momo from escaping.


    ¡°KKYAAAAA!!!¡± Such violent motions did little to shut her up. Her hands scratched the concrete walls, becoming bloody in the process of trying to dig away. Sakdu stepped closer and extended a hand. With her legs flailing away, she kicked his hand away and stood up in a single motion. In terms of size, she didn¡¯t come close, but dying wasn¡¯t on her agenda. Her feet kicked the ground, splatting more waste around as she attempted to tackle him. If that soured his mood, he didn¡¯t show it. If anything, he liked the fiery spirit the cat displayed.


    One of his large hands grabbed onto Momo¡¯s arm and picked her up as if she was a whiney kitten. She kicked him in the chest, putting nasty footprints on his fitted tan suit.


    ¡°Keep it up, and I will break your arms and legs,¡± he warned her. That single sentence froze Momo to the core. She dangled as the life in her eyes left her. How could she ever fight back?! Her only attacking skill consisted of Magic Missile, she didn¡¯t have a weapon, and even though she fought back just a little, the sleep deprivation had started to affect her. The adrenaline rushing through her body wasn¡¯t meant to last forever. She had been on edge for hours at a time, and even though Dineria trained her, Momo never received training to help in the situation she found herself in.


    ¡°Good girl. Now, I want you to listen to me. Your friend is dead. We found her body. Rather, we found the scraps of what was left. Those savage, debaucherous fools ripped her breasts off and pleasured themselves by rubbing their filthy cocks against her ribs. We found her left leg at a distance. It had a hole inside her foot and semen around it. Momo, your Servi is dead. Here, we have proof in the form of her head, which I ripped off. BRING IT IN!!!¡±


    The young Singi with a bald tail that Momo met hours earlier raced in with a decapitated head. Like her best friend, the head contained black hair that reached her shoulders. The eyes, however, were a different story. It just didn¡¯t have any. Instead of having two red eyes that burned hotter than an erupting volcano, it had two holes from where someone stabbed a knife in it. Sakdu took it from the reporting Singi, who left in a hurry to do some other task and held the vandalized head to Momo¡¯s face.


    ¡°SERVYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!¡± Like a violent chemical reaction, Momo exploded. Her body, fueled by what she thought was the head of her friend, sent every limb out of control. Her free arm pounded Sakdu¡¯s chest, her legs kicked him in the stomach, and her voice did its best to attack via sound.


    Sakdu knew that Servi wasn¡¯t dead. After all, they only had to find a recently deceased Human, put a wig on her, and scratch out her eyes. Then the only thing left was a backstory detailing her horrible deaths, and Sakdu could create one from experience. The one he told Momo was the death of a woman who tried to scam him when the Mafia was in its early days. That experience turned out to be an excellent way to test just how depraved a group of murderers high on Pink Monotonia could get.


    Roger came from around Sakdu and held out his hand in front of her mouth. It contained some kind of white powder. When he blew it on her face, her eyes instantly closed, and a soft purring sound came from her mouth instead of her ear-destroying scream.


    ¡°Put some of that sleeping powder on that Elf and tie him up. Then tie and blindfold this cat,¡± Sakdu ordered. He released his hand after setting his prisoner on the cold ground. ¡°And get one of the female members to clean Momo before she wakes up. And make sure to reiterate that she is not to be physically harmed in any way.¡±


    Roger stuck his hand into his white coat¡¯s pocket and grabbed another handful of white dust. ¡°I¡¯ll get it done. Have the men arrived?¡±


    ¡°No. They¡¯re scheduled to arrive as the week goes on. We¡¯re just going ahead of schedule. That reminds me, I have to go write our friend a letter.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think a Rank 10 will be brave enough to enter New Arcton, enter this building, and not die to the bomb in the desk? Even if she does that, the bomb in the folder will kill her,¡± Roger asked. He walked over to Nimea¡¯s cage and smacked him with the powder. The only gentleness Roger had for Momo was because Sakdu ordered it. That was why he gently blew it in her face. In reality, Roger didn¡¯t care about either one of them. If anything, he wished Saturday would come sooner so he could get rid of both of them.


    ¡°There is always a chance, my friend. Since we are changing the play area, I have to leave a hint behind. I¡¯ll even go a step further. I¡¯ll tell her to be on the lookout for smoke signals Saturday morning.¡±


    Roger shook his head as he tied the blindfold around Nimea¡¯s sleeping head. With how potent his powder was when not in ball form, it rivaled refined sleepinwillo. But unlike sleepinwillo, Roger had an antidote that could wake up the person he put to sleep. ¡°Why give her that much of a handicap?¡±


    ¡°Because she is a Demi-Human.¡± Sakdu pointed a large hand at the sleeping Momo. ¡°And when it comes to Demi-Humans, I am fair. Especially when I have given my word to a fellow Demi-Human who was betrayed by a Human. Do you think I am not?¡±


    ¡°Sakdu, I didn¡¯t say that. What better way to punish the Human that partied up with her than killing her friend? That way, if she does show up, it will all be for naught because her reason for persevering will have been dead all along.¡± Roger made an excellent point as he knitted his eyebrows. The despair and sadness that Human would have felt if such things came to fruition were nearly too much for Sakdu, who enjoyed nothing more than killing and tormenting Humans. But he had made a promise to his prisoner.


    Momo wasn¡¯t going to die before Saturday. The reason Sakdu came to get her was to prepare for that day. He had a base in the middle of the woods nearby in preparation for the march on Canary. The blindfolds and bags were to prevent them from seeing where they were when they walked out. Of course, now that Roger¡¯s custom sleeping power had knocked them to the depths of unconsciousness, the bags and blindfolds were overkill. Regardless, Sakdu made the decision to use them because he had already gotten them. While nothing serious would happen if either of them woke up and screamed for help, going through the trouble of eliminating everyone who heard it wasn¡¯t worth the effort.


    Sakdu stared at the hole he made in the wall next to Momo¡¯s cell. He joked that it was the right size to place Servi¡¯s head. ¡°Yes, if I ripped out one of these bars and slammed it down, I could mount her head right here,¡± The boss of the Mafia proceeded to yank out one of the iron bars and stabbed it into the wall. Roger only watched as he called for a female Koena to handle Momo.


    ¡°Listen, you are not under any circumstance allowed to physically harm her. You can scream and shout at her, but do not hit, punch, scratch, or bash any part of her body. When we get to the base, I want you to clean that filth off of her. Just leave her in her underwear, spray her with water, wash her clothes, dry her, dry the clothes, and redress her," Roger ordered.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The female Koena¡¯s pink scales vividly reflected the many burning candles located inside the holding area. She ran to Momo and hefted her up on her back, groaning at the awful stench radiating from the pink-haired Singi.


    ¡°Roger, when we get to the base, I can finally shred these ridiculous clothes. Damn those Humans for forcing these foolish suits as something to be worn when doing business. Never again will I tainted my righteous Kobold body with this foul fabric. A weapon and armor are all I need.¡± Sakdu gripped his dirty suit and ripped it off, revealing green scales covering a good portion of his body. He continued to tear away until he stood in his undergarments. He shouted for his armor, and the same Singi with a shaved tail ran in, pulling a small cart filled with armor behind him. The poor boy didn¡¯t know where to look, so he closed his eyes and waited for his boss to dress himself.


    On the other hand, Roger didn''t advert his gaze. Though they never admitted it to anyone, the two of them shared a touching moment early in their relationship. It was when they were still a part of Warden, doing quest after quest to build up Potential to learn the skills they needed for their revenge. One night, Roger, in his drunken stupor, foolishly confessed a secret to Sakdu, the one person he had faith in. Sakdu replied with a secret of his own, and one thing led to another. By the time the morning sun had risen and light filtered in through their room¡¯s windows, Roger and Sakdu had become one in mind and body. They explored each other, with Roger rubbing his palms down Sakdu¡¯s hard and rough body while the Kobold used his large hands to embrace the slender Elf in a passionate embrace they both needed.


    It was a one-time thing fueled by alcohol, but neither of them regretted it. As fate would have it, none of them sought to ever bring it up again, but that was fine.


    ¡°Ahh, it is nothing like the nadrium my bodyguard wears, but mythril armor is good enough.¡± As a Kobold, Sakdu¡¯s body never stopped growing. Armor was something of a rarity for a Kobold since it was all but assured they would grow out of it. Most opted for a shield since it was cheaper, but Sakdu¡¯s financial power rivaled that of some smaller countries. If he valued materialistic items and wanted something he couldn¡¯t afford, Sakdu would turn to blackmail to get a loan with favorable conditions and interest rates. Many powerful men were slaves to the Monotonia, and a few happened to control a couple of banks.


    But he wasn¡¯t a materialistic person. At least, not as greedy as other Kobolds. He never cared about the fancy dinners and expensive clothing and homes as much as he let on. Revenge, first and foremost, was the main thing on his mind. The hatred he harbored for the men and women of the Human race never died down.


    As he slid his armor on, Sakdu stared at his reflection in his gauntlets. The frantic hustle and bustle of his men getting everything ready to move to the forest base died out. For a few moments, it was only him¡ªSakdu¡ªand his mind. Sweet, sweet revenge was the closest it had ever been, and everything had been accounted for. He knew about the recent attacks on Canary¡¯s slave markets. His intelligence suggested a majority of Canary¡¯s fighting force had perished in the odd fire domes that appeared in specific locations around town. No doubt Fisher and his men were hard at work at trying to bolster their forces.


    However, he did hear a startling rumor that the majority of those that had died were only loyal to the previous governor, Parrel. Even if that was true, Canary had still lost a significant chunk of their armed forces, and it took time to train men for war.


    That was a fact that couldn¡¯t be disputed.


    ¡°¡­du?¡±


    Everything was going well.


    ¡°¡­akdu?¡±


    Not a single thing had gone wrong in the past few months as his tendrils of influence worked ever harder to recruit more men for his personal army. The base assigned for producing Monotonia, according to Roger¡¯s strict specifications, of course, had spent the past months at 100% efficiency. Conversely, the outpost responsible for creating the food for the Suits had stockpiled an incredible amount of that disgusting, bloody soup.


    Everything was in place, the preparations were made. Nothing could go wrong, could it?


    ¡°Sakdu?!¡±


    Sakdu¡¯s ears finally picked up the exasperated tone of his Elven friend. His head turned towards him.


    "Roger, I am fine. Are we ready to abandon this base?¡±


    ¡°Almost. The men outside need a few more hours to get properly prepared. We¡¯ll be ready in three hours.¡±


    Sakdu nodded. ¡°Then is the secret exit ready?¡±


    ¡°It is. We also have Skill Users at the ready to destroy it after we leave," Roger reported. ¡°Your personal bodyguard is doing one last check.


    Sakdu nodded a second time and double-checked his armor. He wouldn¡¯t be fighting for some time, but he wanted his body to get used to what it felt like to move around in armor. After that, he returned to his room, where he penned a letter for Servi.


    When the clock struck 5 AM, Sakdu, Roger, and everyone in and around the building he used as his base slipped through the secret tunnel as they made their way to what would be the location of the greatest battle in Lando¡¯s history.

 Book Three – Interlude – Part Two – A Dreaded Lie & Hours Before Execution

    When she woke up from her sleep powder-induced nap, the first thing Momo noticed was the change in her surroundings. Her hand expected to touch the firm sensation of concrete, but it lightly brushed against a patch of green grass, slightly dampened by the morning dew. Something moved to her left, and Momo lifted her tired head.


    ¡°A worm? Why is a worm crawling in the wall? What?¡± Her unsteady hand reached out to the squiggly creature. It crawled onto her delicate fingers, and that was when Momo noticed the three walls surrounding her were made from dirt. Her sensitive ears picked up an odd noise, then she stood up. In terms of size, her new accommodation was two to three times bigger than her first cell. A bucket-shaped object sat in the corner, but it wasn¡¯t metallic like her previous one, and it was also about a fourth of the size. The only iron or metal objects to be found were the three thick bars keeping her from escaping. Unlike her former cell, this new one didn¡¯t have a door. The silver bars stretched from floor to ceiling.


    ¡°It¡¯s like the earth swallowed me¡­¡± she muttered. Her mind raced back in time as she tried to recount the events that led her to her current predicament. She remembered eating that awful food and drinking that surprisingly tasty water. Then she saw something when Sakdu came to get her. Her mind spent a second trying to reconstruct what foul object she saw, but then the concept of escaping monopolized her thought process.


    She walked up to the nearest wall and placed her palm on it. After turning to see if it was dirty, her pale palm had muddy, brown speckles of dirt. Her cute nose twitched as she sniffed a little bit. Sure enough, it smelled like the dirt she played with during her childhood.


    If it¡¯s dirt, then it¡¯s made from Earth Wall, right? Then can¡¯t I dig through it?


    Her thought process made sense, and she tried to scratch at it. That only served to stained her nails because the wall became firmer when she applied more force. Then she cupped both hands together and scrapped downwards like a dog would, but it felt like she wasn¡¯t making any process. Dirt fell off. She confirmed that for a fact by looking at her dirtied nails.


    She tried her luck with the other walls around her, but the result was the same. Whoever used Earth Wall must¡¯ve leveled it up quite a bit. She frowned, turning away from the seemingly impenetrable wall and walked over to the iron bars. She gripped them and peeked out as far as she could.


    In terms of structure, it was similar to a nesting doll. She was trapped inside a cell made from Earth Wall and Metal Wall, placed inside a second room created via Earth Wall.


    ¡°Wait, is this whole thing made out of Earth Wall? Hold on, is that¡­¡±


    Nimea?!


    Right across from her was a second cell, that as far as she knew, was an exact copy of the one she found herself in. But instead of a Singi, it housed an Earth Elf with snipped ears. A thin veil of white powder covered his mouth as he laid against the far wall. Seeing that reminded her of something. Momo touched a hand to her own mouth and wiped off a bit of drool. She went to wipe it on her clothes and realized they were clean. In fact, her whole body was clean. The sleeveless armor and clothes she wore were free of nearly any dirt. Her tail wagged on its own, and Momo grabbed it with a hand. It didn¡¯t feel oily at all. In fact, it felt like it had just been washed with a series of soaps designed exclusively for Singi tails.


    She internally screamed at realizing someone saw her naked while she was unconscious. Terror radiated through Momo''s body at the thought of some unknown stranger conquering her, staining and corrupting her body without her even knowing. Screams and screeches erupted from her throat, yet even with how loud she was, Nimea never woke up.


    After a few minutes of uncontrollable shaking, the Kobold behind the Mafia entered the holding area. A section of the outer wall descended into the ground, allowing him passage and raising back up once he was safely across the threshold. For the briefest moment, the sunlight illuminated her surroundings, showing that there were hundreds of tiny worms and insects crawling about her new home. Sakdu shouted, ordering Momo to calm down.


    ¡°NO!!!! NO!!!! I¡¯VE BEEN RAPED!!!! GRAMPY!!!!!!!! HELP ME!!!!! GRRAAAMMMMPPYYYY!!!!!¡±


    ¡°QUIET, YOU FOOL!¡± Sakdu used his large muscles, covered by an impeccable set of mythril armor, to rip the three iron bars out of the ground and silenced the screaming Singi by placing his hand over her mouth. He leaned down low, whispering in her furry ears with his deep, imposing voice that could frighten lions.


    ¡°I kept my word,¡± he growled. ¡°I had one of our female Koena bathe and change you because you kicked over your shit bucket  My words do not mean much to you, but no one defiled you. In fact, I had her keep your underwear on, so nothing of importance was even seen... I do not know why you seem to be worried about that when you should be more worried about your impending death. It is Tuesday morning, and it is about to be noon. Now, be quiet and do not make any more racket! Should you disobey me, I will have no qualms about moving your death to tomorrow.¡± Sakdu widened his eyes and stared into two trembling blue spheres. Water leaked out of those spheres, and Sakdu nodded in return. He stood up and made his way out of her cell. A quick chant later, he threw down a sword from his Dimensional Storage and created three more thick bars after a swift use of Metal Wall.


    The stress of everything overpowered Momo¡¯s brain, and she passed out.  When she finally woke up, she had a hard time trying to see her hand in front of her face. It was time for the moon to dance across the sky as the sun rested in preparation for a new day. Momo, however, didn¡¯t see how she could ever rest again in the short time she had left. A simple sigh escaped her lips as she rolled over to her back. She heard squirming coming from Nimea¡¯s cell, but she didn¡¯t look. Instead, her eyes stayed glued to one of the tiny holes in the ceiling. The moon was lovely, she thought. And the stars twinkled like shiny diamonds.


    The moon never has to worry about anything except dancing across the sky and sleeping through the day.  Oh, and being food for the Gods when they¡¯re hungry.  When I die, I wanna be the moon. I¡¯ll be the best moon ever. But I don¡¯t wanna die. I...


    As it did with nearly all living things, the call of nature soon arrived. The last thing Momo wanted to do was squat over that oddly bucket-shaped object. There was the option to go in the corner. Since her new ¡®room¡¯ had more space, she had a choice to relieve herself in a corner. That was something to consider if she could bury her waste, but Momo couldn''t pierce the ground.


    She eventually grunted, stood up, and slowly walked to the bucket. Squatting down, she relieved herself inside of it, and as she zipped her pants up, she realized something wasn¡¯t right. The bucket she had before was metal.  When a liquid was poured into a metal bucket, it made a distinct sound that was not at all similar to what she just heard. Against her better judgment, she cautiously took a better look and realized it wasn¡¯t a bucket at all.


    It was the head of the girl who looked like Servi. Only the top quarter had been lopped off, which made it the perfect object, albeit small, to hold liquid in. Unfortunately, Momo had already used it to store the waste produced by her renal system.


    In short, Momo short-circuited when she realized what had happened. Her mind stopped thinking, her body stopped moving, and every bit of strength left her. Momo fell backwards, inadvertently kicking it with a stray kick. It rolled over, and the yellow urine emptied out onto the grass. Her facial expression looked as if it was frozen in time, yet the vast number of tears streaming from her eyes could drown a fish.


    In a way, her mind shut down, leaving her body all alone.


    And it stayed that way for three days. However, while she didn¡¯t have complete control over her body, it performed the motions it needed like a robot on autopilot. When her captors gave her food and water, her body ate it without a word of protest. When it came time to relieve herself, her body did it all on its own in the corner of the room so her consciousness wouldn¡¯t have to actively think about it.


    And that was how she spent her remaining days.


    On Saturday morning at 6:30AM, Sakdu stood in front of Momo¡¯s jail cell. Faint trickles of sweat flowed down his scaley body as he ran a rag over his hulking chest. A pair of thick undergarments covered his lower body from his waist to his knees. He had just completed a training session with his bodyguard as a way to get back into fighting shape. It would be their last time sparring together since the fated day was finally upon them.


    ¡°Momo, my men tell me you still refuse to speak to them? Why is that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Are you hoping that your friend is somehow alive? I¡¯m sorry, but as you saw for yourself, she is dead.¡± Sakdu raised a finger and pointed to the severed head in the corner. It had started decaying, yet Momo ignored the vomit-inducing stench it gave off.


    ¡°I will tell you how it will be from now on. In a few hours, I will kill you in front of my men. Then, I will set siege to Canary and set it ablaze with my flame of hatred. I will send my men out into the city, stabbing and skewering every Human they find. Should the Demi-Humans try to fight back, I will have no qualms about using my axe on them. Once I find Fisher Jin and his family, I will roast them alive like pigs and eat them in front of him. I will force him to watch. Let him feel the pain and sorrow I went through. I will start with the children. May his wife face punishment for marrying such a man as him. She will be the second to last. Perhaps I¡¯ll start with her legs and work my way up? Yes, that sounds good. Then with Fisher last, I¡¯ll skin him alive. Perhaps I¡¯ll cut off chunks of meat and fry it?  Oh! I cannot wait for it!¡± Renewed with vigor, Sakdu walked to a missing section of the Earth Wall that made up the holding area.


    Before he crossed over the threshold, he turned back to the cell containing Nimea.


    ¡°Your time is at hand, Earth Elf. Like the Singi, you will die soon. Should you have any final prayers or last words, then speak them now. Momo, perhaps a part of me believed Servi would make it. Perhaps it wanted to be showed that Humans and Demi-Humans could forge an unbreakable bond.¡± He growled the words, which pricked at Nimea¡¯s skin like pins in a cushion.


    As he turned to leave for the second time, the young Singi with a bald tail ran in, panting and heaving for even the smallest breathe of air. He hastily gave his boss a letter and went to speak, but Sakdu held up a hand. ¡°Go and get some rest,¡± The Singi wordlessly nodded and walked out of the holding area in search of a chair to collapse in.


    He used his nail to break the seal and read it over. Growling, he wondered why Roger chose fit to alert him to certain atrocities happening within Arcton. He didn¡¯t care if one of his members went out of control and used Venti Aqua to cause an untold amount of damage. Why would Sakdu care if a few of the bases were destroyed? He never cared about them. He never counted on their strength anyway. If anything, they were only bodies to be used as shields to guard his personal army from Canary¡¯s initial onslaught of attacks. Such petty concerns would only serve to ruin his good mood, so he ripped the letter and tossed the scraps to the floor.


    The ground lightly vibrated as the hulking Kobold exited the area. Then the missing section of the Earth Wall arose from the ground and closed back up, eliminating even the most petite seam. The amount of light illuminating the naturalistic prison died out, and only little rays shone down through the small holes in the roof above.


    ¡°Momo?¡± A quiet voice murmured a name for the first time in days. Nimea crawled on his hands and feet until he reached the thick iron bars. His slender hands only managed to wrap themselves halfway around it. It was cold and smooth, with no bumps or raised edges. The iron sword used in its creation was of high quality.


    The pink Singi curled up into a tiny ball and closed her eyes. She didn¡¯t make any sort of noise.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to talk. I don¡¯t want to talk, but I don¡¯t want to die alone without anyone knowing my story. I don¡¯t care if you say anything. I don¡¯t even care if you listen. I... I just want to speak. I just want to hear it spoken aloud.¡±


    Nimea turned around and sat down. He leaned back until he found a comfortable position against the three bars and ran his dirt-colored hands against the ground. As an Earth Elf, he had been around soil all his life. He loved to dig and plant trees and flowers in the springtime, and he enjoyed watching them grow as the seasons changed to summer and fall. He even cried in the winter when the harsh snowstorms killed his plants, and he happily laughed when it came time to replant them.


    Water droplets streamed from the corner of his eyes until they traveled down his dark cheeks. The Earth Elf known as Nimea had forgotten his roots. How funny, he thought, that only when his death was imminent did his life flash before his eyes.


    ¡°Momo, I¡¯m going to start my story now. But before I do, I want to apologize for the way I acted when we first met. I had no right to insult Servi. I really desired the best for you, but I went about it in all the wrong ways when I heard she didn¡¯t have a shield. Instead of trying to steal you away, I should¡¯ve done the right thing and allowed her to borrow one of mine. I should¡¯ve set an example by looking out for my junior members, but I didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Perhaps it was the years of having everything given to me by my parents. Maybe it was the fact I¡¯ve never suffered any consequences of my actions up until now? Mama, I¡¯m sorry for being a terrible son. I wished I helped out more in the kitchen. Father, I know I¡¯m not the man you wanted me to be. I¡¯m not as strong as you. I¡¯m not as capable. You¡¯re everything I wanted to be. I know you hate me now. How could you not?


    ¡°I was the first-ever failure in my family to be demoted in Warden. That rarely ever happens in the first place, yet I somehow managed to accomplish the impossible. If my parents found out, I don¡¯t even want to imagine the shame. You know, I tried to tiptoe around it by pretending it never happened. After being demoted, I found it hard to take on quests. My anger reached a boiling point, and I failed jobs that practically had a zero chance of defaulting because I kept arguing with the clients. Without completing them, I couldn¡¯t make any money. My Dwarven friend, Quark, and sworn brother, Aemi, left me after we had a big fight concerning our future. They said I slowed them down. They said it was all my fault, and I told them off. I shouted I didn¡¯t need them. They were the ones who needed my abilities.


    ¡°I went to bed, and when I woke up, they had left town. Dejected, I went to the post office in Canary and wrote a letter to my family. I needed money, so I lied and said it was for equipment. Somehow, I survived by scrounging around in the slums until I received a letter back.


    ¡°They disowned me. My father actually disowned me. He said being broke was the direct result of my foolish actions because I never could grow up. He talked it over with Mama, and they both agreed that my name on the family register was an infected wound. The easiest way to remedy that was by cutting me off.¡±


    Nimea wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. He had to force his throat to swallow because it felt as if his beating heart was about to jump out of his throat. ¡°I had a growing fine at Warden because of those failed quests, so I took out a loan to cover it. I tried, and I tried, and I tried until the sun went down, but no one wanted to party up with me. Quark and Aemi had spread rumors about me to nearly everyone in town, and I was alone. Soon after, I fell to drinking. The bars in the slums at Canary were the perfect places for me to drown my sorrows away. When I ran up the tab at one, I scampered off and did the same at a different spot.


    ¡°You know, I saw you a few times. Running all over town like a little cat in search of adventure. Was it fun learning from someone worthy to be a teacher? I know you participated in the Warden Tournament, and I know you won it. If I had better choices when we met, I wonder if I would have been there? When Quark and Aemi left me, I had no friends. But you, on the other hand... You had all the friends. You had the Warden experience I wanted. You had mentors who loved and cared about you!¡±


    Nimea smacked his palm against the back of his head as a way of punishing himself. Then he slapped his cheeks as a way of expressing his unfathomable sadness. In between thick sobs, he finished his story even as his words slurred more together. ¡°I left Canary after that. I heard rumors about Arcton and what kind of place it was, so I sold what little I had left and stocked up on supplies. My plan was to go to a new city and start a new life in a place where no one knew who I was.


    ¡°At first, for the first few days at least, I regretted everything. Everything here was awful! You¡¯ve seen the state of the city, so I know you know what I¡¯m talking about. Then one day-- two days before I got captured, I found work as a busboy in a bar. The old woman who owned it must¡¯ve taken pity on me, but she gave me a job cleaning tables. For the first time in a month, I was happy. I smiled. I even cried.


    ¡°Two days after that, when I was running errands for my boss, I saw Servi running away from a place called The Berrycanta Inn. I figured if she was here, then you had to be nearby.¡± Nimea words slowed to a crawl as he did his best to finish off his tale with what little pride he had left.


    ¡°I wanted to apologize to you,¡± he lied. Nimea didn¡¯t have the heart to tell Momo what he really wanted to do. He figured it would only make the final moments that much more difficult to bear. ¡°I walked in the Inn and asked the woman for your room. She told me, and I went up to apologize. That¡¯s when everything went blank, and I woke up imprisoned. How funny, I wanted to tell a story of my life, but the words that spewed from my mouth were anything but.¡±


    Nimea tried to speak tales of his childhood, yet the words refused to be pronounced. His mind believed if he uttered those words and achieved his original goal, then it would unequivocally mean the end of his life was close at hand.


    ¡°Maybe this is all punishment for the bad things I¡¯ve done over the years. I was never punished as a child, so maybe this all overdue?¡± Nimea chuckled, then cried, then sobbed. His mind kept him busy with the sudden change in emotions as a way to cope with his impending death.


    A portion of the Earth Wall disappeared, and Sakdu came walking in dressed entirely in mythril armor. A large silver axe, nearly as long as him, sat on his back as he ripped the two sets of iron bars out of the ground with his hulking strength.


    ¡°It is time for the both of you to die,¡± he growled.


    Without being ordered, Momo stood up and quietly murmured. ¡°Then this is my punishment for being a bad friend and granddaughter. I was the reason grampy got hurt. I was the reason my one and only best friend had to die.¡± She stumbled over to the decaying head in the corner and picked it up with trembling hands.


    ¡°I want to die with my best friend. Is that okay? When I get to the afterlife, I want to say I¡¯m sorry.¡± Momo hugged the head to her chest, squishing it against her armor. Days of decay had made it soft and malleable, and the hundreds of larvae feeding on the inside didn¡¯t help its structural integrity at all. The rotted insides squished out, covering her arms and chest in its fleshy remains. It was soft, and most of it just ran down to the ground. Momo didn¡¯t try to pick it up, but she cradled her arms against her chest and held what she could.


    ¡°I will allow it,¡± Sakdu said. ¡°I know not why you want to spend your final moments with a traitor. Now, remove the Earth Walls!¡± he barked an order, and the walls Momo and Nimea were snared in disappeared. The sudden blast of sunlight shined down Momo, filling her eyes, which had grown moderately accustomed to the darkness. Even though the ceiling had tiny crevices, they weren¡¯t large enough to let in an amount of light that would turn night into day.


    She was in the middle of a remarkably open camp that had to be a few kilometers in size. Voluminous waves of thick forests with dense leaves trapped them from all sides. It made one wonder what kind of force Sakdu used to deforest the area they stood on. Thousands of warriors stood in attendance, yet not a single one batted an eye at the pitiful Singi or her sudden appearance. Their gear wasn¡¯t uniform. The majority didn¡¯t have an entire set of armor, yet most had a weapon ranging from a stick to a sword to a baton. Scattered in between the ragtag mercenaries sat about 200 people of all races and genders wearing clothes of a solid color. Suits, they were called. Each base from the 5th down had personalized soldiers like that of the boss¡¯s own guard.


    About half of them wore magenta jumpsuits, and the rest wore black. The color signified which base they belonged to.


    However, the Suits and other warriors all had the same dead look in their eyes. It only meant that their souls were willingly sold to the devil known as Monotonia. Such a pill had the power to turn friend into foe and spouse into rapist. Its seductive lure was more than enough to force those under its captivating gaze to sleep on the hard ground. That explained the severe lack of tents or other sleeping accommodations.


    Everyone there, sans Sakdu, Roger, their prisoners, the forthcoming survivors of Servi¡¯s Mafia-focused genocide, and a few other key members were in the final stages of Monotonia Dependency.


    Ten large cauldrons,  each capable of holding nearly 250 gallons of bloody stew, were placed without care for the arrangement. A sane person wouldn¡¯t have been able to stomach the rotting stench of fleshy innards coming from it, but those under the Monotonia¡¯s curse didn¡¯t offer a word of protest. They were ordered to carry a corpse with them to toss into the pots. Their blood and meat would be the fuel to power their bodies for the remainder of Sakdu¡¯s war against the unknowing Fisher Jin. On the off chance it wasn¡¯t enough to feed their energy needs, the base responsible for making the food for the Suits was ordered to bring along more corpses.


    Momo and Nimea were surrounded by an oppressive force over 15,000 strong, but not a single one compared to him.


    Clasped from head to toe in the most unyielding substance available to the known world, the four-meter-tall Kobold walked over to Sakdu, his boss. When it came to strength, no one compared to him. Ruthlessness? He slaughtered fathers in front of daughters, mothers in front of sons, and husbands in front of wives. The two parallel streaks running down each individual part of his armor pulsed in sync as three quadrupled-headed axes flew above him in a circular formation. Unquestionably, strength wasn¡¯t the only category he excelled in.


    He spoke not with his mouth, but with a series of hand signals. Sakdu laughed and conversed with him. ¡°We are waiting on my men from Arcton to arrive. After that, we will leave soon.¡± The Mafia¡¯s boss tried to entice his powerful mercenary with a few pills, but he signed that he didn¡¯t want any.


    When it came to skills, how could he cast them if he refused to speak? The Goddess who blessed him had a passive ability that granted strength and power in exchange for his voice with the side effect of using his hands to use skills. Being the Kobold that he was, he gladly traded away the ability to speak for that unique advantage. Evidently, it was the right choice because even amongst other Kobolds, the bodyguard was undefeated in combat. Even more than that, he didn¡¯t consider words to be something important. If he needed to communicate, he could use his hands. If he chose not to, he only needed a pen and paper to scribble whatever he needed to say.


    ¡°Momo, Nimea, follow me. Your deaths await you. Should you try to run, he will hunt you down and give you a death most painful.¡± Sakdu took his axe off his back and hefted it over his shoulders. He turned to walk away. Momo followed him like a lost lamb. The remains of what she believed to be Servi¡¯s head remained tightly held against her chest.


    With every step Momo took, the innocent grass under her feet crumbled. At the same time, the fortress that was her mind was nearly broken down. Every step towards her death meant another block was chipped away. Eventually, it shattered. It rumbled, destroying what little consciousness Momo. With every passing second, her life came closer to ending.


    That was when it happened. The girl inside Momo¡¯s consciousness took control and violently forced Momo¡¯s mind to go to the one place it had left. The girl on the outside continued to walk and follow whatever orders she was given, but the essence known as Momo wasn''t there anymore.

 Book Three – Interlude – Part Three – A Dreaded Lie & Hours Before Execution

    The scenery surrounding the sleeping Singi should have reminded her of a happier time when she didn¡¯t have to worry about the impending fear of death. The grass, soft and green, acted like Mother Earth¡¯s natural mattress while the brightly colored leaves warmed up the fragile Singi. Tears dripped down the corner of her eyes, becoming beautiful flowers when they touched the ground. Standing above her was a girl that was Momo¡¯s twin in every way but two.


    Her ears were larger and fluffier, and her tail was thicker and bushier. They shared the same adorable cheeks, a similar cute nose, the delightful blue eyes, and a desire for survival. A sudden breeze flew by, sending strands of pink hair across her eyes as she crouched down. The white sundress she wore lightly tickled the tips of her bare feet while a timid hand reached out to her sleeping twin.


    ¡°Momo,¡± she whispered. ¡°It¡¯s time to wake up. You¡¯re safe now.¡±


    ¡°Nnrrrhhhg¡­¡± responded the sleeping Singi. Her tail whipped away the hand that dared to disturb its master¡¯s slumber.


    The Momo lookalike frowned, puffing out her cheeks like a chipmunk storing food for the winter. Then she laughed. Each joyous noise created a cloud, filling the sky with fluffy, white shapes.


    Once again, the Momo lookalike bent down and poked at her twin¡¯s sleeping face. ¡°Momo, sweetie, it¡¯s time to wake up.¡±


    That didn¡¯t work either, so the lookalike took drastic measures. The girl clapped once, creating grassy tendrils that lifted Momo by the arms until she stood up like a puppet on a string. As she was still asleep, the lookalike caught her when the tendrils returned to their grassy form, embracing her in a hug.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Momo. You don¡¯t need to be afraid anymore. You don¡¯t need to pretend to be asleep.¡± Heartfelt sobs came from the Singi. They started small and weak, then grew into something large and obnoxious, yet the lookalike never once removed her arms. Slowly, Momo¡¯s stained armor disappeared, leaving her naked as a sudden, gentle spring of water drenched them. The smell of decaying flesh washed away down her body as a sudden breeze dried the two off. Like her lookalike, Momo¡¯s slender body became covered by a white sundress.


    Only once she had been cleaned and doused by the love of her lookalike did she slow her sobbing. Eventually, words came from her mouth, but they did so in the form of apologies.


    ¡°Servy, I¡¯m sorry!!! Servy!!!¡± She cried the name of her best friend into the chest of the girl who looked like her. She leaned back, falling to the ground while embracing Momo. Instead of hitting the ground, the two landed on the white petals of a Lily flower.


    Did they shrink? Did the flower grow? The answer didn¡¯t matter.


    It acted as a mattress, which allowed the Momo lookalike to further comfort her beloved outer-self. After a few long minutes of sobbing, Momo finally fought back the tears and asked a long-overdue question as she stared at her counterpart in the eyes.


    ¡°Where am I?¡±


    ¡°I brought you here to protect you. It was the only way to save your mind,¡± the lookalike responded. Her fluffy tail slowly swayed underneath her.


    ¡°But why? I¡¯m gonna die. Am I dead? Wait, where¡¯s Servy¡¯s head?! I need her head!!! I NEED IT!! How will I meet her in the afterlife if I don¡¯t have it?!  Hey, where¡ª" Momo fought and squirmed to escape her doppelg?nger¡¯s grip, yet she squeezed even tighter.


    ¡°You¡¯re not dead. And that wasn¡¯t Servi. She¡¯s still alive,¡± she whispered in Momo¡¯s ears.


    ¡°But how can you tell?! I saw her head!!! I saw it!! I held it!! I¡ª¡±


    ¡°What you saw and felt was a real head, yet it did not belong to Servy. I know that because she¡¯s still alive.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Momo, is she your best friend?!¡±


    Her lookalike had never raised her voice before in the few times they had met. Tears welled up in Momo¡¯s eyes as she weakly nodded.


    ¡°Then say it. Say Servi is your best friend!¡± she ordered.


    ¡°She¡¯s my¡­.¡±


    ¡°Louder!


    ¡°¡­best friend.¡±


    The doppelg?nger shouted. ¡°SAY IT LOUDER! SAY IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my best friend¡­ She¡¯s my best friend. She¡¯s my best friend! Servy¡¯s my best friend!!! SERVY IS MY BEST FRIEND!!! I want to believe she¡¯s still alive!!!! SERVY, I WANT TO BELIEVE YOU¡¯RE STILL ALIVE!!!!!¡±


    Momo buried herself into her lookalike¡¯s chest and screamed the words. She shouted in a bout of passion, expelling thick strands of spit as they repeated that simple sentence over and over again.


    ¡°Good! Don¡¯t ever forget it! She¡¯s coming to save you. Do you believe that? Even at the very end, you shouldn''t give up hope."


    Momo looked up from her lookalike¡¯s chest. Her nose had snot running down it, her eyes were red from crying, but her pretty smile said it all. ¡°I do! I believe in Servy. Servy¡¯s my best friend!!! I believe in her, so I¡¯m¡ª"


    ¡°Not scared anymore?¡± The lookalike finished Momo¡¯s sentence as the flower petals they laid on disappeared. But instead of succumbing to gravity and becoming a crater, the two fell like a feather, gently swaying from left to right in a loving embrace only the two of them could have. When they felt the warm grass between their toes, Momo unhooked her arms around her lookalike and stepped back with her own power.


    She made a fist and nodded, reigniting the fighting spirit locked behind her blue eyes. Her pink tail puffed out and sharply swooshed from side to side. ¡°I¡¯m not scared! Not anymore! I know she¡¯s gonna save me. And when she does, I¡¯ll tell her how sorry I was. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯ll take me back, but she¡¯ll always be my best bestest best friend in the whole wide world!¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± The lookalike copied Momo¡¯s movements, and they both giggled.


    That was when their ears picked up on some kind of noise coming from the horizon. From across the sprawling waves of green grass and colorful flowers, a crack in the sky formed. It spread, slowly and evenly, until it cordoned off a rectangular area that reminded Momo of a window. Then the blue sky within that area shattered, revealing an image of a girl standing high in the sky.


    It was a girl with red eyes.


    It was a girl with black hair.


    A girl with both of those physical traits was visible.


    But then the image moved. Servi descended down the empty air, and it was like invisible platforms were being created under her very feet.


    What they saw wasn''t just a fabrication of Momo''s mind. It was what Momo actually saw through her blue eyes.


    ¡°You see? She¡¯s still alive. She¡¯s coming for you. You want to meet her, right?¡± The lookalike turned to Momo, who started to cry tears of happiness. Her body shook with such excitement that it felt like her heart was about to jump out of her chest.


    She turned to her other self with a bright smile and wiped her wet eyes on the back of her hand. Then she sniffled a bit to clear her runny nose. ¡°I do! I wanna meet her! But what about¡ª¡±


    Her lookalike¡¯s fuzzy ears twitched as she held out a hand. Momo reached out, but when her fingers glanced against the lookalike¡¯s open palm, she shattered in a million tiny pink petals like the remains of a stiff breeze plowing through a field of flowering cherry blossoms.


    They swarmed Momo like a tornado, gently landing on her body and engulfing her in a warming warmth.


    Don¡¯t worry about me. As long as you are safe, I¡¯m going to be okay. Remember, I¡¯m always within your soul. Now run! You mustn¡¯t keep your best friend waiting! As her voice faded away, so to did the swirling blossoms.


    ¡°Right! Servy! I¡¯m coming!¡± Momo turned towards the missing section of the sky on the horizon, shouted her convictions, and ran towards it. Her pink hair trailed behind her, and her tail curled inward, wrapping around its master¡¯s waist as Momo ran even faster.


    It seemed like an impossible task, but the distance between the moving image of her best friend and Momo dwindled. Her feet should¡¯ve obliterated everything she stepped on, but it wasn¡¯t crushed grass she left behind. It was fields of white lilies.


    She ran, and she ran, and she ran evermore to close the distance between her and her objective. But once she reached a certain point, it was as if she stopped making any progress. But that couldn¡¯t be so! The sweat streaming down her cheeks and the furious pumping of her heart suggested anything but the opposite. Even with all of that, Momo never once gave up hope. The thought didn¡¯t cross her mind for even a moment.


    Suddenly, the Servi in the moving rectangular window in the sky began to emit noise¡ªNo, it wasn¡¯t just simple noise. It was something much more.


    Mr. Sun, so high in the sky.


    Makes me want to fly.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯m singing this tune.


    May I touch you soon?


    Music was the correct term. More accurately, it was a song from her childhood. Momo had only sung it once for Servi, so it shouldn¡¯t have held much importance for her. Yet the emotions flooding the young Singi¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t be described with mere words.  She felt like that song was an invaluable piece of their friendship.


    Out of nowhere, Momo began singing the same lyrics. In a flash, the sun exploded into pink fragments, which rained down on the running Singi. It filled her with strength, and the distance between the two started to shrink. When the Servi in the moving image walked ever closer and started on the second verse, hers and Momo¡¯s voice harmonized in perfect unity.


    Mr. Sky, so pretty and blue.


    When I look at you, I know that¡¯s true.


    And that fills me with such a boon.


    May I touch you soon?


    When that verse came to a close, Momo jumped from the ground. The sky above shattered into a trillion little pieces. It materialized into a pink swirling mass of energy that enveloped Momo like a warm cloak. When it poured into her body, it left behind two pink wings that she used to fly ever higher into the sky. Her goal was Servi, and come hell or hot water, the Singi was determined to make it there.


    As she soared through the air, the scenery changed. The ground below her cracked and faded, dissolving like sugar in water as an unfathomable void appeared in its place. However, Momo wasn¡¯t scared. She felt no hostility coming from the fear-inducing pit since she knew her lookalike would prevent any harm from coming to her. With nothing to worry about, Momo redoubled her efforts and flew towards the image of her friend. The wind pelted her hair, sending it flying in every direction as the night sky and stars came out to play. The moon showed up a bit later, looking as lovely and lustrous as ever.


    The Servi in the moving picture continued to walk across the empty air as she moved onto the third verse.


    Mr. Star, bright, bright, bright.


    At night, you¡¯re always in my sight.


    Even though it¡¯s past June.


    May I touch you soon?


    As the second to last verse came to a close, the pink wings created from the sky faded away. Like falling meteorites, the near-infinite number of stars in the sky fell down to the abyss below, yet they dropped in an unnatural pattern. Momo yelled out Servi¡¯s name, and the stars changed directions mid-fall and came to her aid. They exploded, sending pink dust scattering throughout the entire cosmos that was her inner mind. The dust then quickly assumed the shape of a staircase that started under Momo. She fell with all the grace of a cat, rolling to lessen the impact. Then she started the long journey to the moving picture via up the stairs.


    Every step brought her closer to the image of her friend, who continued to walk across the sky. Her gentle face with red eyes that rivaled the sun¡¯s intensity never looked away for a moment. Even the thousands of angry warriors with the weapons raised high to the sky didn¡¯t intimidate her. Momo didn¡¯t know what was happening on the outside, but she knew her body was fine.


    After all, if there was a chance she was in danger of dying, she knew her best friend in the whole wide world would jump in and save her. Still, that didn¡¯t mean Momo could take her sweet time. She wanted to smell her friend¡¯s unique scent. She yearned to hear Servi¡¯s kind voice. She wanted to feel the touch of her hands as they embraced each other in a passionate hug.


    She wanted to touch her.


    Tears streamed from her eyes, her shivering lips trembled, her hands and body and feet shook, yet the courage to keep going fueled her body. With Momo closer to her friend than ever before, the two started to sing the last verse.


    Mr. Moon, last but not least.


    Why don¡¯t you come join us for a feast?


    We can use forks, knives, or spoons.


    May I touch you soon?


    The moon exploded, giving its energy to Momo and enveloping her in pink mist. With it gone and out of the picture, there was nothing left in Momo''s inner mind but her, the staircase created from the stars, and the rectangular moving image. As she reached the final step, she jumped, shattering the thousands of stairs into pink dust that fell to the void below.


    The Servi of the image reached out her hand, and Momo did the same while singing her song¡¯s only repeating line.


    ¡°MAY I TOUCH YOU SOOOOOOOON?¡±


    She crashed into the image, shattering it into a million pieces, but she didn¡¯t come to a halt. She continued accelerating forward until she slammed into the outer edges of the recesses of her mind. It was the last obstacle preventing her from waking up. As if the universe itself wanted to lend a hand to the Singi, each of the cosmic objects she sang about in her song appeared. They all gave their power to Momo, giving her the power of her own universe and the strength to bring her consciousness back from the brink of death.


    She destroyed the final barrier, and everything went black as she shouted her friend¡¯s name one last time.


    ¡°SERVY!!!!!¡±


    Then there she was. Awake. With her hand stretching towards the one she longed to see the most.


    The sun shined down upon them, covering the two best friends in a warm embrace not unlike one they¡¯ve ever experienced before. The blue sky was above them, and everything seemed to be just perfect. Servi was there-- finally there after being separated for so long. Her face, so soft and gentle and caring. Her touch, clasping Momo¡¯s outstretched hand in between both of hers as if it was a priceless jewel. Her lips, speaking one final sentence and filling the Singi¡¯s ears with the voice she most desperately wanted to hear.


    ¡°May I touch you soon?¡±


    Her precious friend felt an infinite amount of emotions at once. Momo¡¯s face scrunched up, sending a cascade of tears down her face. Words attempted to be spoken, but it only came out as a garbled mess. Her legs endeavored to stay standing, yet the relief of seeing Servi drained their strength.


    But Servi understood that. She pulled Momo in for a hug and allowed the frightened girl a chance to cry and scream to her heart''s content.


    In a quiet voice, Servi whispered, ¡°Mosie, I need you to rest for a little bit, okay? We¡¯ll go home soon. I have to take care of some business... Itarr, I want you to use Kaasuvuoto to put her to sleep. Then use every single goddamn stack of Protection we have. After that, use seven hundred stacks of Telekinesis to send her up into the sky. Then protect her with whatever defensive skills we have. I don''t want to see a goddamn scratch on her.¡±


    Servi didn¡¯t wait for a response. She didn¡¯t have to. When Momo¡¯s tensed body went limp, Servi gently raised it up. Itarr took over the rest as it steadily flew high in the sky. Before Momo was out of range, Itarr took the liberty to push Absorption to its limits. She noticed there was a foul stench around her friend. It came from the gooey remains of whatever was pressed against the Singi¡¯s arms and chest. It was nasty and smelly, but for the Goddess, it didn¡¯t take long to do a little bit of tidying. Within moments, the sleeping girl was as clean as if she had taken a bath.


    ¡°Mosie, I promise it won¡¯t take that long. By the time you wake up, this dark chapter of our history will be behind us.¡± Servi cracked her knuckles and turned around.


    She was face to face with the Mafia''s boss, who stood opposite of her on a wooden stage hastily built in two hours. Their audience consisted of over 15,000 warriors, who made up the boss¡¯s personal army. Those belonging to Deset and the Suits of the 1st and 2nd base were also present, but their battle power didn¡¯t compare to Sakdu¡¯s private force.


    It was sure to be her greatest battle so far. But before the blood had a chance to tarnish such an enjoyable chunk of nature, Servi pulled out two chairs. She tossed one to the boss, who swiftly caught it. After Servi sat down, noticing her foe didn''t look alarmed at all after seeing a pair of chairs appear from nowhere. Sakdu plopped the chair down with a noisy sound, then he sat down.


    ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± Servi said, crossing her legs. ¡°I¡¯ve won your little game. As for my prize? I want your goddamn head, and I want to mount it on my fucking wall.¡±


    The nadrium-cladded Kobold started to walk towards her with his three axes spinning wildly above his head, but a hand from Sakdu put a stop to it.


    ¡°You can kill her once we are finished. Servi? I do assume you are her friend, yes? You have black hair. I can see such fire burn within your red eyes. You said you want my head, yes? I will give you a chance to take it, but first, I wish to talk.¡±

 Book Three – Chapter Eleven – Part One – Shattering the Collar

    RuggyRuggy


    Daily releases technically started yesterday, I guess.


    I do not have a set upload time. When I was scheduling the parts, I just picked a random time for each one.


    This first part is the last part of the previous interlude from Servi''s point of view.


    When the sun peeked over the horizon and baptized the world with its orange hue, it did so without joy. The light it brought didn¡¯t bring peace. Instead, it illuminated the horrors that had happened while the moon was in control of the sky. Even for a trashy city like Arcton, it was usually possible to hear one or two crows sing while flying around in search of food. A day couldn''t go by without someone succumbing to the danger a gang-ridden city like Arcton brought. Even though the city was ripe with the dead, Servi emitted such danger that not even the carrion eaters of the aviary world dared to perturb on her territory.


    For the city of Arcton truly belonged to the strongest, and that title belonged to Servi. Sat atop a nearby roof with a watermelon-scented cigar in her hand. She gingerly waited for the smoke signal to show herself. Blood covered her right arm down to her elbow, and the corpse she sat on top of coincidentally had a hole stretching from his neck to his stomach.


    He was an unlucky soul who tried to attack Servi by throwing rocks, but she quickly made him pay for his transgressions with his life. She never planned on killing him before she went off in search of Momo, and Servi certainly didn¡¯t want to spend the extra few seconds to clean her body after she already showered, but life wasn¡¯t fair. That was definitely something the corpse¡¯s owner thought before he felt a long arm enter his esophagus.


    ¡°Shit, I¡¯m gonna have to get clean again,¡± Servi muttered.


    A weak flame appeared in front of her. She bit the tip of her cigar and stuck it in the floating fire as its natural watermelon scent entered her nose. Her clothes suddenly disappeared.


    A sudden stream of super-heated hot water then appeared, liquifying her skin. A nasty glob of skin pooled around her as, for a split second, Servi only consisted of her bone and muscle. Once all of her old skin had melted and drained away, the water flow stopped, and Servi¡¯s epithelial layer regenerated.


    She then discovered her cigar had been burnt before she even took a puff. A grunt later, she was equipped with whatever leather armor she had in her ring and a second cigar. A quick bite later, she spat the tip off the side of the building.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m clean now,¡± she muttered as she stuck her second cigar into the same weak flame. It died with a whimper as Servi took a long draw on the cigar. After a couple of seconds, she moved the cigar away and blew out a cloud of smoke. ¡°I don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s my first time smoking these. I mean, who the fuck was I before I woke up in Lando? Why the fuck did¡­ I wonder if I¡¯m a product of something? Clearly I¡¯m not normal. If whatever made me, produced me, trained me, or whatever did whatever to make me the way I am... Then wouldn¡¯t it be better to remove that something? If it¡¯s gone, then there won¡¯t be any more of people like me, which would be good.


    ¡°With the souls I gained from last night alone, I¡¯m sure I have enough power to destroy a whole country. When I take the souls from that, then I¡¯m sure I can crush continents with the utmost ease. Then what¡¯s after a continent? The world. If I destroy the world, that¡¯s sure to get the attention of the Gods, right?" Servi felt her ID vibrate.


    Itarr remained silent, but she only buzzed the red stone tablet at attached Servi¡¯s waist to show she was listening.


    ¡°It¡¯s so strange how I feel so in control of myself! And then I don''t feel in control... And then I do, and then I don''t... And that¡¯s what makes it so fucked up! AAAAGAGAGAGAGHHHHHH!!!! IT DOESN¡¯T MAKE ANY SENSE!!!! WHAT THE FUCK AM I?!?!?!¡± Servi shouted and took a second draw, filling her lungs with a thick fog. White smoke escaped out through her nose like she was an angry bull, leaving behind the sweet scent of melons.


    ¡°With all but one of the bases gone, my job is almost done. If I take out Deset at the meeting place, or where the fuck the smoke is going to be at, then I can say the Mafia will be completely wiped out.¡± She turned to the sun and stood up. Even without looking at the clock, Servi roughly knew what time it was. And as if to prove Servi right, her sharpened eyes caught the faint glimmer of smoke billowing up to the sky.


    She took one final puff on the cigar and tossed it off the edge of the building. ¡°I hate those damn things... Do I hate those damn things? Do I even know anything?¡± she muttered. "Don''t even know why I wanted to smoke it..." After hearing that, Itarr wanted to ask why she smoked something she hated, but once again, Itarr played it safe and remained quiet. The day was going to be a volatile one, that was for sure.


    Without anything else keeping her locked in Arcton, Servi took a step forward off the roof she was on. Instead of plummeting to the ground, her boot-covered feet rested atop an invisible platform created from a skill called Air Step. Such a skill was monumental when used by itself, but when combined with her outstanding speed and agility, Servi could maneuver through the sky better than a bird.


    Hundreds of buildings sat demolished behind her, filling the filthy streets with rubble and debris. A few hops later, there wasn¡¯t anything of man-made origin around her. Giant trees, grown stalwart and sturdy over the years, surrounded her as the smoke in her distance grew in both size and strength. Suddenly, she stopped her leaping and resorted to walking.


    When Servi looked behind her, she saw a few of those all-powerful trees resting on their side. The wind pressure created from each of her kicks couldn¡¯t be contained by buildings, so it was clear to see that trees couldn¡¯t handle them either. Even if their roots flourished for hundreds of years, Servi had shown her power dwarfed that of Mother Nature. A little bluebird flapped from the disorganized array of messy, leafy greens leaves. Its little lungs chirped as loud as they could while frantically flying around the remains of what used to be its home.


    The girl who caused such destruction turned around and left, never becoming privy to the horrors that happened to the bird. It didn¡¯t just lose its home. It lost its nest and egg. The poor thing eventually swooped down into the leaves and used its beak to push together the open remains of its eggs.


    After around thirty minutes of walking in a straight line towards her target, Servi saw the first glimpses of what would be the Mafia¡¯s last stand. It was as if someone took a large pair of scissors, at least 10 to 15km wide and long, and cut a noticeable section of trees out of the earth. Being nearly a perfect circle, Servi immediately noticed how many people were present.


    ¡°It has to be at least 10,000. Maybe more than 15,000¡­ What the fuck did the boss have planned?¡± Servi activated The Shadow''s Embrace and sped ahead with her full speed. Once she reached the edge of the camp, she fell down to the deforested ground and used a roll to get right back on her feet.


    The number of tents in her view suggested that there couldn¡¯t have been more than a few hundred-- maybe a thousand if the tents were stuffed full of people, but that obviously wasn¡¯t the case. If she didn¡¯t have The Shadow''s Embrace to remove herself from reality, then Servi would be bumping shoulders to shoulders at trying to walk through them. Eventually, she got annoyed and jumped six meters into the air.


    Air Step is by far the best way. Why didn¡¯t I think of it first? Servi looked down at the mindlessly swarming bodies and turned her attention to the middle of the camp. The crudely, hastily built wooden stage took her eye. She didn¡¯t think that someone of the boss¡¯s power and wealth would accept that raggedy platform held tight by a few screws. However, that wasn¡¯t the surprising thing.


    The stage held around ten people and two large crosses, which wasn¡¯t surprising to Servi, but he was there.


    The Kobold in full nadrium armor. His three quadrupled-headed axes flew in a soft circle two meters above his head. With only the slits in his helmet showing his alligator-like yellow eyes, there were no discernible features. Yet with a person like him who walked around with equipment that very few people could say they had, he didn¡¯t need any physical traits to be recognizable.   There was also a second Kobold standing nearby. His armor wasn''t anywhere near as fancy, but it was bright and silver, and shiny enough to reflect the sharp sunlight.


    An Elf wearing a white lab coat stood in front of the Kobold. His hands were in his pockets, but he wasn''t cool, calm, and collected. His mouth moved in a way suggesting he was angry with the mythril-encased Kobold in front of him, but the beast put a single hand to the Elf¡¯s shoulders. The other seven crowding the stage were a dime a dozen, so Servi scoffed at them and turned her attention elsewhere. When she did, the group descended down the stage¡¯s ramp.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t know who the boss is. Is it the Elf or Kobold? Is it really the nadrium¡ª¡± Before she could finish her words, a familiar voice pricked her ears. Servi spun on her heels and kicked off the air as she dashed towards the eastern edge of camp.


    ¡°¡­ ook at this camp. 6th, is this the right place?¡± Carrie asked. The sides of her blue eyes were raw from when she had cried for Williana. Her black spear sat nestled within her arms as if it was the last reminder of whatever kept her sane throughout her pained existence. She wasn¡¯t alone, of course. All of Deset was with her, but they weren¡¯t looking at the sniveling Singi. All of their heads turned to the Elf, who cradled a metallic bow. A nasty snarl was plastered across his face, but he wasn¡¯t upset at his underlings. His mind turned to the apocalyptic condition of his city.


    He heard the sounds of a rampaging battle lasting all throughout the night, and he had gotten reports of a series of brutal attacks on nearly all of the guard barracks. With the former, he had no idea who was responsible, but he did for the latter.


    Williana.


    A few sparse observers from Deset had unintentionally gotten a quick glimpse of her during her very meager moments of downtime.


    If she was the cause of all of that, is she behind last night¡¯s attack? Does she really have the power to smash buildings? And what was that sword? That warehouse used to contain a whole base... Did she really twist it into a weapon? And how did she even find out about it? I¡¯m starting to think I can¡¯t control her. Wait, if I give her the order to attack, can¡¯t I use her bloodlust to keep her under my command?


    ¡°6th?¡± asked a Dwarf Numbered. There was a ''7'' on his exposed stomach. Since they were out and about, he figured there was no need to hide it. He slapped a large hand to his bulging gut.


    ¡°Yeah, this is the place. You see that stage? Let¡¯s head towards there so I can ask the boss about the plan.¡±


    ¡°But do you know what he looks like?¡± replied the Dwarf.


    ¡°I do not, but it won¡¯t be hard to find out.¡± Carmelo turned his head to the stage devoid of people, then he quickly spun in a small circle. His eyes were on the lookout for the cause of the destruction herself. She had promised him she¡¯d be here in time to kill the boss. How could she do that if she didn¡¯t know what he looked like.


    Like a swarm of fish, the Deset group slowly wormed their way through the mindlessly wandering crowd of people as the topic of discussion naturally turned to the chaos they saw as they emerged from their base.


    ¡°Sixth, why do you think Deset was the only base to avoid devastation?¡± asked an Elf with a ''10'' carved in her left forearm. She squeezed by a pair of Kobolds, who had thick strands of clear drool dripping from their pursed lips. The Elf didn''t know the other bases'' locations, but Carmelo knew of some of them. Seeing the few he did know go up in smoke made him think that the other hideouts were attacked as well.


    Carmelo thought about lying, but he realized he didn¡¯t need to keep his Mad Dog hidden any longer. There wasn¡¯t a need to hide her in the first place, but he lied to Carrie when she asked about her the day before. ¡°Williana¡¯s behind it all. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sixth, that¡¯s impossible!¡± Carrie shouted and immediately covered her mouth. ¡°You¡¯ve seen her skills. She isn¡¯t capable of doing anything like what we saw when we left.¡±


    ¡°Believe it or not, it is of no concern to me. Williana is my Mad Dog. She''s a warrior I send out to do my bidding. How fortunate I was able to find her when I did.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so the only reason she didn¡¯t attack us, assuming what you said is true, is because you ordered her to destroy every other base?!¡± A Koena with an orange ''7'' on her dusty gray scales clasped a heavy hand to Carmelo''s shoulders. ¡°You betrayed the Mafia! Why?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be absurd. I didn¡¯t order Williana to attack the other bases. She told me that she was going out on her own, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then is she gone?! Will I ever see her again?!¡± Carrie interrupted. She stepped over a groaning Dwarf lying on his back as the hot sun cooked his exposed limbs. His eyes had long been bloodshot, and he shook uncontrollably. Still, his life didn''t matter to Carrie, so she didn''t even give him a second glance.


    ¡°She¡¯s here. I don¡¯t know where, but Williana said she¡¯d be here.¡± Carmelo strummed his bow¡¯s strings as a wave of green lights flew up and came down, piercing the gray Koena¡¯s heart. Her death was quick and merciful, something that Carmelo wasn¡¯t a fan of. As he expected, the other Deset members barely reacted and stepped over the Koena¡¯s corpse as they made their way towards the stage.


    ¡°So are you telling me this ¡®Williana¡¯ was responsible for everything?¡± a sparkling green Kobold asked. Unlike most members of his race, he was blessed with a complete body of scales. A few on his right bicep were ripped off in the shape of a ''9''.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re slow, but yes. Williana is a frightening girl with tremendous power. I sent her on a few assassination contracts, and she came back quicker than ever with proof that her target was dead. I know not how she accomplishes the things she does, but the truth is this: she is a volatile, rabid animal with fangs that sink into whoever is her enemy,¡± Carmelo explained. A few minutes later, he squeezed through a few more wandering bodies and reached a spot of relative peace. Carmelo took a knee, caught his breath, and waited for his men to catch up. Though he had unknown plans about the Mafia that included taking out its leader, he did somewhat care for those under his command who could be useful. Perhaps it was not at the level of a mother caring for her son or a stranger giving a box of puppies a wonderful home, but the love was there, if barely.  He had to care about them because they would be his loyal men once had command over the Mafia.


    Once the Numbered had rounded up around him, Carmelo continued the journey to the stage. Other than the two crosses, it remained empty as part of Carmelo struggled to figure out what they were to be used for.


    ¡°I had my men report to me about the state of the city. You saw it for yourself when we left, so you should know what may happen,¡± Carmelo said. He did his best to ignore the growing scent of feces and raw sweat, but even his trained body couldn¡¯t withstand the stink any longer. A quiet gag escaped his throat, followed by Carrie doing the same thing. As a Singi, her sensitive nose was battered and assaulted when they came within fifty meters of the camp.


    ¡°Sixth, I don¡¯t think the city is going to survive,¡± said the green-scaled Kobold.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡ª¡± Carmelo went to explain his thoughts on Arcton¡¯s future, but his words were choked when he saw a massive Kobold in nadrium armor. The beast had two frail stragglers trailing behind.


    That¡¯s it! He has to be the boss. Why else would he be in the front?!


    Carmelo watched as the short, three-person long line stopped at the pair of crosses. One was an Earth Elf with snipped ears. The other was a Singi with pink hair reaching down the middle of her back. Clotted and covered with knots and tears, it almost seemed as black mold had started to thrive on her ghastly, pink locks. A Kobold in silver brought up the rear and walked to the rightmost edge of the stage. An Elf with a white coat soon appeared with a rope. Carmelo didn¡¯t know what was going on.


    An execution? Is this why we had to gather? No, it couldn''t be...


    The Earth Elf started to float in the sky after the nadrium-armored Kobold performed a series of quick hand movements. Roger then tied Nimea¡¯s arms and legs to it. Next, he turned to Momo, who pitifully held what she thought was the head of her dear friend against her chest. Since Sakdu had told him that he allowed Momo the right to die holding that disease-ridden head, Roger tied the rope around her waist and chest to keep her attached to the cross.


    Servi, who had been walking with the group from Deset using Air Step to stay above them, ignored the occupants of her former base and focused her attention on her best friend. Millions of questions flooded her mind, yet the most pressing one was that mushy head she hugged. Hundreds of larvae had to live inside it, and now they had a new home to suppurate and ruin.


    The second was Nimea.


    Why the fuck is he here?! I knew I should¡¯ve killed that Elf the moment he tried to¡ª


    Her thoughts were cut off by the mythril-wearing Kobold. He took off his helmet. A second later, Roger tossed him a voice-loudner, and he began to speak.


    ¡°My loyal warriors from across Arcton, I thank you for heeding my call and assembling together within the week,¡± he started off his speech.


    Hmm, there should have been many, many more people. Roger told me that there was trouble in Arcton. Was I wrong in assuming the problem was minor? No, it doesn¡¯t affect the plan one bit. I never counted on their strength to be nothing more than meat shields to protect my personal army. These warriors I have with me are all capable of using Rank 1 skills... They''re all blessed by Major Gods and Goddesses...The traitors in Arcton won''t be missed...


    ¡°We are here to push the legacy of the Mafia even further!!! We will spread across the Kingdom of Lando, infest the Keywater Empire with our tendrils, and crush all who oppose us in Westera. The whole world shall know our name! Cheer for the glorious Mafia!!!!¡±


    The once silent crowd exploded into a force of unparalleled audible proportion. Even if a God from the Heavens Above came down to speak to a group of warriors, the tremendous cheering wouldn¡¯t be comparable. It was like the destructive difference between a poke and a bomb.


    ¡°And to begin our conquest of Lando, we must strike at the city of Canary!!! We will slaughter them all!!! Their food and nourishment will be ours!!! Take the people for yourselves, drown yourself in pleasures known not to the world of man!!! For three days and three nights shall we terrorize those pathetic worms!!! Then we move on to the next city, and the next, and the next!!!! No longer will we be a simple organization! We will be a force that directly challenges the authority of the world!!! Do this for me, and I will guarantee every warrior who fights to the bitter end, using all the strength they acquired throughout the years, will receive 100 Monotonia of their choosing!!! CHEER FOR THE MAFIA!!!!!! RAISE YOUR WEAPONS TO THE SKY!!!¡±


    Nearly every word Sakdu spoke was a lie. Once his desire for revenge was sated, Sakdu planned on killing himself. He cared not if the organization perished with him, and the promise of giving them Monotonia was something he never intended to do. Ever since Sakdu and Roger formulated the plan nearly a decade in the making, Canary¡¯s conquest was the one and only goal.


    It might seem contradictory since nearly all of them were so utterly dependent on Monotonia, but his research showed that they still reacted positively to certain stimuli.


    Morale.


    The individual increases in fighting ability varied from person to person, but it never grew above five percent.  In Sakdu¡¯s eyes, however, that five percent was worth the childish speech since it eclipsed whatever advantages the men in Arcton would bring.


    After all, five percent of a hundred was more than five percent of ten. If that was multiplied by 15,000 brainwashed warriors, who were gathered from all around the world, all who happened to be incredibly strong? Even a simpleton would make the right choice.


    In regards to the speech, the words were complete rubbish. He could really replace the words with something like conquering the moon or the stars, and it would have the same effect because he only needed to speak specific words to elicit the effects he wanted.


    However, that didn''t make sense. Why did generic words of conquest and glory enhance the mind-altering effects of Monotonia? Roger was the father of that awful pill, and he knew everything there was to know about it, yet this fact escaped his knowledgeable mind. Even more mind-boggling, it only affected those whose minds were truly lost the pills. At their core, people were greedy. They always want and want, even if they had everything. So when the chance came around to fulfill their greedy desires, they reacted even while under the effects of an awful pill. Or the reason could have been something else, something entirely unknown to all the world over. Or the cause could be known to everyone. Truly, such a mystery was one for the ages. No mortal could solve that riddle, however, since the truth was only known by the Gods and Goddesses who carved the world.


    But what about Sakdu''s words about branching off to other countries? The Mafia already had its grubby hands in Adenaford, Lando''s capital city. They had leaders in Keywater and Westera, who had their own plots and plans, including blackmailing banks and local leaders to get what they want. There were even plans in progress to send a few senior members off across the sea to the other continent to spread the Mafia''s poison in fresh wounds. Sakdu didn''t bring any of them with him because they lacked the fighting ability he needed. In other words, they were just too weak to be of use to him. Smart and intelligent? Yes, without a doubt, but that was all they had, and Sakdu needed raw power to achieve a decade-long goal in the making.


    Like before, Sakdu had only said those words because they were instrumental in getting that morale boost.


    ¡°To give thanks to the Gods and Goddesses who blessed us with the power to strike back at our enemies, I will slaughter these two sacrifices! Let their blood pave the way to our victory! Let their lives protect us!!¡± Sakdu raised his hulking arms to the sky and slammed his voice-loudner into the stage. It cracked, splintering off wooden chips in every which way as the Skill Item exploded when it hit the hard ground underneath.


    Sakdu turned to the pair of sacrifices-to-be and pulled out a small dagger from within his Dimensional Storage. Roger stood off to the side with his hands behind his back while the bodyguard kept an eye out for anything out of the ordinary.


    That was when it happened.


    Servi reentered the world of existence. Roger saw a mysterious Human floating in the air and shouted for Sakdu, who turned to face the brave warrior. His bodyguard walked in front, but Sakdu ordered him to stand back.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ So you came after all? She won¡¯t attack me. Not until she saves her friend. But floating like that? I can surely see that you are not just a simple Rank 10,¡± Sakdu growled.


    Servi descended, putting one foot in front of the other as she unblinkingly stared at the figure of her best friend while ignoring the 15,000 soldiers below her. Suddenly, she spoke, singing a song that was supposed to hold no meaning to her.


    After all, she had only heard it once. The lyrics made no sense when analyzed. If anything, the song was just a children¡¯s song.


    But it was more than that.


    Momo¡¯s grandfather sung it to her, then she sung it to Servi. It held power and hope in the form of words connecting best friend to best friend.


    Mr. Sun, so high in the sky.


    Makes me want to fly.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯m singing this tune.


    May I touch you soon?


    The distance closed between the two as life returned to Momo¡¯s eyes. Without any hesitation, Servi continued to the second verse. Somehow, she knew Momo was singing right along with her. Even though her body remained motionless, Servi knew her best friend was fighting with all of her strength.


    Mr. Sky, so pretty and blue.


    When I look at you, I know that¡¯s true.


    And that fills me with such a boon.


    May I touch you soon?


    After she spoke the last word in the final line, Momo¡¯s two pink ears softly moved in the summer breeze.


    Mr. Star, bright, bright, bright.


    At night, you¡¯re always in my sight.


    Even though it¡¯s past June.


    May I touch you soon?


    After the third verse escaped her lips, Momo¡¯s tail sprung to life. It lashed out to the left and right like a snap of pink fury. Servi felt that she was close to reuniting with her best friend. Only one verse remained...


    Mr. Moon, last but not least.


    Why don¡¯t you come join us for a feast?


    We can use forks, knives, or spoons.


    May I touch you soon?


    Servi reached the stage, landing on it with a healthy thunk when the song was finished. However, Servi wanted to add one more line to it. She walked across, eliminating the distance between her best friend as she held out a hand while absorbing the rope and cross. Like an angel descending from the heavens, Momo slowly fell down as the fighting spirit re-energized her soul. Servi caught her friend¡¯s hand with both of hers as if it was some kind of mystical object befitting the Gods and Goddess.


    ¡°May I touch you soon?¡± she whispered, locking eyes with a girl who slowly stirred awake.


    Momo¡¯s mouth uttered those same words as Servi pulled her trembling friend into the loving embrace she needed. A babbling mess of tears and apologies were said, and when Servi felt the strength leave from her friend¡¯s legs, she supported her, burying her head into her chest. She felt her armor slightly rumble from the shouts, yells, and incomprehensible cries, but that was fine. One hand explored every bit of that pink hair. A week¡¯s worth of a lack of care forced it to be slimy and greasy, but she didn¡¯t care.


    The one thing in the world she wanted to accomplish was complete, and that was to embrace her best friend.


    And as Servi gave Itarr commands to follow in a whisper, she turned to the boss. Itarr kept a close eye on the situation at hand. With how much rage and chaos Servi wrought over the past few days, she expected the self-titled ¡®Mad Dog¡¯ to lash out into a seething rage.


    But she didn¡¯t. For some reason, Servi retrieved a pair of chairs and threw one to the mythril-wearing Kobold.


    He sat down after she did, and a most notable conversation was about to begin. The outcome was apparent because it would end with everyone dying, yet Servi wanted to spare a few words before starting the final slaughter.


    RuggyRuggy


    About the Mafia. There are thousands of more Numbered than what was revealed in Arcton. The Mafia has leaders in Westera and Keywater, and there are more in Adenaford, Lando''s capital city. If Sakdu does die here, then it will be interesting to see what will happen to the organization as a whole. We already know Carmelo wants it for himself, so the chances are high that there are other usurpers out there. And since Sakdu didn''t care about the organization''s future, I wonder what kind of plans he has in place should he die? Or did he even care enough to leave any plans?


    It''s clear to us that this is the case, but for someone like Servi, it''s possible she thinks the only Mafia is the one in Arcton. Maybe that''s a good thing? Or if she does know that the Mafia spans multiple countries, does she think that every single member came to Arcton?

 Book Three – Chapter Eleven – Part Two – Shattering the Collar

    Before Servi had a chance to speak, a red-haired Singi rushed to the front of the stage, slapping her spear against it. ¡°Williana!!!¡± cried Carrie. Servi turned her head and looked at the girl who once cracked her jaw. A look of disgust was plastered on her face. When Carmelo emerged at the front seconds later, Servi¡¯s mouth turned into a ferocious snarl.


    ¡°Williana! What¡¯re you doing here?! Why¡ª¡±


    ¡°Carrie, shut the fuck up. If you say one more goddamn word, you¡¯ll be the first to die.¡± The red-eyed girl¡¯s words were harsh and sharp like a knife. Grabbing a dagger from her ring, she threw it at Carrie, lightly grazing her cheeks. Her quivering eyes leaked water, which joined with the blood streaming down her tearful face. She received the message and fell down, turning into a whimpering mess.


    Carmelo wanted to speak. Even though that one Kobold was clasped in all nadrium armor, he still had faith in his Mad Dog. She had accomplished the impossible. The trail of destruction and thousands of corpses proved that. In his mind, he only had to give the order to kill. That was it.


    But the fear of failure froze his heart and vocal cords.


    If his little pet didn¡¯t win, then Carmelo knew he¡¯d face a life worse than death. He had one chance to turncoat and explained to the boss that he had nothing to do with the slaughters that would probably result in Arcton¡¯s destruction. In his mind, it was a gamble.


    Should he say the command? Should he try to save his life? Should he have faith? Was it all a fool¡¯s errand to believe he could usurp the Mafia from the man who created it? The power Sakdu had was substantial, to say the least. He had an iron-like grasp on three of the largest countries in the world and a whole slew of blackmail material.


    Like a giant fish to a starving man, the offer was tempting. Just a single syllable stood between him and untold power.


    ¡°We can talk all we want, but first, tell me your name,¡± Servi demanded. Her calm voice, laced with anger, shattered Carmelo¡¯s inner thoughts. ¡°When I hang your head on my wall, I need a name to put under it.¡±


    ¡°The name is Sakdu,¡± replied mythril-encased Kobold. He spoke in a low growl befitting a member of his race.  ¡°Do not think your little displays of power will be enough to frighten me. I may not be as strong as I once was, but my bodyguard is the strongest of all. But let¡¯s not turn the topic of conversation into something so brutal and rash. I wish to hear about you. To be frank, I did not expect you to make it this far. Clearly, you are something much more than a Rank 10. Would you be interested in telling me the name of the God or Goddess that has chosen fit to bless you?¡±


    ¡°Her name is Itarr. And for the record, I''m Servi,¡± Servi truthfully answered.


    ¡°Itarr? Hmm¡­ I know not any Goddess by that name. Roger?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of her,¡± replied the Elf in a lab coat. The bodyguard made a few motions with his hands when Sakdu asked him. Throughout his adventures and journeys as a warrior and mercenary, Itarr was a name that never came up.


    ¡°I do suppose there are a few Gods and Goddesses who are quite picky when it comes to giving their power to an inhabitant of the world. Now, I would like to hear about your journey. What kept you going? Was it the regret that you wouldn¡¯t see her? Was¡ª¡±


    ¡°It was a lot of things, but Momo was the main reason. You, however, were the second reason. You see, I¡¯ve learned about myself in that week of torture. I¡¯m good at killing. I¡¯m very good at it. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone on this planet that can kill better than me.¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha!!!! A Human thinks she can kill better than a Kobold?! Surely you jest¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not jesting, you son of a bitch. A few days ago, I had the chance to encounter a 5th. I don¡¯t remember his name or what he looked like, but he told me the location of the 5th base after a bit of persuasion. That¡¯s when I met the Suits, and I killed every one of them. They all met their end. Then I met the 5ths. And you know what? I killed them too.¡±


    ¡°Human, do not joke.¡± Sakdu shifted in his chair. It creaked under the combined weight of his armor and large body.


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking. Take a fucking look.¡± Servi brought out the map and letter she retrieved from the 5th base and floated them over to the boss. As he examined them with a close eye, Servi continued while Roger peeked over Sakdu¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I found your little bomb in the desk. Truth be told, I didn¡¯t expect it. But as you can see, it didn¡¯t do a single thing to deter me.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Then I suppose you went to the church in New Arcton?¡± Sakdu used his large hands to shred the map and letter.


    ¡°That I did. Your other bomb didn¡¯t do jack shit, but I have to thank you for the letter. It made me realize something.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Sakdu leaned back and crossed his arms. The confident smile on his face said it all. Even though a Rank 10 somehow reached him, he didn¡¯t feel his plan was in any danger of failing. If anything, Servi¡¯s appearance only meant it was delayed by whatever length of time Sakdu chose to keep her alive. His patient nature was mature enough to wait a little bit longer.


    ¡°It made me realize that I have been too lenient with the power Itarr gave me. With only a little bit of effort, I could have the very world teeter on the edge of destruction, and only my whim could save it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never met a Human that thinks so highly of herself. Please, explain to me why¡ª¡±


    ¡°I destroyed the 5th base. I slaughtered those in the 4th base. I massacred those in the 3rd base. They¡¯re all dead. The Numbered? Dead. The Suits? Gone. But I didn¡¯t stop there.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Sakdu remained quiet. Roger narrowed his brow and stared with an unmoving expression. With the nadrium helmet, it was impossible to see how the bodyguard took Servi¡¯s words.


    ¡°I thought to myself that it wasn¡¯t just the Mafia that was my enemies. It was the whole city. Everybody there was responsible for rolling over, showing their bellies to whoever wanted to conquer them. They had no spine, no sense of wanting to protect what they owned. And it was that cowardice that turned Arcton into what it became. It was their fault that Momo and I were ambushed a week ago. And it was their fault that she had to see me at my worst¡ªno, that¡¯s not right. She didn¡¯t see me at my worst. What I did to those who surrounded us can¡¯t compare to the horrors I¡¯ve brought against Arcton.¡±


    ¡°Do you not realize that it was your fault for allowing her to be kidnapped? Were you as strong as you say you are, then why haven¡¯t you already wiped us all out?¡± Sakdu asked. Roger didn¡¯t like that, and he made that clear by hastily grabbing his armored shoulder. ¡°Easy, friend. She is bluffing. Why else would she not attack?¡±


    ¡°You say it was my fault for being weak?¡± Servi chuckled. ¡°You are correct. Were I the woman I am now when it happened, I would¡¯ve allowed my true nature as a Mad Dog to manifest from the beginning. It wasn¡¯t until I read your letter that I truly embraced the Mad Dog persona. After I destroyed those bases, I set my targets on the various guard barracks stationed around town. Do you want to know what I did?¡±


    ¡°I assume you slaughtered them? Do you have proof detailing you did what you claim to do?¡± Sakdu asked.


    Servi pointed to Carmelo, who stared with dumbfounded eyes. ¡°The people at Deset should¡¯ve seen the aftermath of my destruction, so why don¡¯t you ask them what I did?¡±


    ¡°Well, Elf? Does she speak the truth?"


    Carmelo didn''t expect to be put on the spot, so his tongue was caught by the proverbial cat. It took Sakdu asking once more for the words to escape his mouth.


    ¡°Yes, boss, it is true. But it wasn¡¯t just the guard barracks. It¡­ It was every other base. Jade, Sabre, and even Shepard wasn''t spared her wrath. I don¡¯t want to assume the worst, but it¡¯s quite possible that those amassed here are the only remaining members of the Mafia in--¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wish to hear about that. Tell me about the destruction you saw,¡± Sakdu ordered. Those bases in Arcton were the least of his worries. They were meant to be diversions at best and meat shields at worse.


    ¡°There¡¯s one part of town that looks like a hurricane passed through. I assume it was the Venti Aqua I received reports about, but I never knew it could be that powerful. My observers reported to me that they found blood sprayed over 5 kilometers away! How could someone be so powerful to sling water that far away?! And the dead!¡± Carmelo nearly became mad as the truth finally registered in his mind. How foolish! He thought he was the one who had a grip on her leash, but the Mad Dog was loyal to no one but herself. ¡°They¡¯re everywhere. Corpses and organs and blood and heads! They¡¯re¡ª¡±


    Sakdu held a hand up, and Carmelo became quiet. His body shook with a valid fear that little have claimed to felt.


    That foolish Kobold doesn¡¯t realize the power she holds!


    ¡°What Carmelo said was the truth, but he left some out. I assume you didn¡¯t go into the RASP buildings?¡± Servi smirked.


    ¡°Oh, ho? Why would you bring up the whorehouses?¡±


    Servi answered Sakdu. ¡°Because the people who work there are also my enemies. They are cowards who either lost or didn¡¯t put a fight when your cancer of an organization took root. And this is a war, yes?¡±


    ¡°How interesting¡­ Do you believe that you¡¯re waging a conquest against me?¡±


    ¡°Is it that strange? You¡¯re my enemy. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°How odd. I thought your focus was on rescuing Momo. If you still claim to be powerful, then why haven¡¯t you wiped us out? Again, I ask that because I find it strange. Perhaps your friend wasn¡¯t your goal after all??


    ¡°Do not try to twist my words around. Momo was always the goal.¡±


    ¡°If that is true, then why did you not immediately come for the forest when you came upon my letter. You did go to the church, yes?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems to me that you wanted to partake in the destruction of innocent men and women and children. Are you, perhaps, using young Momo as an excuse to keep up the slaughter?"


    ¡°Just keep spouting off bullshit, Kobold. Every word you say just makes me angrier, and you''re going to regret that very soon.¡±


    Then Sakdu spoke words that should have destroyed Servi¡¯s heart. ¡°You claim to have done something to the RASP buildings, yes? If you destroyed them, then I will call you a murderer of children.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Servi demanded. She stood up. The bodyguard immediately moved in front of Sakdu with his three weapons spinning overhead.


    ¡°While the RASP buildings were meant for so much more, they¡¯ve since turned into common whorehouses. Where do you think the babies are born when the whores get pregnant? I¡¯ll tell you. Some of the buildings have a nursery at the bottom. They aren¡¯t given the best care, of course, because Humans are despicable creatures, but it is what it is. Some are given the food processing plant to make soup for the Suits. Others are given to whoever will pay for a child.¡±


    ¡°Hahahahahaha!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!¡± Servi laughed so hard she had to grip her side as she fell back to her chair. ¡°Really?! You think I care about that?! Listen, fuck face, those babies were only casualties of war. It was just the luck of the draw that they were there while I used Kaasuvuoto to poison everyone inside. The men, the women, the children, I fucking gassed them like the roaches they were. If anything, their deaths should be on your record as the one who started this war. Besides, it was a mercy. If they could choose, I''m sure they''d rather die than--¡±


    ¡°Do you think so little of me? Kaasuvuoto is a skill that damages the user just as much as their enemy, so I know you¡¯re lying. Second, you keep claiming this is a war. It may be for you, but for me, it was only a simple pastime while I waited for my men to arrive. After my bodyguard kills you, I will kill that unconscious Earth Elf, I will rip Momo¡¯s head off, and we will march to Canary. Once I achieve my revenge on Fisher Jin and his family, then I will die. Truth be told, I never cared for the Mafia as a whole, even though its name was meant to remind me of my wife and daughter. I¡ª"


    ¡°Then why haven¡¯t you killed me yet? Seems to me that you''re scared to do anything. In the back of your mind, you know what I say is the truth. Are you thinking about your impending death? I''d be more than happy to deliver that to you.¡± Servi interrupted Sakdu. His grin devolved into a nasty snarl, showing off his rows of razor-sharp teeth.


    ¡°Williana, I order you, as your master, to kill Sakdu!!!¡± Carmelo chose what he thought was the best time to strike, making his choice very clear. He wanted to side with the Mad Dog that had accomplished what he thought was impossible.


    ¡°Bwhahahah!!! I see that you teamed with a member of the organization that caused you such hardship! Now it all makes sense. You teamed up with that traitor! I didn''t think I was going to weed out the turncoats today.


    ¡°Carmelo, shut the fuck up and wait your turn. I¡¯ll have your head rolling on the ground in a minute!!! And you, shut the fuck up!!!¡± Servi stood up, grasped her chair, and threw it into the crowd. It smashed into a wandering Dwarf, exploding his head into a gory mist like a flesh-filled pi?ata.


    Sakdu also stood up. Like his foe, he threw his chair into the crowd and stepped back until he was next to Roger. ¡°Then it seems our conversation has come to an end. Goodbye, Servi. You had the know-how and intelligence to survive until now using whatever pitiful strength your Goddess gave you, but this is the end. You thought of this as some war, but you are little more than a pest. You, kill that Human, tear the head off of that Earth Elf, and find out where that Singi went to, and then kill her.¡± Sakdu gave his orders and used his incredible legs to leap away from the stage with his Elven companion.


    ¡°SHIT!¡± Servi shouted when she saw her nadrium-clad foe forming hand signs. She didn¡¯t know what he was doing, but she obviously couldn¡¯t take the risk. ¡°ITARR, KEEP MOMO SAFE AT ALL COSTS! DON¡¯T FUCKING WORRY ABOUT ME!!!¡± Servi shouted while stomping the stage, shattering it into a thousand pieces. The bodyguard gracefully landed and recovered in a roll.


    Raising his hand, he recalled his three spinning axes. They flew in a tight circle right above his head. At the same time, Servi used Telekinesis, enduring the pain of controlling thousands of objects at once, and launched the remains of the wooden stage at her foe.


    His axes flew in front of him and spun like a blender, keeping him safe from any potential harm as they reduced the flying projectiles to something less than dust.


    Carrie somehow regained her anger, which overpowered the sadness she felt at what she thought was Servi¡¯s betrayal and went to throw her spear. By the time it left her hand, the bodyguard had used a series of hand signals to activate Telekinesis, which returned it to Carrie. Through her crying eyes, she understood what he wanted and reluctantly fell back.


    Carmelo, on the other hand, knew his Mad Dog needed all the help she could get, so he strummed his metallic bow as ten green lines of energy emerged.


    ¡°FUCK OFF AND FALL BACK!!! THIS IS MY FIGHT!!!! INTERFERE WITH IT, AND I WILL FUCKING CASTRATE YOU!!!¡± Though her back was turned to him, Servi shouted a precaution even though she wasn¡¯t sure he was about to attack. Regardless, her prediction turned out to be correct. After strumming his bow one more time, the energy changed course and slammed into the ground. He also backed off, returning to Carrie and the other Deset members, but not without seeing his Mad Dog lose her left arm.


    Her opponent had masterful control over his axes. They were mighty and fast, too, with enough power to cleanly cleave through anything that wasn''t nadrium.


    But instead of crying about in pain, Servi laughed, filling the enemy-filled camp with a shrill voice.


    ¡°FINALLY!!! I can feel it!!! This will be the fight I¡¯ve been craving!!! You¡¯re a tough bastard, aren¡¯t you?!¡± Servi¡¯s arm grew back, but the armor and clothes didn¡¯t. She picked up the bloody appendage and waved it about, laughing like it was a new toy. Then she threw it behind her, not caring at all where it landed and prepared herself for the most magnificent fight of her life so far.


    ¡°COME AT ME!! FEEL THE FANGS OF THE MAD DOG!¡± she shouted.  She bared her teeth and all, with a mean growl escaping from her throat.


    Replying to Servi¡¯s taunts, her foe performed a series of seven hand signals in the time it took for her to blink. The three spinning axes immediately rocketed forward, zigging and zagging in exaggerated motions, yet they were fast enough for Servi to be unable to follow them.


    More accurately, even the thousands upon thousands of souls stored within her ring had never fought against anything resembling the Kobold-shaped monster in front of her. It was either that, or her foe was simply too strong. Soul Essence of Primal Combat was nearly hopeless against something it had no information on, and since Servi had started to rely on it to the point where it was her crutch, she froze while waiting for the afterimages.


    Her punishment was the loss of both arms and legs, which lifelessly flopped to the ground. Blood squirted from each of her stumps, which joined with the crimson spewing from her separated extremities. With no limbs, her foe rushed forward as one of the three axes flew back to him. Catching it, he decided to personally end her life.


    However, even though he saw her regenerate one of her limbs, he never expected all four to come back at once, which was what happened.


    Servi¡¯s legs regrew first, starting from her feet, continuing on to her legs, and ending to where they connected with her hip. Next came her arms, which regrew while simultaneously grasping a nadrium greatsword when it emerged from thin air. The biggest grin flashed across her face as her blade connected with his axe. Even though both were fueled by incredible strength, Servi just couldn¡¯t overpower him. She struggled to push him back as he tried to break her guard. Flashing sparks of blue and white erupted from their clash, clouding their vision, yet neither seemed to be affected.


    Servi¡¯s mind raced fast and hard as it quickly scoured her souls¡¯ years of combat memories. The bodyguard sensed something was amiss when she slightly shifted her weight, so he kicked out his leg to push her away. She flew back through the air, turning nearly ten times a second. Thrilled with the battle, Servi used Air Step to kick off when she eventually righted herself and charged right back at her greatest foe.


    He met her incoming slash, which was powered by a shrill yell with his nadrium gauntlets as more sparks erupted between the two. His weapon slipped out of his hand at the last minute and flew above with his other two. Servi saw that immediately ducked down as the three axes cut off three centimeters of her head. But it wasn¡¯t just the axes she had to worry about.


    After all, her foe had two arms.


    She did her best to party the incoming punches and backhands, yet his strikes were so precise that it sent a rumbling up her arm. As the wielder of True Immortality, such petty things caused no problems in the long run. But her movement was slowed by just a few fractions of a second, which was enough time for her opponent to act. With speed that defied even her, he performed a series of hand motions and spun in a tight circle. Even his tail was reinforced by a sturdy set of nadrium platting. Servi did her best to dodge out of the way, but she felt an invisible grasp kept her locked in place. For the shortest instant, she was completely immobilized.


    ¡°Telekinesis?!¡± she shouted as her chest exploded into gory bits. Her crude leather armor never stood a chance in hell. She flew back but raised her hands up. Grasping onto her Air Step platforms, she leveraged her momentum and swung around. The force of gravity pelted her weakened self as Servi launched herself up, and the bottom 60% of her body surrendered from the rest as she left it behind. It grew back as she soared high in the sky, bits of flesh rained down from above. Suddenly, her left and right arms became encased in a pair of nadrium gauntlets that were a bit too big. A second later, her body was encased in new clothing, which hid her sensitive bits of any prying eyes below.


    ¡°YES!!!! THIS IS THE FIGHT I¡¯VE BEEN WANTING!!!!¡± Servi shouted as she balanced on an Air Step platform. The bodyguard looked up from below and did another series of quick hand motions. Servi decided that meant the battle was back on, and she kicked an Air Step platform as she raced back to the earth.  The bodyguard sent two of his axes up in the sky on a direct course for Servi.


    She met his axes with her own nadrium gauntlets, knocking them out of the way as her heartbeat increased ten-fold. The adrenaline and thrill were something she never imagined while the distance quickly closed between them. She cocked her left hand back and waited oh-so-patiently for the chance to knock his head off.


    His eyes narrow, and his breathing slowed to a crawl. Like the girl descending from the sky as if she was a bomb dropped from a plane, he also cocked back his arms.


    Did he mean to decide the battle with a single blow?


    Carrie and Carmelo stared on with a dumbstruck expression and a still heart. Neither of them could even come close to the power displayed in front of him. Even if they could achieve that godly level, they had nothing on Servi¡¯s regenerative abilities.


    They closed at a rapid pace. With the bodyguard''s expression hidden underneath a helmet created from the mightiest material in the known world, he placed his bet on the strength of his powerful muscles.


    The moment before their punches were to connect, the bodyguard did something Servi never would¡¯ve expected.


    He simply sidestepped and allowed her to smash face-first into the ground. Like a glass vase filled with crimson, her body shattered and sent various muscles, organs, and bones spewing over a hundred meters. Only her arms remained in one piece, and that was only because of the nadrium gauntlets.


    Using the heaviest parts of her as a base, Servi slowly grew. Her chest and head were formed first in a bloody red mist which dissipated to show her pale, white skin and black hair. Then her waist and legs grew back not even half a second later. As she stood up, a new set of clothes appeared, covering her naked body.

 Book Three – Chapter Eleven – Part Three – Shattering the Collar

    ¡°THE FIGHT¡¯S ONLY JUST BEGINNING!!!¡± With her arms still protected by the nadrium gauntlets, Servi kicked off the ground and rushed her foe. She tried to get the upper hand with her incredible speed, but he had somehow foreseen her plan. Given his advanced age and decades of combat experience, perhaps it was more apt to say that he predicted her moves in advance from their brief encounter? Servi was one of a kind, but that brashness she displayed wasn''t that rare. And that fighting spirit wasn''t scarce at all.


    Only the bodyguard knew how he knew what Servi was going to do, and he wasn¡¯t in a position to talk with an enemy. He raised his armored hands up, blocking Servi¡¯s haymaker with ease as the noise of their clash exploded out. She felt her bones liquefy from the impact, but they were solid again, not even a nanosecond later. Servi unleashed a flurry of punches, but each one was met by a fist, blocking them in a way that negated any force. She threw a hook, disguising it as an uppercut at the last possible moment, but he deflected it, canceling out the damage. He repelled it down while pushing her back with his free hand. Servi recovered with a backwards roll and immediately hunched forward to dodge an incoming axe.


    The bodyguard''s hands danced for a moment. Servi tried to use that time to use Telekinesis, yet it had no effect on him. She clearly wanted to freeze his hands since she understood that was the source of his power, yet like pebble attempting to hold back a landslide, her telekinetic grip was easily broken.


    The girl with black hair spat in annoyance and summoned a nadrium arrow from her ring. Her foe chose to counter with two more flying axes, but Servi deflected one with her arms and the other with the tip of her arrow. The wooden shaft couldn¡¯t stand against such a force, but she had no problem working with just the arrowhead. In a flash, Servi pinched it between the fingers on her left hand. It was as if the two glowing lines of the arrow and gauntlets flashed in perfect sync as she kicked off the ground. Instead of ascending hundreds of meters in the air, Servi only went up about five or six before suddenly rotating her body and kicking off a pair of Air Step platforms.


    In many ways, Servi''s latest assault was much like the one that ended with her regenerating from nothing but her arms, but she had a plan this time. Even though the distance between the two was far shorter than her previous attempt, her opponent still cocked back his hand like he was going to punch her.


    At the very last second, he dodged out of the way again, but Servi didn¡¯t smack into the ground this time. She created a pair of Air Step platforms in front of her and stopped with her hands. At the same time, she attempted to launch the nadrium arrowhead at her opponent.


    Before she could complete the thought, his three axes came flying back and chopped her into three vertical pieces. The blood from all of her disembodied parts merged into one another, molding her body back together.


    But once again, her foe acted faster than her regeneration. The bodyguard hastily dove for the nadrium arrowhead, kicking off with his free hand and landing on his feet. His instinct told him to duck, and it was good he followed them because a flying sword with two pulsing blue lines flew overhead.


    ¡°YES!!!!¡± Servi cried as she changed out her destroyed clothes for yet another set. As if she couldn¡¯t control her excitement, she placed two bloody hands on her pale face, giving her two distinctive marks. ¡°THIS IS WHAT I¡¯VE FUCKING WANTED!!!! GIVE ME MORE!!!! GIVE ME FUCKING MORE!!!!!!!¡±


    The bodyguard retrieved his axes with a hand signal, and Servi stomped the ground. A pillar of dirt suddenly rose and sent her flying high in the air. She surpassed the very clouds that had once hidden the moon from her sight, yet she continued to climb even more. The air pelted her face and hair, drowning out the excited shouts coming from her mouth. The pain she¡¯d felt in the last battle alone surged through her body, feeding her primal desire for a slaughter to the death.


    Suddenly, her pillar crumbled into a frozen pile of dirt, and she no longer ascended. But that was fine. From the height she reached, her enemies looked like mere ants. The thin air should have reduced the oxygen flowing through her body by a magnitude of ten, but True Immortality fixed that right up. Even though her mind was clouded by her desire to fight, it was clear enough to formulate a plan. Because she was so focused on the fight, Servi ignored the beauty she saw. She was 32 kilometers up in the air-- well into the stratosphere.


    There weren''t many people who could claim to have seen the curvature of the planet.  Her incredible sight should have allowed her to pinpoint nearly all of the surrounding towns and villages, take in the beauty of the forest below her, and realize that she could already reach the moon if she put her mind to it.


    But the moon would have to wait. For how long? No one knew. The object of her desire was going to have to keep on waiting until the time was right.


    Until then, there was a fight at hand.


    If Servi fell from the height she was at and repeatedly kicked off Air Step platforms, then not even the bodyguard could defend against it. Her speed was one thing, yet she had the sun against her back. When he looked up, he wouldn¡¯t have to contend with just her, but he¡¯d face off with the fear of blinding himself.


    But that plan included the one skill, that to her, had no equal.


    The Shadow¡¯s Embrace.


    It blurred Servi from existence, allowing her to meddle with the objects in the physical world from a place exclusive to those who could use that skill. As she felt the familiar embrace of her beloved shadows, Servi jumped and leaned back. When her body lined up with that of her foe, who cautiously had his hands ready to perform motions, she kicked off with as much force she could muster.


    Then she did it again, curling her legs inward and extending them to pick up even more speed.


    And again, and again, and even again for the fifth time, she kicked. Suddenly, she broke the speed of sound, but nothing happened. The clouds stubbornly refused to be blasted away, and that was because Servi was in a different plane of reality. She had chosen to erase her entire being. She would only remove those protections when she was about to land the final blow.


    A few seconds before reaching her opponent, Servi extended the shadowy blade on her right hand. This was it! Even the hand signals he quickly performed couldn¡¯t block against the fearsome power of one of the most powerful skills in the world. Not even he, who matched her blow for blow and killed her nearly eight times, had a plan to get away without harm. She didn¡¯t exist in reality. Therefore, he couldn¡¯t have seen her.


    But he did. His eyes were staring right into Servi''s fiery red orbs.


    After he completed the last hand signal while making direct contact, a familiar shadow embraced his large body, and he joined the world of non-existence.


    Her opponent was one of the illusive Rank 0s in the world: someone who had saved the world or a country from a threat that had the power to wipe away reality. Given the bodyguard''s race, a Kobold could live for hundreds or even thousands of years as long as they didn¡¯t die from disease or illness. Someone as powerful as the bodyguard didn¡¯t have to worry about perishing in the field of combat because he was expertly skilled in the art of warfare.


    More than anything, the prowess he had displayed in their short fight put him on the shoulder of giants. It was a legendary feat, the likes of which will probably never be reached again in a thousand years.


    ¡°!!!!!¡± Servi had falsely believed she was the only one in Arcton who could take advantage of such a skill. Even in a billion years, she wouldn¡¯t dare think that there was someone associated with the Mafia who had such power at his disposal.


    Before she smashed into the ground, her opponent held out a hand and stopped Servi in her tracks. She wildly swung her shadow-cloaked blade, yet her body didn¡¯t listen to her. In a flash, the bodyguard reached out a large arm and caught Servi by the neck, halting all of her momentum. If they weren''t in the realm of non-existence, it would almost be impossible to calculate how much energy would''ve been released. That was especially true since she broke the sound barrier. She wildly waved around the blade in her hand, yet her body didn¡¯t listen to her. In a similar motion, he jabbed his own shadow-cloaked blade into Servi¡¯s neck.


    Her sight went black as the effects of The Shadow''s Embrace canceled when her life left her body. When the light returned to her eyes, a smoky feeling filled her throat. It spread to her eyes and lungs as it rampaged endlessly inside her body. Sprawled out on the warm ground with her opponent staring over her, Servi felt what her opponents felt before the shadows snuffed out their lives. She felt the panic they experienced as her hands and arms shook uncontrollably.


    An unbelievable amount of pressure exerted itself on every possible square inch of her organs. Though she didn¡¯t need to breathe, her lungs were pressed against her ribcage until they exploded, filling her insides with blood. With her immortality, her lungs repaired themselves only to suffer a similar fate as their predecessors. The blood surged up through her trachea until it reached her mouth. Like a reverse fountain, crimson spurted upwards, covering her face and black hair in a layer of crimson that only increased. Eventually, she brought a hand to her chest and managed to have enough control over the hellacious pain to rip off her shirt, exposing her breasts and bare stomach.


    Her nails jabbed into her stomach, ripping it open like one would a pack of cheese, but it didn¡¯t stop there. She continued until her chest had no skin, the inner organs visible to all who wanted to watch. Crimson flooded outwards, but it wasn¡¯t alone. The smoke her opponent forced inside her body via her neck went out with it. True Immortality kicked into overdrive as it healed both the damage caused by the smoke and Servi¡¯s own self-inflicted injuries. Soon, the shaking stopped, and Servi relaxed for a brief second as her body returned to normal.


    The silence surrounding Servi and the bodyguard was deafening. Once a shirt covered her bare breasts, Servi took a deep breath and sat up, at which point she was met with three quadrupled-headed axes. One removed the top half of her head, the second severed her left arm, and the third tore a large chunk of flesh from her side. With her brain exposed, Servi broke the emptiness with a shocking statement.


    ¡°I¡¯m still good to fight,¡± she said. ¡°I have all the energy in the world! I have all of the life in the world! I¡¯m an eternal war machine befit for fighting until the fucking heat death of the goddamn universe!! But you!!! I know you¡¯re getting tired.¡± Servi used Telekinesis to fly her severed arm back to her body. Once it was close enough, it reattached itself. Sure, it could¡¯ve regrown instantly, but Servi manipulated True Immortality into purposely waiting. ¡°The Shadow''s Embrace uses a set percentage of Skill Energy. And unlike you, I don¡¯t have a limit. You used it for four seconds, so you¡¯re running on less than sixty percent when I account for the other skills you used.¡±


    Servi stood up and cracked her neck. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to win this fight. Even if we have to battle for ten fucking years, I¡¯ll come out on top. You need food and water and sleep to rest your body. Me? I don¡¯t need a goddamn thing except this stubborn rage to power me!!! AND THIS RAGE! WILL! NEVER! FUCKING!! FADE!!!!!¡± Kicking off once again, Servi rushed forward with her nadrium gauntlets raised up.


    The bodyguard put up his hands to block and used his flying axes to provide assistance. Even though he had used up a bit less than half his Skill Energy Reservoir, his movements hadn¡¯t dulled by even a fraction. If anything, it was like his hand signals were sharper, while his axes flew that much faster in the air.


    As Servi fought off the axes, she tried to use Telekinesis to get rid of them once and for all, but it was like something was protecting them. Then she sought to absorb them, but that failed as well. Not because Servi couldn¡¯t, but because they flew in and out at such a high speed that it took all Servi could to dodge and block. Frustrated, she leaned down and tried to charge at her foe, who had continued to make some distance. The axes intercepted her before she could kick off, slicing her legs and forcing her to regenerate them.


    The large army they fought in the middle of walked away or ran to give the two titans the room to fight. Sakdu and Roger were nowhere to be seen or heard, but their locations didn¡¯t matter to Servi. She only needed to slaughter the beast in front of her, but Servi''s spear-headed obsession with slaughter blinded her to the monster that grew nearby.


    The bodyguard wasn¡¯t doing those hand signals to purposely taunt his opponent. Unbeknownst to it, her shadow was currently growing by the second, becoming taller and thicker. Yet her mind was so preoccupied with the three axes swarming her that it never occurred to her that they were a decoy.


    Suddenly, Servi froze halfway into a dodge and quickly changed out her simple shirt for a nadrium chest plate. The bodyguard couldn¡¯t focus on two things at once, so he wrote off the axes as a loss when they slammed into her. Their force wasn¡¯t anything to scoff at. She might¡¯ve been saved from the cutting, but the force sent harsh vibrations up her body, which broke quite the majority of her ribs.


    More importantly, that single moment allowed her the brief time she needed to store those pesky flies into her ring, and that was when she noticed it.


    Servi just so happened to look down, and her red eyes took in the shadowed ground. Immediately, she turned to the sky. The sun was high and unobstructed by any clouds. And since there were no trees above her, her shadow couldn''t have stretched back twenty meters.


    The ground shrunk when the impossible happened. Servi''s shadow rumbled and vibrated, not matching the movements its owner made, and sprung to life. It carried her general humanoid shape, but it held no features. Like a volatile disease, it suddenly grew and morphed, quickly towering over everything and everyone. Servi froze for a subtle second, taking in the monstrous form that only meant one thing.


    ¡°A TWO ON ONE ISN¡¯T GOING TO EVEN THE ODDS!!!!!¡± Servi shouted. Seeing such a terrifying beast in front of her did very little to frighten the Mad Dog¡¯s fighting will. She summoned a Greater Fireball between her outstretched hands, fueling it with Skill Energy until it grew to a size of 15 meters, and launched into the shadowy beast. It was like a mere flicker of sparks to that unknown horror, but it exploded on impact, which meant it was a tangible object. But what she didn¡¯t know what that their senses were linked. The attacker cried out as a hole of fire appeared in her stomach, scorching her innards and boiling her blood. It nearly melted her in two.


    Servi expressed her pain, but that only lasted a single moment. Her shadow monster went on the offensive, forming large hands and long arms that plucked her up by the neck like it was lifting a cat by the scruff of its neck.


    She struggled, trying to rip away the fingers crushing her neck, but her attempts failed. She then tried to use a pair of nadrium swords, controlled by Telekinesis, to cut off the black hand currently raising her up, but they passed right through it. Somehow, the shadow could become intangible to certain items and tangible to other things.


    The beast froze once it had raised Servi to its ample chest, which matched the bosom of its foe. The bodyguard continued to form different motions with his hands as if he controlled the puppet. Suddenly, the shadow¡¯s surface became curvy and ripply, sending little waves up and down its body like it was changing states of matter as it hugged Servi close to its blackened chest. She fought against it, of course, but even her amazing strength couldn''t break free from its grasp. A dark, sticky liquid started to encase her body in a black skintight suit with no way to breathe.


    But it didn¡¯t cover her once. And it didn¡¯t enclose Servi twice.


    It repeated again and again until the twenty-meter tall shadow had melted and entrapped Servi two hundred times.


    And that was only the preparation for what came next. The skill relied on the user''s and target''s power to wrap the target in a layer of shadow, blocking out oxygen. Only someone much stronger than the caster and the enclosed person combined could break open the shadowy seal.


    But that was a pipe dream because Shadow Maiden, the skill the bodyguard used on Servi, required the user to be Rank 0. The name might¡¯ve been odd. The legend was that the Goddess who created the skill was a maiden amongst maidens. One could say she was the fairest maiden of all. The story differed after that, based on who was asked, but it all ended with the Goddess melding her shadow with that of her mortal lover. It was supposed to be an expression of love-- yearning for a person so much that you wanted to become their very shadow. However, that ended when the Goddess''s lover found his eyes drift towards another woman. She felt betrayed, and she used their combined shadow to wrap her unfaithful lover in a seal that couldn''t be broken by anyone weaker than their combined power.


    The truthfulness of that legend had been debated by many different scholars over the years. Unfortunately, nothing really had come out of it other than sore throats and aching heads.  There was just no possible way to know if it was true.


    The chances of someone dwarfing the bodyguard, the user, and Servi, the target, were less than finding a ton of nadrium hidden behind a solid gold wall. In terms of Skill Energy, it didn¡¯t use a set amount. But the amount it required couldn¡¯t be underestimated. Even now, the bodyguard struggled to catch his breath. He had some time to wait for the second part of the skill to activate. An immense amount of sweat dripped down his armored body, raising the temperature of his body to an extreme level. He crouched down and placed a hand to his stomach when it happened.


    Servi¡¯s enclosed figure suddenly shook and jumbled about, then it shrunk by about ten centimeters. Then another ten centimeters. Then another, and another until she was the size of a tiny cube about four centimeters big. Her body and organs were crushed against the black shadow keeping her confined and restricted.


    She felt every bone shatter, only for it to be healed immediately in a space it couldn¡¯t fit. And that only led for it to instantly crack again. Her skull and brain must¡¯ve been torn asunder hundreds of times a second alone, and that pain only multiplied when her other body parts were inevitably crushed thousands of times. Every bit of suffering that a person could endure resulting from a broken bone or torn appendage was something she felt and lived through.


    The bodyguard stood up and raised both hands to the air. He took one more look at the floating cube, which fell to the ground and didn¡¯t move at all, and opened his mouth to roar. It was a hard-fought battle, but he was the victor after conquering such a terrifying foe. Or was he the winner? He saw the cube shake about on the bloody battlefield and instantly summoned three more axes from his Dimensional Storage.


    Servi didn¡¯t just reconstruct bone and muscle. She regenerated blood, too. And the space inside the seal created by the Shadow Maiden wasn¡¯t infinite. It was possible for someone to breakout if they exerted enough force to overpower the user and target together. Servi couldn¡¯t do that because she wasn¡¯t stronger than herself. But if she had help, then it was possible.


    But how could she get help? The answer was simple.


    Her blood. More accurately, her ever-growing, infinite amount of blood was a product of True Immortality, keeping her alive even when her bones and organs were crushed into tiny pieces. Five liters of blood were being created over a thousand times a second. That was how much Servi¡¯s body needed to function. Yet since she couldn¡¯t maintain a form long enough for the blood to find a home inside her body, it was considered an injury, and True Immortality couldn¡¯t allow that. Its sole goal was to keep its user in their best condition. But the blood didn¡¯t disappear. It remained, and it pushed against the force keeping her enclosed in that little square.


    By the time the bodyguard realized the battle wasn¡¯t quite over, six minutes had passed. The tiny cube that held the sealed Servi exploded as millions of liters of blood flooded out like a raging beast. Her very life essence covered nearly everything in sight in a deep layer of crimson, which had a large amount of bone and many, many organs floating about in it. The bodyguard braced himself and commanded the three axes to spin in front of him. They acted as his shield, deflecting the blood to the left and right of him. The torrential outpouring of red didn¡¯t last long at all, and once it was settled and calm, he peeked around his weapons.


    In the middle of where his strongest skill had failed to get rid of his fiercest foe stood a monster with power equivalent to the Gods. Servi opened her eyes, but she wasn¡¯t smiling. The pain she had endured in that six minutes of torture was unique to her alone. It was something no one could have claimed to withstand. Even more, Servi was the single person in the known world who had escaped the Shadow Maiden alone. She truly stood on the shoulders of the Gods, with no one even coming close to the feats she had achieved.


    The monstrous foe raised her bloody arms to the sky and stretched her neck and legs. ¡°That hurt so goddamn much, but it feels good. I¡¯m alive!!! I FEEL SO FUCKING ALIVE!!! LET¡¯S FIGHT TO THE BITTER FUCKING END!!!¡± Servi walked towards the bodyguard, leaving thick, red footprints behind her as the goopy blood continued to pour down her naked body.


    Her opponent sent out three more flying axes to pester her, but she used a flying piece of nadrium armor to knock them off course. Then, yet another set of clothes adorned her crimson body, covering her delicate bits from the thousand of voyeurs watching the battle with dead eyes. Pleasure and lust were things they couldn¡¯t feel unless they had the assistance of a Pink Monotonia.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? Your attacks are getting slower,¡± Servi said as she put a hand to her forehead, moving her black, bloody hair out of the way. She taunted her opponent as he tried to send out even more flying axes. Evidently, it was his staple move with how unpredictable and efficient it was at disorienting whatever opponent he was facing. However, it required a constant stream of Skill Energy to maintain. With the use of both Shadow Maiden and The Shadow¡¯s Embrace, two very powerful Rank 0 skills, the bodyguard was dangerously close to passing out.


    Uncontrollably, he shook with fright as Servi approached with every step. The fear of failure and death surged through his mind. Losing? Such a thing was impossible!


    He was the one who had trained for dozens of decades to acquire the power he had.


    He was the one who sacrificed such feathery ideals like family and love in his pursuit of acquiring what no Kobold had ever obtained before.


    He was the one who emerged victorious after ten days of fighting against a threat, who had the power to wipe out a country with his legion of a hundred thousand undead. Finding that foe was a mistake, but it was what allowed him to be promoted to Rank 0, yet everyone had already nearly forgotten about it. In short, he was the world¡¯s savior, and now he was about to lose his life to some monster who couldn''t die?!


    His passive skill prevented him from speaking, but it did little to contain his overflowing rage. He wailed to the Gods Above for not giving him the power to conquer the demon in front of him, but Servi didn¡¯t see that. Instead of seeing a Kobold pushed to his limits in both strength and mind, she saw a pathetic child throwing a tantrum.


    ¡°Aww, what¡¯s the matter, big guy? Are you gonna cry? You¡¯re mad because you lost this fight?¡± she asked.


    He stared into a face that reeked with the stench of a million corpses. Servi''s blank expression stared right at him with unmoving eyes. Then, she smiled, and that happy expression turned to anger and hatred as she grabbed his helmet. Her incredible strength allowed her to pick him up. Instead of his helmet sliding off, her pinching power bent the nadrium until it dug into his scales.


    ¡°THEN DIE, YOU FUCKING WEAKLING!!! IF YOU CAN¡¯T GIVE ME THE FIGHT I FUCKING WANT, THEN PAY WITH YOUR FUCKING LIFE!!!!¡± she shouted with the volume to drown out an exploding volcano and robbed the bodyguard of his hearing. Before it went, however, the flame of fighting reignited his freezing heart. Subtly, he performed one more set of hand motions even while his head was being crushed.


    A large shadow appeared, darkening the bloody ground, and Servi looked up. His final trump card was Shadow Maiden, and it used every remaining iota of Skill Energy he had in reserve.


    ¡°Something like this isn¡¯t going to FUCKING WORK!!!¡± Holding up her ring, Servi imagined the very concept of her shadow shrinking. A bright light appeared in her mind, destroying every bit of darkness, and that was the imagery she needed. Her ring emitted a tremendous glow as the still-growing shadow cried out in incredible pain. It placed its hands in front of the ring in a poor attempt to block the purifying light, but like most other things that affected Servi, it was ultimately useless. Even the power behind a Rank 0 skill couldn¡¯t fight against the power of Absorption, which had the ability to effectively absorb everything. With enough time, squeezing the entire planet into her ring was something in the realm of possibility.


    Using her mind, Servi summoned a wall of dirt, with enough stacks to make it as tough as nadrium, and threw the bodyguard into it as she lowered her raised hand. With the attacking shadow safely stored somewhere further than the realm of non-existence, she didn¡¯t have to worry about it bothering her anymore. Instead, she focused her attention on the unconscious Kobold leaned up against the wall she made.


    ¡°Is this the best you can do?¡± she whispered. Every step she took brought the Grim Reaper¡¯s knife closer to his neck. Though he wasn¡¯t aware of it, her every word sent invisible shivers down his body. However, even someone as strong as him couldn¡¯t fight through the effects sustained from running low on Skill Energy. Like a child picking up a soon-to-be discarded toy, Servi stripped him of his armor with Absorption and revealed his appearance to the world.


    A treasure trove of brightly colored rainbow scales met her hard eyes. Using Telekinesis, she kept him afloat. ¡°Hey, wake up!¡± she shouted. A swift punch to the stomach cracked fifteen of the exotic-looking scales, which were pretty enough to be slotted into a crown. It was unfortunate they shattered under her strength. Crimson flowed from the wound she gave him, staining the pretties.


    ¡°Wake up! WAKE UP!!! WAKE UP!!!!! WAKE UP!!!! GIVE ME THE FIGHT I WAAAANNNTTTTT!!!!!!" Servi cried. With each word, she cocked back her arm and punched her foe hard enough to send her fist right through him. In her mind, Servi felt betrayed. The one person in the world that she knew of who could give her the fight she wanted, had died because he wasn¡¯t strong enough. Even as his body held fist-sized windows, Servi commanded Telekinesis to pick up the squelching chunks of meat. Forcing them together, Servi continued her unabashed striking routine even as the strain on her brain increased ten-fold. Each blow sent out waves of pressure, scattering the low-cut grass while sounding like an explosion.


    The pain she suffered while crushed inside the little cube didn¡¯t compare at all to her brain frying itself alive. That made it easier to continue her rabid assault on the bodyguard''s corpse, who was once called a mindless beast. But still, Servi¡¯s eyes refused to shed any tears. Instead, they looked with glee at the red soul slowly floating towards her ring.


    Her foe had been strong: there was no doubt about that. The bodyguard might have been the strongest in the world before she came along.


    But he was dead, and Servi was not. And as the victor, she claimed to right to have his soul. His incredible abilities would only serve her in the future.


    Of course, that was only if she could harness it. Like Albert Crysalerek¡¯s soul, the strength contained within it was too much for Soul Essence of Primal Combat to use effectively. Until she pumped more levels into it, those two souls were nothing more than fodder to increase her cap on Skill Stacking.


    If she had any regret about the battle, it was that she was unable to properly physically overpower her opponent. She only won because she outlasted the bodyguard with her infinite amount of stamina and Skill Energy. If she had none of that, and it came down to a bare-knuckle brawl or a clash of swords, Servi would currently be a collection of meat and guts.


    In other words, it meant the victory had a bit of a sour taste behind it.


    "If this is what the world has to offer..." Servi whispered in a weak voice. She then became quiet because she didn''t want to complete the sentence.

 Book Three – Chapter Eleven – Part Four – Shattering the Collar

    ¡°6th, what the fuck is she?!¡± asked a Singi through tear-stained eyes. The front of his pants had been soaked with piss forcibly pushed out of his body by fear. At his feet was the corpse of his friend.


    When the fight began, Carmelo, Carrie, and the other members of Deset ran away and used the crowd of bodies as a shield. A few members with hearts too pure to withstand such brutality chose to run away. They believed they had a better chance of survival at deserting rather than fighting against that Human-shaped monster. Unfortunately for them, Carmelo held no love for traitors of any kind, even though he himself wanted to grasp command and have everything the Mafia controlled. A strum of his metallic bow was the last thing they heard.


    ¡°6th?!


    ¡°Boss, whadda we do?!¡±


    ¡°Hey?!!¡±


    Soon, everyone turned to Carmelo with wishful eyes. As the leader, they were under his command. The only one who stayed her voice was Carrie. Somehow, she didn¡¯t seem freaked out by the godly fight happening only a few short meters away. Even as Servi met fist with a fist, the awful exchange creating such harsh, piercing screeches, the Singi never once changed her vacant expression.


    Carmelo was about to shout when it happened. The world turned black. No, that wasn¡¯t quite right. A tremendous shadowy beast emerged from the fight in front of them, covering Deset¡¯s members in a cold shade. They felt the temperature rapidly drop, like that of a freezer turning on for the first time, but it might have been their senses playing tricks on them to keep them sane. Filled with despair, Carmelo dropped his body as two hands went to his head. They forcibly grabbed his pointy ears and squeezed until blood dripped down the side of his shaking face. Even if Servi won, and it definitely seemed possible, how could he ever control that thing?


    His nerves got to the better of him as he rapidly spoke the chant for Dimensional Storage. A distorted circle appeared in the space beside him. His hands swiftly threw themselves into it, coming back with three large bags filled with particular pills of a specific color. Red Monotonia, but they weren¡¯t just simple Red Monotonia. The ones he carried with him had a slight sparkle that would dazzle the eyes of a child in the dead of night. In addition to the rage it flooded the user with, it allowed them to remain somewhat sane while completely destroying the user¡¯s self-survival instinct.


    They would literally fight to the bitter end while powering through lost limbs and missing flesh. However, their mind would intact for the most part, which allowed them to formulate and follow complex plans. It took many years of experimenting in secrecy to develop it away from the Mafia¡¯s prying eyes, especially when the secret process of making it was only held by the Roger and the very few people people he trusted. Whenever Roger would change locations, like going from Adenaford to Arcton, he would go through the effort to bring along the people, supplies, and equipment. He refused to have multiple factories going at one time for both privacy and safety. Still, it was easy to make as long as someone had the knowledge, so it didn''t take long at all to have a new stockpile of pills at the ready.


    Still, it took Carmelo over three years to reverse engineer a Red Monotonia from scratch. Add on the extra five years of experiments to alter its properties to what he desired while staying under the radar, it was a wonder he even got it done in the first place. If there ever was a time to use it, then it was now because his mind had arrived at a decision, and it happened to be the worst one.


    He was likely to die by the hands of Williana¡ªServi¡ªand he couldn¡¯t do a damn thing about it. Putting up a fighting chance was a fool¡¯s errand. Running away wasn¡¯t an option, either, even though it seemed like it was the best chance of survival.


    Shit, I know the boss probably told them to kill deserters. I¡¯m dead if I stay... I''m dead if I run away... I''m dead if I fight... Shit... I can''t die here! I just can''t!!!! She can''t possibly survive if we gang up on her, right? Obliterating her with overwhelming firepower is the only way...I can get what I need to save my home forest!


    ¡°Everyone! Listen up! Take a handful of these pills and get ready!¡± Carmelo shouted and turned around to face the members of Deset. In his heart, he didn¡¯t care for them at all. He wouldn¡¯t lose a single second of sleep if they perished in the impending fight. His heart felt the same way about the thousands of warriors surrounding him. If anything, he wanted that to happen. Controlling the minds of a few was considerably easier than forcing the masses to bend to his will. If the stars aligned, Carmelo hoped no more than five hundred would be alive when the moon came out. That would be enough people to start with. Then he could slowly take over the Mafia in the other parts of the world.


    ¡°We need to fight that monster!!! Once we do, we will be rewarded by the Mafia¡¯s thick coffers. For the prize of defending the Mafia will be riches beyond our wildest dreams!!!¡± Carmelo took careful note of his words, which excluded the name of his target. He only said ¡®monster.¡¯ Since he couldn¡¯t see the pure state of the battle, Carmelo relied on the sounds he heard.


    The part of his mind responsible for decision-making still believed that Servi was his loyal Mad Dog. Another part believed his coup was destined to be a failure. And yet, a third believed in something totally different. All three did their best to ensure the body''s survival, which led to a massive amount of conflicting thoughts and feelings.


    Words, spewed from his mouth like venom, came out faster and faster as the battle between two monsters came a close. Carmelo said and begged anything to the only group of people that could register his words. Such actions unbecoming of someone so close to the Mafia¡¯s inner-workings, but that was what Carmelo''s mind decided on. He promised wealth to those who wanted it, and he vowed women to those who desired a harem. For those who didn''t want either of those things, he promised them the world and a lasting legacy.


    He even turned to the mindless zombie-like soldiers around him and offered a red pill. They looked down at him as the tiniest sparks of life appeared, but they ended up looking away. If it didn¡¯t come from Sakdu, they weren¡¯t interested because one of the first commands he ever gave them was demanding they pledged their undying loyalty to him in exchange for Monotonia.


    Other than them, the only Deset member who strayed away from taking the pills passed out by Carmelo was Carrie. She blankly stared at the hard ground. Even when the tidal wave of blood poured over her and the rest from Deset, she never made a single movement or noise.


    Suddenly, Carmelo heard his Mad Dog shouting. ¡°WAKE UP!!!¡± she kept repeating.


    ¡°Listen! It¡¯s time to strike at our foe!!!¡± the Elf shouted. He hastily picked up his metallic bow and charged forward towards the shouting. His men followed behind, bumping shoulders and knocking down any who stood in their way as their voices combined together to create a war cry powered by anger. Hatred surged through all of their bodies the moment that enhanced red pill touched their tongues. However, their minds weren¡¯t clouded by any negative emotions at all. Fear had no place in their hearts. It wouldn¡¯t fog their eyes, nor would it slow their sword arms. Carmelo¡¯s sweet words were laced with what they wanted to hear.


    Somehow, should they emerge victorious from the battle against whoever he declared as the ¡®monster,¡¯ Carmelo would¡¯ve been in the prime position to actually assassinate Sakdu.


    At least, he thought he would. His reasoning was sound if he used the knowledge he had, but it was the things he didn¡¯t know¡ªall of the unknowns¡ªthat ended his coup before it had a real chance to succeed.


    He didn¡¯t know he was surrounded by men only loyal to the boss.


    He didn¡¯t know that Servi was immortal.


    Most importantly, he didn¡¯t know of the harsh grudge Servi held against the Mafia.


    For as clever as he thought he was, he wasn¡¯t. He wasn¡¯t the mad intellectual Elf with a grasp on every single thing. The truth was that it was dumb luck he even got anywhere with Servi in the first place. The stars and moon were lucky enough to have Servi''s wishes be slightly similar to that of Carmelo''s.


    If she hadn¡¯t shown up, and Servi and Momo had made it back to Canary, Carmelo¡¯s coup had a greater chance of succeeding, but it still would have ended in failure.


    The game was rigged from the start, but he had no way of knowing that. Years of effort were wasted and destined to end in failure.


    He understood that dread very well when he and the other members of Deset, including a traumatized Carrie, made it to the front of the crowd. After sending an untold amount of blood splattering up into the air, he saw a girl who had the aura of a true Mad Dog.


    A bit of the blood around Servi''s arms and hands was gone from her repeated punching, yet her lips looked as if she had feasted on whatever surrounded her. It took Carmelo a few precious seconds to connect the dots. That unmistakable nadrium armor could have only belonged to the Kobold. And since he didn¡¯t see him anywhere, Carmelo had no choice but to deduce that the bloody pile of meat floating in mid-air was what was left of him.


    His Enhanced Red Monotonia was supposed to nullify everything, including fear, but Servi emitted such a harrowing aura that it overpowered the drug. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw his men shake in their bloody boots. Teeth chattered as if the temperature had dropped to below zero. Sweat dripped down, soaking their dried lips with a salty taste.


    After Servi had punched the fifth mass of meat since Carmelo arrived at the front line, she slowly turned to her former handler. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re going to give me the fight I want, right? After all, I was the one who assassinated those fucking weaklings for you! Fight me! Fight me! FUCKING FIGHT ME!!!¡± Her words came out as shouts, yet the calm demeanor on her face didn¡¯t match up all. She cracked her knuckles and shook off blood like she was about to relax, yet her tone suggested anything but.


    The bloody beast standing in front of him swallowed Carmelo and his men with fear. With his arm feeling like it weighed nearly a hundred tons, the frightened Elf somehow found the strength to raise it high while giving a single command.


    ¡°ATTACK!!!!¡±


    Servi held her hands together in front of her as she awaited whatever pathetic force her foes could muster. The first wave was a volley of arrows, launched by Carmelo as the opening shot. The silvertip pierced her two hands, impaling them to her stomach. What came next was an impressive force of skills nearly a hundred strong. Water and ice froze her solid to the core. Fire and heat scorched her skin. Debris, carried by the wind, smashed her face and broke her bones, yet she remained standing through all of that pain.


    ¡°After being in that cube, IT DOESN¡¯T FUCKING HURT!!! NOTHING FUCKING HURTS!!!!¡± Servi shouted. Even as her skin was set aflame by a highly enhanced Fire Wall, Servi¡¯s skeletal system still stood steady. The crackling of her jawbones, the alien-like wave of flesh rebuilding her muscles and organs first, followed by her skin and hair, forced Carmelo to do something he never wanted to do.


    His hands shook. The weight of his beloved metal bow was something he had gotten used to since he was a little Elfling. That was when he met Clarence and formed a beautiful bond of friendship between Spirit and Elf.


    She was tremendously powerful; there was no doubt about that. Her incredible mastery over the wind removed any and all need for her to be physically strong. When her summoner strummed her bow, sending green waves of energy blossoming out, it wasn¡¯t Carmelo''s doing.


    It was her¡ªClarence.


    As a Spirit with incredible power, she could use many skills just by listening to her summoner. When he commanded her to heal, she did just that by picking the right skill for the job.


    As Carmelo still trembled on the edge of decision, he didn''t see a shivering Singi with red hair. Total despair blanketed her face like the cover of darkness after the sun had gone down. As mad as she was at Servi, the sight of watching her former lover endure attack after attack while not even registering the pain it caused. In Carrie''s grief, she let go of the black spear and fell to the ground while clawing at her head.


    Everything hurt her. The sun, the wind, the air she breathed; all of it forced her to cry out in pain, but it all originated from a certain girl¡¯s betrayal.


    Itarr, who swore to Servi that she would focus on Momo and only Momo, used the disturbance to subtly use Kaasuvuoto to put the violent Singi to sleep. And since Servi currently couldn¡¯t see because her eyes were being roasted alive, she didn¡¯t see her enemy join her best friend in the sky. The black spear was along for the ride as well since Itarr knew how much Carrie loved it. She opened the Singi''s left hand and placed the weapon in her palm, then telekinetically closed it.


    The smell of burnt meat permeated the smell of waste and excrement, overpowering it until it was the only thing available to smell. After five minutes of constant skill and arrow barrages with not even a second of rest, Carmelo¡¯s group had drained a lot of their Skill Energy. Though their minds still wanted to fight, their bodies would prefer to fall to the ground and rest. Carmelo, who had now grasped his bow with both hands, struggled to take that final step.


    If he broke his bow, Clarence¡¯s true power would be unleashed. It would also mean that she didn¡¯t have to listen to his orders anymore. The bow was a narrow outlet for her power as well as proof of their contract.


    ¡°Well, what¡¯s this?!¡± Servi¡¯s voice brought him out of his daze. Instead of looking at a Human, he saw a monster. Flames continued to scorch her body, forcing her True Immortality to constantly regenerate her organs and skin. Her vocal cords were so damaged that her voice came out scratchy and sharp, like glass. She took a step forward, causing some of the fire blazing her foot to spread down to the bloody ground. A bit of it instantly evaporated, but not much. Servi had many ways to remove the damaging flame, yet she chose not to.


    After all, it didn¡¯t hurt one bit. If anything, the pain felt pleasant and enjoyable.


    ¡°You can¡¯t give me the fight I want?!?! Then why are you alive?!?! I will kill you!!! I¡¯LL FUCKING SLAUGHTER ALL OF YOU!!!!!¡±


    As soon as Servi made the first step in walking towards Carmelo, he made a choice. Though it was metal, his bow had a weak point. It only needed to bend in just the right area, and it could snap as sharply as a dead stick.


    ¡°CLARENCE, I¡¯M SORRY!!!¡± Tears fell from his eyes, something that was supposed to be impossible because he was under the influence of Red Monotonia, soaking his hands as he heard a single snap.


    ¡°Dummy, what do you have to be sorry about?¡± a tiny voice asked. A tornado of green wind covered Carmelo. It surged in width and intensity until it covered all members of Deset. When it reached the approaching Servi, it slammed into her, pushing her away. Once she was far enough, the wind wrapped around her, suddenly yanking her in the direction of Carmelo.


    He shouted, but all he heard was Clarence¡¯s voice reassuring him he was okay.


    The fire burning Servi¡¯s skin was extinguished when she was suddenly jerked away for the second time. However, the dead and burnt skin was somewhat glued to her body. The wind took care of that as it sent nearly sixty kilograms of ruined skin flying in every direction.


    The wind protecting Carmelo¡¯s group lifted up in the air, folding over and over as it fell on top of Servi like some sort of wind structure. Hundreds of thousands of silent green wind blades encircled her prone body, which had been thrown against the ground. With the roasting fire extinguished, Servi¡¯s regenerated, virgin skin became overloaded by the wind.


    Standing up, she realized she was enclosed. The space she had available was less than half a meter. It was only large enough for her to stand up. Leaning to the front meant she¡¯d touch the barrier of wind. Bending backwards would result in the same outcome. The whistling wind assaulted Servi¡¯s hair with an army of breezes and gusts. Figuring it wasn¡¯t worth the hassle, she stuck her finger to the whirling green cage and pulled it back when she felt a pinch.


    The tip of her index finger was missing. With her sharp eyesight, she saw it shred right before her gaze. A blank stare later, the wound she suffered had healed and regenerated.


    ¡°Clarence¡ª¡±


    ¡°Carmy, I¡¯m right here,¡± said a voice. The shaken Elf felt the touch of two hands across his chest.  A green wave of energy swarmed around him to reveal a humanoid figure the shape of a woman with wings. She was nearly eight feet tall.


    Her blond hair reached down to her waist, but it contained no blemishes. It was like a wave of yellow honey in both its texture and smell. Looking up, Carmelo saw two green eyes, deeper than the most vivid emerald, staring down at him with a loving gaze. Her pink lips had faint green lines, yet it only served to enhance the spirit¡¯s natural beauty. The strapless green dress she wore came down to a bit below her knees, and her shoes were made from swirling green energy. Whenever she walked her feet would never touch the ground because her wind kept her elevated.


    Spirits were divided into three categories based on their strength. They were Minor, Average, and Superior. While the categories weren¡¯t as definitive as they could have been, with most experts wanting to change the names to fully represent the power of the three types of spirits, they figured it would be more confusing to have six different terms to refer to three things.


    As a Superior Spirit, Clarence had power rivaling that of a Rank 1 Warden member, possibly bordering on Rank 0 if her surroundings were optimal.


    ¡°Carmy, it¡¯s been years since I¡¯ve been in this form. It feels good to finally stretch out my legs and arms. Hey¡ª Oh?¡± Clarence heard a tiny whimper coming from down below.


    ¡°Clarence, I¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t¡ª I was afraid¡ªWhaa¡ª¡±


    Clarence lifted her summoner via the wind she controlled from her fingers until she stared into his eyes. Then she placed a single kiss on his lips as a familiar metal bow appeared in his peripheral vision.


    ¡°What, did you think I¡¯d just run away and leave you here alone? You¡¯re my precious summoner, Carmy. We¡¯ve been together for nearly a hundred years, so why would I ever leave? You¡¯re my whole life,¡± she said.


    Such heartfelt words coming from his one and only best friend was the ultimate push of strength he needed to see the battle through.


    ¡°Didn''t you promise to take over the Mafia and use its power and connections to help rebuild your home forest? Even though that wasn¡¯t in the initial pact, I still wanna help you achieve your goals!¡± she said.


    ¡°Thank you, Clarence,¡± Carmelo said. The spirit placed him on the ground and stood behind him as his beloved bow¡ªthe object Clarence used as a home¡ªdescended in front of him. When he grasped it, it glowed green and swirled with wind and energy, covering it limb from limb. The mystical glow died down and dispersed into the air, which promptly flew behind him and into Clarence¡¯s outstretched hand.


    The non-verbal pact between summoner and spirit had been reforged again, this time to an unbreakable degree. Only death could break the two apart.


    Carmelo channeled the growing anger provided to him by the Enhanced Red Monotonia and barked out orders in a commanding tone. ¡°Men, take the time to use whatever potions you brought with you! Now that we have the power of a Superior Spirit, victory is assured to be ours. Be ready to attack in a few minutes.¡±


    He turned from the group as chants for Dimensional Storage echoed out. The clanking of a hundred potions falling to the ground followed suit, which did little to drown out the critical conversation Carmelo was having with his Spirit.


    ¡°Do you know what that thing is?¡± He pointed to the captured Servi, who kept placing her hands inside the windy prison. They always came back missing a few fingers, but they always healed up.


    ¡°I do not. I refuse to believe Williana''s a Human. If anything, it¡¯s like she¡¯s a Human-shaped monster or Spirit.¡±


    ¡°Then what about her regeneration? Do you think we can win?¡±


    ¡°Carmy, there is nothing in this world that is infinite. There is always a limit. You can¡¯t burn a match forever. A river will eventually run dry if it receives no rainfall. And skills will always end when the Skill Energy it needs to activate runs out. There is a limit somewhere to her regeneration. Unfortunately, I do not know what that is.¡±


    ¡°Then do you know the source of her regeneration? We saw her ID, remember? It had nothing about Regeneration on there.¡±


    Clarence folded her arms and sighed. ¡°That¡¯s true. But what if her powers originate from one of the Forbidden Skills?  There¡¯s Necromancy, right? I¡¯m sure that category has something to do with regeneration. Chronomancy might explain it if it was something to do with reversing the Skill Energy in her body, but I think Reality Control and Elemental Control can be ignored. Let¡¯s face it. If she had Reality Control, then we wouldn¡¯t be here talking right now. And since it¡¯s a forbidden skill, I¡¯m sure it wouldn¡¯t show up on her ID in the first place.¡±


    ¡°So the best way to win would be¡ª¡± he started to say, but his spirit spoke first.


    ¡°The best way to beat her would be to run out her regeneration. We need to do as much damage as possible until she runs out of Skill Energy. Ugh, look at that thing. It¡¯s laughing when its hands are chopped off...¡± Clarence shook her head in disgust, sending waves of honey-like hair scattering across her shoulders and covering her impressive chest. ¡°If that shitty boss would command this army to attack, then she¡¯d be dead by now. Even as strong as that thing is, there is only one of it. That thing isn¡¯t a dragon.¡±


    ¡°I see what you¡¯re saying. That thing doesn¡¯t have any scales, only weak flesh that can be scorched black,¡± Carmelo added. Clarence nodded her head and crouched down until she stared at her summoner in the eye.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Unlike a dragon, we don¡¯t have to get past that thing''s scales to find the soft skin underneath. That thing is only skin, muscle, and bone. In any case, we need a sustained¡ª¡±


    ¡°HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!¡± Servi¡¯s shrill laughter caught the attention of Carmelo, Clarence, and the rest of Deset. Like moths to a flame, they all whipped their necks around and stared at the unbreakable prison of wind.


    The girl inside kept jabbing her hands in and out, laughing as they were torn to shreds by the sharp wind. Then she suddenly walked forward. The green blades sliced up her body, severing large chunks of flesh that only regrew. Parts of her head and eyes were taken out, which left her blind and deaf. When Servi''s legs were sliced up, she pulled herself along the ground for a quarter of a nanosecond. When her hands were the next to go, she pushed off with what little bit of feet had regrown, which was very little.


    Her cycle of movement hinged on pulling and kicking herself forward millimeters at a time until a single part of her body broke past the supposedly unbreakable prison.


    However, Servi did it. By the time a single finger had touched down outside the prison, the green wind was no longer the color of grass. Instead, Servi¡¯s countless body parts had corrupted it, turning it a nasty red which carried a few stray pieces of bone. But more than that, every little bit of meat slowed the raging winds by that much. After some time, it was slow enough for Servi to gain centimeters of distance before her body had been torn to shreds.

 Book Three – Chapter Eleven – Part Five – Shattering the Collar

    ¡°NO!!!¡± Clarence shouted. She rapidly did her best to strengthen the Wind Prison, but it failed because it was as strong as it was ever going to get. How could she enhance something that was already at the limits of its power?


    Carmelo then shouted for his men to strike with everything they had. Like a beautiful display of fireworks, an enormous amount of red, blue, green, and yellow lit up the sunlit sky. The skills froze, burned, whipped, and shocked Servi the best they could. But even as her hands were reduced to bone, the sparse muscle that quickly regenerated kept on relaying commands sent from her constantly growing brain.


    She fought against a powerful assault, and her body paid the ultimate price many times over. Even then, the combined firepower of everyone in Deset couldn¡¯t measure up to a single strike by the bodyguard. He was just a warrior on a whole different level.


    ¡°HOW?! HOW DID YOU GET THROUGH IT?!?! WIND PRISON IS CAPABLE OF RESTRAINING DRAGONS!!!¡± Clarence shouted at the beast, who only chuckled as only her left foot remained trapped in the penetrable Wind Prison.


    ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s so FUCKING WEAK!!!¡± Servi replied. Once her whole body passed through the prison, she stood up while still being assaulted by a hundred skills. However, in the two seconds it took for her to raise her hand, the frequency of the attacks had died down considerably. In another three seconds, the number of skills dealing damage to her would drain to zero. After all, powerful skills required much more Skill Energy, which meant the user became drained that much faster. Even something like Monotonia couldn''t provide Skill Energy.


    ¡°WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU?!¡± Carmelo shouted. The metal bow in his hands violently shook with fear. Even his Spirit¡¯s hand on his shoulder did little to ease their growing despair.


    Servi slowly raised her arm and started to speak, staring at her foes as if they were utter trash. ¡°I told you. I¡¯m the Mad Dog.¡± Servi¡¯s ring glowed a vibrant red as the swirling Wind Prison prison behind her flashed crimson. It defiled all Clarence had ever known. As a Superior Spirit, the power she held was vast and magnificent. The very essence of wind was hers to command. It should have listened to her, and only her. Yet there it was: her signature skill was shrinking and crumbling with every second, defying her orders like some kind of common traitor who wanted to join the winning side. She cried out with fear and a reluctance to accept the impossible. She fell to her knees; her emerald eyes stared as the last blade of wind disappeared inside a glowing red ring.


    ¡°NO!!! IT¡¯S IMPOSSIBLE TO CANCEL OUT MY WIND PRISON!!!¡± Clarence threw a tantrum fueled by panic and horror.


    ¡°Shit¡­¡± Once again, the fear Servi expelled froze everyone who suffered under the Enhanced Red Monotonia. Carmelo only had enough sense of self to utter that one curse.


    Servi took a step towards Carmelo. Then an Elf behind him flew forward, not of his own will, and sent his gray hair scattering about. He exploded into a wonderful blast of gore. She took a second step, crushing the Elf¡¯s arm as a Singi flew towards her. This time, she chose to rip his head off and scratch out his still-shaking eyes. A third step closer towards Carmelo meant another death.


    ¡°Carmy, you have to escape!¡± Clarence hastily spoke. Before Carmelo had a chance to register the words his Spirit said, she grabbed him by the collar and threw him away from Servi. A tornado of wind boosted him ever higher. With her strength, Clarence expected to send him past the clouds. If that was the case, then why did she hear his screams coming right beside her?


    That was because he was right there. Servi acted even faster than a Superior Spirit of Wind in catching her summoner with Telekinesis. His screaming gradually quieted when Servi placed a Telekinetic grip on his throat. As he floated over to her, so did his metallic bow. That newly reforged piece of equipment acted as the pact binding summoner and Spirit together. If it broke, then the connection shattered. At that point, Clarence wouldn¡¯t receive any more Skill Energy.


    Accordingly, Servi broke the bow half a second later. She didn¡¯t know that was the item binding the two together. She only snapped it because, as the Mad Dog, it was in her nature to destroy.


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s this? It seems like I''ve got your precious Carmy in the palm of my hands. Should I rip his head off? How about his arms? Maybe I could mount one of his ribs on my wall? Oh, I know!¡± Servi grinned as she spun around in place. A second later, his ten fingers had bent back until the nail touched the back of his hand. ¡°Maybe I can do the toes next? Just know that I will not stop until I have sufficiently had my revenge.¡±


    Clarence howled with anger and slammed her long arms against the ground. A chunk of energy raced underground, erupting under Servi as a volcanic eruption of pure wind sent her hundreds of meters into the sky. ¡°I DON¡¯T CARE WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO! ATTACK THAT FUCKING BITCH WITH ALL YOU''VE GOT!!!!¡± The Superior Spirit screamed like a banshee as invisible arrows of wind pummeled Servi, sending her ever higher. They bore holes through her body until she looked like a type of cheese that was known for its numerous holes. She was so far away from the ground that whatever skills the Deset¡¯s remnants mustered up couldn¡¯t reach her.


    ¡°Hey, Carmelo, watch this!¡± Servi turned to her former ¡®master,¡¯ who came along for the ride, and laughed at his pain. Then she summoned a handful of Greater Fireballs and sent them barreling down towards the ground. They lit up the sky like falling meteorites coming to destroy the world. Clarence did her best to send most of them away in an explosive burst of wind, using the last bit of her Skill Energy in the process. As a Superior Spirit, she used Skill Energy at a more inefficient rate than a Minor Spirit. If she wanted to remain in this world, she needed to reforge another pact with her summoner.


    A thousand thoughts ran through Clarence¡¯s mind. Most of which were about the good times she and her master had. With tear-stained eyes, she turned her gentle head towards the rapidly descending fireballs and whispered a song for her one and only summoner.


    Before the first verse could finish, Servi punched upwards, hitting an Air Step platform to accelerate her descent. She landed before the first ball of fire slammed into the ground. In the few seconds it took for her to snatch the whispering spirit with Telekinesis, Servi summoned more Greater Fireballs and exterminated the large group of unconscious Deset members. Fully drained to their limits, most of them passed away from this world into the next without feeling an ounce of pain.


    As a sea of flame erupted from the craters, smoke bellowed out, blanketing the sky and surrounding areas in a thick, black smoky fog, Servi loudly shouted. ¡°HEY, BOSS OF THE MAFIA, HURRY UP AND COMMAND YOUR FUCKING MEN TO ATTACK ME ALREADY!!! UNTIL YOU DO, I WILL TORTURE THE EVER-LIVING-SHIT OUT THIS FAILURE OF AN ELF AND THIS GREEN BITCH!!!¡± With her warning delivered, the girl with the black hair turned to her two prisoners.


    The Elf stared longingly at the fading spirit, who had become a little bit over 25% transparent. With two instances of Telekinesis holding her arms together with a force that could shatter falling rocks from space, Servi turned to Carmelo.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. You can choose what I tear off.¡± Servi waited for an answer and frowned when she didn¡¯t get one. Servi punished the naughty Elf by taking a knife to the Spirit¡¯s left index finger. That sudden jolt of pain shocked her awake, sending her chilling voice scattering through the camp filled with mindless warriors.


    ¡°Good, you finally decided to join us. Now, I¡¯ll let you pick what I do to Carmelo,¡± Servi told her. As she waited for an answer, something interesting caught her attention.


    It was Clarence¡¯s blood. More accurately, it was the lack of blood. Wispy, green energy flowed out of her exposed wound, which made Servi realize something else. When she put the simple knife to the finger, she hardly felt any resistance.


    ¡°Please¡­ Don¡¯t¡­hurt¡­Carmy¡­any¡­SSTTOOPPPP!!!¡± Servi snapped at the Spirit¡¯s words and took the little knife to Carmelo¡¯s cheek. She punctured it, twisting and turning until she met resistance in the form of teeth. Servi took the knife out and used her index finger to widen the hole. Like a dog, she dug into it, scraping out meat and chunks of muscle and bone.


    Servi waited for Carmelo¡¯s twisted face to yelp, but he didn¡¯t. In anger, she created three more holes on his face and, coincidentally, produced three more wounds in the process. With his face acting like a blood fountain, it wouldn¡¯t be long until his limbs ran cold and his breath ran short. The light in his eyes would slowly dim until they fell victim to the cloak of death for good. Until that happened, Servi used Telekinesis to keep his head pointed at Clarence¡¯s crying face.


    ¡°Why?! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?! STOP HURTING HIM!!!¡± Clarence demanded. She fought through the pain, asking her question in between loud curses meant for the cowardly Mafia boss.


    Servi didn¡¯t have to answer her, but she did, putting an end to her witch-like laughter for just a few moments. ¡°It¡¯s because Sakdu kidnapped my best friend. He left me a fucking letter and challenged me to a game. Well, I won it. I fucking won it.¡±


    ¡°Then leave!!! Leave Carmy and me alone!!! We didn¡¯t have anything¡ª"


    ¡°BUT THAT¡¯S WHERE YOU¡¯RE FUCKING WRONG!!¡± Servi responded with a slap, hooking her fingers under Clarence¡¯s cheek and pulling back two strips of flesh. Her wound bled not blood, but energy.


    ¡°NO!!! WE¡¯RE NOT WRONG!!!" Clarence argued back through the tears. With how tall she was, a portion of her legs awkwardly dangled uncomfortably at an odd angle. ¡°Carmy did all this to gain power for his home forest!!! You see, we¡¯re the same¡ª¡±


    Before she finished her sentence, Clarence watched as Servi suddenly grabbed Carmelo¡¯s weakened head and ripped it off like a wet bandage. She turned it like a screw, breaking off the last little bit of stubborn muscle. A waterfall of blood poured down onto his exposed spinal cord, dyeing it crimson.


    ¡°CARMY!!! NOOOOO!!!! CARMY!!!!!!!!¡± Something inside the Superior Spirit snapped. She cried out the name of her deceased summoner. Every word increased the pitch and desperation in her terrified voice.


    ¡°The same? Don¡¯t fucking MAKE ME LAUGH!!!¡± Servi hooked her left hand up through his neck and out his opened mouth, gripping it tightly. Raising it, she brought it down at Clarence¡¯s awkwardly angled legs, breaking her bones. ¡°MOMO WAS ONLY KIDNAPPED BECAUSE YOU FUCKERS CAME TO ARCTON!!! ALL OF THIS WAS YOUR FUCKING FAULT!! IT¡¯S ALL ARCTON¡¯S FAULT FOR NOT FIGHTING BACK!!! YOU¡¯RE ALL TO FUCKING BLAME, AND I WILL KILL EVERY LAST FUCKING ONE OF YOU!¡± With every word, Servi slammed her weaponized head harder until the skull cracked. She was left with nothing but a collection of mushy muscles and skin. Her black hair furiously fluttered in front of her eyes, acting like a hastily constructed curtain.


    Oh, but that wasn¡¯t enough for her. Having to recount her reasoning behind her attack refueled the anger machine burning bright within her body. In a single motion, Servi tossed the battered head away and ripped off Carmelo¡¯s legs. She spun around and broke them atop Clarence¡¯s shoulders. Of course, she didn¡¯t stop there. Servi continued to beat Carmelo¡¯s beloved Clarence with nearly every part of his body.


    Forty seconds later, Clarence was on her last breath, yet she used that to fuel her weak voice. It quietly called out the name of her one and only. What little Skill Energy she had prioritized healing her body instead of keeping her materialized, which meant she¡¯d disappear that much sooner.


    But disappear? Servi didn¡¯t want that.


    Servi wanted to kill her, but she didn¡¯t know how Spirits worked. If she was somewhat in the learning mood, Servi should¡¯ve figured that something was amiss. Most Spirit Users received damage when the Spirit they controlled was attacked, but that rule only applied to specific categories. Superior Spirits were far beyond that limit, which was somehow only applicable to Average and Minor Spirits.


    ¡°All¡­ I¡­wanted to¡­do¡­was¡­be with¡­ Carmy¡­ Car¡­my¡­I¡­lo¡­v¡­e¡­yo¡­.u¡­ Wait¡­for¡­m¡­e.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure if I take out your heart, you¡¯ll die,¡± Servi simply said. She took her knife and carved a large rectangular area out of Clarence¡¯s chest. After being tortured with so much pain, it all blended together and dulled. Even as she watched Servi remove a good 30% of her chest, she only felt a clumsy tickle at best. ¡°There it is,¡± the girl spoke. Servi inserted her hand into Clarence¡¯s body, which wasn¡¯t that much different from a Human. Other than the lack of blood, it was nearly identical.


    She pulled out the green-tinted heart from its cage, breaking four ribs in the process. With it gone, the wispy energy circulating around her body had no pump to keep it going. Thus, the life faded from the Spirit¡¯s eyes for the last time as her soul¡ªred soul¡ªemerged from her corpse. It joined with Carmelo¡¯s corpse, which itself waited with the many souls belonging to the inhabitants of Deset, and they finally joined together inside Servi¡¯s ring.


    The monstrous girl with red eyes undid Telekinesis on both Carmelo¡¯s headless corpse and Clarence¡¯s battered body. Servi grabbed Carmelo''s hand as his body lifelessly fell to the ground and swung him overhead with all her strength. The corpse slammed into his cherished spirit at such a speed they both exploded on impact. A wave of green energy and red blood intermingled, splashing about and covering the area around them.


    After Servi wiped some crimson off her face, she spat in their general direction and turned around. The thought of absorbing their corpses did pass through her mind, but she chose against harboring their bodies. Having any significant keepsakes of the awful week Servi and Momo experienced would only serve to cause problems in the future.


    The saga of Carmelo, the Elf, and Clarence, the Superior Spirit, came to a sudden and abrupt end before they could achieve their long-term goal of saving his home forest. Everything he had done was for that reason, and that reason alone, yet it would go unfulfilled. Cruel it may be, the world wasn¡¯t fair.


    History was full of people who died before accomplishing the things they wanted the most, and the pair wasn¡¯t any different in that regard.


    Minor and Average Spirits were far too weak to have a complete soul, but it wasn''t the same case with Clarence. Since it was her first time ever seeing a Superior Spirit and absorbing the soul of one, Servi felt a tingling sensation in her stomach. A quick message from Itarr via the stone ID explained it all.


    I still have complete attention on Momo, but you just absorbed a soul belonging to a Superior Spirit. As far as I am aware, it acts like a regular soul, yet it¡¯s typically far more powerful. From what I can tell, after a quick glance, you now have access to a wide variety of wind-related skills. Not to mention that they¡¯re far more powerful now, as well.


    Servi blankly read the message and simply nodded.


    Finally, she could take on the Mafia¡¯s main force. If she could wipe them out, then that would be the end. If there were a few stragglers here or there, then while she wouldn¡¯t be thrilled with them being alive, the chances of them somehow regrowing the fabled Mafia from mere sticks and stones to a powerhouse were very slim.


    ¡°SAKDU, SHOW YOUR FUCKING SELF!!!! GET OUT HERE SO I CAN FUCKING SKIN YOU ALIVE!!!!  GET THE FUCK¡ª¡±


    As Servi raged to the heavens above, she heard a very familiar voice coming from somewhere nearby. It was muffled, coming through a voice loudner.


    ¡°MY GLORIOUS WARRIORS, IT IS NOW TIME TO PUT THE PLAN INTO ACTION!!! ACT NOW WITH HASTE TO KILL HER!!!¡±


    Unbeknownst to Servi, who selfishly occupied her own attention with both the bodyguard and Deset¡¯s members, Sakdu did not run away. After retreating to the edge of the camp, he had a few men send out Spirits to spread his instructions. He commanded a thousand to use Metal Wall to encase the lone Mad Dog in a tremendously thick wall of metal using a sword so overloaded with defensive enchantments that it was impossible to use. That would be the base of the cage, and it was to be thrown by an enemy close to Servi. She didn''t know any of this, of course, so when a stray sword came flying her way, she just ignored it and killed the thrower.  She didn''t have long to do it because something quickly formed all around her, blocking her sight.


    Every Metal Wall built off of that sword would share the same enhancements. Then the following 4,000 members would all be instructed to use the Rank 1 skill, Explosion, at the flared opening at the top.


    His reasoning was sound. The fiercest dragon alive couldn¡¯t survive against 4,000 concurrent Explosions,  one of the most destructive non-Rank-0 skills out there. However, that plan also included his insanely skilled bodyguard. Sakdu believed his guard had merely toyed with Servi and passed her on to the lackluster members of Deset.


    He wasn¡¯t aware that his bodyguard had died to the girl claiming to be the Mad Dog. He didn¡¯t know that all of Deset was wiped out or the fact that she was responsible for killing a Superior Spirit by herself, which was something nearly impossible for a person even with enchanted gear.


    It was funny and ironic. Sakdu, who only used everyone to advance his own gain, now placed his faith in them at the last moment. When summed up, his warriors were ultimately loyal, disposable members of his guards.


    Sakdu and Roger rushed past thousands of his men as they walked towards the growing tower of metal. It cast a shadow as it grew hundreds of meters in the air. At the very bottom sat Servi, who simply sat down and waited it out. She figured it had to be their final attempt at ridding the world of her, but she knew it would end in failure.


    When the Mafia leader reached the blood-soaked ground, a frown appeared on his face. He demanded an answer and received it in the form of a monotoned voice lacking any excitement.


    ¡°The girl with the red eyes bled. This is her blood from¡ª¡± Sakdu used the axe on his back to sever the talker¡¯s head. Roger calmed him down and said it must¡¯ve been the Monotonia making him see things.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. There¡¯s no way this came from her. I¡¯m sure¡ª¡± Sakdu then saw something that stopped his voice.


    It was the faint traces of smoke.


    But the Explosion barrage hasn¡¯t gone off yet!!! He rushed to it and discovered a large crater filled with death. Burnt bodies filled it. Nasty ash and a bit of bone covered by an auspicious shield placement prevented it from totally burning up.


    That was when his mind started to do the math, but it was when he saw the remains of an Elven corpse and the brutalized body belonging to Clarence, a spirit he had met once before when going through the promotion ritual with Carmelo. Though she was far taller and missing a section from her chest, she had the same face as that tiny fairy.


    He had fucked up. The blood he saw belonged to Servi. The death he saw was wrought by Servi. It all pointed to Servi, but his heart and soul refused to believe it. Roger shook with fear like they had unknowingly waged war against the devil herself.


    But when they saw no remaining traces of his bodyguard? Sakdu and Roger called out for him, but they received no response. That was when the fear really paralyzed their bodies.


    His final prayers rested on the 4,000 Explosions, which were launched a moment later. For the briefest moment, there existed a single spot in the world that seemed brighter than the sun. It was located on the very tip of the large Metal Wall, which nearly reached the low flying clouds.


    Explosion worked in two ways. The first was by transferring a large amount of Skill Energy into small pebble-like objects, and they glowed with ferocious tenacity. Then gravity took hold and forced it down to the ground. When hit something, the pebbles used the velocity gained to explode. This way made Explosion more destructive, but it was harder to use since it required specific situations.


    The second way was more like a proper projectile, which the Wind Zeppelins used when fighting back against the Mafia.


    With it being so powerful, it should have been impossible for the Metal Wall to contain such 4,000 Explosions. But this Metal Wall had the structural integrity to get it done because it was loaded with enchantments upon enhancements upon enchantments.


    Sakdu waited with a trembling heart. Every thought in his mind told him that a Human couldn''t survive so many Explosions. Even Roger scolded him for coming up with such a thing when he knew it wasn¡¯t needed for anything.


    ¡°It¡¯s a crazy plan fueled by an odd desire,¡± he had called it. ¡°Let your bodyguard go ahead and kill her. We don¡¯t need to expend the energy and gather any unwanted attention before setting off for Canary. And why would we over-enchant a sword? Why would we ever use something like this?¡±


    Sakdu had ignored him at the time. Even now, he didn¡¯t know what compelled him to spread the plan around.


    Roger evidently didn¡¯t have faith in his bodyguard, who alone cost him nearly five years'' worth of money the Mafia brought in from its various connections. Again, he was against giving such a large amount of dupla to a single guard, but Sakdu went against him, claiming that it was a final failsafe. The bodyguard had commands to kill a specific family if Sakdu and Roger were to both die before the plan was put into action.


    Was it possible the years of revenge-filled planning clouded his very judgment?


    Was it desire to inflict pain and hopelessness on every Human that made him go beyond simple death and into total annihilation?


    Before his mind had any more time to process the severity of the situation, the earth shook with a violent disposition as air, hotter than lava, erupted out of the only opening it had. The air pressure scattered the clouds, which had come to watch the growing battle, dispersing them with the utmost ease. The walls withstood the apocalyptic attack and held up, and Sakdu hoped he couldn''t say the same about the girl inside.


    ¡°Roger, there¡¯s no way anyone could survive that, right? That was 4,000 Explosions... We couldn''t even take two or three from point-blank range.¡±


    ¡°Sakdu, I¡ª¡± Roger turned to his mythril-wearing companion and placed a single hand on his shoulder. His palm smoothly slid over the polished surface, but when a particular noise penetrated his ears he drew back his hand.


    Two sets of eyes turned to the toweringly large, smoking, vase-like object created from Metal Wall as the person inside punched it. An imprint of her fist appeared. Then another. And another, and another until finally, a hand emerged from walls so defensively enhanced that 4,000 Explosions couldn¡¯t break through it.  The reason as to why she was able to break free was clear once the onlookers saw the nadrium gauntlet. With a snap, the defensive armament disappeared, revealing the hand left inside.


    It was pristine and pale, with nails neatly trimmed and a total lack of scars or cuts. There wasn¡¯t any swelling from the hand¡¯s owner repeatedly punching her metal prison. A second later, a second hand appeared after the first pushed and pulled the metal back. Now that there was an opening, the defensive measures had dropped a lot, meaning even she could tear it away. The bright sun reflected off, nearly scorching Roger¡¯s eyes, but he kept staring. When a face appeared in the growing window, the coat-wearing Elf dropped to his knees in defeat.


    ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re supposed to be dead!!! DEAD!!!¡± Sakdu uncharacteristically shouted, screaming what Roger wanted to scream. For the first time in many years, he spoke from a source of dread, not anger or pride. His scaly lips trembled as each syllable took much effort to utter.


    Next came her legs, which kicked the pulled-back metal until they bent forward enough for her to put one through. Like a spider climbing out of a pipe, her body emerged from the opening. Completely bare naked with smoke coming from her body, it was as if she had molted her previous skin and evolved into a higher being.


    Three nadrium swords appeared behind her head, and they sliced the walls that used to trap her, starting from the bottom and going to the very top. Sakdu and Roger lifelessly stared along with the members of their personal army as gravity took over. Hundreds of thick, dense metal slabs rained from the sky, colliding with the ground. Thanks to the Metal Wall enclosing her, Explosion had only two options. Go up, or go down.


    Admittedly, the ground below Servi was already pretty fragile and soaked with her blood, so it didn¡¯t put up a fight against Explosion. Just a few meters behind Servi sat a vertical tunnel that seemed to go on to the center of the planet. And while the ground didn¡¯t immediately implode in a radius of 500 meters, very little integrity remained in its ability to remain standing.


    But that was about to change.


    RuggyRuggy


    Here''s a quick author''s note on spirits!


    Superior Spirits and how they work: When making a pact, the summoner sees their spirit''s true form, and it is condensed into an item. When a spirit is in an item, such as Clarence''s metal bow, the spirit can materialize in a smaller stature, such as Clarence''s mini fairy-like form. However, in order to reclaim a spirit''s true form, the item needs to break, and all the power locked inside would be released. Carmelo was afraid of bringing out Clarence''s true form because he feared she would leave him, because the pact would then be broken.


    She didn''t do any of that because she loves him, and that was why she immediately forged another pact.


    Until she shrinks back inside the item, the metal bow, Clarence can use her full power as a Superior Spirit. But once she goes back in, the only way for her to return to her true form is by breaking the pact. And after that, she needs to make another pact with Carmelo.


    It''s this way because the relationship between a summoner and a Superior Spirit needs to be nearly unbreakable


    NOTE: It is only this way with Superior Spirits. Average and Minor Spirits do not have to go through this process.

 Book Three – Chapter Eleven – Part Six – Shattering the Collar

    When it came to the defensive properties of heavy objects and materials, metal carried the torch, especially the reinforced steel used in constructing the vertical, vase-like cage that had trapped Servi. The girl standing naked in front of a crowd 15,000 big had a plan. It involved the metal pieces raining down from the sky.


    The first piece landed in front of her, destroying the ground she stood on. However, she didn¡¯t fall because she used Air Step to remain standing.


    A second later, she wasn¡¯t naked anymore and quickly snatched Sakdu and Roger with Telekinesis, tightly binding them to the point where it was difficult to breathe.


    ¡°That was good... I¡¯ll give you that,¡± Servi whispered as the ground around her started to cave in from the rain of falling metal. Sakdu¡¯s men stood nearby. Ever since they had accomplished their original objectives of launching Explosions and using Metal Wall, they stood motionless while waiting for a new command. Around three hundred of them fell into the spacious canyon was rapidly forming from the falling metal.


    Servi carried a frown, which instantly twisted into a grin filled with malice. ¡°But I think it¡¯s my turn to have some fun, don¡¯t you think?!?! Why¡­ WHY¡­ GGGAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!¡± Servi shouted, grabbing her face as she screamed. One hand scratched her cheeks, pulling off strands of thick skin that became caught under her nails.


    The last piece of falling metal struck behind Servi, landing with a loud smash about 480 meters below her. If she looked down, she¡¯d see nothing but dirt and metal fragments with a few hundred dead warriors. But such a sight of destruction and death had no chance of positively or negatively affecting her psyche.


    After all, there weren¡¯t many substantial differences between one massacre or twenty massacres.


    Instead, it was like her body was teetering very closely on the edge of becoming a different person.


    Like a monster escaping from a seal, something happened as Servi shouted a name Itarr had never heard of before.


    ¡°NAVI, LET ME TAKE THE FUCKING COLLAR OFF!!!! LET ME!!!! I NEED TO FUCKING KILL!!!! THE MAD DOG NEEDS TO KILL!!! LET ME DO WHAT I¡¯M FUCKING GOOD AT!!! NAAAAVVVVIIIIIII!!!!!!!¡± Servi¡¯s hand fumbled with her exposed cheekbone as it trailed downward towards her pretty little neck.


    Navi? Servi¡ªHey, stop! SERVI, STOP IT!!! Her ID flew up and tried to smack Servi¡¯s hand away, but the girl smashed it to the ground.


    Servi¡¯s nails glanced against her own throat, fiddling around with the skin from her cheeks. Then her left hand flattened out, with all fingers side by side as it slowly entered her neck. Blood and crimson stained her newly equipped clothing. Roger tried to scream, but found himself unable to because he couldn''t breathe. Sakdu, on the other hand, carried just enough air in his lungs to issue one final command.


    ¡°MY ARMY, ATTACK RIGHT NOW!!! ATTACK WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE!!! RESCUE ME FROM THIS MONSTER! DO¡ª¡±


    ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! NAVI, CAN I TAKE THIS FUCKING COLLAR OFF?!?! NAVI!!!!!! LET ME DO IT!!!!¡± Her hands continued to fumble with her neck. Her shrill voice cut off her hostage¡¯s final commands, but the gist of it reached his men.


    All at once, a horde 15,000 strong rushed forward to attack Servi. Arrows and skills flew at her at such a speed that she couldn¡¯t dodge. To remedy that, Itarr once again went against Servi¡¯s orders and used Earth Wall to catapult Servi into the air. At the same time, she took control of Sakdu and Roger, putting them to sleep and sending them high in the air. Servi was so preoccupied with her own neck that her eyes didn¡¯t register the two flying past her.


    After being tossed half a kilometer in the sky, Servi fell back down to the ground while aided by gravity. Her screams were drowned out by the many skills targeting her. Black projectiles pierced her skin, destroying her new shirt as flame wrapped around her legs. Fire and True Immortality fought back and forth, and a curtain of black ash was scattered by a freak breeze. A few arrows found a home inside the back of her skull as a single one went up through her right knee. Beams of light punctured her chest, leaving holes like a well-used pincushion. Some of the more physical skills, like Rock Skewer or Boulder Launcher, ended up knocking Servi further in the air, which then allowed her to be pummeled even more. Bizarre clouds appeared above her as life-ending strikes of lighting assaulted her body, the force of it sending her flying back to the ground below.


    But even as Servi suffered through a thousand lifetimes worth of death and pain, she somehow found the time to beg a person named Navi in between her screams.


    ¡°LET ME DO IT!!! NAVI, I NEED TO¡ª¡± Servi flew down, sinking 500 meters below the earth in a hole created by an attempt at wiping her from existence. She landed on a sharp fragment of metal, completely cutting her in half. That wasn¡¯t the reason why she stopped her screaming, however. Nor did the army attacking her stop their outrageous assault. The attacks kept continuing, pummeling the giant crater and making it bigger and deeper. Thick chunks of rocks were effectively melted down from the Lava Walls and Greater Fireballs. The luminescence they and other skills gave off was the only light source to brighten up the deepest depths.


    The light also illuminated the two halves of Servi¡¯s body and revealed the truth behind why her screaming had stopped. It was simple, really.


    Her collar¡ªhead¡ªhad finally been removed. When her hand finally dug deep enough into her neck, she grasped her own cervical spine. Her final act was yanking her hand up and out, effectively beheading and removing her entire spinal cord with otherworldly willpower and strength alone.


    Ever since that nightmare she had where she saw the bloody version of herself take her own head, something had been growing inside Servi. It was different from her other violent urges in that it felt primal. It was almost like the one thing that ultimately kept her from losing it all.


    In a way, it felt like it was a restraint, but in the midst of the chaos, the ''collar'' had finally been removed. From her top half, thick strands of red flesh squirmed around like blind snakes, searching for the lower half of her body. Eventually, they found each other and grotesquely fused together. Servi¡¯s body moved to stand on its own without a head. The body walked to the head and violently snatched it by the hair. The boney spinal cord hanging out from the bottom of her head swung wildly with every passing second.


    The two red eyes blazed to life, and the head released a cackling laugh that could shatter reinforced glass. An Earth Wall formed from underneath Servi and pushed her into the sky while the soul-stirring laughter continued. Of course, while she ascended, Sakdu¡¯s army kept firing barrage after barrage of powerful skills.


    But they all missed. More accurately, the headless body raised her hand and somehow used the ring to absorb every skill before they ever had a chance of causing her any damage. Itarr certainly didn¡¯t know how it happened. She didn¡¯t want to go against Servi¡¯s orders again, so she focused on keeping Momo and the prisoners safe until Servi had finished slaughtering her enemies.


    But with the way you are now¡­ Will you even deal with them? Servi, you actually took off your own head. I fear the worst will happen... I¡ª


    Servi¡¯s ride on her Earth Wall came to an abrupt end when she was at ground level, and Itarr immediately became quiet. Her heart anxiously shook with fear for the immediate future. The Servi she dealt with now was far different from the Servi of a few hours ago.


    Was that true? Was she really different?


    The hand that held her head let go, but it didn''t fall. Instead, it levitated and remained in place. Servi grabbed the still-laughing head and slammed it down on her neck. The white spinal cord pierced down, digging deep into her body as True Immortality strived to reconnect everything.


    Like the sudden explosive crackle of lightning, the laughter suddenly stopped. A blank expression appeared on Servi''s face as the barrage continued. A surprise Venti Aqua reared its head behind her, sending up trees and becoming full of bodies and thick metal fragments as it made for the Mad Dog.  She took care of it with her all-powerful ring without missing a beat.


    ¡°The Mad Dog is free to kill to his desires, and he roams the battlefield once again¡­¡± Servi whispered. She ran a hand down her neck. Thanks to True Immortality, her skin was flawless, like a natural diamond. It was like she had never taken her head off in the first place.


    Her red eyes locked onto the pathetic attempt at killing her. With the power of the ring, no attacks could pierce the ultimate defense. She raised her arm up and pulled the closest foe to her with Telekinesis. That turned out to be an Elf as thin as a stick. The blank look on his face didn¡¯t change when Servi snapped his arms, which held a bow. His mouth moved, speaking a chant for some skill, but Servi responded by tearing off his lips and ripping out his tongue. Then she turned him up upside down, grabbing his legs, and splitting him like a walnut.


    Her movements carried no emotions within them as she threw the two parts of his body into the crater behind her. It was like they had no other objective than to kill her enemies.


    At least, it did at first.


    A growing chuckle started from Servi¡¯s stomach. It built itself into a giggle, then a snicker until it emerged from her mouth as a genuine fit of laughter.


    ¡°GODDAMNIT, THE MAD DOG IS FINALLY FUCKING HERE!!! I can¡¯t really keep up with that serious shit!!! ¡± Servi shouted. Her face looked the most relaxed it had ever been in the past weeks. ¡°AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH I¡¯M FINALLY FUCKING FREE!!!!!!!!¡± Servi roared and growled like a rabid dog until white spit drooled down her lips and smothered her chin. ¡°HEAR MY VOICE TO KNOW THAT I¡¯M COMING FOR YA!!! GET A HEADSTART IF YOU WANT, BUT THIS MAD DOG WON¡¯T GIVE UP THE CHASE!!!  IT¡¯LL MAKE THE SLAUGHTER THAT MUCH SWEETER AND REWARDING!!!¡±


    SERVI!!!!! Itarr quickly checked Servi''s emotional composition, and it was as she feared.


    Nothing had changed.


    It was the same as when she joined the Mafia.


    Emotionally speaking, the Servi who had just talked was the same as the Servi from two days ago.


    How could that be if Servi roared that she was finally free?


    Servi always had freedom in front of her, right?


    And how could she had suddenly showed such expert skill with the ring and Absorption? Itarr racked her brain for a moment to find out how it all made sense.


    The only way I can put all of this together is to lay it out as so: Servi, as the Mad Dog, is the same as the Servi from a week ago. If that¡¯s the case, then how can I explain her sudden proficiency with the ring? The only answer is that Servi was always proficient with it. If so, then why did she say she always needed more practice with it? Unless¡­


    WAIT!


    The prison where we met was my seal. Is it possible that your ¡®collar¡¯ was keeping your true power in check?


    But you¡¯re a Human. You don¡¯t have any power, and I¡¯m the only Goddess who¡¯s blessed you. Is it possible that power, in this case, isn¡¯t referring to abilities...but instead refers to something else? What if it¡¯s understanding? I don¡¯t get it myself, but it¡¯s clear to me that you absolutely have an advanced level of mastery over the ring. I dare say that you¡¯re almost as good as me.


    I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s the truth, and I could be very wrong, but I can¡¯t think of anything else. Servi, I¡ª


    ¡°LISTEN THE FUCK UP!!! There are thousands of you, and there¡¯s only one of me. If I¡¯ve done my math right, THE FIGHT IS STILL IN MY FUCKING FAVOR!!! LET ME SHOW YOU HOW THE MAD DOG FIGHTS!!!!!¡±


    Servi howled and stomped the Earth Wall below her, obliterating it into a thousand little chunks. Instead of falling with it, she remained standing through the use of Air Step. The Goddess inside of her remained quiet, choosing to analyze the situation around her. She didn''t know what those growing objects were in the distance, and she didn''t know why a large pillar behind Servi had sprung into existence.


    Itarr''s heart sunk to her stomach as she finally figured it out. She just couldn¡¯t believe it. She only needed a quick glimpse to realize what her beloved friend had in mind, and the other pieces of the puzzle just fell into place.


    Using a tiny piece of the metal fragments behind her, Servi used that to act as a base by forcing it to grow 15 kilometers in the sky using nothing but her stacks of Metal Wall. Then she used the skill again, casting off other strands of metal from the top of the pillar she had made.


    In other words, she was in the middle of constructing a closed-off area-- a dome-- that was 7.5 kilometers in radius and just as high when measured in the middle.


    ¡°HAHAHAHAHA,¡± she laughed as the amount of light illuminating the area rapidly decreased. The speed at which the megastructure was constructed didn''t seem possible. Not even five minutes had gone by until a respectable chunk of land had been cut off from the sun''s light.


    But Itarr wasn¡¯t lounging around with her heart frozen by fear. She had the presence of mind to move Momo and the others out of the way. Though she couldn¡¯t see past the metal dome, she knew her friend and hostages were safe because of the vast amount of Protection applied to each of them. That also accounted for her Telekinesis, and she was sure they were far and out of the way. Even from a range of 16 kilometers, Itarr had perfect control over them.


    ¡°Oh, but I¡¯m not done yet!! I¡¯m not done at all!!!¡± What fiery and lightning-based skills flying through the air slightly illuminated Servi¡¯s joyous face. However, none even came close to damaging her.


    Clapping her hands a hundred times, a hundred supercharged Lux Spheres suddenly appeared high above her, illuminating everything. Each one carried an intense brightness that rivaled that of the sun, and not a single millimeter of the area was left sheltered in the bowels of shadow.  The very last thing left was to get rid of the central pillar, and then the arena would be done. To accomplish that, Servi simply reversed Metal Wall, watching as the towering pillar shrunk before her very eyes. Before long, it had returned to its original form as a simple piece of steel, no bigger than a few meters.


    ¡°Now then! THE CAGE IS SET FOR BATTLE!!! I¡¯M THE MAD FUCKING DOG, AND NO ONE IS LEAVING HERE ALIVE!!!!¡± Servi turned her red eyes towards the thousands of prey littering her sight. She didn¡¯t see Humans or Kobolds. She didn¡¯t recognize the stocky people in front as Dwarves. The scaled Koena and limber Elves weren¡¯t Koena or Elves. She just saw prey and the meat on their bones.


    The Mafia¡¯s final battle for survival was about to begin.


    Revenge was said to be a dish best served cold, but there wasn¡¯t anything more suited for a ravenous Mad Dog, who had the chance of a lifetime to sate its hunger with 15,000 sacrifices.


    Even though her emotional composition didn¡¯t change, Itarr quickly realized that there was one stark difference between Servi and the being she called Mad Dog Servi: her complete, unabashed lack of self-imposed restrictions. Now that she thought about it, that seemed to be the one definitive distinction between the two. It sounded odd since the regular Servi already showed a lack of care, but Mad Dog Servi took it a step further.


    Nothing was off-limits.


    After Mad Dog Servi turned her wicked eyes to her prey, she instantly abused the power of Clarence¡¯s soul. Fifty Venti Aquas were born into the world, erupting from the outermost edges of the dome-enclosed area. Each one was larger and much stronger than the one Servi created in Arcton because she did not hold back.


    The powerful raindrops slammed into the ground hard enough to pierce thick holes in the rocks, and the wind ripped the aged trees from the roots keeping them locked to the soil. Hundreds of Sakdu¡¯s warriors were yanked from the ground and diced into chunks of meat as fifty watery tornados made a beeline for Servi, who stood near the center of camp some 7.5 kilometers away.


    She ran forward, using Air Step to dash across the crater until her feet touched solid ground, but someone was waiting for her. After meeting a sword with her teeth and snapping the blade in two, her right hand went to grab the shirtless attacker, a Koena, by his golden scales. Instead of ripping them off, she repositioned her hand and held him above her. She felt a hundred light vibrations as arrows rained down upon his back. A small red and blue orb appeared in her free hand. Half of it felt as cold as ice. The other half burned with a flame hotter than a volcano.


    That was a skill called Frigida Flamma Ignis. It used both extreme ice and fire to freeze and burn an enemy. As small as it was, its appearance was highly deceptive. She held it to the Koena above her, and it launched him seven kilometers until he reached one of the approaching Venti Aqua. He flew through the air with half of his body encased in ice. Smelly ash from his inflamed side coated his fellow warriors as they continued their assault on Servi.


    A short Elf darted around in front of Servi, using her short stature and quick agility to hide behind her fellow warriors. A greasy, lumpy collection of tangled brown hair trailed behind her. The knife she held was as simple as simple could get. It wasn¡¯t unique in any way, nor did it carry any supposed emotional value to the drug-dependent girl. She waited until Servi was preoccupied with tearing out a Kobold¡¯s scale-protected throat using her teeth. Her pearly whites were stained red. She looked like a zombie with the way crimson dripped down her her chin as she opened her mouth wide, revealing torn teeth and ripped gums.


    Evidently, the scales were much too hard to chew, but that didn¡¯t stop the Mad Dog. She gummed them until her teeth regenerated, then broke them again, trying to bite through. She repeated the process while dodging sword swipes and absorbing incoming skills with her ring. Eventually, the force of her bite alone shattered them, then she swallowed the fragments.


    A few sharp fragments got caught in her throat, cutting it. When the Elf saw blood appear from tiny holes on her foe¡¯s neck, she acted.


    The Elf kicked off the ground and raced towards her opponent. The Mad Dog felt a tiny pinch and looked down. She saw the tip of a plain silver knife. From behind, she felt someone rub against her back as the foreign object twisted and turned, sending a cascade of blood down her stomach.


    ¡°Oh, you think that¡¯s going to FUCKING WORK?!¡± the Mad Dog howled with laughter, exposing her bloody teeth as she pinched the tip of the knife with her thumb and index finger. ¡°You¡¯re doing it all wrong!!! THE HOLE IS SUPPOSED TO BE BIGGER!!!¡±


    What followed was nothing like Itarr had ever seen. Even if she had her memory, there would be nothing in there that compared to the sight of Servi dragging that Elf girl by the knife until her whole body slipped through the gaping hole in Servi¡¯s chest. Bits of her ribs stabbed the Elf¡¯s cheeks when she passed through.


    The nasty scrap of cloth the Elf wore as clothing became infused with her victim¡¯s blood. Damp and full of crimson, it clumped tightly against her petite body, showing her total lack of curves. When her eyes blinked open, her two yellow orbs stared into red eyes belonging to death herself. Servi yanked her up by her arms. The Elf waved her knife hand around, but it hit nothing. A quick use of Telekinesis later, the girl had no weapons. She blankly fought against Servi¡¯s grip while staring into the gaping wound she passed through not even moments ago.


    ¡°Now, that¡¯s a real fuckin¡¯ hole,¡± Servi said with a bit of conviction. It was like she was proud of the damage she inflicted on herself. With every word she spoke, Servi¡¯s visible lungs expanded and contracted like someone blew into them. Her heart had started the process of forming anew. The corners of her lips curled into a smirk.


    Releasing her grip with one hand, Servi grabbed the girl¡¯s head and forced it into her wound. Again, the Elf¡¯s cheeks were scratched and stabbed by the sharp bits of ribs that had only started to regenerate. Servi was aiming for her stomach, an organ that had suffered slight damage. Thus, it was the perfect place to take out her opponent.


    Yes, Servi aimed to drown one of her enemies with the blood and acid stored in her stomach. She was aided by a seemingly infinite amount of crimson that was a product of True Immortality¡¯s attempt at returning Servi¡¯s body to a perfect state. The hydrochloric acid in her stomach burned the Elf¡¯s face. A large amount splashed out as the fear of death overpowered her drug-dependent state. She whipped her hands and pushed against Servi¡¯s arms, but they held her down as a new wave of blood and acid poured down on her. Out of breath, the struggling Elf had no choice but to involuntary breathe in an attempt to fill her lungs, but they only received a mixture of green and red.


    There was no oxygen to be had.


    The acid scorched her lungs, she involuntary cried out, breathing in even more of the deadly combination of substances, and the cycle continued until a red soul flew into Servi¡¯s ring.


    Servi, you just drowned her by forcing her head into your stomach¡­


    That combination of words formed a sentence that had never been uttered before in the history of the world. Itarr felt afraid and frightened. Even more so than the cruel and unusual way of fighting she, unfortunately, had become familiar with.


    But this new way of killing her foes? It didn¡¯t sit right with her at all. She wanted to break down and cry, but Itarr found her resolve to stay strong not in the girl she shared a soul with, but within the girl who meant everything to her beloved Servi.


    Momo. The pink Singi with blue eyes was the single key holding Itarr together as she witnessed the Mad Dog¡¯s debut.


    Would the Mad Dog be here to stay? Or would the Mad Dog go back and hide until it was needed again?


    Itarr wished the Mad Dog would disappear forever, but she knew that was a pipe dream. The Mad Dog was Servi, and Servi was the Mad Dog. It didn¡¯t take Itarr long at all to realize that the situation she found herself in was the ultimate culmination of her emotional meddling. It was as much her punishment as it was for the Mafia members Servi brutalized.


    ¡°Ya gotta get real fucking creative with ya murder methods. If ya don¡¯t, then you aren¡¯t a Mad Dog. THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF TAKING LIVES AND DESTROYING CITIES IS THE PLACE TO BE!!! YOU ALL HAVE A FIRST-CLASS TICKET TO HELL!!!!¡± Servi threw away the Elf¡¯s body after ripping off her head. The skin on her cheeks had dissolved, leaving only bone, teeth, and a scant amount of muscle that somehow avoided disappearing.


    Holding it in her hands, Servi pushed them together until the head she held was as flat as a pancake. Blood spewed every which way, pink brain matter oozed out of any opening it found, and bits of white skull was just hanging wherever. Servi picked at the bone and popped a piece into her mouth as if it was the most normal thing in the world, swallowing it without even chewing. Since the hole in her chest had yet to heal, the Mad Dog''s mid-battle snack was entirely visible. She only looked to the arena''s ceiling when her ears picked up on the quietest ¡®plop¡¯ when the bone reached her stomach.


    The towering Venti Aquas tornados were no longer their original colors. After killing hundreds, their blood tainted the winds red. Suddenly, one of them was lit ablaze with fiery flames and frozen by the coldest ice. The Koena Servi attacked with Frigida Flamma Ignis finally came in contact with one of the twisters. Being a Rank 1 skill, it wasn¡¯t something a simple gust of wind could cancel out. However, letting an ability take on the property of an entirely different skill was very rare. With Servi''s current state, she didn''t see the beauty in such an abstract sight.


    Her eyes only focused on destruction as she dropped the rest of her mid-battle snack.


    Servi laughed and reached her hands into her still open chest. After picking out two ribs, she turned around and slowly walked forward towards even more enemies. The blood dripping out of her wounds, the Venti Aqua filled with the power of fire and ice, and the other 49 Venti Aquas all wrecking havoc all came together to set the mood. The Mad Dog was certainly creative in her killing, but her canvas wasn¡¯t finished.


    After all, there was still nearly 11,000 enemies left to go.

 Book Three – Chapter Eleven – Part Seven – Shattering the Collar

    Instead of using a sword or spear to stab her enemies, Servi opted to use the two ribs in her hands. Their range wasn''t that much longer than a dagger, and they weren¡¯t that durable since they weren''t attached to her, but they were infinite. If she ever needed a replacement, all she had to do was jab her hand into her partially healed chest and pull another one out.


    She avoided a blow from behind without looking, twisting on her heel and dropping to the bloody ground. It was a Kobold with a club. He was joined by a pair of Dwarves wielding rusty poles. She met their direct attacks head-on with her forehead, which was crushed in the process, but her hands never stopped waving around her weapons. She shattered it against their arms and legs, then used Telekinesis to tear her remaining ribs out of her body. Like a barrage of missiles, they launched right out of her chest, leaving behind 24 holes that quickly healed up.


    ¡°YES!!! DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!!!!!! DIE BY THE MAD DOG!!! ROT IN HELL FOR A THOUSAND FUCKING YEARS!!! I¡¯LL BE THERE SOON TO FUCKING KILL YOU AGAIN!!!!¡±


    In a second, 24 souls joined with the others inside her ring. But she wasn¡¯t done. Servi continued to launch her organic projectiles out of her chest. She giggled and shouted in anticipation of the burning pain of her brain cooking itself to death as it withstood the mental strain...but it never came. It seemed that the five projectile restriction no longer existed for this ¡®Mad Dog Servi.¡¯ Was the so-called ¡®collar¡¯ the reason behind the limit in the first place? If that was the case, then Itarr briefly wondered what other limits were broken?


    After a solid sixty seconds of launching her ribs like a missile, she stopped, but it wasn''t because of pain.


    It was her laughter. By the time the seventh set of ribs launched out, the Monotonia-dependent warriors finally snapped free of their drugged stupours. Servi''s enemies finally realized the girl holding her own against thousands of skills was so far and beyond out of their league that it was suicide to make eye contact. Yes, the terror Servi emitted overpowered those who sold their emotions to Monotonia. She forced them to remember the true meaning of terror.


    So they ran, running for the curved walls of metal keeping them trapped like livestock. For the cowards to get there, they needed to pass by the impending Venti Aquas. One of which was encased in both flame and ice. That was a significant obstacle in and of itself, but the Mad Dog wasn¡¯t going to let her prey die in such a pathetic way.


    For the first time in a while, she had no skills to absorb and no attacks to dodge. Those free moments made it possible for the Mad Dog to get her bearings and prepare for the finale. Using every last bit of Skill Energy she had, Servi created over 3,000 Fulgur Spikes.


    Just one was enough to distort the sky as it appeared from what looked like a hole in the fabric of reality. But 3,000 black objects filled with spikes, all which were as tall as two Kobolds and as wide as six Dwarves, and appearing at the same time? It seemed as if reality was ablaze with smoke. The sun-like Lux Spheres were hazy and fuzzy like they existed in a different dimension.


    Just the air pressure from one was enough to scatter smoke. The combined force from 3,000 effortlessly pushed the Venti Aquas off track. Like a pinball, 50 tornados bounced around the entrapped space at such a speed that they covered 70 or 80 kilometers per hour in a space that was only 15 kilometers in diameter.


    But what use was a bomb without the spark to light it?


    Servi remembered she had a few skill potions stored away in the ring, so she took those out and hastily drank them.  That did so little to help her, so she started to toss every potion she had into her mouth, chewing the glass if it meant that delicious blue liquid would flow to her stomach that much faster. Still, she had to wait for it to naturally refill because potions weren''t designed to work with someone like Servi, whose Skill Energy Reservoir was almost a bottomless pit. It took about ten minutes for her to have enough Skill Energy to use Niadiabola ten times.


    Red clouds appeared in the sky, hidden behind the slowly descending Fulgur Spikes. Since Fulgur Spike needed outside assistance for its true potential to be realized, Servi believed Niadiabola was the best choice because it could attack by itself without any commands. All ten started small and insignificant, like a worm, but they soon grew to a respectable size. Within seconds, they fired off fire-infused lightning like clockwork.


    But was ten enough? The Mad Dog certainly didn¡¯t think so.


    She sat down on the ground and used Niadiabola every time she had just enough Skill Energy. Soon, the sky was filled with ominous red clouds, but Servi never stopped pumping them out. The light the 100 Lux Spheres gave off didn¡¯t even reach her eyes anymore, the clouds were just that thick.


    And the lightning! With the number of Niadiabola running wild, there were 100 to 150 sharp flashes of light every second. Each bolt carried enough power to flash-fry a dragon, while highlighting the growing destruction. Any unfortunate bastard struck by one didn¡¯t have a chance in hell of surviving.


    The Fulgur Spikes were charged. Then they were supercharged. Then they were charged again, and again, and again. Blue particles erupted from each of the descending spikes, flooding the atmosphere with something that was simply ''otherworldly.''  Just a single one was powerful enough to take down an area equal to 1/10th the size of Arcton.


    And Servi had 3,000 of them for a domed area with a radius of 15-kilometers. The destructive power of something so monstrous was impossible to calculate. Itarr knew that. Such simple Metal Walls couldn¡¯t defend against that, which was why she went against Servi¡¯s wishes for the final time. She had express orders to focus on Momo¡¯s safety.


    In a way, I am keeping her safe. Unfortunately, it¡¯s keeping her protected from you. Servi, that¡¯s why you ran out of Skill Energy so fast after you created those Fulgur Spikes. I used a large portion of our Skill Energy in reinforcing the outer walls with 4,000 Judas Shields, and I used whatever was left to send the metal dome down into the ground. I''m still using what I can, but I''ll leave the rest, so use it as you see fit...


    I don¡¯t know how deep the walls went, but I hope it¡¯s far enough.


    It¡¯s funny. If we didn¡¯t kill that spirit and absorb her soul, then I wouldn¡¯t have had any Skill Energy left to do what you told me. I guess every little bit counts, huh?


    Servi, I promise you that this Mad Dog won¡¯t ever come out again. I¡¯ll tell you the whole truth of what I¡¯ve done, and then I''ll fix you... You can punish me accordingly. But until that time comes, I must keep our best friend safe.


    The scene was something that would be right at home for the end of the world. The Niadiabola lightning strikes corrupted the other 49 Venti Aquas, giving them the power of both fire and electricity. Scattering waves of flames rushed in the distance, but their crimson didn¡¯t compare to the evil clouds in the sky filled with hundreds of thousands of blue particles. It was like the Gods of Fire clashed against the Gods of Wind, who waged war against the Gods of Lightning. The three elements tried to battle for supremacy, killing thousands along the way.


    And Servi, the conductor behind the apocalypse happening right in front of her, couldn¡¯t have been prouder. Her cute mouth turned into a smile, and she laid down on the blood-soaked ground. It squelched under her weight, squirting out more of that crimson Servi loved so much. Folding her arms behind her head, she stared at the pretty lightning, it''s red hue perfectly matching her unblinking eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± she said. ¡°Well, it¡¯s almost done. Mosie, once these Fulgur Spikes fall to the ground, the Mafia will be no more. I had hoped to give the Sakdu more of a beating, but I¡¯d settle for him dying alone and afraid. Hahaha!!! I won the game, you fucking jackass. YOU NEVER STOOD A CHANCE AGAINST THE MAD DOG!!!! YOU NEVER STOOD A FUCKING CHANCE!!!!!¡±


    All at once, the Fulgur Spikes glowed an otherworldly azure. Even more blue particles, thicker than the last wave, covered the skies, intermingling with the red clouds from Niadiabola. The two armies of opposing charged particles created an unnatural phenomenon. The blue mist from Fulgur Spike actively clashed with the charged Niadiabolas, creating an uncontrollable, rampaging fury of lightning that served to further energize the Fulgur Spikes. In short, it was the most dangerous feedback loop ever to have been created. The Niadiabolas became supercharged, which increased its lightning production, and that benefited Fulgur Spike. The thing was, however, that the amount of energy gained was more than what was lost. In theory, it was infinite as long as there was an endless source of oxygen to keep it sustained. Servi didn''t know it, but she was so close to creating a perpetually infinite source of energy. The hardest part was getting it all set up and in motion, and harvesting it was an entirely different problem that needed to be solved. Only Servi had the absurd amount of resources to solve the first problem, but the second one was out of her league.


    But with such a massive amount of energy being injected into an already bloated army''s worth of Fulgur Spikes, it needed an outlet. Suddenly, they descended at a rapid pace, assisted by gravity. Servi felt a jittering jolt in her heart, much like what accompanied seeing something so miraculous that it couldn¡¯t be believed. ¡°YOU HEAR ME?!?! I AM THE MAD DOG, AND THERE IS NO ONE STRONGER THAN ME!!! I¡¯LL KILL EVERY FUCKING BODY WHO DARES TO CHALLENGE ME!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA¡ª¡±


    Fulgur Spike was a skill that sent a wave of deadly lightning out from where it landed. But the things that fell was so overcharged to the point of exploding on capacity alone that they channeled all of the excess energy and effectively transformed into nothing more than simple bombs.


    In that sense, it was a highly destructive bomb created from the unintended consequences of using a deadly skill to charge an equally dangerous ability.


    When it landed, it would forgo its original instructions and simply explode, producing a simple explosion that far exceeded any bomb or Fulgur Spike that had been used in the past.


    It went without saying, but Servi died the moment the first one dropped. She was reduced to something even less than ash. All of her atoms and cells simply disappeared. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise because she wasn¡¯t conscious for the finale. There just wasn¡¯t enough time in between explosions that allowed True Immortality to get that far along.


    To say the ground rumbled would be an understatement.


    One could go as far as saying that the world simply ended. That technically wouldn¡¯t have been an understatement, either, considering that, for all intents and purposes, the world trapped in the dome died.


    The topmost layer of dirt, soil, rock, and whatever else was incinerated in the heat produced by the first bomb. When the second Fulgur Spike hit the ground, another massive layer of earth disappeared without a trace. But more than that, the impact and force sent strong shockwaves through the planet¡¯s core since it couldn''t escape. Those who lived in Canary felt the ground shake as if there was a sudden earthquake. Those in Arcton suffered far worse. A majority of the weaker buildings crumbled and collapsed, crushing all who took shelter within them.


    Ah, but there were still 2,998 that had yet to explode. Whatever effects the first two caused were about increased by a factor of 1,500.


    For three solid minutes, the ground rumbled, sending sharp cracks throughout the planet¡¯s surface. The Metal Walls deep in the planet''s core did what they could to defend against the destruction, but Itarr had to hastily reconstruct them. Even still, she couldn¡¯t entirely contain it all.


    That damage even spread to the border towns in Westera and Keywater, located some thousands of kilometers away. Servi''s actions also caused hundreds of thousands of dupla in damages to Lando''s port towns near the sea. Freak tsunamis destroyed most of the towns, tremendous tidal waves washed away a large number of boats, and a few thousand people died from the flash flooding alone. Out in the sea, however, the damage was more extensive with trading boats and naval ships being whisked away to the deep, dark, blue beyond. Whirlpools sprung to life, greedily sucking down anything that dared to pass them by.


    Oddly enough, Canary somehow avoided the majority of the damage. Other than a few fallen houses in the slums, the city emerged unscathed. The reason was simple, and that was because of its location. Because of the distance and angle the domed area was at compared to Canary¡¯s location, the shockwaves happened to pass by the town, but they did cause a few hundred dupla worth of damage. The same couldn¡¯t have been said for Arcton. The remaining decrepit houses couldn¡¯t take the shock and fell. Even a large part of the wall keeping Arcton and New Arcton separated fell, finally tearing down the simple thing that divided the two. The building that suffered the least amount of damage was the Warden office, oddly enough. It was the only building built with a firm foundation in mind.


    In a sense, the caged world inside the dome ceased to exist. It was like every aspect of a fully functional habitat was destroyed when the bombs dropped. Even the ravenous Venti Aquas and Niadiabolas were removed from existence by Fulgur Spike''s imposing power. If they hadn''t, Itarr would''ve stepped to erase whatever survived.


    Sometime after the last one had gone off, Servi found realized she was in a void-like area. If she looked up, or what she thought was up by bending her neck, she saw nothing but darkness. It was the same result when she looked down, left, and to the right.


    She brought a hand to her face and touched her cheek. Soft and warm, she ran it down her chest while lightly cupping her bare breasts. She obviously felt her hand and body, so she must have been be alive, right? Next, she licked it. The taste of dirt filled her mouth. Spitting it out, she then lightly scratched her arm. Servi went through the motions of testing out her various senses. In the end, everything passed but sight. In that case, she figured it must¡¯ve been nighttime. If not that, then perhaps she emerged in a place that had no sun? Thinking on the subject of bright objects in the sky, Servi briefly wondered why her supercharged Lux Spheres weren¡¯t giving off any light before realizing that they were destroyed.


    A quick Lux Sphere later, and Servi made a startling discovery.


    She was in a cave or cavern. Nothing but gray rocks surrounded her from all sides. A dusty freak breeze sent dust barreling towards her. It tickled her nose, and she cutely sneezed a few times to clear her sinuses. When she looked up, there was still only darkness. Even with a helpful light, she couldn''t make out what was above her?


    Suddenly, she saw her ID appear from nowhere. Words were being written on it, and Servi read them after moving the Lux Sphere over to it.


    Servi. Are you confused? Itarr wrote.


    ¡°Yeah. I am,¡± Servi said. She maneuvered the Lux Sphere around her general area and looked down. Even though she already knew she was naked, Servi wished a little bit of clothing survived. While Itarr explained the situation to Servi, the girl moved to cover herself with what little apparel remained in her ring. There was sure to be a shopping trip in the future, but at the moment, such trivial concerns had no place in her life. ¡°What happened after they fell? Where am I? How long was I out?¡±


    Don¡¯t panic, but it''s been about three minutes since your body was regenerated. And it''s been around five since the last Fulgur Spike went off. To say you were killed wouldn¡¯t even begin to cover it. I was so afraid that True Immortality couldn¡¯t do anything to bring you back, but I was so happy when I saw you had started to reform!


    ¡°Forget about me.¡± Servi scoffed at Itarr¡¯s futile worries. ¡°Where¡¯s Momo? Is she safe? I told you to keep her safe!¡±


    She¡¯s fine, Servi. The Metal Walls held up. Itarr failed to mention the extra precautions she took to lessen the damage.


    ¡°Good. Then where am I?¡± Servi demanded. She plopped down on the ground and noticed it was pleasantly warm to the touch.


    I think you¡¯re in a big hole. You did use a lot of Fulgur Spikes, and they were all massively overcharged... The explosions couldn¡¯t travel up past the dome, so most of the energy was directed downward. I think that was further multiplied by the curvature of the walls. I think the energy traveled up it, but since it wouldn''t escape, it continued until it smashed into the ground... It was like a shovel, I guess? I don''t really know to explain it... I don¡¯t know how deep you are, but it must be at least 3,000 kilometers. Those Fulgur Spikes were absurdly powerful, so it wouldn''t to surprise me if a single one left a kilometer-deep crater behind... And there were 3,000 of them... But that''s just an estimate, and I don''t know how far we truly are...


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± Servi put a hand to her chin. ¡°The temperature is supposed to be over 3,000 degrees Celsius once someone reaches that far down... That would mean we''re just after the mantle? Or maybe we''re right at the very edge of it...? If that¡¯s true, then why haven''t I started melting? Skin can''t survive a temperature that hot.¡± Servi rolled over and pressed her face against the ground. It was warm; that much was as true as anything, but it wasn¡¯t hotter than a piece of chicken being left to cool in the air for five minutes after being snatched from a pot of bubbling oil.  How do I know what the mantle is? I... No, that''s just common knowledge, right? Yeah, that has to be it.


    Mantle? I don¡¯t know what that is, but Servi does. No, there¡¯s no use in asking about it because that¡¯s not important.


    Then the smell of burning cloth reached Servi¡¯s nose. Her head turned towards her arms, and she saw the sleeves of her blouse were on fire. She ripped them off, along with her burning shoes and pants, and realized there must be some truth to Itarr¡¯s explanation after seeing the lack of burn marks.


    Servi. Do you remember anything about the battle?


    ¡°I do. I remember it perfectly,¡± Servi replied. Servi returned to sitting on the ground in her birthday suit. The warm surface warmed her bottom and legs.


    Then do you remember everything you did as the Mad Dog?


    ¡°Yeah. Why do you ask? What does that have to do with anything?!¡± Servi¡¯s sudden tone change highlighted her irritability. She didn¡¯t want to be led around in circles. Only immediate answers would satisfy her the way she was now.


    Then you remember how you controlled more than five items at once with Telekinesis? I think your body is finally adapting to my power. Your clothes are catching fire because it¡¯s so hot, but it only feels warm for you! That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to say!!!


    As if to test out Itarr¡¯s little theory, Servi dug into her skin and ripped out four ribs. She met far more resistance than she expected, and it almost felt like scratching a hole through stone with a rubber mallet. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right. I could barely open a hole in my chest,¡± said the girl holding four bloody ribs. ¡°I can still feel the pain, but it¡¯s pretty much dulled.¡± When her hands tried to enter her chest for the last time and plucked out the fifth rib, she really had to struggle. When she did manage to make a hole, it just vanished.


    And I feel that regeneration is quicker as well.


    Servi snapped her curved bones in half for a total of eight and leisurely flew them around the dark cave. After twenty seconds, she realized her head wasn¡¯t hurting at all. ¡°What¡¯s my new limit?¡±


    I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s something we need to experiment on. But I think we have more pressing matters!!! Momo! Let¡¯s go get her!


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s not keep our Momo waiting anymore.¡± Servi smiled, sending Itarr into a flutter as she internally cheered. The current Servi reminded the Goddess about everything she loved about the girl with red eyes. If only that could stay. She thought.


    Servi, I also managed to capture Sakdu and that Elf. Oh, and I got Carrie as well. They''re asleep via Kaasuvuoto.  I figured you wanted to¡ª


    ¡°Fuck yeah! Thanks, Itarr! I love you!¡± Servi hopped around, throwing her fist into the air. Suddenly, she bent down and jumped with all of her strength. The ground immediately started to rumble and collapse the moment she left solid footing, and before she knew it, she was five kilometers higher. It was so surprising that it caught her off guard, and she flailed around as if she had two left feet. Itarr then explained via ID.


    You¡¯re most welcome, Servi! I love you as well! Oh, remember, you absorbed the souls of everyone you killed in that battle. There were a lot of people, around 15,000 souls were absorbed. Most of those were Elves and Singi, and their souls give you more agility and speed when compared to Koena and Kobold''s souls. That, coupled with the upgrades you gave to Absorption, really increased your physical attributes by a significant amount. For the first time, Itarr was truly happy with the way things were going.


    But the Goddess knew what sorrowful event awaited her in the next hour or two. But until she had to face the sins of her past and consequences, she wanted to make precious memories with the girl she loved. Servi¡¯s hatred could come later, but basking in her happiness was all Itarr wanted to do.


    Servi eventually righted herself with Air Step platforms and caught her balance, aligning herself with her head pointed towards what she thought was the ceiling. ¡°All of that strength is no good if my arms keep breaking.¡±


    While that is still a concern for the time being, I¡¯m positive that you can use far more of your strength before something breaks. It won¡¯t be like when lifted that warehouse you twisted into a sword using Telekinesis and tried to wield it. I don''t think your body is that durable yet, but you can probably handle something about half that size.


    ¡°I get what you mean, Itarr. It¡¯ll be fun not having to deal with broken bones so often!¡± A genuine giggle of happiness emerged from Servi¡¯s voice as she quickly searched through her ring. Her reservoir of clothing was dangerously close to running out, but she did manage to find a green shirt and a pair of pink shorts long enough to cover her knees. They were opposing colors, something that would send a fashionista into cardiac arrest, but the beauty of two best friends coming together eclipsed whatever fashion laws Servi broke. At first, she had forgotten about how her other clothes burned from the intense heat and wondered why it wasn¡¯t. Itarr then spoke and said she was absorbing the air around her body to prevent them from catching fire.


    Servi thanked her, which prompted Itarr to ask about shoes. The girl didn¡¯t know why, but she said she preferred to go barefoot for a bit. ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll be good if I felt the grass beneath my feet and between my toes,¡± she answered.


    Servi, I think that battle also increased your familiarity with our ring. Do you remember? You absorbed those incoming skills almost as fast as I could.


    ¡°I do remember that. I don¡¯t know how I did it, though. I can¡¯t explain it, but while I was fighting, it felt like everything just clicked and started to make sense. The clouds had disappeared from my eyes, and I felt everything.¡± Servi stared at her hand and kissed her red ring. Instantly, Itarr felt warm and loved again. Truly, she vastly enjoyed the little affectionate moment she and her beloved shared.


    Do you think you can still do it?


    ¡°I feel like I can. I mean, if the knowledge and know-how suddenly shows up, it doesn''t make any sense for it to totally disappear, would it?¡±


    Internally, Itarr surmised that it was likely to happen that way. Once she fixed her mistakes and hopefully locked the Mad Dog away forever, would Servi¡¯s sudden understanding of the ring go with it? And what about her body¡¯s increased durability? Itarr was sure of the former¡¯s disappearance, but she wasn¡¯t totally sure about the latter. It wouldn¡¯t make sense for a stick to pierce a piece of armor body if, moments before, it had blocked a sword, would it?


    But even still, Itarr¡¯s guesses could be wrong, and in the first place, that only relied on her ability to seal away the Mad Dog by righting her mistakes. But would the Mad Dog go away when all was said or done? What if its taste for freedom overpowered her attempts at ridding Servi of it?


    Now that she had the chance, Itarr asked about a name Servi uttered before she took her own head.


    ¡°I just screamed whatever came into my mind. I don¡¯t think Navi has any special meaning. But I guess I do feel angry now that I¡¯ve said that name. Do you think it might be a clue about my memory?¡±


    It could be. At the same time, it couldn¡¯t. I¡¯m not in a position to say.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯ll keep it in the back of my mind. I kinda want to do everything I can to erase that name from my mind, though. I just feel so... irritated...¡±


    After 300 momentous hops, Servi still hadn¡¯t reached the halfway point. It was also quiet. Too quiet. At the depths she was at, it was lonely and afraid. She¡¯d doubt there was another living thing within 1,500 kilometers. The loneliness reminded Servi of how she felt when Momo ran away from her out of fright. In a way, it was the perfect representation of the dread that filled her up. Shaking her head, Servi refused to allow negative thoughts to cloud her mind when she was so close to her ultimate goal.


    After another 300 leaps, Servi believed she had emerged from the hole because a giant chunk of metal fell in front of her, narrowly missing by a hairsbreadth. She only saw it because the light from her Lux Sphere faintly flickered off its metallic edge. Cursing her inability to see even a meter in front of her, she summoned ten more Lux Spheres. After spreading them about evenly, she glanced up at the heavens to see who dared to attack her.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t a person that did the throwing; it was her very own construction. The Metal Walls keeping the dome intact had been weakened from the barrage of explosions, and it was only natural for them to crumble after accomplishing their mission. As Servi expertly absorbed the slabs that would have hit her, the sun finally had the chance to bless the girl with red eyes with visual proof of her destructive tantrum.


    RuggyRuggy


    A quick author''s note on something. The reason Servi was able to use Telekinesis on her own body to send her ribs out was because of Itarr. You see, it isn''t possible to use Telekinesis on yourself. You can''t target your arm and sling yourself across the sky. But with Servi and Itarr, it is different because two different souls are inhabiting the same body. In this case, Servi targeted the ribs that belonged to Itarr, which meant they also belonged to Servi, but because it was considered to be a different person, she was able to control them.


    Near the beginning of Book Three, Itarr did something similar when she controlled Servi like a puppet.


    Also, Navi being the name that was uttered was a total coincidence. I didn''t intend for it to be a reference to Ocarina of Time, though I do love that game.

 Book Three – Chapter Eleven – Part Eight – Shattering the Collar

    The ¡®thing¡¯ she saw was 15 kilometers wide and 3,000 kilometers deep. Declaring it a hole was a word that didn¡¯t have enough power to describe the fruits of Servi¡¯s labor. Calling it a pit wouldn¡¯t do it justice, either. If anything, it felt more like a warning... A warning to the world of what the Mad Dog could do when the collar was off. If that didn¡¯t cut it, then perhaps it¡¯d be more accurate to call it a scar on the world¡¯s surface?


    Continuing off of that line of thought, if Itarr had not continued to repair the makeshift cage, the damage would have been far, far, far worse. On top of that, if she was just a little bit slower, then it wouldn''t be wrong to say that Arcton, Canary, Waveret, and many of the other towns occupying southeastern Lando would have been vaporized out of existence. In fact, such an outcome would cripple the world as a whole. If Lando lost the majority of its farming lands, and it would have if Itarr failed, then other countries wouldn''t just stand by and wait for Lando to get things in order. Mass panic and conspiracies would spread like wildfire, fueling frights and scares, which would then lead to brisk skirmishes with Westera and Keywater. Those had the chance to spark into a full-blown conflict, and if it did, the continent of Gea would be ravaged by the flames of war. And that was not to say that the other countries on the other continents in the world would just idly stand by. Everyone wanted their own slice of the pie. Even if their bellies were full, it was just never enough.


    In either case, the worst-case scenario appeared to have not happened.


    There was nothing in the world, except for one particular girl, who could leap down into the gaping jaws of hell and survive the otherworldly heat at the bottom.


    The realization of just how deep it was struck Servi like a brick when she looked down. After a certain point, the light just stopped, almost as if it was being eaten. Even the sun couldn¡¯t penetrate the remains of a girl¡¯s brutal attack. In that case, the words ¡®impenetrable void¡¯ came to her mind. The sun and its light were amongst the most powerful of objects in the known world. Together, they cast a wonderful glow on the planet, yet even it couldn¡¯t illuminate the abyss.


    That showed just how strong Servi was, but that wasn¡¯t the scariest part.


    ¡°There were 15,000 people here, and now their souls rest in my ring. That¡¯s another 15,000 stacks. Or 30,000 if that includes you. If I had just a little bit of strength, then¡­¡± I¡¯d be able to reach the core of the planet...and I''d be able to touch the moon with a single jump...


    Servi stared into the unblinking abyss below her for a few seconds before she started to leap over to the edge. When she canceled Air Step, Servi felt the warm grass between her toes. Her hand reached out to touch the thick, rugged bark of a nearby tree. The smell of nature invaded her nose, tickling it with something other than the rotten scent of death. Looking up, thick blankets of green littered her vision. It blocked the sun, leaving her alone in a wave of shadow. After spending so long in darkness, she wanted to experience the sun¡¯s warmth, even if it was a waste on someone like her.


    The tree she touched vanished as it found a home inside her ring. It left behind a sizable hole in the ground where its roots had made its home. The group of trees to her left and right suddenly shook as an invisible force ripped them from the only comfort they had ever known. Their abrupt ascent into the sky left more holes to be filled, and Servi took care of that, grasping large chunks of dirt from the nearby mega pit.


    It was a task that pushed Servi¡¯s increased ability with Telekinesis to the limit. She stacked it over 10,000 times, crudely shaping the invisible anchor points until they formed a hand-like shape. Servi realized she withstood the light strain with ease. She controlled it on over to the edge of the massive hole and sent it down a distance of fifty meters. Like a warmed scooper through ice cream, her ¡®hand¡¯ effortlessly excavated enough dirt to fill in two holes. It was hard at first, considering she was working with. Keeping the anchor points tight enough to prevent any dirt from leaking through was one thing, but it couldn''t be too tight. The precision needed was like that of balancing a pin on top of a tower of cards.


    Her actions were similar to a pair of complementing machines. The trees were yanked, and the hole was filled. Servi repeated those actions many times until she was satisfied.


    While Servi''s current situation was also the best time to test the range on her janky new ability, she simply settled for stealing dirt from the pit¡¯s walls.


    After a few minutes, Servi had plucked and filled 200 trees and holes. She and the area around her were assaulted by a storm of leafy, green leaves. They scattered when their homes took flight. With it being summer, her eyes weren¡¯t blessed with flakes of red, yellow, or orange.


    As an aside, she realized there was no better chance to test her durability. The particular tree she chose was nearly 25 meters tall with a diameter of 71 centimeters, and it weighed over 13,000 kilograms.


    If she knew anything about forestry, she would¡¯ve known that heavy object about to rush towards her was a hickory tree. Most of the other trees around here were oak or maple. They were durable and sturdy, but hickory took it to a different level. It was amongst the densest woods in Lando, but it failed to compete against metallic options like iron or steel. Regardless, it was stiff and rugged. If it was far smaller, like a small 2x4, then a Kobold could just rip it in half. But a fully grown, mature tree?


    It was simply impossible when accounting for the races of the world. Perhaps the mighty giants could accomplish the titanic task, but finding one that wouldn¡¯t attack on sight was rarer than discovering a dragon that valued a Human¡¯s opinion.


    Launching it at herself like a reverse slingshot, Servi formed a tight fist and swung in a straight line, meeting the approaching tree with her fist. The results, however, didn¡¯t surprise her. She had a difficult time piercing her own skin with her own strength. Considering that was true, did she really need useless armor?


    Her fist acted like an immobile wall the projectile had to pierce, but her arm stood its ground, never giving an inch. The simple strike contained all of Servi¡¯s power, meaning she gave it everything she had with nothing left in the gas tank.


    While her attack couldn¡¯t destroy the thick tree on a molecular level, her arm pierced right through it and left a noticeable wound that stretched its entire length. An explosive pop rung out, which was the cause of hundreds of birds abandoning their homes en masse. Servi looked down at the piece of wood she had forcibly ejected from the tree and absorbed it. There would probably be a use for it later. If not, there was still no harm in taking it.


    Servi then reversed her Telekinesis, sending the tree that landed behind her back to where it belonged. Her projectile barreled through many trees, felling most of them. The few natural towers stronger than it withstood the ferocious assault, shattering the would-be missile of destruction and vastly slowing it down. When it came to a complete stop, it had left a wake of destruction and a multitude of dead hatchlings.


    Even while testing, the broken Human couldn¡¯t get away from her core concept. The red souls barreling her way proved that.


    She looked down at her hand and arm, which remained reasonably uninjured from using her entire reservoir of strength. Other than some fractured fingers, a bruised knuckle, and a dislocated shoulder, all of which were instantly taken care of, she was fine. If she was the Servi of before, she wouldn''t even have an arm to look at, much less half of her body. Even three-quarters of her full strength was a dream unattainable for most of the world. Unless she encountered a foe so far beyond the category of legend that it breached into the world of myth, there wasn¡¯t any need to unleash it all. It also stood to mention that nearly any attack would just bounce off her skin since it was as hard as armor. Perhaps it couldn''t naturally block against a nadrium sword, but iron, steel, mythril, even some skills like Sword Beam would probably bounce off. No longer would she shatter her entire body if she wanted lift Feral''s shield.


    Servi was a girl who couldn¡¯t create, but she knew she was perfect for destruction. But regardless of her thoughts on philosophy, she had a few more things to do before she could close out the the worst week of her life.


    ¡°Okay, Itarr, bring them down,¡± Servi said after she pulled a bed from her ring. It belonged to that scum, Parrel. Chuckling, she was glad he could still be beneficial even after he had perished. Still, a part of her wished she had a chance to put him through some real torture.


    Like an angel, Momo¡¯s sleeping body was gently lowered from the sky. Her pink hair listlessly swayed in the blowing wind. Even though it was clumped and greasy, it still had the same shiny luster that took Servi¡¯s breath away. Once she was close enough to the ground, Servi held out her hands, supporting her as she finished out the last leg of her journey. It was only when Momo¡¯s pretty head touched the pillow that Servi took a breath of relief. Her pink lips slightly pursed when she took in a small breathe of air, then she uttered a single word.


    ¡°Servy¡­¡± Her left hand gripped the golden blanket she rested on, but let go after Servi¡¯s finger touched it.


    Momo was alive, and she was safe. Servi couldn¡¯t have wished for anything better. An urge to hold her hand over took Servi, and she didn¡¯t waste any time ignoring it. It was warm and soft, and she felt a beating heart pulsing through it. ¡°That¡¯s right, Mosie... Servy is here. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything.¡± Servi wiggled her hand free and stepped back.


    Now that she was looking at it, the bed was obviously made for a man as large as Parrel, even though he had his own personal room. All of the beds in the mansion were giant, but Momo was far smaller than he was. With that being the case, she had ample room for a particular bag and sword that meant the world to the sleeping Singi.


    Her safety and well-being required the lives and souls of over seventeen thousand people. Servi knew that was a low estimate and possibly the best case scenario, but she was ready to up the total loss of life to over a hundred thousand. Even ten million wasn¡¯t out of the question. The world was even at risk if that was what it took to assure Momo¡¯s safety.


    She was a priceless treasure in Servi¡¯s murderous heart; the one thing that kept her going.


    Leaning over her, Servi gently whispered in her fuzzy ears for the second time. ¡°Mosie, it¡¯s almost over. By the time you wake up, we won¡¯t have to deal with any of this anymore. Be strong for me, okay?¡± Her eyes darted to Momo¡¯s empty hands. The broken Human took out Momo¡¯s sword and folded her best friend¡¯s hand around it. ¡°There¡¯s your grampy¡¯s sword. I kept it extra safe for you. And here¡¯s your bag. I promise I didn¡¯t look inside,¡± Servi said. She took out a black messenger bag. In some ways, it was even more beloved than the thin sword Momo¡¯s left hand cradled.


    After placing the bag¡¯s strap in her right hand, Servi took one final look at her best friend. Tears wanted to fall down, but Servi was a girl who had lost the ability to cry. And she didn''t want to cry. At least, she didn''t right now. After all Momo had been through-- the pain and loneliness-- she had to suffer through, doing a single thing to disturb her friend from getting the rest she deserved was at the bottom of the Servi¡¯s list. That was why she turned around and walked away ten meters, which was just far enough away.


    ¡°Itarr, bring the rest of the fuckers down. It¡¯s time to finally finish this.¡±


    Got it. Itarr wrote on the flying stone tablet. They¡¯re descending.


    Like moths to a flame, Servi''s worst enemies violently rushed down from a height of 16 kilometers. Itarr spared no luxury in comforting her foul enemies. Now that she knew Momo was safe and sound, the violent hungering for revenge welled up inside her divine soul. For the first time in a while, she shared a similar feeling to the Mad Dog. She aspired to rip and tear limbs and bones. She wanted to twist and turn hands, slicing off strips of skin, and doing whatever she could to make her best friend¡¯s captors feel the same despair as their victim.


    A few meters before they would¡¯ve slammed into the ground, Itarr stopped her Telekinesis. The sudden, erratic jolt woke up Sakdu, who vomited a disgusting mess from his alligator-like mouth, Roger, who groaned in pain fighting against the invisible bonds of Telekinesis, and Carrie, whose tail whimpered like that of a scared kitten. Since that was the only thing not restrained, it cowardly clung itself to its master''s waist.


    But they were awake, which meant it was time for the finale to start.


    To begin the most frightening moments of their lives, Servi took them on a tour of the pit of hell she made. She used Telekinesis to fly them out around eight kilometers while dipping them ten kilometers into the hole. She didn¡¯t spare any concerns for safety, either. At the speeds they were flying, it was no wonder Carrie and Roger lost consciousness a few times. Sakdu felt his breakfast tunnel up from his stomach and spewed a thick string of green vomit when he couldn¡¯t force it down.


    The gaping, never-ending void had a profound effect on all three of their psyches. The vast diameter, the deep darkness, the unknowable void that rested in the depths... It battered down the trio''s wills, attacking their minds as they were forced to come to terms with the impossible. Just looking at it swallowed them up, sinking their hearts to the pits of their stomachs. A single lapse in Telekinesis was all it would take to remove the invisible force keeping them from death.


    Three thousand kilometers was a long way to fall, totaling just a little bit above thirteen minutes that anyone would''ve spent in total free fall. Even before any potential jumpers reached the halfway mark, the sunlight would cease to exist. The air at that depths would be far hotter than that on the surface, which meant the body would broil from the temperature alone. The wind rushing to their eyes guaranteed blindness as the temperature increased. And the skin would have effectively cooked itself before the body had a chance to slam into the hard surface at the bottom.


    At the very least, any jumpers wouldn¡¯t be concerned about potentially surviving the fall and dealing with the life-changing injuries resulting from it.


    When Servi finally brought the three of them back after five minutes of staring death in the eye, Sakdu whispered with a trembling voice. It was full of fear he hadn¡¯t felt since that horrible day some ten years ago.


    ¡°Nearly a decade of work in the making¡­ Gone¡­ All that time spent planting the dormant seeds, wasted¡­ The promises I made to my family, broken. My men, destroyed. It¡¯s all gone¡­¡± he whispered. The words came in short spurts. He still couldn¡¯t believe what he experienced. ¡°You¡¯re a monster who¡¯s killed thousands¡ªno, tens of thousands¡­ You created a¡­ I don¡¯t even know what to call that, but you¡­ you¡¯re not even Human¡­¡± His sharp teeth jittered, clacking from the dark aura the monster emitted. Somehow, he felt the anguished cries of all she had killed, but perhaps it was fear forcing him to hear things that didn¡¯t exist.


    Sakdu had been shown that there was something else out there that eclipsed even the dark rage he held in his heart.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. There¡¯s no way a Human could¡¯ve accomplished the things I¡¯ve achieved.¡± Servi shrugged as she spoke with a tone like that of a bored schoolgirl. What little words Sakdu wanted to use to get out of his situation alive had no choice but to fall on ears that wouldn¡¯t give him the time of day.


    ¡°Was the life of that girl worth the lives of innocent babies? Does that not wage war on your consciousness?¡± he asked. Servi tightened up on the Telekinesis, spreading his hands apart until it looked like he was crucified on an invisible cross. She walked up to him and jabbed her hand into his mythril chest plate. With her new durability, her fingers showed no signs of breaking or fracturing. She didn''t even feel the closest thing to discomfort.


    She pulled her hand down, peeling off the armor like the skin of an orange. ¡°A monster I may be, but you¡¯re far worse than I am. But to answer your question¡­ Yes, Momo was worth all of the lives I took this week and more. I¡¯d kill the Gods and crush the stars if it meant she would be safe. I¡¯d even slam the moon into the ground, destroying this pathetic planet if it meant she¡¯d be in a place without pain or fear.¡±


    ¡°But why?!¡± Roger exclaimed. His face visibly shook from terror. Servi slapped his face with a thin strip of mythril before answering. Carrie only watched in silence as a warm spot developed between her legs.


    ¡°Because she¡¯s my best friend. Is that so hard to believe? You were going to destroy a town for revenge. I destroyed an evil organization for friendship. We''re both murderers, yet we do it for different reasons.¡± Servi put a hand to the Elf¡¯s fractured face. It had already started to swell and turn red. Sakdu begged her to stop when she pinched the bridge of the Elf¡¯s nose, but she only smiled while ripping it off.


    He screamed in pain, but Servi wasn¡¯t totally finished. She manipulated one of his hands to repeatedly stick a finger inside the new hole she had made. Against his will, he actively continued to yank muscle and a few bits of bone.


    ¡°STOP!!!!¡±


    Servi turned to the Kobold and resumed her mythril peeling. ¡°Why should I? I¡¯m sure you bastards put her through far more hell than this. So tell me what the fuck you did to her! I swear you better tell me the fucking truth! Anything you fuckers did to her... I''ll do back to you!!!¡± Servi growled, baring her teeth.


    Servi continued to peel away at his armor until he was left in his skivvies. As she did, Sakdu and Roger pleaded with the deranged girl.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t abuse her!!!! She always had food, and we never hurt her!!!¡±


    ¡°Then was she raped?! I swear¡­ If you raped her, I will tear off your fucking cock and force him to eat it!!!¡± Servi took out a nadrium dagger and jabbed it into Sakdu¡¯s thick thighs, effortlessly bypassing the pitiful pale skin. Though he had scales everywhere except on his hands and legs, Sakdu had more than the average Kobold. Unfortunately, they weren''t in the spots where he needed them at this very second.


    Servi¡¯s hand gripped the pulsing handle, dragging it ever close to the proof that indicated he was male.


    ¡°Williana! Stop this!!¡± Carrie cried. Her hands were empty. The black spear she seemed to take excellent care of was sitting right beside her on the ground. That was the last little bit of courtesy Itarr would show her.  Servi rushed over to the screaming Singi and grasped her by the chin. ¡°My name isn¡¯t Williana, you fucking pathetic excuse of a Singi! It¡¯s Servi. And shut the fuck up!! I¡¯ll deal with you later.¡±


    The red-eyed girl moved her head to a pair of trembling fuzzy ears and whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll cut off your tail and choke you with it. Then I¡¯ll throw your discarded body in that hole. You¡¯re going to fucking die all alone. You won¡¯t have a goddamn person to mourn you when I inevitably take your soul¡­¡± Servi pulled her head back, tapped her future victim on the neck, and practically skipped back to Sakdu.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯ll ask again. Did. You. Rape. Her?¡±


    ¡°No! I told you we didn¡¯t! Don¡¯t fucking walk away from me when I¡¯m trying¡ª¡± Roger exploded, displaying a rare emotional outburst of anger. Servi shut up him up with a quick slap, then healed his body. Then she took her knife and cut away his white jacket, revealing an emaciated body nearly as thin as a stick. He looked sickly. The ribs in his chest were well defined against his skin. That certainly wasn''t supposed to be there, considering she sent a few stacks of Remedium Lux through his body to repair his nose.


    Sakdu strained against Telekinesis, turning his neck just a bit. His eyes widened. In a commanding voice, he shouted. ¡°Roger, what¡¯s happening to you?! Tell me! Now!¡± It seemed to Servi that Sakdu didn''t know his companion looked the way he did under his coat. Perhaps he was hiding secrets of his own?


    ¡°Aww, don¡¯t be turning away from the main issue at hand. ANSWER MY GODDAMN QUESTION!¡± Servi reinserted her knife, this time choosing to stab her floating Kobold in the opposite thigh. Crimson streamed down his pale-skinned legs, covering his toes and falling to the ground. It was slowly forming a small puddle.


    ¡°I TOLD YOU!!! I DIDN¡¯T RAPE HER!!! NO ONE RAPED HER!!! PLEASE, USE YOUR POWERS TO HELP ROGER!!!¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you didn¡¯t touch her?¡± Servi absorbed her dagger and used Remedium Lux on Sakdu¡¯s wound. She turned to Roger and placed a hand over his chest. Her fingers clearly rubbed over one of his ribs, and she felt how cold his skin was.


    ¡°THAT¡¯S WHAT I¡¯VE BEEN TRYING TO TELL YOU!!!¡± Sakdu screamed. Servi turned away and used a quick Kaasuvuoto on Momo to make sure the shouting wouldn¡¯t wake her up. If she had to witness the events that were about to be played out, Servi didn¡¯t know what she would do.


    ¡°Seems to me that he¡¯s been having trouble putting down food. I¡¯d say there¡¯s an issue with his stomach. It¡¯s probably an ulcer¡­ Maybe it¡¯s some other gastrointestinal problem?¡± Servi transformed her persona, which was incredibly shocking to the three witnesses, into that of a doctor, and started a completely different conversation. Her fingers graced Roger¡¯s stomach. If he showed any sort of pain, she¡¯d take that information into consideration and touched a different area. It was only when he vocally cried out and begged her to stop poking the right side of his lower abdomen that she knew what the problem was.


    ¡°It¡¯s his appendix. It¡¯s ruptured.¡± Servi said that as if it was the easiest thing in the world. She did stop to think about why she knew such information. She also knew what the mantle was and how far down it started, and math was something that came easy to her. It was almost like she had an excellent education. In that case, was she a graduate of a school similar to the one Old Man attended when he was younger? Did she go to a different school, one that was focused on the sciences? Servi believed her advanced knowledge of some things and total ignorance of everything else only served to increase the mystery behind her unknown past.


    ¡°Appendix? Gastro¡ªBah! Can you fix him?¡± Sakdu demanded. He so desperately wanted to embrace his beloved friend in a hug. If only it would take away the pain and give it to him.


    ¡°I can. Do you want me to?¡± Servi asked. She walked back and forth in front of her three hostages while whistling a tune. Sakdu tried to appeal to whatever good was left in Servi, but that didn¡¯t work. He then altered his approach and said he''ll worship her power and promised to bring her gifts worthy of a monster like her, but she only laughed.


    ¡°Give up on your dream of revenge. If you do that, I''ll save your boy toy.¡±


    ¡°Fine! I will. I¡¯ll give it all up if it meant he won¡¯t be suffering¡ª¡±


    "You just fucking disgust me! You''re giving it all up at the very end?!?!¡± Servi cursed Sakdu''s name and smacked Roger in the spot where he''d receive the most pain. His agonizing pleas for help resonated deep within her sadistic core.


    ¡°SAVE HIM, PLEASE!!!¡± Sakdu shouted.


    Servi sighed. With a blank look on her face, she calmly placed a hand on Roger¡¯s lower right abdomen, gripped it, and effortlessly tore it out. It almost looked like all the blood in his body had decided to leave at once. At the same time, she used a thousand stacks of Remedium Lux to heal the agonizing damage she caused.  It was her pleasure to watch the wound heal right before her very eyes, yet she didn''t smile.


    Sakdu roared, reminding Servi of his rage while being forced to watch his closest ally scream in agony. Servi still kept a silent and blank expression. A few seconds later, Roger weakly allowed his head to fall slightly while the ¡®doctor¡¯ probed his midriff. Her head robotically turned to the raging Sakdu and smacked him. He managed to stop his threat-fueled rant long enough for Servi to explain herself.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine. I tore out his appendix and whatever was else in there. It should all be mostly healed up, I suppose. If not, I can just remove everything from the chest down and heal it. And if that fails? Eh, I''m sure he''ll live long enough if I take his head and immediately start the healing. Hey! Wake up!¡± Turning her attention to her patient, she clocked him across the cheek, much to Sakdu¡¯s chagrin.


    ¡°Eehhh¡­¡± Roger whispered. Tears fell from his eyes, which were covered by his black hair, when he realized the pain he lived with for years was no longer there. In its place remained the remnants of Servi¡¯s brisk operation, yet it paled to what he felt before she came along. Sakdu understood that Servi did what he had asked just from the cheerful expression on his Elven friend¡¯s comfortable face.


    ¡°Look, I held up my end of the bargain.¡± Servi shrugged. Her actions were a far cry from when she took on the moniker ¡®The Mad Dog.¡¯ Healing her enemies? Itarr wanted to believe it was almost a joke.


    You aren''t going to let them get away with this, are you? Itarr asked via ID.


    Servi started to laugh; it eventually grew until she was on the verge of losing herself to the hilarity of the situation.


    Sakdu, Roger, and the shivering Carrie wordlessly stared at the girl chuckling at her very own ID. Wiping her eyes of non-existent tears, she powered through her mad fit of lunacy to explain. ¡°Hahaha¡­ No, of course not. Itarr, do you think I''d allow them to get off scot-free? This will end with their deaths. Ah, that''s not ''if they die'', it''s ''when will I allow death to take them.''"


    Roger crossed eyes with Sakdu, who nervously started to laugh of his own accord. Then the Elf joined in. Only the lone red-headed Singi remained silently. Like a long-lost friend, Servi stood up, walked up to Sakdu, and put an arm over his shoulder.


    ¡°What did you do to Momo? I need to know so I can make sure you suffer in just the right way. If you fail to do that, then... No, I don''t want to spoil the suffering I have for you."


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you we didn¡¯t do anything! Why can¡¯t you believe us?! Why would I lie to you in my current condition?¡± Roger argued. Servi just shook her head.


    Servi removed herself from Sakdu and stepped back, the unpleasantness in her voice started to grow like a savage desire. ¡°Because this was a war between you and me. And in a war, being ruthless and violent is pretty much your only option. You have to strike fear in your enemies, so their fighting spirit vanishes. Have them sleep with a dead comrade, or throw them a skull filled with piss and make them drink it. Hell, have one of them flay a captured ally alive and see how long it takes for them to shut down. Leave only one alive as a warning to the rest. Are you really telling me you didn¡¯t do any of that? Can you truly sit here and tell me that you absolutely left her alone? That you didn''t think to mess with her? That you actually kept your fucking word in staying your hand?"

 Book Three – Chapter Eleven – Part Nine – Shattering the Collar

    RuggyRuggy


    There is a CONTENT WARNING for this part because it gets kind of gross.


    And this is probably the longest part of the daily releases.


    ¡°Those things you said are what I do to the people who have wronged me, and I am familiar with those techniques¡­ But... I did not do anything to hurt Momo. I have problems with Humans, not Demi-Humans.¡± Sakdu spoke slowly, thinking of the words he wanted to say as his mouth moved. He chose not to reveal how he had forced Momo to believe her friend was dead by presenting her with a decapitated head. Telling the truth would worsen the suffering, and lying would achieve the same thing.


    ¡°But you just begged me, a Human, to save your friend. I find that a little bit hypocritical considering you have a problem with us. Maybe it¡¯s sweet that you¡¯d forgo your revenge to save the life of an Elf. But still... do you really think I¡¯ll believe the words of a man who has his fangs in nearly every part of the world? It¡¯s no surprise to me that the Mafia is something of a legend. To be honest, I¡¯m impressed with it. But¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­?¡±


    Servi turned around, facing away, and emotionally threw her hands in the air. ¡°How could such an organization thrive under such shitty leadership?!¡± She turned around. Her eyes rolled as if she was annoyed, but her erratic mannerisms suggested the opposite. ¡°You had the perfect drug to spread your tendrils all over this shitty world, and right when you have power, you stop and bring the entire goddamn Mafia to Arcton? All to just kill a single man? You really gave up global power for that? Why didn''t you slowly spread Monotonia throughout Canary? The slums there are the perfect spot to set up a little base. And do you think Fisher would even recognize your sorry ass? I think you said it''s been a decade? For fuck''s sakes, man, you went about this the entirely wrong way. Just how stupid are you?"


    Roger and Sakdu stared with open mouths and wide eyes. Anxious sweat salted their cheeks and chins.  Why would the odd girl in front of them chastise them for...not living up to her devious expectations?


    ¡°I probably know deep down that you didn¡¯t do a damn thing to her,¡± Servi said. She slowly walked towards Sakdu while twirling her nadrium knife. His large eyes followed the blade, and beads of sweat flooded down his concerned face. ¡°But I can¡¯t be sure you didn¡¯t. I mean, I don¡¯t yet have the power to go back in time and verify it for myself. As far as I¡¯m concerned, you did rape my best friend. You did beat the shit out of her. You did put her through unimaginable torture because you thought I wouldn¡¯t reach you.


    ¡°And guess what?¡± Servi closed her eyes for a second and took a breath. ¡°Whatever I believe you did to my best friend is what I will do to you. To start, I suppose I¡¯ll make good on the threat I made earlier. I do hope you¡¯re hungry, Roger.¡±


    Servi stabbed her knife into the cloth of Sakdu''s underwear. ¡°Whatever sins you have committed in the past are catching up to you. I just want you to know that before we get to the main event,¡± she said. It was as if all the scales on his body shook with fright for what came next.


    ¡°Wait!! I didn¡¯t do anything. I didn¡¯t!!!¡±


    Servi dragged her knife down, cutting his undergarments and revealing his rather large member to the only three that were present. As a Kobold, it was only natural they had sizable reproductive organs to suit the female members of their kind, who regularly reached a height above two meters.


    The knife neared his flaccid, uncut glans, which was far thicker and larger than the outstretched palm of an adult male. Like the rest of his body, except for his legs and hands, which had patches of pale skin and brown fur respectively, it was covered in green scales.


    ¡°PLEASE, DON¡¯T!!!!¡± Roger screamed, his red earrings clashing against his shivering, pointy ears. ¡°TAKE MINE! DON''T¡ª¡±


    ¡°There we go!¡± With the smallest amount of effort, her blade sliced through the head of Sakdu''s manhood. Thick and engorged, it fell accompanied by his primal screams. Servi took one look at her bloody dagger and threw it in the pit because it was soiled. Using Telekinesis, she floated the severed gland to Roger¡¯s face. ¡°Eat it,¡± she commanded. Roger wanted to cry, but he was afraid of what would happen if he opened his mouth. Servi had a plan to fix that, of course, but she only held the separated piece of reproductive meat against Roger¡¯s nose with an invisible force. He had no choice but to breathe in the sweaty musk of his beloved companion, and his response was a pathetic whimper.


    Just then, the large piece of meat wiggled down his face and onto his lips. Roger was still distracted by the lingering pain in his abdomen, so he was just barely keeping consciousness, and the smell didn''t help in that department. The sweat pouring from his forehead moistened his lips, which carried the awful taste of that thing pressing against his face.. Against his will, the flavor slowly found a way to his tongue and taste buds.


    ¡°AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!! IT HURTS!!!!!!¡± Sakdu¡¯s screams didn¡¯t make it easy for anyone but Servi to concentrate. Though in the situation they found themselves in, concentrating was a monumental task in itself.


    ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t think you have any right to be crying after the pain you put her through!!! But I do know of a way to shut you up. Here, taste the fruit of your labors.¡± Servi grinned and poked around her ring.


    A sudden pink pill emerged from nothingness and flew into Sakdu¡¯s gaping mouth. He must¡¯ve not noticed it, but a few seconds later, his entire demeanor changed. But it was preceded by a desperate cry for help.


    ¡°You know what? I¡¯m feeling a bit generous. You know these pills...¡± Servi took out a second Monotonia and held it in front of Sakdu¡¯s large, alligator-like eyes. She watched his pupils dilate to an unnatural degree. The huffs of pain slowly turned into moans of pleasure.


    Even Sakdu¡¯s large body fell victim to the cursed drug in a short amount of time. If anything, the effects worked better on Kobolds and taller Koena because they had more blood than the average person. It gave the body more time to properly utilize everything the pill gave.


    Servi turned back to Roger for a moment to taunt him with a pill, then turned back when she heard something. ¡°Hahaha!!! When the blood rushes, it really fuckin¡¯ rushes, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    The pill turned pain into pleasure, which manifested in the form of penile erections in men. It all dealt with the arteries relaxing. That allowed blood to rush into the organ, and the blood ended up being trapped by pressure.


    Sakdu had nothing to trap the blood that rushed to his manhood. The end result was a fountain of blood expunging from where his glans would be. ¡°Ah, you know what? What better way for you to die than literally pleasuring yourself to death? And you, Roger, I¡¯ll force you to watch that! I won¡¯t give you the satisfaction of dying as easily as him.¡±


    A quick use of Telekinesis later, Servi began stuffing what Pink Monotonia she had down Sakdu¡¯s big mouth. When she raided that base a few days ago, she made sure to swipe plenty of those infernal drugs just in case she needed them.


    She couldn''t think of a better way for the Mafia''s leader to die.


    ¡°I guess even the big, bad boss isn¡¯t a match for this little devil, huh?¡± Servi stared at one of her last remaining pills and plopped it into the begging mouth in front of her. She didn¡¯t keep an exact count, but she estimated the pathetic mess in front of her had swallowed a bit over 250 of those infernal things.


    Servi whipped out a broadsword from her ring and held it like a baseball bat, with the flat side out. She smashed his chest, and he only felt like pure, unadulterated pleasure. The blood rushing to his member increased, showering even more crimson to shower the ground. Next, she took her sharp weapon to the large, dangling sack near his crotch. After only a few quick stabs and cuts, Servi completed her very first orchiectomy, having cut off his testicles. Sakdu moaned like a whale in heat and released a large amount of white goop. It was followed by another steady stream of blood, but it did slow down only a tad bit. Someone of his size had about ten or fifteen liters of blood flowing through his body.


    But instead of weeping in pain, he only moaned and shouted for more pleasure. His mind was so far gone that he begged a Human to give him something as primitive as more pleasure. He even referred to her as ¡®mistress,¡¯ which signified he knew he was below her on the totem pole of status and nobility.


    Finally, Roger just couldn''t take it anymore. When the torturer took a sword to Sakdu¡¯s neck and made a pair of parallel lines, he had no choice but to speak up. ¡°STOP!!! DON¡¯T HURT HIM ANYMORE!! SAKDU, FIGHT AGAINST IT!!! REMEMBER YOUR HATRED!!! MAFI? FIA? REMEMBER YOUR FAM¡ªHHHMMMPHAHAHA!!!!¡± Before he could finish his words, his mouth became overstuffed with his friend¡¯s man meat. His jaw had to overstretch to accommodate for the size, resulting in it breaking.


    The very definition of disgust assaulted him from the inside. Vomit started the trek from his stomach to his mouth, but the main entrance was obviously blocked. With no way to go but his nose, a vile green mess poured down his upper lip. Most of it went down into his mouth, which only further empowered the awful stench and taste.


    Like an infinite cycle, vomit beget vomit. The only way out was to bite and chew, but could Roger struggle up the willpower to essentially eat part of his companion? He shook his head left to right, up and down, trying to use the power of momentum to push it out. The earrings on his pointy ears noisily banged against his head. Black hair, wet with anxious sweat, inadvertently became tangled, meaning he pulled more than a few strands of hair during his pitiful attempt to struggle.


    Meanwhile, Sakdu¡¯s body became sickly. His green scales looked feeble and weak, not at all vibrant and proud, which was the case only half a day before. The blood poured out of his groin like a leaky faucet. His lungs cried for more oxygen while his mouth begged. ¡°Mistress Servi, please! More pain!!! Please, hurt me!!!¡±


    ¡°How the mighty have fallen. You¡¯re so fucking pathetic, Sakdu. You¡¯re begging a Human, a fucking Human, to hurt you. All that hate and anger you had stored up was only a decoy. You were nothing but a masochistic little shit stain who can¡¯t stand up to an itty, bitty pill. Tell you what, if you give me permission to kill your boy toy, your mistress will do whatever you want. I''ll give you all the pain, but it means you have to admit that you never had it in you to do what you wanted. It''ll also mean you''re nothing but a fucking failure who submitted himself to a lowly Human... And it means your pathetic war to kill a single man will die with a whimper...¡±


    ¡°DO IT!! WET THE GROUND WITH HIS BLOOD! GIVE ME WHAT I WANT!!!¡± Sakdu shouted, his eyes nearly circling to the back of his head. An ugly foam started to pour from his mouth as he shook and shivered with the pleasure assaulting his body.


    Roger cried when he heard Sakdu give his permission for Servi to take his life. The torturer only laughed, pointing a taunting finger at Roger.


    ¡°HAHAHAHAHA!!! How does it feel to be betrayed for a fucking pill?! HUH?!?! ARE YOU HUMILIATED?! YOU WANNA FUCKING CRY ABOUT IT?!?!?! You deserve this, you fucking fuck! You deserve all of this and more... This is going to be the last thing you see before you die, so ETCH IT INTO YOUR FUCKING MIND!!!!¡± Servi slapped Roger on top of his head and turned to Sakdu.


    Since he had given Servi permission to harm Roger, she needed to give the Kobold what he desired. A few seconds later, twenty thick fingers floated right by Roger''s eyes. Standing back to admire her work like an artist would, Servi didn¡¯t like that part of Sakdu¡¯s left elbow was a tad longer. She remedied that by cutting his entire left arm off. The pain disguised as pleasure was enough to top him off. He sent a tremendous blast of thick semen barreling through the air. She sidestepped it, of course, since she didn''t want any of his putrid bodily fluids on her. She didn''t mind the smell, because there was no smell. True Immortality was certainly working to ensure only the freshest of air entered her nostrils. Itarr was there as well, working hard to absorb the nasty scents. Servi then delivered what would be the final blow.


    She steadied her sword arm, raising the soiled blade until it pointed at the sun, and sundered off the rest of Sakdu¡¯s manhood from where it started. The pillars, the stones, everything was gone, and it messily slapped against the ground.


    ¡°AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!¡± he cried as the life left him. His chest vibrated, and his passionate cries for pleasure ended like a flick of a switch. Crimson poured out of the large opening between his legs, draining the beast of the last of his blood.


    But it wasn¡¯t his blood loss that forced a once-proud father to meet his end. It was an exploding heart brought on by an absurd amount of pleasure. It was simply too much for Sakdu''s heart to take. It couldn¡¯t take the rapid beating. In his final second alive, his heart had throbbed so fast and hard it touched his rib. That glancing brush contained enough pressure to tear a hole so tiny that usually wouldn¡¯t be a severe problem if treated fast enough, but with so much blood rushing around his body, that was all it took. It was like taking a bag of pressurized air and folding it over and over. Then once an incision was made, everything would shoot out.


    The same principle applied to Sakdu¡¯s heart. Even though she hadn¡¯t received a red soul yet, it wouldn¡¯t be long.


    ¡°NOOOOOO!!!!! SAKDU!!!! SAKDU!!!!!!! DON¡¯T DIE ON ME!!!!!! WAKE UP!!!!¡± Roger screamed with a mouth full of tiny green scales and little white fragments. They poured out the sides of his mouth on an thick river of red.


    Roger even sacrificed his pearly whites, which were crushed and worn down by the tough scales, to scream out the name of his friend. He had fought through the humiliation of his sudden snack, but his willpower couldn¡¯t be underestimated.  It was a tearful scene, for sure. Water continuously leaked down his eyes when Sakdu finally stopped moving.


    Servi undid the invisible force keeping Sakdu bound and did little to ease his sudden fall. His face landed right in his own pile of spunk. She turned her sword so it laid flat and scooped him up like a pizza. She walked over to the 3,000-kilometer deep ''oven'' and simply threw her sword away. The trash it carried went with it.


    ¡°SAAAAKKKDDDDUUUUUUUUU!!!!!¡± shouted the Elf. That was the final straw for Roger before his anger, misery, and fear combined and flooded his mind. The angry Elf had risen through the Ranks of Warden, with Sakdu, until he acquired the Instant Cast ability, meaning he only had to say the name of a spell or an ability to use it. His mouth moved as fast as he could, uttering the name of his most destructive skills. Three Greater Fireballs appeared overhead, their fierce glow highlighting his murderous gaze. He sent them off towards their target while preparing Earth Lance. The ground beneath Servi bubbled up, a prelude to what he thought would be her death. The flaming fireballs reached her first, and Servi swiped them away with a flick of her wrist as if they were a fly. She had done it so quickly the fire didn''t have even a chance to burn her shirt. Roger thought she was distracted, so he had the Earth Lance burrow up from the ground. Its point was aimed right at Servi''s chin, yet when it smashed into her she only scratched her head in confusion.


    "Was that supposed to hurt? Because it didn''t..." Servi grasped the spear''s shaft and applied some downward force. She stepped back and let go, watching the spear fly into the sky. When it reached a certain distance, the ground stopped bubbling and the spear was cut off from its source. The momentum it carried sent it flying through the air, and Servi jumped after it. As she fell back to the ground with Feather Fall, she examined the weapon all over. In her amateur eyes, it seemed like a decent weapon, and since it was the product of a skill, it was almost always available. When she reached the ground, she chucked it into the abyss beyond her.


    Servi sighed, telekinetically picking up the remaining piece of Sakdu¡¯s lower sausage. She used it to slap Roger¡¯s face, filling his eyes with tears and leaving dried, white goop on his cheeks. It didn¡¯t accomplish her goal of shutting him up, so she stuffed his mouth with it. Most of the blood had squirted out, meaning it wasn¡¯t as large as it used to be, but it worked perfectly fine as a makeshift gag. "Oh no, how will you ever attack me if you cannot speak?" Servi mocked the delirious Elf. She walked back and forth through the air using Air Step platforms to bypass puddles of blood and semen. Like hell would she ever step in those gross piles. All that was left was Roger and Carrie, and Servi wanted to take care of the former first. But to do that, she spent a few minutes thinking of the best way to evaporate what little fighting spirit the Elf had left.


    When death was at hand, it was said that a person¡¯s mind forces them to relieve their life from beginning to end. For those who lived a good life with many friends, it was impossible to ask for something better as a final farewell. For those who lived a life of sin and lust, such remembrance only served to infuriate them, demanding they register all of the wrongs they¡¯d committed.


    In the case of a curious Kobold named Sakdu, he experienced none of that. There was no flash montage of him growing up, finding love, and becoming a father to a lovely child. It wasn¡¯t that it didn¡¯t exist¡ªit did¡ªhis battered psyche only ignored it in favor of something else.


    The green-scaled Kobold with a missing tail stood alone in a crater of gray. The sky looked gray, the air tasted gray, and the floor felt as hard as gray.


    It was all ashen gray for as far as the eye could see, with the only color being Sakdu. That only accounted for his body, considering he wore a gray shirt and gray pants, which were his work clothes he wore when he once tended to the fields. He blankly stared, looking up and to the left and right.


    Where was he to go? What would he do? Before he could open his mouth, a beautiful wooden rope fell from the sky, landing a few meters in front of him. With a goal in sight, he stomped his massive legs and feet while walking over to it. He didn¡¯t know why, but he felt the strongest urge to stand over it, and that was what he did.


    One foot stood on the east side, and the other the west. Did his two feet represent his life? There were so many questions fluttering around in his mind that he found it hard to concentrate.


    His eyes registered a scant motion from his left. It was the rope. A partial bit had torn off and maneuvered like a snake, turning gray in the process. It divided into two, then split again like it was a collection of cells.


    Before long, he watched as his wife and daughter eventually took form.


    ¡°What is this?!¡± he growled, speaking for the first time. The air he breathed out when uttering those words gave life to the wooden forms of his late family. The brown color faded away, revealing their true colors.


    His wife, Mafi, was smaller than he was. A soft blanket of long black hair warmed her head. The scales on her arm were the same color as her daughter''s and husband¡¯s, but they were more numerous and tinier. A gray apron hid her modest gray clothing, which themselves worked together to disguise her curvy figure adorned with emerald-like scales. Brown fur covered her palms and legs, leaving a few green shields to protect her feet and toes.


    She had her hands on Fia¡¯s shoulders. The young Kobold was nearly the spitting image of her father, except she shared her mother¡¯s black hair. Instead of wearing clothing more suited to her age, however, she had on the same apron as Mafi. Of course, the size had been shrunk down to accommodate her little body.


    The mother and daughter pair also had full tails, something Sakdu didn¡¯t have anymore.


    Fia''s bright eyes stared with wonder and a sense of longing at her father. She tilted her head up, staring at her mother from underneath.


    ¡°Welcome home, dear,¡± Mafi spoke in a gentle voice. That was something Sakdu had wanted to hear for a long time.


    ¡°Daddy!!!¡± Fia shouted. Her thick tail shook with such intensity that it could form a tornado.


    Once they had said their lines, Sakdu saw movement from his right. Once again, a few strands of rope had torn off and were in the process of forming something. That something, however, turned out to be a full-fledged torture chamber. It had all the essentials for draining the life out of someone: a bed of sharp knives, spikes hanging from the sky, a wall of swords and axes. It even had an iron maiden the size of Sakdu. Left open, he felt the terror those thousands of nails could cause. Each one pulsed dim blue light, meaning they were all coated with nadrium. Suddenly, it slammed shut, causing him to jolt with anticipation.


    The scales of a Kobold stood no chance against them.


    The whole right side of the gray void was full of danger, yet Sakdu found it hard to avert his gaze. His mouth became dry, his eyes felt heavy, and he couldn¡¯t stop fiddling with his fingers or toes. An odd feeling welled up from his crotch, distracting him from his beloved family.


    ¡°Dear, don¡¯t you miss us?¡± Mafi asked. She placed a hand to her heart and spoke from the soul. Her husband and father of her child found it hard to concentrate on her pensive voice. He looked to the rapidly expanding number of torture devices, which showed no sign of stopping. It seemed that a new instrument of pain was created with every passing second. The wooden guillotine, in particular, made the broken Kobold feel something strange.


    ¡°Daddy, we can finally be a family again. In here, we don¡¯t have to worry about anything hurting us. It¡¯s just gonna be me, you, and mama,¡± Fia said. Her adorable face stared at her father, who kept turning his head left to right.


    ¡°My love,¡± Mafi spoke with more conviction in her voice. ¡°Your daughter and I have watched you ever since that horrible night. We felt the pain you felt. We cried when you cried. We were angry when anger flowed through you. And now? It¡¯s over. You don¡¯t have to keep hurting yourself for the sake of revenge! Sakdu, please come back to us!!!¡± A few tears leaked out as her heart tore into two. Sakdu was her one and only! They had pledged themselves to each other.


    Perhaps Sakdu knew he was about to meet his end. The choice he had before him was solely meant to mark the end of his life by giving him one last chance to place faith in something.


    Would it be family or pleasure? Love or lust? Would he choose something he had yearned for a decade over something he had known for less than an hour?


    In his final moments, Sakdu¡¯s mind wasn¡¯t with the trembling face of his daughter, who loved her father dearly. Nor was it with his wife, with whom he shared many passionate nights while trying to conceive Fia. He only had eyes towards the pleasure only a devilish pill could bring forth. It was powerful enough to erase all sensibilities and desires. Even the value of familial love was powerless against its seductive lure.


    It offered an easy way out of a horrible life by promising to turn all pain into something everyone desired. Violent emotions like revenge and hatred put up a good fight, but in the end, it all succumbed to the pill that shouldn¡¯t have existed.


    With his back turned towards his family, Sakdu made his choice and walked towards the deadly iron maiden. It seemingly called his name in a seductive voice only he could hear. As he grew ever closer, red light covered the area above the dangerous object. When it faded away, it left behind a present. Sakdu nearly had tears in his eyes when he realized it was the spitting image of his beloved mistress. Her statue was floating in the air, and it was of her sitting with her legs crossed. His choice was even more clearer now, so how could he have chosen anything else?


    Mafi turned Fia away from the vile sight. She pulled away from her mother, raising her little scaly arms to the broken man only meters away. ¡°Daddy! Please, come with us! I miss you!!! I miss you a lot!!! We have the chance to be a family again!!! I know that¡¯s what you wanted!!¡± Her black hair danced all around her head. She shouted and shouted, thrusting her arms in a chance to get away from her mother.


    ¡°FIA, DON¡¯T!!!¡± Mafi tried to rush after her daughter, but her grey apron tripped her legs.


    Fia¡¯s pitter-patter of her little feet echoed in the gray void around them. She crossed over the rope, which stood as a decisive barrier for the final choice Sakdu would make. Even with a child''s athletic ability, she expertly crossed over a bed of nails and ducked under the long needle sticking out of thin air. She whipped and maneuvered across violent instruments of death until she came across Sakdu''s imposing figure. Her little lungs puffed and huffed, sending much-needed oxygen through her bloodstream. Sweat dripped down the green scales covering her adorable face. ¡°Daddy, come with Mommy and me! Please!!!¡± When she reached him, her arms pounded his back.


    The large Kobold stared at an iron maiden that mirrored his body exactly. Oh, he could only tremble at the number of sharp nails waiting to puncture his chest and impale his crotch.


    From behind, Mafi shouted and begged with a tearful voice for her daughter to turn away. ¡°HE¡¯S NOT YOUR FATHER, ANYMORE!!!¡±


    ¡°Daddy is Daddy!!! He¡¯s always been my daddy!!!¡± Fia shouted back. Her head turned, looking over her shoulder. Like the bars of a jail cell, her eyes peered through the thick strands of black hair. ¡°Daddy¡¯s in there! He¡¯s only waiting for us to break him out!!!¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha!!!!¡± A sudden laugh, like that of a harlot or siren, raced across the gray void. It sounded like it came from everywhere, making it impossible to pinpoint. Mafi struggled to get to her feet and hurried across the wooden rope. She finally reached her child and grabbed her by the tail, she pulled her back to safety across the wooden divider.


    Fia angrily shouted at her mother when an explosive wave of light radiated from the iron maiden. It was crimson, as dark as the pits of hell, yet as bright the setting sun. Like a rabid cancer, it rapidly overtook everything. Red tendrils colorized the torture equipment, restoring them to their original color.


    ¡°SAKDU!!!¡± Mafi screamed. A few spare red tentacles grossly wormed their way along the ground, leaving a slimy liquid behind that was thicker than blood. They crept closer to the mother-daughter pair, who tried to find safety in the arms of each other. At last, the squirming things launched from the ground, hitting an invisible wall and burning up. Smoke filled the area, but it quickly dispersed.


    The wooden rope had saved them. But it looked far worse for wear. A large portion had turned black, crumbling like ash in a tornado and scattered away by an invisible breeze.


    ¡°Ahhh!!!¡± The iron maiden opened after the initial burst of action. Filled with a warm glow, a single girl stood inside of it. Thousands of holes punctured her skin, but they slowly healed up like time was reversing. Her eyelids opened to reveal two red orbs. A cute set of lips casually formed into a rather aggressive grin. Holding a hand out with his palm up, Sakdu cried while kneeling down. The girl took it, using it to pull herself out from her former bed of pain. A set of shoulder-length black hair trailed behind her.


    ¡°Mistress Servi¡­¡± Sakdu whispered.


    Yes, the woman inside the iron maiden was Servi, but it wasn¡¯t the real Servi. The half gray and half red void was a hastily torture chamber built from Sakdu¡¯s mind. The things he saw and heard were things he wanted to see and hear.


    ¡°How the mighty have fallen. Here, my pet, I have a gift for you,¡± Servi whispered. Pink smoke flowed from her nostrils. It circled around the air for a few seconds before stopping in front of Sakdu. Like a slave following orders, he tilted his head back and opened his mouth. The smoke danced around one more time before lining up above his head. It crystalized and fractured like glass, becoming nearly a thousand solid objects in the shape of a very familiar pink pill.


    Like a waterfall, they all fell into his mouth. Even someone as big as Sakdu couldn¡¯t contain a thousand pills, so he decided to forgo his need for air and kept his throat wide open. The pile of Monotonia building up dwindled. Sweat dripped from his face, interlacing his scales. At the same time, the growing need for pleasure increased with his desire to breathe. Oxygen deprivation only served to produce a very familiar feeling, which manifested in his loins. It didn¡¯t take long at all for his impressive member to be at full mast.


    Though it was hidden by gray pants, very little imagination was needed to picture it.


    Fia somehow found the courage to speak against the naked Human corrupting her father. ¡°Get away from him!!! Daddy doesn¡¯t need you!!! He only needs us!!!¡± Her rash attitude was ignored by Servi, who only smiled at her little pet after giving him permission to breathe.


    That angered Fia. She broke away from her mother¡¯s embrace and charged at the Human, crossing over the burnt rope. ¡°Fia, don¡¯t do it!!!¡± Mafi cried. She ran after Fia, also crossing over the barrier. Suddenly, she doubled her speed and snatched her daughter''s arms moments before the two reached Sakdu.


    ¡°My pet,¡± Servi said, taking away her hand from Sakdu. She raised a palm to the sky, which gripped the handle of a crimson sword that appeared from thin air. The kneeling Kobold¡¯s body shivered in anticipation of what his mistress would do.


    With a simple downward wave, Servi cleaved off Sakdu¡¯s right shoulder and everything below it. He groaned, moaning while standing and shouting to the void as a massive wet spot appeared on the crotch of his pants. It reeked of freshly expunged semen.


    Just then, the wooden rope behind them, which signified the choice Sakdu had to make, went up in a fizzle of smoke.


    Even though he had made it before, it was now irrefutable.


    ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you,¡± Servi continued speaking. She took a step back and summoned a chair. Taking a seat, she crossed her legs and folded her arms neatly in her naked lap. ¡°Should you desire the pleasure I can deliver, take your wife and daughter, two people who you¡¯ve sworn to get revenge for, and snuff out their lives. Then, and only then, will I bless you further with more pain than you could ever want.¡± Her generous-sized breasts lightly bounced as she re-crossed her legs.


    RuggyRuggy


    So it appears Servi does know that the Mafia is pretty much worldwide, but it''s she believes Sakdu brought everyone to Arcton. He did not correct her before dying. Roger probably won''t say anything either. I wonder how Servi will act if she ever hears rumors or news of the Mafia... Will she strike out to finish what she started? Will Momo be along for the ride? I think Servi probably won''t keep any secrets from Momo, so I don''t think she''ll sneak out after dark or whatever and be a vigilante.

 Book Three – Chapter Eleven – Part Ten – Shattering the Collar

    Sakdu wordlessly nodded and turned around. The faces of mother and daughter matched, displaying expressions of dread and fear. Their eyes widened at the wounded form of a husband and a father. Their teeth jittered because their mouths couldn¡¯t remain still. Two hearts, one smaller than the other, pulsed and beat as fast as their bodies allowed them to.


    ¡°MAMA!!!!¡± Fia cried. Mafi teared up as well, unable to form any words in her terrified ramblings.


    Servi only laughed and taunted the former family when Sakdu picked up his daughter by her arm. He had to wrestle it away from Mafi, knocking her to the floor with a headbutt. His mouth opened and crunched down on his daughter''s tiny arm. Then he reached down to wrap his remaining hand around Mafi¡¯s neck while walking back to Servi.


    They cried and begged for Sakdu to find reason and love, but the Human responsible for it all only sniggered. ¡°How fitting. Here I am forcing you to kill your family. Sure, it¡¯s all fake and not real, but you¡¯re actually doing it! Goddamn, you¡¯re so weak. Your mind should be the one place where you have control over everything, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case for you. You''re the one who''s making me talk like this! The words I''m saying are what you want me to say!!! Man, I wished I could have shown you this before we fight. Sakdu, how could you have let it all end like this?  I don¡¯t even understand it. Maybe you were always this way? Maybe you deserved a life of servitude under a lowly Human.¡± Servi tapped a finger to her chin while grinning. She stood up. ¡°Ah, I see.  Are you going to throw them into the iron maiden? Well...¡± Servi shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing, I suppose.¡±


    First came Mafi, who was violently tossed into the infamous object against her vocal protests. The spikes at the rear instantly pierced her back, creating nearly a hundred little streams of blood that poured down her body. Crimson spurted out from her lips as she wheezed and gasped. Sending sir through her body was futile with the number of punctures in her lungs, but Mafi somehow found the strength to utter one last sentence.


    ¡°Sakdu¡­Fia¡­ I¡¯ll¡­always¡­love¡­y¡­o¡­u¡­.¡±


    ¡°MAMA!!!!!! DADDY, HOW COULD YOU??!!! YOU KILLED MAMA!!! YOU''RE EVIL!!! I HATE YOU!!!! MONSTER!!!! WE COULD¡¯VE BEEN A FAMILY, BUT YOU CHOSE THAT WITCH¡ª¡±


    ¡°DO NOT CALL HER A WITCH!!!!¡± Sakdu screamed. He spat out the arm he bit, grabbed his daughter by her narrow waist, and shouted into her face. Strands of spit soaked her face, which did little to hide her fat tears. ¡°THAT IS MISTRESS SERVI!!! I SERVE HER NOW!!!¡±


    ¡°But!!! But!!!!! We¡¯re your family¡­ Daddy¡­ You love us¡ª¡±


    The following words out of his mouth crushed what little rebellious spirit Fia had left in her body.


    ¡°I have no family. I only have my mistress,¡± he proudly declared. Servi hopped out of her seat and blessed her pet with the gift of a knife through the back. It tore through the scales, bone, and all and emerged from the front. If the blade was only a few centimeters higher, it would have pierced Fia¡¯s flailing legs.¡±


    ¡°OOOOHHHHH, MISTRESS!!!!¡± he cried. More pain meant more pleasure. Sakdu hugged his daughter close to his chest with one hand. Servi kicked him in the back, pushing him forward. He skated ahead, tripping while trying to regain his balance before he fell into the torturous object.


    However, he wouldn¡¯t do it. He had the full ability to stomp his feet and halt all momentum, but the thought of being impaled by his mistress¡¯s object and receiving all of that pleasure at once in so many different spots erased what little reason he had left.


    ¡°AAAHHHHHHHH!!!! IT HURTS!!!!! DADDY, HELP ME!!!!!!! AAAHHHHHH!¡± When Sakdu smashed into the iron maiden, he had enough force to essentially splatter his wife and snuffed out what little life she had left. With her death at hand, Mafi''s visible form vanished, but the guts and crimson were left behind. Fia, on the other hand, became enveloped in her mother¡¯s leftover blood. She didn¡¯t end up smashed because Sakdu¡¯s large hand prevented that.


    Because of that, one would think she suffered the least. However, that didn¡¯t mean the young Kobold was spared from the forthcoming horrors.


    In reality, she received the worst of it. Most of her mother¡¯s smothered remains coated the back of her head, which provided very little resistance. The nails still punctured through her head, poking out her left eye and allowing brain matter to leak from her ears. She then had to face the sight of her father¡¯s excited face. If that wasn¡¯t enough, she had to endure a vile smell that quickly overpowered the sparse space in front of her on top of having a hundred holes in her body. Pain and disgust mixed together, escaping her little mouth in the form of a dying scream. Fia¡¯s small stature meant she didn¡¯t have as nearly as much blood as her father or mother.


    That was a blessing in and of itself, and the little girl faded away from her father''s final dream. Her bodily form vanished as well, meaning it was just Sakdu alone in the iron maiden. He suffered more agony because of his larger body. In the case of a large object located below his waist, a few spikes went entered through his groin.


    Pleasure once again overpowered any and all reason or pain, escaping Sakdu''s body in the form of a blast of white ecstasy. There was a problem, though. A spike had blocked his urethra. With no way to release it, the pressure built up like knotted hose pipe. Even as sturdy as a Kobold was, his manhood had no choice but to explode. A wave of white and red splashed about while Sakdu roared like a mating lion. His large tongue flapped around, disgustingly licking the spikes which held the remains of his daughter¡¯s blood, wanting to feel it impale his tongue.


    Since Servi made good on her promise, Sakdu thanked his mistress nearly a hundred times in a differing variety of strained tones while blood continued to pour.


    The crimson dripping from his ruptured member sounded like a faucet at first. The flow died down in correlation with his voice, which quickly grew weak as the seconds passed. Eventually, his lower body stopped shaking and thrusting all together.


    Servi, the mastermind, laughed as she spread her arms open, grabbing onto each side of the fearsome iron maiden¡¯s doors. Before slamming them, she chose the time to speak for the last time.


    ¡°Congratulations, Sakdu. You¡¯ve gone beyond the cusp of depravity and into something else far beyond that I don¡¯t even know what to call it. I can¡¯t believe I¡ªa fucking figment of your imagination¡ªordered you to kill your fucking family, and you actually did it! Why?! You only had to command me to leave, and I would¡¯ve disappeared. You could¡¯ve spent your last moments with the two women you love more than anything in the world, and what did you do?


    ¡°You spent it listening to the words of a pathetic Human. I said it before, but you¡¯re so fucking pathetic, you worthless coward. You fucking imbecile. Maybe the murder of your family was the best thing to happen to you, you waste of space.¡± The fictional Servi, like the real one, did not mince her words. She spoke with no filter to soften the harsh truths she articulated. She slammed the left door shut, sending a thousand spikes into his back. Closing the right one delivered another thousand. She stood back and watched the iron maiden rumble and shake about. A lustful moan escaped from the sound holes on top, but that died down with a bit of time.


    The red ground below Servi disappeared, causing her to fall into a spiral on a one-way ticket to death. The only thing joining her was the iron maiden, which housed a simple family in its clutches. She was surrounded by so much red it made her sick.


    Servi¡¯s black hair fluttered up, smacking against her ears. Though she stared up at where she once stood, Servi knew she would soon arrive at the final stop, which signified the death of the Kobold, who created the once gray void.


    ¡°I won¡¯t even say goodbye. Such a spineless man isn¡¯t worthy of my words."


    A second after Servi said that, Sakdu ceased to exist in the real world, which meant nothing was powering his final moments in the dream world.


    She and the iron maiden slammed into the ground, disappearing and leaving nothing behind as Sakdu¡¯s last thoughts came to an end.


    It was the furthest thing away from how he wanted to die. How shameful he ended up submitting to the Monotonia before he could accomplish his revenge, but the truth was even worse. He, strong and proud, became nothing more than the pet of a woman, a lowly Human woman, in his final moments. That Human even preoccupied his terminal thoughts, turning the most powerful version of himself into a slave. His final thoughts were all his own, and what he spent them on went against everything he ever stood for.


    Surely, there was no worse way for a once-mighty Kobold to perish, but that was the reason why Servi did it in the first place. To her, the greatest revenge was corrupting her foes and forcing them to do what they swore they wouldn¡¯t do. In this case, it was having Sakdu beg a worthless Human and asking him to give up the life of a friend if it meant he would be given pleasure in the form of pain.


    For the most part, pure physical torture wasn¡¯t the best method if one wanted to inflict true despair. Servi understood that very well.


    In essence, such creative ways of killing were her own interpretation of the moniker ¡®Mad Dog.¡¯


    ¡°Ah, there it is. I¡¯ve been wondering where it was,¡± Servi spoke to a tiny red object only she could see. ¡°If you¡¯re here, then I guess it means the big, bad, pathetic leader of the Mafia has finally perished." Servi used her favorite skill to tear the makeshift gag out of Roger¡¯s mouth. She tossed it into the enormous crater behind her. His mouth started to move, powering through the pain of a fractured jaw while saying and repeating a single sentence like a broken record. He didn''t have the strength to use any more skills because they were useless.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t mean it¡­ He didn¡¯t mean it¡­¡± Roger''s face was like a battered crevice with sunken eyes that harbored no light. They stared down at the ground. Even tears no longer fell because he had cried all he could. In a sense, he was empty. Truly, truly, barren of everything that made up a man. With no ego or sense of self, he was a shell of the scientist he once was. The Elf who followed Sakdu everywhere many years ago no longer existed. Being the creator of Monotonia was his legacy, and that would go down in the history of the dark circles of society, but that was all. The Mafia wasn¡¯t the only underground group, but this didn¡¯t concern the others at all.


    At least, that was what Servi believed would happen. She wasn''t aware that there were other leaders alive, and it was almost assured the Mafia would continue on in some way when knowledge of its leader''s death reached the right people.


    ¡°He did mean it, you know?¡± Servi snacked on a meat stick she had left in her ring. Tearing it off, she handed it to Roger, who was no longer bound by Telekinesis. Servi had shattered his legs moments ago, when she was waiting for Sakdu'' soul, but his hands still worked. But he made no attempt at reaching out for it even though Telekinesis only affected his body.


    Servi returned the portion of her meal to her hand and happily snacked on it. ¡°He told me I could kill you if it meant I would hurt him. I believe it was his true self talking after being unlocked by the Monotonia. Those are some pesky little devils, aren¡¯t they? Better get rid of them. You created those, right? Ha, I bet you feel stupid as shit right about now.¡± Servi spoke with her mouth full of fried chicken on a stick as the remainder of the white and red pills in her ring poured out over the hole she made. She didn''t ever think there was a reason for those to be used, and it was better to get rid of those things.


    ¡°That''s that, so that''s one less worry. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s some still out there. The distribution facility I found in one of the bases on Arcton had to be the main one. If not that, then one of the primary shipping places. I¡¯ll tell ya, I saw thousands and thousands of those disgusting things. I torched them, so they''re gone, but I¡¯m sure they''re all over the world. Well, maybe not that far, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯re all around Lando. Maybe Keywater and Westera as well.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be a major worry, though. As you can see by our little battle, I can take care of anything that comes my way. Monster? I''ll slice them in half. Armies? I''ll just wipe them out with Fulgur Spike and Niadiabola. Dragons? I never fought one before, but if it bleeds, I can kill it. That really goes for anything, I suppose... If I do come across something that doesn''t bleed, I can just toss them in that.¡± Servi waved her arm around, eventually pointing it to the massive hole nearby. ¡°However, I still do not know how I¡¯m going to make you pay. But then again, I need a way to make Carrie pay. Ah, it seems she¡¯s unconscious. There¡¯s no way she¡¯d give me a fun way to take your life because she¡¯s nothing but a little pussy who can¡¯t deal it when the oven gets a little bit too hot. But back to the topic. What if I start by tearing out your earrings? Then I rip off your ears? I¡¯ve always wanted to use a laser in killing, but I doubt I¡¯d find the technology in a backwater place like this. Wait, what about water pressure?¡± Wait, the technology to create a laser? Laser...? No, just focus on the thing in front of you.


    Servi stood up after finishing her snack and used Create Water. She set the temperature to cold, maximized the pressure, and configured the flow to high. If she was right, then the water had no choice but to shoot out as a highly pressurized jet of liquid that could slice through giant stone blocks. If it could cut through weaker metals...?


    ¡°YES!!!!!¡± Her shouting evidently meant her testing was a success. A thin blue stream of water erupted out from empty air, flying some 200 meters before the pressure died down. But from where she was right next to it, it sounded like the whistle from a steaming teapot. It was loud, too. Loud enough that she was worried it would hurt Momo¡¯s sensitive ears. To fix that, she, unfortunately, had to reduce the pressure more until it softly bummed like a kitten. As a downside, it only reached a measly 100 meters before fizzling out. It was only half as strong, but it was still a highly pressurized stream of water capable of cutting stone.


    She flew Roger over to her, healed his body back to full with a few thousand stacks of Remedium Lux, and grabbed onto his thumb, placing it right in the line of fire. The jet of watery death took only half a second to bore straight through his fingernails, skin, and bones, producing a subtle red mist. She pulled him back and held the wound to her investigative eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a clean slice. Now that I know it works, why don¡¯t I have some fun?¡±


    "We...gave...the...girl a...head...and...said...i...t...was...you...and...that...y...ou...ha...d...die...d..." Roger whispered, using the last of his strength. He finally confessed to Servi what she had known all along. They had played with Momo''s emotions, thrashing her mental spirit just to inflict pain on the poor girl.


    "I knew you did something to her... Don''t think that you''re going to die a painless death just because you told me what I already knew..." Servi replied. Her voice was flat and monotone, like she had no emotion in it.


    For the next ten minutes, Servi used the jet of water like a carpenter would use a piece of sandpaper to sand down an uneven log. Only in her case, the wood was a person. She started from the hand, methodically removing a few centimeters of skin at a constant pace. First went the rest of his thumb, then his other four fingers. Next came his palm and forearm, and finally, she watered down the rest of his arm until it was simply gone.


    A large part of Roger¡¯s body was coated in his blood. Crimson rained down from his black hair, dirtying his earrings. But no sound escaped from his mouth. There he was, an Elf who had experienced a unique form of torture that resulted in the loss of one of his arms, yet he didn¡¯t make so much as a murmur. The life in his eyes went with the life of his friend when Servi threw Sakdu into the hole.


    ¡°Tch!!¡± Servi spat and angrily shook his body in and out of the water¡¯s line of fire, resulting in sharp gashes leaking blood. About forty percent of his chin dangled down on a single piece of flesh that refused to break, showing off what was under his jaw. His chest had zigzag cuts. When gravity pulled them down, it was like his torso was bendy and stretchable.


    ¡°As much as this should be fun for me, it¡¯s not. I can¡¯t spend any more time with you.¡± Roger''s torturer formed a claw-like shape with her right hand using her thumb, index, and middle finger. The latter two found a home in his eyes while the former discovered a chin to penetrate. With ease, Servi flung him over her into the hole, giving him an assured death, but the blood loss would definitely kill him before the fall had a chance to do it.


    With two out of the three gone, the Human turned to look at the last of her victims.

 Book Three – Chapter Eleven – Part Eleven – Shattering the Collar

    RuggyRuggy


    Last part of this chapter.


    ¡°Now, I just don¡¯t get you,¡± whispered Servi. She shook her head as she walked closer to Carrie''s unconscious body. Like the other two had been, her body was positioned like she was crucified on an invisible cross. ¡°You hated me at first. You sang a different tune after I slept with you, then you became all clingy? Not to mention you broke my jaw a few days ago. But out of all of them... I think you¡¯re the one I hate the most. I can¡¯t stand you¡­¡± Servi grabbed onto Carrie¡¯s shoulder and gently pushed her away. Like a pendulum, her body swung back and forth.


    ¡°When I think about how I had to act¡­when I had to actually sleep with you¡­ It made me sick to my stomach. Gods, I should¡¯ve allowed you to bleed out when I ripped a hole in your chest...I should have killed you when I left Deset. Even now, I feel like vomiting...¡±


    Servi canceled her Telekinetic hold at the cusp of her swing. Carries body flew through the air, slamming into the ground and sliding for a few meters. While the hit wasn¡¯t that hard, it was enough to wake her.


    ¡°Oww¡­ Wait¡­¡± Carrie leaned up, rubbing her head and shoulder, both of which radiated pain. It took her a few seconds for her memories to catch up. The giant hole just meters away helped quite a bit in jump starting her mind.


    ¡°Oh, now you¡¯re awake? Too bad you couldn¡¯t see what I did to Sakdu and Roger. But don¡¯t worry, you see that soul? Wait, you can¡¯t. Well, it¡¯s not that important. You¡¯re going to die, Carrie. How do you feel about that?¡± Servi sinisterly chuckled as she emphasized each step she took towards the shaking Singi. ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? I¡¯m gonna pluck that tail from your ass and shove it right down your throat. You''re going to die with a mouth full of fur. I wonder what color your face will turn when you can''t breathe anymore? I''ve killed a lot, but I don''t think I actually suffocated anyone before.¡±


    ¡°Williana, stop this!!!¡± Carrie scrambled to her feet and ran away towards the forest line only a few hundred meters away. As if sensing danger, her tail wrapped itself around the body it belonged to, which had the unintentional effect of lowering her sense of balance. As if she planned it, Servi cackled every time her prey fell victim to the excessive holes loosely packed with dirt.


    Servi laughed, sending thrills as she leisurely jogged after Carrie. Itarr acted quickly and grabbed the bed containing Momo and her precious belongings. With over 3,000 stacks of Telekinesis, it was like the sleeping Singi was softly locked into place. It¡¯d be impossible for even a dupla to slide under the fluffy pillow she laid on. Unlike before, there was no need to send her 15 kilometers in the air. Just keeping Momo above the tree line was enough.


    ¡°My name isn''t Williana... You know, if you keep this up, I''m going to use your skull to hammer in the nail pinning Sakdu''s skull to the wall. I have to go back into the hole to get it, so I hope it isn''t burned up.¡± Servi conjured a single Shadow Shot and launched ahead. The thick, bulging arrow of darkness narrowly missed Carrie¡¯s teary cheeks, but it also stole a little bit of her red hair. The skill demolished the tree 20 meters ahead of her, which acted as the new entrance to the forest.


    If there was ever a place to lose her pursuer, that was her best bet. It was dark and nearly devoid of sunlight, which couldn¡¯t penetrate the roof of leaves overhead.


    ¡°Nah, maybe I won¡¯t kill you!!!¡± Servi shouted. She had ceased running and instead skipped after the frightened Singi. The rushing red hair in front of her slowed for a second. Carrie looked back, then doubled her speed.


    ¡°Ah, changed my mind!¡± Servi forcibly extracted every tree Carrie ran by, causing the ground to shake in return. For most of Servi''s towering projectiles, she slammed them down, further shaking the ground and making it harder for her prey to run away. She absorbed the others when she came within range.


    The sadistic cat-and-mouse game continued until Carrie ran out of the woods and onto a simple road marked with wagon tracks. Carrie''s panting got the better of her, making her trip and slide on her face for a second or two. The slamming of trees and the rustling of a thousand leaves meant her frightening pursuer was right behind her. She scrambled to her feet, scratching her palms and exposed legs on the hard rocks. She eyed a signpost about twenty meters ahead. The path then split into two different directions.


    There¡¯s a fork in the road! If I hurry, I can lose her. It¡¯s my best chance.


    Her arms pumping, her lungs worked in sync with the rest of her body to ensure it wouldn''t meet a grisly end by the humanoid monster closing her.


    ¡°CAAARRRIIEEEEE!!!¡± shrieked the monster chasing after her. ¡°Running away will only make it hurt that much worse!!! Come on, allow me the chance to explore your body one more time!!! I¡¯ll show you what your intestines look like!!! You like drinking blood, right? Well, I''d bet you wouldn''t mind eating your organs! Hahahaha!!!¡± Servi acted the part of a deranged killer the best she could, which wasn''t that hard since Servi was Servi, but something was off. It was like she was pretending to be the Mad Dog rather than allowing that persona the chance to manifest.


    The red catgirl ducked when a growing whistling noise became loud enough, avoiding a thrown tree that tickled her ruby hair with a branch full of leaves. Before it had a chance to obliterate the sign, the tree came to a sudden halt. Every nerve in her body told her to slam on the breaks, causing her to slide on her feet until her head bonked the oak tree¡¯s bark. She bounced back, falling on the ground, but landing with her arms held out.


    Carrie¡¯s hands punched the ground as she tried to stand, but a hand that wasn¡¯t hers touched her shoulder. That elicited a scream from the depths of her heart. Scrambling again and not looking back, she crawled underneath the floating tree and took refuge behind the skinny sign.


    ¡°Come on, Carrie,¡± Servi sang. She walked forward, touching the airborne tree with a simple hand. It exploded into fire, singeing the Singi¡¯s eyebrows. Her face became flush with heat so hot it felt like her skin was about to melt. A second later, the pillar of nature was no more than ash, scattering in the pleasant breeze like a natural smokescreen.


    To Carrie, the ash tried to obscure the piercing eyes of a monster.


    To Servi, it pitifully protected the last target she had to kill.


    The trembling Singi whimpered when her second-to-last barrier flew away. Her mouth was dry, and it couldn¡¯t stay closed, and her puffy cheeks became drenched with something other than sweat. For the second time, a wet spot between her legs grew bigger. The smell of ammonia wafted around, becoming the official stench of fear. The hot sun and high humidity only served to intensify everything she felt. A sticky sweat covered her body like a swampy layer of filth.


    With nowhere to run, Carrie, the girl with a craving for blood, was caught by the Human she fell in love with. Unfortunately for her, that feeling was so one-sided Servi never realized it. She felt no love or passion for Singi she once slept with.


    ¡°Williana, I loved you. You¡¯re the first person I¡¯ve ever felt this way about!¡± Carrie pleaded. She fell to her knees and touched her head to the rocky gravel. Her begging infuriated Servi, who ordered her to stand up.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I hit you! I¡­I was scared when you talked about the worst case scenarios! I already apologized, but I¡¯ll do it again!!¡±


    Wordlessly, Servi took out a nadrium sword and danced it around the signpost preventing the predator from devouring the prey. As suddenly as it appeared, it disappeared from Carrie''s blue eyes.


    ¡°Wait!!! Servi, remember the good times we had? Remember when I held your cup for you? Please say you remember my touch when we made love! You moaned when I sucked your nipples. You liked that, right?!! I¡¯ll do that for you every night and day!!! I¡¯ll even still pay you!!! I¡¯ll give you my life savings!!! Please, don¡¯t kill me! I¡¯ll do whatever you want! I¡¯ll become your slave!! Please¡­¡± Carrie¡¯s mouth moved like a ship catching the wind of a hurricane. Her knees quaked every time Servi¡¯s sword swung in front of her blue eyes.


    ¡°If it¡¯s about that girl, I promise I didn¡¯t have anything to do with it! I¡¯ve never met her before in my life! Please, you gotta believe me, Servi!!¡±


    ¡°Your words are only wasted on my ears. I have a problem with the Mafia as a whole. You¡¯re a member. You¡¯re part of the problem,¡± Servi whispered. She held a hand out, pointing to Carrie''s neck. The sign the Singi gripped for protection disappeared, and Servi kicked forward. She intentionally missed on purpose to force her prey to hunch over in pain that wasn''t there.


    Carrie fell to the ground, then crawled backwards on all fours when she realized there was no damage. Servi walked towards her, placing the sign back down behind her. ¡°Cry all you want, but it¡¯s not going to do a damn thing. What I¡¯m forcing you to feel doesn¡¯t compare at all to what Momo had to go through. It just makes me fucking sick¡­ The only way to ¡®repent...¡¯¡± Servi made air quotes. ¡°Is for you to pay with your life. That¡¯s really about all it is. Now, fuck off, repent, and die, you mangey feline.¡±


    Servi conjured a nadrium sword from her ring and raised it up. The two blue pulsing lines reflected off the cloudless sun. Her mouth twisted into a toothy grin as she slammed it down on Carrie¡¯s head. She tried to scream, but nothing escaped her opened mouth. Her arms up went up to protect her red hair, but bone couldn¡¯t stand up to nadrium.


    "WHY!!!!??? WHY ME?!?!?!?! CARRIE, HELP ME!!!!!! MAMA!!!!!!! NO, I''M CARRIE-- VALI-- CARRIE-- VALI-- MAMA!!!!!!!!!!" The red-haired Singi gasped for help, crying out two different names as her body spasmed out of control.


    It seemed like everything was going right for Servi. In just a quarter of a second, Carrie''s head would split open like a knife going through a grape. The life of one of the remaining Mafia members would end, leaving a war-scarred girl with her reward.


    That was the plan. But as Servi knew so well, plans rarely went the way she wanted them to. When her weapon was a tenth of a second away, her ears picked up on a quiet voice.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ Servy¡­¡± said the voice. It was like Servi¡¯s body froze into place via a force beyond her control. She turned her neck so hard it broke away from her spine and continued to spin like some sort of broken carnival toy. She grabbed her head, slowing it down and allowing True Immortality to reconnect it. All the while, her red eyes stared at the descending bed. A soft hand raised up, holding the black strap of a black bag, then fell back and scratched its owner¡¯s chin.


    The blade in Servi¡¯s hand dropped, bonking the Singi, who came closer to death than she knew. Her internal self argued about taking the abandoned weapon and running her opponent through, but she knew that wouldn¡¯t work. Perhaps it would if her opponent belonged to the world of mortals, but Servi had left that lonely place months ago when she died.


    Instead, Carrie silently crawled away. When Servi turned her body so it faced the same direction as the sleeping girl, the Singi who held an unrequited love dashed away, slinging piles of pebbles behind her. The Human on a rampage turned away from Momo¡¯s sleeping body and started to dart after Carrie.


    Once again, there was a soft murmur coming from the bed. ¡°Servy¡­¡± the voice said. Hearing her nickname being spoken for a second time extinguished the rage within Servi. Her face and body relaxed, becoming more natural and resembling the Servi of eight days prior.


    ¡°No... I''ve put Momo off for long enough... It wouldn''t be right me to leave now when she''s right there... I can''t keep making her wait... Should I run across Carrie in my travels, I''ll wring that bitch¡¯s neck...¡± Servi growled. She absorbed her fallen blade and jogged over to the bed, bypassing the little wooden sign detailing which forks in the road led where. The sleeping girl twitched her nose and eyes like she was on the cusp of waking up.


    The fist wrapped around the handle of a thin longsword relaxed. Slowly, it was brought to Momo¡¯s eyes. She rubbed the sandman away, sending him packing as two blue orbs spring to life. They blankly stared up at the cloudless skies. The smell of nature floated through her nostrils. The warm sun blessed her sleeveless arms, warming them.


    ¡°Wait¡­ Why am I on a bed¡­and I¡¯m outside?¡± Momo leaned up, stretching her arms up and out while scratching her head. She swung her body to the left, dangling her legs over the bed. Her empty hand brushed against the immaculate blade of the thin sword resting beside her. Her other hand remembered it held something. Gripping, she felt the worn-down leather of a shoulder-pad. It slid down, allowing her fingers to rub against the flawless material it protected.


    ¡°Grampy''s stuff...¡± she whispered. The girl known as Momo wouldn¡¯t be Momo without her signature items. ¡°Wait, if they¡¯re here, then¡­¡± her heart almost stopped. Flicking her head up, she stared into the red eyes of her very best friend. ¡°Good morning, Servy¡­ Morn¡ªServy¡ªSERVY!!!¡± The gears in her head kicked into overdrive, allowing a flood of harsh memories to infect her innocent mind.


    Momo¡¯s eyes leaked the most tears she had ever cried as she leapt from the bed to jump into Servi¡¯s outstretched arms. She closed them around her, using her nearly indestructible body to absorb the impact of the two falling on the ground. The two tumbled twice on the dirt before coming to a halt with Servi on the bottom. Momo leaned back until she practically straddled her best friend¡¯s waist, the corner of her lips quivered in anticipation of an emotional outburst. Her eyes looked so big and glossy, and the waterworks were about to begin anew.


    Servi only looked up, meeting her gaze as she raised a single hand. It brushed Momo¡¯s thinned cheeks, feeling the warmth they emitted. Her thumb slowly slid under the Singi¡¯s left eye, wiping away a few tears that had already started to fall.


    ¡°May I touch you soon?¡± Servi sang the last verse of Momo¡¯s song in a quiet whisper. It was just loud enough for the recipient to subtly nod. Servi¡¯s other hand joined in, cleaning the dirty spot under Momo¡¯s right eye. She had both her hands raised up, feeding her avaricious desire to physically connect with her best friend.


    The strained cries of a particular girl, who had thought she was going to die, erupted into the world. Her two powerful lungs went above and beyond in giving the emotional Singi a chance to vent. Her twitching face scrunched up, then she bent down, burying her face into Servi¡¯s chest. Her hands went to her stomach as she attempted to make herself as small as possible.


    ¡°SERVY!!! SERVYYYYY! SEEERRRVVVYYYYY!!!!¡±


    Servi joined in on the name shouting, but it wasn¡¯t a joke. Her heart finally had the chance to rest and relax after a stressful week of uncertainty. It relished the prospect of having a few moments of utter peace, and it was more than happy to pump oxygen-rich blood to fuel her cries.


    The Singi pushed her head deeper into Servi¡¯s chest, staining both her shirt and head with greasy pink hair. Days of being unkempt had soiled it, leaving it battered and abused with a horrid stench. Servi¡¯s hands had repositioned around Momo''s face to her slender back, tightening their embrace. Her body as a whole was narrower, and it made her realize just how much strain her best friend went through. Evidentially whatever food she was being fed did a terrible job maintaining her toned yet slim physique.


    Servi felt her body rumble slightly whenever Momo took a deep breath to fuel her howling. Her shirt became wet with tears and snot, but that wasn¡¯t a problem. Servi only returned the words, shouting Momo¡¯s name to the skies while enjoying the weight of her body.


    The two best friends cried each other¡¯s names with a passion they hadn¡¯t felt before. With the sun and sky as the perverted witnesses, a cloud soon swam through the sea of blue. It gave the pair the privacy they needed until their primal emotions ran dry.


    And after that? Before they could go back to Canary, the two needed to have an urgent conversation.


    But that could come later. Their reunion was the most important thing, after all.

 Book Three – Chapter Twelve – Part One – The Fleeting Touch of a Friend

    Momo''s tearful voice reverberated as she spoke into the chest of her best friend. She felt the sun warm her unwashed and abused hair. The air she huffed through her nose had been tainted by the awful smell covering her body. Her dried tongue scratched against the arid texture of her mouth. Spit and saliva did little moisten it.


    Suddenly, Momo moved her hands to the rocky road and pressed against it. She slowly pushed, leaning up as she shakily got to her legs. Her pale face was sickly, with a nose partially stained with nauseating, green snot. There was a definitive trail of wetness trailing from her eyes that went down her cheeks. Servi happened to look down and noticed her green shirt was darker in a few places. Looking back up, she saw her best friend wobble like she wore stilts.


    Servi rushed to stand, wrapping her arms around Momo for the second time to keep her upright. The Singi held on tight to remain standing until she felt strength in her legs. She wasn¡¯t wounded, and she wasn¡¯t physically tortured while locked up.


    The reason she had trouble keeping her equilibrium in check was that pure relief poured over every part of her body. It affected the sections of her body essential in maintaining her balance. Her mind had an intense emotional high that made Momo feel better than she actually was. When it came down, and it would in only a few seconds, an immense sadness would wash over her. The words she said during that fateful moment a week prior still had to be apologized for. And since it was those few sentences that caused a week¡¯s worth of horror and destruction, it was going to be the hardest thing she had ever done.


    What if Servy only saved me just to abandon me for the hatred I spewed at her? I wanted to be rescued, but now I¡¯m scared she¡¯ll leave me for good¡­ I don¡¯t want that¡­ I don¡¯t wanna leave my best friend, but do I have the right to call her that? I practically betrayed her. Dang it, Momo, don¡¯t think like that!!!


    The Singi started it off with a weak breath and a quiet voice that grew weaker as time passed. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry I said so many terrible things to you. I¡¯d even understand it if you hate me¡­ I knew you had nothing to do with those slavers hurting grampy, and it wasn¡¯t your fault he got injured trying to save me. All of that was my fault. I¡­led them to our house because they saved me from an animal attack. I didn¡¯t know they were slavers... But grampy knew¡­¡±


    Momo shook her head, erasing the thoughts in her head that didn¡¯t matter. What happened in the past stayed in the past. There wasn¡¯t anything she could do to remedy the mistakes that happened months ago. But there was something she could do to fix a problem that had the chance to be rectified.


    ¡°Servy, I did a terrible, terrible thing back then. I¡­ I¡¯ll never hate you!!!¡± Momo looked up with a scrunched face, formed to hold back the water clearly leaking from her eyes. She still looked dazzling even while doing that. Her tail had been motionless ever since Itarr put her to sleep before the final battle started. It¡¯d probably be a while until it was back in wagging shape. ¡°Even if a million or billion years comes and goes, I¡¯ll never hate you! I didn¡¯t mean it when I said those things!!! I¡ªahh!!¡± Momo became surprised when she felt a hand to the back of her neck. Servi pushed the frightened girl into her chest and rested her head on a bed of pink fluff that had seen better days.


    Momo was instantly reminded of the day she saw Servi cry. It was after the press conference the Governor of Canary held to announce the Warden Tournament. It was almost the same. But the Singi wasn''t comforting the Human; it was the Human calming the heightened emotions of a battered girl.


    ¡°Grampy would be so disappointed in me right now¡­ He told me to find a friend to rely on... A buddy for life to help me when times got rough. He said I should help that friend¡­ You¡¯re my friend, Servy. You¡¯re my very best friend in the world, and I betrayed you. I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± she murmured loud enough for it to be above a whisper, but that was all.


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t betray me. I was one who kept secrets,¡± Servi said. ¡°Everything that happened was because of me. If I had just told the truth from the beginning, none of this would happen¡­ Tell me... Did they hurt you? Did they do anything to you?"


    ¡°They made me believe you were dead... That was it... But that''s not important!!!! It¡¯s my fault!!! I was the one who ran away! I was the weak girl who got kidnapped!!! All of this is my fault!!! It wasn¡¯t ever your fault to begin with!!! I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mosie, let me explain,¡± Servi spoke sharply, like that of a carving knife as sliced metaphysically severed Momo¡¯s vocal cords. Her breath became caught in her throat, preventing the words she wanted to say from coming out of her mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything, and I won¡¯t leave anything out. Not even the nitty-gritty things that would make Sakdu look like a saint. Mosie, I want to tell you a story of a girl and a Goddess whose souls became interconnected.¡±


    And so, Servi began to recount the tale of her life. From the moment she awoke in a strange land without memories to the murderous rampage of an army nearly 15,000 strong, there was nothing left out. The lives Servi snuffed out of existence from anger had their story told. The slaves she saved with assistance from a pair of Earth Elves found companionship in the form of words. The horrors they endured were enough to make Momo gag. She wanted to vomit, but nothing came up. Even still, Momo couldn¡¯t believe such atrocities were being committed all over town. And against innocent children, no less.


    The one-sided conflict against a troubled man caused by a misunderstanding might¡¯ve been comical to the right person, but Momo strained her ears against every syllable Servi spoke. She hung on to the words like a stubborn strawberry that refused to be picked.


    And finally, Servi spoke of the week of hell. She recalled every false betrayal she caused during her stint in the Mafia. Her voice contained no resentment for anything, but she did find it hard to speak about when she whored herself to Carrie. That part was conveniently summarized as ¡®an option that didn¡¯t have a payoff in the end.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a lie, either. That route was just a plan B that didn''t pan out.


    When it came time to utter the horrors she inflicted on the guards and involuntary workers in the RASP buildings, Momo found herself unable to breathe. It was too horrific, but a part of her wanted to believe that there was no way babies were being held in the basement nurseries.


    If that was the case, then that would mean¡­but that also meant¡­ Then the chaos in Canary¡­ And Nimea? Servi killed him in a battle? Nimea¡­ Momo was so lost in her thoughts that her body had temporarily lost the ability to breathe. If she believed everything her friend confessed as the absolute truth, then it nearly answered every question she had about her.


    ¡°And finally, after I rescued you, I had Itarr put you to sleep with Kaasuvuoto. Once you were out of the way, I proceeded to exterminate everything and everyone. Mosie, I was up against an army of 15,000, and I came out on top. Their swords kept piercing my body. Their skills burned my flesh and electrocuted my blood. A wind of prison encaged me in a vicious whirlwind, but even that couldn¡¯t stop me. The one who made it said it could hold dragons, and I walked right out of it. It tore my body up, shredding and spewing my organs and blood, but I didn¡¯t die. I used my immortal body to break through, then used my ring to absorb it. After that, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Servy¡­ You don¡¯t have to say anymore¡­¡± Momo whispered. She looked up from Servi¡¯s chest and gazed into her unblinking red eyes. They contained no sadness or regret or anything of that nature. If anything, Servi looked like she was just talking about the weather.


    Was she that broken? Nearly every aspect of her life relied on destroying lives and ending dreams. What kind of person wouldn¡¯t be shattered after living through her life?


    ¡°Yes, I do. You deserve to know the truth, and I¡¯m not going to leave anything out. I''m going to lay it all out...¡± Servi then continued, speaking of the horrors she put Sakdu through and how she found it comical he gave up a dedicated life of revenge by begging a Human to hit him. Roger¡¯s tale didn¡¯t have any theoretics. What use was there in glorifying the end of a pitiful Elf? Next came Carrie, and Servi only said she was the one who managed to getaway. But she did add that there wasn¡¯t any chance of retaliation by either any Mafia remnants or Carrie. ¡°I displayed my power before them. Only foolish morons would ever think about going up against me,¡± Servi added on. She stopped speaking for ten or fifteen seconds to allow Momo the time to register the series of otherworldly events.


    ¡°And that¡¯s the story of a girl and a Goddess whose souls became interconnected. I absorb the souls of those I kill... I use their power to strengthen myself. Mosie, look up, and you¡¯ll truly see what I mean. Words just can''t describe it...¡± Momo slightly jumped when she heard her nickname, but she did listen to her best friend. Her heart sunk to her stomach when she glanced up. She expected to see the blue sky, but that wasn''t the case.


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Momo¡¯s blue eyes took in the sight of an army''s worth of Greater Fireballs. Each the size of 30 meters, they looked like meteors sent from the Heavens to destroy the sin-filled planet. Each one carried so much destruction that only a few would be needed to cause irreparable damage to a capital city.


    And there were over 15,000 of them. The entire sky was blotted out, and those Greater Fireballs stretched all across the horizon, almost as if they had no end. Then as quickly as they came, the impending balls of fiery fury vanished when the skills were canceled. The vivid sunlight soon found its rays of light unobstructed, meaning they again had the chance to bless the world with warmth.


    ¡°Now, do you see what I mean? I''m nothing but a killer who takes souls¡­ It¡¯s like I only have tools and resources available to me that make it easier to kill. What you just saw above us could wipe out Canary thousands of times over... And that¡¯s not even half of my power... I can make 15,000 more... And there isn¡¯t a limit to my power. As long as I kill and devour, my strength will forever grow.¡± Servi took a breath and asked her Goddess for a favor. ¡°Itarr, I want you to talk to Mosie.¡± A chair appeared from nowhere behind the Singi. Momo¡¯s tail slowly came to life, moving for the first time in what felt like forever, and touched the chair. She yelped and clung tightly to Servi as words were softly whispered into her furry ears. ¡°That¡¯s just a chair I pulled from my ring. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re tired. It¡¯s a lot to take in, so sit down.¡± As she said that, a crimson stone tablet popped into existence.


    This is all your fault, Momo. Servy wouldn¡¯t have had to experience all of those horrible things if you hadn¡¯t run away. You really are a no good, dirty, rotten, terrible, pathetic cat who only causes problems¡­ The Singi in question thought to herself when she had a spare moment to curse herself.


    Momo walked backwards, crushing little rocks under the dirtied boots until her tail touched the out-of-place furniture. She slowly sat down. Her fluffy appendage wanted to warm its master¡¯s waist, but days of neglect made it stiff and greasy and unable to bend without hurting. ¡°Servy, I¡­ I¡ª"


    ¡°Before you speak, I want you to talk to Itarr. She¡¯s the Goddess inside of me. Itarr, I want you to show Momo everything. Show her the skills I know, can learn, and the Potential I have to spend. Show her the Forbidden Skills, too. Don¡¯t leave anything out.¡± Momo reached out to take the red ID when Servi sat down as well. She saw her friend crouch down and bury her face in her hands.


    Forbidden Skills? Servy¡­ The Singi looked down at the ID. Its scarlet surface had the same hue as its wielder¡¯s eyes. Suddenly, words began to appear.


    Hello, Momo.


    ¡°Um¡­ Hello, Itarr. Are¡­are you really a Goddess?¡±


    I am.


    ¡°¡­Did Servy really die the day before she met me? Is everything she said...the truth?¡±


    Yes, she did, and yes, it is. When it happened, her soul found its way to me. We talked for a little bit, and I explained my situation to her. You see, I may be a Goddess, but I have no memories, either. I was sealed away for a long time, and I wanted to escape. Servi agreed to help me without even a second thought. With her assistance, I was able to leave that foul prison for the first time in 730,000 years. To do so, she had to devour my divine essence¡ªmy soul¡ªand take it for herself. When she did that, my soul and her soul became interconnected. We are currently one being.


    Momo, I know it is hard to believe, but the ring on Servi¡¯s finger is all the proof you need. I don¡¯t know why, but it is the source of my power.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Maybe it is better if you see it with your own eyes.


    Using her administrator powers, Itarr switched the tablet¡¯s display until it showed the list of skills Servi could learn. Momo¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t know where to look first, but they definitely froze when she saw how much Potential Servi had to spend.


    ¡°Wait, why does it say you have 18,572 Potential??? Is that how many souls...¡± she muttered. Her fingers explored the skill list while sweat poured down her face. If a part of her doubted Servi¡¯s otherworldly tales and Itarr¡¯s recount of how they met, then it was immediately put to rest. Manipulating an ID and purposely altering its content was impossible. They were objects of the Gods and Goddess, and logic dictated only those with power equal to the heavenly beings could change or alter the information they displayed.


    18,572 is the amount of Potential available. As for the number of souls absorbed... It is higher than 22,000... The Forbidden Skills are at the bottom, below the Rank 0 skills. Itarr wrote. When the Mafia arrived to set up camp, most of the animals had been kicked to the curb and ran away to find a new place to live. Those who didn''t move that far away hurried to get out of danger when the 4,000 Explosions went off. Their instincts told them that the scary noise was an omen for something even more harrowing, which was why they scampered and scattered, choosing to flee rather than fight. Even the dirt-dwelling creepy crawlies wiggled to get as far away as they could.


    22,000 souls... That''s 22,000 people... No, she said ''higher'' than 22,000... Servy''s killed... But... Necromancy, Chronomancy, Elemental Control, and even Reality Control? I¡¯ve never heard of these. And Primordial Being? What¡¯s this about a trial? Most of them do say they are sealed...  And she has all of these skills, too.  All of them are at high levels, too. This is...True Immortality...? Absorption... Servy, everything you said was true...


    Momo, I¡¯m sure this is a severe shock... Momo laid the red stone tablet down on her lap and looked at Servi. With her head deep into her hands, she looked so fragile as if a stiff breeze was enough to shatter her. She managed to glance up long enough to see an odd expression on her friend''s face.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had so much buried deep inside you. Servy, why didn¡¯t you tell me? I thought we were friends¡­best friends¡­ We are, aren¡¯t we? You¡¯ve always been there for me, so let me be there for you.¡±


    ¡°Momo, it¡¯s not that easy to talk about. How was I supposed to bring up the fact that I only have memories dating back to when I woke up? How could I explain that I don¡¯t know my name? I¡¯m just assuming it¡¯s Servi, but what if it isn¡¯t? How could I casually bring up my immortality? Or my soul taking? Or my Skill Stacking? Or my lack of knowledge about Koena, Dwarves, Singi, Elves, and Kobolds? Or the guards I slaughtered after I died? Or the people I killed in Canary? Or the countless others I¡¯ve murdered over the past months? You try to find the best place to bring any of that up. I wanted to talk. I really did, but you gotta understand it was hard for me! I kept thinking about your reaction and what it would be, and I didn¡¯t want to risk it¡­¡±


    Momo remained quiet, but her body shook when a nadrium dagger appeared out of thin air. Servi continued to speak, unaware that her best friend felt mighty uncomfortable when the weapon danced around her hands.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m nothing more than a monster¡­¡­ I know I¡¯m a hypocrite, but I can¡¯t do anything. It¡¯s getting harder for me to feel sad or upset when I kill. I even murdered the kids protecting Casa!!! I had all this power available to me back then, and I fucking used it to kill them! I¡¯m just a fucking monster that only knows how to slaughter!!!! I can¡¯t cry¡­ I try, and I try, but nothing ever comes from my eyes!! Even when I ripped them out and waited for new ones to regenerate, I just can¡¯t seem to cry!!! I knew Fisher had a family that depended on him, but I still wanted to kill him¡­and maybe that''s how I still feel!!!! I never should''ve left him alive! He''s the cause of all this! To not be a hypocrite, I have to kill him... I just have to...


    ¡°I was even prepared to destroy all of Arcton to find you! I was ready to sacrifice all those lives for you!!! A big part of me wanted to see that damn city suffer through a sea of flames for falling to the Mafia! And that''s what I did! I ruined that traitorous city, giving it the punishment it deserved because it didn''t fight back!!!


    "A normal person doesn''t think the way I do. They just don¡¯t!!! The part inside of me that desires anger, violence, and death is growing bigger by the day! It''s gnawing at my innards, wanting to come out and feast... Because of that... I''m a child killer... I''m a baby killer... I killed the sick and the poor...and the innocents... Pregnant women probably died by my hands!!! Someone like me doesn''t deserve to be here... I DON¡¯T DESERVE TO BE HAPPY! I¡¯m just a rabid dog who needs to be put down!!!! Dying is the only way for a heartless beast like me to atone!!!! BUT I CAN''T DIE!!! I CAN''T EVER DIE!!!! I CAN TRY, AND TRY, AND TRY, AND TRY, AND TRY, BUT DEATH WON''T EVER COME FOR ME!!!"


    Servi shouted the words, raising her voice higher and higher until Momo¡¯s furry ears began to hurt. The Singi didn¡¯t cover them because she knew the girl in front of her was hurting far more. When Servi gripped the dagger with both hands and pointed the tip towards her forehead, Momo sprang into action¡ªher body moved by itself with no input from her brain.


    ¡°AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!¡± screamed Momo, who cried out in pain. The moment before Servi attempted to take her own life, her best friend forced her hand forward, becoming a flesh wall standing between the weapon and its intended target. Crimson splashed down, covering Servi¡¯s shirt and coating her hand in the blood of a Singi. Panic fueled her eyes and actions as she tossed the bloody weapon to the ground.  She gripped Momo¡¯s injured hand, sending 5,000 stacks of Remedium Lux into it.  The skin regrew with startling haste while the muscle and bone reconnected, becoming whole a second later.  Before long, her hand was as soft as it ever was.


    ¡°Momo, why did you do that?!?! I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you!!! That knife was meant for my head!!!! JUST LET ME TRY TO DIE!!! I¡¯M A MONSTER WHO DOESN¡¯T DESERVE TO LIVE!!!! Even if I were to devote 1,000,000,000,000 years to make up for my sins, it wouldn''t be enough!!!! A MAD DOG LIKE ME DESERVES TO BE PUT DOWN!!!!!"


    ¡°SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± Momo erupted into pure anger, raising her healed hand to the sky. She brought it down with fury, slapping Servi as hard as she could. The impact was loud and abrupt, like a glass vase falling in a monastery during prayer time. Her slender fingers broke while her hand suffered a fracture, but the throbbing pain was nothing compared to the coarse discomfort Servi felt for hurting the one girl she didn¡¯t want to. The tortured soul raised a hand and softly placed it on her already-healed cheek.


    Out of all of the wounds Servi had suffered in her immortal life thus far, that one had hurt the most.


    ¡°I WON¡¯T LET ANYONE CALL MY BEST FRIEND A MONSTER!" Momo screamed as tears fell. Her blood ran so hot, not even the sun compared to her boiling anger. ¡°YOU¡¯RE NOT A MONSTER OR A MAD DOG OR WHATEVER ELSE YOU WANNA CALL YOURSELF!!!!! Don¡¯t ever say that again! You saved me multiple times! Would a heartless beast do that?!! NO, THEY WOULDN¡¯T!!!!!!


    ¡°You are my best friend! Even though you did those things and you killed people, think of how many little girls and boys you saved from a lifetime of cruelty! There are little Singi with a life ahead of them thanks to you! They get to experience falling in love when they didn¡¯t have that chance before!!!! What about the small Elven boys who can¡¯t even pull back a bow?!?!? If you didn¡¯t rescue them, then they wouldn¡¯t ever experience rushing through the forest and playing tag with friends!!!! It¡¯s because of you that they have a chance to live.  BE PROUD OF THAT!!!"


    Momo took a deep breath before continuing. Itarr took that chance to heal the Singi¡¯s hand.


    ¡°You did good. You saved those children, you saved me, and you saved Canary-- mothers, fathers, children, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces-- from its impending destruction!!!! Just today alone, you saved tens of thousands of people from the Mafia!! You stood alone against an entire army, and it was to save me, but you also prevent the worst-case scenario from happening!! You deserve to have a chance at happiness!!!  Don¡¯t ever forget that, okay?! DON¡¯T EVER FORGET THAAAAAATTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!¡± Momo turned her neck upward and screamed as loud as she could. It felt like she wanted the whole world to hear her words.


    For the first time since she could remember, Servi felt warm, salty water leak from the corner of her eyes.  She stared up at her best friend. Something inside her essence cracked, allowing her to feel sadness¡ªpure sadness¡ªonce more. The strength in her legs gave away, forcing her to fall to the dirty road. She tilted her head up, sending a flurry of hair upwards and allowing the sun to warm her forehead.


    An odd sound escaped Servi''s lips.


    She was weeping. The much-needed noise grew and grew until she wailed like a child. The desired tears just wouldn¡¯t stop flowing from her eyes. Momo walked forward, kneeling down and embracing her very best friend. She held Servi¡¯s head to her own chest, moved her hands to the back of her party member¡¯s head, and gently whispered. ¡°A monster wouldn¡¯t cry like this, Servy. This is proof enough that you¡¯re Human. You have a good heart. You had good intentions. I¡¯m sure if we ever run into the children you rescued, the first thing they¡¯d do would be to thank you for giving them a chance to have a proper childhood.¡±


    I¡¯ve never seen Servi so vulnerable before. Usually, it¡¯s me crying, not her. The last time she cried was over a month ago when she told me about that bad man¡­ She had to of been referring to Fisher. If I take what Sakdu told me as the truth, and then what Servy told me about Fisher, then... No, I have to focus on Servy... Everything else can come later...I told her she¡¯s not a monster. If she still thinks she is, then I¡¯m one too. It¡¯s because I ran away that those people died. If I stayed with her, we would¡¯ve been back in Canary in just a few days. And if they attacked the city, then I know Servi would''ve protected it. Running away was the worst thing I could¡¯ve done.


    The two stayed together for quite some time. It was long enough for a few fluffy cotton-like clouds to pass by under the sun. Shade covered the embracing pair, giving them the privacy they needed whenever Servi¡¯s anguished cries increased in intensity. She wasn¡¯t crying for just herself. She shed tears for each of the innocent lives that perished on her path of destruction.


    ¡°There, there... You¡¯ve had a hard time, but you don¡¯t need to go at it alone anymore. I''m right here for you, okay? Those violent urges... I''ll help you work through them...¡± Momo said. Her hands glided through Servi¡¯s sea of black hair, feeling just how soft it was. ¡°Take all the time you need to cry. It¡¯s okay. I know I always feel better after a hard cry. It¡¯s good to just let the emotions run free.¡±


    It was like watching a mother console her daughter. Even Momo thought that, but she didn¡¯t believe she had anything motherly about her. If anything, she was a little bit happy because she was hugging and embracing Servi the way her grandpa used to comfort her. For a meager second, it was like looking into the past. Only the crying was about a broken plate and not the thousands of lives, some innocent, some not, that Servi had extinguished over the past week.


    After five more minutes, Servi¡¯s wet eyes became dry. She moved a little bit, prompting Momo to let go and step back. She sat down on the ground in front of her best friend and gently smiled. Servi looked down and sniffled, rubbing her nose with the back of her hand. Her red face was turning back to its original pale color.


    ¡°Servy, you don¡¯t have to hide anything from me. I¡¯ll accept all of it. I''ll even help you through anything you might face... I''ll always be there.¡±


    ¡°Even after the things I¡¯ve done? You¡¯re still my friend, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t be friends with...¡±


    Servi¡¯s heart sank. Before she could say something, Momo said something that turned the mentally tortured girl into a sobbing mess.


    ¡°I want to be best friends with the real Servi, and that¡¯s the girl I see in front of me. I want to know her thoughts and feelings, and I wanna be there to help her because I know she¡¯ll be there for me if I need her support.¡± She stopped speaking and nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the person I want as my best friend.¡± Momo held out her hand and smiled. ¡°My name¡¯s Momo. Do you want to join my party? We can be the best of friends!¡± It was the cheesiest thing to have ever been uttered from her mouth, but there wasn¡¯t a lick of embarrassment between the two girls.


    Servi held it together long enough to extend a hand that seemed incredibly weak and powerless compared to the one in front of her. ¡°I¡¯m Servi,¡± she whispered between whimpers. ¡°And yes, I do want to be best friends¡­ I want that more than anything in the world!¡±


    Momo grabbed the shaking hand and fiercely shook it. ¡°Now it¡¯s official! Haha!¡± The Singi giggled at the absurdity of the situation.


    Momo¡¯s chuckles affected Servi, who started to laugh.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± asked the Singi. She crossed her legs. The little pebbles below her started to hurt her rump, but she powered through it.


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling good. Really good. It¡¯s such a relief to have everything out on the table. But you aren¡¯t afraid of me? Even after knowing who I am and what I did? Do you really accept¡ª"


    Before Servi could finish her sentence, Itarr appeared in the form of a stone tablet. A second later, Servi collapsed to the ground, bashing the back of her head against a gaggle of tiny pebbles. She laid without moving as if she was a corpse.


    Momo panicked and crawled over to shake her friend by the shoulders. A pair of lifeless orbs stared up at her.  ¡°Servy?! Hey, what¡¯s wrong?! Servy!!!¡± Momo¡¯s crying face turned to the floating tablet, and she angrily snatched it out of the air.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Servy?!¡± the Singi demanded to know.

 Book Three – Chapter Twelve – Part Two – The Fleeting Touch of a Friend

    Five minutes before Servi had stopped crying, Itarr tumbled and rolled around inside their interconnected soul. As the unintentional mastermind behind it all, the time to confess was drawing near. She¡¯d have to pay the price for her meddling.


    Who knew that an innocent act of love could spiral out of control and end up costing the lives of over 15,000 people? She groaned, holding a red hand to her heart while whimpering like a frightened kitten.


    Servi¡¯s gonna hate me. She¡¯s never going to want anything to do with me. Why would she? I know I wouldn¡¯t want to be friends with me. It¡¯s mean of me, but I wish this moment-- this right here, when she''s still oblivious to the truth-- would last forever. Servi, I¡­


    At that moment, Itarr felt a disturbance.


    Something had entered her home. She recomposed herself and went out to search for whatever wanted to show up without permission, but she probably already knew who the intruder was.


    Through the twists and turns of the area she dubbed ¡®The Cage Lands,¡¯ Itarr passed by a standing reminder of her ultimate sin. Each enclosure was filled to the brim with a specific emotion, which gave off different lights. Red was anger and hatred, which was the most common. Against the red background of their soul, it was nearly impossible to tell where they were, but Itarr knew all of the locations. The next numerous was grief, which was indicated by a deep yellow. They were followed by envy, fear, disgust, sadness, and loneliness, which made up the rest of the colors of the rainbow.


    Itarr slowed her traveling and took in the consequences of her actions by spinning in place. The multitude of colors locked away had the astonishing ability to hypnotize an artist if there was a way to put what she saw to canvas. The emotions they¡¯d feel would be a far cry from the shame circulating through Itarr. She simply sighed and floated away to her destination.


    A few minutes later, she came across one cage that wasn¡¯t of her creation. It was at the outskirts of ¡®The Cage Lands,¡¯ overlooking it all like a king would admire his country.


    It was battered and abused like someone had taken an explosive knife to it multiple times. An ugly black chain wrapped around it as if to keep something from getting out. A thick black lock was hooked into the chain, adding on more protection. Crimson liquid flowed from the keyhole at such a force that it wouldn¡¯t be possible to put one in there. Its vertices were ragged and sharp, adding to its damaged appearance.


    I knew it would be you. Itarr said. She closed the distance between her and the cage, placing a hand on one of the thousands of burn marks. It vibrated violently, sending nearly 500,000 tentacles that looked visually identical from the pen they escaped from. Each one was so war-torn that even a wooden stick might¡¯ve been enough to break them. They rushed forward to every cage, injecting them with some type of mysterious energy. Everything Itarr had made since meeting Servi was being altered right before her very eyes.


    She wasn¡¯t scared or upset because she knew how it would play out. Just seeing the enclosed box to her right gave her the strength to push forward with the most difficult choice of her life.


    I know what I have to do. You didn¡¯t have to do it for me, but I appreciate it. It only took a few seconds for the half-million wriggling tendrils to return to base. The cages are so weak that I don¡¯t have to do much to break them. Itarr turned away from the mysterious object to the millions of enclosures below her. A simple flick of her finger allowed a thousand instances of anger to bust free. Her head looked at the intruder, which spontaneously glowed an ominous black. The light it emitted blinded even Itarr, but it only lasted for just a second.


    When it disappeared, there wasn¡¯t a cage left in sight. But the area in front of the Goddess wasn¡¯t empty.


    So you¡¯re the Mad Dog, huh? Itarr¡¯s eyes stared at a large canine. The animal standing in front of her looked like the cage it came from in every single way.


    She knew a dog had fur, four legs, ears, and a tail. That was all. Specific things like breeds were a mystery to her, so she didn¡¯t know what kind of dog it was. Its fur was brown, with a hundred scabbed-over wounds decorated all over its body. Malnourished, the edges of its ribs were clearly visible. It had burnt marks all over its head like someone had extinguished cigarettes on it. The motionless tail was missing over half of its fur, and a long scar spanned the portion that was just skin.


    A large chain had been hooked under the dog¡¯s chest and wrapped tightly in the space between each rib. The pitiful beast shook its body and cried, but the multi-linked shackles were fastened tightly by a black lock. It bled blood just like the one Itarr had seen a week ago.


    A pair of sad, cloudy eyes stared at Itarr¡¯s red mass of energy like it wanted something. Before she knew it, Itarr had sat down while holding out an arm. The dog stumbled over, floating with a pained expression because agony was the only thing it ever felt.


    It all makes sense now. You¡¯re Servi, and Servi is you. She¡¯s the Mad Dog, and the Mad Dog is her. She¡¯s always been the Mad Dog from the day she saved me, but it didn¡¯t break free until recently. When she took her head off, it came out for real... Itarr said while rubbing the beast¡¯s head. Her fingers, covered in red energy, felt the pain erupting from each wound. Her hand moved down the dog¡¯s back, running into the vile restraint hooked around its chest.


    With a flick of her wrist, red particles descended from above and landed on the metal links. The need for a key was futile and useless because the personification of Servi¡¯s trauma was now a part of Itarr. But that didn¡¯t mean she could barge into the root essence of the Mad Dog, nor could she forcefully extract Servi¡¯s sealed memories. She could only tamper with what the seal¡ªthe cage¡ªthe Mad Dog¡ªallowed.


    The black restraints blazed to life, burning the dog, but it did not yelp. Her power only affected the chain¡¯s strain. Within seconds, its burned ashes scattered, freeing the dog from only a part of its pain. The abused tail slowly wagged, showing the first bits of happiness since it could remember.


    Now that the chain is off, I wonder how that will affect Servi? Will she even change? Or was removing the chain something like a symbolic gesture? I wonder if this is the reason Servi can use more of my power? I had thought it had something to do with her using to the extreme, but... But what if the ''collar'' she broke off was doing something to block her understanding of my power? Could it be she was purposely limiting herself from using it all, and that gave her a Human''s durability? If it''s the same with Telekinesis... But now that the collar''s off, her subconscious isn''t holding back from accessing my abilities... I suppose this is all just a formality to illustrate that...


    When Servi woke up at the bottom of the hole, I''m sure some of my power wasn''t there. But I''ve healed this dog... If it represents her sealed memories, then unlocking the chain should have properly allowed my strength to flow through her. She already had the strength when the collar came off, but maybe there''s a little bit more? In either case, that''s one mystery almost solved.


    Itarr looked down at the dog. It seemed to be a little bit happier. She rubbed its body, now free of any kind of restraining device. It shook like it was wet and rubbed its head against Itarr¡¯s legs. It must¡¯ve felt good because the animal slightly huffed and sneezed. Itarr smiled and doubled her efforts in rubbing.


    Don¡¯t worry, I know what I have to do. Itarr said. It¡¯s so clear to me. Even though I know what¡¯s going to happen to me, Servi''s going to hurt more. She¡¯s the one who¡¯s going to endure the physical consequences of my actions, but¡­ No, Itarr, you can¡¯t think that you¡¯re the only victim. The cost of fixing your problem is going to be Servi¡¯s and Momo¡¯s eternal hatred. They¡¯re never going to speak to you again.


    But I think that¡¯s okay. It¡¯s a fitting punishment for me. Who knew my love could be so twisted that it wrapped around into being dangerous? Itarr stopped petting the dog and cried into her hands. No, it¡¯s not okay!!! Servy, I love you! I love you more than anything, and my stupid actions have caused you nothing but suffering!!! Itarr looked at the animal doing its best to console her. Leaping forward, she gave it a big hug and cried into its dirtied, brown fur.


    You¡¯re a part of Servi, so I want to say this to you before she says she hates me. Servi, ever since you saved me, I knew you were the one I loved. You risked it all for me by jumping down when you had the chance to pass on. You¡¯re my savior. I wouldn¡¯t be here if not for your selflessness. And that¡¯s why it¡¯s so hard for me to do this!! She shouted into fur. Her voice was muffled, but it still reached the very depths of her soul.


    Admitting to my mistakes is just another way of saying that I¡¯ve been betraying you for months! If I could do it all over again, I¡¯d beg you not to jump as to prevent you from suffering through this anguish. Even if it meant I¡¯d have to live through another 730,000 years of loneliness, I¡¯d be okay with it! You mean everything to me, Servi. Hurting you was the last thing I ever wanted to do, but somehow, it was the first thing I did. I¡¯m sorry, Servi! I¡¯m so sorry!!!! Itarr¡¯s sadness evolved to an otherworldly wail. She cried and howled until she couldn¡¯t scream anymore. All of her emotions had been flushed away.


    It was odd, but Itarr did feel better after crying it all out. I guess Momo was right all this time. Maybe I should cry more often? Aw, who am I kidding¡­ It¡¯s just going to be me and my tears for the foreseeable future. After hugging the dog one more time, Itarr backed away and sat down.


    The brown beast looked up at Itarr. She returned the gaze and melancholily smiled. ¡°Woof!¡± barked the dog. As a personification of Servi¡¯s trauma, the dog could be described as being Servi herself. It contained her fears, worries, and memories. Locked away within it, the Mad Dog shouldered the horrors of Servi¡¯s life before she woke up in the forest.


    I guess you¡¯re about to disappear, aren¡¯t you?


    The dog nodded.


    You''re not really disappearing, are you? You¡¯re still going to be around here somewhere. It¡¯s just that I won¡¯t know where you''ll be.


    Nodding once again, parts of the abused beast became transparent as red particles floated up.


    Goodbye¡­ Itarr waved her hand until her eyes had become wet and cloudy with tears. When she wiped them clear, there was no sign of the Mad Dog. The powerful beast had been tamed by a Goddess who had found the strength to face her imminent punishment. There wasn''t any need to worry about it rearing its destructive head in the nearby future. It was impossible to say it had completely vanished because it and Servi were two sides of the same coin, but a period of destruction much like the one Arcton suffered through seemed to now be a practical impossibility. Of course, that was barring an outstanding situation in which the Mad Dog needed to be present to give Servi the push she needed to see whatever incident through to the end.


    Itarr was alone inside a soul fit for two. Her only company was the many emotions she caged up out of love, but now they were about to run wild and free. She raised her red hand and looked out at the millions of cages. Instantly, they were divided into nearly a thousand equal sections.


    One by one, the cages in the first few partitions became brittle, cracking at the red vertices. Emotions funneled out from even the tiniest holes at such pressure the entire cage just shattered apart, meaning there was no need to be gentle. The red soul became filled with a cornucopia of colors. Blues plastered against each other, swarming together like a great lake of water. They collided with a cloud of yellow, who went to attack a lush field of green for control over Servi¡¯s emotion, but an invisible barrier prevented the emotional war from starting. Itarr allowed the rival emotions to stabilize the best she could, but she was on a time limit.


    With precise haste, she moved over to the couple of sections and weakened her cages. Doing it in individual parts wasn¡¯t exactly needed because the end result would be the same, but Itarr did it to punish herself. It made her realize what kind of emotion-controlling monster she was. Her sins were on full display, and if she couldn¡¯t bear witness to her mistakes, how could she ever apologize to Servi?


    By the time she had finished while fully acknowledging her wrongdoings, Itarr took total control of Servi¡¯s body for the last time. In a flash, she forcibly shut down her beloved¡¯s body, sending it into a state of unconsciousness.


    Before she could fix Servi, there were two things Itarr had to do.


    One: she needed to remove the invisible separators keeping each group away from each other. Until she did, Servi would act just as she always did when Itarr was actively caging them up. Once they were gone, however, it would be an emotional battle royale. Anger would fight against hate, grief would settle the score against loneliness, and in the end, Itarr believed grief would win, but she didn''t want that to happen. As she watched from inside Servi''s soul, Itarr saw just how powerful grief could be. Especially when it came to someone like Fisher Jin.


    Servi held her own grief, sewn by killing and slaughtering, and it was far more powerful than anger. With that knowledge in tow, it brought Itarr to the most vital part of fixing the broken Servi: Momo.


    The pink Singi was the key to it all. It was all but guaranteed that Servi wouldn¡¯t be in the right state, emotionally, after Itarr removed the separators. There had to be someone to take care of Servi. Itarr couldn¡¯t do it because she didn¡¯t have a physical body, but that wasn¡¯t the only reason.


    The Goddess didn¡¯t think she deserved the honor and privilege of protecting her hero. But Momo? Momo would do anything for her best friend. The plan, admittedly, was misleading at best and rotten at worst, but Servi¡¯s wellbeing was on the line. Even if Momo hated Itarr, and the source of Servi¡¯s problems knew that was a real possibility, she could bear the Singi¡¯s hatred. It would hurt, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt as bad as being the target of Servi¡¯s anguished thoughts.


    Servi, I swear I¡¯ll fix this. After saying one final sentence, Itarr summoned the stone tablet and flew it over to Momo.


    ¡°Itarr? What¡¯s wrong with Servi?!¡± she demanded.


    ¡°WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU FROZE HER?! TELL ME WHAT¡¯S WRONG WITH MY BEST FRIEND!!!¡± Momo shouted at the top of her lungs. She looked crazy and wild, like a feral creature, shouting at something that couldn''t argue back.


    I promise I¡¯ll answer everything. I¡¯ll start from the beginning. I purposely put Servi into a state of sleep similar to that of being unconscious. I¡ª


    ¡°Why would you do that?!?!¡± the Singi panted like a starved animal searching for a hopeful bubble of oxygen. She had just rekindled the flame of friendship between her best friend after learning the truth about her, and now it was in danger of being stolen away.


    I did it because I have to talk to you. The only way for someone to speak to me is by voice. Even Servi has to do that.


    Ahh, that¡¯s why she was talking to herself all those times. Momo thought. She quickly refocused her attention on the tablet in her hands.


    And I need to talk to you about something important. Until Servi is ready for it, I have to keep her out of the loop.


    ¡°Just say she¡¯s gonna be okay!¡± Momo cried.


    Momo, I promise you Servi will be okay, but I need you to work with me here because I need your assistance. You have to listen to me, okay?


    Just hearing those words of assurance was enough for the worried girl to calm down. She took a deep breath and looked once more at her friend. Momo had hoped the Warden Tournament was going to be the last place she¡¯d see an unconscious Servi. But now that she knew the reason why Servi had passed out in the first place, the catgirl''s soul was tormented with the pain of a thousand broken hearts.


    If only I had paid more attention, I could¡¯ve helped her then and there. She was suffering right before my eyes, and I was blind to it. Dang it, Momo, why didn¡¯t you try harder to be the friend you want to be?! At the most inopportune time, Momo¡¯s worst trait reared its ugly head.


    ¡°Okay, Itarr. I¡¯ll listen. Tell me what I have to do to help Servy.¡±


    Good. But before I do, I have to explain everything. It might take a while, but I promise we have the time.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    When Servi told you about her anger issues a few minutes ago, she wasn¡¯t exactly truthful. However, that wasn¡¯t her fault. She believes she has those problems-- that might be the case, but I am partly to blame. Momo, I love Servi more than anything. She¡¯s the one who saved me, after all, and released me from that awful seal. But it wasn¡¯t until we had a talk about the emotion of ¡®love¡¯ that I realized I loved her. I wanted to show my love by supporting her in all that she did.


    And to do so, I continued doing something I regret more than anything in the world. I¡¯ve been tampering with Servi¡¯s emotions for a long time for many reasons. Whenever she felt anger or grief at having to kill, I took those emotions and caged them away so they wouldn¡¯t bother her. I only wanted her to experience happiness and joy.


    ¡°What?!?!¡± Momo exclaimed. She had just been struck clean by a new bombshell.


    At the time, I didn¡¯t know it was wrong. From my point of view, I was just displaying my love. Momo, when I was freed from my seal, I had no emotional knowledge. I was like a blank slate with nothing written on it. I learned all I could by watching people around Servi. I analyzed the happy Singi with wagging tails, the crying Humans with teary faces, and anyone else I could. And when I started to use Servi to help my research, I realized I could sate my hunger and show my love at the same time.


    But after a while, I suddenly started to feel bad. Regret was something that quickly overtook me as the horrors of my actions dawned on me. By restricting what Servi felt, I purposely deprived her of something everyone needed. But I wanted to show my love by protecting her from the harsh realities of grief.


    I was so conflicted.


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you stop?! If it was so bad, then just put an end to it!!¡± Momo shouted. The pressure she felt in her stomach could turn a nugget of coal into a sparkly diamond. She had a bad feeling about what was coming next.


    I couldn¡¯t stop because I had to maintain the emotional cages. If their contents leaked out, then something awful could happen. For example, when Servi fought Arty, a little bit of hatred and anger leaked out. That¡¯s why Servi beat him so bad. She passed out because I injected her with sleepinwillo that Fisher used. And speaking of that, Fisher had to use it to calm Servi because of a misunderstanding. I¡¯m sure you know all about that because Servi told it to you, but the cause of her sudden anger was¡ª


    ¡°It was you. I guess even more negative emotions leaked out and corrupted Servi, didn¡¯t it?¡± Momo whispered.


    ¡­Yes, you¡¯re right. That one example was why I had to keep maintaining the cages. If I stopped for even a moment, everything I wanted to keep away from Servi very well could have swallowed her whole.


    ¡°Then what about after I was kidnapped? Was that the real Servi? Or was she one of your puppets?¡± Momo¡¯s sharp words spewed out like venom, poisoning Itarr with their sharpness. The Goddess knew she deserved that. She took the pain in stride and hid it behind her words.


    ¡­No, she wasn¡¯t a puppet. To be honest, I don¡¯t fully understand her mental state during the last week. But from what I surmised, the Mad Dog she¡¯s been talking about IS her true form. It¡¯s very complicated. I believe it has to do with her memories. They¡¯re locked up in a type of mental seal that I¡¯m unable to break. Even if I could, I don¡¯t want to intrude on her privacy. But I did meet with the physical representation of the Mad Dog, so I believe things have cooled down on that front.


    ¡°Is there a chance for¡ª¡± Momo cut herself off. She didn¡¯t want to say those words. Itarr had to finish the question and answer it.


    Is there a chance for her to go berserk? No, you don¡¯t have to worry about it. Now that you''re saved, the Mad Dog-- her going berserk-- should not happen again. But past that, I have a way to fix everything. It involves you, Momo. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t use it before.


    ¡°Why me?¡±


    Because I need you to be there for her. You need to support her because I know Servi won¡¯t ever speak to me again. I¡¯ve done nothing but cause her more suffering.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    To repair her emotional state, I will have to break every cage at the same time. That means her mind will be a jumble of emotions until they¡¯ve all had their say. Her body will probably act out whatever emotion has dominant control. For example, if anger was winning, she¡¯d probably smash trees and break rocks. If sadness was in the lead, I¡¯d imagine she would sit down and cry.


    And after that?  There would probably be a period of rest, then the second stage will begin. Her mental state will be like that of a newborn child. It will take time for her to properly sort and categorize everything relating to emotions. In a way, it¡¯ll be like how I was when I was freed, but I fear it will be much worse for her. I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯ll take. With the damage I caused¡­it could take weeks or months. Her recovery will be an extended process that can¡¯t be rushed.


    Momo blinked when she saw something splash against the ID. She looked up, but there were no rain clouds in sight. There weren¡¯t even any clouds. The sky was as blue as a vibrant sapphire. Her hand went to crack her cheek, and that was when she became aware of her crying.


    ¡°Was the joy Servi felt when we spent time together fake? Did you manipulate that too?!!¡±


    NO! Momo, I promise you that I wasn¡¯t involved when she was with you. The emotions running through her body were what she naturally felt. Momo, Servi was definitely happy. She confessed to me multiple times that you were her very best friend in the world. Momo, she depended on you.


    Momo sat down and breathed an exhausted sigh of relief. She wasn¡¯t clearly thinking when she asked such a loaded question, but the answer Itarr gave her eased her growing worries. If there were any manipulation going on behind the scene, then it was likely Momo¡¯s heart would have shattered along with the mind of her best friend.  At least the time we spent was genuine. I¡¯m really her best friend, and she¡¯s really mine.


    With renewed vigor, Momo wiped her runny nose and formed a confident fist. ¡°I¡¯ll do it! I¡¯ll watch over Servy until she¡¯s well again because I¡¯m a true best friend! Wait¡ªItarr, I¡ª¡± The quick-talking Singi spoke faster than her mind could follow and only realized how harmful her words could be once it was too late. That one sentence suggested Itarr was anything but a friend, and she couldn¡¯t handle that on top of her own emotional baggage. For the first time, she exploded into a bout of anger, taking it out on the girl who tried to apologize.


    However, Momo became tongue-tied and suffered the full verbal wrath of a Goddess with nothing to lose.


    Would a best friend run away and leave Servi when she was in her most vulnerable state? No, they wouldn¡¯t. Guess who¡¯s been there? Me! I was there by her side every step of the way while you ran away from her! I never once turned my back on her because I¡ª


    ¡°Because you love her? No, how dare you try to turn it back on me! If you were her best friend¡ªif you claim to love her¡ªthen how could you betray her like that?! You¡¯ve been manipulating her like she was some toy!¡± Momo shot back. She wanted to immediately apologize for her harsh words. But Itarr¡¯s comeback ignited a fiery spirit within the Singi. Her tears dried up like that of a lake near an active volcano.


    You betrayed her, too. It was worse in your case! When she joined the Mafia, I had a front-row seat to her actions. She may have told you the horrors of what she had to do TO SAVE YOU, but I was right there with her! I SUFFERED WITH HER!! I saw the faces of every single person she killed!!!


    ¡°Well, guess what?! I¡¯LL SHOW YOU THAT I¡¯M BETTER THAN YOU!!! I¡¯LL BE A BETTER FRIEND THAN SOME MANIPULATING GODDESS!!!! I¡¯ll never forgive you for tampering with her mind!!¡± Momo screamed. She crawled over to Servi¡¯s unmoving body and held her close. Her salty tears dripped down like meteorites, soiling Servi¡¯s flawless skin.


    Damn¡­ Itarr cursed and used her ID to physically push Momo away until she fell back on her rump.


    ¡°Wahh!!!¡± she screamed, coming out of that little physical engagement unhurt and uninjured. Her facial expression instantly turned to anger, but that dissipated like sugar in water when Servi groaned awake. She used a hand to lean up. The other hand held her head while her eyes scanned the floating ID.


    ¡°Itarr...¡± Servi finally spoke after what felt like an eternity of reading. The growing silence became odd and awkward. Momo couldn¡¯t act without knowing how much Itarr had confessed, so she sat there like a lost lamb. ¡°Did you really do that? Please... You¡¯re lying to me¡­right?¡±


    Servi was appalled, to say the least. Servi had thought she was her own person, but she couldn''t define what was and wasn''t her. Did she love Itarr? Was that feeling her own, produced by her own body? Or was it some twisted joke that was the product of a Goddess?


    I¡¯m sorry, Servi. It¡¯s all true.


    ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯m not a monster...? What about my anger problems? What about my feelings for my friends? If I¡¯m not who I thought I was, THEN WHO AM I?!?!?!?¡± Servi slammed the ID on the ground, sending up a cloud of red smoke. It was promptly absorbed by her body. Momo only sat still and watched. She held her arms close to her chest and whimpered.


    ¡°WAS EVERYTHING I EVER FELT A LIE?  What about my whole spiel about the Mad Dog? Did you do that? Did you make me do those things?!?! I''m not a murderer, right? I didn''t kill those children! I didn''t kill those babies! You did it!! It was you, right? So... I''m not to blame, right?! Right? Right? Right? I was never in control!


    "What about my hatred? Why did you make me angry?! Wait, once you go through with my emotional reset, who will I be? I''m me who I am so if I''m not me then who will I be if I''m not myself when my emotional composition makes up the current me? What will I be if I''m gone?! What if I¡¯m not the same?¡± Servi punched the ground hard, sending a wave of fissures that radiated out from the point of impact. Momo silently wailed as she used her natural Singi-given agility to keep steady as the energy dispersed. Her pink tail assisted by acting as a makeshift fulcrum. It kept her weight evenly distributed.  Trees in the distance shook and fell as a small fissure formed beneath them. Momo found herself both afraid and in awe of just a sliver of her best friend¡¯s true power.


    Servi placed both hands on her head. She gripped tightly, shaking from left to right. Her mind ran a kilometer a second, thinking about how her newfound knowledge challenged everything she knew.


    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she screamed to the high heavens and smacked the ground again with her palm, sending out another few shockwaves. More trees fell in the distance.


    Am I me? Who am I?! I don''t know what I am!!!! I don''t know who I am?!?! I... don''t even know if I''m me right now...¡± said the weeping girl. Two parallel streams of water flowed from her eyes like a rainstorm in a hurricane. Unimaginable sadness plastered her confused face.


    RuggyRuggy


    Before people freak out about Itarr and Momo and their argument, just wait for the book to be over. Remember, the last part goes up on August 24th.


    That really weird run-on sentence four paragraphs above this author''s note is on purpose.


    And yeah, Servi is cracking at the seams. It seems that after all she''s been through, the she''s finally starting to break down.

 Book Three – Chapter Twelve – Part Three – The Fleeting Touch of a Friend

    ¡°Servy¡­¡± Momo whispered. She crawled along the gravel road and embraced her best friend. ¡°You¡¯re you. You¡¯re always going to be you.¡±


    ¡°But what if I¡¯m not? What if the ''fixed'' me is different in every way? What if our friendship was something she made for me? How can I ever trust my feelings again?¡±


    I DIDN¡¯T DO THAT!!!! Itarr forced Servi¡¯s ID to show up, flying it into the Human¡¯s face until it was the only thing she saw. Servi, I only did what I thought was best for you. I love you. I LOVE YOU!!! You¡¯re my everything, Servi. You saved me! Without you, I¡¯d still be in that seal with nothing but my mind to occupy me.


    Servi shouted, ignoring the heartfelt message Itarr wrote. ¡°HOW CAN I TRUST YOU?!?! YOU... YOU MADE ME KILL PEOPLE!!!! You sent me down this path of endless bloodshed!!!! And all I get is an existential crisis BECAUSE I DON''T KNOW WHO I AM!!!!! Everything I''ve done since I died that night has probably been from your meddling! Are you the one who stopped me from killing Fisher? Are you the one who made me lose control when we fought him?! No, I didn''t fight him... You did... You fought him when you STOLE MY BODY FROM ME!¡±


    In terms of good or bad, Servi and Momo¡¯s reactions were definitely on the worrying side. Even Itarr¡¯s endless rehearsals of confessing her crimes didn¡¯t prepare her for her situation. She knew Servi and Momo would be upset, but she didn''t think it would be to this extent.


    That was why Itarr was prepared to shut off her consciousness for good. If she didn''t have to think, then she couldn''t ever hurt anyone ever again. And Servi had Momo, so she wasn''t going to be alone. Yes, the Goddess thought having Servi wield her powers like she was nothing more than a tool would be the best way to atone for her transgressions.


    Servi looked up and saw Momo¡¯s face staring down. Even after confessing her sins, the traumatized Human didn¡¯t see anything that suggested Momo wanted to end their friendship.


    ¡°Servy, Itarr told me what¡¯s going to happen. I¡¯ll be right here to support you every step of the way. So don¡¯t be scared, okay? Your best friend will help you through it.¡± Momo smiled and held out a hand. Servi took it, gripping tightly and using it to stand up. Then the Singi moved closer and gave her best friend one final hug. They shared a few tears, crying into each other¡¯s arms for what very well could be the last time.


    Not even Itarr knew how it was all going to play out. She had her hypotheses, of course, but that was all. She could only hope and pray everything would be fine.


    ¡°Just...¡± Servi said in a quiet voice. ¡°Just go ahead and get it over with.¡±


    Momo walked back about 10 steps and sat down. Then she stood up and sat down again. Her nervousness had shown itself. Did she have to stand? Would sitting be better? As crazy as it sounded, would the proper etiquette be laying down and waiting for whatever would happen to happen? She didn¡¯t know.


    Dang it, Momo! Just stay still and wait! She shouted internally. Even during her minor dilemma, her eyes stayed focused on the strongest girl she knew. Momo believed no one had the mental strength to withstand what Servi had to endure. The Gods Above knew Momo couldn¡¯t. She was weak and fragile, mentally speaking, who could crumble like a house of matches whenever something slightly went wrong. But now, she needed to become as sturdy as a nadrium foundation.


    It was for her best friend. Finding the courage to grow stronger on someone''s behalf, rather than growing out of selfishness, was the needed difference.


    For the final time, her ID appeared from thin air. Okay, Servi. I¡¯ll do it. I love you¡­ Itarr waited for the four little words she desired to hear, but they never came. And that was the single signal she needed to know that there was no room in Servi¡¯s heart for a backstabbing traitor.


    There were two girls on a rocky road that cut off into two directions. One was a Singi. No matter how tousled the pink hair and tail would become, they would perpetually bloom like cherry blossoms in the early reaches of spring. She was innocent, yet her heart knew of the dangers the world suffered from. Sitting down and crossing her legs, she waited patiently for something that would change everything for the girl standing in front of her.


    That person, of course, being a Human with black hair and red eyes. Her skin was bordering on the edge of being pale, but that was a lie. In truth, it was stained with the blood of over 10,000 people. Most were criminals: vile, wretched scum that wasn¡¯t even fit for the sewers that carried literal feces.


    Though there was a space of a few meters separating them, it wasn¡¯t empty. A particular red stone tablet subtly moved up and down as if the person controlling it couldn¡¯t concentrate.


    ¡°Itarr,¡± said the Human. Her eyes were vivid like an uncut ruby, yet they harbored no life or passion. It was like the excitement of life had been viciously torn out by the one she loved.


    That was because it was true. Servi had lost faith in what little she believed in because she believed she was at the center of one of the greatest betrayals in the known world.


    ¡°Go ahead and do what you need to do. Release the sections holding my emotions or whatever¡­¡± Servi continued speaking after a brief pause. It was like she didn¡¯t register Itarr¡¯s last words of affection, prompting the Goddess to repeat them.


    Okay. Servi, here I go. I love you¡­


    ¡°And I... I... hate you...¡±  And there it was, the thing Itarr was most afraid to hear. She had prepared herself for the possibility, but the anguish that surged throughout her trembling soul was the worst pain she had ever felt. She wasn''t the only one hurting, however. Even Servi never thought she would ever say those words towards the Goddess who saved her from death.


    Crying, Itarr lifted the separated partitions inside their soul and allowed the millions of emotions to battle out. Within moments, the battle''s results had been made clear, both on the inside and out.  However, it seemed as if Itarr was wrong about one thing. When the Mad Dog took over and configured Servi¡¯s emotional state, Itarr had wrongly guessed it put a permanent freeze on everything.


    It didn¡¯t.


    Everything Servi did while in that week of hell had a proper emotional reaction, and it took the form of grief. It always took the form of grief.


    There was grief for putting two innocent kids in danger and threatening them in front of their father.


    There was grief for killing a doctor who only wanted to make amends for his crimes.


    There was grief for not doing much to save Old Man, who only turned to the dark side out of love for his granddaughter.


    There was grief for not rushing to save Momo when she had the chance. That was something Momo hadn''t chose to talk about, but even Servi knew that was coming. However, she was prepared to blame it on Itarr, but she didn''t want to do that. She never wanted to believe that the Goddess who saved her had also been controlling her like a puppet. And since she took so long to confess, Servi wondered what else Itarr had hidden from her. In the absolute worst-case scenario, everything was of her own creation, meaning that Servi, not once, had ever had any kind of free will. Or maybe it was Servi''s guilty conscience looking for an excuse as to why she slaughtered innocent men, women, and children. Even just thinking that way might''ve been Itarr''s ultimate plan.


    Servi just did not know.


    In spite of all of that, the most grief came from a particular piece of information given to her by Sakdu. When he told Servi about the nurseries located in the RASP buildings, the grief created from killing hundreds¡ªthousands-- of innocent babies dwarfed everything else. Her hatred of the Mafia for taking her best friend couldn¡¯t compare. It was like asking a fish¡ªa water-dwelling creature of the ocean and lake¡ª to live in an volcanic pool of lava.


    Her persona at the time prevented Servi from immediately suffering, but once she had accomplished her goal, everything it held back swarmed in at once. If there was ever any balance in the emotions Itarr had meticulously caged up and divided, it didn¡¯t exist anymore.


    And for Servi, who showed a tendency to harm herself at the drop of a hat, there was no better way for grief to manifest itself.


    Immediately, she forced both hands to her cheeks, peeling her very skin like her head was an orange. Splashes of red and white slapped the ground in front of her, covering the numerous little gray pebbles with a new paint job.  Her enhanced durability crumbled like wet paper to the weight of her grief.


    ¡°AAAAHAHAHAHHAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!¡±


    A guttural sound not from the world clawed its way out of Servi¡¯s throat. Hot stomach acid followed suit, draining out of the corners of her mouth like an overfilled bathtub. The foul liquid sputtered down her chin, burning her clothes.


    "SERVYYYY!¡± Momo shouted at the first sign of blood. Any sign of cowardice did not exist in her heart. She vowed to be there for Servi and be there she was. Practically jumping forward from her rear, she hastily covered the space in a matter of seconds. Her two hands went for the ones on Servi¡¯s face in an attempt to pull them off, but Servi¡¯s fingers keep clawing and skinning.


    ¡°STOP IT, SERVY! IT¡¯S OKAY, NOW!! MOSIE¡¯S HERE!¡± Since strength didn¡¯t work, Momo tried to nuzzle her head in between whenever Servi¡¯s fingers allowed the skin on her cheeks to heal, but Itarr hastily prevented that. A red ID appeared behind Momo, and she felt an invisible force restrain her arms and legs.


    She shouted, kicking the air with her stiff tail and begging to be let go as her body floated backwards. The distance between her and the girl she wanted to protect increased with each second. It wasn¡¯t until she saw a floating ID that Momo put the two together.


    ¡°ITARR, LET ME GO!!!!¡± Momo screamed. The surface of the tablet remained blank, and the only that happened was Momo slowly rotated. After a few seconds, she only saw brown trees and green grass, not the torturous state of her best friend.


    ¡°PLEASE, RELEASE ME!!! I NEED TO SUPPORT SERVY!!! LET ME SUPPORT HER!!!!¡± She strained against the force restraining her to the point where her bones had no choice but to shatter. Itarr promptly noticed the difference in Momo¡¯s cries and healed her. It was a small wonder Itarr even discerned the change at all, considering Servi had yet to stop moaning that awful sound.


    Her cries didn¡¯t sound like they came from the world of the living.


    ¡°ITAARRRRRRRR!!!!!¡± Momo pleaded with the Goddess, and she finally spoke to the Singi.


    Momo, I can¡¯t let you face her. It¡¯s not because she will hurt you, but it¡¯s because she will hurt herself. Out of all the emotions that took control, it had to be grief. I figure that was the case, but I never expected for it to snowball like this... I imagine it¡¯ll take the form of the lives she took via the act of taking her own life. Do you know what this means?


    The air around Momo¡¯s floating body didn¡¯t disappear, but that was what it felt like. Oxygen clearly made its way to her lungs, and the act of respiration did continue on like normal, but the shock of her newfound knowledge froze her heart. Her eyes became big and heavy, and endless water, filled with a salty taste, streamed down her moistened cheeks.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­ TELL ME YOU DON¡¯T MEAN THAT!!!¡±


    As if to prove Momo right, Servi¡¯s screaming stopped for a second as a round object rolled in front of the suspended girl.


    It was a head with black hair and red eyes. Servi had black hair and red eyes. Therefore, it belonged to Servi.


    It was a lifeless head.


    It was a head with no body.


    It was a head that belonged to someone who was just alive seconds before.


    It was the same foul trick Sakdu tried to do with Momo, and he succeeded. But there was a stark difference.


    Servi had died. And there was her head. It didn''t have a body attached to it.


    The math was elementary, and Momo uttered a few words in the small silence she had before screaming.


    ¡°Servy¡¯s dead¡­? But¡­ She said she¡¯s immortal¡­ No¡­ AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!¡±


    Momo redoubled her efforts of freeing herself from the dictatorial invisible force holding her hostage. Shoulders broke, arms shattered, and legs splintered, but the determined Singi fought through the pain with a rebellious spirit. Itarr begged Momo to calm down, but the catgirl ignored everything the Goddess had written. It was only when her fluffy ears cringed from a sudden inhuman noise did she allow her body the chance to rest.


    Even though they were mad at each other, Itarr never once withheld healing from Momo. She had a constant stream of Remedium Lux and Deus Lux, the Rank 1 healing skill, which kept Momo in tip-top shape.


    Servy¡¯s alive!


    ¡°SERVYYYYY!!!! Let me face her!!!¡± Momo shouted right as another head rolled on by. That was the third one, and the silence in between screaming lasted a bit under a second.


    I can¡¯t do that. I don¡¯t want you to see what Servi''s body looks likes. It¡¯s¡­ It isn¡¯t pretty.


    ¡°DAMN IT, LET ME FACE HER!!! HOW CAN I BE THERE FOR HER IF YOU WON¡¯T¡ªGGAAAHHHHH!!!! LET!!! ME!!! GO!!!!¡±


    Before Itarr had a chance to say no, fifteen nadrium weapons exploded out of Servi¡¯s ring in a blaze of red light. Itarr didn¡¯t control them, so that only left one person who could be behind it.


    Servi.


    In her grief-stricken state, her mind had decided that she needed to accelerate the loss of her lives.


    When would she stop? That was simple.


    The grief flooding her body would disappear only when Servi¡¯s deaths equaled the number of people she had killed since waking up near that forest, which was more than 22,000.


    The girl filled with sorrow chose to fly the fifteen weapons in front of the bounded Singi floating a short distance away. Just the sight of 30 glowing lines, pulsing a blue glow that could halt royalty in their tracks, appearing in Momo¡¯s eyes was enough to take her breath away.


    She had heard about nadrium when she was a child. Her grandpa had told her that even seeing one was rare. Owning one was even rarer. And having more than one was nearly unheard of unless a person was of royal blood, unfathomably rich, or incredibly strong.


    But fifteen?


    ¡°Are you telling me she¡¯s going to kill herself over and over with THOSE?! Itarr, please make it stop!  Stop her from doing this! I don¡¯t wanna see her¡ªNOOOOOO!!!!¡± Momo¡¯s words went unanswered as the weapons suddenly turned their bladed-ends towards their controller. One by one, they launched like rockets, bypassing Momo''s eyes without hurting her and cleaving Servi in half. Then another death was added to the invisible counter.


    Momo thought the worst part was the screaming that kept being interrupted. A part of her wished that when it stopped, it wouldn''t continue. And because it did, it only meant that Servi had to suffer more and more.


    For the next fifteen minutes, Momo continued to beg Itarr, who kept refusing. Servi¡¯s decapitated heads kept rolling away and finding a spot in front of Momo. The blood spurting from their necks soiled the green grass, tainting it forever. The Singi¡¯s eyes stopped blinking. Perhaps it was a form of self-torture, but she never looked away from the decapitated heads. Nor did she try to ignore Servi¡¯s blood-curling screams from corrupting her imagination. When it started, Itarr had tried to cover Momo''s head with a blindfold, but the Singi shouted and raved, nearly breaking her own neck because she kept shouting that she had a right to see it through. "I can''t keep hiding myself away! I have to see the pain she''s going through! Turning away from it all means...I''m repeating the same mistake... Running away was the biggest mistake of my life..." That was all Itarr needed to hear to remove the clothing blocking Momo''s sight, but she refused to turn the Singi around. Itarr hoped that just seeing the rolling heads were enough...


    Regardless of seeing it or not, it was far worse for her mind to put together what she thought was happening based on auditory clues.


    It took a moment for the depressed Singi to smell it, but a horrid stench corrupted the area around her. The hair on her tail became warm and uncomfortable. ¡°Itarr, what¡¯s that smell?! Itarr? ITARR!!!¡± Momo shouted, but her voice had gone horse. Her throat had become so raw with her crying that her words came out with a subtle groan. Even if she could speak loudly, Servi¡¯s anguished screams had only increased in intensity.


    Itarr noticed flew her ID to Momo and maneuvered it like one would when shaking their head.


    Momo, please don¡¯t make me say it¡­


    ¡°ITARR!!!!! Think about how I feel! I¡¯m just hanging here, and you won¡¯t let me console her! You won¡¯t let me understand what she¡¯s going through!! To do that, I need to see it with my own eyes! I won¡¯t run away¡­ I promise I won¡¯t make that mistake again. I¡¯m sorry for the things I said to you. I know you only meant the best for her, but I want the best for her, too! She¡¯s saved my life more times than I can count, but¡­¡±


    Momo. She¡¯s¡­ Servi¡¯s¡­ She¡¯s disfigured. The fire is burning her skin and scorching her heart. The blood is being vaporized as soon as True Immortality regenerates it. Her essence is one of a constant cycle of pain with no way to take a break. The swords she retrieved from the ring are constantly stabbing into her body, and her arms, when they¡¯re back, are ripping her head clean off. Do you want to see that? I don¡¯t want your image of Servi to be soiled.


    ¡°But why are you forcing yourself to look if it¡¯s that bad?!¡±


    That¡¯s easy. It¡¯s simply my punishment. I¡¯m watching the one I love die over and over again because it was my fault things have gotten this far. Momo, I¡¯m the real monster. Even though I¡¯m a Goddess, I never should¡¯ve toyed with her emotions. No one deserves to have that kind of power, and yet... I abused it...


    Though they were words on a red stone tablet, Momo had a brand new understanding of just how much Itarr suffered with Servi.


    She¡¯s bearing witness to the product of her fatal mistake. I shouldn¡¯t have said I hated her without knowing both sides of the story. Dang it, you pathetic cat. You always act without thinking! Didn¡¯t you say you were going to change?! The bullies in the village were right. I really can¡¯t do anything at all¡­


    Lost in the decrepit world of her sadness, Momo did her best to stay calm under her current extravagant circumstances. But between her worse personality traits and her best friend¡¯s suffering, she found it hard, if not impossible.


    You¡¯re her best friend, Momo. And I¡¯m nothing. Please, help Servi while she¡¯s recovering. You¡¯re the only one I can turn to.


    The air-restrained catgirl read those heartfelt words from a Goddess who had everything to lose. How funny, she thought. Moments ago, Momo wanted to curse Itarr. Then she sympathized with her suffering. But now, Momo wanted nothing more than to become friends with sorrowful Goddess. It was clear to her that they both cared very much about their mutual friend. Both had also committed crucial mistakes. Those ended up forcing Servi to live through a hell that, while different in nature, both had the original effect of overloading her fragile mind with a tremendous amount of stress.


    Having a Goddess give her utmost trust in Momo reignited her passion. This time, she vowed to never let it extinguish.


    ¡°I promise you, Itarr, I¡¯ll be there for her. Even if it takes years, I¡¯ll always be right by her side.¡± Momo smiled the best she could, but water fell from her eyes. She felt like she had just made an important decision that would have dire consequences for the regret-filled Goddess.


    Itarr thanked Momo one last time and forced the ID¡¯s surface to become blank. It wobbled slightly in the air as Itarr¡¯s Telekinetic connection to it vanished. Red dust exploded when it smacked the rocky ground, spewing up and over until it nearly covered Momo.


    It warmed her a little a bit, but that was probably Momo¡¯s mind playing tricks on her. When the dust passed Momo by and returned to its owner, the Singi felt like she had experienced a bittersweet conclusion.

 Book Three – Chapter Twelve – Part Four – The Fleeting Touch of a Friend

    It was an odd scene, to be sure. In the middle of the road sat a girl covered in flame. Her lungs had obviously been incinerated hundreds of times over, yet she still produced a horrible screech. The swords flying above never missed a chance to separate Servi¡¯s body into bloody pieces. Nearby was a cat girl suspended in the air, who stared ahead with unwavering determination. Her blue eyes darted from tree to tree to rock to a disembodied head. The pink tail wrapped around her waist cause her great pain because it was stiff and gunky, but she powered through it.


    It was totally unnecessary, but Momo wanted to share the anguish while her best friend was enduring the worst pain in the world.


    But on that note, it was only the worst pain thus far.


    Grief was one of the emotions that carried the ability to be built up over a long period of time. When it did, it was stacked on top of itself and endlessly multiplied until it had a chance to escape, which was usually via a form of outburst.


    In Servi¡¯s case, it took the form of killing herself in a series of horrible acts that progressively increased in brutality. It wasn¡¯t long before pairs of hands and feet littered the space in front of Momo. They collectively joined the growing piles of heads, which themselves had formed a squelchy lake of crimson.


    After she had perished 8,618 times in forty minutes, during which the smell of ruined Human flesh had become so incredibly volatile that Momo had vomited so many times she had nothing left, it all stopped. Servi''s screams had ceased. The heat from the flame engulfing her body faded away like taking a pot off of a stove. Once Momo heard the clanging sounds of weapons dropping to the ground, she thought the nightmare had finally come to an end.


    Her mouth spoke her friend¡¯s name in a hoarse whisper. ¡°Servy¡­ Can you hear me?¡± she asked. Her body still faced away from the Human. She waited a moment longer and cleared her throat, this time asking with a voice that was a bit louder. Her voice felt scratchy, like nails being pushed against a stone floor.


    She received no response other than a single noise in the form of a weapon hitting the ground. Hearing the noise without seeing it brought uneasiness into Momo¡¯s heart. It had already experienced enough terror and pain for ten lifetimes, but it seemed Servi¡¯s grief hadn¡¯t yet reached its final form. A cold chill tickled the Singi¡¯s tail, forcing it to shiver. The odd feeling traveled up and Momo¡¯s back until her teeth started to chatter.


    It was then that the weapon she had heard made an appearance. The two blue pulsing lines were to be expected since it seemed Servi had an unlimited amount of nadrium weaponry. The blade itself was only 25 centimeters long, and when measured as a whole, was only 39 centimeters in length. The growing river of scarlet goop and Human parts it sat on clashed violently with the sleek design. It was a weapon that didn''t fit in with its surrounding location.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t do it anymore. Servi, you¡¯ve suffered enough! There¡¯s no need to do this anymore. Please¡­ Servy¡­¡± Momo begged. She did all she could to plead, but even her hopes were dwarfed by a guilty conscience.


    The dagger took flight with invisible wings, soaring skyward with jarring cuts and ugly spurts of speed. After coming to a height of 150 meters, the blade came to a sudden halt and aimed itself downward. The sun¡¯s brilliant rays gleamed off the pulsing lines, cascading in a glorious wave of light so bright that it seemed like the Gods had sent down a portion of their power. It looked like the kind of holy blade that would fell a demon king and his entourage.


    Thick clouds, bursting at the seams with water, gathered unnaturally overhead in a matter of seconds. Static electricity filled the air, making it positively ripple with an shocking feel. The cold strands of Momo¡¯s tail stuck up, giving it a frayed look. She cast a gaze upward and begged the Gods to help her friend. She cited that Servi had repented for the lives she had stolen many times over.


    If Gods were patrolling the Heavens above, they didn¡¯t answer. The mighty clouds combined into one that was larger and thicker, and rain started to fall. The speed at which the drops descended to the ground didn¡¯t befit the already odd situation. It was gentle and caring, like washing a newborn babe with a towel twisted from unicorn hair. It was not at all what Momo thought would happen, which was why she breathed a sigh of relief.


    She had thought her selfless prayers had been answered.


    They weren¡¯t.


    The floating dagger so high in the sky acted as a conduit. As for what would use it?


    Lightning: pure, unadulterated lightning in its purest form. The reason for it all was a skill called Judgmental Spite. It required the user to be Rank 1, and it was a continuous skill. For as long as Skill Energy was provided, it would transmute and become lightning, stored in the clouds that gathered at the skill¡¯s behest.


    It was an odd skill, to be sure. It was definitely not one to be used in rapid succession, which was what Servi¡¯s grief-stricken state had in mind. Back when she was a part of the Mafia, she glanced through her ID. Her red eyes scanned across Judgment Strike, and she noticed it was already learned. From where? She didn¡¯t know at the time. Even now, she was still in the dark.


    Lightning exploded in the dark gray clouds as thunder rumbled, ravaging the area like a child throwing a tantrum. The beautiful sun and calming blue sky were nowhere to be seen.


    Momo didn¡¯t know what exactly was going on, but she never stopped pleading with whatever force would listen to her. Momo shuddered as a giant chunk of rock protected her from the rain. She didn¡¯t think it was fair for her to be shielded against the sudden rain while her friend became drenched.


    ¡°She¡¯s cold!!! She¡¯s gonna get sick!!! Cover her! Don¡¯t cover me!!¡± Momo cried out, but her words were drowned out by a thunderous noise.


    The sky flashed, brightening everything Momo saw to the point where she thought she was blinded. Next came a sharp crack, which sent chills of fear down Momo¡¯s fragile state of mind. The very air tumbled in an anxious breeze, and the fallen leaves nearby scattered away from the fallen trees just from the pressure alone.


    Something was building up in the clouds high above the Human and Singi, and it was about to be unleashed.


    Finally, lightning struck the dagger. The weapon glowed yellow, but then another bolt energized it even more. Then another, and another, and another. In many ways, it similar to another Rank 1 skill. Judgment Spite needed a base weapon to hold the lightning just like Fulgur Spike needed an electric ability to charge it.


    Each crack of lightning sounded like the God of Judgment announcing his decree while banging his holy gavel.


    After a short pause, the skill activated, but not before a flash of light so powerful and intense that it scorched Servi¡¯s retinas. It wasn¡¯t a one-off side-effect, either. The dagger¡¯s tip would continue to glow brighter than the sun. And Servi¡¯s grief-controlled state had no choice but to endure such suffering. The newly-added source of pain only served to enhance her mournful wailing.


    A concentrated, brutal surge of lightning exploded from the nadrium dagger¡¯s tip, bathing Servi in a cylindrical beam of electricity. With every passing second, tens of thousands of lightning bolts struck the earth, bouncing off the glowing walls and increasing their speed.


    Fortunately for Momo, the yellow barrier encasing Servi was a measly three meters in diameter, and she was about five meters away. It was impossible for lightning to spill over and assault her. But it wasn¡¯t as if Momo was conscious. The Singi endured Servi¡¯s vicious screaming as the Human purposely took her own life. Momo endured the hundreds of rolling heads and the awful stench of burnt flesh, but even as committed as she was, Momo couldn¡¯t last until the end.


    The reason she suddenly went limp and lost consciousness was because of the noise Judgment Spite produced. The tens of thousands of lightning strikes did not come and go silently. They left their mark on the world via a scorched ground and a loud snap. Servi¡¯s sorrowful screams couldn¡¯t compare in the slightest. The wave of what could be described as an auditory apocalypse inflicted more damage on Momo because she was a Singi.


    Sensitive ears were both a blessing and a curse. A sturdy pair of earmuffs would have sufficed, but Momo wasn¡¯t in any condition to make such preparations.  Itarr was there, of course, always watching and always staring at the present she wrought. She bolted into action, constantly healing Momo''s ears and repairing the damage while she was unconscious. There wouldn''t be any lasting pain, but she was going to have a slight headache when next she awoke.


    For the next five minutes, Servi¡¯s body was assaulted by 3,000,000 bolts of pure electricity. They came at such a rapid pace her physical essence was reduced to a pathetic puddle of flesh. While in such a state, any attack was strong enough to kill. Even a poke by a kitten would have been enough for Servi to be considered dead.


    While being the only witness, Itarr never once averted her head. She stared down the lightning as they illuminated the dim sights around her. Flashes of yellow clashed against the growing darkness by the gray clouds above. After two minutes, Itarr began to get worried. She believed Servi¡¯s grief-stricken state would put a halt to the skill because she would have died far more than the number of lives she had stolen.


    But that wasn¡¯t the case.


    The lightning would not stop for anything. Itarr tried to override the command, but she couldn¡¯t control it. It was very possible for her to use new skills, which she demonstrated by summing a wall of Earth to block the lightning, but that only vaporized into dust when it touched the cylindrical beam covering Servi.  She even went so far as to use Metal Wall and Judas Shield, but neither could endure such a sustained barrage of lightning.


    By the fourth minute, Itarr screamed and raged inside their soul for the Mad Dog to appear. She demanded it come out and put a stop to everything, but her desperate cries went unanswered, meaning it had nothing to do with what Servi was going through.


    Itarr was alone, and alone she was. Her humanoid mass of red energy wandered through the vast crimson depths with a solemn expression. The once lush fields of melancholic grief had all but disappeared, which further meant Servi¡¯s suffering should have been over.


    Since it¡¯s all gone, why is she still hurting herself?! She kept asking herself. Her mind riddled itself in an attempt to search her own lost memories for an answer, but she came up empty.


    And after a total of 300 seconds had passed since Judgment Spite¡¯s activation, the dark clouds and sudden downpour faded away as quickly as they had amassed. The dagger being used as a conduit lost all of the energy it channeled and simply fell.


    Were it forged from any other material, the frightening power of electricity would have disintegrated it when all was said and done.


    Aided by gravity, the dagger dropped in a nearly straight line while Servi¡¯s body regenerated. When her chest had reformed, the weapon reached terminal velocity and impaled her heart, digging all the way to the hilt.


    The sun emerged through the bleak atmosphere, shining a much-needed light on the aftermath of forty-five minutes of hell. It illuminated the deep scorch marks surrounding Servi¡¯s naked body. The ground had liquified and turned bright red, emitting tremendous heat that escaped into the atmosphere. A portion of Servi¡¯s back had been regenerated within that molten lump of rock, fusing to it and giving her a horrid appearance.


    The dagger¡¯s blue pulsing lines reflected a bit of light upward, which happened to glare off of the soaked green leaves. Light refracted and bounced from water droplet to water droplet, creating a sparkling sight of rainbows. It gave the embedded blade a feeling of it being something holy, like a blade made from the blood of a Goddess, and it was currently sealing away a Demonic Lord of Destruction.


    Itarr wordlessly took the sight around her and cried tears of relief since it looked like Servi¡¯s atonement had stopped. She quickly did all she could to absorb the portion of hardened rock that had fused and become a part of her beloved Human. During that, she did all she could to make the land surrounding Servi walkable.


    I love you, Servi. She said those words over and over, letting her final sorrows echo out for what she thought would be the last time. Her expert touch hastily cleansed Servi¡¯s body from the rain, rock, and dust besmirching it. Then she did the same for the air-borne Singi. Her dripping hair and tail dried within moments as the water was whisked away. As an added bonus, Itarr cleaned the dirt and grime. That gave Momo''s pink hair a shine and her tail the flexibility it once had.


    As harrowing as Judgment Spite was in terms of single-target damage, the rain that accompanied it couldn¡¯t have been more different. Each drip was pleasant, carrying simple water to moisten the ground with nourishment. Perhaps it was the skill¡¯s way of apologizing for the sheer damage it caused? It was asinine to think a technique could hold such mortal-like traits of regret and atonement, yet the mortal world often assigned emotional characteristics to inanimate objects.


    After drying Momo¡¯s armor, clothes, and skin, Itarr gently lowered the unconscious Singi as if she were a jewel. Her soft hands became dirtied with round pebbles and rocks. Her tear-stained cheeks slowly rubbed against the ground. The discomfort was there, and Itarr hoped Momo would forgive her. As an added bonus for both the Singi¡¯s and Goddess¡¯s sanity, the area around them was clean of any blood and body parts resulting from Servi¡¯s self-inflicted punishment. Though it wasn¡¯t spotless, there were a few spots farther away than Absorption¡¯s range. Itarr had done her best to return nature to how it was before.  Right after that, she clothed Servi so she wouldn''t be naked.


    Fortunately for the Goddess, when Momo returned to the world of consciousness, her own well-being was the last thing on her mind. Her blue eyes blinked twice, evicting any dust and noticing the lack of disembodied heads. The nostrils then took a deep whiff, filling her with an odd scent made up of burnt flesh and rain. Her mind kicked into overdrive, reminding the Singi of everything that had happened.


    She quickly stood up, ignoring the pointy rocks pressing into her palms, and turned around so fast her hair smacked her cheek. But she didn¡¯t feel that. More accurately, she couldn¡¯t feel a single thing after laying eyes on the unmoving body of her best friend.


    ¡°Servy!!!¡± she cried as she dashed ahead, covering the few meters in an instant. Moving as quickly as she did was far too much for her weakened body, and her legs gave out. Sliding the rest of the way on a carpet of gravel, Momo finally reached her beloved friend.


    A pair of hands examined Servi¡¯s legs, arms, and the rest of her exposed skin for any wounds. Momo sighed upon finding nothing, but her eyes were quickly drawn to the dagger. A little bit of blood spurted out every so often, a side effect of True Immortality creating a never-ending stream of crimson. As long as the knife remained lodged in her chest, the wound wouldn¡¯t fully shut. And as Momo glanced at it with a pair of shaking eyes, she pondered on what to do.


    She thought obvious thing was to remove it, which was why she gently gripped it. Her nervousness shook her arm, causing the blade to scrape downward and making another wound. The poor Singi shouted, cursing herself for making it worse.


    ¡°I need to do this! Grampy said to always put pressure on a cut. Come on, Momo! COME ON!!!¡± With a ferocious shout, the Singi centralized her courage within her shaky limbs, calming her arm just long enough to rip the nadrium dagger out. In the same rocky motion, she sliced off a few scraps of leather from her pants and pressed them against Servi¡¯s already healed wound.


    Momo would become aware of that fact a few seconds later when she realized the blood had already stopped flowing. She slowly moved the leather away from Servi¡¯s chest, peeking at the closed injury with wonder.


    ¡°Servy, you¡¯re incredible¡­ But there¡¯s no time to lose. I gotta move her,¡± Momo whispered. In her weakened state, she knew it was impossible to lift her best friend, but she attempted to do so anyway. Her arms and legs were far slimmer than they were eight days ago. The strength she lost would take some time to come back. Her face became strained as she wrapped her arms under Servi¡¯s chest. With careful steps powered by heavy breaths, Momo slowly walked backwards.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Servy. I ain''t got no choice but to drag you like you. I¡¯m too weak to properly pick you up¡­¡± Words flowed from Momo¡¯s mouth as she did her best to make it painless. However, the rocks and little pieces of gravel made that impossible. Servi¡¯s legs from the knee down did not suffer any scratches or wounds, but the Singi didn''t know that. Momo said a silent apology for each one she thought was there, vowing to properly make it up.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter that they¡¯re healed quicker than they appear. It still has to hurt¡­ Servy¡­ It seems like I¡¯m always causing you trouble. And you¡¯re always getting hurt around me¡­¡± Momo cried, sending salty tears down her well-soaked cheeks. They splashed down onto Servi¡¯s face, which held a calming expression. Her pink lips were very slightly pursed, allowing un-needed oxygen to enter her lungs, filling them to the brim with the one thing nearly every living thing needed. That air came out when her lungs deflated.


    The Singi pulling Servi smiled at the subtle movements of respiration. ¡°Hold on, Servy. I¡¯m almost there.¡±


    Momo¡¯s destination was a calm shaded spot about 50 meters away. Ten of those meters were off the beaten path behind a tree. As far as she could tell, the ground was dry. It wasn¡¯t a victim of the sudden Judgment Spite. And the fluffy green grass had to be warm because the trees above had small gaps that allowed the sun to come down. It took Momo three minutes of constant pulling, but she made it without stopping to catch her breath.


    She crouched down and moved her arms from around Servi¡¯s chest to her head, supporting it gently while it laid on the bed of green. Momo¡¯s hand fanned the grass, throwing away any pesky rocks and other unwanted obstacles. Her blue eyes looked back to the brutalized spot. She didn¡¯t know how long it would take for the ground to return to normal.


    Suddenly, Momo yawned and sleepily rubbed her tired eyes. Exhaustion rapidly assaulted her inner defenses, overtaking her somewhat fragile state of mind. She looked to the left and right down the gravel road and turned her head back to Servi, realizing that her slender arms and legs were completely void of any injuries. Her face looked so peaceful and at ease, and the Singi couldn''t help but crack a small smile. Without hesitating, Momo laid down right beside Servi and gently cupped her friend''s right hand. Ten fingers massaged every bit of skin available to them as Momo sent her friendship barreling through her touch.


    Or she tried to, anyways.


    The warm grass tickled her furry ears. A flexible tail swooshed to life and snaked through the sea of green like a pig would roll in a mud pit. The smell of nature filtered out the stench of burnt flesh for good, allowing her nostrils to take in what she thought ¡®calmness¡¯ smelled like.


    It¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve held her hand like this, but it feels different. But it¡¯s not a bad difference. I hope you have a nice nap, Servy. I¡¯m just gonna rest for a second or two. After that, I¡¯ll take you back to Canary, and we can forget all about this dumb quest and town. We won¡¯t have to worry about anything there. We¡¯ll be safe, and I won¡¯t ever leave you. I won¡¯t make that mistake again. You¡¯re my best friend, Servy. That¡¯s why I¡¯m gonna hold your hand. Just give my hand a squeeze, and I¡¯ll squeeze it right back to show I¡¯m here. I¡¯ll wish and wish with all my heart that you''ll wake up soon.

 Book Three – Chapter Twelve – Part Five – The Fleeting Touch of a Friend

    RuggyRuggy


    This is my favorite part of Book Three.


    And I lied. This might also be the longest part of Book Three.


    Right as a particular catgirl fell to the seductive gaze of the sandman, her friend stirred awake from a deep slumber.


    How ironic that they missed each other by a span of ten seconds.


    Servi¡¯s red eyes blinked awake, staring at the bed of green leaves blocking the sun from directly warming her face. She raised her left hand and held it close to her face. The tip of her nose slid down the back of her palm. Blinking twice more, she attempted to do the same with her right hand, but it was occupied. It felt heavy and warm, and that was when Servi propped herself off the ground.


    The warm grass felt pleasant between her fingers, but the Singi gripping her hand felt better than that. Just seeing that signature pink hair brought Servi to tears. Servi laid back down, turned on her side, and allowed her left hand to join her right. The two laid there, hands embraced for more than a few minutes. Once Servi¡¯s tears were dried, she whispered a single name.


    ¡°Itarr¡­¡±


    As expected, the Goddess did not say anything. Servi still felt her presence deep inside her, but Itarr only stared at the vivid red surrounding their interconnected soul.


    ¡°Itarr, please¡­ Talk to me. I have some questions about the emotional reset...¡± Servi lied. Something as drastic as resetting emotions would have anyone else asking the most mundane of questions to fully understand the process, but Servi didn¡¯t feel the need to do that. Yes, it was a horrifying process, and she remembered the forty-five minutes of hell she had just endured, but her mind was clear. It was like a hazy fog had been lifted from her mind, allowing see and feel things that were always there but hidden away.


    What do you want to know? Itarr murmured, biting at the bait laid before her before remembering that her voice couldn''t reach Servi. The tears that had dried up poured from Servi¡¯s face once again. She tried to speak, but her whole body had turned into a sobbing mess.


    Why are you crying? Even if you can''t hear me, I knew I shouldn''t have spoken. Just imagining the sound of my stupid voice is probably killing you...


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve heard you¡­ Itarr, I¡¯ve missed the sound of your voice¡­ it¡¯s just as lovely¡­as ever¡­¡±


    Why are you saying that?! My voice isn¡¯t anything like that! Look, it¡¯s making you cry! You said you hated me! Itarr argued back.


    Servi slowly shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. Can¡¯t you see? I¡¯m crying because I can hear you! And I''m sorry!!! I... I said so many horrible things to you... I can''t take those back... I''m sorry for insinuating that you were behind it all... I don''t even know what came over me... But... I see the errors of my ways... You never had control over my body... In the end, it was all me... I''m so sorry for putting the blame on you... I''m so sorry...¡± Servi started to silently cry, her fingers scratching under her eyes to brush away the thick tears.


    I¡­ Itarr was at a startling loss. She never expected that of all things to be the first thing Servi said. What questions do you have? The Goddess felt her heart tear in half when she purposely ignored Servi¡¯s heartfelt statement. The pain was great¡ªgreater than the betrayal she committed¡ªbut Itarr didn¡¯t want to think someone like her could be forgiven. Even still, she had something to say, but it wouldn''t have erased the pain she had caused. I''m sorry as well... It would take more than words to convince the Goddess she could forgive herself. Servi was struck back by Itarr¡¯s forward nature, but it didn¡¯t come as a total surprise.


    ¡°Itarr, how long do I have left? Before I...¡±


    Only the first part of the healing process is complete. The second part will take far longer. As for when it will happen? It could be anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours.


    ¡°Then how long will the process takes once it starts?¡± Servi knew it was going to be a while, but she only wanted to keep the conversation going as to bless her ears with Itarr¡¯s voice.


    More than a day. There¡¯s a high chance it¡¯ll take a week. And even a month isn¡¯t out of the question. It all depends on a few things, though... I don¡¯t think you''ll have conscious control over those factors.


    ¡°So is it like rebooting a computer? Or maybe fixing one is more like it¡­ But who will I be after it¡¯s all said and done? Will I be me? Or will I be a different version of myself? Are the memories I made going to be intact? Or will they be wiped away like formatting a hard drive?¡±


    Itarr didn¡¯t know what a computer or a hard drive was, so she couldn¡¯t comment on that. In the first place, she didn¡¯t want to share any words with Servi because she felt like she wasn¡¯t deserving of them. But even with that, Itarr found it hard to be quiet. Just talking reminded her of the good ole days, even though, in retrospect, her betrayal corrupted those feelings.


    Your memories will not be tampered with at all. My word doesn¡¯t mean much, but I promise you, Servi, that you will not change or become someone else. It was as Momo said. You are you. You are no one else but yourself.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. It means I won¡¯t forget you or Momo. I¡¯m so glad¡­ But now that I know I don¡¯t have long left, I¡¯ll use it to grieve for the babies I killed¡­ For the mothers and fathers...¡± Servi gripped Momo¡¯s hand tighter and silently wailed. The space around her red eyes had gone crimson from her constant crying. Her lips were slightly opened, allowing a few tears to slip inside. Her body subtly jerked with each sharp inhale meant to fuel the whimpers escaping from her mouth. She wanted to cry for them, and crying was what she did.


    Even if Servi wanted to do that, she couldn¡¯t do that and atone for the sins of her past at this very second. That could come later when she was in the second half of the healing process. But until then, Servi had a mission to accomplish, and it involved her very best friend.


    She gently unwrapped her hands from Momo¡¯s iron-like grip and finagled it free. Then she stood up and looked over towards the gravel road. There was a bed that was very out-of-place. ¡°Momo even dropped her bag and sword to drag me away¡­ She¡¯s so sweet,¡± Servi whispered. She walked over to the bed, using Air Step to travel a few centimeters above ground level so her footsteps wouldn¡¯t wake the sleeping girl up and promptly absorbed the pair of precious items. She did the same with the bed.


    When she went to turn around, her eyes caught a strange flicker nearby. A quick use of Telekinesis later, the mysterious object was floating in front of her eyes. ¡°The nadrium dagger?¡± she murmured. A slim finger traced around the edge, removing a little bit of blood that had started to dry. She poked at the blade and handle, which showed no signs of any kind of damage. ¡°I guess we''re alike in some ways. We both managed to come out from that lightning skill with no lasting damage. But should I keep you? Or should I throw you away? I don¡¯t even think I can look at a nadrium weapon again without feeling sick to my stomach, but it wasn¡¯t your fault. Heh, why am I even saying stuff like that? You¡¯re only a weapon, an object to take lives. I¡¯m the same¡­


    ¡°But maybe there¡¯s a place in the world for murderous beings such as ourselves. Someone can use you to protect the ones they care about. Maybe I can use myself to keep my friends safe? That¡¯ll be nice¡­ And isn¡¯t that what I said I¡¯d do in the first place? Not even six months later, and I¡¯ve completely forgotten about my promise to protect those who can''t protect themselves... I just became the people I hated, doing the same things I''ve killed people for doing...¡± Servi continued to stare at the destructive weapon in hand. Though it had help, a large portion of her deaths came from that single weapon.


    Deciding it was better to keep it, she saw it fade away as it found a home inside her ring. She walked¡ªfloated¡ªback to the shady spot and gently lifted her sleeping companion by way of 10,000 instances of Telekinesis. Each one had over 75 anchor points for a total of 750,000 points of lift.


    Momo¡¯s body floated like she was relaxing on a bed of invisible clouds. The only part that wasn¡¯t supported was her tail. Servi still didn¡¯t think she could touch it because she felt like permission had to be granted. But lifted or not, Momo''s fluffy tail swam through the air, enjoying a cool breeze passing by.


    The former Mad Dog turned on her heels on the Air Step platforms and walked to the nearby sign. Even seeing its brown wood caused a flood of pain to surge through her heart. It was reminded of just how horribly she treated Carrie.


    The part of Servi that wanted to slice off Carrie''s tail and suffocate her with it wasn''t present. Or maybe it was there, and it only became invisible. Regardless, Servi felt that it wouldn''t show itself again, but it did mean she had to live the knowledge that the Mad Dog was probably her primary personality at one point in time. It was also her secondary personality. It was just...her.


    Knowing that Itarr was behind its appearance did little to soothe the worry in her heart. Servi figured that Itarr¡¯s presence only accelerated The Mad Dog¡¯s arrival. Did she know that for sure? No, she didn¡¯t. And the only way to learn the truth was from Itarr, and Servi figured it wouldn¡¯t be a good time to press the Goddess. At least not until the second stage of the healing process had started and finished. Servi was happy she was able to speak her apologies to Itarr, but she wanted to do more. Perhaps when she had a body of her own, Servi would promise to do anything and everything Itarr wanted?


    The Human with black hair and red eyes nodded her head and read the sign. She then followed the arrow that said ¡®Arcton¡¯ and simply traveled down the gravel road towards her new destination. A few seconds into the journey, Servi released Telekinesis and held Momo with her own strength.


    With her hands under Momo¡¯s knees and supporting her back, Servi held her close to her chest like a knight would carry an injured princess. ¡°She¡¯s as light as a feather. And as soft as one, too. It feels like I¡¯m gonna break her¡­ That¡¯s how fragile she feels¡­ But underneath that, there¡¯s a fierce warrior and a loving friend who cares about me... Momo... I can¡¯t believe she actually slapped me¡­ But I needed that. I really did. I think I just wanted to be reprimanded for my actions. Or maybe I just wanted her to acknowledge my efforts. It sounds funny because I hid everything from her, but I know I definitely shouldn¡¯t have done that. It¡¯s only because of her that I found the courage to cry¡­"


    Once again, the person Servi spoke to remained quiet, locked away in her interconnected home to live out her self-imposed sentence of loneliness.


    ¡°Momo¡¯s dream was Warden, you know,¡± Servi said, spiraling off in a new direction. She spoke out loud to no one around her, but her words were meant for the one she shared a soul with. ¡°You remember how excited she was the first time we had dinner together? I do. She only had five Potential to spend on learning a skill. She said she wasn¡¯t born blessed, and it feels like most of the people in the world have that advantage, so she was dealt a bad hand to start with. But she didn¡¯t let that stop her. I mean, in a span of a few months, she went from a novice adventurer to being practically the best Rank 10 in Canary. The flame burning within her was a desire to become as strong as her grandpa, and it was burning strong.


    ¡°Sure, there was that rocky start with Arty¡­ And before that, there was the situation with Axel, Mossi, and Yellow... But Momo endured those trials life threw at her. And guess what? My best friend came out stronger than ever. If she didn¡¯t, then there was no way she would¡¯ve won the tournament. Momo, you¡¯re my hero. You¡¯re someone I look up to, but it¡¯s my fault you had to suffer for so long¡­¡± Servi cried again. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I rescue you when I had the chance?! Why did I put it off even knowing you were so scared? I''m... I''m just a horrible friend... I wished I was someone worthy of your kindness and friendship...¡±


    Servi looked down through watery eyes and stared at Momo¡¯s peaceful expression. ¡°Mosie, you¡¯re my best friend. You¡¯re my savior. You saved me from¡­ You saved me from my biggest fear¡­ That¡¯s why I won¡¯t let your dream fade away. It¡¯s going to be hard, but we have to go to Arcton¡¯s Warden office. If we just turn it in, you can finally be promoted. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s still open after the destruction I¡¯ve wrought, but I have to try. If it''s not open, I''ll whisk us away to Canary... With my speed and Air Step, I can get us there in no time at all...¡±


    After that, Servi walked for the next ten minutes in complete silence. She didn¡¯t even manage to hear a single leaf ruffle from the birds flying through them. Her attacks on the Mafia and subsequent torture must¡¯ve scared off most of the avian creatures. Still, it wouldn¡¯t hurt the world to at least grant Servi the blessings of seeing a blue jay, would it?


    A simple sigh escaped Servi¡¯s lips, and she looked back down at her precious cargo. Momo¡¯s eyes squirmed and slowly opened, revealing two sapphires of the highest quality staring back at her. The sleepy cat girl moved a hand to her eyes, carefully rubbing them and removing the sandman¡¯s dust. A few seconds later, her mind had kicked into overdrive.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Momo whispered after pinching her cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s not a dream? It¡¯s not a dream! Servy!!!!¡± Momo¡¯s face underwent a series of expressions as she tried to figure out if what she saw was a figment of her imagination.


    It wasn¡¯t a dream or a fabrication of her truest desire. It was authentic as it could get.


    The Singi leapt the best she could from her held state, wrapping her arms around Servi¡¯s neck. Servi lost her balance and fell to her bottom, which only allowed Momo the opportunity to further hug her best friend. She nuzzled her head of pink hair in Servi¡¯s chest. ¡°It¡¯s really you! You¡¯re awake! You¡¯re finally awake!!! Wait, are you hurt? Are you in pain?!¡± Momo frantically asked. She tried to end her embrace, but Servi didn''t want that. She wrapped her pale arms behind Momo¡¯s back and hugged her so tightly it almost hurt.


    Momo became slightly alarmed, and her tail whipped accordingly, but she then smiled and returned to her hug. For sixty solid seconds, they laid on the gravel ground. The warm sunlight illuminated their skin, warming them to the touch. Their hearts, finally connected after a week of hell, did all of the communicating. The only thing Servi and Momo needed to do was allow their tears to supplement their emotions.


    ¡°Mosie¡­¡±


    ¡°Servy¡­¡±


    The two kept whispering into each other¡¯s ears. When all was said and done by the end of the minute of embracing, Servi unhooked her arms and allowed Momo the space to back up. She promptly sat on the ground with a giant smile while wiping the dust from her legs. Servi did the same after propping herself up.


    Though they had a chance to experience a moment in the past right when Momo woke up from Kaasuvuoto, the moment they had just shared was far more personal.


    ¡°Servy, I¡¯m so glad you''re awake, and I don¡¯t have to watch you die anymore.¡± Momo thought back to those hundreds of lifeless heads staring up at her.


    ¡°Did you see that? I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Servi glanced towards the ground with a sad look.


    Momo slowly nodded. ¡°I did, but don¡¯t be. I¡¯m your best friend, and you¡¯re my best friend. We don¡¯t need to hide anything from each other because I¡¯ll accept all of you. And when I say all, I really do mean all. There¡¯s no more need for you to hurt yourself anymore. I don¡¯t want to see your heads rolling in front of me.¡±


    Just like that, Servi realized she forced Momo to endure yet another moment of hell. It seemed like terrible situations were always lying in wait to poison everything around Servi. And thanks to True Immortality, Servi had an inexhaustible supply of tears at the ready to stream down her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Servi whispered. She buried her face in her shaking hands and wailed. Moans of fear found an escape and took it, reverberating across the open sky.


    Momo crawled towards Servi and wrapped her arms around her. ¡°I will say it was scary, but I was more worried for you. There¡¯s no one else in this world who had to endure the pain you just went through. Are you okay? I meant to ask before, but does it still hurt?¡±


    Momo¡¯s kindness and caring nature for her best friend, to Servi, was the second reason why her grief became the dominant emotion during her punishment. Servi had betrayed the girl she cared about, putting off her rescue for days. Instead of responding, Servi only cried harder.


    Momo didn¡¯t mind that. She rested her chin on the soft black hair of her weeping friend and sent her feelings down.


    ¡°If it hurts, then share that pain with me. When you hurt, I hurt. If something¡¯s wrong, then tell me. I¡¯m here for you, Servy. I wasn¡¯t there before when you needed me, but I¡¯m here now. If I know you as well as I think I do, and I hope I do, I think I can guess the main reason you¡¯re crying. It¡¯s when you found out my location and didn¡¯t leave right away, right? I remember you telling me that back when you explained everything. I don¡¯t know if you meant to skip past it the way you did, and I didn''t want to bring it up then, but¡­ Yeah, your crying just got louder, so I know I¡¯m right. For as mysterious as you are, you¡¯re surprisingly easy to read¡­¡± Momo moved her hands from Servi¡¯s back to her head, stroking the mane of black hair as gently as she could. The girl she held tightened her grip around Momo¡¯s back a little bit more. It hurt, but it wasn¡¯t that bad.


    It was something Momo could withstand.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mosie¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­ I''m sorry... I''m sorry!!!!¡± Sadness overwhelmed Servi, forcing her to cry to make up for the months she was unable to. And now that she was accurately able to feel such negative emotions, she finally had a chance to rid herself of them naturally.


    Momo lowered her voice to a whisper and slightly rocked back and forth.


    Mr. Sun, so high in the sky.


    Makes me want to fly.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯m singing this tune.


    May I touch you soon?


    Mr. Sky, so pretty and blue


    When I look at you, I know that¡¯s true.


    And that fills me with such a boon.


    May I touch you soon?


    Mr. Star, bright, bright, bright.


    At night, you¡¯re always in my sight.


    Even though it¡¯s past June.


    May I touch you soon?


    Mr. Moon, last but not least


    Why don¡¯t you come join us for a feast?


    We can use forks, knives, or spoons.


    May I touch you soon?


    Momo sang a song that meant so much to her. And now? It meant a lot to Servi as well. Those four little verses became an unbreakable link tying the two together.


    ¡°See? There¡¯s no need to keep beating yourself over it. If I was mad, I wouldn¡¯t hold you. And I wouldn¡¯t sing to you, either. But I am holding you, and I am singing to you. Believe me, Servy... I¡¯m not mad, sad, upset, or feeling betrayed in any way...


    "No... That''s not the whole truth. When I realized that I could have been rescued from that hell a lot earlier, it took everything I had to not scream out in rage... I wanted to curse you...hit you...scream at you... In that split second, I had a million things I wanted to scream at you...


    "''Why did I have to live through a week of hell?!?! I had to live with the fear of rape, abuse, and an early death! Even worse... I had to live believing you had died!!!!!! Why did you wait so long to save me?!?! Did you want me to suffer just so you can have fun in Arcton? Did you want to pop in at the last second like a hero?!?!?! If you had acted sooner, we could have been back in Canary right now!!!!!''


    "Yeah... That''s what I wanted to shout instead of being quiet... I... I just felt so betrayed...and scared...and alone... But any negative feelings I had just disappeared a second later. Do you want to know why?"


    Servi''s wailing increased in intensity, her shrieks nearly bursting the eardrums of the Singi holding her. The tears just kept flooding out like an endless monsoon hellbent on drowning earth. Momo instantly felt bad, realizing that her words had the opposite effect of what she wanted. She quickly spoke, correcting her previous sentence and doing her best to provide relief for her very best friend.


    "It''s because you were suffering just as much as me... You had your own demons tormenting you... And I don''t have the right to demand you to save me because I was the one who ran away... This whole thing started because of me... I¡¯m just so happy we¡¯re together now. I don¡¯t have to worry about whether or not you¡¯re dead because I can touch you with my hands. I can hear you with my ears. I can smell and see you with my nose and eyes. And as long as I can do that, I''ll forgive you, Servy... I''ll always forgive you..."


    Momo¡¯s calming words had finally had a profound effect on Servi¡¯s psyche. The damaged girl halted her whimpering. Her nose sniffled as if she had a cold. Looking up, she met Momo¡¯s lovely face. The two blue eyes stared down with kindness and friendship, not the hatred and betrayal that Servi had feared.


    And that was the final barrier preventing Servi from accepting her current circumstances. She wasn¡¯t entirely over the damage she had caused, and it was all but assured there would be many tears left to shed in the future.


    ¡°Hiya¡­¡± Momo whispered, smiling like she was looking at a puppy. ¡°I was wondering when I would see your eyes again. How are you feeling? Remember what I said before? Sometimes, the only thing you need to do is have a good cry. Speaking of that, I won¡¯t ever judge or think less of you because you cried.¡± The Singi sat down while removing her hands from Servi, who did the same, albeit more slowly. They still shook with plenty of emotions as they slid down Momo¡¯s slender upper arms until they got to her hands.


    In a move that was as sudden as it was bold, Momo hooked her middle finger around Servi¡¯s left index finger, preventing it from retreating. Momo giggled when she saw Servi¡¯s surprised look, but the Human didn¡¯t do a single thing to stop Momo from interlocking their fingers together.


    "I left you all alone, Servy... I don''t ever wanna make that mistake again," Momo whispered, her face budding like a blossoming flower.


    For the second time, they allowed their inner emotions to do the talking. While holding hands, their heartbeats seemed to be linked, ticking in rhythm as one. ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯m sorry for slapping you back then. I hope it didn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry. I think I deserved that. And in a way, it brought me back to my senses. When I cried right after was the first time I¡¯d shed tears in a long time. Thanks, Mosie. Oh, I have something for you,¡± Servi quietly said. She squeezed her occupied hand, and Momo squeezed back.


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked. Her pink tail slowly moved back and forth, sweeping away the tiniest fragments of dust and gravel. The oh-so-familiar pain in her rear end returned because she sat on a particularly pointy pebble, but ruining the mood because of a simple annoyance was out of the picture.


    A familiar black messenger bag and a thin longsword materialized in front of her eyes. Her face became wide with surprise before being replaced with affection.


    ¡°Grampy¡¯s bag and sword! I must¡¯ve forgotten them back at that bed. You got them for me?¡±


    ¡°I did. I know these mean a lot to you. I had them ever since¡­¡± Servi trailed off as the pair of items slowly floated down. They gently settled to Momo¡¯s left and right, respectively. The Singi herself slightly frowned when she realized the reason Servi stopped speaking. A single sparkle reflected the light of the sun, bouncing it into Momo¡¯s blue eyes.


    Servi had started crying again, but then she stopped. She suddenly coughed and cleared her throat. ¡°I didn¡¯t look inside the bag, and I didn¡¯t use the sword. I didn¡¯t stain them with my touch¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop it, Servy. Don¡¯t talk yourself down like that. Touching grampy¡¯s bag or his sword isn¡¯t gonna corrupt them in any way,¡± Momo retorted. She softly swung the hand connecting her with Servy back and forth and left and right. Then she brought it towards her bag and touched it together.


    ¡°Just think, Servy¡­ We can put all of this behind us. We can go back home and be with our friends. I can¡¯t wait to see Claire and Dineria. Hey, it¡¯d be nice going out to dinner with them, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Momo talked about the future, and it sounded pleasant. ¡°It¡¯d be us, them, Feral and Srassa. And Silverado, Desperado, and Rakkire and Riki, too. We can even invite¡ª¡±


    ¡°Before we leave, there¡¯s something we have to do,¡± Servi interjected. She had glanced her eyes towards the ground when Momo was talking and only briefly looked up.


    ¡°Hmm? What do we have to do? Wouldn¡¯t it be the perfect time to go to Canary? I know you wanna get home as soon as possible..."


    ¡°Warden¡­ We still need to complete the quest.¡±


    Momo shook her head. ¡°Servy, I don¡¯t care about the quest anymore. And I don¡¯t really care for Warden right this moment. All I care about is going back home together with you.¡±


    ¡°Mosie, Warden is your dream. You have to complete the quest. You joined because you wanted to be strong like your grampy. You¡ª¡±


    ¡°Okay...¡± Momo squeezed her hand one more time, waiting for Servi to return it before she continued speaking. ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t want to go there because Arcton can¡¯t offer anything but bad memories. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the same with you. But if you¡¯re willing to go back there for me, then I need to show the same resolve. We¡¯ll go there together, and then we¡¯ll leave. We won''t spend a second longer there than we need to.¡±


    Servi nodded, and with great reluctance, unclasped her hand from Momo. The two stood up, and Momo bent back down to retrieve her bag and sword. She silently begged her grandpa for forgiveness for leaving them in her moment of weakness and swore she wouldn¡¯t repeat the same mistake.


    ¡°There''s more,¡± Servi said as Momo adjusted her bag¡¯s strap. She tapped her sword, which had finally returned to her waist, and turned to look at her best friend. Her jaw nearly dropped when she saw that familiar pink canteen with a black cat and backpack with her name floating in mid-air. ¡°I know how much you liked them. I made sure they were safe.¡±


    Momo hastily grabbed the canteen, slotted it into her backpack, slid that around her back, and gave Servi the biggest hug. ¡°Even back then,¡± the Singi whispered. ¡°You took such good care of everything I have¡­¡± She took a step back and felt the two hands around her back slide down. Just like before, Momo hooked her finger around Servi¡¯s hand, interlocking their fingers together in a showcase of trust and friendship.


    They looked like lovers, that much was plain to see, but Momo didn¡¯t, at the time, think of it that way. She believed she was just showing affection to her literal savior while making up for her drastic mistake. She saw the pain deep within Servi¡¯s red eyes, and doing what she could to bear the brunt of whatever agony festered inside her was the least she could do.


    ¡°Servy, are you ready?¡± Momo asked. She stood right by her savior and softly smiled. The Human only nodded, and the two best friends, hand in hand, walked towards a city that carried horrible memories. It was entirely possible that the Canary Warden office would have given them an alternate promotional quest, or outright promote them all together, considering what happened.


    In Momo¡¯s case, she only focused on the warmth she received from holding her best friend¡¯s hand. Her palm met with a palm that she was so familiar with that she even traced the palm lines in her head.


    For Servi, she also found the situation warming in a way, but that could have been because her body was preparing itself for the second stage of the healing process. In either case, she was sure that the tingling emotions she felt were unaltered. And for the first time, she was sure she was her own person, but as for whether or not that would continue being the case? She didn¡¯t know. Itarr had assured her she wouldn¡¯t change, and Servi wanted to trust her.


    It might have sounded odd, trusting someone who had tampered with the immaterial concepts that defined a person, but perhaps that was the person Servi was meant to be?


    She didn¡¯t know, and she wouldn''t know until her mind had the chance to properly heal.

 Book Three – Chapter Twelve – Part Six – The Fleeting Touch of a Friend

    After a few minutes of walking on a gravel road, Servi and Momo came to a fork. Looking at the sign proudly displayed nearby, they continued their journey towards Arcton while ignoring the path of dirt that trailed off in the other direction. Trees of brown and grass and leaves of green filled their sights. It was oddly quiet. There were no birds chirping, and the lack of small animal-like creatures frolicking through the tree line proved eerie. The pair only heard the low breaths each one took as they traveled forward with each step.


    Not too long after that, they encountered... it.


    It happened when Momo noticed the area to her right was utterly devoid of trees. A closer examination made her realize that the trees weren¡¯t just missing. There was no ground for them to grow and thrive in.


    ¡°A hole... It¡¯s true¡­¡± Momo whispered. They stood on the outer cusp of a large pit, a horrible wound Servi inflicted on her planet when her Mad Dog persona reached a boiling point. While listening to Servi recount her life journey, Momo questioned some of the more outrageous bits, like her friend¡¯s immortality. The Singi realized that was the truth not long after, but when it came to her tale of making a scar in the world 3,000-kilometers deep, she absolutely refused to believe it.


    It was impossible, she thought. It was odd. Momo readily believed Servi¡¯s inability to die when she came face-to-face to a whole horde of her friend¡¯s heads, but she found it incredibly hard to recognize the physical truth in front of her when acknowledging Servi¡¯s power.


    She stared into the void from her position after coming to a sudden stop. Servi slowed down with her and stared. Her red eyes quivered with heavy tears. For some reason, they seemed to be transparent and more vivid than when she cried a few minutes beforehand. All the while, the void stared back at its creator. The anxiousness Servi felt proved her emotions were well on the healing track. The negative sensations a person needed to balance the positives allowed them to look at things from a more objective viewpoint.


    Wordlessly, Momo pointed over to a strange sight. From the vast distance standing between her, she only saw small figures gathered around the hole. Servi followed Momo¡¯s finger, and with her vastly enhanced eyesight she made out nearly every specific detail. It didn¡¯t take long for her to realize the purpose of the gathering.


    ¡°They¡¯re about to...to... jump,¡± Servi announced in a weak voice.


    ¡°Eh? But why? I¡ªNooo!!!¡± Right in front of the poor Singi, she saw four humanoid-shaped objects lean into the pit. Her breath became caught in her throat as tears spewed from her eyes. ¡°Servy, why are they doing that?!¡±


    ¡°Arcton isn¡¯t in the best of shape. But more than that, it¡¯s an awful, terrible place to live in. With the shape I left it in, I imagine that pushed many people over the breaking point. I¡¯d bet good money I destroyed their homes or killed their loved ones when I¡­" Servi lifted a hand, pointing it at the scar in the planet. "The point is, I¡¯m the reason they¡¯re killing themselves. I¡¯m the hammer that struck the final nail in its coffin. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if Arcton as a whole ceased to exist as a city in a few weeks. That hole reaches 3,000 kilometers into the planet. It¡¯s no consolation, but jumping into it is the most painless way to die¡­¡±


    ¡°IT¡¯S THE END OF THE WORLD!!!!¡±


    Servi and Momo turned to their left and saw a family emergency from the woods. It consisted of a man, the screamer, a woman who cried while holding a little baby close to her breast, and a small girl who couldn¡¯t have been older than five. Momo didn¡¯t know where they came from, but they must¡¯ve been running hard because all of them were out of breath. Black dust covered their raggedy clothing and exposed skin. They all looked a bit thin in the jaw, meaning they were probably sick with some disease.


    The man grabbed his daughter and struggled to pick her up. He grasped his wife¡¯s hand, and they all ran towards the gaping void. Momo connected the two and shouted for them to stop. Her tender feelings went ignored. The man didn¡¯t even spare her a single second. The two sets of trampling footsteps silently stomped against the ground while shortening the distance between them and their goal. The baby and little girl filled the stressed atmosphere with their fearful cries, but their piercing wails instantly diminished as gravity took hold, dragging them into the black void. After a few seconds, Momo¡¯s incredible hearing stopped picking up anything, and that was when the tears streamed down her cheeks.


    ¡°Servy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Momo asked while wiping her eyes. The horror of seeing a family commit suicide would stick with her for a long time. She knew her dreams would be corrupted by nightmares because she only stood by and watched in shock.


    Momo wasn¡¯t the only one who felt that way. Servi did too, but she was affected far more drastically. She showed that by timidly attempting to pull away from Momo¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Let me go. I¡­ I could¡¯ve stopped that family. Telekinesis¡­ Why didn¡¯t I use that to stop them? Why didn¡¯t I use Earth Wall to make a blockade? Why didn¡¯t I use Air Step to make them walk on top of the hole? Why didn¡¯t I¡­do something...? Why did I...just stand by? WHY?!?!!! WWAAAHHHHH!!!¡± In a drastic turn, the Human exploded into an otherworldly wail of anguish. The tears gathering in her eyes flooded downward. Her seemingly unending cries illuminated her lung''s lack of needing air, with it acting as a mournful noise to guide a family during their trip to the world beyond.


    ¡°H-Hey¡ªServi, stop that! You¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let me go! If I jump now, I can still save them. Let me go, Momo! Let! Me! Go!!!¡± Servi, with how strong she was, lost the battle against a malnourished Singi. It was like watching a puppy tear away from a nadrium chain attached to a block of obsidian bolted into the ground.


    ¡°But you¡¯ll get hurt! You¡¯ll die! What if you don''t come back to me this time?! I don''t want to lose you again!!!!¡± Momo argued back. She grappled Servi¡¯s struggling arm with her other hand. Her eyes became cloudy and wet with water, blurring her vision.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care! Let me die if it means I can save them! I¡¯m nothing but a¡ª¡±


    ¡°DON¡¯T SAY IT!!! DON¡¯T YOU DARE SAY IT!!!!¡± shouted Momo. She held her emotional ground and spoke her true thoughts without any sort of filter. She determinedly stared right into her best friend¡¯s eyes. ¡°DON¡¯T EVER SAY IT EVER AGAIN!!!!!!¡± She jerked her arm towards her, bring Servi along for the ride. In another bold move, Momo embraced the girl in a hug and a squeeze.


    The Singi became a physical seal meant to prevent Servi from sacrificing herself to save a family that was already dead. Even if the parents were rescued, there wasn¡¯t anything suggesting their way of thinking would change. Once they were that far gone, in both mind and body, it was nearly impossible to alter their perception on life and its value. In that regard, one might argue that Servi could''ve saved the two children. But that would mean she had to potentially kill herself, and Momo would not stand for that. As harsh as it was, she didn''t want to lose Servi again. In a way, Momo was just as much of a monster as Servi was, yet her concern came from her friend''s wellbeing. She just couldn''t watch her friend die again. Even if she had True Immortality, what if it failed to activate?


    Servi broke down again and cried into Momo¡¯s pink hair. She ran her hands down Servi¡¯s trembling back, tilted her head up, and whispered. ¡°You¡¯re not a monster. I know that was what you were going to say, but I¡¯ll say it as many times as I need to. I¡¯m not gonna sugar-coat it, Servi. You killed a lot of people this past week. You killed fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, grandpas, and grandmas...


    ¡°But that was my fault. If only I would¡¯ve listened to your story-- If I had taken a moment to stay calm and think about things, this wouldn''t have happened. But it did happen, and I feel just as guilty because I had a hand in that family jumping over the edge.


    ¡°But I think guilt can be a good thing in moderation. As long as you feel that emotion¡ªthat sadness and sorrow¡ª you¡¯re no monster. A monster would kill and kill and kill without remorse and even enjoy it without stopping. But I know you¡¯re not like that. I¡¯ve seen and experienced your guilt first hand¡­ Just have that be enough of a punishment for yourself. You saved hundreds of lives two months ago, you rescued me, and you saved the lives of everyone living in Canary. To those slaves, you¡¯re a hero, through and through. And to me, you¡¯re my savior, too. We¡¯re only here, alive and able to breathe the air and drink the water because of you.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had a chance to properly thank you, so I¡¯ll do it now. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for granting me a second chance at life. I know that for as long as I wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night, thanking you will be the first and last thing I do. And I know those slaves are grateful to you as well.¡±


    Momo wanted her words to bring peace, but they only served the opposite. And after a few seconds of staring at Servi¡¯s crying face, Momo knew she had made a mistake. Yet, she didn¡¯t even think about taking them back because the blood of everyone who had died was on her hands. The knife wasn''t in her hand, but her actions had been the catalyst to set forth the motions that led to her and Servi¡¯s current situations.


    As Momo waited for Servi to settle down, they witnessed and endured more than fifteen families jumping to their deaths, but that only accounted for the ones near them. It was far more likely that tens or even hundreds of people felt like the horrible and cataclysmic events hey suffered through meant the world wasn¡¯t worth living in.


    The Singi embracing the quivering Human knew that very well. It took all she had, and then more, to not break down from the insanity of the situation surrounding her. Only the hope and trust of her best friend kept her wavering soul together, but she didn¡¯t know how long that would last. It probably wouldn¡¯t be long until Momo needed her own crying session. But her own needs could wait, she thought. Servy comes first. She¡¯ll always come first. We need to go to Arcton and leave as soon as we can. The quicker we get to Canary, the more prepared I can be for the second part of Servi¡¯s healing. Itarr did say it¡¯ll take a while. I need to do all I can.


    ¡°Servy, come on. It¡¯s not good for you if we stay here,¡± Momo said. She backed up a few steps and gently took hold of Servi¡¯s shaky hand. She held it with far more grace, treating it like a fragile object meant to be loved. Yet again, the friends found themselves connected to each other. Servi''s face immediately showed signs of relief.


    I don¡¯t know how, but it¡¯s like I don¡¯t have a lot of time left. It feels like Servi is slowly slipping away. How will I know she moved on to the second stage of healing? Bah! No questions, Momo. Thinking only wastes time! You have gotta get a move on!


    Momo looked up at Servi and closely observed her facial expressions. Before, she had tears spewing down her cheeks, but those had dried up like she was in the process of forgetting how to cry. Was that the telltale sign of when the healing would resume? If it really did reset Servi to a blank emotional state, then it would obviously mean she wouldn''t know how to cry. Momo didn¡¯t know, but she also took it to mean she had to get a move on.


    She turned to the road and away from the hole, becoming a leader rather than a follower. She trekked on ahead with her best friend in tow while simply whispering words of encouragement.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing good, Servy,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯re almost there. Keep it up. Just focus on my voice and not the things you see.¡± Before long, Servi had ceased her whimpering for good, and Momo was afraid it had begun. But a few seconds later, Servi¡¯s wailing returned. And then after that, she suddenly started talking, babbling about the nature she saw.


    Momo joined in, complementing the beautiful trees and luscious green grass and leaves while creating new topics they could talk about.


    ¡°Yep, they sure are pretty. Hey, how about we have a picnic when you¡¯re all healed? We could have a nice lunch and watch the clouds. That sounds fun, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Servi said. With that single word, she closed her mouth and refused to speak for another forty minutes. Her eyes wandered up and down and all around, just taking in the sights. The world had never looked so beautiful.


    When she did speak again, it was only when Servi and Momo ran into what could only be described as a mass exodus. Hundreds of people were walking away from Arcton, whose entrance the pair could see from their current location. The people leaving were grouped in moderately awkward caravans. Some used wagons and horses, but they were far and few. The vast majority of the refugees only carried what little water and food they could. The scraps of clothing clothed across their bodies meant they were from the more impoverished regions of Arcton. As to where and how some found a horse and wagon? That answer probably laid in the deceased corpse of some noble who foolishly didn¡¯t want to leave anything behind.


    Even if that un-named noble had the correct foresight to escape from a town with no future, they probably believed they could convince the squatters and less-desirables to help carry their stuff for a trivial reward. Most likely, that noble promised them a slice of the cake when they wanted the whole thing.


    When left with nothing, why not risk it all? That was the thought that ran through their heads. Would they eventually meet the same fate a few hours into their travel by someone else with nothing to lose? That was entirely possible, but Servi wasn¡¯t focused on them or that. She only had eyes for a particular wagon surrounded by armed guards. It was the only one of its kind, and Servi only saw it when they were only a few meters from Arcton¡¯s gates.


    ¡°It¡¯s them¡­¡± she whispered, locking eyes with a family of three sitting in the driver¡¯s seat. It consisted of a mother and two daughters, and Servi recognized all three of them. ¡°Lori¡­ Leigh¡­ Emi¡­¡± The two girls had their arms wrapped around their mother, who held a specific valuable box in one hand. The other hand gripped the leathery reins to a very familiar horse.


    Its fur was brown, and its large eyes happened to look at Momo. She instantly recognized the familiar creature as the friend she had made a few short days ago. The horse slowed to a stop and softly neighed.


    "Lemonade?¡± Momo whispered. The pair of friends froze in their tracks, staring at two different things. The armed guards keeping pace with the wagon instantly drew their weapons, which sparsely dripped with the crimson lifeblood of some foolish foe who dared to get close, and formed a defensive line. The tallest and biggest one, a Human with red hair and a nasty scar down his left eye, commanded Servi and Momo to back up. Emi looked down at Servi, and she somehow knew who she was. It seemed her children had made the connection as well, going off the sad look Servi gave them. Leigh wanted to say something, but her sister and mother prevented that.


    ¡°I have to look out for my children. Please, keep moving. Don¡¯t make my guards kill you,¡± Emi said. Lori leaned her head around her mother¡¯s back and did the best she could to calm Leigh. They all wore destroyed scraps and rags, but they were purposely trashed to blend in. That was evident by the near-flawlessness of their brown hair. Though they weren¡¯t styled in any particular way, one would be hard-pressed to find any dirt or grime stowed away within them.


    ¡°Listen to her,¡± spoke the red-haired man. He retrieved a set of dog tags from his neck and proudly showed it off. We¡¯re Rank 5! We may be middle of the pack, but we won¡¯t hesitate to protect our clients!¡± He pulled a shield from his back and held it up.


    ¡°Come on, Servy. We gotta move,¡± Momo murmured. Truthfully, she was happy Lemonade seemed to be in good health. She was partly worried after Servi explained the truth about Old Man and his steed. Her feelings were mixed and muddy when it came to the horse¡¯s previous owner, but she wanted nothing more than the best for her equestrian friend.


    But Momo was also sharply observant of the expression on Servi¡¯s face. She saw a mother and two daughters, and she cross-referenced that with Servi¡¯s story. And as if that wasn¡¯t enough, her furry ears heard Servi whispered their names.


    Servi slowly nodded, and Emi whipped the reins. Lemonade resumed moving, trotting on the path ahead while neighing in annoyance. The armed guards returned to their posts, but the red-haired man remained alone until the wagon was fifteen meters away. Only then did he jog backwards, returning his shield to his back and rejoining the single-wagon convoy.


    Momo also continued walking after saying a silent goodbye to Lemonade, and Servi followed as well, but she kept her head turned to the wagon. The back had a large, beige tarp covering the sides, yet the rear entrance was uncovered. It was mostly empty except for a few hastily packed boxes, cases of clothing, and a few sealed jugs of water.


    ¡°¡­protect them¡­¡± Servi whispered. She took out the nadrium dagger used to channel lightning and subtly used Telekinesis to fly it to Emi¡¯s wagon. It soared close to the ground, weaving between the moving forests of legs and using the dirt kicked up by the refugees to hide its signature glow. In no time at all, it landed softly behind a box without anyone noticing. Servi wished the blade would be used to provide protection for a family that desperately needed it. And for the first time in what felt like forever, she smiled. However, her curled lips only lasted for a single second, vanishing when they properly crossed into Arcton.

 Book Three – Chapter Twelve – Part Seven – The Fleeting Touch of a Friend

    Servi and Momo entered Arcton from the same direction as they did a week prior, but the scenery awaiting them couldn¡¯t have been more different. The buildings were once gross and decrepit, almost begging to be restored to their former glory. Now? The two pairs of eyes only saw destruction, rubble, and squashed corpses.


    The 3,000 Fulgur Spikes sent shockwaves through the planet because Itarr couldn¡¯t repair the walls fast enough, and what they saw was the result of the Goddess¡¯s failure. Momo shook and nearly vomited after being reacquainted with the stench of death, but she held steady and slowly walked forward. Her eyes quivered, but tearing up wouldn¡¯t do her any good.


    ¡°Do you know where the Warden office is?¡± Momo asked. Her voice cracked with every syllable.


    Servi nodded, moving with the same determination that suggested she was back to her old self. Obviously, that couldn¡¯t have been true, but maybe it was a last-ditch effort by the broken Human? She did swear to have Momo promoted, after all. She took the lead, becoming a leader rather than a follower, and led Momo through the rotting remains of Arcton.


    She recognized houses and buildings that she once destroyed during her rampage. They weren¡¯t anything special, but the history within their walls had stories to tell. People¡ªlife¡ªonce inhabited them, and now such adobes were met with a horrific fate of being lost to time. But not all of Arcton¡¯s less-desirables wanted to escape from the failing cities. Nearly fifteen percent stayed behind, planning to adapt to whatever evolution their endeared city dared to take. Quite a few of them were hard at work removing debris and setting up faux camps. More than one cheered or hollered at Servi and Momo, making vague and sexual statements, but the two trekked on ahead. Fear gripped the Singi¡¯s heart, and she was starting to have deep regrets about finding the resolve to come back.


    No, Momo. You can¡¯t have any more room in your heart for doubt. Didn''t you promise Itarr you¡¯d be there for Servy? Are you such a pathetic cat that you¡¯ll break a promise only hours after it was made? That was her reasoning, and a cycle of thoughts swirled around her mind. It gave her strength, somehow, by reigniting the reassuring spirit within her soul. She took the horrible statements with something less than pride, but more than ignorance. But realistically, there was a part of her that feared Servi would break into a murderous rampage to defend Momo.


    And to say the Servi that still remained wanted to do just that wouldn¡¯t be a lie. However, instead of that urge becoming stronger or suddenly disappearing, it naturally faded away as they got closer to the Warden office. But to get there, they had to pass two of the spots where Servi had inflicted the most damage and killed the most people: the spots where she helped with the bank robbery and the location where she tested out Venti Aqua.


    First came the wasteland that was the remains of two Fulgur Spikes going off. Momo yelped in surprise when her tired feet encounter soft, brown soil and not firm, destroyed concrete. Obviously, she should¡¯ve seen the sudden difference ahead using her eyes, but her head was stuck looking behind her at the buildings. Some were destroyed, and very few were in decent shape. But in Arcton, that only meant the building still had some function as shelter. And judging by the weakened and cracked support joints, most of the buildings were only a stiff breeze away from joining the collective trash.


    ¡°Servy, is this¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. A bank robbery¡­ I¡¯m sure it was a decoy for something else, but the how, why, and truth isn¡¯t important. The only thing that matters is I wiped out a brigade called Wind Zeppelin. They¡­all perished. And the people who used to live here all died¡­ Even the blood I spilled vaporized away when I used Fulgur Spike¡­ I think Itarr said we absorbed hundreds of souls in this one spot. Human, Demi-Human¡­ Men, women and children¡­ They''re all resting in my ring. Their lives only fueled my power, giving me the strength to¡­commit more atrocities¡­¡±


    Momo thought she smelled something strange and took a big whiff, but she didn¡¯t pick up anything odd. No¡ªthe fact that she didn¡¯t smell anything at all was the weirdest thing. Even in the leftover remains of a battlefield, there should¡¯ve been something. If not the stench of rotting corpses, then perhaps the smell of nearby areas would flood in? But that didn¡¯t happen. The Singi looked back to where the wasteland stopped, and the rest of the city began. Right at that dividing edge, scents and stenches ceased to exist.


    The catgirl thought about saying something, but the right words didn¡¯t show themselves. Instead, Momo slowly moved her thumb against the back of Servi¡¯s palm, and the Human responded by doing the same. Such little acts of affection only communicated the bare minimum, but that was more than enough.


    It didn¡¯t take long for them to cross the 200 or so meter wasteland. Once Momo¡¯s feet touched hard concrete once again, a familiar rotten smell invaded her nose. A part of her wished then and there to run back to the ruined area only 15 meters behind them. A few minutes after that, Momo¡¯s eyes picked up a startling amount of what seemed to be red paint. Only it didn¡¯t smell like the paint her grandpa would use.


    ¡°Is that¡­blood? And it¡¯s everywhere¡­ It¡¯s on the rubble, and it¡¯s covering those bricks over there... And is that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Momo, this is where I took out one of the guard towers two days before I came for you. I¡­ I used this place to try out Venti Aqua¡­¡± Servi stopped and pointed to the red all around her. Though most of the evidence of her assault had been whisked away by the Venti Aqua¡¯s final explosion, some of the heavier items remained. Like the guard towers. A few rugged bricks stood around and allowed the blood of Arcton''s innocents to coat its once clean surface.


    It only shared one thing with the wasteland of before, and that was the total, decrepit state of everything. The grass still somewhat remained, but it was turning an unsettling brown color. The soil was dying, but like all other things, it would soon heal. Blood had the ability to act as a fertilizer, but it would still be a few years before anything grew. As for whether or not whatever sprouted up would remain? That would be up to whoever grasped Arcton''s reins during this period of uncertain power. A dictatorship or something just as vile was probably brewing in the background as Servi and Momo made their way to their destination.


    ¡°I remember watching it pick up little boys and girls, piercing their skin with raindrops sharp enough to cut through rock. The adults didn¡¯t stand a chance, either, being snatched up and eviscerated by water¡­ I¡­ I stood by and watched because I wanted to punish the town¡­ They didn¡¯t fight back when the Mafia came, so I felt they didn¡¯t deserve to live. Why should they? It¡¯s because of them that the Mafia managed to infect this town like a contagious disease. Their grimy talons were in everything¡­ When I discovered that church in New Arcton, I figured it had to be fake. It didn¡¯t make sense for him to draw so much attention to the place with guards, ballistae, and that bodyguard. ¡®It¡¯s a decoy,¡¯ I said.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t a decoy at all. When I eventually raided it, I found the note Sakdu left me. I was so close. I WAS SO CLOSE!!!!!! I swore then and there to take revenge on this fucking town. That¡¯s why I stopped worrying about so-called ¡®innocents¡¯ because I believed everyone was guilty. But they weren¡¯t the guilty ones. I was. I was¡­¡±


    ¡°Servy¡­ You¡¯re crying¡­¡± Momo said. Her free hand reached into her bag and pulled out a little napkin. She dabbed Servi¡¯s reddened eyes, wiping her tears with a gentle touch. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say it before? Half of the responsibility of what happened with Arcton lies with me. We don¡¯t have any choice but to face the future head-on while enduring our sins. I guess we can only make repentance and work on doing right in the world¡­ Okay? Servy?¡±


    Once again, Servi broke down into a sniveling mess. Her anguished cries of sorrow escaped through her mouth in the form of wails for the deceased. Momo did what she could, embracing the tortured soul who had to come to terms with the soul-wrenching visible remains of her massacre. More than ever, she didn¡¯t regard the people of Arcton as being guilty by association. She now realized it was futile for victims weakened by the poisonous Monotonia to fight back in a war designed for them to lose.


    Servi was the weak one; she was the most pathetic of them all. Her ¡®strength¡¯ had only been there for show. The strongest one of all was the Singi, who endured a week of hell. It was the barely-held-together catgirl who pushed aside her own feelings to comfort the one who desperately needed a tender embrace.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go,¡± Momo whispered as she stored the used napkin in her bag. She walked ahead, gently pulling Servi and squeezing her hand. ¡°We¡¯re almost to the Warden office, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s just up there¡­¡± Servi pointed, raising a trembling hand. Momo nodded, and the two continued their short journey.


    After another ten minutes of walking, they came across a startling sight. Of the six buildings they saw in front of them, only one stood. There was rubble and dust everywhere. The air was thick with it, becoming visible like a thin, cloudy film. ¡°That¡¯s the Warden office. It¡¯s right over there¡­ And that next to it is the remnants of Jade¡­ It was one of the bases the Mafia had. I¡­ I dropped pillars like they were large arrows, nearly flattening it whole. The people inside died without knowing what was happening. I squished them like pancakes¡­¡±


    ¡°Servy¡­¡± Momo did her best to avert her eyes. She wanted to pinch shut her nose, but breathing the awful stench through her mouth would be worse. The smell of death and rotten corpses would be on her tongue then, corrupting any food she¡¯d eat.


    But the Singi and Human weren¡¯t alone. A small gang of excited scavengers hurriedly dug through debris, pulling out usable bits of metal. A large pile nearby on the west side of the base contained nearly 150 swords, spears, and axes. And since part of the base was underground, a few brave souls were ordered¡ªforced¡ªto squeeze down into the underbelly. They crawled under perilously placed dangerous metal beams only held in place by separate beams leveraged in just the right spot.


    Even a skinny Koena would find it hard to maneuver because of their scales, so most of the debris divers were Singi. When Servi and Momo were about ten steps away from the Warden office, they saw a group return from the base¡¯s remains. All bloody and worn out, bits of meat and bone were stuck to their gross hair and greasy tails. Their hands held prizes won from their deceased former owners. A hearty cackle and cheers went up in the air as the weapon pile became bigger. But just like that, they were gone again, searching for more treasures to bring back in the form of food or arms.


    Momo looked and immediately turned away. Her eyes only stared at the wooden building she and Servi approached. Like the one in Canary, this Warden office was all wood. It was painstakingly created with beautiful mahogany lumber harvested from nearby. The stairs and handrails came from the same tree, allowing them to have matching inner markings with the same inner rings. It all combined together rather wonderfully, giving an aesthetically pleasing sense of repetition. The similarity should have knocked a few points off, but it only enhanced it.


    Of course, the building was beautiful in its prime, and now it was none of that. Many years of neglect reduced the once-proud structure to something less than a former shade of its brilliant luster. The outer wooden panels hadn¡¯t been scraped clean in six years. Filthy excrement littered the building in its entirety, and obscene words and graphics had been painted on the east and west outer walls.


    But even though the turbulent times that rocked Arcton to its core, the Warden office still stood. Whatever leadership it had chose not to divulge the truth when an inspector came, but they still had the decency to keep it open. But was it decency? Or was Sakdu ordering the office to operate as if everything was normal? Were there bribes paid to the inspector to lie about the actual state of affairs?


    "Servy, we go in, get promoted, and we leave. Okay? We¡¯re out in just a few minutes, and we can finally go home,¡± the Singi said upon ascending the stairs with her friend in tow. Momo reached out, pulling back on the rotted handle covered in a sticky substance. She groaned but powered through her disgust as the door swung open.


    It revealed a lobby full of pure chaos. Broken tables and chairs littered nearly half of the available space, providing obstacles that needed to be dodged. The stairs leading up to the second floor and beyond just didn¡¯t exist past the fourth step. Of the eight glass windows separating Warden employees from adventurers, only three remained. The other five had thick, wooden boards acting as a makeshift barricade. The light illuminating the building came from thick candles and florescent lights, which sporadically flashed on and off. Such a thing meant it needed to be charged with Skill Energy, and judging from the state of the place, it had probably been a hot minute since someone topped it off.


    To say that the office was underfunded wasn¡¯t false, but it also wasn¡¯t entirely true. As odd as it sounded, the office was once respectable and noteworthy. Unfortunately, it had been transformed into its pitiful state by reasons, which only came to pass when the Mafia rode into town.


    The wall that should have held different requests taped to it was also gone. The lack of dust where the billboards were once placed meant it used to be there, but Momo didn¡¯t know how long ago that was. Her blue eyes sharply turned to the three available windows. Of the three, only one had a line, and that only consisted of a single person.


    The person behind the window was a Human girl of around 17 or 18. She wore a dirty long-sleeved shirt stained with dust with a pair of pants. A set of black gloves covered her slender fingers. Her brown hair was tied back in a ponytail.


    The frightened look in her brown eyes made it seem like she was working against her will, but that couldn¡¯t have been further from the truth. A sturdy spirit full of determination and perseverance laid beneath those eyes. She briefly looked up to lock eyes with Momo before turning her head back to her client.


    Momo took that to mean they could get in line, so she and Servi tiptoed around the furniture-turned-obstacles. As soon as they reached the window, the employee finished assisting the man.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about y¡¯all, but I¡¯m leaving this dump. I¡¯ve had enough death and crumbling buildings to last me a lifetime,¡± he said while tipping his cowboy hat. In terms of armor and equipment, he seemed to be Rank 8 or 9. The leather covering his shoulders and neck was of decent quality, but the iron protecting his vitals had more dents than someone should have been comfortable with.


    ¡°I understand, sir. Our manager left early this morning without leaving a note. Then the other employees left as well. There¡¯s only me and my granny left working, and we were leaving in a few minutes after packing up anything essential. Please, be safe when you leave the city,¡± said the girl. Her tone was calm and professional for the situation she found herself in.


    ¡°You too.¡± The man tipped his hat one last time and went to leave. He nodded to Servi and Momo, but only the latter returned it. The pair stepped up, and Momo reached into her bag. Before she did, however, she read the employee¡¯s name tag.


    Angie¡­ Servy said Old Man had a granddaughter¡­ This girl couldn¡¯t be her, could she? She said she works at Warden, and I mean, here we are¡­


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s a good thing you and friend showed up when you did,¡± said the girl. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you two will be the last people we help here.¡±


    ¡°I overheard you tell that man you and your grandma are leaving soon. Is that right?¡± Momo asked.


    Angie nodded. ¡°We are. This town didn¡¯t use to be like this. Believe it or not, I used to have warm and pleasant memories, but those have been distorted¡­¡± Angie looked up and at an angle, like she was picturing something invisible. A sad scowl flashed across her face. A quick shake later, she removed whatever horrible thought from her mind. ¡°Oh! I didn¡¯t mean to make it even more depressing! What can I help you two with?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Servy and I are here to get promoted. We have a letter from the Warden office in Canary,¡± Momo responded with a gentle smile. She already had the quest item in her hand, so she laid it down on the table, sliding it through the rectangular hole.


    Angie grabbed a nearby letter-opener and opened the envelope. Her gloved fingers plucked out a letter, and she ran her eyes over it. After reaching the end, she smiled and turned it around so Momo and Servi could examine its content.


    It was a little note from their closest friend, who happened to work at Warden.


    Congratulations! Servi, Momo, I¡¯m so proud of you! I hope the trip wasn¡¯t that bad. Did you have fun? I hope so! Being promoted is one of those memories that¡¯ll remain with you for a long time. When you two come back, let¡¯s go out and celebrate! I wanna hear all about it!


    I¡¯ll be waiting!


    Your friend,


    Claire.


    P.S. Usually, these letters are supposed to be formal and stuffy, but my boss gave me permission to write a personal note after I begged him. Hehe, I hope it brought a smile to your faces!


    After reading it out loud, Momo nearly teared up, but she had a smile across her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m imagining this Claire works at the Canary Warden office?¡±


    ¡°Yep! She¡¯s our friend! Servy and I signed up at the same time.¡±


    Angie nodded. ¡°It¡¯s so wonderful seeing adventurers getting alone with Warden employees.¡± Then she sighed. ¡°We don¡¯t get any of that here. Our adventurers are always so rude and mean, and they¡¯re constantly drunk. But like I said, it didn¡¯t use to be like that. It used to be pretty around these parts. Ahh, I miss those old days¡­¡± Angie looked listlessly to the rotting ceiling above. ¡°I hope the state of the town and what transpired the last few days didn¡¯t hamper such a joyous occasion. Like the letter said, being promoted is supposed to be a wonderful time. I mean, there are only eleven ranks in Warden, 10-0, which means a person can only be promoted ten times. I¡¯d be sad if it was tarnished¡ª¡±


    Angie couldn''t have possibly known the effect her words would have on Servi. She broke into tears, using her unoccupied hand to wipe her eyes. Momo sprung into action, retrieving a napkin and wiping Servi¡¯s eyes faster than Angie asked what was wrong.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I went too far. My granny keeps telling me I ramble on too much.¡±


    No, it¡¯s not your fault. Servy is¡­she¡¯s really emotional right now. Because it¡¯s just a sad time right now, she¡¯s just trying to express herself. Crying is the only way she can because her heart¡¯s trying to imagine what it feels like¡­¡± Momo spoke faster than usual, hiding the truth behind a flurry of somewhat factual statements.


    As it seemed to be a running theme, Angie had a few tears of her own flowing down her face. ¡°I understand it completely. I¡¯ve woken up crying the past few days myself. My granny says I have an empathetic heart. Or did she say sympathetic?¡± Angie placed a covered finger to her pretty chin. ¡°I can¡¯t remember what she called it, but she said it¡¯s a good thing. If we can feel the sadness someone else is feeling, we have a good heart because we want nothing more than to share the burden. That¡¯s what she told me, and I like to think it¡¯s true. I certainly don¡¯t want people to be sad, mad, or in pain. If I can take some of that for myself to lessen a stranger¡¯s suffering, then I¡¯d do it without question.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s funny,¡± Momo said. ¡°My grandpa used to tell me something similar when I was a little girl.¡± Then the Singi whispered. ¡°He taught me a lot of things, and I ignore the most important ones¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Angie said, tilting her head. Momo slightly panicked and shook her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing! Umm, do you need our IDs?¡±


    ¡°That I do. I also need your dog tags,¡± Angie replied. She turned around for a brief second to retrieve a few items from the filing cabinet behind her. Scratched and torn, it looked like it had been ravaged by a beast with sharp claws and pointy fangs.


    ¡°Itarr, Servy needs her ID,¡± Momo whispered as she summoned her stone tablet. When the familiar red object gently landed down on the table, the Singi placed her pink ID down right beside it. Her free hand then went to her neck, grasping the dog tags and the necklace they clung to. It shook with pure anxiety like the girl couldn¡¯t believe she was finally being promoted.


    But that wasn¡¯t it. That wasn¡¯t it at all.


    She should¡¯ve been happy, but the joy she thought she would feel was being tainted by the lives of thousands of people.


    Does someone like me really deserve to wear this around my neck? It¡¯s silver and smooth, but it¡¯s covered in the blood of so many¡­


    Momo found the strength she needed in the trembling hand she held. The Singi looked up, meeting Servi¡¯s red eyes as she placed her set of dog tags on her red ID. Momo softly smiled, doing the same but with her ID.


    No matter what actions the Singi took, the horrible events that made up the week of hell would forever be engraved in her memories, let alone a pair of simple dog tags. But with that in mind, it still would be nothing but a constant reminder. Did Momo have the willpower to bear those sins?


    She didn¡¯t know, but maybe that was fine? She wasn¡¯t alone anymore. There was a girl, though far more broken than Momo, standing right beside her.


    There was no rule written in the world¡¯s law that required people to face their sins and burdens alone. Momo could rely on Servi and her strength to bear the heavy weight of being the cause of such destruction, and Servi could rely on Momo to be her emotional crutch.


    We can bear the pain together. Momo thought as Angie turned around. She held a small metal device that looked like an abstract microscope. It had a little tray that was just big enough for two dog tags. She placed it down and laid two pieces of paper on the table.


    ¡°Okay. It¡¯ll be only a second. This little machine will scrape off your previous Rank and etch in your new one. As for your IDs, could I get you two to sign these contracts? It¡¯s like the one you received when you signed up, but it says you¡¯re Rank 9.¡±


    Momo nodded and grabbed a small pen from her bag. After giving her signature, she handed it to Servi. She also wrote her name at the bottom. While they did that, Angie used the odd device to alter their dog tags. She slid the changed items through the window while retrieving two IDs and a pair of signed contracts.


    With far more determination than she had a few moments ago, Momo wrangled the proof of Warden around her neck after staring at its smooth surface.


    ¡°It really does say ¡®Momo ¨C Rank 9 ¨C Canary Branch, Lando¡­ And yours says the same thing, Servy. Err, it has ''Servi'' instead of ''Momo.'' ¡± Momo looked up, smiling when she realized she wasn¡¯t the only one reading it.


    ¡°It does¡­ Momo, we finally did it¡­¡± Servi spoke with an odd tone like she had to fight for the ability to speak. Momo also picked up on it, but she did her best to stay positive because it wouldn''t do any good to break down.


    That can come later. I have to be strong.

 Book Three – Chapter Twelve – Part Eight – The Fleeting Touch of a Friend

    ¡°Yeah. Our first major milestone is complete¡­¡± Momo turned her head to the window, which showed Angie maneuvering a burning match to Momo¡¯s contract. The black ash scattered on top of the pink surface. It glowed for only a second, and then the process was complete.


    Angie slid it back through the window while looking at the pouch of matches. Since she hadn¡¯t worked at Warden long enough, she was barred from using Acceptance Flame via a skill. She wouldn¡¯t get that privilege until she had earned it, so she was forced to use matches enchanted with the same properties.


    However, she ran out.


    ¡°Granny! Can you come in here?¡± Angie hollered.


    A few seconds later, the door located behind Angie, which led to the back room, away from prying eyes, had its handle turned. The door flew open, allowing an Elf to walk right in. Momo correctly presumed this woman was the granny Angie talked about, even though they were of different races.


    She had heterochromia, with one eye being blue and the other green. A set of paper earrings hung from her pointy ears, which were angled upwards rather than back. They were a gift from Angie, who painstakingly practiced day and night for months. However, she didn¡¯t master the technique of folding paper, and that was visually obvious. The left one was red and a bit larger than the right blue one. That one was a few centimeters smaller. Even though Angie begged her to throw them away, the Elf refused, citing it was a precious gift.


    The orange hair covering her head was tied in a single braid. Though it showed a few blemishes here and there on her exposed, tanned arms, the gray short-sleeve t-shirt she wore had black metal plates sewed within them. Her leather pants had the same. While both weren¡¯t a substitute for actual armor, it was the most she could string together on short notice.


    ¡°Angie, I told you to holler when that man left,¡± the Elf said. She had two swords sheathed around her waist. Her right hand was preoccupied with a backpack similar to the one Momo had on. It had the name ¡®Angie¡¯ written on it. The one she held with her left hand was much bigger. Even if she worked out for months, Momo didn¡¯t think she could lift it as easily as this Elf.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, granny,¡± Angie said. ¡°But these two came in after him. I had to help them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, but don¡¯t forget next time.¡± The Elf sat the backpacks down and walked over to Angie. She towered over against her adopted granddaughter by forty centimeters. Placing a hand on Angie¡¯s brown hair, the Elf spoke to Servi and Momo. ¡°I can see it without needing to ask. You two are ranking up?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, ma¡¯am. We''re going from Rank 10 to Rank 9. Angie had done mine, but Servy¡¯s still needs her,¡± Momo said.


    ¡°Granny, here¡¯s her contract.¡± Angle held up a piece of paper. When she snapped her finger, a flame appeared from the Elf¡¯s index finger. It didn¡¯t take long at all for her to scorch the contract, and a few seconds later, Servi had her ID back. She looked at the words ¡®Rank: 9¡¯ and smiled.


    ¡°There ya go. I know you are supposed to get 50 dupla, but I¡¯m sorry. We don¡¯t have the money. Our coffers are empty because our turncoat, cowardly, weak, annoying boss robbed us before he ran away.¡±


    ¡°Granny!¡± Angie exclaimed, red in the face. ¡°You told me we shouldn''t talk bad about our superiors!¡±


    ¡°I did, but only those we respect. Oh, but don¡¯t worry, the Potential you should have earned is already on there. As for the dupla, take this¡­¡± The Elf pulled out a notepad and pen from somewhere nearby. She hastily scribbled something similar to a receipt and handed it to Momo. ¡°Give that to an employee in any Warden office, and you¡¯ll get paid. I really am sorry for the inconvenience.¡±


    Momo hastily red it over, learning that Moko was the Elf''s name.


    ¡°Now, I don¡¯t want to be rude, but as you can see from the city, it isn¡¯t looking good. We¡¯re the only ones here, and we were about to leave this dump. If you don¡¯t have any other business¡­¡± Moko trailed off.


    ¡°I know. Angie mentioned that. To be honest, we were too. We just wanted to finish up the quest and then head back to Canary. I should be the one apologizing,¡± Momo said. ¡°Come on, Servy. It¡¯s time for us to leave.¡± She turned her head to her friend and noticed her eyes were glued to her ID. At the same time, a mysterious letter appeared on the table. An invisible force glided it through the little hole in the glass.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Angie noticed the note and went to pick it up. She opened and silently read it while Moko talked to Momo.


    ¡°I see. But do be careful on the way back. Try not to travel as much as night. Be sure to find a cave or something to hunker down in. Ah, do you have enough food? I think we have¡ª¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Angie¡¯s sudden whimper cut Moko off as she immediately crouched down.


    ¡°Angie, what¡¯s wrong?!¡± Moko held her granddaughter by the shoulders, which violently convulsed.


    ¡°No!!! It can¡¯t be true!!! No!!!!¡± Angie slammed the letter down, hurting her hand.  That discomfort didn¡¯t compare at all to the pain radiating down her arms. Her gloved hand shakily went to her sleeve, gripping it tightly.


    Moko turned her attention to the letter and hastily scanned it over. ¡°Shit! Angie, stay with me. Sweetie, just look at me, okay?¡±


    ¡°Granny!!!¡± The traumatized Human looked up with thick tears. ¡°It hurts!!! My arms hurt!!! AAAHHHHHH!!!!¡± Angie screamed with the force of a dying whale. Moko tried to prevent her from scratching at her sleeves, but that ended in failure. It wasn¡¯t the first time Angie had an outburst likely relating to her memories, but it had never been so brutal and sudden.


    ¡°Sweetie, look at me!¡± The Elf moved her hands from Angie¡¯s shoulders to her hands, forcibly pulling them away from their opposite forearm.


    Momo only needed one look to connect the dots. Her mind the rest.


    I figured there would be a letter when Servi told me about Old Man and his granddaughter. She said he claimed to had given up on ever reconnecting with her, but that was a lie. I would bet my bottom dupla Old Man secretly wished for the chance to see her, and that¡¯s why he went through the effort of writing that note. Servi also told me she had no memory of him, but looking at it now¡­ I say she¡¯s remembering it all. He had to kill and rob to get that medicine... Even if he was a murderer, he truly cared about his family¡­


    Her thoughts were somewhat calm for the situation she observed, but it was because she trusted Servi to do the right thing. But even that trust couldn¡¯t lessen the pain Momo felt while watching Angie suffer right before her very eyes. It was like a chain had wound itself around her beating heart, tightening and preventing it from beating.


    The same chain had found its way around Angie as well. It clashed with a barrier deep within her soul containing her locked memories. The metaphysical chain wrapped around and around, doing its best to free the sealed memories. Although, it unintentionally caused Angie a great deal of pain.


    But that was about to change.


    ¡°There it is¡­¡± Servi whispered. Momo looked over with tears in her eyes, and her friend turned her head. ¡°Lux Dei Omnipotentis,¡± she said, uttering the name of one of the most powerful skills in the world.


    A little pink pebble, smaller than even the tiniest rock, appeared from thin air in a dazzling explosion of pink light. However, it wasn¡¯t a physical attack. It was metaphysical, penetrating deep with the Warden office, covering everything in a pinkish glow. It emitted not cold or hatred, but warmth and love. Momo¡¯s pained heart was instantly soothed. Moko turned her head away from her granddaughter and stared at the pair holding hands.


    ¡°No way¡­¡± she muttered. Her surprise was so great it prevented her from comforting Angie. Though by now, the troubled Human had considerably calmed down.


    From the pink-covered floor, a bubble appeared. It grew larger and taller, taking on the shape of a Humanoid woman with wings, though her facial features were hidden. It soon exploded, flooding Servi¡¯s, Momo¡¯s, Moko¡¯s, and Angie¡¯s eyes with a blast of light so strong they temporarily lost their sense of sight.


    Lux Dei Omnipotentis was a skill that required a vast amount of Skill Energy to perform the miracles it was known for. To do that, it first temporarily transported the user, the target, and those around them to a small separate dimension consisting of nothing but pure Skill Energy. Once they were in there, the energy surrounding them provided the rest of the fuel Lux Dei Omnipotentis needed, therefore actually performing the miracles.


    If that was the case, then why did it need such a large amount of Skill Energy to use in the first place? Why couldn¡¯t the skill just borrow the energy?


    That was because breaking away from the physical realm and into the world where Skill Energy resided took a heavy toll on the user. In other words, out of the few who had the skill, even fewer would find themselves able to stand after using it. It was far more likely they would be bed-ridden for weeks or months as the body recuperated, but even that was rare. More often than not, the user slipped into a coma, eventually succumbing to death.


    Without assistance from rare tools or a particular exclusive skill, perceiving the normally invisible Skill Energy was impossible.


    What did it look like? Each of the seven elements: water, fire, wind, earth, lightning, light, and dark, were infused into each other by the Gods and Goddesses when the world was created. That was the truth behind Skill Energy. It was a mixture of the purest elements making up the world.


    Should the separator keeping it hidden be removed, the entire universe would be plastered in a rainbow-esque filter. An accurate comparison would be a child tossing buckets of polychrome paint onto a canvas and crawling on it. Everything would forever be a mismatch of chaos that would drown the visual senses of everyone in the world.


    On the other hand, there was a skill in Warden¡¯s vast repertoire that allowed a user to slightly alter the separator in their immediate surroundings. By doing so, they could make it appear as if they were glowing with the coolness of water or burning with the flaming inferno of fire.


    Such abilities were often used by traveling circuses or performing groups to enhance their shows with a display of color. They provided absolutely nothing in terms of combat. At worst they were useless. At best it allowed a performer the chance to dazzle and glow like the sun in front of a crying child to soothe their aching hearts. For some people, that made it worthwhile to learn.


    Even so, there was yet one more skill out there that allowed a person the chance to convert their physical strength into a visual blast of Skill Energy. Aptly named Visual Aura, the skill was mainly used for brutish men to compare their physical prowess. Rumors had it there that were even competitions with monetary compensation on the line for those with the brightest or most intimidating Visual Aura.


    It only took a few seconds for her sight to return, but what Moko saw stole her strength away. Seconds later, Momo slowly opened her own eyes, crying instantly at the astonishing sight she saw. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s paradise¡­¡± she uttered. What she saw could only be described as a Utopia to put all other Utopias to shame.


    The pinkish sky emitted a sense of love, blessing all who looked upon it with the stillness of a calming heart. The green grass below the group of four was softer than velvet and smelled like charming flowers. The air was cleaner than even the purest air, preventing the tiniest and most harmless toxins from invading their lungs.


    Momo looked at Servi, who blankly stared ahead. In the far distance stood hills of rolling, brown mountains. Momo smiled, joining her friend in glancing at the otherworldly sights. It was then they discovered they were located in the middle of a great plain. There were no traces of oceans or lakes in the vast distance their eyes surveyed.


    Moko then remembered about Angie. She turned so fast her single braid whipped her face, drawing blood, and whimpered when Angie wasn¡¯t there. Before her panic swallowed her whole, she heard someone speaking.


    ¡°Be at ease,¡± said a feminine voice from the sky. Momo had no way of knowing, but the speaker¡¯s tone was eerie similar to Itarr. The calming words relaxed Moko to the point where she was docile. The same pink bubble from moments appeared in front of them.


    ¡°That which is in front of you is Lux Dei Omnipotentis.¡± As if right on cue, the bubble stretched and formed into a similar shape they saw before arriving. The voice from the sky continued to speak, almost as if the Humanoid-shaped bubble was waiting for something before it fully popped. ¡°Angie is safe and sound. Take a look for yourselves.¡±


    The pink surface of the bubble popped, revealing a woman with wings who carried a girl in her soft arms. The winged woman had an outfit like that of a nurse, but its threads were woven with pink Skill Energy. Her eyes were a similar color to that of the blue sky, but they were brighter. Other than her pale skin, which periodically flashed a light pink, everything about the woman was pink. Even her wings shared a similar hue to that of the sky. Momo briefly stared, remembering back to when her grandpa talked about angels.


    Grandpa once told me a story about people with white wings called angels, but those aren¡¯t white. But I bet she''s an angel all the same¡­ I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m witnessing something so incredible!


    ¡°Moko, be at ease,¡± spoke the woman with a voice similar to that of Momo. The angel¡¯s wings lightly fluttered as she hovered to the frantic Elf. Her arms were outstretched while water fell from her eyes. When they left her puffy cheeks, the clear drops fell to the grass, where they promptly disappeared. ¡°Angie is healed from anything ailing her.¡±


    As if to prove her words, Moko took her adopted granddaughter and raised her sleeves. ¡°They¡¯re gone?!¡± she exclaimed upon discovering the lack of horrific reminders tying Angie to her unknown past. ¡°What about her disease?! That awful disease¡­ it¡¯s gone, right?! Please, say it¡¯s gone!¡± The majority of Moko¡¯s believed she was a part of a fever dream induced by Arcton¡¯s downfall. Even still, the first thing that came to her mind was understanding what she thought was a delusion because it involved Angie.


    ¡°Moko, be at ease. Angie is healed from anything ailing her.¡± The winged-woman repeated herself word-for-word.


    Moko tried again to get a definitive answer out of the woman while Momo stared with a smile.


    This place looks like the area of my mind where that girl is, but the colors are different. And that woman with the wings looks kinda like me if I was a Human. I¡¯m confused, but I¡¯m not anxious or worried about anything. I know Servy wouldn¡¯t use the skill if there was any chance of something harming us.


    Momo acutely noticed some vital details about the space they found themselves in, but she couldn¡¯t quite make the connection. Though let it be known, it wasn¡¯t her fault she lacked the crucial knowledge; only the most ancient and knowledgeable of secret texts contained verifiable information behind Rank 0 skills. Most day-to-day citizens and inhabitants of the planet only knew the bare minimum. For example, they were aware that Lux Dei Omnipotentis could heal any wound, but they didn¡¯t know the means of how the skill accomplished that.


    Moments before Lux Dei Omnipotentis transported the group of four, it scanned the open portion of Servi¡¯s memory and everyone¡¯s IDs. The skill then used that information to create the perfect sub-world, which ensured total calmness and peace.


    The prominent use of the color pink and Momo¡¯s likeness for the angel heavily signified Servi¡¯s complete and total trust in her. In a way, there could be no better show of affection because it meant, to Servi, Momo was the single person in the whole world that brought her tranquility.


    The speaker that spoke from the sky illustrated the bond between Servi and the Goddess inside her. If Itarr registered that connection, she didn¡¯t make it known. She lazily floated around while trying her best to hold in her tears.


    If Servi had no trust in anyone, then the little realm they found themselves in would be like a multi-colored canvas splashed with seven differently colored coats of paint.


    The angel¡¯s repeated sentences were due to the script she was assigned to. Those equivalent words were uttered for all who had used Lux Dei Omnipotentis. And they will be said in the future for all who came after Servi, Momo, Moko, and Angie.


    In the end, the skill was true to its description. Everything that could be described as a disease, wound, scar, and anything in between, was healed from Angie¡¯s body. The poor girl would no longer suffer from that infernal disease which broke her family apart. The harsh reminder on her arms would fade away to the land of lost memories. As for whether or not Angie would recall her grandfather and life before she met Moko? That was up to her. Only Angie could come to terms with her past and face them head-on.


    ¡°Servy, I¡¯m so proud of you¡­¡± Momo said. Her eyes looked up at the pink sky, then they turned to Servi. ¡°This is¡­just incredible¡­ I¡¯m not talking about the scenery, though it is pretty. I¡¯m talking about what you did for Angie and Moko. You said this skill needed 500 or 1,000 Potential to learn, and the cost doubled with each use¡­ That¡¯s a big sacrifice, but you did it for them¡­ I always knew you had a heart full of kindness.¡±


    Servi chose to remain quiet. Moments before she was about to end the skill, a second form materialized inside a pink bubble, which popped into existence. After fading away, it revealed an elderly gentleman, who was the spitting image of Old Man. He even had the same scar across his face.


    Moko, who held the sleeping Angie in her arms, gasped when she saw the newly formed figure. The angel, who stood a step back and allowed the ghostly form Old Man to approach, dissolved into pink energy.


    The speechless Elf tried to talk, but no words escaped her opened mouth. Her heterochromatic eyes just stared when the man placed a hand on Angie¡¯s forehead. His ghostly fingers swept aside her hair. Then he reached down and took hold of one of her hands.


    The Old Man lookalike never uttered a single word during his unexpected cameo. He only showed what little affection he could, but he wasn¡¯t Old Man. He was only a chunk of Skill Energy given form by Servi¡¯s unlocked memories. His actions were the same the real Old Man would do, but he did not have a conscience. Like a machine, every motion he performed was dependent on the instructions he received.


    I guess he got his wish in the end. Old Man¡­ you loved Angie very much¡­ Momo thought to herself. The heartwarming scene was so moving she cried, but the water leaking from her blue eyes wasn''t from sadness.


    ¡°Happy tears are the best tears. Isn¡¯t that right, Servy?¡±


    Servi nodded and chose that time to end the skill. A pink orb materialized in front of her. The color of the world seemed to fade away, sucking into the ball that rapidly grew in size with every passing second. The pink sky slowly turned brown, like the wooden roof in the Warden office. The air became stuffy and sickening, like it was being tainted by the smell of death. Momo looked down and saw the grass below her feet turn into a wooden floor on the edge of rotting.


    The large mountains in the distance were replaced walls, and the four who went to the Skill Energy Realm had appeared back in the physical realm. The glass window separating Servi and Momo from Moko and Angie proved that.


    The startled Elf blinked once, twice, and then four times. A huff of disbelief escaped her quivering lips. Angie still laid in her arms, asleep to the world with a calming smile on her face.


    ¡°Grandpa¡­ I love you¡­ Don¡¯t go¡­¡± she uttered. Moko instantly ran her fingers up and down Angie¡¯s forearms, gasping in relief.


    ¡°The scars are gone¡­ So that really did happen¡­ Sweetie, you don¡¯t have to take that awful medicine anymore¡­¡± whispered the Elf. She wept tears of relief and happiness, which were also a display of her determination to face the future. When Angie woke up, the pair was sure to have some turbulent times ahead, but Moko would do all she could to support her adopted granddaughter.


    ¡°Wait¡­ How did it happen? Did you¡­¡± Moko looked through the glass window at Servi and Momo.


    ¡°When Angie wakes up, tell her I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t save her grandfather. I had the chance¡­but I chose not to act. Before he died, he once joked about me using Lux Dei Omnipotentis to save her¡­ Well, I kept my promise¡­¡± Servi said. She failed to maintain a smile, crying when she spoke the second sentence. Moko was utterly speechless, but Servi and her best friend turned around before the Elf could get a word in. Perhaps that was for the best. If she spoke, she would no doubt be reduced to a sniveling mess. Instead, Moko said a few heartfelt words in her mind as she stared at the Singi consoling the Human.


    ¡°Servy, I¡¯ll say as many times as I need to because it''s the truth. I¡¯m so proud of you,¡± Momo said. Her blue eyes also looked to the physical proof of their connection. ¡°And now, it¡¯s time for us to leave.¡±


    Servi nodded once more. She didn¡¯t speak because, again, it felt like she was slowly slipping away. Servi knew it was going to happen, and Momo did too, but Servi angrily bemoaned the fact it had to happen so soon. If she did have anything to say, she needed to do it soon.


    The two advanced towards the door when Servi heard a familiar voice whisper a single sentence. ¡°Williana, thank you for doing the impossible¡­¡±


    Softly smiling, Servi held an arm out, opening the door that hopefully led to a brighter future.

 Book Three – Epilogue – Part One – Dawn of a Fresh Beginning

    As they left the Warden office and made their way to the city gates, Servi and Momo inadvertently joined up with an impromptu caravan. The pair traveled with it for forty or fifty minutes. Like a cruel trick from the Gods Above, Servi had no choice but to endure the horrifying tales told between Arcton¡¯s survivors during that short-lived journey.


    ¡°My daughter, man... She¡­ She was right there¡­ We were only walking, and suddenly, the building just collapsed like someone had thrown a mountain through it¡­ I can see it still. Her little hand reached out towards me, and I¡­ I could only jump back. Why didn¡¯t I leap for her? I¡¯d rather die with my baby than live in a world without her¡­¡± bemoaned a man. He was dressed in moderately clean clothing, suggesting he worked an establishment near the more ¡®suitable¡¯ part of town. Out of nowhere, he had just started talking about his child.


    ¡°I lost my son¡­ I don¡¯t know what it was, but he¡­ It was like a splash of red water smacked into him when he was playing outside. It splattered him against the ground¡­ At first, I thought he was just playing, you know? Maybe he was just pretending to be a pancake? It was just like the games we used to play when he was younger, but... Gods, a father should never be forced to scrape his son off the ground.¡± It didn¡¯t take long at all for a third person to speak about a loved one they lost. It was a little girl, wearing a dirty rag covering her chest and waist, painfully sharing a story about her mother.


    ¡°Mother was a good woman. We didn¡¯t have that much in the way of food, water, or clothing, but she provided for us all the same. Breakfast and dinner were always on the table. Even if it was a piece of bread and some dirty water, we always had something to eat. But then the sickness took my brother and baby sister. And my father passed not too long after that. But momma? She kept going with the strength of a rock until she vanished. It was when that great light exploded in the sky and turned my home into nothing but dirt and tiny pebbles. If she never told me to go play outside, I would¡¯ve died too¡­


    ¡°She always told me that the Gods do things for a reason. And I wanted to believe her¡­ But why did the Gods have to destroy my family? I¡¯m all alone now¡­¡± The girl ended her story with a voice quivering on the edge of sadness. By then, Momo decided she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and broke away from the convoy. As she was still holding Servi¡¯s hand, the battered girl was brought along for the ride. The pair ran off to the side and into the forest, away from the well-traveled dirt road. Green grass absorbed the peddling of their footsteps. Wind smacked against Momo¡¯s face, sending her thick tears behind her and smacking against Servi. Her now-long pink hair violently trailed behind.


    After thirty solid minutes of racing through the trees, the pair emerged at a very familiar spot, though it wasn¡¯t by choice. ¡°Servy¡­ There¡¯s¡­that¡­sign¡­¡± Momo spoke between deep breaths. She turned to Servi, panting all the while as sweat endlessly dripped down her cheeks. The hot sun seemed to only target her, blasting her with the full force of its godly rays.


    Servi looked at Momo and started to walk towards the sign. The Singi limped along the best she could, favoring her left leg while fighting against a growing pain in her stomach. Excitement and strenuous exercise right after a week of an involuntary sedimentary lifestyle were too much Momo.


    ¡°Hey¡­ I¡¯m sorry about rushing off, but I couldn¡¯t take it¡­ It felt like a nail was being driven through my heart¡­ I know that¡ª¡± Momo tried to explain herself because she thought Servi was mad, but that wasn¡¯t accurate at all. It wasn¡¯t until the pair turned away from the sign and walked over a very familiar tree that she understood. It was the same one Momo had dragged Servi to after her self-imposed punishment.


    ¡°I¡­ I wanted to run away too. It¡¯s bad because I was the one who caused it, but it hurt me a lot¡­ Hearing a first-hand experience of events I¡¯ve directly caused¡­ Thank you, Momo¡­¡± Servi said when she finally stopped moving. She had come to a halt on the soft bed of grass under that same tree. As Servi started to lay down, so did the Singi with a smile. The blanket of green, long since warmed by the sun¡¯s blessing, felt like heaven. It was like her bodily stress disappeared, transferring to the individual blades of grass while leaving Momo refreshed. Her tail especially enjoyed it because it slithered like a snake. As for Momo, her mind suddenly focused on a pleasant thought.


    From the second Momo had grasped it a few hours prior, her and Servi¡¯s hand had been interconnected, becoming a physical link illustrating the friendship between them.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Servy. I¡ª" Suddenly, Momo was violently attacked by a series of rapid yawns. They snatched away her ability to logically think. Her eyes closed like that of a drawbridge with no chains, but the Singi did her best to raise them. Only when she heard the sweet words of her best friend did she fall victim to a much-needed slumber.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Momo. You can take a small nap,¡± Servi whispered. She gave Momo¡¯s  hand a squeeze.


    ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Servy¡­ I¡¯m just¡­so¡­tired¡­¡± Momo returned the show of affection right as her mind drifted off to the world of sleep without the aid of any skills.


    Servi turned her head, scattering the grass with her black hair. Her best friend had somewhat curled into a small ball, making herself seem smaller and less threatening. A cute smile plastered across her face hopefully signified she was living through a pleasant dream.


    You¡¯re my hero, Mosie. You¡¯ll always be my hero¡­ After thinking those thoughts, Servi turned her head one more time and looked straight up at the green leaves covering the treetop. In a way, seeing a few rays of sunshine peek through was absolutely beautiful.


    ¡°Itarr, are you there?¡± Servi whispered. She spoke with a tone bordering on the edge of a flat plain. Any emotions that simple question would¡¯ve contained had disappeared. As she predicted, Itarr did not reply. That was to be expected, but it also made what Servi wanted to say a pain to get across. She had to have one last conversation with the Goddess before the second stage of the healing process began.


    Because of that, Servi had to say something cruel that would force Itarr to break her self-imposed silence. Even as the sentences left her mouth, Servi teared up because they contained words she never wanted to utter.


    ¡°Itarr, I¡¯ve been thinking it over¡­and I came to a conclusion. I don¡¯t think I love you¡­¡±


    Of course you wouldn¡¯t love me anymore. Nobody would love me after what I¡¯ve done. But did you have to say it out loud?! Not that it matters¡­but now I know how you really feel, and I don¡¯t blame you one bit. I have no right to receive your love.


    ¡°Look, I know you did it for me. You only wanted to support me, and I get that. But I am angry at you... I can''t see a situation in which I wouldn''t be upset... This whole time, who I was is not who I really am. And the Servi you came to love isn¡¯t who I am. At least¡­I don¡¯t think it was¡­ Hell, I don¡¯t even¡­.¡±


    Itarr remained silent like a leaf gliding through the desert night. She never made a sound, though she desperately wanted to wail.


    ¡°I, the Servi right now, with my pure, unadulterated, and non-manipulated emotions, do not love you. But that¡¯s not to say that can¡¯t change. Remember, love comes in many forms. I know I said I was angry...and I know I said I hated you...and I know I said those really hurtful things...but you only thought of me and nothing else. But in doing so, I-- we... We killed a lot of people. Some that were probably innocent. Their blood was on my hands. Now that I know the truth, your hands are stained the same as mine... It¡¯s something we can never take back, and it¡¯ll remain with us forever. And since we can''t die... It will never leave us...¡±


    Servi calmly smiled when she heard a tearful sound reach her ears.


    ¡°Are you crying? That¡¯s a good thing. Let it out. Shed tears for the innocents who met their ends by our hands. Going forward, we have to take responsibility because there is no other way. To help with that, I think we have to start fresh. You remember, don¡¯t you? What Momo said to me?


    I¡­


    ¡°My name¡¯s Servi. I¡¯m just a girl who died in a world full of misunderstandings, but I didn¡¯t pass on to the afterlife. I was somehow brought before a sealed Goddess¡­¡±


    I¡¯m Itarr, and¡­ And I¡­ The Goddess couldn¡¯t finish the sentence because her emotions had kicked into overdrive, but Servi had it covered.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Itarr. I¡¯m sure we can be the best of friends...¡±


    WWAAAHHHHH!!!


    ¡°Momo once told me she wouldn¡¯t judge me for crying. Guess what? I won¡¯t judge you, either. Go ahead and cry until you can¡¯t produce any more tears. I bet you¡¯ll feel a whole lot better afterwards. I know I did... And I forgive you for tampering with my emotions... Itarr, you''re as much me as I am myself... Ever since we met, we''ve been two sides of the same coin...¡±


    I promise! Servi, I promise to become better, and I won¡¯t ever forget my sins! I¡¯ll do my best to become someone you¡¯d be proud to love!!!


    Servi wiped her eyes with the back of her unoccupied hand. ¡°Yeah, I promise I¡¯ll become someone better, too. Just wait for me, Itarr...¡±


    ¡°Servy, you¡¯re already someone better,¡± Momo said. Servi turned to her side and locked eyes with a cute Singi.


    ¡°A-ahh,¡± Servi stuttered. She was a bit embarrassed. ¡°Did you catch all that?"


    Momo nodded. ¡°I did. Thanks for letting me have a little cat nap. Is Itarr gonna be okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she is, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be easy. I mean, it¡¯ll be hard for both of us. I¡ª¡±


    Suddenly, Momo wiggled a bit closer to Servi and held their connected hands close to her chest. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid to rely on me, okay? My grampy once told me something special, and now I¡¯m going to say it to you.¡± Momo took a deep breath and spoke with a newfound conviction. ¡°If you can¡¯t forgive yourself, I¡¯ll forgive you. I¡¯ll always forgive you, Servy, because you have a friend in me. And that goes for you too, Itarr..."


    Servi somehow found a new source of tears in glands located in each eye, and they streamed down her face, cutting across her nose and lips. Momo only smiled and held her arms out, allowing Servi to wiggle herself forward.


    All in all, it was a peculiar sight, and not one that was common. A Singi and Human, joined together by extreme situations, embraced each other while laying on their sides in a field of warm grass. Momo had a hand wrapped around Servi¡¯s back while the other gently petted that field of black hair. Soft as velvet, her hands effortlessly sank into its void-like depths. Her cute nose cautiously sniffed, inhaling her friend''s unique scent.


    Servi continued to cry, wailing into Momo¡¯s armor-covered chest. Being held by someone certainly unlocked a previously locked feeling, and Servi felt so vulnerable and weak, like a day-old puppy.


    Servy, I¡¯ll be there¡­


    To hold your worries and fears¡­


    You can give them to me to bear¡­


    Out of the blue, Momo had a strong urge to sing a simple song that randomly came to her mind. She repeated those three lines over and over until Servi¡¯s whimpering came to an end.


    A few seconds after that, a pair of red eyes looked up, meeting Momo¡¯s motherly smile. ¡°That song contained my true feelings, Servy. From now to the end of time, you can¡ªno, I want you to rely on me. Now, do you think you can stand? Or do you wanna lay like this a bit longer? I¡¯m fine with either option.¡±


    ¡°Mosie¡­ I think I can stand. We both want to get to Canary as soon as possible, right?¡±


    ¡°We do, but I don¡¯t mind taking it slow if you need it. And I might prefer it that way. If I¡¯m being honest, I wanna make up for the time I was gone¡­ Ah¡ª¡± After she spoke, Momo realized her simple words could have interpreted differently. However, it seemed Servi knew her friend didn¡¯t mean it that way.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s take the scenic route back to Canary. Me and you¡­and Itarr...¡± Servi said. She slowly wiggled away from their sideward hug. Momo did the same, and the pair stood up while still being connected by their hands. They each dusted off the grass and dirt and walked back to the sign and the fork in the road.


    ¡°Servy, we gotta go that way,¡± Momo pointed, mirroring the way the sign said they had to go.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go. Do we have everything?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Bag? Check! Backpack? Check. Canteen? Checky-check. Yep! I assume your bag is in your ring?¡±


    As if to answer Momo, a floating backpack with Servi¡¯s name on it circled around the Singi. Then it promptly disappeared. ¡°Okay! That answers that! Are you ready?¡± Momo squeezed her occupied hand.


    Servi returned it, not even needing to use her words to get her point across.


    The Singi smiled at the Human, and off they went down a gravel road towards their precious Canary. The beautiful sun above had left its position directly over them and was in the beginning stages of lying down to rest. Luckily for the pair of best friends, they had five hours left to enjoy the sunlight before a crimson glow enveloped the world.


    After around thirty minutes of walking in complete silence, Momo broke that quietness with a simple question.


    ¡°Hey, Servy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Anything.¡±


    ¡°After you get better, how are we going to fight? I mean, you¡¯re strong, so I doubt anything can put up a fight against you.¡±


    After thinking about it, a trio of iron shields circled the area five meters in front of them. ¡°I can always play the tank. Obviously, I would do my best to avoid damage because I don¡¯t want to worry you, but it¡¯s the best role for me. Then you can focus on attacking and dealing the damage, right? Or I can be support. I can always limit myself to the skills matching my current Warden Rank.


    ¡°Hehe! It¡¯ll be just like always, won¡¯t it?¡± Momo flashed a smile filled with nostalgia.


    ¡°Yep. There won¡¯t be anything different. I¡¯ll defend. You attack. We¡¯ll be the perfect team.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll always be the perfect team, Servy. Umm, but there¡¯s something else I wanted to ask?¡±


    Servi absorbed the floating shields and brought out her canteen. She unscrewed it with Telekinesis, took a few swigs, and stored it back in her ring. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± she asked after she finished drinking.


    Momo silently watched, amazed at how versatile Telekinesis was. ¡°I never realized it could be used in so many ways¡­ Oh, when I looked through your ID, I saw a skill called Bloodline. I¡¯m kinda curious about it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know too much about it, but I can tell you this. It¡¯s a skill that allows me to share my power with those who join my Bloodline.¡±


    ¡°How does that work?¡± Momo wondered.


    ¡°They have to drink my blood. I don¡¯t know what happens after that, but I know my skills would be shared."


    ¡°What about your strength and agility?¡±


    Servi shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but that should be shared as well. Speaking of that, I wonder if they¡¯ll get a ring like mine?¡±


    Servi held up their connected hand, which happened to be the right one. Moments after they started walking, the pair non-verbally decided to switch hands to give the other one time to rest. In Momo¡¯s case, she was glad because it was getting awfully sweaty. She didn¡¯t want to cause Servi any discomfort. As a result, Momo¡¯s fingers gently swiped against Servi¡¯s ring.


    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful ring. Itarr gave it to you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she did. It was right after I jumped down and devoured her¡­ But about Bloodline¡­ I know you want to get stronger, and that¡¯s the fastest way to do that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m not interested... I am. But I¡¯m on this journey to become strong through hard work. So I¡¯m sorry, Servy, but I¡¯m gonna pass on it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I mean this in the best possible way, but the offer is always there.¡±


    ¡°I know. I know you¡¯ll always have that available for me. You know why?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Servi asked, tilting her head slightly. A few black strands of hair danced across her left ear, hiding it from sight.


    Momo smiled, and Servi''s heart skipped a few beats. ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re my best friend! And guess what? If you don¡¯t have any memories, then let¡¯s create new ones. We¡¯ll do it together! And for starters, we can make many memories of us training together. We can have fun going on adventurers and making memories that way. Oh, we can even eat yummy food and have that be something we look fondly on!  Starting today, the skies the limit!¡± Momo struck a pose and pointed to the sky with her right hand. Like its master, her tail joined the antics and stuck straight up.


    Servi couldn¡¯t keep down a giggle and allowed it to flow freely. Momo joined in, beaming to herself that she made Servi smile.


    And there¡¯s the first memory¡­ Good job, Momo! Just keep it up!


    An idea popped in Servi¡¯s head. She thought back to a particular gift she bought a week ago. It wasn¡¯t the best time to give it then, but now? It seemed like this was the perfect moment. ¡°Then, Momo... Can this be a memory too?¡±


    A carved wooden figurine of a cat sleeping beside a horse appeared a half meter in front of them. Momo cocked her head, staring as it approached her. She held out her right hand, grabbing onto it as tears flowed from her eyes.


    ¡°I got this for you after our fight at the inn. It was to be my apology gift.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, Servy. I love it, and I promise I¡¯ll treasure it forever. And yes, this is another memory we¡¯ve created. I know we¡¯ll fondly look back on it.¡± Using only one hand, the Singi had a little bit of trouble placing her gift in her bag, but she eventually got it.


    When Momo met Servi¡¯s gaze after looking up, the Human exploded into sobbing tears, scrunching her face. As if it was no problem at all, Momo stopped walking, went towards her best friend, and simply hugged her. She wished she was tall enough to cradle Servi¡¯s head, but the Singi was just too short.


    The sight of two girls, one Human and one Demi-Human, holding and embracing each other was a peculiar sight. The passion fueling their emotional hearts burned with newfound intensity, sending sorrowful wails scattering to the Heavens Above. After a minute, Servi simmered down enough for Momo to ask a question.


    ¡°Servy, how long do you think it¡¯ll take?¡±


    Servi stepped away, wiping her reddened cheeks with the back of her hand. ¡°Did Itarr tell you? Weeks, probably. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if it took months¡­¡±


    ¡°She did. She told me it was a lingering process. The damage won¡¯t be healed instantly. But you¡¯re my bestest friend! I¡¯ll be the one to protect you this time! So take as long as you need for everything to be sorted and straightened out! And when you come back, I¡¯ll be right here waiting on you. Servy, I¡¯ll always be here.¡±


    Servi opened her mouth to speak, but felt an odd wave of energy coursing through her body. It felt like a burst of displeasure one would have after receiving an injection. Was her body in the final stages of preparation? Servi felt like she didn''t have that much time left, so she said what she needed to say. Unfortunately, that segued into a different can of worms that started off promising, but left a tense feeling in Momo''s heart.


    ¡°Mosie¡­ What if the Servi of a week ago and the new Servi are one and the same? Even without Itarr, I think that was my eventual path in life. Mosie¡­ What if I can¡¯t hold back my anger anymore, and I continue to get the urge to kill? If I come back from this... And I find out that I really like taking lives... What do I do? I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t change¡­ Mosie, I¡¯m scared¡­ I¡¯m really scared¡­ I don''t wanna disappear because the true me might be worse in every possible way... I''m tired of being a villain!!! I don''t want that any more..." Suffering from a mental breakdown, Servi dropped to her knees and let go of Momo¡¯s hand. Her last words in that tantrum was odd, but Momo didn''t have time to cross-examine them.


    The Singi kneeled down, wrapping her arms around Servi¡¯s head and affectionately rubbing it. ¡°Servy, believe in the me that believes in you. I know it¡¯s going to turn out okay. You know how I know that? It¡¯s because I know the real you.


    ¡°You¡¯re a girl who likes to act goofy with me. You have a kind heart that hurts when your friends are hurting. When you see someone in pain, like those slaves, you want to free them even at cost to you. Servy, you¡¯re the bravest, kindest, gentlest girl I know. That¡¯s why I know you¡¯re going to be just fine. After all, I think I¡¯ve been with you long enough to know. We¡¯re best friends, right?¡±


    ¡°Mosie¡­¡± Servi¡¯s eyes became wet as she looked up. Once she met Momo¡¯s two blue eyes, Servi spoke. ¡°I want you to do something for me. If you can, I mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Anything at all! All you have to do is ask.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I want you to hear me and my promise¡ªno, my declaration. I vow to bring back the innocent people who died by my hand. The children¡­ The babies¡­ All of the ones with no Mafia association¡­ Even Nimea... I... I saw him...hanging next to you before I saved you... Somehow, he perished in the battle, but he didn¡¯t deserve to die!!!! He never really truly harmed us, and I stole his life away from him... I swear I will right my wrongs and give them another chance at life. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going to break the seal and pass the trial on Necromancy, but I swear I¡¯ll see it happen... I don''t even know where to start with that, but...¡±


    ¡°Then I vow to help you achieve that. We¡¯ll bring back the children, the babies, the innocent people, and Nimea! You¡¯ll always have my support, Servy. If something happens and we go off the beaten trail, leave it to me to guide you back on the right path. But more than that, I swear we''ll work together so there won¡¯t be any more awful stories like the ones we heard hours ago in that caravan. We can do it, Servy. I know we can. Together, we¡¯ll be unstoppable heroes!!¡± Momo said, never breaking eye contact. The conviction in her pearly blue eyes roared alive with the blaze of hope, illuminating a new path for the pair to trek on.  That last line about heroes was something her mind didn''t even think of. She just spoke it because it felt like her whole being needed to say that.


    Without any warning, Servi lightly trembled and grabbed onto to Momo''s shoulders. Her fearful red eyes leaked warm water, and her mouth shuddered when she spoke. Evidently she felt that it was coming soon. "Momo! I''m sorry I didn''t come for you the moment I could! I''m sorry!!! I''m sorry!!! I''m sorry!!!" Apology after apology flooded from Servi''s mouth at such a rate that Momo couldn''t get a word in. She wanted to say that she already promised to forever be by Servi''s side, so there was no need to worry about her leaving. And she wanted to say they had already talked about Servi not coming to save her. All of that was supposed to be water under the bridge, so what good did it do to bring it back up? The outcome would still be the same, but that chance to do that never came.


    "Please, don''t leave me! I''m scared!!! I''m so scared!!!! I need you!!!" By this point, an inconsistent, yet booming wail, followed along with her desperate pleas. Momo had thought she had seen Servi at her lowest point, in regards to emotion, but this new Servi had gone past that. "PLEASE, MOMO!!! DON''T LEAVE ME TO GO THROUGH THIS ALONE!!!! I NEED YOU!!! I NEED YOU!!!! DON''T LET THEM PUT ME BACK IN THE CAGE!!!! NOOOOOO!!!!!! MOMO, I NEED YOU!!!!! I... n... I ne...ed y...ou I...u..."


    Suddenly, Servi started to violently shake the moment she stopped her shouting and started to whisper. She convulsed like she was having a series of horrific seizures. They were so bad she shook away from Momo¡¯s embrace, flopping like a fish out of water while blood spurted from her mouth like a geyser. Servi''s eyes went big and wide as if they were going to pop out of her head. The Singi ran forward without a second thought, pining Servi to the ground using nothing but her body. Her lovely pink hair became bloody with the crimson of her friend, allowing unsightly clumps to form.


    Momo ignored that feeling and solely focused on comforting Servi. After a brutal ten minutes filled with crying and prayers, Servi¡¯s body came to a sudden halt. The Singi felt a little bit of resistance and reluctantly stood up. Walking back, she allowed Servi the space to stand up, but the thing that stood up only looked like Servi. It had the same red eyes, and the same black hair.


    But that was all it had.


    Momo felt no sense of warmth or affection radiating from the Human-shaped object she saw. The light in Servi¡¯s eyes was dim, choosing not to sparkle with the intensity of declaring a great vow. In every way she could think of, the thing standing before her reminded her of a doll.


    The Singi tiptoed to Servi and reached down, grabbing a motionless right hand. Her fingers explored every bit of the hand she held, from the soft palms to the smooth nails, and it didn¡¯t feel like she was touching Servi.


    ¡°Servy, do you remember me?¡± Momo asked in a tearful voice as her soft tail slowed to a crawl.


    Her fluffy ears never received a word of confirmation, only basking in the silent wilderness. The girl standing in front of her never nodded. Servi¡¯s pair of red eyes didn¡¯t even look down, choosing to blankly stared ahead. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t know someone was there-- Servi certainly did-- she just did not look down.


    In her current state, Servi was most similar to that of a newborn when only taking her emotional knowledge into account. When she encountered something making her happy or upset, the emotional wave would wash her virgin body, and she would be ever closer to becoming whole. But that was going to take a while. Keywater wasn''t built in a day, after all.


    Momo gripped the hand she held with both of her hands while holding them close to her heart.


    ¡°I¡¯m your best friend, Servy. And you¡¯re my best friend. I¡­ I haven¡¯t acted like one should or would, but I promise I¡¯ll make it up to you. And when you do get better, me, you, and all of our friends will go to Waveret. Remember, you and I talked about that place before we left Canary? We can have fun at the beach. And until then, I won¡¯t ever leave your side. So please...make it back to me¡­ Servy¡­¡± Momo couldn¡¯t take it anymore and wrapped her arms around Servi, crying into her chest.


    The smallest part of the Singi believed her love and friendship would be all it would take to put an immediate end to the nightmare. Momo was far too na?ve to think such a fairy tale-esque scene could happen back to back, but she wanted to believe in the possibility. When it didn¡¯t play out like she wanted it to and Servi refused to raise her arms, Momo only sobbed even harder.

 (Finale) Book Three – Epilogue – Part Two – Dawn of a Fresh Beginning

    RuggyRuggy


    Yes, it is a diary/journal entry from Momo.  Like the others, there are numerous grammar errors, punctuation mistakes, missing words, and other odd things on purpose. Remember, she¡¯s not the smartest when it comes to writing and other things. She is also writing this less than a day after almost dying. She''s pretty much scribbling down whatever comes to her mind.


    One more thing: If it seems confusing, and somethings are out of place or are repeated a bunch, it¡¯s entirely on purpose.


    If it does get to be too much, then I''ll do an editing pass.  But for the most part, I won¡¯t do that much editing at all.


    Dear diary, it¡¯s been almost fifteen hours since Servy rescued me from the Mafia. I haven¡¯t really had a chance to sit down and write about what¡¯s been going on. To be honest, I don¡¯t think I can do that now, so it¡¯ll have to wait until much later.


    I think this is what you meant, grandpa, when you said I have to pick and choose what to jot down. Do I only want to remember the good? Do I want to include the bad things? How much of each do I want to write down?


    I didn¡¯t really know what you meant then, but now, I do. I don¡¯t think I have an answer to it yet¡­ Or maybe I do. Maybe I have to be more picky or decisive in my writing.


    Side-note: I think I have to get better at actually writing what I want to write and not scramble on and on like a crazy person.


    It seems like the large part of this diary is filled with ramblings because I can¡¯t or don¡¯t or won¡¯t pick something to focus on.


    Am I even making any sense?


    Ah! There it goes again! Jeez, at the pace I¡¯m going, I¡¯ll probably need three or four more of these things.


    But right now, I think I¡¯ll focus on Servy. She¡¯s the most important thing in my life, so that should be a major priority.


    Like I said above, it¡¯s been almost fourteen or fifteen hours since she saved me from the Mafia. That also meant it¡¯s only been about nine hours since she stopped talking.


    But it wasn¡¯t limited to speaking. Servy just didn¡¯t acknowledge me or the things she saw. But when I talk to her, I know she¡¯s listening, and that makes my heart feel at ease. For example, after I talked to her immediately after she¡­ ''disappeared,¡¯ I held her hand and started walking. She followed right with me, keeping up with my pace and everything. I even started to run, and she jogged along with me.


    Then I stopped and let go of her hand. Then I held it back out. I thought Servy would go and grab it, but she didn¡¯t. She just stared ahead down the road


    ¡°Come on, Servy. Let¡¯s hold hands.¡± After I said that, she reached her hand out and took mine, but she squeezed too tightly. When I yelped in pain, she let go and immediately started to cry. Well, it was more like wailing and sobbing.


    I don¡¯t really know why she had such a sudden breakdown, but I didn¡¯t let her suffer alone. I just wrapped my arms around her and said she had to be gentle because I wasn¡¯t as strong as her. Then I started to hum and gently swayed from left to right. I guess you say we were dancing? Maybe? But I didn¡¯t see it that way. I was only doing what you did to me, grampy, when I had a bad dream. Remember how you used to hug me after I had a nightmare? I felt so protected, so I wanted to do the same for Servy.


    I wanted to let her know I wasn¡¯t angry or upset at her. After she calmed down, I held my hand out for Servy to try again.


    Her hand just floated above my palm, barely touching it, so I had to take the initiative. This time, Servy was the one who yelped, like she was copying me and wanting to understand why I reacted the way I did.


    It was odd, that much I can say. But then the strangest thing happened. Her face returned to a doll-like state, and she had this unmoving look about her. After that, we just walked as normal, hand-in-hand until night came.


    I built my tent and prepared the fire, but Servy had half of the equipment in her backpack. So I couldn¡¯t exactly get dinner ready. But I didn¡¯t go hungry. As soon as I complained about food, a small ball of fire, a metal skewer, and a piece of chicken appeared floating in front of me.


    I guess I don¡¯t really have to say it, but Itarr came to my rescue. I figured she wanted me to grab the skewer and stab the chicken, so I did. Then when I held it out, the fire floated over, cooking my dinner for me.


    It was a very odd experience, and I think I know why.


    First, and I realize I¡¯m late on this, but Servy is sharing a soul with a Goddess. A GODDESS!!! That means Itarr helped create the world, right? She¡¯s one of those all-powerful beings who reside in the Heavens, right? Well, I guess used to reside is the right word. I don¡¯t really know how it happened because Itarr lost her memories, but she was somehow sealed up. When Servy died for the first time, she met Itarr.  Things happened, and now the two are sharing a soul together.


    It¡¯s a lot to take in. To be honest, I¡¯m not sure how I didn¡¯t straight-up collapse when Servy told me her biggest secret.


    I¡¯m still in shock about learning that¡­ Does that mean I have to worship her like those people in the church? Should I get an offering gift for her?


    Dang, before I even think about doing that, I need to say sorry. I said some terrible things to her when I was upset, and I feel horrible. Itarr must¡¯ve really loved Servy to keep her emotions sealed away. And I don¡¯t even want to know how bad she¡¯s feeling now.


    I kinda apologized, I really need to do it when I have the chance. I did think about doing it now, but maybe it¡¯s better to wait until Servy is better? I¡¯ll think about that. I mean I don¡¯t want to completely put it off, and it¡¯s mean of me to say this, but Servy comes first. But I did say sorry, and Servy said sorry, too. They had an awful fight and that ended with something horrible being said, but they eventually made up. I''m happy about that... Like I said, I did make up with her, but I wanna do it right. Maybe I can get her a gift? But what would  Goddess want as present. I don''t know, I''m gonna have to think about it because I don''t think a Goddess has ever received a present from a mortal.


    It has to be something good because it''s thanks to her that Servy was able to rescue me.  Oh, I now know that Itarr was who Servy was talking about a week ago.  We had breakfast, at least I think it was breakfast, when I commented about Servy¡¯s ring. Servy mentioned that someone very important gave it to her. I can tell she really loves Itarr, and I know Itarr loves Servy.  Everything she said at the time is making so much more sense now that I know the truth.


    Her powers are incredible. I mean, they¡¯re things that you, grampy, used to tell me about. Who knew I would meet an invincible warrior with the strength of a thousand men? When we walked past the¡­ ''hole¡¯ she had made in the ground, I nearly lost control of myself.


    It was Servy versus an army over 15,000 strong, and she came out on top, leaving no one left alive.  I probably need to provide some backstory for it to make sense, but the Mafia, who kidnapped me, was created to kill a single man in Canary. That man was Fisher Jin, who did some awful things in the past, including killing Sakdu¡¯s wife and daughter, who used to be the Mafia¡¯s leader. He plotted for almost 10 years, building and assembling a large army full of people who can use Rank 1 skills...and Servy just erased it all away with a barrage of skills.


    Grampy, Servy said the hole was 3,000 kilometers deep¡­ That¡¯s not a hole... A hole is like digging dirt to put in a plant. Or digging a hole to find buried treasure, but what Servy did? That wasn¡¯t a hole. It was more like a wound in the planet itself. If it could cry, I¡¯m sure it would have.


    Oh, and here¡¯s the kicker...


    She¡¯s even stronger than that¡­ If what she said was accurate, and I believe it is because I trust her, her strength has no limits because she takes the souls of her fallen enemies. To be honest, that alone is enough to make her sound like an invincible, soul-hungry monster who feeds on the dead.


    But she isn¡¯t a monster. She¡¯s the furthest thing from a monster, and I¡¯ll die defending that. Just think.  If she wasn¡¯t here and Sakdu did launch his invasion of Canary, then just think about how many people would¡¯ve died. I¡¯d imagine Warden would get involved, but even all of Canary¡¯s Warden members and guards couldn¡¯t fight against Sakdu and his army. I¡¯d imagine there would be a lot of deaths, and I guess a lot of children would either die or become orphans, but Servy prevented that from happening. There¡¯s just no telling how many people she saved by wiping out the Mafia.


    And I know she¡¯s invincible because I¡¯ve experienced her deaths first-hand. While Itarr didn¡¯t let me see it with my own eyes, I did see her heads roll in front of me¡­ Grampy, it was scary, seeing lifeless heads stare up at me with red eyes... It was probably the scariest thing I¡¯ve ever been a part of, even when considering I thought I was about to die when I was kidnapped.


    I mean, if I had died, that would¡¯ve been it. But Servy? She has a heart of gold. If she had died for real, then the world would¡¯ve been sorry they lost such a treasure.


    I¡¯ve said it before, but she¡¯s incredible! She¡¯s someone that¡¯s going to go down in legend as a person who accomplished the impossible!


    But me? I¡¯m just a dumb Singi who hasn¡¯t accomplished a single thing.


    That was how I used to think.


    And I¡¯m kinda happy to say that I don¡¯t think like that anymore. Instead of finding my own resolve to live, I wanna live for someone else¡¯s benefit. And I think you know that who is, but that someone is Servy.


    I can make her life easier. I know I can. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to take care of her. I wasn¡¯t there when she needed someone the most because I ran away like an idiot, but I¡¯m not going to be stupid anymore. I¡¯ll still be living my own life, and I¡¯ll still have my personal hopes and dreams, it¡¯s just that I¡¯ll also be living for her. If she¡¯s happy, then I¡¯m gonna be happy.


    Wait, if that¡¯s the case, then isn¡¯t that my resolve to live?


    Great! I¡¯m getting off topic again. I guess I¡¯ll start over and do my best to keep my thoughts in a line.


    In a way, Servy isn¡¯t a good girl. She¡¯s a murderer, and in her words, a villain... That much I can say even if it hurts my heart. She¡¯s killed both innocent children and guilty criminals by the thousands. Nimea was also one of her casualties, and while I didn¡¯t like him, I want to believe he did his best to comfort me in his own way. If anything, I hope his passing wasn¡¯t painful.  I don¡¯t really know how to say this, but don¡¯t worry, Nimea. You¡¯ll have a chance to reunite with your family, and apologize to your friends.  As crazy as it sounds, Servy is gonna bring you back to life! Heck, I¡¯ll even go with you to do it! Me and Servy will be there with you!


    But that also means I¡¯m a murderer, too. I''m also the second villain of Arcton... The people who died only lost their lives because Servy had to save me. I still hurt deep inside when my actions were the reason Arcton won¡¯t ever recover. That pain is probably going to haunt me for a long time.


    But then I just thought about something. This whole thing only happened because I was insistent on going to Arcton, but we had the option to wait and go to another town to complete our promotional quest. I remember Claire saying it was further away, but it was an option...


    If I had went with that option, then we would¡¯ve been gone for at least a week and a half. I probably wouldn¡¯t have been kidnapped, and there wouldn¡¯t be anything stopping Sakdu¡¯s army.  All of my friends in Canary would¡¯ve died, but the innocent babies in Arcton would be alive.  Then again, wouldn¡¯t that mean the children in Canary would have died in return?


    When I think about that, was it a good idea to go to Arcton? Regardless, a lotta people died or would have died in either case, and that includes innocent children.


    Man, I should stop writing about that. I feel like I¡¯m about to cry...


    But I¡¯m getting off topic again by thinking about the ¡®would haves.¡¯  I¡¯m here to talk about my best friend!!! Focus, Momo!!!!! You can¡¯t change the past, so you have to live with your actions and learn from them!!!!


    Servy¡­ She¡¯s definitely a hero. Back in Canary, she took part in a mission to rescue pretty much every slave that was being held in the slave markets. I don¡¯t even think I can count just how many slaves she rescued from a terrible life. That¡¯s a good thing, mind you. The higher the number the better.


    But to save them, Servy also had to kill a lot of guards. I guess most of them were evil, but I¡¯m sure a few only took the job because they needed the money. It doesn¡¯t excuse them, but it doesn¡¯t make everything black and white. Servy made a pot of orphans that night. Brothers lost brothers, sisters lost sisters¡­ Families were probably ripped apart that night.


    ¡­


    Servy¡¯s hurting a lot. She¡¯s feeling guilty and sad because she had to kill so many people. And in my eyes, she had already atoned by dying so many times. When the lightning started to strike, I kinda lost consciousness, but I know Servy summoned it via some sort of skill. And if I had to bet a dupla, I know what that lightning¡¯s target was.


    I mean, I saw the proof myself¡­ So¡­ Servy¡¯s already paid the price. For every life she took, she gave one of her own in return.  She said even if she spent 1,000,000,000,000,000 years doing nothing but good deeds, it wouldn''t make up for her sins. And she''s right about that. But she shouldn''t thinking about marking out the bad parts of her life with the good parts because the bad parts are a part of her. If she didn''t have those, she wouldn''t be the Servy I knew. If Servy wants to go around helping people, I''m not gonna stop her. Heck, I''ll be right there beside her the entire time!


    And now that I know her past, I think she really needs me. And I think I need her. I told her that if she can¡¯t forgive herself for the people she killed, even though they were bad, I told her I will forgive her. For whatever she does. Thanks, grandpa. You were the one who told me that, and now, I¡¯m telling it to someone else.


    I think Servy wants to make amends, and that¡¯s why she used a super powerful skill to heal Old Man¡¯s granddaughter. To be honest, I never heard of Lux Dei Omnipotentis before today. It¡¯s a Rank 0 skill capable of healing every wound, injury, or disease a person has.  Angie, Old Man¡¯s granddaughter, suffered from a horrible illness. Then she lost her memory after Old Man killed his son after he purposely scarred Angie. The poor girl has had a hard life, and like Servy, Angie doesn¡¯t really remember her life before she met Moko, the Elf looking after her. Though after she was healed, I think she was starting to remember a little bit.


    Grampy, Servy used one the most powerful skills in the world to heal Angie. She cured her horrible disease and healed the scars going down her arm.  If that isn''t what a hero does, then I don''t want to meet one...


    Me, her, Moko, and Angie were transported to this beautiful place. It looked like paradise... A voice from the sky talked to us, and then someone who had my voice but with wings appeared in front of us.  Even now, I still feel emotional after witnessing and being a part of such a miracle. I want to write more about it and how I felt, but the words just aren¡¯t coming to my mind.


    I can¡¯t remember how much Potential it needs, but Servy used either 500 or 1,000 for a single use. If she ever wants to use the skill again, Lux Dei Omnipotentis is gonna cost twice as much.


    Oh yeah, before she... ¡®disappeared,¡¯ Servy made a vow to me. She said she¡¯d do everything in her power to bring back the lives of the babies, children, and innocent people she had killed.  It sounds impossible, right? It does, but it isn¡¯t. I don¡¯t know how it came about, but Servy has the ability to learn Necromancy skills. I know, right? I wouldn¡¯t believe it myself if I hadn¡¯t seen it with my own blue eyes.


    But it¡¯s not as simple as clicking on Necromancy and learning a resurrection skill. There¡¯s trials and stuff she has to do to unlock the ability to purchase them with Potential. If that¡¯s gonna be her goal, then it¡¯s gonna be my goal, too.  I¡¯m going to support her in any way I can. Together, we¡¯re going to achieve the impossible!!!


    If that isn¡¯t her showing that she wants to do the right things and make up for the innocents she had killed, I don¡¯t know what is...


    Again, and I think I mentioned this before, but Servy talked about how she was tired of being a villain. I don''t know if that was some odd remnant of her past that suddenly showed up (can that even happen?) but if she wants to be a hero, then I want to be one with her. But even as I''m writing this, who knows if this whole ''hero and villain'' thing even makes sense? There''s a chance Servy was just saying something-- anything at all.  Will she even remember that? If she doesn''t, then it falls to me to remind her!


    And then there was the part that scared me the most. Servy started to ramble on about things we had already talked about, and had already forgiven each other about, and then she begged me not to leave her. Then she begged not to be put back into the cage. I bet a donut that has something to do with her past. What kind of stupid monster would trap someone like Servy in a cage?! If that''s what she came from... I wonder if it has anything to do with that ''Navi'' name I heard her talk about. In her summary, she mentioned she felt ill whenever she said that name, and that''s partially why I haven''t said it to her.


    But I does match up, doesn''t it? She hates that name because it''s the name of the person who used to put her in a cage... Grr!!! I''m gonna have to show that creep that he can''t be messing with my Servy!!!!!


    Speaking of my Servy... That brings me to this.


    Even though the friendship between me and Servy was built and broken by a buncha lies stringing together, think I realized something today.


    I love Servy as a friend. I don¡¯t even want to imagine a world that forces us to be apart. Even as I was eating my dinner, I couldn¡¯t help but stare at Servy. She just stood there in the middle of our little camp, but she was absolutely divine. Suddenly, I found it hard to breathe, and I felt a pounding in my chest. Did I actually love her more than a friend?


    Is that a sign of something? Is it possible for two girls to love each other like that? I guess a part of me hopes so, because between you and me, diary, I won¡¯t ever let Servy be alone again. If I could have it my way, I¡¯d be right beside her every step of the way.


    Grampy, did you feel that way about grammy? You didn¡¯t talk about her a lot, but when you did, you always said she was the apple of your eye. If that¡¯s the case, then is Servy the apple of my eye?


    ¡­Now I kinda want to eat an apple¡­ Maybe me and Servy can grab one? We could share it¡­ Maybe even dip it in sugar or peanut butter... Oh, slabbing some jelly on there sounds good, too.


    Ah, but back on topic. Even thought I¡¯m sitting by the fire Itarr made, looking up at the stars while scribbling this super-long diary entry, I keep smiling at Servy. Oh, I should mention that she¡¯s asleep in her tent. Or I think she¡¯s asleep.


    When I asked her if she was going to put her tent up, she didn¡¯t react in any way, but then her tent showed up. It was probably Itarr¡¯s doing.


    ¡°It¡¯s your tent, Servy. You can sleep in it. Sleeping might help,¡± I said. Obviously, I didn¡¯t say she had to go to sleep right at that second, but she crawled into it and laid down without eating dinner.


    Sure, she told me before that she doesn¡¯t require food, water, or sleep, but that can¡¯t be comfortable. I mean, I told her we can make memories by chowing down on yummy food, so I can¡¯t go back on my promise!


    Momo, that¡¯s one thing you definitely need to do! You always feel better when you eat, right? I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll help Servy! Girl, you gotta learn how to cook!


    Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t really know what else to write. It¡¯s been a long day, and my mind is swirling like crazy. As for what I need to do in the morning before we depart? I¡¯ll write that down just in case.


    One: I really need to clean Servy¡¯s blood off my armor and take a bath. I know it¡¯s wrong for me to be selfish at this time, but I promise I¡¯ll apologize to Servy later. Just think, if I smell bad, and she¡¯s next to me, then doesn¡¯t that mean I¡¯m making her uncomfortable?


    And that¡¯s the very last thing I ever want to do.


    Two: maybe I should sing more? I want to believe that my singing can help, but maybe I¡¯m in over my head. If not that, then I¡¯ll talk a lot. As for what? The topic doesn¡¯t matter. Literally anything can help her, I think, and I¡¯m willing to do just about anything because she¡¯s my best friend in the whole wide world!!!


    Three: I need to continue to hold her hand. That¡¯s a given. Remember what Claire told me about holding hands? She said her grandmother told her peoples¡¯ souls could communicate when they hold hands while asleep. We aren¡¯t exactly asleep, but let my soul help you, Servy.


    Speaking of which¡­ Excuse me, the girl who lives in my consciousness¡­ If you can help Servy, I¡¯ll be really grateful.


    Another side note: I don¡¯t know how to talk to the Momo within me. I''m usually asleep or unconscious when we meet.


    But I think that¡¯s about it. I mainly need to focus on being there for her. I¡¯m the one who will be her defender. Servy, I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you. If they want to, they have to go through me, and I won¡¯t back down!!!!!  And that includes that jerk, Navi!


    I kinda sounded cool there, didn¡¯t I? Hehe!


    I guess it¡¯s time for me to sleep, but I don''t feel like it. I''m worried that what I went through will haunt me in the form of nightmares. Servy told me a nightmare about a bloodied version of me, and that just sounded outright horrible. This might be a little selfish, but I''m hoping the girl who looks like me can help me. But maybe it''s better that I experience those nightmares so I can better understand what Servy had to go through...


    I¡¯ll write again when we¡¯re closer to Canary. If I don¡¯t, then it¡¯ll have to wait until I¡¯m back in my room at the Warden inn. When will we get there? I don¡¯t know.  I plan to take it slow, mainly so I can spend time with Servy and help her.  I think it took us 3 days to get to Arcton, but I imagine it might take us 4 or 5 days to reach Canary. That¡¯s fine with me, and I know it¡¯s fine with Servy. When I¡¯m with her, it seems like everything is right in the world...


    Goodnight, diary.


    Ah, grampy, I wanna to thank you again before I head to bed. This little journal is going to help me far more than I thought it would. I feel much more calmer and at peace, like I know it¡¯s all going to work out. Obviously, I thought that before, but now I¡¯m triple sure it¡¯s gonna be okay.


    Sincerely,


    Momo.


    P.S. I gave this entry a second read not even five minutes after I said I was going to sleep, and I can¡¯t believe I was all over the place!


    Momo, you seriously need to organize your thoughts before you start writing!!!


    Hey, why don¡¯t you set that as a goal? Besides, remember what you told Servy? You said she can rely on you, so why don¡¯t you rely on her? She¡¯s super smart, and you know she¡¯ll help you with stuff like writing.


    So yeah, do that. That way, when you go back and see grampy, you can tell him you got smarter.


    Oh¡­ Maybe I could start on being a better writer by writing in first person? Oh man, if someone finds this thing and reads it, they¡¯re probably going to think I¡¯m crazy because I¡¯m switching between using ¡®I¡¯ and ¡®Momo.¡¯


    One more thing: please decide between using ¡®journal¡¯ or ¡®diary.¡¯ You¡¯ve switched between those two like five or six times. Make up your mind, girl!!!


    Gah!!! You¡¯re doing it again!!!


    Ok¡­ That¡¯s enough writing for one day!!! It¡¯s time to sleep!


    Good night, journal.


    Sincerely, Momo.


    ~~ The End ~~


    RuggyRuggy


    Update one week from now.

 Update – 31 August 2021 – Major Sneak Peek at a New Story?

    Hello! Let''s just jump right into this update since it''s gonna be a long one! (Right now, it''s over 51k words!) (Most of it is in spoiler tags to make it easier to read and digest.)


    Initially, Book Three was supposed to be the shortest one thus far. It was supposed to have Momo kidnapped by the Mafia, then Servi going on a rampage to get her back. And yes, while that did happen, a lot of other things were added during the various stages of planning and writing. Let''s go over them!


    And now, I want to talk about the elephant in the room.


    Okay, I''ve gotten a lot of feedback about these chapters. Some feel they don''t provide anything worthwhile, some say that they''re showing what we already know about Servi, and some say it''s all senseless violence and torture porn.


    I want to talk about what I was trying to do. It probably just felt like one long block of sadness, and that was on purpose. It is supposed to mimic Servi''s journey through the Mafia. She has nothing around her to give her joy and happiness except killing her enemies, and the book reflected that by not breaking up the depression. Well, it did so one time near the end of chapter 8, and that was something I added in after finishing everything. I thought that little daydream-like sequence was fitting for the story. It reinforced what Servi was fighting for, but at the same time, it was just that: a dream.


    But the crux of the story is that it was each of the character''s darkest and lowest points. Servi shrugged of Momo to fulfil her desire for murder and chaos, Itarr was forced to watch what her tampering accelerated in bringing about, and Momo, the victim of it all, was mentally tortured and threatened for days on end. There just wasn''t any spot for me to put any humorous or funny side stories without disrupting the flow I was going for.


    That''s also why I didn''t do anything to shorten or summarize it, which was what a few readers would have preferred.


    In short, I wanted the readers to suffer along with these characters. I wanted the readers to get upset with Servi, I wanted them to feel for Momo. I kind of wanted them to be a bit hesitant to cheer for Servi because she started killing innocents, but at the same time, only Servi could save Momo, who was completely innocent.


    For the record, I do fully understand everyone''s complaints with these chapters. I just wanted to throw this out there so it doesn''t seem like I''m ignoring my readers.


    How did you like them?


    Was Sakdu worthy of being a villain?


    What about Roger?


    Carrie was a pseudo-replacement for Momo for part of the book, so I wonder how many people thought she might have been promoted to a main character?


    Old Man did a lot of horrible things to provide his granddaughter the medicine she needed. Did he go to far? He even had to resort to killing to pay for her medicine. He showed up near the end as a ghost, but do you think he should have made himself known when he was alive?


    What about Emi, Lori, and Leigh? Those three were the unfortunate victims of Servi''s and Old Man''s first assignment, but as we learned a few parts ago, those three have used Servi''s gift to buy a horse, wagon, and protection as they head for greener pastures.  Who knows? They might show up again somewhere down the line...


    His granddaughter only showed up at the very end, so there wasn''t much to time to get acquainted with her. And it was the same with the woman looking after her. Any brief thoughts about Moko and Angie?


    How did you all feel about Carmelo and Clarence? Carmelo had a reason for trying to usurp the Mafia because he needed its power and resources to save his home forest. He even managed to recreate Red Monotonia and enhance it.


    Speaking of Monotonia, I suppose that pill could be considered a character as well since it was the whole reason the Mafia became as strong as it was. It''s certainly an ugly thing.


    And now that I think about it, the Mafia itself was its own character. Its reaches can''t be understated because it has pawns and plots in Westera, Keywater, and Lando, and Servi still believes that what was at Arcton was all the Mafia had to offer. And now with a few officers / leaders, the Mafia has set its eyes on another continent.


    And then we have the bodyguard. He was, by far, the toughest foe Servi has had to fight. And she came out victoriously, but only because it turned into a battle of attrition. Her immortality really saved her because she just getting walloped back and forth, dying tens of times. I have some notes about his past I have written down, so I might do a bit involving him. Maybe even a few short interludes where we follow his rise to power?


    (HINT: Yeah, the bodyguard may or may not be pretty important... He was absolutely incredibly strong with hundreds of years of experience under his belt. In a sense, he was a ''Hero'' in regards to how he saved entire countries and continents, and he was felled by a pissed-off girl with the soul of a Goddess who can''t die. That has to have drastic consequences, right? Right?)


    I''d like to get to know your feelings on Servi, Itarr, and Momo, now that Book Three is over. Do you still feel the same way about them as you did when the Book started? Do we have any Servi fans that switched over to Team Momo? Or did Servi''s sheer ruthlessness manage to win anyone over?


    A while back, I mentioned I had a few plans for other stories I wanted to write in addition to this one. I still kind of plan to do that, but I have hit a snag. You see, I was working on a revenge-isekai called True Demon Lord Training System.


    But here lies my problem. Right after I wrote the prologue for it, I started reading(I''m on Chapter 3 of it) a book called Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells. It''s a revenge isekai, and our prologues are so very similar that it isn''t even funny.


    I will put this in a spoiler box. The spoilers I will talk about mainly concern the first quarter of the book. But the spoilers are easily guessed from reading the back of the book and just having general knowledge about revenge-isekai stories.


    I was honestly shocked that I had thought up of something that was nearly the same. Even the Soul Rating thing is almost the same, but Failure Frame uses ''S-Class Hero'' or ''A-Class Hero.'' Granted, the process leading up to the betrayal is supposed to paint him as being pathetic and selfish for not going along with it (Pretty much, if he dies, the Goddess can use the energy released to summon another hero, who is 1000% assured to have at least a 1-Star Soul.) So he''s technically bullied to death, and another hero is summoned, but he swears he''ll come back and get revenge.


    I definitely do not want to be called a plagiarist, so I''m gonna have to alter it quite a bit. Thankfully, it''s just the prologue that''s super uncomfortably similar, and again, I definitely didn''t know about Failure Frame before I wrote my prologue.


    The first chapter is different enough, I hope, and it changes from there. They still both strive to acquire power, but they do so in their own ways. One uses his unique skill, and the other uses a system that is designed to train future True Demon Lords. And as I said before, a Demon Lord is only someone who can use Dark Divine Energy, so don''t expect him to rape and pillage everything he sees. At the same time, the MC isn''t a pushover, and he''s going to have to be ruthless and surround himself with ruthlessness because he''s starting at the very, very, very bottom. And it''s a long, long, long way to the top. And since the stat boosts will be smaller at the start, it just makes the road that much more difficult.


    If you want to get a sneak peek of what I have, then the Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, and part of Chapter 3 are below.


    Keep in mind that very little editing has gone into these early chapters!!! I''m just looking for general thoughts about the plot and how it progresses. Editing will come later once I have the tone I want locked down.


    (I know it seems like a lot of content, but I want to get a bit of feedback on my ability to write in first person. I''d like to get some comments before I devote a substantial amount of effort in this story. All I really have written down is an outline of the first 8 chapters. But don''t worry. The Story of a Girl & a Goddess Whose Souls Became Interconnected will always be my main priority.)


    On that story''s page, you can find a feedback chapter with my thoughts.


    Alright, I think a part of why Book Three might''ve been a bit rough to read was because of the uploading schedule. Once a week isn''t the best because of how I write. And I think the same can be said if I upload two or three times a week, and that brings me to this.


    I think part of my problem is that I''m taking the advice, ''show, don''t tell'' to heart. I very rarely ''tell'' things, and I mainly focus on the ''showing.'' That''s why I''m over 700k words deep, and I''m only on Book Four. ''Showing'' is also why Chapters 9 and 10 are the way they are, but I still think they''re properly needed because I needed them to convey what I wanted to convey.


    And that''s why, for Book Four, I''m taking a different approach.


    I''m taking a hiatus until it is fully written and edited. Then once that is done, I will just have straight daily uploads, (weekdays, so not Saturday or Sunday) until it''s done.


    And I know I said this before, but this shouldn''t be that long. There''s going to be two stories going on at the same time.


    At the same time, I swear I''m working on saying more without actually writing more. I think I can afford to ''tell'' just a little bit more.


    Some readers think Fisher got off way to easily just because he had a family to take care of, but that''s not true. Servi just didn''t kill him because she truly believed he regretted all he had done. He convinced her of that with his actions, words, and plans to build a orphanage. But just saying sorry isn''t enough. Karma will eventually catch up to him, and this is Karma catching up.


    I''ll say this because I don''t think it''s a spoiler, but very rarely will anyone get off without a punishment. That includes the main characters and side characters. If it does seem that nothing bad will happen, it just means that it isn''t the right time for punishment to occur. Every one will get their comeuppance, it will just take time.


    I was going to say I want to start uploads before Christmas stuff goes up, but there''s a store near me that are already selling fake Christmas trees, so I can''t do that. So, I want to start uploading before the year ends.


    And since Book Five now a collection of side stories, I can probably knock those out pretty quickly.


    Actually, I lied. The first Side Story of Book Five takes place probably 10 minutes after Book Four, but Book Four will just end on the perfect moment. And I didn''t want to have two epilogues.


    But everything after Book Five Chapter One (Prologue?) is all side stories that are all going to be fluffy.


    Except one, of course, which brings me to something completely else that I want to do, which is Fanfiction Crossovers!!!


    I also want to do one with Pok¨¦mon, but that involves a character that hasn''t been introduced. Like, what if Servi, Momo, Itarr, the character that hasn''t been introduced, and Feral were transported to the world of Pok¨¦mon? There won''t be any killing of the Pok¨¦mon, so rest assured, you will not see a Pikachu sliced in half. Think of the Pok¨¦mon anime, and you''re already there.


    I have some other ideas that involve Danmachi (Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?) and Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, but those are just in the bare concept stages, so I just have the basic idea and that''s it.


    And here we have it! The end of this update post. I know Book Three has had some ups and downs, but I do hope you''ve enjoyed it. And I hope you''re looking forward to some Rest and Relaxation in Book Four! We all know our Servi, Momo, and Itarr need it after what they''ve been through. I''ll be working hard to get it written, edited, and scheduled for upload!!!!

 Book Four – Prologue – Part One – Home Sweet Home

    RuggyRuggy


    NOTE: The following was supposed to be in an update post before this was uploaded. I''ve been sick and sore, so I wasn''t able to do that. That update post was also supposed to have a summary of Book 1-3. I still want to do that, and I will get that done before the end of Book Four.


    The following below is everything I wanted to put in that update post but without the summary. It''s kind of long, so it''ll be in a spoiler.


    YAY!!!! After five months since the end of Book Three, Book Four is finally here!!!!!


    Before we get into it, there are a few things I want to say about it.


    Firstly, this book is split into two. The main story is focused on Momo taking care of Servi. Other than a bit of action in the prologue, this Part A storyline will mainly be fluffy, happy, and all-around positive. Because let''s face it: Momo and Servi deserve a good break. Hell, it might even get ''sappy'' at some point because while this story is dark, it does need its bright moments. And there are a lot of happy, bright, fun moments.


    Part B will consist of nearly all of the interludes. It focuses on Fisher Jin and a certain mystery that is afoot inside Canary.  It also deals with his ''trauma'' of finding out about how Sakdu was just days away from completely destroying Canary and killing his family. He''s a man who doesn''t take it that well.


    (The very last interlude is the only one not focused on Fisher.)


    Secondly, I do apologize for any typos or grammar mistakes. I really put in the hours to get this ready, and I was tired when doing my proofreading.  (For example, it took me FIVE HOURS to properly cut this 569 page story into ~4,000 word chunks. Some will be longer, and some will be shorter. The longest is around 5.5k words, I believe. The shortest is ~~2.3k)


    Did I mention that? Yeah... Book Four is 569 pages long. Because of how it''s on the same  MS Word document as my outline (That''s a terrible practice and it''s definitely changing for Book Five.) I don''t know how long it is in terms of word count. A rough estimate would put it at ~308k words. Regardless, I''m definitely hitting a million words when all is said and done.


    I do hope you don''t mind because there is a lot packed in here.


    Finally, I''m happy to announce that a part will come out every weekday. I chose not to do Saturday and Sunday as to not overwhelm you all with releases. I think that''s a fair compromise for weekday uploads.


    Here''s a fun fact: Book Four has 77 parts. That''s 77 weekdays of constant uploads. That''s a lot. So yeah, we''re in it for the long haul.


    If I did my math right, the final part of the epilogue will go up around the mid of may. I still have 18 more parts, as of January 29th, to edit and schedule.


    To be honest, I don''t know if I''ll do this whole ''weekday daily uploads for entire book'' again. But that''s neither here nor there, and I have four months to think on it while doing some work for my other story. If it all goes to plan, that story will start it''s weekday (there I go again promising stuff) daily uploads near the end of May. For reference, and I''ll stop talking about it right after this because this isn''t the place for it, I am at ~77k words. I''m hoping to be somewhere around 150k - 200k before starting the uploads.


    But yeah... I''ll stop typing and end this new.


    Ah, there is one more thing. I''ve done my best to edit, but a person can only edit so much before words appear when they blink. At some point, it all blended together. I used Grammarly to help, but that kept claiming that even the most basic of sentences were ''unclear.''  And it kept wanting me to change words out to something that didn''t fix the context.


    So that wasn''t the *best* help, but it did help me. For the most part, that is. I know I missed something. If anyone can let me know of any mistakes, I''ll fix them as soon as I can.


    Finally, I think that''s everything I wanted to say, so I''ll end this now. For real, this time.


    One more thing: I don''t really have set times in which my parts come out. I randomly pick a time. For reference, I''m in EST, so depending on your time zone, it might seem like some days are ''skipped.'' Like, I know one part, can''t remember when, will go up at 1:54 AM EST on Day A, and the next will go up at 11:38PM on Day B.


    Alright. That''s the end. I''ll won''t hold you up anymore.


    RuggyRuggy.


    With the southern half of Lando experiencing the blistering effects of a summer heatwave, the hot sun scorched the ground. The brutal sunlight lacked pity since everything was heated by its touch. For many, it was the perfect time to travel to one of Lando¡¯s many lakes and bodies of water for a spot of fun. Spending a few days ridding the body of stress and relaxing without care was something a lot of people looked forward to.


    For those who didn¡¯t care much for splashing around in water, there was another option at hand.


    The summer festival.


    Created to celebrate the Gods, the summer festival had since been reduced to nothing more than a generic excuse to have fun. Instead of parading around in masks meant to honor and worship, wooden stands filled with food and games were far more common, as people would rather fill their bellies and partake in enjoyable activities. The time previously wasted on praying would be spent on forging and restrengthening the bonds between comrades and family. However, that wasn¡¯t to say the original reason had been lost to time.


    If one looked hard enough, scouring the great wide world and investigating the customs of towns, big and small, they would find traces of godly worship in festivals and special occasions. Even some major cities, like that of Adenaford, had explicit celebrations thanking the Gods and Goddesses. But it was no lie to state that those kinds of festivities have started to become less and less popular as the years passed the world by.


    In all cases, it was said that many young couples proclaimed vows of dedication while snuggling under the starry night sky. With the moon acting as their witness and the festival the catalyst, thousands of lovers pledged themselves to each other on the final night of festivities.


    On the other side of the equation, there were the farmers making it all possible. The world thrived on fruits and vegetables painstakingly harvested while under the devilish sun. Such attentive care was the only reason why the nearby towns and villages had the necessary food to hold a celebratory festival in the first place. Although, that also includes the hastiness of shipping companies, who were the backbone in assuring supplies and the aforementioned food was delivered on time.


    Such joyous events only truly thrived when the surrounding communities worked together, covering for each other¡¯s weaknesses and going above and beyond.


    A certain pink-haired Singi, who walked alongside a black-haired Human, had passed by many fields full of workers hard at work planting as many seeds as they could. They hunched over, walking, watering, and cultivating without a care in the world.


    Right before the sun had reached its zenith, Servi and Momo settled down for lunch. The slightly obscured hill they had chosen was warm, overflowing with a fluffy bed of soft grass. It overlooked a farm where the pair of best friends observed a team of shirtless Koena as they toiled to till a field. During that time, Momo never stopped speaking, explaining the things she saw and what they meant to her best friend, who seemed to be cut off from the world.


    ¡°They say ruffing the dirt is the best way to make the seeds grow faster. Grampy taught me that when we had a little flower garden. He also taught me the best way to water. You see, you can¡¯t just dump the water on the plant. They¡¯ll drown that way. ¡®Water the soil,¡¯ he told me. ¡®If you douse the leaves, it¡¯s like feeding your hand instead of your mouth.¡¯ I was still a little kitten when he said that, and I didn¡¯t really understand it then, but I get it now,¡± Momo said. She had her canteen in one hand and brought it up to her mouth.


    A cool stream moistened her pink lips as a cold sensation filled her mouth, allowing a few stubborn pieces of chicken to finish their journey towards her stomach. Momo sat the canteen on the grass in front of her while looking to her left. Her blue eyes locked on to Servi¡¯s blank face, which rarely looked anywhere else but forward.


    Glancing down, Momo¡¯s left index finger continued to trace Servi¡¯s right palm, creating squares, circles, and triangles. ¡°I know I¡¯m not holding your hand right now, but that¡¯ll change in a few minutes. At least we¡¯re connected¡ªtouching each other¡ªright? I think that¡¯s the important thing. Just feeling my finger shows that I¡¯m right here beside you. It¡¯s kinda funny, you know.¡± Momo¡¯s finger increased in speed, accurately sliding in a particular pattern. ¡°I bet I know your palm lines better than you do! Do you recognize that farm down there? We passed by it nearly eleven days ago. It means we¡¯re almost at Canary. Man¡­ It¡¯s been a while, huh? A lot of things happened¡­¡± The Singi looked up at the sky and took a deep breath, revisiting the extraordinary circumstances she had been a part of.


    Only four days had passed since the incident resulting in ¡®Lando¡¯s Scar¡¯ came to a swift conclusion. According to the official reports, which wouldn¡¯t be published for quite some time, it was impossible to determine how many people perished in the disaster. That didn¡¯t include the death toll of Arcton¡¯s destruction, which was presumed to be related. However, due to the town¡¯s corrupted leadership, there was a severe lack of physical records detailing the city¡¯s statistics. And with the mass exodus happening only hours after Lando¡¯s Scar was inflicted on the planet, it was impossible to make a timeline of events.


    The manpower required to search for former inhabitants was one thing, but the investigating officials wouldn¡¯t believe the tales they¡¯d be told. They¡¯d sit and wonder how so much destruction could occur without anyone seeing the group responsible, but that was their mistake. There wasn¡¯t a group or team behind it at all.


    Everything that happened: the destroyed buildings, the lost lives, Lando¡¯s Scar¡­ The cause of it all was a single girl who effectively waged war to save her best friend.


    In the end, that goal was accomplished, but it came at a tremendous cost.


    After Momo and Servi reconnected, reforging an unbreakable bond, they made the long trek to their home in Canary. Momo prioritized the back routes, enjoying all nature had to offer as they took it slow and easy. In many ways, it was just what Momo wished for when she thought of adventure.


    ¡°You would think it would be lonely because I was the only one talking, but it wasn¡¯t! Servy, I felt like I got to know you a lot. Call me crazy, but I swear I heard you talk to me through your hand,¡± Momo said, taking another sip while staring at the small ball of fire in front of them. The patch of grass below it had been splattered with grease from when Momo cooked her chicken. Her blue eyes blinked twice before focusing on Servi¡¯s new clothing.


    The mute girl wore a simple black blouse tucked into a beige pair of shorts that came to her knees. Her feet were guarded against the elements by a scruffy-looking pair of boots that had seen better days.  It was certainly a far cry from her previous outfit, which consisted of a green shirt and pink pants. After soiling it with a blood geyser that spewed from her mouth, there wasn¡¯t really a chance for Momo to clean it off of Servi. She had tried to, of course, but the poor Singi couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it. Looking at her friend¡¯s naked state was one thing, but the girl in front of her couldn¡¯t consent.


    I¡¯d have to change her underwear, wash her body, then put everything back on¡­ Momo had thought at the time. However, it turned out the solution to her growing problem was something she never expected.


    ¡°Servy, remember yesterday? We stopped by that lake where we met Old Man, and I took a quick bath to change into something comfortable?¡± Momo looked down and saw her neutral-colored outfit, which consisted of a gray shirt, white pants, and black shoes. It was the total opposite of her adventuring gear, which was comprised of a black sleeveless tunic with leather reinforcements, her bent chainmail, black leather pants, and red boots. They were nowhere to be seen because they were filthy. Momo¡¯s current outfit wasn¡¯t suitable for fighting, but she worked with what she had.


    ¡°I was scared leaving you alone, but it all worked out. I don¡¯t know how you did it, but when I came back you were holding a new set of clothes. I had thought you pulled them from your ring, but I did notice a pair of wagon tracks. I was blindsided! I knew that smell of dried blood was bothering you, but I was just too embarrassed to clean you myself¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ But I guess I don¡¯t need to keep worrying about that, huh? You just walked right into the water when I turned away. When I spun back around, there you were in your new outfit. Hehe, it looks really cute on you, Servy!¡±


    Momo took a third sip of her water and continued to swirl her finger around Servi¡¯s palm. By then, Itarr, the amnesiac Goddess sharing Servi¡¯s soul, absorbed the wispy fireball.


    ¡°Did a man or woman give them to you? I wonder if they thought you were a refugee from Arcton? It sure was nice of them to do that. Did you thank them? I kinda hope you did¡­but if you didn¡¯t, that¡¯s fine. You¡¯re dealing with something really important¡ªoh, speaking of that! Servy, I¡¯m really proud of the progress you¡¯re making. It¡¯s very subtle, but I¡¯ve realized you started to look around a little bit. Have you noticed it yourself? Usually, when I¡¯m talking to you while standing in front, you look straight over me, but it was different this morning. You kinda tilted your head down.


    ¡°It feels like it¡¯s been decades since you looked at me, but I guess it¡¯s only been a few days. Still, any progress is good progress, right?¡± Momo yawned and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.


    The people who had given Servi her new outfit were scouts from Keywater. Both them and Westera were briefed about Lando¡¯s Scar minutes after it happened, and it was most prudent to send out scouts right away. Should Lando have had some unknown, powerful weapon at the ready, the fear of conflict would skyrocket. Still, if it was a weapon, then secrecy and privacy were the terms of the game, lest the scouts get caught, which would have been considered an act of war during a period where stress was at an all-time high.


    Momo¡¯s tail lazily swooshed around in the heated grass, wanting to feel the warmth as well. The Singi laid back, and Servi copied her motions. After a little bit of wiggling closer, Momo¡¯s pink hair gently tangled with a few strands of Servi¡¯s black hair. At the same time, Momo gently interlocked her fingers around her best friend¡¯s hand. ¡°When we hold hands like this, it kinda feels like our hearts are beating in sync,¡± she said. Her head faced towards the bright blue sky, enjoying the cloudless sky.


    ¡°Servy, do you like to look at the sky?¡± Momo turned her head. As she expected, Servi had her head looking up, and the Human neither moved nor nodded.


    ¡°I do. I love looking up at it. Me and grampy used to do something he called skywatching. Basically, we watched the skies on days like this. When a cloud passed by, we talked about what it reminded us of if it was in the shape of something. Like, if he saw a cloud looking a little bit like a cat, grampy would say it reminded him of his childhood. He''d then tell me a story, and I would listen. If it was funny, I¡¯d laugh, but most of the time, the things he said were bittersweet at best. I never did fully cry, but my heart was hurting as if I was. It¡¯s too bad we can¡¯t do that because the clouds are too busy to come out and play¡­¡±


    After a few seconds of silence, Momo heard the faint noises of a whimpering child, though they came from an adult. The Singi leaned up and pulled the hand she held towards her, which Servi took as a sign to lean in. Momo¡¯s other hand reached around Servi¡¯s back and found a place on her head, and she slowly stroked her best friend''s black hair.


    With the two sharing a tender embrace, Servi cried into Momo¡¯s shoulder, who only gently whispered nothing but positive words in her trembling ears.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Servy. You¡¯re doing really good, you know that? It takes a strong girl to do what you¡¯re doing, and you¡¯re the strongest I know. Do you want to know who my hero is? It used to be grampy, and he still is, but there¡¯s a new person I think of whenever I hear the word ¡®hero.¡¯ Can you guess who it is? Hehe! It¡¯s you. You¡¯ll always be my hero.


    ¡°When I met you, Servy, I wanted to be like you. No¡ªit¡¯s more than that. I guess I kinda wanted to be you. You had everything I lacked. I mean, you¡¯re the toughest, strongest girl I know. And really¡­ I wanted that. It¡¯s like all of my weaknesses didn¡¯t exist within you.


    ¡°But then I realized something. Servy, there¡¯ll only ever be one of you. And if that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s only going to be one of me. I think instead of trying to become you, I should instead focus on myself. We¡¯re best friends, and I know you¡¯re going to be the best Servy you can be. I said it before in my diary, but I want to be the best Momo I can be¡ªmore than just some acrobatic Singi who can fight on her hands. But instead of being it for you, I want to be it for me. Well, for me for you¡­ Does that make any sense? Living for you, living for me for you¡­ Geez, I¡¯ve talked to myself so many times I can¡¯t keep things straight¡­ Well, I guess as long I¡¯m eventually known as Servy¡¯s Protector¡­¡±


    Momo rested her chin on Servi¡¯s shoulder, struggling to hold back a few tears of her own as her mind traveled to the past.


    Ever since the incident, Servi¡¯s crying had steadily increased from a rare occurrence to something that happened multiple times a day. The feeling was fickle, meaning it could strike at any moment. When it happened, Servi was reduced to a sobbing mess akin to that of a young girl, incapable of doing anything but shedding tears.


    The first time it happened, Momo was blindsided, ducking for cover and inadvertently bringing Servi, whose hand she held, down with her. Her calculating blue eyes hastily searched their empty surroundings, finding nothing but green grass, gray gravel, and brown trees before setting on the noise¡¯s source. Believing it to be the only thing she could do, she hastily wrapped her arms around Servi and spoke softly into her ears. However, the more she tried to calm Servi down, the louder she cried. It was then Momo realized she couldn¡¯t rush the healing process. It would be telling a person to walk only minutes after breaking their legs.


    That little breakdown was the first one Servi experienced, happening three days prior. Thankfully, it was a one-and-done thing, meaning she slept soundly through the night.


    But the following day, her wails only increased in frequency. Momo had to wrap her best friend in a tender embrace four times before the moon came out to play.


    The day after that, their journey to Canary came to a halt six times, with each stop lasting no shorter than fifteen minutes. Momo didn¡¯t mind. In her eyes, those little breaks were a gift. She was able to support her best friend and hero to the best of her ability. Each second they held each other was another unbreakable link added to the chain connecting their hearts.


    The rest of the day, barring those unscheduled breaks, went on without anything of importance to note. It was only when the bright blue sky was replaced by an abyss filled with little sparkles did things turn for the worse.


    When Momo was three hours into a deep sleep, she was blasted awake by a scream capable of waking the dead. Like a ninja, she rolled out of her sleeping bag, dirtying her pink hair on the damp grass. Dineria¡¯s training was still engraved within her body even though she hadn¡¯t trained in nearly two weeks. Keeping in mind with her mentor¡¯s instruction, the Singi scanned her immediate surroundings.


    Momo¡¯s cobalt-colored eyes closely observed the floating ball of fire. The crimson glow basked everything in a warm embrace, leaving nothing in the camp in the dark. Since that was already there, she moved onto the sword and bag lying nearby. Both were untouched, still lying in their respective spots.


    That was good.


    Going down the checklist, Momo locked eyes on the tent less than a meter away. It was on the other side of the floating Fireball, obscuring the hunched-over figure of a girl with her face buried in her hands.


    Although the Singi had completed her initial scan in two and half seconds, her heart was hurting. Momo¡¯s first instinct when awoken was to crawl across the camp and comfort Servi, but she couldn¡¯t dart away without checking around.


    Wait for me, Servy. Momo thought. I have to check the camp. I know I can trust Itarr to keep us safe, but I can¡¯t slack on my duties. Even if it¡¯s just two seconds, it probably feels like a lifetime to you. In the future, I promise you won¡¯t have to wait any longer. I¡¯ll be capable enough to scan and hug at the same time.


    Four seconds after Servi had started wailing, she shut her mouth, converting to a shuddering sob when Momo reached out to her. Prying a hand away from Servi¡¯s face, the Singi soon raised her own hand, connecting their fingers and palm. Her left hand went behind Servi¡¯s back, affectionately rubbing up and down as she whispered pleasant words.


    Their tender embrace lasted as long as it took for Servi to stop crying. Only when the sun came up and erased the need for a campfire did her sorrowful wails come to a natural conclusion. But while she was waiting for that to happen, Momo eventually couldn¡¯t think of anything to say. To remedy that, she fell back on a classic song that was quickly becoming a tradition.


    Mr. Sun, so high in the sky.


    Makes?me want to fly.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯m singing this tune.


    May I?touch you soon?


    Mr.?Sky, so pretty and?blue.


    When I look at you,?I know that¡¯s true.


    And that fills?me with such a boon.


    May I touch you soon?


    Mr. Star, bright, bright, bright.


    At night,?you¡¯re always in my sight.


    Even though it¡¯s past June.


    May I touch you soon?


    Mr. Moon,?last but not least.


    Why don¡¯t you come join us for a feast?


    We can use?forks,?knives, or spoons.


    May I touch you soon?


    Miss Servy, adding in at last.


    Being with you is such a blast!


    The two of us will never say farewell!


    Together, I know we¡¯ll excel!


    If I have to, I¡¯ll wait all afternoon.


    Just for the chance to touch you soon.


    After singing her slightly altered song seventeen times, the sun had started to break apart the darkness. Fragments of red scattered across the horizon, allowing crimson light to bless the world with illumination.


    ¡°I suppose I had to add a verse at the end to say what I wanted to convey, but I think that¡¯s fine. And I¡¯m sure grampy wouldn¡¯t mind me altering it, either. Especially if it¡¯s for my closest and best friend. Servy, I¡¯ll stay up all night and day if that¡¯s what it takes. If you make even the smallest murmur, I¡¯ll come running across towns and cities. Heck, I don¡¯t know how to swim, but I¡¯ll cross an entire ocean and then some if you need me. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not upset I couldn¡¯t sleep. In my mind, you come before all that. And if I¡¯m being honest, it¡¯s kinda comforting. The last time I stared up at the stars with someone was with grampy. Even when I traveled from my village to Canary in that convoy, I was always the first one asleep. I¡¯m glad I could share this moment with you, Servy. It¡¯ll be one I always remember.¡±

 Book Four – Prologue – Part Two – Home Sweet Home

    RuggyRuggy


    I didn''t mean for this part to be this long, but I couldn''t find a nice spot to cut it without interrupting the flow.


    After returning from her memories, Momo noticed Servi¡¯s whimpering had ceased. Softly inhaling and exhaling, the Human stared straight ahead with blank eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, Servy. Have you cried enough? If you need to continue, it¡¯s a-okay with me.¡± Momo paused for ten seconds, waiting to see what action Servi took. If it was similar to the other time she cried, Servi wouldn''t utter a single squeak. ¡°Yeah, I figured you¡¯d be quiet. That¡¯s okay. Are you ready to go?¡± Momo lowered the hand around Servi¡¯s back and stood up. Servi did the same, copying Momo¡¯s motions exactly. Leaning down, Momo picked up her canteen, slotted it into her backpack, and slung that on her back. Doing so meant she had to let go of her best friend¡¯s hand, but they were only unconnected for a quarter of a second at best. After sliding her arms through the straps, Momo physically reconnected with Servi while checking her black messenger bag and thin longsword.


    Both items used to belong to Sumo, Momo¡¯s grandfather. A powerful Warden adventurer in his own right, he had retired and looked after Momo when she was a little baby. He taught her what he could concerning stances and swordplay, but he was getting up there in age. His tired old body couldn¡¯t move as well as he could in his prime, but the things he taught his granddaughter were life-long lessons. She¡¯d be forever grateful for his teachings, and she exercised the knowledge whenever she could.


    ¡°Ah, Servy, I want you to hold on to this.¡± Momo searched her pockets with her free hand, pulling out a dupla. ¡°You once told me you liked to flip coins,¡± Momo said while holding it out. Servi turned her head down and only stared at the object in her friend¡¯s outstretched hand. ¡°It¡¯s just a regular coin, but it did belong to me. I want you to have it. Go on, take it.¡±


    Servi did as she was told and grabbed it with a blank expression covering her face. Forming a fist around it, she had a tight grip around it.


    ¡°Good. Now, hold it close to your heart, okay? Can you keep it safe for me?¡± Momo asked. As the Singi expected, her friend didn¡¯t reply to her question, but she did follow the instructions and tightly grasped it. ¡°Okay! Now, we¡¯re ready to head out! Let¡¯s go, Servy!¡± Momo looked one last time at the Kobold farmers. With the awful sun beating down, she knew they had to be sweating hard. She mentally waved them goodbye and turned back around. Before she had even taken three steps, a mysterious force absorbed her backpack while leaving behind Momo¡¯s black bag and sword. Instead of being alarmed or surprised, Momo only smiled, thanking the Goddess that watched them. ¡°I appreciate that, Itarr. Thank you.¡±


    More often than not, Itarr acted in such ways that eased Servi¡¯s and Momo¡¯s burdens. The Divine Being was responsible for quenching their thirst, cooking their food, and even storing unneeded items. It was the only way for her to make amends, somewhat, while Servi¡¯s fractured mind was in the middle of repairing itself.


    The hill the pair of friends had chosen to eat at was only a few short seconds away from the main road. Despite that, they had to snake around a tree or two, which functioned as natural cover. Momo didn¡¯t think there was a reason to hide away from anyone, but she still valued privacy.


    Servi closely followed behind the Singi leading her back to the road. Her red eyes had lost nearly all of the luster they once had. In a way, Servi was dead, and her face clearly reflected that during her bouts of calmness. Her nose never moved or twitched, and her mouth rarely ever opened except to scream and cry. But her heart was beating inside her chest. Momo explicitly felt that whenever she embraced Servi.


    After about fifteen more minutes of walking, with nothing but bits of gravel and paved road under their feet, Momo excitedly spoke. ¡°Hey, I can see the city walls in front of us. It¡¯s still kinda far away, but we should get there in about an hour. Maybe two¡­ I guess it depends on if there are a lot of people on the road. When everyone evacuated Arcton, I bet quite a lot came here. But then again, I don¡¯t exactly see any camps or tents set up. Ah, we are far away, though, and I don¡¯t have an Elf¡¯s eyesight.¡± Momo¡¯s pink tail bounced up and down as hers and Servi¡¯s hand swung back and forth. Beads of sweat traveled down the Singi¡¯s face, but a quick breeze took care of them, leaving her refreshed.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Momo said, breaking off into a new conversation.  ¡°Have you ever tried to sing without thinking? I have. It¡¯s a little bit hard, but it can be fun. Oh, and it¡¯s weird how often I¡¯m singing. Hehe! I guess it¡¯s because I just feel so comfortable with you. Once you get better, we need to sing together. I think it¡¯ll be fun, right? Ah, but should we sing our song or something else? I don¡¯t really really know anything else. I bet Claire and Dineria know a few songs. I can¡¯t speak it, but I bet it¡¯ll be fun to sing in elvish. That might be something we can look forward to, right? But until then, I want to try my hand at randomly singing without thinking ahead. Wish me luck by gently squeezing my hand, okay?¡±


    Momo smiled, waiting for the sensation in her hand that arrived a moment later. That was all the strength she needed to keep going, and so, the Singi sang her heart out. Her comforting voice erupted out, subjugating the eerie silence threatening to swallow her courage. Her pink tail bellowed to live, bouncing in a rhythm like it was following along.


    With a one and two, we¡¯re dancing for the blue.


    Tilting our heads and walking in stride.


    Hey, it¡¯s okay if we don¡¯t have a clue.


    Because we¡¯ll be fine as long as you¡¯re by my side.


    Dancing around, with the wind against our hair.


    It¡¯ll be like we¡¯re at the fair.


    We¡¯ll get snacks, drinks, and delights.


    I¡¯ll protect you so we won¡¯t have any frights.


    That doesn¡¯t really make sense.


    Umm¡­ I guess I can rhyme with fence?


    I¡¯ve gone totally off track with this song.


    Hey, let¡¯s go! Would you say we belong¡­


    Umm¡­.


    After a total of three verses, Momo was defeated by her mind. She took the loss well, even laughing about it.


    ¡°Pfpff! Hahaha!!! Sorry, Servy, I kinda couldn¡¯t think of anything else. Man, that¡¯s a lot harder than I thought.¡± After giggling, Momo turned her pretty blue eyes towards Servi. The Singi stared, and that was all she did for three minutes. ¡°Hey,¡± she said while smiling. ¡°Did you know you have 126 eyelashes? Ah, sorry, that was kinda weird to say, right? I guess I have been staring at you a lot more, so I¡¯m sorry. But it¡¯s because I miss you¡­ I told you to take your time, and I really mean that, but if staring, looking, or even holding your hand is going to help, then I¡¯m going to do it. So! I hope you don¡¯t mind it.¡± Momo smiled a second time but leaned in, resting her head on Servi¡¯s shoulder while they continued to walk. Momo¡¯s hair, which had considerably grown in length, covered her friend, dousing her in warmth.


    It also helps that you¡¯re a cute girl, Servy. I feel like I could stare at you for a hundred years and not get bored¡­ Hmm¡­ You are taller than me, and holding this pose is a bit uncomfortable¡­


    With a sigh, Momo leaned away. She brushed any strands of hair that may have fallen. ¡°Well, maybe resting my head was too much¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ Now that I''m thinking about it, holding hands like this is much more fun.¡±


    The Singi and Human pair walked hand in hand for another twenty minutes before encountering a set of guards. Clasped head to toe in iron armor, the two defenders of Canary were standing side by side. The smaller one on the right held a map in her hands while her partner, a man, marked off locations with a thin piece of charcoal.


    Even as Momo made eye contact when the guards looked up at the approaching footsteps, she never once thought about letting go of Servi¡¯s hand. The Singi stared them down, and they stared back with a piercing gaze. It was like two blue eyes faced off against four brown eyes, almost as if Momo was declaring or making a statement.


    ¡°Excuse me, ma¡¯am?¡± the one on the left asked in a cautious voice. His partner rolled up the map and placed it in a small bag hanging off her hip.


    Momo and Servi stopped walking and turned to them. Her pink cat ears twitched wildly as a freak gust of wind blew by.


    ¡°This may be an odd question, but are you two from Arcton?¡± asked the female guard. The subtly accusing tone of voice she used wasn¡¯t masked in her brown eyes.


    Momo answered while not averting her gaze. Her actions only increased the strange atmosphere, which bordered on accusation and violence.  ¡°We aren¡¯t from there, but we¡¯re returning to Canary. Servy and I had to head there to complete our Rank Up quest. We were¡ª¡±


    ¡°AAAAAHHHHH!!!¡± Servi suddenly screamed, covering her eyes while shaking something fierce. As if searching for a way out of whatever may have triggered her, Servi immediately sunk to the ground like a bag of bricks. Momo went down with her, crouching and nearly jumping on top of her. On accident, the front of Servi¡¯s blouse became torn, showing off her incredibly soft stomach. Momo held the crying girl against her shirt, muffling her terrified wails while looking up at the two voyeurs. The Singi didn¡¯t like how they were staring at her and her friend.


    ¡°You can put your swords away,¡± Momo said, staring at the glint of sharpened steel. ¡°She¡¯s not dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Not dangerous?!¡± replied the female guard with an edge in her voice.  She kept her blade out and turned to her partner. ¡°Jeri! What are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°Sea, you have to read the atmosphere. We need information, correct?¡± Jeri said, altering his tone to be one of friendliness. ¡°Bearing your blade when faced with a girl that is clearly frightened is not the way to complete our goal. Didn¡¯t you learn that from¡ª"


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the time for a damn lecture!¡± Sea replied. Her armored head turned from Momo to Jeri, who coarsely sighed.


    ¡°Sea, it is always the time to learn. Now put your weapon away. Keep in mind that I outrank you. Do you wish to be punished for insubordination?¡± Jeri threatened his junior colleague. Sea finally nodded, though her expression didn¡¯t match up with her action.


    Once Jeri heard the soft clink of a sheathing blade, he whispered to Momo as if talking to a child. ¡°Look, you gotta tell me what happened?¡± He held out both hands and kneeled, reaching Momo¡¯s eye level. Servi¡¯s wails simmered, becoming little more than a mournful whisper.


    Momo thought for a solid second and debated on how to proceed. She couldn¡¯t tell the truth, but she couldn¡¯t lie, either. Above all else, however, Servi had to be protected, so Momo went ahead with that in mind. ¡°Servy and I are members of Warden. We were supposed to go to Arcton¡¯s Warden office to turn in our promotional quest. But¡­ It wasn¡¯t that easy or simple. We got caught up in something. Something bad¡­ It scared me. But Servy¡­ It affected her badly. That¡¯s why she screamed and collapsed down. And taking your swords out didn¡¯t help the situation at all.¡±


    ¡°For that, I apologize. See it from our perspective, however. We see two strangers, and one breaks down when approached. I wish we could give you two the time the rest after what must¡¯ve been a harrowing experience, but I cannot. A few days ago, Canary unexpectedly welcomed a mass influx of people looking for safety and refuge. A large portion of them, when asked about the reason they evacuated Arcton, could not give an understandable statement. Those that could... They spoke of wonton destruction, a giant hole in the earth, and an organization called Mafia. Do you two have any information about that? If you do, then I would like for you to speak with our captain, Fisher Jin.¡±


    Fisher?! Momo¡¯s tail stiffed up and pointed to the sky, then it curled like a question mark. I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t think of him. Servy said he knew of her secret, so I can trust him, right? But then again, can I? If what Sakdu said was the truth... Fisher killed Sakdu¡¯s family. That¡¯s the whole reason he formed the Mafia¡­ But I don¡¯t think he¡¯s the same man. He was nice to Servy and me... He even paid Dineria to treat Servy after she tried to kill him. I think¡­ I think I need to tell him everything.


    Jeri noticed Momo took longer than a few seconds to reply to his question, so he grasped the sides of his iron helmet and removed it. Underneath it was the unsheltered face of a man past his prime. Numerous wrinkles lined his caved cheeks, spreading over the bridge of his nose. His brown eyes hinted he meant no harm or foul, yet there was something hidden behind his smile. A tuff of aged, silver hair lightly draped his head, covering more than half his skull.


    ¡°Sea, take off your helmet,¡± Jeri ordered. He stood up and turned to face his partner.


    Sea scowled, throwing her arms down but eventually relented. Like a toddler yanking a broken toy, she lifted her helmet with one hand, thrusting it in front of her. Like her partner, Sea also had a head filled with silver hair. It was somewhat lengthy, covering her left eye in the front and reaching the middle of her back. She had faint scars traveling down her right cheek at an angle, stopping at Sea¡¯s bottom lip. Such a mark of combat befitted the rowdy woman, who couldn¡¯t have been older than 24 or 25.


    Truth be told, Momo had no idea how this woman hid all that hair under the helmet.


    The Singi blankly gazed at the guards¡¯ uncovered faces, then spoke to Jeri. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll talk to Fisher. Is he at the headquarters?¡± Momo asked while standing up. Servi held on tightly, burying her head in the Singi¡¯s chest as she also stood up.


    ¡°No. the captain told us that he was going out to check the city¡¯s entrances since he was waiting for someone. He didn¡¯t want to miss them. I wonder if you¡¯re the two he¡¯s looking for,¡± Jeri replied. He had turned around once more, looking at Canary in the distance.


    ¡°Maybe? I don¡¯t really know, but we¡¯ll go with you. Servy, do you think you can walk? Squeeze my hand if you can.¡± Momo turned from Jeri to Servi, who wordlessly applied some pressure to Momo¡¯s hand. She softly smiled. ¡°You¡¯re doing really good, Servy. We¡¯re almost home, okay?¡±


    Sea, who watched from a short distance away, audibly groaned and rolled her eyes. Momo lightly scoffed, ignoring the woman with an obvious problem. Jeri only sighed and returned his helmet to his head. He told Sea to do the same, and the group went off towards Canary.


    Momo lightly hummed while staring ahead into Sea¡¯s back. She walked in front with Jeri, whose feet stomped in sync with his partner. A sudden breeze blew by, pushing Servi¡¯s sleeves outward and showing off her upper arms. As the tumbling pink hair swooshed across Momo¡¯s blue eyes, she examined her current situation.


    I wonder why he didn¡¯t ask to see our IDs? Did he think Servy wouldn¡¯t be able to summon it while distressed? If so, then he¡¯s really thoughtful. He¡¯s much better than that other girl, Sea. I don¡¯t know what her issue is, but she better cool it! Argh, Momo! You don¡¯t need to waste energy on her. Just focus on making Servy feel safe. That¡¯s all you gotta do. But why do I feel odd¡­ Something feels weird¡­


    For the next twenty minutes, Momo¡¯s hand never once unhooked itself from Servi¡¯s fingers. Sea did glance back a few times, side-eying and giving Momo¡¯s funny looks, but the Singi didn¡¯t back down at all and kept doing what she did.


    Momo wanted to believe it would work out well with nothing happening to disrupt the peace. All she needed was to meet up with Fisher, tell him the truth, go to Warden, and get Servi in a nice bed. It was goals in line with her way of thinking, and after they had been accomplished, Momo could then think of what to do next.


    Unfortunately, she had forgotten about one little-bitty problem: the church and its draconian rules about Human and Demi-Human relations.


    It all happened when Servi and Momo were no less than five minutes away from entering Canary. Sea and Jeri stopped walking and turned around, much to the ire of the people traveling behind them.  It was rude to come to a sudden halt, especially when at the entrance of a bustling city.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Momo asked. She felt the fur on her tail stick up.


    ¡°It¡¯s about¡­this,¡± Jeri replied, pointing to Servi¡¯s and Momo¡¯s connected hand. It was then lovable Singi realized she couldn¡¯t trust the man in front of him.


    ¡°What about it?!¡± Momo snapped.  She pulled Servi closer to her after she had started to whimper.


    ¡°The Church of the Heavens Above forbids public display of affections like holding hands between those who aren¡¯t from the same race,¡± Sea said, joining the conversation. ¡°You two gotta take care of that. And by take care of it, I mean keep your hands to yourselves.¡±


    Momo scoffed. ¡°Can¡¯t you see she¡¯s in pain? Servy needs me. We¡¯re best friends! We¡¯re supposed to be there for each other,¡± she protested. Her blue eyes caught the sight of a wagon pulling past in her peripheral vision. The Singi driver raised an angry fist for having to go around them, but Momo ignored him and his cargo.


    Jeri spoke after raising a hand to Sea¡¯s mouth. ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t. I¡¯m a devout follower, and I must follow the tenants. I only let you two do¡­that... because we were¡­far away? Yes, because we were far away. Now, go ahead and remove your hand. Don¡¯t make me do it.¡± Jeri glared hard enough to crack glass.


    Momo¡¯s anger blew past its breaking point. ¡°It¡¯s always like that with you churchgoers! You think you can decide who can and can¡¯t hold hands?! Well guess what? I¡¯m not taking my hand away! And you can¡¯t force me, either! Just what God or Goddess expressly prevents us from doing this?!¡± Momo wanted an answer, and she demanded it.


    ¡°If you care to actually go to church, Singi, you¡¯d find out if you read the scripture. Since you don¡¯t, I don¡¯t have to answer anything. Now, remove your hands, or I will. And if I have to do it, you two will spend some time in prison.¡± Jeri menacingly stomped forward. Momo reflexively took a step back after pushing Servi behind her.


    ¡°If you care to actually think, Human, it wouldn¡¯t make much sense for the Gods to purposely want us to treat each other like this. They made us in their image, right? If so, then why did they ¡®declare¡¯ certain rules that breed hostility between the races?!  Ugh! I thought you were nice! You understood that Servy was going through a tough time¡­ I thought I could trust you, but you turned out to be one of those crazy religious people!¡± Momo held her ground, for the most part, choosing to utter words in a tone of voice she had never spoken in. Her desire to protect and defend Servi allowed her to tap into a source of strength that was previously hidden. Everything she had done in the past few minutes went against her stature as a meek Singi, who embodied the phrase ¡®scaredy-cat.¡¯


    Sea stomped down and put a hand on her blade, but she backed off when Jeri raised a hand. He narrowed his eyes like a snake and spoke with venom. ¡°First, you can trust me. You should trust me. I want nothing more than for the two of you to come back to the city, talk with the captain, and go about your regular lives. Now? I can¡¯t do that after hearing you slander our religion. How would you even know what the Gods and Goddesses desire? Care to tell me that? We¡ªmyself and Sea¡ªfollow a bible containing the words of the Divine Beings that slumber in the Heavens Above. What do you follow? What do you have to guide you through the days and nights? From my point of view, you, her, and all the other godless heathens are the crazy ones.¡±


    Momo started to vocally lash back, but she stopped when her ears picked up a weak whimper. She looked back and saw Servi had frozen in place, holding a closed fist to her heart. Momo knew it was the same hand she placed that coin in, and Servi was definitely holding onto it. ¡°I don¡¯t have the time for this. Come on, Servy, let¡¯s go see Fisher.¡± Momo squeezed her hand and went to walk around Sea and Jeri. ¡°We¡¯ve wasted enough time here¡­¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going anywhere!¡± Sea shouted. She jumped in front of Momo and blocked her path, much to the ire of the other travelers. She mirrored Momo¡¯s movements, preventing the Singi from gaining even a single centimeter.


    ¡°Just stop it!¡± Momo shouted. ¡°Let us pass, and we¡¯ll tell Fisher what we know!¡± Her tail trembled with anger, furiously lashing to the left and right like a bolt of lightning.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re getting mad at Sea. If you had just let go of her hand, none of this would¡¯ve happened,¡± Jeri replied.


    Momo growled, but her rage dissipated once she felt wind circulate around the hand that was connected to her best friend. There was only one person who could have used Pixie Gust without chanting. ¡°I know, Itarr,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll protect Servy. I¡¯ll always protect her. You can trust me, okay? Let¡¯s just get to Canary, and we can talk to Fisher.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Jeri looked around and saw nothing, but Itarr understood and canceled Pixie Gust.


    ¡°Talking to an imaginary friend isn¡¯t going to save you,¡± Sea said. ¡°Damnit, why is this so hard for you to understand? Just respect our church¡¯s rules and let go of her hand! Why do you pathetic Demi-Humans find it so hard to listen to authority?¡± Sea continued, insulting Momo and every other Demi-Human that were walking by. They snarled and made off-handed comments, but Sea gave them the finger and threatened to arrest them if they did anything else.


    Momo took a deep breath and nearly went off the deep end. She hated how the church and religion were the common explanation as to why things that should¡¯ve been allowed were forbidden. Her unpleasantness had been building up, and it needed an outlet. ¡°I¡¯m going to say it... I¡¯m just going to say it¡­ Damn the church!!! Just... Just¡­ Argh!!!, I wish it didn¡¯t exist! It doesn¡¯t preach about kindness or happiness! If it did, then you¡¯d allow me to hold Servy¡¯s hand because she¡¯s in a delicate state of mind! And because she needs me!!! To me, that just screams you don¡¯t really understand the Gods or Goddesses!¡±


    ¡°Quiet! You think you know them? A godless heathen like you who dare to break the rules?! Why would one reveal themselves to a non-believer?!¡± Sea shouted. Her anger boiled so hotly she removed her helmet and tossed it down. It bounced off a pointy rock, rolling about two meters off to the right.


    ¡°I do know one of them! Her name¡¯s Itarr!¡± Momo yelled, revealing something that probably should¡¯ve been hidden, though it wasn¡¯t like anyone would ever believe that she knew a Goddess. Hot blood coursed through her veins, warming her face as her cheeks slightly flushed red. Her angry pink tail whipped like a firecracker, visually displaying its unhappiness. Momo internally cringed when Servi kept squeezing and releasing her hand as a way to cope with the rising stress. ¡°Out of all of the Gods and Goddesses, she¡¯s the only one I have faith in! She doesn¡¯t have any stupid rules like preventing a Demi-Human from helping her Human best friend. If a Demi-Human and a Human wanted to get married, even if they were both guys, she¡¯d allow it!!! She only cares about our happiness!!! She doesn¡¯t want to make us sad by preventing us from doing things we like!!! And guess what?! I like helping my friends! If I listened to your big, dumb, stupid scam of a church, then I never would¡¯ve been friends with my best frieeeeeeeenddddd!!!!¡±


    Sweat poured down her face, and Momo¡¯s lungs were gasping for oxygen, but she couldn¡¯t stop to breathe. The two guards in front of her scrunched their faces like someone had killed their parents. Sea bared her pearly whites, actually chipping two of her lower teeth from the rage coursing through her veins. Jeri was much of the same, but he shook something fierce. His helmet clanged against the side of his face, and when he took it off, his once-gentle face had twisted into one of a stranger.


    Momo had thought he was a man she could trust. After all, Jeri was the one who spoke calmly to her and Servi as if they were frightened children. He understood that a little bit of kindness was all it took to close a gap created from fear. Since he was like that, how could his mind be so twisted that he¡¯d purposely force a Human away from her emotional-support Singi?


    Perhaps if Momo had been the old her¡ªthe one who scurried away when faced with something so far out of her imagination¡ªshe would have repeated the same mistake. But she wasn¡¯t the old her. She had a week of mental torture to break down her inner-essence like a sculptor would a block of ice. Upon reuniting with Servi, however, any and all holes in her consciousness had been replaced¡ªforged stronger by unbreakable faith and friendship to the girl who risked it all to save her.


    Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a pair of Elves rush to the city. The strikingly identifiable silver dog-tags tied around their necks clacked against each other. Were they going to get help? It did almost seem like a fight could break out at any point. But if a brawl did break out, there wasn¡¯t a single thing to worry about.


    ¡°Jeri! Now, do you think it was the right-fucking-idea to go with the goddamn atmosphere?! This little cat doesn¡¯t deserve any of our kindness!!!¡± Sea placed a hand on her sword and went to step forward. Momo continued to stand in front of Servi and slowly backed up, using her body to shield her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t deserve your kindness?! What kindness?! I don¡¯t see any!! Servy and I are the victims! Just let us talk to Fisher! We have to see him! And stop blocking my way when I¡¯m trying to go around you!¡± Momo¡¯s tail wrapped around her waist. Her ears angrily twitched.


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Jeri shouted, drawing his sword. His brown eyes once emitted kindness, but that was a front for the darkness within his soul. ¡°If you truly had info and wanted to help us, you would¡¯ve let go of her goddamn hand! You wouldn¡¯t have fucking disrespected our religion when we were only trying to help you!!¡±


    ¡°Yeah?! Well, maybe if your religion wasn¡¯t terrible, most Demi-Humans wouldn¡¯t have a problem with it!¡± Momo kept attacking a clear weak point with her piercing words. Maybe she was too effective at riling them up? To be fair for the Singi, it wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t speak her true feelings. She certainly had a problem with the church and how they acted. ¡°You¡¯re putting your own faith in front of trying to help people who need it all because a stupid book or scripture thingy told you to! And look! You¡¯re making a whole scene! Even if you bring us in, you can¡¯t make this many people lie! Your stupid false charges against us won¡¯t ever stick because we haven¡¯t done anything wrong!!!¡± Momo¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t quite at a yell, but it was certainly loud enough to spook the horses and oxen that pulled the passing wagons.


    ¡°Sea, kill her! Kill that fucking cat. I got that black-haired brat!  AND EVERYONE AROUND, DON¡¯T MOVE A FUCKING MUSCLE!!! DON¡¯T INTERFERE WITH OFFICIAL BUSINESS!!!!¡± Jeri commanded. He pointed his sword at the pair of best friends and started to approach them. He started chanting, flame appearing in his free hand, and in the slight instant Momo momentarily glanced at the ball of fire, he went for the kill with a speedy thrust aimed at her heart.


    That was all Itarr had to see before she acted with divine intervention, stopping his fatal attack mere nanoseconds later.


    ¡°Thanks, Itarr¡­¡± Momo whispered, very well aware of what was happening. She stared into the startled eyes of a man that was about to kill her, only he was forcibly held in place by a few thousand stacks of Telekinesis. It was the same with his partner, who was in the midst of calling upon a skill. With their faces as still as concrete, it was impossible to know if fear replaced the ferocious anger flowing through their veins. With a bit more pressure, even their beating hearts could come to a forceful stop.


    ¡°I know that getting into a shouting match with them was dumb. And if you weren¡¯t here, I¡¯d be dead right now... Really, the smartest thing was to just walk away right when they started to get angry. Itarr, I hope you¡¯ll forgive me for putting Servy in danger. I mean, I know she isn¡¯t in harm''s way because you¡¯re watching over us, but still... And Servy, I¡¯m sorry. That must¡¯ve been scary, but you don¡¯t have to worry about that... Here, let¡¯s go,¡± said Momo. Her voice was barely above a mouse¡¯s squeak. She walked around the paralyzed soldiers, intending on leaving them behind, but someone had a different idea.


    A Goddess was playing puppeteer, thinking about what to do with her two enemies. They did try to kill Momo, so maybe Itarr had the right to end their prejudiced lives. It would, technically, be in self-defense. The two things that stopped her were thinking about what Servi would have done and how Momo would react to their deaths. Or maybe handing them off to Fisher was the best idea. Perhaps he could talk to these two. If that didn¡¯t work, mayhaps he would throw them in prison? Regardless, she was trying to become that better person, one that Servi would have been proud to love.


    And that meant murder couldn''t be the prevalent answer to all of their problems. Not anymore, it couldn''t.


    Then again, if the positions had been switched, it was likely Servi would have cleaved the two in bloody half the moment they made a threatening motion towards Momo.


    It did look odd, though. It made no sense why a pair of guards would trail behind the two people they were shouting at and later attempted to kill. And nearly everyone else who witnessed this irrational act of attempted murder just stared with nosey eyes, though a few continued to mind their own business since it didn¡¯t concern them.


    Momo was disappointed in herself for letting it all spiral out of control. With the threat of tears surrounding her eyes, she started talking as they approached the city gates. ¡°Your safety is my top priority¡­ Does it even matter if people don¡¯t like that we¡¯re holding hands? When it comes to that, the only ones that matter are you, me, and Itarr... I guess I was mad that they were trashing our friendship, and I know I should¡¯ve ignored it. If I had just let go of your hand... even if it was only going to be until we saw Fisher, then we probably would¡¯ve been back at Warden right now.


    ¡°But Servy, I had a vow... I vowed to protect you, to hold your hand while you recover... but¡­ What good are vows and promises if I break them so soon after they¡¯re made? They¡¯re more useless than bricks made out of air¡­and that¡¯s not the girl I want to be. If you were in my position, you wouldn¡¯t let go of my hand for anything. Even if there were like a hundred dragons telling you to just let go of me... You wouldn¡¯t even dream of it... Servy, I need to have that resolve... I will have that resolve...¡±

 Book Four – Prologue – Part Three – Home Sweet Home

    ¡°They¡¯re over there, sir!!!¡± Suddenly, the collective stomping of ten men pounded the ground while a voice yelled. It was right when Momo and company had passed under the city gates. Itarr had left the two ¡®puppets¡¯ restrained and frozen in place just a meter away.


    In the far distance, Momo saw the unmistakable armor belonging to the man she was looking for. With it being as black as night, the word ¡®Justice¡¯ etched into it had been forcibly scratched out. The man wearing it was out in front, leading the pack. When his brown eyes caught sight of a pink tail waving around, he doubled his pace. It was unbecoming to leave his men behind, but he didn¡¯t care.


    Momo raised her free hand and waved at Fisher Jin, the Captain of the Guard. He commanded every soldier in Canary, and in a way, was their general. Fisher slowed his speed, covering the last five meters in a simple walk.


    His hair was brown and styled, with a face that, depending on the day, was somehow youthful and experienced at the same time. The pair of muddy eyes hastily scanned the two guards, seemingly frozen in time and space. It didn¡¯t take him long at all to identify them.


    ¡°Fisher!!!¡± Momo cried, wiping her newly dampened eyes with the back of her hand. Seeing a friendly face erased some of the exhaustion from the shouting match she had participated in minutes earlier.


    ¡°Momo! Servi!¡± Fisher said, wrapping the pair of friends in a big hug. Momo was taken back, with her breath becoming caught in her lungs. She was torn between wanting to cry or staying resilient. Weakness was something the Singi had attempted to hide for the past few days. Was it alright if it peeked its undesirable head out every once in a while?


    Servi showed a different reaction. She started to shake, causing Fisher to caution away with a defensive step when he heard a low growl.


    ¡°Servy?¡± Momo murmured, hugging her red-eyed companion. Her embraced friend increased her violent shaking, but Momo only tightened her hug. The growling stopped. Soon, it was replaced by a ferocious howl and a threatening snarl. Servi ducked, squirmed, and twirled, escaping Momo¡¯s hold and turning towards Fisher, who deftly dodged backwards. Servi¡¯s red eyes seemed to glow with a frightening intensity, and her mouth drooled with thick spit. She wasn¡¯t totally free, however. Momo still had her hand tightly gripped around Servi¡¯s fingers.


    The men that came with Fisher drew their weapons and rushed to protect their captain. ¡°Back away! PUT AWAY YOUR WEAPONS AND BACK AWAY!!!¡± Fisher shouted in response. His men confusingly stared at him, then obediently followed his odd commands. Like a sea parting in half, the wall of guards made way for a man in black armor, who walked towards a snarling animal in the shape of a Human. He didn¡¯t know why Servi was acting the way she was. Fisher briefly did his best to analyze the information available to him, but he didn¡¯t have enough to go on.


    ¡°SERVY! STOP THAT!!!¡± Momo begged. She had dug her heels into the ground and pulled back with all her force. Servi snapped and barked, hollered, and screamed at the man as if she was a wild beast protecting her property. Fisher stood his ground, raising both empty hands to show he meant no harm.


    Sweat soon covered Momo¡¯s hand, making it slippery to the touch. With Servi¡¯s shaking and violent jerks, it was no wonder the pair of inseparable friends was briefly disconnected. With nothing holding her back, Servi screamed while charging ahead to the man in black armor. She attempted to tackle Fisher to the ground, but he remained upright. She slammed her head into his chest while screaming like a dying animal.


    ¡°SERVY!!!¡± Momo shouted. She ran up, wrapped her arms around Servi¡¯s stomach, and did her best to pull her away.


    ¡°AAAAEEEEHHHHHHH GGGAAAHHHHHHHHHH GGHHAHAHAHRHAGRROOAOARRRRR!!!!!!!!!¡± Sounds came from Servi¡¯s mouth, but Fisher would be hard-pressed to consider them words. He continued to look down, staring into her red eyes. He saw pain and anguish clouding them. Salty water ran down her cheeks as Servi struggled to communicate what she wanted to say. ¡°AAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH RRRRRROOOOAOOAOAAARRRR GGGAAAHHHHHHHAHAHAHHHROAHH!!!!!¡±


    ¡°Captain, don¡¯t worry!¡± shouted one of Fisher¡¯s underlings. The over-eager soldier drew his blade and rushed forward with it held high. It was just a plain sword one would find at any weapon shop, yet it had been polished to such a sheen that it sparkled like a diamond with the sun clashed against its silver edge.


    ¡°DON¡¯T DO ANYTHING!¡± Fisher commanded. The hotheaded guard immediately stopped in his tracks, finding it incredibly difficult to do as his captain commanded. ¡°And that goes for everyone else! Stay put, and let me handle this!¡± Fisher shouted. Fisher¡¯s reputation as a skilled warrior was known, but hardly anyone knew his violent past. That was why his men and everyone else only looked at him with glorifying eyes. If they had known his slaughterous history, even his most devout men would have turned their backs on him.


    Before he looked down at Servi a second time, Fisher scanned the area once more while enduring the pain she inflicted on him. He made sure to lock eyes with everyone, sending a non-verbal message to reinforce his command.


    ¡°SERVY!!!! STOP IT!!!¡± Momo shouted. She took a deep breath and went limp, hoping her weight could pull Servi away. When that didn¡¯t work, Momo pulled down, basically lifting herself as if she was doing some odd workout. When that failed, she jerked backwards and down, hoping somehow that her third attempt would be the charm. All the while, she kept shouting Servi¡¯s name, hoping to reach her inner-essence with passion-fueled words alone.


    The three were locked into an incredibly odd scene, lasting well over fifteen seconds. Fisher didn¡¯t know what compelled him to do so, but he opened his mouth to utter a pair of words. He didn¡¯t know why or how, but judging from Servi¡¯s rapid anger, he knew he was somehow at fault.


    And there was only one thing he could say to that.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± He whispered those two little words. His apology was drowned out by both girls¡¯ screams, but apparently, that was all Servi needed to hear. The anger coursing through her body dissipated. Like a dying toy, the sounds coming from her mouth simmered until they vanished.


    The red-eyed girl was left standing there as her arms dropped down, motionlessly hanging from her side. Whatever strength kept her immobilized vanished as well because Momo and Servi were sent flying back.


    The Singi took most of the damage, sliding on her back, although she had armor to protect her. She had wrapped her arms around Servi¡¯s flat tummy, protecting her valuable friend from succumbing to any harm or injuries. When the pair slowed to a stop, Servi leaned up and fell forward with her eyes closed. When it seemed as if she would smash face-first into the ground, a flash of pink lightning circled around her. Using her recovery rolls, Momo had scrambled, catching Servi as her head motionlessly rested against her protector''s shoulder. One hand went around her back, the other around her head.


    Momo softly stroked and petted her friend¡¯s black hair while looking back at Fisher. Even someone as experienced as him was verbally paralyzed. His mouth was opened, but no words came out. His brown eyes only stared at the strange sight. The Servi he had known was someone who held incredible powers at her fingertips, capable of using skills without uttering a single word.


    Where had she gone? Why was she acting like a brat who couldn¡¯t do much more than throw tantrums? Fisher¡¯s gut feeling was correct when Claire first came to him for help a few days prior. He had reassured her everything was fine, and she believed him for the most part, but a striking uncertainty slowly welled up within his breast.


    The Captain looked to his left and right, receiving his underlings¡¯ gazes, who waited for a command. With haste, he walked up to Momo and crouched down, but he made sure to keep his distance.


    ¡°Momo,¡± he said in a firm voice. ¡°What happened? You have to tell me what happened here.¡±


    Momo sniffled, softly speaking as it felt like her borrowed courage had run out of time. ¡°Servy and me were walking back to Canary when we met those two.¡± She pointed to Sea and Jeri. ¡°They were upset that Servy and I were holding hands. They argued with me, then I argued with them. Then¡­ Then our arguing got louder¡­ Jeri even drew his sword and tried to stab me, but Itarr was there¡­ She restrained and forced them to follow behind¡­ That¡¯s why they¡¯re not moving¡­¡± The timing between her words grew longer with each sentence.


    ¡°Itarr¡­?¡± So¡ªNo¡­¡± Fisher stood up and started to bark out orders. ¡°Head out to the road and take everyone¡¯s statements. And I mean everyone. Leave no one out, and have them be as detailed as possible. Tim, Tobba, you take Jeri and Sea to the prison and lock them up. Don¡¯t let anyone talk to them until I get back. Itarr, can you let them go? They won¡¯t hurt anyone, I promise.¡± While he shouted everything else, he had to speak that last line in something below a whisper. Itarr must¡¯ve heard him because she did what he asked, releasing the Jeri and Sea from their invisible bondage.


    Everyone cloaked in armor saluted and went to work like a well-oiled machine. Tim and Tobba, both Koena clad head to toe in silver armor, rushed over to the dazed guards. Tim held Jeri¡¯s arms behind his back while slapping him with a pair of handcuffs. Tobba did the same, only choosing to use a thick piece of twine inhabited by a mischievous fairy, who loved to play practical jokes.


    In terms of restraint, both metal cuffs and this wooden twine were above average in their ability to restrict a person¡¯s arm movement.


    As Tim and Tobba walked the confused pair of turncoats away from the crime scene, they stared at Fisher. ¡°Captain!¡± Sea cried, shaking her head and sending her long hair in a frenzy. ¡°What happened? Where am I?¡±  With a hint of fear, she pleaded in a voice reminiscent of a girl waking up in an unknown location.


    Fisher didn¡¯t take anything Sea said at value, so he simply remained quiet while letting his feelings be known via his intense glare. He did the same for Jeri, who seemed to show much of the same cognitive confusion. But unlike his partner, Jeri didn¡¯t beg, moan, or ask for help or clarification. He didn¡¯t even offer any physical resistance. Meanwhile, Sea was like a bucking horse in how she squirmed and struggled.


    As wild as Sea was, the Koena keeping her restrained didn''t require the use of Pulmoni Oxygeni, a technique exclusive to Koena. It increased their blood flow and oxygen levels through their bodies by moving their lungs in a circle, thereby boosting a Koena¡¯s strength and speed, but it didn¡¯t come without flaws. The biggest downside was the difficulty in mastering the technique. Improper use lead to over-filling the lungs, causing them to tear open. While painful, it was treatable and recoverable, with most requiring a few short days of rest.


    Fisher watched as Sea¡¯s protests were eventually nothing but a memory as he turned his gaze towards Momo, who still sat on the ground.


    The Captain of the Guard took a knee, looking at Momo and Servi. He didn¡¯t know if he had to be the first to talk. Would it be better if Momo broke the ice? If only he had Marissa with him. His wife was an expert in dealing with children, and while Momo and Servi were adults, they were still kids in the eyes of Warden. Rank 9 didn¡¯t mean much when there were 8 more promotions to be had.


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know how it all happened¡­ Jeri seemed to be so nice¡­ He crouched down¡­ Talked with me, even extending an arm¡­ He even told Sea to put her weapon away, but then he¡­ I don¡¯t understand¡­ Me and Servy¡­ I¡¯m doing what Claire said, to hold her hand, and he wanted to take that away from me¡­ Why?!¡± Momo whispered, allowing a hint of weakness to assault her essence. She looked up, meeting Fisher''s eyes while tears streamed down her face. Her soft whimpers pierced his heart.


    ¡°Momo¡­¡± Fisher started to speak, but he couldn¡¯t get the words out. Truth be told, he didn¡¯t really know the path forward. Eventually, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore and offered the crying Singi the thing she probably needed the most. ¡°Momo, there¡¯s an office I have just a few blocks away. It ain¡¯t much, but it¡¯ll give us the chance to talk privately. Okay?¡±


    Momo nodded, using a hand to wipe the water from her eyes. ¡°Okay¡­ Come on, Servy. It¡¯s time for us to go.¡± Momo patted Servi¡¯s head and softly whispered in her ear as if she was waking a baby. After a few seconds of no response, Momo smiled and began to adjust her hold on Servi.¡± Oh? It¡¯s okay¡­ You can sleep if you want to. I can carry you.¡±


    Fisher stood up, taking a few steps back as he watched Momo clumsily maneuvering the sleeping Servi around. It took a few long seconds until Fisher couldn¡¯t handle it. ¡°Momo, do you want me to carry her? It¡¯s not a problem.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s okay. I gave my word to Servy and Itarr. I have to be the one who does this. I have to be her support,¡± Momo said, grunting and clenching her teeth. After more finagling, she softly smiled and confidently nodded.¡±


    Somehow, Momo had slithered, sleuthed, and wiggled her body in such a way that Servi was leaning against Momo¡¯s back. A pair of dangling arms reached over Momo¡¯s torso, of which one was firmly connected to Momo¡¯s left hand. Her right hand was reached around Servi''s back, grasping onto her thigh and pushing it up. At the same time, Momo was acutely aware of two twin mountains pushing against her back. It didn¡¯t take long for Momo¡¯s face to turn the same hue as a tomato.


    Wow¡­ Servy''s boobs¡­are really pressing against my back¡­ Was she always that busty? NO! Momo, don¡¯t think about that! Get your mind out of the gutter!


    ¡°Uhh¡­ Momo?¡± Fisher scratched his head at the darnedest thing he had seen in weeks, not accounting for the girl with godly powers.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Momo asked as she stood up from her crouched position. Fisher¡¯s voice broke her away from her daydream, allowing the heat to fade from her cheeks.


    After ignoring the two noticeable twin peaks pressing into her back, carrying Servi was easier than Momo initially thought. She had believed her body would be too weak and expected there to be some strain. ¡°I guess Servy was lighter than I thought, but I¡¯m not back at one hundred percent,¡± Momo said while pulling down on the hand she held. When that downward force was applied to the hand on Servi¡¯s thigh, which pushed up, the black-haired girl was effectively locked in place. Momo, however, had to hunch down quite a bit to where her upper body was nearly parallel with the ground.


    I¡¯m sorry, Servy, but I¡¯m still a bit weak. After a few days of resting and getting back my strength, I¡¯ll be able to carry you properly.


    ¡°¡­Does that position hurt you?¡± As a friend, Fisher was deeply concerned for Momo¡¯s well-being, and that included any potential back problems the Singi may have in the future.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine! If it does hurt, then the pain is worth it¡­ You know, Servy had to go through a lot more. A sore back doesn¡¯t even compare to what she had to endure¡­ If I can¡¯t even bear this for her sake, what kind of friend am I?¡± she replied.


    ¡°I¡­ I see. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Fisher looked up from Momo and stared at the line of people wanting to enter Canary. Ever since Servi attacked him out of an unknown rage, nearly all eyes had been glued to him and Momo. While he wasn¡¯t one to care about any rumors, he realized if word got out about what happened, the more unsavory residents of Canary could twist the truth in an attempt to socially hurt him.


    Even if it did, it¡¯s not like it¡¯ll change anything. I only have to deny them¡­but what¡¯s this about enduring more than a sore back? I¡¯m certain it involves what went down in Arcton. Hmm¡­ I received that report about that crater as well¡­ Something tells me Servi¡¯s involved in all that. It seems like she has her hands in everything¡­


    ¡°Once you have the statements, you can let them through! I want them organized by the time I get back to my office!¡± Fisher shouted. A pair of his guards acting like gatekeepers turned and saluted him, then started to wave the angrily waiting people through. Fisher turned his attention to Momo. ¡°Are you ready? My office is only a few minutes away.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Lead the way, and me and Servy will be right behind you,¡± she said with a joyful smile.


    Fisher started walking, taking it slow to give Momo the chance to keep pace. ¡°When you two didn¡¯t come back after a week, Claire came running to me.¡±


    ¡°She did?¡± A few people walked around Momo, overtaking her since she moved at a snail¡¯s pace.


    ¡°Yes, she did. She even wanted me to get some men together and march on Arcton. Since I told her I couldn¡¯t do that, she practically forced me to patrol the city entrances every few hours. She said if I didn¡¯t, she¡¯d sic Dineria on me.¡±


    ¡°Hehe! I know how Dineria can be. I¡¯m just so upset we worried Claire so much¡­ I hope she can forgive us¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she will¡­ You said ¡®Itarr¡¯ earlier¡­ Did Servi tell you about her?¡±


    Momo nodded the best she could from her current position. ¡°She told me everything...and then some¡­¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we ran into each other so quickly. Not just because of Jeri and Sea, but because I wanted to tell you what happened in Arcton.¡±


    Fisher and Momo reached a well-cleaned alley after three minutes of walking. They proceeded down it, coming to a fork in the road. Fisher turned left, walked for another few seconds, and stopped in front of the cleanest door Momo had ever seen. He brought out his Dimensional Storage and fished for a key while speaking. ¡°Momo, I want to apologize for those two. Jeri¡¯s been a guard longer than I have, so I thought I could trust him. That''s why I sent him and Sea, who I trained, to patrol the roads leading to Canary. I never expected him to pull something as foolish as he did.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Fisher. It¡¯s not like you told him to attack us, so it¡¯s okay. To be honest, I¡¯m even surprised you believed us.¡±


    Fisher shook his head. ¡°Momo, it isn¡¯t okay. At the end of the day, I am the captain, and the men and women of Canary¡¯s guards are my responsibility. I¡¯m responsible for them! If those Elves didn¡¯t come to find us, I would not have made it as quickly as I did!¡± The Captain of the Guard took failure harder than he should have, especially considering his promise to Servi. He vowed to become a man good enough for his family while making up for his sinful past. Did he really let it all fall apart mere weeks after that declaration? ¡°And I believed you because I know you wouldn¡¯t lie about it. I get the feeling Itarr wouldn¡¯t have frozen them in place without a good reason...¡±


    ¡°Fisher, it¡¯s okay. I mean that. At the end of the day, me and Servy are alright. And with Itarr helping us, we weren¡¯t in any danger at all because we had a bunch of stacks of Protection on us. And by a bunch, I mean we had about eleven thousand. She wouldn¡¯t have allowed anyone to die. Besides, we came out of it no worse for wear. Please, don¡¯t beat yourself up,¡± Momo pleaded.


    Fisher sighed, then subtly nodded as he removed his hand from his Dimensional Storage. There was a brass key held between his thumb and index finger. He pushed it into the lock, turned it, then pushed the white door open. Fisher kept it open for Momo to walk through, and it took her 45 seconds to do just that.

 Book Four – Prologue – Part Four – Home Sweet Home

    After stepping from the concrete alley to the tiled floor, it was like Momo had passed through a portal. She discovered the office was smaller than she expected. The lack of stairs meant it was a one-floor affair, and if her eyes could be trusted, Fisher¡¯s office consisted of two rooms.


    She was in the living room, which consisted of the door, a couch, a table, a few reclining chairs, and a weapon rack. There were a couple of shelves here and there. Those were occupied by fluffy stuffed bears and rabbits. When Momo looked to the left, she saw an oddly shaped archway leading to what seemed to be a living quarter. There was the bed, of course, with pink and red blankets neatly folded near its edge. The dresser next to it contained a portrait of Fisher and his family during a festival. He had paid an artist to draw a reminder of the perfect night. Well, he had a good number of them. One for each office around town, his office at headquarters, his house, and one to keep in his Dimensional Storage.


    With a total lack of windows, the only light came from a set of candles, a series of lightbulbs powered by Skill Energy, and the open door behind Momo. However, the former two were extinguished and out of juice.


    Fisher noticed Momo¡¯s surprise instantly, doing his best to explain why his office looked like a girl¡¯s bedroom while charging the lightbulbs with Skill Energy. It was the same process as configuring a Wash Stone, except the lights were connected via a single grid hidden behind the wall. The office then slowly illuminated until darkness had faded away. ¡°Just let me say it was a mistake bringing my daughters here. They took one look at the dreary setup I had and wouldn¡¯t leave until I let them decorate it. And uhh¡­.¡± Uncharacteristically, Fisher nervously scratched his head as a faint warmth heated his cheeks. ¡°My wife helped them out, and I can¡¯t bring myself to throw any of this away after they worked so hard on it.¡±


    ¡°Pfpff Hahaha!¡± Momo laughed so hard she nearly lost her balance.


    ¡°Is it really that funny?¡± Fisher chuckled. He closed the door and turned the deadbolt, locking it.


    ¡°A little bit. I guess you don¡¯t really use this place that much?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I figured it might be nice to have a few offices around town. Just in case I needed them, you know? This is actually the third time I¡¯ve used this one. That¡¯s why I had completely forgotten about the ¡®decorations.'' Oh, you can lay Servi on the couch.¡± Fisher walked around Momo, who nodded. She stumbled forward and gently repositioned Servi from her back to her new temporary place of rest. Her black hair somehow melded into the obsidian couch. Momo then sat down, leaning against the furniture while grasping Servi¡¯s dangling hand. The tile Momo sat on was chillier than she thought when accounting for the temperature.


    ¡°You can sit on the chair. There¡¯s no need to stay on the floor,¡± Fisher said, taking a seat in a recliner.


    ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m fine right here. If I was over there, I couldn¡¯t hold Servy''s hand¡­ Ah, I have to check it!¡± Momo maneuvered to her knees and turned around, facing the sleeping Servi. The Singi gently pried open Servi¡¯s free hand, smiling when she saw the metal coin held within.


    ¡°Is everything okay? Are you thirsty or hungry?¡± Fisher asked.


    ¡°Yep! Everything¡¯s going to be just fine. I just wanted to make sure Servy still had the dupla I gave her. Oh, and thank you for the offer, but we already ate lunch not that long ago.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Well, take this.¡± Fisher stood up and walked to the bedroom. When he emerged back, he had two white handkerchiefs in his armored hands. ¡°You two have a little dirt on your faces,¡± he said.


    Momo took them, thanking Fisher as she cleaned Servi¡¯s sleeping face. Like a mother, she dabbed around Servi¡¯s nose, gently rubbing under her closed eyes and wiping away a stubborn stain on her chin. Then Momo moved to her friend¡¯s arms. Since Servi wore a blouse, she had nothing protecting her upper limbs, and they were somewhat filthy. Long streaks of brown lines plagued Servi¡¯s forearms like a cowardly curse threatening to take her life.


    Even so, Servi¡¯s chaste skin didn¡¯t even have the tiniest scratch or wound. Momo found it odd since her friend¡¯s skin was so smooth to the touch. When she ran the cloth between Servi¡¯s fingers, it almost appeared as if it was floating, like it didn¡¯t want to dare make contact. Then again, that could¡¯ve been Momo¡¯s overactive mind assigning traits to non-living things.


    Don¡¯t you worry, Servy. While I can¡¯t wash your body, I can definitely make sure your face, arms, and hands are clean from dirt. There... How does that feel? Being clean feels good, doesn¡¯t it?


    As Momo tidied up Servi, she ran the second cloth down her own face. It held far more gunk and filth than her friend, which was to be expected since Momo had taken on a far more active role these past few days.  She had an apologetic look when she presented the soiled cloths. It was hard to believe, but the brown handkerchiefs in her outstretched hand used to be as white as snow. ¡°Umm¡­ Sorry about that,¡± Momo said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about,¡± Fisher said, easing Momo¡¯s worries. He took the soiled handkerchiefs and tossed them in his Dimensional Storage. ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s almost time to do laundry anyways. They were going to get cleaned regardless.¡± He took a seat and folded his arms across his chest as Momo returned to her position leaning against the couch.


    ¡°Hehe! Servy, you should feel a lot better now that our hands are cleaned. And be sure to hold on to that dupla, okay?¡± Momo hooked her fingers through the one hand dangling down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if that¡¯s uncomfortable. I promise to make it up to you. I¡¯ll do anything you want to do.¡±


    After Momo spoke her last sentence, the air went deathly quiet as time seemed to stop. Fisher, a man who left a murderous rampage of death in his wake, was all alone with Momo. She knew the truth about Fisher, but she wasn¡¯t scared or frightened. He tried ten different times, but he never knew how to properly start a conversation.


    Momo was much the same. There was so much that had happened in such a short amount of time that it was almost overwhelming. After suffering from an obnoxious tranquility lasting well-over two minutes, she started speaking at random while hoping the right words came to her mind in the correct order. It was much like what she did with Servi-- when she would ramble on for hours and hours.


    That made it a little easier.


    ¡°The things that happened to me and Servy almost feel like a dream. Sometimes, I even wish it was a dream. If it was, then it would make everything that much easier to bear because I¡¯d only have to wake up. But I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s a nightmare. No¡ªI¡¯d never say that. Being with Servy is the furthest thing from a bad dream. It might seem like it, but I know it isn¡¯t. There are a lot of things I want to say, and I don¡¯t quite know how to do it in a way that doesn¡¯t seem like I¡¯m rambling. Grampy used to say that there¡¯s no better place to start from the beginning. It seems kinda obvious, but obvious things are often hidden in plain sight.¡±


    And thus, Momo began to recant the tale of terror that lasted a week. She didn¡¯t spare any of the details. The Singi was explicit in her words she used to detail her experience as a prisoner of the Mafia, Servi¡¯s bloody life as a member of the horrible organization, Arcton¡¯s devastation, and the truth about the massive battle that left a gigantic crater in its wake. But her words didn¡¯t stop there. She then explained the veracity about Servi, her lost memories, and Itarr¡¯s status as a Goddess.


    Fisher Jin was a man that was hard to surprise, but that mask of stoicism was broken many times. Even when he thought he had a grasp on his emotions, something else would come along and shatter it. He had a life very few desired, which allowed him to have experiences equal to a man many times his age. Thanks to that, it took a lot to shake him from his usually stoic way-of-life.


    And he was shocked many, many, many times by Momo¡¯s unbelievable story, starting from Servi¡¯s brutality, which led to her running away and her eventual capture by the Mafia. He didn¡¯t think they were real, but hearing it from her mouth, he found himself shaking. Her words, her fears... Momo clearly conveyed them in a way that struck his core. If Fisher was surprised by that, his entire existence nearly fractured when Momo spoke of Sakdu and his past. The captain tried to keep them hidden, but the faint movements he made revealed the truth to the storyteller. Sweat poured down his face, leaving behind the taste of salt. His hands gripped the chair, and his feet subtly started to tap the floor.


    Fisher¡¯s definitely the one from Sakdu¡¯s past... Momo had thought.


    As focused as he was, Canary¡¯s Captain managed to keep it together as Momo continued her tale of Servi¡¯s war upon the Mafia. Hearing how she killed hundreds with Venti Aqua, throwing her enemies through buildings, and even twisting and turning a warehouse-like canopy into a sword brought utter disbelief. When Momo had to describe the incident with the babies in the RASP buildings Servi destroyed, vomit nearly spewed up through his mouth.


    The men, the women... The children... The innocent and guilty... Hearing all of those Servi had slaughtered, either on purpose or by accident from her rampage, resonated deep within Fisher. He could relate to that because he used to do that. Horrific memories bubbled to the edge of his mind, but he held them back from tainting his thoughts.


    But what managed to push it all over the edge was when Momo revealed the truth of the crater that would be known as Lando¡¯s Scar.


    ¡°Are... Are you telling me Servi wiped out an army?! One that¡¯s 15 thousand strong? And full of Rank 1s?!¡± Fisher had said, nearly jumping out of his chair. ¡°I¡¯ve seen her strength, so I¡¯m sure she¡¯s capable of using Fulgur Spike, but using it a thousand times? And using Metal Wall? To cover that large an area?!?! How did she survive? No, how was there an army?! Momo, we have scouts that should have told us if there was an army approaching us!¡± Fisher stood up; he couldn¡¯t handle sitting down. His whole body shook with fear, and the first thing that came to his mind was his family¡¯s safety.


    Canary was a large city, but they didn¡¯t have anywhere near 15,000 battle-ready soldiers. And that included those affiliated with Warden. Some of them would probably fight, but quite a few would flee. In his mind, he saw the battle play out... He saw the city walls crumbling, the streets flooding with crimson and the dead, the beautiful buildings being blessed with flame, and the very end...


    The horrifying torture of his family¡­and being forced to watch it. Being forced to listen to his children¡¯s fearful cries as a group of heartless monsters corrupted their innocent purity. Having no choice but to gaze as a hundred men brutally violate his wife. And then at the very end¡­ Watching as his family¡¯s limbs were being plucked from their bodies like stems from an apple. And in his mind, he was powerless to do anything but stare as the life drained from broken, sad faces.


    It was¡­horrible. Just so, so, horrible to imagine, and it was no small wonder Fisher didn¡¯t immediately break down and weep for what could have been. It pained him, but he did his utmost best to forcibly delete that horrifying potential possibility from his mind.


    Had Servi not been there, Canary would have definitely been a smoldering pile of rubble, and Fisher¡¯s life, and the lives of his loved ones, would have come to an end. Even as strong as he was, he couldn¡¯t defeat 15,000 warriors who had reached Warden¡¯s second-highest rank.


    It didn¡¯t happen¡­ It didn¡¯t happen¡­ That didn¡¯t come to pass¡­ He told himself over and over.


    ¡°Fisher, Arcton was under the Mafia¡¯s control. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if he had men working in Canary whose loyalty was to him. They could¡¯ve altered the reports... But Sakdu¡¯s dead... And I don¡¯t think they would remain loyal to him...¡± Momo had replied.


    Then it all clicked. It wasn¡¯t unnatural for the scouts to send in late reports. And yes, they were four days late. The timeline all added up, and Fisher had to face the truth. Either he had traitors in his midst, or those men he sent out had died.


    But there was something else... If Servi was the cause of that crater, then how was she alive? And how and why was she in her current state of mind? Momo hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about that.


    The Singi had to bring her tale back to when Servi joined the Mafia by describing that she had to tear out an eye and scalp herself to fit in. That only brought about more questions, and it wasn¡¯t until Momo revealed Servi¡¯s immortality and Itarr¡¯s status as a Goddess did the blocks fit into the puzzle.


    That was it... That was how it all connected. A mortal could not achieve what Servi had accomplished. But a Goddess? Or a mortal with the combined soul of a Goddess? That would explain it all.


    But that didn¡¯t mean it was easy to understand. And Momo just revealed these facts with as much effort as it took to breathe, something that she acknowledged by simply saying that Servi was Servi. She¡¯d always be Servi. That meant Momo would always be her friend, companion, and traveling partner. Her story continued for a few more minutes as she talked about Servi¡¯s precarious state of mind, which was in the midst of some sort of healing process, and the valuable promise the two shared to unlock the secrets of Necromancy to bring those that didn¡¯t deserve to die back to life. Finally, she ended her long, detailed account with Jeri¡¯s and Sea¡¯s harassment.


    ¡°And that¡¯s it... That¡¯s everything that happened since we left,¡± Momo said. At the end of her recount, she found it hard to swallow the whimpers in her throat. The tears she had held back started to flow, leaving twin stains that trailed down her cheeks. The strong girl managed to keep it all in until the end.


    Gasping, Fisher fell back to his seat and buried his head in his hands. The situation in Arcton? He had no knowledge of anything at all... If someone had asked him a few days ago if it had turned into a drug den for Monotonia, he¡¯d have chuckled and gone on his way, thinking that Monotonia was some sort of fad the youths of the world were into.


    Momo gave him the time he needed to process it all, which gave her the chance to get her emotions under control. And he needed the time, too. It took around fifteen minutes to lower his hands and another ten minutes to speak.


    ¡°I... I find it impossible to believe, but... I don¡¯t think I have any choice but to believe it...¡± he whispered.


    ¡°It¡¯s all true, Fisher... Every bit of it.¡±


    A few more minutes passed, and it seemed like Fisher had finally managed to absorb the incredible tale Momo had told him. The color had drained from his face, but it was back now. The anxiousness he felt was still there, but he managed to hold it back since there were  other things to take care of. And like Momo, he did say that Servi would always be Servi. It didn¡¯t matter if she was sharing a soul with a Goddess or not. And as for Servi¡¯s destructive rage, which sought the lives of thousands and thousands of people, he almost felt something of a kinship with her.


    They both had done horrible things...killing mothers, fathers, and children with reckless abandon while under the curse of a hateful rage. Apologies were useless when so many lives were taken because words wouldn¡¯t bring back what was lost. It wouldn¡¯t dull the sadness. It wouldn¡¯t lessen the regret they felt. The only thing they could do, and one could certainly argue it wasn¡¯t enough, was to work and dedicate their lives to make up for their sins. However, it wasn¡¯t that simple. At the end of the day, the dead were dead, and their killers were alive and well.


    Bringing them back to life... Could Servi really do something like that? Could I... Would it be possible to... Surely... If it¡¯s possible to bring the dead back, I owe it to my victims to do that... It wouldn¡¯t lessen the pain, but they deserve the chance to live the life they want and deserve... A life that wasn¡¯t cut short by my recklessness and blind hatred.


    After a couple more minutes, Momo managed to swerve the conversation to something much more light-hearted. She did it so effortlessly, too, which even surprised her.


    I guess those long days and nights of talking to Servy are paying off... That¡¯s good.


    It eventually swirled back to Servi. Fisher stated that when she woke up, things should be more pleasant. For most of their relationship, he was synonymous with ¡®hatred¡¯ and ¡®anger,¡¯ and he explained that was a reason why she attacked him on sight after they had settled everything.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s possible. It could be Servi¡¯s memories linking themselves to her former emotions or something like that. I wish I knew more about it.¡±


    Around fifteen minutes of conversations later, Fisher reached inside his Dimensional Storage. He pulled out a folder marked ¡®Orphanage Project,¡¯ then gave it to the confused Singi.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Servi and I had an agreement about an orphanage. I brought it up to her the day we talked things out, and she agreed to fund it. I guess now isn¡¯t the best time to hand it over, but I don¡¯t want to forget about it.¡± The sorrowful tone Fisher had been using was still there.


    ¡°Servy really offered to do that?¡± Momo¡¯s contained pure adoration towards her best friend. She stood up and stared at her sleeping face, then sat right back down.


    ¡°I had them made a few days ago. When Servi''s better, could you get her to look at them?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡± Momo said as she stored the plans in her bag. The folder was hefty and thick. Unquestionably, a lot of care went into designing the perfect place for Canary¡¯s orphans. ¡°Servy, I¡¯m even prouder of you, and I didn¡¯t know if that was possible! See, you do have a good heart... Deep down, you¡¯re a good person...¡±


    Momo then went quiet and asked a question that dangled on the tip of her tongue. ¡°Umm¡­ Are¡­are you religious?¡±


    ¡°Me? No, I don¡¯t believe in that anymore. There was a time when I did, but it¡¯s long since passed. Marissa doesn¡¯t care much for it, either. It¡¯s the same with Mari and Meri. If they want to know about the church and religion, it¡¯s up to them. I won¡¯t deny them the thirst for knowledge, but they¡¯re only children. Kids should just be kids. They don¡¯t need to worry about anything else. But as I say that, there isn¡¯t anything inherently wrong with religion, either. We know the Gods and Goddess exist¡ªand if I was doubting man, I¡¯m not one any longer because of Itarr¡ªbut people shouldn¡¯t use their names to spread hate. Believe in it, worship them, I don¡¯t care, but don¡¯t inconvenience people and force them to take your beliefs as the ultimate truth.¡±


    Momo thought about Fisher''s words for a few seconds and turned back to her best friend. ¡°I wonder if Servy believes in anything? She doesn¡¯t have any memories. She even said seeing Singi and Kobolds was an eye-opening experience because she had never laid eyes on them before. Heck, she couldn¡¯t even speak the language until she met Itarr. I don¡¯t even want to imagine that¡­ Being alone in the world when everyone else is speaking a different tongue¡­ Servy had to face brand-new things every day¡ªexperiencing otherworldly sights while doing her best to avoid sticking out.


    ¡°I guess she didn¡¯t really stick to the shadows considering she helped all those slaves escape. That¡¯s a good thing, and I¡¯m proud she helped them, but that¡¯s the complete opposite of keeping a low profile.¡± Momo ended with a soft whisper as a million things tunneled through her mind.


    ¡°Jeri and Sea... They weren''t the religious type. I have no idea what happened to them, but I swear I¡¯ll get to the bottom of it,¡± Fisher said.


    ¡°Fisher, what¡¯s going to happen to them?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°Jeri and Sea will be punished, obviously. They went against their vow when they tried to attack you and Servi. They¡¯re supposed to be keeping the peace, not causing mayhem and undue stress. That¡¯s the last thing this city needs. Momo, if you don¡¯t mind, can I use part of what you told me as your statement? I swear I won¡¯t put in any information about the other things we talked about. It¡¯s only going to be relevant to the incident.¡±


    Momo shook her head up and down. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine. Umm¡­ I think that¡¯s about all¡­ I¡¯ve told you what happened in Arcton, and about who Servi really is¡­ If I think of something else, Servy and I will drop by the headquarters, okay?¡± Momo stood up, keeping a gentle grasp on Servi¡¯s hand.


    Fisher stood up out of his chair as well, stretching his neck and arms. ¡°That¡¯s fine. Are you two about to head out?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I wanna get to Warden, so Servy can lay in a bed. I also have to talk to Claire¡­ I don¡¯t wanna lie, but I have to tell her something.¡±


    ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d say some people attacked, and Servi defended you. She couldn¡¯t take robbing someone¡¯s life, and you¡¯re taking care of her until she comes to terms with it. It¡¯s technically not a lie. When Servi does get better, you two can decide on if you want to tell Claire the whole truth.¡±


    Momo started to transfer Servi from the couch to her back. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Honestly, I¡¯ll probably do that. Hold on, Servy, I¡ªwahhh!!!¡± Servi suddenly opened her eyes and leaned up. Momo panicked and fell to the ground on her stomach. ¡°Servy?!¡±


    Servi mindlessly blinked and crawled off of Momo¡¯s back. The Singi stood up, turned around, and stared at two red eyes.


    ¡°Servy!!!¡± Momo shouted with glee as she tackled her friend to the floor. A quick hugging session later, the friends stood side by side with their hands enfolded. Momo practically danced on her toes while carrying the biggest smile across her face.

 Book Four – Prologue – Part Five – Home Sweet Home

    RuggyRuggy


    Just a little author''s note to remind you all that I don''t have any uploads planned for the weekends. Uploads are scheduled to begin again on Monday.


    Basically, every weekday from now until May 19th? Expect an upload.


    I figured having a small two-day break wouldn''t be the worst, and it gives a chance for someone who has fallen behind to catch up.


    ¡°Servi, did you have a good nap?¡± Fisher asked. He awaited a response that he believed wouldn¡¯t come, but it did, and not in the form he expected.


    ¡°Good?¡± Servi said, repeating Fisher''s words like a child. Her head questioningly tilted to the side while her voice changed both tone and inflection, like she didn¡¯t know how to properly speak. ¡°Good? Good?¡± The captain signed a breath of relief when he didn¡¯t have to worry about Servi charging at him like a rabid bull.


    I¡¯m happy she¡¯s awake, and I¡¯m delighted Momo¡¯s smiling and laughing...Unfortunately, I need to sour the mood... I need to ask because I need to know if I was the one who sent Sakdu down this path¡­ It was a different village, right? It wasn''t¡­ I have to verify it¡­


    ¡°Fisher, this is good news!!!¡± Momo had restrained herself from shouting. ¡°Before, Servy would only cry, and now, she¡¯s talking! It has to mean she¡¯s getting better! Right? Right?¡± She turned her head Servi to Fisher so fast her hair inadvertently danced with Servi¡¯s black locks.


    Fisher smiled. ¡°I do believe so. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be long until she¡¯s back to her old self. Do you want me to escort you to the Warden office?¡±


    Momo¡¯s tail whipped around like a rebellious teenager with something to prove. ¡°If it isn¡¯t too much trouble. You ready, Servy?¡±


    ¡°Ready¡­ Ready? Ready!!!¡± Servi hopped up and down, and Fisher averted his eyes from the red-eyed girl¡¯s bouncing bosom, which was clearly noticeable against her blouse.


    Evidentially, when Itarr had changed Servi¡¯s clothes for her, the Goddess didn¡¯t slip underwear on underneath. That explained the odd¡ªwonderfully odd sensation Momo felt when she carried Servi on her back.


    As slow as Momo could be, the Singi caught after she followed realized Fisher stared at the ceiling. ¡°Ehh¡­ Waaaaaa!!! Servy, we-we can bounce like bunnies later, okay? It¡¯s time to go home.¡± Momo stood in front of Servi, blocking her chest from Fisher¡¯s vision. The pink Singi¡¯s face was redder than Servi¡¯s eyes, nearly matching the infernal, volcanic flames before it erupted.


    ¡°Home! Home¡­?¡± Servi hopped for the last time, stopping completing as her face took on a neutral look.


    ¡°Yep! We¡¯re going home. You can finally sleep in a bed. Are you excited?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°Excited!!! Excited!!!¡± Servi squealed. After she spoke, her face, once again, eliminated all emotion. It seemed she only sprung to life long enough to repeat a word once or twice before shutting back down. Momo briefly wondered if there was any hidden meaning behind it.


    ¡°Hehe!!! Come on!¡± Momo turned to the door and started to walk. Fisher followed behind, and it wasn¡¯t long until the group had the blazing sun staring down at them.


    ¡°Happy!!!¡± Momo sang, who skipped along with her best friend.


    ¡°Happy!!! Happy!!!¡± Servi said, doing her best to copy Momo¡¯s time and voice. She also skipped along and swung her arms, doing the same thing as the Singi holding her hand. The soft sleeves of her blouse fluttered with the wind, blowing her black hair back. Momo started to bounce her head with each step, adorably giggling every few seconds. Their footsteps were in total sync, becoming a single noise.


    Fisher watched with find eyes. In many ways, it was like he was looking at his children. The two girls both loved joyously skipping when they went with their mother to the market. Fisher sometimes tagged along when he didn¡¯t have to work, and just spending quality time with his girls meant the world to him. The feelings he¡¯d receive were indescribable to anyone that wasn¡¯t a father, and he felt the same joy watching a Singi and her best friend.


    The group came upon a turn and walked in near silence for the next fifteen minutes, with the only noise being Momo¡¯s humming. Eventually, she broke the brisk silence with a question that needed to be answered. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Servy¡¯s shown sadness, anger, happiness, and joy¡­ I don¡¯t know how many emotions a person has, but I wonder how many she has left?¡±


    ¡°Maybe guilt? Uneasiness?¡± Fisher replied. He found himself growing more uneasy by the second. The story Momo had told him about Sakdu definitely involved Fisher. It had to. There was just no other way because the details all lined up. What are the chances...? Is it possible another Human did the same thing? Within the same time frame?


    Common sense then dictated that Fisher was the one who was ultimately responsible for Servi¡¯s condition and Momo¡¯s frightful experiences. If that was true, the guilt would be unfathomable at best and monstrous at worst.


    ¡°Maybe? Servy did show her guilt earlier, but it was before she was like this. I wonder if she¡¯s cycling through them? Like after this, she¡¯s gonna be sad again. Or will she skip to being happy? Hmm¡­ I guess I just have to keep a close eye. That¡¯s okay! I was going to do that anyway. I¡ª¡± The Singi talked a meter a second while staring at Servi. She kept a perfectly smiling face, which was a far cry from her previously unemotional and bland stare. In Momo¡¯s eyes, that smile was brighter than the sun.


    ¡°Momo,¡± Fisher slowed to a snail¡¯s pace, his steps becoming smaller until he stopped moving at all. The armor protecting his body became so heavy it restricted his airflow. Not that it mattered, but the number of citizens around him was zero. Other than him, Servi, and Momo, he was totally alone, having the privacy he needed to speak the following sentences. ¡°The Human in your story¡­ The¡­the one who committed those unspeakable atrocities. Was¡­ Was it me?¡±


    Momo halted her skipping and looked back, spotting Fisher a few footsteps away. With her previous pep gone like a breeze in the wind, the Singi walked up to Fisher. He had his head turned towards the ground, his eyes holding back what seemed like an infinite deluge.


    ¡°I can¡¯t keep ignoring this! Please, Momo¡­ Please tell me if I was the one behind it all¡­¡±


    With a quivering voice, Momo opened her mouth. It was a struggle to evict the words. ¡°Sakdu said the Human¡¯s name was Fisher Jin¡­and he lived in Canary¡­and he had a wife and two daughters¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I see¡­¡± Robbed of his strength and ability to stand by a single sentence, Fisher fell to his knees. His hands slammed into the dirty ground, staining his armor, but it was the only thing keeping him upright. ¡°It seems that everywhere I go¡ªevery day that passes¡ªI keep bringing you two trouble¡­ If I could change it, I¡¯d go back in time and slap some sense into my younger self, even killing the bastard I used to be. But I know that¡¯s only an excuse¡­ Those nightmares I¡¯ve been having¡­ I finally thought I had conquered them... How can I when¡ª AAAHHAHAH!¡± With a desperate shout, Fisher punched the ground at least fifteen times, with each one accompanied by a scream and a loud clang. Dirt flew with every slam, obscuring their forms.


    ¡°STOP IT!!!¡± Momo shouted. Servi cowered behind the brave Singi, whimpering like a lost lamb. ¡°Hurting yourself isn¡¯t going to change anything!!!¡±


    The captain raised his arm and was about to beat the ground one more time but froze when he felt a hand touch his head. It took all he had to look up at his savior, whose tears splashed down on his cheeks. The water was an inferno, hotter than the blood of Sakdu¡¯s family when he slaughtered them. Even now, the feeling was coming back. The stickiness he felt for days when he couldn¡¯t wash away the crimson...the scent of burning scales reappeared inside his nostrils. Blinking, his vision flickered between reality and nightmare. ¡°Come on, stand up,¡± Momo said.


    Fisher sighed, losing the battle keeping the water in his eyes. A whimper burrowed from his lips, water streaked away from his tear ducts, and he looked like a babbling child cosplaying as the captain.


    ¡°Fisher, you want to make things right. Honestly, I¡­ I already knew about your past because Servy told me. Please don¡¯t be mad at her. I guess she just didn¡¯t want to have any more secrets. Here¡¯s the thing, though¡­ Servy wants to make up for her sins by helping people, and I think that¡¯s admirable. I¡¯m going to help her every step of the way. And I think you want the same thing. You want to start helping people. Why else would you propose the orphanage idea? And¡­and as long as you keep striving to do good and make up for your wrongdoings, I¡¯ll forgive you. I can¡¯t forgive you for those that aren''t here, but I can forgive you for yourself. I¡¯ll do it for you until you¡¯re strong enough to do it yourself,¡± Momo said. She stared down at the weeping husk of a man and smiled.


    Servi popped around from behind Momo, staring and smiling at Fisher. ¡°Forgive!!! Forgive!!!¡±


    Momo remained silent, only extending an arm of assistance. However the captain chose to take it was his decision.


    Servi also extended an arm, and Fisher broke down even more. Yet, somehow he found the resolve to keep going after receiving their forgiveness, and he took the hands in front of him. Compared to his own, their palms seemed to be so small. They didn¡¯t have the brutal scars or calluses that made it somewhat awkward to hold his daughters.


    ¡°Momo¡­ Servi¡­ I¡­ I¡­¡± Fisher scrunched his face, holding back even more tears.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to cry. I told Servy this, but sometimes all you need is a good, long crying session. I feel better after one, and Servy felt better too. We¡¯re not that far away from the Warden office, so we¡¯ll be okay. Why don¡¯t you go home and see your family?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I have the strongest urge to spend time with my daughters, but I can¡¯t do it now.¡± Fisher let go of the hands he gripped and wiped his eyes clean of tears. Then, he straightened up his posture and readjusted his gauntlets. ¡°I have to go to the cells. Jeri and Sea won¡¯t interrogate themselves, and I need to get to the bottom of this.¡±


    Momo slightly frowned, and Servi did the same after copying her. ¡°Okay¡­but don¡¯t work yourself too hard.¡±


    Fisher thanked them and went to turn around, but before he did, he had one last thing to say. ¡°Momo, I mean this in no disrespect, but¡­ It might not be the best idea to hold Servi¡¯s hand.¡± Momo instantly opened her mouth, but Fisher held a hand up. ¡°I know¡­ I know¡­ I¡¯m not saying this because I¡¯m disgusted. I¡¯m saying this because if the wrong person catches you two like that, they might make a scene.¡±


    ¡°I know. I already took that risk into account, and it¡¯s one I¡¯m not concerned with because I know Itarr will keep us safe. Claire said that peoples¡¯ souls communicate when they hold hands, and right now, more than anything, Servy needs help. If my soul can help her, then that¡¯s all the more reason for me to do this. Besides, Arcton only happened because I ran away. Fisher, I won¡¯t ever, ever, ever make that mistake again. And I already told Servy this, too. I made a vow to always be there for her, and I won¡¯t ever break it.¡± It seemed like the air around Momo became thin and volatile because Fisher found it hard to breathe. Then again, it was possible he was slightly taken back by the Singi¡¯s fierce determination.


    When he stared at Momo, with her defiant eyes looking towards the future while protecting her best friend, it made Fisher truly realize the errors of his ways. Even though he had already faced his past and realized what a horrible person he had been, the sight of a Singi and Human holding hands and facing what fate had in store for them hit him differently.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good answer.¡± Fisher tried to smile, but it only partly came out. ¡°Now I¡¯m more convinced that you¡¯re the best friend Servi could¡¯ve asked for. It feels like I have no right to ask you this, but can you promise me something before I leave?¡±


    ¡°Promise? Promise?¡± Servi looked down at Momo.


    ¡°I think I can do that. What is it?¡±Momo smiled and gently rubbed Servi¡¯s palm with her index finger.


    ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t ever look down on yourself again.¡±


    ¡°I think I can make that deal. I know beating myself down isn¡¯t healthy, and I need to stop it. But sometimes it¡¯s hard, you know. There are times I just wanna call myself a dirty, stupid cat, and after I do that, I¡¯m mad because I did that. But¡­but now Servy needs me to protect her, so there¡¯s no need for me to talk bad about myself. Because if I think about it, would Servy or Itarr trust a stupid cat?¡± Momo shook her head and held out her hand. ¡°No, they wouldn''t. So, this will be my promise to you, Fisher. I swear I won¡¯t ever look down at myself. I have to be strong¡­strong for Servy. And that means admitting my weaknesses. Itarr, I swear to do what I can, but I¡¯m still only a Singi. I hope you don¡¯t mind if I continue to rely on you.¡±


    Fisher shook Momo¡¯s hands. ¡°Then it¡¯s a deal. You¡¯re a good friend, Momo, and Itarr¡¯s a good friend, too.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re a good man, Fisher. When Servy is better, we¡¯ll come see you at the guard headquarters, okay? If we don''t see you around the city, that is.¡±


    Fisher nodded, said his goodbyes, and walked away.


    Momo and Servi stood still, watching his back become smaller before disappearing after he went around a corner.


    ¡°Servy, Fisher''s a tortured man. In many ways, he¡¯s just like you. I¡¯m sure he had nightmares for many years, but I wouldn¡¯t wish those horrors on my worst enemy. You told me about the one you had¡ªwith the bloodied Momo¡ªand I didn¡¯t know how to react to it¡­ I want to say I can only fathom how it affected you, but I guess I already know how it did.¡± Momo looked to the right and saw Servi. She had their connected hand raised up to about chest height, and she drew little circles in the back of Momo¡¯s palm. ¡°Hehe! I did the same thing to you. Do you remember?¡±


    ¡°Remember? Remember?¡± Servi tilted her head, causing strands of black hair to flutter by her red eyes. The child-like wonder in her face seemingly disappeared at random, tearing its head again whenever the mood found it suitable.


    ¡°Yep! It¡¯s when you were asleep during the Warden Tournament. I thought you would never wake up, so I just did anything that came to mind. Now, do you wanna go see Claire?¡±


    ¡°Claire!!!¡± Servi started to bounce in place, sending her unrestrained breasts jiggling all over the place, including rubbing against Momo¡¯s hand. She nervously laughed and tightly hugged Servi. However, that only made Momo realize the power differences between their bosoms.


    ¡°Servy, if you bounce like that in public, people might see. Why don¡¯t you wait until we get our rooms at Warden, okay?¡±


    After Servi repeated the word ¡®okay¡¯ twice in an innocent tone, the two friends set off to continue the remainder of their short journey. Momo was in a terrific mood, and she set about singing the enhanced version of her song. After every verse, Servi came in with a jolly repetition of ¡®Soon! Soon!,¡¯ causing Momo to laugh. Oddly enough, Servi¡¯s mouth moved as if she wanted to giggle, but that joyful laughter never made it past those pained lips.


    As soon as the pair of best friends entered the slow-paced Warden office, a certain Elf dropped her pen and slammed her desk, knocking over her cup of water. The documents she was looking over were ruined, but pages were replaceable. The desk she nearly broke was one of many stored away in the supply closet.


    Lives, however, couldn¡¯t be so easily replaced. Everyone born in the world, be it Human, Demi-Human, or monsters spawned to life via Skill Energy, was unique and personalized. That didn¡¯t account for twins or triplets, but even they weren¡¯t the same. Things like attitudes, personalities, and even personal beliefs varied from identical twins.


    The single feeling preventing a red-haired, purple-eyed Elf from stampeding ahead to the pink-haired Singi was the need to be professional. Though any professionalism was thrown out seconds earlier.


    Regardless, that need didn¡¯t last long. Not even three seconds had passed before the audible clang of heels clacking against the wooden floor sounded out. Claire''s facial expression was one of pure relief, thankful that her nightly prayers hadn''t been ignored and her close friends were safe. The red ponytail fluttered behind as the sound of her footsteps slowed down to a simple walk.


    At Warden, it wasn¡¯t too uncommon for receptionists to develop close friendships with favorable adventurers, so what Claire did wasn¡¯t out of the ordinary. It¡¯d be odder if she didn¡¯t find a group she liked. That was why she didn¡¯t garner that much attention even though the Warden office was practically dead. The slow, late afternoons gave employees the chance to catch up on filing documents and sending reports. If anything, the heartfelt reunion between handler and contractors was something to break the monotonous atmosphere.


    ¡°Momo¡­¡± Claire whispered when she was within arm distance. Her voice quivered on the border of breaking down, trembling like a ballerina performing a pirouette on her tippy toes. Her footsteps were rapid at first, like she couldn¡¯t wait to embrace the Singi, but then a dreaded fear consumed her.


    What if this is a dream? I couldn¡¯t focus on work for the past two weeks¡­ Even Fisher started to get annoyed with me¡ªI know he was¡ª and Dineria is away on business¡­


    ¡°Hi, Claire,¡± Momo said. Her blue eyes seemed to droop as they were soaked with water, ready to fall.


    ¡°Is it you? Servi¡­ Momo¡­¡± Claire whispered a second time. Her purple eyes turned to the black-haired girl, who held a somewhat neutral expression on her face. She looked up at Claire, but it was like her red eyes saw through the Elf and out beyond her.


    ¡°Claire¡­¡± Servi softly said the Elf¡¯s name, allowing it to roll off her tongue. Then she looked up and smiled like the sun. ¡°Claire!!!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re home, Claire,¡± Momo said.


    Claire started to weep, allowing quiet moans to break free from her throat as she wrapped her arms around Servi and Momo. The Singi and Human joined with the Elf with her wails, and the three close friends shared a nice, long cry lasting a bit over two minutes.


    Claire was the first to pull back, using one hand to straighten out her black blouse while the other wiped her reddened eyes. ¡°I¡­ I had thought the worst came to pass,¡± she said as her mind reviewed all the horrible events it hypothesized. ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to take that long. Go, deliver, and come back. That was all¡­ I¡­ Then there was news of the hole¡­and refugees¡­and¡­you two weren¡¯t¡­¡±


    Momo reached down and took one of Claire¡¯s hands and led her over to an empty bench. Funnily enough, it was the same one where the three friends had shared a bag of chocolate. Momo sat in the middle and allowed her tail to rub against the stiff wood. Claire and Servi took the side, but the latter had her eyes turned up to the ceiling.


    ¡°Claire¡­ Things¡­ Things happened in Arcton,¡± Momo said. She had finally decided on the disguised truth she wanted to tell.


    ¡°Momo¡­ Servi¡­ What happened?  There were words of a giant hole near Arcton, then¡­ the Mafia?¡±


    And so, Momo began to explain the slightly altered story of how Servi had to kill a robber to protect Momo because she fainted. After the foe was slaughtered, Servi couldn¡¯t take the guilt and mentally escaped away to her mind. Because of that, Momo had to travel at a snail¡¯s pace and stick to the back routes to not overload Servi¡¯s tender state of being. Momo also included the scene with Jeri and Sea, but she adjusted a few pressing details to where Fisher heroically saved the pair of friends.


    ¡°Oh, you poor thing¡­¡± Claire stood up, walked to Servi, and crouched down. She went to touch the meek girl. With her free hand, Servi grabbed her head in agony and violently rocked her head back and forth, slapping Claire¡¯s approaching arm with a whip of black hair.


    The Elf was so alarmed she fell to her rear as Servi screamed and roared, shattering the peaceful tranquility. At a loss of words, Claire watched with wide eyes as Momo stood and gently embraced Servi by leaning down and rubbing the back of her hair.


    Like a tamed beast, the harsh sounds erupting from Servi simmered like a boiling pot coming off a stove.


    ¡°I¡ªBut¡ªSorry¡ª¡± Claire stammered, unable to find the right words.


    Momo shook her head, allowing her long hair to swoosh from side to side. She desperately needed to cut it. ¡°No, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Servy reacted the same with Fisher. When we left, she was repeating my words. I think... since she¡¯s in this state, it¡¯s like she¡¯s a child again. She remembers you, of course, but... I think Servy has to connect the new memories with the old memories. I think they¡¯re connected to when she had to kill to protect me. Please, don¡¯t be upset with her,¡± Momo pleaded.


    As Claire dusted herself off and stood up, even more water leaked from her amethyst-colored eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t ever be mad at her. I think she¡¯s brave, though,¡± Claire said as she sat down beside Momo. ¡°And you¡¯re brave, too. I see you took what I said to heart. Heck, I bet you haven¡¯t let go of her hand, have you?¡±


    ¡°Hehe! Nope! She¡¯s in this position because of me. Because of that, I¡¯ll forever follow her and be the best friend I can be. Besides, it feels like I¡¯ve held her hand longer than I¡¯ve known her, even though I know that isn¡¯t true. Still, if I¡¯m not doing this, then I feel scared and afraid.¡±


    Claire lifted her gloved hand and patted Momo on the head. She lightly grinned and closed her eyes. ¡°She couldn¡¯t have asked for a better protector to watch over her. Oh, I¡¯m sorry if this insensitive, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°The letter?¡± Momo asked, interrupting her Elven friend. ¡°Servy and me managed to deliver it. Umm¡­ Your letter was touching. We appreciate everything you do for us, Claire. Hehe! I¡¯m happy we¡¯re friends!¡± Claire was taken back yet again, and she accidentally removed her hand from Momo¡¯s head.


    Soon enough, the Elf was as red in the face as her hair. ¡°I meant what I said, ya know? About us celebrating your promotion?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to, and I know Servy does too, but I think we¡¯re tired from all that traveling.¡±


    Claire smiled. ¡°Of course. It wouldn''t be the worst thing to put it on hold. Tell you what, whenever you feel she¡¯s up for it, you and Servi come to me, and we¡¯ll start planning it, okay? It¡¯ll be super fun!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a promise! Servy, did you hear that?¡± Momo turned to her friend, who smiled as if she was a kid receiving a bag of candy.


    ¡°Fun!!! Fun!!!¡± repeated the ruby-eyed girl. Her two irises seemed to glow like a crimson gem in front of a laser with how sparkly and full of life they were. She hopped up off the bench. Claire stood up, and since she was taller, looked down. Closing her eyes, Servi simply glanced upwards and stood still like she expected something.


    ¡°She probably wants you to pat her head. Servy copies me a lot. Hehe! So this is how having an adorable younger sister feels, even though I¡¯m sure she¡¯s older than me,¡± Momo explained, adding her feelings about the matter to the end.


    ¡°Ah, I see. Here you go!¡± Tilting her head, Claire enjoyed playing the motherly role to the child-like Servi, even finding herself humming a song her mother used to sing for her. Servi hummed as well. It was a musical mess because she didn''t know the rhythm or melody. Before Claire''s head patting came to an end, Claire wrapped her arms around Servi and held her close to her chest.


    ¡°Servi,¡± she whispered. ¡°You did a wonderful thing protecting your best friend. Words probably don¡¯t mean much at this point, but¡­ You chose the right action. You care about Momo probably more than most people care about family, so I know the bond between you two is strong.¡± In a way, I¡¯m a little jealous¡­ But that¡¯s not something I need to say out loud.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Servi to start whimpering, and as much as Claire wanted to remain hugging, she was still on the clock. Stepping back from the embrace, the Elf tidied her work uniform a second time and wished Servi and Momo the best.


    ¡°Thank you, Claire¡­ For being here¡­ I¡¯m sure Servy enjoyed it.¡± Momo waved to Claire as she walked away, and Servi joined in. Claire returned the wave and hurried to her duties at registering new Warden members. She didn¡¯t see a line, but her boss was furiously and impatiently tapping his foot. His clump of white hair looked like a soggy hairball. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that the Dwarf we saw three weeks ago? Hmm¡­ Yeah! Servy, you remember, right? He was talking to Claire when we came down from your room?¡±


    Servi remained quiet and docile, having returned to a neutral state after waving at Claire.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot I don¡¯t know¡­ There seems to be a lot of rules regarding the healing process¡­ Bah! I guess I can just face it as it happens. You¡¯re you, Servy. You have your own unique quirks and ways you do things. We all do. Now, let¡¯s head upstairs.¡± Momo started to walk with Servi right by her side, then stopped and frowned in annoyance.¡°Itarr, can you get Servy¡¯s ID? We have to stop by the innkeeper and get our rooms.¡±


    The Goddess replied by summoning a red stone tablet with a sack of coins. Since it was floating in midair, Momo desperately grabbed at it. Her plan was to make it inconspicuous, but her rapid movement backfired, and an eagle-eyed Elf noticed something odd. His gray eyes narrowed, then he shrugged and turned back to his friend.


    ¡°Come on, Momo. You¡¯re a Singi, right? Aren¡¯t cats smooth and sneaky? Yeah, be more like that,¡± she whispered to herself. She tucked the coins and tablet under her free arm and began ascending the steps with Servi in tow.


    RuggyRuggy


    Once again, I want to iterate that Fisher isn''t getting let off easy. I''ve read some comments that are angry because just because Fisher feels sorry, he''s let off scot-free from his violent past.


    Yeah... That is not going to happen. Even if Servi and Momo forgive him, he has to live with the damage that his foolish actions from a decade prior nearly ended with his family being killed. That is a lot of stress for one man, especially someone like Fisher who absolutely loves his family, to deal with. He might be physically strong, mentally, he''s by far one of the weakest characters of this story.


    I only ask that you hold your judgement until the second to last interlude.

 Book Four – Prologue – Part Six – Home Sweet Home

    RuggyRuggy


    Happy Monday! Here''s a nice long part.


    ¡°Dang¡­ I didn¡¯t know there was 2,000 dupla in that bag, Momo said after closing the door behind her. ¡°Can¡¯t believe that was enough for a years'' worth of nights AND meal tickets AND bath tokens. It¡¯s even better that we caught them during a sale AND it was enough for two rooms! Hehe! That was some good luck, huh, Servy? Oh, and I promise to pay you back what I used to buy my room. You can count on that.¡±


    Momo stared around at the room she had longed missed. The wooden floors were a sight for sore eyes, the oddly shaped window sent her smiling with glee, and yes, even the awful, lumpy mattress called Momo¡¯s name.


    The Warden apartment was Momo¡¯s first home since she left her village. Before she and Servi had departed on their ill-fated journey that ended with thousands dead, Momo gave a hearty goodbye to Canary. It was childish and over-the-top, but the Singi didn¡¯t care.


    She turned to Servi, who blankly stared at the walls and floor. ¡°Servy, are you excited to sleep in a real bed? I know I am. I¡ª Woah?!?!¡± Momo exclaimed in fear and excitement when an expensive piece of furniture materialized from nowhere.


    With its sleek, golden blankets, soft crimson cover, feathery pillows, and exquisitely carved bedposts, Momo glanced at the fabled mattress Servi had grown accustomed to. She excitedly sprinted over to it with Servi in tow, who was practically dragged behind her. Momo climbed on the bed and enjoyed its luxurious comfort, exclaiming her surprise and just how such pleasures were only reserved for the wealthiest, but it looked like that was about to change.


    But that could wait.


    As her legs dangled off the bed, Momo pulled Servi¡¯s hand. The quiet girl walked towards her best friend as the Singi wrapped her arms around Servi. Accompanied by a few giggles, Momo laid back on the bed. Servi copied Momo¡¯s motions, and soon, the two companions were simply relaxing on an object worth over 50,000 dupla.


    ¡°Servy, did you get this bed from¡­ No, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter¡­¡± Momo¡¯s eyes were slightly obscured by her pink hair, which blocked some of her vision. ¡°Hehe! It¡¯s soft, isn¡¯t it? It feels amazing on my skin.¡±


    ¡°Soft!!! Soft!!!¡± Servi chanted. Momo smiled and nodded, but she didn¡¯t say anything else. She only stared at the most important person in her life.


    Servy¡­ She¡¯s a cute girl¡­ When I look at her like this¡­sharing a bed¡­ Wait¡­ SHARING A BED?!?!


    Like a spring-powered knife, Momo jolted up until her back was as straight as an arrow. Embarrassment splattered the poor girl¡¯s face, and it was like she had splashed tomato sauce on her cheeks.


    Sharing a bed? Me and Servy? No¡­ Maybe¡­ Now¡­ Momo shook her head, hastily erasing the naughty thoughts. Servy isn¡¯t in a position to give consent¡­ I can ask, but if I say yes and she repeats me, it won¡¯t be the same¡­ Is¡­ Is this love¡­? Do I love Servy¡­? I know when I look at her, it¡¯s hard to take my eyes away¡­ Hmm¡­ Momo, you can think about that stuff after Servy¡¯s better. Does¡­does she feel the same about me?


    ¡°Eh?¡± Momo felt her potential lover squeeze her hand as she still laid down on the bed. Since her blouse had a hole in from their encounter, Momo inadvertently caught a quick glimpse of Servi¡¯s impressive stomach. It was so lean and flat, yet it looked squishy enough to poke and tickle. And warm enough to cuddle against in the dead of winter.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Servy? Do you want to go to your room? It¡¯s right beside this one, so I won¡¯t be that far away.¡± Momo asked.


    When Servi didn¡¯t respond, Momo was perplexed on what to do. Should she go? Should she stay? What if Servi wanted this room?


    Finally, Momo just decided on walking over to the next room. She slipped her hand in her black bag and pulled out Servi¡¯s key. ¡°Itarr, it might be best for me to hold onto this. It sounds stupid, but can Servy open, lock, and unlock doors in her current state? With how she is, I think I might just be the key-holder. Hehe! Another role was added to my growing list. I was grampy¡¯s granddaughter, then I became Servy¡¯s best friend, then I¡¯m her caretaker, and now I¡¯m a keyholder¡­¡± Maybe I can add something else to that...? Do I want to? I think I do...


    Momo slowly turned her head to the left and stared at the motionless girl. Without any wind or the briskest gust to scatter her hair, Servi looked like a porcelain doll. She stayed perfectly still if she didn¡¯t have to move, and more than once, Momo was scared Servi had died again. Even now, she found herself moving a trembling hand to whisk away her friend¡¯s bangs.


    ¡°Servy, you shouldn¡¯t hide your eyes behind your hair,¡± Momo said when the deed was done. Without even thinking, she pulled the girl close and gave out another hug. However, Servi refused to raise her arms, so Momo did not receive what she wanted. ¡°You know what? I think I know what I want to do. Let¡¯s go to your room, Servy, and I¡¯ll show you,¡± Momo whispered. Breaking off from the hug, the pair of best friends hastily moved from one place to the next.


    Luckily for them, Momo convinced the innkeeper Rakred to give them side-by-side rooms on the fifth floor. It offered the most privacy, and most other apartments were empty.


    If Servy does have an episode, it shouldn¡¯t bother that many people¡­ And I know she needs her privacy¡ªeven when she¡¯s like this. I think we all do¡­ But if it comes to it... I¡¯ll happily sleep in the same room as her. But the same bed? I wouldn¡¯t do something like that if I didn¡¯t have her permission or consent¡­ Momo thought when she slid the key into the lock without any resistance. Like nearly everything else, both the keys and locks were fashioned and carved out of a stained block of mahogany.


    Momo didn¡¯t know how they were made. Obviously, someone used a knife. Or did they? She didn¡¯t know if there was someone out there willing to do nothing but carve for days on end to fulfill Warden¡¯s need for keys. And now that the Singi stopped to think about it... Why use wood? And why was lumber extensively used for Warden¡¯s construction? Its sister building, the one where adventurers could sell monster parts, was almost exclusively metal and stone with very little, if at all, wood.


    Why was the dichotomy between the two so vast?


    As Momo twisted the doorknob, she figured such mysteries were something to be solved later. ¡°Besides, I can always ask Claire about it. She¡¯s an Elf, and she works here, so I¡¯m sure my buddy can shed some light on it¡­ Bwha!!! Momo! Don¡¯t focus on that!!! Come on, Servy, let¡¯s go see your room.¡± Momo looked to her left, but her friend was still motionless. Looking down, the Singi saw their signal of unity¡ªtheir interconnected hand. It was proof of their unbreakable bond, and Momo couldn¡¯t stop herself from staring and smiling like a happy cat.


    With the noise of two sets of footsteps announcing their arrival, Momo waited as her godly friend took out a familiar bed. ¡°Woah¡­ Servy, you get a bed too! Hey, wanna go sit on it?¡± she said when Itarr gently placed the heavy object down. For some odd reason, Servi¡¯s room was smaller than Momo¡¯s, and she had two windows instead of the one. Still, the floors, walls, and roof were the same color. It was like the designer had designed and constructed a single room, copied it, and pasted it sixty or seventy times. Then they went back and added minor variations to add depth to their work.


    Was Momo a fan of it? Probably not. Her love for the Warden apartment was solely out of a longing to have a permanent residence. If she had the authority, permission, and money, Momo wanted to decorate this room. She thought it¡¯d be nice if she could recreate her childhood room. The handmade toy box her grandpa made for her could sit against the far wall. She¡¯d fill it with the treasures and maps he had made for her. And maybe the other wall would have the pictures she drew when she was still a kitten who ran around in circles trying to catch her tail.


    As Momo walked towards the softest bed she had ever laid on, her hand went to her black messenger bag. After a bit of searching, she pulled out a sparkly pink comb that was only slightly used. It wasn¡¯t the one she used during the trip from Canary to Arcton. That one was one she had purchased for herself a few weeks after meeting Servi. No, the precious item Momo retrieved hadn''t been used since her grandpa gave it to her on her 17th birthday. As he witted it out of an old tree near her house, Sumo had meticulously carved his and Momo¡¯s names into it. Then to finish it off, he had somehow secured a cup of pink paint. To add the sparkles, Sumo crushed glass and dripped it on the wet comb.


    It was crude and mightily unusual, but Sumo wanted to give his precious granddaughter a one-of-a-kind gift. And in Momo¡¯s eyes, he had succeeded.


    ¡°Servy, for what I wanna do next, I have to let go of your hand. Oh, but don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s gonna be even better than that. Just wait, okay?¡± Momo kicked her shoes off, revealing her adorable socks. She climbed into the bed on her knees and turned around, motioning for Servi to do the same. Servi, of course, did what Momo wanted without uttering a single sound. Any sign of her emotional recovery had vanished after the two parted ways from Claire.


    ¡°Servy, have you ever had someone brush your hair? It feels so good. I promise I¡¯ll be gentle,¡± Momo said. She ran her fingers through Servi¡¯s silky black hair while asking her to turn around. And after Servi had done that, Momo picked up her brush and began to comb a sensationally soft head of hair.


    ¡°Grampy used to comb my hair for me all the time. One time, grampy took a brush and ran it through my hair. It was after I had taken a bath and gotten ready for bed. Oh, it wasn¡¯t this one. It was some other one,¡± Momo said. She leaned back on her knees a little bit, sinking into the mattress a little, and continued brushing.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised, well, I guess not that much. Your hair is super smooth. And it¡¯s so black. And¡­¡± Momo leaned in until her nosed barely poked the black curtain she affectionately brushed. With a sniff, the Singi smiled. ¡°And your hair smells good. We¡¯ve been walking and traveling¡­and we only had that one bath, but I don¡¯t smell any sweat. Wait¡­ Was that weird?¡± Momo realized the absurdity of sniffing her friend''s hair and leaned back out of embarrassment. Her pink hair whiplashed back, smacking the bed¡¯s golden blankets.


    ¡°Geez, Momo, why are you acting so weird?¡± The girl herself asked a simple question while leaning up. As the plain ceiling scurried out of view, Momo landed her sight on Servi¡¯s black hair. ¡°Servy¡­ Can I just talk? You don¡¯t mind, right? And¡­ Umm¡­ Are¡­are you gonna remember any of this? Hmm¡­¡± Momo sighed and leaned forward, dropping the weight of her body against her best friend. Momo¡¯s head rested on Servi¡¯s shoulder, and she just stared ahead while fumbling around for Servi¡¯s delicate hands. Once she found them, Momo softly sang May I Touch You Soon while swaying her body and forth. The comb had long since left her shaking hands, but that precious memento was just a few centimeters away.


    ¡°Should¡­should I say it? What if it¡¯s taken the wrong way? Servy¡­¡± Momo said after reaching the end of her song.


    The breath in her lungs became caught, and her furiously beating heart kicked into overdrive, nearly punching right out of her chest. Not even 15 seconds later, it was like time had stopped around Momo. Her breath had gone cold, becoming caught in her throat.


    Being a friend, being a best friend, and being a lover were different things. The former two could be compared and contrasted, and two people could be best friends while not wanting to take the next step. But Momo¡¯s case was different. She wanted to follow her heart and listen to its desires. Having a near-death experience would do that to someone. Maybe that explained why Momo was bold in hooking her finger around Servi¡¯s hand. She was faced with her own death; it lingered right in front of her while believing the lies about Servi¡¯s demise¡­ It would be easier to identify how Momo hadn¡¯t changed.


    ¡°Servy¡­ I¡­ I think I¡¯ll wait to say what I wanna say when you¡¯re all better. I don¡¯t know when that¡¯ll be, but I¡¯ll say it then. I¡¯ll say those three little words¡­ Maybe¡­ Maybe you¡¯ll say them back to me? I hope¡­ You¡¯re my best friend in the whole wide world¡­ But we¡¯re both girls¡­ And I¡¯m a Singi, and you¡¯re a Human¡­ But that doesn¡¯t stop what I¡¯m feeling¡­ It never will¡­ And that¡¯s why I¡¯m declaring it now. Servy, when you¡¯re back to your old self, I¡¯m finally gonna say my true feelings¡­ I¡¯m gonna let my heart speak what it wants. And what happens, happens¡­ If I can borrow grampy¡¯s words, Servy¡­ You¡¯re the apple of my eye¡­ Hehe!!!¡±


    Momo leaned away from Servi while subtly giggling. Once her hand found the sparkling pink comb, the lovable Singi continued to brush Servi¡¯s hair. ¡°Now, I can get back to my story about this comb. Did I say grampy gave this to me on my birthday? He did. I¡¯d never gotten anything so pretty before, but I didn¡¯t want to use it because I didn''t want it to break. That¡¯s why I only brushed my hair once or twice with it. I mean, I knew it wouldn¡¯t snap in half or something, but I guess I wanted to save it¡­? Hmm¡­ It doesn¡¯t matter the reason, but I am happy I¡¯m using it on you. It¡¯s super comfortable, isn¡¯t it? In a way, it feels like grampy is right here with us,¡± Momo said. Out of the corner of her dazzling blue eyes, Momo swore she saw the faded outline of her beloved grampy. With his wispy eyes full of familial love, his combed-over pink hair, and an overactive tail, Sumo just stared at his granddaughter and her first love.


    When Momo blinked, Sumo¡¯s form had disappeared, but the poor girl didn¡¯t cry. She only smiled and gave Servi one more hug from the back.


    Momo then spent the next the following hours doing whatever came to mind. She hugged Servi, brushed Servi¡¯s hair, and even overcame her earlier fear and laid on the bed. Momo patted the empty space beside her and asked if Servi wanted to lay down and take a nap. And while Momo didn¡¯t get a verbal response, Servi laid down. Her motions were stiff and robotic, involving her scooting towards the foot of the bed, then pulling herself to the pillow like some dirt-dwelling invertebrate.


    ¡°Servy? You look like a worm when you¡¯re crawling like that. Haha!¡± Momo found it amusing, and her laughter simmered to a quiet giggle when Servi¡¯s gorgeous head plopped down. Two sets of eyes, one blue and one red, stared into the other. ¡°Are ya sleepy? I know I am¡­¡± Momo yawned and adorably wiped her eyes. ¡°But I don¡¯t think I can nod off¡­ I mean, how can I when you¡¯re looking right at me¡­ I wanna tell my heart to slow down and take a break¡­ And because I wanna tell it that, I¡¯m sure it means I¡­¡± I¡¯m sure it means I love you with all my heart, Servy¡­ Momo closed her eyes for only a brief instant, and she opened them with such frightening speed it felt like they were about to spin in place.


    ¡°Sleepy!!! Sleepy!!!¡± Servi repeated twice. But unlike before, her face didn¡¯t immediately return to a default, emotionless state. She kept her same charming smile, and Servi¡¯s facial emotions remained soft, malleable, and relaxed.


    Momo giggled. ¡°Uh-oh! Seems like happy Servy is back!!!! I was wondering when you¡¯d showed up!¡±


    ¡°Happy!!!¡± Servi repeated.


    Momo rolled off the bed and stood up. Her best buddy did the same, even mimicking Momo¡¯s overhanded stretches. ¡°Remember what I said before? About hopping like bunnies? You know what time it, Servy?¡±


    With all the adorableness of a toddler waking up to a lagomorphic-themed birthday party, Servi raised her hands and enthusiastically uttered a single word. ¡°Bunnies!!!¡± The emotionally dependent Human watched as her caretaker put both hands behind her head and curled a finger upwards.


    ¡°Hehe! I¡¯m a cat bunny girl! Come on, Servy! Use your fingers are bunny ears, and let¡¯s hop-hop-hop!!!¡± With her feet together, Momo hopped like a rabbit around the room, and after she passed by Servi, the blacked-haired girl joined in on the fun.


    ¡°Cat bunny girl!!!¡± Servi said. She giggled and laughed, by far showing the most emotion since that fateful battle.


    Many hops later, Servi¡¯s and Momo¡¯s bunny pretend stopped only a few minutes after it started. Warden didn¡¯t have anything like air-conditioning, and with it being the middle of summer on the fifth floor of a building built from wood, it felt like it was 38 degrees Celsius. Adding in the physical activity, even though it didn¡¯t compare to anything Dineria or Fisher threw at Momo or Servi, it didn¡¯t take long for Momo¡¯s face to glisten. She stopped by the window to catch her breath, and she reflected off the glass, casting her face in a holy glow.


    Really, it was like the different parts of fate worked together to illuminate a girl who had the biggest and most loving heart in the world.


    ¡°Sorry, Servy¡­ It¡¯s so hot¡­ And we don¡¯t have a breeze¡­ And I don¡¯t think we can open this window¡­¡± Momo groaned. Servi ignored her and kept hopping like a rabbit as Momo tossed her towel of defeat into the metaphysical ring. She slumped over to the bed and laid down, turning on her side so she could watch her best friend. ¡°Woah, you¡¯re like a bunny with infinite energy. Keep bouncing, Servy! Keep having lots of fun!!!¡±


    ¡°Bunny!!!¡± Servi cried out. Her clean face had no trace of sweat or exhaustion. But more than that, Momo, who had forgotten about Servi not wearing a bra, suddenly remembered that when her eyes unintentionally drifted towards Servi¡¯s chest.


    When compared to the surface of the sun, Momo wagered her face was hotter and redder. She found it disgusting how her eyes kept slumping to the more feminine parts of her best friend¡¯s body. Servi was an attractive girl; that much was true. She had a chest most girls dreamed of, a well-toned body with a slim stomach and slender arms, kissable thighs, and immensely smooth legs.


    Am I wrongful for looking at her like this? I mean, I knew Servy was cute, but I¡¯ve never actually stared this hard at her¡­ I never noticed just how soft her lips look¡­ And when I peeked a look at her tummy, I kinda wanted to rub and lick it¡­ Is that strange? I guess if I was having second thoughts about my love for her... I don¡¯t need to question them anymore. I love Servy. I love her a lot. But¡­ Holding back my feelings without blurting them out at random is gonna be hard¡­ Dang it, Momo! You don¡¯t need to shout them!!! Remember about the dinner you had planned with her? Well, you know Servy¡¯s past, but you can still have dinner with her. Or better yet, why not do it at night under the moon?


    ¡°Yeah¡­ At night, under the beautiful moon¡­ And maybe if I sing my song to set the mood¡­? With a cup of milk and a plate of cookies? No, I need that tea from Monkey Noodle House and a plate of their dango. Yeah¡­ That¡¯s like the perfect night¡­ Hehe! I¡¯m having so much fun planning it!!! Hey, Servy!¡± Momo said while excitedly shaking. The cat girl leaned up off the bed and sat with her legs dangling over the edge. Servi stopped her adorable bouncing and walked over to Momo. The prestigious smile on her face slowly faded away, leaving a blank expression filled with stoicism. With the stiffness of a soulless robot, Servi walked towards Momo and sat down on the bed.


    ¡°You really like to hop around, don¡¯t you?¡± Momo asked. ¡°I wonder what you would be like if you were born a bunny girl. But wait, are there such things as bunny girls? What about bird people? It kinda makes you wonder if there are any dog people out there. I would like to think so. I mean... There can¡¯t just be Koena, Kobolds, Elves, Earth Elves, Dwarves, Humans, and Singi, can there? Hmm...¡± Momo took a second to take a needed breath and looked at Servi¡¯s ears. ¡°I¡¯m glad I was born a Singi, but I do wonder what it¡¯s like to have Human ears. I don¡¯t have those. See? Servy, the side of my head is flat like a pancake.¡± Momo turned her head and lifted her long, pink hair. Servi only blankly stared, but she didn¡¯t turn her head. She was just looking in that direction in the first place.


    ¡°Like, I guess whenever I hear something, I hear it from higher up? Does that make sense? I mean, my ears are above my head, not on the side. But I think you¡¯d look cute with a pair of ears like mine,¡± Momo said. Her tail curled around her waist like it wanted to become involved. ¡°Hehe! And I wonder what you¡¯d look like with a tail. A Singi Servy would be totally awesome to see, but I like you just the way you are as a Human. But I wonder what I would look like as a Human...¡± Momo nervously chuckled as she veered off in a weird direction she didn¡¯t mean to. ¡°Dang, I just wanted to talk about if there were bunny people, but I went off on a tangent... I¡ª¡±


    A low growl interrupted Momo, and she looked down at her stomach. As always, it chose the most inopportune time to make itself known to all. The girl it belonged to found it funny, and she ended up joking about it.  ¡°I guess my tummy wanted to join in on the conversation. Seems like it¡¯s been a while since that happened. Servy, do you wanna get something to eat?¡±


    Momo gently wrapped her fingers around Servi¡¯s hands and went to stand up, but a pair of floating cups stopped the hungry Singi in her tracks. ¡°Itarr...?¡± Momo whispered as two streams of water emerged from space and time, filling the cups with the cleanest and purest liquid only available from a Goddess. Only Itarr, and Servi, by association, had the necessary Skill Energy to produce such nectar. Momo didn¡¯t know just how lucky she was to drink from the equivalent of a mystical spring deep in the heart of a black jungle filled with dragons.


    ¡°Thank you, Itarr. Servy and I appreciate it,¡± Momo said as she grabbed a glass with her free hand. Servi did the same, copying her caretaker¡¯s exact motion. She even held the cup to her quivering mouth for the same amount of time as Momo, but the water didn¡¯t exactly swim down her throat. The cool liquid splashed down her chin, dousing her, admittedly, filthy blouse, and soaked the wooden floor. A little bit spattered onto Momo¡¯s shoes, but she didn¡¯t mind. She reached into her bag and pulled out a little cloth, then wiped her friend¡¯s mouth and chin.


    Itarr wordlessly handled the rest of the clean-up, then she retrieved a pair of ceramic plates holding two steaks. Unbeknownst to Momo, Itarr could cook food from their interconnected soul via the ring. It was the same process as putting or taking a coin out of a bag. It was more difficult than it looked because she couldn¡¯t just let loose a wall of fire and leave it alone with raw meat.


    The Goddess had to adjust the intensity of the fire while being careful not to overcook the food. And that difficulty didn¡¯t account for Itarr¡¯s lack of culinary knowledge. She only knew hot fire and meat equaled food, but not anything else. Spices? Salt? Pepper? Itarr didn¡¯t put any of that on Momo¡¯s or Servi¡¯s steak because her mind was preoccupied with making it edible.


    ¡°Food and drinks... Oh! We¡¯re so lucky! Thank you, Itarr.¡± Momo smiled towards Servi, and she hoped the Goddess received it. The red-eyed girl only stared at the floating plate as Momo took one in her hand. Sitting down, the pair of friends took up a seat on the soft bed and started to eat with their hands. It wasn¡¯t the most hygienic, and the two  should have been using forks and knives to keep everything clean, but Momo just didn¡¯t want to let go of Servi¡¯s hand.


    It was as simple as that.


    As plain as the steak was, it was just perfect for Momo''s oversensitive tongue. She didn¡¯t have to worry about any pepper or secret spices hopping out and surprising her mouth with a pinch of inferno. And since she was eating with Servi, Momo couldn¡¯t think of a better first meal after making it back to Canary.


    If Momo wanted a drink of water from her floating glass, all she only had to do was place her steak on the airborne plate and grab her cup. Once her thirst had been quenched, she only had to drop it. Itarr always had a few hundred anchor points attached all around it, and she always  had it within reach.


    In a way, Itarr was the perfect waitress. She always had refills at the ready, more food cooking inside her ring, and plenty of napkins and paper towels ready to be used. The only thing Servi and Momo had to focus on was filling their bellies with unflavored, unevenly cooked meat, which was probably the worst thing about it. But if that was the most terrible thing, then that was saying something about her hospitality and love. If anything, the friends couldn¡¯t really complain about anything, and in the end, they wouldn¡¯t.


    Once their steaks had been devoured, hands had been cleaned from grease, and trash disposed of, Momo stood off the bed and stretched to the side. Since Servi still held her hand, she joined in on the jolly activities with a stiff expression.


    By the blink of an eye, it was already past 7PM. The sky was turning black. The stars timidly poked their shiny heads out to make a long-awaited appearance, and the beautiful moon wasn¡¯t far behind them. Night would descend upon Canary as a Singi and Human silently sat on a bed much too expensive for the room it was placed in. In time, the pink Singi would lay her friend down to sleep, even tucking her in under the exquisite covers like a mother would her daughter. Momo fluffed the pillows, affectionately stroke Servi¡¯s black hair, and even checked for monsters under the bed as Sumo once did for his granddaughter.


    ¡°Okay! Momo¡¯s Monster Detection Agency says it¡¯s all clear!¡± Momo said, finding it amusing. She stood back up and dusted off her knees. ¡°Goodnight, Servy. I¡¯m just a door away, okay? If you need me, you know what to do, and I¡¯ll be here in four seconds at most.  Sleep well, okay? I¡¯ll see you first thing in the morning.¡± Momo walked towards the door, looking back when she gripped the doorknob. She saw Servi just lying there on her back as the covers came up to her neck. She observed the ceiling in all of its wooden glory as a blank stare fluttered across her face.


    Momo had a satisfied smile on her face for two reasons. One: she was happy she came to terms with her feelings¡ªthe love¡ª she had for Servi. Now that she recognized them, she only needed to wait for the day to confess. Two: when it came to Servi and her emotional progress, any forward movement in that regard was the best thing that could ever happen. Every day that passed meant Servi was inching ever closer to being healed.


    After watching for a few seconds, Momo opened the door, walked through it, and locked it. She then placed the key in her black messenger back and walked to her room. Her eyes landed right on the expensive bed when she entered and locked the door. Like it was calling her, Momo began to strip until she felt the warm air on her naughty bits. After searching through her bag, she pulled out a thin, somewhat translucent nightgown and slid it over her slim body.


    It was only then tiredness and exhaustiveness poured over her body like a waterfall, and she found herself dozing off while standing up. Without a second to waste, Momo buried herself under her covers. She did have her bag in her left hand, but she leaned it against the bed only a few seconds before the sandman came to get her. He whisked her away to a whimsical world full of green grass, red roses, white lilies, blue skies, and a yellow sun. It was paradise as paradise could be, but Momo wasn¡¯t a stranger to this place. From the first glance, she immediately recognized the girl with the fluffy ears, thick tail, and white sundress to be someone near and dear to her heart.


    When Momo woke up hours later at the crack of dawn, she didn''t have any memories of the encounter with her lookalike, but that was fine. She knew nothing had gone wrong because she was in a terrific mood. Leaning up out of her soft, new bed, Momo adorably yawned and wiped the sand from her azure-colored eyes. Her pink bangs were like a curtain with how they hid them, but a quick hand through the hair fixed that. With a turn of her pretty little head, Momo looked out of the only window available to her and saw that it was still a bit dark.


    The sleepy part of her wanted to lay back down and drift off to La La Land, but the responsible side of Momo dragged herself out of bed and performed her daily workout.


    A new day with her friend was about to begin, and Momo needed to be in the best shape possible to take care of her.

 Book Four – Interlude – Part One – Haunted by the Past

    After leaving Momo and a severely mentally damaged Servi, the man known as Fisher Jin wandered throughout the cities of Canary. He walked up and down alleys and streets, squeezing through the moving wagons near the city¡¯s most congested intersection. The man with the blackest armor with a scratched-out word followed his feet as he again fell into a nightmare.


    Fisher had thought he had come to terms with his violent past. The man known as the Demi-Reaper had died when he renounced his murderous past. And it should have vanished forever from his mind when he relied on his memories of Feral, Silverado, Desperado, Riki, Rakkire, and Servi to save him from his mind. Even his wife forgave Fisher, promising to always stay by his side until the bitter end.


    But that was all for naught when he was alerted to a monstrous force only a few days away. Had Servi not stepped in to rescue Momo, or they had chosen another city to go through, it was likely Fisher would be dead.


    His family would have had their flesh torn from their bodies like a hunter skinning a rabbit. Perhaps little Meri and Mari would have been impaled on a stake and rotated over a campfire like they were squirrels. Even worst... What if the damned devils had chosen to make Marissa a plaything to release their pent-up lust?


    Even though the worst did not come to fruition, the sheer thought almost upon him was too much for Fisher. As he told Momo, if it was possible to go into the past, Fisher would kill his younger self before he had a chance to go about the road of revenge. It was filled with the bodies of both the guilty and innocent. More than that...


    That dark, dank, ravenous trail was littered with hate.


    Hate would slowly morph into rage. That would grow into a desire for revenge. And once that had been achieved, the one thing left was more hate. It was a never-ending cycle that never led to happiness or joy. Because once revenge had been obtained, what else was there to live for? In Fisher¡¯s case, he was saved by Marissa. His frozen heart was melted by the adorable sounds his daughters made when they were infants.


    Fisher knew then and there, when his firstborn wrapped her tiny hand around his index finger... That his former life wasn¡¯t for him. More accurately, he had wanted to end that for a while, but it wasn¡¯t until Mari and Meri came into his life that he wanted to make that a reality.


    Even then, that wasn¡¯t the whole truth. It took six more years after that for a particular black-haired girl with ruby red eyes to come into the picture. Her appearance was invaluable for Fisher to become the man he was today.


    And yet, all it took to shatter his confidence and pride as a father and a husband was just knowing that death was days away.


    In the middle of an abandoned alley, filled with stray animals and stinky feces, Fisher silently roared and smashed his arms on the ground. He missed any excrement-filled landmines and struck the earth. He pounded and bashed, sending chunks of brown dirt flying through the air. It coated his brown hair in a filthy mist, but he wasn¡¯t done. He cursed himself more times than he had ever done before. Fisher desperately wanted to roar his feelings, revealing his weak self to the city, the country, the planet, and the galaxy.


    As he opened his mouth to scream, stressing his face and straining his eyes, nothing came out: not even a hurried whisper or an exasperated breath. Even his body stopped doing anything, becoming frozen in time right as he was about to smash his fist into the ground.


    No¡­ I can¡¯t be here doing whatever the fuck this is¡­ I¡¯m the goddamn Captain of the Guard. I still don¡¯t think I deserve the Justice title, but I am still responsible for the lives of everyone in Canary¡­ Yet, why am I here punching the ground¡­? Don¡¯t I have better things to do? Damnit, Fisher! Get your sorry ass off the ground and make way for the headquarters. You¡¯ve got reports to read and two individuals to interrogate¡­


    Suddenly, it was like time had decided to resume. Fisher¡¯s fist completed its journey to the ground, accomplishing its goal of sending up a fine mist of brown particles.


    Fisher got up off his knees, dusted off his armor, and turned on his heels. He walked out of the alley and took a left. It would take him about an hour to reach his destination from his current location.


    If I run, I could probably make it then in about twenty minutes. No, I need to use this time to calm my mind. And I know Sea and Jeri won¡¯t be able to escape Tim and Tobba. They¡¯re Koena, who nearly have the strength of a Kobold. Besides, it¡¯ll take my men some time to gather all the statements... The day is pretty...but...


    ¡°Can I really enjoy it¡­?¡± Fisher audibly spoke. The elderly Dwarf he walked beside turned to look at the armored man, and he nearly dropped his bag of bananas. Fisher saw that odd movement of the corner of his eyes, so he turned and gave a slight wave.


    The banana-wielding man exaggeratedly returned the wave, dropping three of his delectable fruits in the process. Fisher stopped walking and helped the Dwarf pick up his food.


    ¡°Aye, thank ye,¡± murmured the Dwarf.


    Fisher gave the man a friendly tap on the shoulder and walked away.


    Forty-five minutes after the banana incident, Fisher waved to the two armored men standing guard outside the headquarters. With the gorgeous white, sparkling stones being cleaned every day, they were absolutely spotless. And the deep ocean-like ramparts were always a lovely sight to see. The first thing Parrel did when he became governor was order a remodeling of the guards¡¯ headquarters. He turned it from a podunk two-story building made out of dirty brick and soggy tweeds to something respectable. Out of all of the cities in south-eastern Lando, Canary had the finest barracks and equipment. To say that most of the taxes were spent on defense wouldn¡¯t be incorrect.


    Still, that kindness wasn¡¯t out of the good of his heart. Parrel was a man who had grown cold and heartless over the years, and there wasn¡¯t enough goodwill to be done in the world to wash away his wickedness. Servi had done the city a solid service in getting rid of him, and the new governor and his secretary were  better in every way. Blas¨¦ and Eina had clear directions they wanted to take Canary in, and they believed they could take the city to a new level: one surpassing what Parrel could ever hope to achieve.


    ¡°Good afternoon, sir!¡± They both stiffly spoke and said together.


    ¡°Good afternoon,¡± Fisher said. ¡°Has Jeri and Sea come back?¡± he asked them.


    ¡°Yes, sir! Tim, Tobba, and a few other men had them in restraints when they returned about twenty minutes ago. Sir, what did they do?¡± asked the man on the left. His name was Riley.


    ¡°Riley, Tim didn¡¯t tell you?¡±


    Riley shook his armored head. ¡°No, sir.¡±


    ¡°It seems Jeri and Sea caused a bit of disturbance near one of the city entrances. If what I heard from the initial reports was accurate, those two chased after someone they believed to be a criminal without thinking of the people around them. In short, they wanted to catch two ¡®criminals¡¯ even if it meant endangering the civilians they swore to protect.¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± the guard on the right said. His name was Rita. ¡°Were the criminals dangerous enough to resort to such drastic means?¡±


    ¡°No, Rita, they weren¡¯t. It was only a Singi who wanted to protect her friend. It was a case of misunderstandings, and everything checked out. However, Jeri and Sea acted out of turn. Be sure to keep Canary¡¯s safety in your best interest and avoid bringing your own personal bias into your work.¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡±


    Fisher cracked a smile and saluted Rita and Riley. They were good men who grew up playing with sticks and stones. The life of a guard whose only job was to stand tall in front of a building wasn¡¯t desired, but it was perfect for those two. It paid well, and it wasn¡¯t that likely they would ever see combat. Regardless of that, the two friends did achieve their dreams of guarding the city they grew up in. In all secrecy, Fisher did think the two were brothers because they shared the same dirty black hair and bright hazel eyes. With their armor on, he could only tell them apart by their build, and even that was difficult since Rita was just a hair taller than his companion.


    But if things had gone to plan, Rita wouldn¡¯t see his mother again¡­ And Riley¡¯s brother would have to find another guardian¡­ His legs didn¡¯t grow in right, and he relies on his brother to pay the bills¡­ Servi, you have my thanks for protecting Canary... I hope you know that.


    ¡°Good. Now, be at ease,¡± Fisher said after he left the confines of his mind. He walked by the two men, opening the door to the lobby. A fresh blast of cool air practically smacked him in the face, sending beads of sweat barreling to the floor. His sharp, brown eyes glared at the receptionist''s desk and locked onto Roland. He was hard at work surfing through folders and flipping through binders full of information to assist the elderly woman standing at the counter.


    Fisher walked by, nodding the mostly filled seats in the lobby and waved and greeted all he saw. When he reached the counter, he introduced himself to the woman and asked if his presence could help with anything.


    ¡°Oh, no, dearie. It¡¯s nothing serious. I just had a question about my taxes, and this nice gentleman was helping me,¡± she responded. Her voice was slightly ragged and hoarse, almost as if she had a bug caught in her throat.


    ¡°I see. Roland, be sure to help this lovely woman, you hear?¡± Fisher cracked a smile and walked away.


    ¡°Sure thing, captain,¡± Roland replied with a charming smile of his own. He looked up just long enough to catch sight of a man in black armor turning a corner.


    Fisher¡¯s footsteps noisily echoed off the floors, sometimes even squeaking like a hyperactive mouse. He kept waving, saluting, and nodding to all he saw. Even on the days he felt like avoiding everything, Fisher had a self-imposed rule to do what he could to keep his appearance and reputation up. That declaration was brought into the world after a childish bet between him and Arnold back when he was alive, but it wasn¡¯t a wage Fisher wanted to make. As he knew very well, he was a weak shell of man, and the so-called ¡®Justice Captain¡¯ was a further amalgamation of the ¡®Justice¡¯ imposed on Fisher by Arnold.


    ¡°Nah¡­¡± Fisher shook his head as he rounded another corner. He did anything he could to wash away those negative thoughts and past memories. They didn¡¯t have a place in his current life. He knew that. He knew that very well. But as he once said so himself, he was a weak man who surrendered himself to a bout of violence, and his bloody legacy was built on weakness.


    Even Fisher himself was getting tired of calling himself weak. But for him, it was like a never-ending cycle of negativity. He had broken out of it once before, and it almost cost him his life. Could he do it again? Would relying on the strength of his students be enough to lift him from the sea of depravity? He didn¡¯t know. What about his wife and darling daughters? Could their love for their husband and father be the strength needed to pierce the veil and let in the light?


    Again, he didn¡¯t know.


    Fisher turned yet another corner and came to a locked door. His last name of ¡®Jin¡¯ was etched into a bar of silver and embedded into the wall. During one of his previous promotions, he was artificially made into a noble, and since they all had a surname, he was given one by the courts.


    Every day, there was someone whose sole job was to clean and polish the stone. If Fisher had his way, he¡¯d donate the silver to a poor sword-smith. Then he¡¯d march right down to the local carpenter and order a nameplate forged from wood. That would be cheap and effective enough, but it was up to the governor. Even after his death, Parrel was always around to make Fisher¡¯s life just a little bit harder.


    Governor Blas¨¦ had far too many things on his plate that he needed to accomplish: things like reviewing how well the tournament did, finding out how they could do better, how much money the city had for structural repairs, what improvements needed to be made to the infrastructure, what kind of welfare the Canary could afford, and more ways to bring in the cash flow that didn¡¯t rely on slavery. It all went towards Canary¡¯s well-being, something vastly more important than a nameplate.


    A quick use of Dimensional Storage later, Fisher unlocked his office and walked right in. The three pictures littering his desk were paintings he had commissioned of his family. They were always in his heart. Other than that, his desk, a cup of pens, a hidden dagger, and a bottle of alcohol, Fisher''s office was the definition of plain. He had no charming decorations to spruce up the spot where he spent most of his days. Whenever his family visited him at work, his children would complain it wasn¡¯t colorful enough.


    Not a moment later, Fisher heard a set of running footsteps, and he turned around. He saw a young Singi known as Springy. Obviously, that wasn¡¯t the name his parents had given him, but Springy had a reputation for being hyper, bouncy, and most importantly, fast. It was only natural he became Canary¡¯s speediest messenger.


    ¡°Fisher, sir!¡± Springy saluted. His gray hair was so short that he was nearly bald. A layer of sweat covered his chin and nose, and Fisher retrieved a napkin and handed it to the wet cat.


    ¡°Here, take that and clean your face up. What¡¯s the message, Springy?¡± Fisher asked.


    Springy¡¯s tail bounced twice and wrapped itself around its owner¡¯s waist. After wiping his face, he stuck his hands into a pouch on his hip and retrieved a stack of bounded papers. ¡°Sir! These are the witnesses¡¯ statements collected from the incident earlier today. Oh, uhh¡­ Here you go¡­?¡± Springy held out both items, but Fisher grabbed the one that wasn¡¯t soaked with sweat.


    ¡°Just toss that in the trash on your way out,¡± Fisher said. He turned around and walked to his desk. When he sat down, he noticed the messenger was still standing there. ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°Sir! Not really, but did Sea and Jeri¡­¡± Springy trailed off and grabbed at his tail.


    Fisher sighed and rubbed his head. ¡°Yes, those two drew their swords on two citizens and threatened them. It seems minor enough to gloss over, right? No one was hurt. No one was injured. What good are witnesses to a crime that didn¡¯t happen? Should I just throw these away?¡± Fisher said, using a few seconds to test Springy¡¯s devotion to his city''s safety. His hands were on the statements.


    ¡°Sir, even if there were no witnesses, I don¡¯t think abuse of power should be allowed or encouraged. I know that if I did something wrong when I was supposed to be guarding the city, I would want to be punished because it would feel like I betrayed this city that I love. I know Rita and Riley feel the same because we¡¯ve talked about this before.¡± Springy narrowly avoided Fisher¡¯s piercing gaze, but he eventually met it with a pair of uncomfortable gray eyes.


    Fisher nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a good answer, and one I was expecting. And you¡¯re right. Those who vowed to uphold Canary¡¯s safety should be punished if they break that promise. You¡¯ve passed the test.¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± Springy saluted and scratched his head afterwards.


    ¡°You¡¯re dismissed,¡± Fisher saluted. He watched as Springy was true to his nickname. The gray Singi bounced out of Fisher¡¯s office and ran back to join his partner at their post.


    As for the captain of the guard? He took a deep breath and began to filter through the statements his men had gathered.


    With how beautiful the guards¡¯ headquarters was, one would assume that standard of beauty would consist through the actual location. And for the most part, those people would be right. Everything from the first floor up to the roof was just as gorgeous as the ocean-like ramparts and deep, white stones. However, from the basement downward, any stylistic choices had been long discarded for nasty bricks and rusty cells.


    The drastic difference from the first floor to the first basement was like walking through a portal. And when Fisher journeyed down those dank, creaking stairs, and had his senses assaulted by trashy filth, he wished the budget was just a little bit higher. When he reached the bottom step, it took a while for his eyes to adjust to the dimly lit candles and weakened lights. When they did, he saw the guard in charge of watching the door to the cells. Sampson was his name, and he was asleep during his job, leaning his head against a desk filled with empty bottles of booze. A set of shiny, silver keys on a wooden key ring sat unwatched. They were supposed to be attached to the person standing watch at all times, but since it wasn¡¯t, it was another demerit to be added.


    That was something Fisher couldn¡¯t handle. He purposely stomped the ground as loudly as he could while tapping his nadrium dagger against his armor. Metal scraping against metal produced an eerie screech, but it still wasn¡¯t enough to wake up sleeping beauty. With a sigh, Fisher grabbed an empty beer bottle and smashed it down, missing Sampson by a few centimeters.


    It was as if the life had been forcibly reignited within the sleeping guard¡¯s body, and he jolted awake with a fear-filled holler. Like a frightened beast, the guard¡¯s eyes darted up and down, left and right, while a hand went for the sword lying faithfully at his waist.


    Fisher slammed his hand down on the desk, missing the glass shards by just a few centimeters. ¡°Why the fuck are you asleep, Sampson?!¡±


    ¡°I¡ªme¡ªI mean¡ªSir!!¡± Sampson, the sleepy guard, hastily stood up, banging his knee against the desk¡¯s edge. He elicited a cry of pain, and as he reached down to rub his wounded leg, he inadvertently bent down too far and smacked his chin. Sampson¡¯s eyes nearly rolled to the back of his head. Just like that, the guard guarding the prisoners had knocked himself unconscious.


    ¡°Come on, Sampson,¡± Fisher murmured. He walked around the desk and crouched down. He looked at Sampson, tapping his cheeks with an armored hand. A few gentle slaps later, the knocked-out guard left the world of nocturnal slumber and woke up. The first thing his reddish-brown eyes saw was an outstretched hand. Covered in the blackest metal, it only took a few heart-stopping seconds for Sampson to know who that hand belonged to.


    ¡°Fisher! Sir!!!¡± Sampson lowered his hand and scrambled to his feet. Fisher stepped back and gave Sampson a bit of space. Once he was standing on his own two legs, he promptly gave a messy salute.


    Fisher returned it, then he started to lay into his subordinate. ¡°Sampson, you can¡¯t just get drunk and fall asleep on the job. And you can¡¯t have the keys to the damn cells just sitting there. What if I was someone who wanted to break my friends out? Your ass was dead to the world, and I¡¯m surprised you even woke up when I broke that bottle.¡±


    ¡°Sir! I¡¯m sorry, sir! It won¡¯t happen again, sir!¡± Sampson¡¯s voice had a wobbly tremble to it, and his eyes were tearing up.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. It won¡¯t happen again because you¡¯re now on patrol.  Maybe some walking will wake you up... Head upstairs and tell Mire she¡¯s on prison duty.¡± Fisher pointed behind him to the musty stairs, whose wood definitely needed to be replaced. The whole prison needed reform because as it stood, it was something resembling a torturer¡¯s den.


    And it wasn¡¯t supposed to be like that.


    Prison was a place where reformation was expected to take place. After a criminal had served their time, their debt to society was supposed to have been fulfilled. And, yes, that was how it played out. But Fisher had a problem with the prisoners¡¯ experience while in jail. He didn¡¯t want them to live like royalty, but he thought they at least deserved a hot meal and a bed. As it stood now, every prisoner was forced to sleep on the hard floor with their excrement and urine to keep them company. Only those convicted of minor crimes could have a bed, and even then, it was a plank of wood and a thin cloth with holes.


    As for food, those who had committed murder or arson received raw meat and water with no bread. If someone had robbed a store or was caught with stolen property, then they could expect bread, water, and blackened meat a day or two old.


    Sampson saluted a final time with tears in his eyes and rushed back upstairs. Three minutes later, a pencil-thin Elf descended down. Her eyes were like that of a lavender sun, and her hair was the color of pearls. Mire was rather attractive, with skin the same color as the desert sands, but she didn¡¯t consider herself an Earth Elf.


    She had joined the force a couple of years ago, back before Fisher was even a lieutenant. She may not have been as strong as her peers, but she was speedy, agile, and rather skillful. In a way, she fought using an altered version of Dineria¡¯s combat style, but the two Elves had never even met before. But it was that raw technique and thirty years of experience that accelerated her rise through the guard. There were probably only four or five in the guard that could beat her without skills, and that was where her weakness fell.


    She was unblessed, and for an odd reason, she never chose to ascend past Rank 8 in Warden.


    ¡°Mire, stand guard. Do a better job than Sampson,¡± Fisher ordered her. His subordinate deftly raised her hand to her head.


    ¡°Sir! Yes, sir!¡± Mire said, louder than Fisher expected. He simply nodded, grabbed the wooden ring of silver keys, and let himself in the door.


    When Fisher closed shut it behind him, hearing it slam against the frame, the smell of waste grew by a factor of four. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to just how little light there was. He had hoped Sea and Jeri were taken to the interrogation room on the second floor. But when he gave commands to Tim and Tobba, Fisher didn¡¯t specify which one because Servi and Momo demanded his attention.


    Still, the smell wouldn¡¯t do much more than stain his armor and body, and a quick wash for both would be enough to erase the rancid scent.

 Book Four – Interlude – Part Two – Haunted by the Past

    Fisher walked in a straight line while looking into the cells to his left and right. Each one was surrounded by brick, and they had a steel door with a slot at the bottom and thin bars at the top.  The former made it easy to deliver food when it was feeding time, and the latter was used to check in on criminals without opening the metal doors.


    At the end of the hallway, Fisher could go left and right. As the captain, he knew the layout in his mind like the beloved faces of his family, so he knew where to go. And to get there, he took a left at the fork continued until he came to the third right, and it was the second door on the right. A bit far, but it wasn¡¯t the hardest thing to find.


    He knocked on the door, and Tim answered the door. The Koena didn¡¯t have his helmet on, so Fisher caught a glimpse of his gray scales. Unlike most Koena, Tim chose to take a polishing cloth to them, and he valued them much like a noblewoman would care for her nails. Tobba was nowhere to be found, but if Fisher correctly remembered the schedule, then he was out doing his second round of patrols.


    ¡°Sir! Sea and Jeri are through the door behind me,¡± Tim said. He saluted and walked to the side, allowing Fisher the space to walk in. This room was where he usually sat when one of his subordinates was questioning a suspect in the actual interrogation room. It had a one-way mirror that allowed people on one side to see through. Those on the other side would only see their reflection. It was new technology, one made in the closely guarded laboratories of Westera. Somehow, the former governor Parrel bargained with Westera¡¯s president and obtained three sets of mirrors. Fisher didn¡¯t see how such an object could be used for war other than hiding something, but if someone was going to do that, why not use a brick wall? Those were far cheaper than paying the tens of thousands of dupla for a niche piece of glass. But that was beside the point, and it wasn¡¯t like the money for it came out of his pockets.


    ¡°Did they say anything when you brought them in?¡± Fisher asked. He stared through the one-way mirror and observed the suspects. Jeri had his eyes closed, choosing to stare at darkness. As a guard, he knew what was behind that suspicious mirror. It must¡¯ve been hot, though, because the tuffs of silver hair adorning his head were greasy and slimly.


    On the other hand, Sea was energetically looking up and down, left and right. Like her partner, she also had silver hair, but hers were grayer, with splotchy spots of white to be found. It frantically bounced around, covering both of her eyes one moment and revealing them in the next. Perhaps it was because she was in a panic, but the scar on Sea¡¯s lips seemed to be bleeding, but that could have been from different things. She was a rowdy woman when Fisher trained her, and if she put up a fight when Tim and Tobba brought her in, then she probably smacked her face on something.


    The two of them were sitting in a chair with metal chains tying their legs to the chair to keep them immobilized. The table in front of them had two wooden posts that Tim and Tobba tied Sea¡¯s and Jeri¡¯s hands to. There was a third, fancier chair for the interrogating officer to sit in.


    ¡°Jeri stayed quiet, sir. Sea... Sea screamed and shouted and cursed us. She called us every name in the book and then some, but she insisted that she was innocent... Sir?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Fisher turned around.


    ¡°Did you receive the witness statements from the incident?¡±


    ¡°That I did. I already read through them before I came down here. Oh, did you see Sampson?¡±


    ¡°I did. Was that not the case when you came down?"


    ¡°He was there, but he was dead drunk and asleep to the world,¡± Fisher said. He slowly shook his head. ¡°I told him to head up on patrol, and Mire came down to take his spot.¡±


    ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t know how he got drunk so fast. He was as sober as ever when Tobba and I came through, but we did warn him about the bottles. He just shrugged us off, though.¡± Tim stared past Fisher and heard Sea scream as if she was dying. ¡°Sir, what are you going to do about them?¡±


    ¡°Their crimes weren¡¯t severe enough for the death penalty, but they did raise their arms against Canary¡¯s citizens. Nearly all of the reports stated that the guards were the aggressors, and the Singi and Human they saw them arguing with tried to defuse the situation the best they could by walking away.


    ¡°We have a vow to protect all of Canary... That includes the people who live here, the animals who live here, the horses and oxen that pull wagons and carriages, the slaves that slumber around in the slums, the poor and the homeless... I assume you remember the day you passed my training? Tim, look into my eyes and say you remember.¡± Fisher turned around. His stoic voice was full of aggressiveness laid hidden beneath his carefully chosen words.


    ¡°Sir, I do. I recall just how much I cried after I killed that flying beast with swords for appendages... I remember just how badly my bones and muscles ached after one of your workouts... I can¡¯t... I couldn¡¯t... I couldn¡¯t forget those days if I tried.¡±


    ¡°Think about the pride you have as one of Canary¡¯s defenders. It should mean a lot to you because you sacrificed so much to get to where you are now.¡±


    ¡°I will, sir! I¡¯ll defend Canary with all I have! And as long as I¡¯m here, its people shall sleep with peace and comfort! I swear it!¡± Tim gave a quick salute.


    Back in the day, right before Fisher was promoted to lieutenant, there was a brawl inside a bar that turned violent enough to leave behind a couple of corpses. Tim wasn¡¯t the aggressor, but he wasn¡¯t the victim, either. Tim was just a rowdy punk looking for trouble, and the Koena found it. He also found himself lying face down in a puddle of someone else¡¯s blood. A metal chain was tied around his struggling hands and wrists. Then and there, he started to respect Fisher, the man who so effortlessly stopped him in his tracks with a couple of well placed-punches and kicks.


    After being released from prison a few days later, Tim refused to leave unless he was accepted into the guard¡¯s training program. In terms of combat, he was just a bit above average. His strength fell within the masterful use of Pulmoni Oxygeni. He could sustain the circulation of his lungs for over an hour with minimal pain, and all of his physical stats tripled. Only Fisher and a fair few others, including Mire, could handle him, and only the captain himself could fight him on equal footing when Tim was pulling out all the stops.


    At least when it came to a strictly physical fight. Any moderate Skill User could hold their own, but they had to act fast to secure the victory before they ran out of Skill Energy.


    ¡°Good. Stay here and keep watch,¡± Fisher said as he walked past the one-way mirror and gripped the doorknob.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    With that, Fisher turned the handle and stepped through the open door, but he was met with a torrential amount of abuse before he could close the door behind him.


    ¡°FISHER, LET ME OUT OF THESE DAMN RESTRAINTS!!!!!!!! I DIDN¡¯T DO ANYTHING!!!!! I¡¯VE ALWAYS BEEN LOYAL!!!!! GODDAMNIT!!!!!¡± Sea thrashed, pulling up and away, but the rope keeping her tied to the post and chair prevented her from moving.


    Fisher walked up to the table and sat down in the third chair. His tired, brown eyes stared back and forth from a stoic Jeri to a hyperactive Sea. He waited ten minutes, but Sea¡¯s cursed-filled rant showed no signs of stopping. Eventually, Fisher became tired of waiting and stood up. He punched the table, breaking it into two, and grabbed Sea by the neck. Fisher didn¡¯t have any force or ill-intent behind his grasp, but his aggressive actions were enough to submit the rowdy woman. After releasing his false grip, he sat back down and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Do you two know what you did?¡± Fisher said. His voice solemnly reverberated around the room, bouncing off the filth-stained bricks. The two candles flickering nearby briefly extinguished themselves, leaving the room in total darkness. Instead of relighting them, Fisher remained sitting and repeated his question. ¡°Do you two know what you did?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll spell it out for you. You had no right to threaten and harass those girls. Drawing your swords was the final straw. Sea, I even read that you attempted to arrest someone just because you didn¡¯t like what they said to you. Why? For what reason did you have to act like this?¡±


    ¡°That girl...¡± Jeri opened his eyes, but no one noticed because it was dark. ¡°I couldn¡¯t handle seeing her hold the hand of that Singi... I know I didn¡¯t care much for it when I met them on the road... But when we were closer to Canary, I felt something... The rules... why couldn¡¯t they follow the rules...?¡±


    ¡°What rules? Canary doesn¡¯t have any rules about Human and Demi-Human holding hands. Even if it did, the punishment wouldn¡¯t be murder. It¡¯d be just a fine for something so non-violent,¡± Fisher said. ¡°You¡ª¡±


    ¡°THE CHURCH¡¯S RULES!!!! Those two threw the Church of the Heavens Above¡¯s tenets in the dirt and spat on them!!! How could we not want to kill them after such blatant disrespect?¡± Sea argued back. Fisher heard something whooshing in the darkness but realized it was probably Sea swinging her arms. Since the table was broken, nothing prevented her arms from wildly swinging. Still, there wasn¡¯t any need to worry because her wrists were also tied together. It was the same for Jeri.


    ¡°Yes... The church... We did it for the church because it is only through them that we shall find salvation... The tenets... The rules... The orders... The worship... As loyal members...it is our duty to uphold and spread their word... If you found the Gods, Fisher, you would know what we feel... You would know why we acted the way we did... It¡¯s all coming back to me... IT¡¯S ALL COMING BACK TO ME!!!! OUR FATHERS... OUR MOTHERS... OUR CREATORS... IT IS ONLY THROUGH US THAT WE SHALL SPREAD THEIR WORD... THEIR COMMANDS ARE OUR COMMANDS... FOR THROUGH THEIR NAMES SHALL WE FIND TRUE SALVATION AND EXPERIENCE EVERLASTING BLISS AFTER DEMISE...¡±


    ¡°Jeri, what the fuck happened to you? You¡¯ve been a member of the guard longer than I¡¯ve been alive, and I''ve never known you to be religious, especially not to this extent. Sea, you even hate organized religion¡­ In your eyes, is it acceptable to kill innocent people if they break even a single one of your rules? Even one as minor as holding hands?¡±


    ¡°Death is death... It does not matter how they meet their end, be it by my blade or the blade of my allies. But should we come across rule-breakers, they shall be purified and put to rest.¡± The tone coming out of Jeri¡¯s mouth was his voice, but the words definitely did not belong to him. Even the cadence and time between each word differed from how he usually spoke. It was all weird, strange, and odd.


    ¡°Jeri, you¡¯re religious, aren¡¯t you? You weren¡¯t before, but it seems you have found the light of the Gods that reside in the Heavens Above,¡± said Sea. Her brash tone was still present and clearly there, but again, the timing between her words and the way she accented certain syllables wasn¡¯t like her. ¡°The light is the light of the Heavens Above, and we have found it. We have seen the truth hiding beyond the dark sky. We have seen the faces of our creators...our mothers...our fathers...¡±


    Exasperated, Fisher cradled his face in his hands and sighed. He wasn¡¯t getting much of anywhere with Sea and Jeri.  Still, he tried and tried, but he always came up empty. Every question he asked was answered with some odd statements about the church. Soon, that knocked an idea into his head. Fisher changed his tactic from asking about the incident to asking about what Sea and Jeri did before encountering Servi and Momo, and what he found was interesting.


    In the weeks before the Warden tournament was to start, Sea and Jeri became new members of a church. Though its location was slightly out of the way, it was affiliated with the Church of the Heavens Above. And after a bit more prying, the captain discovered that Sea and Jeri had donated a substantial amount of their pay to the church¡¯s coffers.


    Suddenly, Fisher remembered the Monotonia Momo talked about. About how such a tiny pull could bring a man to his knees, then twist his mind until it was all he could think about. The mightiest of warriors could fall victim to its sweet whispers of eternal pleasure. But could it strip a man¡¯s personality, replace it with unfathomable worship, then change it back? He didn¡¯t think so. Sea and Jeri had to have been thoroughly searched, and the matter of mysterious pills would have certainly been brought up if they were found. And the two couldn¡¯t use Dimensional Storage, so it was impossible to hide them away.


    He asked them about Monotonia, but Sea replied that anyone using drugs to worship the Heavens Above was not a true believer. She even spat on the ground to reinforce her startling position. Jeri did much the same, though the words he used were far more aggressive, even bordering on disbelief that someone would even ask them.


    I don¡¯t want to make any false assumptions, but Monotonia seems like it isn''t related. That¡¯s good, but I¡¯m still at a loss¡­


    Unfortunately, that was the extent of the information Fisher could extract from Sea and Jeri. Any line of questioning that involved the church went in a circle. Even if he attacked from a different subject, it all amounted to nothing. Still, he couldn¡¯t say he came away empty-handed. Just knowing that Monotonia most likely wasn¡¯t involved at all was a stroke of good luck.


    But the time he spent with them had to come to an end, and that end was approaching fast.


    ¡°Sea... Jeri...¡± Fisher stood up and used Lucem. When the room was illuminated, he saw two faces that did not have a hint of regret for what they had done. The criminals weren¡¯t smiling, but they didn¡¯t look sad. It was more of a neutral expression bordering on the hint of actually accomplishing something, and that was what made it all the more intriguing. Fisher had thought he would get some information. He did, in a way, but something strange was brewing. There was a mystery afoot, and as the captain of the guard, it was up to him to solve it.


    If he just ignored it, who was to say that whatever forces at work wouldn¡¯t eventually turn their gazes upon his beloved family?


    ¡°Before I walked down here, I used a messenger spirit to talk with the governor... We¡¯re lucky news didn¡¯t immediately spread, but there¡¯s a chance for the incident to become common knowledge. Since no one died, and it was taken care of rather quickly, it doesn¡¯t look like we¡¯ll have a riot on our hands. That¡¯s good... Canary¡¯s been through a lot this year, and that¡¯s the last thing the city needs.¡± Fisher took a breath and spoke their sentences. ¡°You two are to stay locked up for five years. That will be your punishment for the attempted murder of Servi and Momo. Use this time to learn from your actions and better yourself.


    ¡°But judging by your words and mannerisms, I feel that the blame doesn¡¯t solely fall on your shoulders. Still, that doesn¡¯t mean I can just let you go. And I can¡¯t act like this didn¡¯t happen. It wouldn¡¯t be fair to your victims.¡±


    Fisher canceled Lucem after grabbing the doorknob, and he left Jeri and Sea in the deep darkness while he returned to the light-filled room. Tim was there, leaning against the murky brick walls. He stared at Fisher, who sighed.


    ¡°Go ahead and transfer them to a cell. I¡¯ll get Mire to help you out,¡± Fisher said. He gave Tim a final salute and made his way back upstairs. When he came across Mire, who was faithfully standing guard at the prison¡¯s entrance, he returned the wooden keyring to her.


    She obviously had questions, and Fisher answered them. ¡°Lock the door and go help Tim transport the prisoners to their cell.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir!¡± Mire enthusiastically responded. She sure was a cheerful one: an Elf who took pride in a hard day¡¯s work.


    ¡°Keep up the good work, Mire,¡± Fisher replied. He turned away from her and walked up the stairs. When the fresh, clean air brutally assaulted his nostrils, attacking the smell of filth and excrement, he took a deep breath.


    ¡°Even if I want to go home, I still have six hours left...¡± Fisher whispered to himself. After a deep breath, he returned to his office to prepare for a meeting. Then he had a scheduled patrol he couldn¡¯t push back, and after that, Fisher had three more meetings concerning things only the captain of the guard had to deal with. Yes, it was hard and tiring, and most days probably weren¡¯t worth the effort, but there was no better job for him.


    When he had arrived home after a hard day¡¯s work, the first thing Fisher¡¯s children did was brutally attack his knees in a ferocious hug. Their affectionate-filled voices nearly deafened his ears with shouts of ¡°Daddy¡¯s home!!!!¡± The little buggers wouldn¡¯t even give their father the time of day to change out of his armor into something more comfortable until he played with them. Even the alluring voice of their mother and her mouthwatering descriptions of dinner couldn¡¯t pry them away. With a simple shrug and a giggle, she left her husband to his fate of playing Princesses and Captain until dinner was cooked.


    Such a game required three play pieces in the form of two princess dolls and a knight, which was obviously Fisher¡¯s role, and it also needed objects to function as monsters or enemies. It was much like playing ¡®house¡¯ or ¡®doctor,¡¯ meaning it relied on imagination as the primary source of entertainment. But that was something children had an abundance of.


    After a few rounds of that, it was time for dinner. Meri and Mari rushed down the stairs as their little feet stomped the carpeted floor. As she had in the past, Marissa would motherly berate her daughters for running in the house, and as always, Mari would giggle while Meri acted like she wasn¡¯t in trouble. Fisher was behind them, coming up the rear after escaping to his room. With Dimensional Storage, it didn¡¯t take long at all to change into something more casual, but it didn''t compare to Servi''s quick change.


    Dinner time in the Jin household was a loud affair. Meri and Mari would talk and talk about the things they saw or the dreams they had. Sometimes they would brag about helping their mother around the house. More recently, they would happily tell their father that they saw Mr. Feral walking around town, or they had run into Dineria or Srassa.


    If it was the former, Meri would usually remark that she wished she could be as strong as ¡®Mr. Feral.¡¯ Mari''s comments were often about his emerald skin. ¡°I wanna be as green as him! And his scales! Papa, you¡¯ve seen Mr. Feral''s scales, right? They¡¯re so shiny and green, and I wanna touch them! Can I grow scales?! Please!!!¡±


    It was clear that biological evolution was far too advanced for the young Mari, but Fisher didn¡¯t want to dash her hopes at such a young age. He¡¯d always answer with a, ¡°You¡¯re too young for scales, sweetie,¡± and end it there.

 Book Four – Interlude – Part Three – Haunted by the Past (R-18)

    After dinner came baths, and that was Marissa¡¯s department. While she was making sure Meri and Mari scrubbed behind their ears and under their nails, Fisher would stand in front of the sink and wash the dishes using a Wash Stone he was financing. By his accounts, he still had three more years to go until it was paid off. And yes, he could just use Create Water to clean his plates, but the Wash Stone was a long-term investment. He didn¡¯t know if his children would ever join Warden, and they weren¡¯t blessed with the Create Water skill. If their dear, old father had it his way, he¡¯d want his children to be safe and sound forever. To help with that, he planned on giving the Wash Stone to them when they came of age. As long as they had it, drinkable water was only a quick use away.


    Fisher also had a series of pipes running from the expensive stone to the rest of his house. Much like the one-way mirror, connecting a Wash Stone to tubes and installing mechanical control devices was an experimental technology developed in Westera. It was thanks to the late Parrel that such technology existed in Canary. The device was installed into every noble¡¯s house.


    After dinner was devoured, bodies were washed, and plates scrubbed clean, it was time for the young girls to go to bed. That usually fell to Fisher, and it was something he enjoyed. Tucking his daughters under their duck blankets and reading them a story was his highlight as a father. Depending on what Mari and Meri were in the mood for, Fisher would tell them a tale about a ferocious girl who fought for justice, a hulking Kobold, who ran a school for good boys and girls, or a lovely poem about a cat who fought the world and became her own person. And if they weren¡¯t in the mood for that, Mari and Meri would tell a story to Fisher, and he¡¯d sit there and enjoy it as if he was listening to the world¡¯s creator.


    Fatherhood was something no man could understand until they had a family of their own. It came with its own sets of challenges and trials, but it also brought a tremendous number of fears and worries.


    When Meri and Mari couldn¡¯t keep their little eyes open any longer, Fisher watched as they laid back on their matching duck pillows. He stood up, walked to their bedsides, and gave each one a small kiss on the forehead.


    ¡°Goodnight, girls.¡±


    Once the children were taken care of, it was time for their mother and father to spend a little personal time cuddling together on their bed. Fisher walked out of his daughters¡¯ room, quietly closing the door behind them. Then he walked down the hall to the master bedroom. The first thing he saw was the striking figure of the woman he fell in love with. Dressed in her favorite nightgown, Marissa sat at the foot of the bed and drew designs on the carpet with her feet.


    ¡°Are they asleep?¡± Marissa asked when she noticed his presence. Her long, brown hair playfully protected her ears. She looked up, meeting his brown eyes with blue orbs of her own.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Fisher replied as he took off his t-shirt, revealing a well-toned chest and muscularly defined back full of scars. He stretched his arms and raised them to the sky. ¡°They wanted to hear a story about a Kobold.¡±


    Marissa stood up and walked to her husband, who was unbuckling his belt. She placed her soft palms on Fisher¡¯s chest and kissed his neck. Fisher returned the affection by rubbing his hands down his wife¡¯s back and playfully smacked her bottom through her thin nightdress.


    ¡°Dear...¡± Marissa began to speak, and as she pulled her head away from Fisher¡¯s neck, she was silenced by a deep, passionate kiss that lasted well over forty-five seconds. During which, his hands explored under her nightgown, rubbing her bare skin. When their mouths finally separated, there was a thick, wet, sopping line of spit connecting the husband and wife.


    For seventy-seconds, Fisher and Marissa touched their foreheads together. Her hands descended into the front of his pants and massaged Fisher¡¯s manhood, and Fisher¡¯s hands slowly made their way down Marissa¡¯s stomach. Eventually, his burly, rugged fingers flicked against her drenched, moist peach.


    ¡°Darling...¡± Marissa panted and kissed his lips. Her hands stroked harder, but she didn¡¯t have that much room to work with. Fisher had started to tenderly spread Marissa open, but he had focused too much on the teasing and nothing else. His wife let him know that because she walked backwards to the bed and sat down.


    Instead of unzipping his pants and freeing the beast within, she took off her nightgown, leaned back, and spread her legs. She presented her husband with her bare body, and he burned it into his eyes. Even through two children and six years of being together, his wife was still the most beautiful woman in the world. She hadn¡¯t changed at all, and she was still the love of his life.


    Glistening love juice soaked her inner thighs, and Fisher kneeled down and proceeded to pleasure his wife for twenty minutes, making sure his tongue had a chance to thoroughly explore it all. Marissa¡¯s moaning had gotten so loud that they were afraid a pair of sleepy children would come to investigate the disturbance.


    ¡°Marissa... Sweetie... I need you...¡± Fisher panted as he came up for a breath of air. Just the sight of the orgasmic look on his wife¡¯s face was all he needed. With one hand, Fisher fumbled with his breeches and kicked them off. The other lifted Marissa¡¯s left leg up in the air. He did the same with the right leg, and they balanced on his shoulders as he eased himself into her tantalizing snatch.


    Fisher enjoyed his lover¡¯s inner warmth as his manhood¡¯s head became enveloped in sensual bliss. He took it slow and waited, concentrating on his breathing so that he could last as long as possible. Only when he felt it was safe did he dig ever deeper until his 18-centimeter rod was all the way in. Eventually, his moans combined with that of his wife¡¯s, who somehow managed to remove her legs from his shoulders. She reached up, grasping at Fisher, and he leaned down to give his wife a kiss.


    His hands went with him, choosing to focus on Marissa¡¯s impressive chest. Her whole body was warm to the touch. She lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist, locking him in. Marissa¡¯s body became sweaty as their passion reached a new level of lovemaking. He leaned up, wrapping his arms around her body, and picked her up. Fisher¡¯s waist was still pumping away the best he could, but he couldn¡¯t drag his mouth from her. His and his wife¡¯s tongue played with each other, swapping spit and salvia and possibly other fluids in the process.


    Each time he thrusted into his wife, she moaned and huffed with pleasure, and each time he started to remove his throbbing rod, Marissa just wouldn¡¯t let him. She clenched her legs, gripping her husband¡¯s thick manhood because she did not want him to leave.


    While still connected, Fisher walked to the wall and pressed his wife against it, using the support to get a better angle. Suddenly, he felt her tighten up, and the strength in her legs gave out, causing her to almost fall as warm liquids drenched her thighs. But her hero was right there, catching her under the legs and supporting her shaking body with his masculine hands. Even though she had reached the pinnacle of pleasure, Fisher had not. He focused his breathing and continued to thrust, filling the room with the scent of their lovemaking.


    He walked back over to the bed and sat down. Marissa slightly trembled, and she finally removed her tongue from his mouth. Sweat had wetly stuck her brown hair to her forehead, and in most cases, she would have looked miserable. But that playful grin and satisfied expression revealed it all. Her chest heaved, moving along with her hasty breathing. She wrapped her arms around Fisher¡¯s head and started to kiss and nibble at his neck. At the same time, he placed his hands under her bottom and slowly lifted her up.


    He heard the squelching of his rod and felt the cold air attack it, but before it could taste freedom, he maneuvered his waist upward, stabbing until Marissa had taken all of his meat. She stopped her nibbling and cried in a passion of ecstasy. Again, Fisher felt his wife quiver, loving the passionate sounds she was making. It only served his rob harder and longer. After Marissa had quieted down, Fisher took it as a sign to start moving. Every millimeter of her inner folds lovingly squirmed around his throbbing member.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the pressure in his crotch to start building, and his wife knew it. Whenever her reason came back to her, she grabbed Fisher¡¯s head and whispered in his ear. ¡°Darling... I want it in me... Don¡¯t pull out... I... I want you to fill me up... Darling.... Darling....¡± Her tone and voice increased in urgency because she knew the chalice of pleasure would be unlike anything she had experienced before. Fisher was an impressive lover, but he had never taken the initiative like lifting her up and pressing her against the wall.


    Marissa tried to take control and bounce on his waist, leaving her perky breasts jiggling in front of his face, but that didn¡¯t last long. Her nipples were a weak spot, and it only took a few seconds for her pleasurable moans to increase in volume. If there was anything to say about his darling wife, it was that Marissa was a vocal lover. Fisher kept his grunts and pants to himself, for the most part, at least. But before the stork delivered Meri, Fisher once joked to his wife that he needed earplugs whenever they made love.


    ¡°Marissa... Marissa... Marissa...¡± Fisher repeated his lover¡¯s name when his breath quickened. Marissa did the same, chanting Fisher¡¯s name over again as she somehow found the strength to grind her waist. She felt hot. He felt hot. Steamy sweat drenched both of their bodies, adding a silky sheen to Marissa¡¯s chest. Fisher¡¯s hands quickly monopolized her bouncing breasts as his mouth was occupied by her tongue.


    And then it happened. Fisher grunted, straining himself as his hot seed flowed into Marissa. One wave¡ªthree waves¡ªfive waves¡ªit took seven waves of increasing pleasure¡ªit seemed as if his white liquid would never end. Fisher found himself falling back, smacking his wet hair into a dry pillow. His arms remained extended, still fondling his wife¡¯s bosom. And like a robot who had run out of juice, Marissa fell forward until she laid against her husband¡¯s chest. Fisher¡¯s erected manhood slowly returned to its sleepy state, and a wave of white flowed from Marissa¡¯s crotch. It stickily stained her thighs, his legs, and the bed, but neither of the two were in any state to move. At least, they required another five to ten minutes for reason to return to their minds. During that time, he wrapped his hands around her back and tightly hugged her.


    When reason did return, Marissa pushed off Fisher¡¯s chest and adorably stared down at him. He reached his hands up and parted her brown hair, then he leaned up and gave her a passionate kiss. ¡°Marissa, I love you,¡± he said.


    ¡°And I love you, Fishy...¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Fishy? Really?¡±


    ¡°It''s not the first time I¡¯ve called you that.¡± Marissa grinned and laughed.


    ¡°Well... As long as it¡¯s you... I¡¯ll always be your little Fishy.¡±


    After sharing one more kiss, Marissa seductively hopped off of Fisher¡¯s waist, but he immediately jumped up because she wobbled backwards. He caught her by the hand and pulled her close. She pressed her chest against his and looked up, cupping her palm around his chin. ¡°Sorry, dear. I guess I¡¯m a little dizzy,¡± she whispered. As she spoke, she felt her husband¡¯s seed dribble down her thighs.


    ¡°Do you want me to carry you to the bathroom?¡± Fisher asked.


    ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind, dear,¡± Marissa said. She giggled when Fisher wrapped his strong arms around her bag and legs. Like an esteemed prince carrying his princess, Fisher escorted his wife to the bathroom attached to their room, and after a bit of persuasion, ended up joining her. Fisher just couldn¡¯t break away from Marissa¡¯s curvy body, and she had a way of getting him all sorts of excited.


    There wasn¡¯t that much washing, but there was a lot of lovemaking. Fisher ended up giving his wife his seed three more times before the exhausted lovers emerged from their sultry exchange of lust.


    ¡°Sweetie, I know there¡¯s something on your mind,¡± Marissa whispered. She was lying down on her bed with her pretty head supported by a pillow. A beige-colored blanket came up to her waist, and her upper body was bare naked. Fisher was there, resting his head on his stomach as her hand feathered his hair. He, too, only had the cover up to his belly button, but he snuggled his cheeks against his beloved wife.


    After exhausting themselves in the shower, Marissa and Fisher dried off, changed their bedsheets, and slid under the cover to enjoy each other¡¯s company before falling asleep.


    ¡°Marissa... I... I had to imprison two of our guards today.¡±


    ¡°Did it have anything to do with that incident near one of the city gates?¡± Marissa asked. ¡°I overheard a few people talking about that while I was out shopping at the market.¡±


    ¡°Yeah... Sea and Jeri... I can¡¯t reveal who they attacked or why, but the victims were innocent. But it was like they didn¡¯t care at all. There were over seventy witnesses, and they saw what happened. When Sea and Jeri took the vow, they promised to forever protect Canary and its people, but...¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine the sorrow you¡¯re feeling, but I know there is something else. You and I are a team, but I won¡¯t force you to talk about it. I just want you to know that I¡¯ll be here when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right... There is something else bothering me... Remember... Remember when I told you about my past? About the awful things I¡¯ve done?¡± he asked with a shaky voice.


    ¡°I do. Why?¡± Marissa swirled her index finger around his brown hair.


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot to say, but I¡¯m just going to blurt it all out because it¡¯ll be the easier that way¡­ Before I met you, I¡­ I did something awful to this Kobold and his village. His wife and daughter nursed my wounds, and¡­ And¡­¡± Thick, fat, regretful tears started to flow from the corner of his brown eyes. Fisher¡¯s face scrunched up like someone was squeezing a sponge, and everything he kept repressed flowed out.


    ¡°I¡­ I slaughtered them all in the name of false justice¡­ I did what Arnold and I wanted¡­ But¡­ My sins¡­they came back to haunt me¡­ Do you remember all those refugees that arrived a few days ago?¡±


    His lovely wife¡¯s tone shouldn¡¯t have surprised him, but it did. She had vowed to stand by him just like he pledged to stand with her, but he still couldn¡¯t believe someone as gentle as his dear Marissa could exist in this reality. ¡°I do, sweetie. If I recall, Governor Blas¨¦ took care of it and gave them jobs in the city and surrounding villages. There were a few fights and brawls, but it wasn¡¯t anything overly serious.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ But they wouldn¡¯t have been refugees if not for me¡­ I¡¯m the reason behind everything¡­ All of their blood¡­ Everyone died because I sickeningly chose to wipe out a village of peace-loving, farming Kobolds¡­ It¡¯s been years and years since it happened, but it all caught up with me¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Sakdu¡­ That was the name of the Kobold who led the Mafia, and I was the one who set him on that path¡­ My sword stole his daughter and wife away from him¡­ The people he killed¡ªsacrificed¡ª along his way in the name of revenge¡­ It¡¯s as if I took their lives myself. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Darling, how could you have possibly known this? Who told you this?¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s not all,¡± Fisher kept speaking, even ignoring his wife¡¯s question because he had to say what he needed to say. Even if it had to come from a nearly indiscernible voice, he had to keep talking. ¡°There was an army marching towards Canary¡­ An army 15,000 strong, and Sakdu was the commander. That was his hatred towards me, and he planned to burn Canary to the ground just because I was here. He intended on harming my girls, and he had horrible plans for you¡­ I¡¯m strong, but I¡¯m don¡¯t have the power to handle five thousand men¡­let alone 15,000¡­ Just the thought of losing and being forced to watch while he robbed me of all that I hold dear¡­ ¡­ I couldn¡¯t handle it¡­ I just couldn¡¯t!


    ¡°If that person didn¡¯t come along¡­ If that girl didn¡¯t get kidnapped¡­ If they had just decided to go somewhere else¡­ Canary wouldn¡¯t be here¡­ You and our precious children wouldn¡¯t be here¡­ I wouldn¡¯t be here¡­ I¡­ I¡ª I owe everything¡ªour safety and our lives¡ª to them... Canary¡¯s existence owes everything to them, but they wouldn¡¯t have had to endure that hell If it wasn¡¯t for me!!!!¡±


    For the first time in a while, Fisher was so emotional and choked-up that he couldn¡¯t speak at all. He slightly turned his body and cried into Marissa¡¯s stomach. His body trembled with every weep, groan, and whimper. Nasty snot ran down his nostrils and stained his wife¡¯s tummy.


    But she didn¡¯t stop rubbing his head for a moment.


    ¡°Fisher, sweetie¡­ I¡¯ve told you before, but I forgive you. I¡¯ll always forgive you. You were a different person back then¡ªa man who followed the blind hate in his heart, but you aren¡¯t that man anymore. You truly know what it is like to have something you love even more than life itself. That¡¯s just how I feel about you and our little sparkles of joy¡­ I love you, my darling husband. I will always love you, and there will forever be a Fishy-shaped spot in my heart for you.¡±


    For the next fifteen minutes, the room¡¯s only noise came from a grief-stricken guard.


    Eventually, silence took over, and only the sound of a pair of lovers breathing could be heard. Fisher had fallen asleep on his wife¡¯s stomach. Before she drifted off to dreamland, she had a few words to say.


    ¡°Fisher, I think I know what¡¯s mostly disturbing you. You¡¯re afraid another shadow of your past will rise up and plan to strike you down. This¡­ This army had awoken you to that possibility. I must admit, I find it hard to believe what you said, but you¡¯re not the type to lie to your family¡­ So I know you spoke the truth.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure if you were alone, you wouldn¡¯t have to worry¡­ But now that you have a family, you¡¯re worried about us¡­ You¡¯re afraid they¡¯ll bypass you and come straight for us¡­ This is one of the times I wished I had just a sliver of your strength. I wish I could fight by your side¡­ But you and I¡­ Me and you¡­ We¡¯ll protect our daughters from whatever may come and strike us down¡­ Fisher, you¡¯re the most important man I have in my life¡­ I love you. Sweet dreams, my darling.¡±

 Book Four – Chapter One – Part One – The Invitation

    RuggyRuggy


    Same deal as before with Momo''s diary entries. Expect there to be more typos than what is probably necessary to reflect her lack of a proper education. When she finally has a chance to sit down and learn / study, then these will be properly educated. You gotta be immersive, you know?


    Dear diary¡­ It¡¯s been a few days since Servy and I returned to Canary. Other than being in her ¡®happy time fun time mood,¡¯ as I call it, Servy is still kinda not all there. Oh, and she¡¯s still crying, but it¡¯s not as often. I had thought things would be super different, but I¡¯m happy to be proven wrong.


    We still eat breakfast in the morning, but I¡¯m usually the one that does all the talking. And after that, we walk around town or just hang out in her room. I guess I am thankful that we have a lot of money saved up. We don¡¯t need to do any quests or exterminate monsters in the sewers and sell their parts to survive. When it¡¯s time for lunch, if we were walking around town, we¡¯d go to the nearest stall. I would like to go back to Monkey Noodle House, but it might be a bit too soon for Servy. If we¡¯re just hanging in Servy¡¯s room,  Itarr would cook something for us. Oh, speaking of that¡­ I really, really, really want to cook something for Servy. I¡¯ve never been that much of a chef, but I just want to do that for her.


    That was kinda off topic, so I¡¯ll get back to what I was saying.


    After that, what we¡¯d do would depend on where we were. Like if we were enjoying the sun, Servy and I would just walk around town and talk, soaking in the atmosphere and sunshine. I still hold her hand, but nobody has said anything to us about it. We do get stares, but that¡¯s about ¨C never mind. There was this one time¡­ It happened yesterday. A guard saw us, and when he walked towards us, he suddenly froze up and couldn¡¯t move. I was 100% sure Itarr had something to do with it, so I thanked her while Servy and I rushed back to her room at Warden.


    And on days where I lazily stayed in Servy¡¯s room, I¡¯d just lay on her bed and talk with her. Sometimes I¡¯d sing our song¡ªyes, I¡¯m calling May I Touch You Soon our song because I think that is what it is. I¡¯ve sang it so many times for Servy since she rescued me. I hope my words are getting to her¡­ But if I don¡¯t sing, then I usually take out a notebook or whatever and draw. I tried drawing Servy, but I don¡¯t have any artistic ability. I guess now would be a good time to start, right?


    Oh, but I am continuing my training. I do my stretches, rolls, and handstands after I wake up, while I¡¯m hanging out in Servy¡¯s room, and before I go to bed. I have to be in tip-top shape, after all!


    Hehe, Servy once said she¡¯d my official shirt holder when I do my handstands, but she can¡¯t really do that in her current state. I asked Claire if she had anything to keep my shirt pulled down, and she just said to tuck it in.


    Really? Momo, you couldn¡¯t even think of that. Oh man, I felt like such an idiot, but Claire only smiled. She didn¡¯t even laugh at me. In fact, my favorite red-haired Elven friend patted my head and gave me a super comfortable hug.


    And that got me thinking. I do like Claire, but when compared to how I feel for Servy, it can¡¯t even be compared. Like, I want to snuggle up with Servy, but I don¡¯t feel the same for Claire. I do like her a lot, and she is one our closest friends. I don¡¯t even want to imagine it if someone else signed me and Servy up for Warden.


    But speaking on that more¡­ Whenever I think of Servy, I start to feel hot down there¡­ She¡¯s my best friend, yet I find myself thinking of her when I touch myself¡­ Is that bad? I mean, it has to be at least morally wrong because¡­ I think I¡¯ll feel better if I had her consent, but I can¡¯t just say: ¡®Servy, can I think of you when I touch myself at night?¡¯ No, I can¡¯t. Only a crazy person would ask something like that.


    I know I need to stop. I feel bad even doing it in the first place, but it just feels good¡­ I keep imagining her bare body¡­ And then I think of her stomach¡­ I wanna touch and kiss it, and I wanna feel her hands rub my body in return¡­ Bah!!!!!! I need stop because I¡¯m starting to get excited¡­


    But I think that¡¯s the reason why I¡¯ve been hugging her more often. I¡­ I just want to feel Servy¡¯s touch. If I could just fold my hands around hers while falling asleep in her arms¡­ I think I could die happy.


    I mean, I guess I just wanna write it all out: I LOVE SERVY!!!!


    I LOVE HER A LOT!!!!!


    And I haven¡¯t forgotten about my promise. When Servy¡¯s all better, I will tell her how I feel. There¡¯s always a chance she won¡¯t feel the same way, but I shouldn¡¯t always be so negative. When I think about all the little hints¡­like when we camped out in that cave and I tripped. Servy was right there to catch me like some prince out a story grampy used to tell me. Even now, it¡¯s like I can still feel her hand on my tummy. Her palms were so soft and smooth, and they were warm, too. And then there was that time she comforted me after we first met.


    That awful woman and her friends terrified me, but Servy saved the day and rescued me. And when I had my tantrum, she was right there¡­ Servy knew just the right words to say¡­ And she protected me after that incident in the sewers, and she took that rat¡¯s attack when we went to Tarch¡¯s village¡­ Servy¡¯s always been right there by my side ever since we met.


    Is it possible I¡¯m overthinking it? Am I looking for patterns or things that I wish are there but aren¡¯t really there¡­?


    When I think about her hugging or holding hands with anyone else, I end up getting mad¡­ I wonder if grampy ever felt that way about grammy before he married her¡­


    Oh, I do have something I need to say. When I woke up yesterday morning, I walked down to the Warden store on the 2nd floor and bought a newspaper. I figured it¡¯d be good to catch up on things, and I saw it right there¡­ It was a quote from Governor Blas¨¦, and it had to deal with the incident involving Sea and Jeri. He said they were sentenced to five years in prison for the attempted murder of two of Canary¡¯s citizens. He also mentioned that a decision was brought down so fast because they had over 70 witnesses who confirmed what happened.


    I guess that meant Fisher didn¡¯t tell them it was because of me and Servy¡­ Still, I feel conflicted. Sea and Jeri aren¡¯t nice people. But when compared to Servy, they¡¯re like saints. I won''t deny it, but Servy¡¯s a criminal as well. In a way, she¡¯s probably the biggest criminal out there in regards to the severity of her crimes.


    It kinda just feels like I¡¯m one big hypocrite if I can forgive her and condemn Sea and Jeri.


    Life is really confusing, grampy. If there is someone out there that claims to have it all figured out, they¡¯re the biggest the liar in the world. Is it childish of me to think that the world would be a much better place if there was more friendship? Cause I feel that if everyone were friends, then we¡¯d all get along better, but maybe it¡¯s just my inexperience talking. I¡¯ve only been on my own for less than a year, so I¡¯m sure I¡¯m still green around the ears¡­ I don¡¯t have nearly as much life experience as you, grampy, and I¡¯ve only really lived in my village and Canary. Grampy, you once explored the whole world, so I¡¯m sure you saw a million different things¡­ Maybe you learned about a million things you never knew before¡­


    Hmm¡­


    Well, the sun¡¯s been up for about two hours now, and I¡¯m still dressed in my canary pajamas. I call them that because my pajamas has a yellow bird on the front. I wrote about them before a few entries ago. Servy paid for half of it, and it was really sweet of her to do so.


    I do have my adventuring gear: my chainmail, sword, sleeveless tunic, pants, and under clothes nearly laid out beside me. I suppose it¡¯s time for me to get dressed and go check on Servy.


    Goodbye, diary. I¡¯ll write in you later.


    Momo.


    With a mighty yawn and a series of refreshing upper body stretches, an adorable Singi leaned forward off the bed. Momo didn¡¯t smack the floor because she expertly converted her momentum into a forward roll. She recovered with a graceful bow and giggle, acting cute towards an audience that didn¡¯t exist.


    Momo started to take off her top, revealing a pair of breasts to the world. She went braless throughout the night because it felt more comfortable, but she didn¡¯t go commando. Momo decided it was best to fall asleep with a pair of pink panties that so graciously hugged against her nearly hairless crotch. She hastily slid them off with her pajama pants, exposing her budding flower to no one but the invisible air.


    ¡°It is kinda warm, and it doesn¡¯t feel that bad. I don¡¯t want to wake up sweaty, so I might sleep naked tonight..., But I can think about that later. I have a best friend to meet up with!¡± Momo practically skipped over to her bed and started to dress herself.


    It didn¡¯t take her long at all to slide a clean pair of panties up her smooth thighs, deposit her barely-there bosom in a black brassiere, and protect her legs with leather pants. Her belt was nothing to write home about, so she quickly fed it through her belt loops. Next came her white undershirt, chainmail, and finally, her tunic and boots.


    ¡°I still need to fix my chainmail¡­ Bah! You¡¯ve been saying that for like the past three months¡­ I mean, it¡¯s just a little bent, so I¡¯m alright. But I¡¯m not looking to fight anything¡­ Yeah, it should be fine¡­ Okay!¡± Momo lightly tapped her cheeks and formed a confident fist. ¡°Let¡¯s go check on Servy!¡±


    Momo left her room, locked it, walked three meters, and knocked on Servi¡¯s door. She waited a few seconds, then she called out. ¡°Servy!! It¡¯s me, Mosie! Are ya in there?¡± Since she received no response, Momo knocked twice more while retrieving Servi¡¯s room key from the black bag around her shoulders.


    ¡°Yep, good thing I kept her key,¡± Momo said, smiling because she correctly planned ahead. She unlocked the door and swung it open. ¡°Servy!!! Your favorite Singi is here!!!¡± Momo announced. She skipped inside, closing the door behind her.


    Momo¡¯s blue eyes focused on Servi, who wore a red and white striped blouse, the blue overalls Momo had picked for her, and a pair of black pants. Servi turned in place to face the intruder, the clicking of her black heeled boots noisily echoed off the wooden floor.


    She was standing up in the middle of her room with her hands hanging down by her side. The nearby bed laid undisturbed, but that couldn¡¯t be true because Momo made sure her friend was under the bed before she left. Maybe Itarr made it up? Dang, she¡¯s cleaner than me because my bed¡¯s messy as heck.


    ¡°Servy, you¡¯ve been crying again, haven¡¯t you?¡± Momo asked. She walked forward with a bounce in her step while focusing on Servi¡¯s closed fist. The adorable, supportive girl gently wrapped her hands around it. With just the gentlest effort, Momo opened the hand she held and saw what it was clutching. ¡°Hehe! You¡¯ve still been holding on to that coin. I¡¯m glad. Whenever you start or cry or feel sad, just hold it really close to your heart, okay?  You know, I¡¯ve grown really attached to this.¡± Momo walked over to the bed with Servi in tow and sat down. She dug into her black bag and retrieved a wooden figurine of a cat and a horse.


    ¡°This right here is one of my favorite gifts! Servy, I can¡¯t thank you enough for getting this for me. I swear this is gonna go down as a family heirloom!¡± Momo declared, holding the figurine up. She displayed it to absolutely no one, but Servi decided to copy her movements.


    Momo took down her hand and laughed while storing the gift in her bag. ¡°And now it¡¯s time for this¡­ Can you guess what it is I¡¯m about to do? It¡¯s your morning hug!!!¡± Momo gently wrapped her hands around Servi¡¯s fingers, and the two of them stood up. ¡°You know,¡± Momo said as she wrapped her hands around Servi¡¯s back. ¡°I wish I was a little bit taller. For your sake, I mean. I¡¯m the one protecting you¡ªhelping you until you¡¯re healed¡ªbut I come to your chin. I wonder if this is how short parents feel when they hug their taller child.¡± Momo suddenly giggled and slowly rubbed Servy¡¯s back. ¡°It isn¡¯t a hug unless both people are doing it, you know¡­¡±


    Momo¡¯s grin grew three times bigger when she felt the touch of her friend, and for five minutes, the room went completely silent. In a way, it was almost like a dance. It didn¡¯t take long before Momo found herself swaying left and right, moving with her best friend in perfect harmony. Her unruly, uncut pink hair reached down way past her shoulders. When Momo looked up, staring into Servi¡¯s blank eyes, she started to lean up on her toes. Closer and closer, the distance between her lips and Servi¡¯s cheeks disappeared.


    But the Singi couldn¡¯t take the final step. She backed off, unwrapping her arms from Servi¡¯s back, and ducked and dodged under and away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry about that, Servy. I can¡¯t just take advantage of you like that because it¡¯s not something a friend would do.¡± She had a bashful look on her face, but it covered a haze of disgust. Momo had these feelings¡ªyearnings¡ªand she had to hold them down. For the time being, of course. She knew that. She totally knew that.


    ¡°Servy, w-why don¡¯t we go for a nice walk? Some fresh air might do us some good¡­¡± Momo said, turning around. Suddenly, she felt fine. That ugly feeling she had about herself a moment before disappeared. ¡°Huh¡­ If I was the old me, I¡¯d probably want to crawl in bed and die after doing something so embarrassing. I guess I did feel like that, but I¡¯m fine now. Does this mean I¡¯m maturing? If I really think about it, there are such things as friendly kisses, right? So it isn¡¯t THAT much of a big deal¡­ And if it was on the cheek, that would be fine, right¡­? But a first kiss on the cheek? Not the lips?¡± Momo put a finger on her chin and thought really hard about it.


    From behind, Servi looked down at her hand that held the coin. She glanced up, staring at the back of Momo¡¯s head, and walked forward. Momo heard her friend¡¯s footsteps and turned around. She held out her hand. An urge to yank it back by her side ran through her mind, but Momo held her ground. Her index finger playfully tapped Servi¡¯s clenched fist, and she opened it. Momo took it as a sign to continue, and she interlocked their hands. Together, they held the coin.


    ¡°Servy, one of my favorite things in the world is holding your hand. Now, let¡¯s go get some fresh air! If there¡¯s a breeze, I bet it¡¯ll feel good to have it run through our hair.¡± Momo went to walk out, and Servi obediently trailed behind.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you remember Madam Canary¡¯s Sweetie Tweety, right?¡± Momo asked as she and Servi walked by it. Her blue eyes peeled through the glass windows and saw Canary hard at work. Feral was right there, assisting his aunt in cutting chocolate and decorating cakes.


    Servi didn¡¯t respond at all. One hand was held closer to her heart, and that was the one that contained a single coin. The other one was being pulled along by Momo.


    Now, a Singi and Human, both female, holding hands certainly brought a lot of attention to the pair. It was like they were a ball of fire in a shivery winter wonderland. How could people not turn their heads and stare at such a thing? And it wasn¡¯t the first time, either. The day after Servi and Momo arrived at Canary, the two went out into the town holding hands. It was hard to believe, but the attention they had received then eclipsed what they were currently getting.


    Human and Demi-Human relations weren¡¯t that hard to find if someone looked in the seedy areas of town. A drunken Human wouldn¡¯t think twice about slamming his hips against an Elf¡¯s crotch, and a Dwarven prostitute wouldn¡¯t turn down a Koena as long as they had the money. But the fact that Servi and Momo were so bold in displaying a visual representation of their friendship was almost unheard of. Could their relationship, if it blossomed into love and romance, be the catalyst that paved the way for others like them to publicly show off their affection?


    Possibly.


    ¡°Hey, do you remember when we bought Claire that chocolate?¡± Momo asked as she and Servi continued their walk of the city. ¡°She was so happy. You know, I think that was when our friendship¡ªthe one between her and us¡ªreally started to open up. She was friendly before that, but she kinda felt like a stranger even though we talked almost every day. But I like Claire. She wrote us that lovely letter,¡± Momo said. She turned to Servi, but she was still stoic and expressionless.


    ¡°Servy, how do you feel about Claire?¡± The pair took a turn and went down a street loaded with food stalls. The scent of beef, chicken, shrimp, and fish permeated the atmosphere. ¡°What about Feral?¡± You remember him, right. Aw, of course, you do. He¡¯s a great friend. And this is mean of me to say, but I was a bit scared of him when we first met¡­ I quickly got over it, but just being scared indicated I was still na?ve and childish. But he¡¯s awfully nice. Silverado and Desperado are pleasant, too. And I can add Riki and Rakkire to that list, too. Heck, I can pretty much put all of my friends on that list. Why else would I be friends with people who aren¡¯t a joy to be around? Euuh¡­ I guess I¡¯ve been talking in circles, haven¡¯t I? What¡ª¡± Momo went to ask Servi something, but her stomach roared awake and demanded food.


    ¡°Yeah, sorry about that, tummy. Servy, wanna get some food?¡± Momo looked at the numerous stalls, reading their signs. She wasn¡¯t in the mood for chicken because she had that last night. And all of the chicken booths were filled up with ravenous customers. Steak was something like a dinner item, but if they were in the mood for it, it¡¯d be a while because there were lines everywhere. That just left shrimp. It probably wouldn¡¯t compare to fried coconut shrimp Momo had before, which was her first experience with it. Still, she thought it wouldn¡¯t hurt to try it again.


    ¡°Servy, do you mind if we snack down on some shrimp?¡± After getting no response, Momo just decided to go for it. She walked over and stood at an empty stall. The female Koena sitting behind it looked up sluggishly from her book, and her verdant-colored scales nearly shook with a mix of fright and readiness.


    ¡°Um¡­ W-welcome to Shrimpyoena!!!¡± If Momo had to guess, the girl couldn¡¯t have been older than fourteen. She wore a cute, wide-brimmed hat with a simple t-shirt and pants. She almost looked like she was ready to splash around on a hot, sandy beach.


    ¡°Hi!¡± Momo cheerfully said. ¡°We¡¯ll take two orders of shrimp.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± the Koena stiffly replied as she stuffed her book under the table. She turned to the unlit grill and used Firewall to warm the black coals. Then she reached deep in a chest under the stall and pulled out two evenly distributed bags of shrimp. As she used a knife to cut them open, her green eyes couldn¡¯t help but stare at Momo¡¯s hand and what it held.


    The Singi saw this and simply smiled. ¡°Servy here is my best friend,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t think doing this is wrong. I like it, and I know she likes it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ma¡¯am, I didn¡¯t mean anything by standing. I¡­ I have this friend I like, but he¡¯s a Dwarf¡­ Are¡­ Are you afraid of the guards? What about the church?¡± The Koena placed the shrimp on the grill, and they instantly started to sizzle. It didn¡¯t take long for a delicious aroma to waft up.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t doing anything morally wrong,¡± Momo said, still sniffing at the air. She was surprised to find herself talking so much about holding Servi¡¯s hand. Well, it was the first time someone had asked about it. Even during the previous days, Momo and Servi had been lucky enough to not have any pursers in the form of overzealous or over religious guards.


    ¡°That is true,¡± the Koena said as she grabbed a spatula. ¡°Miss, I know Singi can¡¯t handle spicy food, so do you just want salt?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Thank you. Oh, and Servy will take hers with a little bit of pepper.¡± Momo said with a friendly smile. Her tail wagged back and forth like a clock¡¯s pendulum.


    ¡°Right away!¡± said the shrimp chef. She reached under the stall and grabbed two thin bottles. One was salt, which was clear to anyone who could read the label. However, the other was filled with tiny black, brown, and red flakes. It held black pepper, red pepper flakes, and brown sugar. Sugar on shrimp? It sounded out of place, but the cooks at Shrimpyoena''s main branch found it added a pleasant aftertaste. Well, brown sugar did. The only thing left to do was place an iron pan and stick of butter. Once it was melted, it was time to toss the nearly cooked shrimp inside the pan to add more flavor.


    ¡°Servy, it sure does smell good, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    The Koena looked up from the grill and questioningly tilted her head. Would it be rude to say something? Would it be out of place? Cymbal, the shrimp chef, had heard curiosity killed the Singi. Could the saying apply to a Koena like her?


    Momo turned away from Servy¡¯s face and saw the look Cymbal had. ¡°Servy just has a little trouble speaking right now. That¡¯s all,¡± Momo said. She held no hostility in her voice. What did she have to be angry about? The girl cooking breakfast had done nothing wrong.


    ¡°O-oh¡­ Okay¡­ Umm, would you also like something to drink? We don¡¯t have any milk, but we have some water. I just went and filled the cooler with ice this morning, so it¡¯s nice and cold.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please! Two glasses,¡± Momo said. She used her free hand to dig deep in her bag and pulled out a coin pouch. ¡°How much will it be?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s 10 dupla each for the two orders of shrimp and 5 each for the water. So it¡¯ll be 30 total,¡± Cymbal said.


    Momo plucked three 10-coin dupla from her pouch and handed them to the lovely Koena. She took it with a smile and dropped it into a metal box under the stall. Cymbal grabbed two wooden bowls and two wooden cups. She filled the latter with water from a cooler behind her and gave those two to Servi and Momo while the shrimp finished up.


    Momo couldn¡¯t help but stare. She was never a seafood kind of gal, but that could possibly change. Still, even she was alone, it was possible Momo would have always stayed within her comfort zone. She only managed to branch out because of her desire to be friends with Servi, Claire, Srassa, and Dineria.


    And it was that feeling that made the food she was about to eat taste all the better.


    ¡°Here you go, ma¡¯am! Two orders of Shrimpyoena butter shrimp! It¡¯s fresh off the grill, so it¡¯s pretty hot,¡± Cymbal warned.


    Momo unhooked her fingers from Servi¡¯s hand and grabbed one of the bowls. Servi automatically reached up and took hold of the other one. After saying thank you, Momo and Servi walked away as Cymbal waved to them. She thought they were brave¡ªchoosing to have their friendship on display for all to see. Would seeing that give her the courage to confess to her Dwarven friend? She didn¡¯t think so, but just knowing that there were Human and Demi-Human pairs who were that close made her feel at ease.

 Book Four – Chapter One – Part Two – The Invitation

    When Servi and Momo walked into the crowd and bypassed tens of other stalls, they eventually came to a nice, quiet area. There was a rectangular pond nearby, and it was nearly spotless. And since there were four benches littered around, Momo couldn¡¯t think of a better place to snack. She walked over with Servi in tow, taking a seat at the far end. The two closest benches were empty, but the one furthest away had two inhabitants.


    Momo ignored the Elf and her dog, and she focused on the delicious meal in front of her. She placed her cup of water down beside her and started to dig it. She held the bowl to her mouth and tilted her head back, allowing the shrimp to slide down as if she was finishing off a bowl of soup. Momo didn¡¯t want to do that, but she had forgotten to ask for any utensils. And she didn¡¯t have any spare ones in her bag, and Momo didn¡¯t want to bother Itarr with a trivial matter.


    After biting and swallowing four of the fifteen pieces, enjoying the wonderful butter that meshed so well with seafood, she turned to look at Servi while chewing on a fifth. Her nose was blessed in heaven with just how deliciously her food smelled.


    ¡°Servy, you gotta eat, okay?¡± Momo said with a mouth full of food. Each time her teeth tore into the delicious crustacean, her mouth was filled with pure flavor. ¡°Just do what I do and have it all flow in. I have a few napkins, so don¡¯t worry about getting your face dirty, okay?¡± Momo smiled. She turned away from her friend and saw an adorable sight.


    A family of yellow ducks was enjoying a nice dip into the pond. And looking closer, a few fishes gallivanting were underneath. They weren¡¯t big, so it must¡¯ve not been that cramped. ¡°Hehe, Servy, it¡¯s like we¡¯re having our own picnic with a show. Wanna cheer on the fishes and duckies? Wait, was that too childish? Maybe it was, even for me¡­ Hmm¡­ Ah,¡± Momo looked back at Servi. In the time it took her to talk about ducks and fishes, Servi had utterly devoured her bowl of shrimp.


    And her face had all the evidence. Little clumps of black pepper and brown sugar littered her lips. Momo wryly smiled and sat her bowl down beside her. She took out a napkin from her bag, dabbed it in her drink, and washed Servi¡¯s face. ¡°You have to be a little bit neater when eating, okay?¡± After Momo tossed the napkin in Servi¡¯s empty bowl, both items disappeared from the world. ¡°And be sure to drink your water, okay? And thank you, Itarr.¡±


    After Servi had followed Momo¡¯s order, the Singi returned to her meal. In between chewing and drinking, she asked a question out loud. ¡°Servy, you do know Canary has a few libraries, right? I don¡¯t mean anything by this, but if everything was super new, why not stop by? Wait, I suppose I can only ask that as easily as I did because I wasn¡¯t in your spot. I know you told me that you were constantly experiencing new things, so maybe going to the library didn¡¯t pop up in your mind? Grampy said that the easiest solutions are almost always right in front of you, so it¡¯s best not to overthink a problem. Well, I might not have as much knowledge as a building full of books, but I can probably answer some of your questions. Just call me Momo, the library-dwelling Singi. Hey, maybe I can get some glass? I need those if I wanna look the part. That sounds kinda fun.¡±


    For the next six minutes, Momo finished off her shrimp and downed her cup of water. As she leaned back on the bench, Itarr absorbed the bowl and cup for safekeeping. The adorable Singi, now stuffed with breakfast, put a hand to her tummy. ¡°Man, that really hit the spot. I think it might be time for me to turn into a shrimp kinda gal. Whaddya think about that, Servy?¡± Momo asked. She saw movement out of her eyes and looked straight ahead, but she wasn¡¯t on guard against anything. The pair sitting across from her¡ªan Earth Elf and a dog¡ªhad gotten up and were walking over to Momo.


    Though Momo didn¡¯t realize it because she was stuffing her face, the dog had been acting odd. Instead of laying down, it remained sitting and just stared towards Servi. Momo also didn¡¯t pick up what the Earth Elf said when she turned the four-legged beast. It seemed as if they recognized Servi, and they had walked over to confirm their suspicions.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it?¡± whispered the Elf. She wore armor befitting that of a Rank 10. While it wasn¡¯t the worst, it was a far cry from what Rank 8 and Rank 9s wore. Still, its leather reinforcements could protect against rats and goblins carrying dull weaponry. She had a bow attached to her back, a nearly empty quiver of arrows on her hip, and a single red dagger sheathed into a slot on her chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but can I help you?¡± Momo asked. She briefly looked down and smiled at the dog. Its fur was as white as snow, but it had a few brown spots here and there. The adorable fellow probably had some fun rolling around a dirt pile earlier that day. The friendly beast sniffed Momo¡¯s leg, then turned its head towards the unresponsive Servi. It sniffed a few more times, then it started to lick Servi¡¯s leg, bouncing and barking as if the dog wanted to play.


    Momo was definitely confused, but she didn¡¯t think anything bad was coming. That was why she didn¡¯t put a hand on her blade.


    And also why Itarr hadn¡¯t done anything. The Goddess knew this Elf and her canine companion.


    ¡°Umm¡­ I just wanted to say thank you,¡± said the Elf as she put a hand to her heart. Her fingers danced against the dagger¡¯s handle. ¡°You were in disguise then, and I don¡¯t know your name, but you were the one who saved Cue and me.¡± As if on time, Cue happily barked and wagged his tail. ¡°My name¡¯s Elly. Do¡­ Do you remember me at all? You gave me this dagger,¡± Elly whispered.


    ¡°Servy did say something about an Elf and a dog, so I guess that¡¯s you,¡± Momo said, slightly smiling.


    Elly waited for Servi to say something, but her neutral expression never did vanish. She asked Momo what was wrong. Momo explained the best she could while keeping secrets. Even if Servi could trust Elly, Momo had never met her before. The Singi thought she did a good job, but she did see the apprehension on the Elf¡¯s face.


    ¡°I see¡­ I just wanted to tell Servy that I am thankful for the kindness she showed Cue and me. That dagger she gave me provided me the strength to run away from the slums and make something of myself. I¡¯m still only Rank 10, but I¡¯m alright for myself. I actually have friends and party members¡­ I¡¯m learning how to fight¡ªhow to defend myself¡­ If she hadn¡¯t come along, I¡¯d probably have died that night after being assaulted.¡± Elly started to cry, and Momo handed her a napkin.


    Elly¡¯s hands went the weapon on her chest, and she pulled it from its home. ¡°I don¡¯t need this anymore. I don¡¯t have to rely on it, so I want to give it back to you.¡± The blade itself was as red as superheated magma, and the grip was as black as obsidian. It also had a fancy design erected into the pommel, which seemed to be forged out of silver.


    When Servi didn¡¯t move at all, Elly handed the weapon to Momo, but she didn¡¯t take it.


    ¡°Servy would want you to have it, so keep it. She gave it to you for a reason, after all. And if I know her, she would want you to use it to protect yourself. You might be in a much better position, but that¡¯s all the more reason to keep it,¡± Momo said.


    Elly wanted to argue, but she bit her tongue and sheathed her beloved dagger. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it. I promise I won¡¯t ever forget the kindness you showed Cue and me. I wish I had something to give you¡­to thank you, but nothing I have¡ª¡°


    ¡°Elly, Servy isn¡¯t the type of girl who expects something back,¡± Momo said, interrupting the Elf. ¡°If she does something, she does it because she wants to.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I see. Servy, I hope we get to run into each other later. Come on, Cue, we have to leave,¡± Elly said. Cue barked thrice more before facing his owner. As Momo watched them walk away, she whispered a few sweet words at Servi.


    ¡°Servy, I¡¯m proud of you for helping her. You did something amazing, and I think that deserves another hug!¡± Momo wormed her hand on top of Servi¡¯s and stood up. Then the pair shared a warm, albeit brief, embrace. ¡°Now that our bellies are full, we can have some fun walking around the city! Hey, can we stop by the barbers? My hair¡¯s gotten kinda long. The last time I tried to cut it, it ended in disaster,¡± Momo said as she ran a hand through her pink locks. Her hair moved as if it was a collection of cherry blossoms steadily flowing downward. Even if it did reach below the middle of her back, Momo still took excellent care of it. She was a bit heated because her hair took a lot of effort to clean and maintain. It had also started to annoy her since she wasn''t used to it being that long in the first place.


    And so, that was what they did. Servi and Momo wandered around Canary, checking out the options they had before them. The pair did pass by a guard or two, and they did start walking towards them, but it wasn¡¯t anything like what Sea and Jeri did. Itarr, however, took care of it and used Kaasuvuoto. The pursuing foes drifted off to dreamland while standing, but they awoke a moment later, dazed and momentarily confused by what happened. But by then, the sneaky Singi and Human had gotten away.


    When they did find a shop Momo approved of, she walked right through the open doors and checked in with the Elven receptionist. Servi was right there beside Momo, and after being told it would be a ten-minute wait, the pair took a seat. ¡°You have to stay here when it¡¯s my turn, okay?¡± Momo said. Her left index finger playfully tapped around the back of Servi¡¯s hand.


    Twenty-two minutes later, the deed was done, and Momo felt a heck of a lot better. When she stood up out of the chair, she paid the man for his service and even threw in a ten dupla tip.


    Momo walked over to Servi, who hadn¡¯t moved a single millimeter. ¡°Servy, how do I look?¡± Momo asked while spinning around. She still had the same lovely hair, only it was cut much shorter. Her bangs had been elevated a little bit, which meant more of her eyes and forehead were shown. But the drastic difference came from the back. Instead of it nearly stretching down to her waist, her hair respectively stopped a little bit past her neck. Momo turned back to the chair and watched as the Koena was still in the middle of sweeping up the aftermath of a pink-haired slaughter.


    ¡°He also washed my hair and combed it for me. See? Feel it,¡± Momo excitedly said. She took hold of Servi¡¯s hand and placed it on her head. The emotionless Human kicked into one of her happy moods, and rubbed Momo¡¯s head, running the pink hair in between her fingers.


    ¡°Feel it!!!¡± Servi chirped. For an odd second, Momo just stood there, getting petted by the girl she loved, and her tail went absolutely haywire. She didn¡¯t think it had ever wagged that fast before in her life. Unfortunately, the affectionate-filled scene couldn¡¯t continue because the Elven receptionist practically kicked the pair of friends out because they were becoming a disturbance.


    ¡°Happy Servy is my favorite Servy! No, Servy is my favorite Servy!¡± Momo said. She didn¡¯t even care about the embarrassment of being thrown out of a business. She took Servy¡¯s hand, and the pair of friends skipped over to a nearby bench. Before they could sit down, Momo felt a rumbling in her tummy and realized nature was calling. She looked left, right, up, and down in desperate search for a toilet, but she didn¡¯t find one.


    With haste, Momo practically dragged her laughing friend behind her as she searched for a place to relieve herself. Just as it seemed hopeless, Momo saw a holy blessing in the form of public restrooms. It was a single brick building, but there was a clear split. The left half had a picture of a man, and the right had an image of a woman. ¡°Bwha!!! Servy, stay there!!!¡± Momo said as she ran forward. She slipped inside the door right as someone was coming out and darted ahead to the first stall. Her feet mercilessly pounded the marbled floor, and she slammed the wooden door shut.


    If only my village had something like this... Privacy is the best...


    Five minutes later, Momo emerged from the building with a relieved look on her face. Since she wanted to save her napkins and towels inside her bag, she air-dried her delicate hands by waving them about. She looked around for her best friend, but Momo only saw odd strangers. Her heart rate increased, and a surge of panic filled her chest.


    Momo ran forward, her mouth screaming Servi¡¯s name while  she raced to the spot where she last left her.  ¡°SERVY!!!!¡± she shouted with worry as the panic set inside her heart. Everything seemed to slow down as Momo''s eyes searched with frantic haste.


    ¡°Servy!!! Servy!!!¡± came a very familiar voice that was definitely welcoming. Momo looked towards the source and saw her lovable friend standing just a few meters away. She was just standing there with a coin in her outstretched hand while leaning against the building. The smile on her face was unfathomably bright, but Momo didn¡¯t see it that way. She rushed towards the girl and hugged her tight.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stay there?¡± Momo asked. The tears that were about to fall wanted to return to where they had come from, but gravity willed them to fall down her flushed cheeks.


    ¡°Stay¡­? Stay!!!¡± Servi said. She stiffened up and remained motionless as if it was some sort of game, but Momo still had more to say.


    ¡°Servy¡­ Please, don¡¯t walk away like that ever again¡­ I¡­ I know nothing bad would happen because Itarr would protect you, but I can¡¯t handle not ever seeing you again. Servy¡­¡± Momo tried to remain in control of her emotions, but water just fell from her eyes. Droplets landed on Servi¡¯s shirt, and Servi soon found herself in a crying state. She cried out, dropping to the floor as a few people passing by stopped and stared at the odd scene. It wasn¡¯t many, but it was more than what Momo was comfortable with. Then a moment later, a pair of guards spotted the two girls.


    They were the ones Itarr had put to sleep earlier.


    She pushed aside her worries and fears and ran away with Servi. The two ran down alleys, came up behind a few stores, and finally emerged somewhere near Warden''s sister building.


    Momo heaved for air, and she turned back and stared at Servi. Her hand was sweaty, so Momo unhooked her fingers and wiped them on her pants. She looked up at Servi, and saw that her happiness had disappeared. What was left was nothing more than a face with no visible emotions. Servi¡¯s eyes were half-open and half-closed, but her red eyes never moved. They were perfectly placed in the middle, choosing only to stare ahead at what was eye-level. The redness from her cheeks, from where Servi had started to cry, also vanished. It was also the same with her cute lips, which were totally relaxed and at ease.


    After a few minutes, Momo calmed down to the point where she could think clearly. She realized just how much she overreacted. Again, she didn¡¯t feel embarrassed by it. Friends just care about their friends. I did overreact, but I didn¡¯t go crazy. If she thought about it like that, Momo felt fine.


    ¡°Servy, how do you feel about taking a break? We¡¯ve been walking and talking and eating for a while, so let¡¯s cool off back at Warden,¡± Momo said. Once she felt Servi¡¯s touch around her delicate fingers, Momo marched off towards her home with her best friend in tow. She wished Servi was still in her happy moods, but who knows¡­ There¡¯s a chance she¡¯d be bouncing like a happy bunny once again after going home.

 Book Four – Chapter One – Part Three – The Invitation

    ¡°Hey!!!¡± As soon as Momo stepped through the Warden doors, she heard an excited voice. She turned her head and saw Claire, who was taking a lunch break on the same bench her, Servi, and Momo had shared a bag of chocolate at. She was sitting at the far end, and there was just enough space for two girls to join her.


    Momo walked over and sat down with Servy in hand. Claire was just taking a bite of her vegetable sandwich, which had lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, some type of sauce, and a few red peppers. It was partly wrapped up in a soft, clean towel. ¡°So, how is she?¡± the Elf asked after swallowing. She reached down and grabbed a canteen of water she had placed between her knees.


    ¡°Servy¡¯s doing good, though I did have a scare. I had to use the toilet. When I came out, I couldn¡¯t find her. I¡¯ll tell ya, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been that worried,¡± Momo said. ¡°But she¡¯s doing as good as ever. We went for a nice walk around town, and we stopped by and ate breakfast at this place called Shrimpyoena. Well, it wasn¡¯t a place. It was a wooden stand on the side of the road.


    ¡°Shrimp for breakfast?¡± Claire asked as she wiped her mouth with the cloth that protected her sandwich. Her purple eyes fondly stared at Momo.


    ¡°Yep! I was thinking chicken or steak, but then I asked Servy. I had hoped she¡¯d say something, but she didn¡¯t, and I made a choice to try something different. But the shrimp was good. It was downright tasty, but I don¡¯t know why the stall had no customers¡­ It didn¡¯t compare to the coconut shrimp I had before, but it was still super tasty,¡± Momo said.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad it was good. Did anything else happen?¡± Claire finished her sandwich and reached into the bag, pulling out a still-warm cookie. Little bits of white and dark chocolate were sprinkled on top of it.


    ¡°Claire, do you know a girl named Elly? She¡¯s an Earth Elf who has a dog named Cue.¡±


    The red-haired Elf nibbled on her desert and nodded. ¡°She recently signed-up a few days ago. It was before you two got back. Every time she showed up here, she had that dog. And I¡¯ll tell you, that dog doesn''t like anyone. My boss tried to pet it, and he sure gave him a good fright. Haha! But she seems fine enough. Elly¡¯s a bit on the brisk side, and she doesn¡¯t speak longer than she needs to. Has she talked to you?¡±


    ¡°Well, she came up to us and thanked Servy for helping her in her time of need.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ She said it was thanks to Servy that she found the conviction to join Warden. And the dog, Cue, acted like he wanted Servy to play with her. I gotta say¡­ It made me really proud to be Servy¡¯s friend,¡± Momo said. She ended the last part of her sentence with a meek whisper, but Claire¡¯s pointy ears picked up the kind words.


    ¡°Me too! Hey, I have an idea I wanna run by you,¡± Claire said. She chomped into her cookie and took a big swig of her water. She leaned back against the bench, enjoying the wonders of her break before it was back to the grind. Since it was summer, the days were hot and long. To cool off, Claire had taken off her jacket and only had her white blouse on. All of the buttons but first were buttoned. She definitely didn¡¯t mean it, but the clear sweat running down her face and onto her neck only served to accentuate her Elven beauty. And Claire was definitely a pretty gal.


    Even Momo had realized that. And when she thought about it, she was surrounded by pretty women. Dineria looked stunning with her green hair and slender figure, and Srassa had a cute girl-next-door look going on. Even the men were handsome. But even though Silverado¡¯s and Desperado¡¯s scales were like the shiniest star and the darkest abyss, Servi was the one that grasped Momo¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Okay. What is it?¡± Momo asked, shaking her head free of thoughts. She still had Servi¡¯s hand in her grasp, and it was currently lying in her lap.


    ¡°Remember when I talked about celebrating your promotion?¡±


    Momo nodded.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we do that tonight? And if we don¡¯t wanna go out to eat, we can do it at my place. Oh, I haven¡¯t told you two, but I just bought a new stove!!! I had to save up a while for it, but it was definitely worth it!


    ¡°We can all cook together and have a good time. If Servi is surrounded by a lot of fun, it might help speed things along just a little bit,¡± Claire said. Though she spoke confidently, she was afraid Momo would reject the offer. Claire was never the type of girl who actively sought out and did activities, but that was something she wanted to change when her life brought her to Canary. All of her other family and friends back in her village had been outgoing, confident Elves who loved being the life of the party.


    ¡°Really? You don¡¯t have a problem with us coming over?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°Not at all. We¡¯re friends, right? I like spending time with you two, and I want to see Servi get better.¡± Claire¡¯s face had an obvious red tint to it. The warmness radiating from her cheeks had to be hot enough to cook a chicken.


    ¡°Servy, do you wanna go?¡± Momo turned to her Human friend and asked.


    ¡°Cook¡­? Cook! Cook!!!¡± Servi happily said. The brightest smile in the world returned to her face, and Claire breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled!¡± Claire clapped and rubbed her hand through Servi¡¯s hair. She enjoyed it immensely, giggling and laughing like a mischievous cat. ¡°I get off in four hours. If you two wanna meet me here, we can head straight to the market. Servi, be thinking of what you wanna eat, okay?¡± Claire said. She stood up and gathered her trash and canteen. Evidentially, break time was coming to an end.


    ¡°Thank you, Claire. It¡¯s super kind of you to do this,¡± Momo said. ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯ve been meaning to actually cook something for Servy, but I didn¡¯t know where to find a stove. Now I can finally do that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome! I have some new pots and pans that are just waiting to be used. I¡¯ll see you two later, okay? Oh, and I love that new haircut!¡± Claire said. She walked away with a friendly wave, and Momo turned back to Servi.


    ¡°Cooking and eating with you and Claire¡­ Nah, cooking and eating with my first two friends¡­ Servy, I just can¡¯t wait!¡± Momo said. She formed and fist and smiled like a laughing monkey. Servi copied her mannerisms motion for motion, and Momo couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    ¡°Okay. Momo, you gotta do your best, okay?¡± she said to herself. ¡°You¡¯ve never cooked before like this because grampy took care of most of your meals. So be on your best behavior, and do your ultimate best! You have to make the tastiest meal for your tastiest¡ªI mean bestest¡ªfriend! Tasty friend? What¡­¡± Momo lowered her voice and whispered so quietly she didn¡¯t even know if she was talking. ¡°What would Servy taste like¡­?¡±


    If¡­ If I kiss Servy''s lips, how would it feel¡­? What does a kiss even taste like¡­?


    Momo realized she was staring at Servi¡¯s smiling lips. They were just so pink and soft-looking¡­ Just then, she felt something warm in the pits of her loins and immediately stood up. No, I can¡¯t feel like that here and now! Bwah! ¡°Servy, what do you think about another walk?"


    Servi, who had been smiling like crazy and quietly watching Momo, stood up and started to walk away. It was strange seeing her act like a leader whilst in her current state, but Momo didn''t not like it.


    However, Servi¡¯s proactive role lasted the entirety of 180 seconds. After rushing out of Warden with a Singi connected to her by her hand, Servi had only just ran around a corner when she suddenly stopped. She stood as dead as a nail in a relaxed position. Momo caught her breath and lightly reprimanded her best friend.


    ¡°Servy, you gotta give me a warning if you wanna run like that. It¡¯s okay if you wanna run. I like to feel the wind in my hair, but give a girl a heads-up! Do you wanna walk around now?¡± Momo asked. She played with Servi¡¯s hand while waiting for an answer that, unfortunately, never came. Since that happened, she just decided to walk forward. Servi followed her like a lost baby duckling.


    In the span of two hours, Servi and Momo had walked the path Momo took to get to the shopping center near the noble district. They entered inside, feeling total relief at how cool it was when compared to the outside. Well, only Momo felt that way. Servi withstood the hellish temperature that came with being 3,000 kilometers under the planet¡¯s surface without breaking a sweat. Momo, though, started to feel icky and sweaty when it was just slightly warm. The friends walked forward until they arrived at a bench. Momo plopped down and went to find her canteen. Since it was currently inside Servi¡¯s ring, she asked the friendly neighborhood Goddess for it.


    ¡°Thanks, Itarr,¡± Momo said. She fondly looked at the water-storing device and twisted off the cap. She placed it on her lips and tilted her head back, allowing the cold, cold water to wet her tongue. After her thirst had been quenched, Momo wiped her mouth and looked over.


    Servi was right there, as always, sitting next to her.


    ¡°Are you thirsty?¡± Momo asked as she took another sip. She swore it was half-empty when Itarr absorbed it, but it was now filled to the brim. Momo made sure to give her thanks.


    ¡°Momo?!¡± There was a startled voice to the Singi¡¯s right. When Momo turned to it, she saw a girl with flowing, golden blond hair and green eyes. She wore a wonderfully fitted, off-the-shoulder gown that split off at the thigh, allowing one of her exceptionally smooth legs to become the center of attention. Her feet were slipped inside a pair of black high heels. The dress was sleeveless, but her right wrist was adorned with an unnoteworthy chain bracelet. The speaker''s face had a dash of foundation applied to it, and her lips had been glossed over by ruby red lipstick.


    ¡°Srassa?!?!¡± Momo exclaimed. She had never seen her friend all dolled-up before. She stood up in a flash, with Servi following right behind, and the two ran over to their friend.


    Srassa¡¯s pretty eyes were leaking tears, running the make-up she had applied. The butler standing behind her was about twenty-seven years of age. Even if he was so young, he had a head of gray hair. Neatly stylized it was, he had combed it to perfection. He was the tallest one there.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Miss Momo, Miss Servi. It is wonderful to see you,¡± Jony said with a practiced and elegant bow. He kept his gloved hand securely attached to the wooden cane at his side.


    ¡°Momo! Are you okay?! I heard you were going to Arcton, but then you never came back. And we heard a bunch of awful things that I thought you and Servi had gotten hurt! Are you okay?!¡± Srassa frantically asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry for worrying you, but we¡¯re fine,¡± Momo said. ¡°We¡¯re safe and sound¡ªfor the most part.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What do you mean ¡®for the most part?¡¯ Are you injured anywhere?!¡± Again, Srassa spoke with such a frantic voice that people shopping around stopped and stared. Jony kicked into action, escorting the three girls over to a secluded corner of the shopping mall.


    ¡°Well. I did get attacked by a bandit, but Servy jumped in and saved me. She¡­she had to kill him to protect me. And taking a life was traumatizing for Servy. Since then, she¡¯s been like this. Sometimes, she¡¯s emotionless. And other times, she acts like a happy little kid. And sometimes, it¡¯s all in between. I¡¯ve been with her¡ªhelping her until she¡¯s all better,¡± Momo said.


    ¡°Bandits?!?¡± Srassa exclaimed. ¡°How awful!¡± She walked forward and wrapped her arms around Servi, giving her a big hug. Momo¡¯s instincts roared alive, and she didn¡¯t want Srassa to be the one comforting her best friend. That was supposed to be her role! That was to be her job! In order to calm down, Momo¡¯s mind hastily went through the facts laid out in her mind.


    Okay¡­ I now know why I¡¯m feeling so jealous... Now, I need to work on not feeling that. As much as I hate it, Servy isn¡¯t exclusive to just me. I mean, her hand is¡­ And hopefully... Her heart is...but that¡¯s beside the point. It¡¯s not my role to dictate who can and can¡¯t hug her¡­ Just even thinking that means I¡¯m too childish and pathetic, and I don¡¯t believe Servy would love a miserable girl¡­ If anything, I think I should be happy that I¡¯m the one Itarr trusted her to¡­ And I can pretty much get hugs or hold her hand anytime I want to¡­ I have an all-access pass to Servy! Muhahaha! I¡¯m gonna use it, too.


    ¡°Servi, do you know who I am?¡± Srassa whispered. She pulled back from the hug but kept her soft hands attached to Servi¡¯s forearms. When she didn¡¯t say anything, Momo explained things.


    ¡°Servy doesn¡¯t talk that much. Err, not since the incident,¡± Momo said. She didn¡¯t want Srassa¡¯s feelings to be hurt if it looked like she was being ignored. ¡°But she does remember all of you. She remembered Claire when we came back. It¡¯s not a memory thing. It¡¯s just the way her emotions are being handled, I think. It kinda makes her act like a child sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Miss Servi, I do apologize that you had to experience such a harrowing set of events. I wish the world was much, much kinder,¡± Jony said, offering his own words of endearment.


    ¡°When did you two return?¡± Srassa asked. She tenderly removed her hands and rested them by her side, fighting the urge to give her broken friend another hug.


    ¡°A few days ago. Since then, we¡¯ve been taking it easy. What about you? Have you partied up with Silverado and Desperado?¡±


    Srassa nodded, sending her styled hair into a frenzy. Jony acted fast and started to fix it. ¡°It was the day you and Servi left. Silverado, Desperado, and I walked into Warden and accepted a kill quest for rats and roaches. I¡¯d say we did alright, I suppose. They focused on defending, and I¡¯d reinforce them with Protection and provided supportive fire with my bow and arrows. There were a few problems with communication, but once we elected a leader, it was smooth sailing. But the giant roaches were tough. I never knew their hide was so hard to get through, and we couldn¡¯t pierce it because Silverado and Desperado used blunt weapons. I did manage to frighten it with Lucem, then I tossed my sword to Silverado, and he finished it off.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re almost ready to take on a quest that¡¯ll send us to the nearby caves and forests.¡± When Srassa spoke to Momo, she usually had a slight sparkle in her eyes. However, during this occasion, they were gone...reduced to nothing. The glimmer just wasn¡¯t there, and Momo didn¡¯t notice it. If she had, then Momo would have realized her second favorite Human was stretching the very definition of truth.


    ¡°It sounded like it went well. I¡¯m super happy for you, Srassa. And I know Servy is too! But what¡¯s with the dress? It looks super good on you, by the way.¡± Momo was genuinely happy for her friend, and it wasn¡¯t something she said to trick herself into believing. On her totem list of friends, it went Servi, Claire, Srassa, Dineria, Fisher, and everyone else. But that didn¡¯t mean she disliked the ones at the bottom. Momo only had stronger feelings about those at the top.


    ¡°Oh, this?¡± Srassa twirled around, much to Jony¡¯s annoyance still he was fiddling with her hair, trying to fix it. ¡°Bwha! Sorry, Jony,¡± she meekly uttered after he lightly tapped her on the head.


    ¡°It is fine, Miss Flinn, but you do have a party to get to,¡± he said, admonishing her with a gentle tone.


    ¡°Party?¡± Momo asked. She was confused, but Momo patiently awaited an answer.


    ¡°Yes, my father is throwing a party because my mother is in her last three months of pregnancy. Her due date is fast approaching. I know it seems crash, but father said he threw a party just like this when mother was pregnant with me.¡± Srassa blushed a little bit.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Momo said. ¡°But I bet you¡¯re pretty excited, huh?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am. I can¡¯t wait to welcome my little sibling into the world! Once that happens, I know I can put all of my focus on Warden. Father said it was fine for me to travel with my party, but I just want to be close by because I definitely don¡¯t want to miss the birth of my sibling. That¡¯s why Silverado and Desperado said it was fine if we restricted our quests so that we were no more than two or three days away. Oh, you and Servi are more than welcome to come to the party. Silver and Despi will be there,¡± Srassa said.  Again, the twinkle in her eyes just wasn''t there when this was supposed to have been a defining moment in the young noble''s life.


    Okay, those are some cute nicknames. ¡°That sounds nice,¡± Momo said. Claire¡¯s pretty face appeared in her mind. ¡°But we had already made plans with Claire. We¡¯re gonna go shopping for some food, and then we¡¯re gonna cook it at her place. It¡¯s her little way of congratulating us on being promoted.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Srassa clapped. ¡°So you two did get promoted? That¡¯s wonderful! But what about Arcton? And that mysterious crater in the ground? I¡¯ve heard a lot of bad rumors about that place and how dangerous it is. And the mass influx of refugees from there makes it seem like the rumors were true. For a moment, I thought things would have turned sour, but the governor was so efficient in handling the refugees. In just a day or so, he had already made agreements with the nearby villages to take in some people.¡±


    Wow¡­ That¡¯s impressive¡­


    ¡°About that¡­ It took us a while to return because we traveled nice and slow. Servy was¡ªshe still is¡ªin a fragile mood, and I didn¡¯t want to overextend. But yes, we have heard the rumors¡­ And yes, I¡¯m sure they¡¯re all true¡­¡± Momo said. She turned back to Servi and squeezed her hand.


    ¡°Well, if anything, I am thankful that you two are safe,¡± Srassa said, placing a hand to her chest. She offered a quiet prayer of thanks to the Heavens Above for keeping her friends safe. Momo found it amusing and ironic because she did have the protection of a Goddess, and she was far, far closer than anyone thought.


    As Srassa prayed, a suited man approached Jony and spoke to him. He nodded and turned to Srassa.


    ¡°Miss Flinn, I believe it is time to go back to the party. I received word that the supplies we came to purchase have been delivered,¡± Jony said.


    ¡°Okay. Well, I guess we have to head back. Momo, you just don¡¯t know how worried I was about you two. Really... Now that I know you two are safe, a tremendous weight has been from my heart.¡± Srassa leaned in, wrapping her arms around both Servi and Momo. It was a group hug they all needed, and Momo and Srassa found it hard to break away from. The Singi even found herself growing emotional to the point where tears threatened to fall down those cute cheeks.


    Even though their friendship was barely over a month old, Momo and Servi had changed the noble for the better. Without seeing Momo strive to better herself, Srassa wouldn¡¯t have been encouraged to push as hard as she did. And Servi¡¯s open friendliness motivated Srassa to accept Silverado¡¯s and Desperado¡¯s invitation to join their party. Even as isolated as she felt, it was their strength that gave her the little push she needed to break free of that introverted shell.


    Even amongst other nobles, she was a bit of an outcast. Srassa didn¡¯t have any other companions. She only had Jony, with who she spent all of her time when she was little.


    Though it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say that Srassa wanted to go on an adventure with her first two real friends. Perhaps once Servi¡¯s mind was healed, the three of them could take on a quest? Perhaps something small? She¡¯d hoped her two current party members would be alright with it.


    The group hug lasted as long as it needed to. Momo waved as Srassa walked away with Jony, who had retrieved a small make-up case and was currently redoing Srassa¡¯s make-up while on the move. He was definitely a man of many talents, and Momo thought he was as mysterious as he was kind and friendly.


    ¡°Servy, you got me, and you got Claire, Srassa, and Jony. You have a whole heap of friends just waiting on you to come back to us,¡± Momo said. She turned away from watching Srassa¡¯s back and faced Servi. ¡°Ah¡­ You¡¯re crying.¡± Servi remained motionless, and her face never did scrunch up or move, but tears flowed from her eyes. It was an odd sight since it looked like a statue was weeping, but Momo just lovingly wrapped her arms around her friend and leaned back against the wall. ¡°Servy, you can lean on me if you want to. I promise I¡¯ll always be here for you to rely on.¡±


    After that friendly embrace, Momo gently squeezed Servi¡¯s hand, and the two of them made way for the shopping center¡¯s exit. Their display of affection was clear for all to see, and Momo didn¡¯t do a single thing to hide it. She bravely walked, bypassing the two guards standing by the exit. They were acting odd, like something unseen and invisible had wrapped its malicious grasp around them. It kept them frozen in place and unable to move even the shortest millimeter. Even their facial expressions were locked in place. Momo wasn¡¯t focusing on that pair of guards, so she didn¡¯t notice how strange it was. Instead, she chatted to Servi about how cute Srassa¡¯s outfit was. She never knew there were dresses with slits at the thighs, and she wondered if she could ever pull off that look as well as Srassa did.


    But Itarr did because she was the one who had restrained them. The looks in the guards¡¯ eyes were eerily similar to the crazed look Sea and Jeri had before they attacked Momo and Servi. Instead of letting that happen, Itarr struck first, containing them in an unbreakable telekinetic hold.


    ¡°Servy, by the time we get back to Warden, Claire should be getting off of work. If not, then we shouldn¡¯t have to wait that long. Let¡¯s talk about what you wanna eat, okay?¡±

 Book Four – Chapter Two – Part One – Revealing Her Love

    In the late afternoon, the sun was in the final stages of being the dominant object in the sky. Soon, night would befall the city and all who inhabit it.


    A pair of friends were sitting on a bench inside Warden. The Demi-Human of the two, an adorable Singi with an overactive tail, was lazily scrolling through her ID. That was what her left hand was occupying, and she balanced it on her knee. Her right hand was solely monopolized by the girl sitting beside her. Servi¡¯s black hair was like a curtain of darkness in that she was motionless. Her head hadn¡¯t moved a millimeter, and it was the same with her body.


    Servi¡¯s sitting stance was absolutely perfect with how she aligned her neck and spine. She looked like the perfect mannequin. The part of Servi that was moving, if it could even be called that, was her hand, but she wasn¡¯t doing it. Every so often, Momo would squeeze Servi¡¯s hand, or she would draw little circles and squares on her friend¡¯s palm. It was clearly a sign of friendship that had evolved into affection.


    ¡°So! If we¡¯re gonna cook tonight... And if I wanna cook for you in the future, then I have to learn Firewall. That leaves me with 24 Potential. I do wanna learn Summon Spirit Familiar: Minor, but that needs 20. And I don¡¯t see anything I can get for 4. But that¡¯s fine! I know there¡¯s gonna be a lot of adventuring ahead of us, so it ain¡¯t worth getting upset about.¡± After tapping a few items and confirming her selection, Momo could now use Firewall after chanting. She had decided to wait on Summon Spirit Familiar: Minor because she wanted Servi to be there to experience it together.


    ¡°It¡¯s weird when I think about it. Grampy said he never had to go through Warden to use certain water skills because he was blessed. He said he had to learn the mechanics behind it, but it¡¯s totally different for me. Like, I¡¯ve never used Firewall before, but the knowledge to use it is right in my head. And if I try to forget it, it¡¯s impossible. It¡¯s kinda odd, isn¡¯t it? But I guess that¡¯s the tradeoff if you¡¯re born blessed. A toddler could probably use something like Water Whip if they were taught. Anyone else would have to be promoted to Rank 5 first, and then spend the Potential.¡± Momo was just talking about whatever came to the forefront of her mind. They had been sitting¡ª waiting patiently¡ªfor their Elven friend to clock out.


    Momo didn¡¯t see Claire behind any of the eight windows or the sign-up desk, so she must¡¯ve been working the back. In that case, she was probably getting documents together and filling out forms, documenting how many quests were completed and failed. It took a lot to run an organization like Warden, which had branches all over the world on every continent. But that didn¡¯t mean they all worked together as a single-file unit. When it came to decision-making, each Warden office had a leader that oversaw the day-to-day. Above them was a person in charge of all of the offices in a country. There were three of those people for the content of Gea, which housed three countries: Lando, Keywater, and Westera. It was the same on the other continent and its countries. All of these answered to the big boss in charge, who had command over all of Warden''s operations.


    Yes, it was somewhat confusing, and even as important Warden was to the world as a peace-keeping organization, it wasn¡¯t flawless. Stubbornness, bribes, and underhanded deals were just as frequent as any other business. Just because the contractors¡ªemployees such as Servi and Momo¡ªwanted to do good, they were in the minority. It was estimated that over 70 to 80% of all contractors joined Warden for selfish and personal reasons.


    Because of that, it was easy to explain how no Warden members jumped at the chance to be a hero when the slavery markets were attacked. Even if someone did try to fight back, Servi would¡¯ve exterminated all who attempted to stop her. But most, if not all, didn¡¯t want to potentially throw their lives away at stopping a foe they didn¡¯t understand. If they had overreacted, it could only serve to make things worse. On top of that, if any over-eager adventurers acted, it could slow down or outright halt any attempts that the city guard had made.


    ¡°Man, it¡¯s sure taking Claire a while, isn¡¯t it?¡± Momo said. ¡°But I don¡¯t mind the wait!¡± Momo leaned back on the bench and stretched her legs and tail. An adorable yawn came from her mouth, and she lazily wiped her eyes with the back of her hand as a cat would. ¡°But Servy, we haven¡¯t decided on what we wanna cook. I remember you saying you like noodles and vegetables. Hmm¡­ We could make that ramen we had a few weeks back. Or what if we cut up some veggies and cook them? I wish I knew a lot more about cooking. Grampy could cook like a champ. He¡¯d take a bunch of ingredients and make a delicious meal as if it was the easiest thing in the world. But I guess we can talk¡ªoh, there¡¯s Claire!¡± Momo stopped talking and waved her free hand. Her ID slipped from her knee and smashed into the ground, the dust absorbing into her body.


    The Elf looked as if she was the definition of exhaustion. Her messy red hair drooped down past her neck, and she rubbed her head as if she had a headache. Sweat dripped down her chin, and she clumsily wiped it with the jacket she had in her arms. When she reached the bench, Claire exaggeratedly slumped down and took a deep breath. ¡°Hey, Momo. Hey, Servi,¡± she quietly whispered.


    Momo looked closely and saw Claire¡¯s collar was utterly soaked in sweat. ¡°Did you have a hard day?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ It was hard¡­and slow¡­and annoying¡­and tedious¡­and exhausting¡­ And I feel like ¡®blah!¡¯ But I feel a lot better now. I can¡¯t wait until tonight!¡± Claire perked right up after venting to Momo.


    ¡°Same here! And I know Servy¡¯s been waiting, too.¡±


    Claire straightened up on the bench and sat as if she had any sense. She reached into her jacket and took out a canteen. A quick sip later, it was time to talk about dinner. ¡°So,¡± Claire said. ¡°What are we eating tonight?¡±


    ¡°Servy told me a while back she liked noodles and vegetables. Maybe we can work off of that?¡± Momo asked. Her eyes briefly glanced to the half-empty lobby. Only a few people were actively scrounging around the quest board. The majority of them had taken a seat at a table and were talking to friends and family.


    ¡°We could do some steamed veggies. Or we can toss them in the frying pan and cook them that way. I don¡¯t have a grill, so we can¡¯t grill anything. There¡¯s always pasta, so that¡¯s an option.¡±


    ¡°Pasta? That¡¯s pretty much noodles and sauce, right?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°It is, but you can a bunch to it to really make it shine. Heck, we can have bread and potatoes on the side.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Can we have onions, carrots, mushrooms, peas, and corn?¡± Momo excitedly said. ¡°Those are my favorite veggies!¡± Her tail wagged behind her, lightly thumping into Servi¡¯s side, but neither of the two noticed.


    Claire covered her mouth and happily laughed. ¡°Yep! We can have whatever you want to have! Oh, before we head out, do you wanna change into something more comfortable?¡±


    ¡°That sounds good to me. Servy, you stay here with Claire, okay?¡± Momo said. She squeezed Servi¡¯s hand once more and darted off towards the stairs, leaving the ever-still Servi and her Elven friend alone.


    It was awkward¡ªthat much Claire would agree on¡ªbut the weirdness only lasted a few seconds. Because if she thought about it, why did she feel that way?  Servi was still Servi. The girl sitting next to her looked like Servi. She even smiled like Servi whenever she was in her happy state of mind.


    Claire leaned back and hugged her jacket. ¡°Servi, don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t noticed the nickname Momo calls you. Servy¡­ I think it¡¯s kinda cute. Did you give her one? I bet you did. Was it something like Momie? Or if she wanted to have it sound similar, I bet you chose Mosie. Am I right?¡±


    Claire waited a few seconds before continuing just in case Servi somehow reacted. ¡°Oh¡­ Umm¡­ I just want to say you made the right choice when protecting Momo. Taking a life is hard¡­ For some people, it¡¯s probably the hardest thing in the world because it means you crossed a line that you can¡¯t come back from, and even though I¡¯m not qualified to speak about it, I know it changes a person. My father was a ranger. It was up to him and his fellow rangers to defend the forest and the village where we lived. And I know he had to cross over that barricade many, many times to protect his family and our friends from bandits. The challenge is seeing if you can remain the same after doing it¡­ Dad had us help him cross back over, and you have Momo. You also have me, Dineria, Fisher, Srassa, and all of the other friends you¡¯ve made since coming here. We can be the support you need, Servi. Remember that. You¡ª¡±


    Out of nowhere, Servi slowly shivered left to right, and water began to fall from her eyes. Apparently, Claire¡¯s words had reached her. Servi¡¯s crying then increased in intensity. Her mouth slowly opened up, and her hands moved to her eyes. Claire panicked! She stood up, dropping her jacket to the Warden floor. The Elf looked left, right, then glanced at the stairs. When she didn¡¯t see Momo, she sprung into action by crouching down in front of Servi.


    Claire did what her grandmother had done for her whenever she was feeling moody, and that was to place her hand on Servi¡¯s head. She moved it back and forth, lightly rubbing Servi¡¯s black hair. It was soft, like the fur of a freshly groomed, long-coated dog. The ruby-eyed girl suddenly leaned forward.


    The Elf embraced the tearful girl in a warm hug. Her body seemed to vibrate whenever she whined, but that friendly affection was all Servi needed. Her crying simmered off until there was silence, and she leaned back and softly drifted off to the world of dreams.


    The whole experience was odd and a little nerve-racking for the Elf, but she pulled through like a champ and wondered what to do next. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t have to wait long because her pointy ears picked up a familiar voice.


    Claire stood up and turned around, and started to explain things to Momo. The adorable Singi wore a black skirt and a white shirt. She had pink socks that came to her knees, and Momo finished the outfit with a pair of black boots and her all-important messenger bag. It held everything she owned.


    ¡°Momo, I was talking to Servi, and she started to tear up. I didn¡¯t really know what to do, so I patted her head and hugged her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Servy does that sometimes,¡± Momo said while walking forward. Claire took a few steps to the side and made room for Momo, who crouched down and stared at her friend at eye level. She looked for a few seconds and tilted her head. If she strained her ears, then Momo heard a soft exhale. She smiled then stood up while rubbing Servi¡¯s head. ¡°She¡¯s fine. She¡¯s just asleep, but I don¡¯t know how¡ª bwah¡ª!!!¡± At that moment, Servi jolted awake and hugged Momo from the side while remaining seated. With that big grin on her face, the Singi knew what time it was as Servi rubbed her chin on her soft friend.


    ¡°Happy!!¡± Momo excitedly squealed.


    ¡°Happy!!! Happy!!!¡± Servi repeated. The happy, rambunctious, copycat side of Servi had woken up. She grinned, staring up at Momo with a smile that would put the bright sun to shame.


    ¡°Well, I guess this Servi will be joining us for dinner. Claire, are you ready?¡± Momo asked. She maneuvered her hand and gently wrapped Servi¡¯s fingers between her own. The black-haired girl stood up and lightly bounced on her tippy toes, but her chest was protected by her blue overalls. There wouldn¡¯t be any bouncing bosoms today!


    Good choice on the outfit, Itarr! You rock! Momo said in her mind.


    ¡°Uhh¡­ Oh, yeah. I¡¯m ready if you two are,¡± Claire stammered. The Elf didn¡¯t know why she was so surprised since she had already seen Servi in her happy mood. But she guessed it was the way Momo wrangled the unpredictable Servi in like a farmer dealing with an uncontrollable mare.


    Claire stood up and wrapped her jacket around her waist, which was clothed in a black skirt. It came down to her knees, where they met a pair of black stockings. As for shoes, Claire wore a pair of formal-looking shoes. With the black jacket involved, it seemed Warden¡¯s summer dress code was all dark colors, but that didn¡¯t make much sense because black absorbed more heat than any other color. Momo was curious, so she asked Claire when they walked out the door.


    ¡°Our dress code is to just be presentable and formal, like you would be if attending a business meeting. And I got the clothes for that which are not black, but they¡¯re dirty. I¡¯ve really been slacking on laundry¡­ And I¡¯ve got two more uniforms left, but they¡¯re all black, which means I was burning up all day. I swear I drank about 5 liters of water today,¡± Claire said. As soon as she stepped outside, a fresh breeze caressed her face, cooling her cheeks and neck. It ticked her hair, so she pushed it out of her eyes. It seemed the wind even brought Claire¡¯s depressed ponytail back to life since it was fluttering in the gust.


    ¡°But what about your clothes, Momo?¡± Claire asked, wanting to know if there was history behind her outfit.


    ¡°I¡¯m wearing the same thing I had on when Servy and I first had dinner,¡± Momo answered as she turned left. The market wasn¡¯t that far away, but it was still a bit of a walk. ¡°I was soooo nervous!!! But I didn¡¯t have anything to be afraid of.¡±


    ¡°But why were you nervous? Was it because she was new?¡± Claire asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Other than grampy, I never really had dinner with anyone. When I traveled from my village to here, I mainly just ate my food away from other people. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Food!!! Food!!!¡± Servi repeated. She grabbed Momo¡¯s hand with both of hers.


    ¡°Are you hungry? We¡¯re on our way to the market right now,¡± Claire said. She towered over Servi, who was taller than Momo, by about 20 centimeters, so she almost looked like an adult escorting two children.


    ¡°Hungry!!!¡±


    And so, the three friends talked, chatted, and laughed until they arrived at their destination.


    It took the group of three thirty-five minutes to reach the market, which was located entirely outdoor in a sizable plaza. A large metal canopy with thick glass squares protected the stalls from inclement weather. The sides were also angled, which allowed rainwater to flow down into drains that led to the sewers. And since the glass squares allowed light to come through, the need for candles only came when it was dark or shady.


    Servi stared with glossy eyes at everything she saw, but she kept close to her guardian Singi. Momo squeezed her hand to assure her she was still there and started to walk in. There was a section where it seemed people could sit and relax, so the group headed there first.


    It was almost like being transported to a different city. While it looked the same as any other part of Canary, the aura and atmosphere couldn¡¯t have been more different. Haggling was almost necessary to get a fair price, which intimidated some of the meeker folks around, and everything felt so fast-paced. People stormed up and down the aisles and booths, and very few ever took their time to actually glance and look at what they bought.


    ¡°Is this your first time here?¡± Claire asked as she reached into her skirt pockets. She was making sure she had her coin pouch.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ It¡¯s pretty intimidating. Is there a different place we can go?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°There is, but it¡¯s in the noble district and requires a license. But this place isn¡¯t dangerous at all in terms of falsified foods. There¡¯s a strict quality assurance program to make sure that what you buy is what you get. Like, if you bought an orange, you know it¡¯s an orange and not something disguised as an orange. And it looks intimidating, but the people here are all nice.¡±


    ¡°If you say so¡­ Servy, be good, okay? Just stick close to me, and we¡¯ll beat eating pasta and chowing down on some veggies before you know it!¡±


    ¡°Veggies!!!!¡± cheered Servi. She did what her guardian said and really closed the distance until her chest slipped right between Momo¡¯s arm.


    An erotic warmness covered her cheeks, and Momo stammered. ¡°M-Maybe not that close¡­ Maybe not right now¡­? But you can have a little bit of distance because I know you need your space!¡±


    ¡°Close!!!¡± Servi cheered. Now, she was practically hugging Momo¡¯s arm. Claire just laughed and rubbed Servi¡¯s head. She was rewarded with a gentle grin.


    ¡°You ready to do some shopping?¡±


    ¡°Shopping!!!¡± Servi responded, throwing a hand in the air for a split-second. She giggled and continued to hug Momo¡¯s arm with both hands.


    ¡°Momo, do you mind if we use your bag to carry the food?¡± Claire said. She pointed to a box filled with brown bags. ¡°You have to pay for those, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all. But let me pay for half of the food,¡± Momo said. She had a pleasant smile on her face. To her surprise, she got over the embarrassment of Servi pressing against her quicker than she thought. It attracted a lot of attention, but Momo didn¡¯t care about that at all. The days of being flustered because she wanted to show off her affection or friendship were far gone. Heck, if her best friend wanted to hug her arm, then Momo would let her do that because she desired that. And it wasn¡¯t like they were doing anything obscene. Momo had an inkling that if Servi was a male Singi, then they wouldn¡¯t be given a second look.


    But because they were different races and the same gender, it somehow made an innocent display of affection into something sinful and wrong. Did Momo want to rebel against that? No, she didn¡¯t. Rebelling against anything wasn¡¯t something that ran through her mind. She just didn¡¯t know why there were rules and possibly criminal charges, if the church pushed for it, for Humans and Demi-Humans to be together.


    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be your celebration! It¡¯s like making a birthday kid pay for their presents,¡± Claire replied.


    ¡°But we¡¯re gonna get a bunch of food. And to be honest, we really need the spices and stuff because I wanna learn how to cook. When we went to Arcton, the chicken was kinda tasteless and bland. And the hardtack was flavorless because we didn¡¯t have any jam or peanut butter,¡± Momo retorted.


    Claire thought it over and came to a compromise. ¡°How about this? You pay for 25% of it, and I got the rest, okay? I¡¯m offering to pay because I want to pay. I want to do something nice for my friends.¡±


    ¡°Okay! It¡¯s a deal,¡± Momo said, smiling. Truth be told, Momo felt like she had a lot of money at the ready. Fisher said Servi offered to pay for the orphanage, which meant Servi had a stack of cash somewhere. Logic dictated that it was in her ring, and since Itarr didn¡¯t shy away from giving Momo 2,000 dupla to pay for a year¡¯s worth of room and board, Servi had to be incredibly wealthy. Food ingredients weren¡¯t going to break the bank. And that didn¡¯t account for the money Momo had saved up.


    Even if Servy is loaded, I won¡¯t take advantage of it. I already have to pay back the money I borrowed for the room at Warden¡­ Momo, be sure to write this down, so you know how much you owe Servy.


    ¡°Good! Now, why don¡¯t we do some shopping?¡± Claire asked. She smiled and began to walk. Momo and her lovable Servi followed behind, casting their gazes to the tables full of different items. It seemed they were lucky enough to enter close to the vegetables, so that was quickly crossed off their list.


    ¡°When you¡¯re shopping for veggies, you can¡¯t just pick one at random. There are a few tricks you gotta use. Like for white onions, make sure they¡¯re heavy for their size. If it looks like it should weigh more, pick a different one,¡± Claire said, dropping some knowledge. As an Elf, she was very acquainted with the fruits and vegetables of the land. She thought about going into cooking and becoming a chef, but Warden was just her path in life. Besides, the Elf didn¡¯t think she could take the harsh criticism that came with cooking professionally for money.


    ¡°Got it!¡± Momo said. She surveyed the table. The sign hanging above said ¡®The Onion¡¯s Onion,¡¯ and while Momo didn¡¯t know what that meant, she was sure it had something to do with the onions sitting in front of her. Servi and her were leaning against the counter to make room for the busybodies passing behind them. ¡°Is the process the same for every onion?¡± Momo asked.


    Claire confidently nodded. ¡°For the most part. And make sure they aren¡¯t squishy. If it has a lot of give, pick one that¡¯s firm. For green onions, make sure the ends are bright and white. If there are any brown or wilted spots, pick another one. So, what kind do we need?¡±


    ¡°I never made pasta before, so I don¡¯t have a recipe to go off of,¡± Momo confessed. ¡°Does it matter if mix and match different types? Like can we put white onions and those yellow onions in the same pot?¡± As she asked, the merchant behind the desk started to get a little antsy and rapped the clothed table with a meddlesome finger. Claire curled her brow and looked annoyed, which sent the Dwarf into a tizzy. But he knew he didn¡¯t want to say anything that would result in less business, so he let it slide and went to help someone else.


    ¡°You can. It just depends on which ones you use. Like, you wouldn¡¯t want to mix sweet onions and white onions together unless the recipe calls for it because the former is good for salads and the latter is more suited to grilling. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have a grill. What if we get two or three yellow onions and one of the smaller white onions so that you can try it?¡± After Momo nodded, Claire spoke to the shopkeep and paid for her items. It wasn¡¯t that expensive since there were farms aplenty around Canary, which was one of the perks of living here.


    Claire gave the onions to Momo, who took a sniff. Her eyes started to water, and she comedically whined out, then she stored them in her bag. Servi thought that was funny, and Momo just thought her laugh was the most adorable thing ever.


    ¡°When we get my place, you can give me the 25%, alright?¡±


    ¡°Right! What else do we need?¡± Momo asked. She nodded to the shopkeeper and followed behind Claire.


    ¡°For the vegetables? We need corn, peas, carrots, mushrooms, bell peppers, and broccoli. Oh, we can¡¯t forget about the tomatoes and garlic. I guess we can pick salt and pepper, too.  That¡¯s pretty close to where we are, so let¡¯s get to it.¡±


    A few minutes later, after squeezing through brimming lines of hungry wives and mothers buying food for dinner, the group of three arrived at a table selling corn. As for peas, they were sold by the pod in groups of ten per pack. Each pod had as many as five to twenty delicious peas inside. The counter itself was a beautiful mix of yellow and green, and from the prices on the sign nearby, it was all very affordable. The sixteen people waiting in line thought so as well, and while Servi, Momo, and Claire waited, the Elf started to talk. ¡°Momo, what all do you know about corn? And peas, for that matter?¡±


    ¡°Not much. I mean, I know one is yellow and the other green, and they¡¯re good when mixed together.¡±


    ¡°Have you heard of sweet corn?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. My grampy would haggle whenever a merchant would come by the village. We didn¡¯t have many opportunities for dessert or sweet things like that, so I was a happy cat when grampy said he had a treat for me. It¡¯s not technically a dessert, but it was the closest thing we had.¡±


    ¡°Well, did you know you can make an actual dessert out of it? It¡¯s called sweet corn ice cream. If you take a few cookies, you can produce chocolate chip sweet corn ice cream sandwiches. My mother used to make them for my cousins and me when I was a child.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impressive, and now I wish I could try it. But I guess ice cream is kinda rare, isn¡¯t it? Well, maybe a bit rare in Canary?¡±


    Claire nodded. ¡°Just a little bit. You can certainly find it, but it¡¯ll be more expensive than if you go to Adenaford. But for ice cream, it¡¯s best if you make it yourself so it can be just right. And it takes a good while to do that.¡± After Claire said that, they were at the front of the line. She asked for 10 packs of peas, which came out to 100 pods, and six ears of corn. It was probably too much, but there was nothing wrong with that. Ordering more now just meant it¡¯ll be longer until she had to make another grocery run.

 Book Four – Chapter Two – Part Two – Revealing Her Love

    ¡°Okay, so next up is the garlic powder and garlic salt. It¡¯s just right over there.¡± Claire pointed behind her at a spot four tables over. With the mass of bodies all festering around, Momo couldn¡¯t see it, but she and Servi just trailed behind Claire as she charged ahead.


    A few minutes later, Claire handed two simple wooden bottles filled with spices, the corn, and the peas to Momo, who safely stored them in her bag. ¡°It¡¯s better if you can make it yourself, but we don¡¯t have the time to do that. And since Canary is surrounded by a bunch of gas, there¡¯s no harm in taking the easy way out. Besides, it¡¯s still going to taste delicious.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Instructor Claire, what¡¯s next on the menu?¡± Momo asked.


    Claire smiled and announced their next conquest would be mushrooms of the portobello variety. Those delicious, white or brown colored delicacies were at the same table as carrots, so Claire bought both at once. She picked up seven medium-sized mushrooms and five sticks of carrots. They were long, about 19 centimeters, but they had a bit of brown dirt from where they were pulled from the ground.


    The broccoli and bell peppers were next on the list. Like the former two, they were at the same tables. Momo didn¡¯t think there was anything odd was about it, but Claire had something to say about it. ¡°Unless there¡¯s a table with a sign, like that onion place we stopped by earlier, the same items won¡¯t be in the same spot. But they¡¯re usually in the same area. But as for picking bell peppers, just mainly go for the one that looks the best. Make sure the skin shines, and it¡¯s a little bit firm. And the stems should be a vibrant green. If it¡¯s not, it can still be used if the skin is firm. If it¡¯s mushy, just throw it away,¡± Claire said when they were at the table. She picked two green, one yellow, and one red.


    ¡°Grampy used different-colored bell peppers in his dishes all the time, but they tasted mostly the same,¡± Momo. She glanced between the different colors as if she was looking for the perfect flower to pluck. It was like she stared at a rainbow with how they were organized by hue.


    Servi was right beside her, joining in with a cheerful chorus. ¡°Colors!!! Colors!!!¡±


    ¡°The green ones are actually unripe. That¡¯s why they¡¯re more bitter than the yellow, orange, and red ones, which gradually get sweeter. If you use too many spices or other things, you can drown out the flavor. That¡¯s why they probably tasted the same.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. Grampy was a good cook, but even he had some culinary problems. But what about the broccoli?¡± Momo asked. She moved her gaze from the sea of reds and yellows to a sea of green. They came in groups of four, but they were kinda small.


    ¡°It¡¯s generally the same,¡± Claire said as she picked four packs and paid the Koena behind the counter. ¡°The florets should be tight, and the stalks better be firm. And green. The greener, the better. Oh, and it needs to be heavier than it looks. That¡¯s basically the rule when it comes to veggies and fruits. And with that¡­¡± Claire walked away with Momo and Servi in tow. Once they were out of the way, she gave the items to Momo and finished her sentence. ¡°We only need the noodles, tomatoes for the sauce, the meat, salt and pepper, and a roll of bread.¡±


    ¡°What kind of meat?¡± Momo asked. She gave the broccoli and peppers to Servi to sniff and stored them in her bag.


    ¡°Beef is a good option. I¡¯ve heard of chicken pasta, but I¡¯ve never tried it. You can also use turkey and pork. Really, as long as it¡¯s meat and edible, it¡¯s bound to work out if you adjust the recipe,¡± Claire explained.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll go with beef?¡± Momo asked. She had just finished storing the food and turned back to Claire. Servi was right there, hugging Momo¡¯s arm and acting like an adorable little sister. She matched Momo¡¯s footsteps sound for sound to the point where it looked like she was a shadow.


    And again, Momo didn¡¯t mind at all. She did feel the sickeningly, judgment-filled stares from those around her. However, her newfound confidence and love for Servi fought them off, and she strutted around with her hand wrapped around Servi¡¯s fingers. Even as they browsed while Claire haggled her Elven heart out, Momo drew circles on the back of Servi¡¯s palms. She did see a guard or two who were out on patrol, but she didn¡¯t shy away from her love.


    As soon as the guards laid their eyes on Momo, who lovingly stared at Servi as her attention was caught by a wave of colorful fruit, they turned and walked away. Their movements were rough, rugged, and uncanny, and once they had reached a nearby bench, they sat down and promptly drifted off to dreamland. ¡°Thanks, Itarr,¡± Momo whispered. The Goddess replied by using Pixie Gust to swirl a stray gust around the pair¡¯s connected hand.


    ¡°Beef it is, then,¡± Claire announced, too distracted by the forthcoming dinner to hear what Momo had said. She set off towards the meat side of the market while explaining. ¡°Obviously, meat has to be cold. That¡¯s why there¡¯s a community freezer back here. You tell the shopkeeper what you want and how much of it, and he¡¯ll go back and grab it.¡±


    ¡°Does he have like a menu or something? What about if the meat doesn¡¯t look right or something?¡± Momo wanted to know. She raised a good question. There were probably some rotten merchants out there who¡¯d rather sell unsavory and unappealing beef as something gourmet.


    ¡°There are menus on the table with what¡¯s in stock and how much is available. Meat comes in three different grades. Select is the cheapest, choice is the middle of the pack, and the best and most expensive is prime, which you can only get at the noble market.¡±


    ¡°What about the meat stores in the shopping center next to the noble district?¡± Momo asked. ¡°What meat grade thingies they have there? And wouldn¡¯t it have about the same if shopped there?


    ¡°That¡¯s probably a question for Dineria, but I¡¯ll do my best. We could have gone there, and it would¡¯ve been tastier, but expect to pay for the better flavor. And I¡¯m not talking an extra ten or fifteen percent¡­ I¡¯m talking about double or triple what you gotta pay here. But hey¡­ Sometimes the best things are in places you don¡¯t expect them to be. That goes for food and friends.


    ¡°Besides, the distance from here to my house is much shorter than that shopping center to my place. By my count, it¡¯s something like an extra hour and a half. We wanna be cooking as soon as we can, right?¡± Claire looked back and smiled.


    ¡°Yep! I want to cook for Servy as soon as I can.¡± Momo looked at Servi.


    ¡°Cook!!!¡± she adorably repeated.


    ¡°This is the first time she¡¯s been this happy for this long.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing, isn¡¯t it?¡± Claire turned a corner, and Momo felt the temperature drop. She felt a cool chill on her thighs and wished she had worn full leggings.


    ¡°I believe it is. I like Servy altogether, but I¡¯d rather spend it with a happy Servy.  But really, as long as it¡¯s Servy, I¡¯m happy. She¡¯s my hero, after all. And who wouldn¡¯t want to be next to their hero?¡± Momo blushed, not even aware of how her kind words could be understood as an expression of love.


    But Claire knew. She knew just how Momo felt about her friend. She wouldn¡¯t reveal that. Not now, at least. Her positive thoughts on that would wait until they were at her house. To change the subject, she mentioned that the merchant they were going to see had a table nearby.


    As the friends walked, Momo took note of how many Kobolds there were, and that reminded her of Feral. She enjoyed his company and hoped he was doing well. He had a history of working different jobs to pay for his meals, and no doubt it was expensive to feed him. He stood taller than most Kobolds his age, and his appetite matched his height. Feral had a kindness that couldn¡¯t be matched. He was gentle as a kitten when it came to new people and children.


    He also had respect for all things, living or dead, and he wasn¡¯t that smart in the head. He talked slow, but Momo felt it only added to his charm. She was very glad to have met him, and she wanted to always be his friend. And the pink Singi felt the same about all the people she came to know and care about. Other than the incident in her home village and Arcton, she thought she was living a rather fantastic life. She had hopeful, lifelong friends, a friendly rival in Srassa, a mentor in Dineria, and Momo had clearly grown stronger. She even won a tournament, beating out all of the other Rank 10s in Canary! Even with a few setbacks, her life was good, and she was happy.


    ¡°Alright! Here we are. After we get the beef, we¡¯ll swing by and get the tomatoes, bread, butter, salt, and pepper,¡± Claire said. She reached for one of the many books on the table and began to flip through it. They contained drawings and descriptions of what was available to buy. Claire handed it to Momo, who sat it on the counter and flipped with her one free hand.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know what I¡¯m looking for here. How can you tell which one is worth getting?¡± Momo asked. She read the words and stared at the prices but didn¡¯t know what determined ¡®tastiness¡¯ as she liked to call it.


    ¡°I mean, you can¡¯t really go wrong. That Koena back there is a good man who doesn¡¯t trick his customers. Everything on page 4 is what I recommend. It¡¯s tasty and pretty cheap. If you can¡¯t decide, show it to Servi and see which one she points at,¡± Claire said. She leaned back on the table and hugged her jacket.


    Since they were in close range of the freezer, the cool air felt amazing on her sweaty neck. As an Elf, Claire was expected to enjoy the season of spring the most, but she preferred winter. The pretty white blankets of snow, the hot chocolate, and the delicious soup her mother cooked always made for the perfect evening. When she was younger, Claire would always stare off at the reindeer and watch them sniff around. If she was hanging out in a tree, she watched and hoped to spot a pack of coal wolves. Their pitch-black coats were always visually striking against the cold and powdery snow.


    Claire shook herself awake, returning to the present from the world of her memories. While her childhood was more or less something she considered ¡®good,¡¯ an Elf could live for over a thousand years. There would be time to relieve the best parts of her life after they were over and while she was facing the end. Until that time came, however, Claire wanted to truck on ahead with her life since she had over 900 years left to go.


    ¡°Okay. Servy, pick something on this page, and that¡¯s what we¡¯ll get," Momo said, turning to Servi. Her cherry-red eyes were so full of life, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about anything else. Neither Momo nor Claire understood Servi¡¯s happy times. Was it a fragment of her happiness coming out to socialize? If that was true... Did these experiences influence her inner self when the blessedness faded away? There were far more questions than just that, but the only one who knew the answer couldn''t say a word about it.


    ¡°Get!!!¡± Servi had made her choice, and she furiously tapped the page. Momo told Claire, and Claire alerted the shopkeep. He walked away towards the freezer and returned with two packs of delicious beef. Momo took a single glance, and her mouth started to water in response to her carnivorous desires. She needed to do whatever she could to guard it, and that was why she took care when storing it in her bag. Claire thanked the merchant and walked away with her two friends in tow.


    The red-haired Elf told them that they could grab the other ingredients on the way out of the market, so they did just that. After stopping by a table filled with clumps of dried noodles, Momo listened as Claire lectured her on picking the best ones. She went over the thing she thought was vital but left the choice up to Momo. Momo searched, gazing like a cow at pasture until she finally decided. The noodles were long and thin, but there were a lot of them.


    ¡°Like with the garlic salt and powder, the best tasting noodles are the ones you make yourself. I do know how to make them, and they aren¡¯t hard, but you have to leave them out for a couple of hours to dry. Besides, you¡¯ve made an excellent choice,¡± Claire had said. Momo¡¯s mind was focused on Servi and the love she had for her, so she picked the one she thought her friend would enjoy the most.


    After that, they went and bought a few tomatoes. Juicy and red, those fruits made the list of Momo¡¯s top five things to eat. Again, she took the advice Claire said to heart and asked if she could pick them out. Claire nodded, and she was happy to say that Momo picked the right ones.


    Bread, butter, salt, and pepper were the very last items they needed before making way for Claire¡¯s house. Even Momo knew how to pick the perfect loaf, so it was easy to finish off the shopping list.


    As the trio walked out from the canopy-covered market, they felt the warm sun warm their cheeks. Servi smiled and stared at the clouds, Momo was staring at her best friend, and Claire started to feel a rumble in her tummy. Momo overheard that, and she started to laugh.


    ¡°Most of the time, it¡¯s my stomach that starts to growl. It¡¯s good that it happened to someone for a change. Hehe!!¡±


    Claire smiled and patted Momo¡¯s head. ¡°Can you blame me? I only packed a sandwich and a cookie for lunch, so I¡¯m about to starve.¡±


    With that, it only took about thirty-five minutes for the friends to arrive at Claire¡¯s house. Even though Momo had seen it before, she couldn¡¯t tell which of the identical houses belonged to her. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have something hanging up?¡± she asked.


    Claire nodded. ¡°I did. It was a wreath, but it dried out. I haven¡¯t had the time to make another one.¡±


    ¡°But how can you tell which one is yours? They¡¯re all the same color, and I think they¡¯re the same size. Even the windows are identical,¡± Momo said. Then the realization hit her. ¡°Oh, never mind. Ignore my stupid question¡­¡±


    Claire chuckled and patted her embarrassed friend on the head. ¡°I had that problem when I came here. You should¡¯ve seen the look on my neighbors face when I walked right in. I was afraid the old woman was gonna attack me, but she welcomed me in without a second thought. Unfortunately, she left to go live with her family, so I haven¡¯t seen her in about a year. But my house is number 139. It¡¯s both on my door and on my keys,¡± Claire said. She pulled a keychain from her skirt pocket and showed it to Momo.


    She didn''t have a lot on there, considering she only needed a key for her front door, a small safe she had bought, and one for the backdoor. Three in total, and she really didn''t want anymore. She grabbed the one for her front door and unlocked it. She opened it, allowing Servi and Momo to enter first. Following up the rear, Claire hung her jacket on the coat rack. ¡°My friends, make yourselves at home!¡±


    ¡°Now, I think it¡¯s time for a tour before we start cooking,¡± Claire said. She was really excited to show her house to her friends, and that excitement spread over to Servi, who bounced up and down like a black-haired rabbit.


    ¡°Okay! This is the entry hallway. I¡¯m sure you can tell the front door is behind you, so let me close that real quick. If you follow me a few steps forward, you¡¯ll come to the living room,¡± Claire said. ¡°I have two floors, so the steps you see in the corner go up there. There are two bedrooms and one bathroom up there. The bottom floor is an odd design because it doesn¡¯t have many walls.¡±


    ¡°I see that. It looks like one giant room separated up into different sections. And are these the support pillars?¡± Momo asked. She tried to wrap her hands around one of them, but it was too thick.


    ¡°Yeah. Without those, this place would just fall apart. The kitchen is over there, near that side of the wall. You can see the stove and other gadgets from here. And all of this on the other side is the living room. I have a few chairs and a couch. And you can see that dinner table I have there next to the kitchen counter. I don¡¯t use it that often, but it seems like that¡¯s gonna change tonight.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­ This place is like the opposite of grampy¡¯s house. It feels kinda odd¡­ Oh! I didn¡¯t mean anything by that, Claire! I¡¯m sorry!¡± Momo stammered.


    Claire laughed and walked towards what would be the kitchen counter. Other than the actual walls of the house, that was the closest thing to a separator. She took a seat, and Servi and Momo joined her.  ¡°I felt the same thing when I moved in. Heck, I still think this place is odd. Maybe that was why it was so cheap? It¡¯s a weird design that puts freedom first, but the second floor doesn¡¯t follow that design philosophy.


    ¡°In the contract I signed, it said I was forbidden to paint over the gray walls or replace the wooden floors. I could hang pictures or paintings, but only in certain spots. The same goes for the stairs. It did state I could buy appliances like that stove and refrigerator¡­ If it wasn¡¯t as cheap as it was, I¡¯d probably be living in an inn. But it does make lighting up the house easy. All it takes is a few well-placed windows, and the whole house is as bright as if you were outside. I do have a few candles if it gets dark. I want to get a few of those fluorescent lights and install them, but that¡¯s a bit of a wait for me.¡±


    ¡°I guess you were lucky when you found this house?¡± Momo said.


    ¡°I was very lucky. Now, what about the second floor? Who wants to see?¡±


    ¡°Me!¡± Momo said. Servi repeated right after her.


    Claire stood up and walked her friends up the stairs. ¡°It¡¯s more like a traditional house up here. There are two bedrooms, one of which is for me. The other is a guest room, but it¡¯s kinda dirty. The bathroom has a toilet and a Drip Stone I can move around.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what¡¯s a Drip Stone? I¡¯ve heard of Wash Stones, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Think of it as a tinier, weaker, much cheaper Wash Stone. It has its limitations. Like, you can¡¯t control if the water comes out cold or hot, and it¡¯s limited to ten uses a day. We have a water pump out in the backyard for all of the houses on this street to use, but I don¡¯t like it. It¡¯s cranky in a way because it¡¯s stubborn, but my arm can¡¯t take the constant pumping. There¡¯s nothing more depressing than coming home after working all day and wanting a bucket of water, but nothing comes out.¡±


    Claire then led them through the second floor, showing off all the rooms. In the bathroom, Momo saw the Drip Stone. In terms of appearance, it was a dead ringer for its older brother, but it wasn¡¯t even a quarter of its size. The toilet was just a toilet-- nothing special was going on there. The pole attached to the Drip Stone came with a white plaster base. The water assumedly went through the grated hole, but Momo didn¡¯t know where it went after that. Did it get absorbed? Was it connected to a pipe that went outside? The answer was probably the latter.


    ¡°That little blue stone does make bathing a lot easier. Even if it is a gamble of if the water will be the right temperature,¡± Claire had said before moving on.


    The guest room, as per Claire, was filthy. It was filled with clothes and boxes of stuff that took up most of the bed and floor space. Claire¡¯s personal room was the neatest, but she had three baskets full of dirty clothes. When the Elf realized that and her panties were in full view, she closed the door and nervously giggled.


    ¡°I do have a closet in my room, but that¡¯s about it. I wish I could change that gray bed... But again, it was in the contract. I¡¯ll have to wait until I outright own the house to buy another one.¡±


    ¡°What if it breaks?¡± Momo asked as she followed Claire down the steps to the open first floor.


    ¡°Then I can get another one, but it has to be the same model. It has to have the same colored pillows, sheets, blankets¡­ Pretty much, everything has to be the exact same.¡±


    After retracing their steps and reaching the first floor, Momo and Servi followed Claire to the kitchen. Placing her bag on the dinner table meant for eight people, Momo started to take out the food they had bought. Claire excused herself for a moment to run upstairs. A few minutes later, she came down wearing clothes that were far more suitable for a lazy Saturday morning. She had forgone shoes for simple white socks, the skirt for a pair of loose beige pants, and the blouse for a black tank top. Claire also got rid of the ponytail, choosing to let her gorgeous crimson locks flow free. The red straps of her bra peeked out a little bit, but that was fine. There was nothing embarrassing about wearing one, especially since she was with two other girls.


    ¡°Wow! It all looks good, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Claire smiled. She walked over to the table of food and sat down. Servi was sitting across from her, and she was cautiously touching the tomatoes. Momo was just finishing removing the meat when she sat down with an adorable sigh. Her brow was filled with sweat since it was a little bit toasty.


    ¡°You two want something to drink? I think I have a few cups of juice in the fridge.¡± Claire stood up and walked over to a mysterious object near the stove. Momo had thought it was a decoration, but that wasn¡¯t it. That was when she also saw that Claire had no shoes on. She hastily removed her boots while asking Servi to do the same.


    ¡°What¡¯s a fridge?¡± Momo asked. Her pink socks stared at her, and she stored her shoes in her bag. She went to take Servi¡¯s black boots, but Itarr had already absorbed them when she realized what was going on.


    ¡°It¡¯s the opposite of a stove. You put things inside of it, and it keeps them cold. See?¡± Claire opened it up. Momo stood up, grabbing Servi¡¯s hand, and they walked over. A frigid chill could be felt even from a meter away, and it only got colder the closer one got.


    ¡°I bet that feels good when it¡¯s hot,¡± Momo said. She giggled and wagged her tail. Claire said she was right and pulled out a wooden container full of apple juice.


    ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ll get us some cups.¡± Claire sat the juice on the table and walked over to the stove. She reached above it, opened the cabinets, and came back with three wooden cups.


    ¡°Claire, how does the fridge work? That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen one of those things,¡± Momo innocently asked. Her tail wagged in a soft, inquisitive pattern.

 Book Four – Chapter Two – Part Three – Revealing Her Love

    ¡°It has something called a battery. If you fill it with Skill Energy, it will constantly emit Frost Breath from small holes in the pipes. That¡¯s what keeps the things inside cold. It''s one of the older models, which means the pipes aren¡¯t exactly hidden by the outside, but it works good enough. It just looks a little clumpy,¡± Claire replied. She sat back down at the table with three cups and started to pour her friends a drink. Delicious, savory, cold apple juice poured from the wooden pitcher. Momo¡¯s cute nose sniffed twice, grinning at the fruity scent that invaded her nostrils.


    ¡°Then how does the stove work?¡± Momo looked at Servi when she said that just because she wanted to see the look on her friend¡¯s face when she took a sip. The past few days had been nothing but water with the occasional milk, so something wonderfully tasty should elicit something adorable.


    She wasn¡¯t wrong.


    When Servi put the cup down, she had an apple juice mustache on her upper lip. For a second, Momo wanted to lean over and lick the juice off, but that was very out of the question for someone like her. Claire¡¯s words broke Momo from her daydream, and she looked at her.


    ¡°It also has a battery, but instead of using Frost Breath, it uses Firewall. You see those knobs near the back?¡± Claire pointed to four dials. Momo took a sip and nodded. ¡°Those control the Firewall that''s produced. One dial is for temperature, and the other three dials are length, width, and height. There isn¡¯t anything that says how hot it is, so I always start off on the lowest flame and work upwards. It¡¯s a crazy mix of technology and Skill Energy.¡±


    ¡°With the Drip Stone, refrigerator, and stove, it seems like you¡¯ve been doing a lotta renovations.¡± Momo took a sip and savored the apple-flavored juice.


    ¡°I have,¡± Claire responded. ¡°When you told me about your situation¡ªhow you traveled from your village to here¡ªit reminded me about my own life. I left my village as well, but my destination wasn¡¯t Canary. I only wanted something stable in my life that I could call my own, so I traveled around. Village to village¡­ Town to town¡­ And city to city¡­ Eventually, though, I just arrived here, to this little city called Canary. It looked like a well-enough place, so I figured why not stay here. I even thought I could start taking on quests again, but I¡¯m just afraid of getting hurt. And I¡¯m afraid of hurting things, so I gave that up...¡±


    I gave it up like everything else in my life¡­


    ¡°Hey, do you wanna know how I actually got a job at Warden?¡± Claire asked. She leaned back in her chair and tucked her hair behind her ears. A thin film of remembrance sat in front of her purple eyes.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d love to know more about you. I really only know that you¡¯re an Elf who works at Warden, and that¡¯s it,¡± Momo said, smiling.


    ¡°I guess I don¡¯t talk about myself that much, but it¡¯s just because it¡¯s not that special. I was born, I grew up, and I left. I still send letters to my family, and we have a good relationship¡­ Oh, about Warden. After I came back from a failed quest, my second one in a row, I overheard someone asking questions. The receptionist helping that person couldn¡¯t answer it, so I stepped in. It was something about flowers, but that Dwarf you¡¯ve seen around the building? He¡¯s the manager, and he said he¡¯d wave my penalties if I worked for him.


    ¡°I was poorer than the dirt I was covered in, so I obviously said yes. So, the Dwarf became my boss, and I traded my bow and arrows for a desk and chair. But I can¡¯t complain because my life is as stable as ever, and that¡¯s all I wanted. Besides, I might not be an adventurer, but I¡¯m still helping in a way.¡± Claire finished her shortened life story and took a full gulp of her juice. A part of her wanted to bring out the booze, but she didn¡¯t know if Momo took well to alcohol. And with Servi being how she was, Claire felt like adding beer was a bad mistake.


    ¡°It sounds like you achieved your dreams, so I¡¯m happy for you, Claire,¡± Momo said. She stared at Servi and turned back to the casually dressed Elf.


    ¡°Thanks. But as a reward for achieving my stable life, I started to buy some appliances. The stove, fridge, and Drip Stone are proof of that. Whenever I get a loan to buy something, I pay it off and apply for another loan. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been having a bit of a money crisis. But I¡¯m not entirely irresponsible! I have a rainy-day fund saved up in my safe with my bow. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh! It¡¯s a good thing you said that. Here!¡± Momo reached beside her and pulled up her bag. She dug inside and came out with a pouch of coins.


    Claire scratched her face as if she was annoyed, but that wasn¡¯t it. ¡°I was kinda hoping you would forget about that. Momo, you¡ª¡±


    ¡°I wanna pay you for a cooking lesson,¡± Momo said. She grinned like a fox and took out 50 dupla. ¡°I¡¯m a girl who doesn¡¯t know how to cook to save her life. I don¡¯t know how to make anything else other than sticking a chunk of meat inside a campfire. This way, you get to treat us for being promoted, and I can learn how to cook this meal if I want to make it for Servy again.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!!! You drive a hard bargain,¡± Claire laughed. She took the dupla and rubbed Momo¡¯s head. ¡°We still have a while because we gotta wait for the meat to thaw. You don¡¯t have to wait if you don¡¯t want to, but I think it tastes better if you do. Hey, wanna help me get the pots and pans out?¡±


    ¡°Yep! Servy, you stay here and watch the food, okay? Make sure it doesn¡¯t go anywhere.¡± Servi only smiled and turned her unblinking gaze to the line of food. She intently stared at the tomatoes, standing watch as if she was a guard dog. The black hair atop her pretty head playfully brushed against her neck. Momo smiled once more at Servi and followed Claire.


    ¡°Okay, we need one of the big pots for the noodles, a few mixing bowls, a cutting knife, and two frying pans. Then we need a potato masher for the tomatoes because we¡¯re going to make tomato paste. There should be a cutting board up here somewhere, and we need that.¡± Momo gave an affirmative nod and searched the left cabinets. Claire surveyed the right side, and it took them a few minutes to find everything.


    ¡°We fill the big pot with water up to about halfway, then we lay it on the stove. Those four squares are called burners. After the pot is filled, place it on that one. Oh, let me go grab the Drip Stone real quick.¡± Claire raced up the stairs to the restroom and plucked the blue stone from the pole it was on. She came back down and held it over the pot. Then thinking about it, she handed it to Momo and told her to use it.


    ¡°So it¡¯s just like using the Wash Stones at Warden?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Just give it some Skill Energy and watch it go. It¡¯s okay if the water is cold because it¡¯s gonna be boiling soon enough. Hold on, go until it¡¯s about three-quarters filled. I¡¯ve never made enough for three people, and we did buy a lot of noodles. Oh, before you do that, let me wash the veggies real quick.¡± Claire said. She took the stone over to another odd device called a sink. It was silver and orange in color. It wasn¡¯t that tall considering it came to its owner¡¯s belly button, and there was a pole with a notch to slide in the Drip Stone. Claire did so and offered it some of her Skill Energy.


    She then got the veggies and gently placed them in the sink. It took a few trips, but Momo was there to assist. ¡°You always want to wash them before cooking them. Just use water and no soap,¡± Claire said, running the onions over the steady drip of water. After about five minutes, she had everything rinsed off and set them aside. ¡°We might as well wash our hands before we get started.¡± Claire reached down and grabbed a yellow bar. Momo¡¯s pretty nose smelled flowers and realized it was rose-scented. She called Servi over, and the washing of the hands commenced.


    When all was said and done, Claire handed the Drip Stone to Momo, and Servi walked over to the table and sat down. ¡°Fill it up about three-quarters, okay?¡± Claire asked.


    ¡°Got it! One pot of water, coming up.¡± Momo felt something warm and odd flow from her fingers to the blue stone she held, and it started to glow and heat up. It wasn¡¯t boiling hot, but it wasn¡¯t warm, either. It felt nice and pleasant to the touch, like something she wanted to relax in.  ¡°Claire, how many more times can it be used?¡±


    Claire held up five fingers. ¡°Used it five times this morning. One to shower, one to drink water, one to cook, one to wash the veggies and our hands, and you¡¯re using it now to fill the pot up. Got lucky with the temperature three times this morning, which was a nice bonus. That rarely ever happens, so I knew today was going to be good. While you do that, I¡¯m going to start squashing the tomatoes. And for that, we need one of these bowls and that potato masher. Once you¡¯re done with the water, come to the table, and I¡¯ll show you how to cut veggies. That¡¯ll give them time to dry off.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± Momo responded. The Drip Stone was true to its name, and the water came out just a bit faster than a leaky faucet. She gave it more Skill Energy, and it upgraded to a drizzle, but that was all. If it takes this long to fill a pot, how long does it take to shower? Heck, if I was Claire, I¡¯d ask if I could just do it at Warden.


    Once her task was completed, Momo carried the wet stone to Claire after placing the pot on the largest burner. Her curiosity almost got the cat girl because she looked close and hard at the stove¡¯s dials. Still, she backed off and waited until she was taught more about to use it. She sat down beside Servi and watched Claire mash tomatoes. The once solid red orbs of deliciousness slowly became more paste-like.


    ¡°Servy, you¡¯re watching closely, aren¡¯t you?¡± Momo asked. She reached on the table and grabbed Servi¡¯s hand. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m ever cooking for you¡­ I¡­ I hope there¡¯s a second time and a third time¡­ Maybe even a 100th time¡­¡±


    Claire kept an innocent smile as she slowly manipulated the conversation like a master. By the time she had finished mashing all of the tomatoes, she had made Momo talk in circles around Servi. Every one of her sentences concerned her best friend, and Claire was more convinced than ever.


    Momo loved Servi to the point where she wanted to always cook for her.


    ¡°Momo,¡± Claire said as she cleaned her hands with a rag. She had just a bit of red paste on her index finger. She licked her finger a moment ago and was satisfied with the taste even before adding anything else. Claire just knew the dinner they were making was going to be a good one.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± said the Singi. She was busy drawing circles and squares in Servi¡¯s palm.


    ¡°How do you feel about Servi?¡± said the Elf as she dropped a bombshell.


    ¡°Eh?!?!?!?!¡± Momo coughed as if she was choking and went to drink the rest of her apple juice. ¡°I¡ªI mean¡ªwhat do you¡ªyou¡ªI mean¡ªIt¡¯s not like¡ª bwha!¡± When she placed the empty cup down, Momo stuttered when she tried to say something. Eventually, Claire had to step in.


    ¡°Momo, it¡¯s not a trick question. Just how do you feel about Servi?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ My heart¡­ It feels different when I stare at her. When I even look at her for a second, I don¡¯t know what I feel, but it feels like something is in my stomach. I start to laugh, then I start to giggle¡­ And being with her¡­ Walking around town¡­ Sitting on the benches at Warden¡­ When I do those things with her, it feels like the world¡¯s at ease.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so here we have a young maiden in love? For the first time?¡± Claire said. She finished off her own cup of juice and poured herself a refill.


    ¡°No! It¡¯s not like that!!!¡± Momo betrayed her true feelings, then felt awful. Denying what she truly felt hurt so much more than being kidnapped, so she confessed them to her second closest friend. ¡°It¡¯s just like that... You... You aren¡¯t disgusted by it, are you? A Human and a Singi? With us both being girls?¡±


    ¡°Please, I have no reason to. Love is love, and that¡¯s all there is to it. If it¡¯s a safe love, no one should be opposed to it. If anyone wants to take offense, you can send them to me, and I¡¯ll sic Dineria after them. Momo, you have my full support!¡± Claire flashed a smile and offered a thumbs up.


    Momo was petrified! She couldn¡¯t move, and it felt like her lungs couldn¡¯t breathe the air they clamored for. Claire was the one and only person who knew her love for Servi, and she actually approved of it? There was someone who actually respected relationships between Humans and Demi-Humans?


    ¡°How about this? Momo, tell me what you love about Servi.¡±


    Momo, still frozen in shock, remained motionless for a few seconds. Then she turned to Servi, took her hand in hers, and emptied her heart while staring straight into a pair of red eyes. ¡°It¡¯s easier to talk about what I don¡¯t love about her because that list would be empty. I love the way she looks at me in the morning after I wake up. I adore her cute little laughs and giggles when I make a dumb joke. I know she doesn¡¯t need to laugh, but she does so anyways.


    ¡°I love it when she watches me brush my hair, and my heart races when she says it¡¯s pretty. My tail springs to life when she complements me. If I¡¯m ever in danger, I love how she jumps in to save me, but I¡¯m mad because she could¡¯ve gotten hurt. I love it when we were camping out on the way to Arcton, and she gave me my first ever nickname. And I¡¯ll always look fondly back on when we hugged the night after parting ways with you after we went out to celebrate. Remember when we went to Madam Canary''s Sweetie Tweety?


    ¡°On the way home, Servy hugged me, and I think it was right then and there my heart wanted to belong to her. I wasn¡¯t sure of it until she saved me in Arcton, but I¡¯m super positive. And I love the way she fights. When she¡¯s out there dodging or blocking attacks, it¡¯s like I¡¯m staring at a Goddess. I love the way her mouth curls into a smile. Most of all, I love the way her hand feels. I like holding it, caressing it, drawing little hearts on her palm. I love holding her hand and wrapping my fingers around hers. Like when I¡¯m just sliding my index finger down her middle finger, I just love the fact that we were connecting physically. I swear I can even feel her heartbeat when our palms touch.


    ¡°I had never felt so helpless when she was knocked unconscious at the tournament. And I felt the same when Fisher brought her back from his final exam, and she was in horrible shape. No, maybe it was then when I realized I loved her. I just took one look at her and refused to imagine a life without her.


    ¡°If I had to wake up one morning without seeing her beautiful red eyes¡­ Or if I had to live without her smile, I don¡¯t think I could take it. And I love just how friendly Servi is. When we first met, I was absolutely scared of her. I mean, I was looking at a girl with nothing but a blood-covered chest plate and bloody pants. By all accounts and purposes, I should have been afraid of her¡­ But I wasn¡¯t afraid.  I spoke and asked if she wanted to party up. When she said no, I thought that was the end. I was sad, yeah, but at least I tried to branch out from my hollow shell.


    ¡°When Servy turned around and said she did want to be in my party, I had no idea I would grow to have these feelings for her. She protected me, cared for me¡­taught me a lot¡­ I know she¡¯d do anything for me¡­


    ¡°Maybe that was when, now that I think about it, I fell in love with Servy. Talking to her was the first time I took grampy¡¯s advice of not judging on appearances. He said a person has to be measured by what they do with the life they are given¡­ I¡¯ve seen Servy¡¯s measure¡­ I know the kind of person she is¡­ She¡¯s the kindest, strongest, most determined girl I¡¯ve ever known, and I know she would go to the end of the world to save me. I¡¯ve seen her cry in sadness and anger, and I¡¯ve seen her weaknesses up close. It feels like I know more about her than she knows herself. There isn¡¯t a single thing I don¡¯t love about her! And that¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s because¡­ That¡¯s because Servy is my best friend, and she¡¯s the girl I fell in love with!


    With her heart exposed, Momo had laid it all on the table. It would have been the perfect confession if not for a crying red-haired Elf, whose sobs broke Momo¡¯s concentration. She turned to Claire.


    In between tears, Claire tried her best to speak, but it came out as garbled nonsense. Momo did understand what she was trying to say, so she stood up and hugged her Elven friend. It took a few seconds for Claire to calm down, but when she did, Momo realized she was the one being comforted. Her fears were on full display, and she didn¡¯t even know it.


    ¡°Momo, I¡¯ve lived a long life when compared to Humans and Singi, but I¡¯m not even a teenager in my own culture. Still, I¡¯ve seen a lot of people come and go. That also means I¡¯ve seen a lot of people fall in love¡­ I¡¯ve seen the worries of newfound love with my own eyes. It was easy to see on your face when you were monologuing. The biggest fear in your heart is that you¡¯re afraid Servi won¡¯t feel the same way about you.¡±


    Momo visually shook and started to weep, her wet eyes leaking an endless amount of tears.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t think you have anything to worry about¡ªno, I know you don¡¯t have anything to be afraid of.¡±


    ¡°But¡ªbut¡ªBut what if¡ªI¡ªRight before Servy became like this, I swore I won¡¯t ever leave her side! I won¡¯t ever let her be alone ever again! I promised myself that! I promised a Goddess that! And I promised that to Servy!!! But¡­ But¡­ Even if she doesn¡¯t feel the same about me, I refuse to leave her side! I won¡¯t ever make that mistake again!! WWWAAAHHHHH!!!!¡± Momo cried some more, accidentally revealing something. As sharp as Claire was, she noticed the particular phrasing Momo used, but it wasn¡¯t her time to say anything about it.


    She had a companion who was deeply in love with her best friend, and that had to come first. But even while all of this was going on, Servi simply smiled. She only smiled and stared at Claire and Momo, and the black-haired girl didn¡¯t move a single muscle.


    ¡°Momo?¡± Claire said her friend¡¯s name.


    Momo leaned back from the hug and sat back down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Claire. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. I bet you feel a lot better, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Momo turned to Servi and back to Claire. ¡°I do. I¡¯ve said everything I wanted to say, and it feels like a big weight¡¯s been lifted from my shoulders. Even if Servi does remember everything I¡¯ve said, I¡¯m happy with that. If she doesn¡¯t, then it just means I have to let her know I really feel again. And maybe I¡¯ll change it up. I kinda rehearsed it my head, but it came out all disjointed.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that. I thought it was very moving.¡± Claire offered her supporting thoughts. ¡°What¡ª¡±


    In an out-of-turn fashion, Servi spontaneously spoke up. ¡°Love!!! Love!!!¡± she chanted.


    Momo immediately started to cry and threw herself at Servi, embracing her in a tight hug. She somehow ended up straddling the chair and Servi¡¯s waist. Servi remained sitting, and her arms wrapped around Momo, who cried her eyes out. She pressed her head further against Servi¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Love!!!¡± Servi shouted with glee.


    ¡°Servy, I love you!!!¡± Momo cried. ¡°You feel the same about me? I knew you would! I just knew it!!!¡±After Momo had said that, it seemed as if Servi¡¯s positivity had run its course. Servi¡¯s arms fell by her side, and it took Momo a few seconds to realize that. She embarrassedly removed herself from her best friend and said a meek apology to Claire.


    ¡°Hahaha!!! See? I said you had nothing to worry about. If Servi is in this state of mind to protect herself from the trauma of taking a life, I¡¯d say this ¡®Happy Servi¡¯ is her real self. If not that, then a slice of her true self. Congratulations, Momo!¡± Claire replied. She started to clap, and Momo smiled harder than she had ever smiled before.


    ¡°But¡­ Until I hear it from Servy after she¡¯s back to normal, I won¡¯t celebrate or do anything like that. But I can¡¯t deny that I¡¯m all giddy now! Servy, until that day happens, your lovable support Singi will be right at your side!¡± Momo finally sat down and placed her hand on top of Servi¡¯s index finger. She took a second to examine the expression Servi had on her face, and it was back to being one of nothing at all. It was like the definition of neutrality, with no hints of everything else.


    Momo¡¯s hand curled into a fist, grasping onto a part of Servi that she never wanted to let go of.


    But there was a meal to cook, so the time in which they¡¯d be separated was fast approaching. That was fine, though, because Momo was just a few steps away.

 Book Four – Chapter Two – Part Four – Revealing Her Love

    ¡°Momo!¡± Claire barked, standing up.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am!¡± Momo replied, also standing up. She thought about saluting but didn¡¯t.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to begin. Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°I am!¡± Momo was all tensed up, but she relaxed and sat down. Claire followed suit. ¡°Please teach me well!¡±


    ¡°I will. Now,¡± Claire said, moving the bowl of tomato paste away. She grabbed an onion, a cutting board, and a knife and got to work. ¡°I¡¯m going to show you the right way to cut, and I¡¯m going to let you try.¡±


    And with that, the cooking session got underway. The first step was to dice a few of the onions they bought. About half would go into the tomato sauce. Momo asked if they had bought too many, but Claire shook her head. ¡°I thought we could do veggies on the side as well. About half  goes into the sauce, and the other half will be a snack. It¡¯ll take a good while for the sauce to get cooked. Okay, now you do what I did and dice this onion.¡±


    Claire scraped the onion she had diced into a mixing bowl and handed the cutting board, knife, and a second onion to Momo. She grabbed the blade wrongly, and Claire had to step in and correct her. Momo thanked her Elven teacher and started over. This time, she did it, for the most part, at least, but some of her cuts weren¡¯t straight. She was left with chunks bigger than the rest, but Claire said it¡¯ll all cook the same as long none are too big.


    What followed was a pleasant late afternoon that turned into an enjoyable evening. Momo learned much more from Claire about cooking than she did from her grandfather, but that wasn¡¯t his fault. Momo went through her various spells of just being a teenager, but she did try once or twice to make him dinner. The adorable, love-stricken Singi wasn¡¯t totally new to the world of culinary arts, but she was as close as someone could be.


    When it came to the meat, Momo paid close attention. That included knowing when it was done and how to drain grease and safely store it. The catgirl enjoyed adding the tomato sauce and mixing it all up. As she did that, she carefully added a curated section of spices and salt while her mouth watered in anticipation. Claire stood off to the side, nodding and giving Momo hints on what to add next and how much of it.


    ¡°Now, we¡¯re going to start adding the veggies. We¡¯ve already added our garlic and salt and everything else to it. Remember?¡± Claire asked. She was pouring oil into a second frying pan while preparing for the appetizer: saut¨¦ed vegetables. It might have been overkill because there was already an insane  amount of veggies, and Claire had something to say on that. She mentioned that since Momo said Servy enjoyed vegetables, it would be okay to overindulge in them.


    ¡°Do I just pour it all in?¡± Momo asked. She turned to Claire with an odd look in her eye, but the Elf nodded.


    ¡°Yep! Once you do that, be sure to mix it all up for about six or seven minutes.¡±


    Momo gazed upon the frying pan full of beefy meat and tomato paste. Even with just those two ingredients and various spices alone, an irresistible smell was born. It was meaty and fierce, but it had just enough garlic and salt to offset the viciousness. She used her wooden cooking utensils to make some room in the middle of the pan, but Claire said that wasn¡¯t necessary. The Elf had taken the second bowl of vegetables and poured them into her pan. A mighty sizzle of epic proportions roared alive and quickly died down.


    Momo thanked Claire for that advice and just dumped the contents of the bowl on top of a mountain of red and brown. She rotated her wooden mixing tool and made sure everything was evenly distributed. Momo kept going for a good six minutes, but her arm was beginning to tire out. Claire looked over and saw her pupil struggling to stir.


    ¡°Momo, take a deep breath. What do you smell?¡±


    ¡°I smell meat¡­ And mushrooms¡­ And bell peppers¡­ And onions¡­ And garlic¡­ And all the other things we bought. And from the other pan, I smell the carrots and broccoli and other things¡­¡±


    ¡°How does it make you feel? And looked back at Servi,¡± Claire said.


    ¡°I¡¯m kinda tired, but it does feel good to make something so delicious. Even if we do have to wait a while before we can eat¡­ And Servy?¡± Momo turned around and saw her best friend was sitting there with a small smile. That didn¡¯t make sense because her happy time ended a while ago. Momo made that worry known to Claire, and she squashed it.


    ¡°Momo, that¡¯s your food that¡¯s making her do that. Your cooking is bringing out her hidden emotions. My grandmother once said this: when you find someone you want to cook for, that is when you truly understand the worth of delicious food. If you don¡¯t get it, it means that you can be the best cook out there, but if the one you cherish doesn¡¯t eat it, then it¡¯s all for naught. Obviously, it isn¡¯t that true because if we go to a restaurant, the chef isn¡¯t cooking our food for the love he has for us. It¡¯s because we¡¯re going to pay him.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t have to worry about that. My grandmother said she searched for hundreds of years to find that perfect someone. She even thought the food she cooked was more suited to feeding livestock than a person, but that all changed when she met her husband¡ªmy grandfather. Momo, that pain in your arm is proof you¡¯re trying so hard to make this meal one to remember. And Servi¡¯s smile means she is fighting hard to come back to you.


    ¡°How cool is that? It¡¯s your food and love that¡¯s causing her to want to return back to us as soon as she can.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ Then it means I can¡¯t just stop, can I? If she¡¯s working so hard to come back, then I have to work just as hard?¡± Momo looked up at her Elven friend with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Keep stirring until it¡¯s all evenly distributed. From what I can see, you¡¯re almost there. Go! Go! Momo!!!¡± Claire cheered. Momo¡¯s adorable face nearly turned the same color as a tomato, but stupid embarrassment wouldn¡¯t stop her love! She stirred and stirred until Claire gave her final approval. By that time, the appetizer was almost done, but it had a bit left to go. The broccoli was a bit too hard, and the carrots weren¡¯t soft enough.


    ¡°Go on and take a break,¡± Claire said. She found a lid and placed it on the pan with the pasta sauce. Then she messed with the knobs at the back, lowering the Fire Wall¡¯s temperature. ¡°The hard work is done, and now we wait for it to simmer together. The noodles and the bread are the last things we cook because the former takes fifteen minutes. But the bread is precooked, so we don¡¯t really have to do anything with that except slap on some butter and garlic. Anyway, we can snack on that and the veggies I¡¯ve got cooking in that pan. And those are almost done.¡±


    Momo stumbled over to the chair beside Servi and slumped down. Beads of sweat traveled down her face. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t expect to be this tired¡­ It feels like I just ran a race.¡±


    ¡°I thought the same when I first started. I mean, you¡¯re just standing over a pot or pan and stirring things around, so how hard could it be? Well, it¡¯s pretty hard. And the heat is unbearable because you¡¯re standing right above a Fire Wall. If you¡¯re using the skill normally, you could alter it so that its heat doesn¡¯t affect the user. You can¡¯t do that with a stove. Oh, you can open some windows if you like.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Come on, Servy, let¡¯s raise these bad boys up and get some air circulating!¡± Momo grabbed Servi¡¯s hand after she dried her hands off on a clean rag, then they walked around the house¡¯s bottom floor. It felt weird maneuvering around something so open and spacious, but the support beams were placed in spots that wouldn¡¯t cause a congestion. It might¡¯ve been her feline instincts, but Momo wanted to swing from pole to pole. If they were as sturdy as they looked and couldn¡¯t support her weight, it might¡¯ve made for some excellent training to strengthen her core.


    Hand in hand, the pair of hopeful lovers went to the windows in what would be the living room and raised them. A fresh summer breeze blew by to say hello, sending Momo¡¯s hair into a tumble. Servi¡¯s hair caught the same gust, and pink and black locks played together for the short time the wind lasted. ¡°Servy, I do love you,¡± Momo whispered. She said it so low that even Claire didn¡¯t hear it.


    The would-be couple gazed out of the window, staring at the people passing by. The sky would soon turn a beautiful black, but even it didn¡¯t compare to Servi¡¯s abyss-colored hair.


    A few moments later, Servi and Momo sat at the kitchen table. The apple juice Claire had brought out all but vanished. ¡°I got a few jugs of water in the fridge if you want to grab that,¡± Claire said. She was dancing on her tippy toes and humming to herself. Momo walked away and came back with more refreshments. She refilled all three glasses and carried one to Claire, who thanked her star pupil. Momo waited for Claire to drink it and took it back. Instead of returning to Servi, she stayed and watched, using her eyes to visually learn as much as possible.


    The Elf had sweat tracing the outline of her face, dripping down past her chin and onto her cleavage. Claire was slender like other Elves, and her chest matched that. She was bustier than Momo, but it wasn¡¯t by a lot. Her neatly manicured hands worked the pan¡¯s handle and wooden spatula to turn over the veggies. Minutes before, she had added a type of sauce to bring out the vegetables¡¯ hidden richness.


    Momo¡¯s nose sniffed into action, and she started to drool a little bit. ¡°Alright, my star student, it¡¯s time to have a snack. Can you grab three plates for me? They¡¯re in that cabinet next to the refrigerator.¡±


    ¡°Yep! Give me one second.¡± Momo hopped back to the table and sat down Claire¡¯s empty glass. She walked to the cabinet her culinary mentor specified and grabbed three plates. They were wooden, but they also felt like ceramic. Was it a mix between them? The plates weren¡¯t just a single color, considering one half was light red and the other a glistening purple. They weren¡¯t brown like wood.


    ¡°Claire, what kind of plates are these?¡± Momo asked. She dropped off two at the kitchen table and brought one to the cook.


    ¡°Those are what my grandfather made for my grandmother on their 275th anniversary. It¡¯s created from a type of wood called brittle hollow. And if you want to know its properties, then it¡¯s in the name. It grows with nothing inside, and it''s so brittle it can¡¯t even support a caterpillar.¡± Claire took the plate from Momo and started to fill it up. Its appearance had something to be desired, but its smell was on a whole different level. The scent of the different vegetables was all there, but nothing was overpowering the other ingredients. It was like a carefully designed arrangement of flowers but with food. ¡°He had made extras, so he gave them to his grandchildren.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ It looks and smells so good!!! But wait, if the wood is so weak, how did your grandpa make it into a plate?¡± Momo asked. She had great difficulty adverting her eyes from the food.


    ¡°That I do not know. My grandad¡¯s a stubborn old thing and refuses to tell anyone.¡±


    ¡°But aren¡¯t you curious?¡± Momo took one filled plate to the table and returned with an empty one.


    ¡°I am, but I think it¡¯s romantic. Like, granddad probably went through a lot to make a one-of-a-kind item to give to the woman he wanted to spend his life with. The secret probably has something to do with the colors because brittle hollow wood isn¡¯t red or purple. It¡¯s brown like almost every other type of lumber. So really, the vibrant colors only add to the mystery.¡± Claire finished plating up the food and asked Momo to fetch the third one, and the Singi did just that.


    Claire had distributed the pan¡¯s contents into three even portions, which were a bit too much. ¡°I guess we did go a bit overboard, but that¡¯s fine! It¡¯ll take about an hour for the sauce to get just right.¡± The Elf went to a drawer and retrieved three forks, then she went to take her place at the head of the table. Momo was to her right, and Servi was nestled beside the Singi.


    After handing out the utensils, it was finally time to dig in. The air went silently and deadly, the atmosphere seemed to not exist anymore, and the only sounds were wood scraping against plates. Momo twirled the collection of cooked vegetables around her fork and brought it closer to her nose. She smelled that sauce Claire used, but she couldn¡¯t place a name on it. Cautiously, she stuck her tongue out and judged the taste. Claire was watching, and she almost lost herself to laughter when Momo jabbed a fork full of food in her mouth.


    ¡°Servy! You gotta try this! Come on!¡± Momo hastily said. She turned her head so fast her hair whipped around. A frantic tail made itself known by wagging out of control. Servi still had a slight smile on her face, and she did as her guardian Singi asked. ¡°It¡¯s good, right? No, it¡¯s even better than good! I don¡¯t want to say it, but grampy couldn¡¯t compare with this!¡±


    ¡°Good¡­? Be¡­tter¡­ Better?¡± Servi whispered. She closed her eyes as if she was in pain, but her arm forged ahead with the veggies. Whatever discomfort she seemed to have vanished when the flavor assaulted her tongue. Her red eyes lit up like the sun, but Servi wasn¡¯t back in her happy state.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you two like it,¡± Claire said, smiling. She figured she had waited long enough, so she, too, started to shovel food in her mouth. The onions were just right with the perfect amount of backbone, and the broccoli wasn¡¯t mushy at all. The bell peppers and mushrooms filled her mouth with flavor, and to top it all off, the garlic supported the taste rather than overpower it. Claire used garlic salt and powder, the latter being something she rarely ever used, but she was pleased to find she added just the right amount of each. Even better, the pepper Claire sprinkled on top didn¡¯t corrupt the dish with spiciness, so even a Singi like Momo could wolf it down. However, she wanted to get a second opinion.


    ¡°Can you taste the corn and peas? What about the carrots?¡±


    Momo looked with a mouth stuffed with food. She was pigging out like that was her last ever meal. After swallowing, she praised the food so much Claire''s cheeks were as red as her hair.


    ¡°Claire, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever tasted anything better, and we haven¡¯t even gotten to the pasta. Like... The corn and peas don¡¯t just taste like regular corn and peas. There¡¯s a richer, hidden flavor to it, and I don¡¯t know what it is. When I bite into it, flavor just pours out on my tongue. And I love carrots. I ate them all the time as a kitten. But when I bit into this¡­¡± Momo stabbed something orange on her plate with a fork. ¡°It doesn¡¯t taste like anything I¡¯ve ever had before. And I was a bit afraid when you added the pepper in, but it¡¯s not even a little bit spicy. The mushrooms are just out of this world! And it¡¯s the same thing with the onions, bell peppers, and everything else. Claire, I¡¯m gonna work really hard! If I can cook like this for Servy, I¡¯ll be happy.¡± Even while talking, Momo scrapped her fork over the plate and continued to chow down.


    ¡°Well, since I¡¯m your culinary instructor now, I¡¯ll teach you all I know. But I do have over 50 years of experience. You can¡¯t condense that down to a week or two.¡±


    Momo ate another forkful of veggies and followed that with a sip of water. ¡°I know. It¡¯s gonna take decades to get where you are now. But I¡¯m only 18. And Servy¡¯s only two years older than me, I think. So we have a lot of time ahead of us.¡±


    Claire took the conversation in a different direction. "I wished I had something sweet for dessert, but I don¡¯t have any chocolate. And I can¡¯t make any. And I don¡¯t have the stuff to bake a cake, either.¡±


    ¡°That would be nice, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have any room left when the main dish is done.¡± Momo took another big forkful of her delicious veggies.


    And with that, time continued on. The pleasant appetizer was enjoyed by the three girls. Before starting the noodles, all of the set-aside veggies were devoured. Out of them, Servi never slowed down once she started, moving the fork to her mouth as if she was a robot doing what she was programmed to do. The smile never did leave her face for a single second. Claire was mightily impressed by Servi¡¯s appetite, and she wondered if she was eating enough food when she wasn¡¯t around. Momo assured the worried Elf that Servi ate plenty, citing the big steak they had eaten together two weeks ago.


    Claire had a spiel about steak she wanted to talk to Momo about, but that could wait. The Elf walked up to the saucepan and asked for volunteers.


    Momo and Servi walked over and tried a bit of the pasta sauce, with the former almost fainting from how tasty it was. Momo remarked that she didn¡¯t know crushed tomatoes could add such a difference. Claire said that the meat infused the sauce. That rubbed off on the veggies they sprinkled in. She said it did need just a pinch of pepper, so Claire went ahead and did that. She then manipulated the stove¡¯s knobs and started to boil the water that had been waiting for over an hour.


    Claire didn¡¯t want to leave water sitting out for so long, but that was the price to pay when it came to Drip Stones. She needed to save as many uses as possible. It wasn¡¯t like the flavor would be tainted in any way, but it was just one of her pet peeves. After that, she only had to wait, so Claire walked back to the table with Servi and Momo and chatted about steak.


    ¡°Steak is a type of food that¡¯s hard to get perfect. It doesn¡¯t seem so, but there¡¯s a lot of different cuts of meat. You have your t-bone steak, the porterhouse, the ribeye, the tomahawk. Then there¡¯s the flank steak and skirt steak. The filet mignon is the juiciest one of all, in my opinion, but it comes with an impressive price tag. Then you have the different temperatures. Some like to eat their steak when it¡¯s still red, and others enjoy a nice brown, almost overcooked steak. Some people like to coat theirs with onions and peppers, and I¡¯ve even seen a Kobold place six chicken wings on his raw steak.¡±


    ¡°What?! I remember grampy telling me that was something you shouldn¡¯t do.¡±


    ¡°Your grandfather is correct. Some people are more sensitive to chicken. Other people feel queasy when they eat steak. A proper restaurant that¡¯s worth their reputation would never cross-contaminate their meat. But in that restaurant¡¯s defense, that Kobold brought those chicken legs with him and asked for them to be placed on top.


    ¡°Did¡­ Did the restaurant do it?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°The waiter said no, so the Kobold asked for the manager. He also said no, so they wanted to ask the chef, who shook his head. Finally, the Kobold wanted to ask the owner. By that point, the guards had come and kicked him out. There¡¯s nothing wrong with enjoying chicken and steak as long as it is prepared and cooked separately. For example, one of my favorite meals consists of just chicken, steak, and rice mixed together.¡±


    ¡°So what? You cook the meat by themselves and add it to the rice?¡± Momo tilted her head. She loved all three of those things, but she never tried them together.


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s it. You usually add some spices and seasonings, but it¡¯s easy and simple to prepare. And since we live in Canary, those ingredients are cheap and plentiful.¡±


    Momo turned to Servi and playfully tapped her fingers on her palm. ¡°I wonder if Servy would like that.¡±


    Claire¡¯s sensitive ears picked up the sound of boiling water. ¡°I bet she would. Now, grab those bundles of noodles and come with me to the stove.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡±


    Momo skirted away from Servi, but not before lovingly patting her head. She walked to Claire, who was pouring some salt and a bit of garlic in the water, which roared alive. She then stirred it using something called a pasta server. It looked like a ladle with teeth. Ferocious bubbles clashed in the pot, vying for a chance for freedom that would never come. ¡°Salt after it¡¯s boiled, then season it a little bit. Then take something and swirl the water around. You want to make sure whatever you add is evenly distributed. And now, you can drop the noodles inside the pot.¡±


    Momo nodded, then ferried yellow noodles from her hand to the pot. She looked at Claire one last time. ¡°I just drop it? That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡±


    ¡°Okay. Here we go!¡±


    Nothing of note happened even though Momo was waiting for something exciting to happen. Her pretty pink ears folded down and wiggled a bit in anticipation.


    ¡°When you¡¯re cooking noodles, there is a small instant in which they are absolutely perfect. Some people prefer their noodles to be a little bit undercooked by a few seconds. If you wait too long, they¡¯re going to be all soggy. That¡¯s not to say it isn¡¯t edible¡ªbecause it is¡ªit just won¡¯t taste as good. And while we¡¯re waiting for that special moment, we need something called a strainer.¡± Claire skipped over to yet another cabinet and retrieved the titular object.


    ¡°Okay, so what¡¯s that for? Do we just dunk the noodles in there?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. When they¡¯re ready, we hook this over the sink. That¡¯s why it has these extendable thingies,¡± Claire said. She walked over to the sink and extended a wooden slider built into the colander. ¡°With these, it doesn¡¯t touch the sink and soil the noodles. Ah, can¡¯t forget about the butter.¡±

 Book Four – Chapter Two – Part Five – Revealing Her Love

    As Momo watched Claire bounce from the stove to the sink to the refrigerator, she realized just how much work went into making a single meal. It amazed her that someone could take fifteen or twenty different ingredients and create something wonderfully tasty. It was like watching a magician in action. Claire was the show''s star, and the utensils, pots, pans, stove, and refrigerator were her supporting assistants. If Momo was her old self, she¡¯d say that cooking was too much for a girl like her.


    But like everything else about her, Momo had grown to bury that childish part of herself. She was taking the next step in life and discovering her true worth. Her worthiness as a friend, her worthiness as a lover, and her worthiness as a Singi of the world. Momo had all the chancing at grasping as a fulfilling life, and she wasn¡¯t going to let a single one pass her by anymore.


    ¡°Ah! It¡¯s time to pour. With a pot like this, the handles aren¡¯t insulated, so it¡¯s going to be really hot. That¡¯s why I have these!¡± Claire showed off a pair of thick gloves around her hands. They were black with small splotches of blue and red, but those might''ve been stains and not a part of the original design. She carefully grabbed the smoldering hot pot and carried it over. When the water hit the cold sink, sizzling steam shot into the air. Momo¡¯s tail stiffened up, and she saw something strange.


    The white steam just started to fade away, and she knew there was a Goddess responsible for that.


    ¡°Huh? That¡¯s kinda odd¡­ Watching the steam go ¡®swoosh¡¯ is the best part. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter I guess.¡± Claire walked the pot back to the stove and returned to the sink to grab the colander. It was filled to the brim with thick noodles, and Claire gave it a bit of a shake. ¡°Momo, take that knife and cut off a piece of butter the same size as your middle finger,¡± Claire ordered as she jerked the strainer around. There was still a bit of stubborn water clinging about.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Momo did as she was asked. ¡°Now what? Do I throw it in?¡± Her eyes stared down at the rectangular, crimson Firewall. Just you wait, Firewall, I¡¯m going to use you soon. The power of burning, starting fires to stay warm, and cooking food, will be mine! Ah, I guess I need to find a place to practice it, but it has to be outside. I absolutely, positively refuse to be known as the girl who played with fire and burnt down a Warden office.


    ¡°Not yet. That goes in after I toss the noodles back into the big pot. Can you take it from the back burner and put it on the left one? And take the sauce from the back right and bring it closer,¡± Claire answered and asked. She heard the shuffling of feet and knew the tasks were done. She grabbed the colander by the sides and carefully carried it to the stove. The big pot was right there, so Claire just dumped the noodles in. Next, she tossed the butter in there and started to carefully stir it. ¡°Alright! We¡¯re just about done. Momo, if you pour the sauce in pot and stir, I¡¯ll go ahead and start getting the dirty dishes ready to be washed.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha! Leave it to me, Claire!¡± Momo formed and fist and gently grabbed the sauce pan¡¯s handle. It was heavier than she thought. To be safe, Momo used both hands and went slow and steady. Soon enough, a waterfall of tasty, delicious, succulent sauce appeared before her blue eyes, and Momo couldn¡¯t help but compare the color to Servi¡¯s eyes. This is for you, Servy! I only barely helped, but I did contribute. Tomorrow¡ªokay, maybe a few days or weeks from now¡ªI will make you a home-cooked meal all by myself.


    Momo grabbed the pasta server and got to work stirring the pot¡¯s contents clockwise. She bounced on her toes and bummed a particular song that meant a lot to her and the girl she loved. She waded the pasta server up, down, left, and right, folded over the noodles so they were on top, and did her best to make the noodles and sauce into one conjoined organism.


    While Momo did that, she took a step back and stirred from a distance. Firewall was still activated, and the heat had started to affect the sweaty Singi. The last thing she wanted was something nasty to compromise the fantastic meal it was shaping out to be. From behind, she heard the sound of running water and the fickle scent of flowers. Well, if Momo could say one thing, it was that hand soap could be used to wash dishes as well. Or maybe it was a different type of soap that smelled the same?


    Now that Momo thought about cleaning and doing dishes, did she need to do that? Itarr was a Goddess who could absorb tiny particles. She could store away droplets of water so small they couldn¡¯t be seen, and she could just purify an area of space by absorbing the foul-smelling molecules. Cleaning some leftover sauce would be like breathing to her.


    No, Itarr¡¯s a Goddess. I can¡¯t just ask her to do the dishes or clean up. Wouldn¡¯t that be sacrilege or maybe some sort of sin? Grampy hated washing up after cooking, so I always helped him. With two people, it never did take so long. With three people, the boring part of making a delicious meal would almost be non-existent! But since I¡¯ll be with Servy, it wouldn¡¯t be boring at all because I¡¯m with her. Then wouldn¡¯t it be good for it to last as long as possible? Maybe¡­?


    Momo kept her arm moving clockwise for another five minutes, making sure to switch off to give it a break. Claire finished cleaning not long after that, and she walked over to Momo and rested her hand on her head. ¡°It looks good, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It sure does. I¡¯m doing all I can to not start wolfing it down right now. But wait, what about the bread?¡±


    Claire turned to the table and saw the last ingredient still wrapped up. ¡°We can slab some butter on there. When I was little, I¡¯d take some bread, put a bit of sauce on it and roll it up. It turns it into a pasta sandwich. AH! Speaking of that, I almost forgot about this.¡± Claire left Momo alone to stir and returned with a chunk of white cheese. She also had a metal object with holes.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Momo had a fondness for cheesy goodness, so her eyes and tail were at full attention.


    ¡°This is cheese from water buffalo. Their milk is incredibly rich. It¡¯s a bit rare around these parts, but it isn¡¯t that expensive for what it is. And this is a cheese grater. You take your cheese and scrape it across the side, and it comes out right here. This is like the best thing ever.¡±


    ¡°I do like cheese. How much longer do we have? I think my belly¡¯s about to eat me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re almost there. I¡¯ll tell you what. Keep mixing it up, and I¡¯ll start to light some candles. I have a few lanterns I can pull out, so I¡¯ll go ahead and grab those too. The sun¡¯s starting to go down, and we have about 40 minutes of light left, but we don¡¯t want to eat in the dark.¡± Claire went upstairs and did a bit of searching and gathering.


    While Claire did that, Momo collected a helping of pasta and brought it to her nose. ¡°Servy, come over here and smell the food!¡±


    Servi wordlessly stood up, pushed her chair in, and walked over. She leaned forward just a bit and sniffed a few times.


    ¡°It sure does smell good, doesn¡¯t it? I bet it¡¯s gonna taste even better. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll eat soon. We¡¯ll probably start plating it up when Claire comes back.¡±


    Six minutes later, three people sat down at a table illuminated by candles and lanterns. Daylight was still alive, but it would soon perish. The moon was predicted to be shy, so it wouldn¡¯t come out to play. And sure enough, the nightly celestial object stayed in its home. A cool darkness was cast over the city of Canary, making it somewhat chillier than usual, especially since it was the middle of summer.


    Momo watched as Claire grated some white cheese over her pasta, coating the delicious red sauce with cheesy goodness. The flakes acted like boats in the ocean, and when Claire started to stir everything together, the sweet nectar melted.


    Momo grabbed the cheese and started to do the same, but she went a bit happy with it. She had two slices of buttered bread with pasta on them, so she added some extra dairy to it. She then did the same for Servy, who was just waiting there with a fork in hand.


    ¡°Alright, be sure to eat it all up, okay?¡± Momo said. Servi somewhat nodded her head and began to ferry food to her mouth. The noodles were just perfect, and the sauce wasn¡¯t too runny or thick, sticking to the noodles like glue.


    Momo then turned to her own plate and rolled up one of the pieces of pasta-covered bread. The red sauce vividly clashed against the buttery surface. With care, the Singi tried her best to transport from the plate to her mouth, but the sauce was too heavy, and the bread tragically tore in half.


    Claire snickered and ate her own rolled-up pasta sandwich. The bread was delicious on its own, but the added pasta sauce and veggies took it to a different level. It was like an explosion of flavor in her mouth, and Claire just couldn¡¯t stop eating. When the sun did completely set, Claire''s illuminated face looked like something out of a horror book.  The red sauce dripping down her lips made her look like a cannibal.


    The same could be said for Servi and Momo as well. The former was a messy eater in her current state, so she had bits of red sauce and veggies covering her lips. Somehow, she even had sauce near her cheeks, and Momo had no idea how that happened. She continued to chew while tidying Servi¡¯s face.


    Nothing of note happened during the dinner. It started off well, and it ended well. Conversation and jokes were had, and by the time Momo placed her fork on the plate, she had nothing left to eat but a few stray drops of sauce. She leaned back in the wooden chair and placed a hand to her stomach. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m about to burst¡­¡± She turned to look at Servi and discovered her plate was utterly devoid of anything. It looked like it was licked clean because there wasn¡¯t even a tiny drop of sauce left.


    On the other hand, poor Claire couldn¡¯t finish her mountainous pile of pasta, and the proof was there on her plate. She had only conquered about three-quarters of it. An Elf didn¡¯t need that much food to survive, and Claire was never a big eater. That was why she could sustain such a slender figure without any exercise.


    ¡°Did it beat you, Claire?¡± Momo asked as she drank from her cup of water.


    ¡°I am¡­ I haven¡¯t felt this full in years,¡± Claire replied. She also had a hand to her stomach and started to get up. Even though the dishes were mostly done, there was still a pot of food to take care of.


    Momo followed and watched, leaving Servi alone with her empty plate. Her vacant eyes stared deep into the colorful surface, but whatever flowed through her mind was only known to her. During dinner, Momo and Claire tried to make conversation with her, but she never spoke. But like the Elf said, Servi must¡¯ve been fighting hard because that adorable smile never left her face for a second.


    Claire didn¡¯t say it out loud, but she kind of wanted a relationship with someone that mimicked what Servi and Momo had. It had been a long while since she felt the electric touch of a lover, and she had thought it was about time to get back into the dating scene. She did have someone she fancied, but she didn¡¯t know if that person would feel the same about her. Still, this wasn¡¯t the time to think about such things as her love life. The evening and dinner she had prepared were for Momo and Servi, not her, and the friendly Elf planned to keep it that way.


    ¡°Momo, can you go grab two more plates from that cabinet? And there should be a folded-up roll of green parchment. Could you get that too?¡± Claire asked, bringing her mind back to the present. She stood over the stove. Even though the Firewall had been deactivated forty minutes ago, the burners were hot to the touch.


    ¡°Yep! Give me one second,¡± said the helpful Singi. She slipped over and retrieved what was asked for. But before she did that, Momo took the dirty plates and forks to the sink and gently sat them down. When she went back to Claire, she was waiting with a pasta server full of delicious food. The metal pot she had used had sauce covering its tall walls. Cleaning it would be a hassle, but that would have to wait until the uses on her Drip Stone had reset.


    ¡°Thanks. Okay, so that green thing is something we Elves make. If you roll it on a plate of food that you want to eat later, it encloses it. Think of it like wrapping it for later. But while you could use just regular paper or whatever, it doesn¡¯t do what the leaf wrap does.¡±


    ¡°Leaf wrap?¡± Momo asked. She touched the rolled-up object, but it didn¡¯t feel like it came from nature at all.


    ¡°Yep!¡± Claire said. She took a plate and slapped a helping of pasta on it. ¡°It¡¯s made from crushing a particular type of leaf and adding it to a bucket. You add water and a few other ingredients, then you stir until it¡¯s all consistent. You let it dry, you pluck it out, and you run it through a flattener, which makes it really thin. And then it¡¯s pretty much done. Just find something like a stick to roll it around, and you have leaf paper. It looks flimsy, but it¡¯s hard to actually cut through. With your hands, I mean. Even a child could rip a piece off if they had a knife.¡±


    ¡°Grampy never told me anything about this,¡± Momo said while walking to the table. She wished the stove had a small side-table attached to it, but it didn¡¯t. She walked back to get the second plate, which Claire had already filled to the brim with a tower of pasta. Just looking at it was enough to make Momo have the hunger of a lion, but the poor girl couldn¡¯t eat anymore. If she did, she was bound to explode from gluttony.


    Claire checked the pot one last time to see if it was empty. It wasn¡¯t, but she was sure her ancestors would forgive her for wasting a few drops of sauce and four noodles.


    The conversation didn¡¯t continue until after Claire had dropped the pot in the sink next to the three dirty plates and three sauce-stained forks and went back to the dinner table. Momo was there, messing and poking the leaf-colored paper. It was as green as a leaf, and when Momo sniffed it, it smelled like one, too. ¡°Claire, I realize just how much I have to learn about the world. Grampy taught me the best he could, but even if he had a thousand years¡­ I still know I¡¯d be discovering something new every day.¡±


    As Claire took the leaf paper from Momo and started to cover the two plates of leftovers, she explored more about that subject. ¡°Even for an Elf, I think the world is impossible to understand. We can live for a thousand years, but the world is much older than that. Even if you do find an Elf that old, who¡¯s to say they can remember what happened when they were 146 years old?¡±


    Momo poked Servi¡¯s hand and watched Claire. ¡°Hearing stuff like that makes me feel less like a Singi and more like an ant. There¡¯s just so much unknown in the world. Even if people have the power to explore the world, there are a lot of secrets out there that have yet to be found. Like, have you wondered why there aren¡¯t any people with bunny ears?¡±


    ¡°Bunny ears?¡± Claire questionably asked. She stood up and stored the two plates in her fridge and groaned. She¡¯d been a bit lacking with her cleaning, and her refrigerator desperately needed a good scrubbing down. How had Claire ignored the stains when they were right in clear sight? There wasn¡¯t anything more embarrassing to a host than having a messy kitchen. Claire could excuse the upstairs since it wasn¡¯t the focus of the get-together, but a dirty refrigerator? She was glad Momo didn¡¯t say anything. But what Claire didn¡¯t know was that Momo never noticed the stains in the first place. Her brain was just overloaded by the amount of fun she was having.


    ¡°Yeah. I have cat ears, so I¡¯m a Singi. Grampy said Singi came from a heroic cat who fought for the world. The Gods and Goddesses blessed that brave feline and turned it into the first Singi along with their friends and family. I don¡¯t know how true it is, but no one knows where we came from. I bet you can ask a hundred people, and most would say the Gods and Goddesses made us. A few would say something completely else that¡¯s probably far-fetched¡­ Er¡­ I went off-topic, but what I¡¯m saying is that why aren¡¯t there any bunny people? Or dog people? Why are Singi the only race out there with animal characteristics?¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­?¡± When Claire sat back down, she was caught off guard. The red-haired Elf never took Momo as someone to think about such deep topics like existentialism. With the candlelight illuminating her face with a wispy orange glow, Momo looked like a different person. Her hair had a slightly bright tint to it. ¡°Where did this come from?¡± Claire eventually said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know. It just doesn¡¯t seem right that only Humans, Singi, Koena, Dwarves, Elves, Earth Elves, and Kobolds are the only skill-using people of the world. I mean, there¡¯s a few more like Dryads, I think, but grampy, when he talked with me, didn¡¯t know if one was still alive.


    ¡°A few days ago, Servy was in one of her happy moods, and she was hopping around like a bunny. That¡¯s what got me thinking like this, but the more I think about it, it doesn¡¯t make sense. I mean¡­ Those are the races we know of, but there has to be more. The world¡¯s so big and wide, and I¡¯m sure a part of it is unexplored¡­ But I don¡¯t know¡­ I guess it¡¯s kinda out of character for me to talk like this, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say so. You¡¯re not the only one who wants to know what lies in places that haven¡¯t been charted or mapped. For example, take the ocean. It covers like 70% of the planet, but we don¡¯t have a way to truly explore the bottom of it. I¡¯m not even sure if it has a bottom. Once you get down far enough, it all turns black. And hey, there could be a race of bunny people sitting at the bottom in an underwater city. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible to reach that far. There¡¯s a skill that allows you to breathe underwater, but it has a time limit. Even with refreshing the duration, you¡¯d run out of Skill Energy before too long. If not that, then you would definitely be exhausted from constantly swimming. On top of that, there¡¯s the water pressure you have to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true,¡± Momo said, dejected. She placed her palm on the back of Servi¡¯s hand and rubbed her fingers.


    ¡°You know, the easiest solution would be to ask a God or Goddess. But what are the chances of running into one in a place like Canary? The only time they ever came down to the world was to set up Warden, and I don¡¯t even know how long ago that was. Even the eldest of Elves say Warden was already an organization when they were born. So what? We¡¯re looking at ten thousand years ago? Maybe even a hundred thousand? That¡¯s 100 times the lifespan of an Elf, and there isn¡¯t anyone alive now who was breathing back then.¡±


    But there is¡­ Itarr was sealed up for 730,000 years... Claire, there¡¯s seriously a Goddess sitting not even a meter away from you. But she lost her memories... And she knows just as much as Servy¡­

 Book Four – Chapter Two – Part Six – Revealing Her Love (R-18)

    ¡°If you ever met a God or Goddess, what would you ask them?¡± Momo asked out of curiosity. She stood up and went to the refrigerator to get a jug of water because she was thirsty. Usually, she would ask Claire for permission, but the Elf had made it abundantly clear that Momo and Servi were welcome in her house. Water, snacks, food? Everything was available for her beloved friends to use.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I guess I¡¯d want to know what the Gods were thinking when they made us. And how hard was it to make the planet we¡¯re on? And things like rain and snow. Where does it come from? I know about the water cycle, but I want to know what rain and snow are made other than just saying it¡¯s rain and snow. Does that make sense?¡±


    ¡°It kinda does. You want to know how water was made? We¡¯ve always known what water was, but you want to know how it first came into the world?¡± Momo asked, wanting Claire to clear it up.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Finally, I guess I¡¯d ask if bunny people existed. You got me really curious about that.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± Momo laughed, and Claire continued.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯m thinking on it, I have an endless amount questions I want to ask, but like, we¡¯re never going to get the chance to. Still, it¡¯s fun to think of hypotheticals, isn¡¯t it?¡± Claire flashed a smile and finished off her glass of water. She turned her head to one of the windows and stared out.


    With the moon being shy, it was totally dark out. Canary usually relied on the sparkling light from that dazzling rock to provide illumination. Since that wasn¡¯t the case, Claire spotted a few walking orbs of fire that came from lanterns and candles. They looked mystical and abstract and almost tantalizing in a way. If anything, the flickers of flames she saw reminded her of Servi¡¯s eyes. Red eyes were a rarity in the world, and Claire could count the number of people she had seen with them on two hands.


    ¡°Me too. Exploring the unknown and making fantastic discoveries¡­ That¡¯s like the dream of every explorer out there. I wanted to join Warden to get stronger like my grandpa¡­and make friends. But I really wanna scavenge the world and investigate long-forgotten ruins¡­ And you gotta have exploring buddies to do that. Both to make it fun and safe. Me and Servy once talked about getting on a boat in Waveret and sailing the seas. We¡¯d talk about how fun it would be to find buried treasure. Right before we left for Arcton, Servy and I spoke about who would be the captain and who would be the first mate. But between us, I think Captain Servy sounds better than Captain Momo. First Mate Momo is the perfect title for me...¡± The atmosphere suddenly grew thick and heavy, and Momo opened her mouth to ask something important. ¡°Hey, Claire?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Do¡­ Do you think¡­that if it comes to it¡­I¡¯ll be able to protect Servy like she protected me?¡± Momo uttered those words with a heavy breath as if a guillotine was hanging above her neck.


    ¡°You meaning killing someone?¡± Claire slowly asked. The atmosphere turned heavy and solemn.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Back at Warden, when you went to go change, I talked to Servi about that. I told her about my father. He was a ranger, so it was his job to protect the forest. He was blessed, but it wasn¡¯t by a Major God, and he never joined Warden because he didn¡¯t want to stray too far from home. My mother was his childhood friend, and he never wanted to be away from her. It was the same with her, so I honestly believe they were meant for each other.


    ¡°Being in the guard meant he had to clash blades with bandits, trolls, ogres, goblins, and others who thought our quaint little forest was ripe for the plundering. That also meant he had to cross that uncrossable line¡­ Momo, killing is one of the hardest things a person can do. I honestly believe that people who claim they can do it with a smile are trapped in an unrealistic fantasy.


    ¡°At the same time, I think the greatest form of love is crossing that line to protect a loved one, even if it means stealing a life. Innocent or guilty? It doesn¡¯t matter. A life will still be lost at the end of the day. Now, if it does come to pass, Momo, I won¡¯t think any less of you. It¡¯s just like how I don¡¯t think less of Servi. But if the day comes where you have to cross that line, I¡¯m sure you know Servi will be right there to lend you a supporting hand. But that¡¯s not all. I know I don¡¯t need to say this, but you¡¯ll always have my support. And Dineria¡¯s support, and Srassa¡¯s support, too. And it goes without saying that you have the support of all of your friends.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Claire¡­¡± Momo said with a whisper. Fat tears threatened to leak from her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I think I¡¯m a bad friend because¡­ What if I¡¯m frozen in fear when I need to step across that line? What if I just can¡¯t do it? Servy never thought about it twice¡­ She just jumped in and saved me¡­¡±


    ¡°Momo, that fear is normal. I¡¯m sure Servi was scared as well, but she powered through it because there was something important waiting for her on the other side. Listen, if something happens and you find yourself having to cross that line, your body will act without even consulting your mind. Servi is just that priceless to you, just like how you¡¯re so dear to her that she sprung into action. It¡¯s hard to not think about it, isn¡¯t it?¡± Claire finally said. She spent a few seconds to think about what she wanted to say in a way that would respect Momo¡¯s wishes.


    ¡°It is,¡± Momo said. She rubbed her eyes and turned to look at Servi. ¡°I wanna be Servy¡¯s equal¡­ I wanna be her equal in everything. In power, technique, skill... If I can get as strong as her, then I can watch her back just as she watched mine these past months. She¡¯s always been looking out for me, ever since our first quest. She warned me of danger... She even pushed me out of the way of an attack. My well-being always came first. For once, I want to be the one looking out for her¡­ And I do know that¡¯s what I¡¯m doing now, but I feel like it¡¯s not enough. But it¡¯s the only thing I can¡­ At least until we start questing again. ARGH! I feel like I¡¯m just talking in circles and circles and circles. But what can I really do but wait and be by her side? I¡¯m doing all I can, and I know it¡¯s all I can do, but I want to do more!¡±


    ¡°I know you do, Momo. I wish I could do something as well, but you¡¯re the only one who can provide Servi with what she needs. Maybe changing the subject will help take your mind off of it? Hmm¡­ Let¡¯s go back to when we were talking about the sea and buried treasure. Have you ever sailed on a boat?¡± Claire asked. She rolled her head and lifted her arms, stretching because her muscles felt tense. ¡°I did a few times when I was traveling around.¡±


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t even know how to swim. I need to do that first before I even get on a canoe,¡± Momo remarked. She then talked about how her grampy was just too old to teach her how to swim. By then, the adorable, love-stricken girl yawned and rubbed her eyes. Then Claire started to yawn. She lifted her arms again to stretch, and her tank top raised to show off her smooth tummy and belly button.


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to get sleepy,¡± Claire said while yawning a second time.


    ¡°Same here. It might be time for us to leave. Claire, me and Servy wanna thank you again. If we didn¡¯t have you here, then I don¡¯t know what would¡¯ve happened. Me and Servy probably wouldn¡¯t have partied up.¡± Momo stood up and stretched her arms.


    ¡°You¡¯re starting to make me blush¡­ But I¡¯m sure if it was someone else, you and Servi would still be the same.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure. You signed us both up, and if you would¡¯ve taken a few extra seconds with Servi, then I¡¯d probably have already picked a quest. I didn¡¯t tell Servy this, but I purposely picked the same one she chose because I wanted a friend. And like I said, if you had kept her occupied for another few seconds, I probably would¡¯ve waited for someone else to walk up. But since you let her go at just the right time, well, I¡¯m with Servy now. And together, we decided to get you those chocolates as thanks for helping us out with our endless questions and concerns. All of that wouldn¡¯t have been possible if you weren¡¯t there. So thanks, Claire!¡± Momo smiled, flashing a set of white teeth. She tilted her head oh-so-adorably as salty liquid leaked from her eyes.


    Claire stood up out of her chair and hugged the thankful Singi even as her own eyes started to cry. Servi was the lone girl out, and she stared at Momo and Claire¡¯s friendly embrace. Eventually, Momo didn¡¯t want to leave the straggler behind, and she grabbed Servi¡¯s hand, helped her up, and turned the personal hug into a group embrace.


    As if she had finally gotten the message, Servi¡¯s face scrunched up, and she also unleashed the flood gates.


    But it was imperative to note that none of the tears shed were for sadness. They all came from a happy origin, which made the embrace even more beautiful.


    ¡°Servi, Momo¡­ You guys are my best friends¡­¡± Claire¡¯s heartfelt words were coming from a personal background.


    ¡°And you¡¯re ours, Claire¡­¡± Momo whispered. It took a few more minutes for the heightened atmosphere to settle down, and once it did, Claire escorted her lovely friends to the front door.


    ¡°Do you want me to walk you back to Warden?¡± Claire asked. She leaned against the front door, feeling the chilly breeze on her slender arms and bare shoulders. Her red hair danced around, playing with her pointy ears.


    ¡°Thank you, but we¡¯ll be fine. If something does happen, we¡¯ll run to the nearest guard and scream for help. But surprisingly, the crime rate sure has dropped. Or at least it felt like it has.¡± Momo noticed that ever since Canary was attacked by Servi and a pack of freedom fighters, the crime rate had significantly dropped. It was still there, and even as Servi and Momo trained for the tournament, there were still tales of assaults, murders, and robberies, but they were in the single digits. Before that, such disastrous encounters that ended violently measured in the triple digits weekly. On that same note, punishing slaves in public had ceased to exist.


    They had made that much of an impact.


    It was obvious that the abuse continued in private, though. It was such a far cry from Momo''s first day. She was unfortunate enough to see a man kill his slave via a command to the bracelet they all had to wear.


    If the me now was transported in time to back then, would I have jumped in? I¡¯d like to think I would have done all I could to free that slave¡­ Wherever you are, I hope it¡¯s peaceful¡­


    ¡°Alright. Be careful on your way back.¡±


    ¡°We will. We¡¯ll see you later, okay?¡± Momo and Servi waved.


    ¡°Okay¡­ Bye,¡± Claire said, returning the wave. She watched her friends walk down her street, and she didn¡¯t go inside until they had turned the corner.¡±


    In her eyes, the meal had gone literally perfect. Absolutely nothing went wrong, and Claire was satisfied with that. That was why she had a hop in her step when she locked the door and started her nightly routine. Even though she had to be at work in 9 hours, she couldn¡¯t wait to start the day. And it wouldn¡¯t be a stretch to say that Servi and Momo reignited the Warden spirit harbored within her Elven chest.


    ¡°Yeah, life¡¯s a lot more fun when you have a couple of pals by your side,¡± Claire said while skipping up the stairs. She had already extinguished all the lanterns and candles, and she had closed the blinds and locked the back door. There was nothing else but to drift off to sleep and wake up energized to take on the day.


    Forty minutes after Momo and Servi left Claire¡¯s house, they stood alone in Servi¡¯s room at Warden. The lack of candles meant it was supposed to be dark, but Itarr took care of that with a few Lux Spheres. Immaculate light, made from the holiest of energies, illuminated the room and destroyed any shadows. The brightness highlighted the beautiful wood, enhancing the glossy film painted over it. Warden may have had its own issues, but they did take value in constructing a sturdy building. The Warden office in Arcton was proof of that.


    Momo sat side-by-side with her friend, who remained motionless. Servi¡¯s legs dangled over the bed, but she made no effort to move them. On the other hand, Momo gleefully kicked back and forth. Her eyes were glued to Servi¡¯s palm.


    Momo¡¯s fingers traced a heart and softly touched Servi¡¯s fingertips. The air was arcadian. Even the wind refused to make any noise. Her tail had gotten the memo, so it laid dormant behind her. On the plus side, the golden blankets were softer than silk and velvet, so it had it made.


    Momo gathered some courage and started to speak. ¡°Well, I hope you had fun today. I certainly did. Have I ever mentioned how happy I am that we¡¯re friends? Because I really am. You¡¯re my bestest best bestest friend, Servy. You¡¯re also the strongest person I know. And right now, you¡¯re the person I want to share my heart with. I know I¡¯m gonna say this a lot in the future, so I might as well practice. Servy, I love you. Like I said earlier, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re gonna remember any of this. I guess a part of me hopes you do¡­ But another part wants you to forget it. I suppose I should¡¯ve organized my confession, but Claire really put me on the spot!


    ¡°But I think that¡¯s good. Things are supposed to go wrong every once in a while. Imagine how boring the world would be if everything went perfectly to plan. For the first part, I know I wouldn¡¯t have met you. That¡¯s why¡­ That¡¯s why I¡¯m okay if you remember it because it can be something unique between us!¡± Momo said. She looked up from playing with Servi¡¯s palm. Her eyes were glued to those pink lips. They were slightly pursed open, and Momo only imagined how soft they were. She wanted to reach up, cup her hands around Servi¡¯s face, and slide her fingers up and down her cheeks while kissing her.


    Momo started to squirm as she felt something warm between her legs. Evidentially, she had gotten excited. Her face turned red, and her mind kicked into overdrive. She imagined touching and rubbing Servi the way she played with herself.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Umm!¡± Momo stammered. ¡°It¡¯s getting kinda late, so I think I¡¯m about to shut in for the night. Good night, Servy. I love you, and I¡¯ll see you tomorrow morning, okay?¡± A frantic girl stood up, inadvertently pulling her friend along with her. She turned to the left and wrapped her arms around Servi¡¯s back. Her hands rubbed up and down, feeling just how squishy Servi was under her overalls. Even the rugged, blue denim couldn¡¯t disguise her softness.


    As much as Momo wanted to, she couldn¡¯t stay entangled with Servi forever. She found it a heavy task to break away from the embrace, but she did so. She walked backwards, raising a tender hand towards the girl she fell in love with. She cutely yelped when her back touched the door handle, and a crimson hue covered her cheeks as she left.


    Within fifteen seconds, Momo had walked into her room, stripped down to her birthday suit, gently sat her bag beside the bed, and hopped under the covers. She usually wore one of her nightgowns, but Momo had forgone that because her body felt warm. She twisted and turned, her breath grew ragged and passionate, and her mind wouldn¡¯t stop thing about Servi.


    Momo rolled to her stomach, rubbing her delicate breasts against the soft blanket. A hand went down her stomach and softly brushed her ripening, moist fruit. She arched her back, panting as her fingers rubbed her slit up and down.


    ¡°More¡­ I need more¡­¡± Momo panted. She rolled to her back and spread her legs. She stared at the wet hand she had up, and a bit of her own juice dripped down on her lips. She imagined it was Servi, and her tongue sprung to action.


    ¡°Servy¡­¡± Momo moaned. Her entire mind was filled with nothing but her friend. She wanted to touch Servi, she wanted to smell Servi, and she yearned to lick Servi and taste her. The hand Momo used to play with herself was Servi, or so she imagined it.


    ¡°Servy¡­ I wanna touch you¡­ Servy!!!¡± Momo arched her back in pleasure when two of her fingers slipped in. That was what she got for rubbing too fast, but the pleasure-minded girl didn¡¯t think of it as a punishment.


    She stared up at the roof, gasping with an open mouth. Her other hand went to her chest, and she immediately thought about Servi¡¯s bouncing bosom. With how soft Servi was, Momo imagined the bustiest part of her had to be like marshmallows.  Even through two shirts and overalls, she felt like she knew what Servi¡¯s bare body looked like.


    But even as horny and excited as she was, she would still respect her friend. Unless she gained explicit permission, heard a love confession from Servi, and asked her twice over, Momo would wait. Of course, that was assuming Servi felt the same way about her.


    Still, it wouldn¡¯t be that bad to imagine Servi doing the pleasuring, would it? Momo thought so, and that was why she slowly stopped masturbating. She opened her eyes and removed her hand from her crotch. The chalice of pleasure was just about to tip over, but Momo pulled the plug on that.


    She loved Servi so much it hurt her heart, and waiting for a proper response would kill her.


    It wouldn¡¯t, but to her, it would feel like it.


    Momo rolled out of bed and paced around her darkroom. She could barely see where the walls were, but that was it. A glistening liquid continued to flow down her thighs, but Momo didn¡¯t notice that.


    Tears started to fall from the love-struck girl, and she just went splat on her bed. Half of her body was hanging off, with her toes rubbing the wooden floor. The other half pressed itself into the bed.


    ¡°Servy¡­ I¡­ I just love you so much¡­¡± Momo whispered. She pushed off the floor and rolled to her back, lightly bouncing on the springy mattress. Her dry hand went to her eyes, and her wet hand went back to her crotch. ¡°That¡¯s why¡­ That¡¯s why I hope you can forgive me¡­ Ever since I met you¡­ I¡¯ve had these urges deep in my body. Unless I do this, I can¡¯t extinguish the fire inside me. Aahhh!!!¡±


    Momo felt the pit of pleasure was too irresistible, and she moaned Servi¡¯s name as the metaphysical chalice started to fill. Her legs squirmed and stretched, then spread open like an eagle¡¯s wings before clamping shut. Momo nearly squeezed her thighs. The warmness of it radiated to her trapped hand. Her fingers tickled open, swarming around and rubbing against her inner folds. An adventurous thump explored around and found her clitoris. A glancing touch was enough to drain the strength in her legs, which didn¡¯t amount to much because she was lying perpendicular to her bed.


    A second touch sent chills of electricity down her spine and forced her to open her mouth. ¡°Servy¡­ Servy¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ Servy!!!!¡± Momo curled slightly upward as she felt something approach. The growing chalice of pleasure in her loins was nearly at the top, and it only needed one more thing to overflow it.


    And that one thing was a squeaky whisper from the Singi in love. ¡°I want to feel your touch, Servy¡­. Aaaaahhahhh!!!¡± Momo¡¯s lower body uncontrollably shook as an orgasm struck her like a baseball bat. She slightly convulsed, squirting her love juice a meter and a half away, soaking the wooden floor.


    ¡°Aahhhh¡­ Aaahhhh¡­ Aaaahhhhhh¡­¡± Momo panted like a thirsty dog, but she had no strength. She was content with life, at that moment, to just lie in there in bed while filling her thoughts with Servy. Even if she had an orgasm while thinking about her friend, the need to cry didn¡¯t make itself known. Momo found that vexing because of how she acted not even ten minutes ago. Her post-orgasmic state left her feeling calm, collected, and confused.


    Momo just laid there, naked, with her fluids coating her thighs. She knew she had to roll out of bed and clean up, but did she really have to do that?


    Her body said no, but the responsible part forced her to get to it. With regret, and maybe a bit of apprehension, Momo retrieved a towel from her bag. She made sure it was clean and folded it in half. Then she squatted and wiped herself dry, groaning at how tough stuff the towel was. She made a mental note to buy another one as she was wiping up her mess.


    Momo threw a silent tantrum, but she continued her cleaning. Before too long, the floors were shiny, and Momo realized she had cleaned her entire room. Somehow, that was just the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back, and Momo giggled while walking to the bed. She stored the towel in her bag and just laid down on top of the blankets. She twisted on her side and held her arms close to her stomach.


    ¡°If I can¡¯t sleep with Servy, I¡¯ll just imagine it. That¡¯s not too big of a sin, is it? If it is, I¡¯m sure¡­ I¡¯m sure the girl I love can forgive me¡­ Good night, Servy. I really do love you,¡± Momo whispered. Her beautiful head was gently supported by the expensive set of pillows. A few minutes later, she was very quietly snoring, but she had a smile on her face.


    Her dreams were filled with nothing but happiness and rainbow, and that was how she spent the first night of confessing her love.


    Love was a sensitive subject, and it rarely manifested in the same way for two different people. It could also be quite controlling, as it was with Itarr. With Momo, it turned her into a love-struck, clingy girl who couldn¡¯t keep her beloved¡¯s face out of her mind.


    One was a Singi.


    The other was a Goddess.


    The love they felt for the same woman wasn¡¯t the same.  At the same time, the devotion they showed wasn¡¯t that different at a base level because they only wanted the best for Servi.

 Book Four – Interlude – Part One – Investigation (R-18)

    When the sun warmly illuminated the master bedroom of the Fisher Jin household, it revealed a pair of lovers. Fisher had fallen asleep against his wife¡¯s stomach, and her hand had come to a stop in his hair. The early morning songbirds soon began to chirp, and the captain groggily opened his eyes. Having almost cried himself asleep, he woke up with a bit of a headache from where he had vented his emotions to his supporting wife.


    He pressed on the mattress, turning his head to the left. Smiling, Fisher leaned forward and pecked Marissa on the cheek.


    ¡°My love, you and our daughters are my entire world¡­¡± he whispered. Fisher did his best to roll out of bed without making a noise. After stretching his legs and arms, he turned back to his wife and covered her bare chest. Fisher slightly lamented the fact she was probably cold, but because of her love, Marissa didn¡¯t want to disturb her husband. That was what he loved about her.


    Marissa was kind, gentle, and loving. In short, she was the perfect mother. On top of that, this wife wasn¡¯t a pushover. The skills to fight a thousand men didn¡¯t reside inside her body, but she could pull forth anger to protect her family. That spirit was also inherited by Mari and Meri, and it was further forged by Marissa¡¯s parenting. Fisher wished he could spend every day with his children, but his schedule wouldn¡¯t allow it. Of course, he was the Captain of the Guard. It wouldn¡¯t be hard to grant himself the time off if he wanted, but abusing power wasn¡¯t on the list of how he wanted to live his life.


    He didn¡¯t want to be that man anymore.


    A few seconds later, Fisher turned his head and searched a nearby dresser. He had to work, so he slipped himself into something breathable. Right as he was buttoning his shirt, he heard a small voice coming from behind him.


    ¡°Did I wake you up?¡± Fisher asked. He turned around.


    ¡°No,¡± Marissa said, shaking her head and sending locks of hair barreling across her eyes. ¡°But I am freezing¡­ I wonder whose fault that could have been¡­¡± She ended her playful sentence with a smile and a striptease, pulling the blanket down to her stomach. If she was uncomfortably cold, she wouldn¡¯t have exposed her chest, presenting it to Fisher. But she did, and that meant Marissa wanted something.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m guilty as charged.¡± Fisher finished buttoning his shirt and sat back down on the bed, the mattress slightly shifting from his weight. He reached out and grabbed his wife¡¯s hand, pulling it to his cheeks while gazing into her eyes.


    Marissa leaned forward, planted her lips on his, and gave him a deep and passionate kiss. Her tongue barreled through his mouth, hugging and dancing with his as a few drops of salvia dribbled down their chins. When she finally pulled back, Marissa seductively ran her tongue over her pink lips.


    ¡°There! Your fine is paid in full. You¡¯re free to go!¡± Marissa proudly announced. She laid back down and turned on her side, continuing to stare at her husband. His eyes continually drifted down to her chest, which was what Marissa wanted.


    ¡°If that¡¯s a punishment, then maybe I need to do something that¡¯ll send me to jail,¡± Fisher replied. ¡°But that¡¯s going to have to wait. I¡¯ll go get breakfast started. But¡­¡± Fisher became quiet and tried to find the right words.


    ¡°Darling, I know what you want to ask me. It¡¯s how I can believe you so easily, right? Well, I can safely say that you aren¡¯t a man who would so easily lie to your family. You wouldn¡¯t make up stories and such. Because of that, I¡¯m sure you met someone you trust, and they gave you that info about Sakdu and his army.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Fisher stammered with wide eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I did to deserve a woman like you,¡± he eventually said. Fisher thought it over for a few seconds and realized he shouldn¡¯t look a gifted woman in the eyes and question it.


    ¡°That, my husband, is a secret. But if you want to know, then you know what you need to do¡­¡± She closed her eyes, propped herself up, and slightly puckered her lips. Fisher took the cue and leaned forward, kissing his wife. It was much of the same as the last time, but Fisher was on the attack. His thick hands went to her neck, but he didn¡¯t grip it. Fisher just allowed his fingers to slide down until they came to a pair of breasts. They were cold, surprisingly cold, and he then realized it fell to him to warm his wife.


    Fisher fondled and playfully pinched Marissa¡¯s nipples, using his rough hands to caress her generous breasts. He did some sort of hand motion with his palm, causing Marissa to subtly shake with pleasure. She leaned in and placed her soft lips to her husband''s. He pushed forward, invading the sanctity of her warm mouth with an explorative tongue that was ready to fight.


    When he finally removed his mouth from hers, after a breathtaking kiss that lasted nearly two minutes, there was a thick, visible line of spit connecting their lips. Marissa opened her eyes, and they were slightly watering. Her breathing increased just a little, and she was a bit flushed in the cheeks. One hand went down to her soaking crotch. The desire to finger herself welled up deep within her rich bosom, of which her other hand went to massage.


    ¡°Sweetie, I love you more than the world itself. Stay up here and rest a bit, okay? Don¡¯t worry about the kids. I¡¯ll make sure they¡¯re dressed and ready to eat breakfast,¡± Fisher said, removing his hands and returning them to his side. The warmness of her breasts still remained upon his skin, and no doubt she still continued to feel the touch of her husband.


    ¡°Okay. I love you too, dear,¡± Marissa said in between deep breaths. She watched as Fisher left the bedroom and heard his deep voice through the walls as he woke up his children. She laid back down and stared at the ring on her finger. It wasn¡¯t anything special or extravagant, just a simple metal ring that was perhaps much too plain for a woman of Marissa¡¯s beauty. But it had history behind it, and that made it the most expensive item in the world in her heart.


    Fisher had enough money to purchase a proper ring filled with rich sapphires, verdant emeralds, and flawless diamonds, but the day that came to pass would be the day she left him with her children in tow. Extravagant items and fancy luxuries were things Marissa just didn¡¯t want or need.


    When it came to earthly possessions, Marissa fancied the sentimental value. For example, she would care more for a hastily scratched drawing from her daughters than a painting from the world¡¯s most renowned artist. ¡°My darling, how could I not fall in love with you? You¡¯re strong and kind¡ªstronger and kinder than anyone I know. I know that sounds odd, considering I know your past and the sins you¡¯ve committed. But had that not come to pass and we met as children, you still would¡¯ve stolen my heart away.


    ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t forget this¡­ You can make love like a raging beast when I want it rough, or you can be as delicate as a newborn deer if I want you to be gentle. Our children look up to you as the only man in the world who deserves to be their father. If you take all that together, you¡¯re the obvious choice of who I want to spend my life with. But on top of that¡­¡±


    Marissa rolled to her side and stared at a family portrait, which was painted with brisk, heavy strokes that brought out a primal feeling. Even still, it captured the final event of a perfect evening.


    ¡°Fisher, in my eyes, you¡¯re just too good for me. You were the one who saved me from a life of unhappiness with a strange man that I did not love¡­ And you were there for me when I lost it all¡­ Sometimes, I feel like this is all a dream¡­ But it¡¯s not. This is my actual life, and I couldn¡¯t be happier¡­ Hehe!¡± Overcome with happiness, Marissa squealed and rolled left and right like a schoolgirl who was confessed to by her crush. Her brown hair soared across her eyes. ¡°Blessed Divine Beings, I thank you for blessing me with the best husband a woman could ask for¡­¡±


    Marissa closed her eyes and folded her hands together to offer a small prayer. She wasn¡¯t a devout follower. Sometimes, Marissa didn¡¯t even think the Divine Beings existed at all. But when good things happened to her, and she knew she didn¡¯t put in the effort to deserve whatever happened, Marissa found it necessary to thank the ones she believed to be responsible. In nearly every case, she could only think of the Divine Beings. It was ironic. A non-believer thanking the very concept they refuse to believe in? How preposterous!


    Moments later, the heathen opened her eyes and slipped out of bed. The window in their room was closed with a thick curtain, and only a little light bled into the house. What space available was useless to any would-be peeping toms, so Marissa didn¡¯t have to worry about anyone spying on her remarkably mature body. What, with her impressive chest that slotted so softly into her husband''s hands to her thin waist and wide hips, complete with a smooth, curvy rear, she was gorgeous.


    With a stretch and a yawn, she worked her tired muscles and moaned when she heard a satisfying crack in her neck and arms. ¡°Aahhhh¡­ That felt good,¡± she whispered. She tip-toed over to the dresser and began to rummage through it. Her hands parted past the sea of clothes until she came to a pair of racy underwear. She held it up, peeking through the black lace. The lack of any fabric in the crotch meant it should be worn for special occasions.  ¡°I have to save you later. My dear husband, I do hope you don¡¯t have to work tomorrow. I¡¯m not letting you sleep tonight. Hehehe!¡±


    Marissa giggled and stuffed the unmentionables to the side. She quickly gathered a somewhat regular, although still sexy, pair of undergarments and raced to the bathroom to take care of any and all sanitary needs. When this beacon of beauty emerged a few minutes later, her hair had been thoroughly combed through. A brown wave of softness nestled against her shoulders as she walked over to another dresser. She searched high and low for a matching black bra. After acquiring that, she quickly slipped her arms through it and turned to stare in the bedroom mirror.


    She posed as if a painter was etching her on canvas, her healthy chest looking as bountiful as ever, then searched through yet another dresser for a sporty pair of black pants and a white blouse with pink highlights. After finally clothing her body, she sat down on the bed and reached for a pair of nearby fluffy slippers. These cute, adorable household shoes were a gift Mari and Meri picked out a year prior for their mother¡¯s birthday. They even managed to pay for it by completing a list of chores their father had prepared for them.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯m all set!¡± Marissa said to no one but herself. She stood up and walked out of the room, gently closing the door behind her. As she made her way to the kitchen downstairs, she peeked inside her children¡¯s room and gasped at how best it was. The various stuffed animals were right at home on a shelf Fisher had commissioned from a carpenter in town. Their matching animal beds had blankets and covers thrown all about, but that was the worst of the damages. According to the gossip she heard when shopping, quite a few of the mothers in the neighborhood had problem children who did not clean their room.


    ¡°Oh, Fishy. Our little angels are so well-behaved. I¡¯m so proud of them.¡± Before walking away, Marissa intruded upon her children¡¯s room and hastily tidied up the beds. It took no time whatsoever, and cleaning was something Marissa didn¡¯t mind doing, especially when it came to her family. She was their support just as much as they were for her.


    And with that, Marissa descended down the stairs, and the chitter-chatter of a lively breakfast began to take root. It increased in intensity when she entered the kitchen.


    ¡°Good morning, girls,¡± Marissa said with a lovely time. Her eyes looked at the family table, where Mari and Meri were at it. They were both wearing a shirt featuring a cartoon duck, pajama bottoms, and fluffy slippers like their mother. As if they had one brain, the two looked up from their plate of eggs, bacon, sausage, and pancakes and smiled.


    ¡°Good morning, mommy!¡± they said in unison. Meri reached for her glass of milk and took a small sip. Marissa walked over and lovingly tussled her brown hair before kissing it. She did the same with Mari, then walked over towards the cook.


    Fisher smiled at her before turning his attention back to the roaring stove. The sizzling of bacon filled his ears, the smell of delicious fat filled his nostrils, and the tender lips of his wife occupied his mouth for just a moment.


    ¡°See? I told you I have it handled. I am a father, you know.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know that. Still, you know how much I like to cook.¡±


    ¡°I do know that. You¡¯re always cooking for us, so I wanted you to have a small break.¡± Fisher flashed a smile and flipped the bacon. He had a small jar nearby filled with thick grease, but it wasn¡¯t time to use it. He still had to cook breakfast for him and Marissa. ¡°Besides, you didn¡¯t say a word of protest when I said I¡¯d handle breakfast.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair¡­ You left me in such a state, knowing I¡¯d say yes to anything you asked.¡± Marissa adorably pouted and laughed it off, showing she didn¡¯t have any problem with it.


    Fisher let go of the sizzling hot pan and went over to a strange machine on the counter. He pressed his hand to the thickest part of it and sent Skill Energy through it. The coffee maker did what it was concocted and dispensed its black product into a cup with a handle. Fisher grabbed that, then added a dollop of milk and two little cubes of sugar. For the finale, he took a small wooden spoon and stirred the cup.


    ¡°Here you go, sweetie,¡± Fisher said, turning around and handing over the cup. ¡°Sugar and milk, just the way you like it. Your plate¡¯s almost done, so it won¡¯t be much longer.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, dear,¡± Marissa said. Her cute nose sniffed the sweet scent flowing from the cup and walked over to join her children. She sat down with them and talked about whatever they wanted. The topic of schooling did come up, and Fisher internally bemoaned. He knew education was important, and Marissa was bright and intelligent. She was taught by professors and tutors during her childhood, and she managed to even impress them.


    Fisher couldn¡¯t say he was the same way, though, since his intellectual strength was in battle and strategy, not in math or science. He never wanted his daughters to go near a battlefield, so he didn¡¯t really want to teach them how to fight. Of course, knowing about Sakdu, his army, and how close they were, was changing his mind about that.


    He wanted them to learn from the best... Preferably from someone tougher, stronger, and smarter than he was. A particular black-haired, red-eyed girl wasn¡¯t available. And even if she was, she probably wouldn¡¯t agree to it. Fisher¡ªthe father himself¡ªwas the second option. There wasn¡¯t anyone else he could trust with his daughters when it came to combat.


    I really don¡¯t want them to join Warden¡­ The world¡¯s a dangerous place¡­ Too dangerous¡­


    Fisher shook his head, removing a set of thoughts that were about to grow incredibly selfish. His daughters were their own people. He didn¡¯t own them, meaning he couldn¡¯t dictate what they wanted to do with the years of their life. The final choice was buried within them, and so were the challenges, mistakes, and rewards that came with it.


    With a shake of his head, Fisher threw away those thoughts. If he was lucky, he didn¡¯t have to worry about any of that until his oldest was about 10 years old. Turning his attention back to the pan, he used a fork to pick up the eight slices of bacon. Sizzling juice dripped down. When he placed that delicious pork on a wooden plate, he went to the fridge to retrieve the eggs.


    Fisher knew Marissa favored scrambled eggs in bacon fat, so he went right ahead. Cracking eggs in a bowl, whisking it until it was just right, performing the duties of a father and a husband made him happy. Back when he was a child¡ªbefore tales of the Demi-Human Slaughter had spread all around, Fisher¡¯s sister once had promised to teach him how to cook. His village fell before that could happen, and it took a decade for any culinary knowledge to enter his brain.


    Of course, the one who took up the role of his teacher was also the mother of his children.


    Once he poured the eggs into the pan, Fisher went to make a bit more pancake mix while thinking about the days before Meri and Mari came along. Even if that time was magical, it pales to living with his sparkles of joy. Every day was something new¡­ A new experience, a new smile, a new wonder¡­


    The smell of breakfast brought him back to reality. After a bit of this and that, he plated the eggs and bacon, meaning he was halfway finished with the breakfast preparation. He just needed to fry up some sausage and make a few pancakes, and everything would be finished.


    Five minutes later, Fisher eliminated the flow of Skill Energy flowing to the stove and sat the dirty dishes in the kitchen sink. He went ahead and filled the pans with water and soap to make clean up easier, then walked to the dinner table with two plates in hand. Both of which were absolutely radiating a mouth-watering aroma.


    ¡°Here you go, dear,¡± he said upon setting her breakfast down.


    Marissa turned to Fisher when he sat down, thanking him with a wink of the eye and a playful smile. ¡°Thank you, sweetie,¡± she said for added measure. But it was more so for her children. She taught them their ¡®thank yous¡¯ and ¡®your welcomes,¡¯ but it wouldn¡¯t look well for Marissa if she skipped out on it.


    ¡°Daddy, your cooking is the best!¡± Meri cheerfully gave her approval. She was drinking apple juice for a small cup, but it had somehow got on her cheeks. Marissa took care of that and piled on the praise.


    ¡°Oh, your father is magnificent at making breakfast. He had a good teacher, you know?¡±


    ¡°Daddy? You had a teacher?¡± Mari asked. She took a fork and tried to guide the last remaining piece of pancake to her mouth. However, she purposely missed and giggled when syrup dirtied her cheeks. Marissa folded up a napkin and proceeded to clean her daughter up.


    ¡°Your mother taught me how to cook. Before I met her, I couldn¡¯t even bake bread without it burning,¡± Fisher answered honestly. He took a sip of his lukewarm coffee and snapped into a crispy bite of bacon.


    The topic of conversation proceeded with Fisher as the target. By the time he downed his coffee and finished off his pancakes, his wife was talking about her plans for the day.


    ¡°I ought to do a store run because I noticed we were almost out of sausage. Honey, do you need anything?¡± Marissa tucked her hair behind her ear and picked at her bacon with a fork.


    ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything. Girls, do you want something?¡±


    After a chorus of a hundred different items that ranged from rainbows to unicorns, Fisher only smiled as his wife controlled the conversation until the children were asking for more reasonable things like candy or sweets.


    ¡°Hehe! I¡¯ll be sure to pick up some cookies on the way home. Ah, but I might need a few good, well-behaved daughters to help me pick out dinner. Now, where might I find that?¡± Marissa spoke with a playful tone and placed a hand on her forehead as if she was scouting far and wide.


    Mari frowned, believing her mother was referring to a third daughter. Meri just raised her hand and said she was good.


    Surely, the Fisher household certainly wasn¡¯t lacking in excitement or love.


    The rest of breakfast continued without a hitch, and soon, it was time for the father to head to work. Marissa told him that she would handle dishes, and he thanked her with a quick kiss on the cheek. Mari had a natural reaction for a child her age, meaning she thought it was nasty. On the other hand, Meri became jealous and demanded a kiss from her father, saying it wasn¡¯t fair that her mother got all the attention.


    To keep her from whining, he kissed her on the head and went upstairs to put on his armor.


    Dimensional Storage is really something, isn¡¯t it? Without that skill, Fisher didn¡¯t know how he¡¯d lug all of his gear around when it wasn¡¯t in use.


    After shutting the bedroom door, he emerged just a few minutes later, sporting a very familiar look. The scratched word on the chest plate had still not gotten buffed out. The sunlight peeking down was absorbed by the void-like color, which seemed as if it could swallow the very essence of light. The helmet he ought to have worn remained in his storage for the time being, and it was the same with his sword and nadrium dagger. He trusted his girls not to go near his weapons, but he just didn¡¯t want to take the risk. Having what he needed in a secure spot a dimension away just made it all easier.


    Fisher made his way to the front door, stopping by the kitchen to speak to his family, who then walked with him the rest of the way. Were they perhaps acting like guards? Possibly. Meri did walk in front of Fisher, pretending she was the forward scout.


    When they came to a halt, his daughters hugged their father, and Fisher kissed his wife. ¡°I¡¯ll try not to come home late, but today might be a bit busy.¡±


    ¡°Okay, dear. Do be careful, okay?¡±


    ¡°Daddy, don¡¯t get hurt, okay?¡± Meri asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s a promise, okay?¡± Mari said with a mouth full of bacon. Fisher didn¡¯t know where she had gotten that, but the sly smile on Marissa revealed the secret.


    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll come back safe and sound. I¡¯m your hero, aren¡¯t I? Heroes don¡¯t get injured,¡± said Fisher. ¡°Have you ever seen me come home with a boo-boo?¡±


    ¡°Nope! The favorite man in our lives always comes home without a single harmed hair on his pretty head.¡± Marissa winked and pulled her children back. If she didn¡¯t, Fisher wouldn¡¯t ever have a chance to leave. In fact, a part of her wondered if that was their ultimate plan.


    Fisher smiled and nodded, then opened the door and left, but not before waving and saying bye one last time. The virgin sky had not a cloud in sight to block that beautiful, bountiful sea of blue. The sun acted as a warming tray for the plate that was the whole world. Its intensive rays of light were silently swallowed by the Captain of the Guard¡¯s armor. By now, Fisher was very used to how hot he got when wearing it, so the extra warmth was welcome. It, of course, meant his body would just radiate a musky sweaty smell, but that was when soap and water came in clutch.


    When the door closed behind him, shielding the house from getting any warmer, Mari whispered to her sister. ¡°Our daddy¡¯s so cool¡­ He¡¯s really a real hero¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh! He really is!¡± Meri crossed her arms and smiled, acting as if she was the reason he was so amazing to them in the first place.


    Marissa silently stood there, listening to her children talk about their father. When it seemed as if the pleasant chatter was coming to an end, she asked her children to go get dressed because it was almost time to hit the markets. ¡°We have to get there early before it¡¯s all gone,¡± she told them.

 Book Four – Interlude – Part Two – Investigation

    ¡°Good morning, Captain.¡± Right as Fisher entered the headquarter¡¯s lobby, a familiar retiree called out to him from behind a desk.


    ¡°Morning, Roland,¡± Fisher replied. He walked over to the receptionist desk while waving to the early go-getters sitting nearby. If they hadn¡¯t gotten there early to take care of whatever business they had, the time to be seen would increase by a factor of 10. That was especially true when a festival was just around the corner. There were permits to file, tax documents to go over, location fees to pay, and much more.


    The late governor, Parrel, had passed a few laws that granted leniency to his closest supporters by assuring them the best spots while paying the least amount of money in fees. His replacement had stripped those early advantages away like a sticky bandage to give everyone a fair chance. He had gotten backlash for that, but there really wasn¡¯t anything anyone could do. Unlike Parrel, Blas¨¦ didn¡¯t rely on corrupt bribes because he had a fortune during his adventuring days. He was confident he could steer the city towards a favorable direction by his leadership alone.


    Fisher leaned against the desk and scratched his chin, staring back at the lobby. In just the time it took him to walk over, 8 more people had entered and took a seat. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be a busy day, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You got that right, sir. We¡¯re what, a month out from the festival? I kinda feel that most of the big shots aren¡¯t taking our new governor seriously. But hey, the jokes on them if the other merchants snag the best spots.¡± Roland shrugged and lifted a smoked sausage to his mouth. ¡°You want one, sir? My wife woke up early and got the smoker going before the crack of dawn.¡±


    Fisher put his hands in front of him and shook his head. ¡°Thank you, but I already ate.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Oh, when I came in this morning, there was a letter on my desk addressed to you,¡± Roland said with a mouth half full of mashed meat. The clear juice squirted down his throat, filling it with the flavor of a double helping of salt and pepper. After wiping his hands on a cloth and taking a sip of a nearby cup of coffee, Roland reached under the desk for a letter.


    ¡°A letter? Ah, it¡¯s from the governor¡­¡± Fisher said upon taking the envelope. He slid an armored finger over his name.


    ¡°Yep. Don¡¯t know what it could be about unless it has something to do with that disturbance.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go read. Talk to you later, Roland.¡± Fisher pushed away from the table and walked the hallways of the headquarters until he reached his office.


    Even though it wasn''t the sun, those blasted fluorescent lights in the ceiling really gave off a substantial amount of heat. With the natural summer heat, heatstroke was definitely a concern. Hopefully, the knowledgeable governor had taken that into account. It seemed like he was always one step ahead of everything. When thinking about it, that made sense. Blas¨¦ and Eina were actually the children of Virin Keywater, the Emperor of Keywater. Fisher first met them during the attack on the city, which resulted in a horde of slaves fleeing the city through tunnels. The death of the governor soon followed. That alone was a striking setback, but a not-so-insignificant amount of guards had perished in that assault.


    Canary¡¯s strength was at an all-time low; that much was something even the most die-hard patriot would agree on.


    Of course... That knowledge would spread to Sakdu. If there was anything or anyone who wanted to wipe out Canary, there would never be a better opportunity. Or it would have been if not for Servi and Itarr¡­


    Ah, yes. Servi¡­ She was a girl who was covered from head to toe in mystery. Fisher thought he had a decent grasp on what she was. He was a man who had traveled far and wide¡ªoften for unscrupulous reasons involving the ugly murder of Demi-Humans¡ªwhich meant he had plenty of knowledge about the world. It was just that he lacked ¡®academic¡¯ information.


    A thousand lifetimes of adventuring would have never been enough to crack the shell surrounding her. It wouldn¡¯t reveal the Goddess Itarr¡¯s loving shield, which was so meticulously crafted around Servi that it seemed as if it was a very part of her.


    Goddess and Human. Divine Being and mortal. One that couldn¡¯t die, and one that would perish to either the sound of war, the call of famine, or the sickly siren of disease.


    With their souls combined, the strengths overwrote the weaknesses of the other. A unique being¡ªboth Human and Goddess¡ªhad emerged into the world.


    Coincidentally, the woman who participated in the assault on Canary, the woman who Left Arcton in a state of devastation, and the woman who left a striking reminder of her power in a crater 15-kilometers wide and 3,000-kilometers deep were one and the same.


    Fisher had all the chances in the world to make Servi face justice. He could have done it after slaughtering Black Croc with her, he could have done it a day before the Rank 10 tournament, and he certainly could have done it the day Servi and Momo returned from Arcton.


    But he didn¡¯t, and it wasn¡¯t just because she could smite him out of existence with a flick of her fingers.


    He saw the opposite of him in her. She had slaughtered men and women for the enslaved Demi-Humans to have a chance of freedom, and he had butchered the free Demi-Humans. One was out of a desire for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness¡ªevery living thing had an internal craving for felicity, and it was unethical to stand in the way of that. Fisher, on the other hand, was the very source of malice. Creeping through the night, intruding upon a house, and slitting the neck of the Singi homeowners was something he used to do very often.


    He directly stole that pursuit of happiness from hundreds of people.


    Giving her up would be something the old Fisher would have done. She, a Human, freed my enemies from their filthy cages! She¡¯s one of those damn Demi-Human lovers! Strike her down, men! For she is the Witch of Arcton, who brought that city to ruin!! He would shout while raising his sword high in the air. By then, Blethor, his Major God of Combat, would kick in, granting him the skill of a sword master many years beyond his age.


    Perhaps him leaving her alone was proof he had grown as a person. After coming to terms with his sins, Fisher found it easier to breathe. The light seemed noticeably brighter. Even the singing canaries sang a bit clearer. It certainly didn¡¯t mean all was forgiven. Sakdu was proof that time couldn¡¯t heal everything, or maybe it could if an eternity had passed.


    Perhaps the time it took for a galaxy to be born and subsequently implode on itself wasn¡¯t enough. Such a thing was impossible for anyone to test, so thinking up hypotheticals to answer an unanswerable question only wasted time and energy.


    Even now, perhaps it was accurate to say that Fisher wasn¡¯t entirely over it. And, of course, the answer to why that was circled all the way back around to Sakdu.


    Fisher sighed, having reached the door to his office. He took out a keyring from his Dimensional Storage and unlocked the door. He walked to his desk and sat down, envelope clenched in his hand. His eyes went to a drawn picture of his family. It was created back when Meri and Mari were four and three, respectively. Maybe it was time to update it. With the festival coming around, it would only make sense. Or he could grab one of the many portraits from home and bring it to the office. His armored hands slid down the glass frame, faintly scratching off the unsightly word engraved on the drawn Fisher¡¯s armor. He was satisfied with that, and his eyes went to the window behind his chair.


    He had a decent enough view, but it was all of the towering walls surrounding Canary. Granite, asphalt, concrete, the defensive perimeter had a bit of everything. As strong as it looked, it was really only for visual deterrence. That cheapskate Parrel wanted the walls to be done fast and cheap, and that was what he received. It was all part of a ploy to bring budding business, hopeful families, and bright-eyed adventurers to the desolate, decrepit ghetto formally known as Canary.


    And it worked like a charm. Canary was the fastest growing city in Lando, only being beaten by the capital, Adenaford, and a second city to the north that bordered Keywater. Fisher didn¡¯t know much about it, and he really didn¡¯t care about something thousands of kilometers away. His main focus was Canary and its safety.


    Still, he thought the walls could use a patch job. Maybe to clean up some of that bird excrement or remove the foul language that had been carved by a gang of uncouth youths with nothing constructive to do.


    But enough about that¡­ I gotta see what the governor wants with me.


    ¡°Fisher, you should have received this letter as soon as you walked in,¡± Fisher said, reading the letter out loud in a whisper. ¡°First things first, I have met with everyone that was harassed by the two suspects. Thankfully, I seemed to have smoothed it all over, so the trust the public has in the guard shouldn¡¯t fall that much. Regardless, permit only those you trust with the lives of your family to talk to the suspects. Their mannerisms do not match with the records I have of them, so I have an inkling of suspicion that their actions were being guided by an unseen hand. Do whatever you need to get any information out of them.


    ¡°Stay well, friend.


    ¡°Governor Blas¨¦.¡±


    As his mouth spoke the name of the governor, a wave of relief suddenly washed over Fisher like the high tides of the boisterous ocean. He leaned back in his chair, somewhat uncomfortably because of his armor, and put a hand to his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad he came to the same conclusion I was thinking about. But controlling minds? Or controlling the actions of someone? I know of hypnosis, but for it to be this strong? And I can¡¯t say it doesn¡¯t exist because before a few days ago, I never would have believed a Goddess walked among us¡­ No, I suppose it is possible to use Telekinesis to move a person¡¯s limb, but that doesn¡¯t explain what actually happened. You can¡¯t use Telekinesis to implant thoughts and ideals into someone. I said this yesterday, but what about that Monotonia? I ruled it out because Jeri¡¯s and Sea¡¯s actions do not align with what I learned from Momo. And they don¡¯t line up with the ¡®twitchiness¡¯ most the refugees displayed. So I suppose it¡¯s a good thing I can rule out the Mafia¡­¡±


    Fisher took a breath and remembered something odd from the day before. ¡°The church¡­¡± he whispered. There it was... Jeri had never devoted his life to worship, which made his behavior unnatural. And Sea as well. Even as he spoke to them, it felt like their very soul was twisting and churning, bending against their own will to confess something they didn¡¯t want to utter.


    If I want to get to the bottom of this, I have to start somewhere. Seems like the church is the best place, but which one? Everything¡¯s going to hell when I think about it, isn''t it? First, there¡¯s Sakdu. And now this? What¡¯re the chances it¡¯ll turn into something that¡¯ll devour the city? Marissa¡­ Meri¡­ Mari¡­


    Upon thinking the names of his family, Fisher realized his hand was jittering in place from fear. Then he noticed a hot sweat making its way down his body, staining the cloth shirt he had underneath his armor. A weak gulp later, he went to open one of his desk drawers to retrieve the bottle of liquor inside.


    Fisher wasn¡¯t one for drinking on the job. In fact, he wasn¡¯t known for drinking alcohol at all. He could down quite a few glasses before feeling the effects, though. But even as he chastised his soldier for sleeping on the job the day before, he just felt an urge to drink until his worries stopped. His focus on that glass bottle of brown mercy was so hard that he didn¡¯t hear a knock at his office door.


    It wasn¡¯t until the man standing on the other side of the door spoke up that Fisher returned to the present. The bottle slipped from his hands and landed cork side down. He hastily picked it up and stowed it back inside the desk.


    Gods, if I¡¯m a nervous wreck, then what did Sakdu feel? That¡¯s a whole decade of pain and suffering¡­ Especially when I still have a wife and children to come home to¡­


    ¡°Yes, come in,¡± Fisher said, responding to the voice behind the door. The handle turned open and revealed Tim, a gray-scaled Koena. He nodded towards his captain, and his captain returned it.


    ¡°Sir, I went down to check on Sea and Jeri,¡± he said, closing the door behind him as he walked in.


    ¡°How are they? Any trouble?¡± Fisher asked. He put the letter from the governor in a desk drawer.


    ¡°No trouble, but they¡¯re acting¡­odd. We didn¡¯t have any problem getting the prisoners into their cells, but¡­ Now it¡¯s like we don¡¯t exist at all. The only thing they do is pray. They won¡¯t eat, they won¡¯t sleep¡­ We can say anything, and they won¡¯t even turn to look at us. It¡¯s almost like they¡¯re in their own world, and the only rule is constant worship of the Gods and Goddesses. Sir, it¡¯s making me a bit uncomfortable¡­¡±


    Fisher motioned to a chair opposite of his desk, and Tim took a seat. The stiffness vanished from his body, and he relaxed a little bit. It wasn¡¯t that often a captain was willing to be buddy-buddy with a man under his command. He also found it perplexing because a month ago, Fisher wouldn¡¯t have given him a second look, even though the Koena was one of Canary¡¯s better fighters.


    The Koena had spent a few days wondering why he was suddenly his captain''s go-to man, then decided that his sheer efforts were finally being rewarded. Any strangeness, though, had simmered away because he found himself getting used to his new position. The new responsibilities did wonders for his self-confidence since, in his eyes, the Justice Captain was relying on him.


    How ironic he was proud to work under the man who used to slaughter his kind without a second thought.


    ¡°If they keep refusing to eat, force it down their throats. We can¡¯t have our prisoners starve themselves to death. Oh, and be sure to let their family know.¡±


    ¡°Already did that when you were on patrol yesterday, sir. They didn¡¯t handle it that well. Sea¡¯s brother tried to attack me, but I chalked his outburst as one that was emotionally charged. It didn¡¯t take long for him to calm down and apologize, but he was still upset. When Sea¡¯s brother and Jeri¡¯s daughter swing by today, is it alright if I have them meet with the suspects? Is that acceptable?¡± Tim stood up and adjusted his equipment just a tad bit.


    ¡°It is. Just make sure that you send two or three guards with them when you escort them to the meeting room. And be sure to search them first. Ah, one more thing. Do you know what Jeri and Sea did in their time off?¡± Fisher asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s about them, but a new church was recently constructed. A week ago, I overheard Sea mention something about it  two weeks ago. It¡¯s over on buncombe street.¡±


    "A new church?¡± Fisher ran a few scenarios over in his mind.


    ¡°Yes, sir. If that¡¯s that, I¡¯ll return to my duties.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll speak to you later,¡± Fisher said. He watched as Tim left, closing the door behind him as the latch bolt clanged shut, and it wasn¡¯t a moment too soon.


    Right when the coast was clear, Fisher couldn¡¯t stop the impending drizzle of water from his eyes. He turned around in his chair, closing the curtain on his one window. An immense sadness washed over him as the room grew noticeably darker. His breath hastened, a hot chill warmed his body. Slippery sweat glazed his face in a moist, glistening film. Shaken and weak, it even seemed the air was having trouble depositing itself into Fisher¡¯s lungs.


    Sakdu¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­ I¡¯M SORRY!!!!! I¡­ I have to apologize, Sakdu¡­ And not just to you¡­ Drok¡­ Seesi¡­ Quie¡­ Kiloso¡­ Hraf¡­ Poui¡­ Loui¡­ Markt¡­


    For the next hour, Fisher leaned back in his chair with a scrunched face. He had named off 196 Demi-Humans that met an end at his hand. There were far more than that, but those were the only ones whose names Fisher had memorized. The only crime they, and all of his other victims, were guilty of was wanting to live a happy, fun, fulfilling life.


    His hands were washed with the crimson of many. Even the Gods¡¯ holiest waters couldn¡¯t erase the mental scars that came with committing a massacre. Perhaps that was to be his eternal punishment. A lifetime of living the dark nightmare of his worst fears over and over again? The night after understanding Servi and why she attacked him was the easiest he had slept in ages. At that point, Fisher wanted more than anything to be erased from his past.


    He had thought he had already suffered enough. Him relying on Feral during his internal turmoil should have been proof he was growing as a person! He chose to use the Demi-Humans first before bringing in Servi¡ªthe only Human in his class!


    To say that he struggled to keep everything under control this morning would be an understatement. It was one thing for him to cry in front of his wife, but his children¡ªMeri and Mari¡ªviewed their father as an unbreakable hero. To them, he was someone who braced the whirling tides of evil to cast the light of justice upon every living thing. Even Servi herself had called Fisher a hero. As impressionable children, the two girls quickly formulated their ideal father and applied that perfect concept to the flawed Fisher.


    But if it was for his children, if it meant he wouldn¡¯t ever see a disappointed scowl towards him¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s not fair!!!¡± He wanted to shout those words, but the moment they left his mouth would determine all the worth a man like Fisher had to give, but that only caused the tears streaming down his face to accelerate. As the survivor¡ªthe orchestrator¡ª of hundreds of murders, Fisher had no right to feel the way he did. He acted¡ªwanted to be the ultimate victim, but the real Fisher desired to suffer the consequences. Another Fisher desiderated to ignore it all and live a happy life with his family.


    The internal Fishers argued, barked, shouted, cried, begged, and fought like caged beasts for another thirty minutes. And by then, not a single piece of work had gotten done.


    Fisher then took a napkin from his desk and wiped his dried, coarse, reddened eyes. Rubbing his forehead, he took a heavy sigh and jumped when a set of knocks came from the door.


    ¡°Come in!¡± Fisher said, perhaps a bit more forceful than usual.


    The mysterious knocker was Roland, and he came to deliver some documents that needed to be signed. Fisher thanked him, and Roland left without uttering anything more than a simple greeting. Fisher did the same, choosing to stay his voice because he feared it would come out as a quivering mess.


    Still, he couldn¡¯t remain a mute forever. After a few more minutes, Fisher felt his body reach a calming resolution. A period of heightened emotions to reset his emotional limits was just what he needed. If he was to cry again, it wouldn¡¯t be for some time because he had no more tears.


    ¡°A walk would do me some good, I guess. I can clear my mind¡­ I guess I can go ahead and knock out my patrol while I¡¯m at it.¡± These documents aren¡¯t important, so I¡¯ll give them a once-over when I get back. Fisher stood up, wiped his eyes a second time, and threw away the dirty tissues in the nearby trash can.


    As he locked his office, he had a spare thought. I might as well check out that church. If something is amiss, that¡¯s the best lead I''ve got.

 Book Four – Interlude – Part Three – Investigation

    ¡°Good day, captain!¡±


    ¡°Pretty day, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°How are the kids, Captain Fisher?¡±


    It seems that there was a person who spoke out to Fisher on every street as he walked his assigned patrol route. With his varying emotional state locked into a temporary hold, he greeted those who talked to him with a smile and a quaint reply. The hideous sun was roaring alive, and it wasn¡¯t even noon. The cloudless skies did little to reduce the brutal heat.


    When Fisher walked came to a crossroad and turned left, he saw a little old lady relaxing on a wooden chair under the safety of a wooden gazebo. Years of weather had stripped it of its brown paint, giving it plenty of blemishes that almost matched the old woman¡¯s face. But contrary to her less-than-stellar looks, this woman was kind. She almost acted like a communal grandmother for the children on her street.


    ¡°Hey, Fisher Boy! When are you an¡¯ that wife of your gonna have another daughter?¡± she said, waving an energetic left hand. Her right palm grasped a cup full of refreshing ice water.


    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s a good one, ma¡¯am. Marissa and I haven¡¯t decided if we want another child. It¡¯s kinda dangerous, isn¡¯t it? The world I mean,¡± Fisher replied back, taking cover under the woman¡¯s gazebo. Stepping into the shade, it felt like the temperature dropped 15 degrees.


    ¡°Aw, it ain¡¯t that bad. Here, take this and wipe yourself down. You¡¯re sweatier than a pig in mud.¡± The woman produced a napkin from the bag sitting beside her and handed it to the sweaty captain. He took it with a thanks and wiped his moist face. ¡°Back in my day, we had fights, murders, robberies. We pretty much had everything that today¡¯s folks would find insane. You kids got it lucky. The world¡¯s pretty peaceful.¡± The woman reached back into her bag and pulled out an orange from a small section on the side. It seemed she had food and towels at the ready. Perhaps she had water or other refreshments stored inside? She was this street¡¯s grandmother, so it wouldn¡¯t be that hard to believe. And distance wasn¡¯t a problem. The gazebo she sat under was located not even ten meters from her house.


    Is it peaceful? Can you say that after knowing¡­


    Fisher softly grunted, then started to speak right as the old woman yanked the sweat-filled towel out of his hands. She stashed it in her bag''s second compartment. ¡°It might be a bit safer, but it also might not be. You can''t exactly predict what dangers, blessings, or boons will arrive when the day changes.¡±


    ¡°Pssh! Boy, you¡¯re way too young to be spitting out words like that!¡± barked the woman. She then laughed and slapped her chair¡¯s arm. ¡°You should be shootin¡¯ out more kids!¡±


    Fisher didn¡¯t have the strongest feelings towards that elderly woman. The few scars going down her face probably meant she was a rough-and-tumble fighter back in the day, and a part of that could still be seen. But it also wasn¡¯t as if Fisher hated her. It was always an experience whenever he and her crossed paths.


    As Captain of the Guard, he had to defend all of Canary¡¯s citizens, even the ones he despised. Being rude to them wasn¡¯t permitted at all.


    ¡°I guess it wouldn¡¯t be the worst thing to have a son. Even a third daughter would be a blessing, but¡­ Maybe that has to wait a bit. A least until Mari and Meri have a few more years under their belt. But I need to get back to my patrol. Thanks for the towel, granny.¡± Fisher waited to see if the woman would respond, but she only nodded because her attention was stolen away by a few children who ran to greet her. He watched a few more seconds, then the man in the black armor stepped out into the dry, hot sun and continued his patrol.


    It didn¡¯t take long at all for Fisher¡¯s path to lead him to a particular place. The nearby indicator said Buncombe Street. With that out of the way, he spotted his destination. Moments later, Fisher walked up the wooden steps to a wooden door. Attached to said door was a newly built church out of cedar. Standing just a story tall, Fisher had to admit the craftsmanship was spectacular. The white paint was thick and stubborn, meaning it would take more than wind or rain to strip it away. The traditional stained-glass windows were present, but the building only had two. One was on the front door, which was so opaque that it was impossible to see through it. The second was above the door frame, located about a meter up.


    Neither of the two was of any specific design, and they weren¡¯t meant to represent any special decree. Dupla to donuts, the priest who worked here had likely their say in the design. If that was the case, the only one who knew the truth behind it would be them.


    Black iron was carefully slotted into the wood and crudely snaked up the corner posts, eventually reaching the very tip-top and combining into one. At first glance, it just looked like a design only for show. It could have been a logo, but did it belong to the church or the company that built the place? On that thought, what if it was there for structure. If looked at from a certain point of view, the black bars could almost act as the church¡¯s exoskeleton if it suddenly grew legs and walked away.


    Like the stained-glass windows, the snaking iron rods were something that only made sense to the one in charge.


    I guess it doesn¡¯t matter. A symbol is a symbol, and a church is a church. A walking church? What a dumb idea¡­


    A raised hand and five knocks later, the ground started to lightly rumble, but it wasn¡¯t enough to knock the experienced soldier off balance. And he didn¡¯t go for his sword either because there was no threat. But the same couldn¡¯t be said for the surprised look on his face when the door opened.


    His mind had prepared him for a meeting with a Human.


    But what Fisher was currently staring up at was the furthest thing from a Human. The bestial-like man had a head like an alligator and the tail of one to boot. His face was uncovered, showing off a snarling teeth-filled smile that somehow contained no trace of unpleasantness. Two black eyes stared at Fisher as if they wanted to examine his very soul. The Kobold¡¯s body was covered from the neck down by a white robe made of thick cloth. It disguised his toned, bulging muscles were covered by a layer of sapphire-colored scales. In fact, if Fisher didn¡¯t know better, he might¡¯ve considered the ¡®thing¡¯ in front of him to be a walking, talking, uncut gemstone. Perhaps of the gemstone race, if such a people actually existed?


    ¡°Ahhh, if it isn¡¯t Fisher Jin, the Captain of the Guard¡­¡± pleasantly growled the Kobold. He was so thick he took up the doorway, so he stepped backwards to allow for a bit of breathing room between the two men. The floor creaked underneath his sheer girth, but not a single plank of wood gave way. That probably meant the construction company created the church with care, choosing not to cut corners to save a bit of dupla.


    Fisher took the Kobold¡¯s backwards advance as an invitation and walked in. ¡°So you¡¯ve heard about me?¡± he asked as his eyes had to adjust to the stark difference in lighting. The sun nearly dwarfed any other source of illumination. The church itself was fully illuminated, by candles and torches and a few lanterns here and there, but their flames were like frozen chunks of obsidian. For a brief second, there was just total darkness, like the void of a shadow. That was why Fisher didn¡¯t see the windows on the left and right walls. A thick black curtain acted as a sunshade to lower the temperature, which melded everything together.


    For what it was worth, Fisher absolutely hated that darkness. He despised it, scowled at it, wanted to crush it away like a giant playing with a toy meant for children. Even as strong as Fisher was, the captain couldn¡¯t train his eyes to adjust any faster. He just had to stand there, waiting for the light to flow back into his retinas while casually making small conversation.


    ¡°Oh, yes, I have. Fisher Jin, the devilish trainer and captain of the Canary city guard,¡± the Kobold said, raising a finger to emphasize the ¡®captain¡¯ portion of his sentence. ¡°They say you work your men to the bone to toughen them up, then send them to fight a juncea in mortal combat as a final test. They also say that when your trainee dies¡ª stabbed through the chest and eviscerated open like cattle¡ªthat you do nothing but watch. On top of that, the rumors say your penchant for justice is second to none¡ªnot even the Divine Beings could come close to your desire for a fair and just world¡­ Have I got it wrong?¡± The Kobold spoke heavy sentences. Even if he didn¡¯t mean it, every word cut Fisher like a hunter slitting the throat of a dying buck.


    Fisher did not know what strength he tapped into to prevent the emotion from flooding his face, but he wished he had it more often. If not for the sake of his children, by standing tall and looking heroic, then for himself.


    ¡°Ahh, my apologies, Fisher Jin. I must admit that I am only repeating what I have heard on my strolls around town. We have never met, so I dare not presume to know everything about you from forlorn rumors and untrustworthy whispers. I am a Kobold who trusts in the sounds I hear, the sights I see, and the scents I smell.¡± The Kobold shut the door with the carefulness of handling a child. Fisher walked forward, taking in the church. There were two sections of pews located on either side. Each one stretched back about six seats.


    Fisher estimated that maybe 40 people and the priest could comfortably fit inside without issue. The wooden floors still had a sparkly sheen. Though there was no doubt, a hideous world of grime and filth awaited them in the near future. Of course, that all depended on the Kobold¡¯s cleanliness. The altar at the far back was the very definition of frugality in that it was just a table that could be bought anywhere. It was the same with the pair of candles placed on it. Their wicks faintly radiated the scent of oil. They weren¡¯t alit with flame, but that was the fate awaiting them. The last thing of note Fisher spotted was a confession booth situated in the far back. It wasn¡¯t hiding, but it also wasn¡¯t front and center.


    Fisher turned back to the Kobold, who started to speak.


    ¡°May I ask the reason for your visit?¡± he growled in a way only Kobolds could.


    ¡°Do you know a man named Jeri? What about a woman called Sea? If what I learned was correct, then¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ahhh¡­ Sea and Jeri, you say? Yes, I do know them. It really is an awful thing, you know. I never thought they had it in them to turn on their own citizens. May their victims find peace in this turbulent time.¡± The Kobold clapped his hands together. The sound of scales smacking scales echoed out in the lonesome building. ¡°Might I ask what punishment they will receive?¡±


    Fisher held up a cautious hand. ¡°Five years in prison, but their victims didn¡¯t die. They¡¯re alive, well, and no worse for wear. But let''s change topics away from their punishment.¡±


    ¡°I agree. It is not right to speak of such a thing while in the place of worship. Ah, if I may ask this, though. Why do you think they did what they did? I have not known them long, but I found Jeri to be full of wisdom. Sea was a bundle of energy, who really seemed to give it her all when it came to praying and worshipping. But I do not regret getting to know them because my church is open to all who need it. My arms will be open to take in the masses, and it is through me that I will help them get the help they need.¡± The priest spun around in a tight circle, his arms spread as wide as they could, probably to dramatically emphasize his point. The sleeves of his robe caught on to the wind, pulling back to reveal shiny, blue arms that sparkled in the candle and torchlight.


    ¡°Ah, now that you say it,¡± Fisher spoke. ¡°I mean no disrespect, but it is rare to see someone like you. A Kobold who actively wishes to spread the church¡¯s gospel to the point where you have your own place of worship.¡±


    The alligator-like Kobold grinned and laughed from his belly. ¡°Wahahaha!!!¡± With his mouth open, Fisher saw just how many sharp teeth he had flooding his mouth. With the muscles in his jaw, the chuckling beast could definitely snap a lesser man in half with a single bite. ¡°I have received that question nearly forty and five times since I became a priest. The church itself is a wonderful idea. It has an unfathomable amount of resources. And I, as a Kobold, do not wish to journey down the lustful path of war that many of my brothers and sisters are drawn towards. I desire peace and tranquility above all else, and I wish to help those who are less fortunate than others.¡±


    ¡°You still chose to join, even after hearing the rumors?¡± Fisher asked.


    ¡°That I did. I know full well of the nasty rumors swirling around my faith. And before you ask, I acknowledge how absurd the rules can be regarding ownership of Human and Demi-Human slaves. Just because I am of the faith does not mean I agree with what is and isn¡¯t permitted. My desire to help the men and women, Humans and Demi-Humans, of the world goes beyond that. That is why I did what I did when I nursed a little girl with a sprained ankle back to full health.¡±


    ¡°You know you need a license to do that, right? A priest breaking that rule is¡ª¡±


    ¡°That is if you use skills. Ice, bandages, and ointment are readily available items. Because of that, I found no need to charge that little Singi, and I healed her for free. Should anyone has the need to arrest me, then I will gladly live out my punishment because I will not be silenced for what I believe in.¡±


    Fisher was amazed and confused at the priest¡¯s words. ¡°In that case, why not become a traveling doctor? I don¡¯t see why you had to join the church to accomplish your goals.¡±


    ¡°Did I not make that clear? My apologies. I joined because of the mass amount of resources available to those who rise in the ranks. I, myself, have finally acquired a church. Though I am not entirely independent in what I can do, this is a tectonic first step on the spiraling path towards my goal. Do you not think it is a noble goal, o¡¯ captain of justice?¡± asked the priest. His long tongue licked his teeth.


    The captain and priest continued their somewhat cryptic conversation about faith and rules and healing and obligations. Somewhere along the way, the priest mentioned a trip he and his flock of believers took to the primary church, which was located near the noble district. According to the sparkly blue Kobold, the bishop who ran it was in charge of every church in southeastern Lando. That information struck a chord in Fisher¡¯s mind. When he pressed the topic, the response he received was nothing out of the ordinary.


    ¡°As a property-holding priest with a new flock to protect and lead, I was ordered to travel to the main church to introduce myself and receive orders, tasks, goals, and assistance from the bishop in charge. Nothing out the ordinary happened, and our trip ended with us returning to here without incident.¡± The Kobold told it how it was, not missing anything in his rather excellent recollection of an event that happened a few weeks prior.


    A few minutes later, the conversation had shifted yet again to the priest¡¯s life story. He told a patient Fisher the story of how he was left bedridden after a volatile bout with a deadly disease. ¡°My arms were growing tiny, or so it seemed. My legs couldn¡¯t support my weight, and even my chest started to shrink. It was like I had started to age backwards once I reached the age of two, but only my skin was affected. It was pressing against my bones, lungs, and muscles, constricting them. If I tried to move my arm, it would have to tear away from my scale-covered body to break free. Whatever I had wasn¡¯t contagious because it never spread to my family, but I was breathing on borrowed time. Even now, I know not what that disease was. The memories of it are hazy, like trying to see through a fog of crystalized smoke. Yet, as you can see, I did not perish from my disease.


    ¡°A wandering doctor was making his way across the world, but he moonlighted as a priest belonging to the religion I now practice. His travels eventually led him to my village. After feeding him, my family begged him to look at least take a look at me. I don¡¯t remember his features, but he had the strictest voice I had ever heard in my years of living. Each sentence was accompanied by an expletive, but I cannot doubt his technique. In just a few days, with assistance of herbs and ingredients nearby, my awful ailment had all but disappeared.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you noticed just how blue my scales are. The reason behind that is that my body had regained its original shape before the reverse aging, and my body went through puberty a second time. For every year I live, my body grows double that. I have only been in this world for six rotations of the planet around the sun, but my body does not reflect that.¡±


    ¡°And I assume that doctor-slash-priest started you towards this path?¡± Fisher asked. He listened with careful intent. He had seen a lot during his violent travels, but not once had he heard of a disease that ages people backwards. Of course, that was if what this priest said was the truth. Would such a disease be so out of reality that it fell into fantasy and fiction? A year ago, Fisher doubted the physical manifestation of a Goddess through the body of an amnesiac girl would be possible, but here he was. He was personally intertwined with her via the deal to fund the orphanage he had suggested, which was something else he didn¡¯t think possible.


    Because of those facts, Fisher concluded that such a disease was probably authentic.


    ¡°Yes, that is correct,¡± the priest growled with a smile, reflecting on how survival. ¡°He did not have to do it, for I was a young Kobold. He was not kin to me, nor was he a companion of a family member. They knew him not, but he still found it necessary to save the life of a Kobold like me. My family was supportive when I announced my life plan, which assured me that I was making the correct choice. My path to get here was rocky, and failure became synonymous with my name¡ª¡±


    ¡°But here you are, proof that your desire for selflessness and healing has rewarded you with a stepping stone to reach your final goal.¡±


    ¡°Wahahaha!!! Captain, you are correct. Between learning my words and letters and begging for a chance to work with an apothecary, I devoted everything to medicine. During my breaks, I found a priest who would teach me what he knew. Other Kobolds ostracized me for my wanting of material knowledge more than war-acquired treasures, but their thoughts bothered me not. Everyone has their own path in this world. Mine just so happened to be the road less traveled by my kin. And now, I have been blessed by having a church all to myself. It will be a challenge to run this place by myself while devoting myself to my healing, but I welcome it. Hmm¡­ I should see if I can hire any nuns or other priests.¡± The Kobold went off on a tangent near the end, but he got his point across. His large eyes stared at the captain in the black armor.


    ¡°I see¡­ Well, priest, it has been good talking to you. I still have questions, but it is what it is,¡± Fisher said, leaning up. He had been resting against the pew¡¯s backrest. The captain started to walk towards the door, bypassing the sapphire Kobold, who had his massive arms crossed. He stayed quiet until the captain turned the door handle.


    ¡°It is the same for me, captain. Now that we have shared words, it feels as if I am more familiar with what and who you are. I am happy to help all who need it. Should you know someone who fits that description, please send them my way. Ah, that also includes you, of course. My confession booth in the corner over there is open for all with no appointment needed.¡± It was an innocent enough goodbye, but the last sentence forced Fisher to take a pause. The handle in his hand even stopped mid-twist, adding to the sudden stillness.


    ¡°¡­¡± Without saying anything, the captain completed his hand movement and pushed open the door. The sudden light from a virgin sky blinded him, but he advanced without pause. It wasn¡¯t until the door shut behind him that he realized he had been holding his breath. Captured air escaped through his nostrils and slightly opened mouth. Before he knew it, Fisher had started walking, moving one leg in front of the other.


    He did take one last look at the church growing smaller behind him. Buncombe street was small and narrow, but it was pleasant and easy on the eyes. Verdant green grass bloomed in the church¡¯s front yard. The stone walkway Fisher had walked on looked like floating platforms in a sea of emerald. The other buildings on the street were either small shops or residential homes, though both were often owned by the elderly.


    So he had the church built next to a bunch of old people? Seems thoughtful enough, I guess. Maybe he¡¯s one of the good priests after all¡­ Still, I didn¡¯t sense any hostility from him.


    Fisher walked into a nearby caf¨¦ that just a few short buildings down from the church.


    It was quaint and comfy with a ¡®home-sweet-home¡¯ type of feeling. More accurately, it looked, felt, and smelled like a loving grandmother''s house would be. And that was because it was a caf¨¦ and home combined, with the shop occupying the first floor and home the second. Fisher bought a few cups of water from the shop owner with a smile. She recognized him and threw in a bonus cookie, which he took with a gracious thanks. He took his cups of water and treat to a table and drank and ate while thinking about things.


    Whatever happened to Jeri and Sea didn¡¯t come from here¡­ It¡¯s been a while since my last battle, but my instincts are still as sharp as ever. That¡¯s my last line of defense, and it¡¯s invaluable to how I¡¯ve survived thus far.


    Still, this feeling¡­ It feels like everything that happened is a prelude to something else¡­ Can I assume Jeri and Sea are pawns in something? Why would the one behind it risk their plan by involving the guards? Shit, this couldn¡¯t be a final revenge plan by Sakdu, could it? It only makes sense¡­ If not, why else would something like this happen? No, I can¡¯t just jump to conclusions¡­


    After Fisher quenched his thirst, satisfied a non-existent hunger, and filed away the information he had learned in his mind, he walked out of that little caf¨¦ and started a trek towards the main church. As always, he had to keep a proper facet, one that befitted a man of his position. That was truer than ever, especially considering that only he knew what really went down at Arcton and the reason why so many evacuated towards Canary. It wasn¡¯t as big of a deal because the governor swiftly took care of it, but the first few days were full of tense stress. Only days had passed since then, so outwardly, he couldn¡¯t appear so relaxed. At the same time, he couldn¡¯t look so stressed out.


    He had to walk a fine balance, fully throwing away his internal bias to be whatever Canary needed him to be in regards to what was currently happening. Luckily for him, Fisher had practiced doing that same thing during the last few months when Arnold, his childhood friend, was alive. He had to keep up a facet of shrill, twisted kind of ¡®justice¡¯ then. Fisher felt a shudder crawl up his spine even thinking about it. But Arnold was dead, and he had been dead for over a month now. Fisher didn¡¯t have to worry about him anymore, and now could be more like the man he wanted to be after coming to terms with his twisted idea of revenge.


    Still¡­ Marissa¡­ Mari¡­ Meri¡­ Fisher thought of his family, and only his family, as he traversed the booming streets of Canary to reach the main church.

 Book Four – Chapter Three – Part One – The Joy of Assisting Others

    The day after having dinner at Claire¡¯s house was lackluster. At some point through the night, a ravenous thunderstorm roared to life, cascading Canary in a torrential downpour. Momo was bolted from her dream by a ferocious bout of thunder. The dark, puffy rain clouds hid the early morning sun behind a curtain of darkness. That extended to her room, which was as black as night. Momo couldn¡¯t even see the ceiling above her.


    The abruptly woken-up Singi just rolled over and rubbed her head against her soft pillow. The temperature did drop by a few degrees, and a shiver merrily made its way up Momo''s stomach. With the pace of a snail, Momo rolled out of bed, pulled back the covers, and slid under them.


    She had drifted off to sleep laying above her golden blanket because she worked up a sweat when cleaning her room. That, she realized, was a mistake, but it wasn¡¯t her fault. The nightly atmosphere was calm, peaceful, and serene. No one realized a storm was fast approaching.


    As the warmth enveloped her naked body, Momo tried her best to go to sleep. She yearned to go back to that pleasant dream, which consisted of her and Servi laying on a giant flower while holding hands. The power of imagination came in handy. In only a few short seconds, Momo felt the smell of Lilies enter her nostrils. Her cheeks felt the sun¡¯s warming rays, and her hand suddenly had something soft in its grasp. She only needed a few moments to be transported back to her inner wonderland.


    Another crack of thunder jolted her eyes open, and Momo realized the storm wouldn¡¯t let her go to sleep. She audibly groaned her frustrations and leaned up. Her body was full of tension, and her mind was clouded by a blockage of stress. She kicked her legs to the side and danced them off her bed. A pair of arms raised up, stretching to loosen them up. After that, Momo dressed herself in pants and a t-shirt, forgoing her sword since she knew she wouldn¡¯t leave Warden today.


    ¡°Yep¡­ It¡¯s gonna be one of those lazy days,¡± Momo said upon walking to the small window she had. The rain rhythmically rapped against the glass. She stayed there for a few moments, choosing to stare at the growing puddles on the road below her. A few early morning rises were out and about with umbrellas. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, it has to be around 6 or 7¡­ Wait, what time did Servy and I get home?¡± Momo sighed, yawned, and rubbed her sleepy eyes. ¡°If I¡¯m already up, I might as well do my workout and take a shower.¡±


    The last time we had lightning this bad was when Servy attacked the slave markets¡­ I slept through it then, but I¡¯m wide awake¡­ I guess it is good I¡¯m learning how to be a lighter sleeper.


    After a quick stretching session, Momo found herself going above and beyond what Dineria taught her. She started to add squats to the docket of what to do after waking up. Truth be told, Momo was a bit embarrassed about missing her nightly workout. Her regiment was supposed to be done twice a day. The Singi said a quiet word of apologies as she squatted down. The pain in her legs roared alive, but Momo just didn¡¯t want to give up yet. She kept going for another ten reps, then switched to doing sit-ups. After a while, she transitioned to push-ups before ending with a handstand.


    Momo fell to her butt in a sweaty mess when her workout was complete. She panted like a dog and went for her canteen but forgot it was with Itarr. Another groan later, Momo grabbed her bag, locked the door, and went to the shower rooms. She entered the first available stall and sat her bag on one of the two tables provided. Her bare feet skidded along the tile flooring, and she stared at the tiled walls. Each of the shower rooms at Warden had a different design, which was odd. One could be all wooden, with wooden flooring, walls, and a wooden pole for the Wash Stone. Another could be all tile and have a shower curtain, like the room Momo was in. A third could be a mix of both.


    As she stripped down to her bare skin, Momo¡¯s tired body yearned for sweet relief in the form of hot water. But first, she used the Wash Stone to produce a flowing stream of cool water to satisfy her thirsty mouth. The naked Singi shivered when the stream touched her tongue. Cold and refreshing, she stood there with her mouth open, catching the clear liquid.


    Momo gulped down mouthful after mouthful until she started to feel a bit bloated. It was then she realized that she had been feeling weird all morning.


    Come on, Momo! Just calm down, take a deep breath, and wash yourself. You don¡¯t have reason to be feeling like this because life is good. It¡¯s going very good, and you don¡¯t have to keep thinking negatively. It¡¯s okay to miss a workout once in a while! Just think of it as an extra day of rest because you have to look after Servy!


    ¡°I¡¯m right¡­ Momo, just do your best to see the light and not the darkness. Stop thinking that you can¡¯t be happy or whatever the reason you were sad and stressed this morning. Just think about Servy. Rely on her, use the feelings you have for her, and just think about her. Going to her room like this would probably only make things worse, and you can¡¯t have that. Besides, nothing bad happened,¡± Momo said to herself. She was just unblinkingly staring at the drizzle of cold water.


    Like that, Momo convinced herself to greet the water with a smile as it warmed up. ¡°A hot shower, a tasty meal, and a fluffy, warm, soft Servy are what I need for a rainy day!!¡±


    ¡°Hey! Servy! Are you awake?¡± Momo asked, knocking on her neighbor¡¯s door. She waved and smiled at the group of three Dwarves walking past her. Momo waited a few more seconds and just let herself in the room with the key. With a silent creak, the door was pushed open to reveal Servi. She was still dressed in her ¡®farmer¡¯s daughter-esque¡¯ outfit.


    Servi¡¯s piercing red eyes stared out of the window, intently gazing at the passing people. She saw families and friends, husbands and wives, and brothers and sisters rushing point A to point B to avoid getting wetter than necessary.


    Momo walked in, setting her bag on the ground beside the door and closing it behind her. Once it was locked, she skipped over to her darling best friend and hugged her from the back.


    ¡°Good morning, Servy!¡± Momo chirped. Since she was shorter, she had to stand on her tippy toes to balance her head on Servi¡¯s shoulders. Her hands were right on Servi¡¯s stomach, pressing against the coarse azure overalls. ¡°Do you like staring out the window?¡±


    Momo stayed there with Servi for another ten minutes, and the two just stared while being connected. ¡°Did you sleep well? I didn¡¯t. That dang thunderstorm woke me up. It was like, ¡®I¡¯m gonna snap really loudly and wake everyone up just because I¡¯m a storm, and that¡¯s what I do. Muwhahaha!¡¯¡± Momo did her best impression of a sinister laugh, but it only came out adorable and unthreatening. ¡°Um¡­ Servy, do you wanna lay down? Do you¡­ Do you wanna take a nap with me?¡± Momo asked. After she said that, she buried her head in Servi¡¯s back and just waited.


    Ten seconds, twenty seconds, even thirty seconds after asking, Servi didn¡¯t respond in any way. Her mouth remained shut, and her arms stayed by her side.


    Wait, will she follow me? Momo kicked her plan, which really wasn¡¯t a plan at all, into action. Like a farmer leading a horse to water, Momo led the girl she loved to the soft bed. When she sat down, Momo¡¯s skirt briefly showed off the tops of her thighs. Her short-sleeved shirt stopped at her elbow, showing off a set of arms that were just a bit flushed with heat.


    Momo¡¯s other hand went to her hair, and she timidly curled her pink strands around her fingers. ¡°Servy, do you wanna take a nap with me?¡± Momo asked again. She scooted backwards, unknowingly sending her skirt higher and higher until her cute, pink panties were on display. Then Servi placed a hand on the wooden frame and guided herself down until she laid on her side. Of course, she had to face towards her guardian Singi.


    Momo squeaked in delight and also laid down. She unhooked her fingers from Servi¡¯s hand and took a second to reconfigure herself, using the time to straighten out her skirt. Next, she kicked off her shoes and rubbed her pink-socked feet on the golden blanket.


    ¡°Now then, Servy, I¡¯m gonna hold your hand, okay? Once our souls are connected, we can drift off to sleep. Since it¡¯s a rainy day, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to get wet and soggy. And I don¡¯t want to get dirty, either. Like I said to myself earlier, there isn¡¯t anything wrong with a lazy day. And right now, I wanna spend that lazy day with you¡­¡± Momo reached down and grabbed Servi¡¯s left arm. She pulled it closer until she was practically hugging it. ¡°Sweet dreams, Servy,¡± Momo whispered.


    Her eyes gradually closed, blocking her bright blue orbs from being seen. Servi motionlessly stared at the sleeping Singi. If she had any thoughts about the situation, she didn¡¯t make them known. Even as Momo hugged Servi¡¯s arm between her chest like a kitten clutching their mother, the black-haired girl just didn¡¯t move at all.


    The storm clouds soared across the sky, bringing rain, thunder, and lightning for all who lived in southeastern Lando. The numerous farms received more than enough water for their crops, and the maintained wells and healthy aquifers filled right back up. On the surface, it seemed everything was going well.


    And it was, for the most part. Fisher Jin had his own investigation to take care of, but he refused to involve Servi and Momo in it. He thought they had suffered enough, and he wanted to give them the rest they deserved. Protecting Canary and its residents would fall to him as Captain of the Guard.


    Momo, the lovable, adorable Singi snuggled and wiggled against Servi until her forehead touched her arm. After that, she unconsciously marched forward until she was stuck to her friend like a bad cold. In a move unlike her, Servi brought her free arm over and placed it on Momo¡¯s head. Then it went back and worth, rubbing her with the gentleness of a lover.


    As suddenly as it happened, Servi removed her hand from the field of pink hair and dropped it by her side. Then she closed her eyes and fell asleep for the first time since becoming like this. When she and Momo camped out, Servi was just lying there on her side with her eyes open.


    But now that she had finally dozed off, it only cemented the utter trust she had for Momo. If the adorable Singi was awake, she¡¯d probably gleefully squeal like a pig. But as the hours passed, neither the former Mad Dog nor the cat-eared girl woke up from their extended nap. It was as if time kept their souls locked together in a world of happiness. But all things had to come to an end. In Momo¡¯s case, it was her tummy violently rumbling her awake. It growled with the force of a tyrannical monster because its owner had ignored it for the sake of her friend.


    Her lazy eyes crawled open, and she realized her lips were touching Servi¡¯s shoulders. A cautionary glance upward revealed Servi¡¯s nose was deep in a field of pink hair. Momo couldn¡¯t see a smile, but she knew it was there. She struggled long and hard against her inner-self to ascertain if she wanted to at least kiss Servi¡¯s shoulders, but it ended in a loss. But Momo didn¡¯t want to leave without showing her affection, so she nuzzled her cheek on her Servi-pillow just hard enough to wake her.


    Fortunately for her, Servi had woken up in one of her happy moods. She mimicked what Momo did and rubbed her cheeks into a blissful hill of pink hair. The embarrassed cat girl blushed hard, and tears nearly leaked from her eyes.


    ¡°Servy!!!¡± Momo said in a singsong-like voice.


    ¡°Servy!!!¡± Servi repeated. She added an adorable laugh and wrapped one arm tightly around Momo.


    ¡°Bwha!!!¡± Momo exclaimed. Servi had started to rub her hand up and down Momo¡¯s slender back, inadvertently putting her in an excitable mood. She began to say a word of protest, but it was like she was about to melt. Servi¡¯s touch was just that much. Maybe an amnesiac Goddess was looking out, but Servi abruptly raised her arm. Momo rolled out of bed, landing with one knee touching the floor. She stood up, wobbling just a little bit, and landed her butt back on the golden blanket.


    It took a few seconds for her body to reset, and that hastily-filled chalice needed time to evaporate. Once Momo¡¯s heart had stopped, she twirled around to face Servi, who remained on her side with an innocent grin. Momo smiled at Servi, and she laid back down. Her skirt had drifted upward, which showed off more of her thighs, but it was better than when she flashed her panties by mistake.


    ¡°Servy, you gotta give a girl warning before you run your hand like that!¡± Momo said, raising a finger and wagging it. I did rub her back a few times¡­ Since she likes to copy me, I guess I had it coming.


    ¡°Warning!!!!¡± Right as Servi repeated that, her palm closed around Momo¡¯s finger, enclosing it in her warmth.


    ¡°Yep! Just like that. Ah¡ª¡± Momo was distracted by a lovely crimson glow, which filtered through a rain-stained window. It seemed the storm had come and gone, leaving Canary with an hour before the falling of darkness. ¡°We slept right through that storm, didn¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Storm!!!¡± Servi said. Her smile became even brighter, which was something Momo didn¡¯t think possible.


    ¡°I love you!!!¡± Momo said that as a joke in hopes of having Servi repeat the whole sentence.


    ¡°I love you!!!¡± It was like Servi read Momo¡¯s heart, but that couldn¡¯t be possible. She didn¡¯t have that power to begin with, and the Servi present wasn¡¯t the same person Momo knew. Similar? Yes, but it would be imprudent to say the two were one and the same.


    For a brisk moment, Momo started to lean in. She had never kissed anyone before, so she didn¡¯t know what she had to do. It involved the lips, that much was sure, but she didn¡¯t know what came after. Was there a noise involved? Did her breath stink? What if her lips were too dry? A million problems swarmed her mind, but Momo trekked along. Servi wasn¡¯t so much as taken back as she was confused. She didn¡¯t lean forward, but she didn¡¯t lean back.


    Momo knew it was wrong to take advantage of someone who couldn¡¯t consent, but she thought Servi would forgive her. Her heart had been taken over by affection and longing for another¡¯s tender touch.


    It probably would have gone all to plan if the Singi had done one simple thing: eat breakfast. Since it had happened to her so many times, Momo just accepted the fact she would never have the chance to be the ¡®cool one¡¯ because her stomach would always interrupt with a mighty growl.


    But upon further analysis, maybe it was a good thing such a moment was interrupted? Surely it wouldn¡¯t be good to stain the priceless first kiss with such controversy of one taking advantage of the other. Even surviving a near-death scenario couldn''t circumvent the almighty beast known as consent. It just didn¡¯t give her the right. The spunky, affectionate Singi would just have to wait.


    Momo groaned and rolled back and forth with her hands gripping her hair. She stopped when Servi started doing the same thing, and Momo laughed off the situation with a cute chuckle. She leaned up, pressing her left arm down to support herself. ¡°Servy, since we skipped right through breakfast and lunch, let¡¯s go grab us some dinner. After that, we can have some more fun, okay?¡±


    ¡°Fun!!! Fun!!!¡± Servi started hopping around the room. Evidentially, she associated that with the word ¡®fun.¡¯


    ¡°Yes, we can hop around like bunnies if you want to,¡± Momo said. She rolled off the bed and grabbed her bag. As Momo slipped her shoes back on, Servi walked over and placed a hand on her head. Servi¡¯s hand scratched, rubbed, and tickled the Singi¡¯s head as if she was petting an animal. Before she knew it, an odd sound like that of a purr rumbled from her throat. ¡°Ah¡­ Servy, I think I learned something about myself today¡­¡± Momo said, with a face full of red embarrassment. Her grandpa taught her the best he could with his advanced age, but some things, understandably, had to be skipped over. Love, and the subject of what it was, couldn¡¯t be taught. Rather, such things were best experienced firsthand to remove any sort of bias that might have been imparted to her.


    If Sumo had a chance to properly lecture his granddaughter on all things related to romance, she would¡¯ve learned that Singi purred when being shown special attention by the one they fancied. But even though he skipped that, he made sure to tell Momo of something she had to do. It was really non-negotiable, but it was something almost required of her when she found the person she wanted to give her heart to. It was a little piece of information that was locked away, and only now did it rear its uncomfortable head since she was distracted by something else at the time.


    Why did I just now remember that? Does grampy really want me to¡­ Bwha!!! That¡¯s even more embarrassing than simple kissing!!! But¡­ I love Servy, so I have to do¡­that¡­ But not now! I caught myself when I was about to kiss her. Err¡­ My stomach did, but still¡­ I¡¯m supposed to be her guardian! I can¡¯t betray her trust and do what I want to!!! I know Servy loves me¡­ So that¡¯s why I have to wait until she tells me herself! She already did tell me, kinda, but it needs to come from the real her! But¡­ I¡¯ll do it¡­


    ¡°Okay!!!¡± Momo tied her shoes, stood up, clapped her cheeks, and turned to Servi, who had stopped petting her. ¡°Like I said before, you gotta give a girl a warning first! But that felt wonderful¡­ Servy, if I asked you to rub my head like that, will you do it?¡± Her big, blue eyes stared fondly up at Servi.


    ¡°Do it!!!¡± she replied, petting Momo for the second time. She spent a few minutes rubbing her head against Servi¡¯s hand. Suddenly, her stomach rumbled, and she internally groaned.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes. Now, let¡¯s go grab us some grub before my tummy eats me alive!¡±


    With the crimson glow in the sky having less than half an hour of life left, Servi and Momo journeyed down to the restaurant portion of Warden and ate dinner. The Singi wanted the flash-fried salmon with a generous helping of corn and peas. She put in an order for a glass of milk, but was told they didn¡¯t have any. Dejected, Momo asked for water and received it. Servi couldn¡¯t order for herself, so Momo did that for her. She requested the grilled duck with noodles, mashed potatoes, and a cup of water.


    The actual dinner went by without a hitch. Momo did all of the talking, which seemed weird to the group of Dwarves sitting around her. They oddly stared at the girl more than once, but Momo didn¡¯t let it get to her. In her eyes, the only people who existed were her and Servi. She knew that constantly talking about her dreams, the food, and their friendship were the keys to bringing Servi back as soon as possible. It was a long stretch, but Momo believed every word knocked off another minute of how long she needed to wait.


    After their meals were devoured and drinks drank, the pair of potential lovers returned to Servi¡¯s room. Since she was in her happy mood, Momo sat on the bed and watched her friend bounce like a red-eyed, black-haired bunny, which was totally adorable. The Singi plucked out her diary and started to pen an entry. She only managed to get through half of it before the sleepiness attacked at full force. A quick glance to the window revealed a startling world of black. The scarlet shadow of a setting sun had vanished. The only light came from a series of Lux Spheres, which were better than nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure glad they don¡¯t give off heat. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do if it was hotter. But, Servy¡­ It is getting kinda late.¡± Momo placed her journal in her bag and walked to the hopping girl, who seemed to resemble a certain kind of bunny that never ran out of energy.


    Momo yawned again for what felt like the 19th time. She groggily wiped her eyes and gave her friend a big hug, making sure to move her arms up and down. ¡°Good night, Servy. I love you. I¡¯ll see you in the morning, okay?¡±


    Momo found it hard to move her arms away from those blue overalls, but she did it with reluctance. When she left Servi¡¯s room and entered her own, which seemed enclosed by impenetrable darkness, Momo barged straight ahead after shutting her door. Her bag was left by the locked door, and she took off her shoes near the bed. In a flash, she stripped down to her unmentionables and crawled into her bed.


    She sat on her knees, staring down. The golden blanket was right there. Underneath that was a bedspread, and underneath that was yet another cover. It wasn¡¯t cold at all, but with her clothes off, it wasn¡¯t that hot.


    ¡°Dang, I¡¯m finding it even hard to decide on if I want to sleep naked or not without Servy being in the room. It¡¯s like when she¡¯s not here, I can¡¯t do a thing for myself. It kinda seems that my love isn¡¯t just regular love¡­ It¡¯s not a bad love, is it? I guess I¡¯m kind of obsessed with her, but that¡¯s not a bad thing, right? No, it couldn¡¯t be¡­ Bah! Fine, I guess I¡¯ll just sleep like this. The rain cooled down the temperature enough so it might be comfortable. If it¡¯s sunny tomorrow, I better think of something to do with Servy. Hmm... A walk is always nice¡­ Maybe we can¡­ Ahh¡­ I¡¯m too sleepy to think. I can do that in the morning, right? Yeah¡­ I can. Good night, world¡­¡±  Momo crawled forward a bit, rubbing her tail on the golden blanket. Then she leaned back, falling until her head landed comfortably on a pillow.


    Momo rolled to her side and curled up in a ball. When her eyes closed, she instantaneously drifted off to the dream world. There, she did nothing but lay side-by-side with her lovable Servy. That was all she wanted to do, even though she had total control over her fantasies.


    That just proved Momo was a simple girl with simple needs, and that was alright.


    But what wasn¡¯t alright were the vast amount of nightmares trying to force their way in to re-traumatize the girl who had survived through her darkest despair. Only a single defender stood headstrong to battle them away.


    She had hair like that of liquid cherry blossom, eyes similar to the deepest blue in the deepest ocean, and a pair of ears and a tail so fluffy that they¡¯d drive anyone wild. Yes, she was the internal foundation that had been with Momo since the day she took her first breath of life.


    All throughout the night, and the night before, the night before that, and even the night before that, this doppelg?nger with a fluffier tail held the line, keeping back the approaching nightmares. Not once did she ever think about stepping to the side and allowing them free reign.


    She wouldn¡¯t allow it. She¡¯d never allow it. She¡¯d died herself before allowing even one spec of darkness to sully the pleasant dream Momo was having.


    This was her fight, and fight she would since it was partly her fault that Momo had to endure the unimaginable, coming mere seconds away from death.

 Book Four – Chapter Three – Part Two – The Joy of Assisting Others

    Around twelve hours later, a casually dressed Momo, who wore something sporty but adorable, descended to the lobby with Servi in tow. As usual, she still had on the outfit that suggested she was the daughter of a local farmer. And in a change of pace, one of her suspenders was hanging off. Itarr had nearly a hundred different outfits to pick from, but she settled for the very first one Momo had picked out for Servi.


    I¡¯m happy she¡¯s wearing it, but I also remembered I picked out a cute dress¡­ I guess it isn¡¯t the time for dresses, is it? Still, you¡¯d look pretty wearing it!


    Momo thought the clothes would start to stink, but that wasn¡¯t the case at all. And while she didn¡¯t hear it from the Goddess herself, Itarr was absorbing any sort of foul-smelling particles that found themselves on Servi. In a sense, she was, by far, the most effective clothes washer in the world.


    ¡°Servy, what¡¯s on the menu for today?¡± Momo asked. She adjusted her trademarked black bag around her shoulders and reached into her pockets. She pulled out a small tissue and sneezed into it, sending her hair flying backwards. ¡°I always seem to get a little cold around this time. And sneezing¡­ One time, when I was little, I swear I sneezed twenty times in a single hour. Ah, but you can¡¯t really do anything about allergies with skills. Maybe Lux Dei Omnipotentis, but seriously¡­ Who¡¯d spend a single-use, Rank 0 skill on something like allergies?¡±


    Servi stared straight ahead as her foot touched the bottom floor. With the foul stairs behind them, she squeezed Momo¡¯s hand. The Singi responded by tapping her middle finger on the back of Servi¡¯s hand.


    As they walked towards the exit, Momo caught a glimpse of someone she knew very well. She was unprofessionally sprawled on a bench made for four people. Her red hair was in a ponytail, showing off her gorgeous pointy ears. The black blouse she wore was cut low enough for her white undershirt to be visible. Even though it wasn¡¯t even 9 AM, there was a layer of sweat streaming from her face, descending to her neck where it was caught by the collar of her buttoned-up shirt.


    ¡°Claire? Servy, let¡¯s go see what¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Momo said, deciding on the first mission of the day. She maneuvered through a horde of people getting ready for their morning quests. Momo fathomed taking one for old times¡¯ sake, but rushing into combat so soon might have been detrimental to Servi¡¯s recovery.


    But did it have to be a combat-oriented quest? Momo bet her dupla that there were a few deliveries she and Servi could take.


    That could be fun, I guess. I¡¯ll talk it over with Servy and see if she wants to do that.


    Momo did travel all the way to Canary to become an adventurer. Could she really call herself one? The last quest they took ended up almost failing. Then there was the month-long preparation for the Warden tournament. Neither Momo nor Servi took anything on during that period. Truth be told, their record was somewhat spotty, with frequent gaps of inactivity. And if Servi¡¯s healing was going to take a while, it just meant that there would be another gap. And this time, it would probably be longer than a simple month.


    Momo wanted to return to the grind, but she knew that her darling Servy had to come first.


    She ducked under a three-and-half-meter-tall Kobold. The black scales on his arms were so dark Momo thought she was staring into a void. His furry face looked down and smiled at the little scamper. Momo nodded and continued her journey. ¡°Hiya, Claire!¡± Momo said, waving her arms.


    ¡°Mooooomoooooo!!!!¡± Claire exaggeratedly whined. She reached a hand out, and it dropped to her skirt-covered lap. Her heeled shoes clacked against the hardwood floor as she made room for Servi and her protector.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Momo asked, plopping down.


    ¡°I¡¯m upset¡­ You see, I was supposed to be off today. I had big plans that involved sleeping all day¡­ Last night, before I was about to lay down, someone knocked at my door. I didn¡¯t want to open it¡­ Why did I open it? It was my boss¡­ He said Darci was sick and couldn¡¯t come in, and he asked if I could cover for him. I wanted to say no, but he offered me time and a half, so I had to do it. Then when I got here, it turned out Darci wasn¡¯t sick at all! He wasn¡¯t sick!!! That lying cat¡­ And now I¡¯m here, early in the morning, and I¡¯m not even going to get paid¡­ Oh, Momo¡­ Life isn¡¯t fair!! Ah, why couldn¡¯t I find a bag full of priceless jewels to sell, so I didn¡¯t have to work¡­ Do you know of any diamonds I can sell?¡±


    ¡°There there, it¡¯s okay,¡± Momo said. She raised a hand and lovingly patted Claire on the hair. Claire formed a wry smile and sighed. ¡°So, I guess you¡¯re about to head on out?¡± Momo removed her hand and returned it to her lap.


    Claire shrugged. ¡°Yeah, I guess so. I just wanted to sulk and throw a silent tantrum. Still, couldn¡¯t I have at least gotten paid an hour¡¯s worth for showing up? I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Clare¡­okay¡­ Claire¡­okay¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh?!¡± Claire and Momo exclaimed, turning to Servi. She had a painful grimace, but she kept repeating those two words. Momo went wild with excitement, quickly turning between Servi and Claire.


    ¡°Claire! It¡¯s the first time Servy¡¯s said something by herself that isn¡¯t just repeating what we said!¡± The happiness in her voice could make a grumpy dragon smile. Claire stood up off the bench and walked to Servi. She kneeled down until she was at eye level, then hugged Servi. Her left hand went that glorious field of black hair and patted it softly.


    ¡°Servi, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s all gonna be okay. I¡¯m just acting a fool. It is unprofessional, and I¡¯m sorry,¡± Claire whispered. She felt a hand touch her hair and smiled, then leaned back from the hug and returned to her seat.


    After some small talk, Momo told Claire how they spent the previous day.


    ¡°It was a lazy day, huh? I was gonna have one of those myself. But I bet it was fun. When I was little, I loved to lay down near a window and listen to the rain hit the glass¡±


    ¡°I did the same thing. When it was really stormy, grampy would heat some of the milk we had and give it to me because I couldn¡¯t sleep. I¡¯m not afraid of thunder or lightning, but I can¡¯t just ignore them like some people. I¡¯m pretty sure these are to blame.¡± Momo pointed to her fluffy ears. They twitched adorably as if they wanted to show off their adorableness.


    ¡°But they are cute. I kinda wish I knew what it was like to have cat ears. I have to wear specialized warmers for mine when it gets too cold.¡±


    Momo grinned. ¡°I¡¯ve seen those. They¡¯re like tiny gloves, aren¡¯t they? Guess what? They¡¯re cute as heck, too.¡±


    Right then, an announcement came from overhead. ¡°At-Attention all W-W-Warden members, we have updated the quest board. T-Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that was Cebia. She¡¯s a Dwarf that just started a few days ago,¡± Claire said. She leaned back and raised her arms to the sky.


    ¡°That was a Dwarf¡¯s voice?¡± Momo exclaimed.


    ¡°Yeah. She doesn¡¯t like to speak that much because she sounds like an Elvish girl talking to her first love. My boss convinced her that she needed to be a good speaker to work at Warden, and I guess she took it to heart. Starting from now, she said she wanted to do all of the announcements.¡±


    ¡°Good for her! She knows an area she has to improve at, and she¡¯s making strives to do just that. But I do wish I can go on another quest¡­ I don¡¯t wanna get rusty¡­ But I gotta take care of Servy.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind watching her for you, but questing alone has its own sorts of challenges,¡± Claire said.


    ¡°Quest!!!¡± Servi suddenly spoke and stared at the back of Momo¡¯s head. She turned around, slightly leaning forward, and her nose touched Servi¡¯s. She scooted backwards, accidentally rubbing against Claire.


    ¡°Bwha! Claire, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Momo said, looking like a lost kitten.


    Claire only smiled and rubbed Momo¡¯s head. ¡°There isn¡¯t anything to apologize for. What? Did Servi scare you?¡±


    Momo nervously scratched her chin. ¡°A little bit? That¡¯s the first time she¡¯s ever leaned in like that. Servy, do you wanna take on a quest? I¡¯m sorry, but we can¡¯t. I don¡¯t wanna fight solo, and I couldn¡¯t forgive myself if you get hurt.¡±


    Itarr wouldn¡¯t allow that, but that¡¯s beside the point.


    ¡°Ah, hold on¡­ I think I have an answer to your problem. Momo, there is a festival coming up in a few weeks. I¡¯m sure we have plenty of quests that need to be completed, and I¡¯m sure over half of them don''t require any fighting. They won¡¯t offer any Potential, but there¡¯s still a monetary reward. You can help and earn some cash at the same time.¡± Claire said, raising a finger.


    ¡°Help!!! Help!!!¡± Servi said. She stood up and repeated those two words four more times before Momo made her choice. She slightly smiled at Servi, then stood up to hug her.


    ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯ve convinced me, Servy,¡± Momo whispered. She then leaned back and spoke a bit louder so their friend could hear them, but Momo kept her arms around Servi¡¯s back. ¡°Let¡¯s go check them out.¡± Her arms slipped down Servi¡¯s side, but one stopped about halfway down. Momo hooked her fingers back, grasping Servi¡¯s palms with the gentleness of a spring whisper.


    Claire stood up. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you two mind if I tag along? As your friend and elder, I believe my advice would be invaluable!¡± Claire pushed up a pair of invisible glasses and tucked a strand of hair behind her pointy ears. A cute chuckle escaped her lovely lips. ¡°And it also gives me something to do before I go home and pass out for 12 hours.¡± She added that on at the end in a low whisper. Momo picked it up, but she knew it was a joke.


    ¡°I think we would like that very much, wouldn¡¯t we?¡± Momo turned to Servi and smiled, and she returned it with a flashy grin.


    ¡°Very much!!¡± When Servi offered her approval, the three friends squeezed their way through the mass of bodies in their adventure to reach the quests. It was a long bulletin board that spanned the length of a wall. With eleven sections, it offered quests that needed the adventurer to be anywhere from Rank 10 to Rank 0. Considering Lando was moderately safe, there were no quests that needed someone more experienced than Rank 3. Even then, the number of times Canary needed a warrior as mighty as a Rank 5 could be counted on two hands. But that wasn¡¯t to say those mid-powerful adventurers couldn¡¯t be found in Canary. No rule stated a member had to take a quest equal to their rank. As odd as it seemed, there would be no problem if a mythical warrior of legend, who was at the fabled Rank 0, wanted to take on a quest meant for a rookie. As in, one that required the adventurer to pick a bundle of shiroblooms from a nearby forest.


    Since that was the case, it was also theoretically possible for a warrior to rise through the ranks of the guild just by completing easy quests. It would obviously take a lot longer than if they were to do missions suited to their Rank, but that was an option. But mere quest completion wasn¡¯t the only metric the guild took into account when it came to promotions. The list of criteria wasn¡¯t publicly revealed, but most had an inkling of what was required.


    But knowing knowledge and acting on that knowledge were two different things.


    Southeastern Lando was usually relatively peaceful. The Arcton situation, which only happened due to a series of extraordinary circumstances coming together, was the first of its kind.


    As for the quests about helping with the festival set up? Those had their own section. That was to the left of Rank 10 quests. Luckily for Servi and Momo, no one was perusing around. They had the spot all to themselves.


    ¡°Alright! The quests in this section are only for helping the town prepare for the summer festival. You do not get any Potential, the quests aren¡¯t counted towards your next promotion, and I¡¯m a bit afraid to say this, but there¡¯s not that much money to be made,¡± Claire explained. She pointed a finger to the first task she saw, moving it down as she progressed with her explanation.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright with us! Servy and I just wanna help out where we can,¡± Momo remarked.


    ¡°Very good. Oh, there is one more thing. If you¡¯re lucky, you might find a quest that wants a bear¡¯s pelt. I don¡¯t know why the client wants it, but let¡¯s say they want to make a blanket for the festival. Since it¡¯s here, you won¡¯t get any Potential. But here''s the thing! Let¡¯s say there¡¯s a quest in the Rank 9 section that is asking the same thing. If you bring the two up to a receptionist, they can alter the reward and give you the Potential you would have been given if you took the second quest. Does that make sense?¡± Claire asked.


    ¡°It does. Basically, there might be two identical quests in different sections. If that¡¯s the case, I can get Potential from a task that I might not have gotten in the first place. But wait, what determines how much Potential a quest can give?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°Ah, an excellent question. It has quite a long answer, so prepare yourselves. You see, when a client has a quest, like requesting an adventurer to escort them to a field of medicinal herbs or a request to wipe out a horde of goblins, their first step is to go to the nearest Warden office. When they get there, they wait in line to see a receptionist. After explaining the quest to them, the client must fill out some paperwork and offer up a payment. Warden takes a predetermined cut based on criteria I cannot reveal. The rest is given to people like you and Servi upon completion. Then it is up to the employee to assign the quest a rank. As you can probably guess, the rank given is equal to the Rank Warden gives out to adventurers. So a task with a difficulty of 10 would be suitable for those who are Rank 10.


    "To determine the rank of a quest, the receptionist grills the client for all available info in and around the quest location. Things like what type of terrain to expect, what kind of monsters or beasts live by, and if there are any reports of any bandit attacks are things that must be shared. Hiding or withholding any pertinent information carries a heavy fine and punishment, including but not limited to temporary and permanent bans from Warden. Ah, that includes both as a client and as an adventurer.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotten off-topic, but the crystal clear exchange of information is super important because it determines the quest¡¯s rank. So after a receptionist assigns the quest a rank, they sign off on it. And after that, they deduce how much Potential should be given upon completion. Once that is done, the Warden Manager and the receptionist both sign off on it, and the quest can go up on the board the following morning. All that¡¯s left is to wait for an adventurer to take it on and wait for them to return. If the quest is one that requires a completion slip then we wait for that too. But honestly, we¡¯re thinking about phasing completion slips out because clients keep misplacing them.¡± Claire shrugged a bit at the end, possibly remembering how much of a headache it was to replace lost slips during a frantically busy day.


    What was even worse was the fact Claire could tell who came in to replace a lost slip based on their facial expression. It was a gift, both good and bad, but it always ended with the overworked girl sighing out of frustration when she was alone.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Momo said, almost expressionless. ¡°I never knew that much went into it. But wait, what¡¯s stopping a receptionist from giving a rank 10 quest 100 Potential?¡±


    Claire tapped on a random quest for extra emphasis while answering that very question. ¡°The Gods and Goddesses responsible for creating Warden took that very scenario into account and implemented a built-in verification system. When the Acceptance Flame burns the initial contract, there is something in the fire that verifies everything is in the correct range. For example, a Rank 10 quest can only pay out a maximum of 10 Potential.


    ¡°If it detects an error, the Acceptance Flame simply vanishes without doing anything. You might think that it¡¯s fine to give every Rank 10 quest the max amount of Potential, but it checks for that too. According to my boss, there has to be an ¡®appropriate average of Potential given divided by the total number of completed quests,¡¯ or something like that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how it knows to check, but sometimes it feels like the Acceptance Flame is its own entity or something. It almost feels like it¡¯s a living thing. It¡¯s difficult to explain. I guess I can¡¯t complain too much, though. It really does the hard work for us, and without it, this oh-so-well-oiled-machine I work for would literally come to a grinding halt.¡±


    I think that last bit was just loaded with sarcasm. A stray thought passed through Momo¡¯s mind. She really was astounded at how much went behind the scenes so adventurers like her could go out into the world and do what they did best. Active and passive, supporters and players, there was a near-infinite amount of terms that could describe that relationship that went back hundreds of thousands of years.


    ¡°The Acceptance Flame sounds amazing! Hey, Servy, what kinda quest you wanna do? We have a lot open to us, so why don¡¯t you pick the first one?¡± Momo turned to her friend, then to the board, and back to her friend.


    ¡°Help!!! Help!!!¡± repeated the girl who wasn¡¯t all there.


    ¡°I know you wanna help, Servy, but that doesn¡¯t narrow it down. Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°What about this one?¡± said Claire, whose purple eyes scanned the details of a particular quest about a clothing shop. She moved to the left and allowed Momo the chance to read it.


    ¡°The Old Onyx? That sounds kinda familiar, but where have I heard it?¡± Momo wracked her brain, but Claire spoke before an answer could be found.


    ¡°It used to be a popular clothing store, but it closed its doors around two months ago. According to the description, the client is the previous owner¡¯s son, and they are looking for a few hired hands to help with the reopening preparations. And they also want people to help move the boxes of supplies meant for the play over to the theatre. So I guess you can expect moving, boxing, and sorting clothes and the like. Shouldn¡¯t be too hard, I suppose,¡± Claire said, describing all the quest had to offer.


    ¡°Wait, there¡¯s a play coming up?!?! Like an actual play?!¡± Momo exclaimed, vocally demonstrating her surprise.


    ¡°Yeah¡­? You haven¡¯t heard?¡± Claire slowly asked. Momo shook her head, and the Elf continued. ¡°There¡¯s going to be a play on the last day of the festival, which runs from August 17th to the 24th.¡±


    ¡°A FESTIVAL?!?!¡± Momo exclaimed a second time as her tail danced in a flurry. Servi repeated it right after.


    ¡°Yeah¡­? Did you not hear me talk about it before we walked over here? It wasn¡¯t that long ago. It was all over the newspapers. Heck, the governor himself is funding this whole ruckus from his own pocketbook. He mentioned something about how Canary needed one final blowout to return the life it once had. I have to admit he¡¯s right on that last thing¡­ With the attacks on Canary and whatever¡¯s happening Arcton, I do think we need a bit of extra happiness in our lives.¡±


    ¡°If you mentioned it before, I must¡¯ve not had heard it. I¡¯m sorry, Claire, but this is the first time I¡¯m hearing anything about a play or festival.¡± Momo sounded a bit dejected, and Claire started to seriously worry for her feline friend.


    ¡°Momo, I¡¯m kinda getting worried¡­ Are you sure you¡¯re getting enough sleep? What about food? Are you and Servi eating enough?¡±


    ¡°Thanks for worrying, but I promise we¡¯re doing fine. We both had a lot of money saved up because we got lucky with the rat spawns in the sewers, so buying food isn¡¯t a problem. And I¡¯m sleeping better than ever these days, so I¡¯m pretty relaxed. If anything, I probably missed it because I was kinda not paying attention¡­¡± Claire had known Momo long enough to know she wasn¡¯t that good at lying. That was why she found it odd that everything stemming from her mouth appeared to be the truth. The strangest thing, though, was her offhanded comment about sleeping well.


    Claire knew that the lumpy, hard mattresses provided by Warden were obtained by paying the lowest bidder. They were coarse, rough, and hard to wipe down. Cleaning them was a pain because any grease or trash had to be baked off by the sun before attacking it with a nearly lethal amount of soap and water.


    ¡°Well, you do seem to be in good spirits. I don¡¯t see any bags under your eyes, either. And you aren¡¯t excessively yawning. Sorry, Momo. Guess I was just being a bit overprotective.¡±


    Momo smiled and shook her head. Stray strands of pink hair flew past her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry. I think it¡¯s sweet you¡¯re always looking out for us. It¡¯s like what we said at your place. You¡¯re mine and Servy¡¯s best friends. We¡¯re super inexperienced, so we hope you don¡¯t mind helping us out a bit more until we¡¯re veterans.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? You two still better come to me for help when you¡¯re masterful adventurers with pupils of your own!¡± Claire¡¯s true feelings backed those heavy words of promise.  Their friendship already had a permanent fixture within her long-lived heart.


    The friends shared a giggle, which then evolved into a cheerful laugh that came from the heart.


    ¡°Alright. So we¡¯re doing that one, but why don¡¯t we pick one more. Servy?¡± Momo turned from Claire, to the quest board, then to Servi. As always, the two words she spoke didn¡¯t help in the decision-making. Momo just smiled and turned back to the board. The empty displeasure building up inside her heart didn¡¯t make itself known because it just wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°Here¡¯s one for the Rude Crystal¡­ That also sounds familiar¡­¡± Momo said. Claire unpinned that quest and started to explain.


    ¡°A few months ago, the Rude Crystal was a pretty popular bar and restaurant. It even had space for a live band. But even though it made a lot of money, there were a few nasty rumors going around about it. I heard from a co-worker that the Rude Crystal used to hold drinking contests, and the loser had to become a slave or something like that. Ugh¡­ It makes me sick and scared even thinking about it. I don¡¯t want to wish ill on the dead, but maybe that¡¯s the reason it was shut down? It wouldn¡¯t be too out of the ordinary if an unhappy patron didn¡¯t want to become a slave and chose to take the hard way out. Unfortunately, if that was what happened, they probably took a few innocent people along for the final destination¡­¡± Claire sighed. She quickly apologized when she realized her harrowing theory had sullied the mood.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. But what is the quest for? Moving boxes?¡± Momo asked. Her expression had turned morbid for just a flash before it was back in the shape of a young girl in love. Her lips curled like a flower blossoming for the first time.


    ¡°Umm¡­ It says that the new owner is the previous owner¡¯s grandmother. They need help moving supplies and lumber waiting at a nearby warehouse. Then they need assistance in setting up chairs and tables around the restaurant portion.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound that bad,¡± Momo said. She looked down at her slender arms and petite frame, realizing that she might not be the best pick. Servi, though, had strength on strength on even more strength. She was a muscle powerhouse, though, and only three people knew what was hidden beneath that cute face.


    ¡°Are you sure you two can handle it? The client is asking for Koena and Kobolds because there¡¯s going to be a lot of heavy lifting.¡± Claire didn¡¯t want to point out the obvious, but she indirectly did.


    ¡°Hehe! Servy, you think you can handle it?¡±


    ¡°Help!!! Help!!!¡±


    ¡°See?¡± Momo shrugged. ¡°She can do it. Servy¡¯s stronger than me by a lot, but I¡¯m sure I can help with the smaller boxes. If not, I used to help grampy move tables and chairs around when it was time to give our house a deep clean.¡±

 Book Four – Chapter Three – Part Three – The Joy of Assisting Others

    ¡°Well, it seems I have nothing to worry about.¡± Claire smiled and handed the quests to Momo. She received them with a thanks and stuffed them into her bag. Servi¡¯s red eyes aimlessly blinked a few times.


    Ah, now I remember. The Old Onyx is where Servy killed that woman who was beating that boy¡­ I think he was a Koena, and Servy saved him. She did kill the woman, though¡­ It was the same with the Rude Crystal. There was that drinking contest she told me about, and then she killed some people there because they attacked her¡­ I wonder if this is just a coincidence¡­? Or is the world giving Servy a chance to make up for her sins? I want to think it¡¯s the second one, but that just seems like na?ve thinking on my part.


    But just helping the parent or child of the victims isn¡¯t going to bring anyone back. It won¡¯t erase the sadness they had to endure at the hands of Servy. It¡¯s a first step, though¡­ Grampy said even the longest journeys began with getting out of bed¡­


    And just because they¡¯re related to people who either hurt enslaved children or tried to kill Servy doesn¡¯t mean that the clients are bad people. Grampy said parents are there to teach their children, but that¡¯s all they can do. He said it was immoral to force a child down a path they didn¡¯t want to go¡­ And a child can¡¯t pick their parents, either. I think grampy said it was called ¡®association, not causation?¡¯ I dunno... Maybe it was something else. Regardless, this is a good thing, and I shouldn¡¯t question it.


    ¡°Claire, I think I¡¯m really happy we came across these quests. It might just be a coincidence, but I can¡¯t think of a better way for us to help," Momo said with determination.


    ¡°Help!!!¡± cheered Servi.


    ¡°Servy¡¯s happy. I¡¯m happy.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll complete the trifecta of happiness. Now, you¡¯ve done this part before, so I think I¡¯m about to go pass out for the rest of the day. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Errgh¡­ H¡­help¡­¡± Suddenly, a small cry escaped from Servi¡¯s lips. She crouched down, holding her head, taking Momo along for the ride.  Claire found herself crouching before long, and she played a hand on Servi¡¯s head. It was a brief scene, lasting almost two seconds. But those seconds felt like an eternity of suffering to those who cared for Servi. Itarr and Momo found themselves wanting to take whatever pain the girl they loved was suffering from so she could be free of it.


    As quickly as the suffering came, it faded away like leaves in a breeze. Servi jerked up until she stood tall and proud with a sly expression on her face. It didn¡¯t look like she ever knew she was in pain.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Claire asked. She looked around but found no meddling onlookers. Everyone was just too busy to look at the group of three over in the festival section. Was it foolish pride preventing the more experienced adventurers from looking at them? What if it was nervousness because the three, Servi, Momo, and Claire, were pretty? The answer could be different things, and it could be none of those things. But the cold shoulder-like feeling rubbed Momo the wrong way. It was really the only downside of her adventuring career thus far. That is if one could ignore that week where she was a prisoner.


    Beyond that, Momo yearned for a fairytale-like career of adventure, filled with friends and allies who bonded together over tales of heroic deeds. If she had it her way, she¡¯d be able to walk into the guildhall and greet her adventuring pals with a smile and a high-five. After that, she¡¯d walk over, pick out a quest, meet up with her best friend, and go on an adventure that could truly be called her own. Once it was over and the night was fresh, it would then be time to report the quest and head on over to the local tavern for a bit of rest and relaxation. Fun would flow as freely as the food, wine, and liquor, songs would be sung that celebrated the heroes of old, and friendships would be forged from the fires of companionship.


    And the next day, it would all happen again. Friendships, companionship, happy passings, sad passings, good-byes, and hellos¡­ A life about venturing to the unknown to explore the world, collecting treasures, priceless memories, and invaluable experiences. Helping those who can¡¯t fight, saving those who can¡¯t defend, it was all out there in the bright blue yonder.


    But that kind of life was too much of a fairy tale. If she did live in such a world, Momo didn¡¯t expect everything to go always go perfectly. In the first place, it was that imperfect system that allowed her to meet Servi. But the experience the Singi received from Canary¡¯s Warden office was nearly cold. She never spoke to any other adventurer. The one time she did it of her own violation ended in Nimea''s death.


    There was another positive thing that Momo couldn¡¯t deny, and that was the ever-helpful Elf, Claire. Other than Servi, who was the perfect teammate, Claire was like the guild receptionist of Momo¡¯s dream. There was a firm bond between the three of them, and she truly cared about the pair¡¯s well-being.


    The other things? The camaraderie Momo wanted, the atmosphere she desired, and the after-adventure celebration with food and drink? That could wait, for Momo had found something that eclipsed all of that. Besides, if she and Servi couldn¡¯t experience it together, then what was the point of living her perfect adventurer dream without the hopeful love of her life by her side?


    ¡°Yeah, Servy¡¯s alright. These kinds of things happen here and there, but look at her,¡± Momo said. She waited an uncomfortably amount of time before replying because she was trapped in a daydream.


    ¡°Help...¡± whispered Servi. Her curled lips weakly wavered for a second, but there was nothing else strange about it. She seemed to be alright.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Well, I¡¯ll leave you two to it. Be safe, alright?¡± Claire went to turn around, her shoes¡¯ heels clacking the hardwood floors. She stopped when something brushed against her hair.


    ¡°Claire¡­nap¡­good¡­¡± It was a struggle to say those words, but Servi did it as she reached her hand out. Momo stood off, looking proud. The quick progress her best friend was making had to mean she was fighting just as hard. The healing process was something not just anyone could explain. The girl suffering through it and the Goddess who knew about it couldn¡¯t possibly describe it in complete detail.


    Claire turned on her heels and ruffled Servi¡¯s black hair one last time. She didn¡¯t say anything, though. She only communicated what she wanted to with her expressive, purple eyes. Then with another turn, Servi and Momo watched as their friend squeezed and pushed through a growing number of bodies to reach the door. When it closed behind Momo, she turned to her friend and squeezed her hand.


    ¡°Come on, Servy. If we stay here, the line¡¯s gonna get too long.¡± After an energetic two-word reply, the pair of hopeful lovers squirmed themselves through the maze that was Warden¡¯s lobby. The growing number of conversations here and there about supplies, weapons, and gear all melded together into an incoherent mess. But as Momo passed each person, she imagined introducing herself as a newbie¡ªjust to get to know her fellow contractors. Maybe they could spare a few tips? One could say how it¡¯s always vital to bring a source of fire and fuel. Perhaps that busty skill user with the staff could impart the knowledge of always having a waterproof cloth wrapped around a pack of matches.


    ¡°That¡¯s going to be us one day, Servy,¡± Momo whispered after walking to the back of the shortest lone, which was nearly 17 people long. She sure was glad that only the party leaders were waiting. And that got her thinking.


    17 groups of adventurers were leaving to complete some sort of quest. With southeastern Lando as it was, the fiercest foe would probably require a group of Rank 5s at best to take down. And that meant all 17 groups had come to an agreement on what quest they wanted to complete. And all 17 groups had elected a party leader, who barked orders, gave commands, and decided the best course of action. Even then, it meant those individuals consciously made the choices to trust a single person with their life.


    Trust and life, huh? Momo thought while shuffling her feet forward. The line was moving somewhat fast, but it would still be about fifteen more minutes. Momo undoubtedly trusted the girl whose hand she held with her life. Based on what had happened in the past few months, how could she not? It always seemed, to her, that she was constantly being saved. Whether it was from a rat in the sewers, a rat in the forest, or a deadly organization with an army that could rival smaller countries, Servi was just always there.


    Ever since we met, my life¡¯s always been in her hands and at her whim. Servy, you¡¯re definitely the leader of our little party, and I swear I¡¯ll follow you anywhere. And you know what? I don¡¯t need to ask questions that I already know the answer to. Hehe! Maybe this means I¡¯m doing some growing of my own?


    ¡°Servy, do you think that play might be something you¡¯re interested in?¡± Momo asked. She didn¡¯t bother to whisper because the collective volume was loud enough to drown out her normal speaking voice. She also knew Servi wouldn¡¯t respond in sentences longer than two words. ¡°I really think it might be good for you. Grampy said that plays were all about becoming someone different for a short period of time. Instead of being yourself, you become your character. That means you have your character¡¯s background, history, likes, dislikes, and own emotional baggage. The former might not be important, but I think the latter is. Leaning into different emotions via the play might accelerate your healing.¡±


    Momo shrugged, then she started to state the downsides of such an idea. ¡°But because I don¡¯t really know it all works, adding something unknown and untested might be a bad idea. It¡¯d be bad if this threw off your healing and erased all the wonderful progress you¡¯ve made. Even with that said, it might be worth consideration. Ah, but that¡¯s a discussion for tonight or tomorrow. There¡¯s just one person ahead of us, so let¡¯s get our helping face on!¡± Momo gave the hand she held a firm squeeze, and Servi returned it back twofold.


    ¡°Help!!! Help!!!¡±


    It might¡¯ve been her imagination, but Momo swore there was something different¡ªsomething inspiring and full of dedication-- behind the way Servi spoke those two little words.


    ¡°Okay! It¡¯s time to help!¡± The sun was out and about, shining an orange glow on a pink Singi¡¯s declaration to no one in particular. She, and the owner of the hand she held, had just walked out of Warden.


    The pair of ready-to-work friends immediately made their way towards the Old Onyx, crossing across streets and making their way down alleys. More than once did they have to ask for directions because the only person who had been there wasn¡¯t able to speak, but the people of Canary were willing to help. Momo first tried to ask a guard, but he began to act weird when he saw what Momo¡¯s hand held. Itarr had to act fast, freezing the man in place before he could do anything. Momo gave her thanks and skedaddled away with a giggling Servi. Once they were far enough away, she thanked the ever-watching Goddess for her assistance, but Momo didn¡¯t let it ruin her day. She just shook the discomfort away and continued on her way.


    Momo did notice, as she walked through the city, that the general feeling she felt was like that of the Warden tournament. Many people were already hard at work to get everything ready for the most profitable week of the year so far. Supplies had to be secured, wood and nails had to be gathered, and paint was needed by everyone. That was especially the case for the shops that relied on visual design.


    Who would want to visit a tailor that had a dull, gray, lifeless sign that suggested they lacked creativity? A flashy sign was often the first thing potential customers saw, and business owners only had one chance to make a first impression.


    The Old Onyx had a respectable history behind it as one of the first clothing stores to open after Parrel became governor. The previous owner used the grant she was given to negotiate a favorable contract with suppliers, then used the tax break Parrel was offering to take advantage of a unique loophole. The end result was a somewhat middle-class, low-high-class store that offered a wide variety of clothing. It had everything from rugged jumpsuits for those sweating away at hard labor to the soft silk loved by arrogant noblewomen. In a way, it didn¡¯t need any flashy signs to advertise because it had already made its mark on the city¡¯s history. Word alone of its re-opening would be enough to gather a proper audience.


    ¡°Okay, Servy! Once we¡¯re past here, we¡¯ll be here. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re nervous or anything, but I¡¯m gonna be right here, okay? I don¡¯t know if I can keep holding your hand like this because I might need two hands to carry stuff, but in my heart, we¡¯re always gonna be connected! Er¡­ Was¡­was that too cheesy? Hehe!¡± giggled Momo as she rounded the final corner. The glorious sight of the Old Onyx appeared¡­and it was a total mess.


    The wagon situated out in front of the medium-sized building had so many boxes it had to be at triple capacity. The overwhelming amount of weeds and grass had nearly conquered the cement pathway leading to the store. The big windows were almost darkened by what seemed to be dirt, dust, and grime. The front doors were much of the same, but it did seem the handles were spared from a life of filth. In any case, restoring this once great shop was going to require a lot of work.


    It was so bad Momo¡¯s jaw nearly dropped to the unkempt grass. She shook her head and glanced over at a group of people near the store. ¡°Well, we might as well go introduce ourselves and see what we need to do. Let¡¯s start helping!¡± she said. Servi responded with what was quickly becoming her favorite word, and the pair skipped over.


    The group was actually divided into two, though the latter group only had one person¡ªa Human male. It didn¡¯t take long to realize that was the client since the other group was full of Kobolds and Koena. From the conversation going around, it seemed as if Koena and Kobolds were naturally drawn to physically demanding work since they were obviously the best choice. They could work harder than a Human or Elf. A Dwarf could almost work as long as them, but that was only if the job required any digging or smithing.


    ¡°Alright, so I want you three to start on the outside windows. There are buckets of cleaning supplies and a well in the back yard,¡± said the young Human. He wore glasses, which were dirtied with sweat. The white tank top he had on showed off the results of a life full of physical altercations. Even so, he didn¡¯t mind showing off the faint scars on his upper arms and lower wrists.


    ¡°Got it,¡± replied a Koena. He nodded to other others. They walked away into the store, choosing to prop the doors open since there would soon be a lot of traffic. The leftover Demi-Humans were then divided into two groups after the client asked them to. He figured it would be easier to give commands this way since he didn¡¯t have to focus on individual names. He could just say group 1, group 2, or group 3.


    As the client turned to the other two groups, which were a mix of Koena and Kobolds, his eyes settled on a petite Singi and her favorite Human. Before he spoke to them, however, he finished giving instructions. ¡°Group 2, start on the inside windows. Group 3, let¡¯s start unloading the boxes.¡±


    ¡°Right. We¡¯re on it.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get to it.¡±


    After watching one temporary party go inside and the other trek on over to the overfilled wagon, the client turned to the only two who hadn¡¯t started working.


    ¡°Guess I don¡¯t really need a group 4 because you¡¯re the only Singi here,¡± he said, opening with a small joke. Momo adorably chuckled because she wanted to be nice. Servi just stared with a smile and blank eyes.


    ¡°Boss, where do you need us?¡± Momo asked. She shuffled on her feet, showing she was ready to get down to business.


    ¡°I had some countertops installed a few days ago, but the company I contracted didn¡¯t bother to clean them, so they¡¯re full of sawdust. Then they weren¡¯t that gentle when they delivered them, so there¡¯s dust all over the floor. There are eight of them, and they almost stretch from wall to wall.¡±


    ¡°Cleaning? We can handle that. Are the supplies inside?¡± asked Momo.


    ¡°Yep! I left two buckets near the first two counters. If you need water, there¡¯s a well in the back. Ah, and let me thank you again for taking this quest on. There¡¯s just so much to get done before the festival. When we¡¯re done, I¡¯ll hand you a completion slip as proof you¡¯ve completed your quest.¡±


    ¡°Hehe! You¡¯re very welcome. Come on, Servy, it¡¯s time to work.¡± Momo left her client with a professional smile, and she and Servi walked into the building. The first group was coming out as they went in, and Momo nodded to them. She heard them get to work as she walked over to the second counter, bypassing the first.


    ¡°Wow, it feels weird to be a store as big as this when it¡¯s empty. And ugh¡­ He wasn¡¯t kidding¡­ There¡¯s dust everywhere.¡± It was as Momo said, though she soon coughed twice. Brown dust was everywhere except the ceiling. She looked down at her dust-infused footprints and almost gasped in surprise when it simply vanished.


    Yes, Itarr was at work, doing whatever she could to make Servi¡¯s life easier. Since Absorption was leveled up quite a few times, its range was a respectable fifteen meters.


    ¡°Thanks, Itarr. With your help, we¡¯ll be done in no time!¡± Momo said while watching the Goddess-turned-janitor at work. In just a few seconds, the floors within her immediate area were so utterly clean it was possible to eat off them. ¡°But I can¡¯t let you do all the work. It wouldn¡¯t be fair to you.¡± Momo let go of Servi¡¯s hand and picked up the cleaning bucket. ¡°Servy, if you get the 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th tables, I¡¯ll get the rest. You got the evens, and I got the odds. Alrighty?¡±


    Servi watched with blank eyes as Momo let go of the bucket full of soap and water. Instead of crashing down, it whimsically flew over to Servi¡¯s hands. She had faith that Itarr wouldn¡¯t let it drop to the ground. ¡°I¡¯m just a table away, so don¡¯t get scared or worried, okay?¡± The quiet girl didn¡¯t respond, but that was alright.


    Momo walked over to her table and got to cleaning, whipping away the pesky dust with the all-powerful wet rag. A few swipes here, maybe a vertical swipe there and there. Her cleaning equipment turned dirty, and she squeezed it out into her bucket. When she turned back, the cleaning war had commenced again. After around seven minutes of working in silence, other than her humming, Momo examined her hands after removing them from the brown water. They were pruned and kinda dirty, but she thought that was acceptable when she saw the effects of her hard work. ¡°Yep, there¡¯s something beautiful underneath all that dust. We just need a bit of work to bring it out. Hey, Servy,¡± Momo called out. The black-haired girl turned around and replied with two particular words repeated back to back.


    ¡°Do you need any more water?¡± asked Momo. She sat her rag down and carried her bucket over to her friend. ¡°I was about to dump and refill. You need¡ªEH!!!!!!?¡± Momo dropped her bucket, but an always-watching Goddess caught it. Her surprise came not at seeing her best friend¡¯s table so thoroughly clean but at the remaining seven counters looking as if a professional cleaning crew had gotten ahold of them.


    ¡°Help!!! Help!!! Help!!!¡± Servi chanted. This time, her face was that of a sly fox who knew it did something naughty.


    Sighing, Momo rubbed her head and chuckled. ¡°Well, this is helping. And you certainly helped. I know I said we¡¯ll be done in no time, but I didn¡¯t mean it literally. Why¡ª¡± Before Momo finished her sentence, Servi turned away and walked in a snake-like pattern around the remaining counters. The adorable Singi hurried alone and trailed behind her friend. It was a good thing the other groups of workers had their attention on completing their own work because they wouldn¡¯t believe what they saw. Everything that could even be considered a spec of dust was absorbed from this world and sent to the space even beyond non-existence. It was surreal watching everything that came into a certain range just vanish. It was almost kind of scary, but Momo was so far past feeling fear that she knew she didn¡¯t have to worry about anything.


    The Servi-and-Momo train came to a halt in the middle of the first counter, which meant Momo¡¯s work had been done for her. She was sad, of course, because she was a girl who prided herself on a job well done. She wanted to put in the effort required of her to get stronger. It didn¡¯t matter if the quest was to slay monsters or deliver food. If she accepted it, Momo vowed to complete it. That was going to be her adventurer¡¯s motto.


    ¡°Well, the counters are spotless, the floors are sparkly clean, and we managed to get this done in record time. Let¡¯s go tell the client. If he asks how we did it so fast, let¡¯s just say we¡¯re really, really, really good cleaners.¡±


    A quick trip outside later, Momo saw their client downing a canteen full of water as he leaned against a stack of heavy boxes. The sweat dripping down his muscled, well-defined body shimmered like crystals when the sun struck him in the right spot. He wiped his lips with the back of his hands and took a few deep breaths. ¡°Do you two need anything? Any trouble?¡± he asked after the oxygen circulated around his body.


    ¡°We¡¯re done with the counters,¡± reported Momo.


    ¡°Really?!¡± exclaimed the client. He rubbed his eyes and walked into the Old Onyx. His astonishment was loud and abrupt, and it could be heard over the nearby groups¡¯ conversation. They stopped at once and turned to their boss. Servi and Momo walked back over and took shelter inside against the harsh sun. The client went to work, closely examining Servi¡¯s and Momo¡¯s work. Then he pulled one of the drawers opened and gasped at how even the most stubborn of dust particles had been vanquished. Momo kinda froze up because she didn¡¯t even consider the drawers, but it was a good thing their all-seeing Goddess had thought of that.

 Book Four – Chapter Three – Part Four – The Joy of Assisting Others

    With a face that wasn¡¯t anything less than full astonishment, the client could only utter one thing. ¡°How?!¡±


    ¡°Servy and I are excellent cleaners. She¡¯s fast, too. She¡¯s able to wipe the floor down in no time at all, and I handled the counters using a secret cleaning method my grampy taught me. Ah, I know you didn¡¯t specify the floor, but I hope it¡¯s not a problem we got it done early.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ No, it¡¯s not a problem at all. That was going to be the next thing I ask,¡± replied the client, who was almost shocked into silence by how efficient the cleaning was handled. By now, the other groups had expressed their surprise at the Swift Singi and Hasty Human, as they had started calling the two and had gotten back to their tasks. The ground rumbled as the hulking Kobolds and Koena took up their posts, and the building was then filled with the smell of soap. It was like that before, but Itarr may have accidentally gone overboard with her cleaning and erased the soapy smell.


    ¡°Okay. What¡¯s our next task, boss?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°I would say windows. If you want to join one of the groups, that¡¯s fine. The walls need to be scrubbed down, but I don¡¯t have a ladder. That¡¯s coming later in the day. Or if you think you can help with the boxes, that¡¯s fine as well. We can start moving them in now that the counters are clean.¡±


    ¡°Servy, what do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°Help!!!¡± she said, pointing at the wagon full of boxes. Though now, the wagon only seemed to be filled to double its capacity. The group responsible for unloading had developed an efficient method of completing their tasks. Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t realize how soon they would run out of space, so now they were hastily moving things off to the side to create more room.


    ¡°Just so you know, the boxes aren¡¯t the lightest things in the world. They¡¯re wide and awkward to get a good grip on. And I¡¯m sorry to save this, but I couldn¡¯t splurge to get the sanded wood. I hope you don¡¯t mind a splinter or two. I think I got some gloves somewhere. I can look for them if you want me.¡±


    ¡°Boss, you don¡¯t gotta worry about any of that. Servy might not look it, but she¡¯s a heck of a lot stronger than me. Splinters won¡¯t hurt her, too. If she does get one, I got a pair of tweezers in my bag I can use to pluck them out. But if she can help with the unloading, I¡¯ll join the window washers,¡± replied Momo.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Alright, fine. But if your arms start to hurt, go help your friend with the cleaning.¡± Once their boss had said that, he walked back outside to of the towers of boxes he had made.


    ¡°Servy, go help with that, okay? And umm¡­ Itarr, I know you want to help, but using Absorption or Telekinesis in a place where it¡¯s easily seen might not be the best idea. But thank you for helping us clean the counters and floor. Servy and I appreciate it.¡± Momo gave her friend a quick hug and sent her towards the wagons. ¡°Remember, I¡¯m just gonna be right here, okay? I won¡¯t be far at all!¡± she added.


    The Singi turned on her heels and walked towards the group responsible for cleaning the inside windows. She politely introduced herself and explained the boss wanted her to help them. In turn, the Kobolds nodded and gave her a bucket of fresh, soapy water and a rag. She then promptly got to work. It was boring, menial labor, but it had to be done. But the good thing about that was that she could effectively put her body on auto-pilot because she was just rubbing a cloth over glass.


    Still, it needed a bit of a careful touch to prevent the white residue from building up. And when Momo''s bucket of water had turned from a clear, inviting color to one of brown and black, she huffed it to the backyard to dump the water. A quick pump of the well later, Momo was briskly walking back inside to continue her cleaning destiny. More than once did the sweat ooze down her lovely face, staining her lips with the taste of salt. Strands of her pink hair stubborn cling to her forehead whenever she bent down to pick up her dirty bucket, and when Momo went to take a drink from her canteen, she swallowed the water with a refreshing sound.


    Momo was certainly working hard, and the same could be said about Servi. ¡°Each of these boxes has a number on it,¡± the boss had told her before she started, pointing to the crates he leaned against. ¡°They¡¯re labeled 1 through 8. The tables you and your friend cleaned are also labeled 1 through 8, though I admit I had forgotten to paint the numbers on them. Regardless, the counter closest to the door is 1. The next is 2, and so on and so on. You only need to place the box on the table that matches the number. Can you handle that?¡±


    Servi nodded and said the word ¡®help¡¯ twice over, and her client started to feel something strange. He erased any thoughts from his mind with a quick shake of his head and a wipe down with his sweat towel.  ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s get to work,¡± he said, cleaning his glasses and taking another sip of his water. Servi walked right past him and picked up two boxes with the utmost ease.


    The client nearly spat up his water in surprise. Those things are packed to the brim with thick cloth! And the wood isn¡¯t light, either! She doesn¡¯t even have any muscles on those skinny sticks she calls arms! Thoughts like that ran through his mind as Servi walked into the store. She sat the boxes down where they were meant to be, and Servi soon returned for another handful.


    The client just shook his head and realized what time he spent thinking needed to be used for working.


    For the next hour, all was well. Momo steadily found herself sharing stories of her childhood and early adventurers with the Kobolds and Koena she worked with after realizing they were her seniors. ¡°Rank 6? That¡¯s amazing!¡± she had said upon glancing at a co-worker¡¯s dog tags. The vocal Singi had meant to keep her mouth shut, but in terms of calmness, she had a tendency to blurt things out.


    Soon, Momo realized that the Kobolds¡¯ and Koena¡¯s large hands were more suited for wiping down the windows. So instead of slowing them down, Momo handed off her rag to the Koena on bucket duty and took his job. She was much faster than him unless he used Pulmoni Oxygeni, but was using such a technique to dump and fill buckets worth it? No, it wasn¡¯t. But being mobile meant she could hop around to the group cleaning windows outside, and she became their bucket runner as well.


    Simply running around, dumping and filling and dumping and filling buckets was enough for Momo because speed and quickness was her strength. Perhaps she didn¡¯t have the stamina to keep up with the inexhaustible Kobolds or the durable Koena, but she knew she was faster than them. Besides, bouncing to the different groups meant she could talk more with her seniors. She valued any kind of tips or stories she could get her hands on.


    Servi, on the other hand, was so good at her job that the client forced himself to double up on boxes. The strain visible on his face was immeasurable. His soft skin had turned a bright red. Quick puffs of air were exhaled as soon as he breathed, and the shirt he wore was more like a soggy piece of fabric. It had absorbed so much sweat that it had started to sag downwards. Multiple times, he had tried to talk with Servi, but she only replied that she wanted to help in a way only she could.


    Ah, but work was work, and as with things like that, there soon came the need for a break.


    ¡°Alright! Everyone, let¡¯s take a short break right quick!¡± announced the client. ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s head into the shop for a quick minute.¡±


    Everyone followed his directions and barreled their way inside. Momo quickly met up with Servi, who was still outside and grabbed her hand, then the two joined the others. She looked around for their client, but she didn¡¯t spot eye or hair of him. Just as she was starting to get worried, he appeared from a room in the back, but he wasn¡¯t empty-handed. A large table with wrapped brown bags was being pushed by him, though he did wish the wheels were of better quality. They squeaked an awful lot, and he felt a bit of pain when that pink Singi cringed and covered her ears.


    After a quick apology, the client explained that he had prepared sandwiches as a way of offering lunch to those who took on his quest.  ¡°It¡¯s mainly just ham and cheese sandwiches, but I hope you enjoy them. And please, eat as much as you want. If you¡¯re thirsty, I have another table in the back with a cooler full of water and some cups. I¡¯m gonna keep them back there because it¡¯s the coldest place in the store. Warm water on a hot day just doesn¡¯t hit the spot.¡± At his request, the ravenous Kobolds and hungry Koena took the client up on his offer. Their large mouths rendered them capable of biting through a simple sandwich in a single bite. In the time it took Momo to finish one, her new Kobold friends had devoured five. She knew their appetite was on a whole other level because Feral always seemed to be working for food, but still¡­


    ¡°Hey,¡± Momo said. She was sitting on the clean floor with her back against one of the long counters. Servi was right beside her with her legs crossed, which differed from Momo, who chose the opportunity to give her calves a nice stretch.


    ¡°Help!¡± replied the girl, whose face was stuffed full of bread, ham, and cheese. She had a bit of food stuck around her lips, but before Momo could get it, Itarr struck first. Internally, the cute Singi pouted because she wanted to do it.


    Ahh, but what can you do with the mother-of-all-cleaning-Goddesses is living inside you? Momo, you gotta act faster next time!


    A couple of minutes later, after a one-sided conversation that drew the attention of the client, he finally walked over and waited for the right time to ask a stubborn question he couldn¡¯t ignore. He squatted down in front of them with two cups of water. ¡°Here.. You two gotta stay hydrated, especially you,¡± he said, pointing at Servi.


    ¡°Thank you, boss,¡± Momo said, speaking for Servi as her hands took the cup with grace. She downed it almost immediately, not even taking the time to savor its delectable coolness. She didn¡¯t even drink in separate gulps. It was like her throat opened up and didn¡¯t close until the cup was empty. It was a far cry from Momo, who took small sips and swooshed the water around her mouth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude or anything, but I was kinda curious about why she doesn¡¯t seem to speak? Err¡ªI mean...why she doesn¡¯t seem to speak very well. It¡¯s always the same word.¡± Their client stuttered when he asked, knowing that the reasoning behind it didn¡¯t concern him at all. At the same time, it wasn¡¯t against the rules if a client wanted to learn more about the person taking on their quest. Was it common? No, it was far from it. Most people wanted to show up to a quest location, do the work, get paid, and go home. Truth be told, that was how the other contractors acted when the client tried to get friendly with them. They only opened up to Momo, and the reason was either because she was a bubbly, cute Singi with a fiery passion, or they respected her as a member of Warden. Neither of the two could be applied to the client.


    "I¡¯m sorry, boss, but that¡¯s a personal thing,¡± Momo said. She didn¡¯t have a problem telling the falsified truths to someone like Claire because they were close, but how could she explain it to a stranger? Could she really sit there with a calm face and explain that Servi was mentally recovering after killing people to save her? Momo just felt like that kind of info was only reserved for people she trusted.


    ¡°Ah, I understand. I¡¯m sorry if that was rude,¡± replied the client. He stood up from his squat and stretched his back and arms.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just hard to talk about, but regardless of Servy''s speaking ability, I think she showed just how useful she could be.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right about that. She doesn¡¯t look it, but she¡¯s stronger than me. And without you two, we wouldn¡¯t have made nearly as much progress. I want to personally thank you, Momo, and you, Servy, for helping me today.¡± The client flashed a smile and adjusted his glasses. He then made the rounds, speaking however he could to the other three groups. They all thanked him for lunch, and he replied that it wasn¡¯t necessary. He wasn¡¯t going to make the people helping him work without food and drink, especially when it was so hot outside.


    The friendly banter between them all, including Servi and Momo, continued for five more minutes. After that, it was back to the grind. When the Singi was separated from her Human, she looked at the windows and was amazed at how much progress had been made. The windows actually looked like windows. That gnarly black, slimy, ugly garbage was finally gone, allowing more sunlight to illuminate the building and its glory. It wasn¡¯t all done, of course, but there couldn¡¯t have been more than two hours left. If they kept the same speed, it might be even before that.


    As for Servi, who was on box duty, the girl never slowed down for a single second. She never performed the motions to actually breathe in oxygen, meaning her facial expression stayed frozen. Having that eternal smile on her face sure did wonders in striking the flames of competition in the Koena and Kobolds working with her. They saw just how determined she was to see their task through to the end. Before long, boxes were being moved from the outside to their proper counters in stacks of two, in the case of Servi and the client, and stacks of five, in regards to the Kobolds and Koena.


    Just when the sun had reached its highest, the client realized he was trying to grab the empty air. He blinked twice, almost not believing that the terrible, fearful towers of boxes upon boxes upon boxes had finally been defeated. In his mind, he stood proud at how much was accomplished. A smile soon followed because he was just that much close to opening the store.


    The client took a well-deserved break on the wagon and cleaned his face with a damp towel. This was also an excellent workout, so I don¡¯t have to do any of that tonight. I can just relax and sleep until the morning. After a big dinner, of course.


    He heard the shuffling of feet and looked up, meeting Servi¡¯s red eyes. He thanked her again then announced that the work was complete. ¡°There are just no more boxes to move. Now that they¡¯re all on the counter, I can get to work organizing the clothes they¡¯re holding. It¡¯s not really something anyone can help with because I have a specific way I like to do things. As my mother always said, ¡®there¡¯s a method to my madness.¡¯ Hey, let¡¯s go inside with the others. From here, I can tell they¡¯re just about done.¡±


    By the time the client and Servi spoke, Momo was just returning with a bucket in each hand. It was sure to be the final water run of the job, so she was thankful for that. She bent over, letting go of the buckets¡¯ handles when their bases touched the floor. One of her new Koena friends thanked her for such good work, and he started on the last window with a layer of soapy water.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I¡¯m gonna see if the others need anything,¡± Momo replied. She hopped to it, almost skipping over to the other group, and that was when she passed by Servi and the client. ¡°Ah¡ªServy!¡± she exclaimed, stopping in her tracks. The clean hardwood flooring squeaked as the soles of her shoes came to a sliding halt. She used that brief moment of respite to brush her hair out of the way, and she looked as beautiful as ever.


    ¡°Help!!!¡± replied the helpful Human, who copied her friend¡¯s motion and moved her own hair aside.


    ¡°Are you done?¡± Momo asked. Then she turned to the client.


    He responded by pointing towards the eight long counters, their surfaces completely covered with boxes, both big and small, long and wide. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s all done. I just gotta return the wagon to the rental place¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do not worry about it, boss. We will deliver it now if you tell us where you got it from.¡± One of the Kobolds on the box team¡ªgroup 3¡ª spoke up as he walked by the client. His massive chest was just covered in scales, yet his face was mostly skin with a bit of tan fur near his nostrils.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s mighty kind of you. I got it from Carol¡¯s Carriages a few streets over. Do you know the place?¡±


    ¡°I do know where it is. We will take it there and come back,¡± spoke the only Koena of the box group. He looked to his bestial teammates and nodded, then all three went to the wagon. The client watched the Koena lift the front end on his shoulders while the Kobolds pushed from the back. Once they had turned the corner and disappeared from view, he turned back to Momo.


    ¡°How are things coming along in here?¡± he asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re about done on this side, and I think that group there is on the last window. But what about the walls? And I thought we had to organize clothes and stuff for the upcoming play?¡± Momo asked. She was eager to get to work.


    ¡°That all still needs to be done, but there will be another group of workers coming in later on today. They¡¯re the ones bringing the ladders. I¡¯ll have them handle the walls, ceilings, the unruly grass outside, and everything else I think of. For the clothes and fabric, I have to be the one to do that because I have a certain method to my categorization madness. It¡¯s hard to explain, but if the clothes aren¡¯t folded or stored in just the right way, my rhythm slows down, and I get irritated. I think I got that from my mom when I used to help her run the store. Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh? What¡¯s wrong, boss?¡± Momo said upon witnessing a stream of tears flow from his eyes.


    The client shook his head and used his thumbs to wipe his eyes. ¡°Sorry about that¡­ This store was my mother¡¯s whole world, and so when I got the news that she suddenly passed away, I had to drop all that I was doing just to rush down here, but the letter didn¡¯t say anything about a robbery. Imagine my surprise when I show up to an empty building. That was when I realized some awful criminal had probably killed her to rob the store. That was only proven true when I heard about the attacks on the slave markets¡­ If those people wanted clothing for the slaves they freed, why couldn¡¯t they just take them? Why did my mother have¡­to die?¡±


    The client¡¯s tears started to fall more rapidly, yet he controlled his voice to an excellent degree. If any odd whimpers or upsetting hiccups were to be had, it wouldn¡¯t be now.


    ¡°I spent so much money trying to get this place back to how it was! I sold my house, I had to sell the ring she gave me for my birthday, and I had to get rid of the family stable and our horses just to have enough to replace everything that was selfishly stolen from me! This store¡­it¡¯s more than that! This is the last reminder that my mother was alive! She always promised it would be mine, but I didn¡¯t want to inherit it like this¡­¡±


    Momo was left speechless¡ªthere wasn¡¯t a single that came to her mind. Even if something did, did she have the right to say it? The person responsible for everything the client went through was standing in front of him. Servi had stolen the life of this man¡¯s mother, but it was out of revenge for how she was treating a slave boy. Yes, Servi stole everything because she needed clothes, but she gave most of it away to the slaves she helped freed.


    Suddenly, Servi dropped to her knees and stared at the ground. It was so quick that it took Momo a second longer than she wanted to respond. She already knew what was coming, so she hugged her friend tightly against her chest and whispered in her ears.


    ¡°Wwwaaaaahhhhhh!!¡± Thick, fat tears soaked the already sweaty Momo. The sobbing came as a direct result of seeing the sheer pain and anguish that naturally came as a result of her actions.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time such a thing had happened. Back when Servi and Momo were leaving Arcton for the final time, they were part of a small convoy-- a group of people who just so happened to abandon the city at the time. The cause was unknown, but people soon started to share their stories of what happened to them. Mothers had lost sons, fathers had lost daughters, and vice versa. It was a collective aura of depression disguised as a makeshift therapy session where people could talk about their loved ones one last time.


    Unfortunately, Servi was the single link that connected the stories together because she was the culprit. If they had known the one responsible for ruining their lives, including the lives of thousands of people, was right there, a flash mob with revenge on the mind would¡¯ve spontaneously appeared in record time.


    Even the most peace-loving, pacifist father would find it hard to not strike back at the monster who killed his daughter.


    That wasn¡¯t the main reason Momo grabbed Servi¡¯s hand and ran away, but it was one of them. She just couldn¡¯t take hearing story after story that ended in death and sadness. That went doubly so for Servi, though one could argue that listening to her victims was the absolute least she owed them.


    But what made the two situations different was the state of Servi¡¯s mind. Back then, in Arcton, she had only experienced the first step in a treatment that would normalize her emotional levels. It was important to note that was before her heartfelt declaration to Momo.


    Since Servi was still well within the second stage of the healing process, it wasn¡¯t known how much this would set her back. On the off chance, it was probable that seeing the truth of it all would encourage whatever forces at work to kick into high gear. But regardless of how it might affect her inner mind, Servi¡¯s loud wails had a profound effect on all those around her.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the window washers to realize something was wrong. A few rushed over to see what was going on, but the majority stayed behind to finish up their work. As for the client, he felt horrible about telling a harrowing story to a girl who only wanted to help. In his heart, he cursed himself because he always failed to think about how his words were affecting the people around him.


    Damn it! Why did I have to talk about that?! These nice girls came to help me, and here I go making one of them cry because I felt sad? You aren¡¯t the only person in the world, Jon. You have to think!

 Book Four – Chapter Three – Part Five – The Joy of Assisting Others

    Jon, the client, kneeled down and offered a supportive hand to the crying girl¡¯s shoulder. Momo stopped her whispering for a few seconds so Jon could say what he needed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I had to go ruin the mood¡­ I hope you can forgive me¡­ But if I can say something about it, it is this. I have never met someone who cried on my behalf like this, so it is nice to know that empathy is still spreading around this dangerous world. Servy, you¡¯re a nice, wonderful, helpful girl at heart, and I hope you never lose that. The world needs more people like you in it¡­¡±


    Unbeknownst to him, the words he spoke had the opposite effect of what he wanted. They were meant to be encouraging, yet his gentle voice only made Servi cry even more. Discouraged, Jon stood up and scratched his head.


    ¡°Boss, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Servy is a girl who¡­who is just sensitive to these kinds of things. She hurts when we hurt, and she cries when we cry. I¡¯ve been with her the longest, and the only thing I can do is just hug her until she stops by herself. It won¡¯t do her any good to forcibly ignore her feelings¡­¡± Momo looked up and nodded at the client. Right as those words left her mouth, she felt Servi shuffle as the wails died down. The endless water flowing from her eyes suddenly stopped as if a switch was pressed. The emotional outburst was close to being just another memory. ¡°But¡­ Thank you for saying those things about Servy. She¡¯s¡­ I know she¡¯s thankful for them, too.¡±


    Jon cracked a solemn smile and wiped his soaking brow. He had been feeling like a bastard about the entire thing, but the words from Momo were just what he needed. He extended a hand to the tearful girl, who peeked up at him from within Momo¡¯s grasp. Her expression was one of a blank doll, but he swore he saw her lips curled upwards by just a hair¡¯s width.


    ¡°Servy,¡± Momo whispered in a voice that was so quiet she didn¡¯t even know if she was speaking. ¡°You know what you gotta do, right?¡± Servi blinked twice and slowly stretched a quivering hand towards the support she saw. For the rest of his life, Jon would never know just how much that act of kindness meant to Servi. Whether by herself or someone else, he would eventually come to understand the truth. Would Jon forgive her after realizing the meaning behind her tears? Would he curse her name and try to kill her?


    No one knew the answer, and anyone claiming to know was a flat-out liar.


    When Servi¡¯s hand clasped around Jon¡¯s, she found a source of strength to stand up. Her face was still reddened from the crying, but that would be taken care of relativity soon. Momo stood off to the side, but she was still physically connected to Servi.


    It took a few seconds for Jon to realize just how soft, small, and slender the hand he held was. A rush of excitement flooded his face. He hadn''t failed to notice Servi¡¯s cuteness, but now he found it impossible to focus on anything else. How could he? That playfully cut hair was just so inviting, those red eyes were so tempting, and those quivering lips had done something to him. In a flash, he let go of Servi¡¯s hand and coughed to regain his composure.


    The mood was awkward, but Jon expertly swirled around the conversation until it was back to normal. He walked away to examine the windows, his footsteps drowned out by the collective volume of discussion. ¡°Servy, I think our client likes you. You are a pretty girl, so it¡¯s just natural that people will develop a crush on you like I have¡­ But I¡¯m not gonna give you up! Even if you don¡¯t accept my confession, and I know you will, this is just me speaking. I¡¯m not gonna let anyone have your heart! And that¡¯s because I want it to belong to me¡­ And in return¡­ In return, you can have my heart¡­¡± Momo whispered. She was looking straight at Servi when she said that but couldn¡¯t help but avert her gaze because it was too cheesy, even for her. Her face became beet red, then she giggled and squeezed Servi¡¯s hand.


    Soon after, Jon jogged back over with two completion slips in his hand. His breaths were deep and heavy, meaning he hadn¡¯t taken a substantial break at all. It was all work, work, work with this man.


    ¡°Here! These are for you two,¡± he said, giving them to Momo.


    ¡°Eh? But what about work? We aren¡¯t done,¡± Momo replied, looking at the slips. She glanced at the work that still needed to be done.


    ¡°While that is true, just look at what¡¯s done. I never expected we¡¯d have the floors clean, the counters and drawers spotless, and the wagon unloaded before nightfall. I talked it over with the others, and they agreed you two have done more than your fair share.¡±


    After hearing that, Momo didn¡¯t press the issue. Arguing with a client was almost the most disrespectful thing an adventurer could do, so she graciously stored the slips in her bag. Jon held out his hand, and Momo shook it, marking the successful completion of their quest. She shared a few more words with her former client and left with a wave. Servi waved too, but she wasn¡¯t smiling.


    ¡°Dang, I guess Happy Servy has to rest for a little bit. She was out for a long time, so that¡¯s understandable. It¡¯s a good thing I love this Servy just as much,¡± Momo said when they were back on the main road. She took one last look at the street which led to the Old Onyx and smiled, giving it one last goodbye from the depths of her heart.  Then her bright eyes turned to the Human by her side and tightly hugged her.


    ¡°That¡¯s one down! Come on, Servy, we¡¯re making excellent progress.¡±


    ¡°It has been a while, friends!¡± growled a very familiar Kobold. His massive tail relentlessly hammered into the pavement, showing off his happiness as if he was a canine.


    ¡°Feral!¡± Momo said upon seeing him. She and Servi were on their way to the Rude Crystal when their path brought them in front of Madam Canary''s Sweetie Tweety. That was a shop owned by Feral¡¯s aunt, and he was living there during his time in Canary. The friendly Kobold was hunched over a collection of wood. It seemed to be the materials necessary to construct a food stall, considering there were four of them sitting off to the side. A smaller desk nearby had buckets of paint, paintbrushes, and a handful of nails. The road in front of the shop was big enough for two wagons to pass by side-by-side, so even someone as big as him didn¡¯t have to worry about blocking anyone.


    Even with that space available, Momo didn¡¯t want to just stand in the middle of the street, so she walked over to him. As always, Servi was right there beside her, and her glassy eyes absentmindedly refused to settle on anything.


    Even with a building between them, the sweetness of cookies and cakes managed to reach Momo. She wondered if Servi was smelling them.


    Feral stood up straight and stopped slamming his tail. He growled and racked his brain because even someone as slow as him knew something was odd. Momo watched as he put a green hand in front of Servi¡¯s eyes. When she refused to focus on it, he growled.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ What happened to Servi?¡± Feral asked, pulling his hand back. He tapped the unfinished stall with a thick finger.


    Momo then explained what happened to them, but the truth she told was the one that Claire was privy to. She trusted Feral enough to know the general gist.


    ¡°¡­ she had to kill to protect me. Until she comes to term with it inside her mind, it¡¯s up to me to take care of her until.¡±


    ¡°Aaarrghhh!!!¡± roared Feral, raising two trembling fists to the sky. It looked like his tail was about to rampage out of control, but that was only a worry and nothing more. ¡°How terrible¡­ I am sad that this happened to you two!!!¡± Feral roared again. He only stopped when Aunt Canary rushed to the window and slammed her fist against it.


    He turned to the window with an apologetic look on his face. Perhaps Aunt Canary would¡¯ve taken it further since he was making a disturbance, but she saw his friends and chose not to. Regardless, he surely understood that he had to calm it down.


    ¡°Feral, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re getting all worked up over her. I¡¯m sure it means a lot to Servy to know that she has a close friend in you. But her state isn¡¯t permanent. It¡¯s just one of those things that can only be healed by time,¡± Momo said. She smiled at her hulking friend.


    ¡°I am not one who prays. I do not know how to do it, but I will learn and pray for Servi''s quick recovery. Wahahaha!!! I suppose our rematch will have to wait! But that is no problem. You are the strongest Human Female I have met, so I know I will need the time to train. Be ready, Servi, because I will win this time!¡±


    Feral, you¡¯re so sweet, but after knowing Servy''s true strength... I don¡¯t think you can win. Ah! That¡¯s bad, Momo! Don¡¯t think bad things about your friends!!!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait for the rematch! I won¡¯t know who to cheer for. I guess I have to root for you both.¡±


    ¡°Wahahaha!!¡± This time, Feral was far more gentle with his tail slams. As Momo smiled at their happy companion, she realized he had a task he was supposed to do.


    ¡°Oh, this? My aunt is preparing for the festival. Such an occasion should mean a lot of people, and that means she stands to make a lot of money. And as well she should! She makes the best sweets in the world.¡±


    ¡°You can be sure Servy and I will stop by. Oh, if you need any help, don¡¯t be afraid to ask us. I know Servy wouldn¡¯t mind it, and I wouldn¡¯t either.¡±


    ¡°That is kind. Well, if you are fine with it, might I ask you for help painting? I have to build this stall and paint the ones beside me.¡± When he asked for that favor, Feral¡¯s face had a slight crimson hue to it. ¡°No, I shouldn¡¯t ask you to do that. Shouldn¡¯t Servi be resting?¡±


    ¡°You would think so, but Servy isn¡¯t the kind of girl who wants to wait around. Please, Feral, let us help. It¡¯ll be faster if the three of us do it.¡± Momo was staring at Servi¡¯s face when she said that, noticing that it slightly twitched.


    After growling a few times, Feral handed a bucket of paint and brush to the two willing helpers. He had intended on building, then painting, so he kept the lids off. However, the clumsy Kobold enjoyed putting the stalls together so much he had forgotten about the open buckets. He accidentally swung his arm a bit too fast, causing paint to spill over.


    Or so it would have if not for Itarr. She had believed something like this had a chance of happening, so she ended up stacking Pixie Gust a few hundred times to create a wall of air that acted as a lid. The paint ended up splashing against that, meaning there were no spills to clean up. Feral almost noticed this, but he just shook it off as Servi and Momo grabbed the buckets and brushes.


    For the next thirty minutes, there was an enjoyable conversation in the air. Though that soon turned to surprise when Momo asked Feral how he was putting the stalls together.


    ¡°I take a nail and hold it like this. Then I press my thumb into the nail¡¯s head and push it into the wood. I am not that well-versed in using a hammer. The last time I did, I missed the nail and broke the table I was trying to fix. Hmm... Truly, tools like those do not suit someone like me.¡±


    ¡°Wow...¡± Momo looked at her slender thumb and shuddered. ¡°I don¡¯t think I would ever be able to do that,¡± she said as white paint dripped down from her brush to the stall. She got right back to work and continued. Glancing over to Servi, she realized that Itarr was at work again. An unnatural amount of paint amassed itself on Servi¡¯s brush. When it touched the wood, the paint spread out like white waves, completely covering the entire stall in literal seconds.


    Okay, that¡¯s a little bit unfair! Cleaning is one thing, but how the heck is Itarr doing that? The paint¡¯s just... dissolving into the wood? No, Servy said Itarr had Absorption¡­ Unless¡­


    Though Momo had a good guess, it was wrong. In fact, Itarr was taking the paint molecules, grabbing them with Telekinesis, and pressing them into the wood. Then right after, she altered the effects of Pixie Gust to accelerate the drying process. She needed to do this multiple times for every millimeter of surface she wanted to cover, but there was no faster way to complete the job.


    Momo stared with disbelief as Itarr moved on to complete her work as well. She wanted to say that there was no need for that, and she hoped the subtle shaking of her head was enough to convey that, but it wasn¡¯t. Or if it was, Itarr ignored it since she thought that Momo was better off spending time with Servi than wasting it on menial work.


    ¡°Hmm... She is my superior in both combat and painting... I have to work a lot if I want to surpass her,¡± Feral said upon looking over. He had just one last nail in his hand, and after pressing it in to connect two boards, he was finally done.


    A few minutes later, Aunt Canary walked out of the store with two bags of fruit-flavored gummies in hand. She gave them to the pair of hopeful lovers as thanks for assisting her nephew, and Momo said it was no problem. With a nod, she walked back inside the store, leaving the three friends alone. Momo said her goodbyes to Feral and walked away while waving. Servi didn¡¯t raise her hand, nor did she even look into his gaze when the Kobold tried to talk to her. No, the poor girl just looked at her guardian with eyes filled with sadness and regret.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, Servy. Feral¡¯s our good friend. We¡¯ll see him around. Here, do you want a gummy?¡± she asked as the two turned a corner, leaving behind one of their favorite stores. Instead of replying, Servi stopped moving and fell to the ground. She clutched her head in pain and jittered as if electricity flowed through her veins. She writhed on the ground, the filth abandoned the paved roads for a supple girl and her outfit, staining her brown and black with trash and gunk.


    It all happened in a flash, and Momo could only hold and support the girl she held. The sweet words she wanted to whisper had already been uttered, so there was nothing more she could say. Instead, Momo just had to rely on her physical affection to ease Servi through this tumultuous period of pain and grief.


    ¡°There it is, Servy... The Rude Crystal...¡± Momo said when the bar came into sight. Servi¡¯s panic attack had come and gone, but Happy Servi wasn¡¯t anywhere to be found. In her place stood a stoic, apathetic girl who never once changed her facial expression in the thirty minutes they had been walking.


    The Rude Crystal was in a state of utter disarray. The sigh that once stood above the decrepit building had since rotted away, leaving only half it up. The other half had slammed into the ground sometime prior, and it was currently being hefted away by two Koena. Just like before, Servi and Momo were the only female Human and female Singi present, which caught the eye of an elderly woman. Her hair was gray like dirty ash, but she held a surprisingly soft gaze. With a wave of her arm, she motioned for the two hopeful lovers to approach. They joined the rest of the Kobolds and Koena, who were awaiting orders.


    ¡°Hello, thank you for answering my request. Umm... To start off with, the main thing that needs to happen is the delivery of wood and supplies from a nearby warehouse. I had them delivered to warehouse 013. That¡¯s just down the street to your left. The gate and door should be open, so it shouldn¡¯t be that hard to find. When you¡¯re tired and thirsty, let me know because I baked some cookies and brewed up a few pots of tea a few minutes ago. If...¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, I don¡¯t wish to be rude, but is it fine if we start work? I have a date with my wife tonight, and I¡¯d like to get home as soon as I can,¡± said a Koena. He had his hand raised.


    The old woman started laughing and apologized for her tendency to talk and talk and talk, then said it was fine if they wanted to go ahead to the warehouse. Momo and Servi were going to follow them, but they were stopped. Their employer wanted to know if they could handle the heavy lifting since the wood was thick and dense, and Momo just reassured her that it was fine. They could handle it.


    Helena, the Rude Crystal¡¯s new owner, wasn¡¯t convinced, but she let them go after seeing the determination well up in Momo¡¯s eyes. It reminded her of her son''s resolve when he promised to take care of the Rude Crystal. She sent them off with a grandmotherly smile, staring at the pair of friends who rushed to join their co-workers.


    ¡°Servy,¡± Momo said when they slowed down to a walk. ¡°Grampy used to talk like her. He could go on and on and on about pretty much everything. I remember I once asked him about a rainbow. He talked for forty whole minutes, and I still hadn''t gotten an answer. For some reason, he was talking about a lake he used to swim in when he was younger, but I didn¡¯t know how the conversation turned towards that.  And now that I think about it, I never did get a proper answer because I was having too much fun listening to grampy¡¯s story of his childhood.¡±


    About seven minutes later, the group came upon the fabled warehouse 013, located inside a fenced-off area. The gate was open, so there was no problem there.


    The difficulties started to come when they peeked inside and saw just how much stuff had to be delivered. There was wood upon wood upon wood, and it varied from dark brown oak to chocolate cedar to red mahogany. And it seemed there were more boxes than stars in the night sky. The only saving grace was that everything was neatly organized, and that had the side effect of making the multi-colored stacks of wood seem like an artist¡¯s magnum opus in how they were laid out.


    ¡°Listen up. I think this is the best way to proceed,¡± stated a black and white Kobold who suddenly spoke up. He explained that it would be better if there were four teams. To lay out his reasoning, he mentioned that two teams would go into the warehouse and bring out the supplies since there wasn¡¯t that much room to maneuver around, and the other two teams would deliver the supplies back to the Rude Crystal. He then asked for volunteers for the four teams. Then mentioned that they could swap members as necessary.


    That¡¯s just making a mountain out of a molehill. It¡¯s too confusing, and I¡¯m starting to get a headache trying to follow his plan. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to just...? Momo vocalized her thoughts to Servi, who closed her eyes and spoke as fast as a geriatric snail.


    ¡°Confusing... Help... No... Time... Waste... Help... Help...¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Momo squeezed Servi¡¯s hand a little bit. ¡°It¡¯s all confusing. They wanna talk more than they want to work. Come on, let¡¯s get to work.¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait!!!¡± said the self-declared leader of the workforce. He raised a hand towards Momo and Servi, who walked right past them into the open jaws of warehouse 013. Even for a skinny Singi and a slim Human, they had to wiggle their way in just a bit. When they later emerged, Servi was carrying five long planks on each side. They were under her arms, and she was pressing them against her body. In all honestly, and if it was possible to perfectly stack them with Telekinesis, Servi could have carried everything without breaking a sweat. And she was going to do just that, but a particular Singi put a stop to it, citing that they weren¡¯t in any particular hurry. She also mentioned that they had to leave some work for the others.


    Momo had emerged carrying two boxes, each fully stacked to the brim with all kinds of supplies. Even without Itarr¡¯s assistance, she could have only just barely lifted them, but the problem was that she couldn¡¯t see in front of her.


    Her vision was blocked. Thus, she had no other option but to rely on Itarr to be her guiding Goddess, and a few minutes later, it all worked out in the end. They had come to a slow stop in front of the Rude Crystal. Helena was tidying up on the inside. She only came out because she heard an odd noise, but she didn¡¯t expect to find the pair she thought was too weak to handle this quest.


    ¡°Well... I guess I¡¯ll take my words back,¡± she said as Itarr assisted Momo in placing down the stack of boxes.


    ¡°Servy is a strong girl, and I¡¯m not so weak myself!¡± Momo curled an arm and smiled, her face blossoming like a flower in bloom. ¡°Umm, where do we put the wood at?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°Follow the grassy path right there to the back of the bar. You can set it there.¡± Servi did just that, and Momo followed behind.  A few seconds later, they came to a spacious spot of land that would have made for a fine garden and dropped off the wood. When they came back, she and her best buddy transferred the two boxes from outside the bar to the inside. Helena was there to greet them with two cups of tea in hand.


    After a somewhat quiet, forced, but happy conversation, Momo brought up the topic of chairs and tables after seeing that the inside of the bar was completely empty.


    ¡°I have some people coming by later today to make them with the wood y¡¯all are bringing.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know all that much about woodworking. My grandpa did a little bit here and there, but I never had a chance to learn all that much,¡± she said, sipping her tea. It was tern and hot, yet a fruity fragrance remained behind on the tip of her tongue. It warmed her body, making her feel similar to how she felt when she hugged her darling Servi.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same with me. I barely know my way around a hammer, let alone a saw or a sander. That¡¯s why I looked up a respectable carpenter before I left home.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you aren¡¯t from Canary?¡± Momo and Servi both took a sip of their tea, but the latter downed the entire cup in a single swallow.

 Book Four – Chapter Three – Part Six – The Joy of Assisting Others (R-18)

    Helena shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m originally from Adenaford, but my family relocated us to Westera when I was ten. After my husband died, my children and I moved to Canary because he had inherited some land when his grandparents passed away. I started this bar then left it with my oldest son when I moved in with my oldest daughter. You see, she found a nice house in Adenaford, and she and her husband had an extra bedroom they weren¡¯t using. Once I received word my son had passed away, we had the funeral here. I decided to stay behind and run this place. Imagine my surprise when I found it like this... Everything I worked for was just taken from me... Oh, I¡¯ll miss you, my son...¡±


    Momo intently listened to Helena¡¯s tale, taking care to linger on her every word.  Cold sadness danced towards her ears, sending a bitter frigidness down her body. From how she spoke about it, the Rude Crystal used to be a pleasant, respectable establishment. Somewhere along the way, that impeccable reputation tanked hard, and the Rude Crystal soon became a hangout spot for heathens, prostitutes, and the more unsavory citizens of Canary. It even started to carry something notoriously dangerous. Elemental Nightfall was the name of a particular drink that caused death in Humans because they couldn¡¯t handle its sheer concentrated amount of alcohol. Quite a few foolish men and women died far before their time because they had something idiotic to prove.


    Helena couldn¡¯t believe her son had started a horrible drinking contest competition in which the losers were almost always enslaved to the winners. Before long, she had teared up, refusing to believe the awful tales that the Rude Crystal had started to take on. Even more, she shuddered at the thought that her lovely, darling son had been corrupted by the city¡¯s detestable underbelly.


    Momo offered her a caring hand, and Helena thanked her. Servi let loose a few tears, but it wasn¡¯t like what happened at the Old Onyx. But then it was time for them to go back to work, and back to work they went.


    When they left the Rude Crystal, they encountered a group of Kobolds, who each bore fifteen long wooden planks. After nodding to them, the pair of friends found themselves at warehouse 013 and came across two big piles. One contained boxes of supplies, and the other held bundles of wood that would soon be turned into beautiful furniture.


    And so, Servi and Momo worked for around three hours, walking back and forth, and forth and back, and back and forth, ferrying wood and boxes, until the two piles were slain by teamwork. The sun was hot, sweat was aplenty, but in the end, it was good, hard, honest work that filled a small hole in Momo¡¯s heart. It also functioned as a good workout, so she was thinking about skipping her nightly routine altogether. This whole excursion also allowed her to connect with her fellow Warden associates, but most of all, it was just another way for her to spend time with the girl she loved.


    When they said their goodbyes to Helena and their fellow workers and received their completion slips, an utterly exhausted Momo and her favorite Human made the way back home. It was a long, slow, almost endless slog, but they did make it. But not before stopping by a familiar shrimp stall to order some dinner. Only this time, there was a line nearly 20 people long.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you two!¡± exclaimed the Koena with grassy-colored scales. Unlike their previous encounter, in which Momo and Servi had shown up not even fifteen minutes after the stall had opened for business, the hard-working girl now had a name tag on her shirt. Thanks to that, the Singi learned that her name was Cymbal.


    ¡°Hello!¡± said Momo. ¡°I see you had a line this time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We aren¡¯t usually that busy,¡± Cymbal said. She took it easy and relaxed a bit since no one was behind Momo.


    After some more small talk, Momo ordered her and Servi some dinner, then casually chatted with Cymbal, who mentioned that she had a chance to speak with her dwarven friend. It was a one-sided love affair, or so she thought, but it turned out that her crush had also developed feelings for the Koena.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m really happy for you,¡± Momo said, wiping a bit of sauce off her lips. She had just bitten into a juicy, thick piece of shrimp, causing her mouth to fill with delicious meat.


    ¡°Thank you! To be honest, I never would have done that if I hadn¡¯t met you... It¡¯s just... The last time I saw a Human and an Elf hold hands, there was this crazy guard that ran after them like they had killed a king. It really spooked me out, and I was left wondering if I was wrong for thinking this way...¡± Cymbal confessed. She knew that she was spilling the beans to someone she really didn¡¯t know, but perhaps since their love was somewhat similar, it was fine to confide in her.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad... I¡¯m of the mind that love is love, and as long as it is a safe love, it should be granted and permitted,¡± Momo licked her lips and drank a little bit of her ice-cold water. After a bit more talk about love, it was time to say goodbye. After waving to their new friend and walking away, the Singi thought hard, then confidentially nodded. ¡°You know, I¡¯m really happy our love¡ªor my love for you¡ªgave her the courage she needed to confess to her friend. Oh, just so you know, Servy, I¡¯m working really hard on my second confession to you. It¡¯s gonna blow the first out of the water so hard you won¡¯t even believe someone like me came up with it.¡±


    ¡°And now, here we are, back at Warden...¡± uttered an exhausted Momo. Soreness radiated all over her body, and she desperately wished to lay down. But before that could happen, she wanted to check something. ¡°Servy, let¡¯s head over to the quest board. There¡¯s something I want to check out.¡± A quick walk later, she scanned and scanned with her pearly blue eyes until she came across something important.


    It was an advertisement for a play that was to be held during the final days of the festival. It didn¡¯t have information about it, but it did mention something about open auditions.


    ¡°Servy, why don¡¯t you try it out?¡± Momo asked. She turned to her friend and squeezed her hand.


    ¡°Try... Try out...?¡± she answered slowly, with no emotion. Momo probably thought she needed to take some time to emotionally recharge since the day they had was chalked full of excitement and fun.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, plays are all about becoming someone new, with a new backstory and history, and using that to put on a performance. I think that might be good for you. Being able to experience different emotions will probably help you in the long run. And plays can bring joy and happiness to their audiences, right?¡±


    ¡°Help... Me... Happiness... Others...¡±


    ¡°We can ask Claire about it tomorrow, but you don¡¯t have to force yourself to do it. It¡¯s just something to keep in mind.¡±


    The two walked away to cash in their completion slips, received around 20 dupla for their hard work, and made the journey up to the fifth floor. Momo¡¯s squeal when she finally landed her eyes on the bed of safety could awaken the Goddess of Slumber. With Servi dragging behind her, she leapt onto her sanctuary, nearly crying out for its luxurious comfort. As if she was an actual cat, she rolled back and forth, giggling and laughing and inadvertently sniffing the covers, trying to get a hint of Servi¡¯s scent.


    She says she has no scent, but she does... This bed smells just like Servy... It calms my heart...


    ¡°Eh?!¡± When she realized she was being awkward, she rolled off the bed and sat down like a proper Singi. ¡°Oh! I know. Servy, since you worked so hard today, I think you need a reward. Do you wanna know what it is?¡± She scooted back a little bit, then altered her position so that she was sitting on her knees. She patted her lap and smiled, then gingerly dragged Servi a little bit closer. ¡°It¡¯s called a lap pillow, okay? Basically, if you want, you can lay your head down right here.¡±


    Like a dog following orders, Servi kicked off her shoes, crawled onto the bed, angled herself just right, and laid down. The moment her head touched Momo¡¯s lap and her soft, shadow-colored hair tickled her bare thighs, an electric shock surged through the Singi. She stared down at a girl who was staring up with a blank expression, and she was just too beautiful for words. Without any warning, she smiled and started to rub Servi¡¯s head, petting her as if she was a loyal dog.


    ¡°Even though I had a lot of fun helping our clients today, it still doesn¡¯t compare to when I have you all to myself...¡± Momo whispered. She continued to show her affection through petting, even going as far as poking her hopeful lover¡¯s cheeks and giggling about it. She was truly a maiden in love, experiencing this blissfulness for the first time ever. She had no manual to look at, no guide to follow, and no way to know the proper way to express her feelings.


    Momo listened to her heart, doing what it told her to do. And in this instance, it told her to speak. ¡°Servy, I love you... I truly do... I did say this was going to be your reward, but it¡¯s really more for me. I just really wanted to touch you... I wanted you to lay in my lap¡­ I wanted to rub your head, and maybe even hold your hand at the same time... And there are a lot more things I want to do, but I can¡¯t do them. Not yet, at least. But those things will be done in time... I know they will... Hey, are you sleepy? I¡¯m a bit tired, but if you want to fall asleep for a little bit, I promise to keep watch over you. You can trust me because I¡¯m your guardian...¡± Slowly but surely, Servi¡¯s eyes started to close. The girl who didn¡¯t need oxygen started to inhale and exhale, causing her chest to rise and fall with every tender breath.


    Momo reached down and softly grabbed hold of one of Servi¡¯s hands, then brought it to her own cheeks. She rubbed it against her face and stared down with eyes full of love. Then she gently guided it until it laid flat on the wonderfully soft blanket.


    And then, with a serenade of their song, Momo simply became quiet and allowed the time to pass her by. Oh, but by no means did she ever stop rubbing Servi¡¯s head. At some point, she started to whisper, giving her ultimate thanks to the Goddess that was always watching. She knew that it was very much within her power to kill Jeri and Sea when they were the ones who attacked first, yet she was glad Itarr showed a lot of restraint. And after that, she continued to carry on a one-sided conversation, even going as far as to ask Itarr for permission to love Servi.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I just asked that, but you have been with her longer... I know you love her, and I love her too. But I don¡¯t know if we share the same love for her, you know... But if it¡¯s you...and if you¡¯re alright with it, and if Servy¡¯s alright with it too, then maybe... Maybe we can be her lovers? Honestly, I find it hard to NOT think about her... She has a monopoly on my thoughts... Every day, I wake up hoping that she¡¯s back to normal... No, normal isn¡¯t the right word. I mean that I wake up hoping that she¡¯s healed. Oh geez, I think I¡¯m just rambling again...¡±


    Around forty-five minutes of silence later, Servi groggily found herself in the world of consciousness. An instant later, her smile blossomed into a mischievous grin. Momo mirrored it, and it was time for a spot of fun.


    That itself lasted a bit over an hour, during which Momo tore off a few pieces of paper in the shape of two cat ears and gave them to Servi. And like she thought, she proudly declared that Servi would have made a cute Singi. Then they bounced around like bunnies. The girls¡¯ laughter did wonders for the Goddess¡¯s heart, which radiated joy whenever the girl she loved had fun. After that, Momo remembered the gummies Aunt Canary had given them, and so it was time for a yummy snack full of fruity goodness.


    When the world grew dark and dreary and the yearning for slumber was far too great, a dejected Momo took a quick shower in an attempt to stave away the impending sleep. It was hot and steamy; the flowing water did wonders for her sore muscles and achy bones. When a stray thought about taking a shower with Servi crossed her mind, she began to feel hot and excited. The pleasure flowed through her veins, giving her that last little bit of energy to remain awake. The shower room she had chosen had a shower curtain along with a table, and after seductively biting her lip, she walked away from the flowing water. An idea popped into her mind...


    The brown table had rounded edges, and the sharp corners were sanded down until they were smooth to the touch.


    Should I... No... But it might feel good... No... But...


    Momo¡¯s mind said no, but her body said yes. Every step she took towards the desk caused something other than water to drip down her glistening thighs. When she finally reached it, she gripped the edges tightly and started to rub her moist slit on the rounded corner. Her imagination kicked into overdrive, and she imagined that Servi was there. She wanted to believe that it was her arm she was grinding on, and that it was her hands that she was grabbing. A pleasurable heat welled up within her crotch as the breath leaving her mouth hastened. Her back arched back as she increased her tempo. She had found the perfect position to stimulate her pretty little clit as a pair of hands fondled her breasts.


    ¡°Servy... Servy... Ahhh.... Ah.... AAAhhhhhh!!!!!¡± Momo came hard, squirting all over the now-soaked table with her unique juices.


    But she wasn¡¯t done.


    She leaned over, rubbing her erect nipples against it while a playful finger found itself surrounded by a tunnel of warmth. Somehow or another, she believed the table was Servi¡¯s chest, and she started to lick and kiss it, coating it in her flavorful saliva. Then a second finger entered her snatched, and her mind was full of Servi. It even felt like the surrounding steam from the still-running hot shower was Servi. Even the air started to smell like her, and for a moment, Momo almost believed her darling Servi was surrounding her. That fantasy only served to increase her lust as her free hand slowly dragged itself from her stomach to her clit.


    Mind and body, spirit and self... Her overactive imagination worked together to give the love-struck Singi the biggest orgasm of her life.


    ¡°SERVY!!!!!¡± moaned Momo as she masturbated even faster. Her juices splashed out, covering her quivering thighs. Without a second to lose, she straightened her posture, moved to the side of the table, hiked up a leg, and started to forcibly grind the table¡¯s curved sides. It was far more pleasurable than a simple edge since she could really gyrate her hips, and her soaked crotch provided enough lubrication so that it didn¡¯t hurt. It was stiff, the perfect thing to slide through her pretty slit. With both hands rubbing and fondling her stiff clit, it didn¡¯t take long at all...


    Servy... Servy... Your hands!!! I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t stop myself...


    ¡°I love you, Servy!!!! AAAhhhhhhh!!!!!!¡±


    And there it was... An earth-shattering orgasm sucked the strength right out of the naughty Singi. Her one leg couldn¡¯t support her, and she fell to the tiled floor with a harmless crash. Her face was flushed crimson, and her lungs heaved for much-needed oxygen. Her body trembled from the pleasure, and her mouth curled into a seemingly eternal smile. She laid there for three or four minutes, experiencing the afterglow of such an intense masturbation session. When the fog of pleasure left her mind, she realized that she had completely and utterly soiled the table. It would have been horrible to leave it in such a state, and Momo didn¡¯t want to be that kind of girl.


    Even as I think that, am I...? She thought as she pulled the table over to the showering water. The vivid blue Wash Stone was flashing, becoming duller as the seconds passed her by, which meant she had to give it a little bit more energy. When she did, Momo went straight to cleaning her fluids off of the table, even using her precious shampoo and soap. They weren¡¯t the best thing for the wood Warden used in its furniture, so Momo made a mental note to buy a bottle of wood cleaner whenever she could. Until then, this would just have to work. And after putting the now-clean table back, she focused on her own hygiene.


    If Servi was there, she¡¯d have surely been dazzled by Momo¡¯s beauty. The soapy suds covered her soft skin, the glistening of the water as it flowed down her breasts to her attractive stomach. Even as she scrubbed her hair with hands full of shampoo, that feeling she felt when Servi caught her by the stomach, back when they were on the way to Arcton, still had a solid foundation in Momo¡¯s mind. She touched it with a tender hand, wishing that Servi would hold her again in the same way.


    That¡¯ll happen again, right...? I know it will... Just keep working on your new and improved confession, and you¡¯ll have nothing to worry about.


    When it was all said and done, and she returned back to Servi¡¯s room after drying off and getting dressed, her cuteness exploded with leaps and bounds.


    Taking a cue from Claire, Momo had chosen to wear a sporty tank top that showed off her slender arms. Her skin was flushed pink from the steaming water, and she had on the bottoms of her bright yellow pajamas¡ªthe one she had bought to celebrate her winning the tournament. Her pink hair hadn¡¯t yet completely dried, yet she didn¡¯t need to worry about that since Itarr decided to add ¡®dryer¡¯ to her hastily growing list of roles.


    She had thought that since she was freshly scrubbed clean, the shower would keep her awake just a little bit longer, but that wasn¡¯t the case. It just made her lose the battle that much quicker. With regret, Momo gave Servi a final goodbye hug. She made sure to hug as tightly as she could to make sure her ¡®Servi Battery¡¯ was fully topped off for the night.


    ¡°Good night, Servy. I love you. I¡¯ll see you in the morning, okay? And that goes for you too, Itarr. I¡¯ll see you when I wake up. Or I guess I won¡¯t see you, but I will talk to you. I mean, I¡¯ll see the ring, so I guess that means I will see you in the morning?¡± After confusing herself, Momo walked out, made it to her room, locked it, plopped down on the bed like a sack of bricks, and closed her eyes.


    I feel happy and sad... Why...? Why do I feel like this...? It felt so good, so why do I feel bad when I imagine Servi naked? I was fine when I hugged her goodnight, but why...do I want to cry...? Emotions are hard... They¡¯re impossible to understand... Dang it, life should come with a manual... I¡¯m sleepy and tired... Too tired to think... Man, I haven¡¯t written anything down in my diary in a while... I should do that... Yeah... I¡¯ll...get to it tomorrow morning...


    The lovely girl gathered her fading strength and slid under the covers. With her head supported by the softest pillow dupla could buy, another day came to an end. Was it fun? It was. But it was upsetting that it had to end on a slightly bitter note.


    Underneath the fearsome crescent moon, a lone girl stood alone in the middle of Canary¡¯s poorest district. Dressed head to toe in all black, she was actually at her third location of the night. ¡°Help... More help... Help... More help...¡± she uttered under breath.


    When Servi had first left Warden mere moments after Momo had fallen asleep, she made a beeline for the Old Onyx. The unkempt walkway and wild weeds were properly tamed and cut, and the store almost seemed to be back to its¡¯ original luster. When Servi and Momo were here before, there was not a sign attached to the building. There was definitely one now, and it was written in fluid, flashy handwriting. The stylized logo was drawn with the store''s name being attached to a necklace of connected onyxes.


    The girl with a Goddess stood in front of the immaculately clean windows, staring at the eight long counters. They were covered with folded-up clothing that still had to go inside the drawers. Truthfully, the Old Onyx relied on an odd system that was thought up by its original owner, and it was horribly inefficient. The customers had to actually search within the drawers to find the right size of the item that was sat on top of the counters, but since most customers were rather disrespectful, the clothes they put back were often crumpled and balled together.


    ¡°Help...¡± With that one word, Itarr precisely knew what to do. Even though the doors were locked, Absorption didn¡¯t care about that. As long as there was a spot within her range, Itarr could store and take out items at her leisure. After a few seconds, all of the clothes in Servi¡¯s ring originally belonging to the Old Onyx had been returned to their rightful place. It was all right there in a rather neat pile, and sitting right beside it was a large box filled to the brim with dupla. By Itarr¡¯s count, it was just a bit under two million. And on top of that was a small note that contained just a one-word apology.


    Itarr hoped the money would have been enough for the owner to rebuy the family stable and perhaps have enough left over to buy a family home. Maybe that two million would have been enough to live off of for the rest of his life? She didn¡¯t know. But she did know that doing this would not erase the pain he felt at losing his mother.


    After this, Servi and Itarr sped off towards the Rude Crystal to amend another wrong, but it was important to note that Servi was not back to normal. This girl was being driven by a primal desire to help, which had forcibly created a yearning. This yearning could not be ignored. One could argue that it was simply that, and it wasn¡¯t out of concern of actually righting any wrong.


    They had found themselves in the backyard, standing on the damp grass while staring at the few chairs and tables that were in various stages of completion. The stacks of wood Servi had helped bring over were still in the same spots, though they had noticeably shrunk. It was likely that the inside was already partially filled with furniture. Itarr acted in a flash and hastily constructed a large shed using Earth Wall. Inside it, she placed all of the furniture and equipment she and Servi had stolen, along with another large box filled with two million dupla. And to top it off, there was another note similar to the one left at the Old Onyx. The Earth Walls were weak enough to go down with a slightly forceful push, so it wasn¡¯t nowhere near a permeant stain.

 Book Four – Chapter Three – Part Seven – The Joy of Assisting Others

    ¡°Help...¡± whispered Servi, who was brought to the forefront of sadness. In her damaged state, she just stood there, crying while staring at the proof of her theft. No doubt it cost Helena quite a lot to fully refurnish an entire restaurant, and that was on top of meeting with suppliers to negotiate another contract for food delivery. Perhaps this restitution could lessen the blow? Money couldn¡¯t bring back her son, but any financial woes could be conquered.


    Regardless, Itarr expected Servi to start making her way back to Warden, but that didn¡¯t happen. She patrolled the streets of Canary until she found herself in Canary¡¯s poorest part of town. She stood still, staring at the shanty houses. Nearly all of them weren¡¯t fit for inhabitants, but more often than not, entire generations of families had no choice but to use them as shelter. The Goddess wondered what was going through Servi¡¯s mind, and then she promptly cracked the code after realizing what her host was staring at.


    It was a well that had seen much better days. The rope was frayed and barely hanging on by a thread, and black sludge dripped from the rusty bucket. The handle that worked it all was missing, and the bricks surrounding it had started to chip and crack. Not to mention that the wood that held the bucket and rope had fallen, meaning it couldn¡¯t have been used in the first place.


    Itarr remember that Claire had mentioned something about a well that barely worked, or perhaps it was a water pump? Regardless, she knew that water was a much-needed substance that every living thing needed to live. When Servi repeated the word ¡®help¡¯ twice over, she knew what she needed to do.


    The first thing was getting rid of what was there, which wasn¡¯t hard at all since it literally blinked from existence. Then Servi hopped down into the large hole left behind, falling for about 20 seconds until she reached the bottom and smacked into an ugly, murky abyss that used to be water. Thick sludge covered her entire body, coating her spotless skin in the purest filth known to man. Her beautiful hair lost its luster after being swallowed, and a moment later, the thick, black gunk was sucked into her ring. The freedom didn¡¯t last long as water started to flow from empty space, filling the now-empty well. The muck that had been caked into the very ground ruined the fresh water right as it came into existence. Slightly annoyed, Itarr then had to go around and use Absorption to make sure it was all squeaky clean. A few Lux Spheres provided just enough illumination for the Goddess to visually check her work.


    When that was done, Servi jumped out of the hole. Itarr cleaned the girl she loved, then used Create Water to fill the pristine reservoir. After that, it was time to construct the actual well. She used Metal Wall to form a bucket after using a metal spear as its base. Telekinesis did most of the work in shaping it out, then a great sword was molded to form the well¡¯s base. Before, it was made out of bricks, which were weak and fragile, especially to the harsh elements. This Metal Wall was stacked a few thousand times, meaning it was harder than anything that wasn¡¯t pure mythril or nadrium. It sat perfectly on top of the now clean hole, and all that was left was the rope and handle. And that was taken care of in about thirty seconds. Itarr did have to make the overhang, the part that the rope was wound around, and she had to meld the rope to the bucket, and the rope to the overhang, then attach the handle.


    Finally, it was time to test it out. Servi cranked the handle, lowered the bucket, and waited for it to fill. Then she cranked it back up and showed no reaction whatsoever when she dumped the purified contents out. It landed with a noticeably loud splash, and all was well. This part of town would now have a safe source of water. No longer would they have to barter, haggle, steal, or sell their bodies just to quench their arid throats. Thirst was always a severe issue, but it was worst in the middle of an especially hot summer.


    ¡°Help... More help...¡± whispered Servi. Itarr activated The Shadow¡¯s Embrace, removing her and her host from existence as the ruby-eyed girl ran off in search of another dilapidated well. For the next twenty minutes, the Goddess had the pleasure of renovating 12 additional wells, all located within Canary¡¯s poorer districts. She cleaned and constructed each one the same as before. Only this time, she attempted to increase the size of the reservoir by using a few thousand stacks of Telekinesis to ¡®shovel¡¯ the ground away. Then in order to keep the dirt from tainting the crystal-like water, she covered it all with a thin layer of metal before she began to fill it up.


    In her eyes, this was a much-needed upgrade since it prevented anything from staining the pureness of the water, and Servi noticed this as well. That was why she soared back to the previous wells, which allowed Itarr a chance to re-build them. And since safety was at the forefront of her mind, she made sure to sanitize the metal swords she used as a base for Metal Wall.


    When the pair had finished the final well of the night, the last thing they expected to hear was a sharp cry of pain. As if she was on autopilot, Servi walked away from Itarr¡¯s finished project and proceeded down a dark, spooky back alley towards the source of the noise. She eventually came across a hastily constructed shack with a broken door. Upon entering it, she found herself in a cramped, candle-lit room, which was full of injured men, women, and children of all races. All eyes fell upon the girl with red eyes, and she blankly returned their stare. Ahead, in front of her, was a separate door that presumably led to a back room. She walked across the room, the weak floorboards creaking something fierce under her weight. Her hair trailed behind her, leaving a definite proof that she wasn¡¯t the onlookers¡¯ imagination.


    Servi entered through the door and came across a startling sight. A young child, probably no more than seven or eight years of age, was restrained to a lumpy table with frayed belts and crimson-stained rope. An elderly woman with a mask held a bloody scalpel in her left hand. She lowered it to his left knee and made a long, sharp incision downward until she reached about the top of his foot. She placed her tool down on a brown rag. With a breath, the woman placed both hands inside the incision. The child bit his lips hard enough to draw blood, and the cries of pain escaped his trembling mouth. Tears washed away the dirt staining his puffy cheeks, and the pain was agonizing to the point where urine soon started to soak his raggedy pants.


    ¡°I know it hurts,¡± said the old woman. ¡°But I have to do this if I want to fix your broken leg. Please, try to bear¡ª¡± Servi took a step forward, and the surgeon looked up from her patient. The look in her eyes could kill a devil, and the thick gown-like apron seemed equally as hostile ¡°You... You don¡¯t belong here... Leave this place and never return!¡± Her hostility was to be expected. She was the closest thing to a free clinic, and most of her clients didn¡¯t look anywhere as close as put together as Servi did. The homeless and poor couldn¡¯t afford to see an apothecary, nor could they pay the church for healing. The old woman had devoted the golden years of her life to helping the sick and injured in the slums since no one else would ever want to offer a hand.


    ¡°Help...¡± Servi whispered, raising her hand. Itarr acted fast, using 4,000 stacks of Remedium Lux to heal the boy with a broken leg. The surgeon''s eyes went wide as the bone reattached itself together, and the open wound closed as if time was rewinding. The blood dripping down his leg vanished out of this world. The pained, hushed groans of agony coming from the patient quieted down. A moment later, thanks to Kaasuvuoto¡¯s sleeping gas, the child took a side-trip to the much-needed world of slumber.


    It all happened so fast¡ªfaster than it took to blink¡ªand the old surgeon was lost for words. And right then and there, any negative feelings she had for the girl, who used her healing skills for the greater good, disappeared like smoke in the wind. But that didn¡¯t mean the distrust and wariness were gone as well. Doing a single good deed didn¡¯t automatically make a stranger trustworthy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to get paid for doing that. We¡¯re all broke,¡± the woman said. She took off her mask to reveal a face full of wrinkles and liver spots. She went to reach for her bloody scalpel since it was time to clean it, but she gasped when the crimson disappeared before her very eyes. And if that wasn¡¯t enough, the light the dull candles emitted was dwarfed by five Lux Spheres, which overwhelmingly illuminated the make-shift operating room.


    ¡°Help... Help...¡± That was all Servi said. She stepped away, turning from the woman, and walked back to the waiting room. The surgeon followed after her with hasty steps.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t leave!¡± cried the old woman. Servi came to a halt in the middle of the room of patients, then raised an arm towards a boy with a grotesque gash across his cheek. It had been left untreated for days, allowing germs to fester within the wound. With it turning green and gross, it wouldn''t be long before the pain spread down his throat. What followed would be the inability to breathe, which meant nothing but pain awaited this young child.


    He would not die today.


    ¡°Help...¡± said Servi, and Itarr was more than happy to grant the wish of the girl she loved.


    ¡°Answer me! Why are you helping us?! We can¡¯t pay you a damn thing!¡± asked the surgeon. She was about to ask again, yet she chose to stave off her curiosity to focus on the now-healed patients. Servi then turned to the next person, who had a broken arm, and healed them. They obviously tried to talk to the mysterious healer, yet she had no words for them. Then she turned to the next, and the next, and the next, healing and healing until there were only five people left. By now, those who were already healed had thanked their healer and left with a mental state that was appreciative, fearful, and slightly worried. This was after the old woman had checked them out.


    The individuals remaining had injuries far too severe to be healed with Remedium Lux. The only way to cure them of their maladies was to use the fabled Rank 0 healing skill. Unfortunately, due to the nature of Lux Dei Omnipotentis, which was a single-use skill that doubled in cost each time it was learned, Servi only had enough Potential to use it 4 times. If she wanted to use it again after that, she would need to cough up 12,928 more Potential. Thus, there was a dilemma. Which of the five would have to be passed over?


    Would it be the middle-aged Singi with one eye, whose spine grew at a harsh angle after her abusive foster mother broke her back? Her horrific appearance was often a cause of her emotional pain because the other children and peers of her age brutally bullied her. She was there for something to lessen the discomfort that originated from her back.


    How about the scarred Dwarf, who had his vocal cords brutally ripped out as an infant because his father became irate by his constant crying? If his injury had happened far more recently, it would¡¯ve been fixable. And like the previous woman, he was there for something to stave off the harsh uncomfortableness that radiated from his scratchy throat.


    There was a woman who was born blind. Her eyes had a glossy, foggy color to them. She was all alone in this world with no friends or family, and unfortunately, she was often attacked and sexually exploited since she literally couldn¡¯t see anything coming. Her reason for visiting was to obtain something to kill the lingering pain in her crotch.


    The last of the five was an Elven mother and her child. She suffered from an infernal disease that would eventually claim her life, and it was a shame it was passed on to her baby in an even more horrendous form. Thick scabs covered the baby¡¯s skin, and goopy blisters littered his tiny fingertips. Those weren¡¯t able to be taken care of via Remedium Lux because right when they vanished from the healing, they promptly came back like a bad itch.


    With four to choose, who would be the one left alone? Servi¡¯s current state could only be summed up as her carrying the purest essence of the concept of ¡®help.¡¯ She desired to help. She yearned to help. Her current state of mind, even if she wasn¡¯t in direct control, did not see a future in which she didn¡¯t provide any assistance.


    ¡°Please, help my child... He doesn¡¯t deserve to suffer from the pain,¡± cried the mother after she had witnessed miracle after miracle. Fat tears trembled beneath her slightly slanted eyes. And she wasn¡¯t the only one who was asking. All five begged the Servi after witnessing the miracle of a Goddess. The man who couldn¡¯t talk bowed down and almost prayed to Servi in order to ask for her assistance. And the blind woman just went along with it since she could clearly sense something was amiss. If there was just a tiny chance her sight would be returned to her, she had to take it.


    ¡°Help... Help... Help...¡± Startled, the patients and surgeon silently watched as the mysterious girl vanished from their eyes. Itarr had used The Shadow¡¯s Embrace, and Servi used the fact she didn¡¯t exist in the physical world to jump up through the shack¡¯s roof without crashing through it. She used all of her strength in her legs to soar high above Canary to the point where the large city looked like a simple dot, then stared off towards the southeast. With Air Step stacked to the max, she used her tens of thousands of souls to soar across the sky faster than the speed of sound. In no time at all, the landmass below her became replaced with the wide-open ocean.


    But she didn¡¯t stop. She continued to leap across the very sky until even she couldn¡¯t see the land behind her.


    Servi was alone with Itarr in the middle of the watery frontier, which still hadn¡¯t been fully explored or conquered by any one nation.


    The crescent moon beautifully reflected off of the uncommonly still surface of the ocean. The reason she was here was simple. The concept of ¡®help¡¯ that currently controlled Servi¡¯s body had decided that since she received 1 Potential for each soul she absorbed, the best way to obtain the souls needed was to find the area with the densest population of animals. And in her mind, she had decided the ocean was the best spot because fishes often traveled in groups called schools, which numbered in the hundreds or thousands. And on top of that, their meat would not go to waste since that would be stored inside the ring, forever frozen in a state of freshness until it was needed.


    The only problem would be deciding how to go about this fish slaughter, but the help-focused Servi had it all figured out. She just canceled Air Step, falling until she sunk into the ocean. The Shadow¡¯s Embrace ensured pesky annoyances like water and its resistance seemingly passed her by, so her drop didn¡¯t disturb the stillness of the watery surface.


    She used Air Step to halt her descent, then continued to soar under the water as if she flew through the air while searching for a suitable target. Itarr didn¡¯t really know what to look for, but after about ten minutes of dashing around, she found it. It was right there, a couple hundred meters below the surface. It was a swirling shoal of nocturnal cod, a type of salt-water fish that was more active when the moon was out. With their black skin and scales, they blended into the darkness.


    They all ferociously swam in a cyclone-like pattern, nearly creating an underwater tornado, which drew in smaller prey that was promptly devoured by all. The spreading blood would soon attract sharks, but even the sharp-tooth hunters of the sea weren¡¯t a match for a swarm of nocturnal cod.


    They were thick and big, almost reaching a meter in length, with the average weight being 15 kilograms. It would only take two of them to sustain someone like Feral for an entire day. Even a single one went for a few hundred dupla, so yet again, Servi was staring at a few tons of fish that was well worth their weight in dupla.


    With a hand raised out, it was like the silent girl gave a command to her Goddess, and she was eager to please her. To painlessly kill the fishes swirling in a school in front of her, she needed to stack Telekinesis enough until she had 2,654 anchor points. Once they were attached, it just took the tiniest effort to rip off their heads at the same time, instantly killing them. A horde of blood surged into the ocean, which disguised the massive collection of souls as they rushed towards the girl with red eyes. Next, Itarr brought the fish corpses towards her until they were within her Absorption range.


    Even she thought the situation was kind of odd and a bit humorous. Out of the hundreds of skills she had available to her, Servi and Itarr always fell back on Telekinesis. If Itarr wanted, she could have used Water Spear, which worked similar to Shadow Shot as long as the user was inside a body of water. A hot enough Firewall would¡¯ve done the job just right. Sword Beam would have been wholly inefficient, yet that was another option. But at the end of the day, Telekinesis, even if it was a Rank 3 skill, was only overpowered and useful in the hands of someone who could Skill Stack. Even at its max level, it had a limit of 100 anchor points and a weight limit of 100 kilograms.


    The number of souls collected wasn¡¯t enough, so Servi had to scout out six more schools of fishes, and it so happened that all of them were nocturnal cod. The whole hunt took no longer than ten minutes, but by the end, she had gained almost 14,000 Potential while acquiring over 200,000 kilograms of fish. Such a haul would probably have repercussions on the ocean¡¯s food chain since it all happened at once and not over time, but was a fish¡¯s life, or rather the life of those animals that lived in the ocean, more valuable than that of a living, breathing person?


    Servi thought they weren¡¯t.


    With her goal accomplished, she leapt from the ocean, easily bypassing the water resistance. She was still under the effects of The Shadow¡¯s Embrace and dashed back towards Canary on a path of invisible platforms. Such a journey would have taken someone else months to complete, but the entire side trip took no longer than 25 minutes. Before long, Servi saw Canary come into sight, which happened just a few minutes after the ocean below her was replaced with land. The giant walls protecting the city were awfully small from where she was, but they rapidly grew in size as she started to make her descent in front of the makeshift shack.


    Itarr hoped that the patients were still there, and she wanted to slap herself because the least she could have done was leave a note detailing they would be right back. In the end, her worries were for naught when a couple of gasps welcomed Servi back after Itarr had canceled The Shadow¡¯s Embrace.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Trese, I have something for the discomfort between your legs. Just let me go¡ªWhat?! Where did you go?!?¡± exclaimed the old woman, who was about to go fetch some pain medicine for the blind woman. As expected, she received no answer at all.


    ¡°Please... Heal my child,¡± begged the elvish mother, who had nowhere else to turn to. While her hopeful savior was gone, the old woman confessed that nothing she could do to ease the child¡¯s pain wouldn¡¯t bring about the risk of death. The mother raised his little, trembling body up to the red-eyed girl, and she only replied with two words while staring at his tiny pointed ears.


    But now that she had the potential needed, Itarr started to buy Lux Dei Omnipotentis, then use it. Instead of waiting for it to be finished with the whole song and dance, she purchased and used it again, and again, and again. The skill wasn¡¯t designed to work that way, and the consequence of that was an overlapping speech by a voice from the heavens. Apparently, the skill had enough sense to not transport the users from the world of Skill Energy to the world of Skill Energy, which would have been overly redundant.


    Servi and Itarr stood off to the side, staring at the colorful paradise before them. They watched as five angels descended from the sky, each one looking just like their beloved Momo. They listened to her lovely voice reassure their specific patient that all would soon be well. And just as quickly as it happened, the five skills came to an almost concurrent end, and that utopia surrounding them was replaced with the rundown shack.


    Only this time, the middle-aged Singi with a single eye and curved back had two eyes and a straight spine. Her scruffy-looking coat properly fit her body, and she no longer needed that patch to hide her disfigurement.


    The scarred Dwarf with the missing vocal cords discovered he could speak once more; a strange collection of sounds that almost resembled words flowed from his newly healed throat. He reached down to grab his dirty shirt, using it to wipe up the tears flowing down his cheeks.


    The woman with the curse of blindness had been gifted the miracle of sight, but it also cured the ugly disease that festered within her crotch. As soon as the light entered her virgin eyes, she turned into a sobbing mess, unable to process what had just happened.


    And the Elven mother, who was so afraid for her child, had a great weight lifted from her shoulders. She didn¡¯t have to worry about an early death, and she cried tears of happiness that she would still be there to guide her child through his childhood. On top of that, the awful scabs and blisters that had once damaged his beautiful skin had disappeared, and no longer would her heart have to hear his screams and cries when it was time to bathe him.


    Perhaps the person who was most surprised by everything was the old woman. Her mind was so blown and shocked by what she had seen in the past 40 minutes that it felt like everything was all a lie. It seemed like she was about to pass out, but reason took control of her body when Servi fell to her knees.


    ¡°Help... Help... More help... Not...enough...help... Help...¡± she repeated as if it was her personal motto. She only had a measly 1,013 Potential left to spend, and if she wanted to use Lux Dei Omnipotentis again, she would need to have 32,000. She rocked back and forth, hugging her arms to her chest. ¡°HELP!!!! HELP!!! HELP!!!¡± she screamed. The six people surrounding Servi did not know how to respond since, to them, it felt like their words of thanks had harmed their savior. A few seconds later, the old woman acted fast and bent down on her old, achy bones. She placed a hand on Servi¡¯s quivering shoulders, then spoke in a quiet voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re... You¡¯re the very miracle I¡¯ve been praying for... I don¡¯t know what you did, but you¡¯ve done something incredible...¡± she whispered. Hearing that just made Servi sob harder. She scratched and pulled at her hair, then vanished from reality. The old woman nearly fell through to the floor, but she was caught by Singi who used to have a curved spine.


    And just like that, the incident that would come to be called the Miracle of Canary came to a quiet end. It took the trembling Servi a few minutes to return to her stoic, apathetic state of mind, and by then, she was already back inside her room at Warden. Stationary and frozen, any and all proof of her late-night excursion was absorbed by Itarr. The Goddess had a lot to think about, and she passed the night away by dreaming of the future.

 Book Four – Interlude – Part One – The Captain’s Worries

    It took Fisher about fifty minutes to get from Buncombe Street to the noble district and then another thirty or so minutes to get to his actual destination. In terms of wealth and overall value, the affluent ward of nobles didn¡¯t have any competitors. Houses were often two to three stories tall and filled with the finest luxuries on top of having personal guards. In fact, quite a few homes had two or three gates that one had to pass through. Some chose to go further and hired different security companies for each gate.


    It was frightening to see what the super-rich did with their unimaginable wealth. But Fisher thought it was better to spend money on security and houses than slaves. From what he had seen in his meetings and patrols, a few of the more ¡®unfriendly¡¯ families flaunted their cash by buying the prettiest slaves on the market. Even if they had to be ferried from Adenaford. Sometimes, they were imported from one of the two neighboring countries. In either case, they were paraded around like exotic trophies while draped in lavish fabrics. In return, they often led easy lives while enduring the wrenching task of making sure their owners never tire of them. If that happened, they said goodbye to safety and hello to poverty with unwelcoming eyes.


    During his walk down the impeccably clean streets, bypassing sharply dressed citizens in the softest lace and shiniest silk, Fisher waved to all he saw. He needed to keep a friendly and welcoming face since he was responsible for everyone¡¯s safety. He even bit his lip and waved towards a family that was out to soak up the sun in the nearby park. There was nothing wrong with that, but what muddled the atmosphere was the aforementioned exotic slaves. It was two of them. A brother and a sister, with skin the color of dirt and sharp, pointy ears on their heads. But they were so young that they didn¡¯t know what was going on. In their eyes, they just looked up towards the two Human-shaped angels that rescued them from a life of pain and hunger. The brother didn¡¯t know he and his sister were being used as a status symbol of overextravagant wealth. If such a life was happening to them when they were less than six years old, then what horrors would befall them later on. It was in those situations that an Elf¡¯s unnaturally long lifespan became more a curse than a blessing.


    To Fisher, it was sick and disgusting to use slaves, even worse if they were children, as a way of bragging about a family''s financial security. Still, he kept a perfect smile and continued to walk to his destination. He wasn¡¯t happy about it, though.


    When the orphanage is finished, it¡¯ll fix that abandonment problem. But that¡¯s just treating the symptoms rather than the cause. There has to be a way to completely destroy this awful practice, though.


    Once he turned a corner and found it devoid of people, he sighed. An air of annoyance passed his dry lips. Then his eyes laid on a building he wanted to refer to as a ¡®palace of waste.¡¯ Four stories tall, this large structure was the second biggest church in Lando. The only one larger resided in Adenaford, but by no means did this ¡®holy embarrassment,¡¯ in Fisher¡¯s eyes, lack a feverish display of hoarded wealth.


    Solid white marble made up the church''s overall design, which alone nearly quadrupled the cost of the building¡¯s construction than if the designer had gone with regular bricks. But it wasn¡¯t just marble. It was purified marble, which was stronger, shinier, and more difficult to manufacture.


    Four massive 20-meter steeples, each with a mythril bell located inside an exquisite belfry, outfitted with the latest in bell-ringing technology, created an aura of oppressiveness that threatened to swallow those with weak minds. Whenever the winds blew harsh enough to send them ringing, they nearly sounded like the crackle of thunder. When lightning cascaded across the darkened sky, their frightful flashes illuminated the shadow-colored spires. The top of each of these spires contained the holy symbol of the Church of the Heavens Above, which was a series of circles linked together inside a diamond.


    The four towers had many windows to glance out of if one wanted to marvel at Canary¡¯s skyline. It was a strikingly vivid experience to see the warm, crimson glow of the horizon as the sun went off to rest. In terms of aesthetics, the four had discordant circles and rigid squares etched into the blackened stone. The designs were zealous, almost to the point of being the result of a bout of hallucination or a fit of madness, yet that craziness didn¡¯t overpower the architect¡¯s original feeling. These four towers were later added on by a different developer during the church¡¯s renovations, which was a waste of money.


    A single stained-glass window was installed right under the first balcony, of which this structure had three of. It depicted a holy figure with a robe of pure light. With their hands outstretched to the heavens above, it was clear that the artwork¡¯s meaning was to impart the advantages of praying. The areas underneath the second and third balconies were empty, but that was only because the previous governor had died before signing the church¡¯s alternation permits.


    Usually, a person or group wouldn¡¯t have to go so far as to request permission to make minor changes to something they owned, and the church did outright own this building, but Parrel was a greedy man. After seeing how much money would have passed him by the constant upgrades happening around the noble district, he signed into a law stating that businesses that made over a certain amount of dupla each year would have to pay an extra tax. It did extend to the wealthy and their outrageously expensive homes, but outrage and pushback forced Parrel to dial it back a bit. He also needed to grease a few palms with the added income, but in his mind, that bribery was a necessary evil. And businesses did try to fight back, but by then, Canary had grown too big and prosperous to ignore.


    Between making 0 dupla and millions of dupla, the vast majority of commercialized businesses chose the latter. And it wasn¡¯t like most of them could pack up and leave. Moving to an entirely different town, one that was lesser in both wealth and stature than Canary, was going to be difficult since the only other flourishing city was the capital, Adenaford. And that would have meant applying for a whole different set of permits and paying for expensive licenses. Of course, Parrel knew that most businesses wouldn¡¯t have survived in transporting their goods hundreds of kilometers to a less-than-ideal location in a crowded city filled with people already loyal to their favorite stores.


    When Fisher first heard about the decree, he didn¡¯t want to think that it was all planned from the beginning, but Parrel¡¯s gross grin told a different tale. Now that he had thought about it, the captain wondered if the generous tax breaks Parrel offered to new businesses was just another way to trap them within Canary¡¯s walls.


    It was ironic how the city named after a bird became a birdcage in and of itself. Though the church didn¡¯t have that restriction. Since they enjoyed an exemption from paying taxes, they didn¡¯t have to pay any fee at all if they wanted an alternation permit. However, as a formality, one needed to be signed since that was the law.


    Really, it would seem like the governor wouldn¡¯t have had that much executive power. If anything, such a broad and controversial law would have to be passed by a senate or congress, but that was where Canary differed from any other city. In Canary, the governor technically had power akin to a dictator. Nearly a decade prior, Keywater had attempted a stealthy invasion of Lando, but it was stopped. In actuality, it was a false-flag operation that happened under cover of night for the sole purpose of putting pressure on Lando since it held something the emperor desperately wanted.


    It all played out as if it was a carefully constructed play. A Keywater loyalist immigrated to Lando about 20 years prior to Parrel taking governorship of Canary. Once there, this loyalist was to rise through the ranks until he had a worthy position in Lando¡¯s military. It took many years, but this soldier was fiercely loyal to his emperor. Even if the mission took a hundred years, he would have done it without a care.  It was strenuous, though. This chosen agent endured the false life he was given, even coming to terms with the paper-thin friendships and relationships he had made along the way.


    Finally, 20 years after leaving behind his family, it was time to launch a faux invasion. Under the cover of night, this turncoat launched an attack on a village located about 50 kilometers past the northern Keywater-Lando border. Flashes of fire illuminated the air, the smell of smoke filled the air, and the raging orange flames of war could be seen for tens of kilometers. It practically lit up the docile night sky with excitement and passion.


    How did this turncoat find men loyal enough to go to war? He had to create his own faction that believed in ideals that weren¡¯t his own. Ideas that were extremist enough to ostracize anyone sane since he needed to become the leader of a force that dared not ask any questions. The loyalist picked and clawed at society¡¯s dredges to find those who had lost it all, then gave them something to believe in by channeling their depression into hatred.


    Right when the loyalist and his tricked soldiers were celebrating, the foreign agent felt that something wasn¡¯t right. After a bit of investigating a nearby house, which hadn¡¯t burnt to the ground, he discovered the impossible.


    The mission statement he had received said the houses would be empty and that there would be jars of pig guts he could spread around to make it seem as if the village was populated.


    His contact in Keywater had lied for years whenever it was time to check-in, and the loyalist actually committed treason by slaughtering his fellow countrymen in their sleep. The betrayal clawed at his mind like ravenous rats trapped within a cage. In a rage, he drew his blade and slaughtered the loyal men that came with him in hopes of being forgiven.


    Two acts of betrayal had played out, and before the night came to an end, there would have been a third. As if this whole song and dance had been practiced to perfection, a division of Keywater¡¯s military teleported onto the village outskirts. It took them seconds to gain control of the situation, including a bloody, dazed, and perplexed loyalist.


    Hours later, a messenger bearing the Keywater imperial symbol was sent to Adenaford with details of the ¡®invasion.¡¯ Since the loyalist had risen to the rank of Colonel, the king couldn¡¯t shake it off as some hot-blooded youth who had something to prove because he had placed a medal of honor upon the loyalist¡¯s chest months prior. To say that the king and his advisors were thrown into chaos would have been the biggest understatement of the decade. With hasty breaths and sweaty palms, the king and his sharpest minds agreed to negotiations in a neutral location under the curtain of utmost secrecy.


    The emperor had a staunch list of demands that the king had no choice but to accept, but two of the conditions were odd. First of all, the king had to pick a city for one of the emperor¡¯s children to run. Said child would have absolute control over the area. In terms of allegiance, on paper, it was still a part of Lando. In secrecy, however, it definitely belonged to the empire.


    Befuddlement blanketed the king¡¯s face during those strenuous negotiations, but he could not refuse because the militaristic might of Keywater threatened to flood Lando in a baptism of flame and death. Canary was but a shell of the thriving, flourishing city it was now known for, so that was an easy choice to give away something that only brought pain and bad news. The second demand that didn¡¯t make sense was a ¡®gift¡¯ that was to be delivered later, and it had to be looked after. Other than that, the other concessions were the standard restitution that often came when conflict came to an end, but they were barely more than what a farmer made in a year.


    The king knew something was amiss, but he truthfully lacked the manpower to negotiate back and refuse the demands because Keywater was a military empire. In terms of strength, it went them, Westera, and then Lando. The only advantage Lando had was its vast, plentiful, and healthy farmlands. The kingdom made most of its money through food, and nearly every living person needed food to survive. In a sense, it was an excellent bargaining tool, but one that had to be trodden carefully.


    The information about all of this was only known by a handful of people, and Fisher wasn¡¯t one of them. Details of this stressful time would not have been written into any records. And in all of the chaos, only Virin Keywater, the all-powerful emperor himself, knew the method to his madness. Though by this point, very few people had suspected the emperor was suffering from some sickness of the mind.


    Later historians who were privy to his sexual assaults on the Imperial Guard¡¯s captain regarded this decaying of his mind as the reason he committed treason against the leader of the group responsible for his protection. Was it true? Was it falsified? Not a single person knew, but what could they do against the most powerful man on Gea, who arguably commanded the most powerful nation in the world?  A word from him and a dissenter could disappear as if they had never existed in the first place.


    Fisher sighed a second time and started to ascend the stairs to reach the front door of a place he had negative feelings about. He stared at the spot above the entrance, his eyes glued to the magnificent arches that danced all around. Below that, surrounding his destination, was a set of shiny pilasters. Their smooth surfaces had been carved into with a language the captain couldn¡¯t read. If he could, he¡¯d have known it was a prayer of protection to ask the Gods to watch over their holy building.


    Finally, he reached the top and went to turn the handle on the solid marble door. It opened before he had a chance to touch it, and a business suit-wearing Dwarf hobbled his way out while not-so-gently shutting the door behind him.. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about coming in if ye ain¡¯t got an appointment. It¡¯s just a big ole waste of time¡­¡± He grumbled on for a few more seconds before waddling down the stairs. The captain only proceeded to grasp the handle and entered for himself.


    Inside, Fisher stepped from out the harsh sun into a wonderfully cool room. It was like the waiting room of a doctor¡¯s office, only it was spacious and large, with more than fifty chairs set up. Pretty carpet lined the floor, and the walls had quite a few religious-like paintings that were supposed to depict the creation of the world.


    There was a rather large desk to the side, and four people were sitting behind it. One was a woman with hair that was on the cusp of turning gray, and the others were three young bald boys in white robes. The boys had their heads buried in a book of scripture and didn¡¯t look up. The woman did, though, and she greeted the captain by name and with a pleasant smile. He asked to see Bishop Nicholas, the man in charge of the church.


    ¡°Usually, we require all visitors to make an appointment beforehand, but I believe we can make an exception for you, Captain Fisher. Bishop Nicholas doesn¡¯t have anything going on, so he should be in his office. Michael, would kindly escort our proud captain?¡± asked the woman. Michael, the middle one, immediately closed his book, greeted Fisher with a bow, and escorted him through the leftmost opened door. He tried to make small talk, but the boy just remained quiet, almost as if he wasn¡¯t allowed to utter a single sound. He led Fisher through a few different hallways, bypassing an open set of double doors that gave the captain a sneak peek at just one of the many luxurious worship rooms. It was just a glimpse, but his jaw wanted to drop to the floor.


    Exquisite cherry hardwood made up the floor, while the 40 rows of pews were carved out of wood imported from the Divine Principality of Tobris, the country that housed the church¡¯s headquarters. There was also a rather large stage with a Voice Loudner slotted into the center. Golden silk drapes hung down above the stage, providing much-needed color in a room full of brown. It also closed off the area backstage, hiding whatever was there from sight.


    Beautiful lights hung down from chains attached to the ceiling, but the most striking centerpiece of all was the glorious chandelier. Made out of pure glass, it shimmered in the overabundant radiance, sparkling as if it was a bright star in the dark sky. Whenever light was cast down through the chandelier¡¯s column, the prisms on the end of each arm would glow as if it housed a rainbow, sending glimmers of spots across the ceiling. It really did make for a pretty sight, especially when it was the dead of the night. If one was to lay down and stare up, it would almost be the same if laying down under the night sky.


    There was far more to the room than that, like the delicate carvings on the pillars to either side of the door across the room, or the ancient tapestries that depicted the birth of the Gods and Goddesses, but there just wasn¡¯t enough time for Fisher to properly analyze it all. He wanted to, of course, since he was a man who immediately scanned everything he saw. Since he couldn¡¯t do that, he made sure to properly scout out the priests and nuns he passed by, internally calculating their threat level by the way they carried themselves. It wasn¡¯t something out of malice, and it wasn¡¯t a foreboding hint of violence. This analysis was just something a younger, bloodier Fisher had to do to survive, and the instinct followed him into fatherhood.


    His close examination also revealed a rather subtle smell¡­ He was faint, but it was there, though it wasn¡¯t enough to be overly concerned about.


    About thirty seconds later, Michael left Fisher in front of a door that had the nameplate ¡®Nicholas Constantius¡¯ beside it. Without making a sound, the young bald boy gave a small bow and made his way back to the lobby through the winding hallways.


    He didn¡¯t say a single thing¡­ How odd¡­ With a small sigh, Fisher gave the door a few knocks and adjusted his armor.


    ¡°Yes, come on in,¡± replied an experienced voice. Fisher turned the handle and opened the door. Like everything else he had seen, this room wasn¡¯t lacking for much. The main thing he immediately noticed was the size of the office. It was nearly twice as large as the headquarter¡¯s biggest meeting room. The desk in the back, which sat in front of a window draped with blackout curtains to block the light, was at least two meters long. It was littered with papers that needed to be read, documents concerning the upcoming festival that must be signed, and letters to be mailed.


    To the left was a massive display case, which only held two items. One was an iron scepter, and while it looked plain and generic in every which way, it had the distinction of being the home of a rather large jewel that was in the shape of the church¡¯s symbol. The outer diamond was carved out of a ruby found after a volcano had erupted. The interlocking circles, likewise, were cut from a sapphire that was discovered after a terrible flood had wiped out a seaside city. Both events happened well over two hundred years ago, but proof of their existences were right in front of Fisher¡¯s eyes.


    Not that he knew anything about that, however. To him, he just saw a somewhat fancy scepter and a leather-bound book, the second item in the display case, which also had the church¡¯s symbol carved onto the cover. Both were important to the church, but Fisher didn¡¯t know how or why. And rightly, he didn¡¯t particularly care.


    The man behind the desk, Nicholas Constantius, was around fifty-five years of age. The sleeves of his black bishop robe swept across the desk¡¯s surface as he put the finishing touches on a letter. He looked up as he returned his quill to its holder, then smiled at his unexpected visitor. Standing up, he held out a slightly wrinkled hand. The red stole hanging around his neck danced back and forth. Fisher walked forward and gave the bishop a fair and proper handshake, and it was then he noticed the man he came to meet had a strong grip. He could feel it through his armor.


    This Nicholas Constantius wasn¡¯t nearly as weak as his somewhat frail appearance led the captain to believe.


    ¡°Captain Fisher, it¡¯s good to see you,¡± said the bishop. His wrinkled face gave a friendly and reassuring smile. Fisher returned it.


    ¡°And it¡¯s good seeing you, Bishop Constantius.¡± Fisher had met him a few times in the past, though it was always just a passing hello and goodbye. Not once had he ever had a chance to sit down and talk with the man of holy faith.


    ¡°So, what can I do for you? If I¡¯m remembering right, this is the first time we¡¯ve actually shared more than a sentence or two,¡± said Nicholas. He sat down and carefully folded his wrinkled hands on the desk. Fisher took a seat in one of the two chairs sitting opposite the table. It was made with exceptional care since it didn¡¯t whisper a squeak of protest under the weight of him and his armor. ¡°You¡¯ve never visited me at the church before. Really, the only times we were in the same location is when the late governor used to hold parties at his mansion. May his soul find peace in the Heavens Above.¡± Nicholas put his hands together and prayed.


    Fisher wanted to groan, but he wasn¡¯t in the mood to act ¡®dishonorable¡¯ even though he knew what a monster the previous governor was. He copied the bishop¡¯s prayer.


    ¡°Bishop Constantius, are you familiar with the church on buncombe street?¡± Fisher asked when Nicholas had placed his hands back on the desk.


    ¡°I am. If I recall correctly, it was just recently built. And a rather brutish Kobold was assigned to it by the Cardinal in Adenaford. Between you and me, captain, I don¡¯t rightly agree with the Cardinal''s decision.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Fisher was surprised by the bishop¡¯s straightforwardness in his distaste for the sapphire-scaled priest. From what he had seen, the Kobold he had earlier met was pleasant, kind, and full of friendliness. Fisher wanted to press the subject, but that wasn¡¯t why he was here. ¡°Err, never mind that. Do you remember a visit from the Kobold and the members of his church?¡±


    The bishop nodded his wrinkled head. His eyes stared hard enough to dig a hole in his visitor¡¯s armor. Still, he kept a practiced smile while answering the question. ¡°I do. His visitation to this church is something like a small ritual that¡¯s within the Church of the Heavens Above. Once a priest has their own church and congregation, it is imperative they pay a visit to the head church in their area to receive a blessing and their orders. Before I continue any further, may I ask why you want to know this, Captain Fisher? Does it have anything to do with the incident near one of the gates?¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯ve heard about that?¡±


    Nicholas nodded. ¡°I have. If I¡¯m not mistaken, Jeri and Sea were two guards who suddenly attacked a pair of adventurers, am I right? Word of such an incident spread like wildfire. You do know how chatty people can be, yes? I¡¯d say it was proper news within an hour of it happening.¡±


    After clearing his throat, Fisher answered. ¡°You¡¯re right. I can¡¯t say anything more than that, but Jeri and Sea¡¯s disturbances were witnessed by many.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ And the nature of your visit to learn more about them? I assume you would have all of their information since they do¡ªdid¡ªwork for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not after that, Bishop Constantius. The two suspects were never one for religion. In the years I¡¯ve known Jeri, he never once mentioned anything about the church. And Sea was someone who actively hated the idea of organized faith. Even though she¡¯s blessed, she was an atheist. I was just so surprised that the two of them had started to take it so seriously.¡±

 Book Four – Interlude – Part Two – The Captain’s Worries

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Nicholas closed his weathered eyes for a moment. ¡°I believe I can answer that. Captain, do you not feel it is natural to thank the ones who created the world? After all, it is the Gods¡¯ and Goddesses¡¯ love that granted you the blessing of life.¡±


    ¡°With all due respect, my mother and father were the catalysts that jump-started my life,¡± Fisher replied. He didn¡¯t expect to get into a conversation like this, but this back-and-forth gave him an excellent chance to learn more about the Bishop as a person.


    ¡°That is true. Your parents¡¯ parents gave birth to them, and so on and so on. However, if you trace back far enough, you will come to an end. Once you return to zero, where can you go from there? The Gods and Goddesses are abstract. Their existence defiles common sense, meaning that they can go beyond zero. Therefore, your blessing of life originated from them, and I can carefully say that without them, you wouldn¡¯t be here. When that infernal beast and his flock showed up, I gave them a small sermon about the creation of our world and life. After hearing the ultimate truth, their hearts were touched by my holy words, which allowed them a chance to return to the Gods¡¯ favor by devoting themselves to prayer and devotion.¡±


    That was certainly an odd way to phrase that. I scanned this man up and down, but I don¡¯t see any kind of artifact that would grant him the ability to control minds. Unless it¡¯s a skill¡­ There isn¡¯t a Warden-sanctioned skill that can do that, but if it¡¯s imparted from a God¡­


    Fisher leaned up, adjusting his stance, and asked something that had been growing in the back of his mind. It was a small gnawing feeling concerning the truth of someone divine in nature, and it just so happens that it would momentarily be put to excellent use. ¡°Speaking of the Gods and Goddesses, and I apologize if this is sacrilegious, but is there a list of their names? I¡¯m sorry if it¡¯s out of the blue.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to apologize. Luckily for you, I do have a book that contains the entirety of the Divine Pantheon. Would you care to see it? I do not mind showing it to you.¡± Before hearing Fisher¡¯s response, the bishop stood up and walked to the display case. Producing a pair of keys from his Dimensional Storage, he unlocked the glass panels, slid them to the side, and retrieved the only item that wasn¡¯t a jewel-encrusted scepter. ¡°While I have the time, I may as well explain a few things about the church to you. I hope I¡¯m not offending you, but you don¡¯t strike me as a man who is familiar with my faith.¡±


    Fisher stayed quiet, and Nicholas interpreted that as permission to continue. The wrinkled bishop locked the display case and returned to his seat. Both of his aging hands supported the thick book with as much tenderness as a mother would hold her newborn baby. ¡°The symbol you see on the cover is called the Mantle. The diamond represents the border of our world¡ªthe absolute limit to our understanding as mortals. The interlinked circles are meant to be us. A circle, in theory, is never-ending. It is meant to be infinite, which signifies our faith in the Heavens Above. With that in mind, you can hazard a guess that the interlinked circles represent all of the mortal beings joining together to worship our creators. Items with the Mantle on them are only given out to the especially pious believers.


    ¡°That is true most of the time, I should say. When I completed my advanced training, my instructor asked me if I wanted a gift to commemorate my ascension to bishophood. I mentioned something about wanting a personalized token of the Gods and Goddesses I would gladly die for, and he managed to convince the Cardinal to give me a holy relic. This book is inscribed with the names of every Divine Being, their classification, their blessing, and the skills they can impart. Please, you are free to look through it to your heart¡¯s content, but I ask that you treat it with care and respect.¡± After placing the book down in front of his guest, Nicholas leaned back, crossing his legs, and watched as Fisher carefully scanned its content.


    It seems to be labeled in alphabetical order¡­ There¡¯s my God, Blethor¡­ And I see my daughters¡¯ Goddesses as well¡­ But there isn¡¯t an Itarr¡­  Fisher turned and flipped the pages, eventually reading the encyclopedia of divine knowledge from cover to cover, and he still hadn¡¯t found anything relating to a particular goddess. Nicholas saw a small amount of frustration build on Fisher¡¯s brow.


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for an ¡®Itarr,¡¯ but I can¡¯t seem to find her name.¡±


    ¡°Itarr?¡± said a confused Nicholas. He had studied the book for over a decade, memorized all of the Divine Beings¡¯ names and abilities, but by no means did he ever recall reading about an ¡®Itarr.¡¯ He asked for it back and searched through it himself, then slightly frowned when the mysterious name wasn¡¯t present. ¡°Where did you hear this name from?¡±


    ¡°Not from anywhere important. I was out on patrol when I heard someone talking a few meters away. I swore I picked up on ¡®Itarr,¡¯ but it¡¯s such an odd-sounding name that I couldn¡¯t help but investigate further. I don¡¯t know why a part me thought it was a Goddess when it very well could have been a nickname for someone,¡± lied the captain.


    If I can believe the bishop, then that book can¡¯t be wrong. Itarr claims to be a Goddess, yet she isn¡¯t mentioned anywhere at all. She did lose her memories, but what if she¡¯s something more? If there is a higher tier above God and Goddess, then is Itarr a member? No, it¡¯s always possible for Itarr to be lower than them in terms of the scale of creation.


    But her power is astronomical. When I searched for her name in the book, not a single God or Goddess had anything remotely similar to her Absorption, True Immortality, or Skill Stacking. A very few number of Gods did have Mental Casting as a skill they could have imparted, but that just suggests she¡¯s on the stronger side. Regardless, there wasn¡¯t anything in there about controlling minds. I did see a few hypnosis-like skills, but what¡¯s affecting Jeri and Sea is far more than that. I still can¡¯t shake this feeling...but I can''t act on just feelings. I have my instinct, and I need to trust it.


    ¡°Bishop, if you don¡¯t mind me asking, is that scepter another holy relic of yours?¡± asked Fisher. Nicholas stood up and took his precious book back to the display case. He placed it inside while taking out the scepter.


    ¡°It is. Before I found my calling as a priest, I was once an apprentice to a blacksmith.¡± He held in his weathered hands, his palms wrapped gently around the uneven shaft. A careful hand went up to the head while memory-filled eyes traveled to the past. Days of sweltering heat and arm-shattering hammering went into creating the flawed, lop-sided weapon he held. ¡°This was to be my final exam, and I failed it. My instructor berated me for seven days and nights about the thousands of errors he saw. He wasn¡¯t a good man, and he wasn¡¯t a good teacher at all, but he was the first to take a chance on me. That¡¯s why I haven¡¯t thrown it away¡­¡± A soft sigh escaped Nicholas¡¯s dry lips.


    ¡°Then what about the jewel lodged in the scepter¡¯s head? Where did that come from?¡± asked Fisher.


    ¡°When I joined the faith, my superior was a collector of rare jewels. He was a rich man, and while most of his money went to the church, he always kept a few hundred thousand dupla in case anything caught his eye. Once he laid eyes on this interpretation of the Mantle, he just had to have it. Unfortunately, he was often sick and weak, and all of the apothecaries and doctors he went to told him he didn¡¯t have long to live. I suppose he wanted to leave his apprentices a gift, and he turned it into a contest to test our faith. Through some miracle of luck, I emerged as the winner, and this jewel is what I chose. And since I wanted to combine the two parts of my life, I went back to that blacksmith and paid him to embed this beautiful piece of work onto my scepter.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± replied Fisher, who analyzed this new information. His mind worked overtime, trying to decipher what newly found knowledge could be thrown away and what must be kept. His eyes closely examined the jewel that definitely did not suit the weapon it was attached to, yet it just looked ordinary.


    If the church is behind it, then it might just be a misdirection. Then again, when the impossible is eliminated, whatever remains has to be the truth, and I could see it going a few ways. One: the church has nothing to do with Jeri and Sea, and they¡¯ve turned into religious fanatics with no outside help. Two: the church is responsible, and they¡¯ve hidden the method of mind control. If I hadn¡¯t known an immortal girl and a Goddess walked amongst us, I never would have fathomed this¡­ But until the church shows their hand, I can¡¯t do anything. I don¡¯t even think the governor could do anything because we just don¡¯t have any proof.


    ¡°Captain Fisher, would you let me pick your brain for a moment?¡± asked Nicholas. He had already returned his precious scepter to its rightful place and sat down in his rather expensive office chair.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I don¡¯t know if I can get any more information, but I¡¯ll try. I should look for a proper way to leave as well. I¡¯m starting to get a headache¡­


    ¡°When you think of the word ¡®festival,¡¯ what comes to your mind? Is it fun? Family? Experience? Food? Satisfaction? Tiresome? Loathness? Exhaustion? Devotion? Gods? Goddesses? Worship?¡±


    ¡°I would say fun and family. My daughters love the summer festival. My wife enjoys it as well. And I can¡¯t say I¡¯m any different. One of my fondest memories is a family portrait I had commissioned at a festival some time ago. It was hard getting Mari and Meri to stand still long enough, but all it takes is just one look at it and I¡¯m transported back in time to a day that¡¯ll always remain in my heart. Are you not a fan of them?¡± Fisher asked. He spoke the truth when he answered Nicholas. Meri and Mari were two bundles of unlimited energy whenever it was time for a festival. They¡¯d bounce from stall to stall, cheering and laughing as if it was the end of the world,  and a happy Marissa would join her daughters in the barrels of fun they would have. Unfortunately for Fisher, he¡¯d always have to work most of the day, so it was rare he would actually spend more than a few hours with his family.


    Perhaps this year will be different...


    ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s a good answer, and one I expected.¡± Nicholas crossed his legs and folded his hands on his lap. A smile crawled across his lips, and he began to speak. ¡°I used to think like that. I still do, but it¡¯s not as often. When I was younger, I couldn¡¯t wait for the harvest festival, the summer festival, and the winter festival. When the fields had a good year, my village would even throw a New Year¡¯s festival, but that was rare and in between. But as I grew older, I saw them for how they were. These ¡®festivals¡¯ lacked the purity they once had. Before my very eyes, they went from thanking the Heavens Above for a bountiful harvest to a harboring dastardly desire to profit off of everyone¡¯s faith. And it wasn¡¯t just in my village.


    ¡°I became an apprentice of a blacksmith in the nearby town when I turned 15. I stayed there for half a decade, and the horrible disregard for faith allowed a myriad of sins to fester and bloom. Everything against the church¡¯s teachings was allowed, even encouraged, if you had the money. That, my dear captain, is when I found my true calling to practice my faith. I¡¯ve always felt that something was missing from life, and I realized it was up to me to bring the faith back to the forefront of our lives... My instructor¡­ The one who taught me the ways of the church also shared my sentiment when I confessed to him the reason for my joining.


    ¡°But back on the topic of festivals¡­ The original meaning has been lost to time. That is why, between you and me, I absolutely despise this time of year because it¡¯s a reminder that I haven¡¯t accomplished my task. As a man of the cloth, all I do is for those that rule from a destiny I cannot perceive. Seeing faith pushed onto the sideline in exchange for some extra dupla sickens me. And I know what you¡¯re about to say, captain. Or rather, I know two things. I¡¯ll allow you to ask the first, and I¡¯ll answer the second. The only reason I went to my blacksmithing instructor to fuse the jewel to my scepter is because he had packed up his shop and moved about 45 kilometers away to another town. He was as sinful as they come, but I cannot deny he took excellent care of me during that half-a-decade I spent under him.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask it. Your words and this church¡¯s lavishness do not align at all. Why is that?¡± Fisher said. He straightened his posture and stared into the bishop¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°If I had it my way, I¡¯d settle for something smaller. But the Cardinal in Adenaford is in control of every religious institution in the Kingdom of Lando. He was the one in charge of this church¡¯s building plans, and he¡¯s the one who¡¯s constantly making changes. Did you know that before the late governor passed away, the Cardinal had sent in 9 alteration permits for various changes? I find it insulting, to be quite frank. That, and allowing a battle-hungry Kobold to obtain the position of priest¡­ I know that embarrassing stain on our faith had to have bribed his way in¡­ In what world is one of those things smart enough to even began to lead a flock of worshippers?¡± Nicholas''s biased feelings emerged like a murky-headed beast from the depths of the ocean. Within seconds, the otherwise calm atmosphere was tainted by cruel breaths of racism and bigotry.


    What? Is he like that Kobold? They both have their preferred ideology they want to follow. One wants to help people, and the other is relentless in the idea of pure worship and changing the meaning of ¡®festival¡¯ back to what it was before¡­


    But his words¡­ How could he talk that rudely about one of his priests in front of me? Does he think I won¡¯t care? Does he think I¡¯m on his side? It¡¯s pretty disrespectful of him, but now I have an inkling of Nicholas¡¯s true worth as a man. It almost sounds to me like he¡¯s vying for the Cardinal''s position. But I¡¯m sure he isn¡¯t thinking of stopping there¡­ I can see the desire for power hidden within his withered eyes¡­ It says to me that he won¡¯t stop until he¡¯s standing at the top¡­ In any other man, I¡¯d respect it the determination, but I can¡¯t respect him¡­


    ¡°Ah, I apologize for my words, Captain Fisher,¡± said Nicholas. The sleeves of his bishop robe had skidded up his arms until elbows were showing, and a fierce, passionate sweat had accumulated on his collar. The salty liquid had already started discoloring his clothes, meaning he would have to change before the next service. ¡°I¡¯ve seemed to have gotten quite heated.¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t mind me at all,¡± Fisher lied, then he used this moment to satisfy a curious urge of his. It was a hint that might lead to a dead-end, but it was something to follow up on now that Nicholas had revealed his true feelings. ¡°But just from hearing you speak, I take it you¡¯re a core believer in the church¡¯s tenets? It is ashamed for me to say this because of my position, I should have been far more knowledgeable about it, but I regret to say that I only know the basics.¡± The captain said all of that to alter the course of the conversation into something he could probably use.


    He still felt the truth of Jeri and Sea¡¯s drastic alternation lay in the church. If Nicholas¡¯s distaste for same-sex, interracial best friends holding hands was just as fierce, then he could probably work with that.


    Nicholas re-crossed his legs and began to verbally speak the core tenets of the church.


    ¡°The one thing you should know is that we do not approve of any intimate relations between those of the same sex. Those of our faith believe that a man should lay with a woman, and a woman should only lay with a man. In addition to that, we forbid any interracial relationships that have a foundation built on romance and list. The furry-tailed Singi should only stay with their fellow beasts, the wrathful Kobold deserves to be with the other brutes of their kind, and so on. Wouldn¡¯t you agree that this would be for the best? The Gods rely on us to keep their beautiful world populated with newborn blessings¡­


    ¡°Ah, before I continue, I should clear up a common misconception about us. Recently, as in the past few years, a particular unsavory rumor has been the source of many of my headaches. It proclaims that we preach that only Humans have the right to serve our Gods and Goddesses after death. That could not be further from the truth.  Anyone, and I do mean anyone, will find comfort in the arms of our creators as long as they are a firm believer in our faith.¡±


    Fisher remained quiet, yet Nicholas took that to mean he agreed with him. By all accounts, the Captain of the Guard did not agree with what his ears were forced to endure.


    ¡°Do you know why the church requires anyone, even those heathens who don¡¯t believe in our faith, to be licensed if they wish to provide healing?  It¡¯s to teach the value of hard work and effort. We cannot give handouts to those who refuse to better their lives.


    ¡°Riddle me this, captain.  Let¡¯s say you and I grew up together. The village elder decided that you and I would receive a full day¡¯s worth of food. You will be given it for nothing, but I would have to work all day in the fields to get a token to cash in for food. That isn¡¯t fair, yes? It¡¯s the same with the healer¡¯s tax. Why should some people receive it for free, thereby benefitting from it, when others have to work to pay for it?


    ¡°Speaking of that, Captain Fisher, I hope you remember to send in your tax. It might be a good idea to remind those under your command to confirm their licenses are in good standing. Still, it is certainly a difficult thing to enforce, especially when there is word of illegal medics operating in every town, village, or city. I suppose that just means we of the faith have to work that much harder to make sure our rules are followed to the tee. It will be rewarding work, mind you.¡±


    Those were the main rules of the church, but Fisher didn¡¯t see a reason why they felt so strongly about those two subjects in particular. It wasn¡¯t any of his business if two women were to get married, and he didn¡¯t care if a noble had to pay 10 dupla to get healed while a beggar received it for free. Some people in life were born with a rotten spoon in their mouths, and due to a dragon-sized list of terrible occurrences and bad luck, they often stayed within poverty¡¯s foul reaches. And yes, it was true that when the stars aligned just right, a poor man could rise to the top and become a noble.


    But just because someone managed to break free, did it mean it was morally right to hold everyone to that standard? Was it right for society to write the exception into law, punishing those that did not or could not follow it, for any number of reasons?


    ¡°Whoops! I suppose I should have started off with the biggest one, and that is the church¡¯s belief that it is correct to own slaves, whether it be Humans or Demi-Humans. That¡¯s a right we believe in, and it¡¯s one we will protect. And it all goes back to what I talked about before. Why would you get a full day¡¯s worth of food for doing nothing? The obvious solution, and keep in mind this is all a theoretical example, was to use your laziness to my advantage.


    ¡°In this example, I¡¯ve been working all day for many days. It wouldn''t take much for me to overpower you, who received food for free. I could then force you to work the field to receive a token, which would then be taken by me. If I worked as well, that would mean two tokens for me. That will give me two days'' worth of food for me, and you will only receive a day¡¯s worth.


    ¡°Ah, but here¡¯s the thing. Since you¡¯ve would have worked for it, you would get a feeling of pride and accomplishment, and you would therefore feel better about yourself. Perhaps you would have eventually gained the strength to fight me for your freedom. But since you¡¯ve chosen the lazy path at first, it proved to me that you don¡¯t care about your self-worth as a person, which means your worship wouldn¡¯t have helped the Gods and Goddesses in any conceivable way.


    ¡°Admittedly, I could have used a better example because there are clear-cut rules that prevent someone from dominating a person walking down the road and dragging them to a slave master.  However, do you get the gist of what I¡¯m trying to say?¡±


    ¡°In your words, are you saying slavery is a punishment meant for the weak? It¡¯s for those that didn¡¯t put in the effort to do something with their lives?¡±


    ¡°You hit it right on the nail, captain. If someone is enslaved in the first place, it just means that they were just too weak. The world can¡¯t revolve around the pathetic. What would the Gods and Goddesses think if they found out just how unworthy their worshipers were? Such a disgrace would shame me into slitting my throat since I could not handle their sad gazes. To be frank, when Canary was attacked by those freedom fighters and freed the slaves, I was destitute. An influx of the weak was released back into the world, poisoning the strength gained with their enslavement¡­ I wallowed in a murky pit of sadness and prayed for their hasty and quick capture¡­ ¡±


    That justification for slavery is paper-thin. It¡¯s obvious it¡¯s just an excuse to obtain a workforce that doesn¡¯t need to be paid. With the right argument, anyone could call anyone weak, and within the church¡¯s eyes, have the legal right to enslave them. Hell, even I could overpower him and take him as a slave. ¡­Not that I would do that, however¡­ But in accordance with what he told me, he''ll have no choice but to accept it.


    The rule he mentioned about laws forbidding that very thing is real, and it does exist. But like most things, it can be circumvented as long as one has enough money. Because let¡¯s face it¡­ The world revolves around dupla.


    And it¡¯s the same paper-thin justification with the church¡¯s rules about same-sex and interracial relationships¡­ Why would they care if two women were to get married? Or if those two women were a Singi and a Human? Wait a minute¡­


    Really, if I think about it critically, having rules forbidding those two things will pander to those that are naturally bigoted and hateful. If they had the backing of a large organization like the church, they¡¯d be less likely to open their mind and think from the other side. And the church is a massive organization with a ton of influence. I bet that if someone did the math and realized the church would make more money by promoting equality and fairness for all, they¡¯d start preaching it in a heartbeat.


    But that¡¯s a far cry from happening. What about Itarr, though? She¡¯s a Goddess, but her name isn¡¯t the book he showed me. Even if it was, would the church even believe her? They¡¯d probably claim she was a false idol sent to poison the minds of their believers.


    The words Fisher heard from the bishop rubbed him all the wrong way. He really wanted to leave right then and there¡ªto head back to the headquarters to examine the pile of reports that needed to be tackled. That was going to be a long pain, but he was forced to listen to Nicholas rabble on about the other sinful things the church has a distaste for. Such examples were things like theft and murder¡ªthe common elements that most people would agree weren¡¯t good. And there was even a small rule about honoring parents and grandparents, which would have been right at home in a Sunday School setting.


    If only they taught and promoted this¡­

 Book Four – Interlude – Part Three – The Captain’s Worries

    There came a heavy knock at the door, and an unknown guest walked right in without waiting for a response.


    ¡°Ah, Klee, is it time already?¡± asked Nicholas, who stood up. He pulled a cloth from a desk drawer and wiped his flushed face. ¡°Captain Fisher, this is Klee. He¡¯s the curate of this fine establishment. In other words, he¡¯s my second in command.¡±


    Klee was a large, muscular, and undoubtedly physically strong man over two meters tall. His tanned arms were thick like a log, his tall legs were about the width of a tree trunk, but it was all hidden underneath that pure, white robe. A necklace hung down from his powerful neck, which contained the church¡¯s symbol. He was a beast of a man who did not look like he had practiced any kind of faith in his life.


    His bald head looked down at Fisher and nodded. The captain returned it and extended a hand. ¡°It¡¯s good to meet you, Klee,¡± he said. Remaining silent, Klee shook Fisher¡¯s hand and turned to Nicholas. His rough, coarse hands alone were nearly 50% larger than Fisher¡¯s. The grip was solid and firm, and it couldn¡¯t have come from anyone else that didn¡¯t have a background in fighting on the front lines of battle.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive him because he¡¯s not much of a talker,¡± mentioned the bishop. He walked around his desk and grabbed his scepter from the display case with his slightly wrinkled hands. After turning back to the captain, he offered a final handshake. ¡°Captain, this is where I must leave you. I have a sermon I must do, but I wish I could have talked with you a bit more. You have a good day, you hear? Oh, and remember this. The church is open for anyone that wishes to be braced by the love of our creators. That obviously includes you and your family, captain. If you come to us, I¡¯ll personally teach all of you the proper way to devote yourselves to the Heavens Above. Well, take care now.¡±


    Before Fisher could respond, Nicholas strolled out of his office with his scepter in tow as a smile plastered itself across his face. That surprised the captain. He believed that if something was so sentimental, which was the feeling he had received from the way the bishop spoke about his past, then it would have been better to keep that remembrance of the past under lock and key.


    Klee raised a giant hand towards the open door. Fisher took it as a sign for him to leave, and he did just that. He made his way through the hallways, bypassing a worship room that was becoming very full, very fast. Elegant men, women, and children, dressed in their Sunday best, eagerly listened to the ramblings of Bishop Constantius, spoke feverishly into the Voice Loudner. His loud, whimsical words of devotion and faith followed the captain out into the waiting room. That was when he saw that empty chairs were becoming a scarce resource.


    The woman behind the desk was hard at work in helping first-timers fill out the correct forms. The three altar boys were missing, but service was starting soon. They were probably busy with things behind the scene. A building of this size, let alone a church, had to have serious manpower to make sure everything flowed like a well-oiled machine.


    What was all that about having to make an appointment? Did this many people all make one for here and now?


    Fisher waved a friendly hand as he walked outside, where he blasted across the face with a tremendous dry heart. He slightly frowned and reached for a cloth inside his Dimensional Storage. Wiping his face, Fisher sighed and started to walk back to the headquarters. It would be a somewhat long journey, but he needed the time to analyze what he had learned.


    Okay, I need to organize my thoughts¡­What do I know for sure? Jeri and Sea were two guards that had a drastic change of personality. Some time ago, something happened that caused them to go to the church helmed by the sapphire-scaled Kobold. Then he led them and the others of his congregation to the main church in the noble district. There, they listened to a sermon from Nicholas.


    With all of that in mind, the question becomes this¡­ What exactly happened in that sermon? Whatever occurred didn¡¯t drastically influence Jeri and Sea until much later, which would have been when they encountered Servi and Momo. That was only a few days ago, and it was at least a week since the sermon¡­


    Anyone with half a mind would obviously suspect Nicholas to be the culprit. I guess the Kobold could be a suspect, but he strikes me as someone who truly values his newfound status as a priest. I didn''t detect a gram of falsehood from his desire to make the world a better place.


    Nicholas, on the other hand¡­ His words, ideals, and heavy feelings for the Gods and Goddesses correlate with what happened to Jeri and Sea. But I read through that book of Gods and Goddesses¡­ There was nothing in there that even resembled mind control. And that scepter looked as normal as any other scepter. Really, all I have now is something less than circumstantial evidence. I don¡¯t have any hard proof other than simple occurrences. Correlation does not imply causation.


    Just because ¡®B¡¯ happened after ¡®A¡¯ does not mean that ¡®A¡¯ caused ¡®B.¡¯ But this instinct is shouting that Nicholas is behind it all¡­ It¡¯s saying that he has something that can forcibly control the minds of others¡­


    But I need evidence¡­ I don¡¯t know how to get it¡­ Ah, shit¡­ My head hurts now¡­ And it¡¯s too hot¡­ I just need to get back to my office and read those reports¡­


    ¡°Roland, were there any problems?¡± asked Fisher when he stepped through the doors of the guards¡¯ headquarters. Feeling that blast of cold air smack him in the face was as refreshing as downing a liter of ice water.


    ¡°There wasn¡¯t anything too major except a few fights between day drunks. A night or two in the cells will straighten them out. I think Mire¡¯s down there getting them checked in,¡± replied Roland. He stretched his arms and turned back to a document he was reading.


    Fisher thanked him, then waved to those waiting to be seen. He shared a few words with the people he was obligated to protect with his life, then traveled down the recently cleaned hallways until he reached his office.


    He saw down with a loud think, his chair slightly moaning underneath the weight of him and his armor. ¡°Shit¡­ Don¡¯t you need breaking on me now¡­¡± Leaning back, his eyes stared up at the ceiling for a moment or two before he realized he couldn¡¯t push off his reports any longer. A glance at the stack of intimidating papers sent a startling revelation down his back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sweetheart. I think I¡¯ll be getting home late tonight¡­¡±


    And stay late he did. The documents he had to read concerned requests for armed guards during the upcoming festival. It wouldn¡¯t be for another month or so, but as the one in charge of Canary¡¯s defense, it was up to the captain to make the schedule. And then there was a document concerning information about a change in the tax brackets. While it was nice to know, the piece of paper must¡¯ve been misplaced into the gigantic pile. But most of the things he had to read were regular written reports from his guards.


    There was one from Tim that relayed what had happened when Jeri¡¯s and Sea¡¯s family came to visit. As he probably already expected, Fisher didn¡¯t look one bit surprised when it turned out that Sea¡¯s brother had started a brawl. That earned him a week in prison. There was also a report for Mire, who stated that her patrol went off without a hitch.


    Huh¡­ She must¡¯ve exchanged prisoner duty with someone else¡­ Ah, she swapped with Tobba¡­ That¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s see¡­ Yeah, nothing out of the ordinary. That¡¯s good¡­ Really good¡­


    And so, the immortal aspect of time turned its eternal head. The everlasting sun came to a quiet rest as it fell beyond the horizon, and a rich darkness blanked the sky. Sparkles of white littered the dark abyss above like sugar against black paint, and a frigid breeze saw fit to tickle the city. With an exasperated tone, Fisher checked his pocket watch and realized it was nearly midnight. He had worked right through lunch and dinner, but his trained stomach didn¡¯t whisper a word of protest. This isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve gone without two meals¡­but when did I use Lux Sphere? He thought as he stared at a floating ball of light.


    The chirping of crickets managed to invade even his office, and that gracefully followed Fisher as he tidied his desk. He didn¡¯t get done because there was a meeting he had forgotten about, and that lasted about forty-five minutes, but it was fine. As long as he didn¡¯t abuse his power and brush off essential work, he was sure his fellow guards would forgive him. But as much as he wanted to continue thinking about work, he stepped outside his office and locked the door.


    The quiet, eerily empty hallways reverberated his loud footsteps. His heavy boots thumped and thumped, giving away his position. Fisher did pass by a few soldiers who had the night shift, and they all greeted their captain with a well-practiced salute. Of course, he returned each and everyone one of them.


    Once he was outside the headquarters, he chatted a quick moment with the young man on door duty and reassured the meager Elf that he was doing a fine job. All it took was a few simple words of encouragement to cast away his obvious nervousness.


    And then all that was left was a quiet stroll through the city. The beautiful night sky kept many adventurers company during a time of solace, and for Fisher, it wasn¡¯t any different. He was captivated by how his city looked when the majority of its citizens were buried underneath a comfortable blanket. The bustling streets that were so often filled with the joyous cries of laughing children were no more.


    Fisher took a turn and mentally noted a location where Mari had once fallen. She had taken off in a mad dash ¨C as mad as a three-year-old girl could run ¨C to give her dear old father a hug. He fondly recalled the weight of his pride and joy as she wrapped her hands around his neck when he picked her up. He held her close enough to his chest that he felt her tiny heart pound against her body.


    Yeah¡­ I had been off on a mission and couldn¡¯t come back for about two weeks¡­ My poor girl nearly cried herself to sleep in my arms, and she wouldn¡¯t let me put her down¡­


    ¡°¡­What a terrible father I am¡­¡± Fisher¡¯s moment of remembrance served to only shatter his spirit. He had a lifetime of serving the cruel mistress known as revenge, and now he had two bundles of joy and a loving wife to lead him to the world of happiness¡­Tears beget more tears as salty water streamed down his face. It was undoubtedly a good thing there was no one around him, or the stern, strong, immovable image of the Justice Captain might have been shattered.


    It really was a Goddess¡¯s luck that allowed him to get home without meeting anyone. It was past midnight by that point, and Fisher had to fight with the door because it liked to squeak and cry. After that battle was won, he used a faint Lux Sphere to light his way up the stairs. Once up them, he killed the source of his light and gingerly peeked his head into his daughters¡¯ room.


    There they were, quiet and sleeping as if the sandman himself had dabbed them with his dust. One was curled up into a ball, while the other had somehow turned around her sleep. Half of her little body was hanging off the bed, and any self-respecting father couldn¡¯t have left after seeing that. Fisher eased himself into the playful room, bypassing dolls and stuffed animals that were thrown about like traps, and carefully tucked Meri into bed. He kissed her forehead, then moved on to do the same for Mari.


    ¡°Goodnight, girls. I love you both,¡± Fisher whispered as he closed the door. He waited for a few seconds to see if he had accidentally woken them up, then breathed a sigh of relief when their slumber hadn¡¯t been disturbed.


    ¡°Darling, is that you?¡± whispered a wifely, feminine voice. It couldn¡¯t have belonged to anyone but Fisher¡¯s loving wife. He turned to the left and stared at a beautiful woman. Her body was a feast for his brown eyes, with her lavish hips and adorable face. Her breasts filled out the much too small cotton robe she so elegantly had on. It wasn¡¯t tied tightly at all, and all it would take was one iota of force to free the pair of busty treasures within.


    She was almost like the very striking image of what beauty should have been. Her right hand held a small white cube, which was enchanted with Lux Sphere. A Flash Stone, it was called. Like the Wash Stone, it was another type of Skill Item, though one that was far cheaper than a Wash Stone since it wasn¡¯t that difficult to manufacture.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m home so late,¡± replied Fisher. He walked to his wife, who held her arms open. Her robe came undone, and her partial nakedness was on display for her husband.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, sweetie. Here, let¡¯s get you out of that armor. I know you must be tired¡­¡± She led her husband by the hand to the bedroom, where she started undressing him in front of a mirror. She started with his thick gauntlets, then tackled his boots and gloves. ¡°Hehe,¡± she giggled slightly after a blast from the past flashed across her eyes. ¡°Do you remember our first date? I¡¯m recalling that it went a little something like this¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do. We were supposed to meet up in a park in the noble district. I was running late, so I didn¡¯t have time to change out of my armor¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Marissa rubbed her hands down Fisher¡¯s hand. The sweat dripping down his fingers rubbed off on her, and she brought it to her face to smell it. The scent of her husband always calmed her down, even if there was nothing bothering her. ¡°It felt like I was a princess, and you were my loyal guard. Remember how we danced under the stars? And our first kiss? It all happened on that magical night¡­ And if I¡¯m remembering it right, that night ended just like this¡­ We went to my father¡¯s house¡­ I snuck you up to my room¡­ I helped you undress, grabbed your hand, and led you into the bath¡­¡± she whispered.


    Marissa allowed Fisher to take off the rest of his black armor because it was a tad too heavy for her. Right when his scarred backside was devoured by her eyes, her loose robe slid down to the floor. She confidently walked forward until her chest was pressing against his sweaty back. A set of soft hands wrapped around his stomach, and then ever so slowly, started to descend downward. But before they reached his penis, Marissa stopped and turned her husband around.


    He looked down at his wife, staring at her lovely breasts. Her nipples were stiff, ready to be played with. That, and her cute, adorable squirms, meant she was feeling the passion of lust in her naughty bits. ¡°Darling, let¡¯s recreate that night¡­¡±


    When the wife led her husband through the doorway to the master bathroom, it was like the two lovers were transported through time to when their love was just starting to blossom.


    Marissa Fairhold was her name back then, and she was just a young maiden that loafed around the sprawling city of Adenaford. Her days consisted of enjoying the luxurious reality that came with being the daughter of a wealthy noble. While that included having a spot of tea with the elegant ladies of the neighborhood, dressing in the finest silks, and attending lavish parties, it also had the annoyance of a pestering father. In order to expand his influence, he had ordered Marissa to meet with potential husbands day after day. She was even required to do that when they went on vacation to Canary, a town in southeastern Lando that was really starting to make a name for itself.


    But as luck would have it, the moment her carriage entered through those city gates, she happened to laid eyes on the man who would soon have the honor of being her husband. A young recruit he was, Fisher had just gotten accepted to the city guard. He didn¡¯t have eyes for love, and the younger Marissa became flustered when her affectionate glances weren¡¯t returned. That guard was all she could think about while enduring yet another marriage interview. Her potential suitor was thin and sickly, bordering on the category of ¡®old¡¯ and ¡®ancient.¡¯ The maiden didn¡¯t give up, though, and she soon came up with an excuse to galavant around the town in search of that brown-headed guard who caught her heart.


    Once she spotted him, Marissa put what  acting abilities she had to work and timidly walked towards her target. After lying about being lost, she soon forged up a hasty friendship with Fisher, who offered to escort her back to her house. And the same thing happened the next day, the next day, and every day for the following two weeks until finally, the poor girl couldn¡¯t take the waiting.


    Fine! I guess I have to be the one to ask!


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s go out on a date,¡± she had said with no hesitancy. A couple of strands of her brown hair was curling around her finger. Her coarse tone wasn¡¯t anything like the soft-spoken mother she was today, nor was it like her other friends of noble origin. She had trained and signed up for Warden, though perhaps her coarse act was for that? Regardless, she didn¡¯t last long as an adventurer.


    ¡°¡­¡± Fisher hadn¡¯t said anything at all, but he did intently listen to the time and location of their rendezvous.


    Of course, the then Captain of the Guard had ordered him to work late on that day, and a part of him didn¡¯t even want to go. By the time I get there, it¡¯s gonna be at least 9:30. We agreed to meet at 8¡­


    Going against his instincts for the first time, Fisher chose to go past his crummy little shack for a house and walked all the way over to the noble district. The uppity nature of those that lived here rubbed him the wrong way. Their belief that money solved everything only indicated that the sheltered nobles didn¡¯t know anything at all. Suddenly, Fisher started to lean more on the side of leaving because he didn¡¯t think there was anyone on this planet who would wait for him. Arnold was his closest and only companion by this point, but that friendship was being strained to the limit. But it was something he had, though.


    All of that changed, however, when he walked through those brass gates and saw a cheery young woman on the bench. She had on a burgundy, sleeveless high-low dress that showed off her incredible legs. The best pair of heels she owned guarded her feet, and a thin bracelet hugged her left wrist. Along with make-up, red lipstick had been applied to her face, but the former was in such small amounts that it wasn¡¯t even needed. Her hair had been styled in a double braided ponytail, something she had done after hours of practice. It perfectly fit the playful attitude she was known to have.


    The bench Marissa had sat on was in just the right spot that moonlight shined down directly upon her. The annoyance of armor clanking together caused her to turn up towards the noise, and she waved a lovely hand. The smile on her face was one of thankfulness that she hadn¡¯t been stood up.


    With the false arrogance she copied from one of her lady friends, she huffed and teased her man. ¡°I see you¡¯ve finally decided to show. It¡¯s about time! I was starting to think you didn¡¯t care for me¡­ And I do like you, Fishy¡­ If I didn¡¯t, then do you think I would have acted like I needed to be escorted home fifteen times? I might be a dunce, but even I know where I live.¡± Her big, blue eyes stared up at her man, whose rugged expression softened.


    ¡°¡­And I like you too¡­ I really do¡­¡± He returned her lovely gaze with brown eyes of his own. ¡°I even fought against my instinct to just head home because I hoped you were waiting for me¡­ I¡¯m sorry I had to work late.¡± Fisher told the truth, something hidden away from his innermost self. He really had come to enjoy spending time with this beautiful girl, even if he didn¡¯t see anything in himself that might have caught her eye.


    After an enjoyable park date, emotional feelings overwhelmed both the maiden and the guard. The two soon shared their first kiss while dancing to the sounds of their heart. A wave of leaves fell down upon them, almost as if Mother Nature had agreed to their tender embrace. Then without speaking, Marissa, with a face flushed with excitement, grabbed Fisher by the hand and ran towards the Fairhold vacation home. His heavy boots drowned out the pleasant noise of her heels stomping against the hard ground. It took time for the two of them to infiltrate the two floors up to her bedroom. With them being virgins, it took some time for anything to actually happen since it was the first time Marissa had seen the form of a naked man.


    Or rather, she hadn¡¯t yet seen one by this point. When she first stripped naked, she faced away from Fisher and expected him to do the same. On the count of three, they were supposed to turn and reveal their nakedness to each other.


    ¡°Okay¡­ One¡­ Two¡­ Th¡ªThree!¡±


    He hadn¡¯t stripped at all.


    The arms she was using to playfully hide her breasts fell to her side in a display of faux anger.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to look at me, I want to look at you!¡± She had said. Charging ahead, she nearly tore off his simple leather armor. By this point, he hadn¡¯t earned the right to wear metal and caught a whiff of his musky scent. It was the male fragrance that halted her stripping rampage. The untold proofs of battle that littered Fisher¡¯s back and arms stole her breath.


    Marissa pressed her hand to his chest, rubbing her thumb down a particularly gruesome dagger wound.


    A man¡¯s body¡­is really something¡­ Fisher¡¯s so tall¡­ His chest is so broad¡­ And these scars¡­ He has so many of them¡­


    Her eyes trailed down the front of his body, eventually coming to a stop near his crotch, where a snake-like thing was about ready to attack.


    And that¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s a man¡¯s thing¡­ His penis¡­ It¡­ It looks like it¡¯s hurting¡­


    ¡°Here¡­ I¡­ I have a pretty big tub, so¡­ So I¡¯ll wash you¡­ It¡¯s the least I can do for being my valiant knight and escorting me home, right?¡± a flustered Marissa had asked. She grabbed her future husband¡¯s hand and led him to the other side of her bedroom. The door to the bathroom was right past her bed, near the entrance to her closet. Two pairs of feet shuffled along through what felt like the world¡¯s biggest room. The excitement fueling Fisher¡¯s throbbing member had really started to hurt. The glistening liquids dripping from Marissa¡¯s wet crotch were skirting down her legs and onto the recently steamed carpet.


    When her fidgeting hand turned the handle to the bathroom, the rest was history¡­

 Book Four – Interlude – Part Four – The Captain’s Worries (R-18)

    The master bathroom in the Fisher Jin household was split into two. One half was home to a standard shower, and the other half was a simple in-ground tub. It was constructed like a swimming pool, though much smaller. The two had their own separate knobs to control the flow and temperature of the water, which originated from a series of pipes attached to a Wash Stone.


    Marissa led Fisher across the tile floor to the bathtub after turning on her Flash Stone. It wasn¡¯t enough to fully illuminate the room, but it did provide a sultry romantic glow to set the mood. Even though he didn¡¯t need it, she helped him down the two steps, then finagled with the faucet until she was happy with the water temperature.


    ¡°Darling,¡± she said as she walked away to gather the soap and shampoo from the nearby counter. ¡°I love you, you know.¡± Her backside swayed with her lovely hips, purposely dancing from side to side. It was almost hypnotic.


    ¡°I love you too,¡± Fisher said. His tone of voice was bordering on a mix of sadness and sorrow, and his wife picked up on it.


    ¡°Then tell me what¡¯s bothering you,¡± she said. Marissa returned to the tub, waded through the rising water, and sat down on her knees near her husband. With a cloth rag full of soap, she proceeded to clean Fisher¡¯s broad chest. Hours and hours of sweat and filth had to be destroyed, and this wife was more than ready for the not-so-grueling fight ahead. Her breasts lightly jiggled as she put in more effort.


    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ I¡¯ve just had a hard day¡­¡± Steam filled the room, causing a blanket of warm haze to form. If it was meant to obscure Fisher¡¯s tears, it failed. The soapy cloth Marissa held was placed to the side, and she straddled her husband¡¯s waist. She felt his slumbering member glance against her drenched pussy, but she didn¡¯t focus on that. She didn¡¯t choose to grind herself on him, nor did she attempt to forcibly insert it into her.


    Marissa was just in the right spot to hug her beloved husband the way he liked it the best. She wrapped her slender arms around his head and lightly pressed his head into her waiting breasts. His hot breath tickled her nipples. A shaking pair of hands wrapped around her waist, and for the second time in two days, Fisher regressed to a babbling child. His salty tears flowed down her chest, passing her stomach and into her thighs.


    Fisher had held in his emotions all day, and he just couldn''t do it anymore. They had to be released.


    He cried out his internal frustrations into the one woman who had vowed to share the ups and downs of life with him. ¡°I¡¯m not fit to be a father¡­ Or a husband¡­ Or anything of that nature,¡± he wept. ¡°I don¡¯t want my children to look up to someone like me! I¡¯m a killer!  I¡¯m a murderer! I¡¯m not¡ª¡±


    ¡°The only one fit enough to be the father of those sweet little girls is the man I¡¯m staring at! Our daughters look up to you! You are their world! Please, don¡¯t you ever say anything like that again! I won¡¯t allow it!¡± Marissa spoke with a tone like that of a flash of lightning. Her words were sharp and deadly, but they gradually became soft and loving. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how to feel¡­Or how to act¡­ Only you can do that¡­ But what I can do is this¡­ You told me that Sakdu is dead¡­ Fisher, the dead can¡¯t hurt anyone. He can¡¯t hurt me. He can¡¯t hurt you. And he can¡¯t hurt our daughters. Don¡¯t allow the anguish to torment you anymore¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­ But¡­¡±


    ¡°My love¡­¡± Marissa cut her husband off with a deep kiss. Her lips stayed attached to his for a minute longer than necessary, but that was enough time to hug his tongue with her own. If her words didn¡¯t help, then this surely would.  ¡°Sakdu is no more. His army is no more¡­ The longer you keep these twisted thoughts in your mind, the more you¡¯re going to feel the pain. It¡¯s the same with thinking about potential danger that may come our way because of your past¡­ Whatever happens... We¡¯ll fight it together¡­ You and me¡­ We¡¯ll defend our sweet little angels from anything that may cause them harm¡­¡±


    ¡°Marissa!!¡± Fisher nearly shouted his wife¡¯s name. The pure love she had for him couldn¡¯t be measured by any mortal standards. She was a woman who was disowned by her own family after her relationship with a common guard was made public. The courts and church stripped her of the name Fairhold through a religious ritual, which meant she lost access to her family¡¯s vast fortunes. Even the Fairhold name was forcibly erased from her ID. The lavish dresses were taken away, her emblem¡ªproof of her status as a noble¡ªwas melted away in front of her very eyes, and even her ¡®so-called¡¯ friends ignored the letters she sent in trying to rekindle their friendship.


    Truly, she had given up everything and then some to be with the man she loved, and yes, it was difficult. Back then, Fisher was given a meager wage, and the inexperienced Marissa had to work as a waitress to help pay the bills. But once Fisher¡¯s worth as a guard was discovered through his masterful display of the various weaponry, he skyrocketed through the ranks. Before long, he commanded a unit of five men. Then it became ten. Then thirty, and then fifty. With each promotion came a heavy increase in his pay, and that little shack of malnourished wooden was soon replaced by the two-floor dream house they lived in.


    Mari and Meri popped out of their mother¡¯s womb later on, and with time, the expensive luxuries were a thing of the past. But deep inside, Marissa didn¡¯t need anything fancy. She wouldn¡¯t complain about a bottle of champagne, as long as it was on the cheaper side, but she was a woman of noble birth who had thrived and survived at a commoner¡¯s level. But her love¡­ The quality of her devotion couldn¡¯t be measured at all¡­


    Marissa felt her husband move and shift as he stood up out of the tub. His scarred arms supported her from the back as the water from their bodies drizzled down, splashing everywhere. Fisher hastily brought his wife to the edge of the tub and laid her on her back. His member was ripe with energy, becoming harder and longer than ever. His cock¡¯s head was throbbing, nearly shaking with anticipation of what it would soon be swallowed by. ¡°I need you¡­ Gods, I need you so bad¡­¡± he admitted. More than anything, the thing the man known as Fisher desired the most was the touch of his wife. For he knew that the love she radiated would always be there to support him.


    Marissa leaned up with one hand, the steamy water having ready dampened her lovely hair, and spoke while spreading her legs. ¡°Then take me, my husband¡­ Give it to me¡­ I want your cock inside of me!¡± She said that last bit with an embarrassed face since she rarely ever spoke that way anymore, but a lustful aroma tangled with the steam. Fisher¡¯s sweaty man musk had festered within the haze, and like a gentle aphrodisiac, only served to excite Marissa.


    Fisher didn¡¯t wait at all, and he did as his wife commanded. In one fell plunge, he shoved his rock-hard mast into her waiting port, completely filling her up. Her breasts jiggled since her husband had actually pushed her across the slippery tile. The pouring water was still dripping out of the pipe, and neither of the two sex-crazed beasts were in the right mind to stop it. If they hadn¡¯t had two drains, one at the bottom of the tub and one underneath the shower, things would have turned out bad.


    But things didn¡¯t change for the worse, and so Fisher was free to slam his cock into his wife without worrying about the house succumbing to a watery grave. His eyes were drawn to her dancing mountains, which had seduced him. One palm went down to grab a handful, his grip bordering on the edge of pleasure and pain. A happy thumb played with an excitable nipple. His other hand went to her waist, which kept her steady even as he kept pounding his crotch into hers.


    ¡°Haaa¡­haaa¡­ Mmmnnnnn¡­.¡± Marissa¡¯s moans purred from her mouth. She tried to lean up to get a better look at the spot where her husband was connected, but he suddenly leaned over and planted a kiss on her lips. Her tongue darted out, and so did his, and they danced a tango as he let loose his first load of the night. ¡°Wwhhaaa!!! You¡¯re filling me up!!! Your semen¡­ It¡¯s so hot¡­.¡± She cried in lustful pleasure, and it was just sweet music to her husband¡¯s ears. Her legs quivered, the strength fading fast from them. She had arched her back for just a moment, but she slammed back down with a tiny sound.


    Thick, white seed gushed through into her pussy, but Fisher was right back at it again. Using his strength, he flipped Marissa over to her stomach. Her brown hair scattering across her orgasmic face.


    She knew exactly what was happening, and she fought against her tired body to raise her sensual hips. She wiggled her rear as semen exited via a flowing river of white. Fisher finally had enough sense to turn off the water, then left the tub. All the while, he slowly stroked himself to get his soldier back to attention. His shaft was slippery with his wife¡¯s love juices.


    ¡°Marissa¡­¡± he said, slightly out of breath. It had been some time since he had made love so hard and fast, but he still had gas left in his tank. Kneeling down on one leg, he grasped Marissa''s wiggling ass and gave it a nice slap. She exclaimed in surprise, but her actions told another story. She reached through her legs and willingly spread herself open, allowing Fisher to see into her pussy. Of course, since he had just orgasmed inside her, he was only able to see his own essence flow out in a river of white.


    But that was fine. After Fisher adjusted his position, he gripped his still-throbbing cock and entered his wife. From this position, he reached deeper, but it came at not seeing the wonderfully erotic expressions on her face.


    ¡°Just give it to me, darling¡­ This morning, I told myself I wasn¡¯t going to let you go to sleep! I plan to make good on that promise, so you better fuck me!!!¡±


    Marissa''s really in the mood. It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s so sexy¡­ Fisher thought. Hearing those words¡ªthose sexual orders from a woman who hadn¡¯t spoken like that in years¡ªcaused the thrill of the fight to flow through his penis. He gave her what she was begging for, plunging the entirety of his manhood back into her drenched pussy. A mighty grunt soon followed behind as he focused his breathing. Then his waist began to move as he ran his hands all over Marissa''s ass.


    Clap! Clap! Clap!


    The sounds of their crotches slamming into each other created a lustful symphony of two. Fisher leaned over her and pressed his stomach against her back, then grabbed two big handfuls of her bouncing titties. His grip wasn¡¯t gentle at all, either, as he chose to surround her nipples with the index and middle fingers. Again, it was on the edge of being painful, but that rough treatment caused her snatch to clamp down tighter around his cock. Her inner folds lovingly caressed every part of his member, from the engorged head down to the thick shaft. It was like getting a massage from multiple directions at once. Marissa turned her head and kissed her husband, their hot saliva swapping homes as she focused on pushing her hips back.


    ¡°Ahhh¡­ Darling¡­ It¡¯s so big and thick¡­ Spread me open¡­ Fill me¡­ Grab me!!! Hhhaaaaa! Mmmmmnnnnnn!!!!!!¡± The growing pressure in his penis arrived all the same, and as he slammed into her cunt for the final time, he released his seed. His fertile soldiers battled through, encasing everything in a goopy layer of white. All in all, six thick waves spurted out from his penis, and Fisher fell to his back. He had almost lost himself and pounded away for quite a long time. His eyes were closed for but a moment, but then something lavishly warm tickled his softening member.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t go soft on me now, darling,¡± said Marissa with a playful look. ¡°Surely you¡¯re not done, but I suppose you could need a bit of encouragement¡­¡± She laid with her stomach pressed against the wet floor, head positioned right near her husband¡¯s testicles. The tender, passionate breaths meant she wasn¡¯t quite ready to stop. Her pretty face still held the same exceptional beauty, only it was accentuated by a soft, lustful blush.


    From behind her, a sea of white was steadily leaving her crotch. She placed a hand on his balls and massaged them gently, then gingerly attacked the shrinking shaft with a wet tongue. She lapped up the combined juices, savoring them in the back of her throat. Little by little, a flesh tower began to reconstruct itself in front of her face. She brought it closer to the growing object and ran her tongue from the base of the penis to the very top, then swallowed it whole. Her nose pressed against his pubic area as his member all but disappeared inside her warm mouth. Her tongue started peeling his foreskin back.


    An electric shock jolted through Fisher as both hands went to his wife¡¯s head. After her tongue massaged what it could, she removed the cock from her throat and took in a set of deep breaths. Her entire airway was blocked by the masculine meat of her husband. Salty water fell down those eyes full of carnal pleasure, but it wasn¡¯t because she hated it. Whenever she took her husband that deep into her sopping, wet mouth, the tears just danced down her cheeks since no air was traveling to her lungs.


    Marissa was connected to the cock she stared at by way of saliva, and as she licked her soft lips, dove right back in. This time, she stopped about halfway and used her tongue to launch an assault on the tip of his penis. She first straightened it out flat, then used the back of her tongue to scrape it across before just encircling it.


    Darling, I know just the right spots¡­ I know just what you like¡­ Now, give it to me¡­ She glanced up at his orgasmic face, which gasped for air. Marissa thoroughly enjoyed making her husband moan, and now it was time for the finishing move.


    Without any warning, she swallowed it all for the second time, but for this deep throat, she used her tongue to tickle his testicles the best she could. She purposely tightened her throat.


    ¡°Haaaa¡­ Haaaa¡­. Nrgh¡ªgaaahhh!! Aaahhhhhh!!!!! Marissa!!!!!¡±¡± Fisher vocalized his pleasure as he laid flat on the floor. His upper body squirmed around, turning to the left and right, but Marissa wrapped her arms around his legs and refused to give even a single millimeter. A second longer, his penis exploded with semen, shooting it all the way to the back of her throat.


    The loving wife swallowed all she could, though her husband¡¯s emission was far too great. It was simply a matter of fact that a bit escaped down her tongue and spread onto Fisher¡¯s sack.


    Ahhh¡­ It¡¯s so hot¡­ It feels like my mouth is burning with my husband''s delicious seed¡­ Darling¡­ Darling!!! Her mind was frenzied with thoughts as she let Fisher free. Her arms around his legs dropped to the ground while she lifted her semen-filled mouth. It was so impeccably thick that it almost glued itself to her throat. But if it was stubborn, then so was she. She sucked out the last little bit remaining in his urethra while furiously playing with herself. The love juices flowing down her crotch and onto the bathroom floor could probably drown a fish.


    When she was finished slobbering on his manhood, she lifted her head and stared at her husband. Her brown hair was wetly sticking to her head, and that red flushness on her beautiful face was still there. Though she was out of breath, every inhale was full of her husband¡¯s musk, and she couldn¡¯t have been happier.


    Marissa¡¯s switch had been flipped to an exorbitant degree, which only happened twice before.


    Once was when Meri was conceived.


    The second was the night in which Mari had started the process to grow within her mother¡¯s fertile womb.


    And now, as she gazed upon her husband as if she was a lioness looking at her next meal, her switch was flipped. She felt an itchy throb in her crotch. Tried as she might, her fingers weren¡¯t long enough to satisfy her.


    Marissa removed them from her crotch and licked them all over, then crawled towards her husband, who was still trying to recover. Her hands went from his ankles to his thighs, then back down to his impressive manhood. Her fingers fondly fondled and massaged his flaccid shaft until it was as hard as stone.


    ¡°Darling¡­ Just sit back, relax, and let me drive you crazy,¡± she whispered as she stood up. Even as she positioned herself over his erect member, her fingers went back to her pussy. She spread herself open and crouched down, moaning as a thick rod tried to split her in half. She pressed her soft hands to his chest, then started to grind her hips. Forward and back, side to side, she lovingly used all she had learned since being a wife to truly bring her husband to the edge of insanity.


    ¡°How do you¡­expect me to relax¡­?¡± Fisher moaned. He licked his mouth and grabbed a firm handful of Marissa¡¯s ass. He tried to lean up to such on those tantalizing breasts in front of him, but Marissa leaned forward. By sheer accident, she bumped his head with her boobs, bonking him back down to the wet tiled floor. ¡°I always knew those things were dangerous¡­¡± he whispered as she couldn¡¯t choke down a growing chuckle. He returned fire by latching his mouth on her left nipple.


    Marissa then started to lightly bounce, and each time she came down, her love juices gushed out of her pussy. Fisher then changed the breast he was suckling on, but he continued to grope and slap the ass of the woman he fell in love with. Marissa¡¯s bouncing increased in intensity until the slaps of their flesh overpowered her lustful moaning. Whenever she would go up, the shaft of her husband¡¯s penis was assaulted by the lukewarm, hazy fog. Then when she slammed her hips down, the warmth of her body enveloped it.


    The time came when he exploded his unreasonably thick spunk, and that was when Marissa finally lost the strength in her body as she orgasmed. For a moment, she leaned away, her back arched in a fantastic circle as one last moan elicited itself from her drooling mouth. She couldn¡¯t sit up straight, and so she felt it was fine to rest her rich chest against her darling husband. The feeling of his sperm assaulting their way through her vaginal canal, stopping right at her cervix, truly meant that she was his and he was hers. She welcomed his little soldiers, and she came for a second time in quick succession, and then a third, and then fourth.


    Even¡­.if it¡¯s my safe day¡­ With this¡­and last night¡­ Fishy¡­ We might have a¡­third angel come into our lives¡­ Ahhh¡­ How I love this feeling¡­ Your warmth inside me¡­ It¡¯s absolutely¡­divine¡­

 Book Four – Interlude – Part Five – The Captain’s Worries (R-18)

    And so they laid there, naked, with them connected at the crotch while she straddled him. Her lower body quivered with pleasure as urine started to flow out. It mixed with the semen dripping down their thighs, and by then, Fisher shifted his weight. His tired arms pressed off the floor until he sat upright, then he hugged his exhausted wife. Her sweaty body stuck to his like glue, and he felt the pounding of her heart against his broad, scarred chest.


    She had staved off the need for sleep just for him. After shopping, cleaning, cooking, and taking care of the kids, which wasn¡¯t easy, she still had the energy to want to wait up for the man she loved.


    ¡°Gods, I love you so much,¡± he whispered, kissing her. To his surprise, she wasn¡¯t asleep.


    She was just waiting for the right time to jump at her husband with a surprise smooch. She nuzzled her cheek against his, and he did the same with a gentle smile across his lips.


    Then, without even saying anything at all, he picked her up and carried her to the now empty tub. Fisher sat down with his back against the tub¡¯s wall after turning the hot water on. Marissa had sauntered over to the shower and started to clean her crotch with some soap and a rag. When that was done, she danced her way over to the washtub and sat down beside him.


    Marissa''s pretty head laid against his shoulder, her hands wrapped around his fingers until the water came up to her breasts. And while still trapped in a world of silence, Marissa quietly grabbed a nearby cloth and soap and finally started to complete her original objective. Fisher sat there, relaxed and content in the warm water. It relaxed his tired muscles and cracked the stiffness of his back. Such a thing often happened to him when he had to sit for long periods without any movement.


    Marissa slid the soapy washcloth up and down his arms, across his impressive chest, down his broad back, and even between his toes and fingers. When it was time to thoroughly clean his flaccid appendage, she chose to use her hands. She lathered them up with more than enough soap to wash an elephant. One hand wrapped around his shaft, it twisting and turning around his rod in order to make it squeaky clean. The other one fondled his balls, her palm lightly cupping them as she rubbed them back and forth. A little bit of pressure was applied, though she only did that for his benefit. Next came the tip of his penis, and she gently peeled back his foreskin and cleaned it with the utmost pressure.


    Fisher had been standing up for this part but sat back down in the soapy, lukewarm water to rinse everything off. Again, this all happened during the dead of silence¡ªit was so quiet that the impact of a feather floating to the ground could¡¯ve been heard. And that was because there was just nothing to say. Their souls had done the talking earlier when they were a union of pleasure and lust.


    Though the words did start flowing again after they had dried off and slipped into bed while in the company of each other¡¯s arms. With the curtains closed shut, not a single peek of moonlight made their way into the room.


    Before he knew it, Fisher had started to speak about his day. He told his lovely wife about the nightmares he had the day before, his breakdown at the headquarters, and a few of the names of those he had killed. He explained his thoughts about a certain sapphire-scaled Kobold, who worked in a position that was monopolized by Humans. His feelings about the megachurch and its overindulgence in luxuries flowed from his lips as if he was a girl gossiping with their lady friends.


    ¡°Sweetie¡­ What am I supposed to do?¡± He tilted his head down to stare at his wife. Marissa laid there with her head on his shoulder. An outspoken finger traced little hearts on his broad chest, and she looked up to meet his gaze.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know. And I need to apologize¡­ In the bath, I may have said something insensitive... I¡¯m sorry. What you¡¯ve been through¡­ The things your mind must be occupied with¡­ It was wrong for me to think that a few words could erase those worries or those nightmares you just told me about¡­¡± Marissa kissed his chest and lovingly rubbed her head against her husband. She couldn''t seal away the nightmares, but perhaps her love could at least tempt them away.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m in the wrong for obsessing about it so much¡­ But it¡¯s hard, honey. It¡¯s hard to think that I was just days away from losing all that I love¡­ And I would¡¯ve been so powerless to stop it all¡­ It feels like we¡¯ve been talking this subject to death¡­¡±


    ¡°This has been the subject of our conversation three times already, but if talking helps, then talk. I¡¯ll listen to every little word that flows from your lips, darling.¡±


    ¡°Even if I say that I¡¯ve met a Goddess? Would you believe me?¡±


    ¡°Yep! You¡¯ve never lied to our children or me before. If you say you know one, then I know you did. Is this Goddess the one that told you about Sakdu?¡±


    Fisher shook his head. ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to say it was one of her believers, but someone very close to her explained it all to me¡­ But maybe the problem is that I can¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t believe her words. This Goddess and her friends would never lie to me, but I haven¡¯t seen the crater with my eyes yet. I¡¯ve just been so swamped with work. I did send a scout out, but I feel like this is something I have to see with my own eyes.¡±


    ¡°Darling, then maybe that¡¯s what you need to do. If the crater is a result of the battle, then seeing the proof with your eyes will close that chapter¡­ It won¡¯t erase the rest of the worries that are causing you anguish, and it won¡¯t even touch against the issue of the church¡­ But¡­¡±


    ¡°Marissa¡­ Sweetie¡­ I hope you¡¯ll put up with my foolishness for a touch longer¡­ I need you¡­ I need you more than anything in the world right now¡­¡±


    Marissa shuffled around a bit until her pretty face was centimeters away from Fisher¡¯s lips. Her bare breasts were smooshed against his chest. The weight of his wife on his body was proof of her love for him. ¡°Remember our vows? For better or for worse? For sickness and in health? We¡¯re blessed with each other until the very end¡­ And when that happens, you and I will continue our love in the eternal afterlife¡­ I love you, Fisher¡­¡±


    He stared into her love-filled eyes. ¡°I love you, too.¡± Fisher kissed his wife, then slowly patted her head as she rested it on his shoulder. With her arms around him and his around her, the lovers submitted themselves to an overdue slumber.


    When the songbirds began chirping their early morning musical number, Fisher Jin stirred awake from a terribly short nap. The very first thing he did was kiss his wife on the lips. She tasted sweeter than honey, and he wasn¡¯t the least bit surprised when she immediately returned it. Marissa leaned up, raised her arms to the ceiling, and stretched awake. The blanket she had up to her neck tumbled away to showcase the delicious body hidden behind it. Then she abruptly turned 90 degrees to the left and laid her back over his chest. From a perspective from above, it was as if their bodies made a ¡®t¡¯ shape. She was like a cat who took full advantage of a warm surface.


    That surface being her husband, of course.


    ¡°My darling, what¡¯s on the menu for today?¡± she asked him. Her left hand went to his head, and she slowly stroked it.


    ¡°When I get to my office, I¡¯ll send a message to the governor. If I say I want to go check out the damage, he should let me. Don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll actually leave. I have to get some stuff done.¡± Fisher yawned, and Marissa wiped the tiny tears from his eyes.


    ¡°How long will you be gone?¡± Marissa rolled over to her stomach, and it was Fisher¡¯s turn to return the head pats. Her lovely hair was as soft as it was long. Like liquid gold, it seamlessly filtered through the gaps in his fingers when he lifted his hands up. His other hand went down her back, cupping her impressive rump. A stray finger trailed ever downwards to her wet snatch, but he just softly massaged the skin around it. Then moved on to her inner thighs.


    ¡°It¡¯ll take about two days to get there. Then maybe a day to walk around to see if it¡¯s really 15 kilometers in diameter. And then two days to return.¡±


    ¡°Five days, huh? That¡¯s an awfully long time to be without my little Fishy. I suppose the girls and I could have a mother-daughter sleepover. We haven¡¯t done that in months. And you¡¯re certainly in a teasing mood today. Mmmnn..." Marissa lightly bit her lips. "You know I¡¯m gonna get you back for that, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m waiting. Can¡¯t wait for it. But¡­ Will you three be okay? What if¡­ What if¡ª?¡± Fisher stammered over his words, and Marissa gently eased his worries.


    ¡°The girls and I will be fine, darling. Nothing¡¯s going to happen to us.¡± Marissa rolled back over until she was on her side, but she was still laying on her husband. She leaned forward and touched her forehead to Fisher¡¯s. To get revenge, she slid her hand down his stomach, across his impressive abs, and down his somewhat flaccid member. It was in the growing stages, the foreskin still covering the tip of his penis. She peeled it back and rubbed it with her fingertips, then moved her hands downward until she massaged his testicles.


    ¡°Just promise me this¡­ If there is the tiniest bit of danger, or if something seems off, get the girls and run to Warden.¡± Fisher kissed his wife. Her tongue slithered its way to his mouth.


    ¡°Oh? Is that where the Goddess is? I wonder if you¡¯ll ever introduce me to her.¡± As Marissa replied, strands of spit dripped from her lovely lips. She then assaulted Fisher¡¯s neck with a few kisses while removing her hand from his penis. She had been stroking him but suddenly stopping like that was the ultimate tease.


    The playful wife had gotten her revenge.


    ¡°It¡¯s entirely up to her. She only told me because she knows I can keep a secret. In return, she became aware of my past... Though I suppose her existence is now open knowledge. And with that, I suppose I kept a secret from you. I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°Darling, I¡¯m just joking. But if it will ease your worries, that¡¯ll be where we go. I wouldn¡¯t dream of doing anything to ruin your trust with this Goddess.¡±


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too! Just so you know, I¡¯ll finish where we left off when you get home tonight.¡±


    With that exchange of love, Marissa rolled off of her husband and sauntered off to the bathroom. She swung her hips to the left and right, causing Fisher¡¯s eyes to solely focus on her impressive booty. The naughty wife even stopped dead in her tracks to bend over, giving him the perfect view of her dripping pussy. A giggle later, she skipped off to the bathroom to freshen up for the day.


    Fisher only smiled at his wife¡¯s beauty as he rolled out of bed and stretched. It¡¯s been a while since Marissa and I have done it that much. When she gets in a mood, she''s nearly inexhaustible¡­ Gods, I love her so much.


    The rest of the morning in the household went off without a hitch, and soon enough, a mother and her two daughters wished the favorite man in their lives a terrific day.


    The first thing Fisher did when he got to the headquarters was put in a request to meet the governor. It didn¡¯t take long for him to get a response, and that meeting in his office took up his lunch schedule. Fisher told them¡ªthe governor and his secretary¡ª what he had learned at the church and offered his hypothesis that Nicholas was somehow behind it. They took that information to heart and analyzed it with the memories of their adventures at Warden. Unfortunately, it was something they hadn¡¯t ever encountered before. That begged the question of if it was a passive skill, but Fisher shot that down after saying he looked through a book of Gods and Goddesses and their blessings. And he also made sure to mention that he didn¡¯t see anything like a Skill Item or an artifact, but he really only had access to the bishop¡¯s office. If there was a safe, or maybe some sort of secret compartment where valuables were kept, then whatever they were looking for may have been there.


    The governor, who was really Claus Keywater, son of Virin Keywater, looked to his secretary, who was his sister, Qina Keywater. After exchanging a pair of looks, they decided that there wasn¡¯t anything they could do. They only had hunches to go off of, and it was impossible to use hunches as the backbone to get a search warrant. Especially if the target was someone as politically powerful as the bishop. It was sad to say, but there was nothing that could legally be done.


    Now, if they wanted to go about this while traversing the outskirts of the law, that was a different story. Unfortunately, that book would have to remain shut. The order they received from their father commanded them to turn Canary into a thriving city. And thriving it was. Ruining the relationship with the church, an organization that was widely popular and had many believers, would run in the opposite direction of their goal. It could even spell the end of the city of the church was irritated enough.


    As the lunch hour came to an end, so to did the meeting. The governor and his secretary left the headquarters and went back to work, but not before the former granted Fisher permission to check out the crater. They didn¡¯t think he would find anything since the two of them had already flown over and examined the area the moment they received a report about it. The two of them kept that part to themselves, however.


    Well, at least that¡¯s over with. Fisher thought as they walked out. He sat back down in his chair and took a sip of water. It¡¯s crazy to think about the secrets I hold¡­ The governor and his secretary are Keywater royalty, there¡¯s a Goddess and an immortal girl an hour away at Warden¡­ A girl that¡¯s responsible for participating in an assault that ended in the death of Keywater¡¯s first prince¡­I have the strongest feeling that I need to do what I can to prevent that from getting out¡­


    I do have permission to leave. Though judging from my workload, it¡¯s gonna be a few days before I can hit the road. I better list out the things to be done during my time away¡­ Should I put Tim in charge? Or Mire¡­? I better decide quickly¡­


    Four days passed by in the blink of an eye, and in the early sunlight of a fantastic morning, Fisher waved goodbye to his pretty wife and crying children. Mari and Meri know it was just a work-related trip to check things out, but that didn¡¯t stop the water flooding from their eyes.


    Surely, the daughters of Fisher Jin loved their father with all of their hearts. And as a mother, Marissa couldn¡¯t have been happier.

 Book Four – Chapter Four – Part One – Servi’s Decisive Role (R-18)

    When she woke up at the crack of dawn, Momo was in a fantastic mood. She charged ahead with her morning exercises, her muscles feeling like a million dupla. The hard physical labor she had done the day prior stressed all her body, from the largest muscles in her arms to the small ones in her feet. Yet all it took was a deep night''s sleep to give them the rest they needed. As thanks, they were primed and ready to go.


    The sit-ups came to her faster, and she crushed the record to complete her five sets by two minutes. It was the same with her push-ups, and she couldn¡¯t believe how her body had grown and acclimated to this workout. Even if she did miss a week or two, it was astonishing how fast her body got back in the groove of things.


    Just a month ago, I would¡¯ve died if I tried doing this¡­ I guess Singi are naturally flexible, so if I think of everything as a stretch...? That makes sense, right? Though I don¡¯t know if push-ups can count as stretching.


    The strenuous motions caused the naked Singi¡¯s body to become drenched with sweat. Her face remained calm, and she used what breathing techniques she learned from Dineria to keep oxygen steadily pouring through her lungs. Still, it felt mighty strange, maybe even somewhat erotic, to work her body in such a way while her nakedness was on full display. Of course, the room was empty except for herself, and the door was locked and shut tight.


    The sweat from her face and neck dripped down her blossoming chest, tickled her stomach, and made its way past her bare snatch. Then when it was time to work on her balance, Momo transitioned into a handstand. She spun in place to try to cool down. That only made her dizzy, though, and she tumbled across the wooden floor in a medal-winning slide. In her grogginess, she stared at the pretty Servis that danced around her eyes.


    ¡°Ouch¡­ Okay, so that¡¯s something I gotta work on. Alright! Time to get back to it!¡± She wasn¡¯t deterred at all, and a little setback was washed away with a hand through her slick hair. Standing up, Momo walked forward while leaning over with her hands outstretched. It was a perfect transition into the handstand stance.


    She pressed her legs together until she was like an arrow stabbed into the ground. When she spread them open, her feminine slit faced the ceiling. But being in this position caused a familiar itch to well up in her crotch.


    Should I¡­ Should I try to touch myself like this? I wasn¡¯t planning on it, but¡­ Thought the girl who was currently upside down. She had nearly mastered the art of one-handed balancing, and her tail was there to provide some fine control¡­


    ¡°What the heck¡­¡± she whispered. A cute tongue gathered up the sweat around her lips, and a few fingers entered her mouth. Since she was going to take a shower right after this, whatever mess she made was going to get cleaned right up. She slid her hand from her chest down to her stomach, her wet fingers lightly scratching her skin. When they went over her abdomen, the Singi realized she was getting just a bit muscular. It was barely there, but there it was all the same.


    Grampy did say that he was once the striking figure of muscle, and he said he could even wash his clothes on his abdomen because he said he had ¡®washboard abs.¡¯ Is that gonna happen to me?


    ¡°I guess I kinda hope I do. I think? I¡ªOoh!¡± The goofy girl was engrossed in a one-sided conversation she didn¡¯t even notice her own thumb glancing against her clitoris. The sudden overflow of pleasure nearly knocked her over, but she extended the arm she balanced on and hopped into the air. That quarter of a second gave her time to rebalance herself. But since her legs were open to the ceiling, her sense of weight was slightly off. Momo surprised herself with how easily she recovered from it all, even returning to a basic stance with her legs closed and pointed to the sky.


    ¡°Okay¡­ Let¡¯s try this again¡­¡± Sweat dripped down her face, leaving behind a faint salty flavor upon her lovely lips. A playful tongue lapped it all up as she opened her legs for a second time. With this new chance, Momo made sure to focus on the pleasure. Instead of making the long journey down the front of her body, her fingers immediately set off on the attack. Once the pesky middle finger had started to wander around her warm port, Momo moaned while biting her lip.


    I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s that hot inside of me¡­ Is every¡­everyone like that¡­? Wha¡ªwhat about¡­ Mmnnnnn!!!


    When she removed her middle finger, it was drenched all the way to her knuckle. She went to insert it again, but her juices splashed over, coating her thighs in a glistening sweetness. She was already sweaty from the workout, and her heart was beating a kilometer a minute. With these two things combined¡ªthe tiredness from the workout and the pleasure from her crotch, it all took her breath away.


    I¡¯ve¡­ I¡¯ve never been this wet down there before¡­ But it feels so good when I¡¯m touching myself¡­


    Momo tried to gasp for some much-needed oxygen, but whatever she swallowed wasn¡¯t enough. The blood started to drain down, away from her feet. No blood meant no oxygen, and that meant there wasn¡¯t any heat being conveyed to her feet and toes.


    The super unnatural feeling was the reason why her mind was forcibly snatched away from the growing pleasure. It almost frightened her to the point where she couldn¡¯t keep her balance. Momo¡¯s hand gave out, and her head bonked the ground. She groaned out in pain, then groaned a second time when her backside flipped down onto the wooden floor. The collective love juices spurted out of her crotch, but she didn¡¯t focus on that.


    Momo leaned up and rubbed her legs as fast she could, then scrambled to her feet. ¡°Ouch ouch!!! Ouchie!!!¡± A second tumble was almost in her future as her feet slipped on her own liquids, but her cat-like reflexes rescued her in the nick of time. It felt like pins and needles were stabbing into her legs, but it wasn¡¯t anything new. All the Singi had to do was walk it off until the blood came rushing back down to her adorable toes. And speaking of those, her toenails were getting a tad too long.


    ¡°But my toenails can wait,¡± said a slightly woozy Momo. ¡°Besides, I now know that just because I feel comfortable with my handstands doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m an expert at them. Wait, but isn¡¯t it kinda perverted to say that playing with myself while upside down is a form of training? Ehh!!! Does that mean I¡¯m a pervert?!¡±


    A drastic realization made itself known on her surprised face. Momo, a pervert? In an exaggeration, she stumbled to her bed and fell to her stomach on the soft blankets. Then happiness took over, and she rolled around like a dog that had just gotten a bath. The gentleness of the blanket softly rubbed and warmed her pristine skin. Without any warning, she flipped to her back and tenderly started to finger herself. A hand danced to her lovely breasts, which seemed so tiny when compared to Servi¡¯s lovely bosoms. But that size difference didn¡¯t mean Momo¡¯s boobs were any less sensitive. The way her nipples became stiff and hard, and the shocks surged through her body when she pinched them between her fingers¡­


    It was divine. Absolutely divine. Momo rolled to her stomach and buried her head in a pillow while raising her hips. Even as her fingers were hugged by her immensely warm folds, her juices squelched out when she couldn¡¯t hold back her voice. Her lovely moans were absorbed by the pillow. It took the sweet drool dripping from the corners of her delicious lips.


    Her soft thighs quivered, the sweet, sweet lustful whispers purring from her mouth cried out the name of her best friend. The strength left her lower body, and she just collapsed to the mattress as her love juices gushed out of her glistening crotch. The lovely girl gasped, her fingers still thunderously pounding into her pussy. Slowly, they came to a stop when her hasty breathing settled down.


    That¡­ That was the strongest one yet¡­ Even Momo''s thoughts flowing through her mind in short spurts were representative of her current physical exhaustion. The blissful afterglow of such an orgasm, right when the pleasure surged throughout her body, was the best part. For Momo, at least. When she finally had the strength to touch her crotch, she confirmed it was as wet as water. Slippery and slimy, she wondered if she was other girls.


    I keep saying it might be wrong for me to feel this while thinking about her, but I just keep doing it. When she¡¯s all better, I¡¯m definitely going to have to apologize. But what a conversation that will be, huh? ¡®Oh, by the way¡­ I hope you don¡¯t mind that I touch myself when thinking about you¡­¡¯ Really? Momo, just how ridiculous does that sound to you? But¡­


    Her thoughts transitioned from simply being in her head to being spoken aloud. ¡°I love Servy for who she is. And I know she¡¯ll love me for who I am. And that includes the things I don¡¯t yet know about myself,¡± Momo whispered into her pillow. Then came the singing of songbirds, which signified that it was about time for her to get ready for the day.


    And I know I¡¯m not getting ahead of myself. I can¡¯t just keep going through life expecting the bad outcomes. And I don¡¯t want to get so full of myself to just expect the good things, either. There¡¯s always gonna be the good and the bad, and it isn¡¯t wrong for me to hope that some particular things come out good.


    There¡¯s a difference between being cocky and being hopeful, right?


    After getting dressed in a simple pair of shorts and a t-shirt, Momo dragged herself and her bag to one of Warden¡¯s many shower rooms and set about scrubbing the sweat off. More than once did her eyes sharply glance to a waiting table, but Momo just wasn¡¯t in the right mood to masturbate so soon after having done it. Well, it was that and she was still kinda rightly embarrassed about falling over when she touched herself while in a handstand. She sure was glad no one but her was witness to such a blunder. Still, even though such a tumble was humorous in hindsight, the fact that she was able to do all that was nothing short of a miracle.


    The truth was this: Momo was growing stronger, and the results of her efforts were staring at her in the eye. The muscles all over her body were being tested, day in and day out. Even as the sprinkle of warm water doused her head, the waterlogged Singi formed a muscle with her left arm. A smile curled across her lips, and she spent a few moments admiring her muscles like a bodybuilder would.


    ¡°Hehe! It¡¯s a good thing I chose a shower with a mirror, or I would¡¯ve looked like a complete fool¡­ A strong fool at that¡­ Now, I got a scrub-a-dud-dub and get to my Servy! It¡¯s time for our morning hug!¡± As Momo said that, the fruity smell of citrus tickled her nose as the soap-covered cloth brushed over her arms. It was a tad bit expensive, but paying the premium was worth it since it left her smelling so good. The water soon battered the suds away, leaving behind skin that was refreshed and willing to take on the challenges of the day.


    ¡°Hey! How¡¯s my favorite Human in the whole wide world doing?!¡± said an excitable Singi as she opened the door to Servi¡¯s room. Her boot-covered feet skipped their owner in without waiting for a reply. An invisible presence slowly closed the door after her.


    Since the plan they had for today didn¡¯t involve anything especially physical, Momo had chosen a rather casual outfit, which consisted of a red shirt tucked in a pair of brown shorts and her favorite pair of pink socks. She decided not to do anything fancy with her hair and let it be. Of course, Momo wouldn¡¯t be Momo without her trademarked messenger bag and longsword, both of which accented her outfit very nicely. She was certainly dressed very cutely, but that wasn¡¯t strange because she was quite the adorable Singi.


    ¡°Eh? Servy? You do know I mean you, right?¡± Momo was rightly puzzled when the girl she saw staring out of the window didn¡¯t turn around. With as much progress as they were making with the obvious situation at hand, she expected something. If not a small glance backwards, maybe a simple fidget of the arms or hand. But no... Servi had chosen to remain incredibly still, like a stone statue.


    No, that wasn¡¯t true. Servi''s upper body made very slight movements. Momo¡¯s fluffy ears picked the quiet murmur of a cry, and she walked ahead with patient haste. Her tail cautiously danced behind her.


    ¡°Servy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Momo asked. She hugged her very best friend from behind, wrapping her lovely hands around her friend¡¯s stomach. The Singi¡¯s palms were met with the texture of coarse, blue overalls. Her head rested flat against Servi¡¯s back, her cheek nuzzling a little spot right near her neck. She had to stand up on her tippy toes to reach it, though.


    The whimpers of a pained heart continued to flow as the pair stood there. Connected together, they just remained as one being. Then when the sobs died down, the traumatized Human turned around to stare down at her support Singi. She had the bluest eyes¡ªdeeper than the harshest sapphires or the strongest waves¡ªand they held nothing but admiration, kindness, and love.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time we¡¯ve done this¡­¡± Momo¡¯s lips parted as words flowed out. She thought long and hard about what she wanted to say. ¡°Do you want to go lay down? If you still need to cry, that¡¯s fine with me. Just let it all out, okay?¡± Momo went to walk backwards to the bed, but her lovable friend refused to move. ¡°Or we can stay right here if you want to,¡± Momo added on. She adjusted her arms, which were wrapped around the lower part of Servi¡¯s back, right above the hips, and just slowly swayed from side to side.


    When Servi suddenly shifted, Momo went along with it. She absolutely refused to fight against any movements her friend made. Like the leaves in the breeze, their simple dance carried them to nearly every centimeter of the room. When it brought them to the bed, Momo leaned backwards and fell on it, with Servi landing stop of her. Her arm shot out to prevent her from smothering on her friend.


    But was it Servi who did that? Or was it Itarr?


    ¡°Eeh!¡± cried the Singi as Servi¡¯s whimpers started to increase in volume. Momo stared up at those beautiful red orbs, observing the sadness that captivated her attention. Fat tears dropped down, wetting her cheeks.


    Their faces were so close to each other that the tips of their noses were almost touching. Momo felt Servi¡¯s exasperated breaths warm her lips.


    As if the strength abandoned Servi, her arms nearly folded into themselves as her whole weight became supported by Momo. Her head was buried in the Singi¡¯s neck, where her muffled moans were coming out at a choked rate. It was highly likely the fantastically clean shirt she was wearing was about to become soaked with tears and snot.


    Well, she thought that was fine. It was nothing a quick wash couldn¡¯t get rid of.


    ¡°Servy¡­ What¡¯s wrong? Let me help you¡­ Please¡­¡± Momo whispered. Her voice had come out as a garbled mess, and she joined in with the crying.


    It was an auspicious sight¡ªone that could have been taken as an expression of love and not friendly friendship¡ªof one tender-hearted girl supporting her best friend. The most Momo could do was lend her body as support. The hands she had wrapped around Servi¡¯s back moved upwards to her shoulders. Rubbing them affectionately, they came back down and stopped right at her waist. She held her tightly and inhaled, taking in her friend¡¯s scent.


    I hope Servy¡¯s liking how I smell. Was that weird¡­?


    This little impromptu snuggle session came to an end when a hungry stomach couldn¡¯t live without food for a moment longer. Apparently, that was also a sign for Servi to calm down. Her sudden sadness and crying simmered off like a pot leaving a stove. She flipped her body over until she lay parallel with Momo. It all happened so quick that Momo herself was nearly taken for the ride. She managed to unhook her arms and instead locked her fingers around a waiting hand. Using the other to push herself up, Momo gazed downward at her friend.


    Servi wasn¡¯t sleeping, but she wasn¡¯t doing much of anything other than stare at the ceiling. For a brief moment, Momo wondered if all of that excellent progress had been lost. If so, then what was the cause? What happened after she went to bed? A million little questions traveled through Momo¡¯s overactive imagination, yet they were scattered to the depths when she felt a single squeeze.


    ¡°Servy, wherever we¡¯ll go, we¡¯ll do it together. Just keep squeezing my hand, and I¡¯ll keep squeezing yours¡­¡± Momo whispered. She didn¡¯t expect the day to start off like that, but deep down, she was kind of happy she was able to hold and caress Servi. Especially since the girl was the one to initiate it, whether she knew it or not.


    ¡°Hehe, and you know what? It felt kinda nice when you had your whole weight on me¡­ You¡¯re lighter than I thought too. Wha¡ªI mean, I didn¡¯t think you were heavy or anything. Remember when I had to carry you before? When I slapped you on my back and walked all weirdly like? Yeah, that¡¯s a thing of the past. I¡¯m back in tip-top shape! Don¡¯t believe me? Well, stand up and see for yourself!¡± Momo stood up and gently escorted Servi along for the ride. ¡°Now, you stand right there, okay? Good! Now, be ready to hold on to me, okay?¡±


    Momo slowly turned Servi in a circle until she was standing the right way, then placed one hand across her back. Her other hand went found a nice spot under Servi¡¯s knees, and Momo, quite literally, swept Servi off her feet. It was a flawless princess carry, and the Singi said a quiet prayer of thanks to her muscles. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve got you like this, I can do all sorts of things!¡± Momo said those words and slowly spun in a circle. Servi kept a blank look on her face, but she wrapped her arms around Momo¡¯s neck. It was a bona fide show of trust that she didn¡¯t react in any other way.


    ¡°You see? I have gotten stronger. Strong enough to carry you like this. That means I can handle any little thing that might happen¡­ Your safety is rest assured, my lady¡­ Hehe! I¡¯ve always wanted to try saying something cool like that.  Now, why don¡¯t we go get some breakfast? Does that sound good?¡± Momo smiled as if a flower was blossoming into the springtime of romance. But if she was cool, calm, and collected, then she wasn¡¯t ready for what came next.


    Somehow, the depths of Servi¡¯s mind thought it appropriate to raise her hand like a queen. Her palm slid across the warm cheek of her knight in adorable clothes, causing the breath in her throat to become trapped. Suddenly, it was like time slowed to a snail¡¯s crawl. Servi began to lean in, the locks of black hair coming closer and closer to Momo¡¯s forehead.


    Was it happening? Right here? Right now? Entirely within the confines of a simple room at Warden? Before either of them had eaten breakfast? Were they finally going to go past being best friends and into something official?


    Momo¡¯s unsteady heart filled itself with determination¡­for something that didn¡¯t come. Servi did lean forward, but her head tilted down at the last second. What would have become a lovely first kiss for the romance-filled Singi still turned into something to remember. Just touching their foreheads together, staring fondly into each other¡¯s eyes¡­ Allowing the warmth from both of them to travel freely from one to the other¡­


    It was enough. It was more than what Momo¡¯s poor heart could take. She let down her ¡®princess¡¯ and gently clasped her hand around hers. Her tail kicked into overdrive for a second or two, then mellowed out as Momo tapped her growling stomach.

 Book Four – Chapter Four – Part Two – Servi’s Decisive Role

    ¡°We¡¯ll both take the eggs and sausage with a slice of bacon. Oh, and milk to drink, please!¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll go put that in for you.¡±


    Momo nodded to the waiter who came to take their order, then looked around at the restaurant located within Warden. Breakfast was the most important meal of the day, but it was somewhat odd to be this full. Nearly every booth and chair had a person in it. The sleek wooden furniture, which was so warm on the eyes, was drowned in a sea of scales, fur, and skin. And the truly awful thing was that the little two-seat booth in the far back, which almost became Servi¡¯s and Momo¡¯s ¡®spot,¡¯ was taken up by a pair of dwarves.


    But if that was going to be the biggest worry of their day, then that was fine. Momo didn¡¯t let something so insignificant get her down, though she did pout for a second or two.


    ¡°Servy, did you hear what that red Koena said?¡± Momo said after her ears picked up something that wasn¡¯t so much alarming as it was interesting. ¡°Remember the Old Onyx? We were just there yesterday. Apparently, someone came by and dumped a load of clothes and money inside. They even left a note. Or I guess I should say you left a note,¡± Momo said. She stared at a blank Servi, whose face resembled the essence of void. ¡°And that¡¯s not all¡­¡± Momo continued to relay what information she could get from eavesdropping.


    She spoke with pride about how the same thing was done to the Rude Crystal, though with furniture replacing the clothes. Then she talked about how a single entity had repaired nearly a dozen wells. And from what she heard from the other nearby diners, this mysterious culprit was the talk of the town. Some audibly wondered if this person was the healer that dropped by one of the illegal apothecaries located within the slums. A few people argued that someone who could use Deus Lux or Lux Dei Omnipotentis, as per the hasty rumor going around, wouldn¡¯t have the kind of physical power to fix about a dozen water wells. Others said how could someone who had done so much in a single night do it without being spotted. That was when someone else spoke up with a detailed description of the so-called suspect. Fortunately, the physical properties did not match what Servi looked like. No doubt that a collective agreement was reached by all who she helped to keep her identity a secret.


    After all, she was the sole girl responsible for what was quickly becoming known as the Miracle of Canary.


    And for that, Momo was thankful.


    ¡°You know, I can¡¯t just describe just how proud I am of you. Servy, you really took your declaration to heart. With how you¡¯re giving back the things you took while offering even more kindness in return. Who knows how many people you saved from parched throats and sickness since I was sure the water was really nasty¡­ more importantly, little kids who didn''t have access to clean water can now, you know, drink clean water. It¡¯s really admirable¡­ Yeah, I don¡¯t even have to question it to know you were responsible for all that. If only the stupid church would get rid of that healer¡¯s taxes for the license or whatever¡­ You know, helping people shouldn¡¯t have a price tag¡­ Canary has hundreds of thousands of people living here. It¡¯s a pretty big city, so how do they keep track of any ¡®back door healing?  But enough about that...¡±


    The Singi held a hand to her heart. The abnormally loud collective volume threatened to swallow her words, but she toughed it out and spoke from the heart.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask me to come with you? How can I be your protector when I¡¯m not near you? Wait¡­ Was¡­ Was that why you were crying this morning?¡± Momo slowly came to the realization of something important as her waiter came back with food and drink. The smell of the fried sausage sang sweet melodies to her nose. Her carnivorous spirit came alive as she licked her chops. The green-scaled Koena who delivered the food noticed something was slightly amiss, but he knew better than to get involved in disputes between party members. That was why he dropped off the food and milk and walked away without asking if they needed anything else.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t let the food distract me. Servy, did you cry because you thought I would have been upset?¡± Momo asked again. She stared across the table. Servi turned her head to the motionless food in front of her, then stared back up to a gently smiling Momo. She had the beauty of an angel. ¡°You know I wouldn¡¯t ever be mad at you for something like that. Haven¡¯t you heard me talk? I¡¯m super happy about what you did. But I swore to protect you. If you¡¯re there, and I¡¯m here¡­¡± Momo placed her two index fingers far apart on the table to emphasize her point. ¡°How can I do that?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ No¡­ Not¡­ Mad¡­? No¡­ Not¡­ Mad¡­?¡± spoke the quiet girl. Visible stress lines popped up around her forehead. Her eyes clenched shut, then slowly opened. Water began to spring forth from her eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ I¡¯m not mad¡­ I¡¯m proud. Super, super, super proud of what you did¡­ But if you do it again, you have to let me know, okay? If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll pick you up and carry you around the city!  On second thought, that kinda sounds like fun and not a punishment at all. OH! Hey, maybe one day I can crouch down and carry you on my shoulders?¡± The atmosphere turned calm and serene as Momo stabbed a fat piece of sausage with her wooden fork. Delicious juices flowed out from the two little wounds, journeying down her plate until it met a bed of scrambled eggs.


    Conversely, Servi continued to stare at her food with a fork gripped tightly. It was as if she was staring at which foe she should defeat first. The mighty, crispy bacon looked like a terrible adversary, but her fluffy eggs had the potential to be a harmful menace to society. By now, the salty tears had completely disappeared.


    ¡°Go for the eggs, girl. You won¡¯t be disappointed,¡± said Momo, whose mouth was full of flavor. She grabbed her glass of milk and nearly emptied it all in one giant gulp. But of course, she had to save a bit for later. ¡°But as I was saying... Maybe I can have you ride on my shoulders? One of my earliest memories was of my grandpa putting me on his shoulders. He held his arms out like a bird and walked around our house. Sometimes, he¡¯d speed up, and it really did feel like I was flying on a bird! I think having wings would be so cool¡­ Don¡¯t you agree?¡± After sharing a little slice of her history, Momo turned to her back and chopped it up with her teeth.


    ¡°Geez, at this rate, I might just have to order a second plate¡­ Hard work really takes it out of you! But¡­ Servy?¡± When Servi didn¡¯t look up from shoveling food into her mouth, Momo continued to talk. ¡°I was doing a bit of thinking¡­and maybe we can ignore the play¡­? Maybe that¡¯s not the best thing¡­ Right now, at least. I heard putting one on is a lot of work, and everyone has to come together to pull their own weight. Servy, do you think you can handle it? Do you think you can say the lines? I¡¯ll be there to help you, of course, but I won¡¯t be able to do anything when it¡¯s time for the performance¡­ I guess this is selfish, but I don¡¯t want you to embarrass yourself? I guess that¡¯s it¡­ But if it¡¯s what you want, then I¡¯ll support you. As long as the yearning is coming from your heart instead of something I suggested¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Play¡­ Perform¡­ance¡­ Want¡­want¡­¡± said the girl in a slow voice. It took time for each syllable to flow out of her mouth. She was starting to say more and more, which only could have been a good thing.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s that, I guess. After we get done here, let¡¯s go and find some more information, okay? I think Claire said there¡¯s gonna be another flyer with more info. If she¡¯s working, let¡¯s see if we can ask her really quickly.¡± With that said, Momo jabbed her fork into the rest of her sausage and greedily devoured it. Soon enough, her plate was nearly licked clean as she licked the evidence off of her lips. Servi had finished most of hers, but the scraps she left behind were safely stored within her ring. All thanks to Itarr, of course.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Momo said as she stood up. Her hand went to the glass of milk and hurriedly drank the rest. ¡°Thanks for looking after Servy, Itarr. Last night, I mean¡­ I know Servy isn¡¯t in the right¡­¡¯state of mind¡¯ to actually heal anyone, but I know you did it for her. I hope you didn¡¯t think I was ignoring you... Because I wasn¡¯t¡­ So thank you, Itarr, for doing all of those wonderful things on Servy¡¯s behalf.¡± She reached out to take hold of the hand that held the red ring and softly brushed her fingers across its polished surface.


    Such a little ring has so much power¡­ You¡¯re incredible, Itarr¡­


    After this, the pair walked down to the ground floor. Hectic and out of control, a feverish energy was in the air. Or maybe it was just one of those days. Really, the reason it was all so packed could have been for a multitude of reasons, but none of those interested Momo or her cute friend. The two of them waded through the maze of bodies until they accidentally bumped into a busy Claire.


    ¡°Whoops!¡± she exclaimed, catching herself at the last moment so. She had a stack of documents pressed against her chest as she moved her bangs out of her eyes. Early it was, her face was as sweaty as if she had conquered a marathon.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Claire. We didn¡¯t see you there.¡± Momo apologized, but the purple-eyed Elf waved it off. Her arm accidentally touched a Koena¡¯s backpack, but he didn¡¯t notice it.


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s a good thing. I finally have a few seconds to catch my breath. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed it yet, but this place is kinda packed.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit hard to not notice that, actually. What¡¯s going on?¡± Momo said. She tried to charge ahead to an empty bench, but that was useless. It felt like she was in the middle of a motionless stampede.


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing. There isn¡¯t anything special happening. It is near the end of the month, and that¡¯s when this kind of thing usually happens. A lot of people are trying to get in some last-minute quests. You know how people leave things to the last opportunity, am I right?¡± Claire shrugged her shoulders and  scratched her cheek. ¡°Ah, sorry, but I have to run some documents up to the inn. Oh, and take one of these. We got a bunch of them in this morning! I remembered you talking about it.¡±


    ¡°Okay! We¡¯ll see you later, okay?¡± Momo said, half speaking and half shouting. She grabbed the flyer Claire was holding out, then made room for her friend to go up the stairs. Momo tried to read the piece of paper, but it was so crowded that she couldn¡¯t hardly do much of anything. And being trapped for so long, in the middle of so many people, who mostly wore heavy armor, wasn¡¯t the cleanest thing around. Some adventurers chose to stave off personal hygiene in order to spend money on supplies. The smelly musk was far too rank for Momo''s sensitive sniffer to handle.


    And quite a few of those smelly adventurers were standing right next to Momo. With renewed pace, she grabbed Servi¡¯s wrist and forcefully carved a path out. Then the dizziness came, and Momo almost lost her balance. But her Singi reflexes came in handy and kept her remaining upright. The warm, hazy sea of bodies naturally parted as to make way for those entering Warden, which meant the opposite was true. Those exiting would have a hard time only until they got to the end, at which it became easier than readily walking.


    ¡°Bwha! Can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but man, does it feel better out here than it does inside!!!¡± Momo exclaimed. After making it outside, where it was somewhat cooler, she made her way over to the side of Warden with Servi in tow. It was a good thing they went to the west side of the building since the sun was still rising from the east.  Since the Warden building was so tall, they would have a good amount of shade.


    So much sweat had gathered on Momo¡¯s brow that it was like someone had soaked a rag and squeezed it out on her forehead. ¡°Water¡­ I need my water...¡± she said while digging into her bag. When she pulled out her canteen, she nearly drained it empty in a matter of seconds. Itarr then absorbed it, filled it back up, and gave it to the thirsty cat. Once she had her fill, she wiped her lips and stored the canteen away. Not before thanking her favorite Goddess, though.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s see this flyer¡­¡± Momo read it aloud for Servi¡¯s and Itarr¡¯s comfort. ¡°One night only¡ªAugust 24th¡ªcome experience an event that has no equal!! The Lift of a Butterfly Will Cure Our Ailing Hearts is a story that embodies the bright light that rests at the end of a dark tunnel. A tale of hope awaits all who come to see it. Auditions have already started, and they will close on August 1st. If you have any interest in being a part of this wonderful story, please go to the Hurrah Theatre Hall located at Bridgestone Avenue¡­¡±


    Momo read the flyer a second time and offered her thoughts. ¡°That¡¯s an odd name for play, but I guess it sounds kinda cool. I do like butterflies. If the auditions end on the first of August¡­ That¡¯s just a few days away.¡±


    Momo turned to Servi. Her blank eyes seemed to be full of lifeless, but consciousness did flow through her spirit. Momo personally tested that out by taking Servi¡¯s hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.


    It was obviously returned.


    The Singi stretched her arms to the sky. ¡°So, what do you think? Do you still want to try it out?¡± she asked Servi. The response she gave was another squeeze of the hand, and that was the end of that little discussion. Leading the way as a knight would escort her princess, Momo and Servi walked from Warden to the shopping mall near the noble district. Along the way, they passed by a few food stalls that were hard at work. Fresh meat was sizzling against a hot grill. The bubbling ferocity of oil cried out as raw chicken was dropped into it. It all smelt so heavenly to someone like Momo, whose hunger hadn¡¯t been conquered.


    Since she couldn¡¯t stave it off any longer, she convinced herself that it was alright to partake in a second breakfast since she put in the effort during the previous day. And as to reward herself, she had chosen to stop by a stall specializing in fish. The bald-headed Human behind the charcoal grill recommended a slice of seared tuna. It just took about two minutes to retrieve it from a nearby cooler and slap it on the grill built into the stall.


    Its irresistible aroma invaded Momo¡¯s nose, and she gratefully accepted the meal after paying and thanking the man. He had poked a tiny toothpick though through the gorgeous strip of meat. She stared at it from all sides as they continued to make their way to the noble district.


    After taking that first bite, the seared tuna practically melted on her tongue since it was so tender. And the flavor was out of this world. Slightly oily, it was fatty and meaty at the same time. Momo wanted to rush back and ask for seconds and thirds. ¡°Servy!!! You have to try this! Here, I saved a bit for you!¡± she exclaimed.


    Right when she brought it to Servi¡¯s face, Momo couldn¡¯t believe the lack of embarrassment upon her face. Why would I be embarrassed? It¡¯s only logical that since I want to cook for Servy, I¡¯d probably want to feed her, too. Maybe not all the time, but in a situation like this? I think it¡¯s fine. And this is kinda like a kiss because I did bite off a piece. I didn¡¯t tear it¡­ It¡¯s kinda making me happy¡­ Hehe!!!


    ¡°So, how was it?¡± Itarr absorbed the toothpick as Servi¡¯s teeth chomped and pierced her little treat. ¡°Is it good?¡± Momo started to faintly blush a gorgeous red, and the smile across her face couldn¡¯t have gotten any brighter or prettier. ¡°One day, I¡¯ll make that for us¡­ And a bunch of other things, too. I¡¯m gonna be such a great cook that Claire won¡¯t even believe it!¡± If there was one thing to say about the bubbly Momo, it was that she was as determined as ever. Perhaps even more so after coming into her role as Servi¡¯s Knight.


    Canary was mainly split into three ¡®districts¡¯ for the lack of a better term. There was the aforementioned noble district, where the rich and powered lived, and the aptly named slums, where the poor and those deemed undesirable by society amassed in large groups like gangs of nomads. The third ¡®district¡¯ didn¡¯t have an official or unofficial title. It was where places like Warden and Madam Canary¡¯s Sweetie Tweety were located at. Since it was the largest part of Canary, perhaps there wasn''t any special need to give it a designation.


    As the pair of friends kept walking, Momo noticed a very noticeable split between the noble district and everything else. It probably wasn¡¯t done on purpose, but as someone who had walked this road many, many times in the previous month, Momo naturally picked up on a few things. After a certain point, the sounds of footsteps against stone had a different ¡®reverberation¡¯ to it. The bricks used in the noble district were denser and thicker, leading to a hearty, beefier noise. Meanwhile, the thinner, lesser quality stone used everywhere else sounded cheaper.


    The air quality also differed, but it was more difficult to tell. What was very clearly noticeable to the gluttonous Singi was the quality of food. It didn¡¯t matter if it was beef, chicken, ham, fish, or even fruit and veggies; those nobles just had to have the freshest, cleanest ingredients.


    Momo realized this about fifteen minutes after entering the noble district. Before that, however, she had waved to the shopping mall located at the district¡¯s entrance. Dineria, her mentor, had her own shop in there. She hoped that green-haired Elf was doing fantastic. And Momo couldn¡¯t forget about Srassa¡¯s house, located minutes after entering the district. She just had to offer a friendly hand to it as well. If not for respect, then maybe as a sign of friendship. The guard out front was confused, but after a moment, he distinctly remembered a pink Singi.


    A pleasant conversation later, he had penned down a map to Bridgestone Avenue. Momo thanked him, and off they went to complete their little journey. He had told them to turn right on to Second Street, which was what they did.


    Unfortunately, they came to an obstacle that nearly seemed insurmountable.


    It was a restaurant, but it only had three walls, a roof, and a counter? Yet the floor extended far enough out to the right place where a wall would have logically fit. There were tables and chairs like someone would have found in any restaurant. It was odd, strange, and almost quirky. The dangerous part came from what was being grilled in the kitchen. Half a dozen workers were hard at work preparing nocturnal cod for the early morning breakfast rush. Already, every single table was filled to capacity.


    Stuck in place, Momo looked like a little girl who had her attention stolen away. She watched as a man in a suit brought out two plates of grilled fish with gorgeous grill marks. With them came four bottles of spices, two for each meal. She didn¡¯t know what they were, but they had a bit of a peppery smell to them that wasn¡¯t that strong.


    Itarr stared as hard as Momo did, but the Goddess¡¯s attention was on what was in the bottles. It just so happened that she had literal tons of fish squared away inside her ring for a rainy day. And like Momo, she too wanted to cook for the one she loved. As criminal as it may have been, she slyly took about half the contents of each bottle but made sure to slip five 100 dupla coins in the waiter¡¯s pocket as payment. If that wasn¡¯t enough, she¡¯d just have to ask Servi to come back and properly pay the restaurant.


    As for Momo? She had stared for so long that the diners were getting rightly annoyed, so she hurried to her destination with a blank-faced Servi in tow. And inside the ring, in an endless, crimson void of nothingness, Itarr had started experimenting. She still kept an outside eye on the situation at hand, but just a little bit of her attention was focused on skinning, preparing, and cooking a few tons of fish. Come hell or high water, she had vowed to make something edible before the moon came out to play.

 Book Four – Chapter Four – Part Three – Servi’s Decisive Role

    ¡°You know, when the address said Bridgestone Avenue, I didn¡¯t think it would literally mean that¡­¡± Momo said, walking onto a granite bridge. It was one of two, in fact. It, and the one at the opposite end of the street, had very slight arches that went over a slim, narrow lake. No, it was more of a stream that served little more than a decoration. It was far too thin to support even a handful of fish, which was why the city had taken it upon themselves to add some colorful flowers that sat in glass bottles. The striking roses and beautiful lilies contrasted with the clear blue water. And when the sun was in just the right spots to bless the glass, it was like the flowers had stems of pure light.


    It really was a gorgeous sight, and Momo would have liked to stay a bit longer to enjoy it. But behind them, a rude guard struggled against the might of a thousand invisible grasps. Itarr had seen the displeasure populate his somewhat average face the second the pair of close friends walked by, but by them, Momo was already aware of what was going to happen.


    He was young and youthful, though the metaphorical ¡®stick of handsomeness¡¯ had chosen to give him just half of a bonk. The expression on his face didn¡¯t match his internal thoughts, which bordered between anger and fear. It was all thanks to Itarr, of course, who was very well becoming a master in what she called Mortal Puppetry. By adding even more anchor points, she could twist and turn his lips into a smile, even going as far as to add an otherworldly softness to his eyes. Perhaps once her control had been fine-tuned, manipulating a person¡¯s vocal cords might not be that far-fetched.


    Itarr did realize that the longer he remained frozen, the more likely the others walking by would notice something. So she sent him on his way, towards the opposite of where Servi and Momo had to go, of course. But he wasn¡¯t the only one to voice such displeasure at what most bigots found disrespectful. A few pompous mothers shielded their children¡¯s eyes. Some even willingly put themselves between their child and Momo, as if she was a horrible pervert who bathed in lewdness. And on more than once did someone call them an especially nasty term. The only ¡®crime¡¯ committed was just the innocent act of holding the hand of the girl she had feelings for.


    Momo was saddened, of course, but she kept up a confident face. In her mind, she was the sturdy temple that Servi was relying on. If it started to show any cracks in the foundation¡­ Well, the lovely Singi didn¡¯t want to think about that.


    The people back at Warden didn¡¯t even care that I held Servy¡¯s hand. But here¡­ It¡¯s almost insult after insult, and they don¡¯t even gotta say anything to make it hurt¡­ Their body language and the things they do to avoid walking next to Servy and me... Still, they can say every single word in the book, but I won¡¯t even think that what I feel is wrong in any way. Servy, that¡¯s my ultimate promise to you¡­ I love you a lot¡­


    With the wind blowing through her hair, sending her pink strands waving like the falling petals of a cherry blossom, she turned and squeezed her hand. Without a word, she confidently forged a path ahead, eventually stepping off the bridge and back on solid stone. Bridgestone Avenue was about two kilometers long, and it was certainly popular. The theatre hall Momo was looking for was located about mid-way through, nestled between a cute caf¨¦ and a shop that specialized in pottery.


    ¡°Grampy used to have a bunch of vases. I broke one when I was little. It¡¯s funny now. But back then, I tried to stick it back together like a puzzle. But the pieces were sharp, and I got a bad cut across my thumb. Grampy was more upset that I hurt myself rather than break it. He told me that things like the vase were replaceable. If anything, he said he could just make a new one. But he said there couldn¡¯t be a new me. I was one of a kind¡­¡± It was a story that had a hopeful beginning, but it turned sour by the end. The love a girl had for her grandfather was special, especially when he had to act as both a mother and father.


    She often wondered why she didn¡¯t have a mother or father, but her grandfather would always swiftly reflect the topic. He was a master at controlling the flow of conversation, and he knew just what to say to excite the young, impressionable Momo in a way that brought her mind away from the harsh realities of the world.


    They reached the front of the theatre and stared up at the large white sign above. The Lift of a Butterfly Will Cure Our Ailing Hearts ¨C August 24th was prominently displayed in bold, black letters. Right above that was the name of this building¡ªHurrah Theatre Hall¡ªwhich was painted in strikingly stylish letters. It gave off a sense of attitude and arrogance that was so common with the uppity, artsy nobles.


    Still holding hands, Momo walked forward underneath a part of the building that had been extended for a couple of meters. She surmised that something like this was made to block the rain and walked towards one of the three glass windows. The doors to actually enter were to her left and right, but she needed information.


    The burgundy-colored twin-tailed Elf behind the window spoke, her words passing through four tiny holes near the middle of the glass. Once Momo explained that they were here for the auditions, her helpful voice explained that signs were set up inside to direct people to the auditorium.


    Momo thanked her and left to enter, the Elf starkly staring at an audacious display of affection. Sending the hand of a Human and a Singi clasped together in public was not something that was seen just anywhere. She watched as the pair entered through the doors, and soon turned back to her job.


    The Hurrah Theatre Hall was as close as someone could get to the luxuries offered to a king or emperor. Everything about it, from the freshly steamed red carpet to the eye-catching stain on the wood, was meant to evoke a slight sense of jealousy.


    Momo didn¡¯t feel any of that. Instead, she was utterly amazed! Her eyes couldn¡¯t help but look at the sheer scale of the entrance hall, let alone the size of the corridors that led to the many auditoriums. It was almost enough to swallow the poor girl, but she kept strong and followed the wooden signs down the left-most hall. A couple of expensive benches were here and there, littering the floor. Opposite of them sat open paths that led to the toilets. Installed into the ceiling was a set of lights controlled from a single battery inside the heavily locked maintenance closet.


    ¡°Woah¡­¡± Momo turned her head all around, acting like an excited child in a store full of candy. ¡°For some reason, it feels like this place cost a million dupla¡­ It kinda feels like a cat like me doesn¡¯t have the right to be here¡­ I wondered if grampy ever came to one¡­¡± After reaching the end of the hall, the pair saw a sign. It said turned left, and they did. Some meters away, they saw a poster, and Momo skipped over to it.


    It was about five meters tall, meaning it stretched from the floor to the ceiling, and it was of a girl who lacked the joviality of life. Though with how she was drawn with a hooded cloak, it was impossible to tell if she was Human, Singi, or an Elf, but that didn¡¯t matter in the grand scheme of things. What was important was the darkened orbs that surrounded her from both sides. The expression on her face was one of emotional sacrifice. She wasn¡¯t sad, but it wasn¡¯t a smile. And it also wasn¡¯t a blank expression. It was like nothingness molded into a face, then applied to the girl at her lowest point.


    But with the sadness and night came hope and light, which aptly took the form of the titular butterfly the story was named after. That winged creature was drawn to the right in bright white paint. Perhaps it meant that all of life¡¯s problems were as insignificant as the fluttering of a butterfly¡¯s wings? Or maybe the answer to all of life¡¯s problems was as simple as the lift of a butterfly¡¯s wing?


    Momo didn¡¯t know. She felt something strenuous radiate from the poster and couldn¡¯t believe how it affected her. It was hard to tear her eyes away, which meant the poster''s designer achieved what they wanted.


    She eventually broke away and entered the nearby door. That led to a short but dark hallway that emerged into an awfully large auditorium. The stage was made of black granite, which woefully soaked the lights shining down from above. It spread from wall to wall, like a solid chunk of darkness that was visible and malleable by the hands of mortals. Momo looked up to the ceiling and audibly gasped from the maze-like tubes and cylinders that were so elegantly spread out like a spiderweb. In addition, there were four circular lights connected to the various pipes.


    By sending Skill Energy down the pipelines from something called a terminal, someone from the auditorium¡¯s control room could angle the lights and alter their colors. This way of accomplishing this task was far more expensive than simply hiring a Singi to turn them manually, but no one could ignore the impressiveness of such a system.


    All four lights were shining brightly, illuminating the large auditorium. Momo glanced away from the stage and to what they faced, and her jaw nearly dropped. ¡°Woah¡­ Servy, how many do you think there are? And there¡¯s already a lot of people here¡­ Wouldn¡¯t someone have to tell for the people in the back to hear them?¡±


    ¡°All together, we have 652 seats, divided into three sections, but around a third of them are filled with waiting auditionees. You see the odd-looking objects on the walls up there? That¡¯s a sound reflector. They bounce down sound to the ones located to the far left and right, which redirect it to the far back. That way, everyone can hear whatever is being spoken as easily as if they were right next to the stage. Thanks to those, we have no need for the boorishness of a Voice Loudner.¡±


    Momo turned to the mysterious speaker, who was walking down a small path that led down from the rightmost stairs on the stage. It trailed alongside the wall, and if one kept walking, they would eventually come out to the hallway that had the poster. The other end of the stage also had a small path that would lead to a similar corridor.


    The speaker was a Singi with a gray turtleneck sweater and beige pants. A whimsical monocle was on his left eye, and the gold chain connected to it came down to a ring on his left hand. The black hair sitting on his head looked like the leftovers after a dog had devoured a burnt chicken. Was something like that popular?


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of¡­¡± Momo murmured.


    ¡°It is, but you should see the one in Adenaford. It can hold up to 15,000 and still have room for another thousand. Perchance, are you here to audition?¡±


    Momo shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not. Servy¡¯s here to try out, though,¡± she responded.


    ¡°I see. Your name is Servy?¡± The Singi held a quizzical hand to his smooth-shaven chin and stared the girl up and down. ¡°My, oh my¡­ She¡¯s certainly as stiff as a corpse¡­ And I¡¯ve never seen someone with such a blank expression¡­ Honey, are you sure she¡¯s alive?¡±


    Honey? ¡°Servy¡¯s alive and well. She¡¯s just in a...delicate state of mind,¡± Momo replied, but she was caught a bit off guard.


    ¡°I see¡­ Well, if you wish to sign up, please walk up those stairs to the stage and talk to the man behind the desk. Listen to his instructions, and you¡¯ll be as right as rain.¡± Once those words passed by his mouth, the Singi slithered past Momo and walked out towards the hallway. She watched him disappear when turning a corner. With that behind her, she trekked the path up to the stage. Servi was right behind her, nearly close enough for her warm breath to tickle the tops of her fluffy ears.


    Their footsteps echoed in sync as they both gripped the handrails and ascended the steps. The man behind the desk on the stage turned to look at the pair of close friends. His smile was friendly and professional, and the nametag on his gray shirt read ¡®Casting Director.¡¯ He waved them on over, but he and his desk weren¡¯t the only things occupying the stage. With as big as it was, it could easily support the fifteen or twenty stagehands that were mulling about. No doubt they were all focused on completing their assigned jobs. An audition this event was, it still needed to be held to certain standards.


    Momo cautiously looked around at how professional everyone looked while walking to the desk. She took note of their buttoned-up shirts, complete with silk ties. The men wore freshly pressed pants with nary a wrinkle or crease, while the women had form-fitting skirts that affectionately hugged their bodies.


    And when Momo looked back at the sea of seats, it looked as if everyone was dressed in their Sunday best. The severe lack of any cobalt-colored overalls nearly kick-started a thought train of despair through her mind. Would the simplicity of Servi¡¯s outfit hamper her chances of being picked? That was assuming she could even do what was asked of her, which was another growing fear.


    But as long as Servy wants this, I¡¯m gonna support her. She thought when reaching the desk.


    ¡°Good afternoon. My name is Wyima, and I am the casting director. I hope this doesn¡¯t inconvenience you, but could I ask that you put your weapon away? That bag is enchanted with Dimensional Storage, yes?¡± The words flowed from his mouth like coarse pebbles leaving a tin can. There was just a grizzly after-tone attached to it.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Momo said with a flushed face as she stored her longsword inside her bag. Once that was accomplished, she looked back up and shook Wyima¡¯s outstretched hand. ¡°Wait¡­ How could you tell?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Everyone in my family has been blessed by a God of Enchanting, and I am no different. I can faintly see the Skill Energy surrounding it,¡± he replied, sitting down. His gray eyes then subtly flashed an intimidating blue, then faded away back to its ashen color.


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool! Oh, I¡¯m Momo, and this is Servy,¡± the Singi said.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you both. I take it you want to audition for the play?¡± Wyima flipped through a binder and grabbed a small writing utensil.


    ¡°It¡¯s for Servy,¡± Momo replied. She stepped out of the way and gently encouraged her friend to walk up via a small push from the back.


    ¡°¡­ I see. I¡¯m sorry if this is rude, but can she talk? She hasn¡¯t said a single word. And she hasn¡¯t looked my way at all.¡± Wyima said, after writing her name at the bottom of a list so long it was divided into four columns. He dropped his quill and folded his hands together on the desk.


    ¡°To be honest, she can talk, but only in short spurts. And it¡¯s usually right after I say something. I don¡¯t suppose there¡¯s a part for her? Like a non-speaking part? Do you have those?¡± Momo said. She squeezed Servi¡¯s and just waited for the bad news.


    ¡°That will be a problem¡­but I may have a solution. What do you think happens when there is a scene that requires someone to cry, but the actress or actor is unable to sound tearful? It is easy to use a little bit of makeup to produce a beautiful expression, but the emotional cries and wails can only come from a place of special sadness. The director spearheading this production is someone that values authenticity. He does not like it when certain emotions have to be falsified.¡±


    ¡°So you want to know if she can cry on demand?¡± Momo asked. She tilted her head very slightly and hid a playful smile behind her innocent lips.


    ¡°That I do. If she can do that, she¡¯ll have a spot in the play. Of course, she¡¯ll have to be in sync with the actresses, but that can be practiced until it becomes¡ª¡±


    Wyima raised an eyebrow when Servi¡¯s sudden whimpering gurgled from her lips. Parallel streams of warm, salty water leaked from those precious ruby-colored eyes. Her face slightly scrunched as she fell down to her knees. Momo went down with her and very quickly wrapped her tearful friend in an impressively tight hug.


    With the way the room was constructed, it was impossible for sound to not bounce around the room, and this sound-reflecting technology worked very well to Servi¡¯s advantage. The pureness of her cries managed to reach everyone¡¯s ears, and since her internal sorrows were as genuine as the sun was bright¡ªcoming directly from her wounded emotions¡ªit was just that much more raw and primal. It was certainly good enough for Wyima to shed a few tears of his own. He stood up so fast his chair went sliding back to the black curtains that hid the backstage, and he rushed over to the embracing pair.


    How amazing¡­ How rich¡­ I¡¯ve¡­ I''ve never seen such a cry that was far and true¡­ Utmost praise burrowed through Wyima''s mind, but it was followed up with a thought full of annoyance towards his boss. The other stagehands all stopped and stared at such a beautiful display of one of life¡¯s most cherished emotions. The same was said for those patiently waiting for the audition to begin.


    ¡°That a girl, Servy¡­ You¡¯ve impressed them all, and I bet it was nice having a good cry, right? But I have to admit¡­ It hurts me to see you wail like this because I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re just putting on a show or if you¡¯re really sad¡­ Just remember this, okay? You don¡¯t have to force yourself to do this¡­ If it ever gets too much, we can always stop¡­¡± Momo whispered. At her sweet words of encouragement, Servi placed a lid on her wailing and started to slightly shudder. Momo stood up and helped her friend to her feet, and the two of them looked towards Wyima. Only he wasn¡¯t alone. That monocle-wearing Singi from before was right beside him, twirling in place like a ballerina. His combed-over tail danced to the tune of his cheerful jeers.


    ¡°Bravo!!!! Bravo!!!! Such sounds! Such emotion!! The sadness!!! The despair!!!! If I had known better, I¡¯d say that cry was birthed from the mouth of a beast that had seen death and lived to tell about it!!! Ooohhhhh!!! I can see it now!! A girl¡­ A meek girl... A meek girl with dreams and aspirations of her own that couldn¡¯t even compare against the stars themselves¡­


    ¡°Regret, murder, death¡­ All sorts of trials and tribulations came to stop her from conquering the one thing her soul desired above all else¡­ Then after fighting through it all, enduring heartache after heartache, one final obstacle is preventing her from having it all. The girl is too weak¡ªtoo frail and afraid for what the unknown will have in store for her. Out of fear of a lack of direction, she has a misstep and bows down to the familiarity deep in her soul.


    ¡°Everything she had worked for soon became a waste of time in her failure to snatch a handful of happiness brought forth by the newness of life¡­ Oh! What dastardly hand has fate befell upon you to twist your soul in such a damaged form¡­? For I say, he is too effective in his role as a masquerade of sadness! Let me thank him¡­ Oh! I say let me thank him!!!!¡± With wild, exotic movement, the passionate Singi used the entirety of the stage as support for his long monologue, which Momo didn¡¯t understand at all. The flowery words sent her brain in overdrive, but she couldn¡¯t follow along when he began to speak nearly a thousand words a minute.


    Is¡­ Is this a play? Am I the only one that doesn¡¯t get it¡­? Momo simply watched the impromptu performance with Servi, whose face had gone back to one of neutrality. Her eyes stared at everything, refusing to focus on anything specific. And when the Singi¡¯s ¡®heartfelt¡¯ speech came to an end, she was the only one who didn¡¯t join in on the clapping. Momo only did so because she didn¡¯t want to be rude. Everyone else, though, stood up if they were wearing and gave the mysterious Singi a standing ovation. The sound of their clapping took full advantage of the sound reflectors, and it all built off of each other until it felt like the whole building was shaking from the feverish, excitable energy.


    If this is it, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever understand it.


    Within seconds, the passionate speaker started anew. ¡°Nay¡ªsays the Lord of Mercy, for he is too bright and capable to grant such sadness. Nay¡ªsays the Lady of Forgiveness, for she has a heart too pure to grant the darkness within us mortals. Yae¡ªsays the Reaper of Despair, for his scythe of trembling sadness had absolved the light deep within her bosom!!!¡±


    Bosom!?!?! Momo turned to Servi¡¯s chest, staring at her delectable cleavage. She was a busty gal, so it only made sense that a little something was showing. But her blouse was very respectable in that regard. What she had on display wasn¡¯t anything like the women of the night would have. Still, Servi was showing just enough that Momo was slightly captivated by what she saw. Eehhh?! Is there light in there? I don¡¯t understand. It looks awfully warm, though¡­ Why¡­do I have an urge to put my face between them¡­? No, think about something else, you cat!


    The eccentric Singi finished his long-winded soliloquy by dropping to his knees. In an expression of sadness, he rubbed his tearful eyes with the back of his hand, even throwing away his monocle, which burst into tiny glass fragments.


    ¡°Your tears¡­ They have truly reached me,¡± he whispered, crawling towards Momo and Servi. Once he was close, he sat on his knees and asked a single question. ¡°What has this poor girl experienced to cause her to produce such a cry?¡±


    To say Momo was startled and taken back was a severe understatement. She had the strongest urge to slap this weird cat, grab her friend, and rush out of this crazy theatre.


    But she didn¡¯t. Even if she wanted to, Momo knew that it was alright because Itarr hadn¡¯t acted yet.


    ¡°Servy and I were attacked by a bandit. I froze up and couldn¡¯t move, but she saved my life by killing him when he was about to end my life. And now she¡¯s like this,¡± Momo repeated the lie that was so close to being true.


    ¡°OOOOHHHHHHH!!!! Kindness begets the stillness of a Human¡¯s emotion so frozen in the shadow of benevolent protection that it wouldn¡¯t survive beyond the value of pride!!!¡± The strange Singi became even stranger. He stood up, twirled around, then helped Servi and Momo to their feet. The former was a little woozy, choosing to lean almost her entire weight against her protector.


    ¡°The play! Yes! The play! Please, I just must have her!!!¡± cried the Singi.


    Wyima chose this moment to rush forward and explained some things that desperately needed a touch of clarity.


    It turned out the Singi was the director of the play. Bartholomew Meow was his full name, and his status as a noble was evident. Well, in his mannerisms. It wasn¡¯t so much his appearance that backed up his nobility.


    Wyima explained, with a hint of annoyance and exasperation, a second time that the director only cared for things that were authentic, which included emotions. He couldn¡¯t stand for anything artificial.


    ¡°I hope his¡­ uniqueness¡­ didn¡¯t frighten you away. In my decade of being his casting director, not once has he ever acted like this.¡±


    Momo turned to Wyima¡¯s face, then to the director, who had a giant grin. Then she looked at Servi, who was simply resting her eyes while slightly squirming. ¡°Servy,¡± she whispered. ¡°It sounds to me like they¡¯re offering you a part. It¡¯s up to you if you want to do it.¡±


    With the subtleness of leaking water in a storm, Servi nodded her head and slowly opened her ruby-colored eyes. She stared hard and long at the face of her guardian, then turned to look at the two directors.


    ¡°Yes! Fantastic!! Wonderful! Fantastically wonderful indeed!!!¡± Bartholomew danced in place. He then ran behind the stage¡¯s curtain, returning a moment later with a chair in tow. He slapped it down behind the desk Wyima once sat at and looked down at a rather long list of people who wanted to be a part of his production.


    ¡°And with that, I suppose it is time for this audition to get underway,¡± Wyima said, looking at the director, who tapped the desk with an impatient hand. ¡°If you two wish to watch the auditions, then feel free to sit where you please. Information such as the script, rehearsal dates, and anything else necessary will be given at the end.¡±


    ¡°Okay. That sounds good. Come on, Servy,¡± Momo said. She nodded to Wyima, who turned around and went towards the desk. Momo and her friend gleefully hopped down the stairs and walked over to a nice, comfy pair of seats located about halfway up. They had taken a seat on the right side, which was probably good because she felt stares of jealously drill a hole in the back of Servi¡¯s head.


    She knew they probably didn¡¯t like the fact that someone unknown came in and wowed the director with a heart-moving display of anguish. Soon after thinking that, her attention was swallowed by the luxurious cloth her arms rested against. The chairs themselves were like nothing she had ever sat in. Even the chair at Srassa¡¯s house couldn¡¯t compare to the level of comfort her rump was feeling. It didn¡¯t feel like leather, but it wasn¡¯t cloth either. Perhaps it was a mix of them? Or maybe it was from some other material the common-minded Momo wasn¡¯t cultured about.


    She looked over at Servi, whose hand was rested firmly on the armrest she and Momo shared. Her hand was turned over, with her palm facing the ceiling. Momo rested her hand atop of it, then curled her fingers downward. She squealed with glee when Servi gave her hand a squeeze or three. The Singi wanted to stare at her lovely Servi just a bit longer, but Wyima¡¯s distinct voice snatched her attention.


    Eh, I can stare at Servy anytime I want. And I¡¯m a bit excited!!! I¡¯ve never seen a play before, much less watched the audition of one!!! Servy, I do hope this helps you figure out your emotions. Even if it doesn¡¯t, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be a waste of time.

 Book Four – Chapter Four – Part Four – Servi’s Decisive Role

    ¡°For those at the height of monopoly¡­ The dark¡­ The desolate¡­ The unforgiving¡ª¡±


    ¡°NEXT!!!!!!¡± shouted the director. He slammed his hands down upon the table, sending a stack of folded tissue scattering.


    The young man¡ªa brass-colored Kobold with nothing but fur¡ªfailed to hold back the streaming tears. He had chosen a line from a play about the fall of a military leader after a witch introduced him to wine and debauchery. Even though the director wanted to see something ¡®primal,¡¯ this suit-wearing Kobold thought he had it in the bag.


    He didn¡¯t. The lines he had chosen from his favorite story just did not cut it.


    ¡°Thank you, Sward, for your performance. Unfortunately, it isn¡¯t what we¡¯re looking for,¡± said Wyima. He stood up and offered a hand, and Sward shook it, even though he wanted to run out and cry. But it wasn¡¯t all bad. The Kobold still received a respectful hand of applause from nearly everyone there since most knew how brutal auditioning could be. On more than once were they on the side of rejection, so his sadness resonated with them.


    Of course, only Servi and Momo didn¡¯t share those feelings per se, and only the latter actually did any clapping.


    ¡°Wow¡­ I for sure thought Sward had it¡­ He seemed so jolly when his name was called, and he just instantly altered his whole personality to fit his lines¡­ That¡¯s incredible¡­¡± Momo sure was amazed. Sward was the 20th person to have been called upon, and not a single person had the director''s approval. ¡°But wait¡­ I thought Wyima was the casting director. Doesn¡¯t he have a say in who is and isn¡¯t in play? Or can the director overrule Wyima¡¯s choices?¡± she asked herself.


    Even though I¡¯m just sitting here watching, it¡¯s kinda fun. Back home, I never would have gotten the chance to see something so cool!!!


    ¡°Now, I need Myrabel Donnas to come to the stage,¡± said Wyima. He crossed off a name on his list and looked up, catching sight of a gorgeous Elf. Her amber-colored hair flowed right down to the middle of her back. She was tall, almost taller than Claire, but this Myrabel was an Earth Elf. Her beautiful earthen-colored skin deeply absorbed the bright lights shining down, illuminating the cute skirt she wore. It only came to the top of her thighs, but its radiant playfulness more than accentuated her sleeveless shirt. She was a noble, but she dressed more freely than others of her social status. Though she did have a tie around her neck, and from experience, Momo knew that those with neckties were fancy.


    There was just something about her that caught Momo¡¯s eyes. It could have the aggressive smile blanketing her face, signifying that she thought she had this audition in the bag. Or it might have been the way she carried herself. Each little step used the least amount of energy. Then again, her heels sharply echoed against the granite stage whenever she took a step forward, and the piercing noise started to hurt Momo¡¯s ears.


    They¡¯re fluffy, but my ears are too sensitive¡­


    And a few minutes later, Momo was proven right. The director had told Myrabel to act as if her husband had caught her having an affair, which Momo thought was kinda odd and specific, but the Elf took that challenge to heart.


    ¡°Darling! It¡­ It seems you¡¯ve finally found out the truth¡­¡± she started off, her head hanging low as a deep whisper spread across the auditorium. Myrabel''s hands were to her neck, acting as if she was in bed and had the covers up to her chin. She waited a moment for her imaginary husband to say his line, then shot back. ¡°No! It isn¡¯t my fault! It¡¯s yours! You¡¯re always so busy with work, and I¡¯m all alone with nothing but this empty, cold house to keep me company. I have desires!!! I have needs!!! You always shrugged me off whenever I opened my mouth! You always talked over me and demanded your dinner, as if I didn¡¯t just spend thirteen hours with my own thoughts!! Oh, and don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know about that floozy¡­ I¡¯m not the only one who¡¯s been looking for a little excitement Wha¡ª"


    Suddenly, it was like an invisible force pushed the Elf down, and her head sharply turned to the right. A frightful hand hugged her cheek. ¡°Do you think hitting me will bring back the spark we once had? No¡­ In these seven years... The love you had for me vanished. But mine¡­ Mine never stopped burning. I YEARNED FOR YOU!!! I desired your touch! Your kiss! Oh, how I wanted to feel your lips upon my neck and your hand down my thighs! How I craved your rugged touch with your scared, calloused hands!


    ¡°But no more¡­ I have found someone who sees me as more than just a maid to cook for you¡­ I¡¯ve found someone who needs me for me¡­ And you, my sad husband, have lost someone you had forgotten was a person¡­ No, maybe I¡¯m the unhappy one... But I do know that whatever we once had just isn¡¯t there anymore¡­¡± Myrabel stood up, still grasping her fake injury as she shunned her eyes away from the imaginary state of her pathetic fake husband.


    ¡°Woah¡­ She¡¯s even crying¡­¡± Momo whispered. ¡°But she isn¡¯t making any noise¡­ It¡¯s just the tears¡­¡± What transpired in front of her was clearly fake, but it just all felt so real. The valid surprise in her voice when the scene started, to the ¡®accusatory¡¯ tone she used when she announced that her ¡®husband¡¯ was also unfaithful, was unadulterated. Even playing that fake slap to the fullest required the actress to sync with their character.


    It almost made her wonder if Myrabel had actually been through what she acted out¡­


    It feels like that had to come from the heart. If it didn¡¯t, then she¡¯s really good¡­ Like really, really good¡­


    ¡°Oooohhhhh!!!¡± cried the director. That was the only noise he made, but he stood up and clapped his hands so much they had started to get slightly bruised.


    ¡°Hmph! That was easy,¡± cited Myrabel, who brushed her hair from her neck. She walked over to Wyima, who simply congratulated her. Apparently, she wanted something else, but Wyima wasn¡¯t about to play those games. He just told her off and asked her to get back to her seat. Such abrasiveness probably wasn¡¯t what she was used to since Myrabel had a nervous spring in her step when she went back to her chair.


    I guess even prim-looking Elves like her can get startled¡­ But that was an awesome scene she played out¡­ I hope the rest are just as good¡­


    The passing seconds turned to minutes, and minutes soon became hours as the day rolled along. After Myrabel¡¯s breathtaking performance, forty-six wishing, hopeful performers had gotten the boot. The forty-seventh one, however, could have arguably been better than Myrabel.


    When Wyima asked for a Denaire Dattosh, Momo expected another Elf. To her surprise, it was a Kobold who answered the call. She was as thick as an ox and taller than a mountain grizzly. Momo even thought she could put Feral to shame with how big her muscles were. They were protected by mythril-colored skills, which enclosed her from head to toe. So on top of having a flowery name, she had a body most male Kobolds would have killed for.


    Yet her voice was not coarse and war-hungry, like so many of her kin. The requested song she sang for Wyima and Bartholomew flowed from her mouth like liquid honey. Its sweetness captivated those remaining in the auditorium, bringing to shame all of the stereotypes of the typical female Kobold. One could claim her voice suited the forest-loving Elf, but one could also disagree and counterclaim that what flowed from her mouth could have only come for her.


    The mix of brawn and muscle clashed with the song about a girl waiting for her loved one to return from war¡­ Its ending a bitter conclusion where only his letters arrived home was so effortless conveyed with the passion of a thousand stars.  When she sang the last note, dropping her folder arms from across her dress-covered chest, Momo felt like she had to pay for such a performance. Seeing something so touching for free felt wrong and abashed, and it was like she had stolen something priceless.


    Servi was feeling it too. Tears flowed down from her still face, drenching her blouse. During the especially intense parts of the song, she actively clenched Momo¡¯s hand so hard it felt like it would break.


    It resonated within, huh? Servy, it seems we both enjoyed Denaire¡¯s beautiful song... It seems like you¡¯re going to have another companion in the play¡­


    Like before, after Bartholomew had given his utmost praise, Denaire shook hands with Wyima. He was surprised when both of his hands could fit within her palm, but he wonderfully thanked her for giving a breathtaking performance.


    When she went back to her seat, the happiness in her eyes was infectious, like a disease. Even those who wanted to be jealous had no choice but to give an additional congratulation and thanks for the honor of hearing her song. Momo wanted to speak up and offer her words, but she was sat on the other side. And there was no way she was gonna leave Servi behind to do so.


    She wiped her leaky eyes with the back of her hand and turned to Servi. ¡°That was incredible¡­ Here, let me wipe your eyes,¡± she said. As she did that, Wyima called out another name. This time, it belonged to a male Koena named Grid Grizzly. Dressed in a flashy suit with a red tie, he had double the amount of scales a Koena of his age was expected to have.


    It wasn¡¯t so much a malady as it was an aesthetic jackpot. Someone born with this ¡®affliction¡¯ would have nearly twice as many scales as someone his own age, which meant the protection granted to his body was also doubled. And for some odd reason, having more scales than the rest was an attractive trait that female Koena found appealing. Since that was true, it probably explained why he took his sweet time getting to the stage.


    Wyima ordered him to do a comedy number of his choosing, and Grid turned to face the seats. After adjusting his tie, he cleared his throat and laid out the best jokes he knew.


    Unfortunately, not a single one was actually funny. But what was funny was how Grid guided his routine like a storyteller. The dry, quick wittiness of each joke that fell flat was funny in its own way, and they just kept running. Right when one was done, he¡¯d quickly transitioned into the next, adding in a bit of physical humor to keep it fresh. By the end of his ten-minute routine, nearly the entire auditorium was rolling with laughter.


    Servi and a few others were the lone exceptions. Momo, though, absolutely couldn¡¯t keep her adorable chuckles down. At one point, she leaned over a bit too far and almost fell right out of her chair. Luckily for her, Itarr clasped a thousand invisible anchor points and brought her back to her seat. Even in her fit of laughter, she didn¡¯t forget to thank the Goddess.


    No doubt, Grid Grizzly was able to garner the director¡¯s approval. He returned to his seat with a flashy grin.


    And he was the last one.


    Out of the other hundred or so waiting, hopeful auditionees, there wasn¡¯t anyone else who had what the two directors were looking for.


    Wyima took center stage and spoke to Servi, Momo, Myrabel Donnas, Denaire Dattosh, and Grid Grizzly, the only ones left in their chair. He asked then all to come to the front row, and they did so in a slight hurry. Denaire¡¯s thick, heavy feet stomped, nearly causing Grid to stumble over himself. Myrabel looked so elegant as she simply strutted herself down to the front row of the middle section.


    ¡°Let me thank you again for coming out to audition Wyima said. Bartholomew was off behind him, twirling in circles, his dancing slowly guiding him to the backstage beyond the curtains. ¡°As you can probably tell, only the best is sufficient for the director. You can go home tonight with pride in your hearts that you have beat out over 200 other fierce participants to star in this rendition of The Lift of a Butterfly Will Cure Our Ailing Hearts. I say ¡®this rendition,¡¯ but this will be its debut. With that said, I, and the director, are honored that you would audition despite not knowing anything. I do think that now is the time to remedy that.


    ¡°To start it off, The Lift of a Butterfly Will Cure Our Ailing Hearts is about a group of widows trying to find love after their husbands had passed away. The main character is named Shika. She¡¯s an Elf, and as of now, she will be played by Ms. Donnas.


    ¡°Excuse me, but what do you mean by ¡®as of now?¡¯¡± asked Myrabel. There was a bit of a rude tone hidden inside that innocent question, but it was somehow forced and artificial. Was she trying to be unpleasant on purpose?


    ¡°It is just as I said. Remember the flyer? Auditions run every day until the first of August. On the second, everyone that passed the audition will be called back. We will formally release the cast list. That is when you all will receive the dates for rehearsals. And the script you will be given will have your lines underlined with red ink, so it will be easy to spot.


    ¡°But allow me to get back to the plot of the play. Essentially, there are a couple of main characters and many side characters that flesh out the story. As I¡¯ve stated, we have Shika. Then there is Roa, a Koena. Sylva, a Kobold. Dawn, a Dwarf. And then Finn, a Singi.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ In the flyer, it mentioned something about a bright light at the end of a dark tunnel¡­ What does that mean?¡± asked Momo.


    ¡°Good question. In reality, it can mean a whole multitude of things. In this play, however, it is referring to love. All of the main characters have lost their significant others. Either through war, sickness, or even separation, as the flames of love do not burn the same for each couple.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a love story?¡±


    ¡°That is correct. An uplifting story of love is just what this city needs after suffering from its wounds. And might I add that Servi will be responsible for crying for all of the main female cast. That is something the director and I have agreed on. She will have a cloak I have enchanted with invisibility, and it will be her job to rush out onto the stage whenever crying is needed.


    ¡°Oh, and of course, this is a job. Everyone will receive a rather handsome payment for a job well done on the night of the 24th. The time between our first rehearsal and opening night is just above three weeks. When the schedules are handed out, you must let me know what days are unviable for you. If you have too many prior engagements, then you must forfeit your role. I do hope that is acceptable.¡±


    Wyima narrowed his experienced eyes and stared at each person until they nodded at him. Only then did he crack a small smile. ¡°Now then¡­ We have this auditorium for two more hours. I would like you all to take some time to get to know each other. If everyone¡¯s schedule works out, then you will become very familiar with the people you see around you. The director and I aren¡¯t so pompous as to expect everyone to be the best of friends, but we do expect a degree of professionalism. It is entirely possible to work with those you hate and still produce a terrific product.¡±


    Once that was said, he turned around and walked past the desk into the backstage, pushing the heavy curtain to the side with a flick of his wrist. Three stagehands rushed out and started to clean the desk off, then a fourth, a Kobold, emerged to carry it back behind the stage.


    Since Momo sat near the end with Servi to her right, she turned left and stared at Servi¡¯s fellow actors and actresses. Denaire moved her tall, wide-body out of the chair and pointed to the stage. ¡°Sitting in a circle is said to build camaraderie. It is what I had to do at the previous production I was a part of.¡± She started to walk around to the left side of the stage, her heavy footsteps sounding like she was slamming down a metal cabinet. No one was behind her.


    ¡°Come on, Servy,¡± Momo said, half whispering. They followed, catching up to the Kobold in no time at all. The pair gave her the room she needed when climbing stairs and hurried up behind. By no means was Denaire tired. As a Kobold, she just naturally moved slower than others, but she had the stamina to outlast someone like Fisher, who was used to long-winded excursions.


    When she reached the middle of the stage, she plopped herself down and crossed her legs, her posture as perfect as ever. Momo and Servy sat down beside her, and the pair of them were facing those still in their seats.


    It was quiet for another minute or so before Denaire growled out a question. ¡°I do not think I know your name, Singi.¡± Her speaking voice didn¡¯t compare to her songful tone when singing.


    ¡°My name¡¯s Momo. And this is Servy. Err, her name is Servi, but Servy is what I call her,¡± said the Singi. Her fingers were still interlocked with Servi¡¯s.


    ¡°Eh, no last name?¡± whined Myrabel. She carried the thick scent of haughtiness around her entire being as a hand brushed through her amber-colored hair. ¡°Neither of you are nobles?¡±


    ¡°Is that such a bad thing? Servy still impressed the director enough to get a part.¡±


    ¡°Yes, about that¡­ I don¡¯t understand why the director would give a part to someone like her. If it¡¯s crying, then anyone could do that,¡± said Myrabel, who remained in her seat. Momo groaned and already knew this Elf was going to be a pain in the ass.


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter if anyone can do it. The point is that Servy did it well enough to gain the director¡¯s attention. And I¡¯m assuming you two are unaware of who he is?¡± Grid spoke up the moment he saw the annoyance on Myrabel¡¯s face. Perhaps the Koena wanted to avoid the chaos that came with infighting?


    ¡°Servy and I don¡¯t really spend too much time in the noble district. I¡¯ve only come here twice, myself,¡± replied Momo. Her tail curled up in the shape of a question mark, then flattened itself out like a snake.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the low-down on him and his¡­¡¯uniqueness.¡¯ If you think his behavior was odd, then you haven¡¯t seen anything. To be frank, I¡¯ve never seen him act like what you and I would consider ¡®normal.¡¯ I was almost hoping he would remember me because I auditioned for the last play he directed, but I suppose I¡¯m just not that famous yet. Or memorable, I should say.¡± Grid shrugged his shoulders and stood up. He slapped a hand down on the stage and hopped up it, turning his momentum into a nice roll. He had planned it out so that he came to a stop a mere meter away from Denaire and sat down right beside her.


    Of course, he was facing the opposite way, but he fixed that with a bit of a flair when he turned around. Momo thought it was funny, and he gave a reassuring bow along with his thanks.

 Book Four – Chapter Four – Part Five – Servi’s Decisive Role

    ¡°Ugghhh...¡± groaned Myrabel, who was quickly becoming the unsociable one of the group. She crossed her legs and rested her pretty head against her hand.


    ¡°Come now, Myra. You finally have a chance to star in a production. It wouldn¡¯t be good to put on an ugly fa?ade. Being intentionally cold and harsh isn¡¯t as cute as it used to be.¡± Denaire closed her large eyes slowly shook her head from side to side.


    That must¡¯ve struck a nerve because the cool air Myrabel was attempting to have vanished. ¡°Wh¡ªWh¡ªWhat are you talking about?! I¡¯ve always been this way!!!¡± she stammered. Embarrassment covered her earth-colored face in a beautiful blush.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®finally have a chance?¡¯¡± asked Grid. He crossed his legs and leaned in with waiting ears. Whatever he was about to hear was probably going to be juicy.


    ¡°You see, Myra has tried out 11 times to grasp even the tiniest role in the smallest of plays. Mind you, I am talking about performances that see an audience of no more than twenty or thirty people, yet she has failed each audition. The last time was for a role as a wife that was wronged by her husband. Yet Myra is so kind she doesn¡¯t have a rude bone in her body. The director mentioned he couldn¡¯t feel the proper negative emotions she wanted when Myra was auditioning, and she took that advice to heart. Do you wish to know what she said to me when we walked out of the theatre?


    ¡°¡¯From now on, Myrabel the nice is dead! Just wait, Denaire! The next time you see me, I¡¯m going to be my evil counterpart!¡¯ That is what she said. Bwhahaha!!! But if I am being honest, it warms my heart to see you snag your first role, Myra. You have worked long and hard, and I am proud.


    ¡°You call her Myra. Is that a nickname?¡± Momo asked. She looked over at Servi to make sure she was still beside her. She was, of course, just sitting there like a lost lamb. Her eyes moved every which way, but her head remained incredibly still.


    ¡°It is.¡± Denaire nodded and crossed her thick arms. It was no small wonder the fabric used for her dress didn¡¯t split. Since she was a noble, she obviously had access to stronger and more durable materials than most. ¡°I have known her for half a decade¡ªever since my family moved into the house next door. In fact, she was the one who introduced me to this wonderful world of the stage¡­¡±


    ¡°Bwha!!! Denaire, shut up!!!¡± cried Myrabel, whose face shook and trembled with directed embarrassment. She jumped out of her seat, sending her suspiciously short skirt flying up to show off her side-tie black panties, which accentuated her lovely thighs, and rushed forward. Her natural athleticism allowed her to vault up the stage with a simple hop, and she put all of her weight into tackling Denaire to the ground.


    Instead of being angry, Denaire just howled with laughter and wrapped her large arms around her friend. ¡°Bwhahahaha!!!!¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­ What about you, Denaire? Is this your first time?¡± Grid asked. He found it incredibly hard not to peek up Myrabel¡¯s skirt, as it had started to ride up over her hips from her friendly struggle with Denaire. As a gentleman, though, he stayed his eyes away and stared at the ceiling, taking in just how cool it looked with all of the interconnecting piping.


    In the brightly lit auditorium, a brown full moon was on full display, and everyone could see just how erotic Myrabel¡¯s panties were. It would be one thing if they were regular, but these were sexy, requiring a pair of knots in the ties to remain secure. And the cloth lining her rear was incredibly thin.


    Almost too thin¡­ Was this a part of her attire as Myrabel¡¯s negative persona?


    Momo immediately covered her eyes with her hands, but unfortunately, the sight was buried in her mind. Even as she tried to forget it, she had to admit something.


    Compared to her, my underwear is boring and plain¡­ Maybe I need to do some shopping? Would... Would Servy like it if I wore that...?


    The Elf finally realized what was happening when she felt a sudden gust of wind, courtesy of a friendly Goddess, tickle her buttocks. A cute yelp erupted from her mouth, and she quickly rolled over and landed her rump right next to Denaire. Of course, she used her hands to hold down the front and back of the skirt. Such preventative measures couldn¡¯t stop the tears coming down her face.


    ¡°Oooohhhhh, I can¡¯t get married now!!!¡± she cried out. Denaire was there to comfort her friend with a friendly hand to the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve been exposed... You didn¡¯t see anything, right? Right? Say you didn¡¯t!!!!¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI didn¡¯t. I swear I didn¡¯t!¡± Grid was quick with his words, telling a half-truth to make Myrabel feel just a bit better about exposing her butt to three people she hadn¡¯t ever met before.


    She¡¯s really kinda girlie¡­ Thought Momo, who didn¡¯t know if it was okay to peek out.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t my first time, but it will be the second. I was always planning on singing, regardless of what the director asked me to do, so I was thankful he went with that.¡±


    ¡°Why? Did you practice a lot?¡± Momo asked, peeking through the gaps of her fingers. She made sure any and all chocolate moons had descended from her view before dropping them to her lap. Of course, she had to grab Servi¡¯s hand since it didn¡¯t feel right to leave it unattended when she was right there beside her.


    ¡°That I did. I¡¯ve always liked singing. I sing for my mother and father multiple times a week. They even spent a bit of money he obtained from his adventuring days to pay for a voice coach. Honestly, I would have liked another week to practice since I made a few crucial errors.¡±


    ¡°I thought your voice was super pretty. Servy and I really enjoyed your song!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, the both of you,¡± growled Denaire.


    ¡°It was the same with me. Almost. Well, kinda. My friends always think I¡¯m funny, but I just don¡¯t see it. I was really just saying the same ole jokes that I would say to them, so I guess I lucked out as well. Oh, and this¡¯ll be my third performance. My first two were little-known numbers that I doubt you¡¯d know. But hell, let¡¯s give it a chance. You know of Custard of Doves and Spear Moon Destiny?¡± When no one shook his head, Grid sighed and smiled.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Thought so. I mean, it would be crazy if you did because those were the plays my little brother wrote when he was ten. Haha!!! They weren¡¯t that good, mind you, but one day, I really want to act them out for good¡­¡±


    ¡°Aww, that¡¯s sweet. Does your brother want to be a playmaker?¡±


    ¡°A playwright is the term you were looking for. And yes, he does. He¡¯s eleven now, and even though he¡¯s blessed, he doesn¡¯t want to join Warden. He¡¯s never even picked up a sword, something I¡¯ve done once or twice. He¡¯d rather spend his time writing plays with the hope that he could direct them. Speaking of Warden, what about you two?¡±


    ¡°Us?¡± Momo pointed to herself and Servi. Grid nodded. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re members. Rank 9 at that.¡±


    ¡°Then what made you two want to come here? To audition for the play, I mean?¡± asked Denaire.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my idea. It was hers. You see, Servy isn¡¯t all there right now. A while back, I¡­ I was attacked by a bandit, and Servy saved me. But taking a life was too harsh for her, and now she¡¯s like this. Until she¡¯s back to her old self, I have to be the one to protect her! Since I think it¡¯s something with her emotions and how to process them, I did say that maybe plays were the key. I¡¯ve never seen one, but I know it involves a person taking on the personality of their character.


    ¡°Still, I was afraid she would have embarrassed herself flat¡­¡±


    ¡°Now I feel like a horrible witch¡­¡± murmured Myrabel, who spoke formally in a tone that benefitted a noble and not the angsty girl she was trying to be. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I was rude¡­ I was just thinking that changing my attitude might be the key to finally getting a part. I really did mean no disrespect to you or your friend¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to apologize at all!¡± Though that is kind of her to do so¡­


    ¡°Hmm¡­ That is sad¡­ But I¡¯m sorry if this is rude, but can Servy accomplish her chosen task? Can she cry on demand like the director wants her to?¡±


    As if on cue, Servi unleashed the waterworks. She wrapped her arms around Momo and truthfully wailed into her shoulders after the first few tears had fallen down her pretty cheeks. It was so sudden that Grid found himself rising to his feet. Denaire did jump back a bit, but Myrabel was just so shocked at how fast Servi turned on the tears.


    Her cries truly came from her inner heart, a place in which it was impossible to fabricate falsehoods. Every little sound that escaped from her sounded as if her soul was being forcibly yanked out from its bodily shell. Some could even argue that Servi had gone so far past sounding realistic that she bordered on the extremely thin line of exaggeration.


    Regardless of if it could be interpreted as something serious or humorous, Momo embraced her friend with the warmest of hugs. Her head found a nice spot atop that bed of soft black hair. She knew that all eyes were on her, and Itarr was at the ready in case anyone was foolish to get in between the pair of friends.


    ¡°Umm...¡± babbled Myrabel. She altered her sitting position until she was resting on her knees, then anxiously scratched at her cheeks. She almost looked to be uncomfortable.


    ¡°Yeah, Servy just sometimes just cries out of nowhere,¡± Momo softly said while holding the girl who had captivated her heart. ¡°And other times, she just starts laughing as if being alive is the best thing in the world.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!!!¡± Myrabel exclaimed a second time. ¡°I really, really had no idea!!!¡±


    A stunned Momo could only listen to Denaire explain things. ¡°That is her biggest flaw. Myrabel cannot stand being at fault for something, even if it is something as simple and inconsequential as spilling milk.¡±


    ¡°Denaire!!!¡± The cute, embarrassed Earth Elf went to tackle her friend but stopped when she remembered what she wore. Oh, how she wished she listened to her mother¡¯s advice. She had picked out a fabulous outfit consisting of a stark white jacket with a fanciful tail and an exquisite black vest to go under it. The undershirt was going to be a sleek velvet button-up shirt she had picked up from a local boutique. Luckily for her, the pants and the perfect pair of dress shoes were part of a promotion, so if she was feeling reserved about the outfit, this just erased all of those doubts.


    Of course, Myrabel¡¯s mother was the fashionista, and she had all the accessories picked out. She believed a person could leave home without looking the best, and for her, that included the perfect silver cuff links and a cute, yet stylish pocket watch.


    Myrabel growled at a world that could have been, then remembered what Denaire had just said.  The Elf started to say something embarrassing about her muscular friend, but the large gal giggled it off. Soon enough, Grid joined in on the humiliating stories about his past, and joyful laughter was shared all around. Servi remained as motionless as a corpse while snuggling against her gallant knight. Itarr was at hand with a few stacks of Telekinesis to keep her propped up, so Momo could just focus on breaking the ice and hopefully make some new friends in the process.


    And that was how they spent the next two hours. Momo had learned a lot about Myrabel, like how she was afraid of the dark and hated scary stories. Denaire confessed that she wasn¡¯t a fan of spicy foods at all, hinting that she shared the same taste buds as a Singi. Grid, meanwhile, kept fondly talking about his family. He also mentioned his previous Warden career, which only lasted a few days because his friend was injured after saving him from a bear attack. Momo felt a kinship with him, but she was glad at least someone had experienced something like what she was feeling.


    When it was time to leave, Wyima came out behind the curtain. Surprise covered his face since he didn¡¯t think the four of them would have stayed the entire two hours. He thanked them again for their impressive auditions, then reminded them that they had to be back here on the second of August at 10 AM.


    That was all very understandable, and he escorted Momo and company out to the hallway and followed them until they were all outside.


    By now, it was completely dark, with the only cascading light from the moon being hidden by a dastardly devious cloud. Wyima went north to the second bridge of Bridgestone Avenue, saying his goodbyes since he had a meeting to attend.


    After a few last-minute goodbyes, in which Momo and Servi finally had the chance to shake hands with their fellow actors and actresses, they all went their separate ways. For the most part, at least. Denaire and Myrabel lived to the north, so they went the same direction as Wyima. Grid lived to the south, so he tagged along with Momo and Servi until they crossed over the southern bridge. Then he said his goodbyes a second time and split off to the east, leaving Momo and Servi all alone.


    Momo looked around in the spreading darkness, which was staved off by lanterns hanging from a bunch of thin posts. The warm, orange glows did a lot to provide just the right amount of illumination. But more than that, their soft luminescence provided quite a romantic atmosphere.


    ¡°Servy, did you have fun?¡± Momo asked, giving the hand she held one of her loving squeezes. She started slowly walking back to the guild. It was going to be a long journey, but as long as her lovable Servi was by her side, Momo knew they¡¯d be alright.


    ¡°I did. It was fun watching so many auditions, especially because I¡¯d never seen one before. And meeting our new friends was nice. I had my thoughts about Myrabel, but I¡¯m glad we got to know the real her. You know, I hope this is the start of another couple of friendships for you and me. And don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t forget about August 2nd. That¡¯s just a few days away, but can they really pull off a play in that short amount of time?¡± Momo asked Servi, who couldn¡¯t respond. And the nightly streets were rather void of any worthwhile conversational partners. She didn¡¯t have a watch, but Momo wagered it was probably going on past 9 PM.


    Well, if her internal clock¡ªstomach¡ªwas right, that is. It growled something fierce right when Momo asked Servi if seeing their new friends¡¯ auditions was helping her emotional issues in any way.


    ¡°No response, huh? Well, that¡¯s fine and dandy. Take all the time you need, girl. Oh, and did you notice that our new buddies didn¡¯t say a single thing when we held hands? Or when I held you? And Mr.Wyima and Mr. Bartholomew didn¡¯t care about that either. Or acted like they didn¡¯t care. That¡¯s a lot better than them calling us mean names like the people did when we were walking to the theatre.


    ¡°Hey, wanna go grab some dinner? We had to skip through lunch, but I didn¡¯t even realize it because I was too engrossed in the auditions. So, where do you wanna eat at?¡± asked the Singi to the Human as their connected hands swung back and forth.


    ¡°Eh? Oh, that¡¯s Claire. Claire!!!!¡± shouted Momo, who raised a waving hand towards a particular Elf with purple eyes and red hair.


    It just so happened that after departing the noble district, Servi and Momo were scrounging around, looking for a scrumptious place to fill their neglected bellies. Apparently, they had spent too long wandering and ventured close enough to Claire¡¯s house that they had run into her on the way home from what must¡¯ve been an exhausting day.


    Her tired body was dragging itself down the street, her arms folded against a black jacket pressed against her chest. The signature physical property of an Elf¡ªtheir ears¡ªalmost seemed to be drooping downwards as if an unimaginable amount of stress was affecting them.  The expression on her exasperated face could have probably frightened a ghost into returning to the realm of the living.


    Instead of returning the enthusiastic greeting, Claire just started to laugh, but not like one would when hearing a funny joke. No, it was like the chuckle that followed when learning about a soul-crushing revelation.


    In her case, it would be working another eight days without having a day off. Counting today, that was nine days, in a row, of having to come in from sunrise to sunset.


    ¡°Momo!!!!!¡± whined the overworked Elf. ¡°You gotta save me from my boss! He¡¯s a damn slave-driver! I gotta work, and work, and work, and work, and work, and work, and work, and work.¡± Claire froze in place and nearly dropped to her knees, only stopping when Servi jumped from her guardian to this Elf who desperately needed a hug.


    ¡°Good job, Servy,¡± said Momo, who took the time to readjust her bag.


    The two of them had jogged right over and were standing next to their friend while in an abandoned street. No, it wasn¡¯t abandoned, but at so late at night, only night owls, drunkards, guards, and promiscuous women were out walking around. But of those, there wasn¡¯t anyone around them. Though with how loud the Elf was complaining, someone would probably be along shortly to check out the disturbance.


    Claire cried into Servi¡¯s hair, by accident, of course, and the emotionally damaged girl had some tears of her own to shed.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± said the Elf. She wiped her tearful eyes as Momo took a cloth to the top of Servi''s head.


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. I know Servy doesn¡¯t mind,¡± replied the Singi. ¡°Do you feel better? From how you were talking, I¡¯d say you received some bad news about your work schedule.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I did¡­ I get a two-day break, but then it¡¯s back to another eight-day grind until I get some rest¡­ And I¡¯m so hungry¡­¡± Claire touched her slim stomach, rubbing it as if it was hurting. It was, in a way, and a spark popped into Momo¡¯s head.


    ¡°Hey, we haven¡¯t had dinner yet, so do you want to join us?¡±


    Claire nodded, sending her wild red hair into a frenzy. ¡°If you two don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t mind at all! Do you know of any good places?¡±


    ¡°Yep! I was actually going to one right now. It¡¯s just a little bit past my house, but it¡¯s a food cart. Think of it like a mini-restaurant. It has a roof and some chairs, and it¡¯s on wheels so it can be rolled around.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, that sounds cool. What do they serve? Though honestly, I could probably eat anything right about now.¡± Momo didn¡¯t fail to notice just how peppy her friend became.


    ¡°Mostly beef and chicken over a grill. Sometimes, they have fish or pork sausages, but it all depends on what¡¯s left in the cooler.¡±


    ¡°That all sounds good¡­ Oh, and while we eat, I can tell you about the audition,¡± Momo said, curling her fingers around Servi¡¯s hand. She started walking, and Claire was right beside her.


    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s right. I completely forgot about that! I¡¯m really curious.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re gonna have to wait until we sit down, cause you probably wanna be sitting down for it. Oh, and just for you to know, it¡¯s not anything bad.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting excited!¡± Claire gave Servi a friendly pat on the head and stretched her sore muscles. The trio, except Servi, continued to share a bit of small talk about Claire¡¯s strenuous day at work. From how she didn¡¯t even get a chance to eat her lunch until late, and only a quarter of her sandwich at that because her bag broke, to the three fights that had to be broken up, it was quite a chaotic day.


    The poor Elf had to work out on the floor, delivering documents and files, then had to man the receptionist desk before diving headfirst into filling out demotion forms. The required information had to be verified four different times in order to prevent any falsehoods from coming through. That itself wasn¡¯t that bad, but she had to get her boss¡¯s authorization each time, and he had his own trials and tribulations to accomplish. That included getting his own papers together for a big meeting happening in a few weeks times. On top of that, there were also the monthly reports, the list of which Warden adventurer hadn¡¯t accepted in a quest in six months, updating the internal records of who passed away and who hasn¡¯t, and getting recovered dog-tags ready for delivery to their fallen owner¡¯s families.


    ¡°Woah¡­¡± gasped Momo when Claire had finished recounting her day. It was right when they had walked a few minutes past Claire¡¯s ¡®unique¡¯ home. Momo waved to it, just as she did the shopping mall and Srassa¡¯s home, and Claire just smiled. ¡°What do you do if you don¡¯t have a place to send the dog-tags?¡± The pink-haired Singi touched the metal chain around her neck, glancing a timid finger against her pride as a member of Warden.


    ¡°We hold them for a while, and if they aren¡¯t claimed within a month or two, they¡¯re melted down and recycled. Sometimes, they turn into swords. Other times they become a dagger. It just depends on what we¡¯re lacking.¡±


    A couple of minutes later, the group of friends turned the corner and laid eyes on the fabled food cart. It was about as wide and long as a wagon, with two wheels at the back. A cloth canopy covered the immediate area of the cart, as well as the space two or three meters out. The front had a long, thin metal bar. Presumably, one would stand behind and lift it. With them acting as the horse or ox, it should have been easy to go from location to location, as long as one was strong enough.


    The female Dwarf working the stand, who was more than strong enough to move her beloved cart, looked up at the approaching footsteps and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing ye got here. I was just about to close up shop. So, what will it be? We don¡¯t have any chicken left, but we got beef and pork if that¡¯s what ye¡¯s craving.¡± She wiped her hands with a rag and retied the nearby apron around her back. The nearby Lux Spheres providing the illumination were dying out, so they needed a quick boost of Skill Energy from their short-statured master.


    ¡°Haha, yeah. I¡¯m sorry about that. Boss wouldn¡¯t let me leave until late,¡± Claire replied in a friendly tone, suggesting that she and this Dwarf were at least associates, if not friends.


    ¡°What? That jagoff still giving ye a hard time? I¡¯m outta the good stuff ye like. Hope water is enough for ye.¡± Right when the three friends pulled out the stools and sat their butts down, the Dwarf placed down three cups and filled them with a pitcher full of water. She had a tan bandana wrapped around her head, so Momo didn¡¯t know what color her hair was, but her eyes were the rustiest brown she had ever seen. Her face was rectangular with soft curves around her chin.


    She reached down under her cart and pulled out a couple of charcoal bricks, then tossed them under the grill plate. ¡°I hope you three don¡¯t mind waiting a few minutes, I gotta go take care of some ¡®business,¡¯ and I¡¯ll be right back in about five or ten. Besides, the coals need some time to warm up.¡± The Dwarf left without waiting for a response, and she wasn¡¯t afraid of anyone stealing anything because she knew Claire wasn¡¯t that kind of Elf. And the friends she kept in her company wouldn''t tarnish her reputation by sealing.

 Book Four – Chapter Four – Part Six – Servi’s Decisive Role

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯ll be right here!¡± Claire shouted, then turned to Momo to continue the conversation. ¡°Yeah. He doesn¡¯t understand that people need rest. He can¡¯t expect us to work almost two weeks in a row without expecting a drop in our performance.¡± Claire wanted to abuse her boss even more than that, but she stayed her tongue so that it wouldn¡¯t infect the rather friendly atmosphere. ¡°So, you going to tell me about the audition?¡± Momo ferried the glass of delicious liquid to her cute lips. She swallowed it in a hurry, nearly choking, and excitedly told her friend all about her day.


    She even included the parts where a few mothers and a couple of people went out of their way to avoid her as if she carried the plague. ¡°At first, I thought it was because we didn¡¯t look like nobles, but then I realized it was because I was holding her hand. Servy and I were called some really awful names, but I didn¡¯t let it get us down. Words are words, and they can hurt¡­ They can break a person down until they¡¯re a puddle of tears, but I can¡¯t let that happen to me. If I ever feel sad about it, I just have to look at Servy, and that reminds me of why I¡¯m doing this in the first place. Every time I see her smile, or whoever I hug her, it¡¯s like I know that it doesn¡¯t matter what tries to stop me from helping her, I just won¡¯t quit.¡±


    After uttering that, she quickly started talking about the audition, how Servi got the part because she could cry on demand, the quirkiness of the director, her three new friends, and just how much she enjoyed it all.


    ¡°Okay, first of all¡­ I¡¯m sorry that happened to you. Secondly, the offer to send Dineria after them is still on the table. If there¡¯s one thing I know about her, it¡¯s that she deeply cares about the well-being of her students. And thirdly, that¡¯s totally amazing!!! Servi¡¯s gonna be a star, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it, but they didn¡¯t actually physically harm us. I don¡¯t want to see Dineria get in trouble or anything¡­ And Servy? Being a star? According to Wyima, he said that she¡¯s gonna wear a cloak of invisibility to stand right beside the actresses. So she probably has to match their movements, then cry just as they would when the time is right.¡±


    ¡°Honestly¡­¡± Claire drained about half her cup. ¡°That sounds so much harder than if the actresses just cried themselves. They just have to focus on acting, but Servi has to match everything up. Is she going to be able to do that? You two are kind of connected at the hip. It''s gonna be difficult to remain like that when she''s on the stage.¡±


    ¡°I know. And it¡¯s gonna be hard to watch when she¡¯s up there and I¡¯m sitting in the audience¡­ My hands are gonna be so lonely without my Servy right beside me¡­ But I¡¯m totally positive she can pull it off. Servy¡¯s an amazing girl. If it¡¯s impossible, then it¡¯s possible for her.¡± When Momo said that, Servi picked up her glass and downed it in its entirety.


    Water dripped down from her upper lip, but the facial expression she had worn was still one of complete neutrality. It was like a blank surface. Her mouth refused to curl into even a solemn smile, nor did her eyes react to anything at all. Even when both her friends stared at her, she just refused to show any kind of emotion.


    Deep inside, Momo was a bit afraid that she wouldn¡¯t ever see her Happy Servy ever again.


    ¡°She is amazing,¡± Claire agreed. A few more minutes of idle chatter later, the Dwarf woman returned. She hobbled up the lonely road, singing a song from her childhood that focused on rocks and minerals.


    ¡°Aye, sorry about that. Nearly busted right out of my britches, I almost did. Now, what do ye three want for supper?¡± She used her stout arms to adjust her apron and opened up the cooler of meat. ¡°Like I said, there ain¡¯t a lot to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Momo?! Servi?!¡± A familiar voice rudely interrupted the hard-working Dwarf, and three sets of eyes turned to look at the speaker.


    She wore a gray hood around her head that was connected to the cloak on her back. The bangs of her golden blond hair peeked out as she pushed it back, the movement causing her beautiful grassy eyes to show themselves. Her chest was protected by a high-quality leather chest piece, though it had iron reinforcements in the more sensitive areas. Four holsters, each filled with a throwing dagger, were attached to it by way of straps made from metal. Likewise, her upper and lower arms were also guarded by leather, but her elbows¡¯ defenses had spiky points. Underneath it all was a dress of the finest chainmail, which offered a final layer of protection. Of course, it didn¡¯t stop there.


    The reinforced pants she wore had extra padding around the hips to accommodate her rather ¡®floaty¡¯ style of fighting since the last thing she needed was for it to rip and tear while conquering a foul foe. The boots, which nearly came to her knees, had metal blocks in the toe area. A sturdy kick from it, and the receiver was going to be in some agonizing pain.


    ¡°Woah¡­ Cool armor, Srassa,¡± Momo said, offering a friendly smile.


    ¡°Hey, Srassa,¡± Claire said her greetings, delivering them with a casual smile.


    ¡°Hehe! Thanks! I was just taking a little stroll before we leave tomorrow morning for a quest. Umm¡­¡± The cute girl fidgeted in place, rubbing her gloved hands against each other.


    Momo picked up on what she wanted, then pointed to the seat right beside Servi. ¡°Do you wanna join us? We¡¯re just about to have dinner. Oh, and what quest?¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± cheered the girl. She sat her rump down in a hurry and folded her arms across the table attached to the cart. It was thin and narrow, only able to accommodate a row of plates. She had the perfect posture, benefitting a girl who once had to take a class on how a proper lady should behave.


    Right before Srassa could answer, Claire spoke up. ¡°If I remember right, you three have to head down south and pick up some mushrooms from a cave?


    ¡°Yep! I¡¯ve done my research, and cavus mushrooms are used in making silver dye for fabrics  Silver, Despi, and I are leaving tomorrow morning. I was just so excited that I couldn¡¯t sleep.¡±


    About that time, Claire realized they had completely ignored the Dwarven cook. She tapped a thick finger against the handle of her grilling utensil. Even though Srassa had just arrived, she quickly found the sudden change in atmosphere to be a bit heart-stopping. Claire and Momo quickly ordered an extra helping of the beef and pork, with Momo ordering a combination of the two for her lovely Servi. It was only when the Dwarf nodded did they let loose their held breath.


    With the pleasant sizzle of the grill and the wonderful scent of meant accompanying it, Srassa asked a question. ¡°Hey, how¡¯s Servi doing?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s doing as fine as ever. It''s been a while since she¡¯s been in one of her happy moods. The only thing I can do is keep with it and make sure she¡¯s safe.¡± The girl in question leaned over the table and rested her head against the hand not connected to Momo. Srassa felt a bit worried, so she rubbed Servi¡¯s head a few times and offered a quick prayer.


    ¡°Thanks for that,¡± Momo said, not at all jealous. In truth, she wasn¡¯t. Perhaps her understanding of her love allowed her to realize that being selfish in who could touch her friend was the antithesis of who she needed to be.


    What Servy needs is the support of all of her friends¡­


    ¡°Is that new armor,¡± asked Claire, who jumped into the conversation.


    ¡°Yep! I bought it with strictly my share of the money earned since we started adventuring together. I thought it looked really cool... In fact, I even convinced myself to walk around it to get used to its weight. I left my sword and bow and arrows at the house, though.¡± The Dwarf running the grill gave a cup of water to Srassa and made sure everyone was topped off.


    ¡°Is tomorrow the first time you¡¯re traveling away from Canary for more than a day? In regards to adventuring, that is,¡± Claire asked.


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    ¡°But what about your mom? And Jony?¡±


    Srassa answered Momo¡¯s question. ¡°Well¡­ Mother will have Evie and the other maids and butlers. And Jony has departed towards Adenaford with my father. During the party, the one he had thrown a few days ago for my mother, he was called away. When he came back, he had this¡­look on his face. The kind of look you¡¯d get if someone close to you had passed away. When I asked him about it, he patted my head and said everything was fine.


    ¡°A few days passed, and I thought nothing of it until this morning. I went to show off my new gear, and father was suddenly packing his travel bags. Jony was in there helping him, and they were whispering to each other in hushed voices. To be honest, I am a bit worried, but my mother said everything was okay¡­ I hope she¡¯s right¡­ For the baby¡¯s sake, mother doesn¡¯t need any undue stress. I don¡¯t know¡­ With him gone, she is going to be alone, so maybe I shouldn¡¯t go.¡± Srassa pouted, letting loose a deep sigh filled the internal turmoil she had amassed while thinking about this issue.


    ¡°You¡¯re only going to be a day or two away, and it does sound like she¡¯ll have a bunch of support¡­ The choice is yours. But as an adventurer, you will be faced with them on a daily basis. The only advice I can give you is to make the one you won¡¯t regret,¡± Claire said, offering her wisdom. Perhaps she had chosen wrong before, and the regret stayed with her? If something like that did happen, she certainly hadn¡¯t shared it with Servi or Momo.


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true¡­ I don¡¯t know... Maybe I¡¯m just overreacting.¡±


    ¡°Being a loving daughter is not an overreaction. It¡¯s only natural you¡¯d worry. How about this? When you head back home, sit down and have a woman-to-woman conversation with her. The best thing to do in situations like this is to talk it out. Or in this case, tell her your worries.¡±


    ¡°Hehe! It all sounds so simple, but I didn¡¯t even think of that¡­¡± murmured Srassa. She lifted the hood of her cloak and pulled it down over her head. She looked like a dastardly rogue of darkness¡ªa thief who was tasked with stealing a priceless vase from the home of a corrupt noble. In reality, she was just a daughter worried for her mother and unborn sibling.


    With the atmosphere on a downward spiral to depression, Momo sought to reverse it by explaining how Servi managed to snag a part in a play.


    The plan worked flawlessly.


    Srassa was a noble. As one, she was well aware of the world of arts. She had plentiful knowledge of all different kinds of musical instruments, the many kinds of art techniques, and the fantastical world of plays. Though she soon admitted she hadn¡¯t acted in one, she had seen over a dozen different ones. Both at the Hurrah Theatre Hall and at the primary theatre hall in Adenaford.


    And as a girl who wanted to support her friends, Srassa had nothing but kind, encouraging words for her actress friend. When Momo asked if she knew anything about Wyima or Bartholomew, she regretfully shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard those names before. It''s been a few years since I''ve seen one, but it isn''t alarming to see new playwrights pop up here and there. Bartholomew could be someone new that''s rising up through the ranks to become a staple name.¡± That was her response to that. ¡°But The Lift of a Butterfly Will Cure Our Ailing Hearts? That¡¯s a rather odd title.¡±


    ¡°I thought the same. It is catchy, though. I never would''ve imagined it would have been a love story.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. Oh, Momo?¡±


    ¡°Yep?¡±


    ¡°When you get the script, it may be a good idea to not tell anyone,¡± said Srassa.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a good idea. When you have a story, you don¡¯t want someone to come up and say ¡®the queen dies in the end,¡¯ right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, spoilers are the worst. I had a cousin¡ªan older cousin¡ªwalk right up to me and blurt out the ending to a tale my grandmother was telling me,¡± Claire said.


    ¡°That kinda sucks.¡±


    ¡°It really does. Grandmother wasn¡¯t a fan of it. She did get revenge by having one of her spirits follow him around and blabbing out incredibly embarrassing secrets whenever he was talking to a girl he fancied.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± laughed Momo and Srassa.


    A little bit later, the Dwarf remarked that the food was finished, and she began to pass out plates. Small and round, they couldn¡¯t display food in a way that nobles liked. But for the more down-to-earth patron, who only cared about the taste, they were more than fine with stacking their food like pancakes.


    Even better if it was different kinds of meat because the succulent juices would mix and combine.


    ¡°Since they were gonna go bad,¡± said the Dwarf as she stacked food on top of food on the four plates she had handed out. ¡°I figured I might as well grill ¡®em up. Good news, ye are all getting the house special. Claire, ye need some meat on those bones. The same with ye, Singi. And the both of ye Humans as well. Really, ye are all too scrawny. As an adventurer, ye gotta eat when you can since ye never know where ye¡¯s next meal will come from.¡±


    The towers of meat just kept going, and going, and going, not even stopping when they were 20 centimeters tall. The perfectly cooked steak just oozed juices out of its grill-marked body. The sausages were a golden brown with a light char to give it some added flavor.


    And there was enough here to fill Feral¡¯s large appetite two or three times over.


    Srassa looked downright afraid at the plate she didn¡¯t even order. An anxious swallow became caught in her throat, and sweat dripped down those lovely cheeks. She just didn¡¯t have the heart to tell the nice cook she had already eaten dinner an hour ago.


    Momo and Claire, though, looked at their foolish prey of meat and relished the challenge. Hungry stomachs needed to be filled! And filled they were going to be!


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­. It¡¯s so beautiful!!!¡± the pair cried in unison. Even Servi slightly reacted and lifted her head off the table. Her hand went for the fork placed nearby by the Dwarf and started to peck at her sausages. Delicious nectar squirted out, splashing on the strips of beef, which only enhanced the flavor.


    Wow¡­ They¡¯re¡­ They¡¯re really going at it¡­ Srassa observed. Other than her, everyone else was devouring the food in near-total silence. Even with Servi the way she was, she wasn¡¯t that far behind in what soon became an impromptu eating contest.


    Momo, using the spirit of her bestial ancestors, tapped into a primal strength to devour her plate of meat. She shoveled meat to her mouth, letting her chompers eviscerate the helpless prey before traveling down a one-way tunnel to her stomach.


    Claire wasn¡¯t far behind, as she had a unique fondness for pork. Unlike most Elves, she was more a carnivore than most, choosing to favor the taste of meat more than veggies, though she did love both.


    Surprising them both was Servi, who really didn¡¯t even need to chew her food. Since she could survive without breathing, choking on her food wouldn¡¯t bother her at all. The way she carried the whole steak medallions to her mouth, gobbled them up, and forcefully swallowed defiled all common sense. Servi''s lips became stained with grease, sauce, and meat, but Itarr was there to clean the moment it happened.


    And then there was Srassa. Poor, poor, Srassa, who attempted to attack her food slowly and methodically, like a surgeon. Every second that passed her by made it seem as if the mountain of meat had the upper hand. In her eyes, it was just so mesmerizing. The world turned around, making it seem as if up was down, and down was up. To prevent passing out, she had to steady herself with a dramatic gulp of her water as sweat lined her brow.


    Even if she was hungry, she didn¡¯t know if she could conqueror the task before her. As a noble, she had access to and exclusively ate the finest foods with their own exquisite preparation processes. Not before had she eaten something that had been slapped on a grill, flipped a few times, and thrown into a plate. Srassa was used to dry-aged beef, coated in the finest spices the common rabble only dreamt of. Then to have it be prepared by cooks that have had over two hundred years to master their craft? Even as a newborn, her taste buds were spoiled rotten.


    I know very well that is something that has to change. If I¡¯m out in the world with a chunk of meat, it isn¡¯t as if I will have the liberty to properly prepare it. The most I could really do is make sure it¡¯s cooked, which is most important. Edibility has to come before flavor when in a life-or-death situation.


    Speaking of that, it might be worth it to experience all this upcoming festival has to offer¡­ I¡¯ve only ever had the festival food in the noble district and not anywhere else. This might be the year to change that¡­


    Then again, I¡¯m sure it wouldn¡¯t be the worst thing to eat as much as I can, especially since I¡¯m leaving tomorrow morning! If Momo¡¯s tearing her food to pieces, then it has to be scrumptious!


    Of course it was. It was prepared and grilled by a Dwarf, after all. There was a distinct taste attached to the charcoal-grilled steaks, along with a hint of garlic and salt. Even the fatty pieces just oozed delectable juices. And it was tender as butter, able to be cut by just applying a bit of pressure with her fork. On top of that, it had a beautiful crust that just made it seem like a work of art.


    And like Momo, Srassa bit into a sausage, then rubbed it in the steaks¡¯ flavor, which squeezed out at the tiniest bit of pressure. The magic of Dwarven-prepared pork and beef combined to give her a mouth a taste of what she had been missing her entire life.


    The small talk between the girls ceased to exist for a few short minutes, and it only resumed when Servi placed her fork down on a spotless plate. To say the Dwarf running the grill was surprised would be the understatement of the century.


    ¡°Wha¡ªhow?! Explain!!!¡± exclaimed Claire. She still had half a plate left.


    ¡°Woah¡­¡± The Singi who spoke had about a quarter left.


    ¡°She¡¯s like a bottomless pit¡­¡± noted Srassa. She wondered how Servi could be so thin and slim, yet eat as much as a Kobold. She couldn¡¯t have known the secret laid within her inner soul, which housed a Goddess. ¡°Oh, one more thing¡­ I feel a bit bad wasting all this food. I¡¯m sorry, ma¡¯am, but I wasn¡¯t really that hungry¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, lass. As I¡¯ve said before, it was going bad. I¡¯d rather cook and waste it that way than just let it expire. Ye gotta respect the meat¡¯s wishes to be prepared and served.¡± The Dwarf took Servi¡¯s empty plate and stashed it in a drawer below the cart. It noisily clanked against the other unwashed dishes¡ªthe sharp sound causing some slight discomfort for Momo¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Still¡­ Momo, Claire,¡± Srassa uttered while turning to her friends. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll allow me to pay for the food.¡±


    ¡°Nope! I can¡¯t ask you to do that. Neither can Servy,¡± Momo replied. She put a hand to her tummy, which was stuffed to the max. Even if her mind wanted her to finish off that delicious, savory assuage, she had to go against it for the sake of her belly.


    ¡°I agree with Momo,¡± said Claire.


    ¡°If it helps, can you think of it as me paying you three back for taking care of me? Without you and Servi, I wouldn¡¯t have met Silver and Despi. And Claire, you answered all of my questions¡­ I know that must¡¯ve been a little bit annoying¡­¡±


    ¡°Annoying? Not in the slightest. Momo and Servi asked just as many during their first month. Besides, it¡¯s practically my job to do that. That''s not to mention that I like to do that.¡±


    ¡°And that doesn¡¯t feel right¡­ You don¡¯t pay your friends for doing things a friend would do,¡± Momo added on.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Wh¡ªWhat about¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just so you know, you only need to pay for what you would have received. The extras I pulled on top were just that. Extra. Think of it as a bonus to Claire here for being an excellent customer.¡± The Dwarf stepped in, trying to clear any confusion.  She really was telling the truth about the meat being thrown out if it wasn¡¯t cooked.


    Suddenly, an idea popped into Claire¡¯s head. ¡°You said that you have to go back on the second of August, right? To the theatre hall?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°I have to work all day on the first, but I am scheduled to leave at five on the second. Srassa, how long is your quest expected to last?¡±


    ¡°A few days at most. We should definitely be back by the first, though.¡±


    ¡°Perfect! Okay, listen to this and tell me what you think.¡± Claire drank her water to wet her dry throat, then explained her thoughts. ¡°Momo wants to learn how to cook, you want to pay for our dinner, and what Servi needs right now, more than anything, is the support of her friends. Are you with me so far?¡±


    Momo and Srassa nodded. Servi was back to leaning against the table, her eyes captivated by Claire¡¯s flowing red hair. It was like liquid flame frozen in physical form, following the unwritten rules of the universe as it danced all around, responding to its wearer¡¯s excitement.


    Momo wants to cook? Should¡­ Should I learn as well? I¡¯ve always had the maids and butlers do the cooking¡­ They¡¯ve even packed my lunches when my team and I went into the sewers¡­ If I want to be independent, I can¡¯t rely on them. I need to learn as well¡­


    ¡°What if we have a small get-together at my house on the second? Srassa, let us pay for our meals tonight. If you want, you can buy the groceries for our little party. I can give out a cooking lesson at the same time, and it should just be a barrel of fun!¡±


    ¡°Ooooh, that sounds amazing!¡± Momo¡¯s eyes lit up like fireworks. ¡°You hear that, Servy? A party!!!¡±


    ¡°A party¡­?¡± murmured Srassa. She spoke the words as if they were foreign, but they shouldn¡¯t have been. She was just at one a few days ago. ¡°I can come, right?¡± Srassa, why¡¯d you ask that?!?! Really, the poor Human felt like she had asked the question that had the most obvious answer.


    ¡°Duh! You¡¯re our friend, aren¡¯t you? And what kind of person would ask someone to pay for food and not invite them? If I ever do that, please smack me as hard as you can.¡± Really, why would she ask that? Claire thought about it and couldn¡¯t come up with an answer that didn¡¯t sound horribly depressing.


    ¡°And if you want, you can invite Silverado and Desperado to come as well. The more the merrier, am I right?¡± added Momo. She gently shook Servi because she thought she was asleep, but she wasn¡¯t. Still, she leaned up and groggily wiped her blank eyes.


    ¡°Speaking of that¡­ Well, not really, but it¡¯s in the same vein. You can count on me to come see the play. I don¡¯t have that day off, but I¡¯ll beg my boss to make an exception.¡±


    The conversation seemed to pass Srassa by at hypersonic speed. She still hadn¡¯t responded to Momo¡¯s extended invitation, but she hoped Momo knew she would pass that along to her party. ¡°An¡ªAnd I¡¯ll be there as well! I wouldn¡¯t want to miss Servi¡¯s debut performance. And I¡¯ll tell Silver and Despi about it as well.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Oh, can you two do me a small favor?¡± Momo asked. ¡°If you see Dineria, Feral, Fisher and his family, Riki, and Rakkire, could you tell them about it? I think it¡¯ll be awesome if we all come out to support Servy. Though since she¡¯ll be under a blanket of invisibility, we¡¯ll only be able to hear her¡­ Still, it¡¯s the same thing, right?¡±


    ¡°I think it is. She¡¯s going to be handling all of the crying, which is still an odd thing, in my eyes, at least, but that¡¯s going to be important,¡± Claire said. ¡°A task like that isn¡¯t going to be easy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ But I have faith in her.¡±


    ¡°Oh, one more thing. I don¡¯t know if Riki and Rakkire will be able to come. Before you two came back, they went off on a quest to the far south. Their location was a mine located about fifteen days or so away. A passing adventurer actually came by and put up the quest on behalf of the mine¡¯s owner. That¡¯s a bit odd, actually, because there¡¯s a closer town just four days away. Don¡¯t really know why he had to travel half a month unless he was heading this way and didn¡¯t feel like making a detour,¡± Claire added. Momo found it a bit disheartened, but there wasn¡¯t anything she could do except hope that her Dwarven friends were well.


    A few seconds later, Srassa piped up with a question about what groceries she needed to buy, and Claire said it might be good to all go to the market together. ¡°It¡¯ll be a late dinner, but that¡¯s fine. We could all meet up at Warden at five. Now that I think about it, it depends on how long you and Servi have to be at the theatre hall.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll take long. I¡¯m expecting the director to hand out the scripts and schedules at most.¡±


    ¡°He might do a readthrough,¡± Srassa added. ¡°It¡¯s where everyone sits down and reads the play together, with people speaking their lines out. Depending on the length, it could take anywhere from thirty minutes to a few hours.¡±


    ¡°If he does, that¡¯s fine. We have to be there at 10 in the morning, so that¡¯s¡­8 hours? Yeah, 8 hours until 6 PM.¡± Momo was a bit slow in doing the math, but she got the proper answer in the end.


    ¡°Oh, then that¡¯s definitely enough time.¡± Srassa smiled.


    Claire realized it was getting pretty late, so she asked the Dwarf what they owed her, and everyone paid their tab. The group of friends thanked the Dwarf for the excellent meal, then walked away towards Claire¡¯s house.


    ¡°Well, this is where I leave you,¡± said the Elf. She held her jacket under one hand and stretched her other arm up, slightly moaning at the little pops and cracks. Tension and stiffness nearly encompassed her entire upper body, and she couldn¡¯t wait to sleep it all off.


    ¡°Claire, we¡¯ll see you later, okay? Goodnight,¡± said Momo. Instead of speaking, Servi walked forward and wrapped her arms around her favorite Elf. Her hands found a nice spot clenched around her back, and she turned her head slightly so that her cheek rested across her chest.


    ¡°Goodnight. Be safe when you¡¯re walking home,¡± replied the Elf. She giggled and ruffled Servi¡¯s hair, who returned back to her guardian. Claire turned around to walk to her front door. When she turned around, her friends¡¯ backs were growing smaller and smaller. But she wasn¡¯t sad¡ªnot by a long shot. A lovely, happy smile crawled into her mouth.


    Coming here has been the best decision of my life¡­ I should write a few letters to send back home¡­ It¡¯s been a while, and I should let my family know I''m safe and sound.

 Book Four – Chapter Four – Part Seven – Servi’s Decisive Role

    ¡°Srassa, do you want us to walk you home?¡± asked Momo, who happily squeezed Servi¡¯s hand. She had her head turned upwards to the sea of stars, staring at the little lights. They glimmered so brightly, even though they were so far away. Even still, she reached a free hand up and tried to grasp one, which only ended in failure.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Momo. Whenever Jony isn¡¯t available, father has ordered one of the security companies that protect our house to send someone to watch me. It¡¯s a long-standing order, which pretty much means he pays for it in advance. In January, he paid for a year¡¯s worth, but it¡¯s seldom used because I usually have Jony beside me¡­¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Srassa, it really was nice you ran into us. Servy and I really like spending time with you.¡±


    ¡°And I like being with you two as well¡­ To be honest, I did walk to Warden earlier, but the innkeeper was far too busy to tell me what room you two were staying in. I really wanted you and Servi to see me in my armor.¡± Srassa leaned against the handrail of the steps leading to Warden¡¯s entrance. She held a hand to her hood and brought it down, allowing the nightly breeze to dance with her golden locks. They swayed ever gently, giving rise to the beauty known as Srassa. She tucked a few strands behind her ears and fumbled her fingers around her hand.


    ¡°I guess I should be getting back¡­ We¡¯re planning to leave early¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ I guess I won¡¯t be able to see you off tomorrow, but take this¡­¡±


    ¡°Take wha¡ª¡± The words in her throat became caught when Momo wrapped her unoccupied hand around Srassa''s back. She leaned in, giving her second favorite Human a friendly, affectionate hug. Servi joined in as well, completing the group embrace.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably nervous about the quest, but I know you¡¯ve got this!! And when we go to Claire''s house, I want to hear all about it, okay? And Servy does, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Okay,¡± whispered Srassa. Her voice came out in parts, held back by the crying that wanted to emerge. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around her friends.


    I¡­ I really want to go on an adventure with you and Servi, Momo¡­ I really do¡­ Just the three of us¡­ I¡­ I think there is something else, but what is it¡­? Why¡­do I feel like this? Why does my chest hurt¡­?


    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll have a tale worth sharing¡­¡± I won''t mess up this time! I have to work harder... I need to work harder... Srassa wiped her eyes and confidently smiled, hiding the pain within her bosom. Momo liked that determination she saw, so when she watched Srassa walk back towards the noble district, she saw her off while being proud to have her as both a companion and a rival.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s been a long day¡­ Are you sleepy? I know I¡ªWoah!¡± As Momo spoke, Servi suddenly started walking away from Warden and down the street, going opposite of Srassa. And since Momo absolutely refused to let go, she was more than happy to go along with whatever Servi wanted to do.


    She¡¯s finally doing something for herself now¡­ That¡¯s good¡­ Really good¡­


    ¡°Is this what you wanted me to see?¡± said Momo. She stared down at a makeshift camp located within the heart of the slums near one of the city¡¯s walls. The surrounding buildings, which once were in various stages of disrepair, had been torn down and recycled to make smaller homes. It was these houses that offered three walls and a roof to protect against the elements, but they weren¡¯t so much bigger than an average tent. People were out and about, doing whatever their lives willed them to do. Some were trying to fall asleep while staving off the uncomfortableness of hunger. Others were trying to use the newly constructed well to stave off hunger by overdrinking.


    What food there was being used to feed the children.


    And there wasn¡¯t enough. Even from standing atop a platform from air some twenty meters up, Momo heard the agony in their voices.


    ¡°That¡¯s all we¡¯ve gathered today,¡± said an elderly woman. Coincidentally, or perhaps not, this old woman was the same surgeon at the back-alley clinic Servi was at the day prior. She was giving bad news to a mother and her two children, who took the information with a sad sigh. They were sitting around a small fire, which flickered with the strength of a newborn. Its dying embers struggled to survive in this cruel, cruel world.


    ¡°Just once, I want my boys to know what it¡¯s like having a full stomach¡­¡± bemoaned the mother, who placed her weak hands on top of her starving children. A horrific thought tumbled in her mind. She did have the unique chance to sell her body for money, but due to a nasty incident involving a rusty knife, a portion of her face was as black as sin. Even now, the sickness was spreading across her face, and soon, it would reach her throat. Next would be her lungs and heart. Her last breath would follow soon after, and that fearful day wasn¡¯t that far off.


    And men, even as desperate as some might be, weren''t that lustful to potentially gather whatever disease that ostracized the woman and caused her so much pain and heartache.


    Momo turned to look a humanoid-like shape of writhing shadow. Then she looked down and saw the same tendrils cover her own body.


    Earlier, Itarr had activated The Shadow¡¯s Embrace and shared its effects with Momo, which cut its duration in half. That downside was eliminated by Servi¡¯s impressive stockpile of souls, giving her literal hours. Those hours stretched to infinity because the Skill Energy was regenerated faster than it was being drained.


    Momo looked down at her unoccupied hand and saw a gray ring wrapped around her middle finger. It was attached to a chain that came from the shadowy gauntlet on her forearm. From what Servi had said, she only needed to give it a bit of a pull to extend the deadly blade housed within, but Momo didn¡¯t even want to do that. Not even to see how it all worked. Experimenting with that while being face to face with the cruelty of the world just didn¡¯t sit right with her.


    ¡°Servy, I see that well. It looks kinda cool with it being all metal. But¡­ Are you going to do anything?¡± It was an innocent question, one that was not loaded with any hidden meaning. Servi walked forward, and Momo trailed behind as they descended a set of invisible stairs. When they reached the ground, Servi kept charging ahead. The people and ¡®tents¡¯ she barreled through passed right by her body.


    She and Momo were currently blessed by the fragmented universe of non-existence. Whatever was in the world of the living could not affect them in any manner unless Itarr wanted it to. Likewise, they couldn¡¯t harm or touch the realm of existence unless Itarr purposely willed it to be. That went for the five senses as well, and in this case, everything but sight, touch, and hearing was halted.


    ¡°Servy, if we keep walking¡­¡± Momo started to speak, then tapered off. She kept her mouth shut until Servi came to a complete stop a few centimeters away from the old woman and her conversation partner.


    The once surgeon was dressed in a wool kirtle. In a pinch, it made for an excellent bandage if an emergency reared its ugly head. And the numerous gaps of missing fabric in the bottom told a story that was recited far too often for anyone¡¯s taste.


    The dying flame passed right by Momo¡¯s body, sending a faint flicker to the tent behind her.


    Suddenly, it started to rapidly grow in strength. That attracted quite a bit of attention. The woman gasped at the brightening light, and the mother shielded her two darling children with her life.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?!?!¡± shouted a man that was missing an eye. He hobbled over a sleeping bum, nearly falling, and asked the question a second time. No one could answer it since everyone¡¯s attention was monopolized by the ravenous flame.


    When it reached the suitable, perfect size for its enclosure, the fire stabilized after Itarr placed a few final commands. She ordered it to burn for another 12 hours, and it had enough Skill Energy packed into it that only a literal typhoon could extinguish it.


    Then it happened. The shadows blanketing Servi vanished, allowing her to exist in the universe once more. Her sudden appearance sent a hundred panicked gasps escaping into the atmosphere, but only one of those wasn''t out of fear.


    ¡°It¡¯s you!!! It¡¯s you!!! I¡­ I thought I wouldn¡¯t ever see you again!!¡± cried the old woman. She had her arms up and rushed to Servi, grabbing and shaking her by the shoulder.


    Momo watched all this happen as a bystander from a different dimension. And even though she was clearly grasping her hand around Servi¡¯s fingers, her touch wasn¡¯t reflected in the eyes of the needy around her. They saw a woman, and only a woman¡ªnothing else.


    Servi vanished as quickly as she appeared, causing some to believe that what they witnessed was nothing but a hallucination. Her disappearance was followed by 20,000 stacks of Deus Lux, the penultimate healing skill. Everyone within the camp was blessed with a warm, holy light that cured most of their maladies. Anything more serious would have to be cured by a unique skill, but luckily for Servi and Itarr, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case this time.


    Festering wounds were enclosing themselves up as if they were never inflicted, broken bones reconstructed themselves as time was rewinding, and even the mother with disease running rampant through her face was cured of her pain. The sickening infection had happened only days earlier, and the rotting had spread at a blistering pace only seemed to guarantee her death. As she felt her face tingle when the air blessed her virgin flesh, she cried¡­ Her children wept, the old woman shed tears, the hobbling man wailed, and the entire camp vented their built-up emotions in response to what could only be called a miracle.


    But then came the following demonstration of unimaginable power. Servi walked up and down the makeshift campsite, though no one but Momo saw her do this. Itarr kicked into action and started to bring out the fish she had been cooking inside the ring. Since there weren¡¯t any tables¡ªat least any clean ones she could use¡ªshe had to make do with converting the platforms created via Air Step. Each hungry soul, including the children, received their own invisible ¡®table,¡¯ which came with three thick slices of nocturnal cod.


    The Goddess could verify that they were cooked, but she couldn¡¯t guarantee the taste. She did try as hard as she could, though, and Itarr hoped that was enough.


    It was. For people who hadn¡¯t had a good, hot meal in weeks or months, in some cases, this delectable present of three slices of fish was a gift from the heavens.


    It all happened so quickly¡ªso fast for even excitement to spread¡ªsince just the scent of something cooked activated a primal need for nourishment. Men and women, the children, adults, the elderly¡­ They all tore into their floating meals with ravenous desire. Teeth ripped away crispy skin, pierced the warm flesh within, sucked the delicious juices out, and swallowed without chewing. Everything, except the very bones, was devoured without care.


    And just as quickly as the mysterious girl showed up, popped into existence, cured everyone¡¯s wounds, and fed them, Servi and Momo were walking back across the sky while entangled in shadow. Momo stared back at the warmly lit camp, hoping that the good Servi had done wasn¡¯t going to be misinterpreted. She was partly afraid they would come to rely on Servi to the point where they¡¯d die without her, but something told her she didn¡¯t have to worry about that. Was it trust? Or the love she had for her?


    Or was it just a quizzical feeling with a basis that couldn¡¯t be verified in an empirical sense?


    This is probably going to be another rumor added to the Miracle of Canary¡­


    Regardless, there¡¯s nothing wrong with showing some kindness to the people that have forgotten what it felt like. Hungry people¡ªhungry children¡ªare falling asleep with full bellies¡­ That¡¯s the important thing¡­But fish? When did Servy and Itarr get that? It couldn¡¯t have belonged to the Rude Crystal, could it? And boy, it sure did smell good. If I hadn¡¯t already pigged out, I¡¯d have liked to try some.


    But maybe it¡¯s good I didn¡¯t¡­ If I don¡¯t eat any, that means there¡¯s more food for those who need it¡­ I need to thank the stars that I''m in the position I am in¡­ Grampy, thank you for raising me¡­ I hope I was the best granddaughter you could¡¯ve asked for¡­ And Servy¡­ Itarr¡­ Thank you for being my close friends¡­ I promise to be the best friend I could possibly be¡­


    Even as she monologued to herself, she kept watching for another camp like the one they left but relaxed when she saw the Warden office in front of her. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t we have to use the door? Oh, never mind¡­ We can just walk through the wall to our room, right?¡± she asked. Servi silently answered her a few seconds later when they did just that.


    ¡°Oooh, that still feels kinda weird. It¡¯s like I know I won¡¯t crash into the wall, but it still feels like I¡¯m about to bang into it. But hey,¡± Momo said aloud as her feet touched the hardwood flooring. She shook as if she had the chills when Itarr canceled The Shadow¡¯s Embrace, bringing light back to their bodies. Gravity exerted its control once more as a wave of air danced up and down Momo¡¯s arms and legs. It felt somewhat foreign as the natural laws of the world reconquered her mortal body.


    The wispy tendrils vanished themselves to a realm that didn¡¯t exist until they needed to be called upon again. ¡°I¡¯m not the biggest fan of that skill. Oh, don¡¯t get me wrong, it¡¯s very useful, but it kinda hides your cuteness. And let¡¯s face it, you¡¯re a very cute girl, Servy.¡± The Lux Sphere Itarr created had enough strength to comfortably illuminate the rather bland room. ¡°But you¡¯re just covered in this shadow-like thing¡­ Maybe I¡¯m just being whiny¡­¡±


    Momo stretched and rubbed her eyes. The day she had was long, but she couldn¡¯t deny how much fun she had. And she hoped that was doubly true for Servi. She gave the girl she loved a hug to end all hugs. Right when she was going to break away, Servi refused to move. Her arms had locked around Momo¡¯s waist, and the girl had no intention of letting her go.


    ¡°Hehe! Do you want me to tuck you into bed?¡± Momo asked. She waddled over to the bed, and Servi automatically sat down. Her hands traveled down to Momo¡¯s hips, then dropped down to her knees. The covers were pulled back a second earlier by Itarr¡¯s Telekinesis, so the only thing to do was for Servi to get comfortable.


    ¡°You have to lay down if you want me to cover you up, you know,¡± playfully chided Momo, pointing a finger at her friend in a very comical manner. She gripped the blanket within her two hands, but Servi just kept sitting there in her overalls. Her big, red eyes stared up at her guardian. Then her head turned towards the empty bed. Then back to her friend and then back to the bed.


    From me to the bed¡­ And the bed to me¡­? Me to bed. Bed to me? Me bed¡­ Bed me¡­ Is she¡­


    ¡°Are you wanting¡­me to sleep¡­with you?¡± The words drained from her mouth in utter shock, but they didn¡¯t come from a place of negativity. No, it was the complete opposite. ¡°I¡ªI mean¡ªI¡ªI still have to get changed and stuff, and I can¡¯t do that here¡ª¡± Before her eyes, Itarr summed a dagger from her ring and used Metal Wall to form a privacy curtain that almost spanned the length of the room. It was three meters tall and floated on nothing but invisible air


    Okay¡­ I see your game, Itarr¡­


    It was as if the Goddess and Momo were playing chess, and Momo had her king flanked by the queen and bishop. Another excuse bubbled on her tongue, but she swallowed that when she realized how prudish she was acting.


    You have to stop this, Momo. Don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t want something when you clearly want something. Just sleep with your friend, okay? It isn¡¯t really that difficult, is it? You have to be true to yourself¡­ Don¡¯t deny that part of you¡­


    ¡°Alright. If that¡¯s what you want, we can share a bed¡­ There¡¯s no reason for me to make excuses when this is what I¡¯ve been secretly hoping for¡­ But Servy,¡± Momo said while dropping the pulled-back blankets. She tapped her bag and pointed to the obviously out-of-place floating curtain of metal. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go change into my pajamas, okay? Be back in a second.¡±


    I¡¯m gonna be naked with her¡­when she¡¯s in the same room¡­ The same room¡­ Naked¡­Pajamas¡­I¡¯m feeling a little bit flushed¡­ But I have to keep it together!!! Perhaps it was her excitement that caused every one of Momo¡¯s movements to be stiff and robotic. She scampered behind the curtain and practically jumped out of her clothes, remaining naked for six or seven seconds. She slid her yellow pajamas right up her bare legs and down her naked chest, forgoing underwear entirety. She kept her cute socks on, though, just because she liked them that much.


    ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯m done changing¡­¡± Momo announced. The floating metal vanished, revealing an adorably dressed Singi in yellow pajamas. Her tail playfully poked out from behind and revealed its master¡¯s true feelings of infectious excitement. ¡°This is gonna be my very first sleepover!¡± she said with a bright smile. Momo walked across the room as if she was crossing a bed of eggshells, her feet never pressing against the floor for more than half a second. The beating heart within her modest chest felt like it was about to jump out of her body.


    Servi had wiggled over to her half of the bed when Momo was changing. She sat crossed legs against the comforter, and even though she was nearly fully dressed, Itarr had enough sense to absorb Servi¡¯s boots.


    ¡°Servy, we¡¯re gonna have to get you some pajamas or something.¡± Momo hopped into the bed with the haste of a turtle, then slowly laid down while facing the sitting Servi.


    Servi¡¯s mouth silently opened, then closed right after. Her hands went to her overalls as she unclipped them. While Itarr absorbed that, the silent Human stood up and undressed until she was in her skivvies. The way the black bra caressed and hugged her nearly porcelain bountiful bosom, offering a rich amount of cleavage that Momo just couldn¡¯t look away from, was the pure definition of beauty.


    Her eyes scanned down to the adorable, soft tummy. Without even noticing, Momo had started to drool. Her mind was already imagining a scenario in which she rubbed her cheeks or tongue across that mesmerizing belly.


    Her eyes kept glancing lower, eventually coming across black panties, which so cutely hid Servi¡¯s womanly peach. These were the cute underwear¡ªwith a small amount of lace that most women would have probably worn for their husbands or lovers.


    Servi turned around, for some odd reason unknown to either Itarr or Momo, but that had the side effect of showing off her rich rear. Perhaps her panties were a tad too small since they snuggly hugged her curves, but it was more than what Myrabel had worn and subsequently bared.


    ¡°Bwha!!! Servy! Why¡¯d you take your clothes off?!¡± Momo exclaimed a few moments after feasting with her eyes. ¡°Are you that comfortable with me that you don¡¯t care if I see you like this¡­?¡±


    For a second, the covers beneath the girls vanished, reappearing a meter above her an instant later.


    ¡°Do you¡­want to see me like that? I¡­have to change since I don¡¯t have any underwear on¡­ But wow¡­ You¡¯re gorgeous¡­ Even more than gorgeous, and I wish I knew the word that came after that.¡±


    Servi laid down on the bed, remaining completely silent.


    Momo felt her heart nearly leap out of her chest, then realized that stripping down was probably a way Servi wanted to show the utmost trust she had in her best friend. This was probably the most she could do in her limited state, one that didn¡¯t have any rhyme or reason.


    The Singi smiled and tapped her extra-long pillow with a hand. ¡°Servy¡­ You do know this pillow is big enough for two people, right? If you wanted me to share a bed with you¡­why are you all the way over there?¡±


    The quiet girl failed to produce an audible answer to Momo¡¯s query, but she responded by laying back and scooting over. Right when her hair brushed the pillow, she turned to her side and faced Momo.


    Two girls¡ªone madly in love with the other¡ªexchanged gazes as the floating cover descended down. It hugged their bodies, blanketing them in a refreshing warmth. The Lux Sphere Itarr had created vanished, and darkness reigned supreme. It took a second or two for Momo¡¯s eyes to adjust, but she just smiled and looked at Servi¡¯s face.


    Even in the dead of night, she could make out all of her features.


    ¡°Servy, if I¡¯m being honest, my heart¡¯s pounding like crazy¡­¡± she whispered. ¡°When I was a little girl, I used to sleep with grampy because I was scared of being alone. Then one day, he told me that I had to learn to sleep by myself because that¡¯s what big girls did. Thinking back now, I think that was the first time we had an argument because I didn¡¯t know what being big had to do with it¡­ I dunno even know why I¡¯m talking about that¡­ It might be the nervousness, but there isn¡¯t anything to be nervous about, is there? I mean, you aren¡¯t nervous, right?¡±


    She waited for a response of any kind, but didn¡¯t expect it to be in the form of wiggling. Servi narrowed the distance until they were just mere centimeters away from each other. In fact, they were so close that Momo¡¯s warm exhales tickled Servi¡¯s pretty lips. If the distance closed just a centimeter more, the tips of their noses would touch.


    ¡°You really are beautiful, Servy. Hey¡­ Friends kiss friends all the time, right? Maybe not on the lips¡­ But¡­¡±


    ¡­I just¡­ I have¡­to do this¡­ Under the covers, Momo searched for Servi¡¯s hand and accidentally brushed a glancing hand against her warm tummy. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± she started to speak, then became quiet as her palm pressed against in. Then her fingertips applied a bit of pressure, but Servi didn¡¯t react as much. A small gasp escaped her previous lips, and her breathing hastened just enough that it wasn¡¯t noticeable.


    ¡°Your tummy¡¯s so soft¡­ I guess girls are softer than guys, huh? Not that I¡¯ve ever touched a man like this¡­ I did have to spread ointment on my grampy¡¯s back one time after he accidentally leaned against a poisonous vine. It¡¯s not the same, but¡­¡± Momo kept exploring, her fingers trailing up until she came to a lovely belly button.


    They skidded down, coming to the bed, then reversed and went up until Momo¡¯s hand caressed Servi¡¯s bare side. The shaky appendage continued to travel along her body until it came to her shoulder, then it started on a course until coming to a set of fingers.


    Momo pressed Servi¡¯s hand to her stomach and smiled. ¡°Does this bring you back? Remember when we took shelter in that cave, and I almost fell? You caught me by the stomach¡­ Your hands went just like this¡­¡±


    The lovely Singi then played with Servi¡¯s fingers giving special attention to the red ring. Servi slowly tilted her head, then struggled with all of her might to produce the tiniest of smiles. The strain was visible as the sun in a cloudless sky.


    She was fighting hard to return back. Every touch, every glance¡ªevery little single word that Momo uttered spurred Servi¡¯s fighting spirit to roar alive.


    And then Momo went for it¡ªeven as her entire being trembled with a mix of anxiousness anticipation, she slowly touched her pretty pink lips to Servi¡¯s forehead while caressing her cheeks with a loving hand.


    She had finally planted a kiss on the girl who had captivated her heart.


    I know I said I was gonna wait, but you can forgive me, right?


    Momo leaned her head back as a faint heat covered her cheeks. She touched her lips with her tongue, then stared at a very slightly damp spot on her lover¡¯s forehead.


    So that¡¯s¡­what you taste like¡­ Servy, you¡¯re delicious¡­ I could do what grampy once said to do¡­ But with how affectionate that is¡­ I want to wait until you¡¯re all back¡­ He never said if you had to do it to me¡­but I think I want you to¡­


    Servi continued to stare with eyes full of potential wonder, then she suddenly leaned forward while slightly slithering down the pillow. In this position, she was just in the right spot for Momo to rest her nose against that bed of wonderfully soft black hair. She did just that, adding an extra kiss to the top of her head while breathing in her friend¡¯s scent.


    This is fine, right? A kiss is a kiss¡­ And two kisses are two kisses¡­ What¡¯s the problem with one more¡­ Or two more¡­ Heck, why not three more? And¡­ Why¡ªno, I know why it felt good¡­ I¡­ I want to feel that way again¡­ And being this close, I can feel her body heat¡­ She¡¯s warm¡­ Hot, even¡­I just want to hold her tightly and not let go¡­


    Likewise, Servi buried her head between Momo¡¯s blossoming chest, her nose pressing against the soft cotton of her yellow pajamas.


    And the way she¡¯s nuzzling her cheeks against my chest¡­ against my boobs¡­ How would it feel if I was in my underwear¡­? Or even naked¡­? But she¡¯s cute¡­ She¡¯s kinda like a cuddly cat who wants to nuzzle against me¡­Servy, I really do love you¡­ A whole lot¡­ Even more than a whole lot¡­ The only thing left to do was for her to embrace her friend, and so when her arms wrapped around Servi¡¯s bare back. She brushed the strap of her bra. Then slid her hands from Servi¡¯s waist to her full hips. The position wasn¡¯t that comfortable, so Momo went back to Servi¡¯s waist. If she was uncomfortable, she never let it show.


    Momo thought back on her life. She traveled down the path of remembrance, looking at the series of choices that led to her being in her current position¡­ All of the death¡­ The fights¡­ The quests¡­ The good and bad times¡­ The regrets¡­


    Is it¡­really that bad¡­that horrible¡­if I said it was¡­all worth it¡­for this moment¡­? Does that¡­make me a monster¡­? It probably does¡­ But I just love Servy so much¡­


    ¡°Hey, Servy?¡±


    The girl just squirmed, but did nothing else. Momo softly smiled, then started to sing something truly special to her and her darling Servi.


    Mr. Sun, so high in the sky.


    Makes?me want to fly.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯m singing this tune.


    May I?touch you soon?


    Mr.?Sky, so pretty and?blue.


    When I look at you,?I know that¡¯s true.


    And that fills?me with such a boon.


    May I touch you soon?


    Mr. Star, bright, bright, bright.


    At night,?you¡¯re always in my sight.


    Even though it¡¯s past June.


    May I touch you soon?


    Mr. Moon,?last but not least.


    Why don¡¯t you come join us for a feast?


    We can use?forks,?knives, or spoons.


    May I touch you soon?


    Miss Servy, adding in at last.


    Being with you is such a blast!


    The two of us will never say farewell!


    Together, I know we¡¯ll excel!


    If I have to, I¡¯ll wait all afternoon.


    Just for the chance to touch you soon.


    ¡°Well, it isn¡¯t soon if I¡¯m doing it right now¡­ Note to Momo: change the song a little bit¡­ And it¡¯s a bit childish, but that¡¯s fine, right? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with that¡­ Good night, Servy¡­ Sweet dreams, Itarr¡­ I¡¯ll see you two in the morning, okay?¡± With one more final kiss to decorate Servi¡¯s head, Momo soon drifted off to sleep. But before her consciousness had entered the world of dreams, she suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around. If she hadn¡¯t had on her pajamas, then her bare flesh would have thoroughly enjoyed Servi¡¯s gentle, warm touch.


    That was when she knew that this was meant to happen.  Her, Servi, sharing a bed¡ªa pillow, even, while wrapped in the other¡¯s arms.


    If there was even the tiniest bit wrong with this scene, Itarr would have done something. The lack of any action from the Goddess signified that she had given her blessing.


    Yeah¡­ If a Goddess allows it, then I definitely know I¡¯m making all the right choices¡­

 Book Four – Interlude – Part One – A World That Could Have Been

    In the dead of night, when even the wind had stopped blowing and the plentiful leaves atop the healthy trees were at a standstill, a man dressed like a traveling nomad sat near an unbelievable crater. This landmark would come to be known as Lando¡¯s Scar, a self-evident description that made sense considering it was a wound on the planet. Something this large and deep was impossible to exist or occur through natural means. Its sudden appearance could have only been rivaled by the mystery surrounding the fabled Lando¡¯s Nail, a tower and underground labyrinth that stood tall and powerful in the heart of Adenaford. It stretched far beyond even where the clouds gathered, and some had even hypothesized that its bottom-most layer resided in the planet¡¯s very core. But there was one mystery surrounding Lando¡¯s Nail that was as old as Lando itself.


    Was Adenaford constructed around Lando¡¯s Nail? Or was Lando¡¯s Nail built around Adenaford?


    No one knew. And this crater was the same way. Other than four people, no one else in the world knew the truth of how the planet¡¯s very surface was scarred beyond all disbelief. The unknown was frightening and scary, especially considering if whoever caused it could repeat the destructive miracle a second time.


    And words couldn¡¯t do it justice. Reports could inform someone about the crater, but the emotional impact of seeing something so inhumanly impossible with their own eyes couldn¡¯t be compared.


    In the end, the mere existence of the crater just proved that mortals¡ªHumans and Demi-Humans¡ªwere just that. Mortals who had to live on the same planet as the monster who scornfully brutalized the very home they shared.


    I¡¯m finding it hard to catch my breath while sitting beside it. Even calling it a crater isn¡¯t accurate. I don¡¯t know if there is something to properly call it by¡­ After a certain point, it¡¯s as if light just ceases to be, or perhaps the darkness is so thick that even light can¡¯t pierce it? How is it possible for there to be something that even the sun couldn¡¯t illuminate?


    And Servi¡­ Even if she caused this¡­even if she had the power of a Goddess¡­ How did she survive¡­? The energy needed to make something like this¡­ I just can¡¯t calculate just how much Skill Energy was required¡­ Is¡­ Does she not have a limit?


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t come here to theorize about its existence¡­ The who, what, where, why, and how does not concern me¡­¡± spoke Canary¡¯s Captain of the Guard. His voice was low, like the growl of an aged beast. The hand lying in the damp grass beside him came up to his face and rubbed his eyes. With a final exasperated sigh, he just continued to stare into the gaping abyss.


    Fisher Jin was not alone in his expanded surroundings, even if he was wide awake at a time in which everyone else would have been asleep. During his three-day journey from Canary, he passed by many travelers who had all come to see this modern marvel of destruction for themselves. Quite a few of those were researchers for Keywater and Westera. They were disguised in clothing bought from Adenaford in order to fit in. And as if that wasn¡¯t enough, these spies had forcibly trained to erase their accent, even going so far as to purposely disfigure or tan their skin to remove any traces of their former identity.


    For the scale-bounding beings like Koena and Kobolds, there was a process to transfer scales from one to the other if they were the same size. It was almost like a transplant. One that was not recommended to be performed by anyone, but when national security was at risk... Sometimes, there just wasn''t any other option.


    Fisher wasn''t knowledgeable about any of this because he had journeyed with a single goal in mind. He crossed his legs, scratched his knees, then looked to the left and right. No one was around him since it looked as if there was an unwritten rule to give those that traveled to the crater their privacy. He picked up the bag nearby and took out a cheap canteen of booze. Fisher rightly didn''t know what was exactly in it because he wasn¡¯t a drinker, but by the time he started back to Canary, it would be empty.


    I can¡¯t keep putting this off¡­ The captain pulled up the brown, dusty hood on his cloak and took a deep breath. Perhaps it was instinct, but his hand went to the sword lying nearby, but then he pulled it back and took a second gasp of air. Even as the nerves tried to grip his lungs in a terrible grasp, preventing him from exhaling, he forged ahead the best he could.


    ¡°Sakdu¡­ This is your grave, right? I suppose after all that I¡¯ve done, it was only right for me to come visit.¡±


    Gods, the words¡­ They¡¯re difficult and stubborn¡­ And hard to pronounce¡­ I would say I hope it¡¯ll get easier, but that¡¯s neither here nor there or something that¡¯ll ever befall me. I have no choice but to tough it out. It was like his mouth had a concrete block in it, and he had to chisel what he wanted to say with his tongue. The mental imagery of a scene started came to fruition as his mouth became as dry as sand.


    ¡°Or maybe it wasn¡¯t¡­ All I do know is that I¡¯m here to apologize. Really, that doesn''t mean anything, does it? I¡¯m here, and you¡¯re there¡­ And so is Roger¡­ It hurts me to say this, but I don¡¯t remember¡­ I don¡¯t remember causing him trouble, though I know I must¡¯ve been responsible for draining him of his happiness¡­ A sinful regret that¡¯s been causing me no small amount of pain¡­


    ¡°But that¡¯s not why I¡¯m here. In your eyes, I was nothing but the most despicable monster¡ªa being that only seemed to be alive to cause as much trouble as possible. And in a way, I was. But¡ªno, I can¡¯t go off-topic. I was trying to say that I didn¡¯t come here to feel sorry for myself. No, I came here to close this chapter of my life¡­¡± Fisher stopped for a moment and took a swig of his canteen.


    The clear liquid was strong, burning his tongue and inner cheeks with a ferocious sensation. It only continued when the damaging booze traveled down his throat and into his stomach, which was where the scorching was the most intense. His shaking hands stretched out over the crater as he poured out a sip or two.


    ¡°Or maybe that¡¯s why I¡¯m not here. I had something rehearsed in my mind, but that vanished when I saw the remains of your battle against Servi. Speaking of her, she doesn¡¯t have this power now, but Momo mentioned that it isn¡¯t out of the realm of possibility for Servi to have control over the dead¡­


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to ask her to bring you back since you¡¯ve hurt more than your fair share of people in your conquest against me. And if I were to pass on, I¡¯d beg her not to revive me since I¡¯m also full of sin. I don¡¯t deserve a second chance at life.


    ¡°Even if you had abstained from hurting anyone, the moment you turned your sight to Momo sealed your fate. But your family¡­ Mafi and Fia¡­ They were innocent¡­ Possibly the most innocent beings on the planet before¡­before I¡­attacked them. But if they had a chance¡­ A chance to live the life I so brutally stolen from them¡­ I hope¡ªNo, I don¡¯t have the right to hope for anything anymore. But I can convince Servi to bring back your family and all of those innocents I slaughtered? Then yes, I¡¯ll endure the struggle of an unhopeful man like me having hope.


    ¡°You know? During the walk here, I thought about something¡­ What if I had chosen differently? Instead of using my sword to slaughter, why couldn¡¯t I use my heart to listen? Your wife and daughter kept repeatedly asking if I was fine, if I was hungry, or if I was thirsty. They were ready to go the extra distance to see to it that I was safe¡ªeven offering me a roof over my head¡­ But if I had accepted their kindness¡­ We could¡¯ve been brothers¡­ Or I could have learned from you¡­ Or even helped you because I¡¯m from a farming village¡­ And if life had still led me to Canary, where I met my wife Marissa, then your daughter and my children could have grown up together¡­ Marissa once said we were destined to fall in love¡­and no matter what the choices I made, we would have always met¡­¡±


    Fisher¡¯s sight became blurry as his voice quivered with sadness. He didn¡¯t even have the strength to hold his canteen anymore. The pain in his heart even eclipsed the happiness he felt when Meri and Mari took their first breath in this cruel, dangerous world. It was the very definition of negative emotion, and after throwing caution to the wind, he leaned back and screamed to the heavens.


    He screamed he was sorry.


    He screamed about all of his regrets.


    He screamed the names of those he had so cruelly taken before their rightful time.


    His lungs were shouting for him to stop¡ªto take a second to breathe in before passing out from a lack of oxygen, but his mournful cries continued for another minute and a half.


    The dizziness that assailed him didn¡¯t compare at all to the damage he once inflicted upon a hundred little villages.


    Nothing he could do in this life could ever compare to his reign of slaughter. A million lifetimes wouldn¡¯t make up for the hurt he had caused.


    When the air deep in his lungs had sputtered out from his teary mouth, he kept it open even as nothing else escaped. But from a couple hundreds of meters away, another wail had erupted from someone with similar pain in their heart. This new, unknown person confessed their sins, copying what Fisher had done. And after this person was finished, another followed suit.


    And another¡­and another¡­ There was a masculine voice, a feminine voice, a voice that was scruffy and deep, and one that sounded like a wet shoe rubbing against wood, but all of their tormented wails carried some sort of secret.


    Exasperated, Fisher leaned back and slammed into the damp grass, his chest heaving for even a spot of oxygen. Mud splashed up around his cloak and onto his tunic, but he didn¡¯t care. He fished around for his fallen canteen and drank about half of what was left, nearly choking in the process. The booze burned his throat something fierce, but the pain seemed to bring him back. He used a hand to support himself while listening to the confessing voices.


    Then he scratched his chin and rubbed his head, and he finally poured the rest of his canteen into the gaping void before him.


    ¡°Arnold used to do something like this whenever someone from our old gang died. He called it ¡®pouring one out,¡¯ but I never really understood it. Until I met Marissa, I never really thought life had a meaning at all other than getting revenge. And becoming a father¡­ Well, I suppose that was what jump-started the regret I¡¯ve been feeling. When you have children, you want to be the perfect role model¡­ I don¡¯t ever want their memory of me to be tainted by my past, but I know that¡¯s a dream that won¡¯t ever come true. I don¡¯t want to lie to my girls¡­ Not about something so small as a lost toy or something as heavy as my sins¡­ It honestly feels like Servi was the one that kickstarted me to really feel this way, even though it¡¯s been lingering in my mind for a good while.


    ¡°You know, she had a grudge against me¡­For a very good reason, too.  I suppose it was her that put a little thought into my head.


    ¡°If she had justifiable anger towards me, then who else from my past will try to take revenge on me?


    ¡°And if Itarr wasn¡¯t there to hold her back, there is a very high chance that I would¡¯ve died that night. I don¡¯t know how that would have affected her. Maybe nothing would have changed at all¡­ Or maybe she would have skipped town¡­ Even if I was dead, would you have still attacked Canary? I suppose you would have since my family was alive¡­ Hey, would it be wrong for me to make a promise? One to you? From father to father? And husband to husband? And it¡¯s not a promise¡­ It¡¯s more like a vow¡­


    ¡°Between you and I, there¡¯s no telling just how many families we¡¯ve torn apart in our separate acts of revenge¡­  There has to be hundreds... No, thousands of children we¡¯ve left without parents or guardians. I¡¯ve had this plan for an orphanage for a while, and Servi has agreed to pay for it. It does need a name, and I was wondering if I used your daughter¡¯s name¡­ She could live on as a symbol of protection for all the little orphans. Fia¡¯s Orphanage¡­ Or maybe Fia¡¯s Protection? Fia¡¯s Sanctuary? That sounds good to me, and I¡¯d like to think you would have approved of it¡­ Oh, and that¡¯s not all.¡±


    After taking a deep breath, Fisher licked his dry, chapped lips and continued to stress his vocal cords. By now, the series of confessions ranging all around the crater had died down, but that was only because he was too far away to hear. Within time, it would circulate back around to his left.


    ¡°I also promised Servi that I was going to work harder¡­ Harder to be a man I can be proud of, harder to be a better husband for my wife, and harder to be the heroic figure of justice my daughters think me to be. But¡­ I haven¡¯t really done much¡­ My promises were just hot air, but I swear I will change that!!! When I go back to Canary, I¡¯ll head to the church. Not the one run by the bishop, but the one led by that Kobold. He seems like a good, honest man who only wishes to repay the kindness a traveling doctor had shown him¡­ I figure if I want to start the path to being a better man, then I must confess my sins. Eventually, I wish to gather enough strength to tell my children my past


    ¡°But I¡¯m not that strong yet¡­


    ¡°After that, I swear to do what I can to make Canary a place where everyone can live freely¡­ Slavery has to go¡­ It just has to¡­ I can try to do what I can to get rid of it, but that¡¯s going to be a strenuous task, but it is one I am prepared to take. You have the things that are legal, and there are things that are moral. As much as I try, I want to be the latter.


    ¡°I know I¡¯m not a good man, Sakdu. Someone like me¡­ There is really no forgiveness for what I¡¯ve done. Even if Momo and Servi say they¡¯ll forgive me until I can forgive myself, I just don¡¯t think that day will ever come. Even after a thousand years, I¡¯ll still have my regrets. Time can heal all wounds¡­ I¡¯ve heard that saying before, but I¡¯ve always doubted its truthfulness.¡±


    The heart-wrenching confessions that sped around the crater were starting to become audible again. He heard a mix of cries of forgiveness, the confessions of criminals, and even a marriage proposal. Whoever it was, though, Fisher wanted to believe the future union between the two lovers would be as strong and sturdy as nadrium.


    Before he knew it, a small smile had formed on his mouth. He no longer sat with the rigidness of a captain, and his overall expression was one of comfort and relaxation.


    ¡°I really am proud of my daughters¡­ Hell, I¡¯m even learning from them. Every day, they¡¯re telling me this Singi did this, or that Kobold this¡­ And they even have a friend called Feral. He¡¯s a Kobold, but they absolutely adore him. And you know, I¡¯m happy their little hearts weren¡¯t ravaged by false revenge like mine was. I¡¯m sure every man wants their children to have a childhood better than theirs¡­¡±


    Fisher took a deep breath and stood up. The mud he had been sitting in coated the back of his pants, but he really didn¡¯t care. A sudden gust of wind attacked him from the front, causing his hood to fly back. The smile across his lips seemed to grow bigger and brighter. Did he think that the wind meant Sakdu agreed with him?


    Once more, he looked down at the empty canteen and tossed it away. There wasn¡¯t any more need for it. ¡°I suppose this¡¯ll be it, Sakdu. The nightmares I have might end, but the sadness won¡¯t quit there. Instead, they¡¯ll probably be filled with the world that could have been¡­ World¡­¡± He pronounced that particular word over and over, trying to find a deeper meaning. Or perhaps a further definition.


    What was the world? Was it the planet? When Marissa once called him ¡®my world,¡¯ did she believe him to him equal to one of the astral bodies that swam across the sea of stars?


    ¡°If¡­I ever do get the chance to make a world¡­ Even as unlikely as that is, which isn¡¯t saying anything considering a Goddess is living amongst us¡­ I know I want to make a world of justice, fairness, and equality¡­ If not to soothe my own pain, then to provide a peaceful world for my children¡ªfor all children¡ªto grow up in. Goodbye, Sakdu. I don¡¯t know what the afterlife is like, but if there is a hell... Then wait for me¡­ The moment I pass on, and if we meet up, I promise you¡¯ll have the chance to inflict your revenge upon me¡­ I suppose that¡¯s the least I can do¡­ And that goes for the rest of the ones I¡¯ve killed¡­¡±


    Fisher gave a final nod to the crater, picked up his sword, and started to walk back to Canary. His soul wasn¡¯t totally at peace, but it was close to it. For the first time in a while, in fact. His body felt like a weight had been lifted from his sore shoulders, but he knew not to think that much into it.


    Purposely giving myself a pat on the back would ruin what I¡¯ve just done. I didn¡¯t do anything thankful¡­ I just did what had to be done.


    Fisher¡¯s path was more of a shortcut as he trekked diagonally through the surrounding forest. It had been some time since the destructive battle, but wildlife was nowhere to be found. Even the creepy crawlies that patrolled the muddy soil had enough sense to seek refuge in a safer part of the forest. The fickle moonlight descended down through the trees, right past the densely packed leaves. He stared ahead with strong eyes that constantly searched all around. The gloved hand that gripped his sword did so with strength and skill that didn¡¯t belong to him.


    The journey here was mostly peaceful. The biggest obstacle was a hungry bear roaming around, but Fisher tossed some of the meat he had carried with him to distract the wandering beast. He could have effortlessly taken the ravenous ursine down should the need had arisen. Regardless, he was glad his weapon didn''t have to taste any blood.


    For the majority of the time, he was surrounded by tall trees and their thick leaves. Fisher preferred to sleep while up high, which lessened the chance of anyone sneaking up on him, but he was always a light sleeper. The meekest sound was enough to jolt him awake. But up high? He could relax a bit easier because most people never think to look above them unless absolutely necessary. More than that, though, he knew a shortcut that eliminated about ten hours from the trip, and it involved sticking to the forests.


    The quickest way from A to B was a straight line, and that concept could be applied just about everywhere. With exceptions, of course. Fisher wouldn¡¯t dare use this path if he had his wife or children with them because it involved climbing up a small cliff and hopping across a rushing river with very few stepping stones. That, and the aforementioned bears. And bandits. He couldn¡¯t forget about them. Roving bands of violent misfits looking for a quick dupla were commonplace in the more remote parts of the world. Heading headfirst into a forest in the middle of night was a sure-fire way of dying.


    But Fisher didn¡¯t have that problem. It was likely the sudden appearance of the crater frightened any bandits into fleeing because whoever made it could have been nearby.


    I am glad about that¡­ There¡¯s been too much death, lately.

 Book Four – Interlude – Part Two – A World That Could Have Been

    It seemed that the world was going to test Fisher and his new vows the moment he walked into Canary. Right up ahead, only a few meters away, stood a gaggle of his guards. Normally, that wouldn¡¯t be anything weird or odd since the junior guards patrolled in groups of three to four. But what was different on this fantastically sunny day was the young Koena nearby. His purple scales shook with intense fear as three pairs of eyes stared at him like he was a piece of meat.


    ¡°Sirs¡­ I¡­ I have to run an errand for Master¡­¡± whispered the boy. His voice was rather high-pitched like a girl, and his eyes were oddly beautiful in how the vivid green clashed with his vibrant body. Perhaps that was why he wore a shirt and hole-filled pants that carried the color of emeralds.


    ¡°Master?¡± repeated the guard on the left. He reached into a pouch and pulled out a piece of paper. After staring at it, he rubbed it against his leather chest plate. Was it dirty? ¡°Jimmy, read this.¡±


    The guard in the middle snatched the paper. ¡°The Koena known as Myil is hereby sold from Hames Verily to Jimmy. Wait? To me? Really? Me?¡± Jimmy spoke with such an aggressively happy tone, but the onlooking Fisher didn¡¯t know if that was all a front. Without his armor on and the hood of his cloak pulled up, he was virtually unrecognizable.


    ¡°No! Master wouldn¡¯t do that. Please, I have to do an errand for Master!¡±


    ¡°Get it through your skull, scaley. You¡¯re talking about your former master. You see, the three of us paid for you¡­ Really, it didn¡¯t even take 300 dupla before that old coot started to have second thoughts. How does it feel to know you¡¯re worth that much? We earn that much in just a week or two, so I guess it kinda sucks knowing anyone can buy you after a few days,¡± said the last one of the group. Since all three had helmets on, and their voices were eerily similar, it was somewhat difficult to tell them apart.


    But did that matter? To Fisher, it didn¡¯t. Not one bit. He had seen enough, and his already chosen path of advance was more lucent than the cloudless sky. With a deep breath, he started to approach.


    ¡°Master¡­ No¡­ My Master¡ªAaahhh!!!¡± The Koena threw his hands down in a tantrum, causing Jimmy to raise his fist. He brought it down on top of Myil¡¯s head, cracking his precious scales. The Koena slammed chin first into the pavement, breaking his chin. Myil''s scales were as fragile as delicate glass. He probably suffered from one of the numerous Koena specific diseases that affected the strength of their scales.


    ¡°Can you not get it through your fucking skull?! I¡¯m your Master, now! So show me some fucking respect!!¡± The pain brutalizing Myil was far and away more than he could handle. He didn¡¯t see Jimmy raise his foot and angle it over his head. The onlookers passing by stopped for a moment to stare but quickly moved on once they realized the incident involved the city guard. Even former slaves turned their heads away, choosing to focus on their own newfound freedom.


    Even though their actions suggested the opposite, quite a few felt for the poor Koena since they had been in that same sport. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t the guard, in their case, anyway, but being on the other end of a beating? Or worse, in some cases, where their master was a fool-hungry gluttony for sadism. Having to fight each other, even to the point of killing to snatch the minuscule amount of food that was supposed to be an incentive to fight¡­ Such scenes of horror were rare, but they were still frequent enough to the point where it wouldn¡¯t be odd to find someone with that past in a room full of a thousand people. Even a place like Canary could hold a few hundred people with that background.


    Regardless, the world was a selfish place, and there wasn¡¯t a rule that stated one had to look out for strangers.


    ¡°Do it, Jimmy! Crack that skull wide open! Show him what happens when he doesn¡¯t respect us! You fucking slave! Hey, we should force him to sleep out in the barns. No doubt living with the cow shit is just what this little bitch needs. Right? Hahaha!!!¡±


    ¡°What the fuck are you three doing?!¡± Fisher kicked his leg out, slamming it into Jimmy¡¯s raised foot. He lost the balance, and the guard with a heart of black tumbled to the ground in a dizzy spin. His lackeys to the left and right were quick to draw their blades but were frozen stiff when they realized who their target was after his hood fell down.


    ¡°Capt¡ªCaptain Fisher!¡± they said in unison. At once, they helped Jimmy to his feet and gave a poor salute. Fisher quietly shook his head and took out a health potion from his Dimensional Storage. The red vial landed in front of the quivering Koena. He heard it bonk against the ground, then stared up. His eyes were drowsy and teary, weak and pathetic. The blood had started to mix with his tears, so it looked like he was crying the crucial crimson every mortal needed.


    ¡°Drink it. That¡¯s an order,¡± commanded Fisher, only continuing when he saw the Koena bring the vial to his lips. Fisher then turned to the three guards and demanded an explanation.


    Jimmy found it challenging to speak, but he finally explained that the Koena was his property. He even displayed the deed as if one would show off a priceless heirloom.


    ¡°Legality. Morality. Pick one,¡± Fisher said. He crossed his arms and disapprovingly stared at his men. He didn¡¯t even care that people were stopping and staring.


    Jimmy thought the two choices were odd. Even more so was the lack of context behind them. It took him a hot second before he enthusiastically blurted out what he thought was the correct answer. ¡°Legality, sir! If it¡¯s legal, we should do it! If there was something we shouldn¡¯t do, it would be illegal. So if it¡¯s legal, it means we¡¯re free to do whatever.¡±


    ¡°According to the church, the strong has control over the weak. Is that right? For the strong to enslave the weak?¡±


    ¡°Yes! It is! I¡¯m a proud believer!¡±


    ¡°Very well¡­ I¡¯ll give you 500 dupla for that contract,¡± said Fisher. ¡°I want to buy your slave.¡±


    ¡°Five hundred?!?!?! Captain¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes or no. Take it or leave it.¡± Fisher cut off Jimmy, who nodded so fast his loose-fitting helmet nearly came off. Fisher took out the money and completed the trade. He read the contract from top to bottom, disappointingly shook his head¡­and ripped it into a hundred little pieces.


    ¡°Captain?! What the hell?!¡± exclaimed the filth to the left of Jimmy. He even started to berate his commanding officer. ¡°You just wasted your hard-earned money!!¡±


    ¡°If you know what¡¯s good for you, then shut your mouth. Don¡¯t question what you don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Like hell! What the fuck did you do? Don¡¯t you realize that this shit stain is weak? He doesn¡¯t have the strength the Gods and Goddesses need! He can''t offer any worthwhile worship or prayers.¡± This time, it was Jimmy who spoke up. Harsh stress caressed his cheeks. It was like his brain couldn¡¯t fathom any reason why someone would willingly spend money to effectively free a slave.


    Really, that act of insubordination was all Fisher needed to act and still be in the right. He did have a reputation for being a harsh, cruel trainer, and what better place to put that to use than right now.


    He glared down at Jimmy, who seemingly finally understood the words flowing from his mouth. The anger vanished from his face, being replaced by an apologetic expression of fear. ¡°No, Captain! I¡ªI didn¡¯t mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°As your commanding officer, I hereby banish you three from the guard. It is clear your attitude is not what the fair city of Canary needs. You¡ª¡±


    ¡°THAT¡¯S BULLSHIT!!!¡± The one that had spoken the least instantly shouted out. ¡°Do you know how hard we worked to get here? And you¡¯re choosing a fucking slave over three guards? You son of a bitch!!!¡± He pulled back an arm and formed a fist, but Fisher had more than a decade of experience. He saw the attack come and effortlessly dodged to the right. His right hand flashed forward, chopping his opponent in the throat. As he gasped for air, Fisher finished his foe off with a quick takedown. He grabbed his opponent¡¯s arm and dragged him forward. At the same time, he used his legs to kick his shins and pushed him backwards. He landed with a hefty thud¡ªhis head slamming against the hard ground¡ª the air escaping out through his gasped mouth.


    Without missing a beat, Fisher turned his sight to Jimmy, who was frozen and paralyzed for but a moment. Seeing his friend go down hard and violently spurred him to fight, even if his foe was his very captain. He charged forward, diving at Fisher¡¯s legs in an attempt to tackle him to the ground. Like a stone monument, Fisher remained standing and even kicked Jimmy away. His foot caught his chin, causing his brain to rattle around his skull.


    That wasn¡¯t enough to deter Jimmy. Even while suffering a concussion, he stood up and tossed out a pathetically weak punch. Fisher sidestepped it and used Jimmy¡¯s momentum to flip him to his back. A final yelp of pain signified the end of the short battle.


    The third guard, the one that produced the contract in the first place, looked at his fallen friends and begged his captain for forgiveness.


    ¡°There is none,¡± he curtly replied. ¡°You three are banished from the guard. Don¡¯t even think about returning your gear because if I see you again¡­¡± He retrieved his sword and slid the blade¡¯s flat surface across Jimmy¡¯s pained face. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you¡­¡± That was a threat, and a threat it was. Fisher had to tap into his former experience as the Demi-Reaper to growl that one out. It was a good thing he was both looking down and had his back to the people watching this go down. He didn¡¯t know what kind of terrorizing expression blanketed his face.


    He forcibly produced a false smile to wash the aggressiveness away, then turned back to the groaning Koena after sheathing his weapon. From behind, he heard the third guard let loose a series of grunts. No doubt he was trying to pull his two friends away. A quick glance confirmed that.


    Fisher stared for a moment at the Koena, then helped Myil to his feet because he was still struggling to stand. The poor lad stared through bloody eyes and shivered. He acted like a dog that had been abused all his life. One that wasn¡¯t ever shown a gram of love or friendship.


    ¡°Sirs¡­ Master¡­ Sirs¡­¡± repeated the poor boy.


    ¡°Do you know what it means now that I¡¯ve torn your deed? You don¡¯t belong to no one. You¡¯re a free man, now. The next¡ª¡± Fisher stopped dead in his tracks since his eyes caught the sight of a cute Singi. Her pink hair fluttered in the wind, and the black-haired girl she held hands with was staring at him, with the former being the only one smiling. They were standing in front of the growing audience that was slowly amassing itself. The onlookers whispered to each other in hushed tones, each one trying desperately to understand what was going on.


    The Singi just stared, but her mouth moved to give thanks to Fisher and his intervention. Fisher read her lips, then she tilted her head towards Myil. Fisher looked down and held in his gasp. The black bracelet¡ªthe one item that virtually every slave had attached to their wrist that signified them as mere property¡ªhad vanished like a breath in the wind. And the wounds the Koena suffered from had started to heal.


    He gave her a nod, watched her leave with her best friend at her side, and turned his attention back to the still frightened Koena.


    ¡°Look at your arm,¡± Fisher said.


    ¡°What?! How? Sirs? I¡ªI don¡¯t¡­understand...¡± A horde of emotions washed over Myil. Being a slave was all that he had ever known. He was always someone¡¯s property. In one case, someone¡¯s display piece because his scales glittered in just the right way.


    But what was sadder was the fact that Myil had never seen the part of his arm covered by the bracelet. When his arms grew, it was time to get a new one, but he was forbidden from watching the transfer. He audibly gasped while staring at a nearly white spot on his wrist where sunlight had never had a chance to bless.


    And there was the abuse¡­ A loving touch? Myil didn''t know what ¡®love¡¯ was. And a touch that didn¡¯t leave him afraid, scared, hurt, or disgusted? Could something even exist? His interpretation of ¡®kindness¡¯ had been warped and twisted, so how would Myil survive if he had to be kind to someone?


    ¡°If the bracelet is gone¡­then what¡ªWhat do I do? Master didn¡¯t want me¡­ Sirs, what do I do?! Sirs?!?!¡± A nervous breakdown followed as the poor boy started to weep.


    ¡°You have to live,¡± whispered Fisher. He leaned in close and gave the poor boy a hug he so desperately needed. Myil¡¯s frail little body shivered like a naked Dwarf in the middle of a snowstorm. ¡°No one has the right to assert ownership over another. No one¡­ Not me, not them, not you, and not even the Gods. You have a chance to do what you want¡­ Go to the church on buncombe street¡­ Better yet, I¡¯ll take you myself¡­ There¡¯s a Kobold there who can help you¡­¡± Fisher pulled back and stared down at his former guards.


    Actions speak louder than words, and while they started it, I did beat my men to effectively free a slave¡­ Even if I did buy and rip up the contract. But I¡¯m ready to face any consequences¡­ From angry families or a pissed-off church, let them come. Itarr¡­ Thank you for absorbing his bracelet¡­


    Fisher faced the crowd, which instantly reminded him of when he and Arnold were abusing a Singi and her brother. It was that little incident that really got things started. Servi was in attendance, and her first impression of Fisher was that he was an awful man who laughed at the expense of others. The chuckle he gave that time was forced and fake, but the damage was done all the same because he was a weak man who couldn''t stand up to Arnold.


    He turned away from the audience and started to walk away. When Myil didn¡¯t follow, Fisher had to double back, grab his wrist, and then walk while pulling him.


    ¡°How is it being free?¡± Fisher finally asked after walking for about fifteen minutes. He really didn¡¯t know what to say, but he figured that was a good enough start. And he let go of Myil¡¯s wrist, who finally started to move on his own.


    ¡°Sirs¡­ I don¡¯t know what ¡®free¡¯ is¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I am unable to answer that¡­¡± Myil kept his bloody head angled towards the ground. It was like he was afraid to glance up, even for the smallest second.


    ¡°That''s what you have to find out for yourself. The man I¡¯m taking you to see can help with that,¡± Fisher replied. He waited for Myil to say something in response, but he remained as quiet as a mouse during the rest of their journey. The audience they had left behind wasn¡¯t following at all, and after a certain point, no one around him knew what Fisher had done.


    I wonder if Itarr had anything to do with that? If she could stop two people, no doubt she could prevent a whole crowd from moving¡­


    Help to be¡­free? Sirs, I don¡¯t understand¡­Do I want to be¡­free? Master¡­ Why don¡¯t you want me anymore¡­? I need a master¡­ Sirs¡­


    When Fisher and Myil arrived at the church, they saw a crouching girl outside doing a bit of weed eradication around a lovely garden that definitely wasn¡¯t there the last time he was here. She turned around when she heard a set of footsteps, and her face blossomed into an expression of happiness.


    ¡°Captain Fisher! Father Melk mentioned he thought you would probably swing by,¡± said the girl with an oddly positive tone. He didn¡¯t recognize her, but she obviously knew him. He was a pretty prominent, public-facing figure.


    Melk? I never did get his name, but was the distress that obvious in my face? He even predicted my return? She called him Father Melk, so she must be one of his nuns. It¡¯s good he found help.


    ¡°He did? That¡¯s good. I was afraid of showing up unannounced and being a bother.¡±


    ¡°A bother? Perish the thought, captain.¡± The girl waved as if she was swatting something away. ¡°Father Melk isn¡¯t that kind of Kobold. He¡¯s generous to a fault, and he tells everyone that his church is open to anyone that needs it. That includes me, you, and really everyone else.¡±


    Fisher noted the nun was tri-colored Singi, with black ears, brown hair, and a snow-white tail. ¡°Hmm¡­ He mentioned something about helping a girl after she was injured. Would that be you?¡±


    The catgirl placed her snippers in the nearby basket and stood up.


    The black veil and white bandeau that most nuns wore had been altered to act like the hood of a cloak, meaning it could be pulled down or up. Considering the length of the back of the veil was long enough to reach the middle of her back, it probably should have just been considered a cloak.


    Since she was standing before someone she respected, the girl thought it necessary to reach back and pull it up over her head, taking a few moments to adjust the bandeau and making sure her cute ears poked through the two slits. She really didn¡¯t like having anything around her forehead, so if she were to change the outfit, that would be the first alteration.


    Instead of wearing a habit, the Singi had opted to go a different route that made her a nun in name only. She wore a white, low-cut blouse, which had extra padding for her rather large breasts that also had the side effect of giving her a modest amount of cleavage. That was tucked into a black skirt, which stopped a couple of centimeters above her knees.


    The black jacket she wore was sporty and cute, with the sleeves barely coming down past her shoulder. It was slightly pleated at the bottom, and it was a combination of an open-face jacket and a corset, meaning the left and right sides only connected to each other via a couple of intercrossed golden straps. It was made out of something softer than cotton but less expensive as silk, so in the dead of winter, it wouldn¡¯t be that effective at keeping someone warm. There was some color to it, mainly the silver trim around the jacket straps, which added some nice color to an otherwise standard outfit.


    Black tights hugged her legs and thighs, reaching all the way to her hips, and she had on very slightly heeled shoes with a gold band that went over the top of her foot. Perhaps it would be more apt to call them sandals?


    The adorably dressed Singi folded her hands over her stomach and gave a polite bow.


    ¡°Yes, that would be me. My name is Kait, and Father Melk was kind enough to help me¡ªa complete stranger¡ªwithout asking for anything in return. I was so touched by his kindness that I had a dream about it. When I woke up, I rushed back here in the early morning hours to see if I could help him with anything. He mentioned his need for nuns and priests, but I didn¡¯t know anything about being one. And when he asked about healing herbs and alchemical ingredients, I regretfully shook my head. But he said that was fine, and he was more than happy to pass on his knowledge to me!¡± Her tail swooshed around, wagging in an excitable manner. ¡°I may not be an official nun, and I¡¯m not recognized by the church, but I¡¯m trying my hardest!"


    ¡°That¡¯s admirable,¡± replied Fisher.


    ¡°Thank you, sir! In a few years'' time, before I¡¯m twenty, I hope to be an official nun!¡± Kait¡¯s gaze was deterministic, filled with a proud strength. It was a type of strength that the young Koena at his side needed to find within himself. She turned to Myil and smiled like an older sister would. Holding out a hand, she offered a second round of introduction.


    ¡°Ma¡¯ams¡­ Are¡­ Are you sure you want someone like me to touch you¡­¡± he asked. One hand attempted to extend, but his other hand forced it to his chest. He made himself seem small and meek, like something that just wasn¡¯t worth anyone¡¯s time. After a small frown, Kait returned her hand to her side and looked puzzled. She turned to Fisher for an answer. He told her an abridged summary of what happened, then explained that Melk was probably the best person to help.


    ¡°I understand that. He¡¯s probably reading over a few documents in the backroom. Follow me, and I¡¯ll take you to him.¡± Kait picked up her shears and walked into the church with Fisher and a frightened Myil close behind. The captain eyed the confessional booth in the back corner of the room. After his monologue at Sakdu¡¯s grave, the vows he had declared were at the forefront of his busy mind.


    Don¡¯t worry. I still intend to see my promises through. I need to make sure Myil is taken care of first, though.


    Kait led Fisher and a shaking Myil to the back of the church, turning left at the wooden altar. At the far back of that wall stood a swinging door that held no handles. The nun walked through first, then stood to the side and held it open.


    ¡°Father Melk, you have guests,¡± announced Kait.

 Book Four – Interlude – Part Three – A World That Could Have Been

    Melk was sitting his large body at a table much too small for a Kobold of his size. The black robe he had on today was short-sleeved, allowing his gorgeous sapphire-scaled arms to twinkle in the nicely lit room. Sunlight shone through the open window near a small, cheap stove that only liked to function on a good day. It wasn¡¯t the kind that ran off of Skill Energy, but it had a rough time getting going with wood and coal.


    ¡°Aahhh!!! My friend, it is good to see you again!!¡± Melk growled and stood up. His girthy tail started to loudly tap the ground.


    Bonk! Bonk! Bonk!


    ¡°Noo!!! Sirs, I¡¯m sorry!!!¡± Myil suddenly exclaimed. He threw himself to the floor and prostrated himself, even going so far as to slam his head into the floor. He kept shouting his apologies while his fragile mind nearly shattered. The innocent noise of Melk¡¯s tail acted as a remembrance catalyst, one that unfortunately sent Myil back through time to a horrific scene. As a Koena, one with such pretty scales, a prior owner had desired him for his physical attractiveness.


    But what that deplorable previous master desired more than ever was relishing the facial expression of an abused slave as pain turned into pleasure. Even if it only lasted a single second, to them, that was worth leaving poor Myil alone with several foreign objects rammed inside him. One of those objects was the severed tail of a Kobold. It had a plug surgically attached to the base of it. One of Myil¡¯s former owners used to chase him around the mansion with it, all the while banging it on the passing furniture or door frames.


    It was a horrific game of hide-and-seek, but one that Myil was forced to play every day. And each day ended the same, with him tearfully crying himself to sleep but being unable to because of the excruciating pain originating from his backside.


    ¡°Please, sirs, not the tail!!! Not the tail!!! Anything but the tail!!! Master, I¡¯m sorry!!! Master, please!!! No, Master!!!!¡± Myil¡¯s cries continued, his desperate begging directly breaking Fisher''s, Melk¡¯s, and Kait¡¯s hearts. Fisher especially struggled against exploding into a crying mess. Right when Myil was going to bash his head again, Fisher dropped to the floor and slid his arm between the Koena¡¯s head and the floor. He pushed upwards while grabbing onto Myil¡¯s pants. He was so small and weak, and it barely took an iota of strength to flip him to his back, and that was when Fisher gave the tortured soul a hug he desperately needed. He held a hand to the back of his scaley head.


    The touch alone overloaded his fragmented mind, causing his body to shut down. Myil¡¯s cries ceased to be, and for the first time in a few years, he was finally able to get even a modicum of proper rest.


    Fisher sat the Koena down easily, then stood up and faced a wordless Kobold. He explained all about what happened since returning to Canary but failed to mention the reason why he left.


    ¡°How horrible¡­ No one deserves to be treated like that¡­ Not even the vilest criminal¡­¡± Melk growled. He wiped his teary eyes with a thick finger.


    ¡°I agree¡­ That¡¯s why I have a favor to ask. I¡¯ll even pay for it. You said you needed priests and nuns, right? Would you be willing to take in Myil?¡± Fisher asked. He was now sitting down in a chair, with Melk to his front and Kait just now returning to the room via the swinging door. She had a fluffy pillow in her hands, and she gently lifted the malnourished Koena to place it under his head.


    ¡°Do not think you need to pay for something I would gladly do for free¡­ Besides, the church has given a stipend to pay for two nuns and two priests. I will admit that he has experienced a past no one will envy. It will take a lot of work for him to see that he is worth something, and even then, the struggle will be an intense one. Unless he sees that there things to live for¡­ things to fight for¡­and things to ensure for¡­¡±


    ¡°Father Melk, Myil is even younger than I am¡­ I¡¯d say he¡¯s about twelve¡­ Maybe even thirteen¡­¡± Kait crouched down and ran a finger down Myil¡¯s chin. It brushed against his crackled scales, and she felt a harrowing sorrow in her heart. The bleeding and pain should have stopped, and depending on which healing skill Itarr used, Myil needed another few hours for his scales to be properly healed. It was also possible that they were healed, yet his malnourished body falsely believed they weren¡¯t.


    ¡°I can see that, Kait. That is why my heart is hurting all the more. For such things to happen at all is unpleasant, but for the target of such malice to be a child? It is reprehensible. There are not enough words in the dictionary to explain the disgust I am feeling¡­ And you said his former master was Hames Verily? I am not familiar with that name at all. While I cannot claim to know all of the nobility, I am knowledgeable about more than a fair few. If someone with that name, or representing that name, comes approaching, what should I do?¡±


    ¡°If anyone comes, refuse to allow them to meet with Myil. If they escalate the situation and threaten to become violent, just send for the guards. I¡¯ll give my men word that the Koena known as Myil is a free man. And if it comes to it, just send for me, and I¡¯ll come running. Myil¡¯s lived a hard life. He doesn¡¯t deserve to live in constant fear of abuse, betrayal, or abandonment.¡±


    Melk tapped the table with his thick fingers. The blue scales were like coagulated slices of purified water frozen in time. ¡°Thank you, friend, for offering to do that. Now, is there anything you need of me?¡±


    Fisher had his head towards Myil but turned to look at Melk¡¯s eyes. His unwavering stare read the Captain''s face, reading the truth hidden behind a mask of falsehoods. This mask had a harsh crack, and it might as been as if it didn¡¯t exist at all. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the faces of many with something to hide. After a while, you pick up on a technique to read a man just by looking at his face when he believes no one is looking. In my case, I can just¡­feel it. When you are ready, friend, just say so.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so friendly? And open? To me, to her¡­ To everyone¡­ You¡¯re living a selfless life¡­ A life so dedicated towards others that I almost want to find it sickening in how devoted you are.¡±


    ¡°That is what happens when you have stared Death in the face. Recall my story of the sickness of my childhood. I was rooted, unable to move¡­ Every hour, my family had to come if I was still alive, and if I was, they wept at the pain I was suffering from. It would have been one thing if I died on the battlefield. That would have been honorable! Even my father kept thinking about carrying me to the nearest battle and throwing me down with a sword I couldn¡¯t bear to hold. For a Kobold to die without fighting is what my kind believes is the greatest dishonor.


    ¡°My mother successfully argued against my father since she still had faith.  My father didn¡¯t want me to suffer anymore, and I can and do understand his position.


    ¡°Adulthood was a far cry¡­ Every time my eyes closed, I saw Death staring back at me. His bony arms raised his scythe, yet he faltered in the swing to take my life. My friend, I have eluded him with the help of that traveling doctor. It would only make sense that I would want to help others evade him, if only by a little bit.


    ¡°You see, I essentially regard my life as one that has ended. And this new life was given to me with the sole purpose of helping others. Should I die now, I will gladly pass on. But every moment that I can move this huge body¡­ Lift these powerful legs¡­ Work this educated brain to save others¡­ I will do so.¡±


    ¡°Father Melk!!!!¡± Kait slowly stood up and wiped her crying eyes with the back of her hand. She ran to the oversized Kobold and gave him a hug. He returned it, even though his hands were almost twice the size of her little head.


    She¡¯s certainly an emotional Singi¡­ She reminds me of Momo¡­


    ¡°Now then¡­ If you wish to use the confessional booth¡ª¡°


    ¡°I do, Melk¡­ I want to use it¡­¡± Fisher narrowed his eyes. Oddly enough, any quivering or trembling he thought would be there was absent. In all actuality...


    He unexpectedly felt calm and collected.


    Would that last, however?


    ¡°Very well. Kait, could you go soak two rags using the well in the backyard? Place them on Myil¡¯s wounds after cleaning them. If you do like I taught you, it will be fine.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Father Melk. I can handle it!¡± Kait lowered her veil and bandeau.


    Melk smiled a toothy grin that didn¡¯t mean to be devious, and Kait knew that. She skipped past the sliding door ahead of Melk and Fisher and scurried off to the backyard. The other two walked towards the imposing booths in the far back corner. Even as large as Melk was, these booths had to be bigger to support his massive body. Equipped with sliding doors, the pair entered at the same time, with Fisher taking the rightmost one.


    He had more than enough room to stretch his arms forward and to the side, but he couldn¡¯t say the same for the priest. It was spacious and a bit cold and unsettling. There weren¡¯t that many holes in the booth, other than the few located to his right, which allowed voice to pass through. But the lack of any openings to allow light to come from the candles or windows meant it was dangerously dark. It was hard to see his fingers even after his eyes had adjusted.


    ¡°Good afternoon, my child,¡± spoke Father Melk. He crossed his large arms and focused his breathing.


    ¡°Good afternoon, priest,¡± replied Fisher, who closed his eyes.


    ¡°Do you have something you wish to confess?¡±


    ¡°I do¡­ And I¡¯m ready to do it.¡± During his education, Melk had to experience being on both sides during mock confessionals, but not once had he ever been in a real one.


    He listened with an open heart and free mind. His lips were zipped closed, using all of his willpower to keep even the least audible breath from leaving his body.


    During the assault on Fisher¡¯s village, Melk was quiet. He avoided adding any of his own bias to the thoughts swirling around his mind.


    The various attacks and assaults were recalled with startling accuracy and vivid, gruesome details, causing Melk to believe he was physically present for the atrocities. When he blinked for a quick second, he felt the stench of death rise up through his nostrils.


    He nearly cracked underneath the guilt he believed Fisher must¡¯ve had when he recalled the events that led rise to the destruction of Sakdu¡¯s village. Of course, some particular details, like the aftermath of Sakdu¡¯s survival, a girl with a Goddess inside her soul, and the truth of Lando¡¯s Scar, had to be omitted.


    And instead of explaining his worries about what Sakdu would have done to him, his family, and Canary in case Servi wasn¡¯t there, he confessed that he was worried about ghosts of the past coming to steal his happiness just as he had done to them.


    It wasn''t a lie because it was true.


    Fisher gripped the edge of his seat so hard that his knuckles started to become pale. The pain forcing its way into his hurried words was genuine, and even though he had already cried all he could, his body had an extra source of tears at the ready.


    When the last word of confession left his unsteady lips, filling with sorrowful suffering, Fisher broke down again. In a flash, he felt angry, upset at what he momentarily thought was a horrific mistake. How could he trust this Kobold to keep this a secret? Did he have loose lips? Did he have a tendency to blather like a babbling child whenever sweet alcohol flowed down his throat? Or what about Kait? Or Myil? If those two were going to work with him, then what were the chances he might let it slip?


    Then a thought ruffled through his maze-like mind. How could he trust Servi and Momo while having his own reservations about Melk? Was his former bias against Kobolds about to rear its ugly head?!


    Fisher emerged out of the wide booth in a hurry, even slamming the sliding doors open so hard they nearly broke. Gods, he was an emotional mess. The salty tears just wouldn¡¯t stop leaking, and it felt like his heart was about to squeeze under unrelenting pressure.


    The booth next to his opened up with a similar slam, and two back-to-back slams caused Kait to emerge from the back room with a curious gaze. The tension was nearly malleable, filling the room with stress. Just one look at Fisher and his body language told her what she needed to know. Similarly, the tearful state of Father Melk filled in the gaps.


    Captain Fisher¡­ Father Melk¡­


    Kait went to slip back inside, but a sudden voice stopped her dead in her tracks.


    ¡°Please, do not leave. Kait¡­¡± To her surprise, it wasn¡¯t Father Melk¡¯s deep, guttural growl that halted her¡­


    It was Fisher¡¯s quivering voice¡­ It was just more a quiet murmur, a hint above an aged cat¡¯s meow.


    No!!!


    ¡°¡­ I have¡­¡±


    STOP IT!!! This was a mistake!!!!


    ¡°¡­to tell...¡±


    You fucking idiot!!!!


    ¡°¡­you something¡­¡±


    MOVE!!!! FUCKING MOVE!!!!


    Fisher¡¯s mind swirled around in a torrential hurricane. Thoughts, regrets, memories¡­ All bashed together in a painful headache.


    ¡°My friend¡­¡± growled Melk. His heavy footsteps nearly shook the church as he approached Fisher, who grasped at his head in complete agony.


    Another breakdown was coming, and instead of fighting it, he just¡­gave up and screamed to the high heavens. His chilling voice scattering throughout the modest church at a volume loud enough it could have awoken the dead.


    ¡°CAPTAIN!!!!¡± Kait¡¯s voice was the last thing he heard when his head slammed into the wooden floor. Darkness set about to conquer his eyes, and he was lost to the world.


    Fisher wasn¡¯t out for long because consciousness returned to his body a mere half-hour later. The first thing he was the hunched over, alligator-like face of a Kobold so blue he could have been considered a living gemstone.


    ¡°Bwhaaa!!!! My friend!!!!¡± cried the massive beast. He grabbed Fisher by the shoulders and lightly shook him. His body bounced and flopped, but when he felt something soft, he realized he wasn¡¯t on the hardwood floor. Was it a bed? It did feel smooth, but a few spots were lumpy and hard. But other than the dull ache on the back of his head, he felt fine.


    Well, as fine as he could be with a 400-kilogram Kobold crying into his face. Fisher looked past that and realized the ceiling was the same as the church¡¯s, so he knew he wasn¡¯t in a different spot. And the smell of blood lingered in the air, tickling his nostrils. That meant Myil was still close by. Even if his wounds were cleaned, that scent would remain for a while longer.


    ¡°Father Melk, you have to give him some room!¡± chastised Kait, who just strolled through the swinging door. She held a moist rag in each hand. Fisher looked to his left, but there was just a wall. He couldn¡¯t lean up, so the last option was to his right, and he saw Myil¡¯s calm face. Only when he was asleep did he look his age.


    ¡°But¡­ But¡­ I¡¯m just so happy!!!¡± howled Melk. He stood up off a stool that shouldn¡¯t have supported the Kobold. Its thin wooden legs should¡¯ve cracked the moment the big lad sat down.


    Kait walked over and kneeled down, putting a rag to his head. ¡°You fell pretty hard¡­ Take it easy, okay?¡± Her veil and bandeau were raised up, but her lovely ears were twitching.


    ¡°How can I¡­take it easy¡­? Melk, I shouldn¡¯t have said anything¡­ My vows¡­ I¡¯m not even strong enough to carry them¡­¡± Fisher ignored Kait¡¯s wishes and swung his legs off of the makeshift bed, which was nothing but a thin mattress that sat on top of a long, small table. It wasn¡¯t in here before he passed out, so there must have been a storage room or something. If not that, then a shed in the backyard?


    ¡°On the contrary, friend, it is just what you needed. Holding such things in for a decade¡­ I can¡¯t even imagine how it has torn you apart. Even less was the fact that you¡¯re still here to this day¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you tell her?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. A confession is secret from all, even from my closest allies. The only way anyone will know is if you tell them¡­ Do you think that is what your heart needs?¡±


    Kait realized an important conversation was starting while she boiled some water for tea. It was a good thing she filled the pot earlier so she wouldn¡¯t have to make another trip to the well.


    ¡°Kait¡­ What do you think of me?¡± asked Fisher. He stood up and walked to the table that Melk sat around. He looked to Myil, who was lying on a makeshift bed of his own, then sat down.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re a captain. And you do have a reputation for being an incredibly harsh trainer¡­ And then there¡¯s your title¡­ Justice Captain¡­ They say that there isn¡¯t anyone out there who could match your desire for what the concept of Justice should be. And that¡¯s all I really know. Oh¡­ And I know you have a family¡ªa wife and two little girls.¡± Kait reached up to take a box of tea leaves from a cabinet above the stove. She gave them a small sniff and smiled at the sweet odor they emitted.


    ¡°I¡¯m don¡¯t have an ounce of justice within my bones¡­ That was just an idiotic, hurtful title a man named Arnold forced me to carry¡­ And it originated from an incident that was only senseless slaughter¡­¡± whispered Fisher.


    For a second time, he recounted the same confession he told Melk, word for word and tear for tear. He refused to look up to see what obviously hateful expression Kait had on her face. Any second, he expected to feel a pot full of boiling water burn his face and a pair of thick arms trying to crush his head.


    Why would he expect anything else? He stood up in preparation for the abuse he thought he rightly deserved to bear.


    It was so easy to understand why he gasped in anxiousness and fright when the hands that did approach him only wrapped themselves around from the back. Even as the kettle screamed itself to death with boiling water, warm, salty tears dropped from Kait¡¯s eyes and onto Fisher''s cloaked back.


    ¡°Why¡­aren¡¯t you upset¡­? Both of you¡­?


    ¡°Because¡­ Because¡­¡± Kait couldn¡¯t force the words out, so Melk finished it.


    ¡°Because, my friend, you were just as tortured. Seeing your sister die like that¡­ And the rest of your friends perish through an attack¡­ You might not think you are one, but you were a victim all the same. But that doesn¡¯t mean you can be cleared of any blame. At the end of the day, you were responsible for the deaths of innocents. But before I continue, what were you opening to obtain by confessing? Was it peace of mind? Forgiveness? Absolution? Clemency? Atonement? All of the above? Or neither one?¡±


    Fisher remained quiet, forcing a growing sob to flow back down his throat.


    ¡°You also told me of your nightmares¡­ But if you were hoping that they would end just because you confessed, then that is not how the world works. It isn¡¯t how your mind or brain works. And even if it did, your internal soul would warp that false sense of comfort, and your nightmares would only increase in their ability to terrorize you.


    ¡°While you were unconscious, I sent Kait out to fetch a few things. When she came back, she overheard a rumor. Mind you, rumors spread faster than an out-of-control tornado, and with how false they can be, it is often better to hear it from the person. So let me ask you this¡­ Fisher, did you pay to free Myil?¡±


    He didn¡¯t know how he gathered the strength, but Fisher slowly nodded his head.


    ¡°I see¡­ And why did you do that? Did you do it because of your past? Because you wanted to? Or because you wanted to follow your own moral highway, even if you have to throw legality to the side?¡±


    Fisher remained still, holding his breath as if it was illegal to breathe.


    ¡°I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter that much because, at the end of the day, Myil can live as freely as you and I. With that said, I do want you to know this, and while I¡¯m not saying this to harm you, it will be brutal to hear.¡±


    Melk took in a deep breath, then steadied himself.


    ¡°Fisher Jin¡­ If you think doing good deeds will lessen the pain, you are a weak man. You have stolen hundreds of lives, and a harmful feeling like regret will not change that. Feeling sorry for yourself is outright disgusting for the amount of harm you have caused.  When your life does come to a natural end, do not expect to find yourself in the Heavens Above with your wife and children. A thousand acts of kindness does not outweigh a moment of regret. Keep that in mind.


    ¡°At the same time, I do find it honorable that you have started to work your way towards being a better man. And in fact, that is the least that can be asked of you. For I believe it is your task to live. Live not for yourself but for the ones that have passed. The good that you will bring to the world should be for them, not you. Because at the end of the day, you are alive, and they are not.


    ¡°But that does not mean that the happiness you feel can be disregarded. Don¡¯t stifle any smiles you may have towards your children, and don¡¯t even fathom not loving your wife because you think you need the additional punishment. In all essence, the best thing you can do is just live while striving to make the world a better place. Not just for you, but for all the ones who aren¡¯t with us today. Create the world they weren''t able to experience.¡±


    ¡°But is that enough?!?!¡± Fisher blurted out. ¡°What about those that come to seek revenge?!¡±


    ¡°It does feel uncomfortable, does it not? You must live with that incorrigible feeling until you¡¯re strong enough. As for whence that will be? Only you know¡­ As for the revenge? I do not know what to say to that since it is a very real fear. Living every day in constant horror is not the way to live, friend. If you think that behind every shadow is a scar of your past, then it is no small wonder you are still standing here today. But should that ever happen, and you find yourself staring at a shade of your past, come and call for me. I will swear it upon my life that you have learned and grown into a better man.¡±


    Kait removed herself from her hug and walked around until she was in front of Fisher. She grabbed one of his hands and held between two of her own. With a tear-stained face, she offered her own words.


    ¡°Captain, like Father Melk said, you are a victim. And I do feel for you¡­ I really do¡­ Your story is a sad one, but it''s not one that hasn¡¯t been shared by many. You have my support! And Father Melk¡¯s support as well. Anything uttered in this house of worship will remain here. Your confessions are safe here¡­ And if something happens that requires Father¡¯s Melk¡¯s support¡­ Well, I¡¯ll come and help too!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you two afraid of me?¡± asked Fisher. His eyes were as red as blood and as raw as an onion. With the snot flowing down his nose and the quivering noises he made, he was a visual mess. ¡°Why would you put your lives on the line for me?!¡±


    ¡°Do we have a reason to be afraid? Stop thinking you¡¯re the same man that did those terrible sins. You. Are. Not. Him. If you were, then you wouldn¡¯t have had a family, you wouldn¡¯t have been anguishing yourself over this, and you definitely wouldn¡¯t have come here. This is a church exclusively staffed by Demi-Humans, and you brought a Koena here. A Koena, mind you, that you¡¯ve paid to free from slavery!! That was something the you of the past would have never done.¡± Kait smiled, her ears adorably twitching as if to further reinforce the fact that she wasn¡¯t afraid at all. ¡°And you¡¯re always putting your life at risk. Every morning, when you wake up and put on your armor, you¡¯re standing guard for Canary and her people against any criminal that might try to harm her.¡±


    Truth be told, Kait really did regard Fisher as something of a bonafide hero. In the past, he once stopped a thief that had stolen her mother¡¯s purse. It was during a busy day, and the brazen criminal thought he could use that to his advantage. It all happened when he was still far from being the captain he was now, but Kait remembered. She can vividly recall how he rushed out, bolting like a dart of lightning whole dodging and hopping around people and carts. He looked so inspiring and heroic, too, when he tackled the criminal to the ground and tied his hands together with rope.


    That was just a few years ago, but Kait was an impressionable young Singi. It almost set her heart aflame with happiness to know that she was able to help her hero.


    Ahh, but he probably doesn¡¯t remember that. It was just an out-of-the-blue incident¡­ But if he hadn¡¯t done that, then mama and I wouldn¡¯t have been able to eat dinner that night¡­

 Book Four – Interlude – Part Four – A World That Could Have Been

    For the next few hours, Melk and Kait became something akin to Fisher¡¯s therapists. He just kept speaking about the trauma, and while the brisk, sharp words from Melk had edges to them, they were what he needed. If he had been any other race but a Kobold, this little healing session probably wouldn¡¯t have worked half as well.


    By the end of it, the words flowed as freely as if he was talking to his wife. Melk and Kait even tossed in a few jokes here and there as the topic shifted from his past to the upcoming festival. Kait, in particular, really wanted to know the specifics of how something so grand was organized, and Fisher was happy to tell her. He often sat in on the preparation meetings, so he was experienced in organizing large-scale gatherings.


    And within the blink of an eye, five hours had come and gone. Without the assistance of Fisher¡¯s Lux Sphere and a few candles, the little back office of Melk¡¯s church would have been devoured by darkness.


    Fisher stood up, feeling some tension in his neck, and after rolling his head around, sighed when he heard an audible pop. He had been sitting for so long that even his legs felt disoriented and confused, but a few quick stretches got the blood pumping.


    ¡°Melk, what are you going to do about Myil?¡± asked Fisher. He reached for the glass of tea on the table and swallowed about half of it. It was smooth, flowing down this throat while leaving behind a trail of succulent sweetness.


    ¡°I do not know¡­ I did not think the boy would be asleep for this long.¡± Melk turned his head to stare at Myil, breathing a sigh of relief when his little chest moved up and down. He had done a quick check on the lad, and Fisher offered to do one as well, but neither noticed anything alarming. He did have scars galore, but most were scabbed over.


    ¡°He must¡¯ve been through a lot,¡± noted Kait. She was leaning against the table with her chin balanced on her hands. A snow-colored tail lazily swam through the air as a yawn escaped from her adorable mouth. ¡°And I guess no one showed up today¡­¡±


    ¡°That is because we only meet one day a week for service. When they do come, we will all be busy. Until then, we remain open to offer any assistance in any way we can,¡± replied Melk.


    Just then, Kait¡¯s ears picked up a set of footsteps. She told Melk, and he stood his large body up and walked through the door.


    ¡°Father Melk! I hope my daughter hasn¡¯t been giving you any trouble,¡± said a woman from the other side.


    ¡°Mama!¡± The Singi stood up and scampered away so fast she nearly tripped on thin air. She bolted through the swinging door and ran to hug her dearest mother.


    Fisher emerged outright as the spitting image of Kait, only visually older and having bigger breasts, rubbed her daughter''s head between her ears. She wore a loose-fitting apron, so perhaps she had just come from making dinner?


    ¡°Oh? I didn¡¯t know Captain Fisher was here,¡± said Kait¡¯s mother. She smiled in a way that only a mother could and introduced herself. ¡°My name is Kaitlyn. I hope my daughter hasn¡¯t given you any trouble.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that, ma¡¯am. I¡¯d say I was the one who gave her trouble, but she helped me pull right through,¡± Fisher smiled. Just seeing Kaitlyn¡¯s face reminded him of his wife. She expected him to come home today, but she just didn¡¯t know what time.


    I can¡¯t wait to hold you in my arms, Marissa¡­


    ¡°Mama!¡±


    ¡°Yes, dear?¡±


    ¡°Father Melk?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°What do you think about us taking care of Myil? At least for tonight? Mama, is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Myil?¡± She had a justified expression of confusion and puzzlement. And only after Father Melk explained a stretched truth of Myil¡¯s circumstances did she take the time to think on it.


    ¡°The poor thing¡­¡± she uttered. She walked to the back room with her daughter, Melk, and Fisher and laid eyes on his frail little body. ¡°Oh¡­ He¡¯s so thin¡­and sickly. How could anyone do this to a child¡­¡± Her eyes bordered on the verge of tears. As a mother, her child was the most important thing in her life, and just imagining the pain Myil¡¯s mother must¡¯ve felt nearly shattered her loving heart.


    She didn¡¯t know that it was Myil¡¯s mother who set him on this life of horrific experiences after selling him for a plate of food. Not all mothers were created equally concerning the love they had for their offspring. Myil¡¯s motherly affection lasted all of two and a half weeks.


    ¡°Father Melk, please allow us to take care of him!¡± Kaitlyn said.


    ¡°Of course. I trust you and your daughter. And to lessen the monetary strain, I can arrange for a small stipend to be delivered to you. Oh, it will come from young Myil¡¯s pay, but I will see to it that he will be properly compensated. Of course, that is if he agrees to work. By no means will I force him to do what he does not want to do. Should he refuse, I will still find a way to see to it that he will get the help he needs.¡±


    Damn, he really is a saint¡­ I wonder if he would agree to work at the orphanage? I can¡¯t really think of someone more deserving of the job than him¡­ Or maybe that can be a good role for Myil? Even Kait? Possibly Kaitlyn as well¡­? She does seem to be good with children, and she obviously cares for them.


    ¡°Thank you, Father Melk. I truly appreciate the good you¡¯re doing,¡± said Kaitlyn. Her tail zapped around, eventually brushing against her daughter''s tail. They intertwined into a spiraling helix, then effortlessly came apart.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind carrying him to your house. If you¡¯ll allow it, that is.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, captain!¡±


    Kaitlyn nodded along with her daughter''s words, and Fisher walked over and placed one hand under Myil¡¯s knees. The other went to support his upper back.


    He doesn¡¯t even weigh 20-kilograms¡­


    ¡°Captain Fisher¡ª¡±


    ¡°Please, you can just call me Fisher. Between us, ¡®captain¡¯ is a bit too formal for my taste," he said.


    Kaitlyn corrected herself with a cute giggle. ¡°Fisher, thank you for doing this. We just live right down the street if you can believe it, so it isn¡¯t a long walk at all.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± replied Fisher. He turned to Melk and gave him a sturdy nod. The Kobold placed a hand on Fisher''s shoulder in a show of friendly affection, then held the door open for him. He walked out into the main room of the church, and Kaitlyn and her daughter followed behind. After a last-minute conversation, the three walked out of the place of worship and onto an empty street.


    Though the moon reigned supreme in the sparkling sky, darkness did not devour buncombe street. Torches and oil lamps were scattered about at set distances, providing a warning glow that felt so comforting.


    About five houses down was a cute little thing, with two floors and a handful of windows. Red brick was its constructional material of choice, along with an oak door. There was a simple red bow underneath the peephole.


    ¡°See? I told you it wasn¡¯t that far,¡± said Kaitlyn. It only took them two minutes at most to travel to their destination. Most of that time was spent walking as slowly as possible as to not wake up Myil. His little chest heaved up and down, and the strain in his face meant he was alive. And physically, the wounds from Jimmy and his gang were already healed. Cosmetically, the scales in those affected areas were a bit crooked, and they would stay that way for a while longer.


    Kaitlyn pulled a key from an apron pocket and unlocked the door.


    ¡°Captain, you can put Myil on the couch! Mama, I¡¯ll go get a blanket and a pillow!¡± Kait flew off like a bat out of hell the moment her mother took the key out of the door. She held a hand to her face and giggled.


    ¡°She certainly has a lot of energy. When she was a kitten, she only slept for half an hour at most before she was bouncing off the walls.¡±


    ¡°My daughters are the same way,¡± Fisher replied. He followed Kaitlyn through the entryway and into the living room, which was nice and cozy. The aforementioned couch was a soft green, big enough to fit three or four Elves, but maybe half a Kobold. He laid Myil¡¯s body down softly. ¡°I don¡¯t know how Marissa can keep up with them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because she¡¯s a mother! Hehe!¡± Kaitlyn giggled and walked into the kitchen nearby, and that was when Kait flew into the living room with the speed of an eagle. She slammed on the breaks on the brown rug but kept going, sliding so fast that she almost ran into the wall, but Fisher reached out to stop her just in time by grabbing into her hooded veil.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± she replied. Dashing back to the couch, she plopped the pillow held under her arm to the floor and fluffed out a red blanket she had stashed under her other one.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± replied the captain. He reached for the pillow and stuffed it under Myil¡¯s sleeping head. Kait was too busy ticking him in. Then he took out his pocket watch and explained that he needed to get back home. ¡°Oh, but I¡¯ll try my best to swing by the church while I¡¯m on patrol to check on Myil. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be awake by then.¡±


    ¡°Would you like a cup of tea or coffee before you leave?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m fine,¡± he replied to Kaitlyn. The kitchen was just separated from the living room by a waist-high counter, so she could easily watch Myil.


    ¡°Bye-bye, captain!¡± Kait said, waving. She had taken up residency on the nearby chair. She stared at Myil while playing with her tail.


    ¡°Make it home safe, Fisher,¡± Kaitlyn replied. She walked Fisher to the door and waved goodbye as he started off towards his house. Her tail swooshed in a zig-zag pattern while her mind went to the topic of food. She had a tasty roast already prepared to celebrate Kait¡¯s very first job, and it was about time to get that out of the oven.


    I don¡¯t really know that much about Koena physiology¡­ I should definitely ask around tomorrow since it¡¯s up to me to give the poor boy the happy childhood he deserves.


    Kaitlyn had the best of intentions. One could even say that was her fatal flaw because she was just so trusting of others, but luck must¡¯ve been on her side from day one. Because if she knew how dark, unsettling, and depressive the world was, it was highly doubtful she would have kept that cheery expression.


    But perhaps she did know how cruel the world could be. And how beautiful it could have been. And maybe that was just the type of Singi Kaitlyn was¡ªsomeone who saw the best in those that had forgotten what it felt like to be wanted and loved.


    Her husband¡ªlate husband¡ªwas almost the same. As a slave, he was forced to endure a life of being a miner, working over 17 hours per day with little to no food. Until one day, his owner had decided to give him his freedom on their deathbed. That came too little too late as the horrid conditions of the mine¡¯s meant he didn¡¯t have adequate protection. Only the Heavens knew just how much dusty, poisonous smoke he inhaled through his lungs. Black lung, they called it, when soot-colored smoke accompanied whenever he spiraled into a coughing fit. It did a rightful number on his health, weakened his body, and right when it seemed that all was lost, he met Kaitlyn.


    She was a young thing¡ªbarely over the age of eighteen who was looking to carve out a spot as a seamstress in this competitive world. It was a meeting of sheer coincidence in a small alley near her mentor¡¯s shop on the streets of Adenaford. There was just something about him that caught her eye, and romance blitzed to life in the coming months.  By the first anniversary, Kait¡¯s father was growing weaker and weaker, now being unable to stand for more than a couple of minutes. And a week later, he couldn¡¯t move out of bed. A doctor came and tried to help, but the toll of the mine was catching up fast.


    The last thing he wanted before passing was to leave a token of his love behind, and the only thing he could do was to give the woman he loved a child. With him being as weak as he was, his body was sore to even the slightest touch. He couldn¡¯t endure the texture of a washcloth, let alone the weight of a woman! Especially on his hips!!


    But he did. He bore through the pain¡ªforcing himself to grow erect as Kaitlyn¡¯s shaking hands rubbed his crotch. Her tears and his tears could have made it seem like neither of them wanted to do this, but that was the furthest thing from the truth. They were just so madly in love that seeing the other in pain made it transfer over. Kaitlyn had fought through the tears while lowering her hips, torn between wanting to cover her ears so she wouldn¡¯t hear his cries of agony.


    But as that fateful night made way for the sun, the deed was done. Her husband¡¯s seed wasn''t potent, but it must¡¯ve shared his desire to leave behind a gift.


    And nine months later, eight months after the funeral, beautiful Kait¡ªa miracle and proof of a devoted love, took her first cry.


    Kindness, even a tiny drop in a world where it was sorely lacking, could go a long way in restoring faith in a boy that never really had the chance to nurture it. Just like it did to a man that believed he was fated to die alone. Meeting Kaitlyn changed his entire life, and Kaitlyn hoped she could provide this frightened boy with a reason to live and struggle until he could find his happiness.


    After making it home, Fisher emerged into a quiet, dark living room. His pocket watch told him it was a little bit past 9:47 PM, which was admittedly a few minutes past his daughters¡¯ bedtime, but he still hoped they were awake. Like always, when he ever arrived home late, he always had to stop by his children¡¯s room to give them their nightly peck on the forehead. It also gave him a chance to make sure they were tucked tightly into bed, as his girls had a tendency to sleep in odd positions. ¡°Good night, girls. Daddy loves you,¡± he whispered while gently shutting the door. He walked down the hall but doubled back to go down the stairs to the first floor to check the door.


    I¡¯m kind of mentally exhausted¡­ Good thing I did that because it was unlocked¡­ Father Melk said it was okay to enjoy something, so it won¡¯t be the worst thing to get some rest¡­ Marissa¡¯s probably up, though. I¡¯ve certainly missed her touch...


    After taking off his cloak and storing it and his sword in his Dimensional Storage, Fisher crept back up the steps and made his way to the master bedroom. Upon slowly turning the silent handle and cracking it open, Fisher walked into a void of darkness. A moment later, a Flash Stone glimmered to life, erasing the dark with a glorious, bright light.


    ¡°Just so you know, you¡¯re going to lay on this bed and let me love you! Wife¡¯s orders!¡± said a playful Marissa, who was dressed in a lacy negligee. She was sitting crossed leg on the bed and stared at smiling Fisher. The item responsible for the brightness rested in her outstretched hand.


    ¡°Is this another one of my punishments for coming home later than I said?¡± joked Fisher. He started to undress, taking off his rather generic gear. His cloak was already off, but he still had to slip off his tunic, chainmail, and undershirt. Those items went right into his Dimensional Storage as he walked over to the bed.


    ¡°Yep! You better pay the warden!¡± His wife smiled and closed her eyes. She was expecting something, and he knew what it was.


    A hand went to her face and stroked her cheeks. Another hand went to her head and played with her hair while their lips connected. Oh, how he missed his wife¡¯s kisses! And judging from how passionate she was getting with her tongue, she missed her husband as well. It was almost a regret that the two of them had to come apart for different reasons. For Fisher, he had to get undressed and ready for bed. And Marissa, even though she loved how her husband smelled, figured he¡¯d want to rest his tired body in a warm bath.


    ¡°I really did miss you, dear. How is your heart? Did you settle everything?¡± she asked while standing up off the bed. She removed her sleeping garments since she obviously wanted to share a bath with her husband.


    ¡°¡­I did¡­ At least, I think I did. But something did happen¡­¡± Fisher stripped off the last of his clothes and stored everything inside his ever-helpful Dimensional Storage. He slightly dreaded at the forthcoming laundry day that was approaching fast, but that vanished when Marissa kissed his back and wrapped her hands around his stomach. Her soft fingers pressed into his abdomen while her lovely chest and perky nipples massaged his back. Her thighs squirmed for just a moment, allowing a delicious liquid to glisten down.


    ¡°You can tell me all about when we¡¯re in the bath.¡±


    Two or three minutes later, a hazy mist of steam filled the bathroom, slightly obscuring a pair of bodies. Marissa had sat down first, the hot water coming up to the top of her breasts. She had her legs outstretched, which made just enough room for her husband to slip inside. He leaned back between her perky, rich breasts, and she kissed the top of his head while drawing little hearts on his chest.


    ¡°Okay! So, you want to tell me what happened? Your wife is all ready to lend you her adorable ears,¡± Marissa said in her lovely voice. Fisher started from the very beginning¡ªwhen he was sat around the crater and went into explicit, vivid details of how it made him feel. Just the raw power needed to make something even a quarter deep and half as wide is unimaginable.


    ¡°When you look at it¡­ You just¡­feel so insignificant¡­ You could probably plop down a couple thousand towns inside it, and it still wouldn¡¯t be filled up¡­ And the Goddess responsible for it is living..."


    ¡°Are you scared of her?¡±


    ¡°Would you still love me if I said I was?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Fishy, we all have things we¡¯re afraid of. Even me¡­ But you said you trust her. That means I¡¯ll trust her too. But about Sakdu¡­¡± After kissing the top of his head again, Marissa listened as Fisher explained his apology and a world that could have been. She even took a few minutes to imagine the scenario Fisher described, wondering how her life would have changed. She did feel that she was always destined to fall in love with her one and only, so that was the same. And Mari and Meri were always going to be their darling children. But if Fisher had taken a different job¡ªone that wasn¡¯t a guard, then would the reaction of her father stay the same? What about the ¡®Fairhold¡¯ name?


    I¡¯d still end up being stripped of my last name, but I¡¯m so far over it because ¡®Jin¡¯ sounds much better. It may only be a court-appointed last name in regards to one of Fishy¡¯s promotions, but it¡¯s worth more to me than ¡®Fairhold¡¯ will ever be. Father and mother were foolish to disregard my lovely husband because he was ¡®just¡¯ a guard¡­ Now, look at him¡­ There is no one else above him.


    ¡°It is¡­fun? No, it might be interesting to think about alternate realities, but darling, we live in the now¡­ But if you could change the world¡­ Would you really go through with it?¡±


    ¡°I have to. It¡¯s the least of what I could do. Especially for Mafi and Fia¡­ Mari and Meri¡­ And the others I¡¯ve killed. Our little girls don¡¯t share the same prejudice I once had, so when they look at Fia, they¡¯ll just see a potential friend¡­ Marissa, it just feels like if there¡¯s ever a chance, I have to take it¡­ Would you support me? Your selfish husband if that ever arises?¡±


    ¡°Would you allow your selfish wife to support her selfish husband? We¡¯re a team, darling. You, me, our little angels¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha!!!¡± Fisher chuckled and leaned his head up. Marissa lowered her head slightly and kissed her husband on the lips.


    ¡°I love you¡­¡±


    ¡°I love you, too. So, what else happened?¡± Marissa asked, wanting her husband to continue. She could tell that there was something else on her mind, and she didn¡¯t expect the tears to fall when Myil¡¯s situation audibly broke through the misty haze. Just imagining a child being tortured to such an extent that a simple noise¡ªone that was heard very frequently¡ªcould bring him back to a scene of horror. She felt for the child¡ªshe really did. That was why her mind started thinking about something she could do for him. Perhaps she could make a nice treat? Marissa could bake a tray of cookies or a cake.


    After Fisher mentioned the confession, Marissa rubbed his cheeks. ¡°That must¡¯ve been hard. Were you scared?¡±


    ¡°I was¡­ When it was over, I was so upset with myself because I didn''t imagine the possibility of it leaking to anyone. Then Kait came out from the back room, and my mind just decided that I had to tell her. And I did¡­ After passing out and waking up.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can tell it went just fine.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it did. But confessing my sins¡­to the race I used to hate the most¡­was hard¡­ But Father Melk¡­ He¡¯s not even half my age, but he always knows just what to say¡­ And not just being reassuring, but being strict and harsh¡­ He even berated me for feeling sorry for myself¡­ And Kait¡­ She helped me through it as well.¡±


    ¡°It seems like Father Melk has a very capable nun in his hands. But more importantly, it seems as if you got the support you needed. What about Myil?¡± Marissa asked.


    ¡°Kait¡¯s mother, Kaitlyn, is taking him in. She said she¡¯ll care for him.¡±


    ¡°That name sounds familiar¡­ Is she a Singi?¡±


    ¡°She is.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Fishy! That¡¯s the woman who did our daughters¡¯ costumes. Remember last year? On Hallow¡¯s Eve? Meri had antlers, and Mari had bunny ears on their heads? She¡¯s the woman who made those.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a small world, isn¡¯t it?¡± Fisher said. He leaned back down a bit further and turned his head to the left. Marissa¡¯s lovely breasts were waiting for him, and he found it rude to not show his affection for his wife. That, of course, had gotten her in the mood, and she reached down his stomach until her hands came across his erect penis.


    The two love birds then began to make up for lost time, with Fisher coming to orgasm four times and his wife seven. They did it in the tub, on the floor, on the counter, inside the shower, with the hot water washing over their sweaty bodies. Marissa used every bit of knowledge about sex that she had, and Fisher did the same.


    And afterwards, after washing themselves clean of each other¡¯s fluids, two laid in bed with Marissa¡¯s head resting on his chest. She explained all of the fun and excitement she and their daughters had. With a simple smile on his face, Fisher listened with a mind that was nothing but joyful.


    ¡°The girls and I did talk about something interesting. Darling, why don¡¯t we start a family training program? I may not have cut it at Warden, but I was trained in the art of fencing. It doesn¡¯t have to be anything strenuous, and I know how you feel about them joining Warden or having to fight. But it is best to be prepared for a situation than to be blindsided by it,¡± Marissa said.


    She does make a good point¡­


    ¡°Alright¡­ Next time I have a day off, I¡¯ll snag some wooden swords from the armory. But you know, it isn¡¯t my choice to decide what they do with their lives. I can¡¯t forbid them from joining Warden¡­ Making sure they have the skills to survive anything is a requirement of a father, right?¡±


    ¡°And a mother! Don¡¯t forget that, dear.¡± Marissa looked up and kissed Fisher''s chin, then nuzzled her cheeks against his chest. She felt calm when listening to the beat of her beloved¡¯s heart.


    When it was time for the husband and wife to drift off asleep, they did so with their arms embraced around the other.


    And the nightmares? They never came. Nothing came to haunt the man who was so nearly taken by his grief that he once gave suicide a second thought. He may not have done so consciously, but the inner depths of his soul couldn¡¯t help but stare at Lando¡¯s Scar¡ªnoticing just how painless death would be if he had simply taken a tumble.


    He was not aware of just how close he came to ending it all.

 Book Four – Interlude – Part One – The Captain’s Elegy

    RuggyRuggy


    There is another interlude after this, but this is the last one that primarily deals with Fisher.


    ¡°Hey! Good morning, Captain Fisher! How was the investigation?¡± said an excitable Mire, who was talking to the receptionist Roland about a few things. He looked up from a document to raise a friendly hand. The scars on his face and hairless head hinted he was quite the adept fighter.


    Or at least he was in the past.


    ¡°Mire, Roland, good morning,¡± replied Fisher, who had just walked right into the headquarter''s lobby. He wore his signature black armor, but looking at the scratched-out name didn¡¯t cause him as much pain as it used to do. He rubbed his chin and slightly grunted from a dull ache.


    ¡°You alright there, captain? Did you get hurt?¡±


    ¡°I did, but not by who you think,¡± Fisher answered Mire¡¯s query. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen my daughters in a while, and I didn¡¯t get back until late¡­ And well¡­ They didn¡¯t like the fact that I chose not to tell them I was home, even though it was past their bedtime. This morning, they rushed into the room, jumped on the bed, and I took a flying knee to the chin.¡±


    ¡°Permission to laugh, sir?¡± said Mire, who was already giggling. Her pearl-colored hair danced atop her head. Her desert sand-colored ears were slightly tinted red from the laughter.


    The invincible Justice Captain wounded by a little girl? It¡¯s almost too funny to be true.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Sure¡­ Go ahead. But to answer your question, I didn¡¯t find anything. Even searched around and walked the entire crater but couldn¡¯t come up with anything interesting. Found a few people lounging around, but they didn¡¯t have much to say. Well, they weren¡¯t in the mood to talk at all,¡± Fisher replied.


    ¡°It sure is mysterious. With something that big, it almost makes you think there¡¯s a giant monster nearby,¡± said Roland. ¡°Oh, Captain Fisher?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°A letter came for you late last night. It''s from the governor. They¡¯re going to be here in about forty minutes for a meeting. Did something happen? I heard something about a small disturbance yesterday. Three of our junior guards didn¡¯t show up for the changeover.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably about that.¡± Fisher sighed.


    Mire tilted her head and crossed her armored hands across her breastplate. It was slim and form-fitting, the perfect shape to suit Mire¡¯s boyish chest. What she lacked in feminine aspects she made up for in her long legs, which were covered by lightened steel and prioritized maneuverability and speed. The sword dangling at her hips was just a plain metal blade with nothing special about it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain it later. You two see Tim anywhere?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s down on prison duty. Oh¡­ OH! Captain!!!¡± Roland suddenly stood up and slammed his hands down, causing his cup of coffee to fall all over his pants. After calling him down from expletive-filled tirade, Fisher demanded to know what had made him so heated.


    ¡°It¡¯s Jeri and Sea! I wish there was an easy way to say this, but¡­ They passed away in their cells while you were off at the crater.¡±


    ¡°What?!?!¡± Fisher slammed his two hands on the counter, causing Mire to hop back in fright. Even Roland, an experienced veteran, felt the fear of an angry Fisher suffocating his lungs.


    Fisher bolted off like a lightning storm, rushing off through the early morning, empty hallways. He dodged left and right, even slipping on a wet puddle that hadn¡¯t been cleaned up. When he reached the door leading into the prison, he tumbled down the steps like a newborn fawn trying to walk.


    Tim was yawning, but seeing his captain crash land hard jolted him awake. He drew his club and activated Pulmoni Oxygeni. His lungs circulated inside his scaled body, granting him increased stamina and strength for as long as he could endure the increased oxygen flow.


    ¡°Tim! Where are Jeri and Sea?!¡± demanded the captain. He slapped both hands on the desk beside Tim, causing it to break and shatter, something he didn¡¯t mean to do.


    ¡°Sir¡­ Did Roland not tell you? We discovered their corpses a few days ago.¡± He calmed down, canceled the innate ability belonging only to Koena, and sheathed his weapon.


    ¡°How?! Explain!¡±


    ¡°The medics did an autopsy and concluded that they must¡¯ve bitten their tongue. With no way to stop the bleeding, they died from blood loss¡­ I¡¯m sorry, sir¡­¡± Tim sheathed his weapon and looked upset. He didn¡¯t have that much affection or even friendliness for the two of them after they turned their blade against Canary¡¯s citizens, but he had worked with them before. If only barely.


    ¡°Show me the visitor¡¯s log,¡± Fisher said. Tim reached down into the bundle of wood that used to be a table and pulled out a small leather-bound book. Fisher took it, then read through it.


    What?! There¡¯s nothing here! Only Sea''s mother came to visit, and I was down here with her!


    Captain!!!¡± cried Mire, who finally caught up. She used her naturally given Elven ability to hop down the steps and dashed over to the captain. She gasped when she saw the broken table.


    ¡°Did they eat their food?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, they did. But only once. And I prepared the meal myself,¡± Tim replied. ¡°Captain, forgive me for failing you! They died under my supervision!¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t your fault.¡± Fisher closed the book and handed it to Tim. ¡°Dammit! I¡¯m heading to my office to think this through. Mire, come get me when it¡¯s time for the meeting.¡±


    ¡°Sir, yes sir!¡± saluted the eager Elf. It was a weak one since she had never seen her captain lose his cool like that in a situation that didn¡¯t involve training. As he darted up the stairs, Mire turned to Tim and noticed he was trembling in his armor.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she said.


    ¡°Mire¡­ It felt like I was staring death in the face¡­ I really thought he was about to end me¡­¡± Tim let loose a big sigh, then fell to his knees. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a face look that¡­angry or upset before¡­ I¡¯ve failed him¡­¡± He was a Koena that was big on duty and pride. For him to have given his word to Fisher the day before left and then to have failed him just a few days after? It hurt him a lot.


    ¡°Tim¡­¡± Mire crouched down and placed a hand to his shoulders. ¡°No, you didn¡¯t fail him. Not at all. No one could have predicted they¡¯d take their own life¡­ They might¡¯ve acted a bit nutty in the head, but neither showed any kind of behavior that would suggest self-harm or suicide.¡±


    Tim sat down, and Mire followed. She hugged her knees to her chest and listened to Tim speak about his past before the guard. Mire then spoke up and reminisced about her training. ¡°It certainly was hard, wasn¡¯t it? Enduring a month of that hell. Captain Fisher taught a group of Rank 10s, and I heard he didn¡¯t go easy on them¡­ Hey, did you break down when you killed your monster? You know, to graduate into being a full-fledged guard?¡±


    Tim nodded. ¡°I did. Every part of my body was shouting that it needed rest¡­ Even my scales started to chip in protest, but I knew that if I let my guard down, that flying beast with the sword stinger would have spelled the end of me¡­ When my weapon ended its life, I didn¡¯t know whether to be happy, sad, or upset at the captain for nearly killing me¡­ And you know, I soon myself wanting to thank him¡­ I was just a brat that wanted to fight, and he forged me into someone actually respectable. I¡¯ve never told anyone, but my mother was always ashamed of me¡­ She told me I would never amount to anything¡­ But look at me now! I¡¯m someone the captain wants to rely on! I was happy to tell my mother with pride that I¡¯m responsible for keeping my family and this city safe.¡±


    ¡°How¡­did she react?¡±


    ¡°She called me ¡®my son¡¯ for the first time in years¡­ What about you? Did you cry?¡±


    ¡°I did. For a couple of hours, actually. I was so sore I couldn¡¯t even twitch my ears, and I was so bloody¡­ It was hot, and I was emotional¡­ That¡¯s all I really remember. Don¡¯t even remember the fight, but the captain told me I was victorious.¡±


    ¡°When you joined the guard, did you do it for yourself? Or for your family, like me?¡±


    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t have a family anymore. I was part of Warden for about two and a half decades, but I never took it seriously and always found an excuse to bail at the last minute. My family was my party. My dad, my mom, my sister¡­ And then me¡ªthe youngest of the bunch. We¡­ We¡­¡± Mire scrunched her face, producing a melancholic expression similar to the death of the setting sun, and Tim placed a hand to her shoulder. He knew whatever must¡¯ve happened wasn¡¯t the kind of memory to be reflected upon more than once.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything else. I can infer from the rest.¡±


    ¡°Then you can imagine why I dropped out of Warden¡­ Even walking by the place makes me sick and reminds me of my failure. But I joined the guard for me¡­ I just had to get stronger, and when you hear about the Justice Captain¡­ Well, you have to see him for yourself¡­ How odd he was called that while still just a lieutenant. I guess it meant he was just right for the job.¡±


    Tim lightly chuckled. ¡°Seems like we both owe him for our friendship.¡±


    "I guess we do.¡± The room became quiet. Mire shifted her weight and stood up, dusting off her armor while stretching her arms up. Turning back to look at the grey Koena, she lent him an open hand. ¡°There¡¯s supposed to be a meeting soon, so let¡¯s get prepared for it," she said.


    Tim nodded and took the assistance, rising to his feet a moment later. ¡°Hey, thanks for speaking with me.¡±


    "Likewise. I enjoyed our little break. Now, we¡¯ve got a meeting to attend, so we might as well get prepared. If you can go unlock the room on the second floor, I¡¯ll go grab the captain.¡±


    ¡°You got it. See you in a little bit.¡± Tim patted Mire on the shoulder as he walked by her. Her eyes followed him up the stairs, and she smiled and skimmed a hand to the spot he touched.


    I¡¯ve never been one to talk so much about myself¡­ But I just felt comfortable with Tim¡­ We have been working together for about a year¡­ Leaving my family to die¡­ Does a wretched one like me deserve to feel this way about someone¡­? Especially a Koena¡­


    ¡°Captain, since this meeting is important, I hope you don¡¯t mind if Tim and I attend it,¡± Mire said when she walked into Fisher¡¯s office. The door was open, so she helped herself in. He was in the midst of getting a cup of coffee to his mouth while his eyes scanned over the first of what would be many, many reports. Even if he was away for a week or so, these were just too many.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± he said, setting the report down on the pile of documents. ¡°Did you get someone to cover his guard duty?¡±


    ¡°I did. Before I came here, Roland met up with me and said the governor is already in the meeting room on the second floor.¡±


    With a sigh, Fisher stood up and downed the rest of his morning drink. It was pure coffee with no milk, cream, or sugar. Right after learning the bad news, he went straight to the canteen to whip up something bold since he knew he would need it to get through the day.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit early, but I suppose we can¡¯t keep him waiting,¡± replied Fisher. He strolled out first, with Mire trailing behind. The walk to the second floor was deathly silent. From behind, the curious Elf tried her best to read Fisher, but it was like he had a mask of stoicism.  Yes, he had changed since Lieutenant Arnold had passed away, but even during his funeral, which didn¡¯t include a body since it couldn¡¯t be found, the captain kept a stern gaze.


    Shit¡­ I couldn¡¯t come up with anything¡­ Maybe the governor has... When this meeting is over, we can bounce off ideas and try to get to the bottom of this¡­


    When they reached the meeting room, Fisher expected to see at least six people max, maybe seven, but he certainly wasn¡¯t prepared for more than that.


    At the rectangular table, Governor Blas¨¦ obviously sat at the head. Blas¨¦''s black suit was standard for a man of his position, yet his hair had been combed over to the side. To his left was Eina, who wore the appropriate outfit of someone in a secretarial role. Her body thoroughly filled out that white button-up blouse, which was tucked into a short pencil skirt that didn¡¯t even reach her knees. With a black tie, black heels, and a sporty pair of glasses, she certainly looked like she was a secretary and not someone merely pretending to be one.


    Anyone with half a brain in their body could have seen they were twins. They shared the same golden blond hair, though Eina had hers in a sporty ponytail, and the same ocean-blue eyes. Even amongst nobles and royals, they were handsome and gorgeous.


    Tim was there as well, sitting three seats to the right of Blas¨¦. He was fumbling with a cloth to polish his cheek scales. To the side of Tim heading away from the governor was Jimmy and his goons. Behind them stood three men, and it didn¡¯t take long for Fisher to realize it was their fathers. He did only figure it was Jimmy because of their wounds. They perfectly matched the ones he inflicted on them the day prior.


    But they¡¯re nobles? Couldn¡¯t tell from the armor, but those clothes and watches are not something commoners owned. And why is he here¡­?


    The man Fisher referred to was one Nicholas Constantius. Dressed in his best robes, he sat beside Eina with his hands folded on the table. When the captain walked in, the bishop was the first to turn around and smile at him.


    With him and Mire being the last ones to arrive, Fisher and his subordinate took their places at the two seats between Blas¨¦ and Tim, with Fisher taking the one closer to the governor. It was only proper that the ones who held more political power sat close to the head of the table. That wouldn''t always be the case since it depended on the attendees themselves. Take, for example, someone like Eina. In reality, she was the daughter of Emperor Keywater, and through some sort of means, was given control of Canary along with her brother. Fisher knew he wasn¡¯t her political equal, but it was verifiable she held some power since she was partly responsible for Canary¡¯s well-being.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably wondering why I¡¯m here, captain. I had a few questions for the governor about unrelated matters, and he offered me a chance to sit in on this meeting. Depending on the situation, perhaps I could offer my thoughts or advice?¡± Nicholas said. He touched a hand to his necklace, which displayed the church''s symbol.


    ¡°I am glad for your advice, bishop,¡± replied Fisher. He kept a faux professional tone. If he¡¯s here, then this situation had to be about Jimmy and not Jeri and Sea.


    Blas¨¦ waited a second longer to see if anyone else was going to be joining them, then decided to get the meeting started after taking a breath. Like Fisher, he was forcing himself to put on a false display. But his struggles came from the physical sense and did not have anything to do with the state of his mind.


    Between the crater and Arcton, I haven¡¯t had a wink of sleep in two weeks. Father¡¯s asking for updates every day, these damn nobles are greedy with their demands for the proper locations for their festival stalls... And not to mention the struggles of running a town! Gods, it¡¯s times like this that I wish I could go back to Warden¡­ But mother¡­ I¡¯m¡ªQina and I are doing this for you¡­


    Blas¨¦ slightly tensed when he felt his sister nudge him in the shin with her foot. Her eyes seemed to deliver a message to get things started, and he returned the playful nudge. Then after adjusting his tie, he began the meeting. It was good he did so since the unbearable void of silence was growing all the more uncomfortable.


    ¡°Listen up. I take complaints against the guard as seriously as I would threats against my family because they are the force that protects this fair city. We have a case of alleged assault. Mr. Wihos, Jimmy Wihos¡¯s father, states that you attacked his son and friends. He also wishes to clarify that his son and friends¡ªFisher Jin¡¯s junior guards¡ªare only just that. Junior guards. Am I correct this far?¡± Blas¨¦ said. Presiding over what looked to be a standard court case wasn¡¯t what he had on the menu.


    ¡°You damn right I am!¡± barked Mr. Wihos. ¡°I want his ass to rot in a cell for hurting my son! His brutish behavior has scarred my boy for life!¡± Fisher listened to his ramblings, keenly nothing that the two men standing beside Jimmy¡¯s father refused to say anything. They were trying their hardest to avoid staring at the suspect of this case.


    ¡°Mr. Wihos, I have to ask that you calm down and lower your voice. Being loud does nothing to help your case.¡± Blas¨¦ raised a hand. ¡°Fisher, it is time for you to speak. You have a chance to tell your side of the story.¡±


    Fisher nodded, thanked the governor for the chance, and spoke about what happened while keeping Myil¡¯s name and gender hidden. He had his total privacy in mind and didn¡¯t even reveal he was a Koena. And as he expected, one individual allied with the church had immediate problems with a specific incident.


    Forgive my butting in, but is that true? Did you free a slave?¡± asked Nicholas. His face looked visibly distressed, almost as if he couldn¡¯t believe freeing one was even remotely possible. His age and experience kicked in, though, eliminating the worry and anxiousness from his face. Fisher nodded, verbally confirming it a second time. ¡°Captain, forgive me for being brash, but did the story I shared with you go in one ear and out the other?¡±


    ¡°Bishop, it is my job to protect Canary and its people.¡±


    ¡°Captain, property is not a person,¡± Nicholas argued.


    ¡°I do not agree with that statement,¡± Fisher fired back.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll say it again. Property cannot be a person. If a slave is considered property, and it is, then it stands to realize that every enslaved being is equal to property. It is easy to understand, you see?¡±


    ¡°If your church was on fire, and I could save either your book and scepter or a slave, what would you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d hoped you have enough sense to save my items. In terms of value and prosperity, they will add far more to the world than a simple slave. And my items, captain, are irreplaceable. Should a slave die¡ªas weak as they are¡ªI can only just go purchase another one.¡±


    Eina felt sickened to her stomach, but she knew that being upset as his words meant she would have to turn the proverbial dagger back on herself. Blas¨¦ shared his sister''s sentiment. They had ¡®helplessly¡¯ stood by and watched as a slave was executed right in front of them by a disgusting noble, and yet they couldn¡¯t do anything because he was their client. Going directly against one would be terms of immediate demotion, and at that point in their lives, they needed the experience.


    Even if it meant purposely allowing an innocent child to die for the sake of meeting their mother¡­


    Was it worth it¡­? To be promoted just a little bit faster¡­? Blas¨¦ tossed away those thoughts for the time being. They¡¯d have a place to be spoken during the dinner he and his sister would share, and the current situation was not suitable to bring those concerns to the forefront of his mind.


    ¡°In a crueler world, someone like me would have stood off to the side and let both the slave and your precious items burn to the ground. But as for me¡ªin the now...¡± Fisher tapped the table with an armored finger, causing five sets of eyes to cast themselves down. ¡°I have a duty to save the slave. Bishop, a book does not need to breathe. It is nothing but paper bounded together with leather. Your scepter is metal. I¡¯m sure you''re aware of this, but metal items do not require nourishment. They cannot drink. They cannot eat. Those qualities alone promote this ¡®slave¡¯ from mere property into a person.


    ¡°Then again, these hypotheticals are not needed because I did buy the slave for 500 dupla. They were my property, and I was fit to do as I pleased. And in that very moment, I was well within my rights to grant them their freedom.¡±


    ¡°Freeing the weak-willed will only hamper the quality of prayers sent to the Heavens Above.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that does not concern me. Bishop, I do hope you realize that the church does not make the rules. At least not in Canary. There is nothing legally preventing me from buying a slave and freeing them in the next second. Besides, these ¡®qualities of prayers¡¯ are not my concern. I am tasked with protecting this city and its people and doing what it needs to grow and thrive. Can¡¯t you see? I saw someone in need of assistance, and I helped them. It¡¯s as easy as that.¡±


    Nicholas subtly growled, his anger growing hotter by the second. ¡°Fine, where is this slave? I need to confirm with it that what you say is true.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you mean ¡®them?¡¯ I am not obligated to tell you their location. That information just isn¡¯t relevant to this discussion.¡±


    The case regarding Fisher and his treatment of his junior guards had been so tossed to the wayside that it wasn¡¯t on the agenda anymore. Mire and Tim, in particular, were taken back slightly, and it was then that they realized they knew absolutely nothing about their captain.


    Even the governor and his secretary were alarmed, and like Mire and Tim, the respect they had for the enigma known as Fisher Jin grew.


    ¡°Then how about this? Can you produce the deed? Where is this slave¡¯s contract of ownership?¡± Nicholas argued back. Fisher froze, then cursed himself for ripping it up.


    ¡°I ripped it. You tear up and throw away things that aren¡¯t needed, right? A free slave doesn¡¯t need that constant reminder they were once property.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a coincidence? If you cannot produce a contract for this slave, then we have no proof you bought it. As far as I am aware, you saw your junior guards doing what they were legally obligated to do, and you intervened to steal away their property for your own desire. Then upon them refusing, you inflict merciless pain upon their growing bodies to bend them to your will.¡± Nicholas had taken off the gloves of respect and went straight for the jugular.

 Book Four – Interlude – Part Two – The Captain’s Elegy

    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I paid 500 dupla for them.¡± That was the only thing Fisher could say. Without any proof, he couldn¡¯t really declare anything. Unless¡­ He was the third highest-ranking individual at the table. Jimmy was at the lowest rung¡ªjust a noble¡¯s bratty son who thought his status would grant him an easy time through the guard. It would have been easy to use his power and discredit the plaintiff with falsified stories. Because at the end of the day, a man with a nearly spotless record was more trustworthy than someone who ran to their father when something even remotely uncomfortable happened to them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s agree that you are telling the truth¡­¡± Nicholas¡¯s wrinkled hands removed the red stole from his neck and folded it carefully upon the table. He narrowed his eyes and spoke like his voice was a knife. ¡°Why would they take a paltry 500 dupla? The Wihos¡¯s estate has an income of such a level that 500 dupla is a drop in the proverbial ocean.¡±


    ¡°If 500 wasn¡¯t enough, I¡¯d have gone up to a thousand. If that wasn¡¯t enough, then two thousand. Four thousand. Hell, even ten thousand was what I was willing to pay because life is worth more than  coin. I believe we have gotten off track. Governor?¡±


    ¡°Captain Fisher is right. Bishop Constantius, we did not come here to discuss a slave. We are here to come to a decision upon the alleged use of force and if he stepped out of bounds.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re damn right he did! My boy¡¯s only 16!¡± proclaimed Mr. Wihos, whose face had started to become moist with sweat. It was warm in the meeting room. With its four windows and a brightly shining sun, it wasn¡¯t that hot. Fisher was comfortable in his black armor. Though perhaps Mr. Wihos''s favoritism for baked sweets was responsible. He was up there in size, though not as round as the late Parrel Keywater.


    ¡°Mr. Wihos, it was the young man sitting to your left that threw the first punch in retaliation of my freeing the slave I had just purchased. After taking him to the ground, your son attacked me, and I neutralized him. Perhaps their distaste for authority and inability to follow the commands of their captain is a result of poor parenting? I did tell them not to do anything foolish, but my words must¡¯ve not reached them.¡±


    Mr. Wihos¡¯s face turned as red as an apple. And so did his eyes. It was like a blood vessel had popped. He turned to Blas¨¦ and demanded him to do something about the captain.


    ¡°Mr. Wihos, you are asking me to discipline a guard¡ªthe captain, in fact¡ªthat protects all of Canary just because your boy threw attacked in response to something Captain Fisher was legally within his right to do? I won¡¯t do anything because he did nothing to reprimand. In fact, it was a case of self-defense since he was the victim. Perhaps your son and his friends can take this as a lesson and learn from it?¡±


    ¡°You son of a bitch!¡± With his anger on full display, Mr. Wihos started to approach the governor, but Fisher, Mire, and Tim stood up and placed their hands on their weapon.


    ¡°And perhaps you can learn from this as well. If you take one more step forward, I will consider it a threat to the governor''s life¡­ Do you wish to try your luck with me, Mr. Wihos?¡± growled Tim. He had been silent during the entire meeting. He activated Pulmoni Oxygeni and just observed. A small amount of steam started to rise up from his grey scales.


    Mr. Wihos grabbed his son by the collar of his shirt and nearly dragged him out of his chair. Jimmy¡¯s friends and their fathers followed behind, though with less abusive behavior. Once they had slammed the door shut, Fisher and his subordinates sat down. The only Koena amongst them halted his racial skill.


    Feeling my lungs slowing down is always a sensation I¡¯ll never get used to.


    ¡°Gods, this was such a waste of time. Make sure to keep an eye on him in case he does something stupid,¡± Blas¨¦ said, exasperated. He scratched his chin, but that was when Nicholas spoke up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it was that bad. Without it, I never would have known where Captain Fisher stood. Captain, I urge you to reconsider your stance on this slave and place it back where it belongs.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to do it.¡±


    ¡°I urge you to do so, Fisher,¡± Nicholas insisted.


    Fisher shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve said it multiple times, and I won''t repeat it. It does not matter how many times you ¡®urge¡¯ me, but I will not give up their location. In fact, I¡¯m even thinking about going a step further and implementing a new order that forbids members of the guards from holding slaves.¡±


    Slam!


    Taking a cue from Mr. Wihos, Nicholas slammed his wrinkled hands down, his left one crushing his crimson stole. ¡°No! I cannot allow that! That will not come to pass! First of all, do you expect such an outrageous order to be amicably received? What about those that had paid for their slaves? Do you think they will allow their property¡ªtheir very investment¡ªto be taken away?! Secondly, just think about the quality of the prayers?! These slaves were enslaved for a reason! They were weak. W E A K! Governor Blas¨¦, you have to stop this!¡± Nicholas whipped his head around. Eina was busy with an attack skill on the tip of her tongue if his outburst started to turn violent.


    I have been thinking of outlawing it while bringing in more money. Father wants this city to be prosperous¡­ I still don¡¯t know why, but if it¡¯s his orders¡­ Well, I don¡¯t see how a small test run could turn disastrous. I can easily make up the lost revenue with the treasures from my Warden days. If I sell everything in my reserve, I could sustain Canary for another few years. Even longer if I sell Qina¡¯s stuff. And longer than that if we include our nadrium and enchanted gear.


    ¡°Nicholas, I may be the governor, but my expertise lies in the overall status of the city. For things relating to its defenses, I have no choice but to defer to Captain Fisher because no one knows more about that subject than him. In addition, he¡¯s been captain longer than I¡¯ve been governor.¡±


    ¡°Bishop Nicholas,¡± said Eina, speaking for the first time. During this entire meeting, she was neatly taking notes in a large binder, which would serve as proof this meeting actually happened. ¡°Governor Blas¨¦ is a man that wants the best for Canary. He will not make any decisions without consulting the proper advisors. In this case, I agree with him that we need to hear the captain''s thoughts on it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Eina. Captain, what harm can you see coming to the city if you go through with this? If you were to put this order out, what detriments can we expect?¡±


    Before Fisher could speak, Nicholas had another angle he could argue from.


    ¡°If you do this, just think how many criminals are going to be freed? Could you sleep at night knowing that you¡¯ve allowed murderers and rapists to intermingle back into society?¡±


    ¡°The only thing I have to say to that is this: bring me proof of their crimes.  If they''re criminals, then there must be a record, right? I agree that this is the only way to make sure the truly innocent are freed.¡±


    ¡°Then you realize that it is criminals who are made into slaves? If the weak are pathetic enough, they turn to crime. When caught, enslavement is what is awaiting them,¡± Nicholas said.


    ¡°You and I both know that there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of slaves in the world. It is highly unlikely they''re all hardened criminals. I don¡¯t want to bring up memories of a horrific time, but recall the three markets that were destroyed a few months ago. If you do, you will realize that a not-so-insignificant portion was made up of children. I believe I even recall seeing reports of a child that wasn¡¯t even old enough to walk. Are you telling me, with definitive proof, that all of those children were hardened criminals¡ªmurderers and rapists¡ª who deserved to be enslaved?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°The world is cruel, and it is na?ve to not consider that a few bad eggs have paid off those in charge to produce a deed of ownership with a false charge. In some cases, what about a parent that willingly gives up their child to someone? Perhaps to a noble whose wallet is bigger than their ego? What crime has that child committed? On top of that, what about the people forced into enslavement because of debt? Really, I could go on and on about the nefarious ways people avoid the ¡®criminal¡¯ requirement. You can¡¯t just declare all slaves are criminals without proof of their crimes. If I go back to your claim that they¡¯re property¡­ If you take it literally, then a slave stealing from a store would be the same as a bucket stealing from a store.


    ¡°As for your question¡ª¡° Fisher was interrupted by Nicholas standing to his feet.


    ¡°I can see that we are opposed in our beliefs. It doesn¡¯t matter what you say because I won¡¯t budge from my position. As the bishop, I must stay affirm in my beliefs. As the captain, you must do the same. For your sake, captain, I urge you to think everything through before making a decision. Governor, I apologize for my unsightly outburst earlier. It was not becoming of a man of my position and status. I should have known better.  Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me¡­¡± Nicholas grabbed his stole and wrapped it around the back of his neck. With a final nod, he left and gently closed the door behind him.


    ¡°As for your question, I expect a few to throw a fit since I know asking them to give up their slaves is nearly unheard of. But if we ask them to show definite proof of ownership and proof of their crimes, and they are severe enough, then perhaps they should stay enslaved. If those things can''t be produced, I think we can claim a case of false enslavement. I do expect a degree of pushback. Both from my men and the general public.¡±


    ¡°Eina, do we have any¡ª¡°


    ¡°I have that right here, sir. Out of Canary¡¯s guards, 33 own at least one slave. As for the total? It comes to 104 slaves.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have anything relating to their contract or criminal records?¡±


    Eina shook her head. ¡°I do not. I do have a few places I can look, but if I come up empty, then we have no choice but to question each individual.¡±


    ¡°With your permission, I''d like to suggest something,¡± Fisher spoke up.


    ¡°Go for it,¡± replied Blas¨¦, now a bit more informal.


    ¡°Eina, would it be possible to get a list of names?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already on it,¡± replied Eina as her hands scribbled an inked quill across a blank page.


    ¡°Mire, you and Tim tell Riley and Rita to lead two teams. Each will take half of the names and go around questioning them for proof of an ownership contract and a criminal record. If anyone decides to give them trouble, just have them say it¡¯s a direct order from me. This way, it¡¯ll be over sooner, and they can get some leadership experience. I can''t just have them guard a door all day.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha, but those two are guarding the entrance,¡± Mire replied.


    ¡°Tobba is scheduled for a patrol, but I¡¯ll take it. Have him cover for Rita and Riley.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± replied Mire. She stood up along with Tim and saluted their captain. A few seconds later, they were out the door with a list of names in hand.


    ¡°Sheeesh!!! Finally!!!¡± exclaimed Blas¨¦, and not a moment too soon. He leaned over and rested his chin and his arms on the table. Eina tapped him on the head with a quill.


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be the governor. Act like it,¡± she reprimanded him. ¡°It¡¯s unprofessional to sprawl out like that in front of Captain Fisher.¡±


    ¡°Does it matter? He already knows we¡¯re our father¡¯s children,¡± he murmured.


    ¡°That is true, but while we¡¯re in public, you have to act like the governor because you are the governor.¡±


    ¡°And these names¡­ These stupid names¡­ I heard someone call out for Claus the other day, and I answered¡­¡±


    ¡°Bear with it, Blas¨¦. It was your idea for these fake names,¡± Eina said. She took off her glasses and stored them inside her Dimensional Storage. Without them, she looked less like a librarian and more like the beautiful girl next door.


    And once again, I¡¯m alone with the third biggest secret in Lando. I live in a world where the children of an emperor of a different country have direct leadership of a city in an entirely separate kingdom...And that isn¡¯t the most surprising thing¡­


    ¡°But to be serious,¡± Blas¨¦ said. ¡°The meeting mentioned in the letter wasn¡¯t about Jimmy. I am sorry we wasted so much time on that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, governor. That was going to come up sooner or later, and I¡¯m glad it was taken care of. If I may ask, was it about Jeri and Sea?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was. I¡¯m sorry as well¡­ We looked at the visitor¡¯s log, but there was nothing strange about it.¡±


    ¡°I did the same thing. It was just Sea¡¯s mother. Oh, I didn¡¯t really discover anything. Even walked around and met other people, but hardly anyone was in a talkative mood. I suppose it¡¯s my fault because I was away.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it was. They died of blood loss after biting their tongue. Unless someone nearby was available to render aid, there was nothing we could have done. And yes, they acted oddly... But I felt nothing that indicated they had suicide as a possibility. If anything, the blame belongs with us,¡± Eina said. Fisher heard the clack of her heels as she crossed her left leg over her right.


    ¡°Wait¡­ What did the good bishop mean when he was talking about a story?¡± Blas¨¦ asked.


    ¡°I went to visit the church Jeri and Sea had started to attend before their deaths. That led me to the church in the noble district, and I met with Nicholas. Honestly, with how he was talking, my instinct believes he is the criminal.¡±


    ¡°Interesting¡­ Could you explain that?¡± asked an inquisitive voice. Eina¡¯s mind was running at full power, ready to take in the forthcoming information. She was a smart one. Her brother was just as intelligent, but that was the natural result after being taught by a dryad. A dryad who had assisted the first emperor in creating Keywater.


    It took a few minutes for Fisher to explain the oddities and ¡®unnatural¡¯ enthusiasm the bishop had about the qualities of prayers.


    ¡°I lucked out when he had a book of every Divine Being, but nothing immediately jumped out at me. I did see a few about hypnosis¡­¡±


    ¡°From what I could tell, it was like their very soul had been forcibly rewritten with an... ¡®order.¡¯ Ah, here¡¯s something else. Fisher, Blas¨¦ and I kept something from the public autopsy report. When the surgeon performed it, he made a specific note detailing the smell of their organs. He said it was similar to the scent rotten corpses emit¡­ Keep in mind that he said they had been dead for at least six hours before being found and another fifty to sixty minutes before he examined them.


    ¡°That just adds another mystery to a growing pile? And speaking of additional knowledge, I have some information about Arcton. Do you two recall reports of a ¡®Monotonia?¡¯¡±


    The twins nodded.


    ¡°That, as it turns out, is a drug. One that is highly addictive. I¡¯ve heard it can transform a normal man into a blubbering mess who can¡¯t live without it.¡±


    ¡°Who told you this?¡± asked Blas¨¦.


    ¡°My source does not want me to reveal their identity. In addition, I went to great lengths to learn this information. Forgive me.¡±


    ¡°Then is this source trustworthy?¡± Eina inquired.


    ¡°They are. With how the refugees were acting¡­and how violent a few became¡­I believe we can trust my source¡¯s words.¡±


    ¡°This Monotonia¡­ You¡¯re sure it doesn¡¯t have a place in this mystery?¡±


    ¡°I am. I spoke to the pair of victims involved in the Jeri and Sea case, and they stated that their odd behavior only started when they approached Canary.¡±


    ¡°I do recall you telling me that¡­ It¡¯s impossible to swallow a pill and only have it work when near a specific location, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± replied Eina. She crossed her legs again and felt a headache approaching her way.


    ¡°So is it possible to conclude that Arcton¡ªwhat transpired there¡ª has no role in this mystery?¡± Blas¨¦ asked, already knowing the answer. He was just as bright as Eina, but he liked to ask the obvious questions out loud because he loved his sister¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Yes, it is. The only suspect we have is Nicholas, and I¡¯m hesitant to call him that because we have nothing but a passionate dream of ¡®high-quality prayers.¡¯ I don¡¯t know what that even means¡­¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯re right back at square one..¡± Exasperated, Blas¨¦ vocally sighed and raised his tired arms. He rolled his neck, cracking it once or twice. ¡°Without hard evidence, there is absolutely nothing we can do. Even implying he¡¯s behind it will have drastic consequences. It¡¯ll really be a political nightmare considering how many worshipers the church has.¡±


    ¡°I agree¡­ Unless we want to skirt legality, our hands are tied,¡± chirped Eina. ¡°How can you prove something impossible to prove? Do you think there is an artifact at hand? I would say a Skill Item...But there are no skills that can control minds. You suggested hypnosis earlier, but what happened to them wasn¡¯t simply that. The most surefire way to break being hypnotized is the sudden infliction of pain. Biting through your tongue fits that to a tee. If they were to shout and scream for help, someone would have come running. I don¡¯t want to deal with absolutes, but I think we can disregard it. During our Warden career, Blas¨¦ and I have fought against our fair share of villains with Hypnosis as a passive skill. We¡¯re well aware of its limitations¡­ Ah, he had a scepter, right? In addition to the book?¡±


    Fisher nodded and explained the backstory behind it and concluded he didn¡¯t get a chance to touch it. He did add that the bishop took it with him when it was for his service. That piece of info certainly scratched some heads. He also found it pertinent to talk about Klee, the hulking individual that worked as Nicholas¡¯s assistant.


    ¡°There goes that theory. An artifact is an item that does something that can¡¯t be explained. Pure mind control would¡ª¡°


    ¡°Necromancy¡­ Eina, Necromancy!¡± Blas¨¦ explained. He jolted awake and slammed his hands down on the table.


    Eina narrowed her eyes, running the gears in her mind before shaking her head. ¡°Nicholas is infatuated with the church. The Forbidden Skills are forbidden for a reason. The most commonly accepted theory is that they were sealed by the Gods and Goddesses after war broke out thousands of years ago. Remember? That¡¯s what Veris told us back when we learned under her. If the Gods had to seal them away, why would a man of faith use something the Gods obviously disliked? Even then, would Necromancy have something to control minds?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps not,¡± Blas¨¦ said while raising a finger. ¡°But it can revive the dead. We¡¯ve fought a few necromancers during our time at Warden. They¡¯re rare, though. Incredibly rare.¡±


    ¡°Raise¡­the dead?¡± Fisher murmured¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We encountered one that summoned a child from the town graveyard. The child¡¯s bite could spread a disease¡­ All it took was a few hours, and 1,000 people were infected¡­ Wait, Blas¨¦, the ones we¡¯ve fought¡­ None of them could bring someone back with their entire mental state intact. Most could only utter a phrase less than ten words long¡­ Jeri and Sea spoke full, cohesive sentences. And their personality only changed the closer they got to Canary.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯re back in the same boat? We can¡¯t do anything? At this stage, I¡¯d say we hold him hostage. If we can get him to forcibly summon his ID, we could be golden.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t do that, Blas¨¦.¡± Eina rubbed her head. Like her brother, her days and nights have been hard and dreadful, with very few hours to actually sleep. ¡°Kidnapping a Bishop? A man second to only the Cardinal in Adenaford? For a hunch? On the chance his ID reveals information that doesn¡¯t help our case, we¡¯re ruined. Word will spread to our father, and we¡¯ll be called back¡­ Do you want that to happen?¡± She glared at her brother, sending a message with her eyes. Do you want to give all of this up? We worked so hard to join the Imperial Guard, and now you want to potentially throw that away?


    Eina did know how heartless she was being. In her mind, abstaining from their task to potentially discover a truth that really didn''t harm them or their goal wasn''t worth the effort. Only a few nights prior did they reaffirm their decision to see their mother¡­ Potentially freeing a hundred or so slaves, if falsely enslaved, was far away and beyond less damaging when compared to kidnapping a man more powerful than most nobles.


    ¡°In the end, the only thing we can do is wait?¡± asked Fisher. His mind turned to Servi and how she would have accomplished this legal nightmare of a task standing in front of them. She¡¯d have an answer in no time at all¡­ Either through The Shadow¡¯s Embrace to spy¡­ Or through torturing¡­ Especially if this had a chance of harming Momo¡­ Asking them for help would be the easiest way, but I cannot disturb them¡­ They¡¯ve suffered through too much to be dragged into something that is really my responsibility.


    ¡°By the by, Fisher,¡± said Blas¨¦. ¡°Have you heard from the financier who wishes to fund your orphanage? I am worried they¡¯ve gotten cold feet.¡±


    ¡°I have. They¡¯re suffering from an illness right now, and the middleman representing them said they wanted to wait until after they¡¯ve had the chance to recuperate.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s understandable. Just let me know when they¡¯re going to hand over the money. Oh, and since the circumstances are hazy, I would like to meet with them at least once. Do you think you could arrange that?¡±


    Servi said she had met the governor and his sister during the night of the slavery attacks.


    ¡°I can certainly ask, but I doubt the middleman will be receiving any further requests until the donor is better. I¡¯d say maybe a month? They didn¡¯t say how bad the illness was.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ I hope they pull through. I¡¯ve had the company do their best on that design document I gave you. Make sure they get it, okay?¡±


    ¡°I will, sir.¡± Though they already have it¡­ I just have to wait for Servi to get better.


    ¡°Good. Now¡­ Unless there is anything, I believe this meeting can be adjourned. Eina?¡±


    Eina¡¯s golden ponytail swooshed from side to side. ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything else. Blas¨¦, should we set aside another one for next week? Considering the situation with Nicholas, it may be advisable to share information on at least a weekly basis.¡±


    ¡°Fisher, are you good with that?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± said Fisher to the captain. ¡°When my men get back with their reports, should I use a messenger spirit?¡±


    Blas¨¦ nodded. ¡°Use a trustworthy one to deliver it to us. Oh, but be sure to look over it first and send your notes and recommendations with it. With that said, we¡¯ll meet again on August 8th.¡± Blas¨¦ rapped his knuckles against the table and stood up. He and his sister walked out first, leaving Fisher behind. He walked around the table and pushed the chairs back under the table, then left to go to his office.


    Once he had taken a seat, his eyes went to the portrait of his family. A loving finger reached out and brushed against Marissa''s drawn face. A smile appeared on her husband¡¯s face, and a new determination welled inside his breast. For the first time, an actual readiness to tackle the day fueled his hands and eyes as he set about reading the reports that were waiting for him.

 Book Four – Interlude – Part Three – The Captain’s Elegy

    Three hours later, it was just about thirty minutes past noon when Fisher decided to take a short break. A look at his watch revealed it was just about time for Tobba to take his assigned patrol.


    A walk will do me some good. I¡¯ve been sitting for too long¡­ To further illustrate Fisher''s thought, he felt three small cracks in his legs as he stood up. At the tender age of thirty, Fisher hoped his body still had many more decades left in the tank. He walked out of his office, went downstairs, and came across Mire.


    She told Fisher that Rita and Riley reported they were halfway complete with their investigation. ¡°Sir! A full report should be on your desk in about five hours. Ah, incidentally, I was just about to head on patrol.¡±


    ¡°What a coincidence¡­ Since I¡¯m taking over for Tobba, would you mind a little company?¡±


    ¡°Not at all! I¡¯m happy for the help!¡± With a salute and a cute smile, the bubbly Elf was all the more eager to work under her captain.


    They walked outside the headquarters, and Fisher couldn¡¯t help but notice just how full it was. With just the one desk and receptionist, he didn¡¯t know how Roland had the endless energy needed to complete his job.


    From a logistical point of view, it¡¯s a nightmare¡­ We need to adopt the Warden model and have at least four working together. On top of that, having all of the facilities bundled into one building causes a backup of services. Dividing our resources and creating smaller buildings for the less popular services while keeping the high volume areas together seems like the path forward¡­ Or maybe we can hire more employees¡­ If Canary keeps growing, then the bottleneck will only be a point of frustration¡­


    For the next while, Fisher divided his attention into three. One thought about the problems at the headquarters, the other chatted with Mire, and the third kept an eye out for any ne¡¯er-do-wells. When they reached the Warden office, Fisher noticed Mire had a look of displeasure plastered on her pretty face.


    She turned and caught the captain''s eye in the act, then fixed her expression. A moment later, an uncomfortable growl welled up in her heart. Those lovely lips parted to speak, then closed right back up. Mire went back and forth between speaking what was on the tip of her to give and clamping shut like an oyster. The uneasiness grew even more when Fisher didn¡¯t press the subject at all. By then, he had ready turned his face to look where he was walking, and it had been that way for about ten minutes.


    Finally, she just went for it. ¡°Captain, have you ever wondered why I don¡¯t like Warden?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t my business. Everyone has secrets or regrets they don¡¯t want coming to light, and it isn¡¯t my place to pry those open and bare them to the world.¡±


    ¡°Regrets, huh? Captain, do you have any?¡±


    Fisher nodded, sending his brown hair dancing across his forehead. ¡°I have more than a man would have in ten lifetimes.¡±


    A quiet Mire pondered on her captain¡¯s words. ¡°A lifetime? I wonder how I¡¯ll feel about it in a hundred years¡­? Two hundred? Right now, I¡¯m just barely older than a Human great-grandmother.¡±


    ¡°Mire, do you mind if I ask something. I don¡¯t mean for it to be insensitive, so please don¡¯t take it that way.¡±


    He¡¯s being awfully considerate¡­ ¡°Sure. Ask away,¡± replied Mire. She enjoyed speaking with Fisher since she often thought he had a steel gate locked in front of his inner feelings. And she wasn¡¯t the only one who felt that way. The two of them turned from a backstreet onto an especially busy road filled with wagons delivering iron and steel. The hustle and bustle of grunting Dwarves pounding away with thick hammers overpowered every other sound. The sounds of forges roaring alive sounded right at home for any Dwarf, but the skittish Mire couldn''t hardly stand the heat.


    ¡°When it comes to friendships between an Elf and a Human¡­how do they cope with death? Humans live only 1/10th as long.¡±


    ¡°Eh? I never took you to be one that thought about those kinds of things! But to answer it¡­ It¡¯s hard. Really hard! When I was younger, my mother told me a story of her cousin and this Dwarf. They were so close that the other was the best man at their weddings, and they went even farther than that. Mother spoke fondly about helping her cousin build his house next to his friend.


    ¡°And for 94 years, they were the closest of companions. But when the Dwarf was on his deathbed, he was full of wrinkles and dark, blotchy spots. His eyes had gone, abandoning him a decade earlier¡­ The dark black hair became wispy and silver, full of grease and as weak as a frayed string. And he was frail¡­ So frail he couldn¡¯t even stand up anymore. But my mother¡¯s cousin? He looked the exact same as he did nearly a century ago. One day, the Dwarf was swinging his hammer with the passion and intensity of an inferno, and the next? He can¡¯t even take a bath without help. Captain, there¡¯s even a subsection of Elves that flat out refused to talk to anyone but their own kind, and that¡¯s because they¡¯re afraid of the lifespan difference.¡±


    ¡°What are your thoughts about that?¡± Fisher asked. A wagon just up ahead had broken down, so he and Mire offered to help fix it. During so, she answered him after thinking.


    ¡°Honestly? I don¡¯t know. Some days, I feel one way. Other days? I feel like cutting myself off from other non-Elves. Captain, did you know that for every ten years an Elf is alive, it is equal to one year for a Human?  So an Elf that¡¯s 80 is really just 8, but there¡¯s a slight exception to that rule. For the first 15-20 years, we grow just like a Human, and then it¡¯s like time just stops for us until one day, we wake up with wrinkles. Ah¡­¡± Mire¡¯s soft cheeks started to blush. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to ramble on,¡± she said. The wagon owner raised a hand and thanked the two for helping them, then went on his way to do deliveries.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s nice learning about the culture of other races¡­ It¡¯s something I need to do more often¡­ If you don¡¯t mind, Mire¡­ If I have any other questions, would you be willing to answer them?¡±


    Mire smiled and nodded. ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± replied the captain. They turned another corner and continued their rather uninteresting patrol, which was acceptable to the both of them. Nothing happening meant things were calm and safe. The peacefulness gave Mire the time to think more about the captain and wonder what must¡¯ve happened to cause him to open his mind. The Fisher of now and the one that trained her was so and far away different the two couldn¡¯t be compared.  The only thing that came to mind was Arnold¡¯s death, and Mire knew just how impactful a person¡¯s death could have on someone¡­


    She was all too familiar with it.


    Around fifteen minutes later, Mire spoke up. ¡°Captain? I¡¯m not really familiar with this area.¡±


    ¡°This is Buncombe Street. I hope you don¡¯t mind, but I have something I need to check up on.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, sir. Lead the way, and I will follow.¡±


    In the distance, Mire¡¯s sharp eyes spotted a crouched girl with a tail as white as snow. It sharply waved in the air, then slithered across the warm grass like an albino snake.


    Kait was enjoying a simple hobby of tending to the garden of colorful flowers.


    Grow, grow, and do your best!


    Don¡¯t worry about the rest!


    She sang a small song she had learned from her mother when she had a small garden. The small watering pail doused the parched soil with much-needed refreshment, and her ears picked up on a set of familiar footsteps. ¡°Captain!¡± she shouted with glee as she stood up and turned around. Her heavily modified habit was the same as ever, and when she saw some was with Fisher, she rapidly pulled the veil and bandeau over her head.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Kait. Are you well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. I am,¡± she said formally. Turning to the unknown Elf, Kait practiced the greeting Melk taught to her. ¡°Good afternoon. My name is Kait, and I am a nun of Father Melk¡¯s church. It is nice to meet you¡­¡± Then she broke apart the stiffness in her forced hello. ¡°Yes! I nailed it! Mama¡¯s gonna be proud of me! Ah, I¡¯m sorry!¡± The spunky Singi turned around and practiced her greeting again. She left out the extra celebration.


    Mire let loose a few adorable giggles and extended a hand, her pearl-colored waving in the lovely wind. After a pleasant introduction, Kait asked if Fisher was here for Myil. ¡°I am. I told your mother I planned on swinging by to check on him. Where is he?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s inside with Father Melk, learning how to read and write his name.¡±


    ¡°How did he do last night?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ I want to say fine, but Father Melk told me not to lie¡­¡±


    Kait then explained that after Myil had woken from his extended nap, he rolled off the couch and scooted into the corner. His little arms hugged his knees, and he shouted for his Master. No matter how many times Kait or her mother said he had no owner, and that he was free, he just didn¡¯t believe those two. His cries and whines continued to provide proof of his pained past, and when there was nothing else they could do, Kaitlyn pulled the boy to her chest and gave him a hug he so desperately needed.


    ¡°Mama cried¡­ I¡¯ve seen her cry before, but it was nothing like this¡­ Myil kept saying that his Master said only he could touch him, but he doesn''t have one anymore. He isn''t a slave anymore. Mama hugged Myil until the fighting and arguing left his body. She told him he doesn¡¯t have to worry about anything but his own happiness. But then Myil said his Master never told what happiness is. He said without a Master, he¡¯s lost..." Kait started to weep, and Mire kneeled down and wiped the girl''s wet eyes.


    She went on to say that her heart was hurting then just as it did now, and when she hugged her mother and Myil, the pain didn¡¯t go away.


    ¡°But then he had an accident¡­ The front of his pants was dark and wet, and his clothes started to smell¡­ But Mama said it was fine. We all had accidents at one time or another¡­ Myil didn¡¯t see it that way. He begged for forgiveness, but Mama said there was nothing to forgive,¡± Kait said. She sat down on the grass in front of her small garden, and Mire and Fisher joined her.  She then told them that when they escorted a crying Myil to the tub, the poor boy didn¡¯t know what that meant. Myil was never taught how to wash his body with soap, nor how to dry off with a towel.


    Since the bathtub was big enough, Kait said that her mother thought it was best to get in the tub with Myil and wash his back. Kait joined in to try to make it seem calmer for Myil. She did speak about how it was fun because it was like bathing with her little brother. Kait was an only child, but that changed yesterday.


    ¡°After that, we dried off and gave him some of my old clothes until Mama had a chance to make him a set. All the while, Myil kept saying sorry, and Mama kept saying it was okay. During dinner, Myil just looked at the fork like it was the first time seeing one. He used his hands to eat the roast, but then I taught him how to use a fork! But then Myil had to say something about his Master never allowed him to sit at the table, and he was only allowed to eat off the floor.¡±


    How awful¡­ Poor Myil¡­ Mire¡¯s heart really felt for the poor boy, and she hoped and prayed his heart would soon learn how comfortable love and affection were.


    ¡°We did manage to convince him to eat with a fork at the table, but he only ate a few bites. We tried to get him to eat more, but Myil shook his head no and started to cry.¡± Kait said her mother didn¡¯t press the issue, and Fisher remarked that was a good idea. He said that if someone was on the verge of starvation, the very worst thing someone could do was overload them with food.


    ¡°His appetite will come back in due time. Soon enough, it¡¯ll be like that of a healthy Koena teenager. One question¡­ Is he blessed?¡± Mire asked.


    Kait shook her head. ¡°It took him a while to bring his ID out, but he doesn¡¯t have a God or Goddess. Oh, but his name is Myil. He wasn¡¯t lying about that.¡±


    When it came to sleeping, Kait explained that Myil whimpered and whined throughout the night. She said it was a nightmare, but it kept her and her mother up. To mend that, her mother said she needed to fix his loneliness. ¡°Basically, the three of us had a sleepover in the same bed. Mama was in the middle, and we were to her side. This morning, he was sleeping peacefully. Mama whispered to me that Myil had probably never known the love of a mother¡­ She said he doesn¡¯t know what it feels like to be cared for¡­¡± Kait looked dejected, turning her heavy eyes to the ground.


    ¡°That could be the truth. No one knows Myil''s past but him.¡± Hames might¡­ Though if I meet him now, I¡¯m liable to kill him¡­


    ¡°Captain? I hate the people who did this to Myil¡­ Father Melk said we shouldn''t have hate in our hearts, but I don¡¯t want to be nice or care for the ones that hurt him.¡±


    Before Fisher could respond, Mire tapped his arm, and he let her take this one. ¡°Hate is a powerful emotion. Instead of focusing on the hate of those who hurt Myil, which will darken your heart, you should focus on supporting your new friend. At the same time, no one said you had to care for those who hurt him. You don¡¯t have to forgive them, but the forefront of your mind should be on what is really important.¡±


    Suppose I should follow my own advice, right?


    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t really get it, but thank you, Miss Mire! Captain¡­ If Myil was in danger, would you help him?¡±


    Fisher triumphantly nodded. ¡°You have my word. I have a duty to protect this city and its people, and that does include Myil.¡±


    Kait¡¯s face blossomed into a respectful smile¡ªone of admiration and trust. She stood up, dusted off her clothes, grabbed her watering pail, and said she¡¯d lead them to Father Melk and Myil.


    The two guards followed her into a dimly lit church. The confessional booths in the back corner eyed Fisher as he entered. Every time a set of footsteps rang off the wooden floors, it felt like the confessionals were calling him back for another session.


    ¡°Father Melk, we have company!¡± announced Kait. She dropped off her watering pail to the side of the swinging door and skipped on through. Fisher and Mire walked in to see the big Kobold himself sitting on a tiny stool. He held an azure finger to a book while the sharply dressed Myil did his best to sound them out.


    ¡°Ahh, Fisher. How are you doing, my friend?¡± spoke Melk. His short-sleeved robed showed off a pair of thick arms as blue as the deepest ocean. Myil looked up and started to say something, but he shut his mouth and did his best to growl out a greeting.


    It wasn¡¯t much, but it was a start for a boy who had to begin from zero.


    ¡°So this is Myil? You look handsome dressed in your cassock,¡± she said, winking at the adorable lad. His purple scales suited the deep black of his buttoned-up religious garment.


    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know how to respond¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± asked Fisher. He sat down, and Mire joined him.


    ¡°Yes, sirs¡­ I did¡­ I¡­don¡¯t know what to say,¡± he said again.


    Another tinge of pain punctured Mire¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Myil, have you given any thought to Melk¡¯s offer to work here?¡±


    ¡°Young Myil, you can answer the good captain truthfully,¡± encouraged Melk.


    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know what that means¡­ What is¡­ work? If it is something I need to do¡­ I¡­will do it¡­ But I¡¯m sorry¡­ Sirs, I don¡¯t know to work¡­¡±


    ¡°Teaching you to read and write is the first step,¡± said Melk. From behind, Kait snatched up a kettle before it could scream its head off and frighten the terrorized Koena. Moments later, a freshly brewed cup of tea sat in front of everyone. The spunky Singi grabbed one of her own and sat down right next to her adoptive brother.


    The forthcoming talk was calming and pleasant above all else. Kait was excited to speak to Mire and learn how it was working under Fisher. Mire, meanwhile, had questions as to how a Kobold came to find himself as a priest. For Myil, such a casual atmosphere of friendly people being sociable was what he needed the most. It would certainly take some time, for only that was the cure to his ailment.


    After only an hour, Fisher said they were technically out on patrol, and it wouldn¡¯t be good for the captain to skip out.


    ¡°I understand, friend. Mire, Fisher, be safe on your way back.¡±


    ¡°Bye-bye, Captain! Bye-bye, Miss Mire!¡±


    ¡°Go¡ªGoo¡­Good¡­bye¡­¡± whispered Myil.


    ¡°You all take care,¡± said Fisher. He raised a hand towards the three that had come outside to see him and Mire off.


    ¡°Melk, Kait, Myil, it was nice meeting you all!¡± Mire said. She waved a friendly hand while walking backwards, then turned out and jogged up to the captain.


    ¡°I assume this goes without saying, but consider this an important order. Any and all information about Myil is not to be shared with anyone. Not with Roland. Not with Tim. Not with the men in your squad. It will not leave your mouth, understood?¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir! Even if you hadn¡¯t ordered me, I never would have spoken about him. I can see why you kept his location a secret during the meeting. But... I feel sorry for the boy¡­¡± She turned her head down towards the dirt road, kicking a small rock she was coming upon.


    ¡°I do too. That¡¯s why I brought him to Melk.¡±


    ¡°A Kobold priest is rare. Even rarer than rare. But captain, aren¡¯t you worried¡­ Err¡ªnever mind.¡±


    ¡°Spit it out, Mire. What¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    ¡°Bishop Nicholas was adamant about finding his location. Why if he sent someone to follow you? Was¡­it safe to visit him?¡±


    Fisher took a moment to breathe. ¡°Did you notice the roundabout way we took to come here? I felt two sets of eyes on us, but one suddenly disappeared some time ago. This is just my instinct talking, but we don¡¯t have anything to worry about¡­¡±


    The governor and his sister are sharp and bright. I should assume they have someone trailing me. This person probably has orders to protect me. If Nicholas sent anyone to shadow me, this mysterious protector took care of it. It''s what I would have done, and they''re brighter than me.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you say, captain¡­ I won¡¯t question it.¡±


    Before Fisher could respond, they turned the corner off of buncombe street and ran into an incident. A Human had just pushed over an elderly Singi and rushed off with her purse. ¡°Mire, handle the thief.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± She shot off like a rocket, using her natural speed and agility to easily cover the distance. Even if he had a kilometer-long head start, the scarred-covered thief couldn¡¯t outrun a determined Elf. Especially not one that had trained exclusively for distance and speed.


    Meanwhile, Fisher rushed over to the elderly Singi and helped her up, applying a few healing skills to assure she was free of pain. He chose to ignore the idiotic fee and would face whatever punishment came his way.


    ¡°Captain!¡± shouted Mire. She walked towards him. One hand dragged the unconscious thief¡¯s, and the other held up the brown purse.


    All Fisher could do was smile and give his subordinate a verbal affirmation on a job well done.

 Book Four – Interlude – Part Four – The Captain’s Elegy

    Back at the office, inside a lobby that currently had more people standing than chairs, Fisher and Mire went their separate ways. The latter went to process the brazen criminal, and Fisher returned to his office to conquer the waiting reports.


    ¡°And? What do you two want?¡± he asked to a pair of guards standing outside his office. These two had their helmets on, so he really just saw the front of their face. He didn¡¯t recognize them, though.


    ¡°Sir! We have important information,¡± said the one on the left.


    ¡°About what?¡± Fisher unlocked his office and stepped inside. The two men followed suit.


    ¡°It is concerning the sudden onset temporary paralysis that has been affecting a few members of the guard,¡± said the one on the right.


    Paralysis? Something tells me I know who¡¯s behind it.


    Approximately forty seconds later, Fisher closed his eyes and nodded. ¡°Let me get this straight. You¡¯re saying this only happens when you¡¯re following around a Human and a Singi holding hands?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir! We¡¯ve been trailing them for a few days now, and it only happens when we¡¯re within a certain range. We even have a report of someone falling asleep while standing up. It happened to Jeb. I recommend we take swift action.¡±


    ¡°No, we won¡¯t,¡± Fisher said, folding his hands upon his table. ¡°It sounds to me like you two have been harassing these girls. Listen to me. Anyone involved with this investigation is ordered to cease all operations."


    ¡°Sir!¡± the guard on the left shouted in protest. ¡°What those two are doing is outright disgusting! It is morally and legally reprehensible¡ª¡°


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. Canary has no rules forbidding Humans and Demi-Humans from holding hands. I¡¯m warning you¡­ Leave the two alone¡­¡±


    ¡°Sir! Lieutenant Arnold wouldn¡¯t have stood for this! He would have ordered us to take down these blasphemers for going against the good word of the church!¡±


    Fisher didn¡¯t know what compelled him to stay so calm. Internally, he growled, but it wasn¡¯t for the apparent reason. He ignored the name of the creator of the Justice Captain and focused the guard¡¯s use of the word ¡®church.¡¯


    ¡°You know¡­ You¡¯re right. Arnold would have done something. Just like how he rushed off after a thief without proper back-up. Do you know where Arnold is now? He¡¯s dead¡­ He¡¯s fucking dead. Do you two want to die?¡±


    ¡°No, sir¡­¡± The guards¡¯ voices were weak and hazy, no longer containing the falsified confidence it had a moment before.


    ¡°Good. Then if you value your life, you will leave those two girls alone. If I catch one peep of you two disregarding my orders, you with be charged with treason for going against the ones you have sworn to protect. And the crime of treason comes with death. Do you want me to do the honors in severing your heads? Or should I give it to Tim? Now, get the fuck out of my sight and think about what I told you. You two better hope I¡¯m in a better mood next time I run my eyes across you.¡± Fisher tapped into his past and brought out a deathly voice. One that was smooth and ghastly, filled with the spice of death with the richness of murder.


    For an honest moment, the two wimpy guards believed they were talking to a monster in human form. Without even responding with a ¡®yes, sir,¡¯ the pair scampered out of Fisher''s office as he endured the strain of a headache.


    Did they think their captain would share their belief? Share their contempt for seeing just two friends hold hands? No doubt, one of the two thought they were going to be given a promotion for bringing these harrowing findings to his captain.


    Oh, how wrong he was.


    But before he fielded their questions on what to do with the Singi and Human, Fisher pricked their minds with various questions about the church. He had tested the inflection of their voices and manner of speaking, then deduced that it didn¡¯t seem like any tampering was going on.


    Back to the grind¡­ Hopefully, there''ll be sometime before the next interruption.


    He did receive his wish. For the next couple of hours, Fisher was free to tackle the shrinking pile of reports as he saw fit.


    ¡°Sir? It¡¯s Rita and Riley?¡± said a voice that accompanied a pair of frigid knocks.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Fisher replied. He greeted the two fresh-faced recruits with a commanding nod, and his men were happy to report the completion of their mission. He took the report and flipped through it. Rita and Riley remained frozen in place since they knew their captain would scan it with a judgmental eye.


    Well, the writing is legible¡­ It isn¡¯t the best, but it¡¯s satisfactory. And most of the information is clearly laid out and labeled¡­ And they even wrote their thoughts down¡­ That was something I didn¡¯t ask for, but it tells me something about their character.


    ¡°Did you have any trouble?¡± Fisher asked.


    ¡°A little bit, sir. Some of the higher-ranked men thought we were playing them for fools. We dropped your name, and they started singing like a canary,¡± said Rita.


    ¡°You two did a fine job. Did you find it comfortable? Leading a pack of men?¡±


    ¡°It was uncomfortable¡­ Sir, I know it was a rather easy assignment. But being in command of it felt like a large shadow was cast over us. I think we must¡¯ve written and rewritten the report a handful of times. Was it acceptable?¡± asked Riley. The two held their breaths, thinking back to the harrowing experience that was Fisher¡¯s trainer. The two of them failed so often that they only managed to take his final test just once out of the five times they applied to the guard.


    Oh shit! If he yells at us again like he used back then¡­ Rita¡¯s teeth started to chatter.


    ¡°Take it easy, men. You two did an alright job. Go ahead and take the rest of the day off,¡± Fisher said. The pair of guards were all smiles as they energetically saluted their captain. He watched them leave, reminding them to close the door, then stood up and stretched his neck. He couldn¡¯t leave his office until he had penned down his notes and recommendations. And then he had to hope a message spirit was still available. On top of that, he had the other stack of documents.


    ¡°There ain¡¯t no time like the present¡­¡± Fisher said. After filling up a glass he took from his storage with Create Water, he quenched his thirst and launched a valiant assault against the ferocious documents.


    On the 8th of August, a quiet Fisher Jin sat at his desk in the early morning hours. In front of him sat a small bag of ice and a bandage for which he needed to nurse his left hand. Yes, he had suffered a wound, but he was happy about it because it came from his oldest daughter.


    A few days prior, Fisher had managed to snag a day off and went to borrow a pair of wooden swords before the roosters had started to crow. He didn¡¯t know what his children would think, but they were absolutely over the world. Meri gazed her wide eyes upon the sword and heroically held it up. ¡°Now I can be like daddy!!¡± she exclaimed.


    Really, it brought an emotional tear to his eye. After a light breakfast, the family, dressed in their sportiest outfits, all traveled to the backyard. Marissa sure looked beautiful. She wore a sleeveless white undershirt under her cut-off black sleeveless shirt. It stopped right above her belly button. A pair of pants that were perhaps a bit too tight covered her lovely legs, and that was securely fashioned around her waist with a sparkling new leather belt. Due to her circumstances, she had to buy a replacement set of training shoes, but the style was still the same.


    It had been a few years since she held a rapier, but she still had the intensive training lodged into her muscle memory. Fisher had seen it once before, but he was still nonetheless impressed by it. But by then, a small war had broken out.


    ¡°I wanna be like mommy!¡±


    ¡°I wanna be like daddy! He¡¯s the strongest!¡±


    The two precious daughters were divided over which school they wanted to learn from. Somehow, that twisted into a demand for an exhibition match. The daughters cheered their mother and father as they fought a mock duel for the first time ever. Wooden blades clashed in a fight that was just too mind-blowing for the young girls. For they saw an epic battle filled with powerful skills and death-defying leaps across giant chasms. In reality, their imagination had kicked into overdrive, disguising the simple rehearsal into something it wasn¡¯t.


    Fisher and his heavy armor sure gave his wife a run for her money, for the excitement of the show, then declared it was a draw. She remarked she hadn¡¯t moved like that in years, then lifted the bottom of her undershirt shirt to wipe her face. Strangely, it was erotic, and Fisher found himself smitten with her beauty for the 1200th time. She looked at him, dropped her sweat-soaked shirt, covering her bare tummy, then blushed away like a virgin maiden in love.


    Even at the tender age of 30, she was just as beautiful as she always was. Fisher didn''t think there was anyone else out there for him. For as long as he lived, she would hold a special place in the center of his heart.


    With the practice match over, it was time to instill the basics of swordplay into his children, which was a task in itself. Blethor provided all of the experience without having Fisher train in any specific techniques. He did do that, of course, and he had hundreds of techniques stored away with twenty different weapon types.


    But the basics? The starting stances? He was at a complete loss. Even when he taught Servi''s class, they had the bare minimum already learned. Fisher had to ask his wife for one more practice match, which she happily agreed to. He told his girls to follow his stance as the combat knowledge flowed through his mind.


    Marissa then popped up that she¡¯d check their forms and help. Fisher thought that was best, and they didn¡¯t move on to the next step until the stance was just right.


    But complaints and scowls of soreness often followed when training children. Their little bodies were still growing, and the absolute last thing Fisher wanted to do was harm them by overexertion.


    Would I have had that same thought if I had a son? Would I have changed my way of thinking and forced a sword into their hands? Shit, what if the best way to train my girls is to be rough? He had thought at the time. After a break to rest their arms, Fisher asked if they wanted to continue. The pride a pair of daughters had for their father said it all, and he moved into the next step: practice swings.


    The first day of the Jin family training ended in utter success. Well, it lasted just for a few hours since it was only their first time actually training to do anything.


    After getting washed up, changing into something far more comfortable, and having a healthy lunch, Meri remarked she wanted to go somewhere, but she didn¡¯t have a place in mind. Her father came to the rescue and asked if they wanted to meet a shiny blue Kobold. Marissa caught onto it easily and smiled at what Fisher was trying to do. Soon after, the family all left their house and walked hand in hand to a particular church located on buncombe street.


    ¡°Woah!!!¡± exclaimed Meri, dressed in her adorable sundress.


    ¡°He¡¯s pretty¡­¡± whispered Fisher¡¯s other daughter. Both girls blurted out the first thing on their minds when they saw Father Melk. He was outside helping Kait with her lovely little garden. Beautiful Kaitlyn was right nearby, talking to Myil about the different kinds of flowers. It seemed as if a week did wonders for the poor Koena.


    Father Melk thanked the young girls for their kind words with a hearty chuckle. Kait, meanwhile, rushed over and happily introduced herself to Fisher¡¯s daughters, then asked if they and Myil could play together.


    ¡°Of course,¡± replied the doting father.


    As the children frolicked in the fluffy sunlight, Melk ventured inside to bring out the table in the back room. He remarked it was such a beautiful day it felt wrong to waste it by being inside. The women of the group agreed, and after a few seconds, Marissa and Kaitlyn were chatting as if they had been friends all their life. As for Marissa and Melk? She offered him a kind compliment, saying that his scales were very lovely, and the big Kobold thanked her with a ferocious bout of laughter.


    When it was time for a break, Myil was slowly but surely emerging from his abuse-induced shell. There were  far fewer apologies coming from his quiet voice, and it was a start. Hopefully, one that would keep going until he could feel the cheeriness of a happy childhood.  When it was about time to leave, Father Melk pulled Fisher off to the side and spoke to him under the scarlet glow of a setting sun.


    ¡°Captain, if there is one thing I can say about you¡­ It is that you are an excellent father. Your girls are kind, smart, and well-behaved¡­ Take pride in your parenting, friend.¡± Then Melk patted him on the shoulder as he left to ferry the table back inside. Then there was the trash detail. Empty cups and plates sat gathered nearby in a pile for collecting, but Melk mentioned he would take care of it all.


    For sure, it was a very enjoyable day for the Fisher Jin family. One that had the potential to spiral out of control should his worst fears come to life, but by now, Melk had proved to be someone the captain could trust with his very life. Like before, when he had visited with Mire during their patrol, he felt a few gazes as he and his family walked through the city. After a while, those hostile intentions abruptly disappeared. Again, his instincts told him there was no cause for alarm, and thus he listened to them.  It was at this point he realized he had a beneficial shadow.


    I won''t bring it up unless they do. Between the governor and Nicholas, I''ll put my faith in Keywater''s prince.


    Fisher would have liked to reminisce for a couple of more minutes, like the quick training they had this morning which resulted in his wound, but a barrage of knocks broke him out of his daydream. Without asking for permission to enter, the door swung open to reveal an energized governor and his sister.


    ¡°Heya! Fisher, long time no see,¡± exclaimed Blas¨¦.


    ¡°Good morning, Fisher,¡± said Eina with a smile. Her shapely figure filled out her secretarial outfit in all the right places. Even though that was her title, she wasn¡¯t forced to wear one. Her continuation in doing so probably suggested she liked this outfit more than her other clothing.


    Wasting no time, Fisher returned their greetings and promptly got down to business. The first thing spoken concerned the twin¡¯s adventure into Arcton. Blas¨¦ mentioned that they had to be sure they could rule out Arcton with what happened to Jeri and Sea. For his findings? He said the derelict city was less like a town and more like a wasteland. What little food and resources remained were being hoarded. Fights and deaths occurred nearly every waking moment. Despite that carnival of chaos happening just a three-day journey away, very little violence was escaping through the city¡¯s destroyed walls.


    Eina confessed she hadn¡¯t seen anything like it, then wished she could get a Monotonia to analyze. She said they searched with a fine-tooth comb but didn¡¯t happen upon one. Even bartering for one didn¡¯t help since a pill was worth more than money.


    ¡°But yeah. Arcton can be safely eliminated. Honestly, it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if the king rolled in with an army at the first sign of any trouble escaping. As long as it¡¯s confined to a city far from the capital, he probably wouldn¡¯t care if the druggies all killed each other.¡±


    ¡°That was harsh, Blas¨¦, but I do agree. It was certainly heartachingly saddening¡­ Seeing the state of the city, I mean. And even if we do want to help Arcton, we do not have that kind of money or the resources necessary to sustain the growth of two cities. Even before that, Arcton needs a total overhaul¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if I do sell our treasures, we¡¯re looking at a few years at most. And Arcton will be a constant drain on our resources during that time. It¡¯ll just consume and consume, and its reputation, at this point, is nearly impossible to recover from. Who knows how long it¡¯ll be before it starts to generate a profit? Not to mention the other obvious issues at hand,¡± Blas¨¦ added.


    After he spoke, an eerie silence remained in the air. Eina then cleared her throat, breaking the quiet stillness and pulling out three scrolls from her Dimensional Storage.


    ¡°Out of the 104 slaves owned by the guardsman, only 29 are legitimate. I have seen their contract of ownership and criminal records with my own eyes, and I have also verified them through my contracts at Warden using my Rank 1 status as leverage.¡±


    ¡°Well, I was just about to ask if you were positive about that. Guess I have no need for that now. That leaves us 75?¡±


    ¡°That is correct. We have 75 counts of false enslavement¡­ Thank the Gods for Teleportation and Flight. Without those two, we¡¯d have to travel for literal months,¡± Blas¨¦ added.¡±


    ¡°Keep in mind, Blas¨¦, that you didn¡¯t use Teleportation. If anyone should thank them, it¡¯s me. Ah, to answer what you probably want to ask, I did check out the remaining slaves. Honestly, the number of errors and paradoxes between the records were amateurish. I don¡¯t know¡ªignore that. I do know.¡± Eina uncharacteristically sighed, shedding the hardened persons of a devoted secretary and showing off her true identity as Princess of Keywater. No doubt she was as exhausted as ever. Having to travel for days, squeezing out the last little bit of Skill Energy, and enduring the uncomfortableness of Teleportation after Teleportation would do that to a person.


    ¡°Thank you¡ªthe both of you¡ªfor doing this. I appreciate it,¡± Fisher said. He knew his words wouldn¡¯t be enough, but offering to do something else to show his thanks would be turned down.


    Blas¨¦ raised a hand and cracked his tired neck. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Now, I suppose nothing has changed on the Nicholas front?¡± He watched a pair of heads shake to the left and right. ¡°I figured. In that case¡­¡± He stood up and tapped the desk with his knuckles. ¡°We are done here. Fisher, I suppose we¡¯ll see you on the fifteenth.¡±


    ¡°Take care, Fisher. Stay safe.¡± Eina offered a friendly smile and behind her brother as they left the captain alone with three scrolls. He read them from to top bottom. Each held the name of 25 slaves. Next to each of them, within square brackets, was the name of their master. He thought about giving Rita and Riley a scroll each to give them some more experience but staved off and decided to wait until Mire and Tim. He looked at his pocket watch and had an hour to kill.


    Fisher soon realized the time passed him by faster than he thought. He looked up from a report and called out to a passing subordinate. ¡°Go fetch Tim and Mire,¡± he asked. Two minutes later, the two stood before their captain, ready and willing to carry out his orders.


    He told them of the 75 cases, and Tim asked for his orders.


    ¡°I don¡¯t rightly know the best way to take care of this. It is a delicate subject, but based on the severeness of false enslavement¡­¡±


    And the overall general response to what is sure to be a controversial decision¡­will assuredly be negative.  People don¡¯t look at slaves with a second glance because the simple act of being proclaimed one is enough to put enough bias into anyone¡¯s heart. ¡®If they¡¯re a slave, then they must deserve it,¡¯ is a natural line of thought. Who in their right mind would put their reputation on the line to assure all of the paperwork is in order?


    No one that¡¯s not a fool¡­ That¡¯s for sure.


    Branching off that, for someone powerful¡­ Say me, for example, it would be easy to grab a child off the street and file a false charge against them. Since the kid would be branded as a criminal, no slaver would give a second thought about clasping a bracelet around their wrist. Some might even ignore the ownership contract outright if I asked because who would ever question me?


    Of course, I would never do that, but it is na?ve to think that there aren¡¯t people out there who would do that. With that in mind, who¡¯s to say that those with ¡®legitimate¡¯ records are really ¡®legitimate?¡¯ And some slave markets don¡¯t even ask for any proof. They¡¯re more than happy to take the money, give the bracelet, and not ask any questions.


    This is a start¡­


    But that is all it is.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Captain?¡± spoke Mire. She tapped the desk, and the pleasant sound forced Fisher¡¯s mind to return from the world of thoughts and imaginations.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Am I allowed to speak freely?¡±


    Fisher nodded.


    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m not sure how relevant this is to the discussion, but I have something to share. A while back, I once met a slave who was happy being one because his circumstances were anything but normal. He grew up together with this one girl and this other guy. The three of them loved each other, but polygamy was not legalized. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s still illegal, but at the time, it was. After thinking, the only way for the three of them to proclaim their love without hiding it behind a cloak of deception was for one of the men to become a slave. He did this by ¡®stealing¡¯ a blanket, and the crime of theft was used as the justification to bracelet him.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a decade since I¡¯ve seen them, but they had nothing but smiles. I suppose it would be nice if polygamy became legal so they wouldn¡¯t have to use this loophole.¡±


    Polygamy? That stuff is legal in Lando, Westera, and Keywater. Don¡¯t know about the other continent and their countries, but that¡¯s not my concern. That excuse just won¡¯t fly.


    ¡°Sir, and if I may add something to Mire¡¯s experience. I have heard word of a family in the noble district that has an elderly Singi as a slave. Rumors say they treat her as if she was a beloved grandmother, and her status as a slave was strictly¡­for show? As far-fetched as it sounds, maybe the Singi just wants to keep the reminder on her wrist. Honestly, it isn¡¯t my place to say which way is right as long as she¡¯s okay with it.¡±


    ¡°Without a criminal record and contract of ownership, false enslavement is still false enslavement. I don¡¯t see why this Singi couldn¡¯t just work as a maid without fearing the bracelet warped around her mind. Especially if she¡¯s being treated like a grandmother. But I do get what you¡¯re saying. I have no problem if a newly freed slave wants to work under their former owner as long as they are willingly working.¡±


    At this point, I think I¡¯m just being na?ve myself¡­ For example, a woman could have sold herself to a noble to pay off a debt. When freed, she will still be indebted. Even if she says she will willingly work back under him, isn¡¯t that just another form of slavery in the financial sense?


    After thinking about the childish grandeur, Fisher gave a scroll each to Mire and Tim. ¡°Go to each of the names and tell them an investigation has concluded they were falsely enslaved. If any trouble comes up, drop my name and say it¡¯s an order from me.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Sir, what should we do after? Do we tell the slaves to come here?¡±


    Fisher answered Mire¡¯s question. ¡°That might be for the best. The least I could do is offer them a few words of an apology and a way to file their grievances. If anything, they might be eligible to receive a small sum of money as restitution.¡± The two loyal soldiers saluted their captain and walked right out. Right when the door was shut, the pair moved far enough away and spoke the words circulating in their mind.


    ¡°Mire,¡± Tim said when they were alone. ¡°Is it me, or does the captain seem to be strangely obsessed with this?¡±


    ¡°I know what you mean. Honestly, it does hurt my heart to see my kind in chains and wearing that awful bracelet, especially when it¡¯s possible they haven¡¯t committed any crimes¡­ What the captain is doing is admirable, though¡­ Still, I almost wonder if he was somehow involved in the attacks on the markets a few months ago?¡±


    ¡°It does make you wonder¡­¡± Tim replied. ¡°But surely not. We lost a lot of men during that night. If the captain was part of it, then¡­ He¡¯s a traitor¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t think that way. The captain¡¯s probably doing this for a reason we don¡¯t understand. I did hear he had a meeting with the governor earlier, so it might be on orders from them. Who knows, when he brought it up a week ago, maybe it was because of them?¡±


    ¡°Possibly¡­ Then again, I suppose it is our job to carry out his orders. Mire, you stay safe, you hear?¡± Tim patted his friend on the should and offered a smile. The lights lovingly reflected off his polished scales.


    ¡°You too, friend,¡± replied Mire. Her smile sent Tim¡¯s heart into a flutter. For a moment, he was dazzled by her pearl-colored hair, those eyes reminiscent of a lavender sun, and her long, luscious legs.


    She sure is pretty¡­ Tim thought.


    The two of them went their separate ways to finish their mission, and not even ten minutes later, Fisher departed from his office to take care of the names on the third scroll.

 Book Four – Interlude – Part Five – The Captain’s Elegy

    ¡°You know, dear¡­ I am enjoying these late-night therapy sessions. They give us a chance to get some nice cuddling in,¡± Marissa said, rubbing her cheeks against her husband¡¯s chest. It was late at night with a fearful moon. Darkness encompassed all of Canary, and with an eerie summer breeze rushing through the streets, it was nippy.


    Inside the master bedroom, a pair of devoted lovers nestled nakedly underneath the warmth of an oversized blanket. Their feet brushed against each other, eliciting a few giggles as both Marissa and Fisher shared a passionate kiss.


    ¡°Anyway, so what happened with the slaves? Did you have any trouble?¡± Marissa asked.


    ¡°It turned out that they held no love or affection for their owners. Mire and Tim said it was possible they¡¯d want to work under them, but that wasn¡¯t the case today. And over twenty of the guardsmen became violent with us¡­ And their excuses were all the same.¡±


    ¡°Did it have to do with the church?¡±


    ¡°It did. It was always the same line¡­ ¡®The church guarantees our right to own them. How dare you try to take away our property?¡¯ When I met up with Tim and Mire, it was the same song and dance. Today¡­ We had to imprison 22 men for raising their weapons against us. Most were just footmen, but we lost a couple mid-rank soldiers¡­¡±


    ¡°Darling, were there any injuries?¡± A soft palm brushed against Fisher¡¯s cheek as a thumb danced around his lips. Marissa soon leaned in and gave him another delightful kiss. Her softness¡­ Her lips stayed on his for a moment longer than necessary, and a pair of tongues lashed out and greeted the other.


    ¡°Mmmph¡­ No, none at all,¡± Fisher replied. He licked his lips, and his wife rolled over and straddled her husband. Instead of sitting up, she pressed her bountiful chest against his and started to dab his neck with wifely kisses.


    ¡°If I were to ever retire, I¡¯d recommend either of those two to replace me¡­ Tim¡¯s a good man who¡¯s a little rough, and he has the drive. Mire is a competent leader, and I¡¯m honestly thinking about putting her name in for a promotion next year. Ah, I don¡¯t plan on giving my position up, though¡­ Not for at least another thirty years.¡± He wrapped his hands around her back and brought them to her hips. He gripped her round bottom, squeezing them to his liking.


    He then went on to say that people were calling for his firing or resignation when he brought Cresk in for processing. Marissa stopped her kisses for a moment since she didn¡¯t know who that was.


    ¡°He¡¯s popular with the blacksmiths on Sculpture Avenue. All of his equipment is custom-made from them, so he¡¯s a walking advertisement. Without him showing off their gear, they¡¯re afraid of losing money¡­ And since I imprisoned him¡­ Well, I don¡¯t have the best reputation anymore¡­ Not with them and not with Cresk¡¯s wife. With tears in her eyes, she called me a homewrecker because her husband was their sole source of income. If that¡¯s true for them, it must be true for others. All in all, I ruined four families today¡­¡±


    ¡°Darling, if Cresk and the others hadn¡¯t attacked you, they wouldn¡¯t be in prison. Think of this way,¡± Marissa said, grabbing Fisher''s hand and bringing it to her cheeks. ¡°Thanks to you, there are now 75 former slaves that wouldn¡¯t have had their freedom had you not intervened.¡±


    ¡°I managed to convince the governor to start a small restitution fund. It isn¡¯t enough to cover the abuse and horror, but it¡¯s a start. Since their owners were members of the guard, it was impossible¡ªno, that¡¯s an excuse. Them being under my command should have meant they were under extra scrutiny. A few months ago, if I walked past a slave owned by my men, and he was shouting his innocence¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have given myself the time of day to even think about if he was telling the truth¡­ I¡¯m trying to be a better man, sweetie¡­¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re doing a wonderful job, dear. They say Keyya wasn¡¯t built in a day. What you¡¯re doing? It¡¯s a lingering process. Does the governor plan on verifying every slave in Canary?¡±


    ¡°He said doing a city-wide inspection will almost certainly lead to riots on accusation of overstepping into the rights given by the church. He only allowed me to check the guards as a test run because it¡¯s a smaller number of people. Blas¨¦ confessed his ultimate goal is to ban it outright. He has the city to think about first, though. And the truth of the matter is that slavery and the remaining markets just bring in too much money. Unless we have a way to make up the lost revenue, it¡¯s here to stay. Then we have the lost manpower. Losing those 22 men is going to hurt the force¡­ Especially since we''re the weakest we''ve been in years. Marissa?"


    His loving wife had returned to her husband¡¯s side, hugging his scarred arms between her busty chest. He felt the tender beating of her heart as she snuggled even close to her husband. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°What¡­ I believe what I¡¯m doing is morally justifiable¡­ But what if Canary ends up weakening even more?¡±


    ¡°Darling, you need to have faith in your work.¡±


    ¡°Faith?¡± Fisher spoke that word a few times, allowing it to roll off his lips like a sack of bricks. ¡°In today¡¯s world, it¡¯s easy to say you have it¡­ It¡¯s harder to actually believe it¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true at all because you¡¯re my faith. I love you, Fishy.¡± It¡¯s another sweet moment between the two. Fisher felt the sudden need to embrace his wife. He rolled over as she let loose his captive arm and waited for him to slightly slide down the pillow. With the hug of a loving wife powering her arms, she calmly pressed his head into her waiting breasts. Her warm skin was still slightly flushed from their steamy shower. His arms wrapped around her back, and she adorned the top of his head with proof that she was the only man deserving to be her husband.


    Marissa¡¯s hands slipped down his back, coming across violent proof of his war-torn past.


    ¡°Fishy, don¡¯t you think our girls are getting better? They even managed to give you a little boo-boo on your hand.¡± Marissa changed the subject. She thought it wouldn¡¯t be right to doze off when talking about a heavy subject. Not if she wanted their dreams to be pleasant and fluffy, that is.


    ¡°I do¡­ I¡¯m so proud of our girls¡­ It¡¯s almost time to move past the basic stances and into some practice swings. It does my heart good to see their progression¡­¡±


    ¡°Mmnn¡­ And you know, dear¡­ It is a mother¡¯s job to properly reward her hardworking daughters. Maybe I can spoil them a little bit during the festival? That¡¯s the only thing they want to talk about nowadays.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s also a father¡¯s job as well, isn¡¯t it? Sweetie, let¡¯s do our best to make this festival one they¡¯ll remember for the rest of their lives. I¡¯ll try my best to get more than a day or two off, but I can¡¯t make any explicit promises¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehe! I¡¯m glad you remembered my words from earlier¡­ Good night, Fishy. I love you,¡± she said with a kiss to the top of his head.


    ¡°I love you too...¡± The tired, exhausted husband dabbed his wife¡¯s chest with a kiss or two, then gently closed his overworked eyes.


    One week later, it was time for the scheduled meeting with the governor and his secretary. The location and time were the same, with the only difference being a baggy-eyed Fisher drinking a cup of coffee to ease his exhausted body. From the steaming black liquid came a lightly caramelized, almost nutty scent. It was supposed to be strong, but the liquid that flowed down his throat was anything but. Smooth and savory, he almost wondered if there was a mix-up down at the canteen.


    If the governor and his sister weren''t here, he would have gone and righted a mistake.


    The topic of this get-together, other than an update about Nicholas, was to discuss how the false enslavement investigation faired. Went right, what went wrong, what sorts of things could be improved were all questions that had to be answered.


    Truthfully? There wasn¡¯t much to it. Perhaps it would have been better to have the guards bring their falsely enslaved slaves to the headquarters for some sort of mass freedom. But with so many people in one place, there were sure to have been more fights. Though unlikely, a riot could have broken out since people were upset the ¡®property¡¯ they had paid for was being ripped away without any recompense. Sure, the slaves were given something, but that only served to make their former owners more upset. Even now, Fisher was fielding complaints from the guards who didn¡¯t turn violent that they wanted to be reimbursed.


    On top of that, there were the attempts on Fisher¡¯s life. ¡°Every day this week, someone has tried to assassinate me. Out of those seven assassins, each one told me I was the reason this city will fall to ruin and lawlessness,¡± he told Blas¨¦, who listened with a calculating mind. ¡°I must be hearing at least twenty complaints a day, all of which want me gone. And then there are the protesters, but there hadn''t been more than ten or fifteen people. Right now, it is mostly manageable, even if I do get shouted and screamed at whenever I leave or enter the building.¡±


    ¡°Fisher, this program was just a test run to see if it can coincide with our desire to see this city thrive. Just so you know, if it will help us reach our goal, I have no qualms about removing you from your position. Either willingly or unwillingly. Of course, it isn¡¯t personal at all.¡±


    ¡°Blas¨¦, there could have been a better way to say that.¡± Eina frowned at her brother and disapprovingly shook her head. ¡°Fisher, neither me nor Blas¨¦ expect it to go that far. We¡¯re just putting it out there as a precaution.¡±


    ¡°I expected something like this,¡± Fisher confessed.


    I used to roam around the town without a helmet, but now I have to wear it to ward off any archers. And now Mire and Tim want to follow me out on patrol to act as my bodyguards¡­


    ¡°On the topic of your assaults¡­ The seven suspects are locked in the prison. I assume you were able to subdue them without killing?¡± Blas¨¦ wanted a verbal recount even though he had read the reports.


    ¡°More or less. There is a Dwarf in there that¡¯s missing an arm. I couldn¡¯t stay my sword, or I would have been injured. He should make a recovery, though. As long as the shock doesn¡¯t kill him. I do believe Nicholas is behind it all. If only for the simple fact that the assailants all had a religious reason behind their attacks. And one of them turned out to be Jimmy¡¯s father¡­¡±


    ¡°I agree, but we just don¡¯t have any proof at all,¡± Blas¨¦ uttered. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, which forced his sister to chastise him for his unprofessionalism. ¡°We¡¯ve read your reports, but it¡¯s all just ¡®the Gods told me to attack the heathen to save this city,¡¯ and other bullshit. If we use that reasoning, Nicholas has an easy defense at the ready. A stalwart defense, at that. And that¡¯s not including his status as bishop. If he was just a lowly clergy, I could use my status as governor to imprison him. Hell, I could even make up a false charge or run a campaign to ruin his reputation. Regardless, if it does come to it, we might have to do something drastic.¡±


    ¡°Brother! We are not kidnapping him!¡± Eina exploded like a firecracker, forgetting to use his false name.


    ¡°Calm down. It¡¯s not that, though that would be the easiest way. No. Fisher, we might have to borrow that slave¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. Absolutely no. That is not happening,¡± Fisher said, cutting off Blas¨¦ while standing up. His chair was pushed back, slamming into the wall behind him. Its backrest clacked against the glass, but it didn¡¯t shatter. ¡°They¡¯ve just now learned to stop crying at night, and you want to force them to go back into that horrible life?! There are still months of work that need to be done for their recovery, and I refuse to jeopardize any of that progress.¡±


    ¡°Even if it was a matter of city safety?¡± Blas¨¦ refused to stand up. His hard eyes gazed at the rugged captain of the guard¡ª a man who had seen far more bloodshed and death for a dozen lifetimes.


    ¡°¡­¡± Fisher stayed quiet and calculated his thoughts. Before responding, Blas¨¦ spoke again.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t give up their location if it assured the safety of your family? Is the life of a former slave more than that? Remember, we have a job to do here, and that is to guarantee the success of this city. I don¡¯t know why, and I don''t ask why, but that is our task.¡±


    In his deeper voice, Fisher growled out a single question. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Indomitable rage carefully flowed underneath his stark black suit of armor. Even as the helmet covering his head remained still, his eyes wanted to vibrate with anger.


    ¡°Take it as you will. No matter the cost, this city must thrive. The moment growth stagnates and turns into decline, I will do what needs to be done. With or without your consent.¡±


    Knowing a violent spurt was about to emerge, Fisher simply endured the strain of wanting to shout. ¡°Then I have nothing more to add.¡± He walked around the desk, refusing to pick up his chair, and stormed out of his office. He did make sure not to slam the door, even though all the cells in his body wanted to break something.


    ¡°Oi! Next week. Same time and place!¡± blurted Blas¨¦. He waited for an affirmation, but one did not come.


    ¡°Blas¨¦, you need to stop acting like a fool. You went too far,¡± Eina said. She had a scowl on her face that could kill an ogre. Both she and her brother knew the captain hadn¡¯t fully walked away, yet they continued their conversation as if he had moved on.  Blas¨¦ grinned, knowing his carefully thought-out plan was falling into place.


    ¡°Look. You know how I get those uncomfortable feelings in the pit of my stomach? Yeah¡­ I¡¯ve been getting them for a few days now¡­ Soon, something is going to happen, and it won¡¯t be pretty.¡± He stood up and adjusted his tie, then angrily ripped it off.


    ¡°Threatening his family isn¡¯t the way to do that.¡± Eina stood up, grabbed a spare tie from her storage, and replaced the one her brother had snagged off.


    ¡°You should know me by now. We¡¯ve only been together for 20 years. I wouldn¡¯t hurt a child, but don¡¯t forget our mission.  Sooner or later, we have to take care of this Nicholas problem before it gets to a point where Fisher¡¯s assassination is a boon for us. Still, I¡¯ll think of a way to apologize. But if I can be truthful, sister, I am honestly leaning towards assassinating Nicholas. It is rough when you¡¯re absolutely sure he is behind it, but you don¡¯t have any legal avenue of settling things¡­¡±


    The rest of this day played out with Tim and Mire taking turns protecting their captain. From following him on patrol to even walking with him back to the house, he essentially had no alone time. A concerning situation that continued on to the 16th of August. Gods forbid Fisher had to use the bathroom at any point. If he tried to slip away using that excuse when Mire was watching him, she sent for Tim to wait inside the restroom.


    Deep inside, the captain knew they meant well. Even if they were both standing outside his home at six in the morning.


    When Fisher told his wife of the attempts on his life, she didn¡¯t quite know how to take her. She thought him to be the strongest fighter in the world, so she had faith nothing would befall him. After a calm debate, the two realized telling their daughters of the dangerous attacks on their father¡¯s life would do more harm than good. And upon learning about his bodyguards, she thought it immediately necessary to do something nice for Tim and Mire.


    So on the 17th of August, the day the festival was officially supposed to start, she sent her husband off with a small, decorated bag full of cookies. ¡°Be sure to tell Mire and Tim I want to thank them for keeping you safe. I know it¡¯s their job, but I can really rest easier knowing you have your subordinates watching your back.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to tell them that because they heard you,¡± Fisher said upon cracking open the door. Tim and Mire were there in the flesh with blushing cheeks.


    After a small conversation, Fisher felt more like a noble being escorted to the academy than a hardened captain of many battles. He sighed, something unbecoming of a man of his position as he walked down a road filled to the brim with decorative festivities. It wasn¡¯t scheduled to start until a couple hours later, but men and women of all races and ages were hard at work. Banners with pretty colors were in the process of being hung across houses and buildings, flags representing Lando and Canary were being flown. For the ever-popular fishing game, one designed for children to use a stick and a string to loop a hook through a toy fish. The prizes¡ªactual goldfish¡ªhas to be delivered as late as possible to ensure they¡¯d survive until the end of the week.


    Fisher and his bodyguards passed by quite a few supporters of his. They raised a friendly hand and thanked the captain for doing an excellent job. On the other hand, the number of dissenters seemed to be increasing after each day. When the trio turned the corner to get on the common district''s longest street, they encountered those very people. Admittedly, it was just a tiny fraction, but it didn¡¯t take a genius to tell the protesters were related to the 22 guardsmen Fisher and his team arrested.


    ¡°Just ignore ¡®em, captain. They don¡¯t have reason to be mad because those guardsmen did attack us. It¡¯s treason, isn¡¯t it?¡± asked Tim.


    ¡°It is, but executing them does nothing for us and only grants power to those who want to see me gone,¡± Fisher replied.


    Mire spoke up and offered her thoughts while keeping a pair of sharp eyes on a dissenter who was acting shifty. ¡°It¡¯ll pass in time. When you think about it, we did nothing wrong. False enslavement is a crime. One that is supposed to be recognized by the church and Lando.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope you¡¯re right,¡± replied Fisher. He cracked opened the box of cookies and gave two to his bodyguards. With their thanks, they scarfed the chocolatey treats down with a passion and offered their complementary complements. ¡°Haha! I¡¯ll be sure to let my wife know.¡±


    With that, silence naturally took over as three pairs of eyes were on the lookout. Neither of their owners would have any time to rest until they reached the headquarters, something that happened about forty-five minutes later.


    The three nodded and greeted Rita and Riley, who were standing ever faithfully by the entrance. Truth be told, after being trusted with a task from their captain, the two of them were reading to accomplish something. The desire to actually be promoted through the ranks started to set their hearts aflame with the desire for self-improvement.


    Upon entering through to a lobby that was packed to the brim of angry, irate nobles who failed to secure a spot in the noble district, Fisher wasn¡¯t expecting to see Blas¨¦. He leaned against the wall while chatting to his sister. She held a briefcase against her chest as a radiant smile lit up her face. And as always, she rather enjoyed wearing the clothes of a secretary.


    ¡°Captain!¡± exclaimed the governor. He adjusted his tie and walked over to Fisher. Tim and Mire gave a steady salute.


    ¡°Governor,¡± briskly replied Fisher.


    ¡°Look, I want to apologize for some things I said that may have been out of line during the last meeting. It¡¯s a good thing you two are here because I need a favor. Eina, the schedule?¡±


    Three blank faces stared at Eina as she retrieved a document from her briefcase. Upon taking it, Blas¨¦ finished what he wanted to say while going about it in a roundish way. ¡°In short, I¡¯d like to know if you two are willing to work a few longer days to give our dear captain some much-needed time off.¡±


    ¡°Sir?¡± Both Mire and Tim were confused, but only the latter spoke up.


    ¡°During the Warden training program a few months, you two were in charge of the guard, yes? While Fisher was focusing on his own class?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Mire.


    ¡°Then how would you two like to have that responsibility again? From now until the 23rd? Do this for the captain, and I¡¯ll triple your pay for those six days.¡±


    ¡°Captain?¡± murmured Tim. He looked to Fisher. He turned back.


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you. Don¡¯t think that you¡¯re forced to do this, however.¡±


    Tim and Mire shared a look of pensiveness. ¡°What about the captain¡¯s bodyguards? There hasn¡¯t been an attempt today, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already thought of that, so it¡¯s all taken care of.¡±


    Since it was technically a request from the governor¡ªthe highest authority within Canary¡ªit would have been rude to decline the generous offer. Although the two had to admit the triple pay was very tempting by itself. After agreeing to it, Mire smiled at her captain and wished him a wonderful festival. She made sure to note about he often had to work throughout it, and Tim added that he thought Fisher deserved to spend it with his family.


    ¡°Great! Now, before you leave, Fisher, I¡¯d like to have a moment of your time. Alone. Preferably within your office.¡± Fisher nodded, but he felt uneasy about the whole thing. Surely he thought this wasn¡¯t going to be another threat.


    Blas¨¦, Eina, and Fisher left Mire and Tim behind to head upstairs. Those two had a lot to get done, so it was best for them to get right to it since Fisher''s job was more difficult during this time of year.


    ¡°Blas¨¦, what is this about?¡± Fisher asked, dropping the use of ¡®sir¡¯ or ¡®governor.¡¯


    ¡°I won¡¯t mince my words or add any bullshit. Fisher, we believe it¡¯s time to assassinate Nicholas.¡± Just like that, he dropped a bombshell that even took his sister by ''surprise.''


    ¡°Brother?!¡± exclaimed Eina. ¡°We talked about this!¡±


    ¡°Look. There is just no other way. We just have no legal avenue to bring him to justice because there is no admissible evidence. We technically just have feelings and his creepy words of high-quality prayers. Yes, they match up with Fisher¡¯s assailants, but there is no court in this land that will accept that without being bribed. And really, if Nicholas can control a person¡¯s mind, he has to have the judges in the palm of his hands. Just think, Qina! Some with that power would have powerful allies! Both here, in Adenaford, and possibly in the Divine Principality of Tobris. You know, where the church is headquartered at?"


    Suddenly, the gears turned in Eina¡¯s pretty head. ¡°So keeping Fisher at home is another way to protect him? Because you don¡¯t know who here has been compromised?¡±


    ¡°That''s right. Tim and Mire¡­ We can¡¯t rule out the possibility they¡¯re Nicholas''s pawns¡­ Remember our time at Warden? The closest allies can turn at the drop of a hat¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Fisher stayed quiet and forced a gargling outburst to die out. Tim? Mire? Betraying me? Fisher, stay calm and think it through. Acting out of line and letting your anger spring forth will solve nothing and cause more problems. ¡°Then what? Do you want me to kill Nicholas? He has an assistant, remember? Does he need to die?"


    ¡°If he''s there or you''re discovered, then yes. If I provide the right time and place, could you kill him?¡± Blas¨¦ asked.

 Book Four – Interlude – Part Six – The Captain’s Elegy

    Fisher thought long and hard. Killing a man in cold blood? No, it wouldn¡¯t be cold blood since the overwhelming circumstantial evidence suggested Nicholas was behind it. Even as impossible as it sounded, the fair bishop of Canary was at least connected to it. If he wasn¡¯t, his cryptic words, obsession with prayers, and the sudden appearance of assassins who repeated those obsessions did nothing for his case. As far as Fisher was concerned. Anyone else not privy to the knowledge he and the governor had would just deduce it was a series of unintended coincidences. And Nicholas could always say he only gave a sermon. It was up to the individual in question to take his words as their own, and what they do cannot be traced back to him.


    If he had said something like ¡®kill the non-believers,¡¯ that would have been an indirect threat.


    ¡®We need the world to be filled with high-quality prayers?¡¯ That was another thing entirely.  It could be interpreted as wanting to pray more often, pray longer, convince others to pray, or kill those that hadn¡¯t prayed a day in their life. As it was probably true in the case of the latter, Nicholas¡¯s defense was as structural as nadrium. Combined with the resources of the church and the words of the Cardinal located in Adenaford, Nicholas was nearly untouchable unless he was caught in the act.


    Even then, the chances of him being imprisoned or punished were  absolutely microscopic. Often enough, any problem priests were transferred to another city.


    ¡°¡­ I have been getting worried something might happen since his attacks at me are going nowhere fast¡­ If he can¡¯t get to me, then what about my wife? Or my daughters? As a father and a husband, I have a duty to keep them safe¡­ But I need your word. Not as Blas¨¦, but as Claus Keywater, Prince of Keywater. I need you to say that you¡¯ll look after my family.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk like you¡¯re about to die, man. He''s an old man with a single guard. Not that I¡¯m one to underestimate my enemies, but we¡¯ve looked into his past. What you told us checked out. About being an apprentice blacksmith and finding his home in the church? It¡¯s all true. He doesn¡¯t have any record of joining Warden, and while he is blessed by a Major God, we couldn¡¯t discover the name.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t him I¡¯m worried about. It¡¯s his assistant, Klee. He¡¯s a mountain of a man of few words. And judging from the nature of this assignment, I assume I¡¯m going in alone¡­ And you didn¡¯t answer me. Claus, say you¡¯ll take care of my family.¡±


    Claus held out a hand, and Fisher shook it. ¡°I promise they¡¯ll be fine for the rest of their lives. As long as we¡¯re here, however. Once we leave, or if we leave, I¡¯ll still find a way to check in on them. But for the time being, I¡¯ve called in a favor from an old friend. He¡¯s going to shadow you and your family for the next two weeks.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Fisher replied. Eina looked a bit uneasy in the face, then realized this was the best way to move forward.


    ¡°The night of the 23rd is when you¡¯ll make your move. There''ll be a parade running through the noble district about five blocks from the church. From what you¡¯ve told us, Nicholas absolutely hates anything that doesn¡¯t involve worshipping. I¡¯ve talked with him about it, and he said he doesn¡¯t want that nonsense anywhere near his church, so he was setting up barriers. Honestly, that¡¯s the best case for us since there won¡¯t be anyone there. You are the captain, after all. Seeing you patrol wouldn¡¯t be the most alarming thing in the world.¡±


    ¡°The 23rd, huh?...¡± Fisher took a breath and looked down at his armored hands. The black shininess soaked up the light filtering in from the single window in his office. His mind went back to when assassination was a daily occurrence. Sneaking in through a field, slitting the throats of pigs and cows to eliminate the food source for a helpless village that was their target. Throwing feces into the river. Or perhaps killing a deer and draining its blood in the drinking well. In those times, there was no limit. Everything was permissible, and nothing was forbidden. ¡°Going back to that life¡­ If only for a day¡­¡±


    Going back to that life? Eina and Blas¨¦ thought simultaneously.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll see to it that it¡¯s done. As for your shadow, the one that¡¯ll protect my family... Are you sure they¡¯re trustworthy?¡± I''ve known he was here all along. I wonder if you told them not to interfere with the assassination attempts?


    Blas¨¦ nodded and snapped his fingers. A puff of smoke filled the room. It vanished quickly, revealing a kneeling man with a scar across one closed eye. He was dressed in the black garb fitting the ninja, a rumored type of mercenary mainly found in the Enkami Shogunate-- a country to the far east. A single crimson headband was wrapped around his upper left arm, and a pair of sharpened knives sat around his waist.


    ¡°I cannot tell you anything about him, but he was one of my closest allies when Qina and I defeated a mighty ancient dragon in his country. I trust him with the life of my sister and I. Because of that, I hope you can trust me. Ah, and remember our first meeting? The one with Jimmy and his father? Eina went and fetched him then and there, and he¡¯s been shadowing you ever since. Rest assured, you can trust him. While I¡¯m at it, I know you wanted to keep that former slave¡¯s location a secret. I honored your wishes by telling him to keep it to himself. He and his clan take secrecy to the utmost level of importance."


    ¡°I want to say I¡¯m surprised, but I¡¯m not. When Mire and I went on patrol after that meeting, I felt a presence. Figured you had something to do with it because my instincts didn¡¯t alert me to any danger. It was the same when my family and I walked around town," Fisher said. He didn''t do a damn thing when the attempts on my life were made...


    ¡°Sir Fisher, anyone that tries to harm you or your family will fall at my blade under the secrecy of shadow. I apologize I couldn¡¯t make myself known earlier, but offering my services beforehand was the best way to prove my ability! And if I may add, sir, I am impressed you picked up on my presence. Lord Claus and Lady Qina are the only outsiders to have done so before!¡± said the ninja. His voice was metallic, almost as if it had to pass through a couple of pipes before coming out his mouth. A mask did cover his nose and chin, so that probably answered that question. As quickly as he appeared, he threw down a smoke pellet and vanished when it dissipated.


    ¡°It also goes without saying, but we¡¯ll be watching in case anything unexpected happens,¡± said Blas¨¦. The three of them had been standing in a circle, ignoring the nearby chairs, but it was time to break the formation. He broke off first and placed a hand on the door''s handle. It squeaked like a mouse as it turned.


    ¡°Fisher, I wish there was another way¡­ Honestly, we probably should have done this earlier¡­ I¡¯ve done the math and thought it out, but should the worst comes to pass... If the town ends up under Nicholas''s control... We won''t get the growth we need from the city. I can already foresee our mission ending in failure should that happen. Perhaps I¡¯m not any better since I¡¯m basing everything off of money and statistics,¡± Eina confessed. When dealing with people, she wanted to see them as people¡­ Nearly everyone did. But her mission was so broad and specific at the same time that every decision she and her brother had to make essentially came down to the numbers.


    People as numbers.


    Food as numbers.


    Happiness as numbers.


    Vital needs as numbers.


    Dupla as numbers.


    Numbers¡­ Numbers¡­ Numbers¡­


    With everything being so quantifiable, the ''appropriate'' decision was easier than picking a coin off a table.


    But that was why she felt anguish in her heart. Her years at Warden taught her more about the world than Veris or Trerk. People couldn¡¯t be deduced into simple numbers¡ªtheir actions couldn¡¯t be plotted out on a board and solved with a mathematical formula. Even still, the Keywater twins had to try and make the impossible possible.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you can¡¯t get your companion to do it?¡± Fisher asked, knowing the answer.


    ¡°We cannot. His clan has a rule that prevents them from taking on assassination contracts. Even I couldn¡¯t convince them to bypass it. And as you know, Eina and I cannot be involved in any way. When we walked in, she used Veil of Obfuscation and Silentium Fluctus. Only the very people in this room can see or hear us. Should anyone try to observe from the window, they will not see us. Ah, it should go without mentioning that these two skills were used in all of our meetings. Even the first one. But it wasn¡¯t activated until Tim, Mire, and Nicholas had left. Secrecy is the name of the game.¡±


    The two then left Fisher alone in a room that had more than one person in it. He couldn¡¯t tell exactly where his bodyguard was, but he could feel his presence through Blethor¡¯s instinct. It was built up, waiting to be set off at the first person remotely thinking about causing his targets any harm.


    ¡°Justice will be justice, I suppose. Between killing an innocent for the sake of false revenge and assassinating a bishop to prevent potential mass mind control¡­ The choice is clear, right? What am I going to tell the wife?¡± Fisher lamented what was sure to be a turbulent future as he made his way down to the still busy lobby. Mire and Tim managed to catch him before leaving and assured them their worries about his safety were well-founded but not necessary any longer. Then he did that a second, and a third, and fourth. Even a fifth was ultimately required before they allowed him to leave.


    I must admit¡­ It still feels a little bit weird for a Demi to worry so much about me¡­ But I do feel happy. Mire¡­ Tim¡­ Thank you¡­


    The now off-duty captain reversed his steps through the city until he came upon his houses. The difference an hour or two made, in regards to the festival prep, was substantial. Now? Cheery, colorful banners decorated nearly every building. Stalls were started to be packed with food, clothes, and various little accessories here and there. Now that he had six days to enjoy it, he wondered how chaotic this year would be compared to the last. Not in terms of fights breaking out or riots, but chaotic when compared to his daughters¡¯ boundless energy.


    ¡°Daddy?!¡± exclaimed Meri when he walked through the door. She was helping her mother in the kitchen, and she ran to her father with a wet rag dripping right behind her. Marissa and Mari showed up a second later, both of which had lovely smiles.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got good news, girls! Your daddy has the next six days off!¡±


    ¡°YAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!!¡± cheered the little rascals.


    Meri ran up and hugged his leg. Then she looked up with her bright eyes. ¡°Then can we go to the festival? Everyday? Daddy? Please?¡±


    The last time I sat down and wrote about what was going through my mind was when my village was destroyed. It was just a scribble of nonsense about a fool¡¯s desire for revenge that transformed into needless slaughter over a decade.


    This is the second time, and while I want to say its source is different¡­ In essence, it¡¯s nearly the same. Only now I¡¯m a little bit more educated¡­


    This letter will be burned the moment I¡¯m done, so I have no problem with writing down things that should remain a secret.


    I¡ªFisher Jin¡ªwas ordered to take out Nicholas Constantius. On paper, it is a preemptive strike against a man who undoubtedly holds an unholy power. In reality, I can admit it¡¯s a form of revenge for me. When the attempts on my life first came to pass, I strangely accepted it. But as they failed, I realized there was a chance for the target to switch from me to my family¡­ Marissa is a capable woman. She can fight¡ªbrutally fight with her rapier if the need ever arises. Despite that, I must make sure that day will never come.


    She hadn¡¯t ever experienced the emotions that come with stealing a life, and I plan to keep it that way


    It¡¯s currently 10:52 PM on the night of the 23rd¡­ In just a few minutes, I will have to leave to achieve something for the greater good of this city¡­


    Before I stain my hands with the blood of another, I wanted to reflect and recall these six days of bliss I¡¯ve had with my family.


    Meri, my sweet little angel¡­ Mari, my bundle of joy¡­ When it was time to experience these six days of festivities, the two of you never let go of my hands for a moment. Even as we bounced around from stall to stall, going from snacking on sausages to eating a sugar-coated apple, the two of you didn¡¯t want to leave my side for a moment.


    Even seeing the visible frustration build up in your adorable faces when the hook fishing game seemed to be too much¡­and seeing the smiles blossoming on your faces when I proudly and valiantly won twice in a row¡­ That sheer admiration¡­ Becoming a father was worth it¡­ Gods, I can say becoming your precious daddy has been the highlight of my life.


    Even when I feel weak and pathetic, I can count on you two to give me the strength I need to push through the day. And might I add that you two looked so adorable in your festival robes that it brought a hundred smiles to my eyes. Right then and there¡­ It felt like the future flashed through my eyes. Seeing you two grow up, becoming taller and even more beautiful¡­ As a father, it does my heart well to imagine the perfect future for you two. At the same time, I just want to be selfish and have these moments last forever.


    After a few more years, the two of you will be too big for me to hold at the same time¡­.


    Mari, three days ago, you fell asleep after asking me to carry you on my shoulders. I couldn¡¯t leave you up there in your sleepy state, so I took you down and held you to my chest like I did when you were a baby. ¡°Daddy,¡± you whispered¡­ It did my heart well to know you were dreaming about me.


    And Meri, even though this week is one of fun and joy, I love how you kept bugging me for another lesson. Having you fight is something I do not want, but as I told your mother, I cannot control what you do with your life. Even last night, when I was tucking you into bed, you were still hugging that wooden sword. And don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t see the thing you wrote on it¡­


    ¡®I love daddy¡­¡¯ Well, daddy loves you too, sweetheart. You, your sister, and your mother¡­ I¡¯ll always love the three of you with my very heart.


    And should a fourth come around? Say a little brother or sister? I¡¯ll love them all the same.


    Marissa¡­ The love of my life. You can read me like an open book¡­ When I told you of the task I had from the governor, the very first thing you did was hug and ask me if I was okay. You had your own reservations over a state-sanctioned assassination. After learning the details, I was surprised to see you agree to it without any arguing. I didn¡¯t need to know the reason because you would have said the following in your lovely voice. ¡°Dear, you wouldn¡¯t have accepted something like this if there was another way. I share your fear of the target switching from you to me or the girls¡­ I only wish there was something more I could do to ease your pain¡­¡±


    ¡°Dear, you wouldn¡¯t have accepted something like this if there was another way. I share your fear of the target switching from you to me or the girls¡­ I only wish there was something more I could do to ease your pain¡­¡±


    Fisher looked up from the kitchen table, the only light blossoming from a weak Lux Sphere. Its frail existence only sustained by the mediocre amount of Skill Energy coming from Fisher.


    He saw his wife standing in the open doorway. Her beautiful face held a subtle smile, the opening of her nightly robe displaying the sides of her tantalizing breasts. With a pair of black panties, it was almost enough to make one believe she was seducing her husband to stay home. But no, that wasn¡¯t the case. Before he snuck downstairs to write the letter, he and his wife shared one last passionate moment. Marissa had probably scampered off to the bathroom to clean up the thick semen that no doubt had some trouble sliding out of her.


    ¡°Did I wake you?¡± asked Fisher. Marissa shook her head, sending her playful hair dancing across a pair of uneasy eyes. She held a hand to her open robe, touching her bare chest with five slender fingers that radiated motherly affection.


    ¡°No¡­ I just couldn¡¯t sleep¡­ It¡¯s a wife¡¯s duty to be worried for her husband. I was standing right behind a moment earlier. Did you not see me?¡±


    So that¡¯s how she knew what I wrote¡­ ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ Sorry, dear.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re troubled¡­ Fisher, don¡¯t go through with this if you have doubts. Have Blas¨¦ find someone else to do this¡­¡± Marissa walked back around her husband and danced her fingers through his hair.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­ I just thought I left this life behind when I met you¡­ When I became a father¡­ I¡¯m afraid I accepted the job so easily¡­¡±


    ¡°You did so because of us. Fisher, I can only just offer my support. I can fight, but I¡¯m not even ten percent as skilled as you. And something tells me you wouldn¡¯t accept my help¡­¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯d be right.¡±


    ¡°If I was strong enough, then you¡¯d know I¡¯d be right there by your side. Remember what I said, we¡¯ll protect our little angels together.¡±


    ¡°I know, sweetie¡­ Even when I do kill him, would you still love me?¡±


    ¡°Until the end of time, dear.¡± An apt reply it was, and Fisher looked up. Marissa stared down and touched her lips to his. ¡°Consider that to be the first of many, many kisses. I know you¡¯ll come home safe, but just think of that as a little extra incentive.¡±


    After the sound of his chair scooting out echoed around the empty kitchen, Fisher wrapped his hands around his wife. He held her head to his armored chest and kissed her forehead nearly a hundred times. ¡°I¡¯ll be home safe¡­ I promise it¡­¡±


    ¡°Dear¡­ I love you¡­¡± whispered Marissa. She felt something drastically horrible in the depths of her heart. It was such an ominous feeling, one that told her she needed to keep her arms wrapped around her husband if she wanted to keep him.


    Fear or faith? To Marissa, the choice was clear. She would place all of her faith into believing Fisher.


    But faith was funny and odd. It wasn¡¯t deterministic or infallible. Faith had a real chance of barreling down towards one path and suddenly shooting off to another lane entirely.


    At 11:19 PM, on the 23rd of August, a man tasked with killing the second most powerful religious figure in Lando left his house to complete that very objective. His stark black armor camouflaged him within the nightly shadow. The moon had taken refuge, refusing to soar amongst the sparkly sky. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t in response to the assassination, but Fisher couldn¡¯t help but feel that way. Even so late at night, the common district sure was bumping. Fisher passed by four or five restaurants slam full of hungry, drunk diners. It was so packed they had to start seating people outside on the sidewalk with boxes for chairs and tables.


    Waiters and waitresses, mostly the latter, scampered and skirted around from table to table, keeping an exhausted yet adorable smile. Of course, they would be happy since long hours equated to overtime pay. The beer and mead were flowing as freely as the frequent summer showers Lando was known to have. Thick cuts of steak and downright delicious bowls of stew seemed like they were being devoured by the metric ton.


    Fisher analyzed their drunken fun and cheerful laughter, then quickly thought about what would happen if Nicholas¡¯s dream came to fruition. While it was true someone couldn¡¯t find a spot of religion in the festivals thrown in Canary, his plan would involve removing the ancient art of giving money for goods and services. The bishop hated how dupla became intertwined in what he thought should be dedicated services to the Heavens Above.


    If I think about it, that¡¯s probably the real reason he has to die. If Nicholas ever gets his way, then these festivals become a sizable expense. Most money comes in from the slavery markets, but these seven days bring in a substantial chunk of dupla. Not to mention the tourists who come in from the nearby villages. Even travelers from Adenaford come to visit since it¡¯s rare to throw a party that lasts a week.


    When Fisher reached the noble district, he stopped right at the entrance and pulled out the letter he wrote before leaving.


    A flaming wall of fire was born a moment later, and darkened ash rained down upon the pavement. He gave a final thought to the letter, then cleared his mind. Determination filled it. Fisher reached inside his Dimensional Storage and retrieved a simple longsword. It was as standard as ever with, nothing special about it. But then he took out his nadrium dagger. After flipping the magnificent piece of art around his hands and fingers, he slotted it into a small sheath on the back of his hips.


    He was now equipped and ready for this fight. Each step sent a shiver of anticipation through his strong arms. Each time he moved even a centimeter forward, the scars littering his body throbbed and ached.


    That shouldn¡¯t be possible since they were inflicted over half a decade ago.


    The pain? Fisher Jin ignored it because discomfort was something he was used to. It was something he used to desire in his early, violent days.


    He marched ever forward, glad that the governor had fulfilled his promise of emptying the nearby streets. Like his prediction, Nicholas had instructed someone to step up barriers around the streets leading to his godawful church.


    No one knew Fisher was here.


    No one would ever think to check if someone was out scurrying out during the dead of night.


    Fisher Jin had full reign of these five blocks since the people who lived there had been personally invited by the good governor to attend the festival parade.


    And then he made it to his destination¡­ Standing so tall, it brought a disgusting taste to his tongue. Fisher wanted to curse the church and all it stood for because it had tried to erase him from this world. The foul man who ruled its wretched reins wanted to leave Fisher''s children without a father and his wife without her husband. His sword remained sheathed by his side, but he gripped the handle tight enough to crumple a lesser metal. In his left hand sat his black helmet, and he placed it upon his head.


    He made his way in past the unlocked front door, then emerged into an empty lobby. It was so quiet he felt his own heart pound against his chest. Yet his blade remained at his side. Searching through the hallways yielded no bodies, and even the extravagant worship room with the stage and curtains was empty of life.


    Upon ascending to the second floor, it was the same song and dance. The very carpet and tiled floor contained no hints of any feet having traveled on them, and Fisher was partly worried Nicholas had somehow learned of the assassination.


    With the third floor having as many differences as a mouse versus a rat, sweat began to drip down Fisher''s face as he stepped up to the fourth floor. He paused right when passing the door, coming to a stop in this floor¡¯s lobby. It was quiet, but the collective voice of prayer reached his ears. The voices were all conjoined together, sounding less like prayers and more like ramblings of different cadences and volumes.


    Unlike the other floors, this room he found himself in at the beginning had just a single hallway, though it was enough to fit three Kobolds side by side. He traveled down it, taking in the sight of the burning candles providing the only illumination. Their flames were weak and poor, probably indicating that Nicholas didn¡¯t even spend enough money to make sure his church was acceptably lit.


    At the end of the corridor, the prayers became more audible. The imperfections were more noticeable. Fisher emerged through a large, towering door and came across a sizable room filled to the brim with both Lux Spheres and people kneeling in prayer. There had to have been two or three hundred at most, and even just from comparing the clothes of the closest individual, Fisher knew that these people were nobles¡ªthrough and through.


    Aw, shit¡­ Fisher thought when his target was at the very back of the very populated room. Nicholas stood tall and proud, his hands directed to the heavens while leading the kneeling congregation. His assistant Klee¡ªthe mountain of a man¡ªstood right next to him. Funny enough, he had assumed a pose of comfort, leaning against a small table while looking almost bored in a way.


    The two had their backs turned towards the captain but turned around when they picked up a set of armored footsteps.

 Book Four – Interlude – Part Seven – The Captain’s Elegy

    ¡°Captain Fisher¡­" Nicholas''s voice echoed around the room. It is a surprise to see you here. I had heard you had this week off of work, so I wanted to believe you would have spent them with your family. Oh? Are you here to present the location of that slave? Or perhaps wanting to proclaim your forgiveness for allowing the weak to fester back into this sinful city?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not once to mince any words, are you?¡± Fisher approached the pair, though only the bishop had a confident smile plastered across his wrinkled lips. His left hand held the scepter that was supposed to mean the world to him, yet the book he valued hadn¡¯t made an appearance at all. Klee, like always, was just standing there.


    ¡°Mince words? Perish the thought. It wouldn¡¯t do well to be anything less than truthful while in this holy place of worship.¡±


    ¡°Less than truthful?¡± Fisher repeated that as a question. He kept approaching the two men until he was about ten steps away.


    ¡°Why are you here, captain? For you to show up in your armor and weapons could only suggest something imperative has happened. Do you need my advice on something?¡± Nicholas said. He finally lowered his hands, his scepter resting parallel to the floor.


    ¡°That¡¯s classified. Could I see you in your office?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I cannot do that. I cannot leave service after it has begun for a childish reason. If you do have something to say, speak your mind. For the only people here are you, Klee, myself, and all of the corpses you see behind you.¡±


    Corpses¡­ CORPSES?!?!!


    ¡°What did you say?!¡± exclaimed Fisher as he felt his stomach churn and crumble.


    ¡°You heard me, captain. The only ones in this room are you, Klee, myself, and the walking dead you see behind you.¡± Nicholas sure did have a confident smile, much like one would have when watching a child receive a much-wanted gift.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fuck with me!¡± Fisher ran to the nearest person¡ªa Singi¡ª and kneeled down. He grabbed their shoulders and lightly rocked them back and forth. The prayer coming from their slightly pursed mouth did not show any signs of stopping. His cheeks were as cold as ice. ¡°Hey! Sir?! Sir?!¡± The panic flowed from his lips, and it was further decayed into a rusty uneasiness when laughter came from the scepter-wielding bishop.


    ¡°Captain, do not waste your energy on trying to converse with the dead.¡±


    Fisher snarled, drew his sword, and pointed it right towards the villainous man of faith. If he any doubt¡ªeven a tiny sliver that Nicholas was innocent¡ªit had just been washed away with his disgusting chuckle. ¡°Tell me why you¡¯ve been trying to kill me! I know it¡¯s you that sent the assassins after me!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is that not why you are here? Instead of staying home with your family, you spend time coming here. For what reason could you have that isn¡¯t wanting to kill me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I did come here to kill you. But before I slit your wrinkled throat, I demand an explanation! What did you mean by corpses?!¡±


    ¡°It is quite simple to explain, really,¡± said Nicholas, who started to walk forward. He only stopped because Klee raised a massive hand and planted it against his chest. ¡°The story I told you about my past is as factual as any man can be. You see, the God who blessed me has the passive skill called Supporter. Should you not be aware of it, I have the ability to enchant the very words I speak with positive effects. Should someone wish to jump just a little higher, I could say ¡®you can do it this time,¡¯ and the person¡¯s wish will come true. Just for a moment, though.


    ¡°Supporter is sensitive in how it works. And after much testing, I believe a better name for it is Urge. Because that is what I do. I can Urge someone to lean a certain way or think a particular thought, but it only happens for a fraction of a second. It is the same with Urging someone to become a better cook. Yes, it will work... But just for the first few moments or until the person is satisfied. That¡¯s the limit, you see. Self-satisfaction. Even with weak wills, my Urges are only active for a few seconds. In all actuality, it is quite a pathetic ability.


    ¡°Due to a stroke of luck, I had the very excellent opportunity to meet Klee. If you would take it from here, friend.¡±


    Klee opened his large mouth, and a husky, mountainous voice rumbled out. ¡°I am trained in the forbidden art of Necromancy by my master. Though it is sealed, fragments of its power are all around us, just waiting to be harnessed. No matter how many years I worked to harness my technique, I could only bring back the empty shell of a corpse. The mind remained far out of my reach. So much so I was considered a failure and banished until I had acquired more strength.¡±


    Nicholas raised a hand and took over. ¡°After much experimentation, an empty shell was just what I needed. The mind is a powerful tool. Any outside and external ¡®suggestions,¡¯ especially if they are as weak as mine, do not have a fair chance to stay within the target. But an undamaged corpse with no mind to tamper with my Urges? It was a gift straight from the Heavens Above. I will proclaim it was a major loss when Lieutenant Arnold was dreadfully reported dead. He was my favorite puppet. That is why, Captain Fisher, I do not understand why someone like yourself would free that sinful slave. You slaughtered hundreds of Demi-Humans without a tinge of regret at some point in your life, so maybe you can be my next puppet?¡±


    ¡°¡­ You knew¡­of my past¡­¡± Fisher clutched his armored chest and went down on one knee. It felt like someone was dragging needles across his brain¡¯s fissures.


    ¡°That I did. While I don¡¯t approve of your needless mass slaughter, your impeccable skill with a blade is just what I need. Can¡¯t you see? Killing these filthy sinners, bringing back their shells, and implanting them with my holy Urges is the best way to obtain the high-quality prayers the Heavens Above requires. Just think, Fisher! You, I, and Klee? Together, we can achieve my dream of putting our faith at the forefront of everyone¡¯s mind!¡± Nicholas threw his hands up, kneeled down, then stood up and clasped his hands in a sign of prayer.


    ¡°My¡­past¡­? So¡­ Arnold was dead this whole time? Servi didn¡¯t kill him? Who¡­¡± Fisher dropped his blade and felt so incredibly weak in the stomach.


    ¡°Yes. Arnold was killed by Klee. Servi? I have not heard of that name¡­ It isn¡¯t important. With Arnold¡¯s death, I implanted the Urge for him to remain the same, yet added a specific command that brought him running to me. Ahh¡­ He was such as effective killing machine¡­ Do you recall the curtains down below? The ones on the stage on the first-floor worshipping room? Well, behind them is a room packed to the brim of worshipping shells. Their sustained prayers are what causes the Gods and Goddesses to greet each blessed day with a smile.¡±


    ¡°THE CHILDREN?! WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CHILDREN THAT WORKED HERE?!¡± Fisher screamed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you already know the answer. They were filthy orphans who had decided to give up at an early age. As a consequence of the reanimation process, my wonderful congregation is locked in time. The only issue is the smell of decaying organs¡­ Unfortunately, I have not found a way to get past that. Fisher, to put it bluntly, everyone you saw the day you and I had that meeting? You were staring at corpses. Jeri and Sea? I figured I needed an inside source in the guard¡ª a few extra pairs of eyes to assure the church¡¯s holy rules were being followed. It really was a shame the two experienced something so catastrophic that it circumvented my Urges and made them stronger¡­ Well, not so much a shame as it is much-welcomed knowledge of how powerful my Urges can be.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I haven¡¯t felt this pissed off in years¡­ Nicholas¡­ You will die¡­¡± Unrestrained anger flowed through the captain, yet his eerily calm voice suggested he was as tranquil as a springtime flower dazing in the fluffy sun.


    ¡°Try it if you can. I know the Gods approve of my behavior because why else would they grant me this skill? If I wasn¡¯t meant to do this, then Klee wouldn¡¯t have entered my life. Besides, the Forbidden Skills were intended to be used by the Gods. Why else would they have been made? But should you want to take your sword against a bastion of the Heavens Above, then you should know something¡­¡±


    Nicholas raised his scepter and took a deep breath. ¡°MY FLOCK! IT IS TIME TO BREAK OUT OF YOUR PRAYERS AND DEFEAT THE HEATHEN KNOWN AS FISHER JIN!!! I URGE YOU TO WORK TOGETHER TO BRING ME HIS LIFELESS CORPSE!!!¡±


    A malicious Fisher turned around, coming face to face with hundreds of citizens he had sworn to protect. Their beady, lifeless eyes stared ahead. All at once, they locked on to the captain.


    Nicholas gave an extra Urge, citing that anyone with weapons and Dimensional Storage should start arming their fellow worshipers. Fisher retreated, keeping his distance as he back-stepped around the room. His rather calm face stared at a silent mob full of people who couldn¡¯t kill a monster rat without breaking out into a cold sweat. Some of the Koena and Kobolds could definitely fight, but the majority of them probably hadn¡¯t even held a weapon in their hands.


    ¡°Oh, did I not mention that I can mentally send out my Urges to those under my command? That was a welcome evolution of my passive skill. In case you were wondering, Fisher, that is how I instructed Jeri and Sea to die!¡± Nicholas shouted. Fisher wasn¡¯t in any position to listen, but he drew his blade and took a stance. Then the mob became as still as ghosts¡ªacting as an immobile sea preventing Fisher from rushing to his target as Nicholas continued to speak. ¡°Should you want to kill me, you will have to kill those you have sworn to protect.¡±


    With another mental command, a young child¡ªprobably at just the right age to learn about girls and love¡ªpulled a dagger and approached the waiting Fisher. ¡°No! Don¡¯t!! My body! I¡ªI can¡¯t control it!¡± cried the child. His brown eyes leaked salty water, his arms trembling, quivering in manufactured fear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t involve children¡­¡± Fisher growled. The boy continued to step ever closer, his loud crying now on the verge of pandemonium. From behind, a massive, rotting Kobold managed to sneak around the captain and wrapped his rancid furry arms across his chest, disarming the captain. Fisher struggled, slamming his head back against the beast''s chest. When that didn¡¯t work, he kicked his legs out, bashing against the Kobold¡¯s knees to break pungent scales. A sharp crack later, the big lad tumbled to his back, crying and shouting he didn¡¯t deserve the pain.


    Fisher rolled to his dropped blade and grabbed it, but not before feeling the touch of a dagger scrape across his abdomen. The armor he wore faithfully protected him from any danger, signifying its protection with a blistering screech. That was when he realized something. The crowd of enemies had intentionally led the captain back to the long corridor. He stood on the threshold, and the Kobold that grabbed him had come from there.


    For the briefest moment, he looked down the hallway and realized another horde of soulless ¡®shells¡¯ were heading right for him.  The flesh was falling off their very skin, evident that they had been dead for months. Maggots festered and crawled from skulls to feet. It was like staring at the personification of a walking plague.


    ¡­


    His mind was blank, focusing exclusively on what he should do. He wanted his body to make the correct decision without involving his brain. Without speaking, Fisher quickly opened his Dimensional Storage and pulled out the staff he had used to put Servi to sleep all those weeks ago. He held it towards the hallway. A ravenous grassy-colored mist spewed forth from the shrunken head. It filled the corridor, but the horde of moving bodies refused to drop!


    That was because the dead did not need to sleep. They didn¡¯t require any nourishment, either. Especially the kind that Klee could bring back, which was just the shell that housed the mind and spirit.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand?! All of this could have been avoided had you not acted a fool!!! Just give up the location of the slave!! If you do, I''ll even kill your family and bring them back! You won''t have to be without them!¡± Nicholas shouted.


    His unsettling words brought Fisher''s mind back from its sabbatical. ¡°I cannot give up their location! It isn¡¯t right for them to be forced to re-experience the life of a slave!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that shit, Fisher! As someone who once held the very idea of justice within your heart, you should know what I¡¯m feeling! I will bring justice to the Gods!¡±


    ¡°The life I once led was a falsified ideal of justice that never should have existed! So many lives were stolen for no reason!!!¡± Fisher dodged back, avoiding another swipe by the child. From behind came a Koena with a sword. Even if her stance was horrifyingly amateurish, the deadly sharp blade glimmered with bloodthirsty resolve.


    ¡°THE NEEDS OF THE MANY MATTERS MORE THAN THE DESIRE FOR SOME PITIABLE SLAVE TO LIVE A LIFE IT DOESN¡¯T DESERVE!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Again, Fisher remained quiet and listened to Nicholas send another Urge. This one was for everyone to attack, not stopping until he a pathetic mush of blood and organs.


    Without having any choice, Fisher had no choice but to go on the offensive. His mind remained as calm as the ever still water located inside a temple¡¯s lake. Even as the smallest leaf dropped on top, its surface remained frozen in time of beauty.


    He bared his teeth and dodged to the left to avoid an amateurish thrust. He was met with a stone club, which whacked him in the side. The attacker was a Kobold¡ªa tall one¡ªand Fisher went flying into a group of mindless drones. He crashed into them, knocking them all to the ground.


    ¡°STOP IT! Don¡¯t hurt us!!¡±


    ¡°Captain Fisher, don¡¯t leave us here!¡±


    ¡°I CAN¡¯T STOP MY ARMS!!!!!¡±


    Three cries rang out, followed by heartfelt sentences of anguish. Their weapons just bounced off Fisher''s armor, which saved his life yet again.


    How ironic that a present from Arnold ended up saving Fisher''s life so many times. Especially when he was doing something that went against what Arnold believed.


    A dull throbbing radiated from his side. Something was probably broken, and he might have had a case of internal bleeding. The pain was numbed, thumping with the intensity of a single drop of water from a leaky faucet.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry for failing you¡­¡± whispered the captain. He rolled off the bodies, scampering away like a fearful cat. Once again, he had obtained some distance.


    Fisher knew he had to fight back. Even if the majority couldn¡¯t hurt him, there were at least three hundred foes all hobbling towards him. Some were rushing as if in a mad dash. Then they suddenly stopped as if their batteries had run out. It was all a sick ploy by Nicholas, who had definitely shown off a sadistic slice of his personality.


    The captain reached inside his Dimensional Storage and retrieved a greatsword while dodging thrown knives and weak arrows. With a handle long enough that it required two hands, the blade lightly pulsed with the ferocious element of lightning. Sharp yellow sparks danced off of the crossguard. With both hands, he held it up to the sky. The Skill Energy he sent barreling through it caused tiny snaps of thunder to fill the large room.


    That was met with a hundred different horrifying cries from the corpses standing in front. The part of Fisher that had matured against the world¡¯s cruel gavel of experience knew there was no choice but to carve a bloody path out of the walking dead in front of him.


    The corpses of children stumbling around with a dagger bigger than their hands¡­ Their cries for their mothers and fathers¡­ Fisher knew their personalities were just created from Nicholas¡¯s Urges. He had said so at much. If that was the case, then the weaponized mob barreling towards him and his charging blade had already perished. Their souls had been swiftly escorted to whatever lay beyond the mortal realm.


    Why couldn¡¯t he swing the blade? Why was Fisher unable to bring his hand down and launch a horizontal wave of lightning across the room?


    The children¡­ That was his weakness¡­ He had lived a regretful existence as a murderer of Demi-Human children. And right now? Even if they were lifeless ghouls living a false reality, they still held the shape of the children he used to slaughter. And it wasn¡¯t just the Demi-Human children. It was the little girls shuffling around in pretty pink dresses. With just a single glancing glimpse, he thought of his daughters¡­ They were right at home tucked into bed, and here was their father...


    If Fisher was going to do something, he had to do it quickly. The closest enemy was approaching, and she would be there soon with a wooden pickaxe in her elvish hands. Like all the others, a constant pleading was streamed endlessly from her wailing mouth.


    They all said the same thing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill me.¡±


    ¡°Save me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna die.¡±


    ¡°I cannot perish here.¡±


    ¡°Captain Fisher!!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it...


    With no more time left to spare, Fisher eliminated the flow of Skill Energy.


    He gritted his teeth.


    He held his breath.


    He closed his eyes.


    He opened his eyes.


    Finally... He swung his overcharged great sword. Its blade gleamed the brightest yellow, leaving behind an arc of pure, crackling lightning. The moment his blade completed its swing, the thunderous lightning launched forward. Within a quarter of a second, the mass begging had been replaced by a choir of pained echoes. The smell of electrified meat filled the room, the sound of the dead thumping to the ground eclipsing the remaining weeps of terror.


    That one swing took out 89 enemies. Their very skin started to sizzle, popping like a nasty balloon and releasing the coagulated blood inside their dead veins. Without a shell, it didn¡¯t matter how many Urges Nicholas wanted to send out.


    Fisher dashed forward without a sound, his face one of stone and stoicism. The little corpses just lifelessly sat there, becoming one with the awful, gross, bubbling blood that hadn¡¯t vaporized.


    ¡°NO! I DON¡¯T WANT TO DIE LIKE THAT!!!!¡± From behind came more choruses of cries, who had seen what Fisher had done. He still had some distance to go before he reached Nicholas and Klee. The distraught captain sent more energy through his enchanted blade. Even with it, he couldn¡¯t have won against Sakdu. At best, he could have killed a few hundred before their overwhelming might captured and decapitated him.


    His only saving grace was that the enemies¡ªthe opponents he had to fight were untrained and weak. After a few seconds, he spun around and sliced another arc through the air. The forth-coming wave of lightning destroyed, massacring the approaching mob. As soon as it left his blade, he started charging another projectile.


    The people fighting Fisher against their will kept up the waterworks. Before long, though, Nicholas sent another Urge.


    ¡°Is this how you killed those children in the village near the mountain? Were you off doing that while you let Arnold rape to his content? Or what about when he ripped the baby from the Singi¡¯s womb? And you stood off to the side sharpening your sword?¡± Such horrible words came from a girl no older than six right before her little body caught fire from the electricity. No eruption of pain flowed from her lips, which only spoke the truth.


    ¡°What about the three Koena? You just stood by and killed their father while Arnold ripped their scales off to make a necklace.¡± An elderly Elf said that. Her face was full of small, fragile wrinkles that meant she only had a few years left in her long, long life. Like the little girl, her aging body caught flame and melted her skin, but her mouth spat out truths.


    ¡°How is it? Do you enjoy sending those you need to protect to the afterlife? Even if they are already dead, it certainly can¡¯t be easy on your plangent conscience.¡± Fisher had tried to kill Nicholas with his lightning sword, but Klee pulled an enchanted shield from his Dimensional Storage¡ªone that was as dark as the night sky and held the face of a vicious dog¡ª and blocked every attempt.


    Fisher remained silent for the time being and focused on sculpting a path forward. By now, he had exhausted over sixty percent of his Skill Energy, and it was physically showing. The sword took longer to charge, but that was fine since he had just finished carving out a path. He stepped across the dead, squishing hands and arms and heads that managed to avoid his lightning arcs.


    Those who remained alive groaned with pain, but of course, they weren¡¯t feeling the agony at all. It was just another ploy by Nicholas and his Urges to torment the captain. When Fisher finished charging his current blade, he turned around and sent sprawling electric beams across the bloody scene. Anyone still hobbling towards him fell victim, their shells finally getting the rest they were so denied.


    The villainous bishop kept a perfect smile, then greeted Fisher with open arms and a job well done. ¡°Congratulations, Fisher. You¡¯ve certainly lived up to your former title. But let me tell you this¡­ You did not have to do that. Yes, they may be dead, but with just one Urge, I could give them back their original consciousness. How do you think Arnold stayed the same?  But I cannot see you¡¯re not into that because of the awfully intense glare you¡¯re giving me. Well, what about this for a test of your character. You killed them all for the life of a miserable slave, but what about your family?¡±


    ¡°You keep my family out of your goddamn mouth¡­¡± growled Fisher. He was absolutely caked in crimson. Red stains flowed down his helmet, onto his face, and continued down his chest. His armor, once black as sin, now had scarlet highlights. A few stubborn bits of blood became stuck in the harsh scratch marks that covered the ¡®justice¡¯ on his breastplate.


    It was like he was hell incarnate. Wielding a massive blade with the power of lightning, leaving behind a score of the dead in his vengeful path of assassination¡­


    He was a reaper of the truest sense.


    ¡°It all happened the day after the meeting in which you brought up your ridiculous plan to free the slaves owned by your subordinates. Klee here paid a visit to your family whilst they were out shopping. I¡¯ve always wanted you to be on my side, so when you came to me of your own volition to speak about Jeri and Sea, I was dearly hoping to bring you aboard. Alas, I have seen I have failed to do that. However, you now have a dilemma. You mercilessly trampled over a crowd of Canary¡¯s citizens for the sake of a single slave. Will you do it again if your family is on the line? While the curse of resurrection cannot be removed, I can certainly cast away the Urges I have given your family.¡±


    Fisher was frozen to a standstill. The shield-wielding Klee stood just to the right of Nicholas. His large eyes kept a sharp glare upon the deadly lightning sword but lowered his shield with the energy vanished from the terrible blade.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­a lie¡­ It¡¯s a lie¡­ It has to be a lie¡­ Marissa¡­isn¡¯t dead¡­ Meri¡­ Mari¡­ My angels¡­¡± The names of his beloved pathetically spurted off his lips at a volume barely above a whisper.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ But it is the truth. Haven¡¯t you noticed your family was very eager to please you? Your daughters have been wanting to follow in your footsteps. You did take a sword from the armory, correct? A pair of wooden swords, to be exact. Then you were nursing a wound to your hand with a fatherly smile atop your lips because you were proud of their progress. Oh, and let¡¯s not forget your wife¡­ Even a blind beggar could see how she hung off your very arm when you and your family sauntered around this unholy festival.¡±

 Book Four – Interlude – Part Eight – The Captain’s Elegy

    Nicholas walked closer to Fisher, who had become so weak he didn¡¯t have the strength to hold his blade. It fell with a thunderous clang, spattering crimson up high enough to dirty the bottom of the bishop¡¯s stark white robes. He placed a hand on Fisher''s armored shoulder. ¡°You can still save your family. Tell us the location of the slave, and you won¡¯t have to watch your family suffer and perish.¡±


    Stressful seconds passed by without any response. Nicholas motioned for the tanned monstrosity known as Klee to pick up the great sword. He did so, lifting it with just one hand. Powerful muscles must¡¯ve resided with his log-like arms. He placed a large hand on his robe and ripped it off, showing off the armored bodysuit he wore underneath. He wore a thin layer of metal over his body, stretching from his neck to his feet. Gloves and boots birthed forth from his Dimensional Storage. The sword he held dropped to the ground.


    After dressing himself, he hefted the blade and tested its weight, swinging it around as effortlessly as if it was a short sword.


    ¡°I must say that I am disappointed. You had the potential to be my greatest asset, and your devotion to this slave is outright disgusting. You fool! Does your family not mean anything?!?! Does slaughtering the Innocents to save the life of someone who should be imprisoned for their weakness give you a sick sense of satisfaction?!?! Try as I might, I did EVERYTHING I could to obtain its location without resorting to this! I even sent someone to follow you every damn day, and no one ever returned! This slave must be returned to its rightful owner, and this wrong must be righted!!!!¡± Nicholas lost his cool, further exploding into a barrage of insults and swears.


    ¡°No¡­ Something isn¡¯t right¡­¡± The words murmuring from Fisher''s lips halted Nicholas''s rant.


    ¡°Oh, I assure you it all very much correct. Klee, kill him, and get ready to make a shell out of him.¡±


    Klee gladly obliged and lifted the great sword to the sky. His sharp eyes glared at a man he would have loved to fight, for defeating the strong and corrupting their bodies into the perfect shell was quickly becoming his favorite hobby. His muscles followed the command from his mind, sending his hulking arm down while fueling the sword with sweet, sweet Skill Energy. It glowed a blistering yellow. The coalesced energy coagulated along the blade''s edge, sharpening it to an unhealthy degree.


    ¡°No¡­ Something¡¯s wrong¡­ No!¡± Fisher dodged to the left after running Nicholas''s claims through his mind, but he was a hair too late.


    Thump!


    The severed arm of a man protected by black armor fell to the ground, leaving behind a sputtering wound that ejected blood at an alarming rate.


    He had been cleaved off at the shoulder, causing him to not have even a stump remaining.


    ¡°Where did you kill my family?¡± demanded a changed Fisher. He took a step forward even as the rain of crimson continued to soak the ground.


    ¡°Klee caught them running for the headquarters. You do know the little apple shop a few blocks away? It was there.¡±


    Stomp!


    ¡°Did my wife tell you about the crater?¡±


    ¡°Of course, she didn¡¯t. Even if you did know the truth, would you tell her?¡± Nicholas took a confident step back while Fisher did the opposite.


    Stomp!


    ¡°You¡¯re lying¡­ I told my wife to run to Warden should anything happen¡­¡±


    Stomp!


    ¡°I do know who caused the crater¡­ It was a Goddess named Itarr¡­ If you really had killed my family and instructed her to tell you everything, then¡­ No, I don¡¯t have any more words to share with a dead man¡­¡±


    The ground shook when Klee ran in front of Nicholas, who had started to show signs of fear and fright. Fisher hooked his remaining left hand around his back and pulled out the nadrium dagger. Its trademarked pair of two pulsing blue lines of energy flashed with great intensity. The blood that had dripped down its blade when it was sheathed never crossed over the parallel lines. But it was ready to fulfill its master''s demands.


    Nicholas shouted something that vaguely sounded like an order, and Klee picked up his dog-headed shield. With two items that usually required both hands, Klee was just even more impressive in wielding them both one-handedly. Though he had fought on the front lines in many battles, his massive size gave him an unfair advantage.


    He cautiously approached the incoming one-armed captain with a sword held high. He brought it down with surprising speed, but Fisher skipped over to the right and used his dagger to deflect the blade away. He stomped forward, jittering and stopping, then dashed to the left. Speed was the name of the game, and once his sword arm was in motion, Klee couldn¡¯t alter directions.


    Walking ever forward, Fisher used his nadrium weapon to swat away any incoming thrusts or vertical slashes and dodged under the horizontal blows coming from the left and right. Blethor was kicking into high gear, granting Fisher the skills of a dagger master one hundred times his age. It wasn¡¯t quite at the level of Soul Essence of Primal Combat, but it did grant him decades and decades of untold training.


    Even an ant could deflect an attack from a lion if it had enough skill.


    ¡°Klee, finish him!¡± commanded Nicholas. The oncoming force of vengeance had pushed the both of them to the far back wall. Sparks danced and scattered across the mesmerizing battle. Each step and slide sent up another splash of crimson, dirtying the combatants¡¯ bodies with even more blood.


    Klee was certainly enjoying this battle, though that wouldn¡¯t last. He foolishly believed his skill was the thing keeping Fisher¡¯s dagger away, but that was just because he had almost reverted into the Fisher of old.


    The one who played with his prey.


    The one who faked being injured to slaughter from the inside.


    The one who used everything to overpower an opponent who falsely believed they had the upper hand.


    The one who had a reputation even surpassing Arnold in how violent he could brutally violate a corpse¡­


    That was the Fisher that Nicholas wanted to have on his side. With his absolutely stellar skill at combat, Nicholas could have anyone killed and send an Urge to make them into the perfect worshippers.


    A soft grin appeared upon a face of blood and crimson, displaying the white teeth hidden inside his sin-filled mouth. Suddenly, the former reaper of Demi-Humans started to hasten up. He dashed to the right, sending up more blood and doubled back, hopping forward into a mad tackle. He slammed right into a shield, but his dagger was held out. As it was nadrium, it pushed through the pathetic piece of steel, and Fisher''s remaining strength brought the stubborn blade down. The shield split mostly in half. Even the handle had been cut through, so it was worthless.


    Klee thought he had the right opportunity to finish the fight, so he foolishly took an opening Fisher had delightfully prepared after throwing the shield at him. The lighting sword came down with an edge that just cackled like the mad thunder of a raging storm.


    ¡°Die!!!¡± shouted the mountain of a man. His eyes lit up with wonder at the forthcoming chance to use his Necromancy. Perhaps this time, the mind will be brought back as well...


    Klee had the understanding that since Fisher had to jump to dodge the thrown projectile, he would be vulnerable when in the air.


    He wasn¡¯t. Perhaps if Klee had come in from the right, where there was no arm, he would have won, but that was a dream since the captain had a multitude of experience to draw from. Since his blade was securely gripped by his left hand, he put it between himself and the incoming attack. He did get launched but suffered very little damage other than a numb spot between his abdominal cavity.


    Fisher had expected and wanted this to happen, so he rolled out into a sharp recovery as crimson blood splashed up. With haste, he tossed his blade with startling accuracy and speed. It caught Klee between the eyes, piercing his skull by just a hair. In an agonizing rage, he dropped the blade. Both hands went to his wound.


    The captain scrambled forward into a confident yet mad dash to pick up his former weapon. Even if he didn¡¯t want to admit it, he couldn¡¯t heft it around with one arm, so he used something called momentum. He slid past it, using the plentiful blood to reduce friction, and snagged it with his remaining hand. Then he used everything in his entire body to spin, using his speed to gradually lift the sword up. Simultaneously, he overcharged it with most of his remaining Skill Energy, then sent it flying towards Klee.


    ¡°RRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!¡±


    The necromancer hadn¡¯t figured out what was going on. In his madness, he wasn¡¯t able to hear Nicholas¡¯s panicked warnings. His armor suit did provide some protection, but it was metal.


    And it was uninsulated.


    ¡°WWWAAAHHHHHAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!¡± His death screams served as a reward for all he had killed in his foolish devotion to Nicholas, but Fisher wasn¡¯t satisfied. He approached the still convulsing body, refusing to shield his eyes from the lightning show happening in front, and stomped down on the dagger sticking out of his forehead. Since Fisher''s black armor was enchanted and insulated, he didn¡¯t have to worry about the bolts spreading to him.


    Even if Klee''s armor was protected against lightning, Fisher had a dozen different ways to defeat this man.


    But he stomped, stomped, and stomped some more until Klee¡¯s head cracked like a thick egg. The waves of lightning traveled up to venture inside this new opening, frying his brain to a crispy mess. By now, his screams had stopped for good, and the slight movements his body performed were just the last of his nerves firing off. His blood had started to boil from the inside, causing his skin to melt into a goopy, sickening mess.


    ¡°Now that you''ve killed him, everyone he had ever brought back to life will die!!! You had the chance to save these people, and you refused to do it for a damn slave?! Why?! Why did you have to turn out to be the selfish bastard I feared you to be?!¡± Nicholas screamed. He fell to his backside and fearfully waved his scepter in front of him. He stared past Fisher and exclaimed in horror as the bodies and those still alive crumbled into something less than dust.


    Fisher turned back to the sea of bodies, but he only shook his head. ¡°They were dead¡­ Removing your foolish Urges wouldn¡¯t bring them back¡­ A corpse with a mind still a corpse¡­¡± He picked up the nadrium dagger and slotted it in its rightful slot after removing the blood. ¡°Your death won¡¯t be gentle¡­ For the harm you have done in your ridiculous goal of wanting these shitty prayers¡­ You. Will. Die. And to rub it in, you son of a bitch¡­ The Goddesses? I happen to be acquaintances with one of them. Her name is Itarr, and what you¡¯ve done so far  away that it isn¡¯t anywhere near what she desires¡­ She¡¯s a powerful being who wishes to devotedly protect the two that believe in her the most... Heed my words, bishop.¡± Fisher¡¯s voice had gone cold. So incredibly cold and calculating that all he saw when looking at a foolish bishop was prey. ¡°Had I not stepped in to kill you, your death by her divine hands would not have been swift¡­ I¡¯ve seen the consequences of going against her¡­and it ended with an army 15,000 strong perishing in a single instant.¡±


    ¡°No! You stop your blaspheming! A gutless man like you can¡¯t even see that the slavery of the weak is the best way to devote ourselves to the Gods! You claim to know of one that I¡¯ve been worshipping for over half my life?! Bullshit! You might strike me down¡­ You might kill me¡­ But my desire to see the heavens populated with the perfect prayers will continue with someone else!!! This world is at a turning point, Fisher, and I was just the herald to set it amongst its forthcoming path!¡±


    Fisher ignored the bastard and kicked the scepter out of his hand. It landed with a timid thud, and it soon belonged to a new owner. Fisher waved it around, testing its weight and overall feel. The balance was thrown to the wayside by the jewel of the Mantel slotted on top. ¡°How many people did Klee bring back? Not total, but in Canary... And how many of my men have you slaughtered? You have five seconds..."


    Fisher mouthed the countdown. The blood that had dried to his lips remained like a bad reminder of a violent past.


    ¡°We killed 8,625 worldwide and 352 in Canary, and we brought each one back¡­ Our targets were people unrelated to the other¡­and of different ages, races, and gender¡­ It was all so there wouldn¡¯t be any suspicious links¡­ Take heed. Only 27 from the guard perished since I didn¡¯t want to cripple it¡­ I hope you enjoyed ruining so many families¡­ Not just here, but all around the world¡­ I  All you had to do was return a slave to where it rightfully belonged¡­¡± confessed the bishop. He looked awfully weak and timid, with his eyes staring at blood-caked sand. Proof of his plan¡¯s demise stared at him head-on. He spat towards the captain, coating his armored legs in even more disgust.


    ¡°Cripple? No¡­ Why did you lie about killing my wife and children?¡±


    ¡°Because I wanted to bring them back to use as a leveraging chip¡­ Returning someone from the dead and implanting an Urge renders them 70% effective in terms of combat¡­ I tried hard to tear your wife''s sinful head from her body¡­ But every time I sent someone out, they just failed¡­ Klee did go and try, yet he was unable to do it¡­ GODDAMNIT, FISHER! Why couldn¡¯t I kill your family? Why couldn¡¯t I send someone to follow you and find out the location of that slave?!?! What do you have that I don¡¯t?! Surely you don¡¯t have the protection of the Goddesses I so desperately serve and worship!!!!!¡± Sweat dribbled down his wrinkled forehead. Fear manifested within his being for just but a moment or two.


    Suddenly, the bishop held out a hand and twisted his ugly, frightful expression into a psychotic grin. ¡°I will have the last laugh, Fisher. In your weakest moment¡­ On your frailest day! When you are at your most deplorable... When you¡¯re bordering on the edge of losing it all¡­and your family is giving you their strength... I URGE YOU TO REVEAL YOUR DEEPEST, DARKEST CONFESSIONS TO YOUR CHILDREN!!! TO EVEN YOUR WIFE!!! ENJOY FEELING THEIR FEAR AND DISGUST UPON YOUR¡ª"


    Without letting him finish, Fisher raised his arm and brought the scepter down upon its former owner¡¯s head. Nicholas was brutally knocked to the floor, his chin bashing into the cold, hard ground. The heavy impact carved a gruesome dent into his head, causing his body to convulse from the blunt force trauma.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any words for you¡­ None at all¡­  Just die like the sad man you are¡­ When you arrive at the afterlife¡­ In hell, just wait¡­for me...¡± Now that the fight was over, the adrenaline keeping Fisher in a combat-ready state subsided. He found his entire body puny and frigid, and he struggled to bring down the heavy scepter on Nicholas¡¯s barely alive corpse a second time.


    ¡°I probably won¡¯t be far behind¡­¡±


    But Fisher did, eventually deepening the divot he had given the bishop prior. His bulging eyes popped out of his sockets, and a trail of crimson soon followed as the back of his head was flat like a board.


    Stumbling backwards, the tired, weak captain slipped on blood and tumbled hard to the ground. His eyes were weak and heavy, and his very breath became stiller than the dead corpses he had just fought. The weapon he used to carry out the assassination dropped from his open hands as a pair of eyes shakily stared at his dismembered arm. With great pain, he pressed his remaining palm to the ground and tried to ascend to his trembling legs.


    Shit¡­ The pain¡¯s starting to come¡­ He thought to himself. Every breath he took sent surges of agony barreling through every extremity. Fisher finally did ascend to his feet, but only after clutching the scepter and using it as assistance. Adrenaline could only do so much, but it had a limit, even for someone who had been injured more times than he could count.


    He turned around and stumbled out towards the long corridor, passing by the dust that used to be people.


    Fisher¡¯s mind went to Nicholas, and even in his hazy state of being, he didn¡¯t know what the dead bishop wanted.


    Was it to turn this city into a cursed existence that only housed dead, mindless puppets who prayed at all hours of the day?


    Was it to eventually take Canary¡¯s force and gradually amass power? Why else would he complain about the thirty percent decrees in fighting prowess if he only wanted people to worship the Heavens Above?


    Was there someone even above him? Did Nicholas answer to a superior who sent him on this path in the first place?


    Did it even matter? Fisher didn¡¯t believe he needed to know the true reason behind it because it would not change anything. He had a vow to defend Canary, its people, and his family, and if anyone stood in conflict, he had a right to act.


    Marissa is safe¡­ Meri is safe¡­ Mari¡­is¡­safe¡­ I protected my family¡­ Nicholas¡­was going to kill them¡­ Eventually¡­he was¡­ Gods¡­ Everything hurts¡­


    When Fisher reached the stairs, he fumbled over his legs and tumbled down the entire flight. He landed with a hard bang against the wall, the impact causing more blood to flow out from his grievous wound.


    Marissa¡­ Meri¡­ Mari¡­ Three little names echoed around his darkened mind. As he limped forward, failing to rise to his legs, he reached out with his one good arm and dragged himself across the floor. A glistening blood trail followed behind, leaving proof of his mortal injuries. It was a gigantic task to crawl his way through the rest of the church to reach the outside, and even a man like Fisher couldn¡¯t do that.


    How could he? He could barely see. His grip was so weak a child could escape, he had no more strength in legs, and during the dead of summer, Fisher felt as if he was swamped underneath the icy glaciers that were ever plentiful in the northern coast of Keywater.


    The furthest he had gotten was the second-floor staircase, just mere meters away from arriving at the bottom. It was then and there he closed his eyes, allowing the darkness to trample over his sinful existence.


    ¡°What the hell is wrong with the both of you?!?!¡±


    Slap!


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you give him any help?!?!¡±


    Slap!


    ¡°JUST LOOK AT THE STATE HE IS IN!!!¡±


    Slap! Slap!


    A feminine voice was nearly shouting at the top of her lungs, causing the man who had touched death¡¯s scythe to groan awake. His brown eyes opened, but just slightly because the forthcoming light sent pain shivering through his head. Even turning his neck slightly to the left caused him an indescribable amount of agony, but the wounded man caught sight of a familiar curtain hanging in front of a window.


    The fingers on his left hand moved slightly, brushing its tips across the soft bedspread. He attempted to do the same with the right¡­


    But nothing was there¡­


    Try as he could, Fisher Jin just could not move anything relating to his right arm because it simply wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°Mrs. Jin, please¡ª¡±


    ¡°No! You bastards sent my husband to do your dirty work and didn¡¯t offer to help!¡±


    Smack! Smack! Smack!


    Mrs. Jin? What¡­


    ¡°MERI!!!!! MARI!!!!¡± Fisher cried. He sat up and tried to swing his legs, but they felt as heavy as led and iron. He tried to use his right hand to forcibly push them out from under the cover, but there just wasn¡¯t anything there.


    ¡°Darling!!!¡± Marissa cried, tears spewing from her eyes and snot from her nose.


    Fisher looked up and realized he was in his house, lying right in the middle of his large bed, which seemed frigidly cold and empty. But he wasn¡¯t alone. Marissa was right there, standing close enough she was within arm¡¯s reach. Her pretty appearance had been thrown to the wayside to make way for her disheveled worries, and the sultry robe she wore earlier was tightly clasped around her mature body. It wasn''t open at all.


    The two blond-haired, business formal-wearing individuals must¡¯ve been the governor and his secretary¡­ The cheeks of their faces had a bright red handprint, proof of a wife¡¯s righteous anger.


    Fisher opened his mouth but wailed out in pain when Marissa gave her husband a tight hug and what looked like a hundred kisses. Though it was hard, he somehow raised his arm and placed it around her waist even as she apologized a hundred dozen times.


    ¡°Fisher, we need to know what happened? What happened to everyone inside the church? Why was there so much dust? And the blood in the large room near the top¡­ Where did it come from?¡± Blas¨¦ said. ¡°Answer¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Just be quiet!¡± Marissa snapped. She raised a hand and smacked Blas¨¦¡¯s pretty cheeks once more. His sister flinched at the hit. Not because of the sound, but because she was seething in anger watching her brother take the abuse.


    A couple of minutes passed in complete silence before Fisher found the strength to talk. He could only fish out a few words here and there, and he only managed to convey the link between Nicholas and Klee.


    ¡°Are you¡­ Necromancy could be used in conjunction with a Hypnosis-like skill?¡± Eina whispered. ¡°No! Fisher, you have to let me heal you.¡± She held up her arms and spoke aloud Deus Lux. The holy light shimmered in the air before cascading inside his wounded body.


    Nothing happened. Not a single thing changed about Fisher''s condition.


    ¡°Damnit, why aren¡¯t you healing my husband?!?!¡± Marissa raised another hand, yet it was gently caught by Eina. Fisher¡¯s wife snatched her arm back and glared like the devil.


    ¡°Fisher, you have to accept the healing. Unless you accept it, you won¡¯t feel better¡­¡±Blas¨¦ said, clutching his stinging cheeks.


    If an individual did not want to receive a healer¡¯s assistance, they could focus their willpower and outright deny it. Take, for example, someone who could stack a healing skill 12,000 times. Should they bring someone to the edge of death, and this someone wants to die, what could they do? A man on death''s door couldn''t hardly gather the willpower to fend off a single Remedium. What could he do against 12,000 stacks of Deus Lux?


    But Fisher? His mind was a turbulent mess of emotions. Perhaps outright refusal was standard for him¡ªeven while sinking away to the depths of unconsciousness.


    ¡°Fishy? Listen to me, dear¡­¡± Marissa¡¯s panicked voice whispered out. She kneeled down beside the bed and held her hand over his. Feeling her touch this time was when Fisher realized he had been stripped of his armor and underclothes. His cold flesh caused a great deal of discomfort, and it was warm, almost slimy. That was probably from the soapy water Marissa used to clean the blood off of her husband. Her eyes grew teary and sorrowful. She searched for the right words, but she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Marissa¡­ I destroyed thousands of families tonight¡­ The people I was sworn to protect¡­ Mothers¡­ Fathers¡­ I had to fight through¡­children¡­ Just as old as Meri¡­ I had to kill them¡­ They¡­ They¡­¡± His voice was less than a hoarse whisper. He wanted to smack himself with the arm that was no longer there, but a ghastly phantom pain remained.


    Marissa kissed her husband. Then she gave the twins a horrific stare of death¡­ She had never hated anyone more in the world than these despicable siblings. She didn¡¯t know they were related, of course, but she hated them all the same.


    Despair radiated from the wounded captain. ¡°I did it for Myil¡­ Right? He¡­doesn¡¯t have to worry¡­ But¡­ What happened¡­ Am I dead?¡± The man was delirious. He was honestly unable to discern truth from fiction at that very moment, though he desperately wished the world was true since he had his wife nearby.

 Book Four – Interlude – Part Nine – The Captain’s Elegy

    Blas¨¦ then explained that they had a spirit stationed right outside the church, and when nothing happened after a while, sent it inside to discover the aftermath of a brutal scene. The battle had been over by this point, and upon seeing the captain dangle on death¡¯s door, the two rushed in to get him. Fisher was in a horrible state, yet his body refused any healing skill. With no other choice, they had to use bandages and salves. That was just enough to stabilize his life. Only then did they hastily, yet carefully, make towards Fisher''s home, prioritizing the back streets and empty alleys.


    Marissa hurriedly rushed to the door when she heard a voice because she was sitting in the kitchen. She saw her husband¡¯s wounded state and gasped in horror. She shouted at the governor and his secretary, who then used Veil of Obfuscation and Silentium Fluctus. The furious wife demanded the world and then some.


    ¡°She smacked us no less than thirty times¡­¡± Blas¨¦ said. ¡°And no, you¡¯re aren¡¯t dead. Almost, but you¡¯re clinging to life.¡±


    Using what very little strength he had gathered, Fisher spoke more about the incident, adding more details that he had previously done until all was explained. ¡°Marissa?¡± he asked with a tearful whisper. His heavy head turned from the bed to his wife. ¡°I¡¯m¡­home¡­¡±


    The lovely wife shed a few dozen tears of her own. She hugged her wounded husband as tight as ever, then just remembered he was awfully sore and exhausted. Not just physically, but he was mentally drained. Before his ears had a chance to fall victim to her gorgeous voice, Fisher¡¯s eyes closed, and he fell back to the bed. His scared chest was beating, just slightly, but it was pumping.


    She ran a hand along his cheeks, using her thumb to clean a tear from his right eye. ¡°Welcome home, dear¡­¡± A kiss on his dried lips finished her wifely affection. Then an irritating and serious conversation emerged into the atmosphere.


    ¡°My husband is too good for the likes of you two to be used like a weapon¡­ I will not allow this to happen again. In fact, I¡¯m starting to get the sense you two swayed him towards doing your dirty work! Why couldn¡¯t you have done this yourself?! You¡¯re obviously powerful if you can use Deus Lux without an incantation! Was there not anyone else available for you to ruin? Why did it have to be my husband? What will I tell my children? How will I explain this to them?!¡±


    ¡°It was for the good of the city,¡± Blas¨¦ said.


    Smack!


    ¡°You heard what he said. Nicholas was trying to kill you and your daughters to turn Fisher into a pawn to brainwash this city into nothing but a colony of prayers¡­¡±


    Smack!


    ¡°We could not have gotten anywhere close¡­because of reasons I cannot divulge¡­¡±


    Smack!


    ¡°Your husband was the only one who could do this.¡±


    Smack!


    ¡°If he hadn¡¯t acted, who knows what he had planned? There is just no telling who all was under his control! The only one I could be sure that wasn¡¯t affected by that damn bishop was your husband!¡±


    Smack!


    ¡°You can hit me as much as you like, but this was one of the most optimal outcomes.¡±


    Smack!


    ¡°Your husband is a hero, dammit! He¡¯s still alive, isn¡¯t he? A menace to this city has been destroyed before it had the chance to grow out of control! Tell that to your children! That their father is a hero who used his body to protect this city!¡±


    Smack!


    Marissa had started to feel an aching in her right palm. She nursed it to her chest and growled a thinly-veiled insult. ¡°A hero?! If you want to use that excuse, why couldn¡¯t you take up that role?! You know what? Just leave! Leave my family and me alone! I hope you feel the pain my daughters will experience when they see their father in this state! I may not be as strong as Fishy, but don¡¯t you dare let me see you step on our property again¡­ You better hope I don¡¯t go public with this¡­¡±


    Wordlessly, Blas¨¦ turned to face towards the shut door. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t advise that, Mrs. Jin. We are all in this together as collaborators¡­ You, me, Eina, your husband¡­ We all willingly knew and took part in it¡­ Would you want to ruin your life, not to mention the childhood of your daughters¡­just to see me in chains? You¡¯re a smart woman, so think it through. Eina, it¡¯s time for us to leave,¡± he said, watching as Marissa grunted with anger and clenched fists.


    Eina joined her brother and left the master bedroom. The two of them trailed down the hallway and descended the steps, their faces unable to be read.


    ¡°Brother, it¡¯s hard to believe everything worked out the way you planned it,¡± Eina whispered when they left through the front door. There was a slight hint of regret added to her words. Even with it being so late at night, Canary was quite energetic after six days of constant festivities.


    ¡°It¡¯s all for the city, sister. Truthfully, Fisher was the closest person to rival us in terms of power and status, with Nicholas being the second closest. It seemed the captain failed to capitalize on his popularity¡­ Leaving him mutilated and weakened¡­ Well, that was just another ploy to assure he would not try to physically usurp power from us. To answer your question¡­ No, things hadn¡¯t gone as I wanted. I hadn¡¯t expected him to be injured to that degree, but I was hoping he would suffer from something¡­ You and I both know that we could have eliminated Nicholas and this Klee without a second thought¡­


    ¡°But I will say this was all a drastic stroke of luck¡­ Being able to take care of two potential betrayers at the same time¡­ It almost does feel like a Goddess is watching us¡­¡±


    ¡°Even though it is so obvious, I never would have tried to combine Hypnosis-like skills with Necromancy. It makes so much sense in hindsight, and it completely eliminates Necromancy¡¯s primary weaknesses¡­ Still, what we just did was dastardly, but it is for the sales of father¡¯s desire for this city. Well, I suppose we can¡¯t stop now¡­¡±


    ¡°With Nicholas out of the way, I¡¯m sure I can do something to drastically lessen the church¡¯s presence in Canary. I don¡¯t know what went through Parrel¡¯s mind when he made them exempt from paying taxes while allowing them to receive so much monetary assistance¡­ With them gone, we¡¯ll have more money to funnel around¡­ I¡¯m not too concerned with our one-armed captain because his wound is easily curable. He just has to want for it. And public support for him will be higher, but his loyalty to this city will skyrocket after putting his life on the line to save his family. Men like him are easy to read and direct. I have no fears he would try to wrestle away control of Canary from us.


    ¡°Might I add, Qina, you were a terrific actress for these past few weeks. Especially when I mentioned assassinating.¡±


    ¡°I can read you like a book, brother, so I just followed your plan...but I wasn¡¯t always acting¡­ I really am tired of seeing people as numbers on a sheet that denote the growth of this city. I know it¡¯s all for mother, but I can¡¯t help but feel a tinge of pain at how we damaged Fisher¡¯s family¡­ Brother, do you think there will be a time¡­ A time where if I look a child, I see a child and not some statistic to manipulate?¡±


    ¡°When our mother is back with us¡­ I plan on dropping everything¡­ Qina, I just need you and her in my life¡­ We can go to a quiet city in Mornkin¡­ Being a whole different continent away from our foolish father will do us all some good. Who cares what happens here? Father could slit his own throat and die, or he could start a war with Lando and Westera for all I care¡­¡±


    ¡°Living with you and mother? That sounds lovely¡­ Until then, will I just have to swallow this despair?¡±


    Claus stopped walking and turned to his sister. His eyes sure did love to stare at her pretty face. From the smartly blue eyes to her soft blond hair, the kissable cheeks, and pink lips¡­ For their entire lives, the two could really only depend on each other for the majority of it. Veris and Trerk had gone their separate ways after training the twins, and the last time they had met was when they were promoted to Rank 1. He hugged her tightly, fishing his fingers through her hair. ¡°You and I will have to do that¡­ If we turn back now, everything will have been for nothing. Stay strong, sister¡­ But don¡¯t be afraid to lean on me¡­¡±


    The two shared a tender moment out in public¡ªsomething they agreed that shouldn¡¯t be done, but no one could fault them for showing weakness in a stressful time.


    ¡°I did mean my promise to Fisher. I won¡¯t allow his family to want for anything¡­ It¡¯s the absolute least I can do to apologize for using him¡­ In the morning, after checking out the restoration of the land where the governor¡¯s mansion once sat, let¡¯s head to the auction house in Adenaford¡­ If I sell a couple of jewels from the Mornkin mines we visited¡­¡±


    ¡°Then Marissa wouldn¡¯t have to worry about money for the rest of her life¡­ It¡¯s a sweet thing to do, but something tells me she won¡¯t take it.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t force her, but it will be there for her. Suppose I could pay Bokuso to stick around for a couple more months. Qina¡­ I¡¯m not turning into our father, am I? I hope you don¡¯t think I¡¯m doing this because I want to¡­ You and I both know we can¡¯t fight against him and the guard. If we could have killed him and rescued mother, we would have done it years ago¡­¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ You¡¯re not him, brother. You¡¯re doing the best you can while keeping the losses to a minimum¡­ It can¡¯t be easy to be in your position¡­but you can lean on me as well.¡±


    Claus placed his hand to Qina¡¯s cheeks and leaned in, touching his forehead to hers. It lasted for less than a second, but this forbidden embrace from a pair of taboo lovers was what they needed.


    ¡°Brother¡­ It¡¯s been a while, but tonight¡­ I want¡­ I want to be your woman again¡­¡± Qina¡¯s trembling voice whispered.


    ¡°And I want to be your man¡­¡±


    With the twins hugging it out in an empty street, Fisher had started to groan awake. Marissa was still in a rather unhappy mood, yet seeing her husband awake temporarily brought a smile to her frowning face.


    The two of them had but a few seconds to share a kiss and another small conversation before a pair of uneasy footsteps pushed open their slightly opened door.


    ¡°Da¡­Daddy?¡± Meri said, wiping her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s¡­loud¡­Da¡ªDa¡ªDADDY?!?!¡± Fisher¡¯s oldest child rushed forward, tears falling from her reddened face. Mari was standing still, too afraid to move. Her bright little eyes were staring at the injured state of her invincible father.


    Before anyone could do anything, Fisher clutched his head as a dead man¡¯s voice populated his thoughts.


    When you are at your most pitiable, when you¡¯re bordering on the edge of losing it all¡­ I URGE YOU TO REVEAL YOUR DEEPEST, DARKEST CONFESSIONS TO YOUR CHILDREN!!! TO EVEN YOUR WIFE!!! ENJOY FEELING THEIR FEAR AND DISGUST UPON YOUR¡ª


    Nicholas was no longer a part of this world, but it didn''t mean his Urge implanted in the living had been erased. Right in his weakest state¡­ Right when Fisher nearly lost everything¡­


    The Urge activated. With his mind being as fragile as it was at  that very moment, it took a solid grip on his soul.


    For the next five minutes, Meri and Mari were stunned into total silence as Fisher detailed his murderous past against his will. Marissa did her best to stop him, but an unknown force forced Fisher to move, duck, and dodge away from his wife until his nightmare was uttered. Even if he was far too sore, a formless entity had him by the grip of his soul.  It forced him to make it explicit and visceral, going so far into detail that he found himself nearly vomiting while speaking like a perfect machine. The tales of cutting babies from wombs and suffocating children with their parents'' blood emerged out via a calming voice. Even as Fisher wanted to kill himself to prevent the atrocities from coming out, this Urge kept him locked into a cycle of confessing his darkest days.


    ¡°No¡­ NO! DADDY WOULDN¡¯T DO THAT! He¡¯s a hero! Daddy¡¯s a hero¡­ You¡ªYou¡¯re a villain!!! I HATE YOU!!!¡± Meri shouted. She bolted out of the door, dragging her little sister by her crying hand. Their entire existed devastated by the truth of their father¡¯s past.


    ¡°No¡­ What did I do?!?! WHAT THE FUCK DID I DO?!? GODDAMN IT!!!! NICHOLAS!!!!!!!!¡± Fisher shouted. He slammed his left arm down on the bed, and Marissa rushed forward to hold him against her weeping chest.


    ¡°MOMMY, GET AWAY!!!!¡± Meri shouted when she returned to the bedroom before her mother spoke even a single word. One hand held the hand of her crying sister, and the other held the very wooden blade she had grown used to. Her eyes leaked salty water, the training sword quivered unsteadily.


    ¡°Meri, don¡¯t do this! It¡¯s me! I¡¯m still your father!!!¡± Fisher said. He stood up out of bed, falling forward to the floor as dizziness turned his world upside down. His wound re-opened, causing bloody crimson to spurt through his oversaturated bandages.


    ¡°DADDY ISN¡¯T LIKE YOU! He¡¯s a hero!!! DADDY¡¯S A HERO!!!!¡±


    Fisher tried to crawl forward, but he just didn¡¯t have the strength to drag his body. An anxious Marissa helped him to his feet, and he stumbled forward. ¡°Girls! Don¡¯t act like this! Your father¡­ He¡¯s still your father!¡± She stepped in front of Fisher.


    ¡°NO! He isn¡¯t!¡±


    Those three little words caused the captain more grief than anything he had ever experienced. Fisher felt the strength drain from his body, his knees touching the ground as his upper body wanted to slump over onto the bloody floor and pass away then and there.


    Marissa hastily turned around, walking to the side and kneeling to help her husband. The little avenger took her chance to shine. Her five-year-old body stumbled forward with the wooden sword raised high up.


    ¡®I love daddy¡¯ was written on the side in a child¡¯s messy penmanship.


    The training blade had a shaky, unstable downward arc to it¡­and it was wielded by a little girl who just had her heart shattered.


    Fisher¡¯s God considered it to be an attack, and the fighting spirit welled up within his soul. A hidden source of strength caused him to turn his upper body to the left as a hand that wasn¡¯t there tried to stop the incoming attack.


    Since the space was only occupied by nothing but air, Meri¡¯s attack had nothing stopping it. She struck his bleeding wound, forcing it to open even more as the bandages were cut right through. A splash of crimson jettisoned forward, covering his daughters¡¯ faces in his blood. The sight of such a traumatic event, along with Fisher¡¯s traumatic yelp, utterly shocked both children into straight unconsciousness.


    ¡°Girls! Darling!¡±


    Through clenched teeth, Fisher told Marissa to check on the girls, then ordered his wife to put them to bed after cleaning his blood off them. She refused at first, then went ahead when Fisher raised his voice.


    That was the first time he had ever shouted at his wife. She regretfully left him in his bloody, naked state, wrapped with rags so soaked with crimson they couldn¡¯t be called bandages anymore. By the time she returned, he had somehow stood up with the help of a sheathed sword kept hidden under the bed.


    ¡°I¡­ I am not fit¡­to be a father¡­¡± he whispered through thick tears.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that! You¡¯re¡ª¡±


    ¡°I am not the man deserving to be their father¡­ You saw the look in their eyes¡­ When I told them about my past. GODDAMNIT IT, NICHOLAS! That bastard and his¡ªhis shitty skill¡­ Marissa¡­ How can my girls look me in the eye when they know I¡¯m a monster¡­?¡± Fisher¡¯s face was pained and sweaty hair stuck to his face like glue.


    Marissa being stunned into silence was an isolated experience in that it never happened quite that often. Truthfully, she had no idea what was the best path forward. She tried to get Fisher to bed, but he refused and asked her to help dress him. ¡°Sleep will do me no good¡­¡±


    By the time she unwrapped his bandages, cleaned the wound, reapplied them, and managed to get him dressed in a casual shirt and pants, the parents heard a pair of terrified cries coming from Meri¡¯s and Mari¡¯s room.


    ¡°GIRLS!¡±


    Marissa pushed open the shut door and found her daughters huddled together on the far side of the room. "MOMMY! WATCH OUT!!!¡±


    Marissa lost her temper. ¡°That is enough! Please, stop acting like this! He is your father!¡±


    ¡°No, he is not! Daddy died! That man isn¡¯t daddy! STOP TRYING TO REPLACE DADDY!!!!!!¡±


    At that very moment, Fisher believed he had solved the mystery. Marissa was about to argue again, but Fisher just sighed loudly enough for his wife to become quiet. In the next breath, such overexertion of his daughters¡¯ minds in so little time took their consciousness away. Together, they fell down against the pillow, their arms wrapped around the other in a protective embrace.


    ¡°Goddamn it¡­¡± he whispered. ¡°Marissa¡­ Can¡¯t you see? They think I¡¯m dead¡­¡±


    ¡°What?! No, don¡¯t be silly. I¡¯m sure¡ª¡±


    ¡°Please listen to me,¡± Fisher said while stumbling out of the room. Instead of turning to head back to his bedroom, he wobbly made his way down the stairs, taking well over a minute for each one. Marissa followed behind, doing her best to swallow the long-awaited tears bubbling from her eyes. ¡°In just one moment, I destroyed their image of me in such a way they really do think I¡¯ve died and been replaced¡­ Or maybe they want to think I¡¯m dead so my memory of them won¡¯t be tarnished by my past¡­ Marissa¡­ I do not have a place here anymore¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid! Dear, I need you!¡± Marissa whined. She wrapped her arms around his back, crying even more when Fisher yelped in pain.


    ¡°You need me, but our girls don¡¯t¡­ How can you expect me to stay here when they¡¯re so afraid of me?! You saw them¡­ They really thought I was about to hurt you¡­ Staying here will just cause them pain¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­ BUT¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­be upset with them¡­ If you have to be angry, be angry at me for being too weak to finish the mission without succumbing to any injuries¡­¡±


    ¡°No!¡± She shook her head so hard her hair whipped the side of her reddened cheeks. Stress incarnate ruled over her face. ¡°It¡¯s the damn governor¡¯s fault! He should have supported you!¡± Marissa whined like a child throwing a tantrum, and she held back the urge to smash the nearest object.


    ¡°He did support me¡­ More than you think¡­ Before the mission, he promised that this family would be taken care of¡­ And darling¡­ I had to do this¡­ Nicholas was targeting me, but he told me he had tried multiple times to kill you and our girls before I ended him. The reason he failed was because of Blas¨¦. He paid a bodyguard to protect us while we had fun at the festival¡­ This same bodyguard also prevented that damn bishop from finding Myil¡¯s location when we visited.


    ¡°Nicholas¡­ He had to die, and I was the only one here who could have killed him¡­ To protect this city¡­ To protect you and our little girls¡­ I murdered him¡­ And now? I¡¯m just paying the cost of my past¡­ You can¡¯t run from it¡­ No matter how long you try to avoid it, it will catch up to you¡­ And now it has¡­ This happiness I¡¯ve acquired for myself wasn¡¯t meant to last forever.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this¡­ Fishy, don¡¯t leave us¡­ Please¡­ I need you!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving the city¡­but I can¡¯t stay here¡­ Until the day I die, I am the Captain of Canary¡¯s Guard. If you see me around¡­ Even if you don¡¯t have the girls with you¡­ Pretend I don¡¯t exist¡­¡±


    ¡°How can you expect me to do that?!?! I refuse because I love you!!¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯ll hurt when we have to inevitably separate¡­ You are the mother of our children. I don¡¯t want you to associate the sadness of our parting with their existence¡­ I have to do the same¡­ Meri and Mari? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever have the chance to hold them again... It won¡¯t be long until they¡¯re too big for me to pick up¡­ I won¡¯t hear them say ¡®I love you, daddy¡¯ ever again¡­ I just want to be there for them! They¡¯re my whole world!!! Marissa, don¡¯t make this harder than it needs to be¡­ You¡¯re still the woman of my dreams¡­ Even as an awful man as I was, I hope I made you happy¡­¡±


    They were standing in front of the door¡­


    Marissa had opened the flood gates from under her eyes. The pain in her heart felt like half of it was about to be ripped out and never replaced. She got to her trembling knees and begged her husband with all of her might¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t know how to live without you! Don¡¯t go! Fishy!!! Darling!!! Dear!!! I NEED YOU!!!¡± Nasty snot dribbled down her nose, staining her upper lips.  Her remarkable beauty did not exist at this very moment. Even still, there was still something serene and lovely about her love for the only man in the world deserving to be her husband.


    ¡°Marissa¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ But I have to do this for the girls¡­ You¡¯re a strong woman¡­ Stronger than I¡­ One day¡­ I hope the girls will forgive me¡­ I hope you''ll forgive me¡­ Maybe then¡­ We can be a family again¡­ But until then, do not take out any of your anger on our daughters¡­ Continue being their mother as you always have¡­¡±


    Suddenly, an obvious idea popped into her trembling mind as Marissa stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to them¡­ Every day if I have to¡­until they understand¡­ Fishy, they have to understand that you aren¡¯t the same man as you were back then¡­ And when they do, we¡¯ll come and get you!¡±


    ¡°The trauma I caused them? I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s something their innocent mind will ever understand. It¡¯ll take a miracle¡­¡±


    Marissa then turned to the Heavens Above. ¡°THE GODDESS! Fishy, let¡¯s go talk to her! We¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ve caused them more than enough trouble with my past already, and it was because of Sakdu they suffered through hell¡­ The Goddess and her associates have earned their rest¡­ Please, do not harass them¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Marissa lost what she was going to say and felt a tremble in her heart¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m hurting just as much as you are¡­ Marissa, you¡¯re the only woman I¡¯ve ever loved¡­ Of course, I don¡¯t want to do this! I. Don''t. Want. To. Do. This. But. It. Is. The. Only. Way. If I wake up in the morning and walk into Meri¡¯s room, and she cries in fear? How do you think I will feel? A father is supposed to protect their children, not deliver nightmares into their little heads!" Fisher grabbed the door handle and turned it. Marissa looked so weak and vulnerable, her hands clutching her pained chest.


    She reached out and brushed her fingertips against his shirt as one foot stepped out into the night. ¡°I love you. Forever and always¡­ And our children¡­ I¡¯ll always love them¡­ Fishy, I¡¯ll make them understand¡­ I swear I will! And when I do, we¡¯ll come rushing to get you!¡±


    Marissa continued to cry her lover¡¯s name as he walked and hobbled down the road. Tears poured from his eyes as he knew this was the only way. To be cast out and removed from his own slice of happiness due to the hatred that fueled his heart a decade ago¡­


    His worst-case scenario had come true. His daughters were frightened of him, attempts on his life had transferred to his family¡­and most of all, he believed himself had become the coward he never wanted to be.


    Memories of a distant future flashed through his eyes, detailing a beautiful Meri standing at the altar with the love of her life¡­ Meri was standing off to the side as the maid of honor, and Marissa¡­ Pretty, pretty Marissa held a white handkerchief to her crying eyes.


    Servi was there¡­ Momo was there¡­ Even Itarr was there in whatever her physical form may have been¡­ Melk stood at the altar with a book of scripture, ready to bless Meri and her spouse-to-be.  Kait, Kaitlyn, and Myil were sitting in the front row, dressed in their Sunday best. Feral¡­ The big lad who became his daughters¡¯ first Kobold friend was doing his best to hide his tears while failing in the process.


    And Fisher? The one-armed guard believed he had no place in that fairytale scene. Even as the creator, he didn¡¯t want his imaginary image to tarnish a product of his daughter¡¯s happiness¡­ He stood outside the make-believe scene, refusing to partake in his mind¡¯s creation.


    The weeping captain just kept shuffling down the road, turning to the one place he had left even while knowing that each step took him further away from being able to perform the duties of a husband and father.


    A selfish man would say it would be better my loved ones had died since my image of them would not have been corrupted. I¡¯m so thankful they¡¯re alive and well¡­ Even if I can¡¯t tuck them into bed¡­or read them a story¡­or hold them¡­or praise them¡­or thank them¡­or comfort them¡­or love them...or play with them... or...or...or be their father...


    They¡¯re alive¡­


    As a father, I wish for my daughters to have all the happiness in the world.


    That is my duty, and that is what I will do¡­ Even I can¡¯t be involved¡­ I will have to endure¡­


    It hurts so much¡­So very¡­very¡­much¡­

 Book Four – Chapter Five – Part One – Surrounded by Love

    RuggyRuggy


    And now it''s time for the longest chapter. It''s a total of ~45k words. And this is after I chopped it up a few times. It used to be about 60-70k words.


    In the south of Lando, particularly around the region where Canary was located, singing birds were as common as leaves in a tree. Rumor had it that the city was named after a particular fair-colored avian creature, whose songs could arouse even the sleepiest of dragons. These small, chirping beasts were all around the city, and if someone wanted to live here, they needed to get used to their sweet melodies.


    Quite a few people thought it was a blessing in disguise to be woken up so gently, and Momo was one of them. The warm, orange glow of the blazing sun peeked through her window. It cast a cozy embrace upon a pair of extremely close friends who had fallen asleep in each other¡¯s arms. The blanket warming them had been kicked to the wayside, allowing Momo¡¯s yellow pajamas and Servi¡¯s black underwear to see the light of day.


    The latter had her cheeks softly nestled against the former¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Hhmmm¡­¡± groaned Momo, whose eyes slowly opened. The first thing she saw was a head of black hair that was softer and smelled better than the freshest peach. Her nose was buried right in it, and she involuntary took a small sniff. A smile crept across her lovely face as happiness infected her heart.


    So¡­ Last night wasn¡¯t a dream¡­ I really did fall asleep with Servy¡­ Momo subtly scooted a little bit, giving the girl she loved a few small kisses of affection upon the top of her head, but that was enough to wake up the sleeping beauty. Servi shook a tiny bit, her arms becoming untangled around her guardian¡¯s back. She had fallen asleep partway down the pillow, but she shifted back up until she stared at the Singi and her bright blue eyes. In the following moment, Servi turned to her back and sat up, her hands going to her eyes to rub the sleepiness out.


    Momo just laid there and watched, though she didn¡¯t intend for her stare to turn lecherous. She just couldn¡¯t help it that her eyes turned to Servi¡¯s chest and wondered how that bra held in her bountiful bosom. Her gaze moved to her pokable, soft tummy, and even though Momo touched it last night, she wanted to give it a few more pokes. A cute yawn later, Servi was right back to her side, sharing the same pillow while giving her guardian an honest yet powerful smile. It was reminiscent of the one she had before they drifted off to sleep, and Momo was wonderfully proud of her friend.


    ¡°Good morning, Servy. I see you¡¯re working as hard as ever¡­ And I think that effort needs a few more friendship kisses!¡± Momo leaned in, hugging her slim chest against one that held power and bounciness while their legs touched and brushed each other. She placed a single peck on that pretty forehead. ¡°And I can¡¯t forget about my favorite Goddess. Good morning, Itarr¡­ You probably watched over us last night, and I appreciate that¡­ I¡ªOh? Someone¡¯s in a touching mood¡­ Hehehe!¡±


    Servi had acted out of turn and managed to raise a single hand with a finger poked out. She brought to Momo¡¯s blushing cheeks and managed to give them a cheeky poke. The Singi had to retaliate, of course, and she launched into a full-blown poke war that soon turned into a snuggle. Momo had turned to her back, and she stared up at the ceiling as Servi managed to rest against her guardian¡¯s shoulder, looking up at her friend¡¯s face with eyes full of wonder. One hand laid strewn across Momo¡¯s stomach, and the Singi just placed a hand to Servi¡¯s head and rubbed it gently.


    They really did look like a pair of lovers, basking in the aftermath of a passionate night of cuddling and kissing.


    ¡°You¡¯re acting awfully affectionate today. Since my pajama top started to ride up, you¡¯re basically touching my bare stomach¡­ But you know¡­ I don¡¯t feel embarrassed at all¡­ Maybe that¡¯s because I want to wake up next to you tomorrow morning. And the morning after, and even the morning after that¡­ If I stop and get sheepish at every little thing, I probably wouldn¡¯t have ever confessed to you.¡± Momo smiled and placed a hand to the one laid across her stomach. It held a lovely little red ring that was the source of so much otherworldly power.


    ¡°Itarr, I absolutely cannot wait for you to get a body,¡± Momo said while brushing a finger across the ring¡¯s polished surface. ¡°I want to give you an actual hug, and then I can actually apologize to you for my rude comments¡­ I want to hold your hands like I do Servi¡¯s, and I even want the three of us to share a warm bed¡­ I can imagine the three of us chatting throughout the night, laughing and talking about who knows what¡­ Then when we¡¯re tired, I can fall asleep holding one of Servi¡¯s hands, and you can do the other¡­ That way¡­ Even in our dreams, we¡¯ll continue the fun¡­ That sounds lovely to me, and I hope it¡¯s something you might like¡­ You¡¯re my friend, Itarr¡­ And that¡¯s why I have a small favor¡­¡±


    The mysterious Goddess used a simple skill called Pixie Gust to direct a chilling breeze around Momo¡¯s hair, causing pink strands to flutter about so helplessly, but it was all in good fun. Momo giggled and knew she had permission. ¡°I know if I want to ¡®hug¡¯ you, I just have to touch the ring, but what about this? If you can summon Servy¡¯s ID, I can hug that. Since the Gods and Goddesses made them, and you share Servy¡¯s soul, wouldn¡¯t that be like an embrace?¡±


    The quiet Goddess pondered on it for less than a second before birthing a crimson tablet. It descended from the air like a gift from the very heavens, and Momo thanked Itarr¡­ ¡°If you want¡­¡± she said while clutching to her chest. ¡°You can just think of this like practice or something¡­because when you do get a body, I¡¯m gonna give you the biggest hug in the whole entire world!¡±


    Servi, who had only stared thus far, had a mysterious look bouncing around her eyes. She pushed off the bed and sat up, causing Momo to do the same. Her left hand clutched the ID to her chest.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Momo. She tilted her head and brushed the hair from her eyes. Suddenly, Servi almost jumped towards her guardian with her arms out, and the pair of them tumbled to the bed, bouncing just a bit on the quality springs packed within the mattress. The still-healing Human buried her eyes within Momo¡¯s chest, then started to cry and weep for about half an hour. During which, Momo stayed motionlessly still. She allowed Servi to do whatever she wanted while still offering a comforting touch.


    The tearful scene came to an end when she, once again, sat straight up. Instead of doing anything odd, Servi simply fell back to the shared pillow and turned on her side.


    ¡°You have been crying a bit more, and you¡¯re really wanting to get physical. That¡¯s fine with me because I do like touching you¡­¡± Momo whispered. It was as if the scene currently playing out had happened once before, with Servi edging ever-so-closer to her friend. Before long, she had her head buried in her neck with two arms wrapped around her, and Momo snuggled her cheeks into that soft hair. The only difference was the ID smooshed between the two, but neither of them was bothered by it.


    ¡°Hey, so I was thinking about the menu for today. Servy, why don¡¯t we go pay Dineria a visit? We honestly should have done that when we went to the shopping mall, but I guess it just passed us by. Oh man, I hope she isn¡¯t angry with us¡­ I don¡¯t think she will, though¡­ And after we spend some time there, we could just go back to this bed and cuddle some more¡­ If you¡¯re up to it, I mean¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯m forcing you to do this because you¡¯re doing it yourself¡­ And if you were uncomfortable with it all, I¡¯m sure Itarr would have done something¡­ So¡­ I certainly hope I¡¯m not taking advantage of you to personally get me some Servy Time¡­ You get some Mosie Time, too¡­ Right? So it¡¯s like an equal trade?¡±


    Momo knew Servi wouldn¡¯t respond, but she didn¡¯t think her stomach would rudely interrupt.


    ¡°Gah! I swear I hate my stomach¡­ Anyways, let me finish up before it eats me alive¡­ I think it¡¯s only natural that I let you see me in¡­my underwear¡­because I got to look at you¡­ And to be honest, I really want you to see me when I¡¯m at my most vulnerable because I really do trust you that much. And I¡¯m sure you trust me. If not, why else would you do this? So! I hope you¡¯re ready, Servy¡­because tonight, I¡¯m going to hug, snuggle, and cuddle you like crazy!¡± Momo¡¯s tail whipped around in a mad fury, responding to its master¡¯s intense emotions.


    She jumped out of bed and walked over to a floating curtain of metal Itarr made. Momo emerged a few seconds later wearing vivid, bright, pink unmentionables. Her bra hugged her slim chest, but Momo more than made up for it in her natural femininity and adorableness. Though she was considered ¡®petite,¡¯ there was no denying just how lovely her thighs were. Her unremarkable panties were riding her, and she wasn¡¯t lacking in the lower body curves. Someone like Servi or Srassa had her beat, however.


    But no one could deny that Momo had something no one else had, and that was her fierce desire to push through the embarrassment to do the cute, adorable things couples regularly did. She stood still like a beacon of beauty, her budding flesh a slight scarlet as she displayed her second most intimate state of being.


    Her fingertips timidly danced around her stomach as she slowly turned from side to side. ¡°Well?¡± she said as she managed to get the nerve to look up. She bent down to grab her bag and walked over to the bed, her nearly nude state causing a little bit of excitement in her area down under.


    Servi was there, sitting on her butt with her legs crossed. The excitement in her eyes could put even a child receiving a present to shame. She stared with the purest gaze known to man at the one girl who had a ¡®Servi-shaped¡¯ hole in her heart.


    ¡°Well? Am I¡­pretty? Do you like me¡­when I¡¯m dressed like this¡­?¡± Momo asked. She crawled onto the bed and sat down on her knees, her tail frozen in place behind her.


    This time, it was Servi''s turn to reach out with the back of her hand. She brought to a cute tummy, slowly pressing in. Then a second hand traveled to join the first. Momo leaned backwards and fell to her back, and Servi started to crawl forward. She brushed her breasts up Momo¡¯s entire body, from her legs to her waist, and eventually pressed her chest into her guardian¡¯s boobs as she leaned down. Servi brought her knee up and nearly rubbed it against Momo''s most tender spot.


    Their faces weren¡¯t that far apart.


    I want to kiss you so much¡­ Just a small one¡­ On the lips¡­ Your pretty lips¡­ But¡­ But¡­ I¡ª Momo¡¯s mind was overloaded, and she fought back to free her reason. Finding the source of strength inside her excited body, she reached up with her hands and caressed Servi¡¯s warm cheeks. Her whole body felt hot, and her red eyes had a twinkle hiding amongst the tears that threatened to fall. Momo leaned up, altering her angle of approach so that this inevitable kiss became a rather emotionally charged hug.


    The sanctity of Servi¡¯s lips had been protected.


    ¡°No, Servy,¡± Momo whispered. She leaned back down and moved one arm to Servi¡¯s bare back. She rubbed it gently. ¡°Even if I want to kiss you on the lips, and I very much do¡­ I want it to be special¡­ I need you to really, really, really be here¡­ Not like this, but like the old you¡­ Even I can argue in favor of small kisses on your cheek, or maybe a peck on your forehead¡­ But the lips? Yeah, that has to be special¡­ So I¡¯m sorry, Servy¡­ Even if you¡¯re able to consciously want that whole in this state of mind, I¡¯m just not comfortable with my first kiss being like this¡­


    ¡°It probably doesn¡¯t make much sense, does it? We¡¯re obviously looking at each other while almost naked, and I have kissed your head a few¡ªa lot of times¡­ Heck, we even cuddled, snuggled, and snuggle cuddled together. All night, even, and not to mention this morning¡­ You crawled over my body and even pushed your boobs against me¡­ And honestly¡­ I¡¯m feeling really tingly down there¡­ But even if I am horrible for blaming it all on ¡®friendship¡¯ kisses and even wanting to share a bed while you¡¯re like this¡­ I hope you can forgive me for it¡­ Because it really is hard¡­ I want to give my everything to you¡­


    ¡°And I mean everything¡­ I especially want you to be the first person to touch my tail. Other than grampy, I mean. He said that the touching of a tail is really important, and it¡¯s one of two things that signifies the trust you have in someone. As a Singi, I can¡¯t offer you anything greater¡­ I think¡­ And I don¡¯t know what a Human has that¡¯s similar in¡­ ''importance?¡¯ I dunno if that¡¯s the right word, but I don¡¯t know the Human equivalent. Maybe it is the first kiss, just like it is for a Singi, but I wouldn¡¯t ever forgive myself if I snatched it away while you were like this. And yes, I know it doesn¡¯t make sense considering we¡¯re half-naked¡­ Gah, my mind hurts¡­¡±


    Momo dropped her arms and sighed, and Servi pushed off the bed and straddled Momo across her waist, her hands pressing flat against the Singi¡¯s stomach. She stared down, her fiery red eyes looking more lifeless than ever, then she hugged her own chest and trembled from something only she knew.


    Maybe that was a mean thing to say, but¡­


    Momo leaned up and wrapped arms around Servi¡¯s waist, their stomach and breasts pushing into each other. She stared into her eyes. ¡°I refuse to touch your lips, but if it¡¯s a kiss to the cheek? Or a forehead? Or the top of your head? Heck, even your belly¡­ Then I think that¡¯s okay¡­ I would say I¡¯m sorry for being selfish, but I really think I¡¯m just doing what you would do¡­ If our positions were reversed, I like to think that I wouldn''t mind a smooch here or there on my cheeks. Hey¡­¡± Momo fumbled around for Servi¡¯s hand, then brought it to her cheeks. After staring deeply into a pair of crying peepers, Momo showed her affection by doing what the ancient knights did whenever they saw a fair maiden. ¡°And kissing your hand like this¡­ It really does make me feel like your knight¡­Hmm¡­ And I wasn¡¯t wrong before¡­


    ¡°Servy, you¡¯re delicious¡­ I¡¯ve learned a lot about myself over the time I¡¯ve been with you, and I really am thankful it was you who made me realize that love could blossom between two girls¡­ And how it could feel so right¡­ Now, I don¡¯t want to get ahead of myself, and as much as I¡¯d like to stay like this¡ªhugging you, I mean, we are burning daylight.


    ¡°Besides, if I could have it my way, I really would like to stay in bed with you¡­  But we have a super cool instructor to meet, food to eat, and a bunch of other stuff to do. So, my best friend and the girl I utterly love,¡± Momo said with a bright smile, doing her best to halt Servi¡¯s inconsistent weeping with a couple of forehead nuzzles, followed by a small kiss to her cheek. ¡°Why don¡¯t we get some grub and go on over to Dineria¡¯s store? And then tonight, we can cuddle and be all lovable and stuff. I hope I¡¯m not just being prudish or anything¡­ I¡¯ve never been in this situation before, so I¡¯m just going off what my heart is telling me and the little things I picked up from grampy and my surroundings¡­¡±


    Perhaps Servi understood Momo¡¯s heartfelt message because she rolled off to the side and crawled out of bed. The moment her feet touched the ground, the very familiar ¡®farmer¡¯s daughter-esque¡¯ outfit covered up her nearly nude state. Momo smiled and followed suit, quickly slipping on a pair of shorts and an otherwise unremarkably generic shirt. She wanted to wear something a bit more cuteness¡ªsomething with style and flair, but the dreaded foe known as dirty clothes reared its stinky head.


    Without any time to waste, Momo reached back into the bed, which had been tidied up by an ever-watching Goddess, to snag a stone tablet. ¡°I certainly can¡¯t forget about this, can I? Alrighty, it¡¯s time to start the day!¡±


    ¡°Oh geez¡­ You can just tell by that aggressive sweeping that Dineria is kinda upset¡­ She isn¡¯t even looking at us¡­but check out how fast she¡¯s moving that broom¡­¡± Momo said as her teeth chattered like cackling ghosts. The store operated by Dineria had a convenient wall to hide behind next to the entrance. Momo held Servi¡¯s hand as the Singi peeked out, taking small glimpses at her instructor.


    Since it was rather appropriate for someone of Dineria¡¯s belief and status, she only wore clothes or accessories she could make herself. As such, she sported a grass skirt with thin wooden sticks lined behind the leafy greens to provide backbone and support. Her emerald-colored hair just washed over her shoulders, covering both her chest and back as it was rather long. It disguised the strap of her over-the-neck top, which was made out of leaves and the sticky sap from the mountain maple tree. Dineria¡¯s entire midriff was on full display, and so were most of her feet since her shoes had been carved out of a block of red pine.


    She was the very embodiment of the stereotypical Elf, who avoided meat the best they could and dressed only in what was naturally created by the Mother Goddess. Even the red flower tattoo inked on the back of her slender, feminine hand came from ingredients that weren¡¯t synthetically made.


    ¡°Okay¡­ Maybe if we impress Dineria by sleuthing in, she won¡¯t be as angry? She was never one to yell or shout, so it¡¯s not like she¡¯s going to hurt us or anything¡­ Geez, I should just clamp up, walk in, and apologize like an adult¡­ Or we can be a bunch of sneaky kittens¡­ Yeah¡­ Let¡¯s try that, Servy.¡±


    Beginning their operation, a girl and her Singi knight tiptoed over to the front door and carefully slipped inside the store. The refreshing and familiar naturalistic scent flooded Momo¡¯s nose, reminding her of all the time she spent here. Getting lost in her memories wouldn¡¯t do much to help her, so she sleuthed through the store with her friend, sticking to the side aisles.


    This store certainly had it all. From providing the branches that one could make their own bow to selling them already constructed, Dineria''s store had everything an archer needed. It also sold general goods, like potions in wooden flasks, dried fruits and veggies, and even all-in-one starter kits, which were perfect for the newbie adventurer. Such a kit came with a rope, wooden hooks, flammable resin, flint and steel, leafy bandages, and sticky sap meant for keeping two things bounded.


    I guess having that would have been nice, but a box of goodies can¡¯t compete with a Goddess¡­ Momo thought as she snuck closer to her instructor.


    ¡°Oh! Woe is me and my little Elven heart¡­¡± Dineria suddenly spoke up, causing Momo and Servi to come to a halt next to where the spider strings were stocked at. Neither knew Dineria had heard their footsteps the moment they stepped inside. That was why she decided to have a little bit of fun. She sure was glad her student and her friend couldn¡¯t see the wide grin on her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s been but a fortnight since my student and her companion left to be promoted¡­ The only thing I want is for them to be safe and sound¡­ Please, let them emerge out from the darkness of uncertainty as uninjured as when they entered¡­ Oh, and if they had made it back to our fair city, where the birds chirp and sing day-in and day-out¡­ Surely they would not have wasted any time in alerting me that they were fine and dandy. How cruel would that be to their lovely, beautiful, enchanting, gorgeous, funny, amazing, and ever-popular instructor?¡± Somewhere during her rambling, Dineria had taken this little prank to the extreme by exaggerating her motions like an actress would.


    Momo¡¯s shoulders slouched with depression, a realization of selfishness collapsing upon her soul. She tugged on Servi¡¯s hand and prepared to give the second biggest apology of her life. The instant the two walked out from the aisle, they stared at the smiling face of Momo¡¯s instructor.


    ¡°Of course, it is a good thing another student of mine already relayed all of that information to me, so I suppose I can¡¯t be that mad, could I?¡±


    Even Dineria''s gentle words couldn¡¯t stop the tears coming from Momo¡¯s eyes. She really did feel bad because Dineria was one of her closest allies. The Singi went in for a big hug, and the green-haired Elf slowly patted her pupil¡¯s head. ¡°I was just messing around a little since I heard you walk in¡­ Hey, I¡¯m taking a small break. You¡¯re all in charge of the store!¡± Dineria barked out an order and escorted Momo and Servi to the large back room, where they would be safe from any prying eyes.


    This room just so happened to be where Momo and Srassa had trained, and it certainly brought back some exceptionally sore memories. It took so long for the sad Singi to stop crying Dineria had started to feel bad. Right when she apologized, Momo grinned and started laughing, citing that she had gotten revenge on Dineria, getting equal. Then like a comedy show, the two laughed it all off and shared one more hug.


    ¡°But I am sorry¡­¡± Momo said, wiping her reddened eyes. She still had to force down a chuckle that refused to die out.


    ¡°I talked with Srassa when she came by to show off her armor, and she mentioned you and Servi were back. Oh, I have a table and some chairs over here. Why don¡¯t we sit down? Would you two like some tea?¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Dineria,¡± Momo said while walking over to a cute rectangular table. There were four chairs, but only three were available. Momo briefly thought if it was the same one they had sat at all those weeks ago. It wouldn¡¯t mean anything at all if it was or wasn¡¯t, but it was just a brief wonder that skirted through her mind. The three took a seat while Dineria pointed to a walking Dwarf and asked if he could fetch a waiter and three cups of her favorite brew. She then took the time to explain to Servi that she had her personal kitchen in the back since she essentially lived here.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ It is unfortunate, but Srassa was telling the truth¡­ As much as it hurts me to hope she was lying, I can see that Servi¡¯s been through a lot¡­¡±


    ¡°You could tell?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°I can... Even if Srassa hadn¡¯t told me anything, I know the look on Servi¡¯s face very well because I once shared it.¡±


    ¡°You¡ªyou did?¡± Momo didn¡¯t mean to stammer, and she tried to play it off by looking at the obstacle course and the archery ranges. Seeing the former brought back tons of memories of self-improvement. If she went through it now, how much faster would she be? On the flip side, she briefly wondered about Servi¡¯s time. Especially if she went at full speed.


    ¡°It¡¯s an all too common tale in this world¡­ Bandits always believe women and children are the better targets for their thievery, so such a cruel tale is penned down far more often than it has any right to be. Momo, do you want to talk about it?¡± Somewhere, the sound of a door swung open. It was followed by the silent squeak of a wooden cart and the mouthwatering aroma of freshly brewed tea. A hint of citrus lingered in the air, leaving by the flavor of a ripe orange on the tip of everyone¡¯s noses. A few seconds later, the Dwarven chef departed with a bow while leaving behind three wooden cups of deliciousness in liquid form.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind¡­¡± Momo looked to Servi, then glanced at the table. Her hand was sitting above Servi''s palm, their fingertips just resting against each other.


    ¡°Have you ever wondered why I haven¡¯t tried to get promoted past Rank 6? I¡¯ve been here for a while¡­and the real reason is that I¡¯m afraid.¡± Dineria? The strongest Elf Momo knew was afraid? She obviously had to ask why. ¡°It¡¯s because when you get those ranks, your quests become more difficult. Instead of killing a bear and bringing back a pelt, you¡¯re more liable to be tasked with breaking into a bandit camp and bringing them to justice. Or freeing a village from a tyrant¡¯s control. Your targets regularly switched from beasts and nature to man and evil. It really isn¡¯t for the faint of heart ¡­ But I just can¡¯t take the killing anymore¡­ I know it¡¯s for the good since bandits deserve to swing from the gallows, but you get to a certain point¡­and you¡¯re afraid of what you¡¯re becoming¡­¡±


    ¡°Were... Were you ever afraid of yourself?¡± Momo cautiously asked.

 Book Four – Chapter Five – Part Two – Surrounded by Love

    Dineria nodded and took a sip of her steaming beverage. ¡°I was so devoted to get promoted as fast as I could that I often took on more than I could handle. With String Bender, I could let loose my arrows from impossible angles and strike through the tiniest hole... I wasn''t traveling with a party, so I was alone. And while I never did sustain any severe injuries¡­ One day, I just thought¡­ What¡¯s the point of this¡­? I was waking up numb to the beauty of the world, and I was afraid if I kept going, I¡¯d lose my sanity. Then came the day when I woke up and grabbed my bow¡­and I couldn¡¯t stand it. Just looking at it made me sick enough to empty my stomach all over it, and I knew I had reached my breaking point¡­


    ¡°For my own sake, I just upped and left the town I was staying in and went back to my village¡­ My father and grandfather welcomed me back with open arms, and they really helped me out when I needed them the most. Without my family¡­ I really don¡¯t know what I would have done since it was them that taught me how to love my bow...how to love myself again."


    ¡°What happened next?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re sitting in it¡­ I was never a big spender, so I had quite a bit of money sitting in the bank. I don¡¯t really know what compelled me to come here, but fate brought me to Canary, and that¡¯s when I met Claire. I soon started this store, and now I offer classes to anyone who wants to learn. I still take on quests here and there, and if I can help it, ignore the ones where I have to take a person¡¯s life. I do avoid my bow as much as I can. To us Elves, they¡¯re our precious companions. And I do feel that I¡¯ve done it a great disservice, which is why I choose to use a sword most of the time. But when the time is needed, I have no problems using my closest ally once more. Especially to protect the ones I care about.¡±


    ¡°Dineria¡­ I didn¡¯t know any of that¡­¡± Momo confessed, waiting for the words she wanted to say to bubble on her tongue.


    ¡°It¡¯s not really a great conversational starter, so I avoid speaking about it. But I figured you and Servi needed to hear it because I¡¯ve been in her spot¡­ I¡¯m proof that it is possible to come back. Momo, you and Servi can come to me at any time for any support, help, or advice.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Dineria¡­ For sharing your story and telling us that¡­ Just like with Claire, you¡¯re one of our closest friends, and we appreciate that.¡± Momo took a sip of her tea and watched Servi do the same. Even though they had heard a harrowing take, not much has changed with the girl who housed a Goddess inside. At least on the outside. Internally, Itarr took Dineria¡¯s words to heart glossed back over her story.


    ¡°And you, my dear cute student, are one of my favorite pupils. Ah, and I can¡¯t forget about Servi, who¡¯s obviously very, very, very important to you. Hehehe!¡± Dineria placed a sly hand over her mouth and giggled.


    Momo partly realized this was probably another tiny joke, so she beat her to punch the like by proudly declaring her love. For a second, the Elf looked downright shocked that Momo would have admitted to confessing with that pretty smile. Not because she was disgusted. No, it was far from it. Dineria just wanted to tease her cute student and wanted to enjoy the flustered look she would no doubt have.


    Well, the joke was on her.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ That¡¯s good¡­ When you say your love, hold your head up, puff you¡¯re your chest, and proudly say it!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not alarmed? Or¡ª¡±


    ¡°If you think I was going to be upset, then you have never been more wrong about anything in your life. Momo, you¡¯re not the only one who¡¯s had affection for a girl¡­ I¡­ I used to experiment in my younger days. With men and women... Sometimes at the same time, and other times separately¡­ People like to think Elves to be all prim and proper when it comes to desires and their lack of a sex drive, but we¡¯re all the same as anyone else. We have our needs and wants. It isn¡¯t anything to be embarrassed by.¡±


    Woah¡­ Then does that mean Dineria¡¯s experienced?


    ¡°Does¡­it hurt? Sex, I mean¡­ I¡¯ve never done it¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ It can hurt. It depends on a number of factors. Now, I can tell you, and I don¡¯t mind that because I believe sex is just one of those things that doesn¡¯t need to be hidden away like a bad secret. Or you can learn for yourself whenever Servi is all better. Regardless of what you choose, I¡¯m happy to share my knowledge, as little or as much, as you want.¡±


    Momo looked at Servi, who stared at her tea. After a bit of encouragement, she finished the cup and stared at Momo, who had a decision to make. It was not a lie to say that she wanted to give her all to Servi, and having prior knowledge of sex, especially between two girls, would only prepare her. On the flip side, perhaps that inexperience might be a fond memory to look back on.


    Of course, that was only partially true if Servi was a virgin, and Momo didn¡¯t know if she was or not because she hadn¡¯t asked before. Then again, an appropriate situation in which that question would be prudent had avoided them thus far.


    Even if I¡¯m not Servi¡¯s first, that¡¯s fine¡­ She probably doesn¡¯t know or remember if she¡¯s been with anyone, but if she can be my first¡­ My first kiss¡­ Really, my first everything¡­


    ¡°What¡­do you think?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I cannot pick for you,¡± Dineria said. She took a sip of her tea and licked her pink lips with a wet tongue. ¡°Though I will say this. When I had sex for the first time, my partner and I had no idea what we were doing. Yes, it is memorable and fond to look back on, but we could have saved a little bit of pain and some frustration if we knew beforehand.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ In that case, then I want to go in blind¡­ I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s had¡­any partners¡­or not, but even if she has, I think I want her to teach me¡­ Or we can teach each other, I guess. If we¡¯re both strangers to it...¡± Momo thought long and hard before speaking what she thought was quite acceptable. She was happy to see that Dineria had an approving look on her face. All this sex talk had gotten the Elf to be a little bit heated. She wasn¡¯t a nymphomaniac, but there was no denying the fact that her desire for lust was... greater than her racial siblings. When it was time to close the store, she knew just what ¡®toy¡¯ she wanted to use¡­


    Ahh¡­ But I think about that later¡­ Mmnn¡­ I can already feel it spreading me open, though¡­ Crap, I better think of something¡­ Ah¡ª


    ¡°Momo!¡± Dineria suddenly shouted at a volume she definitely did not intend to reach.


    ¡°Waaaa¡ªMa¡¯am?!?!¡± she exclaimed, nearly dropping her glass. The cool-headed Elf apologized profusely and asked to see Momo¡¯s free hand.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I can tell you kept up with your training¡­ I saw that when you walked in because of how you carried yourself. But your hand¡­ You haven¡¯t shot a bow in over a week, have you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± squeaked out the meek Singi. ¡°I haven¡¯t really had the chance to do much more than the workout you taught me. I have a job to keep Servy safe, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Why not remedy that now? There just so happens to be an archery lane, with a target, mind you, just a couple steps away.  Your darling Servy will be fine right here. Besides, don¡¯t you want to show off your cool side? What better way than to impress her with your amazing archery skills? And it might calm you down a little bit since you seem to be so tense.¡±


    ¡°Servy hasn¡¯t seen me shoot a bow since she tried to teach me that one time¡­ Okay! Servy, watch and be amazed!!¡± A fired-up Momo finished off her tea, or what was left of it, and skipped over to the lane. There was already a bow and a quiver of arrows on it.


    For the next few hours, Momo launched hundreds of arrows, only stopping when Dineria said it was enough. But it wasn¡¯t all business and no play. The jokes, stories, questions, and humor kept flying around, and when it was time for lunch, Dineria offered to send out one of her employees to bring back whatever Momo wanted to eat. She had a discovered special fondness for fish and shrimp, so she asked if that was fine.


    Of course, it was.


    Servi still couldn¡¯t talk, and while biting through a thick, fat shrimp coated with butter garlic sauce, Momo talked about the happy moods Servi used to have. She admitted her worries that they wouldn¡¯t ever return, but Dineria waved it away by saying she also experienced something similar.


    ¡°The important thing is the love and support of her friends. You¡¯re taking Claire¡¯s advice to heart. About holding hands, I mean. And at this point, I¡¯m sure the two of you are sharing a bed.¡±


    ¡°Eh?! You could tell?!¡± Momo said with her mouth full of grilled salmon. She nearly choked, but both Itarr and Dineria acted fast, with the latter not aware of the former''s existence.  The Singi said her thanks, and Dineria continued.


    ¡°Uh-huh! It isn¡¯t that hard to tell, but watch out for those guild mattresses. They really aren¡¯t the most comfortable thing in the world. Even a bed of nails is more preferable to those...things that shouldn''t be called a bed. The last thing you need is to wake up with a sore back because they¡¯re lumpier than a camel.¡±


    After that, the topic moved to Srassa and her party, and Momo realized Dineria had her own worries about that. In short, the type of air Srassa gave off suggested she was easily influenced. Silverado and Desperado did not do anything that made Dineria suspect them of any foul play. Then again. Dineria still had her concerns because of what she had previously experienced at Warden.


    ¡°Back in my day, I overheard quite a few stories about a girl who was taken advantage of by her all-male party members. Either through force or the use of alcohol¡­ I¡¯m not going into the details, but you can probably infer what happened. Those two Koena seem like good men, so there isn¡¯t anything to worry about. But Srassa¡¯s my student, and I can¡¯t help but care. And it¡¯s the same with you, Momo. If I did have any doubts about Servi, they¡¯re completely gone because she stepped up to save you. With that said, thank you, Servi, for doing just that. Once you¡¯re back to us, I just might happen to have a little gift I want to give you.¡±


    ¡°A gift?¡± Momo wiped her lips with a napkin and drank the rest of her tea.  The Singi loved the cold stuff, but the hot tea had its own special place inside her stomach.


    ¡°Yep! It¡¯s a secret¡­ I know you¡¯re just dying to know, but my lips are sealed.¡±


    ¡°Aw, come on! Not even a hint?¡±


    ¡°Nope! Hehe! Although, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s one you both will be able to enjoy.¡±


    ¡°A bow? No¡­ It can¡¯t be a weapon¡­?¡± Momo placed a hand to her chin and used her entire brain.


    ¡°I mean, it could be considered a weapon¡­¡±


    Ah, her innocent little mind couldn¡¯t possibly know what it could be¡­ I better make sure it¡¯s squeaky clean.


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna enjoy watching me wonder myself to death, aren¡¯t you?¡± Momo narrowed her eyes and laughed.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s my right as your instructor. Now, why don¡¯t I give my adorable little student another lesson? Does that sound good?¡±


    Momo stood up and stretched her arms, softly moaning when she felt a small pop of relief. Her eyes went over to the five arrows sticking out of a bale of hay that had a target painted on it. She was doing pretty well, definitely better than before she left for Arcton, but Momo chalked that it up to her mad desire to protect Servi. ¡°That sounds amazing! Thank you!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Now, let¡¯s get started," said Dineria after she popped a slice of tomato into her mouth. She had feasted on a divine salad full of leafy greens and colorful veggies, and there was a deep bowl of thick, juicy grapes off to the side to serve as an after-lunch snack for the three girls.


    The one-on-one lesson continued for a while, only stopping partway since Momo had to attend the ladies'' room to take care of a private matter. She emerged feeling refreshed, and that positivity followed her through the stance alterations and the breathing exercises. Dineria had noted Momo developed a habit of amassing a block of tension in her shoulders during the draw but eliminated it before letting the arrow loose.


    ¡°That is fine for right now, but that practice is something you want to correct. Focus on slowing your arms when you¡¯re drawing the strong, and remember to relax your body,¡± said the helpful instructor. She retrieved a bow of her own and visually displayed how she wanted Momo to nock the arrow and draw the string. And while she did improve, it wasn¡¯t at the level Dineria expected. Was she upset? Of course not. For all intents and purposes, expecting someone like Momo to fully grasp onto her advanced training after just a month was preposterous. Truth be told, Dineria was a happy Elf because she saw all the little errors and mistakes that used to be so common disappear and vanish.


    I suppose she¡¯s been training in her mind. Sounds weird, but dreaming and image training is technically a form of training. Oh, it does an instructor¡¯s heart well to see progress¡­


    When dinner time rolled around, Dineria wanted Momo''s input on what they should eat.


    ¡°Well, how about breakfast?¡±


    ¡°Breakfast?¡± quizzically repeated the confused Elf.  She blinked her green eyes twice.


    Momo nodded. ¡°Sometimes, grampy would cook dinner for breakfast and breakfast for dinner."


    ¡°Oooh, how fun! Can¡¯t believe I haven¡¯t thought to try it.¡± After calling for another employee, he soon left with a written order he wouldn¡¯t soon forget.


    As the girls waited, Momo said she felt bad about being waited on. Dineria cleared up that worry with a wave of her hand. According to her, she paid her employees very well to act as her maids and butlers. At least until closing time, she added on. Momo still found that a little bit confusing, but she didn¡¯t press the issue at all. When the Dwarf did return, he did so with a pair of helpers who held an armful of plates.


    If she owns her own store and can pay for so many employees, just how rich is she?


    Dineria had wanted the stack of pancakes with a veggie omelette, with the former being loaded with sugar and cherry syrup. Momo was in the mood for a whole plate of eggs and sausages with a side of toast loaded with jelly and honey. She also had to order for Servi and wondered if she would have liked a loaded breakfast sandwich? It came loaded with the works, including sausage, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a generous helping of cheese.


    As soon as the Dwarf handed the plate down, Servi immediately tackled it with her face. The brown sausage just ripped in half as her teeth punctured right through it, flooding her mouth and tongue with pure flavor. The tomato was juicy and ripe, and the crispy lettuce didn¡¯t disappoint at all. Perhaps the bacon was the weakest component since it was slightly soggy and limp, but there were no complaints from this mute girl.


    For a brisk moment, Momo was rightly jealous of the sandwich and wished she had gotten it. But right when she brought the over-easy egg to her mouth and felt the yellow drain on her tongue, she knew she had chosen correctly. With haste, she snatched a slice of toast and broke the yellow yolk on her other eggs, combining it all. After a bit of construction and slicing her fat sausages in half, she had the perfect makeshift sandwich.


    Dineria was too focused on her sweet, delectable, fluffy brown tower of pancakes. If anyone wanted to get into her good graces, they really just needed to give her a gift of something sweet. A bottle of syrup or honey was the perfect present, actually, since she had a girlish fondness for the nectar. Ah, but she couldn¡¯t forget about the vegetable omelette. Covered and packed with spinach, tomatoes, onion, mushrooms, and spicy peppers, it rang all of her taste buds¡¯ bells.


    ¡°Woah¡­ I feel like a pig¡­¡± Momo said. She leaned back in the chair and patted her stomach when the last bite of food descended down her throat.


    ¡°A hard workout deserves a fulfilling meal. Great your body right, and it will be your best friend.  Don¡¯t think about trying to starve it because it won¡¯t forgive you,¡± Dineria replied. ¡°But overeating can be just as harmful¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the limit?¡± asked Momo.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ And I don¡¯t want to know¡­ Ahh, as long as it¡¯s good, is there a limit?¡±


    ¡°Now we¡¯re both sounding like pigs¡­¡±


    ¡°If being this full is a sin that turns me into a pig, then turn me into one! Turn me, I say! Oink!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!!!¡±


    After the three girls finished their meal, Momo and Dineria chatted a little bit more about various things. Before long, it was getting to be closing time, and it was time for the happy Singi and her lovely Human companion to head back to their room at Warden. Prior to that, Dineria held her arms out wide and gave her student and her friend a welcome back hug.


    ¡°Ah¡­ I guess we¡¯re home¡­¡±


    ¡°And welcome back¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh! Dineria?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I forgot to bring it up earlier, but what are you doing on the 24th? Servy managed to snag herself a spot in a play that¡¯s going on that day.¡±


    Dineria was obviously very confused, and she was even more mystified upon learning Servi¡¯s role as a girl who provided all of the female cries. Not even she knew how that was going to be accomplished, but Dineria said she wouldn¡¯t miss it for anything and vowed to be there.


    After another round of hugs, thank-yous, and goodbyes, the green-haired Elf escorted her friends down to the exit and watched them walk away while under the moonlight. She didn¡¯t expect to blow off all of today¡¯s responsibilities, and the meetings she was supposed to attend had to be postponed at the last minute, but any blowback from that could be solved with a few falsely genuine apologies and a gift. Dineria was a girl who wouldn¡¯t ever apologize for doing the correct thing, especially if it involved the people she cared about.


    Good luck, you two¡­


    During the walk back to their rooms at Warden, Momo mainly recounted the day and focused on just how many friends Servi had made during her time in Canary. That conversation lasted for a bit, then Momo switched over to plans of the future, like branching off to Adenaford for more advanced quests to possibly buying a ticket and sailing away to the other continent on a boat. The future possibilities were endless, and that was why it was so much fun imagining what was going to happen even a few days from now. Nothing was set in stone. Therefore, it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to wish for the best because that had a chance to come true.


    ¡°Are you feeling kind of tired? I am¡­ It feels like my arms are about to fall off¡­ Hey, after I take a shower, why don¡¯t we head to sleep early?¡± Momo asked after shutting the door. She walked over to the bed and watched as Servi sat down. Since Momo was right next to her, and Servi was in a mood to hug¡­ ¡°Yeah¡­ I figured you¡¯d hug my stomach. Well, I just have to run my fingers through your hair. Hey, you didn¡¯t leave any choice, you know.¡±


    Momo just smiled and started to hum a little tune, only stopping when a dagger appeared in front of her. Her sharp eyes followed it around, and while she expected it to transform via Metal Wall, it morphed into a wide metallic basin. This odd construction hovered a centimeter or two above the floor.


    ¡°Uhhhh? Itarr? What¡¯s that?¡± asked the confused girl. A second dagger appeared and took the form of a long curtain of steel. A moment later, water flowed down, hitting the makeshift tub and promptly disappearing.


    Ah¡­ My Goddess friend created a shower¡­ Neat!


    "Hold on¡­ A shower? Do you want me to take one in the same room as Servy?¡± Momo was serenely calm, all things considered. ¡°Okay¡­ I can be close to Servy, but you listen here, girl.¡± She raised a finger and playfully pointed it down towards the girl hugging her stomach. ¡°You can¡¯t peek in on me, okay? I mean, if you were back to normal¡­ I might¡­even...suggest¡­taking a shower¡­together¡­ But with how you are, I think I¡¯m only comfortable with friendship kisses¡­ Even that''s a stretch, but...¡±


    Momo gently grabbed Servi¡¯s arm and guided her up. She poked her friend¡¯s face, stood on her tippy toes, and planted a kiss right on that waiting forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in just a second, okay? I promise I won¡¯t take too long. If you can hang on, there might be a few more cheek kisses in store for you. Hehe!!!¡± The Singi, who smiled more brightly than the ever-impressive moon, skipped away to the shower created just for her.


    Behind the curtain, she made sure there wouldn¡¯t be any way for Servi to inadvertently catch her in the nude, then timidly dressed down to her birthday suit. An infectious smile still covered her pretty face as her tail whipped around. A stray hand dipped itself into the flowing stream. It was so clear and crystalline-like Momo didn''t know that this was the purest water known to man. ¡°Umm, if it isn¡¯t too much trouble, can you make it just a little bit hotter? Okay. That¡¯s perfect. Thanks, Itarr!¡±


    Just about ten minutes later, a girl stepped out from behind the privacy walls in nothing but her cutest underwear. Though it was her cutest pair, it wasn¡¯t all that different. Momo fumbled with the clasp behind her back and made triply sure it was hooked and secured. Her panties shared the color of her tail, but it held horizontal stripes of white, giving it a rather childish appearance.


    Still, she was half-naked, standing in the middle of a room as the metal objects behind her disappeared into Servi¡¯s ring.


    Momo¡¯s soft skin was flushed not from embarrassment but from the rather hot shower she had endured. Her hands touched her heart, then moved to brush against her stomach as she felt the moisture from her hair vanish. It was nearly dry, but now it held no traces of water at all. A second later, it was the same with her skin.


    ¡°Was that you, Itarr? You didn¡¯t have to dry my body, but I do appreciate it. Now I don¡¯t have to wait. I can just hop right into bed with Servy.¡± Upon saying her name, the girl in question sat up since she was patiently sitting on the ground. In a flash, the clothes left her body, leaving only behind that black underwear that drew Momo¡¯s eyes so much. Servi crawled into bed and laid down on top of the covers, her beautiful head taking up half of the pillow. Momo followed suit, and soon enough, she was lying just right there on her side, staring at the girl. In her eyes, she was most the beautiful girl in the big, wide world.


    Servi harnessed enough willpower together to give her lovely Singi a hasty smile, and Momo gave a small kiss to her friend¡¯s cheek. She reached out with her hands to touch her stomach, then an idea came to her head. ¡°Servy, do you think you can turn over? Just for a second? I want to try something out.¡±


    It took a moment, but Momo soon felt the bed shake as her friend altered her position. She took that opportunity to slide in close¡ªclose enough that her blossoming chest was pushing against Servi¡¯s back. One hand snuck under Servi¡¯s body while the other approached over, and when they met on her warm stomach, the fingers clasped together.


    ¡°If we sleep like this¡­¡± Some more shuffling later, Momo had her nose resting against Servi¡¯s head. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be nice? We¡¯re really like a couple of lovers¡­ Then again¡­ You are facing the other way¡­ Hmm?¡± Servi wiggled, then did her best to turn right around until her forehead touched Momo¡¯s lips. A pair of arms then wrapped around her back, and they were back in a familiar position. ¡°Or I guess this is good too. I guess my way was pretty selfish for me¡­ But this way¡­ I can really enjoy your cuteness¡­ I can stare at your pretty eyes¡­ Stare at your pretty nose¡­ You¡¯re just so...stunning¡­ And not to mention that we¡¯re pushed right against each other¡­ It¡¯s kinda silly, but it feels like your boobs are trying to fight mine¡­


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s kind of weird. Ignore that, please... But Servy¡­ When you get better, I¡¯m gonna have a ton of things to say¡­ Even if you remember everything that I¡¯ve said until now, I believe I gotta repeat it.¡±


    The Lux Spheres Itarr had provided for the two girls vanished, allowing darkness to reign once again. For a second, Servi shivered and shook with something resembling fright. The blanket below them vanished and appeared on top a moment later, its warmth protecting them from the rather chilly summer night. It just took a small, friendly kiss for Servi to simmer down, and Momo stared at the lightly damp spot on her darling¡¯s forehead. ¡°Since it is nighttime¡­ We might as well just go ahead and sleep. Good night, Servy. I love you, and I¡¯ll see you in the morning. Itarr, sweet dreams¡­ Oh, can you summon Servy¡¯s ID again? I was telling the truth when I spoke about hugging it. Ah, there it is. It¡¯s gonna be snuggled right between us, okay? Now, I¡¯ll see you in the morning as well.¡±


    With her final wishes said, Momo closed her eyes and buried her nose in that very familiar patch of black hair. The ID was very noticeable, but it wasn¡¯t overly thick and uncomfortable.


    You know, Itarr¡­ I do love you as well¡­ But I¡¯ll think I¡¯ll wait for you to get a body before I say that¡­ If only to see how embarrassed you get! Hehehe!!! Wait¡­ Can Goddesses even get embarrassed? Guess I should try to find out beforehand¡­. Ah, well¡­ That¡¯s a mystery for Future Momo. Present Momo, goodnight and sweet dreams¡­

 Book Four – Chapter Five – Part Three – Surrounded by Love

    RuggyRuggy


    With a diary entry, you know the rules. Soon, I will start to edit them more and more to reflect Momo''s improved understanding of how to write. See if you can guess who will teach her?


    Hello, my dairy! Or my journal¡­ Or whatever the heck I¡¯m calling this thing.


    I know¡­ I know¡­ I said I would write more regularly, but that was a big lie. My excuse? Well, her name is Servy, and we¡¯ve practically been connected at the hip for over a week. Yes, that includes our adventure to the theatre hall today.


    OH!!!! OH!!!! OH!!! Before that, I need to write something down before it¡¯s gone. Well, should have scribbled it down yesterday, but¡­


    It isn¡¯t my fault Servy is just too darn cute! How could I write at all when all I want is to hold her against me? It¡¯s impossible, I say!


    Even right now, as I¡¯m sitting in bed, leaning against the backrest and jotting this down, she¡¯s taking a lovely little nap on my lap while curled up like an adorable puppy. I really want to join her, but I¡¯ve been putting this off for too long. And I have to write this down now because tonight is when we''re having a small party at Claire¡¯s house. When I saw her this morning, she said she would get us when she clocks out. Until then, I''m just hanging out with Servy.


    About the party¡­ Yay! It¡¯s August 2nd!!! I¡¯ve been waiting for this day for a while!!! Srassa, Claire, Servy, and I will have ALL the fun! My lovely little lap puppy needs it, too. I really want her to know that she¡¯s touched the hearts of a good number of people, and she really, truly has friends waiting for her recovery.


    And if I can get a little bit depressing, I know that this probably won¡¯t stay when they find out that she¡¯s a murderer¡­ It¡¯s harsh from me, but splitting hairs might just cause misunderstandings. Even I know it¡¯s na?ve to think they will all take her side in this¡­ Just imagining Claire and Srassa saying they hate Servy¡­ Or that she¡¯s a monster will break my heart¡­ Dineria said she knew what Servi was going through, but she really doesn¡¯t¡­


    What are the odds all three of them will continue to support Servy? How many will turn on her? No, I say turn on her, but¡­I think that¡¯s the wrong phrase.


    Grampy, is it wrong if I think it¡¯ll be fine if we take this to our grave? Do they really need to know all of the details? Then again, I don¡¯t want any secrets in our friendships¡­ Maybe Servy will know what to do¡­ Though if I know her, and I know I do, she would prefer there to be no secrets at all.


    If you aren¡¯t friends with the real person¡ªwithout knowing¡ªtruly, truly knowing them¡ªthen are you friends at all? That might be a topic for another time, but it¡¯s one that definitely needs to be answered sooner than later.


    Ah, guess I should get on with it, shouldn¡¯t I? Well, I put it off for so long, so what¡¯s another five seconds while I pat Servy¡¯s head? Hehe, her hair is just so soft. She hasn¡¯t taken a shower in days, but she smells so clean¡­


    That¡¯s pretty amazing¡­ And I¡¯m kind of jealous¡­


    Dang it, Momo¡­ Stick to the plan, yeah?


    Yesterday, Servy and I were walking near one of the city entrances when there was a commotion. We checked it out and saw Fisher talking to some of his guards who had a Koena. Well, it looked like he bought the poor boy and immediately freed him. The guards didn¡¯t like it and attacked him, and Fisher handled it.


    Honestly, I was impressed by him. From what I know, he used to be all about the Humans. The good ones, the bad ones¡­ Even the evil ones. It was like the worst of the Humans came before the nicest Demi-Human, but now he¡¯s at a point where I think he¡¯s really fighting for justice. True justice, that is. I did mouth the words ¡®thank you,¡¯ and can you guess what Itarr did? I would say she read my mind, but I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s one of her abilities. I don''t think it is...


    She absorbed the slave bracelet clasped around the Koena¡¯s wrist. Fisher didn¡¯t realize it at first, but I kinda helped him out with my eyes. We left soon after, so I don¡¯t know what happened. Still, I hope that poor boy gets the help he needs ¡­ He does have his freedom, which is really good, and I do hope it stays that way.


    If Fisher was the old him, I don¡¯t think he would have done that¡­ But I am proud of him. I really am¡­ I don¡¯t know if he will ever tell his children his past, but I can¡¯t imagine that conversation is going to be easy¡­


    I wonder if he has anything to say about what I wrote above? Like if we really need to tell everything? Maybe¡­ That¡¯s probably going to be an intense topic of discussion for Servy and Fisher¡­


    But the rest of that day went off fairly well. We ran into that Koena who operates the shrimp stall Servy and I love.


    I have been porking out like a gluttonous kitten, so maybe it¡¯s time for me to hold back for a while and eat some leafy greens¡­ I don¡¯t want to gain a lot of weight because I have to be fast, nimble, and speedy like a¡­ Well, like a cat. Cause I am a cat. Well, I have the ears and tail of one¡­


    Speaking of that, cats meow like crazy, but I¡¯ve never felt the need to. There was that odd sound coming from me a while back. It almost sounded like a purr¡­ Should I meow?


    ¡°Meow¡­? Meow? Meow meow meow meow. Meow meow!! Meow?!¡±


    Umm¡­ Yeah¡­ That was a little bit too silly, even for me¡­  But if Servy wants me to meow, then...


    Well, I have to keep an open mind.


    Cymbal told us some more about the Dwarf she likes. His name is Qnair, apparently. It¡¯s pronounced ¡®Nair¡¯, and her eyes sparkled like mine does whenever I gush about Servy. You know, it is comforting to know I have a close ally in this fight of interspecies-love¡­ Dineria might be another friend in that department¡­ She didn¡¯t explicitly say she had relations with someone that¡¯s not an Elf, but¡­


    Well, I don¡¯t want to pry into her love life¡­ What I do want to pry into, however, is the thing that happened today.


    Today was the day we met the other cast members who will perform The Lift of a Butterfly Will Cure Our Ailing Hearts. It was so nice seeing Myrabel, Denaire, and Grid again. Instead of being all dolled up and professionally dressed to impress, they wore something fun and casual while still looking quite noble.


    You know, Servy and I almost didn¡¯t feel underdressed.


    Almost¡­


    Myrabel greeted me and Servy with a cute smile. Heck, she even asked about Servi¡¯s recovery. And even mentioned that we could ask her for any help or advice.


    Wyima and Bartholomew were obviously there. They sat at a desk on the stage, and it was me, Servy, and all of the others sitting in the audience. I didn¡¯t get a good count, but there were about 25 or 30 people there. He called us up one by one to receive a script and a schedule, so when Servy¡¯s name was said, we both went up there. As for the schedule? It is pretty heavy on the rehearsals. It¡¯s four times a week, which kind of makes sense since we have less than a month. I did find it funny that Servy¡¯s ¡®character¡¯ for the play is literally Crying Noise¡­


    I was happy for Myrabel, Denaire, and Grid since they snagged the roles of the three main characters. That pretty much means they have the most lines, and they¡¯ll be on the stage more than the others.


    But it wasn¡¯t all smiles and butterflies. A couple of the people there were bigots¡­ Not for what you might think, but because Servy and I were the only non-nobles. They kept saying that common trash should stay with the rest since only the affluent has the right to experience art.


    Yeah¡­ Their tune changed when Bartholomew led the cast through a readthrough. We all went to the stage and sat down in a giant circle, and the director stood in the middle.


    You know, it is really¡­weird? If not weird, then odd¡­? I can¡¯t really explain it, but the moment Bartholomew read out the opening paragraph to set the stage for the play, it was like the atmosphere changed. I guess since I was a country bumpkin, I didn¡¯t quite get it. Servy almost did, I think. She stayed as quiet as a mouse as everyone became super serious.


    Ah, that¡¯s another thing. It seemed like no one had a problem with Servy and me holding hands. Wyima didn¡¯t care, Bartholomew didn¡¯t care, absolutely no one cared, and that felt kinda nice¡­ A few cared about our ¡®peasant¡¯ status, but at least they didn¡¯t try to rip me away from Servy.


    But what was also absolutely spectacular was when Myrabel read her line for the first time. Her character, Shika, had just lost her husband in a war, and the play opened at his funeral.


    Yeah¡­ Servy was up to the plate right away, and now I had a chance to learn how she was supposed to carry out her role as Crying Noise. Bartholomew told Servy she needed to memorize the whole script, or rather the female parts, and mouth the words along with the actress. Then whenever it gets to a part where crying is needed, she must match the speaker''s volume and cadence as best possible while crying. This way, the actress just needs to focus on making the right facial expressions and not the crying.


    And I was like¡­


    Wait, what?


    How the heck does he expect Servy to do all that when she can barely talk?! To make it worse, the few who didn¡¯t like me or Servy started to mouth off. Yeah, I was pretty embarrassed and just wanted to crawl back to my bed and sleep the rest of the day, but Servy surprised me once again. I held the script between us so we both could read it, and out of nowhere, she started speaking Myrabel¡¯s character¡¯s¡ªspeaking Shika¡¯s lines.


    It was still her speaking, and I knew that was Servy¡¯s voice flowing from her lips that I really want to kiss, but at the same time¡­


    It wasn¡¯t her. I dunno if it has something to do with her past¡­but it was really like Servy became a different person. She really aced it, though. There was this part near the end of Shika¡¯s opening monologue where her crying was so powerful she just collapses on top of the casket and shouts into her dead husband¡¯s face about how he had the gall to leave her alone in the world¡­


    It was an intense scene, especially because Shika was the mother of two girls and a young boy, who were sitting right in front. Their mother just ignored them during their father¡¯s funeral, and it really plucked my heartstrings¡­ Not only that, but Shika and her husband had been married for over five hundred years¡­ he was truly her first love¡­ So much so that she didn¡¯t even regard her children¡¯s feelings and pretended they weren¡¯t there¡­


    Even I could tell this play was going to hit a lot of dark notes about society and how we communicate and treat one another¡­ It had a happy ending, though¡­ So that¡¯s good.


    But Servy? She completely nailed it, and when Shika was supposed to grab her husband¡¯s corpse and unsuccessfully try to shake him awake, she turned me and grasped my shoulder.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, you idiot?! Why did you die before me?! If I don¡¯t have you in my life, then I have nothing!! Please¡­ Just wake up¡­¡± she said. During her whole scene, she never did stop crying for a moment. True Immortality probably guaranteed an unlimited amount of tears¡­


    I didn¡¯t say anything since I guess I was supposed to be the dead husband, and corpses can¡¯t talk, but dang¡­I don¡¯t even know how to explain just what I felt¡­ And writing it down can¡¯t do it justice¡­ Well, a better writer probably could¡­ I¡¯m doing my best, and I really think I¡¯m getting better.


    Bartholomew was over the moon in his praise, and he exploded out into another outburst involving darkness of the heart and some other stuff that went way past my head. But I did understand that he wanted Servy to mouth the script and provide all of the ¡®sadness.¡¯ He said if she could match her heartfelt display with everyone, then he had no hesitation in claiming this production would be his best one yet.


    Our new theatre friends¡ªMyrabel, Denaire, and Grid, were all smiles and full of happiness. There were a lot of unscrupulous (?) stares, possibly full of jealously because Servy received so much praise from the director.


    Bartholomew restarted the readthrough, and it was time to see Servy in action once more. This time, she had to match up with Myrabel, but Myrabel was like the queen of hesitation. It seemed she wanted to match Servy¡¯s pace rather than it being the other way around. That led to a lot of suddenly stopping and starting, and we were getting nowhere fast.


    It looked like our new Elven friend was getting frustrated, but the director finally told her to just go for it without looking at Servy. She had difficulty with that, so Wyima then brought out the blanket enchanted with invisibility. He just threw over us, and I felt a bit¡­odd.


    The Shadow¡¯s Embrace kind of ¡®erases¡¯ the user from reality¡­ That¡¯s what Servy said, and I¡¯ve checked the skill¡¯s description on her ID. And Wyima described this blanket as something that allows light to always pass through instead of bouncing off¡­ I didn¡¯t understand or get it¡­ It was impressive, I guess. And I¡¯m sure something like his blanket went for hundreds of thousands of dupla since invisibility was a powerful ability that needed a ton of Skill Energy to sustain. To have it in a physical form, one that anyone could use? And the fact it didn¡¯t require the user to give it any Skill Energy?


    Yeah, it was definitely a highly sought-after item. Wyima would definitely have to keep an eye on it, not that Servy and I had any intention of stealing it. He was standing right behind us with a metal pole embedded into the blanket, so yeah¡­ Only the things under it are invisible. During the show, he said that since Servi was going to be right in front of the curtain, she had to walk side to side so that the pole remained hidden from the audience.


    It really does sound like a lot of trouble, but the director seemed to be a man who didn¡¯t care about the cost as long as he got the best¡­


    Since we could see outside from under the blanket, I guess Servy just matched(?) or followed along with Myrabel the best she could, and as odd as it sounded, I actually thought the director¡¯s weird desire made sense.


    Because it actually sounded really good in how their two voices combined during the moments of emotional despair.


    Like, it was crazy how perfectly synced Servy and Myrabel were¡­ And as the readthrough progressed, Servy accomplished her task, matching the cries of Humans, Kobolds, Koena, Dwarves, and Elves¡ªpeople she had never talked to before today¡ª as if she had known them all her life. It doesn¡¯t make that much sense because she is a Human, but I swear I was sitting next to a being that could morph between different races. Her cries as a female Dwarf were completely different than when she wept as a Human¡­


    And here¡¯s something else I was thinking about as I stared at Servy¡¯s pretty face and flipped the script for her.


    There has to be people out there who can¡¯t fake cry to save their life. And I¡¯m sure there are people who can¡¯t act at all, yet they can bring down the waterworks at a moment¡¯s notice.


    Was Servy like that?


    Her whole past is encased in mystery. I know what I¡¯m about to write down can possibly be attributed to Itarr¡¯s emotional manipulation, which was done out of love¡­ Really, nothing about her makes sense¡­


    She¡¯s a fighter, a killer, a torturer, and now an actress?


    Just what kind of life did you live before waking up near Canary? That¡¯s definitely the biggest mystery on my mind¡­


    Wait¡­


    What if Servy¡­ Because of what happened to her¡­ I¡¯m sure she had to fight against every race there is¡­ If they started crying, begging to survive¡­then is that the experience Servy is tapping into? She might just be mimicking the last moments of her foes¡¯ life, and that¡¯s why it¡¯s so convincing¡­


    That¡¯s¡­disturbing to think about¡­


    Wait, crying to want to live is different than crying because your husband has passed away¡­


    So I guess my little theory is wrong¡­ That¡¯s a good thing, right? But the mystery is still there¡­


    But even if you combine everything, you end up with a whole lot of something that doesn¡¯t make a lick of sense.


    We didn¡¯t get done with the entire readthrough, but Bartholomew said that was to be expected. He did tell us that we will be putting in the hours to get this play ready for our one-and-only grand debut. All in all, we spent about six hours there. Myrabel, Denaire, and Grid wanted us to stay so we could mingle with the other cast members, but Servy tugged on my shirt and rubbed her eyes. I know it¡¯s technically impossible for her to ¡®get¡¯ sleepy since she doesn¡¯t need to sleep, but I still found it adorable all the same. And if I was being honest, this gave me the perfect excuse to leave.


    I really only waved goodbye to the three I actually liked, then nearly skipped all the way back while holding Servy¡¯s hand. We did run into Claire, who was really working hard. She didn¡¯t see us, though, since she was too busy sitting behind one of the receptionist windows. I did happen to see a giant stack of papers and the beginning of an existential crisis forming on her face.


    You can do it, Claire!!! Don¡¯t give up!!!


    After finally reaching my room, I crawled into bed and stretched my legs. Before I knew it, my little Servy had laid down and rested her head on my lap. Between scribbling something down in my journal diary, I¡¯ve been patting her head and rubbing my fingers through her hair.


    And she¡¯s been asleep the entire time¡­ I probably should tell her this, but I did squeeze and poke her sleeping cheeks¡­


    She really is beautiful¡­ And I don¡¯t know what it is, but I just feel so powerful when she¡¯s relying on me. Like right now, the most powerful girl in Lando¡ªpossibly the world¡ªis depending on me to keep her safe¡­


    That is the biggest honor some backwater country cat like me is ever going to get¡­and I will do my best!


    In fact, I think I might contribute to her safety by finishing this entry and snuggling next to her.


    Hey, if I¡¯m literally beside her, hugging her close to my body, then nothing should happen, right?


    As another excuse, it might be nice for me to get some Servy Time. On the flip side, she could do with an extra helping of Mosie Time as well, right? Especially since we¡¯re gonna have some Fun Time!


    When she does return to normal¡­ I still plan on confessing¡­ It might not be right away, but definitely within the week.


    Grampy¡­ I¡¯d like to think that you wouldn¡¯t mind me showing up back home with Servy, right? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll love her¡­ And I certainly can¡¯t forget Itarr. Me and them¡­ A Singi, Human, and a Goddess, strolling back into my village? I just know you¡¯d approve of them after seeing how much they care, love, and protect me¡­


    I do miss you a lot, grampy. I know I can¡¯t depend on you forever, so I am trying my hardest to become a Singi you¡¯d be proud of¡­


    Sometimes, that¡¯s really, really hard¡­


    I don¡¯t ways choose the right things to say¡­


    I don¡¯t always choose the best action¡­


    I¡¯ve made a ton of costly mistakes¡­


    Even after 18 years, I¡¯m just as lost as I was when I was a little kitten stumbling through the kitchen¡­ But I¡¯m still here, standing¡ªsitting, I guess¡ªand I¡¯m ready to face each day with a smile¡­ Being with Servy and Itarr has taught me a lot about myself¡­ And I¡¯m glad I¡¯m not the old me anymore.


    Or maybe I should be glad that I used to be the old me. The Momo I am now couldn¡¯t possibly exist without the me of then, so¡­ I think I just wrote myself into a circle, but I think you get what I mean.


    Grampy, I love you. I¡¯m taking excellent care of your bag and sword. When I¡¯m eventually stronger than you, I¡¯ll return them back to their rightful owner¡­ You can count on it!


    And with that, I can flip the page and mark this as the end of this entry. I am running a little bit low on pages¡­ Might be time to get a new notebook¡­ If I can, I¡¯d want to get one with a lily flower on it.


    AH! That¡¯s perfect! What better way to set the mood than to give Servy a flower that I love? I better be on the lookout for one¡­ And that gives me even more ideas to set the perfect mood for my second confession¡­


    Hehehe!!! Well, I¡¯m going to have a lot of fun thinking and planning it while I cuddle with my lovely Servy.


    Until next time, grampy.


    Momo.

 Book Four – Chapter Five – Part Four – Surrounded by Love

    When Claire came knocking at Momo¡¯s door, Itarr absorbed the bed and returned the old mattress to its rightful home to prevent any unnecessary questions from being asked. The group walked downstairs while enjoying a pleasant conversation about the play. They came across a dolled-up Srassa stepping right through the guild doors.


    She was dressed awfully cute. An outcome that did not easily come since she confessed to staring at her closet for over an hour. In the end, she had decided on a sporty ponytail that timidly danced behind her. Srassa also admitted to wanting to wear her new armor, but that did not come to pass. Instead, she wore a lovely long-sleeved white blouse with small horizontal black stripes. That sat under a sleeveless black dress, which was just long enough to barely reach her knees. To keep it from fluttering in the wind, Srassa had chosen a stylish belt to wrap around her waist. With the black tights and gladiator-style sandals, she would no doubt catch the stares of bachelors that weren¡¯t smitten with the love of a woman.


    And quite likely, considering her beauty and status as a daughter of the Flinn household, even those happily, or unhappily, married would try to catch her eye in some nefarious way.


    Together, the four of them continued the conversation and walked outside, coming to a large black carriage. Two armed men stood in front, and three sets of eyes turned the only noble amongst them. A moment later, the only Singi turned and stared at the pair of lovely horses that would pull the carriage around.


    Their coats were so brown and shiny, their bodies and mind so alert. A couple of energetic neighs later, the only thing Momo wanted to do was give the majestic beasts a grand ole hug.


    Hehe¡­ I like horses¡­ I can see it now¡­ Servy and me riding through the great wilderness on horseback¡­ Man, what a life that will be¡­ Horses are expensive, though¡­ And they need a lot of care and attention¡­ Ah, but I love them all the same¡­


    ¡°I figured Claire wouldn¡¯t want to walk anymore after a hard day¡­ Have you three ever rode in one? It¡¯s quite comfortable,¡± Srassa had said with an uncertain smile, not knowing if she had acted out of turn. Claire did note that having a carriage meant they¡¯d be at her house that much quicker, and her legs were sore.


    Momo was caught in an equestrian daydream, and it took Claire and Srassa to drag her out of it.  After entering, the four took a seat on the luxurious soft cushions, and Srassa asked the Kobold driver to head to the shopping mall near the noble district. He gladly obliged, shaking his large, hat-covered head, and the two guards assigned to the carriage began to jog alongside it.


    With the excessive wealth a noble from the Flinn family was rumored to have, it was no surprise the carriage had the smoothest suspension money could buy. Dozens of little springs and counterweights had to be precisely aligned. Not for every road, of course, but specifically for the streets belonging to the fast-growing city of Canary. For every new path built and paved, someone from the Flinn association would come and make specific measurements, then send them over to those in charge of engineering and maintaining the carriages.


    Those with an excessive amount of money just couldn¡¯t spend it fast enough to cause a noticeable dent. With that in mind, it was no wonder Harold Flinn had multiple mercenaries in plainclothes to watch over his daughter without her knowledge. Even now, during this very moment, no less than five sets of eyes had the beautiful girl within their sights.


    She was only knowledgeable of three.


    The four girls chatted about their day, with Momo explaining how fantastic the first day of rehearsals went. She followed that up with a comment about how this was only the second time she had ridden in a carriage. The first was her journey from her village to Canary, but it was just a hollowed-out wagon that used to haul hay bales. It had no doors or any kind of comfortable seating. Just the cold, miserable wood covered with dents and lumps. And the wheels weren''t perfect circles, which was another avenue of discomfort.


    Those long months were slow, troubling, and harrowing, a constant reminder of the dreaded horror that forced her to leave the only home she had ever known. It was a topic she didn¡¯t feel comfortable with openly sharing, so Momo switched it over to something that wouldn¡¯t induce tears. Though not long after, the topic switched over again to the passing buildings and walking adventurers. Dreams of the future made themselves known, and Momo didn¡¯t fail to notice the rather uncomfortable look on her wealthy friend¡¯s face.


    Before she had a chance to talk about it, Srassa took the initiative and spoke about her father and her life.


    ¡°Do you know Lando¡¯s Nail? The big tower in Adenaford that can¡¯t be spotted from a distance because an enchantment causes it to disappear when you''re far away?" Srassa had asked. She felt the carriage shift by just a little bit as the driver took a left turn.


    Claire and Momo nodded, the former having spent some time in the capital. The latter hadn¡¯t managed to step inside it, but the convoy she took to Canary drove by the city.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually a hundred floors tall. The top twenty are reserved for commercial purposes exclusively available to nobles, and my father is the man that manages all of it. We used to live to the north of Adenaford, and it took father about a week and a half to travel to and from. He was constantly gone. Remember when I spoke about Jony? He was an orphan when father found him, and I suppose he decided I needed a friend. Or perhaps a companion. In a way, he¡¯s my unofficial bodyguard, and we¡¯ve been together for over a decade. We eventually moved to Canary because it was closer to Adenaford.¡±


    ¡°Why not move to Adenaford?¡± Momo had asked an excellent question.


    ¡°Father doesn¡¯t like to talk about work very often. I¡¯m of the mind that if we lived any closer, his boss would have an excellent excuse to make him work during every waking moment. He¡¯s ready started to groan about potentially being put in charge of the dungeon below it¡­ With us living here, he is allowed a few days'' rest before putting his all into managing. To be honest, I don¡¯t think he likes it that much. He puts up with it because he really does make excellent money. Though the one time he did talk to me about it, he said that even the king is relying on him to keep the most popular market in tip-top shape.¡±


    ¡°Woah¡­ Servy, do you think that¡¯ll be us? Having someone like a king or queen relying on you¡­¡± I have a Goddess relying on me, so I know the feeling¡­ But a king? I¡¯ve never met a king before¡­


    ¡°If you two keep it up, I don¡¯t have a doubt in my mind that royalty will be bothering you for assistance. Just be sure to remember your favorite red-haired Elf when you get all famous. Haha!¡±


    ¡°Oh, we won¡¯t ever forget you! But a dungeon? I didn¡¯t know Adenaford had something like that.¡±


    ¡°I was always forbidden from getting anywhere close to the tower because my parents were afraid I¡¯d wander down into there, but that¡¯s impossible. When you walk into the Nail¡¯s lobby, the information concerning the dungeon is to the left. Or I should say it¡¯s a labyrinth. That¡¯s the more accurate description for it. But you walk down to the first basement level, you get to a place known as the Hub. Everything you need is there, like weapon and armorsmiths, potion brewers, a general store full of generic adventuring items, and more.


    "The labyrinth is rumored to have a hundred floors as well, but researchers believe it to be even deeper than that. Each floor is packed full of monsters that get stronger and stronger as you descend. They say it¡¯s because Skill Energy is purer and more heavily condensed. That naturally allows more powerful monsters to spawn. The lower you go, the more likely any maps you buy will be useless because the labyrinth shifts and changes its passageways.


    ¡°But if you head to the right of the lobby and walk up, you get the¡ªwell, I guess it would be the second floor? That acts as the hub for the Nail and all of the goods and services it offers.¡± Srassa was a wonderful depot of knowledge, and she found it a welcome change being the teacher.


    Momo listened with wonder. "A hundred floors?!?! I like to think I can at least get up twenty or thirty, but all the way to the top? I feel like my legs would fall off.¡± That labyrinth... Maybe a trip to Adenaford is in our near future.


    Srassa couldn¡¯t help but let loose a noble giggle, covering her mouth with a hand in a lady-like manner. ¡°Let¡¯s be glad that there are teleporters on each floor. I can¡¯t say the same about the labyrinth, but you can freely go from floor 1 to 100. It¡¯s all thanks to Westera¡¯s fascination with implementing skills within physical objects. Father described it as you step inside a room, push a button, and wait a moment while the Skill Energy is gathered. Then you see a flash of light, and that¡¯s all there is to it. As far as I¡¯m aware, Lando had to pay an unheard amount of money to license the technology. No other building in the world, aside from a couple in Westera, I¡¯m sure, has anything like it.


    ¡°They do have stairs as an alternative to using the teleporters. Quite honestly, running up and down those might make for an effective workout.¡± The noble laid her hands across her lap, and she held the perfect posture of a woman of her status. Every little detail about Srassa¡¯s mannerisms had been instilled into her by her mother and Jony, who turned out to be the perfect gentleman himself.


    ¡°That does sound like fun¡­ Maybe Adenaford¡¯s in our near future¡­¡± Momo said, vocalizing her former thought about that same subject.


    I¡¯m glad I got to know more about Srassa¡¯s living situation¡­ Before, she was just a friend, but she''s a little closer than that now. We might not be best friends, but I think it won''t be that long until we are. Yay! More friends!!


    The chatter continued until the carriage came to a complete stop right outside their destination. One of the jogging guards opened the door and helped the four women out. Srassa said it wouldn¡¯t be that long, and the warrior who opened the door asked if he could come with. That way, when their shopping was done, he could come out to tell the driver to bring the carriage around.


    Momo found his utter devotion strange and mysterious because she had never experienced that before. She looked at Srassa¡¯s face while the young noble handled everything with simplicity and grace. Of course, someone like her wouldn¡¯t find this odd because this was her life. She was always surrounded by maids, butlers, and armored guards.


    In short, Srassa Flinn lived in a world where exotic luxuries were commonplace.


    Before long, the four girls and a tag-a-long strolled into the shopping center. The two guards out front recognized Srassa, so they greeted her by name and gave a hearty salute.


    Momo asked what was on the menu, and Claire responded that they would be making three of her favorites. The first was a hearty appetizer of mushrooms stuffed with onions, cheese, and a hint of garlic. The Elf described it as a family recipe her grandmother taught her. It was quick, easy, and only required a handful of ingredients.


    The main dish was a chicken stew Claire''s cousin had once made to impress a girl he had eyes for. The relationship failed, with it having as much structural rigidity as a tumbling tumbleweed. She did clarify that even their grandmother was impressed with the dish. He really had made something extraordinarily delicious.


    ¡°To top it off, I think it¡¯s time to teach you my grandfather''s favorite dessert. It¡¯s called cisseanate bread. It¡¯s sugar bread that¡¯s coated in cinnamon, and it¡¯s loaded with chocolate and berries. My grandfather loves his wife, but he always said it was this dish that caused him to fall in love with her a second time.¡±


    ¡°Woah¡­ That sure sounds good, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Momo licked her lips. Srassa replied, saying she was only familiar with the chicken stew. Stuffed mushrooms and cisseanate bread were entirely unheard of for her. As the girls walked into a shop famous for its fresh poultry, Claire needed to ask Srassa one more time if she was okay with paying for it all.


    Truthfully, the girl had far more money available to her than she knew what to do with. Not to mention that the people her father had hired had already told the shopping center¡¯s director to take care of everything. Really, she only needed to point out the items because the cost would be deducted from the account associated with the Flinn family.


    In fact, mere moments later, the very director approached Srassa and relayed this information to her. For the third or fourth time, Momo was granted an unabashed glimpse in the life of a noble. She wasn¡¯t jealous or envious. If anything, she felt for Srassa because her whole entire life was probably closely monitored. It almost made her wonder if her father had paid someone with an invisibility cloak to follow his daughter as she went on adventurers.


    Was that reason, or something similar to it, Srassa was hesitant in revealing what had happened on her quest?


    As a whole, the entire shopping trip lasted no more than fifty or so minutes. Since Claire had pulled out a list of all they needed, they only just had to go to each store. Once inside, Srassa asked for an associate, and they handled everything. It wasn¡¯t ¡®shopping¡¯ in the purest sense, but this offered the four a chance to delve into a friendly conversation to strengthen their bonds.


    The one thing that refused to be uttered or expanded about was the outcome of Srassa''s quest. Whenever Momo or Claire asked about it, the uncomfortable noble made an excuse and said she wanted to wait until they were at Claire¡¯s house.


    Momo had her own thoughts on her friend¡¯s reluctance, but she kept them in her mind, refusing to speak them out loud lest she hit the nail on the head.


    Claire, meanwhile, used most of the time they had to speak fondly about her childhood. Her cousin was a close friend of hers, and she spent most of her early years with him. They raced through the forest, jumping from tree to tree while using the dangling vines to swing like the monkeys they had seen. An iconic moment in her life was when the entire family ventured out and had a relaxing picnic at a nearby waterfall.


    As she spoke with a smile, a longing sense of wanting to visit her name started to well up within Claire¡¯s chest. Letters were just written words on paper¡ªa terrible substitute for talking face to face.


    I do miss my grandmother¡­ And my mother and father¡­ Even my bone-headed cousin¡­ If I go back, maybe I can use my status as my grandfather¡¯s favorite granddaughter to learn how he made those plates¡­


    Before Claire knew it, she blurted it out. ¡°Maybe not this year¡­ But I want to travel back to Elviria¡­ I was wondering if you three would want to come with me? We¡¯d have to get a boat and sail to the other continent. Depending on the time of year, tickets do range from a couple hundred to a few thousand, depending on how you want to travel.¡±


    ¡°There is also the option of paying a Skill User to use Teleportation,¡± Srassa said. ¡°Ah, but that will cost over ten thousand since Teleportation is a highly advanced skill that is difficult to use. Not to mention the high cost in terms of Skill Energy, and the Skill User can only teleport to where they have been.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ Yeah, that could be another option. I¡¯ve never been teleported anywhere, so I don¡¯t know how it feels¡­¡± Claire stuttered. If she had enough money where ten thousand would be a drop in the bucket, she¡¯d never work a day again her life.


    Well, if the limiting factor is Skill Energy, then Servy has that requirement taken care of. But I don¡¯t think she¡¯s been to this Elviria. And I just realized that there is an entirely different continent across the ocean that¡¯s just waiting for Servy and Me. I mean, I knew it was there before, but I used to think of it as just that. A regular continent... Does that make sense? I''m thinking for the future now, so I guess when it enters my mind, I''m like... ''Hey, it might be fun to go there.'' Usually, I''m like... "Oh. There is something over there.''


    It¡¯s supposed to have more countries than Gea, and that means it has to be quite big¡­ One day, we¡¯ll head over there and explore it all¡­


    ¡°Oh, but to answer your question, Servy and I would love to go with you. I was born in Westera, and I mainly stayed within the village until I hopped on a convoy and came to Canary. I may have been to two countries, but I seriously don¡¯t know that much about it. As far as I¡¯m concerned, I¡¯m just a country bumpkin.¡±


    ¡°And¡­ And if it isn¡¯t much trouble, I¡¯d like to see where the place where you were born. I heard Elviria is such a beautiful place. Most of the country is housed within the deep forests, yes? And then a not-so-insignificant portion is covered by the desert?¡±


    ¡°Yep! It¡¯s been decades since I¡¯ve been home. If my cousin found someone to marry him, then it''s my job as his family to crack open the secrets and embarrass him."


    The conversations about Claire''s childhood continued as the girls went from store to store. Before long, all of the shopping was finished, and Momo had heroically volunteered her enchanted bag to hold all of the groceries. Claire thanked her, then she thanked the kind-hearted Srassa for paying for everything. ¡°And don¡¯t you worry¡­ I can guarantee this feast I¡¯m going to cook will blow your socks off! Especially the cisseanate bread.¡±


    As the four walked back down to the shopping centers base level, they saw the fanciful carriage waiting for its passengers. The two guards standing out from nodded at Srassa as the pair of men standing outside the door opened it for their honored guest.


    Claire had to give the driver directions to her house, and off they went on a smooth, comfortable ride. Srassa didn¡¯t fail to notice that Momo always held Servi¡¯s hand. Entering the carriage, exiting it, walking up the stairs, or even sitting down while waiting for the shopping to finish, the two were just glued together. Srassa wasn¡¯t so puritanical as to find it disgusting like others. But she was just a little bit jealous. Her envy was hidden behind a pretty smile that was great as disguising her true thoughts.


    In a way, she was just like Momo, and perhaps it was that mutual feeling of hiding pain behind a false wall that led to them forming a fast friendship. On the other hand, that wall was slowly crumbling, breaking apart like a metal hammer bashing against a brick structure. She had let out her true feelings back when they were eating at the Dwarf¡¯s mobile food wagon.


    Would it be fine to tell them the truth¡­? That Silver and Despi kicked me out of the party¡­? And that we failed the quest? Claire should know it, but it¡¯s nice she hasn¡¯t said anything yet¡­ Oh, come on, Srassa! Don¡¯t bring down the atmosphere! You can¡¯t ruin this night for Servi! This is something she desperately needs!!!


    ¡°And this... This is my pride and joy! Please, make yourself at home, Srassa!¡±


    Right when the sky had a slight scarlet glaze to foreshadow the approaching moon, a gaggle of four women were standing outside Claire¡¯s house. She had a key in her hand and was in the process of unlocking the door. Servi and Momo were right beside her, and behind them stood Srassa. She held her lovely manicured hands to her side and thanked the driver before giving him a tip.


    ¡°Sorry, Miss Flinn, but you know I ain¡¯t allowed to take money from you. Your father pays me well enough, though I do mightily appreciate it,¡± said the Kobold in a heavy accent. He spoke with a slow draw, tipping his straw hat towards his employer.


    ¡°¡­ Very well. Then you¡¯re dismissed. Take the rest of the evening off and have some fun. I can safely make it back to my house.¡±


    The Kobold went to argue, but he held his tongue. Srassa was his boss, and he had to listen to her. ¡°Very well. Miss Flinn, please enjoy yourself, and I shall wait until I am called upon to serve you again.¡± He spoke to the two guards, and off they went down the road. The clacking of the horses¡¯ hooves against the hard ground was music to Momo¡¯s ears. She waved at the carriage, but she was really saying goodbye to the pair of very well-behaved horses.


    Srassa proclaimed her thanks once more before turning around. She shuffled to the now-open door. ¡°Momo, if you want, I could escort you to the stable where we keep our horses. It really wouldn¡¯t be any trouble at all¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, please, and thank you very much!!¡± exclaimed the happy Singi. Her tail kicked into overdrive, thrashing about like a flag in a tornado. Srassa couldn¡¯t help but giggle at her friend¡¯s obsession with horses, and she couldn¡¯t blame her. The fine equestrians her family owned were of the most expensive breed. They were obviously treated very well, and an Elf specializing in horse care visited every month to provide a check-up. It wasn¡¯t wrong to say they were pampered more than most nobles.


    ¡°We could sit out here and talk about horses, or we can come inside and I can start the lesson,¡± Claire playfully chided.


    ¡°Or we can do all three¡­ Hehe!¡± Momo laughed as she and Servi scampered in through the open door. Claire followed behind with a pleasant ¡®thank you for having me.¡¯


    Momo walked over to the kitchen table and started to take out the ingredients. As she did that with her lovely Servy by her side, Claire took Srassa on a tour of the house. The sheltered noble didn¡¯t quite understand the house¡¯s odd layout. The contract Claire was locked into forbade her from exchanging certain items, and that was another topic of confusion Srassa didn''t really understand. When they came back downstairs, they were treated to a wondrous feast for the eyes. It didn¡¯t seem like they had bought that much, but the table full of food spoke no lies.


    The mushrooms and onions were glistening, and the expensive cheese just caused the Singi to salivate at the thought of devouring it. And all of the raw ingredients for the chicken stew looked so delicious by themselves. Unlike the butter available at the common market, the one available at the shopping center was marketed as compound butter. Srassa described it as softened butter mixed with various herbs and spices. It was then rolled into a cylindrical shape and chilled until it became firm.


    Even the salt and pepper were different, with the former being harvested from the sea that ran towards the mountains on the far southwestern side of Lando. The rather sizable rocks had a slight pink hue to them. As for the pepper, it was actually a couple handfuls of peppercorns harvested from the north. Both it and the salt were too large to be used by themselves, and the only solution to this problem was to purchase a hand grinder.


    Claire tried to say she didn¡¯t need anything that fancy, but Srassa could be stubborn in her own right. She outright insisted that the grinder she chose was the only one her family¡¯s servants would use. It was odd how the feeble, nearly meek noble could have staunch beliefs about one thing while being like a weak kitten the next. She certainly was an enigma. On more than once did Srassa cry herself to sleep because her actions did not match up with her inner self. It was almost like she was constantly putting on a show, and that wasn¡¯t the type of life she wanted to live. Warden was supposed to be the answer to her life-long dilemma, the metaphorical plug to fill the gap in her heart.


    Sure, she had money, and it was entirely possible for her to live a life where even the most casual discomfort was just lifting a cup of expertly brewed tea to her luscious lips. But that wasn¡¯t what she wanted her life to be.


    She desired adventure and journey. She wanted to leave to make way for an abandoned temple and come back with notebooks full of observations and a barrel full of priceless artifacts. In her innermost mind, throwing around the weight of the Flinn name rubbed her all the wrong way, but Srassa couldn¡¯t deny just how many advantages that gave her.


    That was why Srassa knew that if she wanted to take that first step¡ªto wash off the blatant lie discoloring the truth of her first two quests, she had to lay it all out.


    Servi, I know this get-together was for you, but I hope I''ll have your forgiveness. I require help and advice¡­


    The terrified noble took a seat in front of the many items that were going to turn to cisseanate bread. Srassa''s pitiable voice announced she had something to say, and Momo and Servi sat down. Claire did the same, but only after retrieving a tall, thin glass of cold water from her fridge and four cups from the nearby cupboard above her stove.


    ¡°Momo, I need to apologize for lying to you¡­¡± said Srassa.


    ¡°Lie?¡± quizzically asked the Singi. She had a questioning look on her face, but Claire didn¡¯t seem to share it. During the tour, she changed into something far more comfortable than her stuffy work clothes. She was a fan of off-the-shoulder blouses, and this one was red and long-sleeved. A black bodice finished off the cute look along with a matching skirt. Claire''s grandmother had paid a tailor to create this outfit when she found out Claire was leaving her home behind to find her place in the world.


    Claire''s talks about her grandmother sent a fragment of remembrance within her heart, and she missed that old woman more than ever.

 Book Four – Chapter Five – Part Five – Surrounded by Love

    ¡°Momo¡­ When we met at the shopping center, I spoke about the quest my party completed in the sewers¡­ It¡­didn¡¯t happen like I said it did¡­¡± Srassa stared at the cup of water Claire had graciously poured for her. The table full of raw ingredients would have waited just a bit longer before they could turn into a delicious meal. That was fine since some of the items they bought had to be thawed out.


    ¡°What do you mean? What happened?¡± A hint of panic lined Momo¡¯s voice, and she felt her heart veer off course.


    ¡°We went into the sewers to test our teamwork¡­and it went fine for a while. I made far too many mistakes, and I could immediately tell I was the weakest link. Silver and Despi were getting annoyed at how many times I needed to stop to catch my breath¡­ And experiencing the first battle¡­ I stopped and shut down a time or two¡­ Leaving them to fight for me while I cowered in the corner¡­ I was at least truthful when I mentioned throwing my sword to finish off the giant roach, but it wasn¡¯t anything heroic. I used Lucem and ended up blinding my own teammates¡­


    ¡°During the walk out of the sewers, I was¡­harshly chided for my mistakes. Despi tore into me, saying how my foolishness could have cost him the life of his closest friend. And then Silver pulled me away and said I had better act like I had some sense¡­ He said my snooty status as a noble didn¡¯t mean anything when it came to adventuring. He said money couldn¡¯t stop a blade to the gut, and he said I couldn¡¯t buy my promotions like I could everything else¡­ The quest where we went to the cave for those mushrooms? They said that was my last chance to show my worth as a teammate¡­¡±


    ¡°How awful¡­ Srassa, how could they treat you like that?!¡± Momo said. She reached out and grasped Srassa¡¯s trembling hand, the foreword of tears threatening to sprinkle down her cheeks. Claire stood silent, but she offered a reassuring touch.


    ¡°The armor I said I bought with my earnings? It¡¯s a lie¡­ I just used my family¡¯s money to purchase it¡­ When I met up with Silver and Despi for the other quest, I tried to apologize for my inaction and uselessness, but they wouldn¡¯t have any of it¡­ We walked and marched to the cave, taking shelter under trees and within other caverns¡­ All the while, my name was being besmirched¡­ They thought I was asleep, but they made fun of me, saying I was only here because of my family¡¯s status¡­ Momo, they were even saying that the people I fought in the tournament were paid to lose¡­ Just so I would look good¡­


    ¡°I just wanted to curl up in a hole and die¡­but then I thought of you and Servi¡­ I really think of you two as my anchor because I want to be as strong as you both¡­ So I persevered and acted like I hadn¡¯t heard anything. We reached the cave and entered, but any monsters or beasts were gone. It was a lucky break, and we found our mushrooms without any problem¡­ But the walls started to shake. The ceiling rumbled, and rocks began to fall. I was scared, of course, but I wanted to prove my worth.


    ¡°Pebbles doused Silverado''s head, and I ran to push him out of the way of an imminent collapse, but¡­ The space where I sent him was already collapsing. He couldn¡¯t dodge out of the way, and a large boulder crushed his arm¡­ There was¡­so much blood¡­ And his screams¡­ It wasn¡¯t like anything I had ever heard... Desperado pulled me away and said I only made things worse, then pushed me to the ground while he helped his friend¡­ I just sat there, stunned by the crimson darkening his silver scales¡­


    ¡°As quickly as it started, the rumbling stopped and the three of us walked out. I tried to help, but they wouldn¡¯t have any of it. They wouldn¡¯t even let me heal Silverado with Remedium because they thought it would make things worse¡­ And I even offered to pay to have someone with the second or third-tier healing skill to remedy his wound, but they just told me money can¡¯t buy everything¡­ The two of them left me at the cave, and they just walked away¡­ I was scared, alone, and afraid, and I didn¡¯t know what I had done wrong¡­ Momo, I swear I did my best! I swear I did!!!!¡± When her tale had reached an end, Servi couldn¡¯t hold back her emotion. Neither could Momo, for that matter. Claire only remained strong because she had heard of a similar situation happening many times before.


    ¡°Where¡­are they now?¡± Momo growled through wet eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ They didn¡¯t walk towards Canary, so I guess they went somewhere else¡­ And they had the mushrooms in their bags¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ So¡­ The quest was failed¡­ Unless the situation is egregious, you cannot register a quest at one city and turn it in at a different town.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Srassa, but there wasn¡¯t anything I could do. Trust me, I tried to fight for you, but my jackass of a boss wouldn¡¯t hear me.¡± Claire finished the story, proving that she had known all about it and kept quiet for the sake of Srassa. The Elf didn¡¯t want to pry into anyone¡¯s business if she didn¡¯t have to.


    ¡°I have the right mind to give them a piece of my mind! How could they do that to you?! When we met them, Silverado and Desperado seemed like good guys!¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t, Momo! I¡¯ve already caused them enough trouble as it is!¡±


    ¡°But it isn¡¯t right! You only tried your best! And even I broke down during my quest with Servy! She had to do pretty much everything while I whined like a kitten! But she didn''t give up on me!"


    The atmosphere grew tense and thick, almost to the point where it hurt the three girls who needed to breathe.


    ¡°That¡¯s it! Srassa, when Servy¡¯s better, you¡¯re coming with us!¡± Momo proclaimed. She tapped the table and downed her cup of water. Servi hadn¡¯t even touched hers because she was too busy staring at Srassa. When those words were uttered, she reached out and paid her timid fingers on Srassa¡¯s hand. ¡°See? Servy wants the same thing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­nice, but I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t have enough experience¡­ I can¡¯t do anything at all... And I even lied about everything¡­¡±


    ¡°Does that have to mean anything? I couldn¡¯t do a single thing until I met Servy. And you¡¯re not the only liar in the world, either¡­¡± Momo added that last bit on, but she didn¡¯t explicitly say who she had lied to.


    ¡°But what if I freeze up?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I did the same.¡±


    ¡°What if you get hurt protecting me?¡±


    ¡°Hey, getting wounded comes with being a part of the guild, right? And wounds can be healed. We may not know Remedium yet, but we¡¯re going to learn it as soon as possible. Until then, we have potions.¡±


    ¡°What if I fall asleep when I¡¯m supposed to be standing guard?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve done the same. And you know what Servy did? She picked me up and put me in my sleeping bag, then closed up my tent so the fire wouldn¡¯t wake me up. She looks out for me, I look out for her, and we¡¯ll look out for you.¡±


    ¡°BUT¡ª¡°


    Momo promptly stood up with Servi, and the two walked around the table until they were centimeters away from the stubborn noble. Srassa stood up, unsure of what was going to happen. And even though Servi and Momo hadn¡¯t said a word, or perhaps it was their unspoken desire to comfort their friend that did the communication for them. They hugged the girl who had less self-worth than even Momo did at her lowest point and reassured her. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what kind of excuse you try to make, Srassa¡­ Servy and I are your friends¡­ And we mean that¡­ We truly, truly mean that,¡± Momo whispered.


    ¡°Servy had to look after my weaknesses, and I have to look out for her.  And yes, we¡¯d do the same for you¡­ I don¡¯t know what kind of idiots those Koena were, but they didn¡¯t see or understand just how powerful you are¡­ They didn¡¯t want to work with you to see the brilliance underneath. We both trained with Dineria, and we both came in first and second in the tournament¡­


    ¡°Srassa, you are strong¡­ And those two are jerks for treating you like that¡­¡±


    ¡°Fr¡­Frie¡­Friend¡­S¡­Srassa¡­J¡­Join¡­¡± Srassa and Momo looked to Servi, who had managed to croak out a few words of her own. The strain on her face was as visible as a black splotch on a white horse, and she struggled with all of her might to ease the worries of her friend. Even while she was certainly fighting a war of her own inside her mind, she didn¡¯t forget about those on the outside.


    ¡°See? It had to be hard¡­ To act as cheerfully as you did when we met up at the shopping center. But Srassa, you don¡¯t have to do that around us. If you¡¯re sad, don¡¯t hide it. If you¡¯re happy, then don¡¯t try to downplay your joy. I used to do that¡­ When Servy saved me, it made me realize that I had no real need to hide the real me because the real me is just that. It¡¯s me¡­ And I want the real me to experience everything there is without a shell of falseness.¡± Momo smiled, ending her long-winded advice. Her tail swooshed around as Srassa cried into Momo¡¯s chest. Servi was there, ready to lend her own arms. Even Claire stood up and joined the crying party.


    Srassa definitely needed this. A commoner would probably scoff at her problems, even declaring that they¡¯d happily take them on for a slice of her massive fortune. That would mean inheriting her depression and a false sense of happiness because, as a child, she had nothing. No friends until Jony, and after he came along, he was the only one. Srassa didn¡¯t understand why her father and mother were so protective of her for so long, then suddenly decided it was fine for her to join Warden. It did not make any sense at all, and those years of being mostly friendless did damage to her psyche. It was true she had spots of fun, like going to her father¡¯s work and seeing a few dozen plays at the Adenaford theatre, but it was superficial in the grand scheme of things.


    More than anything. Srassa wanted the real experience. She wanted real companions, not maids or butlers who had no choice but to answer to her every whim. Her tumultuous mind ran ragged with how she wanted to live her life. As a child, she always tried to play with Jony¡¯s sword, and he always had to lecture her on how dangerous it was. That led to her spending many restless nights wondering why she couldn¡¯t learn to fight like the other noble girls her age.


    Sandra was learning how to fence.


    Daniyel had an Elf to teach her how to use a scimitar.


    Lexi received tutoring from an expert with the spear.


    It was more than those three, but since they all lived in the same neighborhood, Srassa was able to watch the fruits of their hard work from her window. She was like a caged bird who had freedom in the most limited sense. Every time she would ask her parents why she couldn¡¯t be like the other girls, they always told her it was too precarious for someone like her. What made it worse was when they shared her uncles¡¯ and aunts¡¯ heroic tales of adventure, which only spurred her little heart into action. Day and night, she wanted nothing more. Even when she was young, she knew pestering her parents wouldn¡¯t bring her dream alive.


    Perhaps that was why they suddenly softened their strict rules. Was her father getting his wife pregnant was the key to giving Srassa her dream? If she had a sibling, they could be groomed to take over the family business. Srassa had the education and schooling to do it, but giving her a chance to live her life freely might be a way of apologizing. Unfortunately, Srassa had a long road ahead of her because she was severely restricted from using any skills at all. When she practiced with Dineria a month or two ago was the right time she had ever used Lucem or Thunder Snap.


    The girl just didn¡¯t know why her parents were so restrictive about all aspects of her life.


    Then again, Srassa had never met her uncles or aunts. She hadn¡¯t even met her grandparents or cousins, and she only knew of them from the stories her parents had told her. That was when she learned her family seemed to specialize in support roles. When she was born north of Adenaford, she just had her mother, Evie¡ªthe Singi slave Srassa saw as a grandmother¡ªand a few other servants. Then came Jony. From that time to when they moved to a bustling Canary, not a single thing had changed. Much like Momo, Srassa was a na?ve girl who didn¡¯t know much beyond academic knowledge.


    One wouldn¡¯t be wrong to claim that she knew even less than Momo did when she left her village amid the flames of destruction and the suffocation of a fog that declared the end of her innocence.


    After a few minutes, the embrace came to a tearful end. Claire was the only one to return to her seat. Momo whispered a few words of encouragement before sitting back down. Servi joined her, and the noble was left with a red face. Tears had ruined her makeup, leaving behind twin parallel streams of water. She wiped her eyes, destroying the hard work her mother had done, but the look on her face was a glimpse of the real Srassa.


    She was still upset¡ªthat much was entirely understandable. But she stared at her closest friends with a smile. Itarr took out a small cloth and alerted Momo, and she passed it over. Srassa took it with her thanks and did her best to tidy up her unsightly appearance. Even if she was a mess, her natural beauty pulled through her ruined makeup. Those green eyes sparkled like natural emeralds, and her blond hair still retained its natural softness.


    ¡°Now¡­ Srassa, would you like to join Servy and me on our next adventure?¡± Momo asked. She held out a hand.


    ¡°Yes¡­ If you two would have me, I¡¯d¡­ I¡¯d like nothing more¡­ I may be inexperienced¡­ Or even clumsy and perhaps a bit frightened¡­ But I¡¯ll do my best¡­¡± Her hand was so slender¡ªso feminine, even when not disregarding the growing, coarse callouses that was proof of her intense devotion to training and self-improvement. The two girls shook hands, sharing a smile and a confident nod while marking the beginning of a genuine friendship.


    Well, that settles it¡­ Servy, we¡¯re going to have to tell Srassa about you and Itarr... I don¡¯t think we have to say anything about Arcton or the slave markets... But that''s just me talking because the ultimate choice is up to you. I guess it is hypocritical of me to want to keep that a secret¡­ Wouldn¡¯t that be lying? This isn¡¯t a ¡®one answer fits all¡¯ type of situation¡­


    Claire looked at the handshake not as the end of something potentially harmful to Srassa¡¯s future but as the birth of what the girl needed more than ever. It did her long-living heart well to see the formation of a new party. It did hurt her quite a bit to know what Srassa¡¯s former companions did to her, but the Elf couldn¡¯t pick favorites. If a situation occurs within a party, someone in her position had to be impartial until she had heard both sides of the story.


    Though that was the law, it wasn¡¯t always followed to a tee. There would always be stories of guild receptionists choosing to stick up for their favorite members no matter how damning the accusations were.


    Claire? She didn¡¯t want to blindly believe, but she had lived a long life. She naturally experienced far more than what Srassa could dream of in her years of life on this planet. At the same time, she knew just how impressive the Flinn name was. Someone like Srassa wouldn¡¯t make such baseless claims lest it caused her family¡¯s name harm.


    ¡°Now, I believe I know just what to do to celebrate this joyous occasion¡­ The stew will take a while to cook, so let¡¯s get started first. Once it¡¯s on the stove, we can go ahead with the stuffed mushrooms since they don¡¯t take that long. And while we¡¯re doing this, I can talk to you two about another service Warden offers.¡± After saying this, Claire realized she had forgotten the Drip Stone. She rushed up the stairs to the bathroom and snagged it off the post, then came back down.


    The very first thing they had to do was wash the veggies. The sink wasn¡¯t that big, so Claire instructed Momo to do it since she needed all the practice she could get.


    ¡°Yes, even something as simple as washing your ingredients can be something you need to master. The faster you do it, the less water you waste,¡± Claire said, offering her first lesson of the day. She stood right beside Srassa, who was holding Servi¡¯s hand after Momo asked her to. The Singi said that the support of her friends was what the red-eyed Human needed the most, so the young noble powered through the embarrassment to support the one she cared about.


    As for Momo¡¯s jealousy? There wasn''t any at all. In fact, she was happy Srassa agreed to it because it meant Servi¡¯s soul would have someone to communicate with.


    When the veggies were washed, it was time for Claire to take the lead. Momo and Srassa watched with fierce intensity while their hands gave Servi the support she needed.


    Sitting at the table, the Elf diced a few onions and celery, sliced a couple of carrots, and halved the potatoes they had purchased. As it was a store mainly befitting nobles and their wealth, the ingredients were of the highest quality. That extended to the chicken thighs, which were so fresh Claire joked that she could still hear them clucking.


    She wanted Momo to get some experience, so she swapped, exchanging the knife for Servi¡¯s hand. While it did seem odd for them to all be holding hands, they unanimously agreed that it was for Servi¡¯s benefit. Besides, if Claire just preached about souls communicating when holding hands and she didn¡¯t practice herself, she¡¯d be admitting to not believing in something her favorite grandparent had told her.


    Claire instructed Momo to chop the chicken into 3-centimeter chunks. She also made sure to mention the proper cutting technique she had taught her student the last time, and Momo said she had been practicing in her dreams. And that wasn¡¯t a lie at all. It really did seem like the Singi had a fair bit of control over her nightly adventurers within a realm of imagination.


    Once the meat was cubed into equal pieces, it was time to toss them in a bowl of flour. They moved on to the next step, which was to add butter and olive oil to a large pot. Claire took over from here, and she grabbed a kitchen utensil with a long handle.


    ¡°Now, over medium-high heat, melt the butter and continue to stir until it is sizzling. That will take a moment, so I¡¯ll use the time to talk about something the guild offers. If you pay a fee, you can effectively trademark a name and have it apply to your party. It also gets applied to your ID and dog-tags,¡± Claire said. She added just a little bit more  butter since she had misjudged.


    ¡°A name for our party?¡± Momo asked.


    ¡°Yep. It¡¯s just a little extra flair to distinguish you and your group from the others, but it isn¡¯t required. If anything, it can add legitimacy to your party¡¯s successes. For example, let¡¯s say you have two groups to pick from to complete a quest. Would you choose group a, which has a perfect record, or would you choose Sanctity, a named group that also has a perfect record?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see what you mean¡­ Having a declared name makes you seem more professional, right?¡± Srassa queried.


    ¡°It does. You can declare a name with only one person. And while there technically isn¡¯t a limit to the number of people you can have in a party, it¡¯s rare for one to have more than ten members. There is an exception to that. There¡¯s a group called the Wind Zeppelins. Though it started as something affiliated with Warden, it has since grown into a rather famous mercenary group that¡¯s branched off into its thing. I¡¯m not too sure of the details, but there has been word of a small group splintering off and returning to the guild.¡± Claire stirred a little bit more, and it was time to toss in the chicken Momo had expertly sliced. The Singi ferried them over on the chopping board she had used, then used a knife to slide them in.


    Wind Zeppelins? Servy¡­she told me she fought against them in Arcton¡­ She didn¡¯t leave any¡­survivors¡­ There has to be some still alive, right? All of them couldn¡¯t have gone there¡­ We''re bound to run into them at some point... If we do, what do we do? Should we do anything at all?


    A sharp sizzle erupted from the pot, distracting Momo from her darkening thoughts. ¡°Okay, so we just want to give them a little bit of color. It¡¯s fine if they aren¡¯t cooked all the way since that will come later. Oh, but you don¡¯t want to stir. Not yet, at least. Wait until the bottom is brown, then you start.¡± It didn¡¯t take long for the smell to circulate around the room. Momo¡¯s sensitive nose passed along a message to her mouth to start drooling just a little.


    The Singi was certainly a little glutton. That was fine since she had a lot on her plate, and she needed the energy to deal with it all.


    ¡°So what happens if we have more than ten? How many people can go on a quest at once?¡± Srassa asked. She timidly peeked her head into the pot, watching the chicken bounce around as Claire expertly handled the wooden serving spoon. It wasn¡¯t the best tool for the job, but if she just needed to stir around some meat, it was more than serviceable.


    ¡°That¡¯s hard to say because there isn¡¯t a limit at all. But if you have twelve people go on a quest, then expect the reward to be divvied up a dozen different ways. And if that happens, you¡¯re better off splitting off into three groups of four and taking your own quest. Anyway, the cost to declare a name for your party isn¡¯t that expensive, and it¡¯s only a one-time payment of 300 dupla for the entire party. I did hear my boss talk about how the higher-ups want to make it something like an annual thing, where you have to pay to keep the name¡­ Let¡¯s hope that doesn¡¯t come to pass.¡±

 Book Four – Chapter Five – Part Six – Surrounded by Love

    Claire swirled around the chicken until they had just the right color. She also made sure to mention that if there wasn¡¯t a nice coating of flour on the bottom of the pot, then keep going just a bit longer. Since that was there, she had Momo remove the chicken from the pot and place them on a separate plate.


    Srassa asked if she could do anything, and Claire told her to take the celery, carrots, garlic, and onions she had sliced earlier and pour them into the pot. After washing her hands, the helpful noble did just that, but cleaning her hands wasn¡¯t necessary. In any other case, it was instrumentally important.


    However, they had an Itarr. She was constantly keeping Momo¡¯s hand as clean as possible, and she spread off into doing the same for the Elf and noble in a way they didn''t quite notice. That had an effect of them not realizing it. In the end, it didn''t help the two unaware of her existence because they resorted to washing their hands anyway.


    ¡°Thanks for that! Now, we want to cook until the onions are soft. The moisture inside the veggies will be released, and that''s what we use to scrape the flour off. You see, the flavor is down there in the flour. The compound butter we used has a ton of herbs and spices in it. That melds with the flour that rolled off the chicken. If there''s one thing I can say about my cousin, he definitely knows his way around a kitchen.¡±


    While the vegetables were softening, Srassa and Momo stood to the opposite side of Servi and held her hands. ¡°If we are going to get a name, what should it be?¡± asked Momo.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the foggiest idea. But wouldn¡¯t it be prudent for you and Servi to come up with it? I haven¡¯t even¡ª¡°


    ¡°Nope! Srassa, you¡¯re a part of our group, and your input is super important. You know, Servy did something similar a while back. I asked what quest we should take on, and she said it was my choice. I told her the same thing... That we¡¯re a group, and we have to make decisions together. It isn¡¯t fair for one person to make all the choices. Even if everyone agrees to it, it still isn''t right. Especially since we haven¡¯t decided on a leader yet. Unofficially, we¡¯ve done that, but not in an official way. That¡¯s going to be something we all have to discuss once she¡¯s back with us.¡±


    Srassa replied back, then waited a moment before blurting out the first name that came to mind. Momo offered her thoughts, and Claire just watched. She did wish that she was more capable. Not just physically, but the Elf desired to be mentally stronger as well.


    Ah, if I did keep with it, I''d have never met Servi, Momo, and Srassa. Even Dineria wouldn¡¯t be in my life since I probably would have drifted off to another town and started anew¡­ Yeah, I think I¡¯m doing alright for myself¡­


    Once there was enough moisture in the pot to scrape off the flour, Claire added a little bit more and continued to saut¨¦ the veggies for another few minutes. By now, it was smelling heavenly. That went doubly for Momo, who loved vegetables more than meat. Her stomach growled, interrupting the conversation about their group¡¯s name. Laughs were shared all around, and Claire thought it was time for Momo to handle a dish of her own.


    The Singi was nervously shaking, but she was up to the task. The first step was to heat up the oven, and since she didn¡¯t know how to work the thing, she left it up to Claire.


    ¡°The first thing you want to do is make sure the mushrooms are clean. I¡¯ve already washed them, so we can skip it. Next, cut off the stem and use a spoon to hollow out the mushroom cap. Make sure it¡¯s completely empty because that¡¯s where the mixture will go. Oh, and grab one of the baking trays in the cupboard over there.¡± Claire waited a second while Momo shuffled to complete those tasks. The Elf herself left the pot unattended while she fetched a frying pan, and she passed that to Srassa and Servi to hand over to Momo.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Just added the mushrooms to the baking trays. Very lightly drizzle them with oil, salt, and pepper. But not a lot since we will be adding pepper to the stuffing mixture.¡± Claire kept stirring her own pot and turned around. She saw Momo take some of the peppercorns and pour them into the grinder. The Singi turned the handle and watched as the peppercorns were pushed into a coarse wheel. Flakes started to shave off, and they were collected in a small bottle attached to the bottom of the device. Next came the salt, and it was done the same way.


    Claire turned back to her own pot and verbally spoke aloud what she had to do next for the chicken stew. ¡°Once the flour has been combined, we can add in the chicken we cooked earlier. Srassa, could you do the honors? I have to grab the potatoes, rosemary, thyme, parsley, sage, the chicken broth, and the vegetable broth.¡±


    Srassa nodded, unclasped Servi¡¯s hand, and got to work. Claire went to retrieve the items and started to toss them on. The broth for the chicken and vegetable were different and a tad unusual. Her family had always made them by hand using their own recipes. Claire did have some stashed away for use, but her tune changed when she came across them in the store. They were mighty expensive, costing as much as a full seven-course meal from a famous restaurant. Srassa was adamant about purchasing two clear bottles of each since that was written on Claire¡¯s list.


    In her mind, she noted that they looked the same as what she made, and they smelled quite similar as well. Another thing that caused her to give in to Srassa¡¯s intense generosity was her curiosity about trying something reserved for the wealthy nobles. If it could best her cousin¡¯s recipe for his specific stew, then that was just more ammo for her to tease him with.


    Claire poured the broths into the pot, then gave it a nice stir to get everything evenly combined. From behind, Momo asked what was next, and she answered her. ¡°Take the frying pan I put down and melt some butter in it. Dice half an onion and chop up the stems you cut off. Add just a pinch of salt to it. After five minutes, mince four cloves of garlic and add them. Next, it¡¯s time for some herbs. I¡¯m leaving the choice between rosemary, thyme, or parsley to you. Cook for a few more minutes, then take the breadcrumbs we bought and add about three tablespoons to the frying pan. When they''re toasted, pick your choice of the different cheeses we bought and string them into the pan. Make sure it¡¯s mixed up really good, and I¡¯m leaving the amount up to you.¡± Claire smiled, adjusted the heat for her burner, and brought the pot to a boil. Something strange happened, and she only just realized it when the constant chopping noise ceased to exist.


    She had forgotten Momo was just a beginner. There wasn¡¯t any way she could remember every one of those directions. Not to mention that the Elf hadn¡¯t taught Momo the right way to peel and mince garlic. After placing a lid to her own pot and lowering the heat by just a smidge, she rushed to help Momo, who looked at the clove of garlic like it was a strange monster. Srassa was right there, attempting to help, but the sheltered girl always had servants to cook her food. She didn¡¯t even know how to cut a slice off of a tomato, nor did she know the proper, safe technique to prevent any injuries.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Claire said while sitting down. She told Momo that the prep for the chicken stew was done, and now they only had to wait while it simmered to perfection. ¡°But you¡¯ve done well so far. Good job! Now, for the garlic, follow what I do.¡± Claire took the cutting board and knife, which had remnants of onion and mushroom on the blade. After a quick wipe with a clean rag, it was good to go. She took one of the four cloves of garlic and cut off the root and stem. Next, she laid the knife flat over the garlic and bashed it down after making sure she had a solid grip on the handle. ¡°Smashing it like that makes it easier to peel. So you just peel it, lay it down, curl your fingers on it, and slide the knife back like this. Do it until you have equal-sized pieces. Now, you try.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± energetically replied Momo. She was powered by the delicious stew cooking just a little bit away from her. The meaty poultry and the succulent broth, not to mention that the recipe called for all of her favorite veggies, made it seem like it was just for her. She used that to fuel her dedication to improving her culinary skills.


    And she would need a lot of practice. When it was time to bash the garlic, she was too fearful and used very little strength. Then she tried again with more force, and Claire had to stop the cheese grater from falling onto the patiently waiting mushrooms. A meek apology later, Momo found her strive and hastily prepared the rest of the garlic. Now came the mincing, and Claire taught her a method of rocking the knife back and forth over the sliced cloves. It was simple, easy, and effective.


    ¡°Good. Now, we have all the raw ingredients ready to go. Take that butter and drop about a quarter into the frying pan. Oh, remember to use that knob there to adjust the heat for that burner your pan is on. If it¡¯s running low, remember to give it some more Skill Energy.¡±


    ¡°Got it! Srassa, do you think you could help me?¡± Momo asked. She stood up with all of the ingredients she would soon need on the cutting board. The noble unhooked her hand from Servi to grab the board.


    ¡°Of course! Servi, we¡¯ll be right back, okay?¡± smiled the pampered noble.


    Yep! Servy, just hold on tight¡­ The power of my stuffed mushrooms will undoubtedly help you! I believe it! And you know¡­ If they do turn out scrumptious, I¡¯ll make them for you whenever you want¡­ Hehe, that seems like a good incentive to come back, right? That and the fact I love you very much! Now, let¡¯s get to cooking!


    The sizzle of butter roared alive. It enjoyed a tasty sacrifice of diced onions, chopped stems, and a pinch of freshly ground salt. The shimmering pink crystals released their flavor in the mixture as Momo took command. Claire had fetched another wooden utensil for her to use. And in all honesty, she was thinking about gifting it to her. Then she thought that would be the perfect gift for her favorite Singi. Granted, the Elf was working an unhealthy amount of overtime, and there was the annual winter bonus in her future. The set she would buy wouldn¡¯t be top of the line, but it would be more than enough for the novice cooker. By then, maybe the determined Singi would have enough skill to fix a course for her friendly culinary instructor?


    ¡°Claire, didn¡¯t you say something about the garlic and cheese? When do I add that?¡±


    ¡°Wait until the onions are soft. That¡¯s when you add the garlic and herbs, but it''s up to you on which one to add. Remember to smell them and pick the one you think would best complement the dish. As for the cheese, that is added once you remove the mixture from the pan and place it in a bowl. But before that, you need to add in the breadcrumbs we bought. In short, garlic and herbs when the onions are translucent. Two minutes after that, add in three tablespoons of breadcrumbs and cook until they¡¯re lightly toasted.¡±


    Momo did just that. When it came to picking between rosemary, thyme, or parsley, she asked Claire for her help. The Elf turned in her chair, facing her three friends near the stove, and explained that rosemary was pungent, with a raw smell similar to charred wood. Thyme had a minty, almost lemony taste and was easy on the nose. Claire described parsley as having a peppery aftertaste a touch of ¡®earthiness.¡¯ It was hard to accurately describe the differences in a way Momo could understand because it all came naturally to the girl touched and blessed by the forest spirits. She naturally had a vast understanding of herbs because she had been around them all her life to the point where it was almost engrained within her very being.


    She did her best, though, and agreed that a hint of parsley would add just enough flavor. This was right after Momo remarked about the compound butter and how it already had various herbs and spices.


    Claire asked Srassa to stir the stew, and she did so with an elegant and lady-like manner. Such mannerisms were instilled into her by her mother and Evie, and since there wasn¡¯t much for the sheltered girl to do, she put her all into being the perfect noble. Or at least mastering the art of acting like one.


    A couple of minutes later, the breadcrumbs Momo poured in were getting nice and brown. Following her instructor¡¯s instructions, the determined Singi grated off a gracious helping of orange cheese and mixed that into the frying pan. It didn¡¯t take long for it to become a cheesy, gooey mess of deliciousness. After tasting it with a spoon, Momo¡¯s tail started to wag as fast as the winds in a tornado. That was all Claire needed to see to proceed onto the next step.


    This one was something all four could do, but only three took part. In her limited function, Servi was more than content to stare on as Momo, Srassa, and Claire started to stuff the mushrooms with the cheesy onion filling they had made. Claire retrieved three more spoons, and they began to work. As expected, Srassa¡¯s efforts looked the worse since she had never done something like this. The noble used too much pressure, splitting a few mushrooms open and leaving them unable to be filled. She also tried to overstuff a couple while leaving three or four under-filled.


    ¡°It¡¯s all a learning experience. Don¡¯t let it get you down. Besides, it isn¡¯t like this is a work of art. It¡¯s just a yummy appetizer to hold us off until the stew is done,¡± Claire said, giving Srassa a friendly pat on the back. ¡°Before we put this in the oven to bake, we have to take some breadcrumbs and sprinkle them on top. Not a lot, but just a little bit here and there. It makes a big difference because the crumbs act like a ¡®crust,¡¯ preventing the good stuff from flowing out as it cooks. The oven should be nice and hot, and we just have to bake it for about twenty minutes. And now, it¡¯s time to bring out the star of the show!"


    Claire stood up and walked over to a small shelf set off to the side. She picked up a covered glass bowl and brought it back to the table. ¡°If you can go pop that in the oven, we can get started on the cisseanate bread.¡±


    Momo went and did just that after using a pair of mittens to protect her lovely hands from the heat. Speaking of that, the poor girl got a blast of hot air right as she opened the oven door. Her yelp of fright was quite adorable, and Claire started to giggle. ¡°Sorry, Momo. I forgot about that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It kinda felt good. Imagine sitting in a heated room like that when it¡¯s the dead of winter,¡± chirped the happy Singi. She returned to the kitchen table after depositing the tray full of mushrooms. Now it was time to wait.


    ¡°They have those, actually. They¡¯re called a sauna. Most work by putting superheated stones in a basket. If you pour water on them, steam immediately fills the room. It eventually gets quite toasty, but it can be damaging to stay in because it¡¯s possible to pass out from the heat.¡± Srassa, the walking encyclopedia, further explained to Momo, who imagined how it would feel.


    Staying in a hot room with other people? While sweating? She thought that would be too uncomfortable if she was with strangers. But if she had Servi by her side?


    Well, that sounds kind of fun¡­ But Servy can¡¯t sweat¡­ She even said she won''t freeze. And she can¡¯t burn, but she might be talking about feeling cold or hot. Or maybe I¡¯m wrong, and it¡¯s impossible for her to be frozen¡­ I¡¯m sure there will be long nights ahead of us where we talk all about her immortality¡­


    If she can¡¯t age, and I can, then I¡¯m gonna get old eventually... She''s gonna stay the same¡­ But if I join the Bloodline or whatever that skill is called, when will I stop aging? Is it possible for me to become immortal as well? If I do, then when should I accept her offer? Now? A year from now? I might be an adult, but I¡¯m still growing¡­ Yeah, I¡¯m gonna have to talk with Servy and Itarr about that¡­ And what about Srassa? Would she want to join? How will it work if there are three immortal girls and a Goddess running around?


    Grampy said death was the natural to end to life. He said there was no one out there who could defy it... I''m sorry to say this, but you were wrong about this, grampy.


    It almost feels... No, what am I feeling? I don''t want to get gray while Servy stays so beautiful, but being unable to die...? Why is that scarier than losing my friends? Servy accepted Itarr''s offer so readily when she perished the first time...


    ''Died the first time?'' If I do take it, how many times will I have ''died'' in the first decade alone? Or the first century? Is there even a time limit? What about a hundred thousand years from now? Will I still be the same? Or... It''s just so hard to wrap my head around...


    Momo, this is a heavy topic, and now isn¡¯t the place to think about it¡­ Just have some fun and enjoy your time with friends.


    ¡°But now, let¡¯s get back to the bread,¡± Claire said while tapping the table with a knuckle. ¡°Before I left for work, I did the preliminary steps for making this awesome dessert, so now we just have to bake it. After that¡¯s done, it¡¯s time to melt the chocolate we bought. We drizzle it over, then add a dash of cinnamon and top it with cherries and the other berries we bought. You can either eat it hot or cold. With the former, it¡¯s nice to have a delicious cup of iced tea to go with it. But if you stick it in the refrigerator, then a cup of steaming coffee should be your go-to drink. Coincidentally, we bought both tea leaves and coffee beans, so the choice is yours.¡±


    ¡°While I do like coffee, I like tea a lot more,¡± said Momo. She stared as Claire started to take the bread out of the bowl.


    ¡°Tea is always a delicious choice. Srassa, could you walk over to that cabinet and hand me another cutting board?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be glad too. As for me, I¡¯m the same as Momo. Right now, my favorite brew is the bearel geey. A while back, I went to her shop and bought tea leaves to give to my mother as a present since Dineria said it was perfect for pregnant women. As for coffee, or the kind my parents enjoy¡­ It is far too bitter for my liking,¡± said the noble. She brought the requested item and watched as Clare doused it with flour. Next, she put the dough on the board and kneaded it to get the air out. Next came the rolling pin, which she gathered from a nearby drawer, and it was time to flatten the bread.


    That was Claire''s favorite part because she imagined she was thinning out her boss''s fat head. The Elf had some pent-up anger towards him.


    Just a little bit of anger...


    ¡°I forgot to mention that cisseanate bread goes well with milk. It¡¯s pretty much a dessert. And I¡¯m sorry, but making it the way my grandfather prefers takes over twelve hours. Granted, most of that is waiting for the dough to rise. But if I started when we got here, then we wouldn¡¯t eat until tomorrow morning.¡± Claire used a clean knife to cut the long dough into equal vertical slices, then rolled them up until they were in a cylindrical shape. After sealing the edges with her fingers, she carved the six rolled-up pieces of dough into seven equal shapes.


    ¡°So you¡¯re making 42 of them? And that¡¯s fine. Before I tackle something as important as your grampy¡¯s favorite dessert, I want to level up my cooking skills.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good mindset to have. Between the four of us, I¡¯m sure we can handle it. If Servi¡¯s appetite is anything to go by, she¡¯d probably scarf them all down and ask for seconds. Regardless, if anyone walks away hungry, they¡¯re a liar. I¡¯m serious. There¡¯s going to be a ton of food.¡±


    When asked about when they should put the dough in the oven, Claire said the most optimal time would be when the mushrooms were finished. That would be when the stew was just about done. ¡°If I do have everything timed out correctly, the moment we devour that stew, it¡¯ll be time to munch on some cisseanate bread. Well, almost time. I still have to melt the chocolate and place the berries on there, but it¡¯ll be good having a ten to fifteen minutes break. It isn¡¯t a lot of time to digest our food, but it will give us some space in our stomachs for some sugary deliciousness.¡±


    Until that magical time, the girls continued to chat amongst themselves while doing a bit of tidying. It was unfortunate, but flour had gotten on more places than it was supposed to. It didn¡¯t take long to make the kitchen table presentable, and by then, it was time to start on the appetizers. The delicious cheese inside the mushroom cap of pure flavor sizzled with excitement. Momo couldn¡¯t stop her nose from sniffing, and even Srassa was unladylike in how she licked her waiting lips.


    Claire divided the appetizers into four equal portions while depositing the tray in the sink. She wouldn¡¯t have enough uses of her Drip Stone to wash all of the dishes, but that was fine. It wouldn¡¯t hurt anything at all to procrastinate. Before she sat down, she dug out six loaf pans her grandmother had given her as a present and used a little bit of butter to lubricate them. The last thing was to place seven pieces of dough in each one and plop all those into the oven. Then she finally sat down and flashed a hungering smile.


    ¡°Here¡¯s to a fun time!¡± Claire said, raising her glass of water. Four cups clinked together in a joyous cheer. Again, she wanted to pull out the booze she had stashed away but didn¡¯t know if it was an appropriate time. The last she needed was an energetic Singi or a noble ready to prove herself to get as drunk as a skunk. Claire was a lady of many talents, but she didn¡¯t think she could take care of three people at once. ¡°Once Servi¡¯s all better, we can do this again. This time, I¡¯ll pull out the good stuff. I¡¯ll make my father¡¯s favorite alcoholic drinks. He taught me a little bit about mixing and being a bartender, but not enough to get a job as one.¡±


    ¡°Alcohol? I¡¯ve never tried it before. Grampy wasn¡¯t a big drinker of the stuff either. We didn¡¯t have that much money, so I guess the budget for it just wasn¡¯t there. And Servy once told me she¡¯s a fan of a drink called an aviation. I think it¡¯s purple or something?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lavender-colored drink that has a slight burn, but it ultimately leaves behind a sweet and savory aftertaste. My father¡¯s a fan of them, and he always has Jony make them for him.¡± Srassa, The Walking Encyclopedia, shared some of her vast knowledge once again.


    ¡°Aviation? I don¡¯t know how to make them, but I¡¯ll certainly learn. Now, that¡¯s enough talking. Let¡¯s dig in!¡± Right as Claire said that, she stuck her fork into the juiciest mushroom on her bowl¡ªshe went with those instead of regular plates to save on dishes¡ª and watched as the savory liquids ooze out. She wasn¡¯t the only one whose eyes were stunned by just much delectable flavor could be packed into an average-size fungus.


    Momo was the first to conquer the courage to try it, and the noise from her tail pounding against the chair said all that needed to be. If that wasn''t enough, her ears twitched and danced around. Even sparkles seem to appear around her eyes. Her tongue tasted the rich cheese. Her taste buds caught the onions and garlic, and the amount of parsley she had added gave it just the smallest amount of kick.


    Even more than that were the mushrooms themselves. Momo especially loved them in all manner of dishes. And now she just found out it was possible to stuff them? Her mind kicked into overdrive when thinking about the various things she could put in there. She could brown some pork and stuff it in there. Or perhaps fry some bacon and crumble it apart to use as a substitute for breadcrumbs. Goddess forbid Momo decided to be a mad lass and attempted to fill the hollow cap to the brim with nothing but delicious cheese and beef.


    And it was cooked in a way that it wasn¡¯t mushy at all. As the girls bit into their snack, the mushroom had just enough of a backbone that it didn¡¯t immediately fall apart and spread out onto their tongues. The pink salt added a definite noticeable but unique taste to the onions. And the peppercorns were mild enough that Momo believed she might turn into a rare Singi who enjoyed the black spices of life.

 Book Four – Chapter Five – Part Seven – Surrounded by Love

    ¡°Oh my¡­ Claire, this is utterly amazing! Not in my wildest dreams have I ever thought it was possible to stuff a mushroom¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear you¡¯re such a fan of it, Srassa,¡± Claire said will a partly full mouth. Her favorite aspect was biting right down the thickest part of the cap and drowning her tongue in an ecstasy of flavor¡­


    ¡°Ah¡­ Why¡­ Why is it all gone¡­?¡± Momo whispered in a defeated tone. She stared at an empty bowl¡­ It was gone¡­


    All gone¡­


    There wasn¡¯t even a spec of cheese left on the plate¡­


    The Singi had even licked that plate completely clean, and she wasn¡¯t alone. Srassa, Servi, and Claire¡­ The former and latter, at least, were stunned into depression at having to devour their entire snack in what felt like seconds. ¡°I swear I had like eight in this bowl, but¡­ They so good¡­¡± Momo honestly felt a bit upset, even though it was childish to think that way because there was more food coming momentarily.


    ¡°I¡­ I really should have made more¡­¡± Claire confessed. The sudden, dramatic atmosphere was swept away with the intensity of a hurricane¡¯s winds as she stood up. The Elf grabbed the cute mittens Momo had used and brought the pot of stew over to the table. She placed it right down in the middle, and Claire announced it was done. She asked for the girls¡¯ bowls and began to dish out a hearty helping.


    The very first thing Momo saw was just how yummy the broth looked. Even from sight alone, she knew it was creamy and possibly even more delicious than the mushrooms. The cubed chicken was obviously the star of the show, but the carrots, celery, and other veggies and spices weren¡¯t wallowing in laziness.


    ¡°This¡­ This doesn¡¯t look like any chicken stew I¡¯ve ever had¡­¡± Srassa said. She poked at the chicken with a spoon and tilted her head.


    ¡°Should I take that in a good way? Or a bad way?¡± joked Claire.


    ¡°Ah! No, I don¡¯t mean any disrespect. It just looks so colorful¡­ Is this what...real stew should look like?¡±


    ¡°What you¡¯re seeing there is flavor. Pure, pure flavor. The secret is letting it simmer. That allows the broth to get nice and thick, and the deliciousness gets packed together.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s another thing. The stew the cooks make at my house is runny, like water. And what they bring out is just downright dull when compared to what I see¡­¡±


    ¡°All this praise is going right to my head¡­ Haha!! But if you think it just looks good,¡± Claire said while grinning. She brought a full spoon to her mouth and very gently blew on it. Then it disappeared inside her mouth, and her expression said it all. If she had a tail, it would certainly be trying to break the chair. Because of that, her lovely pointy ears had to take over and twitch. Pure enjoyment filled her face, and she quickly went back in for a second spoonful.


    The other three girls began to chow down, and Srassa had nothing but endless praise after each bite. Claire did her best to positively respond, but the truth of the matter was that she was starving. She worked right through lunch to get off on time, and the snack she had only a moment prior was only the second thing she had eaten all day.


    The thickened stew was perhaps a bit too chunky, a mistake by the gluttonous Elf since she had forgotten the starch from the potatoes would help in that matter. On the flip side, the potatoes were wonderfully flavored by the extra simmering time. The carrots were a popular hit with Momo, who saved the star of the meal for last.


    Srassa favored the broth more than anything and commentated that it would be the perfect meal for a snowy winter evening. ¡°Drinking the stock by itself? My cousin has a flask with a thick cap that functions as a cup. He mainly used it for his liquor, but I don¡¯t see why it isn¡¯t possible to make one a little bit bigger. Might be a pain to carry, but isn¡¯t that what Dimensional Storage is for?¡± Claire said. She wiped her pretty, stained lips with a nearby cloth and drank some water.


    The evening continued in earnest, then simmered down into the casual, fun party it was supposed to be. That was only when the stew was devoured, and that impossible feat was accomplished by Servi and her literal endless stomach. Each time Claire asked if anyone wanted seconds, Servi raised her hand. Did she mean to? Momo didn¡¯t know. She thought it was likely Servi was just responding to a question asked by her friend without thinking it through.


    ¡°Just¡­ Where does she put it?!?!¡± Srassa exclaimed. She could only handle one and a half bowls. Momo clocked out a full two helpings, and Claire managed two and a half. But Servi? The nearly mute girl seemed like she had the hungering spirit of Abaddon living inside her belly.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s almost half the pot¡­ I made enough for ten bowls¡­ Momo, please don¡¯t lie to me¡­ Are you sure you two are eating enough?!¡± Claire turned to the shocked Singi and placed a pair of hands on her shoulders.


    ¡°I swear we are. I honestly don¡¯t know where she puts it all,¡± said Momo. It took some extra work to fully convince Claire and Srassa that she wasn¡¯t starving for anything. The latter even offered to use her vast wealth to assure her friends wouldn¡¯t go hungry. ¡°That¡¯s nice, but I swear we¡¯re doing fine. We still have a lot of money saved up from when we went questing. Besides, the play Servy¡¯s in is a paid job. So she¡¯ll get some money on the 24th.¡±


    ¡°Fine¡­ But if you are ever hungry, or if you need anything all, you can come to me.¡±


    ¡°And me as well. My kitchen is always open for you three,¡± added Claire with a wink. She brought the empty pot over to the sink and grabbed her cute mittens. Momo trailed behind her with four bowls in her hand, and Srassa placed a hand over Servi¡¯s finger. The noble¡¯s skin was as soft as ever, even when regarding the lumpy callouses on her hand.


    ¡°Servi, Claire''s about to melt the chocolate after getting the bread out. Let¡¯s watch, okay?¡± Srassa said. Two sets of eyes watch Claire and her adorable assistant. Momo walked over and retrieved the chocolate they had bought. Claire pulled the loaf pans out and sat them on the table.


    ¡°Okay, so you want to chop up the chocolate into small pieces, then add that to the glass bowl over there,¡± said the Elf. She retrieved a small saucepan from a cabinet and filled it with just a little bit of water. She set it down on the stove, and Claire instructed Momo to place the bowl on top. Momo didn¡¯t understand, and that led to another explanation about double boiling.


    The most important thing, in Claire''s opinion, was the size of the bowl placed inside the pan. If it was too small, it would just drop to the bottom. Too big, and it would take too long. Even if it was the right size, the glass bowl had to fit snuggly inside. That was because it was imperative to keep all the steam inside. Next was the amount of water. Claire noted that if the water touched the bottom of the bowl, it would force the chocolate to cease up, ruining it.


    ¡°You see, it¡¯s the steam that does all the work. The water is there just for that. And it is also important to never make the burner too hot. This is a marathon. It isn¡¯t a sprint, so slow and steady wins the race. Also, it wouldn¡¯t be the worst thing if we cheat a little and have a few small pieces to tide us over, right?¡± The sneaky Elf waved Servi and Srassa on over, and she stole four pieces from the glass bowl.


    Utter sweetness brutally attacked their tongue, spreading sugar and the powerful taste of happiness. When they bought it, the store had a tag that said this chocolate was handmade with a hint of coconut to provide it a unique aftertaste.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ You guys, if you think this is good, just imagining spreading this over a batch of coconut bread pudding.¡±


    ¡°Claire, I¡¯m gonna have to stop you right there¡­ You can¡¯t possibly say something like coconut pudding and not elaborate further.¡± Momo swallowed the rest of the chocolate, and her eyes rolled in ecstasy. ¡°Servy, you gotta try this! It¡¯s amazing!!!¡± Momo pinched a piece between her thumb and index and fed her darling Servi. The girl didn¡¯t react in any way, but Momo knew her friend was enjoying it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only ever had it once before when a merchant wandered into the forest. He was trying to find a shortcut and lost his way. He thanked my father by giving him three coconuts. He even wrote down the recipe, but I¡¯m not good enough to make it yet. I wasn¡¯t at the time, but I might be now. Too bad I don¡¯t remember it.¡±


    Srassa¡¯s emerald eyes went wide, and on the inside, she frowned like a pampered kitten who was told no for the first time. Oh! How she was desperately hoping for a good outcome! She briefly thought if Evie knew how to make it¡­ If so, she would definitely have to invite her new group and favorite Warden receptionist over for a tea party.


    Before long, the chocolate had melted into a gooey, delicious mess as Momo stirred it around the bowl to make sure it didn¡¯t stick. Claire handled it with her adorable mittens, and the four walked back to the table. By now, the bread was cooled off enough that Momo could slip them out of the loaf pans. ¡°And thanks to the butter¡ªplain butter, I mean. You don¡¯t want to use compound butter for something lubricating a bread pan because you don''t want all of those spices meant for beef and chicken. Regular butter works just fine, and the bread falls right out without giving you any trouble. That¡¯s a good omen, right there.¡±


    The Elf aligned the 42 pieces of sweet sugar bread into three circles that gradually shrunk in size. It was a good thing she had a serving platter large enough to hold it all. She asked Srassa and Momo to sprinkle some cinnamon while she fetched some milk and tea from the fridge. When she returned and sat the two jugs on the table, it was time to lay down some chocolate. She did so with a flat utensil, then swapped to a brush specifically for smothering frosting. The cherries, strawberries, and bananas they had bought were sitting right nearby. Srassa was in charge of taking the stems out, and Momo had the task of peeling the yellow fruit and cutting them into pieces. Servi¡¯s job was to watch and stare, but it wasn¡¯t like she could do anything to substantially help out.


    It was a task the Singi, green-eyed Human, and red-haired Elf needed to do together to finish, and perhaps it was the growl of their still-hungry stomachs that provided the necessary encouragement. In Momo¡¯s case, it was seeing the pretty brown bread disappear under a layer of dark chocolate. It was still steaming hot, and Claire  mentioned that was good. Her favorite way to eat it was freshly melted chocolate over just-baked bread. That way, the chocolate would dig down into the bread and spread out even more of its flavor.


    As for the toppings for the cisseanate bread? In Claire¡¯s opinion, cherries were the best fit. They were just small enough that a few could be placed on top, and it wouldn¡¯t overcrowd the overall taste. Her grandfather preferred diced strawberries, but she said they were too small for her liking. ¡°You know, it¡¯s a lot of, obviously, because you¡¯re chopping it into thin pieces. But for me, the flavor is too thinly divided to add any flavor. My cousin was the weird one out and liked bananas on his, so that¡¯s why we bought some. Well,¡± said the Elf as she poured the remaining chocolate out. ¡°I¡¯m just about done, so be ready with your toppings!¡±


    Claire brought the chocolate-stained bowl, brush, and flat utensil to the swamped sink. Her sharp eyes failed to notice that the dirty dishes were nearly as clean as a whistle, no doubt thanks to the friendly Goddess lurking inside an inauspicious ring. Itarr figured the least she could do was clean up so Claire wouldn¡¯t be stuck doing something boring. Besides, it took the divine voyeur mere seconds to tidy up while taking about as much effort as breathing.


    The Elf returned to a fabulous display. A triple ring of cisseanate bread decorated with colorful fruit, a stunning exhibition amazed even her grandmother. The seas of cherries sat like apples atop a sea of mud, while the thinly sliced strawberries were like a blanket for the delicious brown dessert. Unfortunately, the bananas just reminded the Elf of her bone-headed cousin, but it was all in jest. Claire loved her family with all her heart, and even though she gave him a hard time, she wished happiness would find and grant him all of his dreams. That included marriage, of course, since their grandmother wanted to see pamper her forthcoming great-grandchildren.


    Ah, marriage¡­ While most Elves stayed away from pledging their life to another for a few hundred years, some ended up falling in love before they were a hundred. Claire still had over two centuries left before being considered unmarriageable. She had someone she liked, but she wasn¡¯t at a point where she was comfortable in revealing. Even though that was the case, Claire enjoyed talking about romance and love. In one case, she was out drinking with a certain green-haired Elf who had a tattoo on her hand and babbled about her sex life.


    Or the lack thereof since Claire was on a dry streak and had to resort to masturbation. Gods, that was an embarrassing conversation that only ended with Dineria giving one of her favorite ¡®toys¡¯ for Claire to try. She still had it, of course. The girthy thing was sitting in her safe since she just couldn¡¯t leave it out in the open.


    Gods¡­ it has been a while¡­ Probably wouldn¡¯t be wrong to¡­test if it still works¡­ Claire, you donut¡­ It¡¯s wood¡­ It isn¡¯t like it''ll stop working because it¡¯s been a few months¡­


    ¡°Claire?¡± squeaked Momo. The Elf was brought out from her mind. The sight of a drunken Dineria, who was so intoxicated she had trouble walking upstairs, loaning her a vaguely phallic-shaped present was replaced by a vividly pleasing concoction of chocolate and fruit-covered sweet bread.


    The Elf sat down and only said she was just too stunned by the work of edible art to move. Without any more hesitancy, it soon turned into an open buffet of sugary sweetness. And like everything else they had eaten, it was absolutely phenomenal. The time Claire spent daydreaming was just enough for the chocolate to slightly harden, and since the fruits were inside it, they were stuck in place. If anything, it enhanced the cisseanate bread¡¯s beauty into something else if one were to look at the drizzled chocolate as a frozen river of mud. Or perhaps if  they had replaced the dark chocolate with its whitened variety, it would be akin to powered snow? To transform a tasty treat into something festive and trendy wouldn''t be difficult at all. A few marshmallow-like snowmen would do the trick quite well.


    Perhaps tiny cut pieces of fudge could act as the snowman¡¯s buttons? At its core, cisseanate bread was designed to be highly modified to suit any theme or season. And since chocolate came in multiple colors, with some being harder or more expensive to create, it functioned as a fantastic base.


    Claire explained this and more, including her grandmother came up with the recipe as the 42 slices of heaven slowly dwindled down to zero.


    The final count had Momo devouring 8 slices, Srassa managed to swallow 6, Claire toughed it out and forced down 11, and the endless abyss that was Servi and her stomach conquered the remaining 17.


    ¡°I¡­give up¡­ I said you all wouldn¡¯t be going home hungry, and it seemed I failed¡­¡± Claire slumped in her chair and finished the rest of her tea. So much sugar had found a home inside her tummy that she felt bloated and uncomfortable. Even as she tried to swallow her spot, she just couldn¡¯t get the taste of sweetness off of her tongue. Srassa was the same way. She placed a hand to her stomach and quietly murmured, her belly having been pushed to its utmost limit. Even the pink-haired Singi, who had the second biggest appetite, found herself groaning in agony¡­ Her mouth was parched and dry, feeling like the aftermath of a dust bowl, and even her favorite milk sent disgust through her nerves. For a moment, she was afraid a chocolatey stream of vomit was going to cast an end to the gluttonous night the girls were having.


    ¡°Servy¡­ Where do you put it all¡­? Uuugghhh¡­ And why is the world spinning¡­? I feel¡­like a bird¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­never eaten this much before¡­ It¡­was so delicious and delectable¡­like a drop of ambrosia from the Heavens Above, but I couldn¡¯t stop after one bite¡­ Or two¡­ Or three¡­¡± Srassa saw stars twirling around her eyes as nausea warped its ugly head across her essence. She groaned, reaching out with arms that were heavier than lead to reach the remaining glass of water. With a shaky hand, a stream of refreshing liquid did its best to cure her cottonmouth, but it was to no avail.


    ¡°Maybe¡­and don¡¯t hate me for this¡­ I should make more¡­or else Servi isn¡¯t going to get full¡­ Why, if we were at my grandmother¡¯s house¡­she¡¯d die before letting anyone leave hungry¡­¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t¡­ If I smell one more cisseanate bread, I¡¯m liable to have a spot of sickness¡­¡± moaned Srassa.


    It took about an extra forty minutes for the girls to recover from their sugar crash. Servi, being the only one unaffected by rich, decadent bread, kept one hand on both Momo and Srassa. And like the perfect mime, she sat there with a neutral expression on her face.


    Claire soon yawned, and that spread to the two other girls who needed to sleep to restore their exhausted bodies.


    ¡°It is getting late¡­¡± Momo said. She didn¡¯t want to leave, but she could hardly keep her eyes open.


    ¡°It is¡­ Did you all have fun?¡±


    ¡°Very much so. I had a fabulous time,¡± said Srassa. She smiled and wiped her tired emerald eyes. Momo stood up and raised her arms. Claire took the platter to the sink and dropped it in, and Itarr had it sparkling clean before the Elf even had a chance to turn around.


    Claire watched as Srassa placed two hands on the table and stood up. Her arms went to her stomach, and another yawn escaped from her cute mouth. Momo walked over to the door, and Servi and Srassa were right behind. It wasn¡¯t as if they had a choice because the three of them were holding hands through Servi, and she wasn¡¯t going to let go. Claire brought up the rear.


    ¡°Srassa, thank you for paying for the ingredients. From what I saw, it seemed my food went over a little too well, but I hope you really enjoyed it.¡±


    ¡°Honestly¡­ I¡¯ve never had anything tastier in my life¡­ Even when father would take us out to dinner in Adenaford, the restaurants in the Nail couldn¡¯t compete. And I¡¯m being serious¡­ I should be thanking you,¡± replied the noble. Her high words of praise did a lot to soothe the Elf¡¯s ego. If someone like her gushed over her food, then Claire briefly wondered if she had a future as a chef. Maybe, but giving up her desk at Warden in exchange for a knife wasn¡¯t in her immediate future. Maybe later, but right now, she wanted to stay right where she was because her genuine friends were here.


    ¡°It really was amazing¡­ I just know that tonight helped a lot in Servy¡¯s recovery.¡± Momo squeezed her hand, and she felt Servi return it.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad. Now, you three take care, okay? Be safe on the way back. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow at Warden. Oh, and please let me know if Servi¡¯s situation changes. I want to be right there to welcome her back,¡± said the Elf. One by one, a collection of hugs were shared all around. Then Momo grasped the doorknob and turned it, revealing an unsettlingly quiet city.


    Darkness had encompassed Canary as a whole, and only a couple of brave lamps fought off the encroaching void. Three girls walked out from the safety of a rather unique house. From behind, Claire waved at her darling friends for another few seconds before shutting it. She was so utterly exhausted after working all day on her feet. More than ever, she wanted to sit in her shower and let the water drizzle her. Warm? Hot? Cool? Cold? She didn¡¯t care at this point.


    ¡°Ah, but that exhaustion is a good thing, right?¡± she said to no one. Her amethyst-colored eyes fluttered to the kitchen table, where so much fun was had. Even now, her pointy heard could still hear the adorable chuckles of two girls who shared similar loneliness. Claire couldn¡¯t claim to have experienced that since, all things considered, she had a wondrous childhood with friends and family that loved her. Her father was always there to read her a story, her grandmother had fun teaching the young Claire how to bake and cook, and even her cousin offered endless hours of entertainment when they swung through the trees and engaged in archery competitions. But right now, she was too tired to fondly reminiscence on her past.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ That can wait¡­ Ugh¡­ My boss wants me to come in early, and I just don¡¯t want to do that¡­ Can¡¯t complain, I guess, since it¡¯s my work that even allowed me to host this get-together. And here I am talking to myself¡­ Might as well get clean and head to bed¡­ Then again, I¡¯ve been a bit stressed¡­¡± Claire doubled checked the windows were closed and doors were locked, and she hurried off to her bedroom. Underneath that pile of clothes in the corner sat a safe, and the key to it was on the dresser some distance away. After fetching the latter and excavating the former, she pushed in the key and turned it. Inside was her beloved bow, an emergency fund, some other doodads, and a particular phallic object covered in leaf paper.


    Claire took it out and carefully unwrapped it. Her hands slid gracefully along the shiny, polished shaft, and she felt something warm between her legs.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just do this in the shower¡­and then I¡¯ll go to bed¡­¡± said the Elf as she hastily stripped her clothes off. She stopped for a moment to gaze at her slim, slender body in the mirror. A smile crept along her mouth, and her worries for tomorrow sizzled away from the weight of her soul. Servi was fighting hard to come back, so there was no reason Claire couldn''t face each day with a smile.

 Book Four – Chapter Five – Part Eight – Surrounded by Love

    ¡°When you said that Servy and I were your anchors, did you mean that?¡± asked a cute pink-haired Singi. Her left hand held the fingers of the girl she loved.


    ¡°I did¡­ I hope I didn¡¯t overstep my boundaries,¡± replied a blond-haired, green-eyed noble whose right hand grasped the hand of a girl who needed her support more than ever.


    Srassa, Servi, and Momo walked hand-in-hand through the spiraling streets of one of the fastest-growing cities in Lando. The dark, cloudless sky should have allowed the moon to dance and dazzle the world with its ethereal glow, but the beautiful treasure was quite shy. Only a sliver of its elegance was blossoming out in space.


    Other than a few late-night adventurers and a few guards, the three girls had the roads to themselves. Their destination was the noble district as they passed by a whole host of festival preparations. Since it was after sunset, most had been temporarily abandoned until sunrise.


    ¡°You know, Servy was my anchor¡­ And if I¡¯m being honest, I used to think that there wouldn¡¯t be anyone in the world who would rely on me¡­ It makes me kind of happy to see that you look up to me¡­¡± Momo confessed. She was a little bit red in the face, but that passed moments later.


    ¡°I promise to do my best! Even better than my best! And that¡¯s why¡­ I have a small favor to ask.¡±


    ¡°Ask away, girl. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°You said that you had rehearsals four days a week, right?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Until the festival starts. Then we have practice every single day. Actually, it¡¯s a rehearsal for four days followed by a break. So four on and one off.¡±


    ¡°Never mind. I wouldn¡¯t want to bother on your only day off¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a bother, so don¡¯t say that,¡± chided Momo.


    ¡°Right¡­ My apologies¡ª¡±


    Momo shook her head, interrupting Srassa once more. ¡°And you don¡¯t always have to say you¡¯re sorry either. Both Servy and I have a habit of apologizing a lot, and we talked about it and agreed it¡¯s something we don¡¯t need to always do. We figured there''s no need to say sorry for every little thing because, for most things, there isn¡¯t anything to be sorry about. I know it¡¯s a hard habit to break. Trust me on that.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Yes. Very well.¡± Srassa struggled to say those words. She inadvertently gripped the hand she held for support and wasn¡¯t expecting to feel anything.


    But she did. That erased the reinforced yearning to constantly be formal within her heart. ¡°Momo, would you like to spar with me? I figured we could spend time at Dineria¡¯s shop on a day you and Servi aren¡¯t busy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s funny because I was just thinking about that. I¡¯ve been keeping up with my workouts, but I haven''t had any chance to use my sword in a long while. Would be nice to shake off the rust. And if you¡¯re my training partner, then we can both get stronger at the same time. That''ll give us a chance to work on our teamwork since we¡¯re going to be questing and adventuring together.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°Yep. Here¡¯s the rehearsal schedule.¡± Momo used her free hand to pull a specific document out of her bag and handed it to Srassa. She quickly put it to memory and gave it back.


    ¡°Momo¡­ Do you think I could¡­ever be like you?¡±


    Momo thought long and hard before responding. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t strive to be like me. You need to aim higher and become the best Srassa you can be. And I only know this because I used to put Servy on a pedestal. More than anything, I wanted to be here because her strengths canceled out all of my weaknesses. It took a while for me to see the errors of my way. In the end, we¡¯re all unique. I¡¯m me, Servy is Servy, and you¡¯re you. The only person who can be you is you. I can¡¯t be you, Servy can¡¯t be you¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Momo heard a sniffle coming from her far left. Srassa was crying, doing her best to swallow the growing sobs. Through the choked gasps, Srassa told Momo about her past. She confessed that she had money most nobles would only dream about, but it was nonsense because her parents kept her trapped in an antisocial birdcage. Then suddenly, they let her go and allowed her to achieve her dream. What really got the tears going was her confession that she had started way too late in training to get anywhere far.


    ¡°Srassa¡­ It honestly feels like we¡¯re sisters separated from birth¡­ It¡¯s crazy because I used to share those sentiments. For the longest time, after leaving my village, I felt like something less than horse manure,¡± Momo said. She looked up at the moon, then glanced back down. ¡°When I met Servy, I put on the world¡¯s biggest mask and ¡®acted¡¯ happy and cheerful. When I fought a monster for the first time in the sewers, I thought that I wasn¡¯t prepared for anything at all¡­ Grampy wasn¡¯t in the best shape, but he taught me the bare basics, and I had to go from there. I was so afraid that his hard work was for nothing because I was a frightened little kitten.


    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that your worries and fears aren¡¯t exclusive to you. And starting late? Well, let me tell you something. Dineria was my second ever teacher that truly pushed me to the limits. Grampy did the best, but he couldn¡¯t teach as well as Dineria could. He was getting up there in age, and while I still had energy when it was noon, grampy needed to take a small nap. And even though I had some prior training from him and Servy, you had nothing. And look¡­¡± Momo walked over to Srassa and wrapped her in a big hug. ¡°You, who started from nothing, ended up almost beating me. You did all of that in just a short month. Imagine how much you¡¯d grow after a year? Or even two years? I don¡¯t want to say it¡¯s just talent because that¡¯s waving off the hard work you put in, so I won''t say that. Just by looking at you, I can tell you practiced way more than I did¡­¡±


    Srassa finally let open the dam, and Momo felt her shirt become soaked with tears.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard, but take whatever Silverado and Desperado said and push it out of your head. Don¡¯t think about them anymore because you¡¯re with Servy and me. Together, the three of us will soar to the top! Heck, we¡¯ll even reach the moon!! We¡¯ll be the strongest party out there!¡±


    It took a few more minutes for Srassa to settle down. A couple of seconds after that, the girls continued their walk. The noble district was about half an hour away, and over half of that was spent traveling in silence. This period of retrospect gave Srassa the time to fully come to terms with herself. She was so engrossed in the inner machinations of her mind that she didn¡¯t hear Momo talk.


    ¡°Oh, there might be a fourth person joining us.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yep! I¡¯m pretty sure the person who taught Servy what she knows is coming here. I don¡¯t know when, but I do hope it¡¯s soon.¡± Momo figured easing Srassa into the whole Itarr situation would be better than dropping it all on her at once.


    ¡°Have you met her? Or him?¡± Srassa wiped her eyes.


    ¡°Not physically, but I have read the letters she sent to Servy. She sounds awfully nice and sweet, and I cannot wait to meet her.¡± Momo figured words on Servi¡¯s ID counted as a letter in the most general and generic sense, so she rolled with it.


    ¡°It is the same with me¡­ If she was Servi¡¯s instructor, then she must be strong¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehe! I have no doubt that she¡¯s the strongest.¡±


    Before long, after some more casual chatter, Srassa hugged Servi and Momo when they reached her house.


    ¡°Momo¡­ Thank you¡­for being my friend¡­ And you too, Servi¡­


    ¡°We¡¯ll always be your friend, Srassa.¡± Momo brought it in, and there was soon another group hug.


    ¡°To be honest¡­ I was planning on confessing my failures to my mother and father¡­ Perhaps it is a blessing that he was called back to Adenaford¡­ I don¡¯t know how I kept everything from Jony after the sewer incident¡­ If he was still here, then I doubt I wouldn''t have blabbed to him. He¡¯d tell father, father would tell mother¡­ All three would sit me down and forbid me from continuing down this path¡­¡± Momo patted Srassa¡¯s back¡­


    ¡°If that ever happens, then I guess Servy and I will have to rescue you. Servy can be a really stubborn girl, and I can be as well. We¡¯ll park our butts out here in front of your house and refuse to move until he lets you come out to follow your passion. You''re your own girl, Srassa. Your life is yours to live. Hehe!¡±


    ¡°You¡­would do that? For me?¡± Srassa asked, holding a hand to her heart. Her words might have been interpreted as her having a troubled relationship with her family, but that definitely wasn''t the case. She loved her father and mother, and they loved her back just as much.


    ¡°Yep!! I think that everyone should be free to follow their dreams. For example, my dream was to get as strong. Stronger than my grampy while meeting close friends and going on hundreds of adventurers. And with you, Servy, and her instructor, and not to forget Claire, Fisher, Dineria, and Feral, I think I¡¯m doing pretty good on that front.¡±


    Momo is really something¡­ She¡¯s absolutely incredible¡­


    ¡°Then¡­would mind if I have the same dream?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Momo pulled back from the hug and gave her friend s genuinely friendly smile. ¡°Srassa, let¡¯s make our dream a reality, okay?¡±


    The noble wiped her eyes and offered a positive smile of her own. ¡°Yes¡­ Let¡¯s do that¡­ Momo, do you want to meet up at Dineria¡¯s store on the 7th?¡±


    ¡°That sounds fine with me.¡±


    ¡°Great. Until then, I promise to try my hardest¡­ I¡¯ll keep up with the workouts, practice some of the swings our instructor taught us, and I¡¯ll focus on being the best me I can be! Servi, Momo¡­ That¡¯s my promise to you!¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯ll do the same. Good night, Srassa. Sweet dreams, okay?¡±


    ¡°Good night, you two,¡± said Srassa. She turned to leave, the hand connected to Servi slowly pulled away until it held nothing. For a moment, the ruby-eyed girl shook and started to whimper, but Momo was right there to comfort her.


    The guard out front recognized Momo and talked with her for a few seconds¡ªeven going so far as to ask about Servi.  Only once Srassa was safely inside her house did the pair of friends return to Warden.


    During the walk back, the sleepy Singi spoke at great lengths about Srassa. She really had nothing but positive comments about her, citing that she knows just how powerful Srassa could be. With Instant Cast and her blessing from a Major God, it was all but assured she would be a powerhouse. A very versatile powerhouse, at that. Momo just didn¡¯t know why Silverado and Desperado had to say those things. They seemed so friendly and caring, ready to guide Srassa through the first steps of an adventurer¡¯s life.


    When I see those jerks, I¡¯m going to give them hell¡­ Not only them... But the horrible person who abused Servy in the past. That¡¯s why¡­ That¡¯s why I have to do my best¡­ Srassa, we¡¯re going to train like crazy to be like crazy! Wait, no! I mean practice like crazy to be the best! Yeah, that''s it! We''re going to be the best party there is!


    It was forty-seven past midnight when Momo laid her bleary eyes on the sanctuary that was her bed. The golden covers seemed like real flakes of gold, but it was probably the sleepiness talking. In a flash, she undressed to her underwear and crawled onto the luxurious mattress. Servi was there, matching Momo for supper and difference. They snuggled closely together in a sleeping position that soon became their favorite. Their arms were around each other. Even their legs and feet were gently rubbing against the other in a small game of footsies.


    ¡°Good night, Servy,¡± Momo murmured with her eyes closed. ¡°See you in the morning¡­ And Itarr¡­ Good¡­night¡­ Ah¡­I need¡­the¡­ID¡­¡± A red stone slab came to life and gently descended. Momo grabbed it out of the air once it touched her head, and it joined the snuggle.


    But before the exhausted girl drifted off to the world of dreams, she made sure to regain just enough control to give her darling Servi a small kiss on her forehead.


    ¡°There¡­ That¡¯s¡­better¡­¡±


    August 3rd to August 6th proved to be odd, for the lack of a better word, for Momo. She was so convinced that the play was going to end in failure that, even after seeing how Servi took to it, she still held negative thoughts about it. During these three days, the carpenters contracted to build the set was in the final stages, and the costumes ordered from the Old Onyx hadn¡¯t yet arrived.


    Bartholomew Meow was a man who was devoted to the madness that rested inside his genius head. He refused to allow his actors and actresses to perform while not in uniform. Since she already had her outfit in the form of a cloak of invisibility, Wyima had Servi practice running across the stage to get used to traveling back and forth in front of the curtain.


    It was more physically demanding than Momo first thought, and she just watched during those three days while penning down her thoughts in her notebook. Momo believed the cloak was more like a blanket instead of being a cloak. In either case, Momo wrote in her journey that a small, thin blanket could work perfectly as a cloak. And a thick cloak suitable for the chilly season would be fine as a blanket.


    Regardless, it was true that it was a precious and expensive item. Wyima had told Servi he would be behind the curtain to make sure nothing happened to it. A pole was sticking out from the back after half of it was sewed into the cloak. That was the insurance that told Wyima where it was. With how it was attached, it was impossible to cover it with the cloak. It could have been ripped out, but Wyima was always beside Servi. IF she wanted to steal it, she never had a chance.


    She had something far better in the form of The Shadow''s Embrace, so even if she was healed, she wouldn''t choose to steal something so inferior.


    Servi ran back and forth. Even the stomps of her heeled boots were quieted by Itarr through subtle use of Silentium Fluctus. Momo knew she was there because Servi never once fell behind on her duty as Crying Noise. Cry for cry, wail for wail, moan for moan¡­ There was never a time in which the enigmatic girl had left a stain on her role.


    I still think it¡¯s a bit strange for there to be a role dedicated to crying¡­ The director is a mysterious, quirky man.


    During one of the sparse breaks, Myrabel remarked how she found it astounding that Servi wasn¡¯t winded at all. Meanwhile, the Elf was sweating like a sinner in church. She wore something sporty and athletic since her role included some physicality. There were some altercations sprinkled through the play. Between Shika¡¯s children, who grew distant and violent over their mother¡¯s forgetfulness of their existence, and Denaire¡¯s character, who killed her husband in self-defense, this play was going to have its powerful moments.


    On the 6th of August, right when the rehearsals were wrapping up, Bartholomew spoke a few words of praise. He mentioned he was glad that he hadn¡¯t needed to step in more than a handful of times. Those words were positive and reassuring to the entire cast since Bartholomew made it evidentially clear he was a shouter.


    Becha, one of the nobles that attempted to give Servi and Momo a hard time, was having extreme difficulties in performing one scene to the director¡¯s liking. It was a series of hyper-accelerated lines that were meant to crush Roa''s¡ªGrid¡¯s character¡ªspirit since he was a bachelor in the scummiest degree; a total lady killer who bedded women for a single night before kicking them to the curb.


    Becha¡¯s problem was that she couldn¡¯t articulate as fast as Bartholomew wanted, and since this line had a spot of crying, Servi had to match her.


    Or so that was the plan.


    Bartholomew brought over an invisible Servi and asked her to repeat the lines as many times as necessary until Becha could do it. After two hours, the vividly pink Koena still couldn¡¯t rise to the director¡¯s inhumane standards.


    And so he turned into a demonic drill sergeant. He used words that Momo didn¡¯t even know existed as a way to break down the snobby Koena. He focused his harsh berating at her air of superiority, citing that it was a weak shield she put up to keep face as a noble. He hit the hammer on the nail when he shouted that Servi was a threat to her career in the arts because a commoner was able to master the lines in a flash.


    Cue one nervous break down later, Becha ran away in a tearful mess, shouting she wouldn''t ever come back.


    She didn''t stick to her words, and she returned about five minutes later after calming down.


    At that moment, Momo lost all the respect she had for the director. She furiously scribbled her inner thoughts in her journal, her hand and pencil angrily representing the Singi¡¯s mental state. She didn¡¯t understand why someone would return to the person who had uttered so many harsh and hateful things. If Dineria was that woman, Momo didn''t know what she would have done, but she knew she wouldn''t spend time with someone abusive and harsh.


    And she realized that she and Servi once mirrored the same situation. Except Momo was Bartholomew, and Servi was Becha.


    Then for a brisk second, Momo wondered if Bartholomew uttered those harsh critiques as a way of encouraging the pink Koena to break free from the chains holding back. If not that, then someone needed to explain the defiance on her face, which was one of confidence.


    I still think he could¡¯ve done this without being so harsh¡­


    With the rest of the crew waiting with bated breath, Becha, Grid, and Servi prepared to take on the scene that gave the girl so much pain, trouble, and heartache.


    It was divine. Utterly, perfectly divine. The harsh insults coming to Roa affected this actor to such an extent that the tears he shed weren¡¯t for show.


    He fell to his knees, a pair of hands slamming against the stage¡¯s ground. Subtly, a fist formed, full of self-cowardice and regret at all of the women his character had used and abused like fleshy toys. The years of forcing women home with his sweet words of falsehoods of love and mutual respect were slammed to the wayside once he understood the extent of his shameful actions.


    But Grid didn¡¯t do it.


    Roa did.


    But that didn¡¯t cause the pain to hurt any less.


    Near the end of the monologue, Roa was written to lose control and grasp Becha¡¯s shoulder, but Grid didn¡¯t do it. He stayed in a weak and frail position, only gathering enough strength to look skyward at the girl who actually took his real breath away.


    Bartholomew was not a fan of improvisation,  but even he found it moving when Becha raised her hand and slapped Grid.


    Becha had forgotten she was supposed to be acting, and that hit had some decent force behind it. Grid fell to the side, clutching his cheek in agony. Bartholomew shouted, then helped the injured Koena to his feet. Becha immediately launched into a thousand apologies and proclaimed it was an accident. Before Grid could utter anything at all, Bartholomew said that he wanted the scene to be like that from now on.


    Wyima raised his voice and said they couldn¡¯t risk the actress hurting her hand or Grid injuring his facial scales, but Bartholomew waved a hand. A coarse discussion soon followed where the director had Becha slap him to get used to the power she needed. He clarified that he wanted an open palm slap to maximize the noise rather than pain. According to him, that would shock the audience into a gasp and further encourage them to make connections to the characters.


    Before anything else could be said, rehearsals came to an end. And since they had the next day off, Bartholomew implored Becha and Grid to work together to enhance their lines. When asked about Servi, the director said that there was nothing she needed to do. He spoke about her with praise and honor, even declaring that she was the standard everyone else needed to rise to. Again, he chose the verbally abused Becha as an example.


    ¡°You do not need to look at someone better and claim they are the problem. The only complication is you. If you cannot do what Servi does, then lambasting her status as a commoner only reflects harshly upon you as a noble. Within my productions, I do not restrict roles to a person¡¯s status. I do not allow anyone to buy their way into my plays like so many others. Do not think my ears have been dead to what is being said or has been said. You do not have to be friends¡ªno one has to be companions¡ªbut I do expect a degree of professionalism. I have waited a few days to see if this problem will sort itself out, and since it hasn¡¯t, I was forced to bring this up.


    ¡°Act professional, give your fellow actors and actresses the respect you would want them to give you, and dedicate your being to your craft. Take tomorrow to rest up, and I expect to see nothing but professionalism when we next meet on the 8th. Be sure to bring a bag because your costumes will be finished. Stage production should be complete as well, so we will take it from the top. For those who don¡¯t know, there are five types of rehearsals. We will skip the second, third, and fourth to head straight into dress rehearsals. Those assigned to the lighting system will have to learn in an incredible hurry. Those responsible for the music are required to bring their instruments or make any arrangements for your instruments to be delivered. That is it, and you are all dismissed.¡±


    For a moment of sincerity, Bartholomew restrained his ¡®unique¡¯ personality to speak from the heart. When he was finished, he slipped behind the curtain to take care of some business. Wyima stepped out into the center stage to further proclaim a few things, and it was time for everyone to leave. Myrabel, Denaire, Servi, and Momo walked out with Grid and Becha. The latter apologized to Servi and Momo for her awful words and how she treated them. Momo had no reason not to accept it, especially when the pretty moon was staring down at them.


    This particular rehearsal lasted for 14 hours, and Wyima had said that the days would only get longer from here. Becha reiterated that fact to the group as they walked out and offered to pay for dinner since it was so late at night.


    Again, Momo had no reason to turn her down, and that was how she discovered just how different the restaurants were between the noble and common districts. Myrabel and the others tagged along for what was surely an acceptable end to a grueling week of constant practice.


    It also turned out that the oddly structured restaurant Servi and Momo passed by on their way to the Hurrah Theatre Hall¡ªthe one with only three walls¡ªwas owned by Becha¡¯s uncle. The nocturnal cod the Elven chef masterfully prepared was akin to a work of art. It was pan-seared in a white wine tomato basil sauce. By itself, it was a 500 dupla meal since it only used the juiciest tomatoes and the freshest basil. Because of the ongoing nocturnal cod shortage, the fish was in low supply but high demand. If Becha¡¯s uncle charged full price, the bill for Servi and Momo would have crossed 1,200 dupla.


    Itarr paid close attention to the smell and small details, from the dazzling red color of the sauce to the pint-sized cherry tomatoes. She even absorbed a tiny slice from Servi¡¯s plate and analyzed it from every angle. She did her best to recreate it with the tons of raw fish inside her ring. That was what she was occupied with when Servi and Momo waved goodbye to their friends and went back to Warden. The Goddess didn¡¯t think she had all of the ingredients inside her ring, but she did the best she could with what was available.


    ¡°That was certainly something, huh? Oh, and thanks for keeping us safe, Itarr. Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t notice the two tables near us¡­ They didn¡¯t even have to talk¡ªI mean, you probably did that, but even I could tell they wanted to say something to me for holding Servy¡¯s hand. It was thanks to you that I was able to do that during the entire meal¡­ Servy, did you enjoy it?¡± Momo asked upon falling back on her bed, a concert of pink hair flashing by her eyes. She was already dressed down to her skivvies. She turned on her side and stared towards a standing Servi. She was nearly nude as well, yet she remained standing near the window. The moonlight illuminated her alluring body, touching her bare shoulders while sprinkling that pitch-black hair with never-before-seen luster.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been waited on hand and foot before. And I think we were really underdressed. We all were, really, because everyone else had on pretty dresses or sharp suits, and there was you and me. I was in shorts, and you looked like the daughter of a farmer. It was fun, though¡­ It almost seemed like Becha was the ¡®ring leader¡¯ of the off-handed, snide comments about us. If she¡¯s on our side, then they¡¯re bound to stop. Hey, are you excited about tomorrow? Remember? We''re going to Dineria¡¯s shop. It¡¯s only been a few days, but I already miss Srassa¡­¡± Momo yawned and wiped her eyes, and Servi took that as her cue to hop in bed. She snuggled close to her protector, as was their nightly ritual, and found comfort in Momo¡¯s lacking bosom.


    Every time we sleep like this, a part is me is hoping I¡¯ll have some kind of outfit malfunction. Or maybe I actually want you to squirm and accidentally knock off my bra¡­ Servy, I love you.


    ¡°Servy, good night, and I love you. Itarr, you¡¯re my favorite Goddess¡­ I¡¯m glad you were the one that I got to know. I¡¯ll see you in the morning, okay?¡± Momo reached one hand up and snagged an ID out of the air. She placed it behind Servi¡¯s back while wrapping her arms around the girl she loved.

 Book Four – Chapter Five – Part Nine – Surrounded by Love

    Morning arrived faster than humanly possible, and it wasn¡¯t long before a group of four women was chatting over a plate of plump plums.


    ¡°I realized we didn¡¯t set a time to meet here, but I am glad we both wound up here before lunch,¡± said a sharply dressed Srassa. She had a bag by her chair, which held a second outfit. As soon as she got to the store, Dineria led her to a private room to change into her adventuring gear. With a practiced motion, Srassa raised her hood and smiled.


    If it had cat ears, she could almost be a Singi like me. Note to self, find a cloak with cat ears¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s the same with me,¡± Momo replied. She and Servi walked over to them and sat right down. After joining in the conversation, Momo realized Srassa had told Dineria about her uncomfortable and unsettling experience with her previous party. It took both of them to talk the angry tutor out of setting up a search party. Dineria bad-mouthed the two ¡®bastards,¡¯ as she put it, and mentioned she had a few hundred words she¡¯d like to say to them.


    That was probably the spark that lit the flame of training within her bosom. At once, she stood up and escorted both to a weapon rack filled with wooden weapons.


    Right away, the lesson, which was just supposed to be a few practice matches with Srassa, had evolved into a full-blown day of grueling work.


    First, there was the sparring. Momo held her sword in a stance learned from her Elven instructor. It was flawed and weak, consequences for not keeping up with the training, and Dineria made that know. She fixed both girls¡¯ positions and started the fight.


    Weakness filled Srassa¡¯s limbs, causing her swipes to become slower than running through an ocean of molasses. She couldn¡¯t block hardly any of Momo''s blows, and when Srassa did go on the offensive, she was easily able to dodge out of the way and counterattack with her legs. The ruthless combination of being able to spring back, roll forward, dash left, hop into a side flip, balance on her hands, and slam her booted feet on her enemy¡¯s sword¡¯s flat edge amazed even Dineria.


    Srassa couldn¡¯t pull back because she wasn¡¯t that physically strong. Skills were forbidden for this first round of sparring, so she couldn¡¯t use that to her advantage. Thus, she had no choice but to let go of her only weapon. A scowl filled her face, and a nervous sweat reinforced her failure.


    With that, the first round was Momo¡¯s victory.


    And these sparring matches continued throughout the day that seemed so short. In-between each one, Dineria had her students run through the obstacle course a few times until they were pushed to their very limit. One time, she displayed a grueling brand-new workout that required every muscle in the body. From pushups to sit-ups to squats to ten different ways to stretch, a pair of voices grunted through it all.


    The second round went to Momo, and so did the third. The fourth and fifth played out the same way, but the sixth and final match had an interesting conclusion.


    It started off similarly, with a clashing of the wooden blades. Small chips flew off, leaving tiny gaps that harmed the swords¡¯ structural integrity. Both combatants were pushed to the limit. All of the physical madness they endured was something like a ¡®wake-up¡¯ call, as Dineria put it, which would jumpstart their muscles and remind them of what they had conquered in the past.


    Momo¡¯s chest heaved, the bent chainmail causing more discomfort than anything else. Her hands shivered like the chattering teeth of a man on the verge of hypothermia. An ocean¡¯s worth of sweat swamped down her face, causing her eyes to go blurry. Her tail was so damp from the numerous times she had tripped in her own exhaustion that it couldn¡¯t even wag.


    But if Momo was swimming in the middle of exhaustion, Srassa was similarly on the verge of losing consciousness. All day, she had done nothing but came in second. Perhaps that would have persuaded a weaker person to quit, but the difference between the girl and her anchor was dwindling by a bit. It felt like her left boot was made out of pure lead, but the determination to prove her skill¡ªnot to herself but for the friends she had met¡ªgave her the strength to continue on. She¡¯d pay for it the next day, of course. Srassa would probably roll on her bed, biting her lips to keep the agony and soreness from whisking out of her mouth.


    The final fight of the day was more so a battle between the minds. Each girl moved as fast as a turtle, so the swipes, slices, and thrusts were somewhat easy to deflect. The first problem was going on the offense. Even if the mind functioned like a well-oiled machine, the body couldn¡¯t mimic that. It had its own set of built-in limiters designed to prevent it from breaking through the form of pain. Beyond that, once a person had thoroughly given their all, their body halts to a standstill.


    The question would be if the pair of fighters, who yelled at the top of their lungs with each strike, block, and dodge, could make it this long.


    And the answer to that was no. No, they could not.


    Not even six minutes into the battle, Momo lost her footing. Her balance abandoned her like the court¡¯s respect for a criminal. One leg went this way, the other that way, and there just wasn¡¯t enough left in the tank for her to regain her stance. She soon tumbled to her butt and almost banged her head against the ground. A Goddess saw to it that the worst-case scenario did not come to pass, but a loss was well within her future. Not even a second later, Momo felt the point of a wooden sword touch her neck.


    She opened her eyes and looked up, staring into the heaving face of her closest rival. Her hands soon shook with something fierce, the banging of a sword hitting the floor followed a moment later. Srassa¡¯s face was of a happy one. Even if the victory came from a freak incident, Srassa had finally won against Momo, and the noble knew Momo didn¡¯t give up the win to make her friend feel better. Jony probably would have done that, but Momo had far too much respect to give up a false victory that soured the spirit of competition.


    ¡°Nice¡­fight¡­¡± squeaked Momo. Srassa tumbled to her knees and pressed her hands into the floor. If she hadn¡¯t done it, the chances were high that she¡¯d almost certainly kiss the floor.


    From a distance, a happy Elf clapped her pretty little hands. She turned around and picked up two small glasses, then walked to her darling students. Before speaking, she gave one of the cups to Srassa. A sniff confirmed it held a fruity scent, but something oddly salty resided within. She downed the green liquid and instantly puckered her lips and wrinkled her nose.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t the most delicious drink out there, but it will soothe your muscles from the inside. Momo, let me help you. Try not to spit it out,¡± informed the Elf. She crouched down and supported her Singi student by her back, then held the glass to her exceptionally dry lips. Momo¡¯s tongue was ten to twenty times more sensitive than a Human¡¯s, and she struggled far more in keeping the disgusting concoction down her throat.


    Her instructor wasn¡¯t lying, and within a few seconds, the intense soreness had been downgraded. Instead of feeling like she was crushed by a giant slap of iron, it felt more like a metal bat had a date with each of her limbs.


    ¡°This is called conditioning. Rather, it is an extreme form of it. By pushing your body to the utmost limit, you ¡®shock¡¯ it into a state of hyper-awareness. The drink I gave you helps with the side effects, but you two are going to literally feel like death. But hey, that¡¯s what you two wanted, right? Fisher Jin does something similar when he trains the new recruits. His is much, much harsher¡­ If you ever feel like testing yourself, I¡¯m sure I can arrange something together.¡± Dineria crouched down and poked her students¡¯ cheeks. That was enough force to send Srassa barreling towards the ground. She landed flat on her back beside Momo, though their bodies were facing different directions. Still, their heads were right near each other. One looked at the other, and they shared a soft, agonizing, but ultimately a satisfied smile.


    It still took about fifteen minutes before either girl could move. It was a struggle to get their feet, and balance had all but abandoned them for greener pastures. Momo¡¯s legs felt like pure jelly, and she hobbled over to the table. Srassa faired no better, eventually requiring her instructor¡¯s assistance in even sitting down with falling back.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Remember, this is what you two wanted, so there¡¯s no need for any regret,¡± Dineria said as she popped a thick slice of plum past her pink lips. She sat down as well and crossed her lengthy legs. ¡°I might as well talk about the best way to increase your Skill Energy Reservoir. It will naturally grow proportionally to your stamina. ¡®A healthy body is a healthy mind¡¯ is an excellent pearl of wisdom. Srassa, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t allow you to use any skills. Momo, it¡¯s the same with you. Unless you have a gigantic reservoir at the ready, you will always have to rely on your body.


    ¡°The other way is to use as much Skill Energy as you possibly can, but there are some caveats. One: it is dangerous. Use too much, and you¡¯re likely to fall into a coma. Use almost all of it, and you¡¯re liable to flat out die. Two: You cannot sit there and use Lucem a dozen times to cheat the system. Yes, you¡¯re technically draining yourself, and your reservoir will grow. In the long run, you¡¯re just doing more harm than good. If you really want to get stronger, faster¡ªbecome a better fighter, then you can¡¯t take any shortcuts. If you want to maximize your gains, then alter the skills you use. Use them in different ways. Add variety in the amount of Skill Energy you give them. Lucem doesn¡¯t need a lot, but it does have the capability to absorb much more than it requires to glow brighter and longer.


    ¡°In short, you need to foster a healthy mental state. Think positive and picture the true reason why you want to get stronger. As long as you have a goal, you¡¯ll get there. Now, take the next two days off and do not do any workouts at all. Your body needs a little bit of extra time to come down from the shock. After that, be sure to do what we did twice a day. Once in the morning and once at night.¡±


    ¡°Alright! Servy¡¯s my goal, so that¡¯s who I¡¯m gonna picture! Dineria, thank you again. I know we dropped by unannounced, so thank you for making time for us.¡±


    ¡°I always have time for my students. Besides, the Dwarves I hired can run this store better than me,¡± Dineria replied. She popped another sweet plum into her mouth, her tongue assaulting it from all sides once her lips were sealed.


    By now, it was almost 6:30. The day had come and gone faster than Momo and Srassa realized. The latter swore they had only just walked through the doors a few hours ago at most, but she had actually been there for well over a third of the day. The next thirty minutes of pleasant chatter allowed the exhausted adventurers a relaxing chance to cool down. It also created the perfect opportunity to talk about what they were going to do during Servi¡¯s next day off.


    The first thing that came to Srassa¡¯s mind was the stable her family owned. She could instruct a driver to pick her up at 8 in the morning, then they could swing by Warden to grab Momo and Servi. The puzzled Singi asked where the stable was at, and Srassa answered. ¡°It¡¯s only about a twenty-minute ride out of the west gate. We have ten barns filled with the fastest horses Lando has ever seen. My family also runs a farm out there, but it¡¯s mainly a side business to give the farmhands a means to an end. Father told them if they could maintain the land, our wagons, carriages, and horses, they could till the field and sell whatever they grew while keeping the profit."


    ¡°Eh?!?! Do you have cows?!¡± exclaimed Momo.


    Srassa chuckled cutely and nodded. ¡°That we do. Cows, chickens, pigs¡­ We have it all. Wait¡­ Why are you crying?¡±


    ¡°Because I love cows and horses! Oh!!! Look what Servy got me a while back!¡± Momo hastily searched within her enchanted back and pulled out a wooden carving of a horse and a cat. She sat it on the table and simply admired it as if it was worth over a million dupla. Srassa was impressed. Dineria? Internally, she vocalized that what she saw wasn¡¯t worth more than a handful of dupla because she spotted a hundred errors and blemishes. Still, the naturalistic Elf recognized pure joy when she saw it. She kept her mouth shut and just felt happy for Momo.


    Soon, it was time for Dineria''s students to head home, but not before Momo had a chance to tell some stories from her childhood about the horse she had helped take care of. Srassa saw the fondness for equestrians front and center in the Singi¡¯s sapphire-colored eyes.


    Later, when they left the shopping center, the three of them were connected through Servi''s hands while smiles plastered their pretty faces. Pain, agony, and extreme soreness were also readily apparent in how the three girls took small steps, but that just allowed them to spend more time together.


    Itarr was unable to experiment with the thousands of cod in her ring because the overactive guards were getting haughty. In just three days, she had to use Mortal Puppetry on no less than fifty people. Luckily, she was getting to the point she could identify a bigot based on their nonverbal body language. As alert as Momo wanted to be, she couldn''t catch onto every slight detail about everyone they passed. She was a mortal with mortal limits, and really, what better entity to pick up the slack than a Goddess?


    She constantly saw in a 360-degree cone. Even if she closed her ¡®eyes,¡¯ the sense of sight refused to leave. Was it a curse? A blessing? Itarr didn¡¯t know at all. She just continued to be an ever-watching guardian as Momo waved and hugged goodbye to Srassa. They ironed out the small details about what would assuredly be an excellent trip. Not just for Momo but also for Servi.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been to a real farm before¡­ Servy, I¡¯m excited!!!¡± Momo bounced up and down as they walked back to Warden.


    Momo¡¯s poor body was in constant agony that night, the next night, the night after that, and even the night past that. The only relief she had came from the shower Itarr so excellently provided. At the drop of a hat, she transformed it into a bath, allowing Momo to soak her aching muscles. It was even a struggle to snuggle with the girl who had her heart.


    Servi had a frequent tendency to shift a little bit here and there. It was just minute adjustments until she found the perfect spot like a restless dog, and while it should have been a blessing for Momo¡­


    It wasn¡¯t.


    Her body was so sensitive, her skin was bruised and tender. Momo¡¯s heart was strong and forged by the fires of adversity and challenges. She grunted her teeth, kept a lovely smile, and stood like a stalwart wall. Her pride wouldn¡¯t allow her to ask a nearby Goddess for any healing, though the Divine Being was more than happy to offer any assistance.


    Myrabel, Grid, Denaire, and Becha all shared that sentiment when it was time for rehearsals to begin again. Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t have that much time to actually talk about things because Bartholomew was not in the greatest of moods.


    For example, during the first scene, the indecisive director kept altering around the placement of the casket. It was obviously filled with a mannequin dressed like an Elf, and Momo thought the scene looked as good as it could ever be. Granted, half of her mind was distracted by pure agony and tired bones.


    Myrabel received some harsh criticism for how she positioned the funeral veil that was part of her grief costume for this opening scene. The three chosen to play the role of Shika¡¯s children were sparred from any words. Momo was thankful for that because they were supposed to be from 12 to 15 years old. As such, they were played by literal children, and she didn¡¯t want to see them cry from how cruel Bartholomew could be.


    Even after four hours, the majority of the cast and crew were standing around in their costumes, waiting for Bartholomew to sign off on the scene. His alterations were by tiny slivers, and it didn¡¯t stop at just the location of Myrabel''s veil. And it didn¡¯t have anything to do with Myrabel¡¯s acting or Servi¡¯s crying.


    It just had to do with how the character Shika was positioned. The scripts he had handed out failed to declare any posture or stance. Wyima was cradling his weathered face inside his hands since he knew the days of rehearsals ahead of them had just gotten a whole lot longer.


    It took six hours for the scene to transition past the opening funeral to the desolate walk home, and by then, it was time to break for a brisk lunch. With bellies full, the rehearsals resumed again.


    The next three days followed similarly to the first, though Bartholomew¡¯s time meddling in the scenes gradually decreased. They had yet to complete a full rehearsal from prologue to denouement, but Bartholomew was somehow happy with that. During the final meeting before breaking away for a day¡¯s break, he congratulated the team assigned to the lighting. He mentioned that it no doubt took much effort to constantly send the Skill Energy needed to direct the positions and color of the bulbs. Next came his compliments to the ten musicians providing the complementary music.


    The powerful violin¡¯s soft whisper of a purr was played most excellently when Shika¡¯s first words indicated the play had begun. Her soliloquy about the fragility of a life synced with a powerful cello as a masterful Dwarf ran his bow across the strings. As Shika¡¯s words turned more brooding¡ª more dark and depressing about her newfound life as a widow, a Kobold inside the micro-orchestra raised his hands and poked the drums sitting in front of him. The heavy beats culminated with the end of a powerful scene. Myrabel tearfully grabbed her husband and shook with the power of a thousand infernos. She begged him to fight against the reaper¡ªto cast doubt upon the Gods that beckoned his soul¡ª to throw away the stone of his destiny and forge one anew!!!


    ¡°I have far more praise to offer¡ªabout every single one of you. From the Singi who dash around backstage and pull out the sets to the Kobolds who do the heavy lifting¡­ This production could not have gone as far as it had in these few days without your assistance.


    ¡°Unfortunately, we are out of our allotted time. There was a reason I had chosen you all to play the roles you have¡­ Wyima may have picked the cream of the crop, but these experienced eyes of mine can see in the future... Ohohoho!!! Or so I say! Take tomorrow to rest up because I am planning to do three full dress rehearsals a day. Once it is the 17th, we will do more and more until it consumes you¡­ Once you close your eyes and see nothing but our production playing out in front of you, we are there. Should you staple your ears shut but still be able to hear our musicians, we are there. I desire full devotion above everything else. Take care now¡­¡±


    Woah¡­ I just cannot get a reading on this man¡­ Momo stood up from her chair in the audience and walked to the stage. The invisible cloak was safe and secure in Wyima¡¯s hand, and there really wasn¡¯t anything keeping Servi and Momo from leaving. She said goodbye to her friends and interlocked her fingers around Servi¡¯s hand. Together, they had a rather uneventful walk back that ended with a somewhat delicious meal of nocturnal cod.


    After resting and filling their bellies, Servi curled up into a little ball on the bed.  Momo asked Itarr to bring out the metal basin she had been using as a bath. As the water gradually filled up, Momo stared at the floating sheet of metal. On paper, it was a shiny privacy curtain. In her mind, it was a barrier.


    Maybe¡­ Soon¡­ Yeah¡­ Soon, I won¡¯t even need that. I want Servy to see the real me¡­ The one with no clothes¡­ And I want to see her that way as well¡­


    She stripped down to her birthday suit and slipped right in. Itarr memorized the perfect temperature of how Momo liked her bath, and the Singi audibly proclaimed her utmost thanks to the ever-vigilant Goddess. The water came up to her shoulders, and she slumped down until her nose was just above it. Resting her entire being gave her a chance to soothe her weary body. But by now, it was sore in name only. The long soaks had done wonders in relieving the pain, and she felt something change inside her. More likely, it was a superficial feeling brought on by her overactive imagination.


    Or maybe it wasn¡¯t.


    It was probably unbecoming of Momo, but she almost started to swim around her large tub. Her tail poked out like the fin of a shark as she circled around the perimeter. Momo didn¡¯t know how to swim in the first place, so perhaps it was more accurate to say she coasted on the water¡¯s surface.


    After lathering up and becoming a victim to the many, many suds hiding her nubile body, Momo leaned back in the water and watched as the soap washed off. It left a sea of foaminess in its wake. Her hair and tail were next, and even though she felt a tingling in her loins whenever she brushed the base of her tail, Momo refused to go a step farther. She had a real commitment to Servi¡ªespecially now that she was sharing a room with her. The last thing she needed was her passionate, girly moans to breach all the way inside Servi¡¯s ear. Maybe once she had returned to normal¡­


    Would Servy mind if¡­we touched each other? When she¡¯s back, of course¡­ Or I can touch me, and she can touch herself¡­ And Itarr¡­


    After dunking her head and rinsing her hair, Momo simply relaxed and audibly spoke in a quiet whisper.


    ¡°That would be¡­nice¡­ Sleep together¡­eat together¡­bathe together¡­ Just doing everything together¡­ Me and her¡­ And her and me¡­ It isn¡¯t enough that that''s what I want to happen¡­ Servy needs to want it¡­ Ahhh¡­ This bath feels so nice¡­ Still feels heretical to have a Goddess prepare it for me¡­¡± Then in a louder voice, Momo continued to speak as she played with her wet hair. ¡°Itarr, thank you again for this¡­ It¡¯s only because of you that I¡¯m able to bathe while staying near Servy¡­ I¡¯m almost done, so you won¡¯t have to keep the tub floating for that much longer.¡±


    The girl stood up, the excess water just pouring off of her supple and nubile body. It spattered off the surface of the restless bath. Momo had already laid out a towel to step on, and there was another one right nearby for her body. That was her destination after returning her bathing supplies to her bag. She wasn¡¯t close to running out, but a shopping trip was going to be needed in the near future. If not to stock back up on various supplies and toiletries, then an excuse to just spend some time with her Servi.


    After drying off and slipping on her cutest pair of underwear, Momo strode past the floating privacy curtain. That was Itarr¡¯s sign to completely dry off Momo, who uttered her thanks once more. The bathwater in the tub was safely stored inside Itarr''s ring. The metal construction soon followed, and only a couple of minutes later, Servi and Momo were drifting off to sleep while holding each other.


    Morning wasn¡¯t that far away. The sun had no choice but to rise again, and it was as inevitable as sand draining from the top of an hourglass to the bottom.

 Book Four – Chapter Five – Part Ten – Surrounded by Love

    It wasn¡¯t just that morning came quickly. Combined with the fact that night approached with just as much haughty hastiness, it was like Momo and Servi didn¡¯t even spend two hours at the farm. But they did. As a matter of fact, these two best friends and Srassa spent over half the day experiencing things the young Singi thought were only a dream.


    The family that ran the farm for Harold Flinn was more than just that. It was almost akin to a mini-village that lived in a three-story ranch house. The Koena and Kobolds were responsible for wrangling the bulls and cows if they became too rowdy. And the horses as well, but those main fell under the eyes of the four Elves living there. Their slender frame and hasty speed allowed them to catch up with a speeding mare or a bucking stallion with relative ease. Most of the cooking and day-to-day care was done by the few Humans that kept the house nice and tidy. The stout Dwarves spent most of the time hammering out new horseshoes. If not, they switched over to cleaning out the hooves or replacing anything that needed fixing.


    From the moment Momo sat her pretty butt down on that carriage¡¯s soft seat to when she finally took a visit to the land of dreams, the smile never left her face for a moment. As the daughter of the man who gave the land to the farmers, Srassa technically had full reign to do whatever she wanted. She wasn¡¯t the type of noble who would take that power and abuse it like a twisted maniacal tyrant. And not that she ever wanted to be one. That kind of self-control she had¡ªbeing content with what she had rather than scrambling to obtain even more money, even at the cost of lives of a person¡¯s well-being¡ªwas probably the reason most snooty nobles ostracized her.


    Or perhaps it was another reason altogether. Was it true Srassa''s lack of friends spawned from a closed-cage childhood? Probably not because Jony was the key that allowed her to have a little bit more freedom since he was her butler and bodyguard. It was because of him that she was allowed to depart freely from her cage. Within reason, of course. The answer to that question was still clouded in so much mystery that Srassa figured she wouldn¡¯t ever get a proper explanation.


    What was true was the respect and degree of honor given to Srassa. No one bowed to her, but every single sentence ended with either a ¡®ma¡¯am,¡¯ ¡®Lady Flinn,¡¯ or a ¡®Miss Flinn.¡¯


    To start off the magnificent mini-vacation, Srassa asked one of the farmhands to arrange a tour of the stables and barns. Momo practically purred at each and every horse she saw while ignoring the obvious smell of a barn that hadn¡¯t yet been cleaned for the day. Her hands madly gave all of the equestrians their very own massage. Most replied with a pleasant neigh or a haughty snicker. Some even rubbed their long faces against her head. One horse even licked Momo¡¯s face like a happy dog. She gave extra special attentive care to that one. Her mane was as white as snow, and the raised tail meant she was especially loving it.


    The Elf giving the tour remarked that the horse¡¯s name was Pruina. Momo repeated it twice over, then she brought Servi¡¯s hand to the magnificent beast. Her large eyes stared deeply into Servi as if it could read her soul. Tears staggered at the corner of her tear ducts and began to fall like the harshest rain. Even though the barn they were in was built like a stocky Dwarf, even it couldn¡¯t contain the wails of a broken girl.


    The Elf went to preemptively calm down Purina, but there was no need. Purina was a mother four times over. Horses and Humans were far and away different in nearly every sense, but there were certain aspects of emotions that were constant across every species.


    That included motherhood.


    There were never-ending stories of an Elf adopting and raising a Dwarf, a Dwarf taking care of a Kobold, and even a Human taking a Koena in to raise as her own son. A dog who had lost her puppies could transfer the love she had for them to a litter of kittens. Even the mightiest dragons could take upon the role of a parent to protect an infant.


    What Purina did for Servi was unique, but it wasn¡¯t as uncommon as one might seem. For the farmhand showing them around, it was something they had seen only four or five times in three centuries of living.


    The crying did stop, and the next part of the fun began with a simple ride around the farm. As much as Momo loved horses, her rump had never sat on a saddle. Neither had Servi, or so Momo assumed, and the pair had to ride separately on opposite horses with a guide taking the lead. Srassa was an excellent rider, which Momo was happy about. After a small chat, the Singi requested Srassa ride with Servi.


    ¡°I trust the people here, but Servy needs the support of those she knows¡­ I¡¯m sorry for making demands like this¡­¡± Momo had whispered.


    Srassa¡¯s response was nothing but pleasantries, and she assured her she would do it. She would have to slip out of her sundress and into something meant for riding regardless, so she said it was better to put it to use for her friend. The small intermission took minutes at most, and this gave Momo the time to talk with the guides about the route and overall life on the farm.


    She recounted the time of her childhood and how her grandfather¡¯s friend had horses. The farmhands understood Momo¡¯s love for all things relating to farming and animals, and they shared in her excitement. Stories were passed around, only stopping when the boss¡¯s daughter emerged from the house in gear suited for a proper cowgirl.


    Her hair was tied into a sporty ponytail. A rust felt hat with a distinct curve sat on top. An orange plaid button-up shirt guarded her chest, and a pair of denim pants protected her lovely legs. Srassa even went all the way and attached spurs to her boots and a buckle to her leather belt. The only thing missing was a lasso attached to her hip.


    Compliments from all around came her way, and Srassa hopped up on Purina with a fascinating grin of confidence. She reached down a hand for Servi, who grabbed it with all the strength of a frail kitten. Srassa had to do most of the gripping and lifting. Internally, she remarked that Servi was lighter than she thought. A pair of emerald eyes turned to the other horse nearby, and the pink Singi sitting behind the Elf raised a waving hand.


    And so, the tour of the farm continued on horseback. Servi wrapped her arms around Srassa''s stomach and held on for dear life as they went around the farm¡¯s perimeter. The guide on Momo¡¯s horse started talking while pointing at the enclosed areas for chickens, pigs, and cows. Momo squeaked like an excitable little girl and gleefully stared at the big black and white beasts. The cows moved as their lazy body commanded, their big mouths chomping down on the grass as if it was ambrosia from the Gods.


    The pigs had their own mud pit that they loved to roll around in. Brown dirt soon soiled their vividly pink bodies, and happy, excitable oinks filled the air. The chickens clicked to their heart¡¯s content as the tour made a stop. The guide asked if Momo wanted to feed them, and at that moment, she wanted nothing more. Srassa and Servi remained on horseback, the former placing a hand to her stomach and rubbing Servi¡¯s fingers. Then two pairs of eyes turned and watched as Momo nervously entered the coop. She held a jar of feed in one hand while pouring some out. The rooster of the flock emerged out of a chicken house and spread its big, black wings.


    His wattles and comb were as red as pure sin, and it did not like that an intruder was galavanting around his hens. A nightly growl emerged out, followed by a powerful cluck¡ªa declaration of war, it was!


    The foul fowl charged at Momo, who skedaddled and ran around the oversized chicken coop.


    ¡°Whaaaa!!!! Don¡¯t hurt me,¡± she cried with laughter. Each innocent, joyful giggle was reminiscent of her childhood when she imagined a chicken was chasing her around the house. The feed in the jar continued to be fished by her other hand. Her instinct alerted her to an incoming attack, and her tail wrapped around her waist with no time to spare. A moment later, and the mighty, selfish rooster would have tasted Singi.


    It was a highly comical scene that left Momo in an even better mood. She dashed out of the gate when the Elven farmhand opened it up.


    ¡°Servy!! Did you see?¡± Momo said while catching her breath. She turned around and walked back to the cage. Squatting down, she waved goodbye to the brave rooster and assured him he was an excellent husband to his hens for protecting them.


    The guide asked if Moko wanted to feed the pigs, but Momo shook her head and said she didn¡¯t want to get too dirty. But she did ask to introduce herself to the cows, and that occupied another hour of the lengthy day as they wandered over to the cow pens. Servi even hopped down, and Momo reiterated all she knew about the bovines. Her childish side came out when she tried to communicate with a playful calf.


    ¡°Moooooo!!!¡± sounded the Singi.


    ¡°Moooooo?!¡±


    ¡°Moo moo moooo?¡±


    ¡°Moooooooooooooo?¡±


    Moo moo moo moo moo?! Moooooo¡­¡±


    ¡°Moo¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehe! You¡¯re such a cute little thing, aren¡¯t you?¡± Momo switched from squatting to sitting, and the adorable calm pushed itself into Momo¡¯s lap. It hopped off and began to jump around. Happy noises escaped out, and it went for Servi. She sat down and copied what Momo did, even going so far as to have a conversation with the beast. The calf turned its head back to Momo as a bigger cow started to approach.


    She was the calf¡¯s mother. With all the pleasantries she had, Momo introduced herself the only way she knew how.


    By mooing.


    The fun times continued with the cows for about half an hour. It was time for lunch then, and the Elven farmhand remarked he had lunch ready at the house. Srassa mentioned something about there being a nearby lake.


    Sometime later, a group of three girls shared a private moment in front of the bluest body of water Momo had ever seen. The surface was like a crystal, and ripples were so defined whenever a fish decided to pop right out. The image reflected was tarnished for but a moment before appearing once again.


    The empty picnic box nearby had enclosed bowls of vegetable soup with freshly baked bread. A hearty cup of milk was provided for each lady. While the meal was fantastic, Momo remarked spending time with each other was the best part. She laid down on the table cloth they had set out and raised a hand to the bright sun. A cloud was limiting its lustrous rays, so it didn¡¯t hurt her eyes that much.


    A quiet Servi soon joined her, and a hatless Srassa followed suit. Hands became connected as the three girls took in the tranquility. The slice of nature was absolutely calm and serene. Momo shared her utmost thanks to Srassa for arranging everything.


    ¡°I am quite happy you¡¯re enjoying it. Umm¡­ I figured this trip could be for Servi, but it¡¯s also for you. I know you don¡¯t mind looking after her, and I hope you¡­ I¡­ I hope this isn¡¯t prudent to say, but I figured this fun-filled day could erase away your stress¡­ That is¡­ If you have any¡­¡± She turned her lovely head and stared at Momo¡¯s face.


    ¡°Servy won¡¯t ever be a stress¡­ Until she¡¯s better and back to us, I¡¯ll be her protector forever. But I will say that I was still feeling juuust a little bit sore. Dineria really put us through the wringer¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehe! Yes, she most certainly did¡­ I enjoyed it, though¡­ It¡­was fun.¡±


    ¡°And the fun won¡¯t stop when you¡¯re with us, Srassa¡­¡± Momo squeezed both Srassa¡¯s and Servi¡¯s hands, and the two returned it. After a little bit more time enjoying the pureness of a perfect scene of nature, it was time to walk back to the house. The three still had their hands held together. The smell of flowers growing to the wayside accompanied them on their short 800-meter journey. A couple of winged-squirrels flew by to see what these strange Humans and Singi were up to. One furry critter landed on Servi¡¯s head and almost laid down. One latched onto the bag Srassa was holding, and she stopped to pick out a small crumb of bread that didn¡¯t get eaten.


    It was against common courtesy to feed the wildlife, but Momo and Srassa felt a few little pieces weren¡¯t going to end the world.


    The day continued on with a tour of the farming fields since Momo asked to see that, and the rest of the time was spent relaxing with the horses. The farmhands did something better and emptied out the horse barn. They even gave her a saddle and taught her how to prepare a horse for ridding. She managed to saddle one up. With the reigns of her hands, she copied what Srassa did and went for a trek. She was always within eye-sight. And Momo wanted to have Servi hop on the back, but she was advised against that because she was a total novice.  I suppose it makes sense¡­ Well, there is always next time¡­


    When the moon slithered into view, it was time for the adventure to end. Both the noble and her Singi friend were utterly worn out, and a quick nap assured the return trip was over in a snap. A groggy Momo hugged Srassa and thanked her once more before crawling out of the carriage. Servi copied her guardian¡¯s motions and soon left as well.


    ¡°Srassa¡­ I forgot to mention this before, but the director wants this to be our last break. Today¡¯s the 12th, right?¡±


    Srassa poked her head¡ªcomplete with her cowboy hat¡ªout of the carriage window and nodded. ¡°Does this mean¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so¡­¡± Momo yawned. ¡°We won¡¯t have any free time¡­ We won¡¯t even be able to enjoy the festival¡­ Bartholomew said that one must devote themselves to their passion and not allow any frivolities to distract them from their destiny.  By the time we leave the theatre hall, it¡¯s going to be almost 9 at night, and we have to get up early to get there for rehearsal¡­ We might have a little bit of time before the show on the 24th¡­ By then, I hope there¡¯s enough life left in it. I¡¯ve never heard of one lasting a whole week¡­ In my village, we never really threw any¡­ Maybe something small here and there, but nothing like what I¡¯ve been seeing people prepare.¡±


    ¡°Canary¡¯s the only place with one that lasts a whole week. At least in Lando... I don''t even think the founding festival in Adenaford lasts that long. Momo, if I don¡¯t see you before then, I¡¯ll definitely see you two at the theatre hall. You can count on me being there¡­¡± Srassa flashed a pretty smile, and Momo returned it. The noble¡¯s head returned to the carriage as she instructed the driver to take her home.


    Momo waved goodbye and said her thanks to the driver and the guards that escorted the carriage. She hadn¡¯t seen them during the trip, and Momo hoped they had something fun to do instead of wait. That would''ve been boring... And I''ll feel kind of bad if they had to literally sit there and wait while Servy and I played our hearts out with the cows and horses...


    Servi squeezed the hand she held, and Momo smiled. Together, the two walked up the guild¡¯s steps and charted a hasty, exhausting course to the fifth floor. A long soak later, a very familiar scene was unfolding before their very eyes.


    Servi and Momo faced each other in their underwear¡ªsomething the two had done for over a week now. The Singi¡¯s soft hands brushed against Servi¡¯s exposed belly, and she very lightly applied a modicum amount of force. Next, her hands trailed upwards before jeering off to her shoulders. Finally, she pulled the beautiful girl into a hug.


    ¡°Servy, did you have fun?¡± Momo whispered. Under the veil of a warm summer night, Servi returned the hug and nuzzled her cheek like an adoring puppy. ¡°I did¡­ Honestly, it kinda feels like today was more for me than you¡­ But I know you enjoyed it. We got to play with the cows¡­ I got chased by a rooster¡­ The horses were very friendly¡­ Oh... We. Got. To. Ride. Horses!!! How cool is that?!?!??! Hehehe!!! I can still feel Purina¡¯s warm fur¡­ She was so pretty and cute¡­ But if I can say one negative about the day, it¡¯s that I wished you and I could have ridden together¡­ I¡¯m still a beginner, so I know why we couldn¡¯t¡­ Still¡­ If that was the worse thing, then I think we had ourselves a pretty good day!!


    ¡°Tomorrow¡­ Servy, we¡¯re going to need the energy. You have the hardest role out of everyone, but I know you¡¯re gonna ace it. Do you know how I know that? It¡¯s because you¡¯re already doing an amazing job! You¡¯re really the only one Bartholomew hasn¡¯t yelled at, and I hope he keeps it that way. He¡¯s kind of a jerk, and I don¡¯t really like him, but no one has any issues with his directing style. He must be something famous, right?¡± Momo stopped speaking for a moment and kissed Servi¡¯s forehead. ¡°If you wanted, I¡¯m sure you could become more famous than him. Can you imagine it? Servy! Rank 0 Adventurer and the Brightest Star Across the Stage! I can see the newspaper now.


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s talk about who¡¯s coming to the play¡­ Claire¡¯s definitely going to be there. Srassa is too. Feral might, but we definitely have to ask him. Dineria is for sure¡­and of course, I¡¯m gonna be front and center in the first row¡­ We can ask Fisher and his family. I can already see Mari and Meri cheering and clapping their little hands for you¡­ His daughters sure are cute... Between us... I think they might be a little bit more adorable if they had cat ears... Or bunny ears. You can''t go wrong with those, right?


    ¡°I wish Riki and Rakkire will be back by then¡­ And I don¡¯t even know where those two Koena boneheads are¡­ Ugh¡­ I can¡¯t believe they did that¡­ I want to be mad¡ªokay, I am upset at them. I''m furious! But there has to be a reason, right? Servy, I learned my mistake that I can¡¯t just assume every little thing. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m definitely not saying Srassa deserved it or anything, but there could be a hidden story that we aren¡¯t getting the full picture of. Does that make sense? I really don¡¯t think Srassa is lying, but from what we know about them¡­ They seemed nice and friendly¡­ It feels like there¡¯s something is lurking in the shadows, but I don¡¯t know what it is¡­ But whatever¡­ Srassa is with us now.


    ¡°Itarr, I hope that¡¯s fine with you. I realized I didn¡¯t ask for your input, and I¡¯m sorry. But I think you¡¯ll like her. She¡¯s smart and-- I don''t want to say talented because that''ll brush over the hard work she put in... So I''ll say she''s an incredibly hard worker. Like I said earlier, she almost beat me, and I¡¯ve been training for a long while. So the determination is there¡­ But like me, she just needs a little polish to see the brilliance underneath.¡± Momo grinned. ¡°Hey, that was kinda cool, right? I can say some inspiring things when the time is right¡­


    ¡°Servy, it has been a while since we¡¯ve had one of these late-night talks. It¡¯s a one-sided conversation for the time being, but I can hear you talk through your hands. And through your touch¡­ And most especially when you¡¯re squirming around trying to find the right position to fall asleep¡­¡± As if on cue, Servi slowly slid down until she cradled her face between Momo¡¯s chest. She just smiled and kissed Servi¡¯s head.


    ¡°And now I guess it¡¯s time to head asleep. We got over a week of constant practice and rehearsals ahead of us¡­ Good night, Servy. I love you. And sweet dreams, Itarr¡­¡± Before her blue eyes shut, a stone ID was born from thin air. Momo promptly grabbed  and added it to her and Servi¡¯s snuggle session.


    Wake up. Eat breakfast. Walk to the theatre hall. Rehearse for twelve hours. Walk home. Eat dinner. Sleep.


    Day, after day, after day, after day, after day, after day¡­


    Whenever Momo blinked, she saw nothing but the play. After just two days of hardcore rehearsal, every line was engrained so deeply within her mind that she could recite every little word.


    Even though she had the easy role of just supporting Servi, Momo ended the day feeling tired and sore. Her nightly and morning workouts did wonder to combat her restlessness, but lethargy was the name of the game.


    On the night of the 23rd, after days and days of the same old monotonous song and dance¡­ Days after being unable to fully enjoy the joyous festival and all the excitement and delicious food it had to offer, Momo¡¯s fluffy ears couldn¡¯t believe what they had just heard. She was standing next to Servi and the rest of the cast and crew while Bartholomew spoke.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done so much and accomplished a titanic task without fearing the mark of failure. It is impossible to proclaim just how happy I am that we have all worked together. I know we all had to sacrifice a lot, and I know many of you were just vying for the chance to experience the wonderful festival we¡¯ve been ignoring. Well, take the time tomorrow to have your fill of fun. The doors open at 7 PM, and the play will begin at 8 PM sharp. You all are expected to be here no later than 6 PM to change into your costumes.


    "As a word of warning, do not consume too many sugary drinks. Tea is fine in moderation, but too much will stress out your throat. For those who enjoy alcohol, refrain from drinking even a single drop. You wouldn¡¯t want to waste all of this effort because you were too drunk to perform, right? Think of the hard work¡­ The blood and tears you all poured into your roles¡­ if you honestly want to trash it all and become a drunkard, then I¡¯m not liable for what I will do to you. Luckily, I don¡¯t believe that will be an issue.


    ¡°And that is the end to what I have to say. Ah, regarding your payment¡­ We will have it ready tomorrow after the production has ended. Yes, speaking of that¡­ Wyima has organized a little afterparty to celebrate. It will be held in the ballroom located on the second floor. We expect the play to end at 10 PM, and the party will last until it comes to a natural conclusion. Whether that means it will last two hours or eighteen hours is up to all who attend. Consider it my way of thanking each and every one of you. I know I can be overly harsh in my direction, but keep this in mind. It isn¡¯t anything personal at all. I just have a method to my madness, and I am sure you all agree that my directing has made you a better actor.


    ¡°Now, you¡¯re all dismissed. Take care when going home, and get a good night''s sleep.¡± Bartholomew removed his monocle and slipped it inside his pocket. The tuff of hair on his head seemed to wiggle as a mighty yawn purred out of his mouth. As always, Wyima followed up his boss with a few words of his own. Only then was the cast and crew free to leave.


    A hubbub of relief emerged as held breaths were released. After saying a temporary goodbye to Myrabel and the others Momo had grown friendly with, it was time for her and Servi to go home.

 Book Four – Chapter Five – Part Eleven – Surrounded by Love

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe it¡¯s already the 23rd,¡± Momo said. She walked out of the theatre and into a long hallway that led to the wonderfully exquisite and luxurious lobby. It was full of pampered nobles and the rich and snotty. Like always, they turned their noses away and returned to their conversation, refusing to give the commoners a moment of their time.  ¡°It¡¯s so weird how you have people like Becha, who started off rude and became friendly after a few days talking¡­ To people who just completely disregard you at first glance. I just don¡¯t understand why people have to be hostile¡­ Do you?¡± asked the Singi.


    Servi kept quiet about that as she had a dozen other questions Momo had asked over the past month.


    Hand in hand, they emerged out of the theatre hall and onto Bridgestone Avenue. Like everywhere else, this little stripe of land was packed to the brim of festival-loving folk. Music and alcohol flowed as freely as the fall of snow in a wintery wonderland. Food was plentiful as the babbling sucks enjoying a spot of fun in a beautiful lake. It almost tempted the Singi, who listlessly sighed. She was still quite exhausted and not so much in the mood to do much of anything.


    Her tail even drooped behind her, and it would still be about an hour before her pretty head laid down on her favorite pillow. The best thing was to get to it, and get to it, she did. She pulled on Servi¡¯s arm gently to get her wayward attention. Then they started to move their feet.


    They swarmed through the packed streets, and Itarr did her best to keep away any foolish drunkards who saw an easy target. Just because someone was a noble did not mean they had noble intentions. Creeps and crooks existed across all paths of life. And by now, the Goddess¡¯s Mortal Puppetry had advanced so far she could accurately control them to the point of writing. In a sense, it was like she ¡®sent¡¯ over her essence and manipulated them like the operator of a giant robot. She never did leave the confines of Servi¡¯s soul, though, since it was impossible. But Itarr had the task cut out for her, and it required her to keep an ever-vigilant eye out for any ne¡¯er-do-wells.


    With her gaze, the two girls managed to make it to their room at the guild with just a little bit of trouble. Two encounters waited for them. Momo had the bright idea to take the long way in order to walk past Madam Canary¡¯s Sweetie Tweety. As she hoped, the mighty Feral was standing out in front. The painted stalls were covered with plates of delicious goodies. The large Kobold rushed between the four since they all had lengthy lines. Right when it seemed he was on the cusp of being overwhelmed, his aunt emerged from the shop and took over three stalls. Feral was a kind man¡ªreally, he was kind to a fault even if he started off Servi¡¯s friendship by being standoffish. But he wasn¡¯t the smartest or brightest. Handling multiple transactions in a short amount of time was over his limit if it was just restricted to a single stall. Add in three more, and the slow Kobold became slower.


    But his heart of gold made up for it, and there was a real reason why Momo regarded the big lug as a close friend. The Singi and her loving friend slipped in line and waited. She went to dig for a couple of dupla, but Itarr already had a hundred at the ready. ¡°Thanks, Itarr. I¡¯ll add this to what I need to pay Servy back. If you think about it, enjoying his aunt¡¯s sweets is the perfect way to end the day. We had that big dinner that Bartholomew arranged for us, so I¡¯m pretty much stuffed. Never had ribs that savory before, and I think I¡¯m turning into a beef kind of gal¡­ Going off on that, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a type of food I outright dislike. Maybe something super spicy, but that¡¯s no fault of my own. Us Singi are just born with a sensitive tongue,¡± Momo said.


    The stubby Dwarf with hair blacker and dirtier than coal turned around, and Momo just nodded and smiled at him. He didn¡¯t know who the heck she was talking to, and for a moment, thought it was him because he hadn¡¯t heard anyone reply in half a minute. The line gradually moved at a speed half of that of the three other stalls.


    ¡°Good evening¡­ I apologize for the wait¡­ What will¡ªMomo? Servi? Raaahhh!!! It is good to see you, friends!!!¡± Feral¡¯s tone was apathetic at first, probably because he was mentally worn out from the long, hard days of selling. The festival was when Aunt Canary made most of her money, so he knew it was vital for him to be on top of his game. But when he saw his companions, a burst of energy flowed through that thick tail. It slammed into the ground behind him as he adjusted his button-up shirt. He looked as sharp as a knife in those black pants. All he needed was a sporty tie, and he¡¯d be one handsome Kobold.


    ¡°Hi, Feral!¡± chirped Momo. She smiled at him. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, huh?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it has¡­ How is Servi? Is she well?¡±


    Momo nodded. ¡°She¡¯s doing as well as ever. I feel like it won¡¯t be that much longer before she¡¯s back with us.¡±


    ¡°I am glad¡­ I miss talking to her¡­ Ah, but what would you like to get? We do not have much left, but we have a few slices of chocolate bark, a couple of handfuls of fruit-flavored gummies, and three pieces of chocolate cake. Oh, and we have some hard candy available inside. It is mint flavor, and it makes an enjoyable noise when you bite into it.¡± Feral raised a finger and pointed it to the plates as he described what they had remaining.


    ¡°We¡¯re a big fan of the gummies, so can I get a double order of that? Any flavor is fine with Servy and me. Oh, there¡¯s something I want to ask you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± growled Feral. He took two brown bags and scooped up the squishy, colorful delights with a large serving spoon. He felt generous and gave her three helpings in total divided two ways.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but Servy managed to snag a spot in the play that¡¯s happening tomorrow night. Her role is¡­odd¡­but we were wondering if you could attend.¡±


    ¡°I will be glad too!!! Rraahhhh!!! Good for her!!!¡± A tail slam later, an embarrassed Feral meekly apologized to his aunt for causing a ruckus. ¡°How do I attend? What will I have to do? I¡¯ve never been to a play before¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s easy. The director said that every cast and crew member would get six tickets for friends and family. They¡¯re going to be held at the Hurrah Theatre Hall on Bridgestone Avenue. Just go and say you know Servy. There should be people inside guiding everyone to their seats.¡± Momo grabbed the brown bags Feral held out and paid him double. ¡°Consider it a tip. Besides, Servy is getting paid a lot for her role.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Thank you, friend! I will wear my fanciest clothes and show up ready to support her. What time is it?¡± Hmm...but I do not have any... I wonder if Aunt Canary can help me with that...? She should know more about these ''plays.''


    Momo relayed all of the appropriate information to her hulking friend and chatted with him for a couple more seconds. They were at the end of the line, and no one was behind them, but it didn¡¯t take long for someone else to slip right in behind. The two girls waved goodbye to Feral and his aunt, and off they went to the guild.


    Fate would send another encounter their way after only a few minutes of walking. It was right when they turned a corner. The restaurant situated nearby was having an absolute blowout. There were so many people that many had to sit outside and drink because there wasn¡¯t any more room inside. Momo was so distracted by that scene that she didn¡¯t see the cloaked man walk her way.


    She bumped into him, but Itarr assisted in keeping her standing. She did the same for the man, but the unnatural feeling of being assisted by an unseen force wasn''t something this man was familiar with. Still, he landed against the hard ground like a feather, so no injuries were in his future.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. Are you okay?¡± Momo asked. She held out a hand to the cloaked stranger. The voice she heard sent daggers down her veins.


    ¡°Oh¡­ It¡¯s just the murderer and her pet cat¡­¡± The man cursed Momo¡¯s name and ignored her assistance. He spoke like a bonafide drunkard, and he acted like one as well since he struggled to stand up. The hood of his cloak fell back when he doubled over to remove the booze from his stomach. A nasty scent wafted up.


    His hair was caked completely black with muck and something awfully smelly. His face bore a freshly inflicted scar across his dirty lips. His spear was missing, but this downtrodden man was Arty.


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to ignore that,¡± Momo said. She just wanted to walk away, but Servi was rooted in her steps as if her legs were a solid chunk of iron.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­so¡­rr¡­y,¡± whispered the girl with red eyes. Her free hand raised up. Inside it was a clenched coin¡ªthe very same one Momo had given her before they entered Canary.


    ¡°Says the murderer¡­ You usually have something to gloat about¡­ I¡¯ve done lost everything¡­ have no friends, and I still somehow lose one¡­ You killed¡­in the sewers, so why not finish me off¡­ I don¡¯t want to live anymore¡­¡±


    Damnit it, Arty!¡± Momo exclaimed. She grabbed him by the collar and almost dragged him over to a dark alley. She stepped over soiled trash and nearly tripped over a stray dog, but she, with some divine assistance, pressed the depressed Arty against the side of a building. ¡°Listen to me! That man was going to hurt me to get my bag! This bag and my sword are my grampy¡¯s greatest treasures! Do you think I should have just given it up?!¡± she shouted, doing something she should have done months earlier. She didn''t have the courage then, but it was better late than never.


    Arty kept an enigmatic expression on his filthy face. The desire to love at all had left when his last companions abandoned him for his bitterness.


    ¡°Listen to me! Servy did not kill him! Maybe she had all the right to do that because my life was in danger, but she did not do it! She just protected me! Now do you want to know something?! Servy did have to kill when we went to Arcton! And now she¡¯s like this! She took a life to save mine. You see how she¡¯s acting? If she really did like your friend, then she would have acted like this!!!¡± shouted Momo. She was getting far too emotional to the point where she was almost talking in circles. Her face became flushed with passion, and a nervous sweat drizzled down her pretty cheeks. Her lips tasted the flavor of salt.


    But what she said¡­ Was it true? Was it possible Momo was telling a lie? Servi arguably did not kill Arty¡¯s companion, but she didn¡¯t do anything to save him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± chanted Servi. She let go of Momo¡¯s hand and placed both on Arty¡¯s shoulders. Momo moved back, taking just a step or two while keeping her fingers attached to Servi¡¯s arm.


    Arty scoffed and looked up. ¡°Just slit my throat and get it over with¡­. You¡¯ve killed once¡ªtwice even¡­ So what¡¯s another body to add to your sins¡­? You¡¯ll be doing me a favor¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯M SORRY!!! I¡¯m sorry!!!! I¡¯m sorry!!!! I¡¯m sorry!!!!! I¡¯m sorry!!!!! I¡¯M SORRY I¡¯M SORRY!!! I¡¯MSORRYI¡¯MSORRY!!!!¡± Tears began to fall from her red eyes. Her arms slightly shook. The panic surging through her apologies sent Momo a step further back.


    ¡°JUST GET ON WITH IT!!!¡± shouted Arty. ¡°FUCKING KILL ME BECAUSE I DON¡¯T HAVE ANYTHING LEFT!!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯M SORRY!!! I¡¯m sorry!!!! I¡¯M SORRY!!!!¡± Like a broken record, Servi only said the same two words over and over again. The grip in her fingers increased, causing Arty to yell out in pain. Momo wrangled her arms around Servi¡¯s waist and pulled her back.


    ¡°Arty,¡± Momo said while turning Servi around. The tearful girl cried her worries in the arm of her protector. ¡°I used to be like you¡­ I did something so stupid that I thought death was the only outcome for a girl like me¡­ But Servy¡­ She saved me in more ways than one. Even though your words¡­ Your constant clamoring that we killed your friend¡­ I lost a lot of sleep those nights because I kept having small nightmares. Never did tell Servy, though. Now I wish I had because I know what a kind girl she is¡­ And look¡­ I¡¯m tired of being antagonistic towards each other. I really am¡­ This life we all have eventually runs out¡­ It isn¡¯t long enough to constantly make enemies¡­ So here it is¡­ Servy and I are sorry your friend passed away¡­ You seem like you need some help¡­ So here¡­ I have 300 dupla¡­ Go get a room at an inn, take a long bath, clean up, get that scar checked out, eat a meal, and just try to get a good night¡¯s sleep. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t do more¡­ I don¡¯t know if this will help, but¡­ Go to the Hurrah Theatre Hall on Bridgestone Avenue at 7 PM¡­ Something there might help¡­ Maybe it will¡­ And maybe it won¡¯t¡­¡±


    The dupla really came from Servi and Itarr, and Momo marked another mental note that she had to pay this back as well. She tossed the coins on the dirty ground, and Arty collapsed to his knees simultaneously. The sound they made was the trigger to unleash the tears behind Arty¡¯s eyes. He loudly wailed and punched the ground. Servi took one more look at him, and she looked inside her clenched fist. It held a dupla-- the very same one Momo had given her an hour or so before they encountered Sea and Jeri. She dropped that little coin...but why?


    Momo stared as it crashed into the ground, clinging and bouncing away before doubling back and stopping right by Arty''s knee. Itarr had done that, so maybe the Goddess also wanted to end this feud between them. Regardless of if she did or didn''t, it was time for them to leave. Momo and Servi left him alone to wallow in his sadness.


    Once they were sufficiently far away, Momo whispered while holding back her own emotions. ¡°I¡¯m tired of being enemies with him¡­ Even if his friend was going to hurt me, Arty was his companion¡­ It¡¯s almost sad that I don¡¯t remember his name at all... Or the name of that other guy who acted as a referee when you and Arty had that little duel¡­ I¡¯m not saying we have to be the best of friends¡­but if we walk by him just once and not have them declare us as murderers¡­¡±


    Servi stopped in the middle of a busy street just ten minutes away from the guild. Her face was red like a tomato, but her tears were undeniably crystal clear. The crimson was visible through them. Unable to remain standing for much longer, she fell to her knees and shouted at the road. Momo had heard these harrowing wails once before, and that was right when Servi was crying six to seven times a day during the return to Canary. She did what she did best and embraced her friend, but it wasn¡¯t enough for her lamenting to cease. Luckily, the band playing nearby and the crowd cheering for them drowned out her voice. And anyone who saw her imagined Servi was just a drunk who had a little bit too much fun.


    Itarr stopped the girl from slamming her face into the ground, and Momo swept her up and into her arms. The walk to Warden wasn¡¯t that far, but it felt like it took hours because Momo¡¯s eyes were foggy with thick tears. Itarr constantly moved objects and people out of the way, and her guard never dropped down for a moment. The hardest part was probably the five flights of steps to reach the fifth floor, but the unfaltering Singi marched right up them without stopping for a break. A nearby Goddess handled the door, and it didn¡¯t take but a few seconds for Momo to gently lay Servi down on the bed. She snagged the pillow and fluffed it up the way her grandfather used to do for her, then readjusted Servi¡¯s position for maximum comfiness.


    Now that Momo had a moment alone in her room, she realized it was awfully dark. Itarr fixed that, and Momo reached into her bag and grabbed the gummies.


    ¡°Servy¡­ I¡¯m worried about you¡­¡± Momo whispered. Her breathe was tender, full of fear similar to the fright a child might have when their parents argued day and night. Her hand seemed so weak, but a surprising stubbornness filled her spirit. She had to be strong and resilient, and the time for crying had to be gone yesterday. Instead of snacking down alone, Momo changed into the clothes she had dubbed her training gear, which was just a shirt and a pair of shorts.


    She crunched her abs, pushed off the ground, squatted down and back up. Itarr even brought forth a staff from her ring and positioned it like a pull-up bar for the Singi to use. A layer of moist sweat started to cost her body. Her muscles screamed out in acceptance and not pain, for they had become used to the effort their owner was putting in. All in all, it was five sets of twenty reps each with only a two or three minute break in between. When Momo began to do these exercises three days after the extreme conditioning, she was almost begging for death by the second set. Now she could hold on to the end of the fourth with minimal complaints. The fifth, though¡­ That was a different story.


    I know I still have a way to go¡­ I bet Dineria could do a hundred of these without batting an eye¡­ I have to work my body¡­ I have to get stronger¡­and stronger¡­and stronger some more if I want to protect my Servy!!!


    Her arms were shaky, like a building erected on soft marshlands. At any moment, they could fold right up. She pressed down, lifting up, then slowly returned to the ground as her 20th pushup was complete. All that was left was the squats. That was perhaps the most comfortable set to complete because Singi were naturally gifted in the legs. Their muscles were built for speed and agility. That didn¡¯t stop Momo from collapsing onto the floor in a sweaty mess like a falling building. A floating canteen appeared right nearby, and she downed over half of it at once.


    ¡°Thank you, Itarr¡­ I was so thirsty. If it isn¡¯t too much trouble, could you set up the bath again?¡± As requested by her inhabitant¡¯s protector, the bath was set up in a flash. And the giant basin was already filled with water at just the right temperature.


    Momo¡¯s relaxation lasted almost twenty minutes, which Dineria had said was the perfect amount of time to relax their muscles after a hard workout. As always, she sprawled out in the tub and just floated wherever it took her. Sometimes she¡¯d push off with her tail and gently coasted along until she had her fill of the bath. The first thing she always did was clean her sweaty body. And her hair required loving care to keep it as soft as it was. Her tail was no easy clean, either, but it wasn¡¯t as bad as the proper care for a Koena. Especially if one wanted their scales to remain at the pinnacle of shininess.


    Before long, the water began to lose its breathtakingly desirable warmth, meaning the twenty minutes were about up. How fortunate Dineria''s guidelines and the water¡¯s heat were about the same time. Or maybe Itarr took that into account when filling up the basin. She had been doing a lot of that lately, and she was learning something new every day.


    ¡°Eh? Servy, you¡¯re already chowing down? Make sure to leave some for me.¡± Momo heard the ruffling of a bag as she dressed in her pajamas. Since they weren¡¯t going to bed, she wanted to wear something other than her underwear. After fishing her tail through the hole in the yellow, comfy bottoms, she skipped out from beyond the privacy curtain and saw the apple of her eye. Servi had a questioning look on her face. Momo skipped over and sat right down.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve got to try these. They¡¯re incredible¡­ Even better than the last time we had them,¡± said Servi. She sat crossed-legged on the bed. Two bags sat within in her lap, and one was open. Her left hand held six colorful, fruitful goodies, and she was ferrying them to her mouth. The flavor of apple and grape exploded on her tongue as her teeth viciously chopped them into smaller chunks. They left behind a red and blue present right before flowing down her esophagus.


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s good. I¡¯ve been craving something sweet for a while. Wait¡­¡± Momo felt something was wrong and odd¡­ Her face twisted and scrunched in confusion, her mind running faster than the speed of light. Like a confused puppy, her head tilted slightly to the side as she stared at Servi¡¯s smiling face.


    When was the last time she initiated any conversation¡­? Eh? EH?!?!?!? SERVY?!?!

 Book Four – Chapter Six – Welcome Back!

    RuggyRuggy


    What''s this?!?!?!? A chapter that''s only a single part?! Here I thought that was impossible.


    Servi¡¯s return was not foreshadowed with any trumpets. There weren¡¯t any bells or whistles, no pomp and circumstance to indicate she was back. The angels¡ªthe servants of the Gods and Goddesses¡ªwould not come down to the mortal world and soar amongst the clouds to herald the completion of healing.


    She was simply locked away within her mind. And then suddenly, she was out.


    It was simple as that, possibly indicating Servi was a simple girl when broken down to her bare essentials.


    ¡°Servy? Servy?!?!¡± Without any warning at all, Momo dove from her position and tacked Servi to the bed. The two bounced up and down, causing the mattress to out in a modicum amount of effort.  Momo cried Servi¡¯s name many times over, continuing far past the point where it became funny and odd to say.


    A pair of brown bags went for a flight, causing about forty colorful gummies to scatter every which way. A friendly Goddess absorbed them all before they had a chance to slap against the floor.


    ¡°Servy!!! Servy!!!¡±


    ¡°Mosie¡­¡± replied Servi. She hugged her faithful protector even harder and cried harder.


    ¡°That¡¯s the first time you¡¯ve said my name in a long time!!!¡± Momo¡¯s voice was quite muffled, but Servi understood every little thing she said. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this to happen for a long time!!! Servy!!!!¡±


    The emotional reunion lasted a good while, with both girls eagerly saying the other¡¯s name. Eventually, the passionate atmosphere died down, and all that was left was the deep breaths of a girl in love.


    ¡°Mosie¡­ I¡¯m back¡­¡± Servi whispered.


    Momo lifted up and stared at Servi in the face. With a smile that could illuminate the darkest voids, she said two simple words. ¡°Welcome home!¡±


    They continued to stare into the other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°You¡­took care of me¡­didn¡¯t you? You¡­were always there beside me¡­ Even¡­while I was trapped in the darkness of my inner mind, I still felt something warm¡­ It was so friendly¡­and I can¡¯t put a name as to what it was¡­but I most certainly know who it was¡­ Mosie, you¡¯re my best friend¡­¡± It did not take long for the emotions to flow a second time. Servi explained that she was enclosed in a void devoid of warmth or sentiments. It was just pure nothingness in its most basic form.


    Then suddenly, she explained that a pink cat appeared from a burst of pink energy. Its glow was the only source of light, and she felt a primal desire to follow it to safety. She waded around the clotting emptiness, wading through the stillness of an empty vacuum. Every so slightly, the pink cat would grow in size. And with that came an increase in the warmth it emitted.


    The darkness was being cast away. The very state of emptiness was destroyed in front of her very eyes. An indiscriminate amount of time later, the cat had grown into a tremendously beautiful fox with nine tails. Still, she explained it carried the same feeling she got whenever it was still a simple cat. Eventually, Servi reached the fox. That was when energy coming from it blasted away the hollowness that was the curse keeping her from taking on a completed form. With a mighty growl, the fox destroyed the space, removing the darkness from existence while bringing back the lovely crimson that was her soul.  For the briefest moment, Servi''s spiritual existence caught wind of a very familiar Humanoid-like shape of red energy.


    This Goddess was listlessly floating around, and while Servi didn''t say anything to Momo about this part specifically, Itarr acted in a moment of selfishness and asked for something. Servi nodded, and that was when the world returned to her eyes, sound came to her ears, and scents entered her nose. Moments later, she had found the bag of delicious sweets and started to chow down.


    ¡°It was¡­very abstract¡­ And even as I explained it, I can¡¯t be sure that was what actually happened. Still¡­if it wasn¡¯t for that cat and fox. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I mean¡­ I don¡¯t know if I would have ever recovered.¡±


    Ah¡­ The Momo inside of me¡­ You helped out my Servy¡­ Thank you¡­ Thank you so much for doing that¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re my closest friend, Servy. I¡¯ll always take care of you¡­ Forever and ever. You¡¯re my bestest best bestest friend!!¡± Those embarrassing words were a proclamation from the very heart that thumped so wildly within her breast. A thumping noise was also the direct response she made because her tail endlessly bashed into the mattress.


    After another heartfelt hug, the two girls got off the bed and sat back down. They just simply stared at each other while Momo asked a crushing question.


    ¡°Do¡­you remember anything?¡±


    ¡°I do not¡­ The last thing I know is you holding me¡­ Next thing? I¡¯m right here on the bed with two brown bags. Can you tell me what happened? Did I miss anything¡­?¡±


    She really doesn¡¯t remember anything at all¡­ I guess that¡¯s kind of good because of my lackluster confession¡­but it also means the fun times we had, the cuddling, the sleeping together¡­ It¡¯s all gone¡­ And I have to tell her that stuff¡­ But when¡­ And does this mean I won¡¯t be able to share a bed with her tonight? It¡¯s going to be awfully lonely¡­ Maybe¡­I can wish for a miracle? I have something crazy planned¡­but it just might work¡­


    Momo then began to recant the days of their lives. Starting from the walk home from Arcton, Sea, Jeri, the incident with Fisher, the dinner at Claire¡¯s house, and so on. She left no stone unturned and bridge uncrossed. She did chuckle a bit at Servy¡¯s extreme surprise at having been cast in a play.


    There was a see-through blanket cast over their entire time together¡­ Well, almost. There were a few exceptions. The friendship kisses, the snuggles, and the sharing of a bed. Momo had a sneaky plan formulating in her mind, and it was one that had no negative outcome.


    Servi, meanwhile, quietly listened and waited until the very end to speak. During which, she did not fail to notice the hand that sneaked over to her lip. And when Servi gingerly touched it with her fingers, it came to life and interlocked its fingers around hers. A soft smile birthed to life on the girls¡¯ faces.


    Unfortunately, it had to be ruined. Servi¡¯s remarks for Silverado and Desperado weren¡¯t favorable at all. She absolutely couldn¡¯t believe the nice men she had known¡ªthe very two that she would have risked her life to save had something so horrible to her friend. Poor Srassa didn¡¯t deserve that kind of treatment at all.


    ¡°I know how you feel. But Servy¡­ I think it¡¯s wrong to immediately take everything at face value¡­ And I know you know why I feel like this¡­ I want to believe Srassa wouldn¡¯t have lied to us. But it¡¯s just after¡­¡±


    Servi grabbed the hand she held and brought it to her face. Then she leaned in and embraced Momo one more time. ¡°I know¡­ Mosie,¡± she whispered into her ear.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do our best to give Srassa the experience of a lifetime. Let¡¯s show Silverado and Desperado that they made an awful mistake by kicking her out.¡±


    ¡°Right! I¡¯m right there with you!¡±


    Servi moved back from the hug, but her hands were still on Momo¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°And¡­ I guess I need to apologize to Fisher¡­ And I better thank Claire for the delicious meals, Fisher for coming to handle Sea and Jeri, Dineria for being awesome, and Srassa for being so kind to prepare that trip for us¡­ Well, I have a whole list of people to thank¡­¡± Her hands drifted down her friend''s arms, stopping right when they reached her opened palms. Instead of snatching them into a loving grip, she just rested her palms right on them. Momo didn¡¯t mind that. In fact, she probably liked it better than normally holding hands because this way, her five fingers got to enjoy the max amount of Servi. ¡°Mosie¡­ Do you think that there can be peace between Arty and us¡­? When I took his friend''s gear, it couldn¡¯t have possibly ended without his death¡­¡±


    ¡°Servy¡­¡± Momo took a second and said what she thought was best, then apologized and said she didn¡¯t know the right words. ¡°I don¡¯t think there are any magic words to say in a situation like that¡­ The only thing I can say are the facts. He attacked us, and we left him with nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°I suppose someone could argue that he wouldn¡¯t have died had he not tried to steal your bag¡­ But I am tired of being enemies with him¡­ Maybe we don¡¯t have to be friends, but walking by without us at the other¡¯s throats seems like a good of a start as any¡­ But did I really get signed up for a play?¡±


    ¡°Yep! It was actually your decision. Here¡¯s the script. Oh, and opening night is tomorrow evening. Your role is Crying Noise. That means you provide the crying for the other female actresses¡­¡± Momo reached into her bag and passed over a script.


    Servi flipped through it while Telekinesis kept it suspended in air. She had to do that because both of her hands were currently occupied by a lovable Singi in fluffy pajamas. ¡°You know¡­ It seems so¡­familiar¡­ I don¡¯t have any recollection of knowing the play¡¯s plot, but it does feel like the information was already within me¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you think your memories of the past month are returning? Do you think you can still do the role?¡± asked Momo. She kept a permanent smile on her soft face. Her eyes devoutly stared at the girl she loved. Those blue eyes studied every small detail and absolutely refused to glance away for a moment.


    Servi then asked Momo to practice with her for a moment regarding her lines. It took about an hour for the feeling to come back. After fifteen more minutes, Momo regarded that Servi was even better than before, and that was saying something because Bartholomew had the highest praise for her and her talents.


    ¡°Oh! There¡¯s also this¡­ It¡¯s the blueprint for the orphanage. Fisher gave it to me the day we arrived back!¡± Momo excitedly chirped. She had wanted to look at the sealed designs for a while but felt she needed Servi by her side. The red-eyed girl absorbed the script and laid the enclosed folder down on the bed. Momo scooted over until she sat beside the girl she loved. A pair of brown bags floated in front of them. Every so often, a hand would descend into them and fish out a scrumptious, fruity snack.


    In all consideration, Servi didn¡¯t know what the hell she was looking at. She knew it was an orphanage, but that was it. It looked like the design documents were for a small town, not a building for raising children. There was the giant house. Five stories tall, it had enough room and beds to comfortably hold 400. That number could be doubled if they slept two to a bed.


    The house had notes for every little detail. The four baths, three kitchens, the numerous play areas were meticulously configured to the smallest nail used in the floorboards. Some choices had to be regarding the construction. Did the financier¡ªServi¡ªwant the house to have a number of Wash Stones equal to the number of baths plus kitchens? Or perhaps the water should come from a lake? Disregarding that, if she wanted a single Wash Stone, would she would be comfortable running pipes around the house? There was the option of using Drip Stones. That little comment was scribbled in the corner, and Momo explained what it was.


    ¡°So it isn¡¯t that reliable? Screw that. Orphans do not need to have even more stress applied to their lives¡­ And if it¡¯s for them¡­ And I definitely have the money¡­ I¡¯m just going to go with individual Wash Stones¡­ However many they need, I will buy it for them¡­¡± Servi said. Momo hugged her once more, and they kept looking at the design document.


    Other than the house, there was space available for four large patches of farmland. The notes detailed that unless there was a lake or stream nearby, Wash Stones would have to be used to provide the water. For Servi, that was fine. She believed a Wash Stone was the most valuable Skill Item out there. For good reasons, too, since water was desired by all living things. It was a precious resource, and it was no wonder the blue crystals were so expensive to buy.


    ¡°Servy, couldn¡¯t they use the water from the stones to water the farmlands? Seems like a lake isn¡¯t needed, but a lake can be pretty,¡± Momo said.


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried about their safety. A single stone is worth as much as a treasure. But seven? That''s like a gold mine waiting to be plundered.¡± Servi flipped the page, and Momo giggled.


    ¡°Seems like you don¡¯t need to be worried anymore. This place even comes with a guard tower. Four of them, to be precise. It says here that each will be at least equivalent to Rank 3 in the guild. In addition, each will need to be exceptionally experienced in the handling of children. That¡¯s good, right? Oh! It says there¡¯s an armory inside each of the towers¡­ They all have their own training arena, so couldn¡¯t the guards instruct the children how to fight?¡±


    ¡°Possibly, but¡ªno. Having the orphans learn to defend themselves will be nothing short of fantastic. Mosie, it¡¯s really happening, isn¡¯t it¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is¡­ I wonder where it''s gonna be built at?¡±


    Servi replied she didn¡¯t know, and she kept flipping until she had gotten to the end. Notes about a barn big enough to keep small animals, like sheep and pigs, were jotted down as more feasible than cows. Horses weren¡¯t even mentioned, and Momo pouted for a little bit.  Servi did come across a scribbled note detailing that after a decade of selling what the orphanage produces¡ªsuch as fruits, vegetables, and selling meat from the animals, it would have paid for itself and eventually made a profit. Servi found that interesting, then immediately thought that whatever money was made had to go back to the orphanage. That could pay for the teachers and staff and whatever supplies to fix whatever problems it may have.


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking for the money back. As far as I¡¯m concerned, any money earned from day one belongs entirely to the orphanage. They can pay for supplies that way. And additional guards as well. They could even give the orphans an allowance to spend within the city,¡± Servi said. Momo found it endearing how her lovely friend was the type of girl to not want anything in return.


    Each individual material needed to build it was itemized with a price tag, and the last twenty sheets of the design document added everything up. At minimum, the cost was going to be well over 8 million. With the most expensive options, 15 million. The choices that Servi felt the most comfortable with was only 10 million. But she argued against herself that since she had an exorbitant amount of money, it only made sense to go big. That way, the dupla she stole from Parrel will be recirculated around the economy.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want to do, then I¡¯ll support you! In the morning, let¡¯s go talk to Fisher. I forgot to mention earlier, but he said the governor was getting worried that you were getting cold feet¡­¡±


    ¡°The governor, huh?¡± Servi raised her arms and wrapped them around her adorable Singi. She giggled and rested within her embrace. The next few minutes were spent walking about anything Momo might have possibly missed. Finally, she yawned and wiped her tired eyes.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re sleepy?¡±


    ¡°I am¡­ But I don¡¯t want to go to sleep¡­¡± Momo whined. ¡°Not when I finally have you right here beside me.¡±


    Servi got off the bed. Momo followed behind. She reached out to brush a finger against Servi¡¯s hand, and the girl gave Momo another hug. This was about the tenth or eleventh one in less than an hour, but such overindulgence was fine.


    Especially considering the circumstances.


    Servi began to speak once more, affirming her desire to find the secrets of the Forbidden Skills and using Necromancy to bring back the Innocents. ¡°Even Nimea¡­ He had good intentions, but I believe he just didn¡¯t know how to express them¡­ I honestly believed we could have been good friends with him.¡±


    Momo replied that she thought that too and spoke about her imprisonment. ¡°He talked to me¡­ About his past¡­ I want to think he was a good man. Maybe a little bit misguided... Servy, I¡¯m going to be there to support you. Together, we¡¯ll find the secrets to Necromancy¡­ That¡¯s something I can promise you.¡±


    ¡°Momo¡­ I never really felt like I belonged anywhere. I was just a girl with no memories¡­ But now? I think I almost like this city because it¡¯s where I met you. And Claire, and Srassa, and Dineria, and Fisher¡­ I know Fisher has his past, but from what you told me¡­ He¡¯s possibly taking it even worse than I did¡­ But I know with him, this city is in good hands.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same with me. I love Canary! Grampy did too¡­ I don¡¯t know what it was back then, but he loved it enough to constantly tell me stories¡­¡±


    Another hug later, the two girls were in the other¡¯s embrace, and Momo was absolutely loving it. Her eternal smile was like a beacon of safety and romance, and it had caught Servi¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Tomorrow¡­ During the play¡­ I¡¯m going to be cheering as loud as I possibly can¡­¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ll do my best so you¡¯ll be proud of me! It¡¯s all coming back to me¡­ Not the memories, per se, but the ¡®feelings.¡¯ I can¡¯t wait to meet Grid, Myrabel, and Denaire¡­ We¡¯re friends, but I¡¯ll be meeting them for the first time. Oh, Mosie?¡±


    ¡°Servy, I¡¯ll always be proud of you. No matter what, okay? And what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Do¡­¡± Servi¡¯s tone changed, and she spoke with a bit of force to get the words out. ¡°Do you not have any questions? About me, I mean? I explained what I could at the time, but I¡¯m a fusion between a Human and a Goddess.¡±


    ¡°I do a few small ones,¡± Momo admitted. ¡°But I know you¡¯re tired¡­ Even if you can¡¯t get tired, I feel like you need to rest before I ask anything at all. We can talk again in the morning, okay? And we can talk about eventually going to Waveret. You remember it, right? It¡¯s the port town about a week away from here?¡±


    ¡°I remember it¡­ And okay¡­ Thanks, Mosie.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome! Hehe!¡± Though they were still in a deep hug, a small squeeze acted as a second embrace. ¡°Sweet dreams, Servy. And good night, Itarr¡­ I¡¯ll see you two in the morning, okay?¡±


    Ah¡­ I didn¡¯t even ask if Servy has talked to Itarr¡­ Maybe it¡¯s best I didn¡¯t say anything before giving them a chance to talk it all out¡­


    ¡°Yeah. Okay¡­¡± Servi pulled back, her arms reluctant to let go of the Singi that held her heart in a loving squeeze. ¡°Mosie, I don¡¯t know what I would have done if you weren¡¯t here¡­¡± Servi quietly whimpered and cried into her hands. The tears so suddenly appeared like a flash mob. The water draining down her eyes seemed to have no end.


    ¡°Servy,¡± Momo held Servi¡¯s hand to her face, then held it against her heart. Finally, she just gave her friend the ultimate hug. ¡°I made a promise to myself¡­ I¡¯m always going to be here for you. I¡¯ll be here tomorrow, the next day, and the next year¡­ Twenty years from now? Fifty? Guess where I¡¯ll be? Right here beside you. I won¡¯t ever run away¡­ There is nothing in this world that would cause me to turn tail and leave you alone. Even if you want me gone, I¡¯m sorry because I¡¯m staying right here. So I hope you get used to having me around because I¡¯m stuck with you!¡± Momo¡¯s tail surged with life and wagged. A small giggle welled up within Servi, and she stopped crying.


    ¡°Then doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯re stuck with me?¡±


    ¡°Same thing. And I don¡¯t ever want to think that that¡¯s a bad thing. Being with you? As far as I¡¯m concerned, it¡¯s going to be so much fun.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my best friend, Mosie. You¡­ won¡¯t be gone when I wake up?¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re mine, Servy. I promise you that I¡¯ll be outside your room bright and early with a smile and a big ole hug! You better be ready for it!¡± The Singi escorted her very best friend to the door while remaining connected via their hands. Such an act of affection was so engrained within their beings that neither of the two saw anything odd with it. But before Servi went back to her room, she grabbed Momo for one more hug and buried her nose within her hair. It smelled so fruity and pleasant.


    The embrace lasted well over ten minutes, spent in complete silence. Only the beatings of their hearts were audible. Eventually, they broke away after saying good night a second time. When the door shut and Servi was gone from view, Momo dejectedly walked back to her bed. At first, she was alone with her pity in the deep sadness since the floating Lux Spheres had disappeared.


    Then an unbearable happiness overcame her face. She hopped onto the mattress and rolled around like a pig in mud. Her tail was uncontrollable. Even as impossible as it seemed, it was happier than the girl it belonged to.


    ¡°Servy¡¯s back!! Yay!! She¡¯s back!! She¡¯s back!!!! And we held hands!!! And we hugged!!! And she didn¡¯t seem to mind it at all!!!¡± Momo stopped, caught her breath, giggled a few more times, and continued to roll in happiness. ¡°And tomorrow¡ªno, I guess it¡¯s past midnight¡­ So tonight¡­ I¡¯ll tell Servy¡­ After the play? No¡­ When we¡¯re back here¡­ I¡¯ll say something like, ¡®Hey, wanna hang out for a few?¡¯ and Servy would be like, ¡®Yeah. Let¡¯s talk a little bit!¡¯ And I can see it now¡­ Sitting on the bed¡­ I¡¯ll take her hand and hold it¡­ Squeeze it¡­ Then I¡¯ll stare into her eyes¡­ I¡¯ll obviously have to talk about the friendship kisses, and then I can be cool and say. ¡®What about a real kiss?¡¯ And then¡­ We kiss¡­ And I¡¯ll admit my feelings¡­ I better go ahead and rehearse my confession because it needs to be absolutely perfect!!!¡±

 Book Four – Interlude – A Brand New Self

    RuggyRuggy


    What?!?! Two chapters in a row that''s only one part?! I know. I can''t believe it either.


    ¡°Itarr, why didn¡¯t you want me to talk to you back in Momo¡¯s room?¡± asked Servi. She rested on the bed in her room, surrounded by darkness. A pair of ruby-colored eyes stared up at the ceiling. She rolled over to the left and hugged her chest. The soft, black hair coming down to her shoulders swam past her eyes like a frail curtain.


    That is because I wanted to have a chance to speak to you alone. I¡¯m sorry for my selfishness.


    Servi shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to say sorry about. But I have to say something too¡­ Thank you for protecting and watching over Momo. From Sea and Jeri to the pathetic guards that tried to do something foolish¡­ You were right there¡­ Always watching¡­ And always guarding.¡±


    Servi¡­ Itarr¡¯s voice was awfully feminine with a hint of frailness. Servi imagined she was shaking inside their soul, her divine heart trembling with something far too familiar to the blood-stained girl.


    Servi, while waiting for your recovery, I¡¯ve had a long time to think to myself¡­ I went back to when we first met and went day by day. The achievements I¡¯ve accomplished while inside you¡­ Then I realized that someone like me is more suited to be a weapon¡­ All of my power belongs to you, and you¡¯re more than experienced in using me to the fullest extent¡­


    ¡°Itarr¡ª¡±


    Please, let me finish. For the longest time, I thought I was unsuited to receive your love. Even though I love you... I kept thinking of a suitable punishment for myself, and that was what guided me to just being a weapon. I convinced myself that I was satisfied being your primary weapon. I didn''t know how I was going to do it, but I was even prepared to silence myself forever¡­ And¡­ And¡­


    Itarr¡¯s bodiless voice quivered, losing focus as she choked back a couple dozen of sniffles. She pushed through the emotions, failing again and again to speak her heart.


    And I realized that I couldn¡¯t do that!! Convincing myself to just be a tool of destruction?! I knew you wouldn¡¯t ever agree to it! But I just kept thinking, and thinking, and thinking, but that¡¯s the only punishment a sinful existence like me deserves!


    But I don¡¯t want that! I don¡¯t want to stop talking to you or Momo! Do you know what she did?! She kept thanking me over and over¡­ She even asked for our ID so she could sleep while hugging it¡­ She said that was as close to an embrace we could get until I had a body¡­ I love Momo, Servi, and I love you too!!


    ¡°I love you, Itarr. I¡¯m glad you don¡¯t want that¡­ Having someone as amazingly sweet and caring as you to end up as only a stupid weapon? I would have never stood for it¡­ Momo wouldn¡¯t have either¡­ But I¡¯m proud of you, my love¡­ I¡¯m really happy that you managed to see through it¡­ Because Itarr¡­ I don¡¯t see myself living a life without you or Momo¡­ I¡¯m only me¡­ Here right now, in this bed, in Canary, in Lando, because of you and that beautiful girl sleeping in the other room.¡±


    Servi¡­ I love you too!! I always have, and I always will!!!


    ¡°Itarr¡­¡± Servi hugged her arms to her chest. ¡°I¡¯ve decided¡­ It can¡¯t be tomorrow¡ªor I guess tonight¡ªbecause of the play¡­ But the day after¡­ On the 25th¡­ We¡¯re getting you a body¡­ If I did my math right, we have about 1,013 Potential left after using Lux Dei Omnipotentis. I might be off by a couple dozen, but I know for sure we have more than a thousand.¡±


    A body?!?! Really? The Goddess perked right up, all traces of sadness gone from her void-like red face. She happily swam around their interconnected soul. The vivid red atmosphere that was her home turned an even brighter shade of crimson. Then something ticked her mind. How did you know about that? Your memories¡­?


    ¡°Haha, guess I can¡¯t keep it a secret. It wasn''t one, but yes, I have all my memories. I clearly recall what Sea and Jeri looked like¡­ I remember every detail about the dinners at Claire''s house¡­ Even the stuff about the coconut bread pudding and cisseanate bread¡­ But I did not lie to Momo¡­ These memories just gradually came back to me over the hour, and I just chose to stay silent¡­¡±


    Does that mean¡­


    Servi smiled, her face like that of a girl realizing her crush shared her feelings of love. ¡°Yes¡­ I know, remember, and distinctly realize Momo¡¯s feelings for me¡­ And I will reciprocate them¡­ Tomorrow night¡­ After the play¡­ I¡¯ll turn those friendship kisses into the real thing¡­ And when we fall asleep, it won¡¯t be in our underwear¡­ I want to hold her against my chest and fill her with my passion¡­ I want to kiss her a hundred times, and I want¡­ I want to give her a night neither of us will ever forget¡­ Because I love her¡­ I love her smile¡­ I love how she protected me¡­ Momo even said she was my guardian and picked me up like a princess¡­ If I wasn¡¯t in love with her before, then I¡¯m infatuated with her now¡­¡± She blushed something awful and felt the heat rise from her cheeks. ¡°And Itarr¡­ When you get a body¡­ I want to teach you how to make love¡­ Will you¡­¡±


    Servi, I think I want that¡­ I want to hold your hands¡­ And kiss you¡­ And touch you¡­ And hug you¡­ I don¡¯t know if this is the right expression¡­but I want to be your woman... And Momo¡¯s woman¡­ The three of us? Being together? That¡¯s what I want¡­


    Servi rolled off the bed and straightened her clothes. ¡°Itarr, today is just the first step for the rest of our life¡­ It¡¯s a new beginning for us, and it came at the cost of many lives¡­ Forgiveness for our sins isn¡¯t something we can take for granted. It¡¯s honestly possible Momo¡¯s the only one who will forgive us for what we did¡­ Because I know that right now, neither of us are strong enough to do it alone. That¡¯s why, Itarr, I need your help. I need your assistance.¡±


    And you will have it! Servi, we certainly have a lot of work ahead of ourselves. You and I both¡­ Together, we¡¯ll uncover Necromancy and do what is right¡­ That isn¡¯t a promise, but it¡¯s a declaration!


    ¡°You¡¯re damn right it is! The road is going to be long. It¡¯ll be full of perils and danger, and we''ll likely have to kill again to protect what''s important to us¡­ I remember saying something about not wanting to be a villain anymore... And I don¡¯t¡­ But heroes have to kill to protect. It¡¯s a childish grandeur to think you can improve the world without ending hundreds of thousands of lives¡­ Every action has an equal reaction. It¡¯s not always good, and it¡¯s not always bad, but something can''t be 100% one way or the other. But we have each other¡­


    ¡°And because we have each other, I must confess something. Right here, right now¡­ I feel like myself for the very first time¡­ It really does feel like these arms are mine¡­ These fingers are mine¡­ The words I¡¯m speaking right now are coming from the true me¡­ The person I was before, even before I met you¡­ It just didn¡¯t feel like me¡­ It¡¯s really like the difference between night and day.¡± Servi strolled right out of her room with a smile and confidentially rapped her knuckles on Momo¡¯s door.


    Hmm¡­ Then would it be accurate to say this is our new first meeting? If it is, then it is a pleasure to meet you, Servi. Hehe!


    ¡°Thank you! The pleasure is all mine.¡± Servi found it rather enjoyable to hear her Goddess¡¯s laughter. She just sounded so adorable and precious, and Servi¡¯s mind wandered to ascertain what she would look like with a body.


    A few seconds later, the door slowly swung open and revealed a Momo still dressed in her pajamas. She yawned, but it looked like she hadn¡¯t had a chance to lay down. ¡°Servy? Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°There is¡­ I tried to fall asleep, but it¡¯s just too cold¡­ And I don¡¯t want to be alone¡­ Mosie, can I sleep with you?¡±


    Instead of getting flustered and acting like a fool, Momo kept her rampaging excitement inside her core being.


    Or so she tried. A wise man once said that the truest part of a Singi was their tail. Tonight, that saying was as true as ever. Her rampaging tail was as fast as pink fury. It was so speedy that if Momo laid on her stomach, she would probably have started to fly into the air like a helicopter.


    ¡°I was just thinking that it was chillier than usual,¡± Momo said while opening the door even more. She had a slight grin, like a mischievous cat who had a plan in her mind. Servi strolled into the darkness as a small Lux Sphere illuminated just enough to see the bed.


    Without even saying anything else, the two girls stripped down to their underwear and crawled into bed. As if it was programmed into their bodies, they each assumed their favorite sleeping position.


    Which just so happened to be one that was so very familiar to the two of them.


    A Goddess brought forth a blanket to lay on top of them.


    Mosie¡¯s¡­ She¡¯s so soft¡­ The last time I touched her stomach, she almost panicked. But now? She¡¯s just giggling¡­ And wrapping my arms around her waist? It¡¯s like she¡¯s a heated blanket¡­ And Gods, she smells so good¡­


    ¡°Servy, I have something to say. When you were recovering, we slept like this a lot¡­ It started when I was trying to leave to go to my room, and you wouldn¡¯t let me¡­ So I just changed into my pajamas, and you were in your underwear¡­ It was probably wrong¡ª¡±


    ¡°No¡­ It wasn¡¯t wrong at all¡­ If it was something we shouldn¡¯t have done, then why do I feel so protected? I feel so warm¡­ Mosie, you¡¯re like a heat lamp¡­¡± Servi shifted forward just a bit more. Her nose touched Momo¡¯s chest, and she inhaled her scent.


    ¡°It feels good for me, too.¡± Momo rubbed her cheeks against Servi¡¯s warm, soft hair. Then after debating on it for a couple of nanoseconds, she went for her signature friendship kiss. ¡°And¡­ That¡¯s something else I¡¯ve been doing,¡± she said when her lips left Servi¡¯s beautiful forehead. ¡°I¡¯ve been calling it a friendship kiss¡­ Because friends kiss, right? And¡ª¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re most certainly friends. The bestest of best friends, I would add. Hehe!¡± Servi¡¯s giggles, the way her arms wrapped around Momo¡¯s waist¡ªit was just what the happy cat girl wanted. To truly send a thrill through the Singi¡¯s heart, Servi leaned her head back and gave Momo a small kiss on her chin. In her excitement, she had no choice but to respond back with another friendly kiss of friendship. Then the two girls shared a giggle.


    ¡°Yep! You, me, and Itarr¡­ The three bestest of friends¡­ Servy, I think I¡¯m about to drift off¡­ I¡¯m tired¡­ Umm¡­ Did you have a talk with Itarr?¡±


    ¡°That I did. We talked it all out.¡± As if on cue, an ID appeared and plopped right down. Momo caught it, hugged it, and added it to the snuggle pile.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°And I told her something. Mosie, it really does like I¡¯m a brand-new girl. The difference between the me now and the me before we left for Arcton is like night and day¡­ Or the difference between summer and winter.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. My memories are still AWOL, but I feel like I¡¯m remembering a few things here and there. When I said I liked noodles and veggies, I was really telling the truth. And¡­ I now know that I like to fight¡­ Not to kill, but for the thrill and fun of it¡­ So like sparring and training¡­ Are you fine with that?¡±


    ¡°Servy, I¡¯ll accept all of you. If you like to fight and spar? Well guess what? I like training. And having those matches with Srassa filled me with so much joy, so you aren¡¯t alone there. And I love me some veggies as well¡­ As we continue with our lives, I¡¯m sure even more of your memories will return. Then you can tell me more about your favorite things.¡±


    ¡°Mmn¡­ That¡¯s a promise, Mosie¡­¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s a promise¡­ Servy, sweet dreams, okay? And Itarr, I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, Mosie¡­¡± Darkness encompassed her vision as Servi closed her eyes. She drifted to sleep with a pure smile on her face¡­


    She was happy.


    She was fulfilled.


    She was so absolutely thankful she was alive and able to experience this magical moment.


    Momo slightly shifted her arms and rubbed her cheeks against Servi¡¯s head. Her name purred from her mouth, and moments after that, Servi joined the girl she loved in the world of dreams.

 Book Four – Chapter Seven – Part One – Reunions and Reunions; The Birth of a Sanctuary (R-18)

    ¡°Mmmn¡­ Servy¡­?¡± whispered Momo. Her nose was buried in a head of black hair. A pair of eyes slowly opened. ¡°So¡­ It wasn¡¯t a dream?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s the real thing.¡± Servi was already awake, but she kept nuzzled against Momo¡¯s chest since she felt so warm, safe, and protected by her loving guardian. She shifted back and up the pillow until they were face to face. Momo¡¯s smile was infectious, and without asking or indicating anything, she leaned in and kissed Servi on her forehead.


    ¡°Good morning, Servy¡­ Good morning, Itarr¡­¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Mosie. Did you sleep good?¡±


    Momo nodded and fumed around under the covers for Servi¡¯s hand. ¡°I did. Did you?¡±


    Servi softly smiled. ¡°The best sleep I¡¯ve ever had.¡±


    The two remained in bed for another five minutes. Most of that was spent staring, but a bit of small talk emerged.


    ¡°I guess we have a big day ahead of us,¡± Momo said. Her ears strained themselves, and she already heard the hustle and bustle of a busy city. The canaries of Canary hadn¡¯t even started singing, and the streets and roads were already packed with bodies. Since it was the final day of an unusual seven-day-long festival, it was going to go out with a bang. The restaurants and businesses didn¡¯t mind waking up before dawn because it only meant the money coming in would be on an entirely different level. This was more true in the noble district, but it applied all the same to the commoner district, albeit at a slightly lower rate.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m gonna go ahead and take a bath. Itarr, if you¡ª¡±


    It is ready. The Goddess flew her ID in front of Momo. A second later, the bathing equipment setup popped into existence.


    The thankful girl uttered her appreciation and rolled out of bed. Servi sat up and watched as the half-naked Singi skipped over to the slab of iron that was a privacy curtain.


    Should I¡­


    ¡°Mosie?¡±


    ¡°Servy?¡±


    A pair of nervous voices rang out at the same time. Servi escaped the warm, comfortable bed and walked barefoot until she was right near the floating metal curtain.


    ¡°Servy, you first.¡± The voice wasn¡¯t so much weak as it was flanked by something skittish in nature.


    ¡°No, you go ahead. What were you going to ask?¡±


    ¡°Feel free to totally disagree, but it¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve had a chance to get clean, right? If¡­ If you don¡¯t mind¡­¡± Servi put a hand to the curtain, and it slowly started to shrink from her use of Metal Wall. Momo continued to speak. ¡°And if I don¡¯t mind¡­¡± The wall was about half of its original size. The top of Momo¡¯s head was visible, and she stared right at Servi. Both girls were blushing hard, which didn¡¯t seem to be the correct action considering they were comfortable with kisses. ¡°Why don¡¯t we take one...together?¡±


    With her request spoken, Servi absorbed the remaining wall. The barricade preventing her from seeing Momo¡¯s nubile body vanished. The Singi stared right at Servi as she fiddled with the hook on her bra.


    Oh¡­ I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m doing this¡­ Servy¡¯s right there¡­and¡­and¡­and¡­


    She moved as a snail would when trekking across the world, but a simple shelled gastropod couldn¡¯t compare to Momo¡¯s beauty. There was nothing but her arms keeping her brassiere against her chest. Servi walked forward, using her ring to absorb her black bra.


    Her bare breasts appeared, but Servi¡¯s hands were in front of them at a moment¡¯s notice. A hand-bra, it was called. She groped herself, and the two girls stared at the other in silence. Suddenly, Momo dropped her arms. The single piece of underwear hiding her breasts fell. Likewise, Servi dropped her hands and held them by her side.


    Their two faces were bright red, flushed with warm heat.


    Speechless, both girls only stared at the other. ¡°Woah¡­¡± Momo eventually said. ¡°Servy, you¡¯re pretty¡­¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re cute, Mosie¡­ You¡¯re so cute¡­ I¡­ I guess we should continue to undress, right?¡±


    ¡°Ye¡ªYeah. I guess¡­ We don¡¯t want to keep the water waiting, do we?¡± Momo couldn¡¯t help but keep her eyes glued to Servi¡¯s nubile figure. Her breasts were so full and rich, like a bosom fit for the Goddesses that watched over the world. She fiddled in place while waiting for Momo to slip those panties down her legs.


    Momo started to internally panic, but her inner voice reassured her of something blatant in hindsight.


    You already kissed her¡­ You sleep together¡­ You¡¯re even staring at her boobs! Do you really have any reason to hesitate?


    You¡¯re right, me. I love Servy¡­ And I want her to see the true me¡­ With no clothes or anything¡­


    Rising confidence filled Momo¡¯s soul. With pride, she slipped off her panties and placed her unmentionables in her bag.


    Now bare naked as the day she was born, Momo stood still. Her wagging tail meant she was ecstatic, though. Servi absorbed her own underwear and walked forward. She perhaps stepped too much since her nipples pressed against Momo¡¯s chest. And Servi didn¡¯t fail to notice a slimy liquid dripping down the Singi¡¯s thighs. Her hairless snatch was wet with her love juices. Her slit looking adorable and feminine. Really, everything about Momo oozed adorableness. She was definitely the type of girl someone wanted to hold, hug, and love on until the end of eternity.


    Servi couldn¡¯t do much because she was feeling something in her crotch. A familiar warmness welled up in her loins, and she fought tremendously against the urge to touch herself. She grabbed Momo¡¯s hand and brought it to her flushed face. ¡°You¡¯re really warm right now.¡±


    ¡°So are you¡­ Servy¡­ Let¡¯s¡­get into the bath¡­¡±


    Hand in hand, the two girls stepped into the metal basin. The water was so warm, bordering on the verge of being far too hot, but Momo liked it like this. Right after dipping their feet in, they sat down and leaned against the basin¡¯s walls.


    The crystal clear liquid came to Servi¡¯s breasts, slightly covering them but remaining totally visible. It was obvious Momo was comparing her lackluster chest to the powerhouse that was Servi. That envy lasted for literal seconds since her attention was stolen by a floating ID.


    Only it had stopped floating in the air and started floating on the water''s surface.


    ¡°I guess Itarr wanted to get clean too!¡±


    I do want to try a bath out¡­ Oh, and when you two get out, I have breakfast ready. I have two plates of nocturnal cod cooking inside the ring.


    ¡°When you¡¯d get that?¡± Momo asked Servi. She explained that Itarr told her about the first late-night excursion Servi went on. It was the one that started the Miracle of Canary rumors. ¡°Woah, so you used Lux Dei Omnipotentis six times?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Apparently, I got the Potential from a couple schools of fish in the ocean. Itarr said she managed to absorb them all. I think the total was something a couple hundred tons? When we went to the slums together, that¡¯s where the food came from. I hope you like fish, Mosie.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I do! Servy, could I borrow a few? To practice cooking, I mean?¡±


    Servi nodded. ¡°I think that can be arranged. It¡¯s gonna cost ya, though.¡± She was such a tease.


    ¡°How about three friendship kisses?¡± Momo grinned. The atmosphere had erased all sense of nervousness between the two girls who should have already confessed to each other. When they broke it down to the simplest concept, Servi and Momo were the best of friends.


    They sleep together while nearly nude. They¡¯d seen each other naked. They were currently bathing together.


    Seeing someone¡¯s naked body, especially if it was a person someone loved, was one of the most intimate things in the world. Really, the next level was love. And judging from their internal thoughts¡­


    Well, the cruise ship of love was going to sail away in a few short 14 to 15 hours. The playful sparking between the two just served to show off how close they were. If at the point where friendship kisses were being used to exchange fish, then something powerful was lurking inside their love.


    And that was called devotion.


    ¡°You got yourself a deal, but only if I can have you wash my hair.¡±


    ¡°Eh? I think you got the short end because I was easily going to increase my offer to four hugs, six friendship kisses, and some cuddles¡­¡±


    ¡°Noooooo¡­.¡± Servi feigned sadness. She comically whined and placed a hand to her face. She scooted forward until she was in front of Momo and dramatically leaned back until she had all her weight against the girl she loved. Momo wrapped her arms around Servi¡¯s bare, warm, wet stomach.


    ¡°Hehe!! It¡¯s time for me to pay up! One!¡±


    Smooch!


    ¡°Two!¡±


    Smooch!


    ¡°Three!¡±


    Smooch!


    ¡°Don¡¯t suppose I could convince you to do three more?¡± Servi looked back and stared with her saddest eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky you¡¯re so beautiful, Servy. I can¡¯t say no those big eyes¡­¡± Three more cheek kisses later, the girls stayed embraced. Momo began to hum their song, and after the first verse, started to outright sing it. After each line, she took a moment to give her love another kiss.


    ¡°Servy, that¡¯s our song¡­ It¡¯s just for me, you, and Itarr¡­ It¡¯s something that ties the three of us together¡­ And¡­ When I said I was going to be your guardian and protector¡­ I mean it¡­ I truly, truly meant it.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m ever lost¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll search day and night for you.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m scared¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hug you until you feel safe¡­¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m hurt¡­¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll heal you¡­¡±


    ¡°Mosie¡­¡±


    ¡°I trained hard, Servy. Dineria really gave Srassa and me a run for our dupla¡­ She taught us another workout¡­ And I really do feel myself getting stronger¡­ And that strength is for you and Itarr¡­ You¡¯re tough and strong, but so am I! Now, I think it¡¯s time to wash your hair¡­¡± Momo said. She had a cute smile. Servi scooted forward just a little bit as Itarr brought out the bathing supplies from her ring. With ease, Momo guided Servi¡¯s head down into the water.


    Her eyesight in water was the same as seeing out of it, and since Momo had her legs open¡­


    Her most feminine spot was as visible as mud on a white horse.


    I see Momo¡¯s crotch¡­ It¡¯s so pink¡­ A beautiful color¡­ And it¡¯s all just a simple slit¡­ I¡¯m no stranger to seeing naked girls, I think, but Momo¡¯s the cutest¡­ She¡¯s right about working out¡­ I can see her abs¡­ They¡¯re barely there, but soon she¡¯s going to have some muscle¡­ I¡¯ll miss her fluffy, touchable stomach, but if I can kiss her hard stomach? Or hell, if I can rub my hands over them¡­? Hmm¡­ I¡¯m starting to get wet thinking about it¡­


    After bringing Servi back up, Momo lathered her hands and massaged her friend¡¯s scalp. Her fingers left no spot untouched. She had more fun than she thought possible, but that probably stemmed from playing with Servi¡¯s hair.


    During this time, Momo asked some pressing questions on her mind. They were mainly about the rules of her immortality.


    On the topic of not needing to breathe at all, Servi said it wasn¡¯t like the feeling one would get when holding their breath. Instead, it was like the alveoli within her lungs were constantly being filled with oxygen without needing to actually empty and refill her lungs. Even if she exhaled all the way, the oxygen in her blood continued to be refilled at every waking second.


    Momo knew approximately 5% of what Servi explained, so Servi then described how the respiration process worked. That only left Momo more confused at how Servi could know such things. The amnesiac girl didn¡¯t know. Itarr¡¯s ID floated on by and announced she had no knowledge of any ¡®system¡¯ of the body.


    ¡°Servy, you¡¯re surprisingly knowledgeable about a ton of stuff. You can act better than most and even almost mimic them when you¡¯re doing your job as Crying Noise. And you¡¯re as smart as a cookie! Do you think that gives you any hint at all?¡± Momo asked. She dunked Servi back down into the bath and rubbed her hands all through her hair. She had to make sure all of the suds were scrubbed out of her luxurious locks.


    Momo brought Servi out of the water as it poured right down her face. She was down there for about forty seconds. ¡°Not really¡­ Things like appendixes, the lungs¡­ Almost being able to assume someone¡¯s mannerisms¡­ They¡¯re things that don¡¯t match up at all, yet it¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s just a part of me¡­ Mosie? Do you think you could hold me again?¡±


    Servi¡¯s inquiry was physically answered as she returned to the place where she felt the most protected. Thanks to a Firewall around the basin, the water was still just as hot as it was before.


    Momo asked another question about Servi¡¯s durability. She asked if the Singi trusted her, and Momo nodded her pretty head and kissed Servi¡¯s cheeks. A dagger appeared in the air, and as Servi pressed it to her arm, the blade snapped off.


    ¡°It¡¯s like I have armor covering my skin. It hardens in response to trauma or damage¡­ But it¡¯s weaker than it was before¡­ Not by too much, but maybe just a little bit¡­ I used to think only nadrium could hurt me, but maybe steel can do it? That was an iron dagger. If anything does actually harm me, True Immortality will fix me right up. And on the topic of that, I think my regeneration depends on the state of my mind. I remember one time, my hand just phased back into existence. Another time, bloody tendrils flew out and connected to my arm, and my hand fused back to my body¡­¡±


    ¡°Servy, doesn¡¯t that mean you don¡¯t need to wear armor?¡± Momo asked. She rubbed the spot where the dagger snapped and wiped away the dirt and dust. Just like Servi said, there wasn¡¯t any sign of a wound at all.


    ¡°I never thought about it that way¡­ Wouldn¡¯t make sense to wear something weaker than my body, right? I guess I could stroll into battle with a bikini, and I¡¯ll be better protected than a man in full plate iron.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a funny image¡­ But if I¡¯m being serious, you can wear pretty much anything. Servy, since I washed your hair¡­can I ask you¡­to do something for me?¡±


    The water rushed against the basin¡¯s walls as Servi got to her knees. She turned around and sat down, her breasts being a direct target for Momo¡¯s eyes. She found it hard to look away¡­ ¡°Anything at all.¡±


    Momo also got to her knees and turned around, presenting her beautiful back to the girl she loved. It was just her back at first since the rest was still underwater, but¡­ It was so pretty¡­and smooth. And the nape of her neck was asking to be kissed and caressed.


    But that wasn¡¯t what Momo was going to ask. She hunched forward just a little bit, stopping right when her perky butt poked out of the water. What Momo lacked in the chest variety she made up for in her lower body. Her legs were exceptionally smooth, from her thighs to her rump, which was toned and soft at the same time.


    She¡¯s so goddamn beautiful¡­


    ¡°Grampy said that I should only let the people I trust touch my tail¡­ Servy, can¡­you wash it for me? And Itarr¡­ When you get a body, I¡¯d like to ask the same thing... For a Singi, this is one of the most important things I could ask¡­ I know we¡¯re the bestest of friends, but this is me putting my dupla where my mouth is¡­ It¡¯s proof of our closeness.¡±


    Servi smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll be honored to wash your tail, Mosie¡­ I¡¯ve never done this before, but I¡¯ll be as gentle as possible¡­¡± The same stuff used for Servi''s hair could work for fluffy tails, so she slathered her hand up and closed the distance between the two. Servi didn¡¯t stop when that flash of pink fury accidentally brushed her stomach, and she didn¡¯t stop when her breath was close enough to tickle Momo¡¯s neck.


    No, Servi marched onward until her rich bosom blessed Momo¡¯s beautiful back with its warm touch. One hand went to Momo¡¯s stomach to return the embrace from earlier, and the other hand trailed down that gorgeous backside.


    She petted her darling Singi. Servi soaked up the feeling of Momo¡¯s exquisite skin until its very detail had been ingrained into her very fingertips.


    Only eventually did her adventurous hand arrive at the base of that fluffy tail. A surge of electricity seemed to jolt through Momo¡¯s alluring body at the flimsiest glance. Her breath hastened just a tad as Servi worked her magic.


    ¡°Rrrng¡­ Mmnn¡­¡±


    Servi¡¯s hands scrubbed the spot near where the tail emerged from her skin, then moved onto the actual, fluffy pink base. Each time she poked and prodded, using her fingers to deliver a deep clean, Momo¡¯s responses were delectable. She had to drop the arms from her chest and grab onto the metal basin¡¯s wall. Her thighs began to squirm, and her attempts to swallow pleasure backfired. Quivering was the name of the game for her legs, which seemed to be as structurally sound as a tower of rounded marbles.


    ¡°Mmph¡­ Servy¡­ It feels so good¡­ Mmmmnnn¡­¡± Momo bit her lips and panted like a beast in heat.


    Servi continued to smother that pink tail in warmth and love, going all the way to the very end. Her hand curled around the tip, and while she did grab it to slide her hand around it, it was nothing more than a small, harmless pinch.


    Momo¡¯s still reacting, but it¡¯s not as strong¡­ So I guess she isn¡¯t as sensitive at the top? It probably has something to do with the nerves. There might be a cluster right at the base which controls movement. One might be stretched along the tail for added control¡ªwait, what are you doing?


    Servi, you can ask about anatomy later. You have a beautiful girl literally squirming from your touch¡­ Focus on that¡­


    Servi agreed with her internal self before doubling back and approaching the base. At this point, she was teasing the girl while delivering many, many friendship kisses and licks to her neck. Her chest kept pushing in until her breasts were squished against Momo. That was when she moved up and down, her hard nipples sending their own affection. And the hand on Momo¡¯s stomach rubbed around in a small circle while veering dangerously close to the girl¡¯s promised land.


    ¡°Aaahhh¡­. Aaahhhh¡­ Mmmmmnnnnnn!!!!! Kyaaaa!!!¡± Momo arched her back as a thunderous orgasm surged through her body. It had been building for a while, and since she hadn¡¯t had a chance to relieve herself in weeks¡­


    This was far overdue for the backed-up girl.


    Her knees failed to keep her standing as liquid gushed out of her crotch. Her glistening thighs reflected off the basin¡¯s shiny and metallic surface. Servi saw just how wet and slimy Momo¡¯s pussy was.


    Servi helped Momo down into the water and held her close to her chest. She breathed passionately, warming Servi¡¯s erect nipple in her hot breath. Her mouth came very close to latching on and sucking like a nursing baby, but it never went that far. What did go that far was the lovely embrace the two shared that lasted well over ten minutes.


    She¡¯s so adorable and precious¡­ And she came so hard¡­ From her tail alone... If I used my tongue¡­ I wonder how loud I could get her to moan¡­ I want to taste her so badly¡­ Tonight¡­ Momo, I want to make love to you tonight¡­ More than anything in the world¡­ I want to sleep with you as a woman¡­ I want to be your lover¡­


    ¡°Momo,¡± Servi said when the Singi pushed off and away. She exasperated a hearty moan and leaned back. A blissful expression still had a spot on her face. Her cheeks were red and flushed like a tomato. ¡°Did I do good¡­?¡±


    ¡°Very¡­very¡­good¡­ Servy, that was incredible¡­¡±


    She made me¡­with only my tail¡­ If¡­she were to touch me directly¡­ Her fingers inside me¡­ Woah¡­ Or what about her tongue¡­ And look, you aren¡¯t embarrassed at all¡­


    Servi returned to sitting by Momo. Before she could fish her hand from the water, Momo changed her mind, stood up, and straddled Servi¡¯s lap. ¡°You don¡¯t mind if I ask for a hug, right? Even though we¡¯re surrounded by this hot water, I¡¯m feeling just a little bit cold.¡± She grinned because she used the same excuse as Servi.


    Servi did as her lovely Singi asked and wrapped her arms around her drenched lover. Then one hand adventured up her sexy back and onto her head. A palm caressed the rosy cheeks of a girl so bewitching that Servi didn¡¯t think there was anything prettier in all the land. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Not too heavy, am I?¡± Momo leaned forward and kissed Servi¡¯s head. In the process, she pressed her nipples against Servi¡¯s breasts, and it was like they were getting very well acquainted with each other.


    ¡°Not at all¡­¡± replied Servi, who placed a small smooch on Momo¡¯s chin. She then straightened her back and touched their foreheads together. It seemed as if hearts appeared in place of their pupils as it was obvious they were deeply in love with each other. The sparks of affection were crackling like the rampaging storm of a powerful hurricane. Anyone at all could see the care they had for the other.


    Momo¡¯s tail whipped around like a speeding arrow before curling around her hips. It was mighty flexible this morning, and Servi didn¡¯t ask for permission when she touched it. There was just no need to since the Singi and Human shared such an intimate moment involving the cute, fluffy appendage.


    ¡°It¡¯s soft, you know¡­ Almost like a bed of cotton¡­¡± Servi whispered.


    ¡°It better be! I take excellent care of it because it¡¯s the only one I have. Thank you again, Servy, for washing it¡­¡± This time, Momo came dangerously close to kissing Servi straight on the lips. The attack she launched was to the bridge of her pretty nose. Servi shifted her weight and ran her hands up and Momo¡¯s sides. They ventured down to her hips and up to the sides of her blossoming chest.


    Her thumbs came so close to massaging her nipples.


    Finally, Servi¡¯s hands came to a sudden stop on a pair of pink ears. ¡°Can you scratch me right here?¡± Momo pointed to a spot right near her right ear.


    ¡°I can. It¡¯s gonna cost you.¡± Servi lightly rubbed the spot with her nail. A purr came from Momo¡¯s throat. Her very body felt like putty, ready to be molded by her lover. Her payment for this display of lovely affection was a total of ten kisses, and she made sure to add on an extra five.


    It¡¯s kinda funny how I was so nervous at first¡­ Now we¡¯re kissing each other as if it¡¯s something we have done for years. Tonight¡­ I need to make sure I do that one thing¡­ After that, I have nothing else I can offer to her except my body¡­ And I know¡ªI just know that¡¯ll happen. My confession is ready on the tip of my tongue¡­ It sucks I won¡¯t have those dango or that tea, but that¡¯s fine. A kiss is going to be sweeter and more delicious than any old dessert.


    Ten minutes later, both girls stood up out of the water since they couldn¡¯t spend all day soaking together. They had to wash their bodies quickly, and they did that while kneeling and staring at each other.


    This relationship had progressed to the point where neither of them wanted to hide their lustful gazes. Momo stared at Servi¡¯s chest while licking her tongue, and Servi focused on that delicious crotch¡­


    She just couldn¡¯t wait to slip her tongue inside and get a rightful taste of the girl she loved.

 Book Four – Chapter Seven – Part Two – Reunions and Reunions; The Birth of a Sanctuary

    ¡°Itarr, thanks against for drying us off,¡± said Servi. In a flash, she was dressed in an all-to-familiar outfit similar to what a farmer¡¯s daughter would have worn. At this stage, she couldn¡¯t think of wearing anything else.


    ¡°Yeah, thanks again,¡± positively spoke Momo. She dressed herself in front of Servi, who stared and watched as Momo slipped a cute bra over her delicious-looking breasts. Next came a sporty pair of panties that regrettably hid away the treasure Servi wanted to plunder.


    Momo, I want to make you purr¡­


    After Momo slipped on a cute shirt, a black skirt, and pink socks, Itarr brought forth breakfast. She attempted to remake the pan-seared nocturnal cod that Momo once had a few days prior. It was¡­a valiant effort, but the novice Goddess didn¡¯t know the correct technique. Nor did she have all the ingredients.


    She sensed their disapproval, but it wasn¡¯t that. The meal was delicious because it was cooked with care only a divine being could impart. Both Servi and Momo made sure their plates were completely empty and thanked the Goddess for a delicious breakfast.


    ¡°Mosie?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± She was in the middle of putting on her shoes.


    ¡°Tonight¡­ I need to talk to you about something.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s kinda funny because I want to have a little chat with you as well. I¡¯m sure it concerns the same thing I¡¯m thinking about.¡±


    ¡°Really? Does it involve three little words?¡± Servi reached out to grab Momo¡¯s hand after she leaned up. The adorable girl had her sword stowed safely within her bag, and she was ready to go.


    ¡°Yep! Though maybe it¡¯s better to say it¡¯s four words? But I¡¯m sure the three I¡¯m thinking about is the same three you¡¯re thinking about.¡±


    ¡°Four, huh? I guess you could add a ¡®really¡¯ in there.¡±


    ¡°Maybe even four or five ¡®reallys.¡¯ Servy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± The two walked out of Momo¡¯s room after Itarr handled the door. She shut it behind them.


    ¡°I just have a feeling that tonight is going to mark an important advancement in our relationship. And that¡¯s a very good thing, isn¡¯t it?¡± Momo turned her head and flashed a smile. Her eyes were closed, and soft giggles purred out.


    She¡¯s so beautiful¡­ Stunning, really¡­ At this point, it¡¯s clear that we love each other. Tonight will only be a formality, I guess.


    Servi returned the smile, and it was clear to anyone watching that the budding lily flower of romance was in full bloom. The delightful conversation was set in stone but wouldn¡¯t happen for quite some time, and there were many things on the agenda. With no further hesitancy, the two friends walked downstairs to the lobby.


    Since it was the last day of the festival, most adventurers were taking it easy. Those that wanted to work all day, every day, were putting in the hours, but they were in the minority. Luckily for a red-headed Elf, this day wouldn¡¯t provide that many tasks for her to complete. She was behind the rightmost window out of eight. Her face seemed to be drained of energy, and the hand her chin rested on seemed shaky at best.


    Momo mentioned to Servi that Claire had to work every day for the past week and a half. ¡°She¡¯s getting off early today, but I hope her boss lays off. She needs a day or two to rest. Hey, we got some time, so let¡¯s head over there.¡±


    Servi nodded. The two lovers approached the window, and Claire raised her weary head. ¡°Servi? Momo? Good morning,¡± she yawned.


    ¡°Morning, Claire.¡±


    ¡°Eh? EH?!?!? Servi?!¡± exclaimed the Elf. Her drowsiness vanished like evaporating water. She slammed two hands down, attracting the ire of her fellow co-workers, but she brushed them off and ran out of the door behind her. Moments later, she came through a door to the left and skipped over to the friends. Her arms were as wide as a canyon, and she gave Servi a giant hug.


    ¡°Servi!!! You¡¯re okay!!!¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    The three girls chatted amongst themselves, with Servi thanking Claire for taking excellent care of her. She replied that it wasn¡¯t a problem, and she was happy to cook for her friends. A gruff growl came from behind, and an angry Dwarf tapped his foot against the ground.


    ¡°Yes, I know. It isn¡¯t my break, but this is important. Can you give me a second?¡± Claire asked.


    In a deep voice, he sighed. ¡°You can walk and talk. We have a lot to get done today.¡± The suit-wearing Dwarf turned around and walked away through the door Claire had emerged from.


    No, we don¡¯t, you jackass. I''m thankful for the job, and I like doing what I do, but you''re making it unbearable...


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Servi, I wished we could talk more, but¡­ Ugh!!! Hey, I¡¯m still coming to the play tonight. I¡¯m so excited, I can¡¯t wait! Oh, can you escort me over to the door? I got something I want to ask you¡­¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± said the girl. They started to walk. Momo stayed behind, but she certainly knew what was going to be discussed. Itarr brought forth her ID in a hidden manner. Momo saw it out of the corner of her eye and pressed it to her chest.


    ¡°So¡­ Did¡­ Hmm¡­ How do I say this¡­?¡± Claire took a thinking posture and put a hand to her chin. The gears in her head churned to find the optimal way to approach the sensitive subject.


    ¡°Claire, it¡¯s okay. I know Momo loves me.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±  Her eyes went wide with surprise.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t say it outright¡­ But I do remember what happened while I was¡­out. I told her I didn¡¯t, and that¡¯s the truth, but it started coming back to me last night. And guess what? I love her too. Last night, we even slept together¡­ She gave me a friendship kiss, and I gave her one as well¡­ I¡¯m just so absolutely crazy about her¡­ And I want to thank you for not being disgusted or repulsed by our love. I know Human and Demi-Human relationships are looked down on, but knowing we have your support? It just feels so good,¡± Servi confessed. She hugged Claire, and the happy Elf returned it. She took her slender hand and petted Servi¡¯s head.


    ¡°You two were practically made for each other. But how are you¡­ personally? You did have to kill¡­ Do you need to talk?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s kind of you, but I¡¯m doing fine. I have it all sorted out in my head. And Momo was there for me last night. But I know that if I need it, you¡¯re there for me to talk to¡­ And if I¡¯m being honest¡­ I might need your help in the future¡­ I love Momo, and I don¡¯t want to think I¡¯ll do something dumb and stupid.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯m not the most experienced, but I have been in love a few times. If you need any advice at all, your friendly and favorite red-haired Elf is available to talk to. Like I said before, I wish I could talk longer. My boss is being a jackass. Tonight, though¡­ I¡¯ll try to be seated right next to Momo.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Claire¡­ I¡¯ll see you later, then.¡±


    After exchanging one more hug, Claire regrettably retreated back behind the door and slogged her way over to her window. She sat down and fiddled with the filing cabinet nearby to seem busy.


    Damn, I should have asked why Warden is set up the way it is¡­ These stupid windows don¡¯t make a lick of sense. It would be far more efficient to just have a half-door off to the side to go behind the desks. And removing the windows are a must. And instead of it being rather plain, why not spruce it up and have adventuring books able to rent out?


    I¡¯ll never get used to this ridiculous layout because it¡¯s complicated for the sake of being an over-designed mess with aesthetics that clash. Hopefully, not all guild offices are like this.


    Why does it bother me so much?


    Her thoughts on Warden aside, Servi jogged back over to a waiting Momo, who was talking to the ID she held. The people walking around her gave her an odd look, but she didn¡¯t care. They could stare and judge all they won¡¯t, and Momo would ignore it like how dragons disregard a pesky flea.


    ¡°Hey, sorry about that,¡± Servi said. She held out a hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem. I feel like I can guess what you two talked about. Does it involve a certain three-word phrase that¡¯s been bouncing around our minds?¡± Momo hugged the ID with one hand and grasped Servi¡¯s hand. It was like hers and Servi¡¯s fingers were meant to be interconnected.


    ¡°That it did. And she asked me if I was okay since I had to kill. I know I have to tell the truth, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Servy, whatever you want to do is what I will support. Since Itarr¡¯s getting a body soon¡­ Itarr? Would you mind if we introduce you as Servy¡¯s instructor? That¡¯s kinda what I already told Srassa¡­ I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t discuss it with you beforehand.¡±


    That¡¯s fine with me. In a crude way, I did teach her how to fight through Soul Essence of Primal Combat. That wouldn¡¯t be a lie at all.


    ¡°Ah, regarding that. Let¡¯s go tomorrow and scratch that off the list. It needs 1,000 Potential, and I have a little bit above that.¡± Servi and Momo walked out of the guild and started on a trek towards the headquarters. The sun was shining bright without a single cloud. The sweet little yellow birds were chirping to their heart¡¯s desire¡ªa melodiously comforting song touched the hearts of all who heard it, bringing a soothing calmness that could thrust tranquility upon the angriest monster.


    ¡°Woah, that¡¯s sooner than I thought! Itarr, are you excited?¡±


    I am! Momo, I cannot wait to hug you! And you, Servi¡­ I want to hug the both of you¡­ And I want to drink an aviation, and eat Claire¡¯s cooking¡­ Itarr kept listing off more things she wanted to experience. The giddiness in her voice sent a warm sensation down Servi¡¯s spine. Hearing her lovely Goddess sound so excited was another indication of the mountain the three girls had climbed. And upon reaching the other side, friendships and relationships were reforged into something that truly wouldn¡¯t shatter.


    The epigram ¡®there is always light at the end of the tunnel¡¯ briefly knocked on Servi¡¯s mind and barged its way into her current thoughts. Perhaps it damaged her to summarize the Arcton incident and Lando¡¯s Scar as a ¡®tunnel.¡¯ Dwelling on her current inability to illuminate that planetary gash that reeked of death would do nothing for her right now. Conversely, imagining it didn¡¯t happen would only exacerbate and force the turmoils to return with a vengeance.


    It was going to be a delicate situation, and at this point, Servi needed to rely on her allies to help her. In that regard, she was certainly blessed.


    ¡°And we¡¯re going to do all of that. Servy, Claire did say something about having another get-together once you were well. And well? You¡¯re well.¡± The absurdity of using the word thrice over was enough to make Momo laugh.


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome. Ah, but what about Srassa? If she¡¯s going to be with us, I don¡¯t want there to be any secrets.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I can understand that. What if we ease into it? If she comes with us when Itarr gets her body, explaining her divinity much easier, right? Then based on how she reacts, we can go from there.¡±


    ¡°That sounds fine enough. The problem comes from Srassa thinking we purposely kept this from her¡­¡± Momo absolutely, positively knew that Servi¡¯s words weren¡¯t a jest as to what led to Arcton¡¯s destruction, and she didn¡¯t take it that way at all. She still couldn¡¯t be certain that Srassa would understand Momo¡¯s hesitancy in spilling the beans. The subject matter was dicey and unstable¡ªin the figurative, not literal sense. Finding out that one of the Goddesses who created the world was near her all along? Much less in the body¡ªsharing the very soul of one of her better friends? And that they were responsible for the worst attack Canary had ever faced AND were the ones who destroyed a town AND left a scar on the planet¡¯s very surface?


    Would history repeat itself so soon?


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re feeling, Servy. I can feel it through your hand.¡± Servi didn¡¯t know that she was shaking with an unsteady shiver. Momo¡¯s words calmed her down. ¡°I know we have to talk about it, but for today, let¡¯s focus on the big picture.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Thanks, Mosie. We got a long day, so let¡¯s get to it!¡±


    As they walked, Momo randomly brought up the subject of holidays. As expected, Servi didn¡¯t know anything at all. Momo pushed up a pair of invisible glasses and happily bragged it was her turn to do the teaching.


    The closest holiday coming up happened near the end of October, and it was called Hallow¡¯s Eve. Momo described it as a day where children and adults dressed up in scary costumes and went from door to door to get treats. According to her, pranks and tricks were allowed and even encouraged. As for the information behind it, Momo said her grandfather told her that spirits of the dead were said to walk amongst the living. The bonfires were used to ward them off, and somewhere along the years, costumes and candy were added.


    The next closest holiday happened near the end of December, about six days before the eve of the new year. As her grandfather explained this to her when she was a spunky kitten, every good boy and girl received a present from a Superior Spirit of Water that held dominion over ice. He was said to be a jolly ole bloke who wore a red cloak with a white fur collar and cuffs. With matching crimson trousers and a ruby-colored hat with a white ball, he was also said to be quite portly. He sailed across the starry skies with a sled powered by reindeers made from his mastery over ice. Momo noted that her grandfather told her this spirit visited every single child in the world in only one night but said even as a kitten she knew that was impossible. Still, she added there was a present or two underneath the Yuletide tree every year.


    After that came the new year, and Servi said she was familiar with that.


    ¡°The only other thing is¡­ I don¡¯t really know? Grampy and I only celebrated Hallow¡¯s Eve and Yuletide. Maybe there¡¯s something in November or the other months? If there is, then he didn¡¯t tell me. But those are just the major holidays. I''m sure there are ten or twenty little festivals or celebrations that take place in Lando but not Westera or Keywater.¡±


    ¡°That Hallow¡¯s Eve and Yuletide sound familiar¡­¡± Servi wracked her brain, but nothing came back from her internal queries.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Maybe something will return after we celebrate them?¡± Momo remained hopeful and gave her lover¡¯s hand a loving squeeze. She giggled inside when it was returned.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but Captain Fisher isn¡¯t receiving any visitors right now,¡± said a sharp-tongued Elf. Her eyes were fierce and bright like a lavender sun. Her pearl-colored hair was fashioned into a tight ponytail. Her boyish chest was guarded by a metal breastplate, and she stood guard outside of the headquarter''s entrance. There was a group of people all wanting to get in because they had some business to attend to, so Servi and Momo weren¡¯t alone. They had to barge, push, and lightly shove to make it to the front of the mob.


    ¡°Why not? He knows us. Isn¡¯t there any way we can talk to him?¡± asked Servi. She felt something was amiss. Not once had this place been closed off. And the Elf preventing them from entering was stalwart in her resolve.


    ¡°I¡¯m not at liberty to say anything. The headquarters will be closed for the day. If you have business, I suggest you come back tomorrow or the day after,¡± said Mire. A second later, she repeated those same words in a shout since it was hard to even hear herself think.


    ¡°But he knows us!¡± Momo said.


    ¡°Please, back away and go somewhere else. Captain Fisher isn¡¯t receiving any visitors.¡± From behind, the door opened. Out came a grey Koena covered from head to toe in iron armor. He held a polishing cloth between his fingers as he scrubbed his cheek scales.


    ¡°You heard Mire. Our captain isn¡¯t seeing anyone right now. The headquarters is closed until further notice.¡±


    ¡°But why? What happened to him?¡± Servi pressed for an answer, but the grey Koena refused to speak. With no other choice, Servi and Momo reversed directions and shoved their way through the crowd until emerging from the other side. The mob was starting to angsty, and neither of the girls had any idea what was going on. If anything, fear and a nasty worry started to creep into their hearts.


    ¡°If they won¡¯t let us in¡­then I think it¡¯s time for a trip into the world of non-existence.¡± The Shadow¡¯s Embrace was something that had started to become a staple choice. A ¡®go-to¡¯ ability that Servi could use in a flash that solved nearly every one of her problems. The literal void of a world that did not exist consumed Servi and Momo, covering them in black, writhing, shadowy tendrils. When combined with Air Step, there was no place they couldn¡¯t reach. Doors and walls were mere suggestions, not physical objects that had to be overcome. Even the pressure of the very air and the concept of gravity was more of a recommendation rather than a sternly written rule of physics.


    The girls strolled right through Mire and her Koena guardsman and into the lobby. The lights were on, and Roland, the bald receptionist, was hard at work analyzing papers and documents. The nearby chairs, as Servi and Momo saw from the outside, were stocked full guards of various races wearing metal armor. A fair few had leather, but all had a particularly dreadful expression.


    It didn¡¯t do anything to ease Servi¡¯s and Momo¡¯s worries.


    Servi and Momo walked right past them and into the hallway.


    ¡°It feels so weird¡­¡± complained Momo. Her eyes scanned all around.


    ¡°It took me a while to get used to it, but this isn¡¯t your first time, is it?¡± replied Servi. They turned a corner and walked up some stairs. Oh, I don¡¯t know where his office is. I¡¯ve never been to it.¡±


    ¡°I have, but it¡¯s just an odd feeling that. It¡¯s like being soaking wet while being completely dry. Or freezing while getting burnt by the sun.¡±


    ¡°Does it hurt? If it does, I can stop it.¡±


    Momo shook her head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt at all. I guess I¡¯m just not used to it. Walking through walls and people is something that doesn¡¯t quite happen every day. But I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m right as rain.¡±


    After about five minutes of searching, they finally came across Fisher¡¯s office. After confirming there wasn¡¯t anyone inside or patrolling the hallways, Servi canceled her skill and knocked on the door.


    ¡°Fisher, it¡¯s Servi. Momo and Itarr are here with me. Can we come in?¡±


    From inside the office, it sounded like something a horde of horses were running wild in a glassware shop. The door suddenly yanked open to reveal a tired Fisher Jin in clothing suitable for a lazy morning.


    Only something was amiss¡­


    The man just had a single arm. Bandages ran from around his neck to where his right arm would be. They weren¡¯t bloody at all, so whatever wound must¡¯ve stopped bleeding. The armor he was known to wear was sitting nearby, absent from its master. The scratched-out words of ¡®justice¡¯ forever etched a stained memory into the mind of its wearer.


    ¡°What the fuck?!¡± exclaimed Servi. Fisher walked backwards, and Servi charged in. ¡°Your arm?! Fisher, what the hell happened? Who did this?! Who hurt you?!¡±


    ¡°Fisher?!¡± Momo covered her mouth and forced herself to stay calm, cool, and collected. Making a scene, crying, or shouting would just cause her to regress into the weaker Momo she used to be.


    The brown-haired captain remained silent and sat back down behind his desk. Servi and Momo took a seat in the two chairs in front, the latter placing an ID down. That red stone tablet began to float in place.


    ¡°Fisher, is this why the headquarter¡¯s shut down?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s merely an overreaction. I couldn¡¯t get them to stop¡­ Suppose I should be grateful that they care about me that much. Especially Mire and Tim¡­ I really couldn¡¯t ask for better subordinates. But since you¡¯re here, I take it you¡¯re doing better?¡± Fisher sighed at first and began to talk. It took a few sentences for the ¡®life¡¯ to flow back into his voice.


    ¡°Yeah, I am. Let me apologize for my behavior when Momo and I returned. I had no right to attack you right that. Shit, don¡¯t tell me I did this?!?!¡± Servi stood up, but a hand from Fisher erased that fear from her mind.


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t do this. And you don¡¯t need to apologize. But I¡¯ll tell you what happened¡­¡±


    And so, Fisher recanted his harrowing experience over the past month and some few days. The truth¡ªnothing but the purest truth flowed out from his mouth. He kept nothing hidden except for some details about the governor and his secretary.


    Sea and Jeri? He spoke of their fate. Nicholas? He was a dastardly bishop who had a plan involving a necromancer. He was behind the odd behavior that Servi and Momo must have surely faced. His arm? That was just the cost of protecting this city, his family, and the ones he cared about. Myil, the good-natured Kobold priest, and the little church on Buncombe Street? Fisher explained his history with them, his adventure to the crater to speak his final words, and how that Kobold has helped him beyond belief. He also explained that his church was the one salvation Fisher had left. Without even asking any questions, Father Melk dressed his wound with ointment and herbs and wrapped it up nice and tight.  The kind Kobold refused to take any money for his services.


    The first question Servi had was obvious. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come to us?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see? I¡¯ve caused nothing but trouble and despair for the both of you. This problem was mine and mine alone¡­ Canary is my responsibility. If I can¡¯t protect it, then I¡¯m a failure of a man¡­¡±


    ¡°But your wife? Your daughters¡­ Fisher¡­¡±


    ¡°Momo¡­ My daughters¡­ To keep the perfect image of their infallible father in their minds, they think I¡¯m dead. They don¡¯t recognize me as their daddy anymore. But they¡¯re alive and well¡­ They¡¯re safe¡­ I saved them¡­ I protected them from Nicholas¡¯s evil plot. An arm is very much worth it. But it does hurt knowing I¡¯m out of their life. It hurts so much¡­ But I just know that my appearance will cause nothing but pain. Nicholas¡¯s last ploy to ruin me worked better than he ever thought possible.¡±


    ¡°But your arm, man. Itarr and I can bring it back. With our total combined stacks of Deus Lux, we¡ª¡±


    Another hand was held up, stopping Servi¡¯s mouth like a cat running into a solid brick wall.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore, and I can fight just as well like this. Let this be my cost for my sins¡­ All of my sins¡­ A man like me is too stained to have a loving family, but I¡¯m not so much at the edge where I can¡¯t protect them. I¡¯m sure Sakdu is laughing down on me¡­ As well, he should. If I may, I have a question for you. Servi, can you truly bring back the dead?¡±

 Book Four – Chapter Seven – Part Three – Reunions and Reunions; The Birth of a Sanctuary

    Before Servi answered, Itarr floated the ID and asked something of her own. This assistant Nicholas had¡­ This Klee¡­ How did he use Necromancy? It¡¯s a Forbidden Skill¡­ I can¡¯t even use it because it says I must finish a trial to unlock it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it either, Goddess Itarr. But I saw what I saw. Those soulless abominations did not react to anything but having their heads and bodies destroyed. When Klee died, the people he had brought back turned to dust. What could do that if not for something residing within Necromancy?¡±


    If I were to take his soul¡­ Would the skills become unlocked for me? Servi, I wonder if we can circumvent the trial requirement if we find a necromancer? We could be one step closer to our goal!


    ¡°Your goal?¡± Fisher jettisoned in. ¡°That¡¯s what I need to talk to you about. Goddess Itarr, should you obtain the power, I beg you to answer my prayer! Mafi and Fia were Sakdu¡¯s family. His wife and daughter¡­ They did not deserve to die by my hands! And the other thousands that perished under my hateful past ¡­ I know the vast majority were innocent¡­ Even if I have to use my life as collateral, I beg that you bring them back!¡±


    Fisher¡­ I don¡¯t want your life. I don¡¯t want to see you die or suffer through any pain¡­  I will do it, though. Mafi and Fia¡­ And the others. You have my word. I don¡¯t know when this will be possible, but I will refuse to give up on it.


    ¡°Thank you! Thank you, Goddess Itarr!!¡± It looked like a huge weight of relief covered Fisher¡¯s tumultuous face. He crashed back into his chair with a soft smile¡ªeven softer than silken linens.


    Fisher, you do not have to address me as Goddess. Please, just call me Itarr.


    ¡°Very well. Thank you again, Itarr. I don¡¯t know what I can offer to someone like you, but should you need my help, I will come running. That goes for you and Momo, Servi.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know all that happened last night. What about the missing nobles? You said Nicholas had a lot of followers in the church, right? He¡¯s an awful man¡­ It makes me angry just thinking about him,¡± Momo said. She held a hand to her heart and slowly shook her head.


    Fisher nodded. His expression returned to one that was much more formal. Perhaps he had longed to see a friendly face after enduring a personalized hell the night prior? His mind was still full of his wife and daughters, but at least he had something to distract him. The pictures on his desk made that awfully hard.


    Even though I¡¯m dead to them, they¡¯re still my little angels. They¡¯ll always be that¡­


    ¡°The governor took care of it. It¡¯s a bit of a cover-up, but he explained that Nicholas took his flock onto an emergency trip to Adenaford. Somewhere along the way, an ¡®accident¡¯ will occur. We¡¯re hoping a nasty storm will come through nearby, so that can be the ''excuse'' for their disappearance. It pains me to say this, but we can¡¯t come out and tell the truth.¡±


    Even if it doesn¡¯t, the governor came by this morning and explained this to me. He has a hundred ways to frame a disappearance and make it seem like the church was not prepared. That¡¯ll throw some weight their way and cause unhappiness. A few plants here and there, and he said he could make the church pack up and split. He¡¯s frightening with how far ahead he thinks things, but I can¡¯t say none of this to Servi or Momo. I shouldn¡¯t utter anything more than this.


    ¡°It hurts me as well, but that¡¯s probably for the better. Proclaiming the truth and revealing Necromancy will only cause chaos and riots¡­ Hey, how¡¯s that Koena? Is he safe? Does he need anything? Say, for example, an orphanage?¡± Servi asked. She crossed her legs and searched for Momo¡¯s hand, which was resting nicely inside her lap.


    ¡°Myil¡¯s doing much better. He¡¯s having fewer accidents, he¡¯s sleeping all throughout the night, and he¡¯s finally gaining some weight. A book his foster mother found mentioned a Koena his size was malnourished and underweight. And he has a job at that church I was telling you about. He¡¯s still shy when asking questions, and his confidence is near zero, but the boy is learning. Speaking of the orphanage, have you had a chance to look at the document?¡±


    ¡°I have. I¡¯m happy with it. I''ve got all the money inside my ring. The question is, how do I pay you?¡±


    ¡°The quickest will be to open a bank account. The Bank of Gea is located inside the noble district. It has branches all over Lando, Westera, and Keywater. If I get it under my name, I can fill out the paperwork to have it ready to transfer to the governor. Once that¡¯s done, he can divvy out the funds to the construction company. Ah, we do need a name for it. If you two don¡¯t mind, I think I have one that¡¯s perfectly suitable for it.¡±


    ¡°Go for it,¡± Servi said.


    ¡°I was thinking Fia¡¯s Sanctuary.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a better name out there for it. Servy?¡± Momo thought that was just perfect, and it brought everything around in a full circle. A moment of extreme hatred and passion being the foundation to an orphanage to bring safety and love to the most vulnerable? It was almost like it was preordained.


    ¡°I like it. Fia¡¯s Sanctuary it is, then. If you¡¯re ready, Fisher?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Servi. And yes, I am. I just need to put my armor on.¡± Fisher stood up and walked to his gear. Momo stood up and hopped over to it. She asked to touch it, and Fisher nodded.


    ¡°Do you need any help?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°Thank you, but I have it under control.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Come on, Momo. We¡¯ll wait outside.¡±


    After the door shut, Fisher sighed. Immense relief flooded his heart while he struggled with his armor. It was a pain in the ass to do it all with only one arm, but the deed was over in about fifteen minutes. A use of Dimensional Storage later, his nadrium dagger tested on his back hip. A sword dangled inside its sheath from the side, and for the first time in a week, the helmet he wore stayed behind inside a separate dimension. Before leaving, he walked over to his desk and picked up the portrait. His thumb brushed the faces of his family, and that was all the encouragement he needed.


    The sound of a door opening halted Servi¡¯s and Momo¡¯s brisk conversation about what Itarr would look like. It was such an abstract topic that neither had the foggiest idea of where to begin. Even the Goddess wasn''t able to answer it. It brought a certain fright to her heart, but that was soon eclipsed by excitement and wonder.


    ¡°Are you two ready?¡± asked Fisher. He closed the door and locked it. ¡°I know the governor is where the former mansion used to be. He¡¯s overlooking the state of repairs to the grass. If I was a betting man, I¡¯d say he¡¯s going to use that large piece of land to build the orphanage.¡±


    ¡°No wonder the plans made it seem like it was more of a mini-village. That¡¯s big enough to hold it all,¡± Servi said. She and Momo started to walk, and Fisher was right there behind them. His heavily armored boots made a noticeable, thick, heavy thump. More than ever, the beefy noise was even deeper since he wasn¡¯t quite at 100%.


    They descended down the stairs and through the hallways to reach the lobby. Before they got there, Servi asked something she was curious about. Before even that could happen, Fisher wanted to confirm one thing.


    ¡°Are you fine? Mentally, I mean?¡±


    Servi nodded. ¡°I am. Thanks for asking. I know what I¡¯ve done is something I have to live with. The most I can do is make the world a better place for those lives I¡¯ve cut short. I don¡¯t want to be offensive, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the same with you, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It is. Father Melk sure dressed me down when we went into the confessional booths. His words were harsh, but they were just what I needed to hear. Whenever we have the time, I think I¡¯d like to introduce you two to him. He¡¯s a priest, but he¡¯s one of the good ones who truly desires to make the world a better place. He isn¡¯t hungry for power like Nicholas, and Melk refuses to charge anyone, even a single dupla, for healing.¡±


    ¡°He sounds like a swell guy. A Kobold priest is a rare thing,¡± Momo added. She continued to hug Itarr¡¯s ID.


    "Fisher, I was wondering if you could answer something for me."


    ¡°Sure. What¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    ¡°It isn''t a secret anymore, but I just don''t have any memories. Momo told you that I didn''t know anything about Kobolds, Koena, Singi, or really anything else when I woke up near that forest. I''ve learned a lot by observing, but that can only do so much. Don''t know why I didn''t go to the library after Itarr gave me the ability to read and understand the language, but that''s neither here nor there. Regardless, I still don''t know much about last names. Like, I don''t think I have one because it isn''t on my ID. Momo''s a commoner, so she doesn''t have one. You''re a commoner, right? From a fishing village, I think. How did you get yours?"


    ¡°Last names are reserved for the nobility, but it is possible to be granted one. I received ¡®Jin¡¯ as a reward for one of my promotions.¡±


    ¡°But when you were born, your ID just had ¡®Fisher,¡¯ right?¡± Fisher nodded. ¡°Does it say ¡®Fisher Jin¡¯ now?¡± He nodded again. ¡°I thought only Gods and Goddesses could alter an ID?¡±


    I thought so, too. Itarr wrote. The ID vanished from Momo¡¯s clutched chest and flew in front of Fisher¡¯s eyes. Can regular people do it?


    ¡°As much as I dislike the church, it is possible for them to change it. There¡¯s a ritual they have to do, and I don¡¯t know how it works or the mechanics behind it, but pretend there are two people. One is a noble with a last name, and the other is a commoner. If they get married, the marriage ritual, if they go through with it, can add the last name to the commoner¡¯s ID. But if they get married somewhere that isn¡¯t a church, then the last name will never transfer.¡±


    ¡°How does it work with children?¡± asked Servi.


    ¡°Meri and Mari were born when I was still just Fisher. After my promotion, the ritual had to be performed three times to add ¡®Jin¡¯ to Marissa, Meri, and Mari''s ID. And in case you¡¯re wondering, there is some kind of verification system in place. A common man couldn¡¯t pay for the process to add a last name to his ID without first being granted one through the courts.¡±


    ¡°One more thing. When Meri was born, how did her name appear on her ID?¡±


    ¡°When a child is born, you have around a week to declare a name. Only the mother or father can do so. Anyone trying to be funny or an annoyance can¡¯t forcibly decide a name. Then again, there are cases where one parent decided on a name then and there in the first minute without any input from their partner. But as to what I was saying. You have to declare a name. Light gathers above the child, and their ID is created. If you have a last name on either of the parent¡¯s IDs, the last name is automatically applied to the child¡¯s ID. If you wait too long, then a name is automatically decided at random, and it can be either masculine or feminine.¡±


    ¡°That just seems too complicated. For me at least,¡± Servi confessed. ¡°And the verification system you spoke about seems like the one at Warden.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the exact same, I think. And it¡¯s strange¡­ I never before thought it was convoluted¡­¡±


    ¡°About that ritual¡­ Is it one where there can¡¯t be any tempering?¡±


    Fisher was a little bit confused. ¡°Tampering? If I remember right, it¡¯s all out of the church¡¯s control since this was a ritual left behind by the Gods who designed Warden. Itarr, does this sound familiar?¡±


    It does not. Like Servi, I have lost my memories. I only know that I was sealed up for a great many number of years. In that regard, I am just now learning about this ritual. The one at Warden is unfamiliar as well¡­ If my divine siblings did create it, the knowledge is not within me. I wish I knew, however.


    ¡°I see¡­ If I may admit something, it¡­ It isn¡¯t uncomfortable talking to you, but it feels like I have to¡­think my words through multiple times¡­¡±


    You don¡¯t need to be that careful, Fisher. Even though I¡¯m a Goddess, I¡¯d still like to be friends with you.


    Having a Goddess for a friend? If he was alive, Nicholas would probably shit his briefs.


    ¡°It would be pleasant having you as a companion. Thank you, Itarr.¡± Fisher held up a hand, then stopped because he couldn¡¯t quite know how to shake hands with a floating stone tablet. He was puzzled for a few seconds. Instead of agonizing over it, he just grabbed it and shook it up and down.


    A handshake? Ah, but tomorrow, we can change that! There¡¯s a skill Servi and I can learn that will grant me a body.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you a proper one tomorrow. Oh, there¡¯s something I need to say. I¡¯ll take any punishment you think I deserve, but I may have told my wife there was a Goddess living at Warden. It just came out one night when we were talking. I apologize.¡±


    I don¡¯t mind. Speaking of that, perhaps I could help with the obvious problem at hand? I don¡¯t want to throw around my weight and status as one who helped create this world, but I could talk to your daughters. Proving my divinity should be easy.


    ¡°That¡¯s kind¡­but¡­¡±


    I understand. I will not push the subject. Just know that the offer is on the table.


    ¡°Thank you for your kindness.¡± After turning down yet another hallway, the group just had one more flight of stairs before they¡¯d be at the lobby. That got Fisher thinking. ¡°How did you get past Mire? She isn¡¯t letting anyone in.¡±


    ¡°We used The Shadow¡¯s Embrace to slip right through them,¡± Momo answered the question with an innocent tone more suited for a topic that didn¡¯t involve one of the most powerful skills in the world.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Well, that would certainly do it. There¡¯s not much someone could do to protect against it without having access to the same skill. Mind if I ask you something?¡±


    "Go for it," Servi nonchalantly replied. She listened to Fisher exclaim the supposed ''miracles'' that resulted from an incident called the ''Miracle of Canary.'' She either nodded or shook her head at the claims that gradually ramped up in lunacy. "The most I did was fix up a few wells, healed a bunch of people at a back alley apothecary, and used Lux Dei Omnipotentis. Oh, and if there''s something about a shortage of nocturnal cod, I might be responsible for that."


    "I see..." Fisher calmly said. He blinked rapidly at the kind of power someone would have to use the most powerful and most intensive skill in the world six times. The thing that brought him out of that wonder was a heartfelt apology. He told Servi and Momo that his men came to him with a solution to solve the sudden onset of temporary paralysis that had been plaguing the guard. Itarr apologized, but she said she did what she had to do to assure no one would bother Momo while she took care of Servi. "Don''t get me wrong, I''m not admonishing you by any means. I gave them a talking too, but..."


    As the days passed up by, I had to restrain more and more people by the day. They weren''t all your men, but there were more of them than common civilians.


    "The only thing I can do is offer my sincere apologies. I hope you believe me when I say that I''ll do whatever I can to give you two the peace of mind."


    I know you do, Fisher.


    "Fisher, does this city have any welfare program to help those in poverty?" Servi asked. Fisher said there was something similar to that, and Servi told him about the slums. She spoke of the old woman who had no choice but to be a doctor and how hard it was for her and the people she cared about. "I fed them some time ago, and haven''t went back. I hope they''re doing good..."


    "Don''t worry about it. I''ll send some of my best men around there to see if they need help. There isn''t that much money available, but I''ll personally see to it that the children are taken care of. And I''ll tell my healers to don''t worry about charging. That was an idiotic rule from the get-go."


    "That it was, Fisher. That it was," Servi replied.


    Upon reaching the lobby, the guards were surprised to see their captain mulling about in his armor. Seeing the two girls with him brought anger since they didn¡¯t know how they broke into the headquarters. Each entrance was heavily guarded.


    Fisher ordered them to stand down. Then he explained that he was fine. His subordinates didn¡¯t buy that for a second, and they kept their stubbornness up until Fisher produced an expertly crafted lie about his wound. He didn¡¯t have a chance to spin his tale because Mire and Tim turned around. Through the glass, they saw their captain gallivanting with the two girls she had barred from entering.


    The Elf and Koena slipped inside and rushed to the front. She barked an order to three men to dash outside and stand their ground against the group of people who only wanted to complete their errands.


    ¡°Captain, are you fine?!  And you two! How did you get in here?!¡±


    ¡°Mire, I told you I was fine. You and the others do not need to go this far.¡±


    ¡°Sir, but your arm? Whoever did that to you is still out there! You said you had everything under control before your break, but that was an apparent lie! Tim and I knew we shouldn¡¯t have left you alone!¡±


    ¡°Captain, I agree with her. You had those assassination attempts on your life. Your safety is our top priority!¡± Tim passionately said. He dropped his polishing cloth and put a hand to his weapon. Clearly, he was about to draw it, and he wasn¡¯t alone.


    Itarr was about to ask if she should restrain them, but Fisher acted quicker.


    ¡°Listen!¡± shouted Fisher! ¡°I am putting an end to this right now! I appreciate your concern for my safety, but there is no need to do that. The one who was after my life¡­ They are dead. I killed them last night after hearing a cry for help. I followed those screams until I came across a woman about to be killed. I chased the assailant through Canary¡¯s backstreets until they left the city. My chase continued until we reached the forest, and I met the one who wanted me dead. I managed to kill them, but I lost my arm in the process.¡±


    ¡°Captain? Why didn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°I tried to, Mire. But you wouldn¡¯t let me get a word in this morning. When I tried to say something, Tim mentioned my office was the safest place for me. Don¡¯t know why I allowed this farce to continue longer than necessary. Now return to your posts and start your patrols. Open the door and stop preventing the good citizens of Canary from going about their day. I don¡¯t want to see this place closed down ever again, understand?!¡± Fisher barked out the orders in a commanding tone, and everyone started to move once. A gaggle of guards rushed out of the headquarters, and a bunch of angry, swearing citizens ran in. Madness occupied their faces.


    Cries of ¡®I pay my taxes for this shit¡¯ and ¡®I¡¯m filing a complaint with the governor for being treated like this¡¯ filled the lobby. There was a mad rush to the receptionist desk, and the hard-working Roland had no choice but to put in the hours and effort to see to everyone¡¯s worries.


    And Fisher wasn¡¯t spared any complaints at all. He took it in stride and only said he would listen to them after returning from patrol. He, Servi, and Momo walked through the crowd and emerged outside.


    ¡°Captain!¡± cried Mire. She ran to follow them, and Fisher turned around. He saw an Elf trembling in place. Her knuckles were white from where she clenched her fists so hard. Tim looked slightly abashed. He ran up to join his fellow guard while receiving Fisher¡¯s disapproving gaze.


    ¡°Stay here and help Roland. You too, Tim. When I come back, we will need to talk about this. While I appreciate your concern for me, I am disappointed you ignored my orders. Part of the fault is on me for not excelling in my role as captain. I should have put my foot down and ended this ridiculous farce, but I was still perhaps a bit too drowsy from the medication. Regardless, when I give an order, it is your duty to follow it. Everything we do is for the people of Canary, not me. When you made your oath, it wasn¡¯t to me, was it? Think about that.¡± Fisher turned around and started walking with Servi and Momo, who remained quiet.

 Book Four – Chapter Seven – Part Four – Reunions and Reunions; The Birth of a Sanctuary

    Once they were far away, Momo asked if Tim and Mire would get in trouble.


    ¡°No, they won¡¯t. I really am glad to have such wonderful subordinates working for me¡­ I don¡¯t know why¡­ Why couldn¡¯t I have ended it sooner? Why did I allow Mire to speak over me while I slumped back to my office? That drowsiness was an excuse."


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself, Fisher. Just think about what you went through. It¡¯s impossible to stay cool, calm, and collected, even in the most extraneous of circumstances. We all act out of character every once in a little while. That¡¯s just a part of life. The best thing to do is to just roll with it. When you get back, offer an apology and spin the tale from disobedience into one where Mire and Tim only wanted to protect their captain from further harm. Appeal to everyone¡¯s sense of compassion if you have to make a statement. You can also retell that story for some extra brownie points with the public.¡±


    ¡°I gotta say I¡¯m impressed, Servi. It took you what¡­four seconds to come up with that. It¡¯s good advice. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d say you were in my spot once before.¡±


    ¡°Servy, do you think you were someone in a leadership role at one time? Someone who had to make statements to the public?¡± Momo asked.


    Servi thought about it as they headed towards the Bank of Gea. It was still going to be about a forty-five-minute walk. Possibly even longer than that since the streets were already packed to the brim of fun party-goers. Thanks to how the three were walking, Fisher''s missing arm was slightly obscured by Momo.


    Servi¡¯s mind went back to her comments about how Sakdu ran the Mafia. She distinctly remembered saying something about how inefficient it was and how he had made so many mistakes. She was so angry and upset he didn¡¯t do it the way she would have if she was in control. Why was that?


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right,¡± Servi said. ¡°But I can¡¯t be totally sure one way or the other until my memories come back.¡±


    Fisher changed subjects. ¡°Have you two had the chance to experience the festival? Tim, Mire, and the governor worked out a plan to give me six days off to spend it with my family.¡±


    ¡°That was sweet of them. But we haven¡¯t. Servy¡¯s been rehearsing for a play¡ªOh, I forgot!!! Fisher, Servy¡¯s in a play!¡± Momo was enthusiastic when she let loose all of the fine details of how Servi obtained the role.


    ¡°That¡¯s incredible. I wish I could attend, but I cannot get out of work. My family, on the other hand¡­ I believe I have a way for them to attend. I did get some tickets from the governor three days ago¡­¡± A sadness cast over his eyes. Fisher was just dying inside, and Servi and Momo shared the pain. Neither of them wanted to press the issue since it was volatile and sensitive. The only thing they could do was be there for his support. Perhaps in the near future, they could assist in reconnecting father and daughters.


    ¡°I do wish we could have experienced it all from day one. I bet there¡¯s a lot of delicious food we missed out on. And the games. When Servi and I were walking back to the guild from the theater hall, it seemed like there were games galore. One involved fishing a hook through a little wooden duck to win a prize. And another had you throw a ball and knock down a bunch of cups,¡± Momo said. She stared listlessly at the fun passing her by. ¡°And then there were the cute, colorful robes with pretty designs you could get at some stores. They¡¯re probably out of them by now¡­ But there is always next year, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Mosie. Fisher, is there another festival coming up? Like a winter one?¡±


    ¡°There might be. I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need to say it, but money is tight at the moment for this city. The governor had to fund the majority of this out of his pocket. Depending on how much is earned, he said we may or may not have a winter festival for Yuletide. That one would be a single day long. But there is something small that happens on Hallow¡¯s Eve. Think of it like a miniature festival. It¡¯s common for many to adorn their houses and businesses with spooky decorations. Children run around with bags and receive candy from adults. Some adults even participate and dress up like monsters. Meri had antlers, and she was just the cutest deer. Mari went dressed as a bunny.¡±


    ¡°So I guess I¡¯m not alone in thinking there are bunny people out there,¡± Momo said. Fisher was rightly confused, and Momo explained her little talk with Claire about how there couldn¡¯t be only just the handful of races out there that could use skills. The world was big and full of things that had never been discovered.


    Somewhere along the way, the topic shifted over to Kobold anatomy. Servi found it a scientific marvel how Koena could circulate their organs and lungs to different spots in their body. She said that should be something scientifically impossible. If Koena and humans shared the same skeletal and muscular system, there wouldn''t be room for multiple organs.


    ¡°They don¡¯t. Their scales act as both of those things. The entirety of their bodies is¡­ I don¡¯t know the proper term, but their organs¡­ ''float.¡¯ Think of their body as a box. The organs can be rearranged and slotted in different areas. And some Koena are born with a second or third organ in case one fails. It¡¯s rare, but there are Koena out there with three or four lungs. They can master Pulmoni Oxygeni. Only a Koena can use that technique because of how their bodies are designed. Ah, a fair few are actually born with bones like we have. It¡¯s almost something of a disease, though, and I do not know the cause.¡± That was the extent of Fisher¡¯s knowledge, which he only learned from Kaitlyn. During one of his visits, he escorted her to the local library inside the noble district and assisted her in checking out a book that held the answers to all of her questions. Those included the ones about the differences between a Singi and a Koena when it came to¡­ particular matters involving reproduction.


    The general shape of the penis was the same, but when flaccid, their penile scales were slightly shifted apart with gaps in between. When erect, the scales fuse together and harden to become like metal, but the surface of the penile scales grew small ridges and bumps that did not indicate anything unsanitary. On the contrary, those were where the nerve clusters were located at.


    In other words, their most sensitive spots functioned much like a clitoris. Only they had far more than one.


    When Kaitlyn first learned of this, she thought it was impossible for her to teach this to her newly adopted son. It wasn¡¯t hard teaching her daughter about her body since they shared the same gender. During one late night, she closed the book with a huff and expressed disappointment over her uncomfortableness.  She realized it was up to her to give Myil the best education possible.


    ¡°He¡¯s my son, now,¡± she had said while looking to the right. He had curled up in a ball while wearing the red pajamas she had sewed for him. Kaitlyn, her daughter, and Myil were sleeping in the same bed since he had a tendency to cry in his sleep. It was a hard habit to break, and he was progressing, but he still often whimpered like a lost puppy before finally drifting off. ¡°It¡¯s my job to make sure he¡¯s prepared to face what life may throw at him¡­¡±


    Of course, all of that highly sensitive and personal information about Koena did not transfer to Fisher. He didn¡¯t know a thing about it. As such, Servi wasn¡¯t privy to it either. She went back and forth about any general questions she had. Momo joined in, and the one-armed man found it reassuring to teach what he had learned.


    A couple of minutes later, Servi spotted a very familiar dog walking alongside an Elf and a group of casual-dressed adventurers. They were laughing and giggling while enjoying the snacks and delicious treats in their hands.  ¡°Cue?¡±


    ¡°Woof?¡± The white beast turned around and remained incredibly still until his nose recognized an unforgettable scent. ¡°Bark¡­ Bark!!! Bark!!! Woof!!! Awoooooo!!!¡± He scrambled his legs as fast as he could while running over to Servi. She kneeled down rubbed him all over. A pair of long, earthen-colored legs appeared in her vision, and Servi looked up.


    ¡°It¡¯s you¡­ You¡¯re better!!!¡± cried the Elf. Water sprung forth from the corner of her eyes. Her companions behind her just stood there with a smile. They were happy their party member was happy, but they didn¡¯t know the reason. Servi stood up and gave Elly a hug.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again, Elly. And Cue¡¯s still as cute as he can be.¡±


    ¡°Servy!¡±


    ¡°Woof!!! Woof!!! Awoooooo!!!!¡± howled the excited dog. He scurried around Servi¡¯s legs, jumping and scratching and licking.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re doing well¡­¡± There was an unoccupied bench available a couple of meters away.


    ¡°I did¡­¡± she whispered. Servi leaned back from the hug but kept her arms on Elly¡¯s quivering shoulders for a second or two. They walked over to the empty seats and sat down. Cue hopped up in Servi¡¯s lap and viciously licked her face. Elly smiled and wiped her eyes with a handkerchief one of her party members had given her. ¡°I¡¯m so glad I got to run into you again. If it weren¡¯t for you, I¡­ I wouldn¡¯t be where I am now. It isn¡¯t wrong to say you saved my life. I tried to give you this back once before, but¡­¡± Elly was wearing a tunic that had a dagger sheath sewed into it. She pulled it out.


    ¡°Mosie told me everything. Keep it. Let it be a symbol of our friendship,¡± Servi said.


    Elly cried, thanking Servi once more before introducing her party. ¡°I¡¯ve got friends now. I¡¯ve got people I can rely on¡­ I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll ever need my help, but I swear I¡¯ll drop everything and rush over. It¡¯s the least I can do.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice, but I didn¡¯t do it intending to receive help. I just saw someone in need of help¡­and I simply helped. But if I¡¯m in a spot of trouble, I am glad to know I can count on you.¡± Servi stood up while holding Cue. He had fallen asleep in her arms in the short time they had been talking. Elly¡¯s ears twitched when Servi handed the fluffy beast back to his master.


    After talking and catching up for a few more minutes, it was time to part ways. ¡°You take care, Servy. Mosie, it was nice seeing you again. Captain Fisher, it was a pleasure meeting you. I hope you¡¯ll be fine with that wound.¡± The rest of Elly¡¯s companions said something similar and walked away while waving. Servi knew Fisher had questions, so she went ahead and recounted their meeting. She left out her tormenters'' torture and how close Elly came to being raped, though. She didn¡¯t think that stuff was  needed to get her point across.


    Momo was smiling, but not because of the story Servi was telling. Her fluffy ears picked up a conversation Elly was having with one of her friends.


    ¡°So that¡¯s her? The dagger giver?¡± said the only other Elf in the party. He wasn¡¯t an Earth Elf like Elly.


    ¡°Yes. Without her, I simply wouldn¡¯t be here. I would have died that night in the slums with Cue, and no one would have known I even existed. Her strength is my goal, but it¡¯s one that¡¯s impossible for me to achieve.¡± She touched her ears and whispered a prayer of thanks for their meeting. If it wasn¡¯t for Servi¡¯s miraculous ability to heal her ears, her pride and symbol as an Elf would have remained tarnished forever since only death was awaiting her.


    ¡°Really? She seems like a normal Human to me. I could take her in a match.¡± Elly shut him down fast.


    ¡°If you and her were to fight¡­ You would not win. Trust me on that, friend. I¡¯m of the right mind that even if the captain had both arms, he wouldn¡¯t win at all. I haven¡¯t even seen her at full strength. The sliver I saw was¡­ No, it isn¡¯t in my right to say anything about her.¡±


    ¡°Eh?! Then let¡¯s go back and ask for¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t. Give her the peace she deserves. If you want to lose that badly, then we can find her another day.¡± By then, they were too far for Momo to hear.


    The group traveling to the bank continued on their way. They soon walked past the shopping center and into the noble district proper, and that was when more and more people noticed Fisher¡¯s missing arm. He couldn¡¯t hide it anymore, and he was endlessly pestered about it. He kept repeating the story he told Mire, but it was a drastically shortened version.


    That alone added another half-hour to their journey. Most of that was spent reassuring the concerned citizens that everything was fine. The last thing Fisher needed was a panic to break out. He had to admit it warmed his heart to see so many were worried about him. It meant he was respected amongst the citizens, and his sacrifice¡­ He didn¡¯t want to say it was worth it, but it was the correct choice. Even if it would continue to pain him for another eternity or so, the people he saw with concerned expressions almost lessened that emotional anguish.


    This¡­is justice, right? Doing what¡¯s right for the city? I saved them and my family, so I should be happy that the worst-case scenario failed to pass. For the city, that is¡­ Meri, Mari¡­ Your father will love you until the end of his days¡­ You¡¯re my precious angels¡­


    Momo couldn¡¯t help but compare the quality of the excitement in the noble district to the common district. Everything on this side of town was on a different level. The food was more delicious, the sweets were sweeter, the exquisite intricacy of the silks used to create shirts, robes, shawls, and scarves couldn¡¯t be matched. That was for a few main reasons, but dupla was the primary one.


    Those who could pay more would naturally receive better materials that were of the highest quality. Those with money to spend could pay others to manufacture the goods they wanted to sell. On top of that, everything located here was marked up at an outrageous percent because those with an excessive amount of dupla wouldn¡¯t think twice before dropping a couple thousand on a dress.


    Dupla made the world go around and around. That rule was the oldest one in the book.


    Even if she personally couldn¡¯t afford even a single chocolate piece, Momo still had lots of fun. She was able to see and experience what a proper festival should be with her lover. She could use this experience to further prepare for the next one.


    Yeah¡­ Servy and I will squeeze eight days of fun into one. This is just us gathering information, right? Canary, you better watch yourself!


    ¡°The bank¡¯s just up ahead.¡± Fisher¡¯s words brought Momo out of a dream. They turned a corner and found themselves with so many people it was like a stampede. Their destination was a large building with ¡®Bank of Gea¡¯ plastered across in big, bold letters. It stood on the left side of the street. The financial building was mostly made out of brick. The only glass was used in the four windows on each side of the glass doors. A pair of armored guards¡ªnot from Canary but from a private security company, stood on both sides. Their equipment wasn¡¯t nadrium, but it was still incredibly tough enchanted steel.


    The reason why so many little stalls and stores were nearby was simple. If someone saw something they wanted but couldn¡¯t afford, the meticulously close bank had the answer to that sudden problem. This guaranteed more money would swirl around Canary, which was good for the economy and the bank. What if a commoner wanted to take out a loan? The bank automatically declined anyone without a last name. But anyone could set up an account with them because why would the bank give up an opportunity to make any money? Loans were a different story since someone with nothing to lose could skip town after getting paid.


    The group approached the bank¡¯s entrance, but they were stopped. In order to come in, Fisher had to give up his weapons. Likewise, Momo had to leave behind her sword and bag since it was enchanted with Dimensional Storage. She didn¡¯t want to leave them alone with a stranger but ultimately complied with the order.


    ¡°Do not worry, ma¡¯am. Nothing will happen to your items. Captain Fisher, I apologize for the trouble. I do not know the story behind your wound, but I wish you well.¡± The one that spoke was on the right. His voice was deep and guttural, and his height suggested he was a Dwarf. Fisher thanked him and said it was no trouble. The guard on the left opened one of the doors, the three walked right in.


    Right at once, a blast of cold, refreshing wind came at them from the ceiling. When the doors shut behind them, the roaring noise of an excitable crowd experiencing the festival died down to a quiet whisper. Did this place use materials enchanted with Silentium Fluctus? Quite possibly, but that added an outrageous amount of dupla to its construction. Fisher spotted a sign nearby that asked any customers to be patient.


    ¡°In here. You have to wait for someone to be available. Servi, do you know anything about banking?¡±


    Servi and the others walked over to a small waiting area and sat down. A table of cookies and snacks sat in front of them.


    Servi and her companions were in the main lobby of the bank. It had just the one floor, but against the far back wall stood a row of receptionists behind a waist-high desk. There weren¡¯t any ridiculous windows separating them into smaller units. But perhaps there should have been since this building manager quite a lot of dupla. Servi did notice a small hip-high door that allowed employees to walk from behind the desks out into the lobby.


    Immediately, the only thing preventing her from venting in frustration was the absurdity of the situation. Internally, she screamed against her mind¡¯s walls. WHY DOES THE BANK HAVE THE LAYOUT WARDEN SHOULD HAVE USED?!?! WAS THERE A MIX-UP AMD NOBODY CORRECTED IT?! Why do I care so much about it?!?! GAH!!!!!!


    She kept looking and saw a couple of rooms off to the side. Like the entrance, these were guarded by an armored warrior. Since the equipment looked similar enough, they probably came from the same company.


    A family of three women wearing dresses¡ªtwo girls and a mother¡ª were elegantly sitting quietly and patiently waiting nearby. They seemed familiar, but their faces were turned towards the mother¡¯s lap because she was reading a document to them. ¡°A little. You give them money to hold on to. When you need it, you take it," Servi said, finally answering Fisher''s question.


    ¡°There¡¯s also a savings account you can have that¡¯s different from a normal one. With a savings, you accrue interest and end up making money. You might want to open an account here. Or at least give it thought. If you pay an additional fee, you can have your bank details show up on your ID. It isn¡¯t useful for people like you and I, but for those involved in the changing market in Adenaford, it¡¯s invaluable.¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­ But honestly, Itarr¡¯s the perfect bank. I don¡¯t ever have to worry about my money getting lost. Besides, I kinda don¡¯t need anymore. I still have over twenty million, and that isn¡¯t including the thousands of rings, necklaces, and jewels I obtained from Parrel. Then you have the nadrium armor that isn¡¯t my size and the weapons. I honestly think that if I liquidate it all, I could buy a country. If I run out, I just have to find a mine, right? I don¡¯t need to sleep or eat. With Itarr¡¯s help, I could do the work of a hundred men over a thousand days in a week or less. And there¡¯s Warden. Could make some good money by selling monster parts.¡±


    ¡°Eh?! You have that much?!¡± Momo exclaimed. She immediately covered her mouth and spoke in a much quieter voice. ¡°You have that much?!¡±


    Servi nodded and crossed her legs. ¡°The previous governor had so much stowed away at the top of that ridiculous mansion. Technically, this money isn¡¯t mine at all. Really, the only things I own are the nocturnal cod we collected, the clothes you and I bought, and the sword and armor I purchased from the Warden shop. I think I bought a spare set somewhere along the line, but it doesn¡¯t fit me. Most of the items chilling in my ring were ill-gotten. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t have a problem in paying for the most expensive options for the orphanage.¡±


    Holy dupla on a tree!!! I didn¡¯t know she had this much!!! She probably has more than Srassa!!! Even if she was as poor as dirt, I¡¯d still love Servy because I don¡¯t love her for her money. Wealthy or not¡­ I¡¯ll love her all the same.


    Servi took out the design documents and looked through them. Fisher talked with her and answered any questions she may have had. According to him, he would train the guards assigned to protect it. And every day he was working, he said he would drop by during his patrol and check on it.


    ¡°As for the caretakers, teachers, and other staff, the governor had a list of proper candidates. He and his secretary took care of the staffing and arranged employment contracts. I looked over them as well. They should have been included, but I guess it wasn¡¯t. My apologies for that. Regardless, you couldn¡¯t ask for better people to run it.¡±


    About ten minutes passed, and an employee came and helped the family sitting nearby. It would take another twenty for someone to approach Servi. He was a Human with black hair, and the nametag on his suit indicated his name was Terry. With just one look, he scanned Servi¡¯s simple clothes and already made several conclusions about her financial status. He did the same to Momo, but he actually recognized Fisher.


    ¡°My goodness, are you okay?¡± he asked, holding a hand to his heart. After an explanation, he told him that he was escorting Servi because she needed to make a deposit. He also said he wanted it to be in his name and apologized for any trouble. ¡°Believe it or not, this happens somewhat frequently. Servi, yes? Follow me, please.¡± Terry led the group of three to an empty desk while he walked around to sit on the other side. Servi thought that was a bit strange.


    Wouldn¡¯t it be easier for someone to just call us over while sitting down? Isn¡¯t that how it should work?


    She ignored it and all the other little quirky decisions that didn¡¯t make sense for the time being.


    ¡°What can I help you with?¡± asked Terry. He folded his hands over the desk and offered his most professional smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s what Fisher said. He¡¯s going to open an account, and I have a deposit to make.¡±


    ¡°Very well. Captain Fisher, if you can fill out the paperwork¡­ I¡¯ll also need your ID. Servi, where is the money coming from?¡± Fisher began to fill out the documents Terry handed to him. It was hard with one hand, but he declined any assistance.


    ¡°It¡¯s coming from my Dimensional Storage. You have a place I can use to bring it out?¡±


    Terry unprofessionally sighed. These damn commoners think a thousand is enough to warrant any privacy.  Biting his tongue, he spoke while scribbling a small note. ¡°Take this to one of the armored soldiers in the back. This is your ticket to enter the room they¡¯re guarding. Inside, you will find a private place to bring out your money. There will be an employee back there who will count your dupla. Receive a paper from them, and bring it back to me.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Mosie, I¡¯ll be back.¡± Servi walked off towards the closest run, which was right by the family of three women. She knew they looked familiar, but her mind couldn¡¯t place them. Possibly because she hadn¡¯t had a chance to see their faces.

 Book Four – Chapter Seven – Part Five – Reunions and Reunions; The Birth of a Sanctuary

    Upon giving the note to the guard, he took out a key and opened the door. Servi stepped in to find a palatial room reminiscent of a fancy lounge. Two waiters stood off to the side. A single couch faced a coffee table filled with books. A fully furnished bar was nearby, but no one was running it. Other than the waiters, there was a smartly dressed woman with glasses sitting behind a desk that faced the entire room. She looked up when the door shut and welcomed Servi in.


    ¡°My name is Tonia. Can I help you?¡± she asked. She waved Servi over and pointed to a chair in front of her desk. That was filled with documents neatly organized in a series of equal stacks. An inkwell with black ink was filled to the brim, and the feathers on her four quills sparkled with a pretty yellow shine.


    ¡°Hi. My name¡¯s Servi, and I was told I could take out my money from my Dimensional Storage.¡± Servi sat down.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. How much would you like to deposit?¡± Tonia¡¯s hands began to fill out a document with Servi¡¯s name and other information after asking for her ID and dog tags. The latter was just optional information that wasn¡¯t required to make a deposit.


    After thinking about it, Servi decided on twenty million. She figured that would take care of any unforeseen problems during construction.


    When Servi told Tonia that, she froze solid and dropped her quill. Ink splashed down, ruining the document. She took her glasses off, cleaned them, and put them back on her face.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, please do not jest,¡± she spoke in a stern voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a jest. I have twenty million I need to deposit. Here.¡± Itarr knew that was her sign, and out came the glorious rain of shiny dupla. What seemed like a hundred thousand metal coins spontaneously appeared from the nether. Tonia tried to say something, but her voice was held hostage by the absurdity of it all. After Itarr had let out half of the desired amount, she stopped and gave a small break. Servi turned around and stared at the speechless waiters. Their eyes were big and wide. One was shaking in his dress shoes while the other chattered his teeth. Servi heard a noise and faced Tonia¡¯s desk. Her inkwell had fallen over, staining the entirety of her desk with a murky mess.


    In a flash, the chaotic dupla returned to their home within Servi¡¯s ring.


    ¡°Do you believe me? Itarr, can you absorb the ink and fix her papers?¡±


    I¡¯m on it.


    It seemed as if the world was rewinding as the trashy state of Tonia¡¯s desk returned to how it was before. Her eyes stared in wonder when the blackened-stained deposit documents became as clean as when they were first printed off the press. Absorbing the small molecules was an incredibly precise technique Itarr was quite proud of. It seemed the work she did at the Old Onyx and the help she gave Feral came in handy.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am¡­ Of course you have twenty million¡­ Ha¡­ Haha¡­. Hahahaha...¡± Tonia was broken, but the experienced woman returned in a reinforced state. She apologized and asked Servi for her forgiveness. She replied there wasn¡¯t anything to say sorry for since her reaction was expected.


    ¡°I know I¡¯d freak out someone dropped a rain of coin from nowhere. Take my apologies as well. I shouldn¡¯t have done that. I¡¯m sorry if it frightened you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Miss Servi. If you would have me, I am ready to handle your deposit. If you need anything to drink, please ask the waiters. Both of them are trained bartenders as well. If alcohol isn¡¯t to your favor, we have an assorted selection of juices.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a plan to me. Ah, I do have one little request. Could keep what happens in here a secret? Regarding the dupla suddenly appearing and the tidying of your desk?¡±


    ¡°Whatever are you talking about, ma¡¯am? As far as I¡¯m concerned, you¡¯re just making a deposit.¡± Tonia smiled. She was smart enough to not question the unknown and unexplainable. The two waiters shared her feelings in that regard. As such, Servi gave them each ten thousand dupla as a tip. A round of thanks approached Servi, and she sat down on the couch. One by one, ten dupla, each worth 1,000, appeared on Tonia¡¯s desk. She counted them up in a flash and marked something down on her document. When she did, Itarr brought forth another stack and waited for Tonia to signal.


    By my count, we have just enough 1,000 dupla coins. In total, we''ll have a little bit of 6 million left in total. That doesn¡¯t include the gems since I do not know their worth. The same goes for the nadrium armaments and jewelry.


    ¡°Got it. Thanks again, my love.¡±


    You are most welcome!


    Meanwhile, the speechless yet incredibly happy waiters were busy making Servi''s favorite mixed beverage: the aviation. Servi believed that lavender-colored drink was just about the most delicious liquid in the world. One of the waiters audibly asked about the amount of alcohol Servi was consuming, but she only said she could handle her drink better than anyone else. She eventually had to stop ordering them because the ingredients to create them dried out. A switch to juice was on the table, and as she sipped a cup filled with the flavor of cranberry, she flipped through a book on the table. It detailed modern-money-making tips regarding proper investments and predicting a healthy market.


    In other words, information that did not immediately matter to Servi.


    Making investments? I shouldn¡¯t immediately disregard that. If I¡¯m being serious, I really have no need for money at all. Create Water takes care of Momo¡¯s thirst. We can hunt for food. With Itarr¡¯s help, she can dress a thousand animals for cooking in less than a second. We have those tents to sleep in¡­


    On the other hand, perhaps this is the way I can atone. I never know when I might need a shit ton of money. I keep hearing talks of dragons and how powerful they are. Wouldn¡¯t be hard to take one down and carve its body. Or if they¡¯re as intelligent as they say, I could bargain its life for good and treasure. If I don¡¯t want to do that, I can always get a job making or maintaining walls. Earth Wall would make it a cinch. I could fix wells, create lakes and fill them... What''s really off the table other than time?


    Time?


    I don¡¯t have the time to always do that. Having a passive way to make income¡­ I should really look into that.


    Hmm¡­ What if there¡¯s a niche out there that only I can do? Note to self: Re-read over every skill you¡¯ve learned to see if you missed something. With how I am now and how I¡¯m adapting to Itarr¡¯s power, something may have changed.


    By Itarr¡¯s account, she would need 2,000 stacks to fully have the twenty million, and there just wasn¡¯t enough space on the desk for it. After a while, she shifted the 638 coin towers to the air in order to have more room.


    ¡°Thank you for making each stack 10,000 in total. It makes it incredibly easy to count and markdown.¡±


    A few minutes later, the hefty 20 million was accounted for. Tonia dropped her dry quill and rubbed her sore wrists. She used 20 sheets and four full inkwells to document it all, but the hard part was done. Tonia reached under her desk and pulled out a large bag embroidered with the bank''s name. She explained that it was enchanted with Dimensional Storage, and it was the next step in the deposit. Itarr directed the floating coins into the bag, but it could only hold 100 stacks. Minutes later, twenty bags sat upon Tonia¡¯s desk as she handed twenty pages to Servi to sign. With the help of the ring, Itarr handled it in mere seconds. The forms popped back into the world for Servi to grasp.


    Sweat cloaked Tonia¡¯s brow, and she thanked Servi for choosing the Bank of Gea. The mysterious red-eyed girl said her thanks and apologies once more and walked out. Momo and Fisher were still standing over there with Terry, so she rushed over and dropped off the documents. Fisher had to sign them all because the account was in his name, and Servi had to give her signature on a few other papers Fisher filled out that. There was a whole mess of scribbling and the exchanging of signatures that sidetracked Servi for a moment or two. Poor Momo didn¡¯t understand anything at all, and that was after Fisher had tried to go through it slowly.


    Finally, everything was ready for Terry. He took one look and sighed. Immediately, he disregarded it because there must have been some mistake. Servi was irritated, but Tonia came to the rescue since deposits in the millions were so scarce. She explained it to Terry, and he stubbornly refused to process it unless their boss looked at it. So then the big boss, an Elf with slick back orange hair, had to be fetched from his office. He had to personally recount everything, but it didn¡¯t take long for the elderly expert. He saw nothing that would indicate fraud, and he personally accounted for the total of twenty million spread out over twenty bags. With word from his superior, Terry couldn¡¯t not accept it. He begrudgingly finished up the process and handed the ID back to Fisher.


    ¡°Thank you for choosing the Bank of Gea¡­¡± He lazily waved his hand and immediately knew he was going to be written up for how he acted towards someone with a large amount of capital. Especially someone personally traveling with the captain of the city guard. Terry heard the tapping of a furious heel and the words, ¡®I need to see you in my office.¡¯ He knew the reaper of unemployment had arrived to swing his sharp scythe of termination. Perhaps if he was lucky, it would miss by a thin margin. He walked away with trembling steps, unwilling to face his punishment.


    Servi didn¡¯t want him to get fired, but it really wasn¡¯t up to her. She wished him the best of luck and finally signed in relief. It was finally time to meet the governor and finish a task months in the making. The next step was to go to where the governor¡¯s mansion once stood.


    ¡°It¡¯s you¡­ You¡¯re the girl who¡­¡± A trembling voice stopped Servi before she reached the door. She turned to face someone she knew very well.


    This woman had her life turned upside down, which resulted in her husband¡¯s suicide. ¡°Emi¡­¡± Servi whispered. Emi and her two children stood huddled together in dresses that would make her deceased husband weep if he knew how much they cost.. ¡°I¡¯m¡­glad to see you¡¯re safe and sound. It seems to me you took the reparation and used it to good avail¡­ I take it you found a place to stay¡­¡± Servi walked away back to the little waiting area. Momo, Fisher, Emi, and her daughters followed. No one sat down, but being in the corner allowed a mediocre amount of privacy.


    ¡°I¡­have mixed feelings¡­ You saved our lives, but it was at a cost¡­ Considering what happened to Arcton¡­we should be fortunate we still breathe,¡± Emi whispered in an unsteady voice. ¡°My husband was a no-good gambler who lost and hid money from us¡­ But he¡¯s still the father of my children¡­ Dal¡¯s the one man my heart wanted to be with.¡± Her blue eyes swiftly switched between being fearless and fragile. Lori and Leigh, her daughters, stood behind their mother. The atmosphere was tense and surreal. Emi didn¡¯t think she would ever see the villain responsible for ruining her marriage ever again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to say. Hate me if you wish,¡± Servi said. She felt Momo grab her hand and squeeze it. ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, you and your children were never in danger. I¡¯ve lied about a lot, but I hope you can trust me on that.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Captain Fisher, please ignore what you¡¯ve heard¡­ All this was just a little¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear a thing, miss. Not at all.¡± Fisher nodded.


    ¡°Thank you¡­ I¡¯m sorry about your wound. Word has been spreading so fast that I heard about it before you walked in here.¡± Emi glanced at Momo, who silently stood still. Her tail tried to distract Emi¡¯s children, but it wasn¡¯t having much luck. The two girls hugged their mother from the safety of behind her and only barely peeked out. They certainly recognized Servi, though, and they didn¡¯t also didn¡¯t know the correct response.


    Servi turned around and walked out with Momo. Fisher just nodded to Emi a second time and left. The windowed mother felt her heart hurt and suddenly found a small box that had miraculously materialized on the empty seats. Upon picking it up, she found it held 100,000 dupla and a shiny ruby. Tears fell down her eyes as she felt an unequal jumble of emotions. Money for her husband¡¯s certain death? If he hadn¡¯t found her yet after telling him where they were going, then he had to have passed away in the Arcton incident.


    But getting paid for it? By the girl who she most suspected to have caused it? Money was needed for her children to live a life free of pain and worries, but if it came as a constant reminder of what she once had and what could have been in a world beyond this one?


    It was almost the most painful reminder in the world.


    The anger she felt at such a girl who caused it all would never leave her heart. Perhaps the most she could do was ignore her if she saw her in public, but that was it.


    Was Emi an awful woman?  Was she righteous in her feelings? She didn¡¯t know, and she didn¡¯t know how to pass that on as a lesson to her daughters.


    A sinister agony crept up her heart, and she thought she knew the answer. Emi handed the closed box to Lori and told her children to stay there while she rushed out the door and dashed to the left. Her heels clacked against the ground loud enough for Servi to turn around.


    She hadn¡¯t gotten that far at all.


    Emi skidded to a halt, raised a hand, and slapped the girl who ruined her life right across the cheeks with an open palm.


    Smack!


    It felt like Emi bashed her hand against a brick wall. The dulled pain was numbed by the various emotions swirling around inside her complicated mind.


    A stunned Momo stared with an open gasped expression of surprise. Thankfully, no one else but her and Fisher saw the assault because the festival provided the perfect camouflage. Even the sudden noise of the slap connecting was drowned out. The one-armed captain stared down at the shivering Emi, who resembled a wild animal instead of a mother. Before he could move, Servi just turned around and kept on walking. She felt absolutely no pain from the slap, and she knew most of the damage went to Emi¡¯s hand.


    It still hurts¡­ That¡¯s the weight of a wife and mother¡­


    Emi stomped back to her children inside the building. They were waiting so patiently with the box of dupla she believed was earned with the blood of her husband.


    Emi thought she would feel better after hitting Servi, but it only doubled her suffering. Her only consolation was the sudden healing of her fractured hand, and she only bit her lip. Of course, the woman who changed their lives forever had to be the one to cure her injury. She wasn¡¯t sure it was her, but who else could it have been?


    Emi just sighed and put on a happy face for her children.  Lori and Leigh were smart with sharp minds. They most likely knew what had transpired by just reading the expression on their mother¡¯s face. Likewise, they knew that false smile had a crumbling origin.


    As their mother¡¯s daughters, they strived to make their mother happy by pushing the discomfort and any other negative feelings down into the pit of their souls.


    No one knew how many years it would take for this family to be true with one another.


    ¡°I see¡­ That¡¯s what happened?¡± Fisher asked as they continued their journey. Servi explained to him the past between her and Emi. Her husband, Dal, was a man who put gambling above everything else. Perhaps he was a kind husband and father, but he wasn¡¯t a responsible one. Servi had to tarnish his reputation with his family and drag his name through the gutter.


    ¡°In that regard, I¡¯m responsible for his death. Emi''s in her right mind to hate me. He didn¡¯t have any money at all, and he was telling the truth. I was the one who put it there and framed him as a liar. Her slapping me was¡­something I deserved. It didn¡¯t hurt at all. To her, it felt like bashing a wall, so I made sure to use Remedium Lux.¡± Servi closed her eyes and sighed. Momo squeezed her hand and rubbed her shoulder. She was upset Servi was attacked, but Momo didn¡¯t know what to do. The only thing that eased her mind was knowing her lover wasn¡¯t injured.


    ¡°In my experience¡­ It¡¯s going to be painful¡­ Servi, can you bear it?¡± asked Fisher.


    ¡°I have to. And I know I¡¯m not alone. The desire keeping me going? That''s Necromancy. I have to use it to correct all of my mistakes. If that wasn''t an option? I don¡¯t want to think about it.¡±


    ¡°Servy¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for ruining the mood, Mosie. Changing topics, I met the governor once before.¡±


    ¡°Eh? When?¡± inquired Fisher.


    ¡°It was back after the fire domes, right?¡± quipped Momo. Her tail danced from side to side.


    ¡°Yeah. I told you about it. I was just walking through the town when I saw them. Some girl had tripped and hurt her ankle, and the secretary healed her with Deus Lux. We talked, and I¡¯m sure we both used fake names. Can¡¯t tell for certain, but I¡¯m almost positive the two are nobles. Powerful ones that because they didn¡¯t have to chant.¡±


    Her intuition is incredibly sharp. Fisher knew not to underestimate anyone, let alone someone like Servi. ¡°By the by, what name did you use?¡±


    ¡°Flyneria. It was the first thing that came to mind. Now, if I need to use a fake one, I¡¯ll use Williana. It just sounds right for some reason. Or at least makes more sense."


    ¡°Williana? To me, it¡¯s just as odd as Flyneria. I wonder if those names are common somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Servy, why didn¡¯t we think of that?! If we find out where those names are used, wouldn¡¯t that help in discovering your past?¡± Momo exclaimed.


    Servi smiled and wondered if she was that much closer to finding out her hidden past. ¡°That¡¯s an option, I suppose¡­ Wouldn¡¯t hurt to ask around.¡±


    Momo was glad to see Servi¡¯s mood had brightened by just a little. She knew the cute little smile on her Servy¡¯s adorable face wasn¡¯t wholly genuine. After an encounter with someone like Emi, hardly anyone could be in a spunky mood. She knew Servi just needed a bit of time to think it all through. Of course, Momo could help out by jump-starting a conversation with happy connotations. It was about Srassa and her status as a new member of Servi¡¯s and Momo¡¯s party. That lasted long enough to keep them busy for about half of the journey to the mansion¡¯s grounds. The other half was occupied by thoughts and theories of what Itarr would look like with a body.


    The Goddess joined in herself by floating in the middle of the three-person group. With how much fun-filled excitement happened around them, hardly anyone was paying attention. For the select few that did turn and look, they just believed their eyes were playing tricks.


    The rest of the trek wasn¡¯t all flowers and dandelions, however, as news of Fisher¡¯s injury was becoming more and more commonplace. Itarr had to go back to Momo¡¯s warm embrace a couple of times as the one-armed captain had to convince the curious citizens of Canary that he was fine, safe, and otherwise unharmed. The prowl of an uncomfortable headache flowed his way after a while. When he retrieved his canteen, Itarr offered to fill it while doing the deed simultaneously, giving Fisher no time to politely refuse.


    He found it odd to use a Goddess as a simple resource, but emptying the canteen was a no-go. He just thanked her and opened his eyes in surprise at how pure and cold the glorious water was. He couldn¡¯t make something ten percent as delicious, and even the finest restaurants failed to come close. Such purity and cleanliness required far more Skill Energy than he had in ten lifetimes.


    She¡¯s certainly living up to her status as a Goddess.


    Eventually, they approached the place where a gate used to stand. It was out of the way and nowhere near any festivities.


    ¡°If I remember right, you had to snake along a long, wide driveway to get the second gate?¡± Servi questionably asked.


    ¡°It was something like that. Governor Blas¨¦ decided to get rid of it all. The gates, the walls, the storage buildings¡­ Everything that remained was ferried out of here and recycled or destroyed. Now you can approach it from every which way.¡± Fisher blinked, and the eyesore of an ugly, sickening monstrosity glimmered for a moment. He hated that place even before he had realized the errors of his past and became the new man he was today. So much wealth was poured into its creation. Not to mention the horde of coin required to maintain a building of that size with maids and butlers to clean and mop and dust¡­ It was practically a fortune¡ªmore than a commoner would earn in a lifetime was spent every month on the bare necessities.


    And it was finally gone. Fisher led the way to the grounds. Instead of the black ash resulting from the hellish flames, the grass was so green and soft.  Each individual blade had as much beauty as a flawless emerald.


    This plot of land was large enough to house a miniature village. Servi was easily able to picture the orphanage, the little farming lands, and the guard towers in her mind, and she loved how it looked. A fruitful smile came to her pretty lips.

 Book Four – Chapter Seven – Part Six – Reunions and Reunions; The Birth of a Sanctuary

    Blas¨¦ and Eina were standing in the very middle of the healed grounds. They weren''t alone, but they were the only ones wearing formal clothing. The other workers all around were Elves wearing their culture¡¯s traditional garb. The clan they were from were experts in healing the ground of any impurities, and it was thanks to them this future site of an orphanage had recovered so fast.


    ¡°Captain,¡± said Blas¨¦ when he saw the armored one-armed arm approach him. He nodded at the captain and the two girls he was with.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Fisher. How is your wound?¡± Eina smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing well, Eina. It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore. Governor Blas¨¦, I¡¯ve brought the financier of the orphanage.¡± Fisher stepped back, and Servi and Momo stepped forward. The former had a hand out for a proper shake.


    And here we finally have it¡­ The children of Virin Keywater are about to shake hands with the girl who killed their brother. Coincidentally, the same girl is an immortal who shares a soul with a Goddess¡­ Secrets¡­ Secrets¡­ Secrets¡­ Frankly, it¡¯s so outlandish that it¡¯s so hard to believe¡­ Fisher said within his mind. He quietly watched the encounter play out.


    ¡°Hmm, I believe we¡¯ve met before. Flyneria, right?¡± Blas¨¦ shook Servi¡¯s hand.


    ¡°You¡¯re right and wrong. That was just a fake name I used. My real one¡¯s Servi. Take a look.¡± She handed over her ID for proof and took it back. Next, she shook Eina¡¯s hand as the two introduced themselves.


    ¡°When Fisher told us he found someone to pay, I never thought it was you. I don¡¯t mean to be disrespectful, but you do not look that particularly wealthy.¡±


    ¡°If anything, I look like the daughter of a farmer, right? Looks can be deceiving. As proof that I have the money, Fisher opened an account with the bank that I deposited them in.¡± Fisher retrieved the paperwork and handed it and his ID to Eina. Her intelligent eyes scanned it from top to bottom and found nothing suggesting it was anything less than authentic.


    ¡°It checks out, sir. The funds are there,¡± Eina said upon handing Fisher¡¯s ID back to him. She kept the papers. The reason for that was because Fisher had added Governor Blas¨¦ and his secretary as people who had access to this exclusive account. It was a stroke of good luck the bank manager was close enough to them that he knew their real identities.  He was told to expect something similar to what had happened.


    ¡°I guess I do owe an apology for my rudeness,¡± Blas¨¦ said. He wasn¡¯t apologizing for real. It was a small tactic he had used many times before to allow anyone he was conversing with to lower their guard by a hair. Servi didn¡¯t fall for it.


    ¡°There¡¯s none needed. I¡¯d have just as much skepticism if I was in your position. There¡¯s twenty million in the account. The documents said the most expensive options were only fifteen, but use the extra five to correct any mistakes or errors if they happen to show up.¡±


    ¡°That answers my next question. I assume you¡¯re happy with everything? Do you have anything you want to change about it? You are paying for it, so now would be the time to request any alterations.¡± asked Blas¨¦.


    Servi put a hand to her chin and thought for a few seconds. ¡°Not particularly¡­ Fisher did say you have a list of caregivers ready to hire?¡±


    Eina nodded. ¡°That¡¯s correct. As per the documents, we have fifteen highly qualified individuals personally headhunted from all across Lando. They¡¯re all great with children and have experience working in other orphanages across the land. Included within the fifteen million is their salary for a year. That also includes the pay for the sixteen guards and a set of weapons. As for the produce and livestock, do you have any preferences?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s in demand right now?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°Cotton is always a cash crop, but the farmland allotted isn¡¯t big enough to be worth the hassle. In an adequately sufficient environment, you would want at least a hundred acres of land for it to be economically viable. As a suggestion, Servi, I recommend plants that are seldom seen in southeastern Lando. For example, have you heard of a green-skinned tomato?¡±


    ¡°Green tomato? Not red?¡± Momo inquired with a pensive voice.


    ¡°I have, actually,¡± Servi said.


    ¡°Then you know how rare they are in and around Canary. The only surefire way to find them is in Lando, and they go for a pretty coin because of the color. In all actuality, they¡¯re fairly easy to grow because they have the same requirements as a normal tomato.¡±


    Blas¨¦ picked up after his secretary. ¡°I know a botanist who cultivates green tomatoes. The seeds are a bit pricy. With your permission, I can put in an order when the orphanage is nearly complete. Speaking of that, may I ask where we should send the proceeds?¡±


    ¡°What proceeds?¡±


    ¡°Err¡­ I assume you want the orphanage to sell what it produces, yes? How should we handle the profits? Is there an account we can deposit it into?


    ¡°There isn¡¯t,¡± Servi said while shaking her head. ¡°I do want the orphanage to be self-sufficient, but I do not wish to receive any money.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­?¡± Blas¨¦ was at a loss.


    ¡°Servy, you want the dupla to be funneled back into the orphanage, right?¡±


    Servi smiled and squeezed Momo¡¯s hand. ¡°That¡¯s right.  I do want a good portion to be put away in case of emergencies. And I want the children to work the gardens to teach them how to grow food. But I don¡¯t want them to be subjected to harsh hours and a terrible environment. I want them to be properly compensated for their work and taught the value of money along with financial stability. Ideally, each of them will be offered the chance to learn how to fight from the guards stationed around. For the livestock, I suppose chicken and pigs. Maybe a few goats? If that¡¯s too much, drop the goats. Don¡¯t have enough for cows to graze, so I¡¯ll pass on that.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Eina had brought out a small journal and was writing everything down. ¡°You want them to have the skills to look after themselves, right? That¡¯s the gist of it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Ideally, they¡¯ll be educated, have the strength to defend themselves, and be able to grow their own food. All the skills one must need to survive and thrive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s oddly idealistic, but I can¡¯t say I hate it. It¡¯s a noble goal full of selflessness¡­ That¡¯s something that¡¯s sorely lacking in the world.¡± Blas¨¦ closed his eyes and nodded. He had never met a person who had millions to be given away so easily without wanting it back.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk about the name. What do you want it to be called?¡± Eina asked.


    ¡°Fia¡¯s Sanctuary,¡± Servi hastily answered.


    ¡°Sounds like there¡¯s a story behind it,¡± Blas¨¦ said.


    ¡°There is. Don¡¯t want to talk about it, but a place where children can learn to love themselves and the world again was her father¡¯s innermost wish. Even if he never said it outright, I know every father wants the best for their little girls.¡±


    Blas¨¦ looked apologetic and offered his condolences. ¡°Didn¡¯t mean to open an old wound. One more thing. I don¡¯t expect there to be any trouble in its construction, but if a situation arises, how should we contact you?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t. I¡¯ll leave Fisher in charge of it all. Sorry I didn¡¯t ask you before this, but are you fine with it?¡± Servi turned to face him.


    Fisher nodded. ¡°I am. Thank you, Servi.¡±


    ¡°There we have it,¡± she said while turning around. ¡°In reverse, if I have anything to ask or add¡­¡±


    ¡°You can talk to the good captain to have him ask us, or he can arrange a meeting with me. I don¡¯t have a permanent office because there¡¯s a lot of work for me to do. Fisher¡¯s the only one I keep constantly informed of my location.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Suddenly, Eina squinted her eyes and stared at Momo. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re the one who won the tournament, right?¡±


    The adorable girl nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry we weren¡¯t in attendance, but a late congratulations is better than none. Good work on winning it.¡± Eina pleasantly smiled.


    ¡°Thank you very much, ma¡¯am! It was a fun experience. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever forget it!¡± Momo¡¯s tail started to dance around.


    A few seconds later, one of the Elves working on repairing the land ran over to Blas¨¦ and waved his hands. He excused himself and walked away with the Elf.


    ¡°It is a good thing you caught us. We have business to take care of in Adenaford, and we don¡¯t know how long that¡¯ll be. It shouldn''t be longer than a day or two. Fisher, you¡¯re in charge while we¡¯re gone, but we don¡¯t expect anything drastic to happen.¡±


    ¡°Of course, ma¡¯am. Be safe on your travel.¡±


    ¡°Word about what happened at the HQ has already reached our ears. Don¡¯t worry, no one¡¯s in trouble. The governor has a statement coming out tomorrow morning regarding your injury. The only thing you need to do is rest and recover from your wound. Take it easy, okay?¡± Fisher, you did well in fabricating that false story about a chase. What a way to drum up more public support. Ah¡­ I¡¯m starting to sound like my brother now¡­ Oh, mother¡­ I miss you more than ever¡­ Eina recovered from her brisk trip into her inner thoughts and adjusted her skirt.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Thank you, and I will.¡±


    ¡°Servi, Momo? It was a pleasure meeting the two of you. Thank you again for offering to fund the orphanage. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, we still have a little bit of work to take care of here before our trip.¡± After a lovely little wave and a goodbye smile, Eina turned tail and walked over to the governor.


    Fisher took that as his cue to return to the headquarters to take care of any business. ¡°They¡¯ll handle it, but there is still something I can do.¡±


    ¡°Do you mind some company? For at least part of the walk, anyway.¡±


    Fisher answered Momo. ¡°Not at all.¡± They started walking when Servi suddenly spoke up and asked Fisher if he was scared when he told his wife his past. He answered that nothing was scarier, then deduced her fears. He correctly guessed Servi was stressing about revealing her past to Claire, Srassa, and the others.


    That was because the immortal girl did not want any secrecy between her and her friends. Servi had held her tongue once before. That gave birth to a week of pure chaos. Her never-ending heart could not take that happening again. The sharp words of hatred had more than enough strength to reduce Servi to a babbling mess.


    Fisher replied that he shared those worries and brought up Mire and Tim. Out of everyone on the force, he had grown quite close to them over the weeks. He was learning about Elvish culture from Mire, and Tim looked up to him as someone worthy of his respect. Actually, both guards were loyal and respectful to Fisher. His awful past, though, if revealed, would tarnish those loyal thoughts and corrupt them in a vat of loathing.


    On the topic of speaking the truth about Itarr, Servi figured they could handle that with somewhat ease. The Goddess herself joined the conversation and said she didn¡¯t mind if her divinity was kept hidden. Being introduced as Servi¡¯s teacher and instructor wouldn¡¯t be a lie since it was through her that Servi could fight as well as she could.


    ¡°As for the more pressing topic, you always have the option to say nothing at all. Imagine this scenario. Let¡¯s say you meet someone who will become a friend. Not a close one like Claire or Srassa, but someone you see once a week. Someone that engages you in idle chatter and wouldn¡¯t go as far to invite you to their home. Would you feel the need to tell them about everything?¡±


    Servi answered Fisher, and she knew what he was hinting at. ¡°I get that. I want to say it¡¯s not relevant, but maybe it is. If I keep worrying like this, I¡¯ll start to feel uncomfortable whenever I have to talk with someone. I didn¡¯t feel the need to say anything about my past to the governor¡­ But it¡¯s hard, man. Claire¡¯s the kind of girl to give me the shirt off her back if I was capable of freezing to death. I feel like I¡¯m betraying our friendship. Even if she did once say she¡¯ll never be mad or upset at me, she obviously didn¡¯t mean it in the literal sense.¡±


    Fisher found the phrase ¡®capable of freezing¡¯ to be odd, but he waved that intrusive thought away because it didn¡¯t matter right now.


    ¡°Maybe I can argue that my destruction of the slave markets to be just because I believe no one has the right to own another as property. I think my friends would respect that in a way. But it¡¯s everything else. Even if I kept it to just Sakdu¡¯s army, that was fifteen thousand lives I¡¯ve personally taken. Claire thinks I took just the one. There is no other outcome but for them to look at me with terrified eyes at the power I hold? The sprinkling of fear that I might use it against them? I¡¯d never hurt them, but that worry will already be in their heads. I don¡¯t know how I know that, but I do. Mosie?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll always have you and Itarr, right?¡±


    Momo smiled and wrapped her arms around Servi¡¯s waist. She gave her a hearty hug. ¡°Duh! I said it last night, right? You¡¯re stuck with me until the end. Better get used to having me around because I won¡¯t leave for anything.¡±


    As we share a soul, it is impossible for me to be anywhere but with you. Regardless, I will never leave your side. There is nothing in this world that can tear me away from you.


    ¡°You guys¡­¡± The strange sight of a crying girl hugging her ID and a Singi was just about the oddest thing imaginable to those not in the know. Servi dared not actively think about this, but what if the abandonment of her three closest friends after Momo and Itarr was the punishment she deserved?  There was a saying that said no good deed goes unpunished. Likewise, the same could be said for every bad deed.


    The one thing Servi did have that was previously violently stripped away from her was hope.


    She hoped to come across a way to keep the helpful Claire as a close friend.


    She hoped to discover the narrow path that kept Dineria on as a beacon of tutelage for her lovely Momo.


    She hoped that it wouldn¡¯t be her to inflict the sharp blade of betrayal within Srassa¡¯s rich bosom for the second time.


    She had hopes upon hopes upon hopes. For a girl who didn¡¯t have any¡­ Or at least believed she wasn¡¯t worthy of having any at all. It was an improvement on her psyche. Perhaps that was another boon following her ¡®rebirth.¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯ve got good friends there, Servi. It might not be my place to say anything, but don¡¯t lose hope.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t, Fisher. I won¡¯t.¡± Servi¡¯s reply wasn¡¯t entirely filled with confidence, but it didn¡¯t hold a trace of any negative connotations.  The group restarted their walk towards the headquarters while prioritizing the less densely packed streets.


    ¡°Servy, we still have some time before you have to be at the theatre hall. What¡¯re we going do?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Since I returned those clothes to the Old Onyx, I just have this outfit and that dress you picked out for me when we first met. I might just need a cute Singi and a nearby Goddess to help me rebuild my wardrobe.¡±


    ¡°Haha! It¡¯s hard to believe that I did that. I mean, who lets a random girl pick out clothes for her?¡± Momo¡¯s laugh was just about the cutest thing Servi had ever heard.


    ¡°Someone crazy, that¡¯s who. And I haven¡¯t regretted it for a second," Servi answered.


    Ahh¡­ Servy!!! I love you so much.


    Fisher took a breath and offered a small smile. ¡°I suppose this is where I will leave you. Again, I¡¯m sorry I won¡¯t be able to come tonight, but I''ll find a way to bring Marissa and the girls to it.¡± Fisher held out his hand.


    With a smile and a powerful grip, Servi shook his hands and stared into the eyes of a close friend. Not even three months ago, she wanted to wring his head and split his body in half. First impressions were said to be incredibly vital when it came to meeting someone new. Oh, how false it was when it came to this friendship that only blossomed over a series of misunderstandings. After the obvious Singi and Goddess, Fisher was probably the person Servi trusted the most. He only beat out Claire because he shared the same worries and once tasted the same sin as Servi.


    ¡°I should be thanking you for the orphanage idea. Don¡¯t suppose you have any idea when construction will begin? Should have asked when I had the chance.¡±


    ¡°I do not. I don¡¯t think the governor would have filed the permits needed before receiving money, so that will take a few days. He might have to do something in Adenaford before it can begin. And then the workers need to travel to Canary if they¡¯re off on another job. If that¡¯s the case, they have to finish that one first. But he¡¯s a good man. An honorable one. He isn¡¯t the kind to take the money and run. If I did have to guess¡­ I¡¯d say maybe two or three years. The most time-consuming portion will be gathering and transporting the materials like lumber, stone, and metal. Fia¡¯s Sanctuary requires a tremendous amount.¡±


    If that¡¯s the case, I can offer my assistance. With my abilities, I can absorb anything within fifteen meters. If someone can teach me how to process the wood into something usable, I¡­ I want to help. If not, then maybe I can assist in transporting items from one place to the other.


    ¡°Thank you, Itarr. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°If you trust Blas¨¦, Fisher, that¡¯s good enough for me. Remember, we''ll heal your arm. All you have to do is ask.¡±


    ¡°I know. I appreciate that as well. You all take care, okay?¡±


    ¡°We will. Bye, Fisher!¡± said Momo. She waved to the captain as he walked away. She noticed he had a small hop to his step and smiled.

 Book Four – Chapter Eight – Part One – The Best Day of Their Lives

    Turning to the ID that floated in the air, Momo swept it within her arms and hugged it to her chest. ¡°And that was sweet of you to offer that.¡±


    I want to be helpful. Servi, our unique abilities allow us a chance to lend aid in ways never before seen. With that said, I have something to ask.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± asked Momo. She and Servi started to walk again. Without verbally confirming it, she knew their destination was the Old Onyx clothing store.


    Do you think that we must keep our abilities hidden? Don¡¯t get me wrong, I don¡¯t want to display them to the entire world, but¡­


    ¡°I get what you mean. We could use our skills here or there. We won¡¯t brag about them, but we won¡¯t also go through the trouble of keeping them under lock and key. That¡¯s fine with me. If anything, I could just say my ring is a gift from my instructor. I can¡¯t even say that¡¯s technically true because it¡¯s entirely true.¡±


    Great!


    A conversation about bunny girls somehow sprung up from nothing while the group headed towards their destination. After a bit, it switched over to Srassa. This topic wasn¡¯t about telling her about Servi''s past, but it was about the girl herself. Servi opened the gate to her heart and expressed just how thankful she was to the green-eyed noble.


    Since they weren¡¯t in the common district, they had to go all the way there to reach their destination, but it was not boring in the slightest. Especially when they happened to pass by a familiar girl walking out from her double-gated mansion. Servi and Momo were just thinking about running into her, and now it happened.


    She was by herself, but only in the visual sense. If someone looked above, they would see a few birds flying in an unfamiliar pattern while two canaries sat on a nearby house. Spirits of the aviary variety can often be used as messenger spirits by linking the sense of sight to their summoner.  It wasn¡¯t much harder to transfer the summoner''s hearing as well.


    The only daughter of the Flinn household was never alone. She always had constant guards. Perhaps not on every street, but she had eyes surrounding her at any given point whenever she left the safety of her well-guarded home.


    Srassa, from her gigantic wardrobe full of clothes often given to her by her parents as random gifts to keep her occupied, had picked out the very same outfit she had worn about a week prior. The hat was exchanged for a small hair clip, and the spurs attached to her boots were missing. A difference to note was that her plaid shirt wasn¡¯t buttoned all the way up. The day was going to be hot, so the girl needed to make her new favorite outfit breathable. She wasn¡¯t afraid or ashamed of her busty bosom, but she was against showing off more skin than necessary.


    Jony once had a conversation with her about the proper amount of skin a lady had to show if needed, and the na?ve girl didn¡¯t question her bodyguard for a second. She did appreciate it when he mentioned she could take those guidelines and trash them because what mattered most was her comfortability.


    If I want to be comfy, I better fold back these sleeves. Srassa did just that with a technique Jony had taught her, and soon her pretty slender arms were on display. She thought about it a moment longer and buttoned up the next button to completely eliminate whatever cleavage she was showing. If anything, she thought it looked much better this way.


    Jony was talking about a dress and not a shirt¡­ Now that I¡¯m thinking about it, why is it considered proper¡ªencouraged, even¡ª for a lady to wear a dress or gown that accentuates her breasts and legs when attending an occasion that calls for formal wear? I guess I don¡¯t have anything against that because Jony taught me to love my body and ignore what others think, but¡­ Srassa, is this really the time to think about dresses, breasts, and legs? You¡¯ve been cooped up for almost a week, so it¡¯s time to have some fun!


    She turned around, moving her eyes from the guard to a pair of girls that she knew very well. That sent a smile crawling across her face as she jogged over, allowing her to forget about that embarrassing incident.


    Momo waved, which wasn¡¯t anything special. But Servi? Srassa thought there was something odd because her black-haired friend was also moving her arm.


    ¡°Ser¡­vi? Servi? There¡¯s something¡­different. Momo, is¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Srassa¡­¡± Servi said. She was taken by surprise when Srassa threw herself at Servi. It just took five small words to drive her to tears. For a brief moment, Servi unhooked her fingers from Momo¡¯s grasp and hugged the girl who was becoming near and dear to her heart. The scent of flowers and fruit burrowed through her nostrils.  ¡°Srassa¡­ Mosie told me what you did for us. That was awfully sweet of you to take us to the stables and let us play with the cows and horses¡­ And she told me about how you let me ride with you¡­ And how when we were at Claire¡¯s, and you held my hand when she cooked so I wouldn¡¯t be alone¡­ You did all that for me, and I just don¡¯t know how to thank you. Srassa, you¡¯ve got a friend for life in me."


    ¡°Servi¡­ Wwaahhh!!!¡± Srassa didn¡¯t think she could cry more than she was already doing, but Servi¡¯s final words were just what she wanted to hear. A friend for life¡­ Jony didn¡¯t count. Evie was like family. Her parents were just that. Parents. The other servants responsible for the food and cleaning often came and went as frequently as the briskest breeze. It was rare for someone to stay longer than half a year. She never shared her truest worries with anyone, but Jony was subtly aware of what his mistress desired.


    Momo smiled from ear to ear and joined the hug. It was a shame the three of them had to skedaddle to the side of the road because they were standing in the middle.  The street wasn¡¯t that small for them to be an obstacle, but because the summer festival was burning the final wick of its seven-day-long candle, it was in full swing. Luckily, Srassa¡¯s house was just right there. They could lean against the fence until rushed emotions could simmer down.


    ¡°It really does my heart well to see you back, Servi.¡± Srassa¡¯s wet eyes looked up at her friend as a charming, thankful smile flashed across her pretty lips.


    ¡°Thank you, Srassa. I hope I wasn¡¯t too much trouble.¡±


    ¡°Perish the thought! I was afraid I hadn¡¯t done enough to support you.¡± Servi gave another hug. ¡°How are you feeling? Are you hurt? Does anything feel funny? My mother¡¯s nurse is inside¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine. If anything, I feel a bit tight in my shoulders. I need to get back into the swing of things. But that can wait until later because I received some good news this morning.¡±


    ¡°Really? About what?¡± Srassa suddenly remembered she had her arms around Servi¡¯s waist, and she not-so-subtly made a little distance. Her embarrassed face was a treat to witness.


    It¡¯s kinda cute seeing you so embarrassed, Srassa. The Singi mentally noted.


    ¡°It¡¯s about my instructor. She¡¯s the one who taught me how to fight. She¡¯s coming in tomorrow, and we were wondering if you want to come with us when we meet up with her.¡±


    ¡°I would love to! Oh, what should I wear? Oh, and what time? If it¡¯s far, I can request use of a carriage.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really think there¡¯s a dress code to meeting my instructor, so wear what¡¯s comfortable? We were going to head out in the morning. Probably after 9 since that gives us a chance to eat a good breakfast. Thanks for the carriage offer, but it isn¡¯t needed. We¡¯re supposed to meet her near Luqa Village. It¡¯s a lovely little farming village that¡¯s just a few hours away,¡± Servi said. She glanced at Momo and saw her wink and nod. The details of where Itarr would obtain a body hadn¡¯t been discussed, but what Servi suggested was fine with the Goddess. She twirled and twirled around inside their connected soul. The flashy, vivid crimson that was her home inside Servi was so incredibly warm and comforting. Her formless existence morphed into a humanoid-like shape as a smile carved itself across her face.


    ¡°Ah¡­ I understand. I¡¯ve heard of Luqa Village, but I¡¯ve never been there. You and Servi went there once before, right?¡±


    Momo nodded her pretty head and tangled her fingers around Servi¡¯s hand. ¡°Yep. Tarch was our client. We had to pick some shiroblooms. They had a cow named Messy I¡¯d like to see again.¡±


    ¡°A cow named Messy? That¡¯s cute.¡±


    ¡°Hey, are you busy with anything?¡± Servi asked.


    ¡°Not really. I haven¡¯t really gone anywhere since Jony and my father are still in Adenaford. I don¡¯t like experiencing the festival alone. Mother¡¯s as big as cow herself, and her doctor said she was not to do anything especially laborious until after the baby is delivered. Evie is busy taking care of mother, so she¡¯s busy at all hours of the day. I wanted to have fun with you two, but your commitment to the play meant that was impossible. Oh, I didn¡¯t mean anything by that.¡± With blushing cheeks, Srassa stammered her words while trying to balance them on her tongue.


    ¡°Then how about coming with us? We haven¡¯t had a chance to have fun yet. I need to stop by the Old Onyx, though. I wanted to get some new clothes.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like fun,¡± said Srassa, who quickly simmered off. Momo found it absolutely adorable because Srassa¡¯s erratic mannerisms were similar to her own when she first met Servi.


    I was a nervous wreck every night. And every day. And every waking second. I constantly spoke over myself and blabbered on and on and on. I said it before, and I¡¯ll say it again¡­If I was born a Human, or she a Singi, we would have definitely been sisters. We¡¯re just so much alike that I honestly wouldn¡¯t be surprised if somehow, someway, my personality was copied to a Human.


    After a few weeks of being together, she¡¯ll probably stop being embarrassed at every little thing. But hold on¡­ She didn¡¯t get like this when we went to her family¡¯s farm, right? That isn¡¯t so surprising, I guess.


    ¡°Good.¡± Servi held out her free hand, and Srassa stared at it as if it was an odd, mysterious object. She looked up with a raised brow. A gust of wind blew her blond hair across her cheeks, sending with it a scent of flower and fruit. ¡°We¡¯ve held hands before, right? To be honest, my hand¡¯s been occupied for so long that it feels almost strange if I¡¯m not holding something. If you don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Srassa cut Servi¡¯s words with her actions. The immortal girl soon received a pair of squeezed from the hands she held, and off they went towards the Old Onyx while ignoring any bigoted gazes that may have veered towards them.


    If anyone had any problem with how the three girls expressed their friendship, then a Goddess was cashing checks and taking names.


    ¡°MY FRIEND!!!!!!¡± BWWHAAAAAA!!!!!¡± A tremendously happy Feral was spinning in circles with his arms raised in the air. They weren¡¯t empty because they lifted a certain girl with eyes redder than the harshest volcanic flames by her waist.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, big man!¡± Servi¡¯s hair smacked against her face as an equally enthusiastic voice flowed from her lips. Her immortality meant dizziness would never again cause her any discomfort. The same couldn¡¯t be said for Feral.


    ¡°Eh¡­hehe¡­¡± Srassa nervously chuckled and scratched her cheeks with an index finger. ¡°Momo?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Her voice was slightly monotone, but only because of the absurdity of the situation.


    ¡°My eyes aren¡¯t deceiving me, right? Feral¡¯s spinning while holding Servi like a father would his child?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­exactly what¡¯s happening¡­¡±


    Right when Servi and her merry band of chatting friends had turned onto the road that had their destination, Feral was coincidentally located a couple of meters ahead. Momo had called out ahead, causing the large Kobold to turn around. He smiled a toothy grin and happily growled. His tailed bashed into the ground when he doubled back.


    Servi only had to utter an innocent, ¡®Hiya, Feral,¡¯ before fat tears spewed from his large eyes while he roared with glee.


    Balance found it apt to leave the crying beast. He tumbled over and crashed hard into the ground, but the grass cushioned his fall. Doubly lucky was the fact he wasn¡¯t anywhere near the store¡¯s entrance since he would have gotten in trouble if he had collapsed on the newly planted flowers lining the pathway.


    The Kobold had the sense to let go, lest he squash his friend, and Servi flew through the air. She recovered like an Olympic acrobat. Her feet stomped through the grass when she ran back to help her jolly green companion. His face was slightly abashed with embarrassment. The first words concerned Servi¡¯s safety and not his own wounds, which was a single scratch that didn¡¯t even break his skin, let alone his scales.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright. It is good to see you again. Momo said you mentioned you¡¯d learn how to pray for me?¡± She jogged behind him and grabbed his large, imposing shoulders. An exclamation of surprise came from his alligator-like mouth when he realized Servi had more strength than he thought. His slab of iron he called a tower shield was heavier than him, but he was almost actively pushing back towards the grass.


    His simple mind found it astonishing, but he didn¡¯t think it was anything too strange, considering she once lifted his shield. On that note, he didn¡¯t even once think that it was impossible for most Humans¡ªespecially a female the size of Servi¡ªto do the same thing.


    ¡°That I did. I have never done it before,¡± Feral said while getting to his feet. His simple shirt was dirty, so Servi dusted off the back of it. ¡°Did it help?¡±


    ¡°I like to think it did.¡± Servi ran around the front of him and gave him a hug. With the size difference aside, it was unique seeing a Human female willingly hug a man from a race known for their brutality and insatiable blood lust.


    ¡°I¡ªI¡ªI am happy!¡± A crimson blush and a slamming tail meant Feral was feeling fine and overjoyed. Servi hopped back and asked him what he was up to. ¡°Aunt Canary gave me some money for clothing. She said someone like me should have a set of fancy clothes even if the time to wear them will never come. What I wore yesterday belonged to her Husband¡ªmy uncle¡­ He passed away before I was born. I have never met him, but he was around my size.¡±


    ¡°What a coincidence. I¡¯m here to do the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Then let us shop together?¡± growled the beast.


    ¡°That sounds like a plan to me. You two don¡¯t mind, right?¡±


    Momo and Srassa both smiled, and that took care of that.


    The four strolled into the fancy Old Onyx and weren''t alarmed to see it packed. Everyone needed clothes and other small household goods. Combined with the embers of a very successful festival and the killer bargains, the store had enough people to make back almost as much money Jon¡ªthe new owner¡ªhad flooded into it. That was fantastic since a profit was soon going to be within his reach. That all depended on if he took the mysterious gift a certain someone left inside his shop some nights ago.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± asked a sporty-looking Dwarf. She wore a proper uniform suited to her short stature with rosy red cheeks.


    ¡°We¡¯re just looking for right now. Oh, do you have anything in his size?¡± Servi pointed to the only male amongst their group.


    ¡°That we do. Our Kobold selection is in the back corner. It''s next to the fifth row of dressers. If you need any help, don''t hesitate to ask an employee.¡±


    ¡°Ah, there is one thing.¡± Five words caused the Dwarf to spin right around. The flared edge of her skirt danced upwards just a tiny bit. ¡°Is Jon in?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am, he is. I¡¯ll go fetch him.¡±


    The Dwarf scurried off as Feral stomped his to the Kobold section. Servi and her gal pals started to peruse the closest dresser. She remembered from the time she worked here that the entire nearly building-long dressers were actually considered a good thing since the shop¡¯s previous owner had a method to her madness. The former owner didn¡¯t think having smaller dressers¡ªor even neatly spread out tables like every other clothing shop¡ªwould have helped at all.


    Much like everything else, it seemed the whole world resolved around odd little design choices. Servi couldn¡¯t wrap her pretty, little puzzled head around it. She briefly wondered if her feelings on such matter were a key to finding her past since it seemed no one had any problems with it.


    Jon, sharply dressed in a suit and tie that hugged his muscled body, soon jogged over and exclaimed surprise at seeing Servi and Momo. She introduced herself properly and thanked him for allowing her to work even while she wasn¡¯t all there. She contributed a bit of that to her hasty recovery. Jon turned around and said the appreciation should have been the other way around because they cleaned so efficiently he opened earlier than scheduled. He asked if he could help them, and Servi explained about her want for a new outfit. He personally escorted her over to the right section once she told him her size.

 Book Four – Chapter Eight – Part Two – The Best Day of Their Lives

    After picking a few things out, Servi went behind one of the changing curtains and used her ring to accelerate the process. Srassa was amazed by how fast it all happened when her friend emerged wearing an outfit similar to what an uncouth rebellious youth may have worn.


    The black boots came almost to her knees, and she wore tight black pants. They stopped at her hips rather than her waist. Her shirt was sleeveless and low cut, only reaching her belly button but not covering it. A half-cut jacket with crimson on the collar sheltered her arms but left her wrists unprotected. Finally, a pair of fingerless gloves, which was the color of shadow like the rest of the outfit, finished it off.


    Servi twirled and held up a fist, then remarked that it felt like she was about to battle for control of a parking lot. Perplexion reared its ugly head, and Servi exchanged what she had just said for something that made more sense.


    ¡°I mean, I like the gloves, but¡­¡± Servi removed the jacket and exposed her bare shoulders. Her magnificent breasts almost seemed like they wanted to burst forth from the darkened leather top. If they were alone, Momo believed she would have volunteered to become Servi¡¯s shirt. Or at least help via her hands.


    Okay¡­ Calm down, Momo¡­  leave those thoughts for tonight, okay?


    After asking her friends what they thought, she went back and tried on the second outfit. This one came with a type of skirt called an irregular skirt. It was mostly black, but the edges were the color of blood, and it started to open at the front right at her thighs. To prevent herself from being nearly naked, Servi had chosen a pair of black pants.


    This time, her boots were similar to what she wore with her overalls. A belt went along her bare stomach, blocking her navel. The black cotton shirt was cut off at her abdomen, but it did a better job of supporting her chest than the previous top.


    Srassa and Momo gave their approval since it was something flashy and eye-catching. Momo really liked the skirt because the edges almost seemed to be torn. According to her, it really added a ¡®cool¡¯ factor. Srassa¡¯s compliment was similar, but she said that the fingerless gloves went more with this outfit rather than the last.


    Back behind the curtain she went once more. This time, she was pretty excited about this outfit because it was stylish and lightweight. Like the first one, this one had pants, but they were gray and only came to a few centimeters below her knees. It came with a free sheath with three straps she could attach to her right thigh. The second accessory was a light gray cloth that functioned as the back half of a skirt. It came as a part of the belt wrapped her pants, so Servi was stuck with it unless she used a different belt, but she liked it because it reminded her of a cloak. A half-one at that. It wouldn¡¯t be the hardest thing to substitute that out for a towel, but the power of Absorption was the perfect towel.


    Instead of wearing boots, Servi had found a pair of sandals that were more combat-oriented. Black cloth wrapped around her foot and heels while leaving her toes exposed. Perhaps it was unsafe for anyone else, but Servi had the luxury to put comfort and style ahead of defensive protection.


    Armor was entirely optional since her skin was tougher than some metals.


    It was probably a running theme by this point since her belly remained uncovered. The blue half-vest it came with lacked sleeves, but it came with a grey neck gaiter she could pull up to cover her mouth. Again, it was useless to someone like her, but fashion and cuteness reigned supreme over paltry immortality. As an added bonus, her breasts were fully covered, so she had no cleavage with this outfit. A second extra was that she didn¡¯t need to wear a bra¡ªnot that she was wearing one with the previous two outfits¡ªbut it was a nice extra to know this one didn¡¯t require it at all.


    This was a fact she could accept, but Momo? She slightly bemoaned at this terrible injustice before perking up with a lewd thought.


    I wonder if Servy will let me undress her? To have sex, we have to get naked, right? I can be like¡­ Whoops, sorry about that, but it looks like I slipped and accidentally pulled off your shirt. Guess I might as well finish the job, right? That would work, right? Maybe if I offer her a chance to undress me¡­ Is that what people do? Or do they do it themselves? I wondered if I should have asked Dineria about the proper etiquette¡­


    ¡°Woah! That looks awesome!¡± Srassa exclaimed. ¡°It reminds me of what they wear in the country to the far east!¡± Momo recovered from her thoughts and offered similar words of praise for the clothes.


    ¡°That¡¯s because it came from there. I don¡¯t exactly remember the name of this style because my mother ordered it before her passing, but she was figured there was a market for it. Just to let you know, that comes with something called a finger loop glove. It¡¯s much like the fingerless gloves you¡¯re a fan of, except as its name suggests, there¡¯s a piece of fabric that hooks around your middle finger.¡± Jon said. He leaned against the wall with his hands across his chest. After Servi asked to see these gloves he spoke about, he had an employee bring them over. He also told her to bring over some white bandages. ¡°In the country where it¡¯s from, outfits like the one you have own are often accompanied by bandages. They usually go around under the vest and right above your elbows.¡±


    At first glance, Servi was in love. With haste, she slipped them right up her arms and formed a fist. It was sewed with stretchability and comfort in mind, so her movements weren¡¯t constricted at all. And the fabric used was firm and resilient on top of being a cool black. For the fun of it, Servi pulled her face covering up past her nose and stared into the mirror nearby. For a moment, she believed her skin was going to turn a dark crimson like those dreams she once had, but those days of nightmares had died when Itarr freed the mad beast from its cage. Next, she tied the bandages around the three spots Jon had described and returned her gaze to the mirror.


    Servi turned left, right, and spun in a circle to get the full view of how she looked. While that was happening, a Dwarven employee came over with another armful of clothes for Servi to try on. With a smile, she graciously thanked them and rushed back to the curtain.


    Just when she thought she had found her favorite outfit, a fierce challenger approached the stage. It came with a collar with cloth attached that went around her neck. The dark blue piece of fabric was angled and rested against her collarbone. The black ¡®shirt,¡¯ which was really just a bra, was low-cut enough that only the extreme ends of the concave collar cloth reached it. That resulted in the perfect boob window for anyone to gaze upon her modest cleavage.


    That alone probably made this Momo¡¯s favorite one of the day.


    The gloves were similar to the ones Servi had just taken off, but this time it wasn¡¯t fingerless. Her index, middle, and ring were covered from the elements, while her thumb and pinky had to survive the wilderness. The length was about the same¡ªstopping right at her elbow. The knee-high heeled boots were a bold choice of footwear. Like something Servi had tried on before, this came with an odd uneven ¡®skirt¡¯ far longer in the back than the front. It also shared the color of the cloth around her neck. Both had a gold trim to add a spice of color in an otherwise bland scheme of black and blue.


    While a glancing voyeur would have guessed Servi had nothing under the chest-high tights that came to just under her breasts, they would be wrong. Just barely, however, since she only had enough room for panties and not pants. Even a pair of shorts ended up being too thick. Thanks to how dark they were, it was impossible to see the underwear or skin behind them. To add a bit of extra privacy, a dark gray sash was wrapped around her waist, which almost limited the exhibitionist-like feelings she was receiving.


    Servi changed into the second to last outfit of the day after receiving positive feedback on the one she had just put on.


    ¡°What¡­is this¡­?¡± Servi whispered to herself as she stared at an asymmetrical blackish, dark gray bodysuit.


    It only had one leg covered.


    Perhaps calling it a bodysuit was far too generous since it didn¡¯t cover the entirety of her body. It didn¡¯t even cover her chest because it went around the sides of her body and continued to her neck. It came with a small metallic disk to attach a tie that rested on her collar bone. But the thing was that the bodysuit didn''t cover her entire neck. It was like it split off at that disk and continued separately, but they were connected by two thin gold strips.


    Really, her boobs were totally on display, almost like this bodysuit was created for that very purpose.


    Was handing me this a mistake? Might as well try it on anyway.


    Instead of using Absorption as a middle man, Servi slipped it on manually. The feelings of having one leg, both arms, and her breasts exposed were¡­exhilarating. She didn¡¯t think she was an exhibitionist, but she couldn¡¯t deny that a warm feeling was welling up somewhere on her body. She was used to wearing collars since some of the other outfits had something to go around her neck, but it didn''t feel that constricting. It was tight to assure a good fit, but it didn''t restrict the breathing of a girl who did not need to breathe.


    Or maybe I¡¯m just thinking about Momo''ll react when I come out wearing this.


    It came with a white shirt that was sewed into the bodysuit, but it took Servi a moment longer to find than she would have liked to admit. With a small amount of haste, she groped her chest and proceeded to nicely fill out the top. To her absolute surprise, it came with a small square of an extraordinarily soft material to hug her nipples. If not that, then to keep warm.


    That¡¯s¡­odd. Why would there be felt inside? Wonder who ordered this?


    Even more cleavage was showing when compared to the other outfits, and she wondered if someone was giving her clothes that covered less and less. Oddly enough, that didn¡¯t exactly bother her. Her mind soon became free if any worried as she hooked the red tie behind the smooth disk. It came down and softly landed on her rich bosom.


    The only thing that was really left to do was slip her arms through the jacket attached to the bodysuit. She did just that and stared at the white oversized sleeves. They weren¡¯t that big, but she did have a lot of room. The gold-colored lines adding a bit more value and quality did make it seem more sizable than what it was. Servi could only imagine her sitting in front of Momo. If it was a cold night, her lovely Singi could sit on her lap and insert her arms through these sleeves.


    The final object was a lopsided crimson belt around her hips.


    Like the rest, it has gold around the outsides. Seems like everything associated with this outfit is black, gold, and red. I feel good in it, though. It even comes with a small hole for my back. That doesn¡¯t offer anything at all, but I guess it¡¯s¡­sexy? Momo does have a beautiful back. One that I want to lick and touch, so it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say there aren¡¯t any back fetishists out there. And is that a flap hanging down below my hips? It kind of reminds me of a long-tail suit jacket, but those usually don''t have a wavy, sharp design... Why is there a red tassel dangling off there? I have so many questions... Hell, I''ll probably make some extra alterations if I get it.


    The belt¡¯s metal buckle wasn¡¯t attached to the front but at the side. A red tassel fluttered off of it. It didn¡¯t come with any shoes, so Servi wore her favorite pair of boots.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about this¡­ It just seems so¡­ ¡®busy.¡¯ But I also feel strangely good in it. Itarr?¡±


    Hmm¡­ I think I like the other outfits better. The blue one with the finger loop gloves around the middle finger? I think that one was pretty. This one just has too much going on with it. Then again, it is strange, but maybe that is a part of its charm?


    When Servi stepped out through the curtain to reveal it, the opinions were still positive. Srassa¡¯s primary concern was the bare leg. She didn¡¯t know how that was comfortable at all. On the other hand, Momo thought it was stunning and stylish, something not many people wore. Jon echoed her sentiment and explained such an outfit was popular on the other continent. He said his mother was trying to carve a market for these types of clothing.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I hate it, honestly. It¡¯s a little bit bold because there¡¯s just a leg hanging out alone to brave the elements.  There¡¯s just one more, and I¡¯ll get out of your way. Sorry for taking up so much of your time,¡± said Servi, who kneeled down and rubbed her leg. She compared the touch of her flesh to the bodysuit. The name of the material didn''t immediately spring to mind, but Servi felt that if she had to run her top speed, it would keep up with no problem.


    ¡°Not at all. This is my job, after all,¡± Jon said as Servi went back behind the changing curtains for the final time. She emerged in record time in something she found comfortable. The boots were a light gray with crisscrossing black stripes at the knee and heel. Like the other footwear from the previous designs, they were heeled like the shoes a noble would wear to a ball. That alone should have made them a pain to walk in, but True Immortality was the ambrosia to all of life''s physical pain.


    Dark stockings hugged her smooth legs as they traveled underneath a modified high-waisted pencil skirt. As it was her color scheme¡ªor perhaps the theme for the day¡ªit was as black as night. She had overlapping brown belts around her hips and a single once across her waist to keep it secured. Jon was nice enough to toss in a random sheath he had found in the back, and that was clasped around her left thigh. It was big enough for a dagger, but something skinny and narrow could probably fit as well.


    Her shirt was difficult to even put on since it was fastened to a pair of crisscrossing straps that kept the dark azure cloak, which was long enough to reach her knees, attached to her body. It did have a degree of customization depending on if the shirt was clasped to the upper half or lower half. If the former, it came up to cover her shoulders while leaving little to no skin. With the latter, which was how Servi preferred it, the white shirt gave off a sense of playfulness. The fabric was somewhat thin, though. It wouldn''t damage the style if Servi eventually replaced the shirt with something thicker.


    According to Jon, the sleeves were of a style called balloon, which meant they were big and airy until settling down at the wrist. He told this to Servi when she stepped out, then excused himself while he rummaged through one of the backrooms. ¡°Here, try this,¡± he said while holding two metallic objects.


    Servi received the two metal bracelets and clasped them over her forearm. Like the boots and straps of the cloak, a crisscrossing pattern was etched into the vambraces. With them securely attached, the wild-looking sleeves were under control and tamed.  ¡°It''s quite odd, but everything you picked up was what my mother had ordered. Then it was all stolen and suddenly dropped off again.¡± Servi looked at herself in the mirror and pulled down the hood of her cloak.


    ¡°Jon, I¡¯ll take everything I tried on today.¡±


    Okay, so if I want to sum it up, I can give my outfits a name. That way, if I want to change between them in a flash, I have something to mentally link all of the individual pieces together as a single kit.


    The first can be called ¡®Delinquent.¡¯ I don''t know why, but it¡¯s the first thing that comes to mind. Probably won¡¯t use it that much, but it¡¯s an option. I just feel too much like a leather-bound punk looking to scrap.


    The second kinda grew on me, and I like how the belt is just over my bare skin. Seems like declaring it ¡®Belt¡¯ is as good as it¡¯s going to get. Again, probably won¡¯t use it that often. Like with ¡®Belt,¡¯ it can serve as an option if I ever need a disguise.


    The third reminds me of subtleness and sabotage¡­ ¡®Serpentine¡¯ seems like a good name because of the icy blue vest. It¡¯s my favorite of the bunch.


    The fourth one¡­ Let¡¯s see¡­ Perhaps ¡®Diamond?¡¯ Thanks to the cloth running from the collar, it makes a diamond-shaped boob window for the top of my breasts.


    The fifth is easy enough. It¡¯s asymmetrical and has a decent amount of red, so ¡®Sanguine¡¯ it is. It¡¯s kinda hot, I suppose. When I get intimate with Momo, it might be sexy to have her rubbing my exposed thigh. I could be like, ¡®It sure would be nice if I had someone to warm my leg up.¡¯ Then we can go from there.


    For the sixth? Why not go with ¡®Cloak?¡¯ Works well enough, I suppose. I think I have a thing for cloaks, so this will probably be my standard outfit when walking around.


    ¡°Are you sure? Speaking of that, I hope I¡¯m not offending you when I ask where are the rest of the clothes you tried on? When you emerged out from the changing room, I did not see them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because they¡¯re in my ring. My instructor gave me this as a present. It¡¯s enchanted with Dimensional Storage.¡±


    ¡°A ring with Dimensional Storage?¡± Srassa questionably repeated. ¡°I¡¯ve never of that before. A bag makes sense since you can physically drop an item inside, but how does it work with a ring?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain. My instructor knows more about it than me. So, what¡¯s the damage?¡± Servi spoke to a bewildered Srassa and then to a waiting Jon. He had slipped a hand inside the pocket of his dress pants.


    ¡°How about we say 2,000, and we call it even?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I get the feeling you¡¯re cutting me a bargain, but I won¡¯t question it twice if that¡¯s what you want. It¡¯s a pleasure doing business.¡± Servi paid the man a hundred dupla extra. Srassa had her face close to Servi¡¯s hand when the coins materialized from a space beyond reality. She quipped that there wasn¡¯t an accompanying chant and mentally wondered how such a thing worked. With an enchanted object like a bag, it was easy for someone to pick out what they wanted by just thinking about it. But how did it work for a ring? A small piece of jewelry that went around a finger. It was impossible to stick a coin inside the ring because they were often the same size, if not smaller.


    The group walked over to a bench near the Kobold changing rooms. A big man like him moved a bit slow, and it took him nearly forty-five minutes to pick out something he liked. Srassa had more than a few questions about the ring and Servi¡¯s financial status. For a moment near the end, she thought she was being too impolite and apologized, but Servi nearly answered them all the best she could.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I wanted to hide this ring and my money because I suppose I am a little bit wealthy. But while I was¡­ recovering¡­I wasn¡¯t in a state of mind to take anything out. I know you spent a lot of Momo and me."


    ¡°If you¡¯re asking about repaying, then please give that no mind. I did this because you¡¯re my friend. I wanted to make sure you were getting everything you needed. I suppose an accelerant to that line of thought was seeing you devour a tower of meat that one time. You are eating enough, yes?¡±


    ¡°I am. I guess that¡¯s another part of my training. Eat until you¡¯re full because you never know where your next meal might come from.¡±


    RuggyRuggy


    I have references for some of the outfits Servi bought. They will be in spoilers. They were references, so it isn''t a 1 to 1 replica. I changed a few small things, but it''s close enough to get the point across. For Sanguine, in particular, I had a tough time trying to describe it.


    (Also, I''m the worst when it comes to coming up with outfits. Especially detailed outfits like this.


    Which one is your favorite?


    (Also, I''m sorry the quality is low.)


    Serpentine (Second favorite)


    Diamond


    Sanguine


    Cloak (My Favorite)

 Book Four – Chapter Eight – Part Three – The Best Day of Their Lives

    Before Srassa or Momo could reply, it seemed as if the big lad was ready. Feral strolled out through the oversized changing room, and the claps of his closest friends greeted him. He looked absolutely handsome in that dark red undershirt. The smooth black jacket had the first three buttons buttoned, leaving the final two alone. The Dwarf they saw when they first entered cured around his large body. After asking for permission, she grabbed a stool and hopped on it. Feral did not know how to tie a tie, so she did it for him at a blinding speed.


    She went away, and Feral just stood there with a wagging tail.


    ¡°You look handsome!¡± said Momo.


    ¡°She¡¯s right. It looks good on you.¡±


    ¡°The red really suits you.¡±


    Servi and Srassa got their compliments in, and Feral laughably growled. ¡°Thank you, friends! I must admit these pants are a bit too tight, but it was the biggest size offered here. I am glad I did not have to do any alterations for my tail to fit¡­ Whahaha!!!¡±


    Feral really did look as sharp as a knife. He took to the fancy clothes and uncomfortable ties better than most others of his race. There was a part of him who wanted to rip them off, grab his shield, and start his grind through Warden. Frankly, the hulking beast didn¡¯t know why he had a hard time. He didn¡¯t want to dare think he preferred the leisurely, easy job of working within the safety of a city to the gut-wrenching, heart-stopping thrill of a battle to the death. Aunt Canary told him that his uncle passed away after accepting a fight he knew he couldn¡¯t win. She told him there was absolutely no shame running away to live another day.


    Her words probably had more effect on Feral than he thought possible. Then again, Servi was an enigma of his mind. She threw away everything he thought he knew about the weak, Human female, who had no choice but to cower against the might of a Kobold.


    Could it be possible her very existence frightened him? If Servi was an entity that existed, could it mean there was more like her in the world? Feral knew that staying within Canary meant slitting the throat of his personal growth. He just couldn¡¯t thrive while working various jobs to make money while feeding himself. And he was so thankful to his blessed aunt for giving him water, some food, and a roof to sleep under. That was why he was constantly taking shifts at her store and doing whatever she wanted.


    In short, Feral was just Feral. He was a Kobold, but perhaps that was the extent of the racial comparisons. Like most others, he did value strength more than anything.


    Or did he?


    He had accepted Servi so easily after she accomplished what he thought was an impossible task. Gradually, his heart opened up to Dwarves, Koena, Elves, and Singi.  Momo was so meek, tiny, and otherwise unremarkable in her strength, but Feral respected her because she had fire in her heart and a spring in her step.


    Srassa was another one. At first, he thought she was a noble who galavanted around with her inexhaustible wealth to keep a constant train of excitement from running out of steam. But no. She wasn¡¯t like that at all. Feral was personally smitten with her courage and willingness to devote herself for the better to the point where she came in second at the tournament.


    The same tournament he lost.


    I have to face it¡­ I have no friends of my own race¡­ But I have something better. I hope I am not alone in thinking that we are close companions, Servi¡­


    With their shopping finished, the four walked out after saying their goodbyes to Jon and the other employees. Feral¡¯s brand new shoes were so shiny and freshly polished they acted as a very mirror to reflect light. Due to how they were walking, it was a blessed occurrence Servi didn¡¯t have to worry about losing her eyes. It didn¡¯t even phase her. ¡°So, big guy,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes?¡± he growled.


    ¡°My instructor is coming to town tomorrow. In a way, she¡¯s even strong than me, so I was wondering if you would want to spar with her? Maybe not tomorrow, but definitely soon. Maybe within the month?¡±


    ¡°OOOOHHHHHH!!!! I have been waiting for this moment!!!¡± He turned to Servi and shook her hand with both of his. ¡°It is a bet, yes? Err¡­ It is a deal, yes?¡± Momo and Srassa giggled.


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal. Feral, do you have anything going on? Are you busy?¡±


    The large lad removed his hands and tried to calm down, which was challenging because his tail was as wild as Momo¡¯s. Sometimes, it just had a mind of its own. ¡°Aunt Canary gave me the day off to have fun because I had to tend to her store. In my village, we never really had a festival like this. We celebrated certain events, like the birth of the village elder, with food and fighting, but that was.¡±


    ¡°Food and fighting, huh? Sounds like fun.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­ It is very fun. The village competes to see who can catch the biggest animal for dinner. Some choose to dive under the lake and fight the swordfish, and others roam into the woods and marshlands to tackle the wild game. The winner gets to pick their opponent for the first fight.¡±


    ¡°Is that a particular custom that most Kobold villages practice? Or is it exclusive to yours?¡± asked Srassa. She felt something brush against her fingers and smiled. She hadn¡¯t had a chance to tell Servi this, but she also often found it distressing if she didn¡¯t have something to hold in her hands. The pretty noble with a bosom richer than Momo didn¡¯t know why that was the case, but she knew who to blame for it. Right at that point, Servi squeezed both of her hands and felt both girls return the show of affection.


    For Momo, she sent her love.


    For Srassa, the once-lonely noble sent over her show of trust.


    Servi didn''t know if she loved Srassa, but she wanted to be one of her closest companions.


    ¡°I am sorry, but I do not know. I left almost as soon as I became an adult, so I only have knowledge of my village.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Srassa loved to learn. Her father, when he had the time, spoke with her about the world at great lengths. He wanted her to be educated and smart, but she didn¡¯t know why. He never gave a reason when she first asked why was all this studying necessary.


    Thinking about that now, it is odd¡­ Having a vast library of knowledge isn¡¯t something to feel awful about, right? Learning should never be considered a consequence. Jony told me that.


    ¡°Anyway¡­ Thanks to the play, Mosie and I haven¡¯t had a chance to cut loose and have fun. Do you want to join the three of us? I still got about two hours before I gotta be at the theatre hall.¡±


    ¡°If you are offering, then I shall accept. If it isn¡¯t troubling, could you reach me about some of these things I saw? I do not understand what all of these little games are.¡±


    Servi affirmatively replied, and off the four of them went. A pair of Humans, a Singi, and a hulking Kobold, was an odd party. It was an unusual gathering of companions since most Kobolds would group with Koena, Dwarves, or their own kind.


    For the next two hours, the four, who had no chance to experience fun, quickly filled their quota. Servi and Itarr agreed that the other wouldn¡¯t mettle in the games right after the former learned about Itarr¡¯s Mortal Puppetry. Since she could target the ¡®Servi¡¯ portion of the body they shared, she could move as if she was actually there in the flesh. Janky as it was, it worked to a surprising degree.


    For the game that involved throwing a colored hoop onto a field of greased glasses to win a small prize, Srassa proved to be quite adept. She landed a green ring on a green bottle, which meant she snagged herself a tiny handkerchief. Itself was as green as her eyes, and she was as happy as a dog alone in a field of bones. Momo stepped up to the plate, but she didn¡¯t have the skill or luck. Feral managed to overthrow the four hoops he paid for, and he whined about the size of his hands and how they were far too big for such a little thing. Like their lover, Servi and Itarr failed to succeed at all, and that was twenty dupla down the drain.


    From that ring throwing stall, the group bounced over to one that had a stack of cups. By throwing a ball, the thrower had to knock them down. It seemed easy enough, but the troublesome part was the projectile.


    It was soft, light, and squishy. Feral actually squeezed the living life out of one by complete accident. He had a second chance, but the little white ball wasn¡¯t perfectly rounded. Combined with the lacking weight, Feral couldn¡¯t get a solid grip on it either. His chance ended in failure. Srassa managed to knock over one, but the grungy-looking Elf spat out that his game wasn¡¯t a ¡®one and done¡¯ station. Momo knocked over three, and Servi failed while Itarr managed to get it. She shouted with glee and excitedly pointed to a doll shaped like a mouse. Itarr absorbed it a moment later¡ªan action Srassa definitely wasn¡¯t used to.


    It kinda feels good that I don¡¯t have to use a proxy to take and absorb stuff. Feral took to my ring easier than Srassa did. Itarr, I hope you know I can hear you squealing around inside there. It¡¯s adorable... Really, seeing you act so girlish over a simple stuffed animal¡­ I really do love you. Before we talked, I nurtured a fear in my heart. I was afraid we wouldn¡¯t have a chance to act like this¡­ I¡¯m glad they were unfounded. I really am.


    The next stop on their conquest of fun was at a mobile food cart. It sold grilled pork weenies on a bun sliced in half vertically. The elderly, wrinkly Dwarf running it called it a porker, and she had eight on the grill in no time at all. She offered no alternations or customizations to save time, so each one was all the same with onions, tomatoes, and a slice of cheese on top. The Kobold amongst the group swallowed his while and satisfyingly growled his compliments.


    The rest of the girls ate while walking around. The common district was quite big, filled with many different charming and colorful characters. And it had so many stores and shops that it was hard to find a definitive list. Over half of every store within Canary had their own special promotions exclusively for this festival, so someone could travel all day and night for a week and never run out of things to discover.


    Once the meals were devoured and swallowed, Servi realized she had time for just a few more spots of fun before she had to rush off to the theatre hall. Feral was thinking about what they could do when he saw something that made his jaw drop.


    ¡®High Striker¡¯ was the name of this Kobold¡¯s stall. He stood shirtless¡ªa furry chest filled with a dozen scars¡ªnext to an oddly shaped machine. The base was made of iron and some other type of metal, and it had a large tower with numbers scribbled into the side. That was securely planted into the base. The shirtless Kobold explained the objective was to take a metal hammer and smash it down onto a lever placed on the base. It held a metal ball, which would then fly into the air. It couldn¡¯t escape since a glass display was prevented it from going anywhere but up or down.


    To win, the ball had to smash against a bell located at the top. The numbers along the tower indicated how many points a person could earn. The bell was worth 100, and for every 100 points, the person playing could win a prize. It was costly, though, at twenty dupla a swing.


    Feral asked about a quick match of strength, and Servi gladly obliged her muscular friend. He stepped up to bat and lifted the hammer up high. With his powerful muscles supporting that bestial strength, he slammed it down and was rewarded with the charming rings of a metallic bell.


    Feral roared and slammed his tail into the ground so hard the tent where the Kobold was standing started to shake. He rushed to secure the prizes, which were cute, adorable stuffed animals. Men with girlfriends and wives would readily pay to impress their significant other to win at a game only Kobolds could win. The runner of High Striker had made quite a living at this ¡®scam¡¯ over the years.


    Servi was up to bat. Before tossing the hammer at her, Feral prowled around the stack of prizes and finally chose a small stuffed alligator. He remarked it would be a gift to his aunt as thanks for taking care of him.


    The girl with red eyes caught the hammer and, that was when the shirtless Kobold¡¯s jaw dropped to the floor. That tool weighed over 120 kilograms. Someone with Servi¡¯s build could not have caught that under any circumstance, but she did. She swirled it around her body and slammed it down.


    Ring!


    Ring!


    Ring!


    Three quick pounds rewarded Servi¡¯s ears with three glorious rings. She gave the speechless owner forty more dupla and snagged three stuffed bears from his wonderful collection.


    One went to Momo, who pressed it against her chest and hugged Servi. The second went to Srassa, who smiled and said she had another one to add to her collection. She didn¡¯t feel right leaving it with just her verbal thanks, so she embraced Servi and whispered her appreciation. The last one went to the Goddess inside her soul. From the squeals and laughter, the Goddess was rolling around with her stuffed companions.


    The power of a stuffed animal could bring a smile to anyone, even a Goddess.


    ¡°Whahahaha!!! I suppose that was too easy!!!¡± Feral belly laughed as the group started to walk towards the noble district. The time was approaching, and it was going to be here quick. Servi still had to introduce herself to her acting friends.


    Before joining Servi and the others, Srassa timidly ran over to the hammer standing near the stunned Kobold and attempted to lift it.


    It didn¡¯t even budge when she used her entire being to lift it. That made her wonder how Servi flung it around her body as if it was made from paper and glue? She knew her friend was incredible but was she really that strong?


    I wonder if that ring from her instructor enhances her physical strength? Those types of artifacts are rare, but they aren¡¯t entirely unheard of. I¡¯ve never heard of one attached to a ring with Dimensional Storage, though. Her teacher must really be powerful to have something like that.


    Unable to dwell on it for longer than a few seconds, Srassa rushed back to her group of close friends while being very unaware of the four unscrupulous avian spirits flying overhead.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what you sound like! And cool new outfit. It looks cute!¡±


    Myrabel had exclaimed her surprise when Servi walked in alone. She had waved a hand and said her good afternoons. Momo and the others had to stay outside until the doors opened. A caf¨¦ was right nearby, so they said they would stay there and relax until they count enter.


    The stagehands were hard at work in bringing out the props and d¨¦cor that would be used as the play progressed. Myrabel, Denaire, and Grid were standing around in their first costumes. Each of them had four or five more that they would change into as the story unfolded.


    ¡°It¡¯s odd to hear you talk so normally without crying,¡± Grid noted. The Koena immediately added he meant no disrespect.


    ¡°There¡¯s none taken. I hope I wasn¡¯t too much of a bother,¡± Servi replied. She placed a hand on the stage and hopped up it.


    ¡°If anything, I was perhaps a bit too unfriendly¡­¡± Myrabel rubbed her arms and scratched her face, making the veil was lifted since she didn¡¯t want to test it.


    ¡°Mosie told me about that. Really, no harm, no foul. It¡¯s all water under the bridge. With that said, I guess I am meeting you all for the first time.¡±


    A round of handshakes and introductions later, Servi felt comfortable and at ease. Her fellow cast members nervously looked at the other, then asked the most pressing question on their minds.


    ¡°Can you still fulfill your role?¡± they asked at the same time.


    Servi answered them with a glorious rendition of the opening monologue by effortlessly pushing all of her sadness and emotional anger into playing the part of a grieving widow. Myrabel watched with wonder at how Servi was acting  even better than she could. Instead of animosity, jealousy, or any other negative thoughts, Myrabel looked at a girl who certainly had a myriad of experiences that the Elf couldn¡¯t claim to have.


    Denaire affirmatively growled while Grid said he never doubted her for a moment. He put his hands into his jacket pockets and rolled his neck around. Servi took this chance to ask about his little brother, and the conversation soon turned to all they had invited to come see their performance.


    As time passed by, more and more of the cast and crew walked into the theatre that was slowly becoming more filled. Servi introduced herself to the others, and they shared the same surprise and asked the same thing as Myrabel. It was even getting to the point where it was an overused joke. Becha, the noble who had a bone to pick with Servi¡¯s status as a commoner, didn¡¯t know how to react.


    But Servi did. She thanked Becha for taking her and Momo to the restaurant for a delicious meal. Another friendship, while not nearly as strong as the others Servi had made, was forged then and there. To help break the non-existent mold between the two, she complimented Servi¡¯s outfit she had dubbed ¡®Cloak¡¯ and mentioned she had never seen a pencil skirt used that way before. Fashion was something not very high on Servi¡¯s list, even though she dropped two thousand dupla earlier, so it was nice to get a noble¡¯s input from someone who seemed to be a fashionista.


    The last two to arrive were Bartholomew and Wyima when there was still an hour and a half until showtime. The director pricked at Servi¡¯s mind for a moment with various questions concerning the play¡¯s plot. Next, he ordered her to act out the parts in which Servi¡¯s role as Crying Noise was needed the most. She knew it was a test from the get-go, and after she passed with flying colors, the mysterious director had nothing more to say other than a final monologue of his own.


    ¡°I suppose I am glad you¡¯re ¡®healed.¡¯ More than that, it seems the darkness dwelling inside your bosom is as volatile as ever. You¡¯re a girl of a deep past that no one was cursed enough to share. You know I don¡¯t mince words with anyone, and I¡¯m not about to start that now. Your agonizing life, worries, regrets, unanswered prayers, and mental weaknesses are the sole reason I wanted you for the production. Selfish as those they have been, I must admit I was hoping your cure would not show itself until after tonight. Regardless, my worries were for nothing since you¡¯ve exceeded my expectations. Keep it up.¡±


    He had talked to Servi near the edge of the stage since everyone else had various objectives to be completed before the curtain opened. Wyima was nearby and spoke to Servi for the final time.


    ¡°It is great to see you healed. Since you¡¯re in a position to ask questions, you may as well do it now.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Servi put a hand on her hip, accidentally brushing against the empty sheath because she had forgotten it was there. ¡°What reason was flowing through your mind when you decided to accept me into the play? I don¡¯t buy the idea that it was just for my ¡®crying.¡¯ No offense, but that¡¯s about the stupidest thing I¡¯ve ever heard.¡±


    His response shocked Servi for a second before she recovered. ¡°I agree. I was against it from the start and only allowed you to ¡®audition¡¯ to prove to him that his requests and demands are becoming more and more ludicrous. Didn¡¯t expect you to pull it off and actually surpass his incredibly high standards. Still, I offer my apologies since I actively wanted you to fail. A part of me is glad you proved me wrong.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Honestly, I remember why I wanted to do this, but ¡®why¡¯ did I want to? Do you get what I¡¯m saying? My emotions were jumbled up because I had to kill in cold blood to save the life of the one I love. The only emotions I only ever practiced here were sadness, regret, and crying. There was nothing ¡®happy¡¯ except for meeting Myrabel, Denaire, Grid, and going out to eat with Becha and the others. If I had recovered even a month sooner, I¡¯d probably have left and never returned.¡±


    ¡°You know why but not the ¡®why?¡¯¡± Wyima was in deep thought. ¡°You¡¯re telling me you never had any real love for the theatre?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I never once spent a gram of brainpower actively or consciously thinking about it. That¡¯s why I¡¯m so confused why my damaged self even wanted to do this¡­ And I don¡¯t know why I want to do this since I obviously don¡¯t share that much love for it. I¡¯m only here because I¡¯ve made a commitment and don¡¯t want to break it. Let¡¯s just say I¡¯ve done that before a few times, and it doesn¡¯t feel good. Especially when lives are at stake. On the other hand, perhaps those emotions I stated earlier were just what I needed to practice to recover faster. They say the mind knows better than the body, so who knows? Let me ask you something. What happened to the high-strung energy the director had? Seems like he¡¯s upset now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just how he is. Whenever a production nears its end, he falls into a depression and doesn¡¯t want to do anything. He usually takes a month-long break and refuses to leave his home. Give it three months, and he¡¯ll be bouncing off the walls with his long-winded euphemisms and erratic monologues while making hellishly impossible demands that no mortal could fulfill.¡± Wyima rubbed his head in exasperation and held out a hand.


    Servi shook it and said, if nothing else, she at least had some experience working in the theatre. She didn¡¯t know how this could come in handy, but it provided a nice distraction. Wyima chuckled and said Servi was the first to call working with one of Lando¡¯s most respected playwrights a simple divertissement.

 Book Four – Chapter Eight – Part Four – The Best Day of Their Lives

    She left Wyima with a small smile and went back to join her friends. The hands on the clock turned with a hint of unforgivable envy as it was soon time for the doors to properly open. Bartholomew rubbed that awful excuse for a hair and gathered everyone together for a final talk. Compared to when he had first met everyone, Bartholomew was running low on gas. His words were more of a warning about failure than anything to excite his cast and crew, and he sent them off to go behind the stage¡¯s curtain until it was to start.


    Wyima soon caught up with Servi and handed her the cloak of invisibility. Slipping it on, she vanished from sight, but she could still be heard, smelled, and touched. This simple skill item paled to the power of The Shadow¡¯s Embrace, but that was to be expected. She removed the top half from her body so people wouldn¡¯t run into her while lounging around backstage. There were still fifteen minutes until showtime. A thought appeared in her mind, and she scurried away to a place where no one was watching.


    A quick use of her favorite Rank 0 skill later, she peeked out through the thick curtains and saw who all had come. Nearly every seat had a body in it, and in the front row, she saw her closest friends. As Momo had said, she was right there in the middle with a smile. To her left and right were Srassa and Claire, the latter who was still in her work clothes. The former had found somewhere to change out of that plaid shirt and pants and dressed comfortably in an elegant, dark green, open-back dress. Well, it was mostly open. It needed a way to stay up, and asymmetrical straps across her back was there to help. That added a playful tone to the gorgeous gown.


    The sharp-dressed Feral was beside Srassa, and after him sat Marissa, Meri, and Mari in their best dress. The two young girls looked all around and excitedly spoke with their mother about pretty the pipes above them. Marissa found that a bit odd, but she shared their wonder and explained it controlled the stage lights. Even still, Servi could tell the lovely wife was hurting inside. Her face wasn¡¯t blossoming like it used to.


    Dineria had found the time to show up. She sat beside Claire, and the two of them were chatting about something. The nature-loving Elf had fashioned together a strapless dress of leaves, grass, bark, and sap. Even her heels were carved from a block of cherry maple. The color matched the red ink she had used to paint her toenails. Six rows up, she spotted a young Koena that was the spitting image of his older brother. He bounced around in his seat as if he was the personification of a bundle of joy.


    Feral really does look handsome in his suit, and it seems all of my friends came. Better head back and get ready. Wait¡­ Before Servi dashed back and cut off The Shadow''s Embrace, she saw a particular man walk through the doors at the side. She knew him very well. Of the two times they had fought, she had emerged victorious. Arty nervously scratched his arm. Just a night prior, he looked as if scum and muck described his entire existence, so Servi was a bit happy he used the money Momo gave him to clean himself up. He had to, apparently, shave off all of his hair, but at least it seemed as if the grueling scar on his face had been looked at by an apothecary.


    He wore a suit and tie, but Arty¡¯s attire had seen much better days. He timidly looked up and down the sea of chairs to find an empty seat near the very back. Internally, he figured that was for the best since he had something to say to the girl he used to hate.


    Could use this time to think it through, I suppose¡­ Especially when I consider how much of an ass I was¡­ No wonder I¡¯m alone. My bitterness forced Leeroy to abandon me for greener pastures. I know Yerue had a violent streak to him¡­ And it was¡­self-defense. Mom¡­ Dad¡­ You wouldn¡¯t be proud to see who I¡¯ve become, would you? Is it too late for me to be a better man? Starting from scratch and all that? Arty seemed to have thought things through. The problem was seeing if he could act on them without exploding at Servi.


    Servi, how are you feeling? Itarr asked as Servi softly smiled. She doubled back to a secure spot and canceled the skill. Shadows from a plane where non-existence ruled over creation left her body. The tingling sensation of becoming susceptible to this land¡¯s rules of nature always felt jarring and sudden, like jumping into an icy lake after experiencing a blisteringly hot sauna.


    ¡°About Arty?¡±


    That¡¯s right.


    Servi emerged from her hiding spot and found a nice corner near a coffin used for the play¡¯s fourteenth scene. She stared at the dummy inside and poked its wooden cheeks. Thanks to the stagehands rushing about for final preparations, she could talk to herself without no one being the wiser because the footsteps drowned out her voice. Soon, she wouldn¡¯t have any need to hastily speak to herself because Itarr would be right there next to her in her own body.


    ¡°It¡¯s like what Momo said. We don¡¯t have to be friends, but I am tired of being enemies and antagonizing each other. Honestly, I wondered if he was the key to bringing me back. I snapped and just constantly apologized¡­ No, I shouldn¡¯t say he was the key because that would diminish all of the efforts Momo and my friends went through to take care of me. It¡¯d be apt to say he was probably the final piece of the puzzle. If I didn¡¯t encounter him, I¡¯d probably still be trapped inside my mind. It wouldn''t be lonely at all because I had that pink fox and you, but¡­ I¡¯d rather be here¡­¡±


    Servi soon found Myrabel, who formed a fist of confidence and patted Servi on the back. She sure was excited to start in her first-ever production, and after enduring Bartholomew¡¯s harsh criticism, had emerged into a better actress. Servi smiled and pulled up the cloak, erasing her body from sight. Wyima soon appeared and grasped the insurance pole sticking right out, and that was when Bartholomew walked out onto the stage as a spotlight flashed on him. It was already set for the play¡¯s first scene.


    He welcomed everyone and thanked them for coming before offering a few words about the play. He explained the story was one of loss, bitterness, and discovering that there was a light at the end of every dark tunnel. When he thought about that saying, he mentioned he equated it to the lift of a butterfly as they flapped their wings.


    ¡°With that said, I shall finish up quickly because I know you did not come here to hear me rabble. Without further ado, I present to you The Lift of a Butterfly Will Cure Our Ailing Hearts.¡± The audience clapped while he took a bow, and off he went to exit stage left.  The lights cut off, and a tense breath unanimously found itself spreading around from audience member to audience member.


    Myrabel and the kids playing the role of Shika¡¯s children walked onto a darkened stage, their footsteps being the only sound. The reflectors up in the ceiling assured every little noise was audible¡ª from the smallest whimper to the loudest slap. Servi strolled to her position and crouched down.


    Suddenly, a set of lights from overhead appeared, casting illumination upon the funeral scene. Her lengthy veil perfectly encapsulated this moment of sadness and loss. It sat so perfectly still, giving the audience a chance to see her face through the darkness that followed whenever a life was lost. The black mourning gown covered everything but her fingers, which were shadowed by a pair of gloves darker than night.


    Every little detail was meticulously picked and plotted by the director after going over it with a fine-toothed comb. It all had a purpose or some meaning, and nothing was wasted effort.


    The soft melodies of a pair of violins slowly hummed to life thanks to the orchestra playing in a separate room. The music was delivered through a series of tubes positioned in the optimal locations to achieve the effect Bartholomew desired.


    Okay, Myra¡­ You¡¯ve shed blood, sweat, and tears to get to this point¡­ Just how many auditions have you blown? It¡¯s at the point where I can¡¯t count that high. It¡¯s hard to believe I¡¯m standing here, facing my mother and father. I know I wasn¡¯t the most behaved daughter, but¡­ I¡¯m doing this for us. I know about the money troubles you¡¯ve been trying to keep from me, so I¡¯m hoping this is just the first step on my path to stardom! First, it¡¯s Canary, and then it¡¯s Adenaford!


    With that as her cue, practiced Myrabel began to pour her heart into an unforgettable performance.


    ¡°Cheers!!!¡±


    Clank!


    Over half a dozen glasses bonked against each other as a party broke out in the ballroom located in the back of the Hurrah Theatre Hall. Food and drink flowed as freely as the rushing stream of a violent waterfall. Waiters, maids, and butlers all hustled around with a serving tray stocked full of glasses of clear wine and tasty hors d''oeuvre.


    Servi was with Myrabel, Grid, Denaire, Becha, and a few others as they toasted to a job well done!


    About ten minutes had passed since the play¡¯s final line was uttered by Shika, Sylvia, and Roa, who were played by Myrabel, Denaire, and Grid. The stage lights flashed off, casting the three stars in darkness not even the empty moon could provide. In the next moment, all of the lights turned on at once as the entire cast and crew walked out on stage to take a bow. Wyima had retrieved his cloak from Servi, and she hopped out there to join them all at the very end. She raised both hands and waved, then grabbed the hands of those to her side and took a second bow.  She had her hood pulled up over her head.


    In the front row, a lovely Singi with pink hair jumped up and down while clapping and screaming Servi¡¯s name. Feral was crying. The big lad was overwrought with emotions for Sylvia¡¯s story. He emotionally connected with the story of how she had to gather the courage to fight back against her abusive husband. The freedom she secured for herself allowed her to wander the world freely to find the special someone who wouldn¡¯t treat her wrong.


    For a moment, Feral wanted to rush up on stage and take hold of her, but then he remembered it was all fiction. Denaire wasn¡¯t Sylvia.


    Claire, Srassa, and Dineria had a small handkerchief to wipe their tears since they found the story emotionally captivating.


    But Marissa¡­ It was hard for her to watch it because of a side plot involving a wife saying goodbye to her husband. This character had three children with a fourth on the way, and he had to leave her behind to die to secure their safety. Meri and Marissa didn¡¯t seem to connect anything to Fisher, who they believed to have painlessly passed onto the afterlife. In fact, moments before the family entered, Meri had mentioned she had to learn a lot and fast to take care of the family. That was why she spent nearly every waking moment practicing with her sword¡ªsomething that didn¡¯t go unnoticed by her mother.


    With the play now over, Servi hopped down the stage and reconvened with her friends. She mentioned this to them and asked her friends to stay.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be rude and rush off, so I¡¯m just going to have a glass with them. I really want to walk home with you guys.¡± That also included Marissa and her children, but they made themselves scarce nearly immediately. Servi didn¡¯t blame them at all, and her friends smiled and said that would be fine. They also wanted to talk with her about how she pulled something truly outrageous off without it sounding weird or unnatural.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be standing out in front, okay?¡± chirped Momo. Before walking away, she embraced Servi and whispered how amazing her best friend was. For a quick moment lasting less than a fraction of a fraction of a second, they disappeared from the world while a single friendship was exchanged on the cheeks. It all happened faster than it took to blink, and the love whelming up within Momo¡¯s bosom was about to overflow. She broke off from the girl she loved with a few delightful giggles and joined the others in walking out.


    So that''s what a kiss feels like when we''re using The Shadow''s Embrace... It feels...shadowy. Shadowy but good...


    And then Servi had rushed off to the room and waited for her fellow actors and actresses. It didn¡¯t take long for her theatre companions to show up. Most brought their family, and Servi kicked herself for not thinking about that sooner. She had pondered on rushing out to gather her friends but argued against it.


    She wasn¡¯t going to be here long.


    After a few satisfying cheers, Servi briefly mingled with her friends and their parents. Denaire¡¯s father was surprisingly soft-spoken for being a Kobold. In many ways, he reminded Servi of a quieter Feral who leaned more towards the art. She managed to dig a small fact out of him, and that was that he retired a couple dozen years earlier than he intended to because he didn¡¯t want to miss Denaire¡¯s growth. Her mother, though, was brash and loudly spoken while not forcibly being the life of the party.


    Grid¡¯s brother constantly hounded Myrabel while asking her to star in his play if he became famous. This newfound attention was more than the Elf could handle, but she had enough sense to nod and promise.  That was on the outside. Inside, Myrabel was bursting at the seams to have gotten a fan that wasn''t a friend. He was her friend''s brother, but Myrabel figured that was distinct enough to count.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I have to cut it short, but I¡¯ve got to head out. Can¡¯t say I was really expecting to do this, but I¡¯m glad I did,¡± Servi said after she finished off her glass of wine. She gave it to a passing waiter with a tray and waved goodbye to her new friends. As she left out of the door, Servi heard something.


    ¡°Sweetie, just who was that girl?¡± asked Grid¡¯s mother.


    ¡°That was the girl who did all of the crying,¡± Myrabel replied. ¡°Whenever an actress cried in the play, it was her.¡± It seemed no one but the cast knew about Servi. They only thought she was someone who worked behind the scenes. The answer Myrabel gave was confusing, and to explain it all, she had to go back to the day of the audition. That was going to be a story and a half, but Servi didn¡¯t have time to stick around to make sure the details were wholly accurate.


    When she stepped out from the ballroom into a lavishly decorated hallway, a quick glance confirmed she was alone. That was all Servi needed, though she didn¡¯t care if someone was there, to slip inside her second favorite realm of non-reality and rush to the theatre¡¯s lobby. She saw her friends sitting right outside on a bench in front of the doors, so she assumed her physical presence and felt gravity take hold.  It was so packed Servi knew no one would notice her appearing from nowhere.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± said Servi as she walked out. Momo and the others stood up as Servi closed the distance. The sky was partially cloudy on this dark night, causing the moon¡¯s luster to be cut in half. If not for the overabundance of street lamps and lanterns, no one but an Elf would have been able to comfortably get around.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Did you have fun?¡± asked the bubbly Singi.


    ¡°I did. It seemed the parents and friends of the cast thought I was someone who worked backstage rather than a girl who just cried all the time. I don¡¯t blame them.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were incredible!¡± interjected Srassa. She folded her hands together as sparkles seemingly danced around her eyes. ¡°Using just a single person to handle the emotional crying for everyone¡­ That¡¯s positively unheard of!¡±


    ¡°My cute student is right.¡± Now it was time for Dineria to speak her piece. ¡°I¡¯ve been to a fair few in my time, and whenever someone needed to let the water run loose, it was up to the actor in question to take care of it.¡±


    ¡°It really was phenomenal, Servi. I¡¯m glad I came to see it. I didn¡¯t expect the story to be that sad¡­ It ended happily, but it feels bittersweet,¡± Claire noted. She hugged her jacket to her chest and flashed a friendly smile.


    ¡°Feral, are you alright?¡± Servi noted her large friend was being unnaturally quiet.


    ¡°My friend¡­ It was so sad¡­¡± whimpered the big lad. He had sixteen handkerchiefs stuffed inside his pockets. He kept pulling them out to dry his tears. He had been holding back on talking since he was afraid the torrential sadness would continue to rear its ugly head. ¡°But it was incredible. You did a good job!¡±


    Servi gave the Kobold hug as one of his large hands patted her back. Unanimously, the group non-verbally decided to make their way home. They wouldn¡¯t have to separate for some time since they all had to travel in the same direction. Without any word from the three of them, Servi, Momo, and Srassa all held hands with the red-eyed girl in the middle. This lasted for only a few seconds before Dineria asked to borrow Servi.


    The two skidded ahead of the group as she put a hand around her neck. ¡°Did¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yep, I know about it. Momo loves me, and I love her. Claire asked me the same thing this morning. She even pulled me away like you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame you know what I was going to ask because I was going to tease you about it. Think of it as a small punishment for not coming to see me when you were healed.¡± Dineria pouted and puffed out her cheeks.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sorry about that. This doesn¡¯t make up for it, but here¡¯s a hug?¡± Servi rotated her body to the right and wrapped her left arm around Dineria¡¯s back. Her palms rubbed her bare skin, feeling just how warm the slender Elf was. ¡°Thank you for what you¡¯ve done for us¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome¡­ I¡¯d do anything for my students because I want to see them grow.¡± Dineria peeked a glance at her motionless companions some five meters away. They were busy chatting about the fun festival games they had won earlier in the day. She then completed the hug and broke off. ¡°Did Momo tell you about my past? You¡¯re not alone, you know.¡±


    Servi nodded. Inevitably, uneasiness started to creep within her heart. ¡°She did.¡±


    ¡°Then you know my father, grandfather, and family offered me the support I needed to love myself again. Breaking it down, it isn¡¯t that much different from what you¡¯ve experienced. Some people say blood is thicker than water. That can be true, but the opposite can be true as well. The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.¡±


    ¡°Friends can sometimes be more important than family. It isn¡¯t the same for every individual out there because some lose the familial lottery.¡±


    Dineria patted Servi on the head. ¡°That¡¯s right. One more thing. Did Momo tell you about a ¡®present¡¯ I wanted to give you?¡±


    ¡°That she did. I¡¯m sure I can guess what it is. Mosie and I haven¡¯t crossed that final barrier, but we skidded it across it this morning when we took a bath together.¡±


    ¡°Oh my! Little Momo¡¯s going to become a woman tonight, is she? In that case, should I give you the present now?¡± Dineria covered her mouth with a pretty hand and blushed. She followed that up with a sly smile.


    ¡°Thank you, but I want it to be just us tonight. Toys and other objects can come later.¡± That earned Servi another pat on the head. They walked back to the chatting group and continued their walk. Claire, thanks to her hearing that she couldn¡¯t just shut off, overheard everything.


    Two people to a shower is against Warden¡¯s rules, but I think I can let that slide. How long has it been since I''ve bathed with someone...? Her personal worries aside, she did find great joy in hearing the relationship between her favorite Singi and red-eyed Human was progressing quite nicely.


    Dineria thought something similar, but her sharp eyes focused on the link between Servi and Srassa. She knew Momo and Srassa were close, and it seemed that friendship blossomed a relationship between the pair of Humans. The remaining question was if this friendship would spiral into something more than innocent handholding. Dineria knew polygamy was legal within Gea, and she had been in a relationship, at one point, where it was her and two men. It was a brief fling meant to pass by the time while waiting for her passport to be verified, so love wasn¡¯t the focus at all. Still, she did have experience in that subject.


    I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll all work out fine if it progresses to that step. The vital aspect is to set boundaries and rules, and I know they¡¯re responsible enough to see that. Servi definitely is¡­ She gives off the hint of being wiser and more knowledgeable than what she displays.

 Book Four – Chapter Eight – Part Five – The Best Day of Their Lives

    The first person to leave the group was Srassa when they walked right by her house. She hugged Servi and Momo in a group embrace. ¡°I had so much fun today, you know?¡±


    ¡°We did, too,¡± Momo said.


    ¡°Yep. I would say it was one of the best days of my life. I really couldn¡¯t ask for anything to make it better.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad¡­ Umm¡­¡± The hug broke off, but the girls kept holding each other¡¯s hands while they stood in a circle. ¡°Tomorrow at 9 AM, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yep. I figured we could head out about then. The plan is to meet up with her and come back to Canary. My instructor¡¯s never been here before, so I know she¡¯ll want to experience a ton of different things before nightfall.¡±


    ¡°I must say I am excited to meet her. I¡¯m also nervous¡­ I don¡¯t wish to be rude, but she is friendly, yes?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the friendliest. There really isn¡¯t anyone else like her out there. It can be nerve-wracking meeting new people, but I promise you there¡¯s nothing to be nervous about. Were you that way when you met me?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ Kind of¡­?¡± Srassa blushed and glanced away.


    ¡°But you¡¯re fine with me now. Fine enough to even hold my hand. Give it a few days, and you¡¯ll be as comfortable with my instructor as you are me.¡±


    ¡°Servy¡¯s right. I¡¯ve talked with her instructor a few times before¡ªthrough letters, I mean¡ªand I feel like I¡¯ve known her for as long as I''ve known Servy.¡± That¡¯s the truth since Itarr was inside her since day one.


    ¡°You two are right.¡± Srassa¡¯s expression calmed down. Her whole body relaxed as a sigh fluttered out from her pink lips. She squeezed her very best friends¡¯ hands once more and stepped back. She folded her hands across her busty bosom to her heart and smiled. ¡°I really need to stop getting nervous at every little thing. If I want to become strong like you two, then I need to begin there¡­ I¡¯ll make sure to be at Warden at the time we agreed upon. You two have a nice night, okay?¡±


    ¡°The same to you. See you in the morning, okay?¡±


    ¡°Bye-bye!¡± Momo waved as Srassa walked back. She turned around and went through the gate that the guard had just opened. The distinct sound of her heels clacking against the hard ground faded away when she passed through the second gate.


    Returning to their group, Dineria said she couldn¡¯t help but overhear something about Servi¡¯s instructor. ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s coming to town tomorrow. We¡¯re going to meet her in the morning to escort her the rest of the way. I know she¡¯ll want to meet you guys.¡±


    ¡°Then feel free to bring her to the store.¡±


    ¡°I have to work, so I¡¯ll be at Warden. She¡¯ll need a room to stay in, right?¡± Servi nodded at Claire. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be able to introduce myself to her then. Hopefully, that jackass doesn¡¯t run me too ragged¡­¡±


    Claire and Dineria talked about the former¡¯s job worries and exhaustion for a couple of minutes before the latter had to leave. She lived at her store. Apparently, she had a fully furnished ¡®house¡¯ in one of the back rooms. Momo wondered how rich her instructor was to afford all of that space inside that expensive mall. She didn¡¯t know the specifics of property tax and the shopping center''s expensive leases, but even she knew it had to be a pretty penny. Then again, it was a popular store, so the money Dineria earned each month had to be substantial. She hugged her companions goodbye. Even Feral got one since Dineria was in a friendly mood. But before she broke away from Claire, she whispered something sensual. ¡°If you¡¯re stressed, then why not use the toy I gave you? I¡¯ve got some more if that isn¡¯t doing anything anymore.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡ªDon¡¯t be crazy¡­ Momo¡¯s right there¡­ What if she hears you?!¡± Claire yammered.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already offered one to them. Momo didn¡¯t get it, but Servi did¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Look. I¡¯m getting worried about you, okay? You know you could come work for me and earn much more money with a much easier job.¡± Dineria spoke a tone that wasn¡¯t stern, but it was definitely full of disquietude.


    ¡°But the guild¡­ I like helping people,¡± Claire replied.


    ¡°I know you do, but you need to take some time for yourself. You¡¯ve been working for multiple weeks without a break. And don''t say you had a day off here and there. That doesn''t count. Don¡¯t burn yourself out, okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡­know. Thanks, Dineria¡­¡± Claire whispered. She gave her Elven friend another hug and had to fight to even let go. She was getting to the point where she dreaded waking up in the morning because she had to work all day. The Heavens Above knew Claire wanted to quit, but this job offered stability, decent pay, and selfishly convinced herself she was doing good by looking out for novice adventurers.


    ¡°Servi, I¡¯ll see you and Momo tomorrow when you come by. Feral, you take it easy, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I will,¡± growled the large lad. ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    Momo did overhear what her Elven pals chatted about, but that just got her thinking more about what this ¡®toy¡¯ was supposed to be. She didn¡¯t have a chance to ask because she didn¡¯t quite know how to start it off. The perplexed Singi had no choice but to wait to ask because Claire was the next to leave after coming near her house. She gave a friendly hug and waved while walking away to her front door. It was three blocks away, but two guards were patrolling. And the streets were still packed full of patrons who wanted to extract the most out of the dying embers of a week-long festival.


    Perhaps if Canary wasn¡¯t in dire straits, a proper end could have been scheduled in the form of fireworks, but that just wasn¡¯t on the menu for this year.


    The last to leave was Feral, who grunted while happily slamming his tail into the ground. ¡°I will see you tomorrow, yes? Around town?¡±


    ¡°Actually, we¡¯ll be coming here at some point. I told my instructor about your aunt¡¯s store, and she has been dying to try her sweets.¡±


    ¡°Aaahhh, so you have been putting in a good word to her? I am glad!!! Aunt Canary has scheduled me to work, so I will be here most of the day. I will see what I can do about giving your instructor a little bit extra with her purchase. I am sure she would not mind it at all, especially when considering you have been spreading the word. I shall see you tomorrow, friends!¡±


    Feral waved goodbye and stomped into his aunt¡¯s store. He had room in the back that he stayed in. Coincidentally, it was also where he kept his shield when it wasn¡¯t in use since it was a pain to ferry it everywhere. Not that he couldn¡¯t lift it, but because it was so large and imposing and it needed more room than the Kobold it belonged to.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s just us now,¡± said Momo. She squeezed Servi¡¯s hand.


    ¡°It is¡­ Unless you have anything else to do, I suppose it¡¯s time to head back to our room. We still gotta have that all-important conversation, right?¡± Servi replied.


    ¡°Yep! We sure do.¡± They set off walking while swinging their interconnected hand. ¡°Are you feeling nervous about it?¡±


    Servi answered Momo. ¡°Not particularly. If I know you, and I¡¯m sure I do, we¡¯ve already played out the conversation in our heads.¡±


    ¡°I still think it¡¯s okay to be just a little nervous. Not because of what will happen, but because¡­ Well, for me, it¡¯s going to be a big first step into the unknown, and I¡¯m just swinging for the trees. I won¡¯t be alone, though.¡±


    Smooch!


    Servi gave her lovely little Singi a peck on the cheek as they turned a corner. At this point, neither of the two had any worries if someone caught them.


    Really, what could a guard do to a Goddess and the girl channeling her powers? The vast strength to protect their developing romance was close at hand, and it was warm and loving.


    ¡°You¡¯re damn right you won¡¯t be alone. Remember, you¡¯re stuck with me.¡±


    Momo returned the cheek kiss with one of her own. ¡°That¡¯s a blessing right there if I¡¯ve ever seen one. Hehe!¡± Casual chatter aside, the two ventured forth to the guild¡¯s office, but there was just one last obstacle standing before they could have that very important talk.


    It took the form of a man who had nothing else in this world but misplaced anger directed to the wrong girl. He sat on the second step with a searching eye, and only once did he spot the girl he was looking for did he stand up. A hand went to the scar on his face, then he gripped his fists.


    ¡°¡­¡± He remained speechless.


    ¡°Arty,¡± Servi said. ¡°I saw you at the play. I¡¯m glad you came out.¡±


    I¡­know that I¡¯ve been acting like an ass¡­¡± he spoke. ¡°Any apologies won¡¯t make what I said right, nor will it return the sleep lost to nightmares¡­ And Yerue did have an anger streak¡­ He was constantly fighting with others¡­ But he was all I had. Him and Leeroy¡­ And now I don¡¯t have anything at all.¡± Servi stared at Arty¡¯s defeated, downtrodden state. He looked so pathetic and worn out, almost as if the tiniest spark of life was wilting. ¡°Even with that, Yerue was someone¡­who was there when no one else. He helped me after bandits slaughtered and burned my village¡­ He was awful. He¡¯s the kind of person who would steal, lie, and cheat, but¡­ He protected me¡­ He protected both Leeroy and me. That¡¯s why it¡¯s hard for me to look at you two¡­ I¡¯m a weak man with nothing to show for¡­


    ¡°You know, this isn¡¯t what I had planned to say. I spent all last night and most of today trying to find the words. I will say watching the play helped me¡­ It did somewhat. It¡¯s just fiction, but there were so many heartwarming examples of someone starting from zero and reliving their lives after learning from their mistakes. So that¡¯s what I¡¯ll do. I¡¯ll leave and try to be someone to make my parents and sister proud. You don¡¯t care about this at all¡­ Why should you, you know?" Arty shrugged and let out a pathetically sorrowful laugh. ¡°I just wanted to tell someone¡­ Even if that someone was a person I¡¯ve hurt with my words. I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll meet again, but maybe¡­


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll be someone better¡­ Someone worth an ant¡¯s worth of respect¡­ Maybe I can get Leeroy back¡­¡± Arty stared at the two girls who hadn¡¯t moved a muscle. He took a small breath and began to walk past them, then flinched when Servi placed a hand on his shoulder. She kept her mouth shut, and so did Momo, and only Arty knew how he took that gesture. The two girls turned around to see him walk down the road, disappearing into the sea of rowdy festival-goers.


    ¡°Servy, do you think we¡¯ll see him again?¡± Momo asked. She had moved on from simple hand-holding to hugging Servi¡¯s entire arm.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we will. The three of us had a rocky start. I¡¯m not na?ve enough to think that can be ignored, but I do wish him the best¡­ In a different timeline or world, it probably would have been you, me, Itarr, and Arty instead of Srassa. But that¡¯s neither here nor there, and I wouldn¡¯t trade Srassa for anyone.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t either. Srassa''s our close friend, and I wouldn¡¯t change that for anything because I¡¯ve learned a lot from her. She¡¯s learned from us as well, and we made each other stronger,¡± Momo said. She looked up at Servi¡¯s face, then bravely planted a friendly little kiss on her chin.


    Servi chuckled and turned her gaze back to her friend while they entered the guild office. ¡°Is that revenge from this morning?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh!  Hehe!!¡± The Singi was all smiles, grinning from ear to ear. They skipped through a nearly empty lobby, waving to the employees working the night shift. Before long, they stood right outside Momo¡¯s room. Itarr handled the door by absorbing it and putting it back after they passed through the threshold. Servi brought out a few Lux Spheres. They weren¡¯t blinding balls of pure light, but they were just bright enough to set the mood for what was going to come.


    Servi and Momo briskly walked over to the bed and sat down. Momo let go of Servi¡¯s arm and just settled for her hand. She stared up, focusing on that killer smile and those ruby-red eyes.


    ¡°Mosie?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Are you¡­ready?¡± Instead of replying, Momo figured that her actions were worth a million words. What she had planned couldn¡¯t be described even a hundred thousand pages of her most heartfelt confession. She stood up, kicked off her shoes, and stood in front of Servi. Very gently, the Singi straddled the Human¡¯s lap. This was a position they had shared earlier this morning. And like before, their foreheads were touching.


    It¡¯s¡­finally about to happen, isn¡¯t it? I held myself back¡­ I had so many chances to go for it¡­ But I stayed strong¡­ It¡¯s okay¡­ It¡¯s okay for me to do it, right? If there was ever a moment, it¡¯d be now¡­


    RuggyRuggy


    The time has come for Servi and Momo to cross that line and become something more than just friends. It''s been a long time coming (over 1,000,000 words, in fact)

 Book Four – Epilogue – Part One – Friends to Lovers (R-18)

    RuggyRuggy


    And here we have the epilogue of Book Four. It is split into two parts.


    Momo¡¯s tense breath left her mouth and warmed Servi¡¯s lips. Her palms went around Momo¡¯s waist and slid up and down. Conversely, the Singi wanted nothing more than to hold her lover¡¯s face with her own two hands.


    Time slowed to a crawl.


    Both girls knew what had to be done next.


    Blue stared into red, and red into blue. An affectionate tail wrapped around Servi¡¯s hands to warm them¡ªthe ultimate proof a Singi could give to the person they loved.


    Electrical sparks nearly materialized when they leaned in. Their noses brushed against each other as the distance continued to shrink.


    ¡°Mmph¡­¡± One of the girls very quietly moaned as their lips finally connected, imparting months worth of affection and love that had been building up.


    Momo closed her eyes, her whole body shuddering from a massive amount of relief. What followed next was pleasure¡ªplain and simple. Servi rolled over after holding Momo close to her body until she was on bottom. Their lips were still in the middle of a rather amateurish kiss devoid of fancy technique.


    Servi leaned away from the kiss, but she pressed her breasts against Momo¡¯s chest. The Singi realized she was running out of oxygen and gasped for air. All the while, she looked so adorable, laying there on her back with her moist lips curled into a lovingly little smile. ¡°So¡­¡± she said between gasps. ¡°That was a real kiss¡­ A really real one¡­ A friendship¡ª¡±


    Servi moved to attack, planting her lips back to where she believed they rightly belonged. ¡°A friendship kiss can¡¯t compare, can it?¡± she asked. She licked her lips, noticing Momo was slightly squirming. Her hands reached up and held Servi¡¯s cheeks a second time. Her eyes were just so filled with the love she had for the favorite Human in her life.


    ¡°Servy, I love you. I really do. I don¡¯t know when these feelings started, but they did, and I¡¯m so thankful they did. After spending all this time together, I couldn¡¯t imagine loving anyone but you¡­ When Claire suddenly asked me, I denied my love at first, but then my chest started to hurt¡­ My confession was clumsy and unorganized at Claire''s house¡­ And I had one now¡­ But¡­ I don¡¯t think I need to say it, do I?¡±


    ¡°That kiss was your confession, and it passed your feelings to me¡­ To make it fair, I think it¡¯s my turn. All-day today, I constantly couldn¡¯t keep focus because my whole mind was occupied by you¡­¡± Servi said. ¡°I love how you laugh¡­ I love how protective you get over me¡­ I loved it when you carried me like a princess, when we slept together, when we bathed together¡­ When we trained and practiced¡­ When you cheered me on during the tournament¡­ When you panicked after getting a haircut because I stumbled away¡­ Every moment I spent with you¡­ I wouldn¡¯t dare want to overwrite those memories. You¡¯re someone truly special to me... More than anything, I need you in my life¡­ To make a long story short, I simply love you with all my heart.¡±


    Tears welled up in Momo¡¯s eyes from sheer happiness. ¡°I feel like¡­like I¡¯m floating on a cloud¡­ It feels like a hundred butterflies are in my stomach¡­ Servy¡­¡±


    ¡°Mosie¡­¡±


    With her confession spoken and accepted, Servi realized it was time to move on. She pushed off the bed and lent a hand to her darling, who graciously took it.


    ¡°When we hold hands now¡­it isn¡¯t going to be as friends, is it?¡± Momo asked as she stood up. Her skirt had folded up just slightly, allowing her thighs to peek out, but she didn¡¯t fix it.


    Instead of answering verbally, Servi took a play out of Momo¡¯s book. She took her free hand and very softly grabbed Momo¡¯s chin. She angled her hair up just slightly and went in for another kiss. Passion reigned supreme inside the sexually charged atmosphere. Servi brought both her hands to Momo¡¯s shoulders, and she slid them down until they grasped the hem of the pink-haired girl¡¯s shirt.


    Momo raised her arms, giving permission by way of her actions. Rather than spending time taking it off, Servi just absorbed it to get it over with.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want¡­ To let anything¡­ Get in the way¡­ Of our¡­ Kissing¡­¡± Servi passionately said. Her hormones were running hard and fast, and she was definitely feeling something lustful. She pressed her hands against Momo¡¯s incredibly warm skin, sending little jolts of excitement up the Singi''s spine. Her moans escaped through her occupied lips.


    ¡°Then¡­ Just take it all off¡­ Servy¡­ Hhmmm¡­ Mmmph¡­¡± Momo replied with just as much fervor. In a flash, Momo¡¯s bra vanished with her skirt and panties, leaving only her socks.  A moment later, Servi was truly baring it all.


    The ravenous kissing continued, with all of the sound unable to be contained. Bravery, or perhaps it¡¯d be apt to call it lust, gave Momo the courage to use her tongue. During an especially charged moment where Servi used Air Step to make a platform behind Momo for her to lean against, the naughty Singi skipped her tongue right inside Servi¡¯s mouth. She welcomed it¡ªgiving it a hero''s welcome in adoration and love.


    Servi knew she couldn¡¯t kiss Momo forever, even though she wanted to, because other spots needed her love, care, and attention. One such location was Momo¡¯s neck.


    But Momo beat her to the punch. In heavy breaths, she explained something she absolutely had to do. ¡°In our culture¡­ Other than our tails, there¡¯s¡­ Something else¡­ Your¡­neck. Let me lick it¡­¡± Her body was so sweaty, but that didn¡¯t cross her mind as she pulled back from the long kiss. Her face was like that of a maiden falling in true love. Her cheeks were so flushed.


    Servi wasn¡¯t much better. She silently listened to her lover and raised her head just a bit. Singi instinct forced itself to the forefront of Momo¡¯s mind, and she went for her. Her mouth opened wide as a thick tongue coated that delicious neck with her proof of love. She placed a couple of kisses, but her tongue was used for the vast majority.


    ¡°The neck¡­ Grampy said it¡¯s important¡­ Just like our tail¡­¡± Momo explained. She found it strenuous to talk, but she kept it up. Servi removed the Air Step platform and wrapped her arms around her waist. She carried the girl licking her neck to the bed, turned around, and sat down.


    Momo was back to sitting in Servi¡¯s lap. The tender words she spoke were enough to halt the ferocious Momo and her dastardly kicking spree. ¡°I¡¯m not a Singi¡­ But¡­ I want to¡­lick your neck.¡±


    Momo just nodded, her head a foggy maze of miraculously new pleasures and feelings. In this state, Momo was liable to say yes to anything Servi asked. She launched it off with a series of quick kisses to judge Momo¡¯s moans. Next was the proof of love from a Human to a Singi.


    Oh¡­ Servy''s tongue¡­ Her kisses feel so good¡­


    Servi had fun kissing and licking her adorable lover, but she was starting to feel something warm drip down her crotch. ¡°Momo, have you¡­touched yourself before?¡±


    Momo tenderly nodded. Servi turned her around until her back rested against Servi''s chest. ¡°I do it¡­thinking of you¡­Servy. You¡¯re all that¡¯s in my mind¡­when I put a finger inside me¡­ I can¡¯t¡­wait...¡± She grabbed Servi¡¯s hand and brought it to her chest. Her modest, small breasts were just as sensitive and soft as Servi¡¯s. She circled her palms around those perky nipples, licking the back of Momo¡¯s neck and lapping up her delicious sweat. A few pinches here and there followed by a sensual massage of her stomach almost brought her to tears. Servi used her hands to the fullest extent, using what carnal knowledge rested inside her head.


    AAaaahhhh!!!! More¡­ Servy, touch me more¡­ I need it!!!¡±


    ¡°Servy¡­¡± Momo whined. Her body quivered, a set of fingers went back to stop Servi¡¯s hand from any more teasing. More forcibly this time, she forced it to her crotch while opening her legs even more. Servi scooted back far enough to where if she laid down, she¡¯d land her pretty head in the pillow and telekinetically pulled Momo to her. There was absolutely no one else in the room, but the Singi found it exciting that her moist peach was on full display.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ You¡¯re so wet¡­ It¡¯s slimy¡­¡± Servi whispered. She teased Momo¡¯s pussy lips with a comforting rub, making sure not to slip a finger in. Her thumb reached up, faintly brushing her pretty clitoris. The Singi gritted her teeth and tensed up as she experienced an orgasm that didn¡¯t compare to what she received this morning. She pressed all  her weight against Servi and looked up with blissful tears. Servi leaned her head down and connected their lips again.


    Momo¡¯s moans reverberated through her lips and into Servi¡¯s mouth. She became braver with her teasing. Before going too far, she pulled her hand up and away from Momo¡¯s crotch to her face. It was just drenched in the Singi¡¯s essence.


    That¡¯s¡­Servy¡¯s and mines¡­ I¡¯m that¡­wet? It¡¯s never been like that¡­ But¡­ Clean it¡­ Momo slowly reached out to grab Servi¡¯s moistened hands. She took that index finger and brought it to her mouth, tasting a mix of her love juices and Servi¡¯s flavor. She sucked it long and hard¡ªlong enough for the girl rubbing her chest to bring her to the pinnacle of pleasure again.


    ¡°Mosie, you don''t have to hold it in... You can be as loud as you want¡­ I used Silentium Fluctus¡­ Sound can''t escape this room,¡± Servi whispered. ¡°I want to listen to your moans¡­ It¡¯s sexy knowing you¡¯re feeling this good from my touch alone¡­ It makes me happy¡­¡±


    Momo immediately followed up on that.


    She screamed to the high heavens and just allowed herself to go absolutely wild, refusing to suffocate her delectable exclaims of pleasure.


    "Ahhhhhhh!!! AAAHAHHHHH!!!! More!!!!! SERVY!!!!!!!!! MMMNNNNNN!!!!"


    Each moan sent a jolt of recognition through Servi¡¯s heart. All the while, she made sure her tongue always stayed on that finger. She must¡¯ve danced it around four or five times, from the nail to where it connected to the hand.


    ¡°My turn¡­ Servy, it¡¯s¡­my turn.¡± Momo removed the finger she sucked on and turned around. Servi cupped her lover¡¯s cheeks and kissed her once more. Then she laid down and held her arms up. Momo crawled right into them. She latched her ready mouth onto Servi¡¯s generous bosoms. It was like she was a nursing babe. She squeezed and molded those boobs, not stopping until she had every millimeter of Servi''s chest committed to memory.


    My breasts have never been this sensitive before¡­ Mmmn¡­ ¡°Aaahhh!!! Mosie!!!¡± Servi cried out. The Singi switched from the left boob to the right, her tongue enjoying the monopoly it had on Servi''s breasts. In that instance, Momo believed there was nothing tastier in the world.


    ¡°I want¡­to make you scream louder¡­ Servy, I want to hear your sweet voice¡­¡± Momo wiped her mouth and looked up at Servi¡¯s lecherous face. She was panting like a dog. ¡°I know what I have to do¡­¡± The Singi stuck out her tongue and licked and kissed nearly all of Servi¡¯s body while she made her way down south. She made a stop at Servi''s stomach and slathered it with her tongue and kisses. Shivers were sent through Servi¡¯s body, so Momo marked that as a place where she needed to give some more love too. She also didn¡¯t fail to notice the way Servi clenched the bed¡¯s blankets or sheets in response.


    Still, Momo kept tunneling down until she came to the source of her lover''s feminine scent.


    I¡¯ve never seen one but my own, but she¡¯s so pretty¡­ And there¡¯s no hair¡­ And she''s so wet.. Is that where she touched n me? That spot right there¡­ I want to lick it¡­ I want to taste Servy even more¡­and eat her up...


    Momo had spotted something sensitive to touch, and she slowly moved in with her tongue out. Perhaps it was Servi¡¯s extreme lack of self-pleasure that made her so susceptible to Momo¡¯s magical licking, but she nonetheless arched her back and moaned in ecstasy. Hearing the girl she loved vocally express herself in a way she hadn¡¯t seen before did wonders for Momo. She hooked her arms around Servi¡¯s thighs and moved down just a bit to those glistening pussy lips. To her, they just looked so juicy that she couldn¡¯t take it. A feeling in her heart wanted to dive right in.


    She investigated with the tip of her tongue for a second, and upon feeling a quiver scurry up Servi¡¯s body, knew she could proceed.


    You¡¯re delicious, Servy¡­ Momo thought, moving her face back for a moment. A mix of sweet and salty passed by her taste buds, but as for the smell? Her hormones transformed Servi¡¯s naturally mild, musky scent into something Momo truly desired. Suddenly, a hand came from above and guided Momo¡¯s mouth back down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­stop¡­ Mosie¡­ Keep going¡­¡± Servi begged. She bit her lip and panted like she was in heat. That got Momo¡¯s tail wagging, and she smiled while driving back in. Now that she had some experience, she used her tongue more in conjunction with her hands to spread Servi right open. A treasure of pink stared back¡­and it was all glistening with so much liquid she was afraid she was going to drown.  Closing her eyes, she stuck out her tongue and intruded upon a place where only fingers had been before.


    That moist pink appendage was seemingly hotter than a charcoal stone left out in the summer sun, but Servi¡¯s pussy was even hotter. Her inside folds caressingly pushed against and squashed the forthcoming intruder. Momo took it as a challenge, and she redoubled her efforts while slobber flowed down her chin. She didn¡¯t even want to take a moment to swallow.  But Momo did use a few precious seconds to lick her lips, then she took a small break to kiss Servi¡¯s thighs. Something told the Singi that she couldn¡¯t just focus on one spot. She had to divide out the love she wanted to give.


    Instinct was strong in certain races, but it was the strongest in the cat-like Singi.


    Momo arched her back downward, trying to rub her budding breasts against the bed¡¯s soft blankets. That failed, bordering on the cusp of uncomfortableness, but she had a backup. Her left hand unhooked itself from Servi¡¯s thighs and slowly made its way down the Singi¡¯s body. She came to her own moist crotch and began to finger herself. She began to pant more and more, and each exasperated inhale meant she¡¯d was consuming more and more of her lover¡¯s scent.


    The oral pleasure and masturbation continued for a while more, eventually only stopping when Servi couldn¡¯t take it. She gripped her head and writhed in pleasure, going so far as to wrap her trembling legs around Momo¡¯s head. She was pressed up against Servi¡¯s lower lips, her tongue continuing to lap up those delicious juices as if she was dying of thirst.


    ¡°Aaahhh!!!!¡± Servi screamed. Her feminine liquids squirted out, splashing Momo in the face as she attempted to follow her core instincts to swallow what she could. The strength in Servi¡¯s leg vanished, and Momo licked her lips. She crawled back up Servi¡¯s body and cupped her mouth back over her breasts. Her knee pressed into Servi¡¯s crotch by just a little, and it was clear Momo had excellent instincts.


    ¡°Gods¡­ I¡­can¡¯t¡­ Fuck... That was so good¡­¡± Servi exclaimed. She took deep breaths and tried to say something else, but Momo was an expert with her mouth. She brought Servi to the chalice of pleasure just moments later by her tongue and knee alone.


    I wanna kiss her again¡­ Momo flicked Servi¡¯s nipples with a tongue as she pushed her sweaty chest against Servi¡¯s breasts. Their lips connected once more after Momo licked Servi from her neck to her mouth. The naughty Human gripped her hands around Momo¡¯s butt and played with it. She squeezed it, spreading her open by venturing an adventurous finger closer to Momo¡¯s soaked snatch.


    ¡°Did¡­ Did you.. Aaahhh!!! Like¡­ Like it? Did you like it¡­?¡± Momo said between kisses. She shuddered just a bit when Servi inserted her middle finger into Momo¡¯s warmest of spots.


    ¡°That was out¡­of this world¡­ But¡­ I think¡­ It¡¯s my turn¡­ It isn¡¯t fair¡­for you¡­ Mosie¡­ I need to taste you¡­ I need to hear your moans¡­ Gods, I love you so much!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­remove your finger¡­ Not yet¡­ Servy, I¡­think I¡¯m almost there¡­ Just a little¡­ Mmmmmnnnnnn¡­. Aaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!¡± Momo¡¯s lewd exasperations sounded like sweet, sweet music to Servi¡¯s ears. She came hard again for what felt like the sixth or seventh time as the strength and reason vanished. Servi removed her finger and brought them to her mouth. What dropped down reminded her of the sweetest ambrosia, and she had to taste test it. As if it was a phallic object, Servi kicked her finger¡¯s shaft, transferring the lewdness to her mouth. She sucked it clean, then Momo wanted to do the same thing, only instead of her sweet essence, it was Servi¡¯s saliva. Together, they took turns licking it for a few seconds.


    Soon, it was time for a position change. Servi embraced Momo and helped her lay down. She stared up with those big blue eyes and a satisfied expression. Servi kissed her lips once before gradually moving down. Her tongue passed by her neck, stopping for a minute or so by her perky breasts. As small as they were, Servi gave them just as much care and love as Momo gave her boobs. She massaged them with her tongue, used her hands to curl around the underside, and slightly pushed up while a thumb gently kneaded her nipples.


    Momo rubbed Servi¡¯s head and moaned ever-slightly louder, which meant it was time for her to continue. She lapped up the sweat accumulating on Momo¡¯s bey, then finally found the holy grail she was looking for. Compared to before, Momo was doubly wet and absolutely drenched. If she were to slip a pair of panties on, they¡¯d be ruined in half a second at most. And it wasn¡¯t just around her pussy lips. Her whole crotch and inner thighs glistened in the atmospheric light provided by Lux Sphere.


    The whimsical glow of a passionate evening brought by a clouded sky blocking the moon was slightly tarnished. Those Lux Spheres were more of a hindrance, and Servi willed them out of existence before getting started. She rubbed her cheeks against those thighs and licked and sniffed, taking Momo¡¯s incredibly feminine scent for herself. This teasing lasted for longer than Momo wanted, and she soon squirmed since her salaciousness was at an all-time high. She couldn¡¯t help but focus back and realize what was about to happen to her was what she did to her darling Servi. She even felt her lover¡¯s tender breath whisk against her dripping crotch.


    It was too much, and she found herself begging Servi. ¡°Please¡­ I can¡¯t¡­wait anymore¡­ Servy¡­¡±


    Servi kissed the thigh she licked one more time before diving right in. The moment she flicked her tongue against those moist, pink lips, the most lovely moan flowed from Momo¡¯s purring mouth. Servi alternated between focusing on the outside of those lips and the clitoris. Before, she was partially afraid she was too rough, but she realized she was doing just fine. She didn¡¯t know how, but she knew that the right way was to slowly start the pleasure at a low level and gradually increase.


    Servi did just that between enjoying the flavor of her lover. However, she did majorly focus on her own satisfaction. This had the side effect of being fine because what Servi wanted was just what Momo desired at that very moment.


    Servi¡¯s tongue slipped in, pushing against the innermost folds of a girl¡¯s most sensitive palace. Meanwhile, her hands found it proper to reach up and fondle Momo¡¯s breasts. They pinched her nipples with all the force of a bee landing on a flower.


    For over an hour, Servi took full advantage of her ability to survive without breathing. She kept her head right between Momo¡¯s legs, never putting her tongue back in her mouth for a second.


    Momo¡¯s entire body trembled from the overdose of pleasure. What sent her overboard on her loud vocalizations of pleasure and lust was when Servi¡¯s hand ventured to massage Momo¡¯s clitoris. She had played it a couple of times while Servi was busy, but she couldn¡¯t keep enough reason in her mind to continue for longer than a few seconds. That was because Servi would scrape her tongue all around Momo¡¯s folds and cause her to orgasm. She would always inadvertently wrap her legs around Servi during this and grab onto the bed almost hard enough to tear right through it.


    By her third oral orgasm, Momo¡¯s concupiscence had been satiated so many times that her own lewd scent filled the entire room. Their sexual passion¡ªespecially Servi¡¯s reluctance to move her head away¡ªalso caused the young Singi to sweat enough to fill a lake. Her skin was so slimy and wet.


    To Servi, that meant flavor. For a brief moment, probably not longer than fifteen seconds, she trailed around Momo¡¯s body with her tongue to give the girl an ephemeral break to regain her sense of self. She had just enough time to fill her empty lungs with more air before she was screaming Servi¡¯s name a second time.


    Another hour went by, and Servi didn¡¯t even notice Momo had passed out somewhere along the way. She moved her head away from Momo¡¯s very soaked crotch and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Her own hormones caused the immortal to breathe hard as she stared at Momo¡¯s face. The girl had lost consciousness with her eyes squinted as her face took on an expression of a relishing afterglow.


    ¡°The bed is completely sopping wet¡­ Guess we went kinda hard there¡­¡± Servi sat on her knees and stared at Momo¡¯s naked form. Her barely-there breasts were just so lovely to stare at. The sense of finger herself welled up, and Servi found herself hunched over Momo¡¯s breasts. She sucked and licked to her fill until she squirted all over the bed, soiling it even more.


    Hearty sighs flowed out as she used that beautiful chest as a pillow. A groan escaped her mouth, and she knew she had to clean up. The last thing she wanted was for Momo to get sick after sleeping in a bed doused with their combined liquids.


    Do not worry, Servi. I¡¯ll dry the both of you off and pull out a clean bed. I¡¯m¡­not sure what really happened since I tried to give you two privacy, but you seem to be worn out.  Itarr said. She was busy doing a little bit of research and testing with her ID in a way to improve it. She was nearly on the cusp of a breakthrough, so that was what the Goddess focused on amidst the cries and shouts of passionate lust.


    It was difficult to concentrate, to say the least.


    ¡°Okay¡­ Thanks, Itarr. I love you¡­¡± Servi whispered. She went full dead weight as her mouth seemingly found her lover¡¯s nipples to suckle. Like a babe, she eventually drifted off to the magnificent world of dreams while a Goddess temporarily assumed the position of Divine Maid.

 (Finale) Book Four – Epilogue – Part Two – Friends to Lovers (R-18)

    ¡°Good morning, Servy,¡± whispered Momo when Servi slowly shifted awake. The Singi was leaning against the bed¡¯s backrest while a hand stroked that head of warm, black hair. Her other arm supported and hugged Servi''s body since she was resting against Momo¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Mmn? Hmm? Good morning,¡± Servi attempted to say. The words came out slurred. That was when she noticed what was in her mouth. Thick strands of spit connected it to Momo¡¯s right nipple. She looked up, then down, then up, and down again. ¡°Did I¡­¡±


    Momo nodded, smiled, and kissed Servi¡¯s lips. ¡°You did¡­ You even fell asleep while doing it, I think¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. That¡¯s must¡¯ve been¡ª¡±


    ¡°Uncomfortable? Nope, think again. I guess I was kinda shocked, but then I realized it didn¡¯t feel wrong. Well, I was on my back, but I was the one to sit up and scoot back. Then I adjusted your position for it to be like this. I hope you didn¡¯t mind¡­¡±


    ¡°Not at all¡­¡± Servi forgone kissing Momo¡¯s lips and settled on a delicately affectionate neck lick before resting her head against Momo¡¯s chest. She heard and felt the very heartbeat of the girl she loved, signifying she was alive and that this wasn¡¯t a dream. The Singi¡¯s fingers continued to flutter through that bed of black hair.


    ¡°I love you, Servy,¡± Momo whispered, her face full of felicity and nirvana. It was literally impossible for the Singi to be happier than she was at this moment.


    ¡°I love you, too,¡± Servi replied.


    Momo turned her head to the window and stared out at the breathtakingly beautiful blue sky. With no blemishes to be found, it was really a gorgeous day with that sea of blue staring down at them. The birds thought so too, and a sweet, lovely little melody began. The chirping was soft and elegant, at a tempo not too fast or slow. It was just the right way of welcoming in the first morning where Servi and Momo were more than friends.


    They were lovers, true and true. No longer would friendship kisses be the standard of their relationship.


    ¡°Last night¡­ I don¡¯t even know where to begin¡­¡± Momo said.


    ¡°I take it you liked it?¡± Servi asked. She closed her eyes and simply took in the enjoyment of the perfect moment.


    ¡°When I played with myself¡­ It never even came close to what I felt¡­¡± Momo said. She was slightly blushing as the memories raced across her mind.


    ¡°You¡¯re were awfully vocal last night, you know¡­¡± Servi said, smiling.


    ¡°Eh? Isn¡¯t that what you wanted? Besides, I wasn¡¯t acting or faking anything¡­ Even if you didn¡¯t ask, there was no way I could keep my voice down¡­ To be honest, I don¡¯t think I can look at your tongue without blushing¡­¡±


    Servi turned up and stuck out her tongue. She wiggled it about, but Momo got the last laugh when she leaned down and licked it. Servi¡¯s tongue retreated back into her mouth, and Momo advanced for another kiss. Soon, the blushing was on the other girl, and Momo adorably giggled. ¡°Itarr?¡±


    Yes? A stone tablet materialized and softly hovered in front of Momo.


    ¡°I figured I¡¯d say this now, but I love you as well¡­¡± she softly spoke, the words flowing like sweetened honey. ¡°Like with Servy, I don¡¯t want to imagine a future in which I wake up and you two aren¡¯t here¡­¡±


    I love you too, Momo. I don¡¯t want to imagine that either. You and Servi are my everything¡­


    ¡°And I¡¯ll guess throw my hat into the ring to complete this sappy circle of sappiness. It¡¯s hard to believe I¡¯ve found such true love¡­ You two are my¡­¡± Servi wasn¡¯t able to finish because the emotional connotations were too much.


    It hadn¡¯t even been half a year since she woke up without any memories. That was around the first or second of April, and now it was the 25th of August.


    Four months and some change¡­


    In that time, Servi had formed a new core relationship with so many people that it was like she had never lost her memories at all. Within her mind, she figured she could wait for something that might never come. And if it did, endure the strain of relieving whatever made her into the Mad Dog in the first place.


    Or, and this was the more gentle of the options, Servi could use this exquisitely perfect moment to declare it as the start of her new memories.


    When I ¡®woke up¡¯ two days ago, I felt so brand-new it wasn¡¯t even funny. I guess at this point, do I even want to get my memories back? I¡¯m very content with what I have now¡­ I¡¯m surrounded by people who actually care about my well-being. Whoever made me into the Mad Dog? They don¡¯t deserve a gram of my mind being spent trying to remember them.


    ¡°I just love you two so very, very much¡­¡± Servi bared her heart, and both Singi and floating ID embraced her.


    It was a sweet moment, for sure.


    ¡°Mosie, I guess I should give these back,¡± Servi said while raising a hand. A pair of white and pink striped panties flashed into existence. ¡°With the rest of your clothes as well.¡±


    ¡°I want you to keep them, Servy. I think it might be nice for you to have some of my clothes. But¡­ If it¡¯s alright, I want to hold on to some of yours,¡± Momo said. She seemed embarrassed, but it wasn¡¯t over her panties being spun around Servi¡¯s index finger. Off the sacred cloth went into a realm where time did not exist, and Servi brought out the sets of clothes she had bought the day prior. Telekinesis held them together as if an invisible body was wearing them.


    ¡°Which one do you want? You have Delinquent, Belt, Serpentine, Diamond, Sanguine, and Cloak.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± uttered a confused Momo. Servi further clarified that giving a set of objects a name helped her keep them categorized in a way that allowed her to bring them all out at once. ¡°Ooohhhhh¡­ That makes sense. I guess which one is your least favorite? I don¡¯t wanna take something you like.¡±


    ¡°I like Cloak, Sanguine, Diamond, and Serpentine the most. Cloak will definitely stay at number one because I like it that much, but the other three depend on my mood. I really just bought Belt and Delinquent because I wanted to give Jon some extra money. Didn¡¯t expect him to give me a discount, though¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Then can I borrow Belt? I really like that skirt. It¡¯s so cool, and the red is a nice color.¡± Servi nodded at her sweet Singi and absorbed the other outfits. Belt remained floating, and Servi flew it over to Momo¡¯s bag and gently laid it down against it.


    The girls talked about clothes a little more until an ugly beast couldn¡¯t be contained any longer. This ferocious monster roared and lashed out at the heavens!!!


    Momo¡¯s stomach was the monster, and it was growling like a junkyard dog. She giggled, and Servi laughed and said some things would never change.


    I cleaned you two up last night, but why not take a relaxing bath? We have some time before we have to meet with Srassa. I¡¯ll cook and prepare some breakfast in the meantime, okay?


    ¡°It makes me feel kinda bad having a Goddess do all that¡­¡± Momo said. She watched as Servi rolled out of bed and accepted the hand she held out.


    It does not take that much effort at all. As an example, it took not even ten seconds to clean the both of you while switching out the bed. And this may be embarrassing for someone like me, but even though this Absorption power is mine, it feels like there is much left to discover about it. Frequent use of it may be the key to unlocking any further power that may rest within it. That might be related to my memories as well, so using it will only help. And since I like taking care of you two, it is a win-win situation!


    ¡°Then¡­ You should let us take care of you! That¡¯s what today is for, right? For you to experience things like eating and drinking and shopping?¡±


    I am in your care, Momo! Thank you for being my guide to all things I want to try!


    ¡°It¡¯s funny you say that about Absorption because I was thinking the same thing,¡± Servi said. She held Momo close to her chest while retrieving the large metal basin from within the ring. Even for a Human and Goddess hybrid, it would take time for the tub to fill up. Momo snuggled her cheeks against Servi¡¯s chest while rubbing her arms up and down her back. Every so often, she¡¯d get frisky and kiss Servi¡¯s boobs. ¡°It feels like something is going to change if it already hasn¡¯t. I know you can look and check right this second, but it might be fun to do it tonight. You know, when you have a body? The three of us could cuddle in bed and read it together.¡±


    That sounds delightful, Servi! I cannot wait!


    When the basin was filled, Servi and Momo held hands while dipping inside. Without speaking it, the other knew what the other wanted. That was why neither were alarmed when Servi sat between Momo''s legs and leaned back. She felt a few kisses on her head when a pair of arms wrapped around her stomach. This moment was like it was a slice of paradise. When Momo moved her hands up and down, rubbing Servi''s stomach, the red-eyed girl leaned back even further. She was resting right between Momo''s breasts, and she turned her head to the left and right and kissed them.


    "I take it this might be a morning thing?" Momo asked.


    "I was just thinking the same thing. The things we usually do together will take on a new connotation after last night."


    "At the heart of it all...we''re still friends, right?"


    "Friends... Best friends... Lovers... Yeah, I''d say so. If you think of it like a hierarchy, it makes sense."


    "Servy, if we do have to introduce ourselves to someone... Instead of saying friend--" Momo started to say.


    "We''ll say lover. I don''t give a damn if our love is supposedly ''forbidden'' by the church. I won''t hide it. I won''t even pretend it doesn''t exist."


    "Hehe! We shouldn''t talk down or hide the things we enjoy. Especially if there isn''t any reason to do that in the first place." Momo kissed Servi''s head once more, and the Human changed position until she straddled Momo''s lap. The two touched foreheads and softly stared into the other''s eyes.


    "I''m...not heavy, am I?" Servi asked. She was a girl who could lift Feral''s study shield, and that was before she upgraded Absorption and acquired a stronger body. Momo was a petite little thing, and Servi had ten or eleven kilograms on her. Momo replied with a kiss, and Servi dropped the subject. She shifted her position. Momo wrapped her arms around Servi''s waist and moved her kisses down until she came to two large, soft, warm, bouncing breasts.


    "You''re just perfect the way you are, Servy," Momo said. She puckered her lips and latched on, going about it as if it was perfectly normal.. Servi embraced Momo''s head and just smiled while stroking her pink hair. That tail, even though it was wet, danced up as if it was a snake affected by a flute-playing musician.


    "Mmmn," moaned Servi. "Is this revenge?" Her darling lover nodded with a nipple in her mouth, her beautiful eyes staring up with those sparkly azure orbs. "Do I have to sit here for a few hours?"


    Plop!


    "As much as I want that, we can''t keep Srassa waiting. But speaking of Srassa... Servy, what do we do?"


    "About what?" She felt Momo''s tongue flick her nipple.


    "About Srassa. You, me, and Itarr... We''re going to be in a relationship. I know we all three like Srassa. She''s going to be traveling and adventuring with us, but..."


    "I like her too, Mosie. When she holds my hand... It feels like the world is just right. I don''t think I could feel any other way... Even if I tried."


    "Would you call it love?" Momo asked.


    "Would you?" Servi replied.


    "I honestly think I would." Momo opened the gates of her heart and expressed her admiration about Srassa. "She''s just so caring and friendly. She''s always thinking about us even before herself. And I''m not just talking about how she paid for that dinner or took us to her farm. I''m talking about how she truly cares about our wellbeing. About how she cried when we met up at the shopping center, or how she trusted us enough to confess her biggest worries... The worries she couldn''t even tell Jony or her parents. It feels good knowing that there''s someone out there who trusts you that much."


    "Mosie, I think I love her too. I don''t give a damn about her status as a noble or her wealth, but as a person? She''s the sweetest. You know, she''s probably lonely."


    "Itarr?" Momo called out for the Goddess.


    I share much of the same feelings as Servi. Srassa''s generous to a fault. Whenever I see her, it does feel like I''m looking at Momo. Not in appearance, but in terms of mannerisms. She''s skittish, and it feels like she''s constantly skimming the line. Does that make sense?


    "It does. I''ve told this to her before, but it almost feels like Srassa and I could have been sisters. We''re just so much alike... I wonder if that''s why I feel like this? I see my younger self within her, and I want to help Srassa grow. I don''t want to call her talented because that throws away all of the hard work, and let me tell you, Servy... It was amazing watching her transform from someone who could barely hold a sword into someone who could keep up with me. Seeing her put in the effort honestly inspired me."


    "Mosie, do you think it could work? A relationship between the four of us?" Servi asked.


    "I do... I really do. But that''s only if she loves us back... And she hasn''t met Itarr yet. Maybe it wasn''t the right time to have this conversation. I mean, how do you even bring it up? ''Srassa, the three of us love you. Do you love us?''"


    "I don''t know, but there''s nothing wrong with putting our emotions out in the open. Mosie, I won''t ever hide anything from you. My thoughts, my actions, my feelings... I''ve physically bared it all, and now I want to do the same with everything else." Servi felt Momo''s hands move from her back down to her hips.


    "I feel the same. There''s no reason to hold anything in, is there? For Srassa, we could just continue acting as we have? If I know you right, and after last night, I feel like there isn''t anything I don''t know, you, me, and Srassa were going to hold hands, right? Like we did yesterday?"


    "Yep. It just feels natural, doesn''t? When Itarr gets her body, it''ll definitely be the four of us. But Mosie, that''s what happened to us."


    "What do you mean?" Momo helped Servi turn around until she was in her original position. Instead of rubbing her stomach, Momo brought her hands to Servi''s wonderfully large breasts. For a moment, the Singi pretended she was blessed in the chest. She didn''t know what it was like to have a rich bosom, and this was the only way. It was good thing the bosom was attached to a girl who loved Momo with all of her heart.


    "When you took care of me, we acted as if we were already a couple, right? We always held hands, you brushed my hair, we napped together, we slept together... We did everything a pair of lovers would do even before we confessed. And if things keep going like they are, our friendship with Srassa will progress into the next stage. Maybe it''s because I''m more intuned with my emotions, but it does feel like we''ll have nothing to worry about if we continue as we have." Servi closed her eyes and relished the pleasure that came with Momo massaging her breasts. Her hands squeezed at the top, then slid down, her thumbs flickering over her pretty pink nipples.


    "Then... We don''t have to do anything specific? We just have to keep at it like we always have?"


    "That''s right. Mmmnn... You really like touching my chest, don''t you?"


    Momo kissed Servi''s neck and rubbed her head against hers. "And you really liked licking me down there, didn''t you?"


    "Guilty as charged... Hey, we do have some time..." Servi said. Momo replied by kissing Servi''s neck and sending her hands on a path down south. It was time for the Singi to get her revenge, and she was going to do that by constantly playing with Servi''s pussy. "Mmmnn... I just know this is revenge... It''s a good thing I''m a glutton for punishment..." Momo took Servi''s sultry words as a challenge, and although she only had masturbation and last night''s experience to rely on, she was up to the task.


    Tonight... I''ll be doing this with Servy and Itarr... Having sex...with a Goddess... That''s incredible by itself, right? I''m a bit afraid I won''t know what to do, but I think it would be fine if I do what I''m doing now. Servy''s moaning like crazy... She''s obviously liking it... It makes sense Itarr would like it as well, right?


    Momo broke out of her mind when Servi arched her back. Her eyes were closed as a beautiful voice flowed out from her open mouth. Momo went for it, catching that purr with her own lips as her fingers slowed to a crawl. It took a few seconds for Servi to recover, and once she did, it was time to actually clean their bodies. Itarr dried them off and clothed Servi in Cloak, but she couldn''t do the same for Momo since it was harder to put clothing on other people.


    Servi chilled on the bed watching Momo button-up a light-blue shirt when two sizzling plates appared.


    I hope you two don''t mind nocturnal cod. That''s really all I have in here...


    "Then why don''t we stop by the market and pick up some stuff?" asked Momo. She skipped over to the bed and plopped right down beside Servi, who was already deep into the bland, flavorless food. Itarr thanked Momo, and the three spent the next fifteen minutes in a wonderful conversation Claire''s cooking. Itarr wanted to join the Elf''s class, and Momo knew Claire wouldn''t have any objections to it.


    Breakfast came to an end, and it was nearly time to walk down and meet Srassa. With their hands clasped around the other, Servi and Momo walked out of that room with a determined smile on their faces.


    This day marked the end of one era, and the birth of the next. No one, not even a Goddess like Itarr, could predict what was coming their day, and for this particular group? The future was bright and full of untapped potential.


    ~~ The End ~~


    RuggyRuggy


    I don''t really have much to say here other than please check out the Update Post coming out on or around the 23rd.


    Thank you so much for reading until the end of Book Four. I hoped you enjoyed these fluffy moments between Servi and Momo. It seems like Srassa is going to join in on the cuddling, and Itarr isn''t that far behind since, surprise surprise, she obtains a body in the prologue of the next book.


    Also, I know this is a pretty big cliffhanger. Rest assured, Itarr''s body is the very first thing that is tackled in book 5. This book was already long enough, and this was the perfect end, though one could argue that the ensuring threesome between Servi, Itarr, and Momo would have marked a better end.


    Eh. Perhaps you''re right, but I do think this is a satisfactory spot for stopping.


    But thank you all so much for reading! I hope you''ve been enjoying The Story of a Girl & a Goddess Whose Souls Became Interconnected!


    There is a lot of Servi, Momo, and Itarr to come in the future! (Maybe a little bit of Srassa as well...?)


    But yeah, expect the update post to come out on or around the 23rd.

 Update – 23 May 2022 – Important Information!

    Hello! I have a lot to talk about, so let''s just jump right in!


    (I apologize, but this was kinda written in a hurry... Sorry for any errors and mistakes...)


    Okay, as I said before, Book 4 was primarily designed to offer Servi, Momo, and Itarr a chance to relax and refresh after the horrid events of Book 3. And I like to think I accomplished my objective. I still wanted a little bit of ''darkness'' and such, so I came up with Fisher''s little interludes. Speaking of that, it was awfully depressing, wasn''t it?


    If you think about it, everything pretty much originated from when Fisher destroyed Sakdu''s village and killed his family. Sure, that happened like 10+ years in the past, but the Mafia arose from their deaths and turned into a multinational criminal syndicate that birthed the dreaded Monotonia. Fisher really struggled with it, didn''t he? He''s not the same revenge-obsessed man as he was in his youth, yet just because he has a family he cares about does not exonerates him from his crimes. Actions speak louder than words. I still fully expect people to dislike Fisher, though he is trying his best. Just think about Myil, the Koena that Fisher saved. He brought him to Melk, a Kobold that Fisher befriended, in order for him to get help, a place to stay, and a job. Oh, and Melk is also a priest. For most of the story, the church was presented as something awful and negative, yet there are people out there-- bishops, priests, and maybe even cardinals that are good people.


    But yes, having the Bishop''s final Urge force Fisher to violently describe his bloody past to his children was a dastardly move. Hearing such awful things coming from their ''perfect'' father pretty much executed their ideal version of him to the point where they actually believe he''s dead. The Fisher that they see is something akin to a monster, so yeah...


    His children are basically his entire world, and they hate him. His presence causes so much harm to them that he has no choice but to move, but that causes heartache to his wife, who loves him.


    Oh, and Fisher is super injured. He lost so much blood by this point, and it''s no wonder that he''s even moving, especially considering that he had the willpower to refuse healing from the governor''s sister.


    (NOTE! If it isn''t obvious, I had originally intended on Fisher dying from his wounds before the twins discovered him in the bishop''s church. I didn''t go that route because I didn''t want it to be ''too'' dark. Though maybe it would be better if he did bite the dust? It would probably be a fitting conclusion.)


    But regardless, he has to have no contact with his wife because Fisher doesn''t want her to resent their children.


    And now for Servi, Momo, and Itarr.


    Yay! Servi and Momo are a couple! It''s been a super long time coming, but after them sleeping together enough times, dancing, cuddling, and Momo feeding Servi, they finally had that kiss and shared their first times with each other!


    I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did writing it.


    How did you all like Servi and Momo going around to help the bar and clothing store that Servi robbed in Book One? The former owners aren''t in the picture, but people related to them are. The owner of that clothing store probably has an inkling that Servi was somewhat responsible, but he doesn''t have much proof. And the new owner of the Rude Crystal? It''s almost of the same thing. I had planned on having the Rude Crystal show up in the chapter where Servi, Momo, Itarr, Srassa, and Feral are walking around the festival, but I decided against it. Don''t know why, honestly. Instead of the bank scene being as long as it was, I could have done something with the Rude Crystal.


    But ignoring that, I really liked how Momo''s relationship with Claire, Dinera, and Srassa evolved. The dinner scenes at Clare''s went really nicely, in my opinion. We got to see Momo deny her feelings, then immediately speak the truth because pretending they didn''t exist just hurt her heart so much, and Claire... She''s a super friendly Elf who cares about her close friends. Unlike a lot of people, Claire''s backstory isn''t really that sad. She has a friendship with her cousin, her grandma, and her family, and for most of her life, she was just going from town to town trying to find her purpose in life. And now she has it working as a receptionist for Warden.


    A trip to her family''s village is in the near future, so we get to see some elven culture, which is kinda awesome!


    Oh, and let''s talk about Dineria. Like Claire, Dineria''s past isn''t exactly ''dark'' or horrid, I''d say. She was never beaten and tortured, she was just really good at her job, which just so happened to be killing. And it''s not like she was slaughtering innocents. She just wanted to get promoted through Warden as fast as possible and took on the more dangerous quests, which happened to be bounty related. Doing nothing but killing after killing after killing is a fast way to destroy a person, and she was treading dangerously close to an uncrossable line before she returned to her home and spent time with her family.


    I guess you could say a good point of Book 4 is the importance of family. Both in Claire''s father''s case (he was a ranger, and he had to kill to protect what he cares about.) And as I just spoke about Dineria, she had her family to help her. In Servi''s case? She has no family (That she is aware of) but Srassa, Dineria, Claire, Feral, Fisher, and Itarr were there for her.


    And as Servi says near the end of Book 4,  she partly wonders if recovering her memories is worth it because she doesn''t know what or who made her into the Mad Dog. Honestly, she makes a good point. No matter what her previous memories had, what she has now has to be better.


    For Momo, she sure took an active role after Book 3. From some earlier comments, it seems that people don''t exactly like Momo, but I hope her actions have won some people over. True to her word, she protected and guarded Servi during her healing, remaining with her every step of the way, even sleeping with her, at a point, and even bathing while being in the same room. She really wanted to kiss Servi before she came back, but Momo remained strong because she wanted the moment to be absolutely perfect, and I think it was.


    Momo''s probably the character that has the most development throughout the entire story. From a scaredy Singi that''s so fearful to someone that''s only second to Servi in terms of power and strength, there is still a ton of development left for her. For both her and Srassa. And that brings us to this noble girl who was pretty much kinda betrayed(?) by Silverado and Desperado.


    I bet you didn''t expect that, did you? Silver and Despi seemed to be so friendly, but that was not the case. Poor Srassa sure had it hard. She might be a rich noble with enough money to have her every whim satisfied, but that isn''t what she wants. Srassa wants to be strong and independent, and it isn''t hard to see that she respects Servi and Momo. She looks up to them. She even has a crush on them. That was why, I think, the scene at the last dinner at Claire''s house was so powerful because it was Srassa venting her feelings and speaking about how awfully Silverado and Desperado treated her. Momo inviting her to join her party and travel and adventurer with Servi and Momo surely touched her heart. Judging from the ending, Srassa is about to find out about Itarr, so her world is going to twirl upside down when she realizes that an actual Goddess cares about her.


    And that brings us to Itarr. How did you all feel about her? For most of Book 4, she was completely quiet. Maybe just a sparse amount of dialogue, if any, until after Servi comes back. Did you all find her development suitable? She had a ton of time to think about things and realizes that wanting to be deduced to just a weapon would only made it hurt even worse. She wants nothing more than to be useful and helpful and a friend to Servi. And at the end of Book 4, their relationship is stronger than ever.


    (And for those wondering, the sins of Arcton and the Mafia are not long gone. What happened at Arcton will haunt Servi. Remember, she''s the reason it''s ruined. A ton of people died because of Servi, so don''t think I''m just waving it all away. It''s going to come back.)


    Umm.... I suppose we can talk about some side characters? Like the mother and two daughters from Book 3? Remember when Servi and Old Man went to that store to get money from that man? And he was telling the truth that he didn''t have it, but then Servi used her power to make small box and fill it with money? Yeah, they only showed up for a little bit, but the mother still doesn''t know what to think about Servi. And Servi''s feeling guilty. The only thing she can do is just make sure that the mother and her two daughters are monetarily taken care of. That just resulted in Servi getting smacked by her, so Servi can''t really win.


    And that''s fine. Servi isn''t going to be liked by everyone. And she isn''t going to be hated by everyone. Remember, only Itarr, Momo, and Fisher know the truth behind Arcton and that giant crater. How will Claire respond? Dineria? Srassa? Feral? Servi''s powers are literally limitless. The more she kills, the more powerful she grows. In essence, she''s a soul-devouring monster that cannot die


    Literally. Nothing can kill Servi. And that''s not a spoiler because that''s literally a core part of her power.


    So don''t expect everyone to react favorably when they find out that she killed thousands of people, quite a few innocent, all in the name of rage. Yes, Momo was kidnapped, but remember that in her rage, Servi chose to destroy and attack the city rather than rush over to Momo.


    Yes, before Book ''5'' (more on that later) The Chimeric Ascension of Lyudmila Springfield will come out. I don''t have a date for it since I''m going through the latest draft and making some pretty substantial changes (changes for the better, mind you, now that I have a beta reader to give me their thoughts on what worked and what didn''t from the previous drafts) but I expect it to come out at the end of June. There will be 2 arcs (total of about 140k words) to come out. (Yes, I''m going by Arc and not book since the first arc is probably less than 45 - 50k words.


    As for what it is about? Well, it is an isekai focused on revenge. You see, Shuuta Fenton was on a plane to Greece with Class 2-F of Mekka Academy when they were summoned by Meruria,  Holy Lord that rules of the country of Cridia. In this world, Holy and Dark Lords have the power to summon Divine Warriors from different realities, and they are naturally powerful. But they aren''t meant for war. They''re meant to act like nuclear deterrents, so every country summons at the same time.


    Divine Warriors'' souls are measured from 1-Star to 5-Star, and two people summoned have a 6-Star soul.


    Shuuta, however, has a 0-Star soul, meaning that he will never grow an ounce stronger.


    In most isekais where the MC is forced to leave their party or are sacrificed for being ''weak'' it turns out that they''re the reason the party is successful / their ''weak'' ability is super strong. Yeah, that does not happen here. Shuuta is legitimately weak. So Meruria claims that if she sacrifices Meruria, she can get an extra chance at summoning another Divine Warrior, one that is assured to be infinitely stronger than Shuuta.  And well? Some of the class argues for it because they come from a world that revolves around meritocracy. They absolutely cannot stand anyone weak and useless.


    So Shuuta is sacrificed while he is swearing he won''t die until he has his revenge.


    From here, and it''s not a spoiler since it''s literally in the title, Shuuta is transformed into a Chimera and takes the Lyudmila Springfield.


    In terms of content: It''s obviously going to be dark. It''s a revenge manga, after all. But don''t expect needless slaughter akin to Book 3 when Servi goes full Murder Psycho Bitch Mode.  Even if Mila (what Lyudmila goes by) wants to do that, she''s weak. Like super weak. So weak that even a level 1 boar is strong enough to nearly kill her, and a group of like 15 level 2-4 monsters is enough to put her on death''s door where she has to take substantial risks just to stay alive.)


    Since she cannot acquire stats of SP from leveling up, she has no choice but to assimilate people to acquire SP and assimilate monsters to acquire their monster skills on top of keeping her chimerism a secret because Chimera are hunted to the death. But she does not stay weak. She and her allies grow in strength and power, from whether that''s making new gear and equipment like armor and guns to bounty hunting and eating criminals to acquire their SP, Mila will slowly rise to the top and obtain her revenge.


    In terms of R-18 scenes? There will be a lot. Since Mila is a Chimera, we''re going to get weird with the sex scenes once she assimilates a slime. And for those futanari lovers out there, Mila is one from the beginning, and she uses it. It sounds kinda weird, but sex will be a major theme of this story because of Mila''s past. She learns that sex can be a wonderful thing, and it isn''t something to be afraid of.


    When I do finally start uploading it, I really hope you all will come to check it out. It''s going to be written in first person from Mila''s perspective while dipping into first person PoVs from some other major characters. During certain times, a third person PoV will be required, but I do not use those that often. Rather, I don''t have plans to use it that much.


    You know, it''s kinda funny how many rewrites Chimeric Ascension has gone through before even being published. The other story I have posted on here is like a super major rough draft, where only a few names remain the same. And then at one point, I was at like 90k words, and Mila hasn''t even assimilated a single thing. But now I''ve got it down to where I''m happy with the pacing.


    Just like with Interconnected, I''ve spent a ton of time getting everything just right. Actually, all of my free time is spent thinking about my two stories. I''m like obsessed with them.


    And now I get to some bad news.


    First, and please don''t click away, Interconnected: Spliced Souls (new name) will continue on! I swear that only death will prevent me from ever finishing both of my books. (Well, three of them, the third is just a memory in my mind. It doesn''t even have a name, but let''s ignore that for right now since it doesn''t matter.)


    I''m over a 1,000,000 words deep, and I''m not the same writer as I was when I first penned the beginning paragraph of Prologue One.


    You see, at the time, I was obsessed with gritty darkness and edginess that I pretty much had no limits when it comes to violence. That''s why Prologue One is so dark and detailed with a ton of body gore and rape.


    That''s why that slave dies right in front of Servi and Momo after they come out of the sewers.


    That''s why, when Fisher and Arnold are tormenting those Singi siblings in the beginning when Servi uses that opportunity to steal food, all of the people around go and cheer them on. Then when Servi loses her hand, they just start laughing at her.


    That''s why, near the end of Book 1, when we''re reading from the twins'' PoV, their father, the emperor, is raping the commander of his special forces.


    And yes, that''s why Book 3 is so gory and dark when it comes to Servi''s murder mode and how she finds it gleeful to slaughter thousands.


    At the same time, I was obsessed with super long chapters and gore and violence, so that''s why many of my chapters are often over 20-30k words and come in multiple parts. One of which is a whopping 45k (when it was originally like 60k before I chopped it down.) BEcause of that, the pacing was often slower than even a glacier. I spent far too long on just increasing the word count that I really could have accomplished the ''plot'' of Books 1-4 in like 500k words at max.


    And that brings me to this...


    Yes, there is a rewrite of Interconnected: Spliced Souls in progress. (PoV will be First person Servi / Momo / Itarr / Fisher / Third Person whenever else)


    Now, before you click off, please note that the overall general ''tone'' of the story will not change at all. At its heart, this story is dark and depressing with glimpses of light and cheerfulness, and that will not change. The Overall Story Will Not Change!!!!


    Prologue 1 and Prologue 2? They will be altered. I still think that having Prologue 1 was a mistake, so while it will make an appearance, it will do so later on. (The information is Prologue 1 is super important to the mystery of the story. I cannot stress how important it is, but it was a problem having it so early since it will not be relevant for millions and millions of words.)


    Prologue 2 can come into play as an intermission. Maybe a small chapter from Claus and Qina as they''re riding to Canary to deliver that letter to Parrel, which is when they realize there has been an attack on the city.


    But like I said, I will keep the general tone.


    For example, Servi still dies in order to meet Itarr, but it happens differently. She stumbles onto a shed after hearing children cry, and these children turn out to be the Singi siblings from Book 1 Chapter 1. Arnold is the one that kills Servi because he''s mad at her for help the kids escape.


    You see, this adds that personal factor, especially because Fisher was there. He runs in right as Arnold''s sword leaves Servi''s gut, and he doesn''t do anything to save Servi because at this point, Fisher doesn''t have enough courage to face Arnold. And so, Servi has a right reason to be pissed at Fisher because he could have saved her, yet he didn''t.


    In turn, Book 2 is much more personal. (Book Two is also when the Mad Hound will start appearing in Servi''s dream, so that can start a little earlier. And yes, this is handled with much more care. I spent so many nights just thinking about nothing but how I could improve Interconnected: Spliced Souls.)


    (And yes, the bullshit tournament is gone. The tutoring aspect is still there, but it is two tutors teaming up. So Dineria and Fisher are chosen to train Servi, Momo, Srassa, Silverado, Desperado, Feral, Rakkire, and Riki.  And the big event his time is a trek to Waveret, a place mentioned but not yet seen. (Waveret is a harbor city, which means it''s near the ocean, which means a beach and sand. Even though sand is coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere, it''s time for a ''fun in the sun'' scene. AKA: Swimsuits and bikinis and having fun!)


    And this gives me a chance to introduce Monotonia and Mafia in earlier, which is another reason why I want to do a rewrite. All of these ideas that were seemingly last minute can be connected together, and the world feels more alive at this point.)


    And here''s the biggest reason of all... (kinda)


    Futanari.


    Like, I wanted Servi to take that skill so she grows a penis from early on, but I was afraid of being labeled a pervert or degenerate (I know. I know) but that fear isn''t with me now. I don''t know if you remember this character, but in Book 1 and Book 3, Servi meets an elven prostitute. In book 1, Servi asked her for directions to an armor shop, and in book 3, Servi ends up licking her chest while waiting for her target to leave the brothel so she can kill him.


    Originally, before she fell in love with Momo, Book 1 Servi was going to visit the brothel fulfil her sexual needs when she grows a penis, and this elf was going to be her partner. She would grow to be a side character that had a pretty big role in Book 6.


    (Servi still would have fallen in love with Momo, though. There would not have been any drama between the Elven prostitute and Servi. She''s simply a woman of the night, and Servi and Momo would have remained good friends with her.)


    The second biggest is obviously the word count. I have a new outline right now that combines Book 2 and Book 3 in a lower word count while getting the point across, even when accounting for the new trip to Waveret.


    And speaking of OG Book 3, it has been severely shortened. I have listened to all of the criticism and comments, and I know not to do what I did before.  I''ve grown as a writer, and I want nothing more than to write stories I can be proud of.


    (Actually, this new Book 3-that''s-intertwined-with-Book-2 is so much better. It''s super spoilery, but if I was a better writer when writing OG Book 3, this is what Servi would have done instead of what I wrote her to do.)


    But you see, we have good news too.


    Everything I need for the rewrite is already written. Mainly, Book 1-4 is already published. I already have the content written down, the characters made, the plot points hit, and the designs all figured out. It''s mainly a point of polishing what I have until it turns from a coal block into a diamond. (Hopefully)


    And for the new stuff I want to add that I don''t already have written down? Well, I have already outlined all of it.


    I hope this news isn''t super disappointing. I''m sorry. I really am...


    So, the current plan is: Alternate between Chimeric Ascension and Interconnected: Spliced Souls one after the other.


    So once I start to upload Chimeric Ascension, I will work on Book 1 rewrite and upload it right when the last part of CHimeric Ascension is uploaded. Then I work on Arc 3 of CA, and upload that when Book 1 rewrite upload is finished.


    (if I didn''t do a rewrite, that was going to be the plan. Alternate between Books and Arcs for both series.)


    Another option was to wait until after the full rewrite is done, so once I''m done with Book 3 (remember, Book 2 and 3 will be combined. Together, the total length will be shorter than OG Book 2 and 3 added together.)


    In either case, uploads for Interconnected: Spliced Souls will be daily because that is the least I can do. I''m still taking breaks on the weekends, but I''ll probably change that to make up for the rewrite.


    Again, I''m super sorry. I want to present my best work for my readers, and that requires a rewrite of Book 1-4 in order for me to be happy with it.


    I hope Chimeric Ascension fills in the gap / void, and I hope you all will check it out.


    THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!


    Seriously, it''s incredible how much support you''ve all given me. Even with a super rocky start, we''ve reached over 500k views!!!!! Like, that''s incredible! I thought getting a hundred views was impossible, but we''re at half-a-million!!!! I was actually super afraid to even upload even a single part, but I did, and here we are!


    I did get a comment about if I had a discord, and I do not. I do not have much experience on that platform. I do want to make one, though, but it won''t be now. I want to wait until I''m properly happy with both Interconnected: Spliced Souls and Chimeric Ascension. I want to be in a healthy state with both of them.


    And in case someone is wondering about Patreon, I still have plans to do so, but not right yet. It would not sit right with me to make readers pay for early access to the rewrite because, to me, it would be betraying them because of my inexperience. Maybe I could do one for Chimeric Ascension, but if I cannot remain devoted to it because of rewriting Interconnected: Spliced Souls, and if there happens to be a delay of a few weeks, I''ll feel bad about uploading late.


    Things like that, I suppose, unless anyone else has any ideas.


    Well, I think this update is getting kinda long, so I''ll end it here.


    I hope you all enjoyed Book 4 as much as I loved writing it! I will post updates on my profile, so if you''re looking for any information on the current status of anything, please look there.


    RuggyRuggy